Dancing with Embers - Book Two (Winter Soldier)

9. Activation

Chapter nine:

*Your past is just a story. And once you realize this, it has no power over you.*

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I was loosing a lot of blood due to the wound on my side, and the lack of medical attention wasn't helping my vision clear up.
I sat in between Sam and Steve in the back of the armored SHIELD car that was being driven by agents that probably weren't even SHIELD'S. Steve was still in shock from seeing his presumed dead best friend after seventy years, something I would normally be sympathizing with him over but I had bigger concerns, such as staying conscious.

"It was him." Steve whispered for what seemed like the hundredth time in four minutes. "He looked right at me and didn't even know me."
"How is that even possible? It was like, seventy years ago." Sam said.
"Zola." Steve's tone didn't change and he kept his eyes glued onto his hands.
"Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43 and Zola experimented on them. Whatever he did, it helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him."
"None of that's your fault, Steve." I managed to get out. There were two armed guards sitting in the back of the vehicle with us and I wasn't sure how much we should be talking because of them. Even though our conversation wasn't about anything crucial, I still had trust issues.

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." That wasn't the first time Steve had told me that. I grimaced in pain from my side and took a shaky breath in to try to clear my vision.
"I know, Steve, I'm sorry-"
"We need to get a doctor here." Sam interrupted me when he noticed my side covered in blood. "If we don't put pressure on that wound she's going to bleed out here in the truck."
The guard closest to Sam pulled out an electric rod threateningly. Sam went silent and winced backwards in surprise. But instead of using it on one of us, the guard switched the rod on and stabbed it into the guard sitting next to them. I watched in surprise as the guard then kicked its fellow agent in the neck, making them drop to the ground unconscious.

The guard that had just helped us reached up to slowly pull off their helmet. Short brown hair fell from the helmet and a familiar face followed.
"That thing was squeezing my brain." Maria Hill muttered to herself as she placed her helmet on the floor. All three of us were looking at her in confusion and shock. Well, I was experiencing both emotions but with all the pain I was also feeling, my expression probably made it look like I was about to throw up. Hill mirrored our confusion when her eyes fell onto Sam sitting by her.
"Who's this guy?" She asked Steve. Sam opened his mouth to introduce himself but Hill cut him off with a shake of her head.
"No, save it. We have about two minutes before we reach our destination, we have to move quickly."
I nodded in understanding but also drew Hill's attention to our handcuffed hands. The agent nodded and drew out a thin knife with which she used to pry our cuffs apart.

Once the three of us were free, Hill gave us our next set of instructions. She was going to use her electric rod to burn a hole through the floor of the car we were in. Whilst the car was stopped or at least slowed, the four of us would slid through the hole and onto the street below us. There we would make our way to an escape car parked less than a mile away.
Hill set to work on making our escape hole and it didn't take long for her to reach the street. Steve went first, as always, and then Maria, who helped me down after her whilst the car was stopped, and Sam followed last.

My side hadn't stopped bleeding yet and I was starting to think that the bullet had hit me deeper than I had originally thought. I held onto Hill's arm as I landed in a crouch onto the street. Once Sam had joined the three of us, Hill pointed us in the direction of the escape car.
"We got out closer to their destination then expected so we have to move." She told us. She looked at me with concern.
"Are you going to be okay?"
I nodded like I was fine. "Yeah, when have I ever let a bullet slow me down? Don't answer that, by the way." I added when I saw her open her mouth to respond.