CHAPTER ONE.
( saving barnes. )

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Gem Halloway considered silence a gift.

  In her apartment, with nothing to do and no responsibilities, silence was a well-earned vacation. A necessary one, considering her job; one that regularly required little-to-no sleep, and a state of perpetual self-awareness.

  Just thinking about it made her exhausted. Which was saying something, considering she was actually meant to be on 'vacation.'

  Gem brought her tea to her lips. Her gaze was on the window, looking down at the street from within the safety of her bedroom. Gem basked in this new routine.

  Once before, the Halloway woman would have found this kind of rhythm boring. An insult to her once-energetic personality. Nowadays, however, she found it was the only companion she had left.

  After the wreckage caused by both HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D, the Avengers were assigned to clean up and dispose of the last remaining HYDRA bases— and their soldiers. Usually, Gem would've gone with them. She wasn't exactly an Avenger, but Fury had planted her within their ranks as a valuable member to the team.

  However, she was denied access to the Avenger's missions on the basis that she was no longer trustworthy. Fair enough, given her secondary implantation within the ranks of HYDRA. It was a possibility Gem saw coming from the start.

  And she couldn't bring herself to blame the team for their suspicion. How could you trust someone, when their loyalty to you was a secondary thought? Gem had put S.H.I.E.L.D. and the world's safety before her friends.

  She thought it was the right choice. A necessary precaution to ensure the security of her mission. Her infiltration of HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D. had been difficult.

  When the curtain fell, Gem's friendship with Steve had gone with it.

  The silence gave her a long time to think about the events that transpired after. Gem was still recovering from the battle. With incredible reluctance on Steve's part, she'd aided the group in bringing down Project Insight.

  Alongside the trust of her friends, the betrayal against HYDRA cost her a number of fresh wounds.

  And then she nearly drowned in the Potomac, narrowly escaping debris as the helicarriers were destroyed. Gem could still remember the feeling of water filling her lungs. Cold, but burning as it filled her throat. She continued choking until she passed out.

Gem still wasn't entirely sure how she survived. She figured that Steve had saved her, but his recollection of the events left holes in her own. So, she simply dismissed it as a stroke of good luck.

  Not that luck was doing her any favours now.

  Gem set her cup down, climbing off the perch of her beloved window-seat. This new routine meant that she needed a release for her pent-up energy. Endurance training and physical therapy helped. But, not always.

  Her long-term trip to the hospital had left Gem with much to catch up on— and even more to think about. In the aftermath of the battle, too many questions were left unanswered. The important ones, especially.

  Where was she meant to go now? Who was going to protect her, as an enemy of HYDRA? Did she do the right thing?

  The last question gnawed at her more than the rest. Gem couldn't escape it. She prided herself on the belief that her choices were good and just. It wounded her to realize how much those choices could hurt other people.

  It made her want to break things.

  Being wrong was something the Halloway woman wasn't used to. Admitting to being wrong was an even greater fault. Pride had been ingrained into Gem from birth. It was hard to let that go; to apologize and face the team.

  Gem reached for her phone, fingers shaking. Anxiety was another new plague. Her trainer and physical therapist refused daily appointments, but she couldn't rest.

So, they directed her to local gyms in their stead. Phone in hand, Gem turned to leave the bedroom. She was already in her training gear, prepared for the day ahead. Disruption in this new routine couldn't be tolerated.

  But, the figure standing in the doorway seemed to think otherwise.

Gem felt her heart stutter to a stop, with her feet following closely behind. The shock made her legs weak. She stumbled, catching herself on the edge of the bed.

His aim followed her every move, the gun steady under his grip. This man was a professional in every meaning of the word. His unblinking eyes made note of her every, trembling breath.

  Gem refused to move, her hand still gripping the bed frame. Beneath her solemn fear, anger simmered. She never saw him coming.

"What do you want?" Was the first thing she thought to ask. In truth, it was the only question worth asking. There was no point in begging. Gem was going to die with pride as her only solace.

"You're a pilot," he said quickly. "You're going to fly me out of the country. Today." His voice was rough, but steady. He'd already made up his mind— and that made him dangerous.

Gem scoffed, "What am I supposed to fly? A paper plane?" The click from the gun was enough of a warning to shut her mouth.

She frowned. "I don't have that kind of access," she explained. "At least, not right now," Gem quickly added. After all, she wasn't eager to die.

Gem took the time to study the man's most notable features. Blue eyes, long hair. He was bulky, too. Possibly over six foot tall. She couldn't beat him in hand-to-hand combat. Gem knew her strengths and she wasn't stupid enough to try it.

  "So, you're not here to kill me?" She cut her eyes to the gun, still pointed at her. The answer was clear, given his need for her. It still didn't guarantee anything.

  "That depends on you."

  "Hm, comforting," she mused. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, pumping adrenaline into her blood. Fight or flight was one hell of an instinct.

  "Stand up. Slowly," he instructed.

Gem moved away from the bed, righting herself without shifting too much. "How did you find me?" She asked, raising her hands slowly above her waist.

  "Your file," he told her, unconcerned with sharing the information. "You became a target the moment you betrayed HYDRA. I was ordered to take you out."

  Was.

  Gem felt her fear dissipate. She took a closer look at the man and recognition sparked to life. She knew him. He was an assassin, born of HYDRA's ambitions. While undercover, she'd heard the rumours about the Winter Soldier.

  Ruthless— and clean in his work.

  He could kill her and make it look like an accident. A suicide. A multitude of different things; other than what it truly was. The Winter Soldier was there when they took out the helicarriers. He was responsible for their near-failure.

  The fear returned. "So, HYDRA sent you to do their dirty work?" She gauged his reaction to the question, trying to work out his ties to the fallen organization.

  "I'm here for myself," he seethed, eyes alight with anger. "And I already told you what I want." His hand was shaking.

Gem moved instantly. There was no point in running. But, if she could stun him, she might escape. Maybe even get word out about the assassin's whereabouts— even if it killed her.

She dove for his stomach as he shot. The bullet pierced the air near her head. Gem expected an explosive feedback, but quickly figured out that the weapon had a silencer. Of course it did. It would make taking her out easier.

Gem drove her shoulder into his stomach, pushing against him as they both fell to the ground. Static built up between her fingers. It was enough for her to build upon, but just barely.

  The lights flickered in the hallway as Gem fed her power through their currents. Her body hummed, alive with electricity as it channeled through her. It still wasn't enough.

HYDRA had crafted the Winter Soldier well.

He planted a foot to her chest, still laid across the ground as he kicked her into a wall. Gem's head hit first. A vision of white flashed behind her eyelids, followed closely by pain as her body connected.

The assassin didn't give her the time to recover. She felt his hand at her neck, unyielding as he lifted her forcefully. Gem choked for air. She was already winded, her vision spotting black.

"You wanna try that again?" He asked, clearly furious with her feeble attempt at escape.

Gem summoned the energy to sneer. "Bastard."

He released her, but his gun never strayed far. "Call whoever you have to, but you're getting me out of America tonight." It wasn't spoken like a threat, but the words held warning.

  Free from his grip, Gem drew in deep breaths. "And if I don't?" It was a stupid question. Her stubborn pride couldn't take the defeat.

  "I'll be long gone before you can call for help."

  "Why not just kill me?" She seethed, her fingers pressed deep into her thighs. Gem could feel her nails digging into skin.

  He hesitated, then glared. "Who says I won't?"

  She took the information with caution. It was enough to calm her down. He clearly wasn't here to complete his mission on HYDRA's behalf. Which meant one of two things; he was either waiting for the order, or he had gone rogue.

  Gem decided to play this by her best guess, even if it was a long shot. It meant complying with his demands, but if she was right, she would live to see another day.

  And if her best guess was wrong? Gem Halloway would be digging her own grave.

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