2 | ROGUE • BUCKY BARNES [COMPLETED]

XI.

           

"Looks like Pierce really wanted to try to kill you," Gideon shook her head and handed him a picture of the new Director from 1992. They all now sat around a desk still within the building. Fury was able to rise from the bed to everyone's relief, but he didn't look comfortable.

"Ahhh, so you figured it out about SHIELD?"

"Just a couple of death attempts later," Steve said. "How could this have happened?"

Fury just shook his head, unknowing. Looking back at Pierce's picture, he continued, "This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, 'Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility.' See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

"We have to stop the launch," Natasha transitioned, all of their thoughts were heavy with the imminent deployment of the helicarriers. The clock was running.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore," he shook his head slowly before opening a briefcase in front of him and spins it towards them. Inside sat three computer chips.

"What's that," Sam wondered.

Maria began to explain, "Once the helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized."

"Which means we can't let those helicarriers get off the ground," Gideon inferred.

"That's our best bet, but the it's the most unlikely," Fury corrected. "We need to breach those carriers and replacing their targeting blades with our own."

"One or two won't cut it," Agent Hill added, "We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because even if one of those ships remains operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die."

"We have to assume everyone abroad those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..."

"No," Gideon shook her head at Fury.

Stepping in, Steve re-enforced, "We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We're taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it," Nick fired.

"Fury, there's nothing left to save. You know I would do anything to try, but how could we," Gideon said, her voice heavy. "The only people we can trust are in this room."

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody notice." Steve's tone was almost venomous.

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave," Fury returned with the same amount of weight. "I noticed."

"And how many people paid the price before you did?"

His words stopped Gideon cold. Her heart plummeted.

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes."

"No," Gideon finally stood. Steve's eyes burned into hers. "Nick, I can't keep him out of the dark anymore, and I'm certainly not lying to him. Steve, I'm so sorry."

She was gone before he could inhale a staggered breath. She stormed past all of them and outside. Steve followed immediately. He found her sitting on the bridge they came in from. Her legs hung over the ledge, arms crossed over the bars of the railing. Her head rested on top, and a single tear streaked down her paled cheek.

"Gideon, what the hell is this about? How long have you known Bucky was alive," he demanded.

She couldn't meet his eyes. She could only imagine the same rage she would be feeling if she was in Steve's shoes. It would be pure and uncontrollable. Finally, she managed, "'Nineteen-ninety-one. Coincidentally, I met Fury the same day he told about Bucky and, that, Howard and Maria Stark were dead."

A long pause then punctuated her words. Taking a moments glance, she saw his brow furrowed and glaze off, lost in the river. Minutes ticked by, and he didn't say anything. The silence was maddening.

"Steve, please say something."

He finally looked at her, and his expression destroyed her. "Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," she admitted after inhaling a deep breath.

"That's not good enough."

"Steve, I really don't know. I'm sorry! I wanted to tell you, I really did. But when you woke up, Fury told me not to tell you!"

"When did you ever follow orders, Gideon?" Each word felt like bullets in her chest. His eyes were burning with anger.

"I really can't tell you. I'm so sorry," her voice was cracking, more and more tears threatening to spill over. "I wanted to tell you when you woke up from the ice, and Fury wouldn't allow it. Then, everything happened with the Avengers, and I couldn't interrupt that. Fury would have my head."

"Then why not after," he shouted.

She returned, "And said what? Even before you came back, I spent years looking for him and beating myself up for not finding him after he fell. And now it's all my fault that HYDRA still has him because I could have tried to take him from them, but I couldn't, Steve. I didn't know how. It's him, but it's not. I don't know what to do—"

Her hand was squeezing the railing so hard it bent the metal. 

"Gideon, stop. Come here," he pulled her up easily, wrapping his arms tightly around as his brow was still burrowed. "What are you talking about? We couldn't have known Bucky survived the fall. It seemed impossible. But, what do you mean that you could have taken him? Have you seen him since 'ninety-one?"

"Three times," she uttered, her face still pressed into his chest. Stepping back, she continued, "The first time was in 'ninety-seven. He was in this cryofreezing tank; he wasn't awake. I think- I think that's where they keep him when they aren't using him." She could barely stand saying it, that they treated him like an object, a weapon. "The next time was five years later. I stayed in Siberia. I spied on them for months at a time. Eventually, Fury told me about HYDRA having beef with a US Senator who just happen to be in Russia. I followed him, I found Bucky."   

"And then what?"

"We fought. I couldn't over power him. I mean, you saw him. He's changed. And I don't- I don't know how to get him back."

Steve remained quiet until Sam appeared walking towards them on the bridge. His head still rested on top of hers until Sam said, "He's gonna be there, you know."

"I know," Steve said. Gideon only nodded.

"Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop."

"I don't know if I can do that," Steve responded, his glaze never leaving the river.

"Sam, we gotta try to save him. I don't have it in me to stop him," Gideon simply shook her head, heavy blue eyes meeting his.

"Well, he might not give you a choice. He doesn't know you."

Leaving Gideon's side, Steve began to walk away, "He will. Gear up guys, it's time."

"You gonna wear that," Sam called after him.

"No," he responded back over his shoulder. "If you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform."

SO I've been planning out the rest of this book, and the end is near......! And thankfully, this semester doesn't seem too bad (yet) so I'm hoping to finished this book within the next month or so! I'm so excited for what's next as far as Gideon and Bucky go, and I hope you guys are too! Thanks for reading!