Hellbird

The Mission

The sun beat down on us, reflected by the towering glass skyscrapers around us. It soaked into the asphalt of the highway below us, returning in heated waves.

The lower half of my face was hidden by a black mask that covered my nose and mouth. This wasn't a mission where talking was a priority. Stealth wasn't a priority either so my suit wasn't disguised. I studied the scene before me from my perch on a nearby building.

A tall man with a similar suit and mask to mine was in the center of the road. His left fist was pressed down against the painted center line of the highway. The sun reflected off of the bright silver surface of his arm. The Winter Soldier they had called him.

Our targets car skidded to a stop a few feet away from The Soldier, other vehicles honking in anger and swerving around them. A large truck crashed into the back of the small black car, sending it flying forward. The soldier maneuvered through the air, landing on the back of their car.

He slammed his metal fist through the front windshield and ripped the steering wheel from their car, tossing it away. He jumped off and their car swerved out of control, rolling down the highway. Somehow the passengers made it out unscathed.

The truck doors slid open and one of the men handed The Soldier a gun before they started shooting as well. The target, a blonde man with a shield, as well as his two accomplices avoided the bullets.

The red head swung down from the bridge and the blonde man jumped down. The third man pulled out a gun and started shooting at the people attacking them. He yelled something to the blonde. The blonde listened and I watched as The Winter Soldier followed and shot down at the target. The red head fired back at him. He ducked down, his back against the side of the bridge. When he stood up again the goggles over his eyes were gone, discarded.

He easily jumped over the side of the bridge. He crushed the roof of a car in as he landed, taking no care to land gently. He glanced my way for a split second and I nodded at him. He went after the blonde target and I went after the red headed woman. The third one had disappeared for the moment.

I rolled my shoulders and let myself tip forward and fall off the building. My bright metal wings spread and I caught an air current beneath them, gliding easily through the air. I landed on an empty street, folding them tightly to my spine. Tuning my heightened senses, I listened for any sign that the red headed woman was here.

A sound caught my attention and I turned slightly towards before realizing something was strange. A form came up behind me, swinging up onto my shoulders and attempting to wrap a wire around my throat and choke me. I moved backwards, slamming her into a car. She didn't budge and I reached up, grabbing her arm and pulling her off me. I slammed her back into the concrete and aimed a gun at her heart.

She rolled out of the way just as I pulled the trigger and the bullet missed her heart. She kicked me away and got up, sprinting away with her bleeding shoulder. I let her go. She wasn't the main target. I returned to the fight below the highway.

The blonde target was in the midst of fighting The Winter Soldier. I watched from my perch as they fought. The Soldiers mask was knocked off and the target froze, staring into his face. His mouth hung open for a moment before he spoke.

"Bucky?"

"Who the hell is Bucky?" he asked, aiming a gun at the target.

The man from before swooped down from the sky, kicking The Soldier. He rolled and got back up. He aimed his gun and fired but the target used his shield to deflect the bullets.

The fight was going south and I could see the redhead had a gun aimed at The Soldier. I rolled my shoulders and launched myself into action. I landed behind the Soldier just as the redhead fired the gun at the car nearest to us. It exploded in a burst of flames and smoke, giving us the perfect cover to escape.