The Other Stark

Chapter 19

"Take the shield around us on my sign!" Steve shouted. All the bullets ricocheting on the dome the witch had made.

In no time, Steve shouted her name, making Wanda free everyone. Tony and Vision instantly went to the skies, counter-attacking from there, meanwhile, Steve used his shield to protect himself, while redirecting the bullets to its shooters.

Landing near the ones that were fighting on the ground, Tory quickly built a wall, protecting Clint and Buck's back. A second later, Sam took off, flying around the block, knocking out dozens of man.

"We need to find the weapon," Nat recalled, louder than the noises, precisely shooting at all the agents that she could reach.

All the Avengers were still surrounded, trying their best to reduce as many men as they could, but they just kept coming like ants.

"Where are they coming from?" Wanda asked, pushing three HYDRA men out of the circle they were in, but three others replaced them.

"Wanda, can you destroy their weapons?" Steve asked. Tory's wall extending to Wanda and Steve, so he could talk to her.

"Now's a good time for a plan of attack," Buck commented, eyes scanning the dozens of men shooting at them, as him too, shot back.

"Not all of them I think," she answered Cap, her eyes getting all red, hands glowing brightly.

"But I can try."

In that instant, most of the weapons turned to ashes, the agents getting confused. With this little distraction, they all attacked, starting a hand to hand combat. Hell downing the place.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y how's it going? Found anything?" Tory asked, hopping on her board, calling for her nanobots that could give those agents electric shocks.

"There is a big amount of nuclear energy coming from underground. It seems the device is powered by it," the AI answered.

"I'm detecting heat signals too."

"What's underground?" the woman asked, her mind trying to concentrate on the task in hand, meanwhile paying attention to everyone fighting, looking for weak spots.

"Tony, listen to that?"

"As clear as water. There are some old tunnels underground that are not used for a long time. They have an air vent that can transmit all the gases and virus around the city," her brother explained, dodging the missiles HYDRA's jet was launching at him.

"Find a way to get in there before anything happens, and don't go alone, please."

She looked at the ground, Steve protecting Nat from an upcoming knife.

"Barnes, need your help," Tory declared, flying to the less crowded place, waiting for him.

"A minute," he responded, struggling as if being chocked.

He found her just minutes later, breath heavy and body full of cuts already. Both of them started walking to the back of the palace, Tory updating him on what was happening.

"Where are you two going?" Steve questioned, head turning quickly, escaping from a punch on the face.

"F.R.Y.D.A.Y. found what we were looking for. I'm going in. You'll okay?" Tory informed, asking not only him but the rest of the team.

"But what if..." the blond was about to insist, but was cut off before finishing.

"That's why I'm coming Punk," the brunette soldier assured his best friend.

"They're going to be okay Steve, we need to focus here, keep the fight here," Nat reasoned with a sharp voice, hands around an agents neck, while she kicked another on the chest.

"Just be careful," the blond muttered before his full attention was on the battle again.

"Okay, F.R.Y, what's the best way to enter? Is the palace full?" the Stark woman asked, silently entering the building with the brunette behind her, covering her back.

"There are just a few, they are spread around the place. There's three ahead of you, then turn right and keep going."

As they walked, the three agents came to view, their back to them. Bucky quickly heads locked one, while Tory strongly slammed the other's head on the wall, leaving one, that was out as fast as his friends.

They hid the bodies and kept walking, eventually arriving at a door, with the locks all rusty.

"You sure we're in the right place?" Buck questioned.

"The energy levels are very high from here. There are heat signals coming from inside. I'm sure one of them is Rumlow," Tory said, turning her attention to him.

"Odd we haven't bumped into him yet, actually."

He nodded in understanding, reaching for the lock and breaking it with his metal hand, opening the door with the gun ready, their caution higher than ever.

Minutes after walking around the place rushed voices came to life, both of them looking at each other before moving further.

"Get this thing to start in 5 minutes. The Avengers are beating our agents to hell and soon enough, I'm sure stupid Captain America will come looking for me," Rumlow demanded. It looked like the rest of the room was empty, but the two people talking to each other.

"I need at least 10 minutes to start the machine," the other guy said, desperation in his voice, afraid about what would happen to him if he didn't do what was asked of him.

"Yeah? Well, you have 5," his boss said, turning around.

On a hidden corner of the room, Tory and Bucky camouflaged into the shadows, waiting for Rumlow to leave the room, but he never did.

"Can't you do anything with those robots of yours? Try to pull a string or something," Bucky told her quietly.

"Not that easy, Barnes. They are using nuclear energy, anything I do wrong can turn London into a ghost city," she explained, trained eyes on the machine.

"Distract him, I'll figure it out."

As she slowly crawled to the weapon, she noticed the scientist that was trying to turn it on. He was nervously typing on a keyboard, swearing under his breath.

Tory stood behind him when a noise started, a glim of light brightening the room. The woman turned her head and saw Bucky hitting Rumlow, who fell to the floor surprised but recovered in no time, throwing his own punches.

"Thought Rogers would be the one to show up. Instead, he sent the girlfriend and his best friend. How pathetic," Rumlow said, cracking noise echoing in the room.

Tory turned to the scientist again, who now was looking at her terrified. In a quick move, she kicked him on the throat, making the man fall on the floor, unconscious.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. tell how to stop this thing. Can you hack it?" the woman asked, going through all the data the obsolete computer held.

"How can anyone still use this shit?"

"Yes, but it'll take about 20 min. Do you want me to upload all the data to my system?" the AI answered, a strange noise coming from her back.

Bucky and Rumlow still fought, the latest a little bit up, but on his feet.

"The viruses and gases are been released in 10 minutes. I won't be able to get into their system in time, you have to do it manually."

Tory cursed under her breath. She had never in her life built anything related to nuclear energy.

"Activate my mask F.R.Y, and Buck's too and give me the instructions," she said, trying to keep her nervousness on the leash.

Tory kneeled in front of the weapon, looking for any panel that could help her. Ordering her nanobots to enter inside it, she suddenly noticed the silence that fell onto the room.

"Bucky?"

But no response could be heard. Out of a sudden, she felt hands around her throat. She tried to free herself, but the more she moved, the less she could breathe.

"Shit," Tory thought as she understood what was happening.

"Who the hell is Bucky?" he asked, before throwing her across the room.