Avenger Arising → Bucky Barnes [3]

PROLOGUE

She appeared in the room with the winter snow billowing around her crimson red dress. Most of the men did not pay attention to the wicked smile on her face but rather how her lips matched the color of the dress that hugged her body tightly. With hazel hair made of silk and her head held high, she waltzed in effortlessly. The clicking of her heels added rhythm to the soft classical music that played onward without pause. Her eyes scanned the room with determination in search of someone, and when her eyes met a shorter man, she grinned. She was so beautiful, it was like the stars themselves decided to carry her to the person she was meeting.

The shorter man stood up from his table, taking only a few steps to great the beautiful woman with a soft kiss to the cheek. "Please," he pulled out a chair for her. "After taking such a long flight, I feel like I owe you a drink."

The woman pulled out a pocket mirror and her lipstick. She flashed him a look before applying more of the crimson red to her lips. From the reflection of the mirror, she watched as another girl in a black dress entered the restaurant. "You have information," she closed the mirror and looked at him. "And I want to hear it."

He bit his lips together before nodding. "This is all I could get from the lab before somebody came," he slid her a file. "Even though HYDRA has been exposed for awhile now, it doesn't mean they've stopped. You understand that right?"

"What made you change your mind?" she questioned. "Cut off one head and two more shall take it's place...you don't believe that anymore?"

"I'm here because I don't want to be hunted down," he leaned back in his chair. "There's been too many complications and deaths, I can't follow it anymore."

Something about that was noble to the woman, so instead of arresting him then and there, she pressed down on her earpiece. "Stand down."

The man jumped slightly, looking around desperately to see who on Earth could've been ready to shoot him down. "I told you to come here alone."

"Do you honestly believe I would do that?" she questioned. "A former HYDRA scientist claiming he has information that can help me? You're a smart man it seems, and I'm a forgiving woman. You've made your peace, do you really want to cause a scene?"

The man was silent for a long moment. His eyes still darting around the room in case someone was ready to shoot him or arrest him. He thought out his next words carefully before rubbing his forehead. "The world will never be safe with the Avengers, with HYDRA, with threats from other universes always ready to start a war. If you couldn't save Mr. Barnes then, what makes you think you can save him now?"

She scoffed, her finger tracing an empty wine glass in front of her. "You contacted me sir, and I'm letting you leave with your life. Is putting me down the best thing you can do right now?"

"I don't like threats," he stated. "In the file, you'll find every place HYDRA has spotted him. Somewhere in there is where they think he might go next. As far as I know, the last place he was spotted was Paris."

"You have one minute to exit the building," she smiled willingly. "No arrests, no bullets in your brain."

The former HYDRA scientist quickly packed up everything he had with him. He fumbled with his briefcase and dropped his hat twice before finally departing. "Not everyone can be saved Ms. Jones," he muttered. "Have a nice night."

Ally watched as he left, sitting back in her seat as the other woman in the black dress came near. "You let him go?" she questioned, sitting in the seat he once sat in. "Just like that?"

"He gave me the information we needed," Ally explained to her companion. "He wanted to start over his life so I'm letting him. If HYDRA guns him down, that isn't my fault."

"They definitely will when they find out we have a lead on Barnes now," Clara looked down at the menu. "Can I get a drink?"

Ally snatched the menu out of her hands. "No, you're underage."

"I'm eighteen now," Clara pouted. "We just had an excellent victory mission...please?"

"As your legal guardian, I'm going to say no," Ally laughed. "Come on, Valerie said she'd meet us at the airport at nine."

"What do we do with the information now?" Clara questioned, standing up and wiping her sweaty hands on the black velvet gown. "Are we going after him right away?"

Ally's phone began buzzing in her purse. "I hate this bag," she muttered, pulling out two handguns and placing them on the table. She grabbed her phone at the very bottom of the bag and answered. "Hello, Doctor Jones speaking."

Clara grabbed both of the guns Ally so casually placed on the table and hid them under the table. She glared at Ally as a waiter passed by them. "Are you kidding me?" she mouthed. "Who is it?"

"Oh, hey Steve," she rolled her eyes at Clara. "Yeah I've seen the news, how much more of a mess can you make for yourself? Who's idea was the robot?"

"Stark's obviously," Steve replied. "His name is Ultron."

"Ah," she picked up her purse and began walking towards the exit. "I'm sure you have plenty to fill me in on."

"We need backup," he stated simply. "We didn't think it would get this bad."

"Where are you?"

"Sokovia."

Ally looked over her shoulder to make sure Clara was following. "I've got Clara and Agent VanDyke with me, is that enough?"

"Should be," he confirmed. "How quickly can you get here?"

"Three hours if Stark lets me use the Quinjet."

"Deal."

"Stop letting Stark make messes you can't always clean up," Ally told him. "Give me the stats, how bad is it actually?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

The line went staticky for a moment before Steve was able to respond. "Ultron's got Natasha."

"Say no more Rogers," Ally put him on hold for a moment and looked at Clara. "Change of plans, we're going to Sokovia."

"Why?"

"Long story, tell Valerie to meet us at Stark's tower," Ally flashed the new agent a grin. "We get the Quinjet," she took Steve off hold. "We're on our way."

"See you then."

—

She scoffed, her finger tracing an empty wine glass in front of her. "You contacted me sir, and I'm letting you leave with your life. Is putting me down the best thing you can do right now?"