Kindred Spirits

Another Empire Falls

  I made my way to the exit, telling them I'd be back in an hour. Touching one of the beads of a silver bracelet on my wrist, I called my bike to my location, seeing as Fury's hideout wasn't too far from mine, though I doubt he realized that. Swinging one leg over the side, I made my way to my hideout, calling Andy on the way.

  "SHEILD's been compromised, I'm gonna have to go off the grid for a few months after we get shit finished up here." I opened up a safe that was hidden under the sofa, revealing an assortment of knives, swords, and a few handguns.

  "Should we be worried?"

  "Nah, I'll go over their files to make sure we're not in any of them before they dump them," I pulled out a sleek black catsuit, the strands flashing silver from the vibranium woven throughout. "Just be ready to go into hiding for a few weeks if there's any information on us."

  "Copy that."

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  "Damn, you get all dressed up just for me?"

  I ignored Sam as I climbed off my bike before sending it back to base. Turning to face him, I simply gave him a once over with an unimpressed face before walking to where he stood next to Steve. The heavy look on his face didn't fade as I clapped my hand on his shoulder.

    "You suiting up?" His eyes met mine, silently agreeing that we'd do what we could to help Bucky.

  "Yup, if your going to war, you need a uniform."

  He began to walk off while I made my way back into Fury's hideout, not bothering to see if Sam was following me. I entered the small arsenal, ignoring Natasha and Maria at the other side of the room. I grabbed one of their face masks, syncing it up to match the appearance and voice of a SHIELD agent that had already left for the day with clearance to the Insight helicarriers.

  "He didn't know," I paused as Maria called to me on my way to the door. "About Barnes-"

  I cut her off with a derisive chuckle. "And he trusts you with absolutely everything, right?" I looked over at her with a blank stare, watching as her lips pursed before she looked away. "I miss the days where I was the biggest secret I had to worry about."

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  The gate agent allowed me through as I scanned my pass, barely sparing me a second glance as I made my way into the building. I made sure to maintain similar mannerisms to the agent I was impersonating, having studied their movements over security cameras. I made my way the the launch bay, paying no mind to the armed guards at the entrances and patrolling the decks.

  "What's your business here?" asked a guard stationed at the entrance to the helicarrier.

  "Oh, I'm a technician, I was asked to look over a malfunction in the lower engine bay."

  He went to radio his superior when a voice came over the intercom system. I didn't bother listening, using the distraction to knock out the guard and make my way inside. I shed the disguise as I went, ripping free of the office uniform that covered my catsuit. I stumbled a bit before quickly righting myself as the engines fired up, getting down to an open area that contained the server blades.

  I switched out the targeting blade, turning around as shouts started to descend the stairs to my level. "Alpha lock," I called into my earpiece as I dove over the side of the catwalk onto the glass below. Whistling to catch the soldiers attention, I zigzagged over the glass in a circular pattern, letting their bullets weaken it before finally jumping and kicking out the weakest panel.

  I fell through the open air, guiding myself to land in the water. The initial impact broke my feet and shins, but I could feel them healing as I swam up to the surface. Looking up, I began swimming to the opposite bank to get out of the impact zone. I had just made it to the shallows when I heard the guns begin to go off overhead. Reaching a hand to my ear, I realized that my earpiece had gotten loose at some point after I secured my chip.

  I scanned each of the carriers, finally spotting a human shaped form falling from one of them. I didn't hesitate, diving in the direction the body was falling. I tried to dodge around the falling debris as I saw it, but just as I spotted his body, something hit the back of my head hard enough to send blood trailing through the water. I fought off unconsciousness as hard as I could, but my vision eventually faded to black.

  I came to on the shore, coughing up the water that had entered my lungs. Looking around, I saw a black figure beginning to move through the tree line, though he seemed to hesitate as I began to gasp and wheeze. "Please," I reached a hand out weakly as I managed to roll to my side.

  He stopped in his tracks, his body tense as he hesitantly looked back at me over his shoulder at me. My breath came out in raspy wheezes as I mustered the strength to rise to my hands and knees. "Please," I let my eyes meet his, tears rolling down my cheeks. His eyes reflected the war that was currently raging within himself. "Not again, please."

  I could feel my strength failing me as I waited, my body beginning to shake as tears blurred my vision. Our silence was only broken by my quiet sobs and the distant sounds of sirens. I finally crumbled, though I was caught before I could hit the ground, my vision darkening once again as I felt myself being lifted.