Please read the author's note at the end of this one guys! But until then enjoy the chapter!!
Lexi POV:
The pain in my arm is unbearable but with the time limit Connor and I are on, I don't have the luxury or time to heal it. The Helicarriers have already started to crumble at their own expense and there's one heading straight for the Triskelion.
Perfect placement, I know.
"Lexi," Connor hisses at me.
"If you tell me that I need to rest one more time, I am going to punch you." I huff.
"I was actually going to say we overshot the conference room." He says.
"Oh............my bad," I respond and we turn the right corner only to find the way blocked.
"You're not getting in there," Owen says, standing boldly in front of us with a team of agents at his disposal.
"Where do these people keep coming from?!" Connor sighs, reaching for towards the icer on his side.
"Owen," I say, putting my good hand out. "You don't want to do this."
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to beat your little face to the ground." Owen spits. "Why were you the favorite? Why did everyone love you? You're just a pathetic little twig that people pity so they feel better about themselves."
"At least I don't prey on other's insecurities and weaknesses to hide my own," I shoot back.
"Straight up savage......" Connor mumbles quietly while Owen's eyes narrow and he sets his jaw.
Looks like I'm Hagrid because I should not have said that.
"Kill them," He orders and the agents pull their guns out aiming straight at us. I throw an ice wall up in front of us and push it forward, throwing the agents off of their feet.
Connor, with his quick thinking, grabs my hand and we sprint past the dazed agents and we duck into the conference room where Fury and Natasha should be. And we both make it in just in time to watch Alexander Pierce take two bullets to the chest.
Connor opens his mouth to say something, but shuts it, unsure what to say at this point, and honestly, I don't blame him.
Fury helps Natasha back up and we all make our way to the helicopter. And once it get's in the air, I sink back into the seat, feeling the blood loss and the strain of the past three days. Connor notices my pain and pulls me onto his chest.
"Just a little while longer." He murmurs.
"I just want a nap." I groan and I can feel his chest vibrate with his laugh. I can see Natasha and Fury talking so I turn my comms back on to listen in on the conversation.
"Sam, where are you?" Natasha asks.
"Fourty-first floor, north-west corner!" Sam yells and Fury maneuvers the helicopter in that direction.
"We're on it, stay where you are." She advises.
"Not an option!" He responds and I steady myself in the seat, my hands out, ready to throw ice in his direction to try and catch him.
A flicker of movement catches my eye and I spot Sam launching himself out the window. Mustering as much energy as I have, I throw my hands in his direction, water spiraling out of my gloves towards him and pulling him right into the helicopter. One of the doors breaks off with the force of the fall and the three of us nearly fall out, but we all somehow manage to hang on.
"Forty-first floor! Forty-first!" Sam shouts out, slowly calming down.
"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building!" Fury responds back and Connor and I share a laugh.
"Hill, where's Steve? Does anyone have eyes on Rogers?!" Natasha calls out and the laughter dies out.
I start scanning at the helicarries still in air right over the river.
Wait...............the river.
"Nick!" I say over the intercom. "Get us over the river."
"Lexi, no," Connor says, pulling me away from the door of the chopper.
"I have to try to get to him," I say and he sighs.
"He's a supersolider-"
"Are you saying I can't handle it?" I say, raising an eyebrow at him. He opens his mouth to answer, but then shuts it, unsure of what to say.
"Cornered," Sam mutters.
"You're incredibly stubborn you know that?" Connor comments.
"But you love me anyway," I respond, getting up from my seat and wincing at the bullet that is still in my shoulder.
"Whenever you're ready Carson," Fury says and I look back at Connor who looks so done with my skydiving tendencies that he might just push me out the helicopter himself and Sam, who's just confused about what the heck we're even talking about.
"Go," Connor says, pulling me close for a quick kiss. "And stay safe."
I nod, before getting as much of a running start as I can in a helicopter and leaping out through the broken door.
The pain in my arm flares up angrily but I push it aside as I plummet toward the water. Right before the impact comes, I point my hands above my head, close my eyes and drive headfirst into the water.
When the bubbles settle I set out a sigh of relief as the pain in my arm fades away and I push the currents in my favor, speeding me through the river at top speed while looking for any anomalies in the water. That anomaly being a rather large Captain America.
Daughter of the Sea a calming voice says behind me stopping me in my tracks. Well, technically in the water.....you know what I mean. I turn around and spot the Naiad from a couple days ago carrying Steve's shield.
I believe this belongs to your friend. She says, holding it out for me to take.
"It does," I say, placing the shield around my back securely. "Thank you for finding it."
A loud splash startles both of us and I can see the fires of the helicarrier above us growing larger and larger.
"Find the rest of your kin and get as far away from here as you can," I advise the naiad. "It's going to be too dangerous anyone, let alone the spirits in this river when all three of these hit the ground. If you can make it to Upstate New York or even Long Island if you can manage through the salt water, there are some freshwater rivers that might be safer and honestly less polluted."
She nods. We will heed your warning. Now go on and find your friend befoit'stoo late.
I thank her again before using the currents to speed as fast as I can to the source of the loud splash.
But when I find Steve, I realize that I'm not the only one who came to his rescue. I stare the Winter Soldier dead in the eyes, who's grabbed Steve's collar and is swimming to the river edge.
But there's something different.
He doesn't look dangerous anymore. He no longer looks like the man who killed my mother while I watched on from the seat behind. His eyes convey fear and confusion and the emotions you could only find in a victim.
Not a villain.
And suddenly, my heart starts to ache for the pain he's endured.
I nod to him, before latching a hand around Steve's (massive) shoulder and with a flick of my hand, I form a large oxygen bubble around the soldier's and Steve's face.
If he's surprised at my actions, he doesn't show it. We (mostly him......but in my defense, Steve is heavier than he looks) haul Steve onto the shore and I crouch down next to him, checking his vitals for signs of life.
I put both hands on his chest, close my eyes and with a flick of the wrist, I will the water out of his lungs and back into the river.
Steve coughs and sputters but doesn't regain consciousness.
I sigh in relief and rest back, only to notice the soldier looking on from aside, before walking away into the thicket.
"Hey....um Barnes?!" I call out to him.
His head snaps around and he looks back at me, almost fearful and challenging at the same time. Most likely in surprise that I knew his name. And for a minute, I almost forget what I meant to say.
"Thank you," I say, knowing that it might be the first thanks he's received in seventy years. "You better get out of here before my boss comes."
He blinks before his eyes dart around again, almost like he's making sure he remembers the scene around us for future reference before walking away.
I turn away, before checking Steve's pulse once again, to find that it's much stronger than before and form some ice across his wounds to stop his bleeding.
I touch the comm in my ear and speak into it. "This is Lexi, I'm on the bank of the river about 70 yards north of the Triskeleon with Steve. We're okay,"
It's over. Insight is finished.
And we're okay.
*******
Hey, guys!!!!
So I think that this is actually going to be the last part of this book. I've been trying to figure out how to bring this up to the point where Lexi finally meets Bucky face to face and I can't believe that this is finally finished.
Don't worry tho! I'm going to put an epilogue in here with a little AoS reference but other than that I think this one is coming to a close.
I will post the next book that will have both Age of Ultron and maybe some more AoS?? Trying to figure out how much of that section of Phase 2 I'm going to include.
Also, some of you might be wondering if I'm going to continue this series onto even Civil War. And the answer is yes!! (If I have enough motivation) I honestly have more planned out for Civil War than I do for the next book. But if I can find the time and the motivation along with writing my Flash Fanfic (which you should totally check out if you're a fan of the Scarlett Speedster from Central City) I will continue this on.
Thank you so much for the support and everything from day one! Since I've checked this morning I have 20 thousand reads on From Demigod to Avenger and honestly that's 20 thousand more than I would have ever expected so thank you, thank you and thank you.
For real, you guys are the best readers an author could as for.
Thank you again for all of you support.
Always Aim Forward,
Love,
StraighOuttaArrows.