The Viper || BUCKY BARNES [2]

03 ― On The Run

2014 ― Washington D.C.

As Holland stood waiting outside S.H.I.E.L.D., leaning casually against Steve's motorcycle, her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket. She pulled it out, expecting a quick update—but the text on the screen made her breath catch.

Captain Steven 💗:
Fury was right, be ready
I sense a hostile exit

"Shit..." she muttered under her breath, immediately pocketing her phone. She knew she should've gone in with him. She wanted to, but Steve had told her he'd be fine. That it was just a debrief. Nothing he couldn't handle.

Now, clearly, that wasn't the case.

Within moments, she spotted him pushing through the glass doors at a sprint, heading straight for her and the bike. There was no time for questions. His eyes met hers, urgency written across his face. "Hold on tight," he ordered, swinging onto the motorcycle. She jumped on behind him just as he gunned the engine, and they took off.

"Steve!" Holland shouted as the road beneath them suddenly transformed—metal spikes launching from the ground. Her eyes snapped up to the sky, just in time to see a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft descending, its guns beginning to deploy.

"Stand down, Captain Rogers. Stand down. I repeat, stand down," the pilot's voice rang out over the comms, cold and commanding.

"Oh, hell," Holland muttered, locking her arms tighter around Steve's torso.

"Holly... hang on, tightly," Steve said, his voice low with grim determination. He surged forward, the motorcycle picking up speed as bullets rained down around them. Then, in one clean motion, he threw his shield straight into one of the aircraft's engines. "Holland, jump! Now!" he yelled.

They both leapt from the motorcycle at the same time, landing hard onto the side of the aircraft. Holland grabbed the metal frame, clinging as the wind whipped around her. Steve retrieved his shield just as the pilot frantically tried to stabilize the craft.

The serum running through her veins dulled the ache in her joints and gave her the burst she needed to keep moving. One perk of the serum—they could jump, fall, and fight with a hell of a lot more force than most. Steve used that to his advantage, slamming his shield into the other engine with a brutal precision that left it sparking and smoking.

Then, with one shared glance, they jumped.

Steve landed in a crouch, shield firmly beside him. Holland hit the ground hard but tucked into a roll and popped up quickly, breathing fast but steady. Behind them, the aircraft crashed in flames. She turned to Steve, brushing a strand of hair from her face as the sky behind them lit up with fire.

"Well... it won't be my first time being on the run," Holland said, cracking a grin as she caught her breath.

Steve shook his head, guilt flashing across his face. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

Holland stepped closer, steady and unwavering. "Hey, what are we?" she asked, lifting her chin slightly, her smile softer now.

Steve's lips tugged into a smile despite everything, and he let out a small laugh. "Family. Always."

"Exactly. Where you go, I go," she said firmly. "You didn't get me into anything. I just never thought I'd become a fugitive of the very agency I helped create."

Their shared glance said the rest—this was only the beginning. And they'd face whatever came next, together.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

The hospital corridors were quiet compared to the chaos they'd seen earlier, but the tension in the air was just as thick. Steve's pace was clipped as he moved with purpose through the halls, his hood drawn low. Holland was only a few steps behind him, her hands tucked in her jacket pockets, every nerve on edge. This place brought it all back—Fury's blood, the panic, the gunshots, the feeling of everything slipping apart.