Rapid Recovery (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter 36 : Guilty Conscience

Y/n let out a tiny, almost inaudible sigh at her discovery : Sharon Carter, the woman who was supposed to be on the 'good' side of the super soldier conundrum, was in fact the exact person who caused everything. The source of the problem that continued to stem through every one of the Flag Smashers.

She watched as Batroc stepped further into the light towards Karli and Sharon who were just out of Y/n's sight. She cautiously maneuvered towards the area where the three individuals were, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows.

"You hired Batroc to spy on me?" Y/n heard Karli ask Sharon while Y/n glanced around to see each of them armed with a gun each.

"Karli, you know I'm always prepared," Sharon stated, unfazed of Batroc's sudden appearance. She was definitely a sly woman. She'd managed to stay in the shadows as the Power Broker for who knows how long. Maybe ever since she'd been on the run. Hell, maybe even before. Anything was possible at that point.

"Get out my way," Karli ordered before Batroc suddenly raised his gun to point at Karli, causing Y/n to slide her own gun out of her waistband, preparing herself for what was to come. She'd been so wrapped up in the unfolding events before her that she hadnt even thought to try and whisper through the earpiece to anyone.

Batroc looked at Karli with his gun still raised, "I'm done with these games," he then looked over to Sharon, "Maintenant, Power Broker, tu me paieras quatre fois ce que tu as dit que tu (Now, Power Broker, you will pay me four times what you said you would)," he demanded, "Four times," he emphasised again in English, putting four fingers up to accompany his speech, "Or...je dirai au monde entier qui tu es (I'll tell the whole world who you are), ok?"

Y/n watched carefully, waiting as Sharon stayed silent, clearly contemplating her response to Batroc's order. She narrowed her eyes, deep in thought before quickly and calmly turning her head to Batroc, "I don't do blackmail," she raised her gun with both hands on the gun, not even hesitating as she fired a shot towards Batroc.

Y/n immediately reacted, stepping out from her hiding position, "No!" she called out, immediately shooting Sharon while Karli did the same, both shots piercing Sharon's stomach as she and Batroc fell to the floor. Luckily, Sharon wasn't dead, Batroc was a completely different story.

Shit. I wasnt supposed to shoot her. Y/n thought to herself as her eyebrows furrowed at Sharon in guilt of what she had just done.

"Karli, step away," Y/n ordered, her gun raised at Karli for precaution, even though she was hoping she wouldn't have to shoot anyone else. Firing towards someone at point blank range was terrifying and guilt immediately flooded over Y/n for her shot towards Sharon...even though Sharon had just killed someone in the same range.

Y/n stared at Karli with caution while Karli continued to step forward towards Sharon who was on the ground, sucking breaths in through her teeth from the pain of her bullet wounds.

Y/n's head shot to the side when she heard someone's footsteps nearing the scene. She saw it to be Sam, who eventually saw Karli with her gun pointed at Sharon as he neared the three, "Sam..."

"Sam, stay back," Karli commanded, looking over at Sam with her gun never leaving Sharon's direction.

Sam slipped the shield onto his back, taking a few cautious steps in Karlis direction, although there was still a fair bit of distance between the two, "So what's next, huh? You kill 10 this time, then what? A hundred?" he asked, rhetorically, glancing over to Sharon for a split second, "Where does it end?" he questioned Karli, slightly shaking his head. "Please...let me help you."

"Don't try and manipulate me," Karli answered, shaking her head with slightly narrowed eyes in disapproval.

"Karli, listen, we're not trying to manipulate you. We wanna help. Just put the gun down. We can put a stop to this," Y/n attempted to get through to her, gesturing around to the people around them as she said 'this', "We can end this..."

Karli was now breathing heavily with irritation, "I'm about to end this," Karli replied in a harsh tone, putting her second hand on the gun and pointing it towards Sharon in a strong stance, ready to shoot.

"Karli, don't!" Sharon raised her voice.

Before Karli could pull the trigger, Sam was charging towards her with his jetpack activated for added power. Y/n could see Sam and Karli tumbling around after he had rammed into her.

"I'm not...gonna...fight you!" Sam yelled out in between grunts as he blocked every one of Karli's attempts to strike at him.

Although Sharon wasn't who they thought to be, Y/n knew she couldn't just leave her there to possibly bleed to death. Dealing with two gunshot wounds wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Besides, she also felt guilty that she had been the cause for one of the wounds.

"Come on, we gotta get you outta here," Y/n stated, using her strength to help Sharon to her feet while she clutched her stomach, pressing down on her bleeding wounds. "Sam!" Y/n called out to him, hoping to receive confirmation that he would be ok fighting against Karli alone.

"Go! Get her outta here!" he called back before Y/n heard the impact of a hard fist upon metal, most likely Karli coming into contact with the shield.

Y/n steadily helped Sharon, trying to let her lean against her, but it wasn't long before Sharon collapsed, leaning against a pole and sliding down to sit on the small concrete platform that was built around the pole for stability.

"Shit, Sharon, come on. We need to go," Y/n informed her, helping Sharon to her feet, not even realising that everything had gone quiet. There were no longer the grunts of Sam and Karli as they fought, there was an eerie silence. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, turning her head after she had helped Sharon up.

Y/n looked to see Karli with her gun pointed directly at Sam while he simply stared Karli right in the eyes.

Suddenly the sound of two gunshots sounded through the area, making Y/n's eyes widen. It took her a second before she realised that Sam hadnt been the one who was shot.

It was Karli.

Sharon collapsed back down to the pole, clutching her stomach, lowering her gun that she had just shot Karli with.

Karli immediately fell to the ground, it was as if everything slowed, everything fell silent. The gunshots were seen as if they symbolised the end of a war.

"No..." Y/n breathed out, watching Sam rush over to Karli, pulling her head up, his arm resting underneath her neck as he looked down at her, almost apologetically.

Karli's breaths staggered while she looked up at Sam with a clear apologetic expression across her face, small sniffles leaving her nose as she clutched onto her necklace, "I'm sorry..." she said to Sam in a soft, strained voice, clinging onto her last few seconds of life.

Y/n felt a tear escape her eye, slowly gliding down her cheek as she listened to Karli sob, taking her last breaths, eyes closing, falling limp in Sam's arms.

She was only 19...

Y/n slowly walked over to Sam and Karli, falling to her knees in front of Sam, Karli between them.

"I...I could've done something..." Y/n whispered, feeling another tear fall from her eye. She felt guilty as ever. Karli lost her life because she was trying to save others' lives. She was a slightly misguided teenager who wanted to find her rightful place in the world. Y/n couldn't help but feel like Karli's death was partially her fault. She was standing right there. She was right next to Sharon as she pulled the trigger.

"It's not your fault...it's none of ours'..."

Right. It wasn't. All she could do now was try her best to recover from everything that had happened, and make sure Sharon earned her place in prison.

Yes, maybe it was a little cold hearted...but knowing who Sharon was, what she'd done, what she'd caused...there was no way to run away now.

She wasn't in Madripoor anymore.

She was in New York.

Just a reminder to please check out my other work : Falling Under Pressure (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Thanks for reading! :)