Unchained Melody

Chapter 24

Our vantage was just a couple of blocks down from the parking garage. Bucky and I quietly made our way up to the empty apartment we were supposed to hold up in. It was on the 3rd floor, just a little bit up but not too far if someone decided to make a run for it.
I unlocked the room and threw the duffle bag on the ground. Taking a seat on the floor right next to it. I carefully pulled out the sniper and its accessories, beginning to assemble it.
"Are we really going to do this?" Bucky walked over to the window and peeked out it.
"He isn't a good man, so why not?" I spoke softly, almost in a whisper as I focused on the gun. "They gave us a long list of bad things he has done. They do that so the pill is easier for us to swallow, and it saves our asses for another week."
Bucky let out a soft sigh as he sunk down the wall next to the window. "What are we doing Mel? We could run."
"They know more about us now. If we run they take down the compound." I got up and walked over to the window, holding the gun and peaking through the scope.
"How do you know that?"
"How do you think they got that little broadcast that they sent you? They promised me all the same things they promised you until they used you as leverage."
"So you agreed to that torture? Knowing what it could do?"
"It was that or I got to watch you and Steve get blown to pieces... I took the easy way."
He stood up and walked over to me, placing his fingers on the bruises that lined my temples. "This was the easy way?"
I winced in pain, stepping away from him. Grabbing some ropes from the bag before walking out to the balcony and tying them to the railing. "I knew the outcome of that. I knew that if they didn't do it long enough it would have no effect."
"Could have no effect. You have no idea where your mind is at. You could have received permanent damage that Wanda probably couldn't fix this time."
"But I didn't. I am fine, aren't I?"
"You submitted to HYDRA. Something I never thought you would do again."
"So did you, James. Don't talk down to me because I am trying to make the best out of a shitty situation. And I'm not dumb. I know that you sat with Steve for hours on end trying to figure something out before you turned yourself over, I'm just not asking what the plan is."
We were suddenly interrupted by static from a radio that was tucked into the outer pockets of the duffle bag. "Everyone, get in position, the target is arriving on the scene."
I handed Bucky the rifle, letting him get into position as I grabbed one of the M4A1s and peeked through the scope that was on it. I watched as everyone, including our target, got into place.
The target was out to lunch for a meeting. We didn't have intel on who the meeting was with, just that he would be at this little french restaurant, eating on the patio, as he does every Tuesday. It was a different meeting every week, but always business-related. He sat down in his seat, a table beside him had two men, most likely his guards.
"Fuck me," I whispered as I saw who he was meeting with. I put my gun down before digging through the bag to find the radio. "Brock, that's Tony Stark. We can't do this shit with him here."
"The plans do not change, take out the target at any means necessary." The big boss responded this time.
My heart sank into my stomach. If Tony was here this could turn into something a whole lot bigger.
"What do you want me to do, Mel?" Bucky still had his eye on the target.
"Take the shot. If anything goes south you play pretend James." I began to pace back and forth across the apartment. "If it comes to fighting anyone but the target you aim for injury, not fatality. And don't die."
"Yes ma'am." He waited just a few more seconds before pulling the trigger.
Suddenly I heard screaming in the distance. I picked up my gun to look back through the scope only to see a bright light flying straight toward us. I grabbed Bucky and pulled him back before slipping out onto the balcony. I grabbed onto the rope before running, taking a leap over the balcony and sliding down the rope until I landed with my feet on the ground.
"I didn't expect this meeting to take such a turn." Tony, who was now wearing his suit, took a few steps toward me as I did towards him.
I raised my gun while walking, holding the trigger, letting it fire straight into his suit. "Maybe when you decide to host a brunch to discuss HYDRA you expect us to hear about it."
He shot a couple more blasts at me. At some point he shot up towards a balcony, causing part of it to fall.
Bucky grabbed me, pulling me out of the way as it came crashing down onto the street. "Is this worth it? The target is down, let's go."
I raised up a finger to him as I shook his hand off my arm. "No. We need to do this. Remember, aim to injure."
Bucky let out a sigh as he let go of me. He stepped out in front of me before running towards Tony.
"Melody!" A familiar voice shouted from behind me.
I turned to see Steve standing down the road. I lifted my gun and held the trigger down, letting it fire right at him.
He ducked behind his shield, waiting for the clip to empty before throwing it at me.
I let the gun fall to the ground. Reaching my left hand out in front of me, I caught the shield and slipped it onto my right arm. I could feel a small chip digging into my sleeve from the leather. I took it out and slipped it into my sleeve. Without thinking I began running towards Steve, then planted my foot on the ground and swung my body, throwing the shield back at him as hard as I could.
He caught it, the force pushing him back a bit.
Natasha ran out from an alley next to where he was standing. She looked at me before looking back at him, saying something.
They both turned and ran into the alleyway.
I looked back towards where I left Bucky, who was still fighting Iron Man. He held onto the suit's arm as he tried to fly away. A blast was shot at Bucky, skimming him and hitting the ground. He let go, letting Tony fly away. Tony shot off a couple of shots towards the apartment, causing the building to drop chunks of cement down around Bucky. Bucky pulled out a pistol and shot right into one of Tony's boots, causing the thruster to fail.
I ran up to him and grabbed him, dragging him back into an alley. "See, you got it."
"That felt unnecessary." He growled softly as he followed behind me. Slowing down and walking, grabbing my arm to get me to slow down.
I pulled the chip out of my sleeve and showed it to him. It was a small black chip with a small blinking light. "It was necessary."
"When the fuck did you get that."
"While you were fighting with Tony, I was playing catch with Steve. He slipped it into the handles on the shield." I put it back in my sleeve, attempting to hide it as we walked towards the parking garage.
When we got to the van everyone was already waiting inside. Bucky and I climbed into the back, Rumlow closing the doors behind us before walking around and getting into the driver's seat.
"So much for not making a scene and getting attention." I peaked my head between the front seats and looked at Rumlow.
He rolled his eyes as he threw the vehicle into reverse, backing out of the spot and pulling out of the garage. "That wasn't even how this was supposed to go. It was supposed to be low profile. He should have fucking known that it was a bad idea to put you two against them before we got you in line."
I sat back in my seat, letting Rumlow ramble as he got us out of the city.
After we were out of the city I climbed up to the front passenger seat, resting my head against the window as he drove.
"That really wasn't supposed to happen, Osiris. They weren't supposed to be there, or they held intel from everyone." He sunk into his seat as he watched the road.
I yawned as I laid my head against the window, closing my eyes. "It's fine Brock, really. More practice for later."
"You two weren't prepared. If we knew I would have trained you better. The Soldier was not prepared for that mission at all."
"It showed his loyalty didn't it?" I turned my body to face him, my legs dangling in the aisle between the two seats. "He's going to be a good fit in. A lot of help with our next missions."
He mumbled under his breath. "That has nothing to do with it. The boss shouldn't have put us out in the field with a high-level mission like that and no intel at all."
"Yes it was reckless but we needed it. How do you expect us to take on that group with expectations? We can't. We don't know when they will show up even if we have an assignment involving them."
He nodded a little. " I guess but that still isn't something that he should do without the team leader knowing."
I shrugged, rolling back over and closing my eyes. "Let me nap. It was a long day."

When we got back Rumlow sent us straight to our cells. We were both escorted, which was unusual because I was normally allowed to roam on my own. Once I was in my cell they locked it behind me.
I slammed my fist on the door, watching the guards walk away from the door. "What the hell guys? Unlock it!"
"Sorry, O. Special orders to keep you in. Enjoy your dinner." One of the guards yelled back as they walked away.
I walked over to the desk and pushed the food away. I opened the drawer and slipped the chip in, grabbing a pencil and pulling it out, placing it on the desk as if it was the original intention. As I leaned over to unzip my boots I could see the mirrors shift out of the corner of my eye.
The older man was sitting across the table, looking right into the window. His little entourage sat around him, they seemed to be having dinner and I was the show.
"Why did you two hold back today, Osiris?"