"Six minutes." Hill reminded them.
"Hill's going to need help defending off that room." Steve insisted.
"And who's gonna watch your back?" Arden countered, running with him.
"Hey birdy, we're gonna need a ride." She added to Sam.
"Let me know when you're ready." Sam agreed.
An explosion went off behind them, making them jump off the helicarrier.
"We just did!" Steve said into comms.
Sam was quick to grab the both of them, launching them into the sky and landing on the last carrier.
"You're a lot heavier than you look, Cap." Sam joked.
"I had a big breakfast." Steve played along.
Out of no where, Bucky comes running out behind boxes, kicking Steve off the carrier.
"Steve!" Arden shouted, running towards the edge to jump off, but Bucky grabs a hold of her, throwing her back onto the ground.
Sam opens his wings back up, shooting at Bucky to make him retreat.
"Go!" Arden shouted at him, getting off of the ground.
Sam tried to take off, but Bucky shot a line at Sam's wing, tearing it off as he pulled back onto the ground, kicking him off of the carrier too.
"Sam!" Arden shouted, turning around as she heard Bucky's footsteps coming at her.
The two of them fighting. Throwing punches, avoiding each other's hits. She started to become annoyed of him.
"Cap, you there?" Sam asked.
"I'm okay. I'm still on the carrier. Where are you?" Steve answered.
"I'm grounded. The suit's down, and Arden is still up there with him. Sorry, Cap." Sam informed him.
"Don't worry, I got her." Steve added.
Bucky kicked Arden in the chest, making her stumble back, catching her breath, putting her hands back up.
"Come on, big boy." Arden demanded, waving her hands towards her.
He charged at her, Arden countering every swing he was making until he pulled out his knife, slicing her here and there, making her stumble on to the ground, when he kicked her again, making her pass out. Bucky made his way to the targeting system to wait for Steve.
"Where is she?" Steve asked concerned when he made it to Bucky, but he didn't answer.
"People are gonna die, Buck. I can't let that happen." He added.
When Bucky still didn't answer, Steve sighed. "Please don't make me do this."
The two of them charged at each other, Bucky able to get a flesh wound shot on Steve.
"Arden, are you there?" Arden heard Sam ask through comms.
She shook her head, regaining conscious, standing up.
"I'm okay. Where are we at?" She asked.
"Steve's at the last one, Bucky's up there with him." Sam answered.
She cursed to herself, running to the targeting system, watching as Steve and Bucky fall a level with the chips scattered on the ground.
"Steve!" She shouted, jumping down where they were, rolling to ease her landing.
Steve got a hold of Bucky, holding his limbs down as Bucky passed out, dropping the chip.
"I'm gone for two seconds." Arden teased Steve, looking at his stab wound in his shoulder, after picking up the chip.
"One minute." Hill informed them.
They ran, climbing up to the system when a few shots go off, hitting Steve. They both look down at Bucky aiming his gun at them.
"Go!" He demanded, and she continued to climb as Bucky shot at Arden, hitting her in the leg.
"30 seconds!"
"Standby!" Arden replied, taking the chips from Steve's hands.
Another shot hit Steve, Arden turning around seeing his torso bleeding.
"Do it!" Steve shouted at her, and she made her way to the system, inserting the chip at the last second possible."
"Charlie lock." Steve informed them.
"Okay, get out of there." Hill demanded.
"Fire now." Arden commanded, picking Steve up.
"But-"
"Do it!" She shouted, pulling Steve with her.
As the explosions went off, they stumbled towards the rail, noticing Bucky pinned against a fallen ceiling rail.
"We have to help him." Steve mumbled.
"I know." Arden said through her teeth, trying to keep steady with Steve.
They somehow made their way to Bucky, stumbling towards him, trying to pull the rail off, but the explosions kept making them unbalanced, falling. They made their way to the rail, trying to pull it off of him, Bucky managed to slip through.
"You know me." Steve said to Bucky.
"No, I don't!" Bucky screamed, pushing him off of him.
"Get out of here, Arden." Steve demanded.
"I'm not leaving you." She replied, standing behind Steve.
"You've known me your whole life." Steve tried to remind him, Bucky landing a punch, making them both fall.
"Your name is James Buchanan Barnes." Arden added.
"Shut up!" Bucky argued, pushing Steve into Arden.
They stumbled, but Steve stood right back up, taking off his mask, dropping his shield.
"I'm not gonna fight you. You're my friend." Steve let out.
Bucky screamed, tackling Steve as he repeatedly punched Steve.
"You're my mission!" Bucky informed him, landing another punch.
"Bucky! You're going to kill him!" Arden shouted, trying to pry Bucky off of Steve, but he pushed her off, making her hit her head on the rail, making her wince.
"Then finish it." Steve whispered. "Because I'm with you 'til the end of the line."
One last rail fell down, shattering the glass below Steve, making him fall through the sky.
"Steve!" Arden cried out, looking down, and she didn't hesitate to jump down after him.
When she pulled herself out of the water, she shouted his name trying to look for him. She saw something moving in the distance, Bucky dragging Steve out of the water. Making her way towards him, Bucky started to walk away when Arden held Steve's head in her lap.
"Don't go, James." She let out, looking up at Bucky.
Bucky didn't reply, just looking at the both of them, then walking off.
Arden turned her attention back onto Steve, tilting his head so the water would leave his system.
"Arden?" She heard Natasha say into comms.
"I need a medic, we're right offshore, south of the headquarters." Arden demanded out of breath.
They were able to tend to Steve's wounds in the hospital, Arden staying a near distance, looking over him while Sam stayed beside him in his recovery room every day until he woke up.
"Not going in?" Natasha asked her, standing beside her as they watched Steve through the glass.
"This is close enough." Arden sighed.
"You finally going to tell me that little secret of yours?" Natasha brought up, smirking at Arden.
"Only if you don't leak it." She teased her, and Nat scoffed, nodding.
A few days after Steve woke up and recovered, Nat and Arden met up with Steve and Sam at Fury's headstone.
"You not going with him?" Steve asked Arden, watching Fury leave.
"No." She answered smiling.
"Not staying here." Steve added.
"Nah." She confirmed.
"Nat?"
"I blew all my covers. I gotta go make new ones." Natasha answered.
"That might take a while." Steve commented.
"That's what we're counting on." Arden smirked.
She took a few steps towards Steve, kissing him on the cheek, before taking a few steps away, waiting for Natasha.
"That thing you asked for. I called in a few favors from Kiev." Natasha mentioned, handing Steve. file.
"You sure you don't want to ask her to go with you?" Natasha asked, looking back at Arden talking to Sam.
"She'd probably say no." Steve chuckled.
"Don't know until you ask." Nat countered.
"I don't think I'm ready yet." Steve expressed.
"Are we ever ready?" Nat asked, smiling before hugging him, walking towards Arden.
"Steve." Arden called after him.
"Be careful." She added, and he nodded, smiling at her, watching her walk away.
After spending a few days with Natasha, getting their things from DC packed, Arden managed to slip away to go to the museum. Looking around at all of the artifacts, uniforms and information on Steve and Bucky, she spotted a familiar face hidden in a hat.
"I can help you remember." She whispered to him. "If you're willing."
Bucky slowly turned his head, looking at Arden with a scowl on his face.
"How'd you find me, and how do you know me?" He asked sternly.
"Let's just say I'm an old friend." She answered.
"Leave me alone or the next time I'll kill you." Bucky spit out, walking towards the exit.
"You can try." She whispered to herself.