Walking in the Wind // Avengers

Fighting Against The Clock

•••

Sam, Steve, Hill and Lexie were in front of a door in the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility they had just broken into as a man opened the door. Sam and Hill had their guns pointed at the agent as Lexie had her eskrima sticks at the ready, with her katana strapped to her back. 

"Excuse us," Steve said, sounding very polite despite the situation. The man, of course, recognized him and let them in.

•••

They'd found the operating room and Steve spoke into the PA as his three comrades watched. "Attention all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, this is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The S.T.R.I.K.E. and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want. Absolute control. They shot Nick Fury. And it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" Sam asked once he was disconnected.

"Good speech," Lexie nodded, listing off. "Nice rhetorics. Simple, but effective."

•••

Unfortunately,  but not surprisingly, the ships had been launched. Lexie and Hill were now alone in the control room, keeping an eye on everything.

"They're initiating launch," Hill spoke into the mic. 

Steve and Sam had gone to replace the targeting cards with their own. And they had to do it quickly. Lexie wanted to go with them, but none of the three adults present would let her. She tried to argue that as she had turned eighteen, she was legally an adult, but that argument didn't last very long and her idea was quickly shot down. She understood why, they wanted to keep her safe, and away from HYDRA, but she hated feeling useless. 

"Falcon, status?" Hill asked.

"Engaging," he responded. After a little bit, he spoke again: "All right, Cap. I'm in"

"Eight minutes, Cap," Hill informed.

"Working on it," Steve said. 

•••

"Should I go help?" Lexie asked, getting anxious from just sitting there waiting while Steve and Sam were fighting both for their lives and against the clock, Fury was waiting to make a dramatic entrance, and Natasha was practically in the lions den and Lexie had no idea if she was okay.

"No, I need you to stay here for now,"  Hill said.

"But..." Lexie immediately stopped talking when she heard Steve over the comms.

"Alpha lock."

They could see that one of the ships were under their control. 

"Falcon, where are you now?" Hill asked.

"I had to take a detour." A little bit later they heard him again. "I'm in. Bravo lock."

The second helicarrier became green.

"Two down, one to go," Hill informed.

"Come on," Lexie muttered, staring out the window.

"Charlie carrier is 45 degrees off the port bow."

The camera that showed the outside of the room they were currently in showed two HYDRA soldiers about to enter. Hill pushed her chair back and took out her gun, shooting them as soon as they entered.

"Badass," Lexie whispered.

"Six minutes."

"Hey Sam, gonna need a ride," Steve spoke into his mic.

"Roger. Let me know when you're ready."

"Do you think that was intentional?" Lexie asked Hill.

"Definitely," the agent looked away to smile slightly at the teen, receiving one back.

"I just did!" Steve replied to Sam.

•••

"Cap! Cap, come in. Are you okay?" Sam asked into the mic a little bit later. 

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm still on the helicarrier.  Where are you?"

"I'm grounded. The suits down. Sorry, Cap."

"Don't worry. I got it."

Falcon?" Hill asked, looking at the monitor and seeing Rumlow heading up a flight of stairs. 

"Yeah?"

"Rumlow's headed for the Council."

"I'm on it."

•••

"What's taking so long?" Hill asked, looking at Lexie. They were running out of time, and Steve hadn't placed the card in yet.

"I don't know," she looked up at the helicarrier, wondering if Steve was okay. "We're running out of time. What do we do?"

Hill was silent for a moment, thinking, before looking at Lexie determinately. "You're gonna take the other helicopter, we've got two, and you're gonna get up there and help him."

"What?" she asked in shock, internally freaking out.

"You can do it."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah," she took a deep, albeit a bit shaky, breath and looked at Hill with determination in her eyes, finally getting to do something useful. "I can do it."

"Good. Go."

And she ran off.

•••

Sorry this chapter is up so late, I've been busy today and it completely slipped my mind. Lexie is more on the sidelines for this chapter because, as I've said, she's working with S.H.I.E.L.D. so it makes sense to me that she's with Hill. In the next chapter there will definitely be more action. 

I also have to rewatch Age of Ultron before I start writing the next part of the book, which I was supposed to start on when I first started publishing this part, but I've been so busy lately that I haven't had the time, energy or motivation to just sit down and actually start. My ADD brain loves to procrastinate things. I don't know when I'll start, but it'll hopefully be soon. I won't start publishing AoU until I'm done writing it, but I hope I'll be done by the time I've finished publishing TWS so I won't miss any updates.

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