The Other Barton | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter Eleven

We yet again, "borrowed" a car. Similar to the truck if the owner wanted it they'd have to do a lot of searching for it. But Steve still assured us we'd return it.

The only plan we had was to sneak into shield HQ and try to stop the launch of the Helicarriers. How, wasn't even thought through. We can't just walk into the entrance without getting caught. At this point, we were figuring out the plan as we went, which I'm fine with. Other than my own life being on the line. I have finally been winning in the game of life so I'm planning on stopping it somehow.

Sitwell was crammed between Natasha and I in the backseat of the sedan. If he was trying to make the situation more uncomfortable he was doing a great job at it. I kept getting elbowed or slammed into the car door anytime we made a slight turn or any movement. We were all tense. The silence that followed it was heavy.

Sitwell seemed to be the only one not catching onto the fact we didn't care about his whining. "I'm about to throw him into traffic, one more word." I yelled out, tired of hearing, "I'm gonna die."

"Hydra doesn't like leaks," Sitwell announced after a short moment of silence.

I let out a long annoyed groan. This car ride couldn't get any longer, and the stop and go traffic adding to it was purgatory. "So why don't you try sticking a cork in it." Sam countered back, which gave me a faint smile. The one thing Sam and I could agree on was to use humor in stressful situations. Natasha kept checking her watch, every few seconds. Sitwell easily gave into giving information after being thrown off the roof so we knew time, place, how, everything.

What we needed to do wasn't difficult. Steve, Sam and I would stand guard while Natasha worked her magic on the computers. Sitwell would be our way in. But not getting caught seemed to be the recurring problem. A six foot supersoldier, Red-head, and brunette with tattoos weren't hard to miss in a crowd.

"Insights launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here." Natasha leaned forward, making it easier for Steve and her to communicate. Steve nodded and answered her, "I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the Helicarriers directly."

I didn't have any certainty that it was that easy. Not with us at least, maybe if Tony Stark was doing it. We've been chased around state lines and blown up within two days, for us to not have any more obstacles would be a miracle. "What's the-"

"What? Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea," Sitwell answered Steve. Following that a loud thud on the roof echoed in the silence. I unbuckled my seat belt trying to turn around to see what was happening and was backed up just enough for a fist to break the window and drag Sitwell out all in one motion.

The metal arm connected to the man was hard to miss. It was the Winter Soldier. No ghost story, he was there. Sitwell was disposed of by being tossed into oncoming traffic. Him being dead was the last of my concern once bullets started spraying through the roof of the cheaply made car.

Natasha made her way into Steve's lap, unlike me. Instead I had to run back and forth between the seats trying to not be shot at. I would have gone into Sam's lap if it wasn't for the car he was still driving. The car came to a quick halt, resulting in my body being tossed into the back of Steve's seat, followed by the tumbling of the man off the car.

It was clear why everyone wanted him to be a ghost story, he looked like an empty shell of a man. No remorse, or even a mind of his own. It was clear he was a result of brainwashing. No person, as bad as they are can act the way he was. The worst part was when it felt like the whole world stopped moving. The Winter Soldier got up from the asphalt, ignoring the cars driving past him. His face covered in a mask that hid his facial features, sported with long dark hair.

Natasha was the first to act on his impending destination by grabbing her gun and aiming to shoot at him. It was quickly dropped when a large hummer-like vehicle hit us from behind. Sam desperately tried to gain control back of the steering but had no luck.

The Winter-soldier jumped back on the car as Sam continued to try and stomp on the brakes of the car. Natasha on the other hand was searching for the gun that laid somewhere below the seat. I didn't know where to focus. Behind me where I could be the next one thrown into traffic or in front of me where my now girlfriend and friends sat helpless as me. We were powerless against him. A shield and gun wasn't going to do anything.

I had my head focused behind me, desperately searching for the man and keeping focus on the large vehicle behind us. I was brought back to the front when the glass of the windshield broke and a metal fist pulled the steering wheel off. "Shit!" Sam yelled, as the steering wheel disappeared from his grip.

We had no other option than to leave the car now. Natasha was aimlessly shooting at the roof and the large vehicle continuously rammed into us and the car swerved from left to right on the three lane highway. Without any protest from a steering wheel we rammed straight into the barrier. When Steve started gripping onto his shield a little harder and pulled Natasha closer to him I had no protest in joining. I went onto Sam's lap and joined the huddle. Whatever Steve had planned, I just hoped it was a way out of here.

"Hang on!" He yelled before ramming his shield into the door, causing it to fall off the car and us to fall out as well. We all slid over the concrete, the shield barely big enough for two giving us minimal protection. The speed we were going at made it difficult for Sam and I to hold on. We eventually lost grip tumbling down the highway ourselves. Which made me grateful Nat had switched my shirt out for a long sleeve. The least it had done was prevent road burn.

Sam grabbed my arm pulling me up. We ran to take cover from one of the now stopped cars as the unmistakable noise of a grenade launcher wailed. From a distance I could see Steve pushing Natasha out of the way as the grenade hit his shield causing him to fly off the overpass. I wasn't concerned with him not surviving, at the point our survival rate was at.

Natasha joined us in taking cover behind a car nearby. If a soulless killer wasn't after us I would have probably ran to her, but I knew the reunion would have to wait. "Are you good?" Sam yelled over the gunshots being directed towards us.

"Define 'good'," She answered, through clenched teeth. A bomb rolled towards the car Natasha was at and went off making my body freeze. Until I heard something dig into the cement and cars honk from the underpass. My only hope was that it was Nat's doing.

I looked around and had lost track of the Winter Soldier, "Don't follow me." I sternly told Sam as I got up from a crouching position. "Wasn't planning on it."

I ran to where the overpass and underpass met, looking for a way down. My options were limited to a small patch of grass and asphalt. Not ideal. Once gunshots were firing again and a slight turn over my shoulder revealed the Winter Soldier aiming at me I took the leap of faith