CHAPTER EIGHT

The End of S.H.I.E.L.D.

- - - - -

"Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not." Steve finished over the Intercom.

"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" Sam asked with a grin on his face, standing behind Steve inside the satellite control room. They were in their uniform, Steve with his World War 2 suit, Sam in his EXO wings, and Ana in her old SHIELD uniform.

"Definitely from the heart." Ana said. Steve smiled at her. They all walked out on the rooftop of the Triskelion, already being surrounded by agents, and broke off. The plan was that each of them take down one Insight Helicarrier.

"Hey, Cap, Ana, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?" Sam asked over their earpieces.

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad." Steve replied.

"Also if the first word they say when they see you is Hail, punch them in the face." Ana added.

"Hey Cap, found those bad guys you were talking about." Sam said.

"You okay?" Ana asked Sam.

"Not dead yet." Sam replied.

Ana picked the closet Helicarrier and jumped on it, running toward the controls. She had the chip in a small pouch on her belt, along with two pistols and a full pouch of daggers on her thighs. She kept the one Bucky handed her in her boot, waiting for the Winter Soldier to come to her. Hydra agents approached her, shooting wildly.

Ana flung her daggers, and rolled behind a stack of crates. The controls were under her and she activated her metal bands, widening her eyes when they sparked uncontrollably. She quickly shoved them off her wrists, thinking the battery must of died.

She took out one of her pistols and breathed in deeply, before running forward and shooting at the Hydra agents. She jumped up, and over, landing at the doors. She slipped inside and quickly made her way to the controls.

She leaped onto the catwalk and looked at the controls in front of her. She heard another team of Hydra agents making their way to her and she dove forward, just missing bullets. She replaced the chips and clicked on her earpiece.

"Alpha locked." Ana said, taking down one Helicarrier.

"Falcon, where are you now?" Maria asked.

"Had to take a detour!" Sam shouted, "Bravo locked!"

"Two down, one to go." Maria said.

"Sam! I need your help!" Ana called through the earpiece, knowing she'd be surrounded in seconds, so she jumped off the catwalk and through the windows. She shielded her face from the glass and felt a pair of arms wrap around her and she was lifted up.

Ana grinned at Sam in his gear, "Hey, Falcon."

Sam laughed at her, "Hey, Ana."

She looked at the rooftop of the Triskelion and nodded at him, "That's my stop." She said and he lowered himself through the air. He nodded at her, "Get ready." Ana felt Sam loosen his grip on her and she jumped down, rolling to her feet. She lifted her hand in thanks, seeing he gave her a thumbs up before flying away.

She needed to get to Maria, but an explosion in front of the doors caused her to turn around and fly back at the force. The Winter Soldier appeared on top of the ledge, looking down at the airstrip. He raised his machine gun and started firing at the SHIELD pilots.

Ana leaped up and ran at him before he could take anymore SHIELD agents down. She kneed him in the chest and watched as he fell back from her strength. She went to grab his dagger in her boot but he shot up with a yell and tackled her down.

"Soldat, stop!" She yelled, pushing him off her. She saw the look in his eyes and knew he had been erased again.

Bucky stood up and glared at her, "You are not my mission." He said.

Ana glared at him and shoved him away, "I'm never you're mission! Why?!" She yelled. She didn't know why he never tried to kill her. And it should be comforting to know he would never kill her, but she was really frustrated with that.

"They don't want me to kill you. But they want me to kill Captain America." He said simply and when he went to run off, she tackled him down this time. She quickly showed him his dagger and fisted his collar, bringing his face closer to hers, "Look, we know each other. You told me I needed to remind you with this. Stop going back to them, stop going back to Hydra. We can help you!" She said.

Bucky looked at his dagger and something flashed in his mind. Her face but from a different time. He heard a whisper of a name, Ana. He let the recognition show in his eyes as he took the dagger from her. Ana sighed and let his collar go, "Good, this means it won't be-"

"I'm sorry, Ana."

Ana looked at him confused before gasping, the dagger being imbedded in her side. His eyes glossed over before pushing her off and getting up. He looked back at her briefly, seeing she was grabbing the handle of the dagger and taking it out.

Bucky then entered an empty quinjet and took off. Ana threw the dagger to the ground and stood up, putting pressure on her side. She gritted her teeth and pulled out her gun, shooting the Hydra men running at her. They fell down as she walked to the doors, hitting the button with the butt of her gun.

"Stupid Winter Soldier."

- - -

Ana watched the monitor with hard eyes. Rumlow was shooting innocent people and he was about to kill more. She wasn't going to let him hurt anyone else. Maria sat beside her, bandaging up her side.

"It's not too deep, I can tell nothing major was hit because the blood stopped." Maria said.

"He knew not to hit anything." Ana mumbled to herself. She wanted to go after Rumlow and stood up, but Maria pushed her down.

Ana looked at her annoyed, "But- Maria!

"Falcon?" She called through the comms.

"Yeah?"

"Rumlow's headed for the Council." She said, nodding at Ana to tell her it was handled.

"I'm on it." Sam said.

Two more HYDRA agents appeared and Maria got up from her seat, pulling out her gun and shooting them down.

"One minute," Maria said to Steve on the earpiece. Ana turned in her seat, feeling helpless as she watched the Helicarriers go further up in the air.

"Thirty seconds, cap!" Maria cried.

"I'm in." Steve said, "Charlie locked." Steve said out of breath.

Ana stood up and walked beside Maria, peering down at the monitors. The targets instead of millions of people, the three Helicarriers.

"Okay, Cap, get out of there!" Ana said. They were almost done.

"Fire now." Steve said.

"But Steve..."

"Do it! Do it now!" Steve ordered.

Maria and Ana looked down at the screen and locked on the targets to fire at the Helicarriers in the air. Ana knew Steve will get out though, he has to. The Helicarriers opened fire on each other, blowing up and shooting each other down.

Ana turned around and looked through the windows, her eyes widening when she saw the blue of Steve's uniform. He was so close to falling of the Helicarrier. Ana looked at the rooftop and saw if she jumped hard enough, she could go to him. It was a risk, but she was going to take it anyway.

Ana shot up and crashed through the window, ignoring Maria's cries for her to come back. She put all she had into running, pumping her legs and going in the direction of Steve. She hurt all over but it didn't matter if Steve fell down, a long way, into the Potomac River.

"No! Steve!" She yelled, seeing the frame of the Helicarrier give out underneath Steve, making him drop. She skidded to a stop at the edge, looking down and crying out when he crashed into the water. She was too late.

A couple of Hydra agents still on the rooftop heard her and started to shoot at her. She gritted her teeth in irritation, and turned to face them. She went to grab her daggers when the building crumbled underneath her. A Helicarrier had crashed into the side of the Triskelion, causing the entire building to shake.

Ana fell back over the edge, falling to the water. She closed her eyes and held her breath before being submerged into the cold water. She couldn't see but she still tried to swim to shore, but a large piece of metal from the Helicarrier hit her head, knocking her out.

- - -

A metal hand pounded on Ana's chest for the fifth time. Bucky had pulled both Steve and Ana to shore, while Steve was alive and unconscious, Ana wasn't breathing. He was mumbling profanities as he tried to bring her back. She was not supposed to die.

Suddenly, Ana opened her eyes and coughed uncontrollably. Bucky pushed her on her side so she didn't choke on the water in her lungs. She shook, feeling cold as she spat out the water onto the ground. She felt a hand rub circles on her back and sat up.

Ana faced the Winter Soldier, seeing he was drenched too. "Why?" She asked quietly. She then glared at him and pushed him away from her, "Why?!"

Flashes of a underground facility went through her mind. She saw a man and men dressed in black chase her younger self. She then saw the Winter Soldier, they were in a helicopter. It hurt too much to think about the memories coming back and Ana shook her head to try and forget about it.

Bucky was worried she was hurt more seriously and reached out to check but she pulled back in fear. Ana felt tears sting her eyes and she looked at him, "Yo- you were there. I remember you gave me to them." She said.

Bucky shook his head, "I don't remember that, but please stop moving or you'll hurt yourself more." He said, finally holding her hands and letting her settle back down. "You know me. He- Steve knows me. I don't know who I am." He said softly, looking across to his friend in blue.

Ten years ago, Ana met the Winter Soldier for the first time. She was only fourteen and he took her from one Hydra base to another, and she realised, under their orders. Alexander Pierce's orders, who was now dead. Bucky was just used for his abilities, constantly being iced or erased until they had further work for him.

Ana looked into the eyes of a deeply confused and scared James Buchanan Barnes. He looked into hers, his dark hair sticking to his face, using his metal hand to touch the top of her head before slowly bringing it down to frame her face.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked. She knew everyone would be out for blood, his blood. She couldn't blame him for anything. Bucky sighed and stood up, looking down at her.

"So sleduyushchego raza, Ana."

"Until next time, soldat."

- - - - -

Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter and please comment! When I start with Age of Ultron, I'll have Wanda mess with Ana's head, which will bring back all her memories Hydra had erased. Bucky is the love interest for Ana, but it's a slow one. So stay tuned for the next update and, yeah, see you soon!

Q- Should I bring in Ant-Man, have Ana help him out? I think that would be fun to write, Scott is one of my favourites.