Stella Stark // ORIGINS [REWRITTING]

4.9 To the End of the Line

Steve P.O.V.

Stella and I ran to the center of the helicarrier. Stella was injured, yet she was in front of me. She was fast and nimble. I tried to catch up. We arrived at the core. Bucky was there, waiting for us... Stella froze. I walked pass her and tried to calmly approach Buck. I knew he remembered me. I sometimes perceived glimpses of the real him in his eyes.

"People are going to die, Buck" I simply outlined. He stayed static. "I can't let that happen" I felt Stella getting closer to me. "Please don't make me do this" I said with sorrow. I waited, hoping for a friendly sign. Nothing. Bucky's eyes darkened. I understood he wasn't going to cooperate. I threw my shield at him. He blocked it with his metal arm and took out a gun from his pocket. Stella moved pass me, and kicked Bucky in the leg. She slithered her way to the core. Bucky didn't even regard at her and just stabbed her in the calf. She screamed in pain and promptly removed the blade from her bloody flesh. Bucky attacked aggressively. I avoided and blocked every hit, yet I couldn't attack. With his metal arm, Bucky was hitting me. With his normal one he was shooting at me. I took a bullet on the side, but I didn't have the time to flinch.

I saw Stella, on her knees, entering the code. Bucky ran at her and knocked her on the side. He shot at her, but she absorbed the energy of the bullet and shot back a blue ray. Bucky didn't get propelled really far, but it still gave her some time to enter the code. Buck came back and pushed her once again. This time she was hanging in the air, only by one hand. He got closer to her and stepped on her fingers. Her jaws tensed as she was fighting against the pain. I ran to Buck to push him away. Stella plummeted from the platform and landed few levels below. Bucky flashed to me and struck me on the side. I defended myself with my shield and took out the chip from my pocket. Bucky continued to strike me. We both fell from the platform, and I lost the chip.

Stella P.O.V.

God every part of my body hurt! I was wounded in the forearm and in the calf and now I just fell from three levels. I was on the glass floor. Steve and the Soldier were fighting on the platform above me. I saw the blade few meters away from me. I painfully stood up. Rapidly, I tore a piece of my shirt to make a bandage for the deep wound in my calf. I, then, sleathily crawled to the chip.

"Hill, how much time do I have?" I urged.

"Two minutes. Hurry!"

Steve was holding down the Soldier. He threw me the chip. I seized it and ran to the center of the helicarrier. I used the last drops of energy I had to climb to the fastest that I could. I heard grunts again. The Soldier woke up and fought Steve. He shot me multiple times. After avoiding some bullets and collecting the rest in my body I finally arrived at the center of the helicarrier. I was prepared to exchange the blade... He shot me down. I felt the bullet entering my back and getting out from my stomach. My first reflex was to put pressure on the wound as I collapsed.

"Stella!" Steve shouted. I had to change the chip! Now! Steve won't have time to get up there and do it. I difficultly stood on my knees and entered the code again. A glass window opened, and I had access to the multiple blades. I took the target one and exchanged it with mine.

"Charlie locked" I ultimately said before collapsing back on the metal floor.

"Okay, Necroblade, Captain get out of there. The helicarriers are going to destroyed one another in less than five minutes"

"No fire now!" I ordered.

"But, Stella-"

"Now!"

I had no more energy to get back up. I was inexorably bleeding out. The fire began. The helicarrier trembled. I didn't even have enough strenght to hold onto something. The whole structure shook, and I fell off the platform.

"Stella!" I heard Steve. He caught me. I was half way unconscious. I didn't see straight. I just saw that everything was falling apart...

Steve P.O.V.

"No, Stella! Stella! Come on stay with me!" I cried out. She didn't answer. Her eyes were shut. I carried her to the extremity of the helicarrier. Bucky was stuck. I couldn't let him there. I put Stella down and lifted the heavy metal beam. He got himself out in pain.

"You know me" I said.

"No, I don't" He shouted back as he punched me.

"You've known me your whole life!" He hit me again, harder. "Your name is James Buchanan Barnes."

"Shut up!" He looked confused and hurt. I took off my helmet and looked at him.

"I'm not gonna fight you. You're my friend." I dropped my shield. He ran at me and swat me multiple times in the face. I spit blood, and I could feel my face swelling up.

"You're my mission" He answered.

"Than finish it" I concluded. He froze and looked at me. "Because I'm with you to the end of the line" Buck didn't move. The look in his eyes changed and lightened up. I saw the real Bucky for rapid seconds.

"Get the fuck off my boyfriend!" Stella shouted before shooting him. She fell and crawled to me.

"I told you I was going to stop him if you didn't" she smirked. She helped me back up. The helicarrier was close to the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. It crashed on the tower. Stella got propelled and fell off the helicarrier. I couldn't grab her on time. As luck would have it, there was water right beneath us. I looked at Bucky one last time and let myself to fall off the ship.