Broken Together

Chapter 21

Bucky's POV

    When I got the call that Cassie may be in serious trouble I ran all the way to the hanger where we keep the planes. All the guys had arrived for this one, and I feel my heart racing. We all jump on, no word comes from our mouths, we all know that this is serious if it takes the entire Avengers force to retrieve one of our own. Once we are on I try to calm myself down before asking anything.

    "Steve," He turns to look at me. I see the worry written on his face. "Is she going to be okay? Be honest."

    He takes a deep breath, "Honestly Bucky, I don't know. She isn't aware of the danger surrounding her right now. When she sees us, that's when she will know. We cannot let her see all of us. Fortunately, she is intelligent, and when she does see us then she should be able to handle her emotions, hopefully." The rest of the team seems a little tense at the short little conversation between Steve and myself. We all sit in silence, anticipating the results of this mission.

    "Natasha, we are ten minutes from your ETA." Tony is being very calm considering he has to work with me. I know he hates me,but Cassie has a way of making everyone love her, so I know if anything he is doing this for his good friend, not me. He looks back at me every so often and I see hurt on his face. "Clint, take control. I need a moment." He gets up and comes over as I am doing some last minute preparations to land the plane. "She will be okay. I bet my life on it, okay?"

    I nod a little and look down at the controls. "Thank you Tony. I know we don't get along, but thank you. It means a lot right now."

    "If it was Pepper, dear God don't tell her I said this or I will kill you Soldier Boy, I would probably feel the same thing you are feeling now. I'm here for you." He smiles and squeezes my shoulder then walks away to stretch his legs. Bruce looks over at me and smiles.

    "Cassie has that ability to just melt the hearts of those she interacts with. We will all do what we can. Just remember that she is safer not knowing that she is in danger." I smile at him and he pats me on the back then goes back to work.

    We arrive and go over our positions. Clint has gained access to the security system of this man. He has also gained a uniform that can get him into the building and watch out for Cassie while we plan the ambush. We leave Clint to go sneak around the place and find Cassie on a date with our target. we set ourselves around and wait for something to happen.

Cassie looks so beautiful, and I can't help but stare at her every so often. I know she is going to catch on because of me. And how right I am indeed. Soon she sees a blonde Tony Stark walk in and a dark haired Steve holding the door like a casual doorman. I know Bruce has become their server, and I am just here watching.

I watch as she takes several drinks of the wine placed in front of her, a sign that she is nervous about what may happen. Each time she takes a drink she make a face as if the taste is bitter. She makes eye contact with me for a second, and that is when I see the realization hit her. She stands up and heads to the restrooms with her cell phone in her hand. She smiles graciously to our target, Valentyn Kozel, one of Russia's highest dealers in the trafficking world. He has managed the sale of thousands that are tricked into the lifestyle. He is good at covering his tracks and none of his victims have resurfaced after the sale has been confirmed. He has been found with plans for a missile that could potentially destroy any entire continent. Kozel doesn't have the technology at hand, but the price for the plans would be phenomenal and leaders of any continent would pay anything for plans like these.

I can tell that he has nothing good planned for Cassie tonight. I want to stop her from going but she's the only way we can get in. Cassie walks through the room happy as ever, but I know something is wrong. She goes out the door and stops close enough for Steve to listen in. I notice the look on her face is normal but her complexion is paler than when she walked into the restroom. She doesn't seem in any pain, but she has gotten paler, or the lighting in the room has become darker. Either way things are not right.

Valentyn looks at his watch and hops up from his seat. Cassie comes back and then they both walk towards me and turn to go out the door. I hear Cassie as they go past, "Are you ready Buc-I mean, Valentyn." She almost blew cover because of me. I hear her call me an ex-boyfriend and then they are gone.

Tony, Bruce and I look up and get ready to follow him. I see him walk up to Cassie and they are pulled into a car then gone. We arrive at the place as Clint radios in. "Get in here. Now." Tony calls his suit and melts the lock and the gate completely. A plane flies close to the ground and many soldiers come parachuting out onto the property. It flies back around and send out more. Most try to get into the house, and others are sent to fight us.

"Clint, keep an eye on her. Don't lose her," I hear Steve shout into the earpiece that connects all of us. I take down five of the agents and run to help Steve.

    "She's locked in his bedroom. The lock system is a lot more complicated than you would think." Clint is out of breath and now more soldiers are coming in. Natasha has gone for the plane and gotten it ready. She should be in the area in a little under fifteen minutes.

    "I'm on my way," I scream into the earpiece and I feel my body tremble from the inside all the way out. I know that I am going into Winter Soldier mode and I can't stop it. I don't want to stop it. I take down ten men with the swing of my arm and fight my way to the door of the house and break through the house. I find the bedroom and I find it to be boarded up with a metal door and a high tech security system.

    I smash the door down and tear at the wall until I make my way in. I see a man laying face down on the couch, but he isn't really lying down. There is something, or rather, someone under him and they seem to have lost any motive to move. I know it's Cassie under him and all my common sense is accessible now as I walk over and pull Kozel off of the limp body on the couch and I throw him across the room. I don't worry about disposing of him because I know Hydra will take care of his disposal.

"Cassie, wake up. Sweetheart, please wake up." Her eyes are half open and she tries to open them but her body has started to shut down. I pick her up and run outside to find the plane in position. Agents block my path and I don't know what I'm going to do while I'm holding Cassie. "Steve help me out here."

    I see Steve and Clint trying to help me fight through but being without hands is a challenge and I don't plan on letting go of Cassie again. I use my feet to fight, and make my way around as many agents as possible. I feel a billet rip through my shoulder and I panic as I look down at Cassie. She seems okay.

    I keep up the fight until I get to Steve and I feel another bullet go through my body, and then another and another. I feel one bullet hit Cassie but it's just in her arm. She will be okay. I take over seven bullets to the back and I keep moving to protect her. We make it in the plane and then I drop Cassie on the floor as gently as possible. I feel the pain but I ignore it to look at her.

"Cassie, are you with us? Wake up beautiful." I'm trying to wake her up. I know that I can't keep awake for too much longer. I lean down on the floor beside her body and I lean in for a kiss but pause when I hear Steve.

"Bucky?" I hear Steve's worried voice. He has just seen the holes in my back. I feel everyone staring at me.

    "I'll be fine Steve." I know they are all watching, but I lean down and kiss her anyway. I taste something on her lips and I realise what is wrong instantly. I pull away quickly and pull away. "She's been poisoned. There was a high quality of mercury in the wine and she didn't know that she was drinking it, that's why she made faces at the wine."

    "Nat, switch with Barton." Steve starts to take control and it's a good thing, because I don't think anyone else would find taking charge this easy. He's always been a good leader, even back in the forties. "We need you to disguise her so she can't be recognized in public. Barton, take us to a hospital that is within a fifteen minute radius of our location and landing pattern. Bucky, you need to lie down before you die. Tony, go out with your suit and find  safe spot to land that will suffice for a craft this size. Bruce, you are a doctor, right?"

    "Yeah, I can check her, but I am not a human doctor. I only know science of chemicals and technology. I can do very basic human doctor procedures," in his timid way, Bruce will help. I know he can keep her alive.

    "I was going to tell you to take care of Bucky's back, but I like that idea better. Figure out a way to get the mercury poison out of control and how much may be in her system if you can." Steve comes over and helps me on my stomach, and then he begins to pull out one of the bullets in my back. I feel the pain and grit my teeth at the feel of Steve's finger crawling through my skin, but eventually I feel myself fade out, I see Cassie as I drift off.