Viper

Chapter 7: Bucky's Back

"Falcon, where are you now?" Fury questions.

"I had to take a detour. Whoop! Oh, yeah! I'm in. Bravo lock."

"Two down, one to go!" Hill reports.

Then Bucky, well—The Winter Soldier—shows up. I hear Natasha say, "company's coming," and I land the chopper I had finally gotten. I walk in still listening to Sam, Steve, Nick, and Maria.

"Did you get my flowers?" Pierce asks.

I have my face fixed in a scowl.

"I'm glad you're here, Liza."

"Really? Because I thought you had me killed."

"Get him, girl!" Sam yells to me.

"You know how the game works."

"So why make me head of SHIELD?"

"Because you were the best, and the most ruthless person I ever met."

"I did what I did to protect people."

"Our enemies are your enemies, Liza. Disorder. War. It's just a matter of time before a dirty bomb goes off in Moscow, or an EMP fries Chicago. Diplomacy? A holding action, Liz. A band-aid. And you know where I learned that? Bogota. You didn't ask. You just did what had to be done. I can bring order to the lives of seven billion people by sacrificing twenty million. It's the next step, Lizzie. If you have the courage to take it."

"No, I have the courage not to."

Retinal Scanner active.

"You don't think we've wiped your clearance from the system?"

"I know you erased my password. Probably deleted my retinal scan. But if you want to stay ahead of me, Mr. Secretary," I remove my eye patch. "You need to keep both eyes open."

Alpha Level confirmed. Encryption code accepted. Safeguards removed.

"Charlie carrier is 45˚ off the port bow," Fury says.

"Six minutes," Maria says after taking out some HYDRA agents.

"Hey, Sam, gonna need a ride."

"Roger. Let me know when you're ready."

"I just did!"

I roll my right eye at his stupidity and finally allow my left eye to heal.

"You know, you're a lot heavier than you look."

"I had a big breakfast."

Suddenly Winter attacks.

"Steve! Cap! Cap, come in! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Sam. I'm here. I'm still on the helicarrier. Where are you?"

"I'm grounded. The suit's down. Sorry, Cap."

"Don't worry. I got it."

Steven, you're an idiot, and if you don't die—I may just kill you myself. I say in his head.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, sis, he replies.

Emergency evacuation alert. All personnel, proceed to designated safety zones.

"Falcon?" Hill says.

"Yeah?"

"Rumlow's headed for the Council," she and Fury warn us.

"I'm on it."

I look at Nat. We make eye contact and nod. We know what we will most likely have to do.