DESTRUCTION.
( chapter nine. )

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Edited 12/27/2015 @3:22 AM
Edited 05/31/2018 @1:39 AM
Edited 04/30/2025 @3:54 AM

THE BOY WAS QUICK TO GET UP, stumbling backwards to avoid Andrea's knife. She slashed the edge of the blade in his direction before he disappeared in a blur of grey and blue. Andy didn't relax with the lack of his presence.

  Instead, she kept the grip tight on her knife, ignoring the throbbing pain from the wound on her arm. Her feet moved of their own accord, turning her in circles to catch even the slightest glimpse of him. She had to be prepared for any outcome.

But, he was so young.

Andrea's stomach churned. She wondered if he'd been given a choice. He seemed less machine than the Jones woman had been during her time with HYDRA. It was hard to imagine, but it wasn't entirely impossible for volunteers to take part in experimentation.

The thought made Andy sick. She didn't want to believe it. But, in order to confirm her suspicions, she would have to gain his trust. Or lower his guard enough to get him talking.

  So, she bided her time. It wasn't long before there was another blur from the corner of Andrea's vision. She whirled around, stunned by the sudden sight of the Sokovian. His speed made him nearly imperceptible.

He stood casually enough, but his gaze was calculated and calm. If he was concerned about the threat Andrea portrayed, he didn't show it. He was cautious, which was good, but just arrogant enough to show off.

Andy's voice broke through the near-silent forest; a sign of their distance from the rest of the fight, "Do you know who I am?"

She was stalling. If this was going to work, she would have to set a plan in motion. The sound of gunfire was distant now, and Andy knew she'd wandered too far from the battlefield. There was no one coming to help.

The boy grinned and gave a slow nod. Andy pursed her lips. She knew it was a bad idea, but she did it anyway. The knife fell from her grasp, in spite of every ounce of common sense that told her to keep it held tight.

The Sokovian boy watched her, suspicion still in his gaze.

  "I'm not the enemy, no matter what HYDRA has told you," she said. "You might not think I'm an Avenger like the rest of the world, but I'm not the Reaper either."

In the midst of her rant, Andy felt her gaze fall. She knew taking her eyes off the target was a bad idea almost as soon as she'd done it. But, by the time she'd looked up again, he was gone.

Andrea cursed— and then froze as an arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Walk with me?" The boy asked, though, with the knife he held against her stomach, Andy figured she didn't have much of a choice.

  She forced her tense legs to move as they made their way through the trees. For a long moment, nothing was said. The boy stared up at the snow-covered branches towering above them.

  Finally, he sighed. "I think you're both. One before the other." The words piqued her curiosity.

"Strucker told us you were one of their greatest creations. Powerful beyond compare, but weak with control," he continued. Andy felt as though she were going to throw up.

Memories were quick to flood her mind; curses thrown at her for the inability to use the powers gifted to her. Andy forced them to the furthest depths of her mind. Her focus was crucial.

  "Did they ever tell you what they did to me?" She looked at him, kept her gaze on his face to watch his reaction. "Did they detail the years of torture they put me through. The brainwashing, the lying, the killing."

  The Sokovian boy said nothing. Andrea watched him carefully. His gaze was distant, but his tense body told her enough. He knew, but there was something else to this story.

  Andy stopped walking. "Why did you do it?" She asked softly.

  He looked down at her, impassive and distant. It was such a carefully crafted look. As if the facade could ever be believable. There was a reason why he'd chosen to willingly take part in HYDRA's experiments. He'd already led her to believe he wasn't alone in the act. His words had slipped out too easily. There was an 'us' in this narrative.

  He smiled down at her and it was a sad expression. "I suspect you'll find that out soon. If what HYDRA says is true, you've got quite the brain when you want to use it," he teased.

Andy couldn't help the sharp jab she gave him for the remark. It was such a natural reaction, even in spite of the blade at her back. There was something good-natured about his teasing. A boyish charm that disarmed her from seeing him as a real threat.

  It was the kind of distraction that got people hurt— that got Clint hurt.

The Sokovian boy winced, but then he laughed. "I'm not a monster," he said. The knife fell from his hands. A dull thud in the snow. "I know it all; the things they did to you, their history. But, I did what I had to."

He looked at her for a long moment. "I hope in time you'll understand," he said to her.

Andrea turned to meet his gaze. There was something heavy there; something cold and determined that he'd been carrying for a long, long time. She shook her head.

Before he could react, Andy kicked up the knife the Sokovian had dropped. She shoved him off, watching as he stumbled back before she caught the knife in her hand.

  "Sorry, but that's not likely," Andy muttered. She didn't trust him and had every right not to.

"You might know me, but I don't know you," she said. "You might not seem like a killer, but HYDRA is capable of twisting you into whatever they want. They're good at that."

  The boy watched her with a frown. Andrea tried to ignore the guilt she felt. She didn't want to hurt him, but she would do what she had to. This was not a child. He was young... too young, but not enough to dismiss the decisions he'd made.

  "I never intended to help HYDRA with their goals," he insisted, "You'll see that— assuming there's anything left to see after your team is done." His voice had quickly taken a sharp edge, one that he didn't bother hiding.

Andy narrowed her gaze on him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded, sensing the bitterness in his voice. It wasn't surprising. Being an Avenger came with plenty of enemies.

Keeping that in mind, Andrea tightened her grip on the knife. Still, she liked to think she had a knack for picking out the good guys from the bad. But, this boy was hard to read. She knew nothing about him, or the details of his experimentation.

Andy knew that her opinion might be biased, considering what he'd done to Clint. Yet, she didn't know whether to treat him like an enemy or simply another pawn in HYDRA's plan. Though, he seemed to be well aware of his choices. To call him a pawn seemed an inaccurate title. It seemed he was playing at a bigger game.

Andrea debated her options. He had to have agreed willingly. But, if what he was saying were true, then he had other plans for the powers he'd been given. Plans that she clearly wasn't inclined to know about.

He shrugged, "Like I said, you'll figure it out. You know, you might be the only Avenger I tolerate, but that could be because you're cute."

Andrea rolled her eyes at the flirting, unfazed.

The boy gave a charming grin. He was trying to divert her attention, but she wasn't so easily put off. Andrea opened her mouth to demand a better explanation, but found herself pausing at the expression that crossed the Sokovian boy's face.

"Move!" He yelled, features twisting in panic— but Andy wasn't quick enough. The sound of a gun firing was heard and pain tore through her lower abdomen. Andrea collapsed against the snow, writhing as her injury burned and ached. This wasn't right.

She pressed hard against where the bullet had torn clean through her. From where she lay, Andy had a clear view of the silver-haired boy ripping a gun from a soldier's grasp. He crumpled to the ground as the boy slammed the end of the weapon into the soldier's face.

In the time that she blinked, the Sokovian was back in front of her. His knees were pressed to the ground as he helped her apply pressure to the wound.

"Where do I take you?" He demanded, picking the Jones woman up with ease. Andy bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, but she inhaled sharply everytime the boy shifted his grip on her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen—" he insisted, near begging. "I want to help you. Please."

  Andy shook her head furiously. Panic clawed at her insides with the realization that the mission might be over for her. "No, I need to be here. It has to be me— it has to be me to end it," she insisted, trying to escape his hold.

"Take me to the base. I'll be fine." She knew it was a lie, even as she said it. This wasn't a simple bullet wound. It was damage done by enhanced weapons. Shredded muscles and vessels that struggled to repair themselves even in spite of her significant abilities.

It was one of the worst hits she'd ever received.

The boy frowned. It was a useless effort, Andy knew it would be. But, she argued, even despite the sharp shake of his head.

"You don't understand, I have to be there." Andrea pleaded, reaching out to grasp his shirt. She was the one left begging now; she couldn't give up. Her whole life had been leading to this moment. All that pain and suffering... it couldn't be for nothing.

"I have to do this," she insisted. "I don't want to just watch as they're destroyed, I have to be the one to do it."

  Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as he twisted his head to survey their surroundings. When he finally began to move, Andy relaxed in relief, believing he was giving in. But, when Steve came into view, she cried out in protest. It couldn't end like this.

"Where do I take her?" The Sokovian asked, refusing to release his grip.

Steve was too stunned to speak and Andrea forced herself out of the boy's arms. She landed on the ground in a crouch, which sent pain ripping through her. She ignored it, even as she felt the blood rushing anew.

Andy used her legs to drive the boy's feet out from under him. He landed on the ground with a groan, but she didn't feel sorry. She felt angry.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" She seethed, teleporting from the pair just as Steve reached for her.

The Jones woman appeared at the very edge of the barrier and shoved her hands against it. Power surged through every part of her body and energy filled the air in rippling waves. The world around her exploded into light.

Andy focused her energy on tearing through the barrier, crying out in concentration as she began to pull a hole in the energy field. She had to be strong. She had to win.

"Andrea, get back to the quin-jet now."

  Andy ignored the demand from Steve. She wouldn't give up, not when she was so close. The barrier was tearing itself apart at her will.

She grinned, but felt the way fire spread around her wound. It doesn't matter, she told herself. It was ending here— and that was more than she could ever ask for. If the price for this gift was death, then it was one Andrea had been ready to pay for a long, long time.

But, Andy was pulled out of her euphoria as arms grabbed her from behind. "No!" She screamed, focus lost as the energy field quickly repaired itself. She reached out, shoving against the person who pulled her away.

Andrea wanted this so desperately that all wounds were forgotten as she thrashed in panic. She was losing her chance. It was supposed to end like this, and she was losing.

Tears welled in Andrea's eyes as she was thrown over someone's shoulder and the base disappeared from view. She screamed as the world disappeared in a blur. It was over.

The weight of her loss was so numbing that an emptiness grew like a wildfire inside of her. The trees faded and gave way to the pure white snow of the field where the quin-jet lay.

Andy let the tears fall, hardly wincing as she was set down on the hatch door. She felt so hopeless, so weak, so unable to help herself. It was all over.

She could never help herself.

The Sokovian came into view as he lowered himself to meet the Jones woman's eyes. But, she didn't look at him. She couldn't. He'd just robbed her of something she'd been waiting on for years. The one thing that had made all of that suffering worth fighting through.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "but you're bleeding out and I refuse to become the killer they would have made me into."

  The words struck a chord somewhere inside her. She still couldn't look at him, save for staring beyond him to the trees hiding the HYDRA base from sight. Her last chance at proving the world wrong was gone.

  But, for him, Andrea forced herself to reach out. The palm of her hand met his cheek, cupping the lower half of the boy's face. She tried to meet his eyes, but settled on the bridge of his nose.

"It's not your fault" she whispered.

  It's mine, it's mine, it's mine, rung out in her head.

His expression fell further as he glimpsed her face. She wondered how empty she must have looked right then. The boy hesitated before getting up and stepping back. Andy's hand fell to her lap.

"I'm sorry," he said once again.

Andrea could hear the sincerity in his voice and her eyes filled with tears once more. She forced herself to look up and meet his eyes. They were blue— and filled with a stark remorse over how much this visibly pained her.

"I forgive you," she told him, but she would never forgive herself.

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