After hacking into the NSA and Ward kissing her, Skye found Eric Koenig's dead, but still fresh body, hidden in the storage closet while Ward was cleaning himself up. She quickly went looking for Y/N, using Eric's tablet with the badge trackers. Skye burst into Y/N's room only to find a puddle of blood on the ground. She began crying. She searched the room to find Y/N had been stuffed in the closet.
"No, no, no," Skye gasped, pulling Y/N from the closet.
Skye noticed that Y/N was unconscious and barely breathing. She searched her for the wound, finding it on her back. Y/N was still bleeding and it seemed, at least to Skye, that the bullet was still in there. Skye glanced at tablet tracking the badges, showing that Ward was heading this way. Shakily but quickly, Skye laid Y/N on her stomach and wrapped a blanket tightly around her torso. She placed a kiss on Y/N's forehead.
"I'm so sorry," Skye whispered. "We'll fix this. You're going to be okay."
Then Skye was gone. She ran to the bathroom, trying to calm herself as she heard Ward call her name. Skye searched for a way to warn the others, finally realizing that she could use the changing picture on the wall. She left the bathroom before Ward could suspect anything, finding him heading into the closet she found Eric in.
"Hey," she called for Ward's attention. "Think I'd be hiding in a closet?"
"I was wondering where you went," Ward replied, coming towards her. "I went back to the room. You weren't there. Why did you leave."
"Truth?"
"I'd appreciate it."
"You scared me... Opening up, and that kiss-which... was a very nice kiss, I admit."
"I didn't mean to scare you."
"I don't exactly over-analyze. I just act impulsively, and then I freak out after the fact."
"Are you still?"
Skye shook her head, leaning up to kiss Ward. "No. I'm good. I want this. And you? What do you want?"
"What I want... is to stay here with you and imagine the world outside doesn't exist. But the world outside does exist. I just got word from Fitz. They need our help. The Bus is fueled up, ready to go."
"We should tell Koenig, and go get Y/N."
"I just did. Y/N's staying here to heal some more and Koenig is headed outside to open the hangar doors. We're in a hurry."
"I just got to grab a couple things and say goodbye to Y/N." She tried to leave but Ward grabbed her arm.
"Hey. We need to go right now."
"Of course we do. Lead the way."
~~~
Coulson, Fitz-Simmons, and Tripp arrived back at the base to find the Bus gone. They immediately went to Eric's office in search off Eric and their other team members. Fitz-Simmons began trying to pull up the video footage while Tripp and Coulson went searching the base. Tripp was the one to reach Y/N's room first. His eyes went wide at the sight he saw. He quickly went to her side. He picked her up and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but still there. As he raced to the dining hall with Y/N in his arms, Tripp heard Simmons screams.
After finding that all the security footage had been erased besides the hanger footage, Simmons went to find pancake mix and Fitz went to fire up the griddle. They were just trying to make the others happy. Simmons found Eric's body and Fitz found Skye's message that Ward is HYDRA.
"I need some help here!" Tripp shouted. Everyone came racing towards the sound of Tripp's voice.
"Oh my- Y/N!" Coulson exclaimed.
"I found... Koenig's dead body in the closet!" Simmons yelled as she ran into the dining hall with Fitz. When she noticed Y/N in Tripp's arms, she immediately knew that Y/N was on the brink of death. "Put her down on the table, Tripp."
"It seems that someone tried to stop the bleeding," Tripp said as Simmons began examining Y/N.
"I need all the medical supplies you can find. She's lost a lot of blood."
"On it," Tripp rushed out.
Simmons got to work as Fitz explained what he had found in the bathroom. Tripp hurried back in with the supplies he had found from the base and the plane. As Simmons ripped off Y/N's shirt and got to work, Coulson and Tripp went and brought Eric's body into the dining hall, so that Simmons could inspect it as well.
"She was shot from behind," Simmons told everyone as they told around and watched, Tripp helping where he could. "I don't think she saw it coming. Luckily, for her, the bullet stayed in and began slowing down the bleeding. It's they only reason she's still alive. But she's barely alive. We need to get her to a medical facility. I've slowed the bleeding more and given her what I can to help." Simmons changed her gloves and moved to examine Eric's body.
"Ward did this," Tripp said.
"Impossible," Fitz said, pacing. "It can't be. No. No. I-I don't believe it."
"Take a breath, Agent Fitz."
"Don't tell me to take a breath. Who the hell are you? I mean, really. Come on. I don't even know who you are."
"I just went through this, remember?" Tripp tried to put a comforting hand on Fitz.
"Don't touch me."
"My SO turned out to be a laying son of a-"
"Well, not Ward. Okay? Not Ward. Do you know why? Because he's our friend. And Simmons will find something. Go ahead. Tell him, Jemma."
"Let me work, Fitz," Simmons muttered.
"Yeah, but tell him that Ward isn't-"
"Let me work," she snapped.
"Something else is at play here, sir. Think about it. They're just trying to mess with our heads. They wrote that on the wall to scare us."
"One step at a time," Coulson advised.
"We need to get out of here."
"Simmons will give her report. That's the next step."
"He died approximately 10 hours ago of asphyxiation... after May left the premises. A thin wire was used to strangle him. His trachea is crushed, partially sliced through, so it was done in a hurry. Based on the angle of the lacerations, the killer was at least 6'2" and strong enough to..." She was starting to get emotional. "Lift him into... Ward did this." Fitz threw some of the kitchen equipment and began punching things. "Fitz! No, no, no, no..."
"Okay! Okay!" Coulson yelled. "We need to hold it together. Listen... all that anger, all that pain, you need to hold it in and focus it on Skye and Y/N. They're alive. And Skye just walked out of here hand in hand with someone she knows is a murderer because she's playing him... just like he played us." Fitz was breathing heavily. "Fitz, Fitz... we have to fix the communications. We have to track that plane. Can you do that?" Fitz sighed with a nod. "Good. If I know Skye, she's got a plan. And we're gonna find her before Ward figures out what that is."
Fitz nodded, him and Simmons exiting the room. Tripp went to Y/N's side to watch her while Coulson stood where he was, looking at Y/N.
"Come on, Skye," Coulson whispered to himself. "What's your play?"
~~~
They moved Y/N's body into Eric's office so that they could monitor her as they worked. Tripp and Coulson got the screens up and running before they started working through everything.
"Alright," Coulson started. "Ward is HYDRA. You know that that means."
"Garrett is alive," Tripp replied.
"And Agent Hand is dead."
"So they hit the Fridge."
"It means they've got all the weapons they could possibly want. And we didn't have a clue. So why risk coming back here?"
"It wasn't to cross us off. What do you have that he wants?"
"I don't know. He had all our intel on that drive. All he had to do was make a cop- He came back for Skye. She must have encrypted that drive, and she was the only one who could crack back into it."
"So they have to keep her alive."
"And she can stall for time." The computer beeped, causing them to rush to it. "Our plane is in Los Angeles. Finally, some good news."
But then the bases' alarm began going off. "Perimeter defenses activated," a computerized voice warned.
"I should have knocked on wood just then."
"Multiple contacts on the ground," Tripp said. "They just triggered the gun turrets."
"Come on."
They rushed out to greet the intruders, with guns drawn, leaving Y/N on the couch. Still very much unconscious, but not dead yet.
"I wish this bucker had a bunker," Simmons said, as the four of them readied for the intruders.
"These doors should hold," Coulson said. "It'll take some major artillery to make a dent."
"Hangar door deactivated," an electronic voice announced.
"How?!" Simmons exclaimed. "That's impossible!"
"Take cover. Let's go."
The four took cover around the corner as the door opened. Military men when guys also drawn entered the base.
"It's not HYDRA," Coulson stated. "It's special forces."
"On behalf of the United States armed forces," a man came through the armed men. "I order you to stand down. I repeat, stand down."
"Colonel Talbot? There have to be better things for you to do than chase a few SHIELD agents."
"I wasn't a huge fan before chasing you to the damn tundra, Coulson. I wouldn't push it."
"I'm flattered you came in person."
"Fury's private base on North American soil? I just had to see it for myself."
"If I come out, will you shoot me? Cause then I won't come out."
"Hold your fire, soldiers."
Coulson handed Fitz his gun before coming out. "This is one of the most classified facilities on the planet, Colonel. How the hell did you find it?"
"I told them," Maria Hill said as she rounded the corner.
"Well, good thing you're all here. Y/N's down."
"What?"
"Y/N?" Talbot repeated. "Who the hell is Y/N?"
"You might know her as, Agent Y/N Rogers or Lady America."
~~~
Colonel Talbot ordered a group of his men to fly Y/N out to the nearest US Military hospital. She was immediately taken into surgery. The general called Steve, telling him what was going on. Steve immediately called Tony.
"Have you heard anything, Rogers?" Tony answered his phone.
"Tony," Steve's voice was almost a dead give away. "Something's happened."
"I'm on my way. Where is she?"
"Wait, Tony. You're going to have to grab a jet and pick me up."
"Why? What's going on?"
"She was shot."
"Yes, you told me. In the shoulder. So where-"
"She's now been shot in the back. She was brought in barely alive. She's at a US Military hospital near the Canadian border. They don't know the whole story but she's in the middle of surgery."
"I'll send a jet for you. I'm taking a suit."
~~~
Tony wasn't afraid to walk into the hospital with his suit on. He was afraid of what he would possibly find in the hospital. Soldier's tried to stop him, but he entered further into the hospital.
"I need to know where Y/N Rogers is!" He shouted.
"Tony Stark," a man called him to attention. The man was dressed in military attire and he walked with authority over to Iron Man. "I'm General Johns. I wasn't expecting you to be here. Where's Captain Rogers?"
"On his way. What's happening?"
"Why don't you get out of that armor and walk with me?" The General waited until Tony was out of his suit before walking, Tony beside. "She was brought in with a bullet wound to her back. The bullet still inside. That's the only reason she's not dead, the bullet was blocking a lot of the blood from coming out. From what I was told, she was found about ten hours after getting shot and we was brought to us a few hours after that."
"Do you know where she was?"
"No. She was brought to us by a special forces unit. So questions weren't asked."
"Where is she now?"
"Surgery. They had to clean up the back wound and the shoulder wound as well. She also lost a lot of blood."
"How much longer until she's out?"
"That's unknown. She coded as soon as she entered the OR. The best doctors and nurses we have are in there though, Mr. Stark. We know how important it is that she not die. In the mean time, here's a private waiting room." The General stopped in front of a door, opening it. "I'll make sure Captain Rogers finds his way here as well."
~~~
Tony paced the whole time. And when Steve got there, they both paced. Eventually, Steve collapsed into a chair. He ran his hands down his face.
"I should have never let her help," Steve muttered. "I should have called you to come get her. Get her out of all that."
"Yeah, you should have," Tony said, sitting down in a seat across from Steve. "But we both know she would have fought to be there anyway."
"True... especially if she had found out about Bucky."
That immediately caught Tony's attention. "Bucky? As in Bucky Barnes? What does he have to do with anything?"
Steve swore at himself once he realized his mistake. "I don't think I should be the to tell you... that's Y/N's place."
"Well since we don't know what's happening with her, why don't you just tell me?"
Steve sighed. "Bucky's alive. HYDRA turned him into the assassin they call the Winter Soldier. It... Well... I honestly don't know how Y/N's taking it. She disappeared before we could have an actual conversation about it."
"I- He- I- Does he-"
"Gentlemen," a doctor came in, interrupting them. Tony and Steve were instantly up. "She coded a few times in there, but she's alive. Her body's tired though. It's clear that it's been through a lot in the last couple of days. Ms. Rogers might take awhile to wake."
"Can we see her?" Steve asked.
"She's being set up in her own room at the moment. A nurse will come and bring you to her when she's ready."
"Thank you, doctor," Steve went up and shook his hand.
The doctor nodded in response and left the men to their thoughts. They were both relieved that Y/N was going to be okay, but Tony couldn't help about Bucky being back. His mind was running at a thousand miles a minute.
Did Y/N still love the other man? And was that enough for her to leave him? Was she planning on telling him about Bucky? Did she disappear because she was looking for him? Because she was with him? Was he the reason Y/N got shot? Both times? Was Bucky the reason Tony almost lost Y/N, multiple times this week?
"I'll be back," Tony mumbled, trying to steadily exited the room.
"But they'll be here to take us to her soon," Steve tried to stop him.
"Just text me the room number."
Tony hurried out of there. He needed fresh air or his suit. Or even Y/N. He was on the verge of a panic attack, thinking about everything. He stumbled out of the doors and to the side of the building where his suit was waiting for him. The suit opened once it sensed Tony's presence and easily formed around him.
"Sir, it seems you are in the beginning stages of a panic attack," JARVIS informed. "I have a new protocol in place to help you."
"What?" Tony questioned, confused as he tried to catch his breath. "Who-"
"Hey, Tones," Y/N's voice filled the Iron Man helmet. "If you're hearing this, I'm not able to help you threw the attack right now, for whatever reason. But I decided to do this to let you have some comfort while dealing with whatever triggered you... First, I have to say that I'm sorry if I was the one who triggered you." Tony let out a strangled chuckle. "I really probably didn't mean to, and if I did, then I really am sorry. Second, I need you to think about your favorite memory right now. Whether that be with me or Rhodey or Happy. Whether that be in the lab or driving in the car, close your eyes think about the memory."
Tony did as he was directed. He closed his eyes and pulled up the memory of the first day he and Y/N spent on his new island.
"I hope you're actually listening and following along to this, Tony," Y/N's recording continued. "Or I'm going to be wasting my time with this? I'll just continue anyway... Now, I need you to remember that you can fight through the attack and that this does not make you weak, in any form. You are so strong. You are a superhero, for crying out loud. You are loved by so many. But none are more important than me. I love you. So much. And you've got this. Go back out there and face that challenge head on. And, again, I love you."
~~~
Tony found Steve sitting besides Y/N's bed, holding her hand. She was bandaged up, her whole torso up to her shoulders. There were wires everywhere and a tube down As Tony came closer, he could see a fading bruise on her neck. It was clear to him that it was a hand. Tony's jaw clenched as he took a seat on Y/N's left side, gently picking up her scarred hand.
The men waited by her side for what felt like ever to the both of them. But it had only been hours. They were both tired, but didn't want to miss anytime with Y/N. That's when Tony got an idea.
"I'll be right back," Tony said, standing. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Y/N's head. "Don't you dare think about waking up without me," he whispered to her, holding one last his to her temple before making his leave.
He hunted down a doctor and the General, pulling them aside. He requested that Y/N be brought to Avengers Tower, if she was stable enough to move. Tony assured the other men that Y/N would be well taken care of and watched constantly, under the best care. The other men caved, how could they say no to Tony Stark? Tony quickly went back to Y/N's room.
"Get up, Cap," Tony said. "We're taking her home."