Who the hell is Bucky

Looking to, what was his target, Clint considered him for a moment, taking note of that questioning gaze. What was the best option here…break away or stick together? Normally, Clint would dive off on his own, but there were questions circling his head, all of which Barnes could answer for him. Also there was the chance of one of them being picked off, and it seemed the two of them worked best in a team with their current disadvantage of an injured limb.

“I have a place nearby we can lay low in.” Clint said finally, nodding his head to the side. “But we have to move quick.” With that he was off, shouldering his bow and  keeping his guard up in case they were being circled. Luckily, HYDRA hadn’t anticipated confronting both of them, and so appeared to have withdrawn for the time being. With their loss in numbers it was probably the best thing they could have done.

The building six blocks down the road wasn’t exactly the nicest looking place around. It used to be a hotel, now rundown and vacant. To anyone passing by, they’d hardly give it a glance, and the only people that really came around were the occasional homeless, or some druggie looking for a fix. Clint’s room was on the third floor, the highest vantage point there, and the doors and windows were reinforced to keep people out. 

His arm shakes with every breath and step, it’s getting to be on the side of painful. Of course, it would’ve been worse before the upgrade from HYDRA’s engineers. He hopes they’re not seen, because he’s nearly about to faint from the pain his metal arm is shooting down his spine. Needing to fight again in his condition is a bad idea, and Barton isn’t doing much better.

Barton’s place is farther than he likes, but it’ll do. Though, it’s a bit questionable that an Avenger has a safe house in a place that looks like this. “Nice place.” He says dryly as he watches Barton move a dresser to open the door. The room, at least, looks better than it should in a building so rundown.

It was almost black, her sight was minimal on any side. She had to do this in the dead of night, they would be on guard but not as much as they would during the day. In the night she could easily blend in to her surroundings when she heard a foot patrol near her location. Though there weren’t as many as she would have thought. She reached the base with only one takedown, which she considered a personal record.

At the door stood two guards, relaxed and smoking cigarettes. They were joking around with each other in German, Natasha picking up a few words here and there. She reached in to her pocket and grabbed out two tiny discs. She threw them and they latched on to the uniform of the guards. They barely had time to look down at them before they fell over from the electric shock that was in the discs. Smiling, Nat ran up to the door, careful to avoid any unwanted attention.

Inside the compound was colder than the outside. Made of solid concrete and steel, it was sturdy, but a few well placed bombs would destroy it easily, should she need to. She rounded a few corners before she came in contact with any guards. They were all sitting in a rec room playing cards and laughing with each other. Nat rolled her eyes, she would think that they would be on high alert what with the Winter Soldier systematically destroying their bases. She took them all down within ten minutes, not that she was timing herself, though she really should.

She found a keycard off of one of the guards and tailed it out of the room. This base was important, before the fall, she saw the location on a list of HYDRA bases on Fury’s desk. This one had been highlighted, saying that it had extra sensitive information, though she hadn’t thought anything about it at the time, it made more sense now.

Nat rounded a corner and almost ran into an impressively solid body. She slipped the keycard into her pocket, ready to take down the person who stood in her way before she looked up and recognised the messy mop of hair.

He’s only just finished coping data into his flash drive when he hears the sounds of distance fighting. With a frown, he takes his drive and slips it into a compartment in his metal arm. It’s the files about himself that he’s here for, curious as to what exactly HYDRA’s done to him during those years he doesn’t remember.

He steps out of the room, alert and a pistol raised, but the guards he had taken out before are still on the ground, bleeding and definitely not breathing. He knows he still has five more minutes before the next patrol comes by, having cased this place for months before he infiltrated it. This HYDRA base was big and important, but he’s somehow overestimated how good the guards’ abilities are.

He turns the corner, running straight into a smaller body. No one should be here, the next patrol is still three minutes away. James tenses, about to shoot before-

“Natalia.” His grip on his gun relaxes, but still ready to pull the trigger if she does something. “Blowing it up.” He points to a corner of the wall lined with small explosives. It had taken him weeks to get those bombs together and he’s got to admit, it’s pretty impressive.

“They chained me and sent me back to Asgard. Collar and all, a muzzle over my mouth to keep me from speaking out against what I was to endure,” he murmured lowly, pulling his mouth wide with every word, pronouncing it like he was walking it with even strides. “Sent me off to torture, so kindly, your heroes. So no, I was not given the benefit of mortal custody. I endured what I must to let my path stray where I am.” 

Scarred lips were more proof than he’d ever sought for what had been done to him, though ice could at times coat his hands in times of great stress. That too was a sign of his mistrust, his betrayal, but none would hear of it in the golden city. No, he was the betrayer and their golden family could only have felt pity, surely, for a Jotun. 

Pity that the god might once have felt for the mortal before him, with the confusion on his face. Instead, a blank canvas of emotions was laid before the other, Loki staring at him without so many thoughts in his head. 

He’s heard a little of Asgard, from the files describing Thor’s relation to the Avengers. A whole other planet, the world sure has gotten strange. He wonders if it’s anything like in the science fiction books he’s started reading, purple trees and green skies. It’s a humorous thought that a being like Loki comes from a planet with inverted colors.

Loki’s description sounds like a whole lot of magic and myths to him. The roots of Yggdrasil, what, do they live in a huge tree? “Right.” He says more to himself then anything, still doesn’t explain how exactly he got to…Hel. Through some sort of portal, or Loki’s magic? James nods, he’ll go with that.

Nope. No thank you. This couldn’t be happening. It looked fake, like something that didn’t belong in this world and Darcy remembers all too clearly what could come from other worlds. A shiver crawls up her spine and she yelps at the lunge, using the momentum to clear out towards the door a little more. 

It’s only a few feet, but it feels like a victory. 

“Looks like we move, it moves,” she breathes, trying to be as quiet as possible but her voice still rough with fear under the air she’s trying to coat her words with. “We’re gonna have to play with it and get it or us behind a closed door. Man, Harry Potter made this seem a lot easier with his fancy chess set. Think we can still get to that door? Do you think. Do you think steel will hold it for long?” 

Long enough to get out of the place, at least. Long enough to grab what she’d been sent for and keep it as a bargaining chip. She’s not a dumb kid, but she has her moments, and right now she is trying to find anything that will give her the determination to make it through this shit. So she focuses on getting something of her own, something she can bargain with, as well as surprise with. She has the surprise, now all she needed was the bargain, and that sat somewhere down a hallway on this floor in a small, arm sized box.

“Move slowly.” James whispers, remembering how the creature ignored him when he had moved his flashlight slowly. “No sudden movement. If it goes for you, shoot something, knock a box down, whatever. Distract it.”

He knows if this thing gets out in the world, there’s going to be a lot of problems. Not that it’s any of his business nor does he particularly cares too much. But, he’s bitter about the pain in his back and he rather have it trapped or dead than letting SHIELD or someone else get their hands on it. The only way out he sees is the elevator they came down on, and he’s betting the creature doesn’t exactly know how to work one. Still, it might bust out some other way, a steel door, like Darcy says, is their best bet.

HYDRA must have a few armored doors in storage here, he’s experienced how much they love keeping things so they can’t escape.

“There’s gotta be a cage strong enough for this thing somewhere. You go find it, I’ll distract.” He takes a deep breath, feels his wounds ache even past the painkillers. It’s already healing, courtesy of his serum, but not fast enough.

“That will not help you against what you will find here,” he murmurs, his entire being relaxing in this place. His fingertips drag against the closest of the fog, swirling it. There were distant noises of shuffling here and there, but no spirits have shown themselves yet. “Neither beast nor spirit will fall to your weapon, for they have already fallen as far as they can. Thrust here by unkind hands and chained to their fates, as surely as prisoners.” 

A quick multiplication and Loki disappears into the midst with quick feet and a little magic, only to have another one of his selves appear slightly behind the man that’s followed him. 

“What am I going to find here? Besides you.” He stares cautiously at the swirling mist. James might not know much about the supernatural, but he’s pretty sure that ominous fog is not a good sign. The eerie noises doesn’t help to take his edge off, either. Loki’s talk unnerves him, the underworld, spirits that’s fallen, chained to their fates. Did he wander into some sort of graveyard?

He startles as Loki disappears right in front of him, stepping towards where the god was, until the voice coming right behind him has him turning with his gun pointed. James scoffs when he see who it is, lowering his weapon once again.

“An old one.” He smirks, almost rolling his eyes as the god disappeared and appeared again. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Avengers custody?”

Memorization had come in handy time and again when it came to slipping between worlds. He knew the branches of Yggdrasil as his heart knew his veins, and much like that, he could follow the beat of worlds through the darkness that surrounded them until he came upon the light. Upon the blockade that had kept him healing but hardly stronger than a child, however, he had lost sight of new paths and tears that he could use to his advantage. 

Now, with the return of magic under his skin, he could find the doors he was looking for and it made him whole again. Somehow, the ability to go to and fro through the universe, unseen and unheard, still gave him a thrill that no other could truly experience with the moment of darkness that clung to those that went through it. It tore, it tugged, and sometimes it ripped it one were to stay in it too long, but it was welcoming to the children that fell into it, the young gods that did not know better and so were cradled until they landed, broke open like a spoiled egg to be made new. 

What a strange thought, to be split open to become greater, and Loki touches the scar on his chest as he slides past trees, hiking into the woods of Midgard only to pause and turn left. A few more steps, a moment of blindness, and then a final step is all he needs. 

He was in the Hel. Literally. But it is the next step he does not take that makes him turn his head. 

He knows how dangerous the slender, tall man is, but also curious as to what he’s up to in the woods. The files says he’s powerful and has a knack for magic. James has never dealt with magic before and dodging fireballs doesn’t sound much like a fun time to him.

Last HYDRA’s heard, Loki is in Avengers custody. So, what’s he doing walking around a free man? It only takes him a moment to decide on following Loki and hoping not to regret his decision.

The man leads him further into the forest, confident in his steps. James does his best to stay quiet and out of sight, easy with how thick the woods are. He’s so focused on the man that he doesn’t notice the strange fog that’s creeping along the forest floor. At least, until Loki spoke up. He shouldn’t be surprised, really. After all, this man has magic and it’s not like James’ received any training in hiding from magic users.

Once they’re both on their feet, she can’t help but freeze when whatever it is attacks again. It scares her stiff, enough that she hardly breathes, eyes wide as James takes care of things. 

“Yes,” she whispers, finally taking the pistol. She wasn’t very good with them, but she knew how they worked, how to reload, and how to aim. Well, relatively with that last part, that’s why she was better with a taser. God, if James can get her out of this, she’ll hand over everything to him in an instant. It’s not like she can trust the people she was supposed to. Might as well trust the person she probably shouldn’t. That was called playing the field, right? “Gimme, Robo. We have to get out of this room.” 

It was giving her the creeps, especially with the noises from the shadow in the corner. 

Shifting as she begins to step forward, Darcy only finds herself a target of a wounded monster. It’s the only name she can give it: monster. She aims but doesn’t move, knowing she’d never be able to outrun the thing with how fast it was on James, and she holds still, trying not to shake. It’s a test of will, to keep her hand steady, but that thing. It doesn’t. Can it not see her? She’s right there! 

James moves his flashlight slowly across the room, searching for the thing. “I don’t know,” He whispers back to Darcy. “Maybe it’s blind.” Maybe it hunts by sound, but considering how loud their whispering is in the silence of the room, James will rule that out. Smell? Not with the strong copper stench of blood coming from his back.

He finds it, the light shining on the thing. It looks to be searching, but disregards the flashlight on its white eyes completely. Now that he’s got a good look at it, James can tell it used to be human. Long limbs, but not an ounce of meat on them, like it’s starving. Sharp teeth, sharp claws. The creature doesn’t have a wound on it, fast healing perhaps?

James grasps the woman’s arm back as she grabs him out. He glances behind and pushes her out of the way of falling debris. The shaking ground falters him, causing him to land on top of her, covering the woman with his body as the sky falls above them. He grunts, using his metal arm to shield whatever he can.

Clint is reaching behind him, taking hold of a very specific arrow with a thick head, fingers sliding against the tip to double check its security as he watched the two men break away from the main group, attempting to side swipe them. They should know better really, and so Clint takes a deep breath, watching one go down and relying on Bucky to take the other as he draws back the arrow, suppressing a sound of pain as he pushes himself up and lets it fly towards a vehicle in the middle of the group.

The tip strikes the car, piercing the metal where the gas tank is tucked out of view. There’s a beep, a flash of red, and then an explosion as the vehicle erupts in flames and shrapnel. Clint ducks back down, clutching his shoulder as he hears screams and yells, those not caught in the immediate blast zone dealing with burns and flying shards of glass and metal.

“Better move while we can.” Clint called to Barnes, using what little window of time they had to break cover and dart down the alley. Get out of the corner and get away with your life. That’s what mattered right now. Even though the numbers had dropped, Clint’s ability to fight had dropped, and so it was escape or be killed.

A few of the men attempts to follow, but James has enough bullets left to keep them at bay until Barton shoots another explosive arrow. He turns the corner as the blast hits with the shouts and screams of the HYDRA agents. Hopefully none of them made it out of the alley way.

James turns to Barton, noting the blood oozing from the wound on his shoulder. He grimaces, clutching his own metal arm. “You should get that wrapped up.” He says, then pauses. James’ safe house isn’t far from here, but there’s not enough supplies left to treat a wound that big. As far as he knows, his grocery bag of bandages is still in the alley way.

“I…” He looks towards the lowered sun, wanting to offer up the safe house for a place to rest and clean up before attempting to get more supplies. Going back to the alley way and digging through the debris will take too much time and someone must’ve alerted the local police by now. He just doesn’t trust Barton not to give his position away to SHIELD or Steve after all this. Yes, he could find another place, but he likes the neighborhood. Likes the people walking to and from the apartment complex. He doesn’t want to leave and it’s been so long since he’s wanted something for his own.

Big man, small girl, and very little pressure required for breaking things causes Darcy to wince into a whimper when she’s grabbed. She curls up around the hold, tugging and trying to get away, but already well aware it was futile. All this time, as if he’s known her for more than a day. It’s the first time she notices his arm, when it contrasts with the black of his gun, and her eyes go wide. What. Who. This was really bad, wasn’t it? 

“Supposed to be. I’m supposed to be SHIELD and I’m supposed to be here for the artifact because I was told it was the right thing to do,” Darcy pleads her case over his words, but they fall off into a silent screech of horror at the THING on his back. Her knees don’t lock up this time, sending her careening backwards and away, away, away. The milky eyes and sharp teeth, the thin face that would have been better on a corpse, make her gag. “Oh god.” 

She scrambles one way, wavering for half a second because this man just pointed a gun at her, but then she’s on her knees in front of him, hands hovering around his chest as if to help prop him up if needed. Panel. Panel. Who’s got the panel? AHA. Fear keeps her from any sort of victory cheer as she grabs the pain killers and pulls them out. Totally, totally not her day or year, really. 

“These the right ones?” she asks softly, voice low but almost solid as she tries to use her brain for this one. It was a good muscle, she used it a lot, but now she had to use it fast and that seemed to be the catch. If he wasn’t holding up well, then this was up to her. Good God, this was worse than she thought. “I’ll. I’ll get us out of here. Promise. I’m one. I’m one of the good guys. As far as I know, at least.” 

“Thanks.” He mutters quietly as more movement is gained by his right arm. It takes longer than he prefers before he can lift his rifle again.

James wants to question her more about her relationship with SHIELD, but the creature currently creeping around in the dark prevents him from doing it. He can’t get distracted with loyalties and trust right now.

Ignoring her babbling about SHIELD being the good guys (they’re not. They’re not.), he shines his flashlight across the room and manages to catch a shadow moving. He stands, using Darcy’s shoulder to balance himself.

“You know how to aim a gun, right?” Not knowing if she’s got one of her own, he takes a pistol out of his holster and offers it to her. “If you can find a shot, take it. Either it dies, or we do.” James knows he can’t take care of her and hunt down the creature at the same time. If she wants to survive, it’s up to her, he’s already unhappy about finding her grouped with SHIELD.

“Maybe no one did,” Darcy murmurs, head tilting as she tries to focus on where the sounds are. “Maybe. Maybe it let itself out. I’d prefer to not be prey. I’ll follow your lead.” 

Can’t know for sure, on anything at the moment. Swallowing hard, Darcy looks to James and wonders if there’s someplace she can hide where he’s not looking at her, too. There’s something off about all this and she’s starting to feel ill, especially when her eyes can’t catch what’s moving in the dark. 

Too fast and she’s not that fast at all. 

“Basement, wooden box that’s about as long as my arm, but only as wide as my palm. Maybe a little bigger. It’s apparently in a low security storeroom. I just had to get out of an elevator between floors and ended up here,” she whispers, eyes straining to catch movement as she finally finds the courage to edge around James. “My information is right, but my superiors didn’t give me all of it. Apparently. Now I’m completely lost. Hang on.” 

She doesn’t wait, just moves her watch up to her face. Pressing a button, the face turns into a screen, and brings up the map. It’s limited to what data they deemed she needed. Showing it to James, she glances around, forgetting that it would go back to the SHIELD logo after a moment of inactivity. 

Her description of the box matches what’s he’s heard and James gives her another nod before taking a step. It’s quiet, still, like the calm before a storm. His eyes darts around the storage area, until his attention is taken away to the map Darcy has out in front of them. He memorizes it, noting the exits and entrances, the hiding places.

His gaze glances back away from the watch, hearing a breathing sound too close for comfort. When he turns his eyes back, the map isn’t there anymore, but a-

“You’re SHIELD?” He hisses out, grabbing her arm to gesture at the logo. “All this time.” He scoffs, anger boiling over as he shoves her back into the closet door.

“Figures. You’re not even here for the artifact, are you?” James accuses, stepping back a little to point his rifle at her. “You’re just here to capt-“

A howling screech and his own shout interrupts his sentence, pain blooming as his back is dug into by sharp claws. He turns, aiming a blind shot to his attacker.

It doesn’t hit, the bullet flying off some metal object in the distance, but James tries again, this time swinging the butt of his rifle. With a thump, the claws retreat from his back and he aims a metal fist at the creature. His fist barely grazes it before the thing retreats back into the dark.

They reach what looks like an exit, and he obviously doesn’t have the key. Before she has time to register his threat, he’s let go of her hand and is breaking down the door. Where would I go? Back into the collapsing building? She shakes her hand, trying to sort if he’s actually broken it or not. This guy is lucky I can’t shrink right now. She glares at his back. 

He falters and gasps, the surge of pain gripping his limbs. His metal arm spazzes, whirring uncontrollably, must have been some sort of electric blast. The ground shakes beneath him, the building really coming down now. He needs to get through the door before it’s too late.

His target is running, and for a second Clint follows, but draws back when he spots the line of men advancing, each armed with non-lethals. The words from Barnes has Clint shaking his head slowly side to side, their fight momentarily forgotten as he tries to size up this new potential threat. 

“These goons aren’t mine.” He says nonchalantly, and as he’s spotted, he knows they aren’t here for him. One man abandons his stun gun for an actual weapon, firing off a few rounds at the archer who quickly ducks beside a parked car, fumbling for an arrow but finding it difficult to notch and pull back the string with his arm stinging the way it is. It’s something he has to work past, and so abandons his original target and shoot towards the others, scoring a hit through the head of the man that had fired at him.

No doubt it’s HYDRA. Clint doesn’t have to observe too closely to know that bunch wants him dead on sight. Which means they aim to capture Barnes, and if they’re capturing him, then they obviously aren’t controlling him. There’s a need for answers, none of which can be given to him if they get their prize. 

The smoke from the arrow gives him some cover, but it also limits his view. He dives toward Hawkeye, better to fight with him than to fight everyone without any backup. Right now, Barton is his ally. Before joining the other man behind the car, he snatches the gun from the HYDRA agent with an arrow in his head.

There are twelve men left, all putting on gear to help them see through the smoke. James can make out a shadow and he aims a shot at it. There’s a satisfying thump as the man falls with a groan.

The others are smarter, taking cover from other cars and garbage cans. He ducks as shots from the smoke breaks the car’s window, glass shattering over him.

“Why today…” He mutters as he instinctively goes for the small bomb he usually stashes inside his pocket, except his fingers touches only air. Still unable to see them, he can hear the men shuffling around, mostly likely trying to flank them.

It’s the best she’s got and Darcy is really starting to wonder if she’s working for SHIELD anymore. After all, they haven’t heard anything from the main agency for awhile, at least not without it trickling down through the top security guys and gals. They were supposed to be taking care of them, keeping things safe, but they also were the ones the orders came through. Since she has very little to nada field training, yea, she’s starting to wonder if that’s suspicious. 

Rubbing at her arm, Darcy doesn’t move a tick. Just barely does she scoot her feet more apart to plant herself, chewing her lip and finally sighing. 

“There’s supposed to be an artifact here that my bosses want me to find out about. It was supposed to be mostly abandoned, really easy, and nothing to worry about,” she comments softly, knowing she sounds naive and gullible. But her bosses are supposed to be the good guys and this was supposed to be safe. “Then the whole place shut down with an alarm and I got stuck here. No comms cause we’re underground and hey-o, someone or something cracked out of a case. Cases that weren’t supposed to be active or here anymore, from what I was told.” 

Sitting duck and expendable, that’s what Darcy realizes she is in that moment. Blinking, her lips form a small ‘o’ of surprise before she presses them together and goes a bit pale. Oh. That’s why she’s been the one sent out. Everyone else in her lab has important jobs, are scientists and well. Jane is Jane. If she goes missing, people would notice. Little Darcy Lewis? Naw, probably got pulled back in with the wrong crowd like she was in high school. 

One heel shifts in the dirt and Darcy takes a breath, trying not to let her imagination overwhelm her as she looks up at James. 

“Not abandoned, just closed down.” He comments back, “It’s one of the failed experiments, not something you can call human anymore.” Though, he isn’t sure if the Winter Soldier can be considered human either. In a way, they’re the same, just a product of HYDRA.

He steps away from Darcy, looking out into the darkness. “If you didn’t let it out, who did?” The enemy right now, is unknown to him. He doesn’t know what it looks like, what it can do, who’s controlling it or if it just broke out on its own.

James turns back to her, hearing the tightness in her voice. “You don’t, you can’t know for sure.” It’s something he’s questioned himself about, if he’s still under their influence.

“Whatever it is, it’s not nice. You know where the artifact is?” He asks, before a sudden clang echoes through the storage room. The shadows move subtly, but quick. A hunter circling.

He withdrew, spinning around and using his bow to strike out at any limbs too close to him, a couple steps back landing him in a safer zone. Yes, Barnes was quick, but Clint was right there with him, already notching another arrow, though the strain of pulling it back sent a jagged sting down his arm. Cursing and taking a moment to note the spread of blood on his clothing, Clint abandoned his favored weapon and drew a long combat knife, holding it securely in his left hand as he locked his eyes on his target.

He smirks in victory as the other man winces from trying to aim an arrow, though the feeling is short lived as the archer takes out a knife. James’ arm is going to be a problem now, he distantly feels its dead weight slowing him down. This really isn’t a situation he likes himself in, retreating will be the best course of action, but Barton is already lunging a knife towards his chest.

He dodges clumsily, the swinging metal arm unbalancing him. James steps back, flipping the knife in his working hand. The metal of his arm catches the reflection of someone new, hidden in the shadows of the alleyway. His eyes narrows, friends of the archer? It won’t do him any good being caught out like this, he needs to either retreat while he can or stall long enough for his left arm to reboot.

James turns and runs, away from Hawkeye and towards the new person, hoping to catch him in surprise and plunging a knife into the guy’s stomach. Suddenly, there are shouts and a lot more than just one new person joins the battle.

It’s just a step. To the. Left! 

Darcy makes a small leap, jumping from the top of the elevator to the maintenance ladder above it. Her tactical gear is minimal, but she’s not there for combat. No, instead she was there to investigate a rumor about an artifact, and her threat level meter is so low, they keep sending her into these things. Granted, it was a nearly abandoned storage facility and her disguise was top notch, so she’d been let through with flying colors and only had a little bit of trouble smuggling in her taser. But all was well, or had been until the elevator had stopped going down to the next level. 

One guard and scientist twitching in the elevator below her and Darcy was moving for the floor they had passed. She doesn’t know who they thought they were fooling, there was totally light passing outside the elevator doors as they went down to the “only other floor” in the facility. God, was this place really so bent out of shape and rundown that even the employees didn’t care anymore? 

Tinkling metal against her boots is her only answer and Darcy wedges open the doors to the next level, pulling herself up. 

“I better be getting hazard pay for this,” she huffs, out of breath as she tries to get off the floor and only fails once. “And possibly an actual lesson in self defense? Yes, no, SHIELD gods? Eh, like they’re listening to me right now.” 

No, no they weren’t from the silence on the other side of her comm. But she’s able to slip into a warehouse room and starts to shuffle through things, only coming upon someone after a few moments of searching. They’re out cold and Darcy starts to realize there’s no one else around. Or wasn’t anymore, making her back up through the maze of containers. 

“Shit, shit, shit,” she whispers as she moves back towards the door, only to find a tank that has cracked open. Green glass is shattered on one side, revealing whatever had been in there, wasn’t anymore. “Oh God… Oh God…” 

Movement has her toppling and running for a supply closet, hiding in there with the footsteps. They’d said that the place might contain some sort of DNA manipulation facility when they’d debriefed her, but it was most likely just storage by now. Darcy had believed them and agreed, but now she wishes she hadn’t. She doesn’t move, doesn’t breath, and when the door is opened by the butt of a gun, she is shaking a bit. 

He realizes he isn’t alone in raiding the place when he passes by two people passed out by the elevator. Great, why did this always happen to him?

He makes his way quickly to the store room, dispatching anyone in his way, better to hurry and get to the artifact first than having to fight someone for it. Not that he’s worried, he just prefers blowing the place up rather fighting his way out.

James frowns to himself as he approaches a military tank, a very familiar one, though he can’t remember why. It looks like an older build, designed before the Winter Soldier was made. He cocks his head, startling when the sound of breaking glass reaches him, coming from the other side of the storage.

Strange, that’s where the failed experiments are stored. Is the other person here interested in them? There are more sounds of movement and after a brief pause, he goes towards it. He doesn’t want whatever has been released to be able to freely roam. Although James doesn’t know much about the experiments, he knows none of them are exactly pretty.

It’s clear there are two sets of movements as he gets closer to the containers, one silent as a ghost, if his hearing wasn’t so good, he would’ve missed it easily. The other set of footsteps that were running paused, then a quiet shuffle sounds out and finally a click of a door shutting.

Slowly and keeping his eyes on dark shifting shadows, he makes his way to the very obvious hiding place of a supply closet. With his rifle out, he opens the door carefully, eyes widening his shock.

He smiles again. The expression continues to look forced, as if he’s not used to smiling. He mentions going to the bookstore and she smiles at that. He seems to be trying to connect. “Sure. Perhaps I can recommend you a few books.” She pauses for a second before fiddling with the book in her hand.

“You know what? Here.” She pulls out a pen from her pocket and jots down her e-mail and phone number on the paper she was using as a bookmark. She hands the paper to James. “That’s my contact info. If you even need anything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I know a lot of people who can help with many things.” 

She’s unsure why she decides to do it. Ororo doesn’t make a habit of giving out her personal information. Not even to acquaintances that she’s known for sometime, instead usually opting to direct them to the school’s main number. Ororo figured James likely kept to himself and possibly needed some support. While it seemed unlikely that he would contact her, she was pretty sure he’d definitely not try if he needed to go through someone else.