Breaking point

Chapter 41 - Failure

Akilina walked clad in her disguise, gun in her pocket, weaving through the somewhat busy roads.

Her target was all that was on her mind. Their eyes, their hair, their death. Complete the mission repeating in her head, keeping her grounded under the pressure of this mission.

Time was of the essence, and she was running out of it. With that in mind she started walking faster.

She assembled the gun in her pocket attaching the suppresser skillfully.

Wouldn't be long now.

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"But why would they do that it makes no sense."

"When does anything hydra do make sense."

Natasha made a face of agreement to Bucky's statement.

The trio on their second round, sitting in the same place they've been practically all day.

"While sadly I don't have any information on Akilina, I do on someone else who might"

"who Yelena?"

"Madame B last spotted in Sweden apparently."

Nat turned to Bucky who looked like he recognised the name but couldn't place it.

"She was the one who took Akilina and hid her." She turned to Yelena "any where spasific?"

"Not yet."

"Keep following that. Well catch up to her soon enough."

"That we will."
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Akilina had located her target and was waiting for them to leave. To or from the coffee shop, that was her orders. It took a while, 2 hours of just watching and waiting was starting to get boring.

The target was paying.

They'd pay then leave.

She'd get them then.

The target walked back to their table put on their jacket, checked their phone then started to leave.

Akilina walked on the opposite side of the road, she sped up walking ahead of the target and dipping into an alley way waiting for the target to get into position.

Akilina delicately took the gun from her pocket and line up.

The target came back into her sight.

Just a little further.

Akilina didn't have a clear headshot, instead she lined it up with their heart.

So without another thought she pulled the trigger. Running out of the alley blending into the frantic crowd and she dissembled the gun in her pocket. Making her way towards the extraction point with a single thought running through her brain

Mission complete.

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"I'll see you tonight then." Yelena spoke as she stood, about to leave.

"Sure" Natasha shrugged "see you later."

The pair started walking the opposite direction. "So, are you okay? Stupid question I know, but all this an Akilina still gone gotta be stressful. Just " she paused " if you wanna talk about it okay and if you don't" Nat shrugged
" that's okay too, but you can and in here. God I sound cheesy. "

Bucky chuckled at her " not cheesy, well maybe a little but it's cute. A good look on you" he teased. " I'll be fine. We'll find her. We hav-" a gunshot pierced through the air.

Natasha pulled out her gun. Looking around the panicking civilians for anyone suspicious. " I don't see anyone, you?" She was so focused she didn't realise Bucky wasn't standing beside her. He was on the ground. Sirens blaring in the background. Bucky had a hand in his chest. Natasha dived down moving his hand seeing the hole the bullet had left.

The sound of him weazing brought a wave of relief to Natasha.

"Vest" weazed out "vest".

He'd a bullet proof vest on. Natasha could not be more thankful to paranoia in that moment.

"Come on solider." She stood holding out a hand to him "You've gotta move."

"Yeah, fuck it's been awhile since I've been shot."

"I can tell."
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"Ouch" Yelena laughed out. She was standing in natasha and bucky's motel room.

They were meeting up then leaving to go to the informants location.

"That's your reaction, I've just been shot and your reaction was " ouch "" Bucky spoke amused.

"Yes well not like you haven't been shot before."

"Yelena-"

"what I've been shot you've been shot he's been shot."

They were all laughing by the time they got into the car.

Arriving at the house, Bucky felt a feeling of familiarity. His heart dropped when he placed it. He ki- the winter soldier killed people in here.

Multiple people. Shit.

" You coming? " Natasha looked at him slightly concerned.

Though you wouldn't of been able to tell that from her expressions.

"Yeah" he started walking around back.

He'd wait for a sign to come in, then enter from the back making sure it wasn't a trap or of it was it would be easily dealt with.

"You can come in Barnes." Yelena spoke through the comms.

Blood was the first thing he saw walking in. It made him tense.

"In here" Nat called out.

Bucky walked into the next room. The so called informant dead tied to a chair. Clearly tortured, bullet in his head execution style.

"Well this was disappointing" Yelena broke the thick silence.

"We aren't going to make it easy on you. She's better off with us. There's a hydra symbol on the bottom" Nat Read off a piece of bloody paper.

"I killed people here."

"Yeah, the Volkovas. Look what I found."

But neither Nat nor bucky moved.

"what?" Yelena looked at both of them "You didn't know" she concluded.

"No"

"if it makes it any better, they weren't particularly good people."

"What did you find?" Nat asked desperately trying to change the subject.

"USB and paper file"

"good, let's check them out later look for anything else then get the fuck out of here."

" Agreed"

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Getting back to the base near her house was eerily quite. She was sitting in the small office madame B was in. The door very suddenly slams open.

Akilina didn't flinch, she knew better.

Madame B stomps over and harshly throws an ipad onto the desk in front of Akilina and sits down. It was playing a video.

The target walking down the road.
Them getting shot.

The crowd of people around them panicking then clearing.

The target standing back up with the help of their associate.

Fuck.

Akilina just sat there, dilating slightly. She knew what was coming. She'd failed the mission.

It was her fault. She should of went for the head. She was a failure. She failed.

Failed

Failure

Fucked