Animalia // Barnes

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Dawn of Heroes pt. III

~MEL~

Run.

That's all I do.

Run.

Run from my problems, run from the enemy, run from the monster that lurks within, killing everything it touches.

But not this time.

Not anymore.

I'm running to them.

My feet hit the snowy ground, snapping twigs and crunching the orange leaves below. Lee follows closely behind, using her powers to listen for any HYDRA agents nearby. My gun is slung over my shoulder, heavy and pressing into my back.

But my brain still nags at me, telling me my plan is flawed. I know there's no coming back alive from this.

We've been on the move for a few hours, only stopping for short breaks. At the rate we've been moving, we should reach the base in another hour. So far we've seen a road with a HYDRA vehicle on it, but nothing else other than trees and snow.

It dawns on me that these may be the last steps I ever take.

And it's all because I'm going to kill Melony Vandenberg.

~BARNES~

I stand in the hull of the quinjet, white, fluffy clouds rolling by underneath me. Steve, Tony and I all stand near the ramp at the back of the plane, waiting for Sharon to tell us when it's safe to jump. "We're nearing the drop-off point. You have about five minutes until you need to jump." Sharon says over the intercom, her voice crystal clear. I tighten my grip on my parachute, the straps fitting across my collarbone and underneath my arms nicely.

"You alright?" I ask Steve, who's seemingly lost in thought.

"Yeah. I'm good Buck. Just been a while since I actually used a parachute."

I laugh, knowing the story all too well.

We all stand beside the ramp for what feels like hours, waiting for Sharon to give us the all-clear. Finally, the intercom crackles back to life. "We're here. You have twenty seconds to be out of the plane or you'll be too far away from the rendezvous point."

The hull opens, revealing the dark night sky. Wind rips through the back of the plane, causing my hair to whip haphazardly across my face. "Don't forget that Sam will be meeting us on the ground." Tony says over the noise. I nod. "Are you sure about this Tony?" I ask him. "This isn't a mission that you have to go on. This is personal."

"Bucky." Tony begins, walking towards me. "I'm doing this for you. I've seen how you act when it comes to Mel. You act so human and almost normal. She's what humanises you, and I'm willing to fight for that." I smile in gratitude, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Tony." Searching the treetops for any signs of gunfire or smoke, hoping that we've beaten Mel and Lee to the HYDRA base. Sure enough, the forest below appears undisturbed. I clench my fists, walking back a few steps before jumping into the abyss below.

***

~MEL~

I hold Lee's small hand, guiding her through the now pitch-black forest. My powers allow me to see my surroundings clearly, including the doubt in Lee's eyes. She takes tentative steps, making our journey to the rooftop even slower. We plan to invade through the top-floor window, while Lee smothers the smashing of the glass. Hopefully, no one will notice the broken window.