The Story Book

Cont... A month passed. Things had gone back to relatively normal with the exception that Tony and Steve were now in constant communication. Bucky went back to Wakanda and Wanda returned from her vacation. Nat was still unaccounted for. But that didn't matter right now. Not as Sam stood in front of a modest house in sunny Greece the whitewashed wall almost too bright to look at. Avery and he had reconciled and today, today was the day he was going to meet Riley's son. Max looked over from the gate as though to ask if he was ready. Sam gave a curt nod and tried to understand his emotions at that moment. The guilt was there, it always would be. But the weight was lighter now as was the pain and sadness. It would never heal, only alleviate over time. He'd realized he didn't mind it long ago. It was a memory, a curve in his story. Max opened the gate and stepped into the courtyard, Sam following. "Honey I'm home!" Max hollered. That had come as a...

Cont... When Sam found Avery's room she was still on the phone but she waved him in with a smile. Max nodded to him at his spot "guarding" her door. "I know! The tragedy! Tell you what, when I get home we're going to spend the weekend eating junk food and watching crappy action thrillers and I won't say a thing about school." Avery said with a smile as Sam sat in the chair watching her talk animatedly on the phone. "Really! All weekend!" Avery insisted, "Do you think that would make up for me totally blowing taco night?" There was a long moment before a grin broke out on her face, "And all the ice cream you can imagine! Sounds like a plan. Though we might just have to cut you off from ice cream after that." Avery laughed at the response she got, "I know. I love you too, alright, bye." She ended the call and sighed contently. "Your son?" Sam said fondly. "Yeah, I kinda blew him off on our...

Cont... Sam found Bucky sitting almost like a guard in Steve's room. That was saying something since Steve's room was still in the hospital wing and Bucky loathed hospitals with every fiber of his being. Every loud noise made him twitch and if any strong odor came he'd squeeze his eyes shut to try and block it out. The fact his own leg was in a dysfunctional boot didn't help matters either. Bucky had settled with fiddling with his knives to calm his nerves, something that had scared more than a few nurses and forced Sam to explain it twice now to the security men.  Sam knocked on the metal doorframe before stepping in, "You want anything?" "No," Bucky answered almost rudely. Sam sighed, he knew the man didn't mean to be so standoffish but it still made the man a colossal pain to try and get to know. It was just constant nerves. He'd talked Shuri into letting him see some of Barnes' brain scans. There were a lot of disconnects. ...

Cont... Avery passed out at some point between the jet and the inside medical center. When she woke up she was in a hospital room. The pain was dull or gone and she knew it was painkillers and drugs working. Her arm was wrapped tightly around her chest like Sam had done earlier though now the wrappings like the room were neat and clean. How long had she been out? Shifting she looked at the time, it was three probably in the afternoon. Depending on the day she had been out for fourteen hours or more. "You're up." A voice jerked her from her whirlwind thoughts. Tony Stark closed the door quietly behind him. "Yes, though I suppose that I'm in a lot of trouble now," Avery admitted using her good arm to prop herself up in the sitting position. "Well, that depends," Stark said sitting in one of those stiff crappy plastic chairs. He looked worn out and worn thin. His age becoming more evident with the bags under his eyes and the tired darkne...

Cont... "We've been cleared to start our approach. Medical will be waiting on the ground." Max said as they traded the black waters of the Atlantic for the dense foliage of upstate New York. Avery moaned as Sam tightened the makeshift sling that held her arm against her chest to try and help from hurting herself more. "Almost all of us are injured. How are we going to get Steve out? He's not exactly light." Bucky asked, trying to distract himself from the pain in his leg that was greater than he'd like to admit. It was quite lucky Steve was unconscious so as to not try and defend himself.  "I don't know, we'll figure something out," Sam said, leaning back the adrenaline wearing off and the aches and pains coming in full force. "My wings. Get me my wings." Avery said sitting up. Sam gave her a dubious look but handed her a set. Shifting so she was facing away from the others Avery activated the wings. They shot out ...

Cont... Avery held the phone next to Steve's mouth and motioned for him to breathe deeply. She had no doubt that Stark was tracing the call. She was fairly certain he would give them the medical attention they needed whether he would arrest them was another matter entirely. "Steve? You sound awful." Tony's voice came through on speaker. Sam and Bucky were both on edge, either this would work or they would get blasted out of the sky. "I kinda- have- internal bleeding-" Steve wheezed eyes closed using all his energy to get clear sentences out. "Internal bleeding? What did you do?" Tony asked, sounding both shocked and scolding almost like a parent to a young child. "Long- story-" Steve was getting quieter now. "Need- clearance-" "For what?" Tony asked before Steve could answer Tony spoke again, "You do realize that if the airspace radar catches you you'll become smithereens above the harbor?"...

Cont... It was late, he really shouldn't be up let alone at the compound. Pepper would kill him if she wasn't in Asia at the moment. Tony stared bleary eyes at the designs in front of him trying to force himself to focus. Coffee. He needed coffee. Shuffling up to the kitchen he almost expected with his half-dead brain for Clint or Sam to shake their head and tell him he looked like death as he poured himself a cup of coffee.  It had been three years and yet he still expected it now and then when he was exceptionally tired. Shaking his thoughts away he grabbed a mug. That bridge had burned and there was no fixing it. Accountability and transparency were good and necessary things. But that rebellious part of him still wanted the old ways, the ways that got people killed. The coffee helped a little so he didn't feel like one of the walking dead. He really needed to sleep. Tony slumped into a chair as he sipped his coffee. Peter had come by yesterday and talked ...

Cont... Flying west they found the jet that was now in the air with relative ease. The back hatch opened for them and they dropped in before sealing the dissipating elements out. "Base is gone," Sam said, peeling off his poncho and mask.  "Good. So where are we headed? He needs medical attention, fast." Bucky asked, rising upon their entry. It was then they noticed Steve. The drug had worn off and there was more than just a broken rib going on. Bucky had covered him with a blanket but that was all he could do. He had his own broken leg to deal with. "Med kit." Sam orders tossing his jacket and wings to the side. Avery had it instantly. Sam pulled the blanket off and cut away Steve's shirt to reveal horrid bruising all down his torso, "He has at least two broken ribs, internal bleeding. We need a medical facility, now. There's only so much I can do." Avery handed Sam what he needed, "Our bases are hours from here with ...

Cont... The instant they were in the air Sam felt alive. He lived to fly, lived for that rush of being able to defy gravity. Looking over he savored the fact he had a wingman today. He'd gotten so used to not having one but today it was a comfort. They moved as one banking and swerving in tandem. Avery had never flown missions with them but she had been the one to teach them how to do fancy yet vital tricks with the wings so she was his equal if not better at flying the wings than he. It didn't take but two seconds for the thrill to vanish with the explosions that welcomed them. They broke formation swerving and dodging missiles, attracting attention as they bore down towards the base. Swooping up they flew up the side of the cliffside by side just out of the sight of the weapons. When they hit the edge of the rock Avery disengaged her wings and somersaulted forward blasting one of the guns, tossed the guard into the rocky sea below, and took off again. "Just...

Cont... The water was freezing and the ocean spray mixed with sideways rain was going straight through their clothes and rubbing their skin raw. Sam almost screamed at the temperature but it stole his breath away. Once he had his balance the rock on which they were standing shifted and rose just enough so that they could see what it was. It was the jet they had flown in on now submerged in water. Avery reached down and opened the top hatch letting a little water come in as she jumped down. The others followed suit. Once they were in the hatch closed cutting off all chances of getting more water in the cabin.  "Hold on!" Max called out. They barely had time to grab anything before the whole jet jerked forward cutting through the water at an amazing speed. They foolishly thought they were out free for a moment before an explosion rocketed the jet. "What was that?" Max called. Avery looked to Sam and Bucky who both shook their heads, "The charges h...

Cont... The halls were winding and guard filled. The farther they went the colder it got. Sam would wager they were going deeper into the rock of the island. He had no idea where they were going but Avery operated by a set of rules three of which were: 1) Always have an exit. 2) Never leave the way you came in. 3) Don't get caught. He trusted her and that meant following her instincts in the freezing darkness. They finally came to a sealed grate and the sound of the ocean crashing destructively told Sam all he needed to know, they were going out by water. He helped Avery pry the grate away and the howling wind rushed in making it even colder if that was possible. "We jump down!" Avery said over the noise of the storm. Steve looked down at the irate foaming sea below, "Do we come out alive after that?" If it had been any other moment Sam would have laughed but they could faintly hear more guards coming. They didn't have the time. Avery smi...

Cont... Jogging down the halls Avery was trusting her senses of direction from the map she'd seen. Steve was doing his best to keep up but had taken a beating. In spite of that, he was doing well and hadn't said a thing about the probably broken rib he had his hand clamped around as they jogged. Avery found the control room and opened the door. The one security guard was out before he hit the floor. Closing the door behind them Steve collapsed into a chair and let out a small groan closing his eyes a moment. "You good?" Avery asked, yanking her hood down, retracting her goggles and pulling down the cloth mask that covers her nose and mouth. Steve grimaced and nodded, "Just get me out of here." Avery turned to the bank of counsels, "Then let's get to work." She made quick work of the firewalls and video cameras. She crashed their frequency jammer and contacted Sam and Bucky, "You're getting a schematics layout now. You...

Cont... A storm to top all storms rolled in tossing the jet around like a rag doll as they made their approach. The upside was the storm would cover their entrance the downside was Bucky was sure he was going to puke. Each creak and shudder of the jet made his anxiety skyrocket. Trying to control his heartbeat he rechecked his rifle and weapons for what felt like the hundredth time. Sam noticed but said nothing letting him regulate his anxiety. "We're almost there. Get ready to drop." Max called as they got closer. They all did final checks of gear before the back hatch opened. Avery had given in and had donned the other set of black wings. "Once we're out get set for our getaway," Avery called to Max. He gave thumbs up and Avery turned to Sam, "Ready?" "When you are." Sam nodded, pulling the hood up. "Alright then," Avery said the flight goggles materializing over her eyes. She jumped out of the jet and before Bu...

Cont... They were finished restocking when a knock came from the door. Sam and Bucky shared a look before Sam called, "Come in." Avery came in quietly, "Almost ready?" "Yeah, we'll be out of your hair soon," Sam said sliding a gun into his holster as Bucky finished stowing a set of knives in his boot, yanking his pant leg over them. Avery frowned, "You're going like this?" "Well the wings are kinda flashy plus they’re impounded per se by Ross so yeah, we're going like this." Sam nodded, pulling on his jacket, "Why?" Avery's frown deepened before she turned and walked out, "Come on." Bucky and Sam shared an I-have-no-clue-what's-going-on look before following her. Past labs and then past empty storage spaces till finally, they came to a door that Avery unlocked. The room was a mess of old stuff, forgotten designs. Avery flipped on the single sad light bulb and moved some of the du...

Cont... Max had offered to let them reload weapons so they were left alone in the armory. The instant Max left Sam dropped into a chair and dropped his head into his hands. Avery's comment had hit him hard and he was still reeling. "That was uncalled for. She's wrong." Bucky said trying to be supportive although knowing nothing of what was going on.  "No." Sam said, pulling his head up to rest on his hands, "She's not wrong. I did know, and it wouldn't have mattered." "What are you saying?" Bucky asked, thrown off with Sam agreeing with Avery.  "We weren't supposed to go up that night, me and Riley. In fact when we asked we were ordered not too. But it was a simple op, one we'd done hundreds of times before and people were getting hurt. No one else could go in but us. So I disobeyed orders and took my wings. I talked Riley into helping me break them out and go up. We took them up and before anyone could g...

Cont... It took a while to explain the situation to Avery and Max both of who were less than thrilled but begrudgingly willing to help. Something about this making them even. Avery took the hard drive and led them to her personal space plugging in the drive and taking five minutes to immobilize it before doing a backtrace and find out exactly what it could do and who could make it. It was a solid ten minutes of her speaking in terms that flew over both Sam and Bucky's heads. It boiled down to it being created for the US government to try and break the internet wall between China and the West. It had backfired massively. It broke through alright, it broke through everything. It had no "off switch" so it just kept going unless you could give it something to "chew on'' long enough to contain it. It was supposed to be locked in a US vault but somehow it had slipped out and fallen into the hands of the enemy. The matter of finding Steve was a little more...

Cont... They touched down in Greece and with Max leading made their way to a cliffside by noon. "Now where?" Bucky asked tugging on his glove not wanting to expose his new arm to the elements for wind and biting saltwater. "Down," Max said simply coming to the side and climbing down. Sam and Bucky shared a look before following. They climbed down till they reached a cave just above the waves of high tide. It was fairly dry as they can in. "Now what?" Bucky defended his gut not liking it one bit. "We're here," Max said moving some stones over in the corner. Sam looked around the cave as Max worked, "It's different than your normal cover." "Well, when the government decides to basically ban people of unique skill sets people have to get creative." Max huffed standing and came over to Sam. There was deep rumbling and the back of the cave began to shift. Max turned suddenly and jabbed his finger into Sam...

Cont... They got off without a hitch and Max had crashed into the couch once they were at a cruising altitude. Sam stared out the window into the dark the dim light of the interior lightning exaggerating his profile that was deep in thought. Bucky leaned forward to get his attention, "Who are we meeting?" There was a long time of silence before Sam looked away from the window and down at his hands, "I joined Pararescue straight out of high school. Jumping from one battlefield to another, Harlem for the Middle East. I got good, I got noticed, I got promoted, I also had the habit of not always following orders. It didn't take long for me to get submitted as a cadet for the new FALCON project they were creating. Over the next year and a half, they trained a handful of us to see which two would get the wings. We met Max first, he had co-created the project so he was the one that taught us how to use it. That was when I met Riley. We were paired as wingmen after ...

Cont... It took a lot of more than slightly illegal actions to get themselves to Brussels in two days. Now they were sitting in another stolen car in the red light district of Brussels sitting in an alley across from a very shady back door to what seemed to be a nightclub. It was more a place that would get you shot than see a celebrity in the line for that club. "Remind me why we're here?" Bucky asked, shifting in his seat to look over at Sam. He had been tight-lipped about where and who he was going to for help. Sam sighed looking at the clock in the car, "I had a life before you knew me, Barnes. My wings aren't exactly standard issue for the Pararescue." Sam looked back out of his car window.  "What is that supposed to mean?" Bucky asked, getting frustrated. Sam didn't respond but straightened as a door behind them opened and a younger man came out, closed the door, tossed his jacket over his shoulder, and started slowly walking ...

Cont... They found a cheap room and food before ditching the car. They were seated on the couch brainstorming. "Why Steve?" Bucky asked. "Why not Steve? The UN wants him alive so they can prosecute him publicly." Sam pointed out. Bucky frowned, shaking his head a little, "No, it wasn't Ross. He's only as powerful as the people allow him to be and the people want Captain America free. No, it wasn't the UN." "What are you thinking?" Sam asked. "They were looking for something, the way they tossed the apartment. They thought Steve took it. They waited till we were gone, they were watching, waiting. Whatever they're after they believe Steve had it. But what?" Bucky explained rubbing his hands together thinking. Sam thought too before jumping up, "Oh!" He darted over to his jacket that he still had from the other apartment and laid it out on the counter before taking his pocket knife and carefully cutt...