COBRA | B. BARNES

XIV. AN AMBUSH AND AN ALLY

Aiyla took the stairs two at a time and didn't even glance outside as she rushed to her bedroom. She got in through the open door and instantly grabbed her suitcase from nearby. She grabbed the small machine Fury had given her and pressed a button, watching as the screen shone red just as she heard gunshots.

She hurried up. She took off her knives from her suitcase one by one and strapped them on her boots before she reached under her pillow and took out a small gun.

The alarm hadn't taken off. They had approached them from the sky.

She stood up, about to leave the room when she caught movement from the mirror a few ways behind her. She didn't hesitate as she whirled around and shot once, her eyes cold and detached as the man that had been creeping up behind her fell to the floor of her bedroom, dead. She stole a look at the door of her room, remaining open, and ignoring the gunshots that seemed to never cease, she left her room through the window.

Her steps were careful as she rounded a corner to find no one. She was getting closer to the east side of the house, closer to the front door. The gunshots were heard from somewhere nearer now. She crouched beside some covered wood they had gathered and left outside and looked over, her lips pressed.

There was a jet on the area in between the forest and the front door of the safehouse, and dosens of people, men and women had gathered there. They were all shooting at the front door and she could only guess Bucky was there. Lost in her own thoughts, Aiyla didn't hear the knife being unseathed until she realised something was blinding her, the blade shining in the sun.

She whirled around and crouched down, automatically grabbing one of her poisoned knives and sliding it across the person's abdomen. The woman she had hit let out a small gasp and the knife fell from her hands as she sank to the ground. The poison was already acting, and she knew that in a few seconds she'd be dead. Reaching down, she grabbed the knife that had fallen before searching for a gun, only to realise she didn't have one with her. She scowled as she turned her back on her once more and took our her gun, eyes narrowing as the gunshots momentarily stopped.

Aiyla aimed and pulled the trigger. One of them was shot dead.

Everyone turned in her direction and started shooting and she instantly hid, her eyes widening as she ran away, back to her bedroom, shooting down a few men she found on her way there. She cursed as she realised she had no more bullets as she got in her room and hastily threw the gun on her bed. She rushed to the living room.

"Bucky!"

He briefly glanced at her as he ducked for cover and reloaded, his jaw set as he took in her appearance. "Where's your gun?"

"I don't have one."

"Don't you go down there now," he hissed as she prepared to head to the trapdoor that in their haste to go up had been left open. "They'll kill you the moment you step away."

"I've got my knives," she insisted as the gunshots stopped and instantly, Bucky got out of his hiding place, attacking for a bit before he rushed back down as they fired again.

"Your knives aren't going to help you from this position," he said as he glanced up. "Get out of here."

She pursed her lips. "Be careful, Bucky."

He sent her a look. "I thought it was Mr Barnes."

Despite the situation she couldn't help but smile, and she sent him a brief nod before she crouched down and headed back to her bedroom while making sure she remained covered. She got out through the window of her room and rushed to the woods. Hidden in the trees and the bushes, she practically ran so she would be standing behind their attackers while hoping Bucky had managed to hold his own.