The Story of Adelaida Barnes | MCU

x. as he should

Addi sat on the bed in Sam's guest bedroom with her knees pulled up to her chest. Natasha was sat next to her, drying her hair with a towel. Steve came out of the bathroom. "You okay?" He asked them, but mostly speaking to Natasha. "Yeah." Natasha responded. He came and sat down on the seat in front of her. "What's going on?" He asked. "When I first joined SHIELD, I thought I was going straight. But I guess I just traded in the KGB for HYDRA. I thought I knew whose lies I was telling, but I guess I can't tell the difference anymore." "There's a chance you might be in the wrong business." Steve said and Natasha chuckled, staring at him.

They didn't look away from each other. "I owe you." Natasha said. "It's okay." Steve said. "If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, now you be honest with me, would you trust me to do it?" Natasha asked, still staring at Steve. "I would now." He said, not looking away. "And I'm always honest." Addi looked at them and stood up, they didn't even notice. She started towards the door when Sam came in. "I made breakfast." He said. "If you guys eat that sort of thing." "Well, I usually don't. But I think those two do." Addi said, nodding at Natasha and Steve.

The group of four entered the kitchen. "So, the question is, who at SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?" Natasha asked. "Pierce." Steve responded. "Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world." Natasha said. "But he's not working alone. Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star." Steve said. "So was Jasper Sitwell." Natasha said, and Addi finally realized where she had seen him before. He was HYDRA. "So, the real question is, how do the three most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?" Steve asked.

"The answer is, you don't." Sam said walking over. He placed a file on the table. "What's this?" Steve asked. "Call it a resume." Sam answered. Natasha picked it up. "Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Kandil mission, that was you? You didn't say he was a Pararescue." Natasha said looking at Steve and Addi. "Is this Riley?" Steve asked. Sam nodded. "I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use? A stealth chute?" "No. These." Sam said handed Addi a picture of metal wings. "I thought you said you were a pilot." Steve said. "I never said pilot." Sam said.

"I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason." Steve said. "Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in." "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?" Steve asked. "The last one is at Fort Meade. Behind three guarded gates and a twelve inch steel wall." He said. "Shouldn't be a problem." Steve said, placing the file back on the table. Addi walked off to get changed. Steve followed her. He grabbed her arm, turning her back around. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "It's not important." She said. "Plus, I'm not that person anymore." She pulled her arm out of his grasp. But she had a bad feeling that things were only going to get worse for them.

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Addi waited on the ground with Sam as Natasha and Steve interrogated Sitwell on the roof of a building. She saw him get pushed off and Sam immediately flew up. Addi followed right behind him. Sam grabbed him and dragged him up, before dropping him on the roof again. Addi landed right behind him. Natasha and Steve stalked towards Sitwell. "Zola's algorithm is a program for choosing Insight's targets." Sitwell said holding his hand out. "What targets?" Steve asked. "You! Her! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Under Secretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa City, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA. Now, or in the future." Sitwell said.

"In the future? How could it know?" Steve asked. Sitwell laughed. "How could it not?" He stood up. "The twenty first century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores! Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future." "And what then?" Steve asked. "Oh my god. Pierce is gonna kill me." Sitwell said. "As he should." Addi said. "What then?" Steve asked getting angrier.

"Then the Insight helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time." Sitwell responded. The group of four hauled Sitwell down to Sam's car. They drove along the highway. "HYDRA doesn't like leaks." Sitwell commented. "Then why don't you try sticking a cork in it?" Sam asked from the drivers seat. "Insight's launching in sixteen hours." Natasha said, sticking her head between the seats to talk to Steve. "We're cutting it a little bit close here." "I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly." Steve said.

"What? Are you crazy?" Sitwell spoke up. "That is a terrible, terrible idea." Something hit the roof, and then a metal arm reached through the window and grabbed Sitwell. "Shit!" Addi cursed. The Winter Soldier started shooting through the roof. Natasha climbed onto Steve's lap. Steve stopped the car and he flew off, landing in the road. Natasha took out her gun but a truck rammed into them from behind. The Winter Soldier flipped onto the car and reached through the roof to grab Sam's steering wheel. "Shit!" Sam cursed.

Natasha grabbed her gun and started firing at him. The truck hit the car again. Steve grabbed Sam. He busted the door off and the three fell out. Addi flew out after them, using her powers to propel her up. The Winter Soldier jumped off the truck and grabbed a rifle. He started firing at them and Steve pushed Natasha out of the way, holding up his shield. "Steve!" Addi screamed as he was thrown over the railing.