Phantom ▷ b. barnes [1] ✔️

xviii. back to battle

"Jealous, Barnes?" She smirked, slipping out her gun. He snorted, eyes crinkling. 

"Maybe a little. You better have my back if you're the bulletproof one."

She grimaced at that, glancing back at the watch. She was taking a bit of a risk, taking it into battle, she knew. "Don't forget, Stark hadn't even tested it yet. I'd hate to be at your back if a single bullet triggers this thing into exploding."

His head whipped back. "What?"

"Uh-- nothing," she grinned. "Forget what I just said."

"Get over here," Dugan hissed, gesturing them over. He was crouched at the slant of the rugged terrain, peering past the trees. They hurried over, crouching beside him. He jerked his head toward the fading light and Sam spotted their targets; a handful of men in black.

"I count five," Bucky whispered. She nodded.

"You two take these guys, I'm going to go around. Make sure there's no stragglers."

He threw her a uneasy look and she rolled her eyes, loading her gun. The breeze picked up through the trees, tossing a strand of hair across her cheek. "Don't worry about me Barnes. With my terrible luck, I won't even get to see any action."

"Be careful, frieshie," Dugan whispered. She grinned.

"When am I not?"

He muttered a few choice words over her definition of 'careful' but Sam was already moving away. She wove through the trees, only seconds before hearing muffled grunts and thuds from behind her. Picking up her pace, she turned up the slope, racing over the edge.

Right into the eyeline of two guards.

They both started, the closest one going for his gun. Jumping forward, Sam swung her leg through the air, connecting with his face. Conjuring a knife, she drove it straight up under his chin. He jerked, then slumped to the ground.

The second man was wiser, reaching for his talkie.

Reacting a split-second before he could press the button, she tackled him to the ground. They both tumbled into the thin layer of snow and he managed to wiggle loose, throwing her off. Her head struck a rock and Sam blinked for a second, dazed.

She heard the faintest sound of static. Snapping back, she dragged herself up, throwing herself at him. They hit the ground and rolled down the hillside. Sam's back hit a tree at the bottom and she felt a rib crack. She grunted, trapped between the tree and the soldier.

Her watch changed so there was the barrier around her fist and she drove it forward. Her fist sunk into the man's stomach and he grunted. Managing to pull herself over him, she drove down.

A blow to the throat took him out. Sam winced, using the tree to pull herself up. 

She stumbled back up the hill, holding her side. Though, she could already feel it healing, her body breaking itself apart and stitching back together.

Her hands flickered. She forced herself to concentrate, stopping the phasing.

Coming over the top, she saw Bucky and Dugan looking wildly around. The second he saw her, Bucky's shoulders slumped and he hurried forward. She smiled tiredly.

"I'm fine. One of these idiots just had a little more punch than I expected."

His gaze flicked up to her temple, where there was dried blood where the cut had already healed. He tilted a brow, crossing his arms.

"I'm fine, Bucky," she groaned. "Fine."

Dugan stepped beside him, gaze going to the bottom of the incline where the other man's body laid. He nodded, looking impressed.