I woke to my head pounding and my body was a cold as ice. My eyes slowly opened to see I was in a bed. My memories of what had happened slowly came back to me. I was probably in Sharon's place in High Town. I had no idea who she was but they had known her and she new Steve. She had mentioned something about helping him, but nothing more than I can remember, either way I felt safe.
I turned to head to see Zemo looking at a book shelf across the room. My anger instantly bested me. I was so upset with him and what he had gotten us into. There was no scenario where anything would have worked tonight. There was no situation that we would just walk out without a fight. He had sent us in there on a suicide mission.
I saw my knife on my nightstand next to me. I silently grabbed it and got out of bed. I was in a pair of sleep shorts and an long shirt that fell to my mid-thigh. I crept up behind him and I let out a loud groan as I rose my arm to stab with him my knife, but my arm was much stiffer than I expected. He caught my arm and I nearly collapsed onto him and my limbs gave out. He caught me and the knife clattered to the ground. I whimpered as I felt lightheaded.
"Still angry I see." He said calmly as I was nearly limp I his arms.
"You almost got us killed." I said weakly.
"That was not my intention." He said softly.
The other three burst into the room. They clearly looked shocked by the scene and Bucky pushed forwards grabbing me from my arms.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Bucky yelled.
"She tried to stab me. I simply caught her when she nearly collapsed." He said defensively pointing to the knife on the ground.
"You tried to stab him?" Sam asked.
"Does no one else want to?" I asked angrily hardly able to keep my head up.
"Oh I like her." Sharon said crossing her arms. "Listen as much as I would love to entertain this idea I have clients. Make yourself comfortable here just don't get blood on the furniture, I'll see what I can do about Nagel. Try not to kill each other."
She left the room and I knew there was tension among us. I heard Bucky sigh and Sam look away for a moment.
"Zemo come on." Sam said walking back out of the door. "Give them some space."
A moment passed and the door shut and I felt Bucky exhale again. He carried me over to the bed as I was nearly a rag doll in his arms. He laid me upright in bed and I kept my head low.
"Don't say it." I said exhaling.
"If you're going to kill him, can we please just get what we need to first? A lot of people want to see him dead, but we need him." Bucky said and I just shrugged. "After that he's disposable."
"Whatever." I said because I was so tired and weak I didn't care. "Am I going to die?"
"No you're not going to die." Bucky said rubbing my thigh. "Sharon had the antidote, you're just going to feel like shit for a night or two."
"We don't have a night or two, we need to find Nagel." I said as firmly as I could.
"Valerie, stop it. You almost died. Sharon is going to look into it as we recoup here tonight. We're all staying put, especially you." He said adamantly.
"Bucky I'm fine." I said knowing I was whining.
"Oh yeah? Drop kick me." He said and I just tilted my head to look at him.
"You're a dick." I said in annoyance knowing he was just proving a point.
"Listen, I didn't want to ask them because I don't want anyone to worry especially Sam. What happened before Selby tonight?" He asked me and I furrowed my eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" I asked unsure of what he was even asking.
"What happened in the club I don't remember. I remembered we were walking down the street and the next thing I knew I was up in Selby's loft with bodies everywhere." He said rubbing his forehead.
"I mean exactly what you'd think. You became the Winter Soldier. You killed a few people who tried to mess with us, roughed us the rest." I said softly.
"I killed someone?" He asked looking hurt.
"I did too. We all did. It was us or them." I said shaking my head. "You were just doing your job."
"I wasn't even mentally home, it was all him." He said angrily. "I usually remember something after"
"Bucky, you had a role to play. It was going to happen anyways." I said trying to comfort him.
"I wanted to control it." He said bitterly looking away from me as he sat on the edge of my bed.
"And I didn't want to get shot. Shit happens, we move on, learn from it, be better." I said shaking my head.
"You bled a lot." He said softly. "I've never seen a shot take someone down so fast like that. I thought we lost you."
"Can't get rid of me that easily. I'll die when Zemo's dead." I said shrugging.
"You really hate him." He said observantky.
"I do. He tortured me, it's hard to remember everything clearly with what HYDRA did but remember enough. Whether he was on their side or not, he tortured me." I said messing with my fingers.
"Alright that's enough of that. You don't need to worry about anything else tonight. You need sleep dearly." He said lifting the covers over my leg.
"Stay with me." I asked of him.
"Val don't ask me to do things you know I can't." He said looking bothered.
"Please." I asked eyeing him.
"You know what I've been through today. I drop of a feather could set me off." He said shaking his head.
"I trust you, maybe the problem is you don't trust yourself." I said gently.
"Of course, I don't trust myself. You're not going to try and play therapist with me." He said firmly.
"I'm not trying to." I said softly.
"Listen, after today I need to keep my distance." He said standing up and I gave him a confused look.
"What do you mean?" I asked him as he stood up.
"Exactly what I said. I can't stay close to you. If I lose control and go for you- I don't even want to think about it." He said shaking his head facing away from me. "I've got to disconnect."
"What are you trying to say?" I asked weakly.
"I need to stay away from you as much as I can. Keep you out of my mind, away from him." He said shaking his head.
"Bucky please, we're in the middle of a mission how distant can you really be?" I asked pushing the covers back and getting to my feet weakly.
"I have to do this. I'm sorry." He said still refusing to look at me.
"Bucky, you've been pulling away from me since we moved back into the city." I said walking towards him and grabbing his arm.
"You don't understand!" He screamed at me and I jumped backwards bumping into a dresser.
His face was filled with a contorted pain. His eyes were red and carrying tears. His muscles were spasming and I was watching him fight of the control within him. I didn't speak for a long moment for worry of setting him off.
"I woke up covered in your blood at the lake house Valerie. Woke up having no idea what happened to me and I thought you were dead. Ive murdered enough people, it's not going to be you too. I can't." He said crying.
"Bucky." I called out softly.
"Hate me if you want, but I can't do this while I'm like this. It's dangerous." He said leaving the room and I was left alone.
I was choked up and unsure of what to even say. My arms wrapped around my waist and I sat down on the edge of the bed. I didn't even know what to do with myself. I was injured and scared and the one person who had always been there for me won't even look at me. I felt a sick pit in my stomach and I bit the inside of my lip.
I looked at my shoulder which had been wrapped up for me. I peeled back the edge of the bandaid and I saw the dark skin near the bullet wound. The near sight of it made me sick because it looked horrible. I wasn't really one for getting grossed out by stuff like this but it was hard seeing it and feeling it at the same time.
I covered it back up and looked around the large room. It was clearly a guest room because it was fairly bare aside from some furniture. I was on a large circular bed covered in navy sheets. I didn't know what else to do except go to bed. I wanted to go after him. but I knew I couldn't. I rested my head down on the pillow and felt a few tears leave my face and I could only let my mind go back to the nights I cried myself to sleep in a dark concrete cell.
•
"Valerie." I heard as I was been shook awake.
I sat up seeing the warm glow of the morning sun around me. I caught my breath and saw Zemo sat my side. He was the last person I wanted to wake up to but my exhaustion cause me to not care.
"You sleep hard my friend." He said and I repulsed at the word friend, but kept my comments to myself. "Here eat."
He handed me a cup of coffee and a small danish looking breakfast pastry. I hesitantly took it and was thankful for the familiar smell of coffee when I first wake up. I was frankly starving unsure of the last time I ate. My shoulder was stiff, but it felt much better than it had yesterday. I looked up to Zemo who was watching me.
"You have a staring problem." I said looking back down at the food.
"My apologies, it's not often I get to see HYDRA's creations after they're set free." He said and I just shook my head.
"Hardly free." I said resentfully. "I'm also not their creation. I was taken."
"I'm afraid that's not quite true." He said exhaling and looking away at his hands. "You're mother was impregnated inside of a laboratory."
"What?" I asked sitting up straight.
"You were created in a laboratory." He said softly.
"I have memories growing up in an orphanage, HYDRA didn't take me til I was older." I said shaking my head.
"That orphanage wasn't what you thought. It was where HYDRA raised all their experiments. Before I deviated from them, you were the one of few creations left alive." He said looking to me. "James too of course."
"You said I had a mother." I stated emptily. "Who was she?"
"I don't know exactly, likely a peasant from the outskirts of Sokovia." He said shaking his head.
"Would I be too hopeful to think she might still be alive?" I asked feeling my chest get heavy.
"She died in childbirth. The chemicals that they had injected her with made her just strong enough to give birth." He said slowly. "I'm sorry."
"What chemicals did they use? What were they trying to do?" I asked trying to not show my emotions to him.
"A failed super soldier serum. They wanted a serum stronger than what was originally created. When they thought they had perfected it they used it on you, which was when you remember." He said. "It's hard to explain, but you were the first of an entire new race of super soldiers."
"Of course I am." I said laughing as tears fell from my eyes.
"You were always the strongest." He said placing his hand on my arm and for the first time I didn't flinch. "I didn't enjoy my time spent with you in Berlin. It will never amount to an apology, but it's true."
"It won't." I said looking right at him.
"We found out where Nagel is hiding, it's just off shore in a shipment yard. Sharon's left you out some clothes." He said rising to his feet. "I'll leave you too it."
He left the room and I took a last swig of coffee. I got to my feet and let my feet touch the cold marbled floors. I was thankful to see some better outfit choices than yesterday. I put on jeans with a plain black long sleeve shirt. I slipped on a leather jacket and some black boots. It was cold in Madripoor at this time of year and my outfit last night taught me that the hard way. I saw a few guns and knifes laid out next to it and I put those on my person accordingly.
I walked out and saw the others standing around. Bucky was talking to Sam, but as soon as I walked out I saw him turn slightly away as if to not look at me. I exhaled and looked to Sharon actually getting to see what she looked like. Last night I could hardly see straight when she had come around. The only thing I'd recognize was her voice.
"You look better." She said glancing me over.
"Thank you." I said softly because she quite literally saved us last night.
"Anything for a friend of Steve's." She said nodding to me and I nodded back. "Alright let's get going, it's not too far from here."
We left the her compound she had built practically in the center of High Town. We got into a car and I of course was shoved in between Sam and Bucky. I looked to him and he was set on looking out of the window. I looked to Sam who gave me a small smile. I had no idea if he knew what was going on, but it was clear something was wrong between Bucky and I. The drive was filled with Sharon informing us about about what to expect.
"We need to get Nagel and get out. With that bounty on your head the longer you're in Madripoor the less likely you're ever leaving." She said driving insanely fast. "Not on your own two feet."
I could see the place Zemo explained to me just on the other end of the bridge. We drove and I could see Sam was uneasy. Bucky of course what impossible to read because he wasn't speaking or even showing his face. Zemo had turned to look back at me a few times, but didn't say much.
"How many guards should we expect to be protecting him?" Sam asked.
"No guards. Only defense systems you need to watch out for is bounty hunters. Nagel is hidden enough no one would ever find him." Sharon said driving over the bridge.
"We really pissed off a lot of people." Sam said shaking his head.
"Madripoor is lawless from a government point of view, but let's just say they still take care of their own." Sharon said pulling into the shipment yard.
We got out of the car and we walked around. We were constantly watching our backs because we couldn't let our guard down. We made a name for ourselves and it wasn't good. She navigated her way around and we eventually came up to a container that looked just like every other one around it.
"Here." She said pointing. "Container 4261, I'll keep an eye out while you guys deal with Nagel."
"I'll stay out here with her." I said firmly. If he didn't have any protection systems then I didn't need to be in there. After the information I got this morning I wanted nothing to do with the monster who was making this serum.
"Alright, you guys make it quick. We're on borrowed time." She said and they all nodded.
She handed us all ear pieces and we all put them in. The boys went into the cargo container and Sharon and I agreed to spread out. We would simply patrol the ship yard until they got whatever they were in there for. This place would be filled with bounty hunters the instant they caught wind we had come here.
I kept my gun drawn and I checked around every corner as I turned it. I had always remembered this place being the messiest of missions. It was overcrowded with people who wanted something I had. Either that or they didn't want me to find something. This place was truly a place of its own.
I used to go on missions like this all the time. Granted not typically this dangerous of a location. It was the boring part of the job just patrolling. It was a necessary evil unfortunately. Even if you think your ass is covered you better make damn sure, especially in Madripoor there was no room for an Achilles heel.
I was wondering for about 15 minutes before I actually heard something. It was faint of light foot steps walked around the corner I was next to and I made sure to walk with extra caution. I saw Sharon as I rounded a corner and I lowered my gun.
"He used to mention you all the time." She said standing next to me. "I heard you were a hell of a shot."
"I hope I don't have to show it off today." I said shrugging as I looked around.
"I wouldn't be too hopeful. There's more bounty Hunters in Madripoor than you'd care to know." She said laughing softly.
"Who are you if you don't mind me asking. You talk about Steve, but I don't recall him mentioning a Sharon." I said as we walked and patrolled next to each other.
"Steve and I go way back. He used to date my great aunt back in the 40's. It's a long and complicated story, but I helped him and Sam out of some deep shit a couple years ago. Back when Steve and Tony were fighting about the Sokovian Accords I help them get free so they could save Bucky from Zemo." She explained.
"Nice to know I'm not the only one they get in deep shit with." I said laughing softly.
I turned a corner and saw three men and my hand reached out. I grabbed Sharon by the collar. I jerked her back and I pointed in the direction I saw them. I gave her a silent hand signal hoping she knew what it had meant. Thankfully she nodded having understood my signal. She slowly leant forward and nodded when she saw the three men. We stood with our backs to the container.
"Guys we have company." I whispered over the coms.
"Come here." Sharon said suddenly pulling my arm. She had gripped onto my arm a little too hard considering I was shot a few hours ago but I wasn't going to complain. "Go from behind."
"We've got problems in here too. There's at least 20 vials of that super soldier serum, we don't know who many have been used yet but there's 20 vials of that stuff in Karli's hands." I heard Sam say over the com.
I nodded to Sharon because I was focused on this flank and ran around the container to flank around back. I kept my steps as quiet as I could and when I came around back I saw Sharon waiting. She gave me a firm nod and we took them from behind. I slashed a thigh as I slid by them.
I ripped the bar from his hands that he'd been carrying and swung it at his own head. He went limp to the ground, but that didn't stop the third man from coming for me. Sharon was still struggling with the first man. This man shoved his arm against my neck. He had cut off my air supply, but my legs wrapped around him and I crushed his ribcage.
He fought to get me off of him and he made the mistake of letting go of the pressure on my neck. I slammed my head into his own and we both went tumbling to the ground. I pulled my gun out and aimed it at him but he was clearly not moving.
"Every bounty Hunter in the city is here." Sharon said and I could see people literally every where now. "We've got to go."
Another man game straight for us and Sharon went at him first. I was grabbed from behind and I struggled against the arm holding me. I however was bent forward as he held onto me from behind. I jerked us to the side and I body slammed him into the ground. I flipped over and shot him in the abdomen. I quickly saw Sharon shoving some guys head into a container.
More shots were fired at us and we kept taking every man as they came. I shot and stabbed more men in the last 10 minutes than I possibly had my entire life. I was hoarse and out of breath. I had take a mean swipe across the same arm I had gotten shot in. I had so much adrenaline I could hardly even feel it so I was thankful for that much.
"Come now." She said running back towards the shipment container we had watched the boys go inside.
We ran into the container and up some stairs. We booked it into the building out of breath and beaten. It didn't take long for me to realized this man had literally had a laboratory disguised into a set of shipment containers. We rushed into the laboratory and as cool as it looked we were in trouble.
"Guys we're seriously out of time here." Sharon said and all three men plus a weird looking man in a lab coat turned to look at us.
Zemo's hand rose and shot a gun I didn't even know he had right into the mans head. My eyes widened and Sam body slammed him into the nearest wall. We were all covered in this mans blood and I thought we wanted to take him in alive.
"No!" Sam screamed.
"What did you do?" Sharon asked.
Before anyone could say a word the entire lab blew up into flames right before my eyes.