Who Am I? » [Stucky]

132. Crossbones

Bucky’s hands lifted like a buoyancy aid on the sea; involuntarily straightening into the air. Sam cautiously let the action seize him too and mimicked patiently.

“Tony Stark, I’m going to need you to disarm the suit,” One man, who appeared to be the ring leader, instructed. His eye was pressed against the eyepiece of a sniper rifle, balanced on the balcony and aimed with precision.

“That’s not going to happen,” Tony’s mechanically warped voice was broadcasted through the helmet, sounding tinny and electronic.

“For every second that passes that you don’t disarm, I’m going to put a bullet in one of the people in this room…” The man threatened, driving a hard bargain. “Starting now!”

There was a thunderous snap as a pointed bullet crackled out of the nozzle of the gun and zipped into the shoulder of a guard. The gun jerked back, recoiling with the force. There was clicking as he adjusted the gun for his next shot; ejecting the empty cartridge and slotting a new high-calibre bullet in.

“Hey!” One blonde woman piped up, fury in her ice blue eyes.

They all turned to face the outspoken dame who appeared to have a death wish. Her voice exploded into the spacious room like the crack of a whip, dangerously drawing attention.

“What do you want missy?” The man barked at her. “Do you wanna go next? Is that it?”

Just as he lined up his shot, crosshair lined up with her arm, he was cut off.

She whipped the gun from her belt holster, and shot him down. Without sparing a split second to crosscheck her iron-sight she had imbedded a bullet exactly between his eyes. Blood splattered outwards, dotting his sagged features with spraying splotches and he was deluged with the waterfall of scarlet that proceeded to leak from his head. He flopped on the balcony before him and tumbled over the edge; landing with a smack.

An eruption of shelling began, a blizzard of bullets were blasted in her direction; all haphazardly taking impetuous shots. She went along the row, left to right, backed up less-skilfully by her team and took out the sniper-squad that had invaded the room.

Bucky and Sam, unarmed, dived out of the way, rushing and diving for cover in the pillars holding up the balcony. Tony blasted a few with his highly-concentrated hand-imbedded proton beams and in an instant the room was in a dismantled wreck. The floor was rife with black-singed potholes and indented metal shells. Bullet marks had been perforated into every wall. Sections of wall were charcoaled and glowing orange from the potent calefaction of Tony’s beams.

“That was…” Tony’s metal mask recalibrated, shuffling back. “Incredible. What’s your name, lady?” Tony requested in a demeaning brusque way.

“Danvers, Sir. Major Carol Danvers…” She greeted him with an inclination of the head, giving an impartial bow as she ducked her chest down.

“Major, that was amazing… Now that I know I can trust you… Would you do me a favour?”

“Anything, Mr Stark, sir,” Carol agreed, cocking her pistol and flipping her thick radiant blonde fringe out of her sparkling blue eyes.

“Take what you have left of your team and do a perimeter sweep … Think you can manage it, Major?” He arched a dark eyebrow, captivated by her courageousness.

“I can manage anything, Stark,” she retorted, giving a self-satisfied lopsided smirk.

“The onwards and outwards, Major. See you around…” He gave her a one-fingered salute and watched in admiration as she ordered her men and they scampered away, taking the exit behind the panel.