Steve's POV:
Madness. Absolute madness. Hydra is here, Hydra is attacking. Their strike team is beating us down, the Avengers and I trying so desperately to hold them back. They came out of no where, forcing us from the building to the open field outside of S.H.I.E.L.D.. We are trying out best but it doesn't seem to be enough. Even the people who are not even authorized to fight are firing, trying their best to protect the one thing they love. I glace over at Loki who even fights, using his magic to take down whoever challenges him. Everyone is out here except Pepper. She's much too pregnant to fight. We left her in a J.A.R.V.I.S. armed room in case anyone tried to get to her. The fighting is relentless, rain pouring down on us. My uniform is soaked but I couldn't care less. I just want Hydra out of here and out of my life. I want Jet back and I want this all to be over. I wipe the rain from my forehead and go after the man that tries to take down Bucky. I throw my shield and catch it once it reflects off of the man.
Suddenly, everything goes still. Everyone seems to stop fighting, the other Hydra agents taking off. It's almost as if time has stopped, like my wishes were answered. I glace around at the other Avengers who stare at me. That's when I notice her.
She's strong. She's cunning. She's so beautiful. Her long black hair is straight, her eyes dark and menacing. She looks as if she is seeking vengeance, hate shining in her eyes. Half of her face is covered by a black mask, but I know it's her. The rain pours down in cold sheets, her slow pace showing her control over the situation. Her eyebrows show a smirk once she sees me. She pulls something from her pocket and stops walking. She looks over at the woman next to her a nods. All of us stand staring at her. We all have no idea what to do. Coulson lowered his gun, Loki has dropped his hands to his sides. Thor set down the hammer, Bucky dropped his gun. Natasha has relaxed her stance, Clint's quiver rests on the ground. I grip my shield firmly, and stare at it. I put it down carefully, watching as rain drops roll off of the surface of it. I glance back up at her. She whips her arm, something flying from it. I dip as a knife sails over my shoulder, knicking my ear. She runs at me quickly, fighting off the defensives of all the Avengers. The rest of the Hydra Elite follows her in, each of their best taking on ours. I fight her, mostly just deflecting her powerful blows. Determination is clear in her eyes. She's gotten good, but still not good enough. I manage to lock her in a chokehold and pull off her face mask.
"LET GO OF ME YOU ASSHAT!" she yells. I chuckle. She uses this moment of weakness to her advantage, elbowing my chest and kicking my crotch. I scream out in pain and let her go. She flips away from me a draws her gun. Everyone stops. We all stare at her, her finger resting over the safety. The barrel is pointed directly at my chest, at my heart. My eyes grow wide.
"Jet..." I say, hoping that somehow that might trigger something. She raises and eyebrow and grips the gun tightly.
"Stand down!" Coulson yells.
"It's useless Coulson." I announce. If this is how it has to end, then this is how it has to end. "You don't remember me, I get that. But I remember you. I remember how you like your coffee with a little bit of milk and a shit ton of sugar. I remember that you love Steak and Shake. I remember that you love AC/DC more than you loved me. I remember the way that you rested your head on my back and wrapped your arms around whenever we went for a ride. Dance is your escape, drumming is your weakness. You love Corvettes and science and anything that you deemed cool. You love horses, you have a weakness for Frosties. You are the Iron Maiden. I know you Jet. I know you better than I know myself. I also know that you're in there somewhere, screaming and trying to get out. Remember Jet." She looks at me with a puzzled expression. "Please, remember."
"You know what? I do remember." she says, lowering the gun. A smile begins growing on my face. "I remember that the only reason why I'm here is to kill you, and I'm not about to go home without doing that."
"But you are home! Look around you Jet, we're your family." She glances around at us and laughs.
"They," she motions to the other Hydra Elite, "They are my family."
"Oh go to hell!" Clint yells. Jet laughs again.
"Sweetie we all go to hell." she snaps at him.
"Guys, just get out of here." I say to the Avengers. If I'm about to die, I want to die with her and only her. They instantly object but I fight them off. They end up leaving, just Bucky and I left. Jet keeps her eyes on me. "What are you waiting for? Just kill me."
"You welcome death?"
"It's better than living a life knowing the one I love doesn't remember me. Yes, I welcome death." She smiles. Her finger moves to the trigger. I take a deep breath.
"You're costume. So patriotic. It would be such a shame if..." She pulls the trigger. Pain instantly flares from my stomach. I glance down at the white stripes of my uniform. One is turning red, my blood staining it. I groan and look up at her. She fires two more bullets, the rest of my white stripes turning red. She cocks an eyebrow as she fires one last bullet. My chest burns. I glance down at it to see my white star turned red. I fall to the ground, my vision becoming spotty. Bucky yells and rushes to my side. I can barley breath, my chest on fire. "Steve..." I hear Jet question. "STEVE NO! NO WHAT HAVE I DONE STEVE!!" She rushes to my side, tears already flowing. The Hydra Elite run away, leaving Jet behind. She grabs one of my blood slick hands. I can barely breath. "Steve, no, no, no." She grips on to me.
"I'm getting a medic!" Bucky announces. He gets up to run but I stop him. "What Steve?!"
"If I only have this once chance," I lock my eyes on him, "Thank you for being here, at the end of the line."
"No... No. It's not the end of the line Steve. You're going to be okay. You're going to be fine. I'll be back!" He takes off in a run. Jet sobs, her head resting on my chest. I grab her cheek and turn her to face me.
"I killed you! I... I- Please be okay! Steve I need you, you can't leave me! You have to hang on. Please you ha-" I silence her by pulling her lips to mine. The metallic taste of blood mixes with the taste of her. I feel her melt into me, like she has so many times. She pulls away, sobbing even harder. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," she sings lightly, holding onto me. I look up to the sky, life slipping away quickly. "You make me happy, when skies are grey." Rain pours onto my face. "You'll never know dear, how much I love you." Remember me. "Please don't take my sunshine away." I look up at her. I know these will be the last words I speak, so I choose them wisely.
"I will always love you." She sobs even louder. I can feel the life draining out of me, breathing becoming impossible. I close my eyes and feel one of her tears fall on my face. She will remember me. And that's just the thing. Death leaves a heartache that no one can heal. But love leaves a memory that no one can steal.
The End of Iron Will
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Iron Will (sequel to Iron Soul)
FanfictionEveryone says that there is no destination on this road of your life. Well I am here to tell you that those people are idiots. There is a destination. Everyone fears it no matter how brave they seem to be. This destination, is death. I would introd...
