Red, White & Blue | Bucky x Reader

Chapter Fifteen

I lay on my stomach across the rooftop, looking through a pair of binoculars as I wait for my target to appear. When Sitwell finally comes into view, he's accompanied by not only Senator Stern, but by two agents as well. After saying goodbye to Stern, Sitwell reaches into his jacket pocket to pull out his phone, and after seeing the caller ID, he dismisses his guards before answering.

I watch Sitwell's face drop as he discovers that it's not Pierce on the other end of the line, and he looks around anxiously, finally spotting Sam sitting at a nearby table. As the two men continue to talk over the phone, I can see Sitwell becoming irritated as Sam tells him how this situation is going to play out. Sam must've threatened him, because suddenly, Sitwell looks down at his tie to see the small red dot of the laser pointer I'm holding, and he looks up nervously, assuming a hidden sniper has a gun on him. Although I know he can't see me, I can't help but smile.

Realizing that he has no choice but to cooperate, Sitwell follows Sam's instructions, slowly turning and walking down the street. Once he's around the corner, I move to rejoin the others.

We crash through the door, Steve pushing Sitwell across the rooftop as Natasha and I follow close behind.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve demands.

"Never heard of it," Sitwell responds, scrambling to his feet to back away from us.

"What were you doing on the 'Lemurian Star'?" Steve presses.

"I was throwing up, I get seasick," Sitwell answers, bumping into the edge of the roof. He stumbles back, but Steve grabs the front of his jacket to prevent him from falling. Sitwell smiles at him. "Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style, Rogers."

"You're right. It's not," Steve admits with a smile, straightening Sitwell's jacket before stepping aside. "It's hers."

Without hesitation, Natasha kicks Sitwell in the chest, pitching him over the edge of the roof. He screams as he falls.

"Oh, wait," Natasha exclaims. "What about that girl from accounting, Laura...?"

"Lillian," Steve corrects. "Lip piercing, right?"

I chuckle to myself. Even in the middle of all this chaos, Natasha is still trying to find Steve a date.

"Yeah, she's cute," Natasha tells him.

"Yeah, I'm not ready for that," Steve responds.

Sitwell's screaming grows louder as Sam flies up in his Falcon suit, throwing Sitwell onto the roof. Sam lands a few paces behind him, his wings retracting into his jetpack as he turns to face us.

"Let's try this again," I say, approaching Sitwell with my powers dancing around my hands. "Tell us what we want to know, or I'll force the information from you."

"Zola's algorithm is a program..." Sitwell confesses, holding his hand up in fear, "for choosing Insight's targets!"

"What targets?" Steve questions.

"You!" Sitwell exclaims. "A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa City. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA. Now, or in the future."

"The future?" I ask. "How could it know?"

Sitwell laughs as he gets to his feet. "How could it not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it."

I look to the others, trying to decipher if they understand what he means.

Seeing our confusion, Sitwell grows impatient. "Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores! Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."

"And what then?" Steve presses.

"Oh, my God," Sitwell mumbles to himself, looking at the ground. "Pierce is gonna kill me."

"What then?!" Steve demands.

"Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list," Sitwell admits. "A few million at a time."