~MEL~

Run.

That's all I do.

Run.

Run from my problems, run from the enemy, run from the monster that lurks within, killing everything it touches.

But not this time.

Not anymore.

I'm running to them.

My feet hit the snowy ground, snapping twigs and crunching the orange leaves below. Lee follows closely behind, using her powers to listen for any HYDRA agents nearby. My gun is slung over my shoulder, heavy and pressing into my back.

But my brain still nags at me, telling me my plan is flawed. I know there's no coming back alive from this.

We've been on the move for a few hours, only stopping for short breaks. At the rate we've been moving, we should reach the base in another hour. So far we've seen a road with a HYDRA vehicle on it, but nothing else other than trees and snow.

It dawns on me that these may be the last steps I ever take.

And it's all because I'm going to kill Melony Vandenberg.

~BARNES~

I stand in the hull of the quinjet, white, fluffy clouds rolling by underneath me. Steve, Tony and I all stand near the ramp at the back of the plane, waiting for Sharon to tell us when it's safe to jump. "We're nearing the drop-off point. You have about five minutes until you need to jump." Sharon says over the intercom, her voice crystal clear. I tighten my grip on my parachute, the straps fitting across my collarbone and underneath my arms nicely.

"You alright?" I ask Steve, who's seemingly lost in thought.

"Yeah. I'm good Buck. Just been a while since I actually used a parachute."

I laugh, knowing the story all too well.

We all stand beside the ramp for what feels like hours, waiting for Sharon to give us the all-clear. Finally, the intercom crackles back to life. "We're here. You have twenty seconds to be out of the plane or you'll be too far away from the rendezvous point."

The hull opens, revealing the dark night sky. Wind rips through the back of the plane, causing my hair to whip haphazardly across my face. "Don't forget that Sam will be meeting us on the ground." Tony says over the noise. I nod. "Are you sure about this Tony?" I ask him. "This isn't a mission that you have to go on. This is personal."

"Bucky." Tony begins, walking towards me. "I'm doing this for you. I've seen how you act when it comes to Mel. You act so human and almost normal. She's what humanises you, and I'm willing to fight for that." I smile in gratitude, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Tony." Searching the treetops for any signs of gunfire or smoke, hoping that we've beaten Mel and Lee to the HYDRA base. Sure enough, the forest below appears undisturbed. I clench my fists, walking back a few steps before jumping into the abyss below.

***

~MEL~

I hold Lee's small hand, guiding her through the now pitch-black forest. My powers allow me to see my surroundings clearly, including the doubt in Lee's eyes. She takes tentative steps, making our journey to the rooftop even slower. We plan to invade through the top-floor window, while Lee smothers the smashing of the glass. Hopefully, no one will notice the broken window.

I feel the familiar concrete of the facility's wall, it's rough texture welcoming my equally cold fingertips. Looking up the side of the building, I count four floors with windows. "We need to climb." I whisper to Lee. "Wrap your arms around my neck. I can climb up the side and support your weight."

Lee nods, wrapping her arms around my neck. I grow the same padding on my hands that a gecko does, gripping the wall tightly.

"Don't let go."

"I won't. I can assure you of that."

I begin my climb, scaling the wall hastily. Within thirty seconds, I've reached the top, the railing on the roof with reach. My fingers meet the bottom bar, pulling my body up to meet it. Lee grabs the bar as well, placing her feet on the wall so she has a full view of the roof. After a moment of silence, she gives me a thumbs-up. I nod, pulling myself over the remaining railing and letting my feet hit the glass roof.

I peer into the blurry space below, the dim lighting illuminating the open area. The glass roof is smudged from exposure to the elements and the whole roof has clearly been neglected. The floors of the warehouse are in different tiers, a large space at the bottom surrounded by other rooms, with each floor decreasing in the number of rooms surrounding it. Agents run around the different corridors and floors, papers flying and guns strapped to their shoulders.

I gesture for Lee to follow me to the other side of the building. She nods, closing her eyes and spreading out her arms, using her powers to stop our sound. My hair whips around my face, the midnight gale making it difficult to stand upright. I begin to make my way to the right, towards the other window near Melony's office. Lee follows, using the same powers to guide her.

I begin a similar process as before, swinging over the edge of the building and holding the top rail. Using my momentum for the swing, I smash my feet into the window. Surely enough, it shatters into millions of pieces, small crystalline shards flying through the air. I let go of the cool railing, soaring into the room below, still not making a sound. I roll across the ground as three HYDRA agents bolt upright from their seats, terrified looks on their faces at the sight of their assassin, Animalia.

Using my position to my advantage, I kick the closest ones feet out from underneath them, quickly jumping to my own. The other two turn to run towards the closed door, so I throw myself at the next agent's back, wrapping my legs around his neck. He staggers around, gasping for breath and I grab my gun from my back. Aiming within half a second, I pull the trigger, planting a bullet through the last agents head.

The original agent rises to his feet, swinging at my body atop his friends shoulders. He lands a strong punch on my stomach, right below my left rib. Pain explodes across my body. The man beneath me collapses, the lack of oxygen forcing his body to shut down. I jump off of his shoulders before he hits the ground, tackling the other agent. Straddling his waist, I grow claws of my hands, slashing at his chest until only mutilated flesh remains.

I rise from the man's corpse, walking towards the window to smash away the remaining glass around its frame. Lee jumps onto the ledge, then crawling through. Her eyes widen at the sight before her. I cast a stony look across my face, grabbing her arm to guide her away from the blood and he bodies.

I open the door to reveal the inside of the warehouse, which smells of grease and dust, the dirty facility matching the rooftop. The corridor in front of us full of agents, the majority of them aren't even aware of our presence. Lee sends a sound wave directly at them, knocking most of the agents unconscious. Others turn to grab their guns and I start to make our list of enemies shorter. I slash at the HYDRA agents with my claws and spines, occasionally shooting them.

It takes a few minutes to stop them all, Lee's powers taking care of most of them. We continue to make our way towards Melony's office, which is only just around the corridor. My skin changes to a scaly leather, changing colour to make me completely camouflaged. Lee looks at me with surprise, completely taken aback. I ignore her, my mind set on one thing and one thing only.

The end of Melony Vandenberg.

I creep towards the office much faster than before, walking ahead of Lee. The door looms ahead of me, the key to redemption, the key to revenge. My face remains as emotionless as ever, my gaze fixed on the door handle. My hand meets the metal, anticipation flowing through my veins.

I open the door.

~BARNES~

Sam, Steve, Tony and I all creep through the quiet night, ready to attack the HYDRA base. The freezing metal of my gun stings against my hands, making them cramp up. I reach the outskirts of the forest first, taking aim at one of the HYDRA guard right outside of the entrance. Steve comes up beside me, pausing before running toward the building.

I shoot all four guards at the entrance before they can get to Steve, each dead before they hit the grass. Sam and Tony take to the sky, shooting at different guards and buildings. Agents start to spill out if the entrances, firing at us with their guns. I walk briskly up to one of them, using my arm to shield my face from the onslaught of bullets. Grabbing the agent's gun, I rip it from his grasp and punch him in the chest, the impact sending him into a wall, sending pieces of plaster flying through the air.

I shoot the next five agents between the eyes, leaving a neat bullethole in their foreheads. Grabbing two of the metal pads from my jacket, I place one on the door, throwing the other at a crowd of agents towards the back of the building. I run and roll across the ground as an explosion rips through the concrete where I stood only moment as ago, showering me with debris. Another explosion sounds from the left side of the warehouse.

"Let's burn this place to the ground." Sam says, soaring through a window.

~MEL~

The stale air of an unopened room meets my lungs, and the dim lighting makes it hard to see. My eyes quickly adjust, revealing the smug form of Melony Vandenberg. The room is deadly silent, making the explosions in the back of the building echo throughout the room. Her blue eyes are staring into my own, even though she can't see me. I look down at my hands, which surely enough aren't noticeable.

"It's been too long, Animalia."

I scoff, returning to my natural form. "It really has. I've missed my favourite psychotic, scheming cult leader."

Melony laughs. "No pleasantries? What have those troublesome New Yorkers been teaching you? When you were a part of HYDRA, you were so much more charming."

"The only thing you taught me to do was kill, and now it's gonna bite you on the ass." I say, taking a step towards her.

Melony holds up a finger. "Oh, it seems that your little friend has joined us, how wonderful." Melony turns her head to face Lee, who is deathly pale and standing in the doorway. "Would you mind getting this uncivilised gräuel off of me?"

I twitch, something about that word bothering me. "Oh, you don't like that word?" Melony asks. "Don't you remember what that means? What you are? What it really does?"

I take another step towards her. "Shut. Up."

"Little miss in the doorway, do you speak German?"

"Fuck off."

"You both love your obscenities."

Lee steps closer to her, fists clenched.

"Well, in my country, that means abomination. And your new friend, a deceitful gräuel, is going to kill you."

"I said shut up!" I yell.

"Just like she did to Scott Lang."

"That's enough!"

"That word means more than you can remember Mel. Don't you remember how you got here?"

"Stop it!" I yell, punching her in the face, sending her tumbling out of her seat.

"Don't you remember what you are?!" Another punch lands onto her eye.

"Shut up!"

"You need to remember, my little schwester."

"Daddy, Cathy and I want to go see Aunty Sue. Can we go Daddy? Please?" A little girl pleads, her long red hair falling past her waist. Her father smiles, shaving years off of his weathered face. "We promise we'll be good." A slightly taller blonde girl exclaims, jumping up and down. "Of course you can my little Prinzessinnen. But for the last time, that woman is not your Aunt." The man says.

"Okay Daddy!" The younger girl squeals, turning and running to grab her sister's hand. They both begin to weave their way between the busy market that is their home. "Make sure to be careful in the forest girls," their father calls. "it's full of all types of creatures just waiting to gobble you up. Luckily, Daddy might just have a special crown to protect each of you."

The two girls squeal in delight, running back to their father, who extracts two flower crowns from a small backpack. He slips a Buckwheat flower crown on the youngest's head, and a Dearbrush crown on the eldest's. "Go have fun." He orders the girls, who both giggle and run into the crowd of German townspeople.

"What? What are you doing?Stop!"

"I'm only awakening a sleeping giant, schwester."

Lee glares down at Melony. "You're gonna shut the hell up right now, or you'll lose an appendage."

Melony looks slightly taken aback a Lee's threat, but then grins. "You actually think you're the one in the position to make threats? I'm the most powerful person in this room. You should all be cowering in a corner."

"Says the person who's outnumbered and pinned to the floor."

"You have no idea." Melony says, shoving me off of her with newfound strength. I hit my head on her metal desk, having just enough of a grasp on consciousness to see Lee blast Melony into the wall with a loud bang, who quickly disappears. Lee watches her figure move with her powers, firing at the walls and roof. Large claw marks appear on the roof, followed by a flinging sound. Lee collapses, fighting Melony's invisible form.

I manage to sit up, watching in horror as Melony appears, her eyes going from blue to gold, a wicked grin stretching across her face. A large set of teeth stick out of her mouth, which she sinks into Lee's shoulder. She rips at her back, while ear-splitting, tortured screams  come from Lee's mouth. The colour in her face starts to fade, while Melony continues her assault. She punches Lee in the stomach over and over, a small growl emanating from her lips.

I stand, the world spinning before me from my blow to the head. I stumble towards Melony, sinking my own claws into her flesh. She screams in pain, swinging at me wildly. I rip my claws back out of her side, staggering back. "What the hell did you do?" I ask at Melony, blood dripping from both of our hands. We're both panting, our lungs straining with the effort.

"I ran out of subjects."

"So you gave yourself my powers?"

"What you have is a gift. All you've done is waste it. I had to take matters into my own hands."

I let out a puff of air, starting to advance on Melony. An explosion rips through the building, and I stumble onto the ground, hitting my head once more.

"What the hell are you doing?" I ask, backing up against a wall. Melony stands in front of me, a knife and a syringe in hand. She bites her lip, though her eyes portray a cold emotion.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

"Do what?!" I yell, trying to slap the syringe away.

"I'm saving your life. Surdens is going to kill you if I don't do this. He thinks you aren't committed to our cause."

"You're trying to kill me!"

"Melony, I need you to scream."

I feel the prick of a needle, followed by a fiery liquid burning through my veins. A guttural scream fills the room, coming from my throat.

"I'm so sorry."

I lift my head from the tiled ground, leaving a small pool of blood smudged across the floor. I take deep breaths, trying to stop the world around me from spinning. I close my eyes, my stomach heaving and emptying its contents in the space beside me. Reopening my eyes, I look towards Lee's still form. I start to panic, crawling towards her slowly. Another explosion rattles the building, sending a few pens rolling off of Melony's desk and onto the floor. I reach Lee's body, placing my index and middle fingers on her cold neck.

Her pulse beats against my fingertips.

I let out an audible sigh of relief. I tug my black jacket from my back, ripping off the sleeve and tying it around Lee's arm to stop the blood flow. I place my cold hand on her cheek, tapping her face. "Lee? Lee, are you awake?" I say, trying to bring her back into consciousness. Her eyes flutter open, revealing her tired gaze. "I'm gonna find Melony. You need to try to get yourself out of here. This place is gonna blow any moment now." I say to her.

"Y-you'll die." Lee whispers.

"We both know that this was a one-way trip for me."

Lee lets out a small moan, closing her eyes. "No, Lee, you need to keep your eyes open." I say. "You can't get out of this place unconscious. I need you to stay awake for me. When you've got the strength, leave. It's not safe here." Lee gives me a small nod, opening her eyes again. I pat her shoulder, rising to my feet. "I never got to see Nick." Lee says, biting her lip. "I came here to set things right and he didn't even turn up. I thought he'd be here to stop us."

"I thought so too." I say, grabbing her hand and giving it a light squeeze. I turn to leave. "Mel, I don't regret it. I know how it feels, y'know? I understand what it's like." Lee says with a wheeze. I nod, letting go of her hand and standing.

My vision swims before me, but not quite as badly as before. I rip the other sleeve of my jacket, dabbing at my wound with the material. It continues to bleed in a gushing stream, soaking the material right through. I abandon the rest of the fabric, walking through the doorway.

Papers litter the ground, and the sound of gunfire echoes down the hallways. The smell of gunpowder and blood floods my senses matching the metallic taste in my mouth. I make my way towards the staircase, going as fast as I possibly can. A large bloody handprint is dragged across the wall, towards the roof. The feet hit the metal stairs with a satisfying clanking sound after such a long period of silence.

I reach the roof, greeted by the feeling of the gushing midnight gale. My hair whips wilding around my head, forming a red halo around me. Melony's lone figure stands on the rooftop, large wings tucked behind her back. She takes a few steps towards the edge of the building, ready to leave.

"Melony!"

~BARNES~

We make our way to the top floor, Sam taking the lead. He scouts the rooms along the corridor, which gradually becomes covered in papers. After a few rooms, we find one with blood spilling out underneath the door, messy footprints tracked right through it. I enter the room, where Sam stands mortified along with three corpses. One has his stomach completely slashed open, with claw marks dug across his chest. His mutilated flesh reveals his ribs, the pool of blood from the doorway being fed by a constant flow of blood from his side.

The metallic smell of the room triggers my gag reflex, and I struggle to look away.

"Mel did this, didn't she?" Tony asks. "A human didn't do this, this is the work of a monster."

"Shut up!" I snap, turning towards him. "How is this any different to what we do?"

"We don't tear people apart Snowflake."

"That's beside the point."

"It really isn't." Tony argues, taking a step towards me.

"Stop this you two, now. This isn't what we're here for." Steve says. Tony shakes his head, walking out the door. Sam follows, re-assuming the lead. After a few more minutes, we arrive at the doorway of the last room, a small office. Sam enters first, and the sight of a leg sticking out the entrance, surrounded by smudged blood pools makes me take a sharp breath.

Please don't be Mel.

I walk inside, turning to look at the bloody body. Lee rests up against the wall, bloodstains soaking her shirt. Sam crouches down to her level, brushing her hair out of her face and checking her pulse. "Is this the Lee we're looking for?" Sam asks, a panicked expression consuming his face. None of us answer, and he turns his body fully to face us. "Is this the Lee we're looking for?"

Steve nods. "You know her?"

Sam sighs, running a hand underneath her knees and the other around her back. He lifts her small body from the ground, taking a step closer to Steve. "She was in my support group, back in my retired days. She had a lot of problems and we, uh, we were pretty close for a while. I looked out for her, y'know?" Sam swallows hard, clearly concerned.

"We need to get her out of here. Her pulse is weak." He says.

"You three leave. I can get Mel myself. I'm the only one, if any of us, that she'll trust." I say.

"Buck-"

"No Steve. This is something that I have to do. I'm not letting any of you put yourselves in danger because of me."

Steve and I lock eyes for a brief moment. He turns away, nodding at Tony and tightening his grip on his shield. "Let's go." Steve says, walking towards the door. He whips around to face me once more. "We'll plant more bombs downstairs and get the helicarrier. I can give you ten minutes."

"That's all I need."

~MEL~

Melony turns to face me, scowling. "Kill me!" I scream into the night. "Finish this!"

Melony starts to walk towards me, a furious expression dominating her face. "You want to know why I didn't finish this, Mel? You wanna know why you aren't dead, with a bullet through your brain before any of this could've started?" She asks.

"It doesn't matter." I respond, beginning to walk toward her.

"Oh, but it does. You aren't just any random person I picked up off of the street. I know you."

My vision swims, and I struggle to keep walking. My knees feel weak, and the ground seems to shake beneath me. Melony opens her wings behind her back, growing large talons and running towards me. I grow protective armour, lining my arms, hands, and the sides of my face with spines. She runs faster towards me, getting close enough to pull her arm back and attempt to land a punch across my shoulder.

Even with my movements slowed, my trained reflexes are fast enough to dodge her fist and sweep my feet out beneath her. She tumbles to the ground, grabbing my ankle and jerking it towards her. I lose my already-questionable balance, falling on top of her. Melony flips me over, straddling me.

"You're pathetic. You don't deserve to be a part of HYDRA. I can't believe that this is the only place you have."

"No one deserves to be a part of hell Melony, no one except the devil herself."

"But you can't leave your home. This is the only place that excepts you. Do you really think that Bucky and all of your little friends are going to want you after you killed Scott Lang? What are you going to do? What's your ingenious plan?" She spits.

I frown. "That's where you're wrong. I don't know them anymore, I don't expect them to let me live and above all, you have no idea who I am."

Melony smiles wickedly, showing all of her perfect teeth.

"Your name is Melony Vandenberg, and you're my sister."

"You've always been the smart one." A young woman says as she walks away from me, her arm slung around a blonde's shoulder. "And you've always been the rational one. They look up to you, y'know?" The blonde says to her red-haired companion. The red head laughs, throwing her head back. "Sure, and my name is Nick Fury."

"I'm telling the truth."

"They do not look up to me. You're the leader. I'm just your stupid excuse for a conscience."

The blonde laughs this time, brushing her friend's arm off of her shoulder. She turns to face her, a serious expression on her face. The red head mirrors her actions, crossing her arms and putting on a serious expression.

"You're not just a voice in my head telling me what's right and wrong." The blonde says. "You're my sister."

"Stop getting all chick-flick on me. It's too mushy-gushy." The red head responds, starting to walk away.

"I'm serious Melony."

"And I'm not just the voice of reason. I'm your intelligent slash sexy slash kick-ass best friend slash sister." The woman says over her shoulder.

"Shut up. You're so full of yourself." The blonde says, laughing.

"You love me."

"Uh-huh." The blonde says, rolling her eyes.

"You-you're my sister?" I say, a pain beginning to form in my head from being strained with effort. Rain starts to pour from the dark sky, soaking me through. Melony reaches for me, grabbing me by the collar. "The one and only." My face contorts in confusion and panic, my body suddenly paralysed.

Melony's face contorts in anger, and she punches me in the face. "I despise you Melony. I wanted one thing from you, one thing, and you couldn't give it to me. I just needed you to cooperate. But as always, you had to be so, godamned self-righteous. You shouldn't be alive." She spits. Melony slips off of me, using her foot to keep my left hand away from my body. She grabs my throat and shifts her weight so she stands on my wrist, sending a sharp wave of pain up my arm and a crack through the air.

I let out a short scream, while Melony digs her heel into my wrist harder. She stands to her full height, stepping off of my wrist and lifting me off of the ground by my neck. I swing my legs around, attempting to wrap them around her waist. She squeezes my throat harder,
walking towards the edge of the building, ready to let me fall to my death. Another explosion echoes throughout the night, shattering parts of the glass roof.

"I don't care if you're my sister...even if that's the truth...Being related to you is not who I am. I don't care about...what I was before. My past does not...define...me. What I do now, what I choose to do with my life...is my decision...That's me. I am not a cocktail of chemicals and experiments that you took pity on...My name is Mel, I'm an assassin." I choke out, my eyes brightening with each word.

"And you're my mission."

I use my upper body to swing my legs around Meloy's hips, the force of the harsh movement pushing her to the ground. With her hands still around my throat, I punch her in the face. Her lip splits, and I attempt to choke her out before she can to me. She rolls us towards the side of the building, my body mere millimetres from tumbling into the dark night. I hear a familiar rough voice on the other side of the building.

"Mel!"

I turn my head to get a glimpse of our intruder, only to be met by a pair of stormy blue eyes. His metal arm glints in the moonlight, and his brown hair whips around his head haphazardly in the wind. I feel Melony's grip on my collar release, along with the wind engulfing me in a cold cocoon as I fall into the abyss, taking her with me. My wings start to form, but I know I won't make it. The Winter Soldier yells in alarm, running toward my falling body.

He's too slow.

I'm too slow.

We're all too slow to stop the inevitable.

Melony catches the wind with her wings, and I do the same. I soar upward, the force of my abrupt direction change causing my body to snap back. I race towards the glass roof, getting there faster than Melony. Not quite stopping in time, I fly a few metres above the roof. Tucking in my wings, I brace myself for contact. I freefall for a short moment, my feet then hitting the glass with a soft thud. I roll, quickly rising to my feet.

My breaths come out rugged and wheezing, detectable even over the howling wind. I close my eyes in blinding pain, clutching the side of my head. Melony flies past the buildings ledge, her legs trembling as she soars. She lands on her feet, also stumbling as she lands. Her wings deform behind her back, and she turns to face me, horrified.

And she looks exactly like me.

My eyes widen, shocked at the sight. Panic floods my senses, quickly stifled by my trained cold gaze. Her face is an exact replica of my own, and her normally long blonde hair is short and red. She runs toward Bucky. "Get away from her!" She yells. "She's injected herself with the serum to make her like me. She's dangerous." I manage to rise to my feet, my whole body aching and burning and ready to collapse.

"That's Melony." I say, pointing at my copy. "She's trying to get you on her side. You can't trust her, Winter. She'll kill you." I argue. Melony whirls around to face The Winter Soldier. "Bucky, listen to me. She's lying."

The Winter Soldier - Bucky - has a confused expression, not being able to tell us apart. His gaze lingers on me, like he seems to believe Melony more than myself. "Wint- Bucky. I need you to get away from her." I say. He doesn't listen, instead backing up form us both. "Mel, give me a sign. I need to know who's who." He says. I walk toward Melony, staring her down. She stares right back, eventually turning towards Bucky. She walks towards him, taking a deep breath.

"Bucky, I love you."

Bucky raises a brow and walks towards Melony, who has a hopeful expression on her face. He bites his lip, punching Melony in the face with his metal hand, a satisfying crack filling the air. She falls to the ground, reverting back to normal, a large bruise engulfing her left eye socket. I turn toward the him. "How did you, why are you-"

"You'd never say that out loud, even if you could remember."

My brows furrow in confusion. "You want to help me?" Melony groans, pushing herself up and off of the ground. I snap out of my daze and walk towards her, pulling out my gun and placing the barrel against her temple. "Say one word and I'll blow your brains out." I warn. Melony smiles a small smile, her bloodstained teeth staining out against her pale skin.

"Fire."

I drop the gun, something overwhelming all logic and motion in my body, my muscles tensing up. My body feels weak, and some part of my mind knows something is wrong. I look at Melony in horror. She opens her mouth to speak once more, but I deliver a swift roundhouse kick to her face. Blood and spit flies out if her mouth, and she falls to the ground.

"One thing you forgot Melony, is that while you may be more powerful, I have more than a decade of experience. You have no idea what you're doing."

I press my foot into her throat, trying to make her pass out. Melony grabs at my foot, trying to push it off. It doesn't budge. Another explosion shakes the building, shattering the panel underneath my feet and where Melony was lying. We begin to fall, the fire below us singeing my hair and lapping at my heels. Bucky grabs my arm, stopping me from falling into the inferno. Both his metal and flesh arm hold onto my left one, his right arm muscles bulging with the effort.

Melony tries to grab my foot, her left hand missing by millimetres. She continues to fall in slow motion, her eyes wide and full of panic as the flames consume her. Her dying scream rips through the air, sending a shiver down my spine. I release a shaky breath, turning to face  Bucky, a face I seem to know about than I can remember.

He pulls me up from inside the building, my eyes spilling over with tears. It's a bombardment of the pain and betrayal and the choking smoke, all creating a mixed drink of emotions. He pulls me into his warm embrace, which I originally struggle against, but melt into after a few moments. A large helicarrier flies above us, blocking the relentless onslaught of rain.

"It's okay Mel. You're safe."