I was sat on the porch of Sarah's house trying to just take in the calmness. I had finished the wiring on the boat yesterday as best I could, but I was in no condition to be doing the manual labor like Sam and Bucky had been. I was capable, but I needed to rest my arm as much as I hated to admit it. I was in a tank top and shorts as I sat on a rocking chair in the heat of the day.
Even this deep into fall, Louisiana was hot. Just standing out here in the humidity had me dripping in sweat. I had no idea how Sam had been wanting to throw the shield around after him and Bucky finished up the boat. Bucky had gone to take a shower a while ago but Sam stayed out long after Bucky had come out.
They had a long talk but I tried to not stick my nose into it. They had been going through a rough spot over the shield and what had been done with it. Sam needed to own it and Bucky wanted to make sure he was going to. Sam had been working and training for hours so I was hopeful this was the last time we'd have to make him realize that shield was meant to be his and no one else's.
Sarah walked out from the house carrying a tray full of drinks. She walked out and saw me sitting there and her eyes moved to Sam. She looked at him and I could see something was troubling her.
"You alright?" I asked her as she stood there with drinks still in hand.
"I'm alright, it's him I worry about." She said setting the tray down on the ledge of the porch.
"Why's that?" I asked her as she still watched Sam and Bucky.
"The shield. It means something a lot different to you all than it does to me." She said frustratedly.
"What's that?" I asked unsure of what she had meant.
"It means I'm going to end up worrying about him even more than I already do." She said crossing her arms leaning up against the ledge.
"Sam is always careful. He's a good leader, after everything that happened we need someone like him." I said softly. "I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier though."
"It doesn't. I mean don't you worry about each other? You know doing the things you do." She asked me and I thought for a moment.
"Yeah, we worry. But we have always come back, we have a reason to. Sam will always have a reason." I said shrugging.
"There's just too much that goes on out there." She said still shaking her head.
"Yeah but it's people like Sam who doesn't want it brought to your front doors." I said simply.
"I guess your right." She said not exactly sounding happy. "Your shoulder doesn't look good, I would offer you a first aid kit, but I don't think I have anything to fix something like that."
"Thanks, but I'd need a really big band aid for this." I said and I saw her tense demeanor shift to a chuckle.
"Yeah, I can see that. Do I even begin to ask what caused that?" She asked and I just smiled.
"It'll probably make more sense if I don't." I said smiling at her as she came and sat down next to me.
"That's probably for the best, I just don't know how you guys do it." She said exhaling still watching Sam.
"I don't know how we wouldn't. I don't think I could live a normal life if I wanted, I told Bucky we would after this, but I don't think I've ever sat still in my life." I said softly.
"You got kids?" She asked me and my eyes lowered to the ground.
"Sort of. My dad Tony, had a little girl, when what happened happened we took her in." I said knowing my tone had lowered a bit.
"How old?" She asked.
"Just about six, but she's got an energy we don't know what to do with." I said laughing softly to myself missing Morgan's spunk and wild nature.
"Sound like you're two people with their hands too full." She said laughing as well.
"It's taken a village to raise her since he's been gone." I said honestly. "It hurts to not be home with her, but I at least hope I can make the world a little safer for her."
"Yeah, I can get with that. I guess someone has to." She said I saw her think really hard.
Bucky and Sam were now headed up the steps to the front porch Sam was dripping in sweat and Bucky looked to be in an okay mood. I wasn't sure what they were talking about exactly, but it looked intense beforehand.
"You need help making dinner?" Sam asked as he grabbed a glass of lemonade from the tray Sarah had brought out.
"Yeah, come help me get these potatoes ready." She said getting up and giving me a soft smile before walking back inside.
Sam followed her setting the shield down by the door before going into the house. Bucky held out a hand to me and I rose to my feet. His arm wrapped around my lower back and another enveloped me into a hug as he wrapped it around my head. A silent smile spread across my face and I leant against him.
"We need to take Morgan on a vacation." He said talking into my hair.
"Oh yeah? Where to?" I asked smiling softly.
"I'm thinking camping or maybe hiking." He said swaying me around the porch.
"You want to take a six year old to the outdoors for an extended period of time?" I asked him knowing that wouldn't end well.
"Well when you say it like that." He said after a moment of thought. "I just can't wait to get home, I feel like I'm on edge waiting for them to make a move."
"Soon enough, knowing Karli it's coming." I said with and exhale and he finally looked down at me.
"However it ends, it's going to be messy." He said rubbing his fingers through his hair.
"I know." I said with a sigh.
"Hey you guys?" We heard and both of us snapped our heads to Sam standing in the doorway of the house.
I instantly know what he was going to say before he could even say anything. I guess we had spoken it into existence but I knew that look of worry.
"Yeah?" He said and I noticed he had a phone to his ear.
"We might have to go." Sam said and I saw how serious his face was. "It's Sharon."
I looked to Bucky and his face was already looking to me. We both held a very blank look. We had hardly even got comfortable here and something had already hit the fan. I could feel him tense as he looked to me for a long moment. He eventually turned to Sam and gave a firm not before we both went to go get our things.
•
Our plane hardly hit the ground before we were rushing toward a building that was being taken hostage. Karli had taken it way to far once again and I could tell from the police presence this wasn't going to end well for any of us. She had officially lost her mind and it was time to stop this.
Sharon met us behind the building which was a little less guarded for the moment. We weren't exactly on the invite list of people to fix this problem, not after what John had pulled. We were the last people who the government wanted involved. However, they were joking themselves if they thought this was going to happen and we'd sit idly.
"How many people are we looking at?" Sam asked and he was in a different suit than usual.
"I don't know how many people they have hostage, but it's a lot." Sharon said in a hushed voice.
"How many is a lot Sharon?" Bucky asked her angrily. "5?10?20?"
"At least. I'm guessing closer to 50." She said seriously and I could hear Bucky's groan of frustration.
"We need to get in there now. Where are they being kept?" Sam asked being very forward.
"9th floor, some sort of smoke went off. She's not coming out or making demands yet, but I guess that's what you'll find out." She said hesitantly. "There's a fire escape right up there, but if you're trying to get in without being noticed I suggested you get up there fast. They're expanding their perimeter as we speak."
"I'm going in a window. You guys get up the fire escape." Sam ordered and we nodded.
"You get the civilians out, Karli's mine." I said angrily as I booked it up the rickety stairs.
"Are you sure?" Bucky asked we ran up the stairs and I was careful to count each floor as we passed it.
"Of course I am. I'm tired of this and I want to go home. I'm done talking." I said angrily.
"There could be dozens of them up there Valerie." Bucky said following behind me as we were now on the 6th floor.
"Yeah well I'm aiming for heads. It's personal now." I said pushing another flight up.
"You're scaring me Val, now isn't the time to get blood thirsty." Bucky said stopping me as we made it to the 9th floor.
"You up there! What are you doing?" My head shot to a cop aiming his gun right at us from the ground below.
I looked to Bucky and lifted my gun up at the window we stood in front of. I blasted six rounds into it and kicked my leg through making a whole for us to get through. I jumped through and pulled Bucky in with me before they could start shooting at us. We come into some sort of office building and it was a dark closed room.
"There couldn't be a better time to be blood thirsty. I don't exactly think they're going to want to talk things out either for the record." I said shaking my head. "Zemo said I was born to kill, I may not like it but he's not wrong. I know when a job need to get done."
"Valerie-"
"I found the hostages, I need you guys to move into the center office. I think they're in there." Sam said through the ear piece. "I'm getting the civilians into transport vans."
I looked to Bucky and we both flew out into the halls. I didn't know this building, but I could see signs leading up to a meeting hall. I kept my gun drawn as we ran through the building. We made it to the door and I pressed my ear to it. Silence was on the other side and I slowly grabbed the handle making sure I was ready.
I looked to Bucky who looked ready to fire if needed. I swung the door open and held up my gun, but the room was completely empty. Bucky signaled to Sam they hadn't been here and that they had moved. I walked in and it was completely abandoned. I saw a phone on the table and Bucky picked it up. It had been ringing and it stopped just as he brought it to his ear. I saw him listen and after a second his eyes rose to me. He held out the phone for me and I just looked at him in confusion.
"It's Karli. She wants to talk to you." He said flatly.
I looked at him blankly for a long moment. I took the phone and pressed it to my ear as Bucky went to go scan the room.
"Aren't you tired of fighting for the wrong side Valerie?" Karli asked calmly.
"I've done this before kid. I know how this ends, I'm afraid you're not going to like it." I said angrily.
"It doesn't matter if I don't survive this. I'm fighting for something bigger than myself. With all the bodies you've collected will you ever be able to say the same?" She asked accusingly.
"You don't think I've ever fought for something bigger than myself? That's all I've ever tried to do. And I've failed twice. I don't plan on making it three Karli." I said shaking my head.
"So kill me, I don't care. I don't think you seem to understand it won't matter." She said angrily.
"You think your cause justifies all this death, but in the end the nightmares won't go away. You're gonna remember all the ones you killed, that never goes away. Trust me, don't do this." I said frustratedly as I keep my eyes aware of my surroundings. "Don't go down this path."
"If that's how you feel you should sit this one out." She said with an attitude.
"You know I'm not gonna do that, Karli. I'm tired of this and it's been made personal, this is going to end tonight whatever it takes." I said threateningly.
"Well thank you, I'm glad you took my call. You've been a big help." She said bitterly before the line was cut.
"We have to get to those hostages now." Bucky said grabbing my arm.
"But Karli." I said with wild eyes.
"There's two vans, Sam can't save both." He said worriedly.
"Go, I'll catch up." I said shaking my head.
"No this is Karli-"
"I know what I'm doing, trust me please. They need you." I said nodding to him.
"But Val-"
"Bucky just shut up and go we don't have time. I'll be fine." I said knowing we did not have time on our side.
He grabbed me by the neck and his lips pressed against mine. I kissed him back firmly and he pulled back and looked to me with a hurt face.
"I love you Valerie." He said.
"I love you too." I said and he reluctantly let go of me and booked it out of the room.
I wanted to worry, but I had a job to do. I didn't quite know where that was, but I knew what had to be done. It was time for Karli to be done.