SHADOW [BOOK 2]

CHAPTER 7

"Operations Control." Cap said as we stood in the elevator. "Confirmed." The AI stated. "Keep all S.T.R.I.K.E. personnel on site." A man said. "Understood." Another voiced. "Yes sir." Another sounded. "Forensics." The man said. "Confirmed." The AI sounded again. "Cap." The man said. The two of us turned at the same time. "Rumlow." Cap said. "Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac team ready?" Rumlow stated. "No, let's wait to see what it is first." Cap responded. "Right." Rumlow answered. I nudged Cap a bit. He looked at me before I pointed sneakily at one of the men. He followed my finger to see the man with his hand "casually" resting on his gun. Cap looked at me with furrowed brows. I shook my head, making a hand motion, telling him to wait for now. He nodded his head slightly as the elevator stopped and the door opened. More men entered the elevator. "Excuse me." A man told us. Cap and I looked at each other moving towards the front of the elevator a bit. "I'm sorry about what happened with Fury. It's messed up, what happened to him." Rumlow announced. "Thank you." Cap stated. I took in the newcomers listening to everyone's heartbeats and noticing that they were slightly racing than they normally should be. I furrowed my brows briefly before looking at one of the men. He was sweating at the side of his head. The elevator opened up one more time and three more men entered the elevator. Cap and I exchanged looks before facing forward.

"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Cap asked. Silence. "No? Wow. Either all of you are incredibly brave...or ridiculously stupid." I added before slamming my left elbow into the temple of a man to the left of me. I kicked the back of the man directly in front of me before men grabbed my arms and held me back. I looked over to see the same thing happening to Cap. "And here I thought this was a little elevator party." I voiced slamming my head into someone behind me. One of the man slammed a baton into my side. I looked down at my side before looking up at him. "Cute." I voiced before grabbing driving my fist into his face and dropping him to the floor.

I was thrown into the metal door before they tried to pin me to it from behind with electromagnetic handcuffs. I felt the magnetic pull from the cuff before pulling at it. I looked at the men before slamming my foot into one of their faces. I pushed off the wall before grabbing someone's shoulders and flipping over them, slamming my feet into the back of their knees, dropping them to the floor before smashing the metal cuff into the back of their head. Cap's cuff became attached to the wall. "You were always destined to be killed, Reeds." Rumlow told me.

"Funny. Because I don't remember being able to have that happen to me." I said blocking his attacks before he kicked my hand and the cuff on my left hand slammed into the wall behind me. I looked back at the wall before starting to pull at the cuff. I felt an electric shock course through my body. But it didn't hurt as much given the Vibranium suit. I pushed off the wall with my feet and slammed my fist into the person directly behind me before smashing my elbow into their face. I dodged Rumlow's attack, grabbing his arm and throwing him into the wall. I ducked under a shock baton and sent my foot in between the man's legs. "I just want you to know, Cap, this isn't personal!" Rumlow exclaimed running at Cap. Cap dealt with Rumlow before throwing a glance at me. I motioned for him to continue, putting my hands in the air. He looked at Rumlow blocking his attacks before grabbing him and throwing him into the lights above. "It kind of feels personal." Cap stated looking down at Rumlow before stepping on his shield and catching it. He cut the magnetic cuff off our wrists. Cap pushed a button as the doors slid open. Outside was a squad of armed men.

"Shit." I voiced. "Connor, hang on." Cap stated. "Okay...wait why?" I asked before Cap spun around cutting the elevator cables. The elevator dropped suddenly before I knelt down lowering my center of gravity. The elevator came to a stop abruptly and I sat up and looked over at Cap. "Gee...thanks." I said sarcastically. "Sorry." He apologized as we got to our feet. Cap pulled open the elevator doors to see another squad of men. Cap quickly closed the doors and looked at me. "Got any ideas?" I asked him as he looked out the window. He looked back at me. "Maybe. Just need a running start." He answered stepping back beside me. "Are you sure about this?" I asked him. "Not really." He answered. "Nice pep-talk. I'm bloody inspired." I voiced before the two of us ran and jumped out of the elevator. "Maybe we should've thought this through better!" I shouted over the wind. "Uh...Probably." He said pulling me over and putting the shield below us. "Cap, I'm honored but I'm just your friend." I said. "Shut up, Reeds." He stated as I chuckled seconds before we crashed through the glass roof of the building many stories below. We hit the floor and I rolled onto my side, groaning getting to my feet slowly, helping Rogers up. "Let's go, Old man." I strained. "Who're you calling old?" He asked out-of-breath before we broke into a run towards the garage.

"You know, I'm starting to think they don't like us very much." I voiced as we sped down the garage side-by-side on motorcycles. "What makes you say that?" He asked as the giant metal doors started to close. "Uh...call it a hunch." I answered before we made it through in the nick of time. We hadn't made it a quarter of a mile before a Quinjet flew overhead and stopped up ahead facing us. "That doesn't look promising." I stated. "Stand down, Captains. Stand down. Repeat, stand down." The pilot ordered before firing a Gatling gun at the two of us. We bobbed and weaved around the bullets before Cap threw his shield at the turbine of the Quinjet. He sped up and hit the brake launching himself at the jet before taking it down seconds later. He jumped off and landed nearby. "Show-off!" I called out. He looked back at me before running over and hopping onto the back of the bike. I drove off and popped the front wheel up driving over the downed plane before landing on the other side of the bridge and speeding away.