•••
IT WAS JUST alexa, sam, clint and bucky in the quinjet. there was a small mission, yet those four were chosen to go on it. alexa put her batons in their holster, pacing around. clint was in the pilots seat, getting ready to land the quinjet.
sam and bucky made small talk as alexa was reading info on the place they were infiltrating so clint could find a safe place to land.
"yea, right here's good clint." alexa said, adding another knife to one of the pockets.
"how many knifes you got on you at the moment?" sam asked, alexa meeting his eyes. she smirked, pushing her shoulder length hair back.
"if i told you, you'd be very concerned." she said, sam cocking an eyebrow up, looking at bucky. alexa walked towards bucky's cupping her mouth by his ear as she whispered the number. sam swore he heard thirty something. bucky smirked at the number, nodding his head in approval.
"nice doll, always gotta be prepared." bucky said, alexa nodding in agreement. sam stood up, walking to clint who got up from the seat.
"should i be concerned?" sam asked, putting his jet pack on. clint shook his head, making sure his quivers were full.
"nah, it's just ya know, causal assassin things." clint said nonchalant, sam thinking everyone's gone crazy that having possibly thirty something knives on you is normal.
the doors opened, the four walking out with alexa leading the men. she turned around to face them, making the last speech that steve would make.
"alright, i'm not as good as steve but, it's a simple mission, get what you need and meet at the rendezvous point. comms on, holler if you need help. alright boys, let's work for a living." she said, the three smiling at her.
they split up, everyone on their own. alexa got past a few guards, and made her way through the base. everyone knew at one point they would run into each other, the base being quite small.
she saw bucky down the hall shoot a guy in the stomach. alexa jogged down the hall to him. bucky didn't see another man coming up behind him, alexa whipping out her crackling blue baton and hit the guy in the face, him screaming in pain. bucky took the chance to shoot the guy in the leg, making him fall to the floor. alexa kicked his gun away from him.
"thanks doll." she smirked, the two walking down a long hallway.
"don't gotta thank me buck. did you really think i was gonna let him shoot you?" bucky shook his head no, the two having their guns at ready.
"nope, and same for you lex, i got you." she nodded, her tapping on her comms.
"barton, wilson, everything good?" she asked, shooting two guys. the two continued walking, ending up in a abandoned room with a lot of windows.
"yep, all good over here." sam said, clint's voice coming through.
"all good. how about you and buck?" clint asked, alexa looking around the room, bucky as watch at the door. the room was fairly big, and lit dimly. there were rows of tall filing cabinets, alexa starting to walk down one row.
"all good."
alexa looked at one of the drawers, opening one. there was a loud noise down the hall, bucky and alexa looking up.
"i'll be right back doll." bucky said, alexa nodding her head as she continued looking for the file she needed. it was a older facility, everything in filing cabinets. she pulled out the few files she needed, feeling accomplished.
everything around her seemed to stop when she felt the piercing pain in her leg. the glass window was broken, and there were two bullets in her thigh and hip. sharpshooter, she has assumed, nothing but trees outside the windows.
she slammed her body against the filing cabinets, sliding down them. she hissed, the pain getting increasingly worse. she unzipped her bodysuit, revealing her tight tank top and sports bra.
she bit back a scream, shimmying her suit down to under the wound in her upper thigh. she slipped her tank off, tearing it into two. she tied the ripped tank on her thigh, creating a tourniquet in a attempt to stop blood flow. her bloody hand tapped the comm, hoping someone was on.
"b-buck? clint? sam? anyone one? i'm hit" she let out shakily, her putting more pressure on her hip.
"i'm here lexa, i'm coming. clint, sam, you on?" she heard bucky say, and she heard more gunshots down the hall, assuming it was bucky. she used her other hand to hold her gun, incase it wasn't.
"yeah, we got everything we need so get to her to jet bucky, we'll call tony to set up the lab for her so bruce can stitch her up." clint's voice crackled in her ear as she threw her head back in pain. she saw a figure at the door, putting her gun up in defense, about to shoot. she stopped her finger from pulling the trigger when she realized it was bucky.
"scared me." she said breathlessly, her dropping her arm like it was dead weight. he ran over to her, dropping to his knees.
he saw her bloodied hand on her hip and the tank tied around her thigh. he pushed his hand on her hip wound, hearing her wince as he tried to stop the bleeding. they couldn't sit there forever, so he helped her put the suit back on, zipping it up
"oh sweetheart, let's get you out of here." bucky said, carefully lifting her into his arms bridal style. he watched her throw her head back in pain at the movement. her eyes welled with tears, biting her lip to hold in her cries.
"i'm sorry i left you." bucky said, grabbing the files and started walking quickly out of the room. alexa weakly had her gun in hand, knowing bucky had no way to defend himself with him carrying her.
"it's not your fault. don't blame yourself please. i'll be," she hissed in pain, causing bucky to look down in concern.
"i'll be okay buck, i promise." she said just above a whisper. bucky was able to tell she was gonna lose consciousness soon from the blood loss, and pain.
"don't close your eyes, c'mon let me see those pretty eyes of yours" he looked down and watched her give a small smile. she was using all her strength to keep them open.
there were three men, alexa shooting every guy to the ground. bucky made his way out of the building, alexa shooting a few more men.
when they made it safely into the forrest, alexa finally gave up on staying conscious. she was passed out in bucky's arms. quinjet in sight, he jogged towards the jet, seeing clint ready to take off. as soon as bucky stepped into the jet. clint closed the ramp and took off. he immediately put the jet on autopilot, getting up to help alexa.
bucky and sam stepped back and allowed clint to pull the suit down to her mid thigh, leaving her in just her sports bra and underwear.
"barnes, give me the bandages." clint said quickly, bucky tossing them to him. clint securely wrapped alexa's wounds, zipping her suit back up.
out of nowhere, alexa started convulsing.
her eyes shot open, gasping for air as her limbs started to move without control. she was slamming her head against the table, bucky quickly cradling her head with his hand. an ear piercing scream ripped through alexa, everyone slightly wincing at the sudden noise.
sam watched with tears in his eyes as clint stood back in utter shock, his heart feeling as it was being crushed. they all knew not to restrain her, and let this run its course but all bucky wanted to do was hold her in his arms.
"buck-" she barley said as she was gasping for air, trying to stop her sporadic movements that she had no control over. her wide eyes met his eyes, bucky's eyes also widened in shock. tears were running down her face.
"i'm right here doll, you're gonna be okay. it's gonna be okay alexa." bucky reassured her, tears welling in his eyes. he heard clint tell friday to get them back home as fast as possible. they felt the quinjet jolt as it went at a faster speed.
alexa's body continued to convulse for a few moments, her body going completely still and she passed out again. her once, convulsing body was now calm and still. with the pad of his thumb, bucky wiped away her tears.
bucky let out a shaky breath, tying his hair back into a bun. he sat against the wall, looking at alexa now relaxed on the table. the quinjet was close to the tower, clint letting the group know. sam sat down beside bucky, the two looking at each other, then alexa.
steve, tony, bruce and nat were waiting outside, them seeing the quinjet land. the ramp door opened, the three men hearing natasha's breath hitch. bucky carried alexa out of the jet, him looking at her once more before looking up. sam and clint followed behind them.
"s-she had a seizure, and i just- please tell me you can help." bucky pleaded, tony and bruce nodding.
"we'll see what's going on. you know where to bring her." bruce said, bucky carrying her to the lab, tony and bruce ahead of him. steve and natasha were at bucky's side, natasha looking at alexa's limp body.
"what happened?" natasha asked lowly, bucky and natasha meeting each other's watery eyes.
"i don't know, i left as she was getting the files, and i hear her on the comms saying she's hit. sharpshooter i assume. the bullet. has to be laced with something to trigger a seizure like that." bucky said, looking at steve. the three looked like they were gonna burst into tears.
"it can't be anything to bad, it was the knockoff version of hydra, it cant be anything we can't find a antidote to." tony said, looking back at the group behind them.
"still, it doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. alexa has no history of seizures." clint said, bucky looking at down at alexa. her face was calm, and content, as if she was sleeping.
everyone waited outside of the lab as tony, bruce and bucky walked in. bucky carefully laid alexa down, placing a soft kiss on her head before he left to give tony and bruce some room. once bucky left and bruce and tony were getting ready to take the bullets out, they gossiped.
"did you see barnes kiss lexa?" bruce asked, slipping his gloves on. tony nodded, getting friday ready to analyze the bullet and alexa's blood to find an antidote. whatever it was covered in, it was giving alexa seizures.
"hell yes i saw. that was fricken adorable. he cares so much for her. i love it." tony said, watching bruce take off her suit. he disinfected the area, getting ready to take the first bullet out.
"what if she has a seizure now?" tony asked, watching bruce take the first bullet out of her hip. he placed it in a container, tony taking it to the other side of the lab to have friday analyze it.
"well, i better finish quickly i guess." bruce said, hearing a quiet chuckle from tony. the team all gathered outside the lab, even peter parker watched with worry.
"friday, figure out what the hell the bullet is coated with, and find the antidote asap. don't know how serious this is." tony said, looking at bruce who started to stitch her up.
"on it boss." friday said, and tony swore he heard the AI speak worriedly. bruce looked out the window to see natasha with clothes for alexa. bruce motioned her in, natasha walking into the lab.
"i'll dress her." natasha said, not meeting eyes with the two men. they knew that she was taking this harder then everyone, alexa being the only family she's had.
bruce went to the other side of the lab as natasha dressed alexa. she pushed the bed out of sight from the window so natasha could undress her fully and put clean clothes on her.
natasha brought the bed back to where it was, bucky noticing it was one of the t-shirts alexa stole and her shorts. steve and sam noticed as well, tiny smiles on their faces.
"are you gonna keep her in the lab?" natasha asked, brushing the hair off of alexa's forehead. she looked up to see tony nod.
"yea, to monitor her. friday's working on what the hell is causing the seizures." tony said, natasha nodding. she quickly wiped away a tear, tony pretending he didn't see it.
"keep me updated. please." she asked quietly, meeting tony's sad eyes again. he watched her swiftly left the lab, her not being a fan of getting emotional infront of people.. tony watched through the glass as natasha pushed past clint, who tried to stop her.
bruce hooked alexa up to an iv, and the two got
to work.
•••
9 hours later, and countless tries, tony and bruce made an antidote. tony and bruce swore they heard alexa slowly starting to wake up from the low groan they heard. it was only five minutes since they gave her the antidote. tony and bruce looked at each other, then placing their coffee cups down and walked towards her.
"fri?" "she's waking up boss. it worked."
tony and bruce grinned widely, high fiving each other. tony watched her stir a bit, another groan was heard.
"how affective is it gonna be for her?" bruce asked, even though he's asked this multiple times already.
"it's 99.7% affective. the chances miss micheals rejecting the antidote are extremely rare." tony nodded, feeling accomplished.
"did anyone wanted to be woken up when alexa woke up?" bruce asked, friday pausing for a moment. it was two am, the two only expecting a few people.
"everyone did."
tony and bruce decided to wait to tell everyone till she woke up, so she was oriented again. tony and bruce patiently waited, them cleaning the lab space a bit.
"bucky?" she called out horsely, tony and bruce stopping what they were doing and walked towards her. they assumed alexa thought that she was still with him.
"lex? it's tony and bruce. you're in the lab. bucky's sleeping." tony said softly, helping her sit up. she looked out the window, it being nighttime.
"how long was i out?" she asked, bruce checking his watch.
"almost 10 hours. the bullets, were filled with this," bruce tried to think of a non science word. " liquid, so to say, that triggered the seizures when it entered your bloodstream." alexa sighed, rubbing her arms, goosebumps prickling her skin in the cold lab.
"am i gonna be okay?" she asked, tony giving her a wide smile.
"once your bullet wounds heal, you'll be the badass white shadow again." alexa chuckled, shaking her head.
"fri, you can tell them now." alexa cocked an eyebrow up, bruce explaining.
"everyone wanted to know when you woke up." alexa felt her heart swell. tony noticed she was still shivering.
"also tell barnes to bring a hoodie." alexa turned bright red, yet glad the lights were dimmed in the lab. natasha and clint were the first ones there, walking in. tony lit the lab up again, so it wasn't so dark.
"damn you lex, scarring the shit out of us." clint said, yet he placed a kiss on her temple. she smirked, shaking her head.
"that's my specialty." she smiled widely at him, unable to keep a straight face. a smile was tugging at clint's lips.
natasha stood back, alexa meeting her eyes.
"nat..." alexa trialed off, natasha snapping her head up to meet alexa. natasha was pissed.
"remember brazil? this was almost as bad lex. did you really think i was sleeping five minutes ago? fuck no! i was up, pacing around my room hoping that nobody would knock on my door and tell me that these geniuses couldn't figure it out," she pointed her finger to bruce and tony, them looking at each other.
"lexa, you cant keep scarring me like this!" natasha exclaimed, alexa giving a huff.
"did you think i wanted to get shot today nat? have a bullet poison me and give me seizures? you really think this is what i fucking wanted? nat, i'm trying, i really am, but i just," alexa was exasperated, the two girls having tears in their eyes.
"you cant get mad at me for things i have no control over," alexa spoke just above a whisper. "i know you worry about me. you've always worried about me, and i get why. please just, don't get mad at me for things like these." her voice cracked multiple times, letting a warm tear run down her face.
natasha walked towards alexa, wrapping her arms around her. alexa didn't hesitate to hug back. the two hugged each other tight, not letting go of one another.
"i love you natasha. i love you. i know you aren't a fan of saying it, but you've said it to me, so many times in so many ways." alexa whispered into natasha's ear, feeling natasha's hold on her tighten.
"gosh i'm so glad you've caught on." the two let out wet laughs, releasing the hug. natasha swiftly wiped her own tears before she wiped alexa's. alexa gave natasha a knowing look, natasha smiling softly.
steve and bucky then walked in, bucky with the hoodie in hand.
"why'd i need to bring a hoodie?" bucky asked, it being obvious the super soldiers haven't slept either.
"well romeo, juliet over here is cold so i told you to bring her a hoodie." bucky gave tony a look, shaking his head. he walked towards alexa, handing her the hoodie.
"first my shirt, now another hoodie, what's next doll?" bucky asked jokingly, loving the sight of the huge hoodie swallowing up her tiny figure.
"in the next week your whole closet will be gone." alexa said, reaching up to wrap her arms around bucky's neck. he carefully wrapped his arms around her abdomen, holding her close.
"i know i scared you, on the quinjet. i remember and i'm sorry. i'm so sorry buck." alexa whispered, bucky quietly shushing her as he rubbed her back.
"it's not you fault doll. don't apologize, i know it was scary." bucky said back, natasha seeing the tears welling in her eyes.
"i was terrified." she barley got out, her biting her lip to hold back a, what she thought was a unnecessary sob. bucky could tell she was holding it back, her starting to shake.
"it's okay to cry sweetheart, it's okay." bucky spoke just above a whisper, him feeling her hold on him tighten. once she let one out, she honestly couldn't stop. bucky never let her go from his loving arms. he teared up himself, holding her tight. all he wanted to do was take away her pain.
"i could tell she was holding it in when we walked in." steve whispered softly, everyone nodding. steve's heart broke into pieces as her cries quickly softened to steady breathing. bucky let go of her, wiping her tears. he kissed her forehead, and gave her small smile.
steve then held her close in his arms, placing kiss on her head. the scent of steve and bucky's hoodie was a good combo. it was soothing, and made her smile.
"i really thought i was gonna lose you lex." steve whispered, alexa holding him tight in her arms.
"no matter how hard you try, you can't get rid of me that easily steve. i'm not going anywhere anytime soon." steve chuckled, letting go to look at her. he scanned her face before leaving another kiss on her forehead.
"i love you alexa." steve spoke just below a whisper, alexa unable to shake away the grin on her face.
"i love you too steve."
the team, slowly but surely made their way into the lab at 2am, yet it was worth it to everyone to see the smile on her face when she saw them walk in.
"god i feel like i'm over exaggerating." alexa said, everyone disagreeing with her.
"lex, you were shot twice with a poisonous bullet, and had a damn seizure. i was surprised you didn't wake up crying. before you say 'but i shouldn't be crying' crap here this. you're family. we're all family. you can cry infront of us, we won't judge, especially after what happened to you." tony said, everyone nodded their head in agreement. alexa gave tony a small smile, thanking him quietly.
they chatted for a bit, yet everyone slowly went back to bed. tony let bruce go to bed, it being just bucky and steve left to bring alexa to her room.
"take these when you wake up tomorrow. you'll need it. i scanned you for a concussion after sam told me about you slamming you head. you have no concussion, but you'll have a killer headache tomorrow. also, you may need nat to help you in the shower." tony told her, handing her a tiny bag with two pills.
"great, so i cant walk or shower without help. glad to know i'm useless for a good amount of time." tony gave her a look, making her chuckle.
"alright, get some rest kiddo." "i'm 33 not 16 tony."
tony shook his head, being alexa into his arms. alexa thanked tony, hugging him back. using her crutches, she headed towards the elevator, steve and bucky behind her. steve presses their floor, the elevator going down a few floors.
the doors opened, alexa walking out first. she hugged steve goodnight, and told him to not worry about her.
"go to sleep steve, please. i'm okay." "i've slept for 70 years lexa, i think i've had my full."
she hit him with her crutch, making bucky laugh. steve made a face, yet he couldn't shake the smile that was forming. steve said goodnight one last time, heading into his room.
"do you need help with anything?" bucky asked, alexa nodding. bucky followed alexa into her room, only helping her when needed. he noticed the sad look on her face as she carefully got into bed. he sat on the edge, looking at her.
"what's wrong doll?" bucky asked, alexa sighing. she hated that he could read right through her.
"i keep worrying that i could have another seizure and it's freaking me out." bucky sighed, giving her a sad expression.
"it won't happen sweetheart. i'll stay here with you, if you want, to make sure that won't happen." bucky said, a light red on his cheeks. she smiled softly, nodding her head. bucky walked to the other side of the bed, getting under the covers.
"promise?" she asked, bucky locking pinkies with her.
"i promise. get some rest doll." she was laying on her right side, the stitches being on her left side. she cuddled into his side, bucky playing with the ends of her hair.
"goodnight bucky. thank you. for everything. don't know what i'd do without my best friend." alexa quietly said, bucky laying a kiss on her head.
"goodnight lexa. i should be thanking you. for letting me into your life. for being someone who truly understands. i was considering putting a bullet in my brain, to quite the noise before i met you." bucky said, feeling alexa cuddle into him more.
"i'm so glad you didn't. you mean a lot to me bucky."
"me too. you mean a lot to me too alexa."