II: The Girl Who Ran: Little Monsters

III: Mission Shatter All Windows

James nodded, "You're Steve. I read about you in a museum." He shifted his weight to his other foot.

Steve set James' notebook down on the counter, "I know you're nervous, and you have plenty of reason to be." Steve paused and looked at him. "But you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore." James looked for escape routes. There were windows, but Sunny had said that the military would be right behind him. Windows weren't an option. He'd have to fight his way out of this one. He sighed internally.

Steve stepped forward, and glanced out the window, "Well, the people who think you did are coming here now, and they're not planning on taking you alive."

Like they would be able to take him. James nodded, "That's smart. Good strategy." He heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and tensed.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve said.

James dropped his one grocery bag full of plums on the floor and sighed. He pulled off his gloves, "It always ends in a fight."

James saw Steve look out the window again. What was he looking for? "You pulled me from the river. Why?"

James' mind went blank. He didn't remember that. When did that happen? He told the truth, "I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Steve's head jerked to face the window as someone threw a grenade through it. Steve swung his shield and the grenade flashed by the sink.

Another came through the window closest to James. It rolled to his feet, beeping. He kicked it to Steve automatically. Steve covered it and the explosion was contained under his shield. He heard a loud banging sound on the door. Someone started shooting, shattering the last window.

James grabbed the mattress and used it as a shield. He heard another bang on the door and tossed the mattress aside. He grabbed the table with his metal hand and threw it to block the door. Then men in black tactical gear came through the windows. Didn't these people know how expensive windows were?

James punched one of them aside and took another down. Steve took out whoever was shooting. Another came through the back door and Steve grabbed the man's rifle while James kicked him.

Steve grabbed James' arm and yelled, "Buck, stop!" James twisted Steve's arm without thinking. Steve said, "You're going to kill someone!"

James frowned. He wasn't trying to kill anyone. He pushed Steve to the ground, and punched the floor beside his head, "I'm not going to kill anyone."

He grabbed his knapsack and stood, looking down at Steve. He threw his pack hard enough to get it to the next building. Then another guy came through the already broken windows and started shooting. James raised his arm and Steve got up, shielding them both. Someone else started shooting from outside and James pushed Steve toward the bullets.

He scowled and held up his hand to deflect the bullets window guy was shooting at him, throwing him into the shelves when he got close enough. The window guy got back up, so James threw a cement block at him. The force threw him off his feet and into the bathroom. James fervently hoped that Sunny had gotten out of the way.

He heard the hinges being shot out of the last closed door. He approached and stood to the side. He thrust his hand through the wall, punching whoever was on the other side.

James ran through the door and barrelled down the stairs, taking several people down. He wasn't killing anyone. Just seriously maiming some of them. All of them. Oops.

A guy busted through the skylight. Was it their goal to break every single window or what? He shot at James and James grabbed the man's rifle and slammed him into the wall. He grabbed the battering ram off the floor and knocked more people down. More soldiers were marching up the staircase.

James swung down by the skylight man's rope a floor. He heard Steve jump down near him as he punched more people. James threw one over the railing behind him and Steve caught him, grimacing. "Come on, man."

James just elbowed another soldier and tore the railing out of the stairs, hanging on and jumping down. He busted through another door and let go of the railing. Steve was above him, grunting. James looked up and caught his eye. Then he jumped, catching a railing a couple floors down with his metal hand. The impact yanked against the metal, and he could feel it all the way into his chest.

He climbed up and kicked down a door that he knew led to a balcony overlooking the next building. He ran and jumped off the edge of the balcony. He rolled when he hit the roof, grunting the whole time. He stood and grabbed his backpack, running. Then he saw another shadow beside his.