Don't Hide | Bucky Barnes |

32

"Open the back hatch"

I don't spare time thinking, but rather move on my gut's intuition.

"Are you crazy?" Bucky questions, standing and jogging up to me, "You're just gonna jump from the jet?"

My heart thunders in my chest, my eyes locked on Rhodes's limp, falling form. When he hits the ground, that suit will do little to protect him. He'll be lucky to escape with his life.

"Hurry, Steve!" I call out, ignoring Bucky. I push past him and jog up to the edge of the hatch.

"Dawn..." Steve begins, his head turning and his eyes meeting mine.

I silently beg him to just do it, to let me jump. He sighs, nodding once before turning around to face the cockpit. Without another word, the hatch begins to lower and Steve slows the jet down. Wind whips inside, violently twisting my hair and almost blocking my view of Rhodes nearing the ground. Without another thought, I move to jump.

"Dawn, stop!" Bucky exclaims, grabbing my wrist and flipping me around.

"He could die, Buck!" I fight, my eyes wide, "They won't reach him in time and at best he'll be paralyzed for life"

"We need you in Siberia. If you jump they'll take you in!" Bucky presses, pleading with me to stay on the jet. My green eyes soften, panic swirling within them.

"I can save him," I breathe, my tone unwavering, "But if I choose not to and he dies, that's on me"

Bucky clenches his jaw, his blue eyes wide and his dark hair blowing in the air stream from the open hatch.

"You two can do this without me. Just let me go" I beg, reaching forward and placing my free hand on his chest. I can see the war in his eyes, the conflict between letting me go or potentially letting someone die.

"You're always falling," he weakly jokes.

He doesn't know how right he is.

The humor only flashes through my eyes briefly before the fear of not seeing Barnes again takes over. I have no idea what's going to take place in Siberia, but I do somehow know that if he dies, it will wreck me.

"Promise me you'll stay alive" I whisper. His grip on my wrist loosens.

"I promise"

I smile softly at him, taking the smallest step backwards.

"Okay then," I respond, before using the hand that's placed on his chest to shove myself backwards and out of the plane.

The wind screams in my ears as I flip myself over and immediately begin diving towards where Rhodes, Sam, and Tony race to the ground.

"Sam, I'm gonna need a lift" I shout out. I watch Sam falter in his flight, his head shooting up to see me falling towards the ground. I know that he's conflicted between me and Rhodes, so I speak again.

"I can save Rhodes!" I yell into the comm link.

"On my way" he immediately calls back, turning and flying towards me.

"I swear to God if you don't catch her," Bucky's rough voice sounds through the comm.

"Don't worry Terminator, I've got her" Sam grits back, swiftly approaching me.

Just as he swoops under me and locks his an arm around my waist, a loud boom sounds from the ground. My eyes frantically swerve downwards to see earth flying upwards from Rhodes's impact from the fall.

"Hurry, Sam" I urge as he dives towards the ground, bringing me with him. My heart races as we fly up to the spot where Tony kneels before his friend, his eyes wide and alight with panic. As soon as we're close to the ground, Sam drops me to my feet and lands warily. I immediately sprint over to where Rhodes lays unconsciously, skidding to my knees beside him.