THE ARCHANGEL sat on the small mattress, patiently watching as Captain America opened and closed the door, dressed in suit and shield in hand. He hadn't sensed her presence, not yet, and so she remained hidden in the corner as he easily picked up a journal from the top of the grimy refrigerator. The Soldier was clearly living on the edge of poverty, on purpose. The man could've robbed 5 banks within the span of 2 nights, made himself rich, but she knew his mission was to stay undercover. Stay away from Hydra.

She had left Jelly in a safehouse, concerned that the Winter Soldier wouldn't mind killing an animal to stay away from his makers. Captain America wouldn't, something about an unusual regard for animals, even in the battle-field.

After a moment of pure boredom, she closed a drawer with a flick of her hand. It shut with an alarming bang. The Captain whirled around, eyes wide. The sky blue orbs zeroed in on her, and it was easy to see the great shock and disbelief in his features.

"No... No, no it can't be.. You, you died!" His voice had reached something just below a shout by the end of his sentence. The tall, blonde man had backed away, visibly shocked. The Archangel tilted her head curiously, as she didn't think she had died any time recent, aside from spirit-travelling. But Steven didn't know about her spirit-travelling, they had never met before, so how could he?

"Vi-Victoria?"

"Who the hell is Victoria?"

By now, the Archangel had risen-hands twitching half-heartedly at her sides as flickering blue energy caressed her forearms like ocean-colored smoke. She stayed where she was, internally conflicted. Her eyes traveled to the wooden floors as her mind struggled to comprehend the name. Victoria? Who is Victoria? But her eyes snapped to the door as she felt-more-so-than-heard the Winter Soldier enter the room. His eyes zeroed in on her almost immediately, completely disregarding the Captain as a threat. "Archangel," he whispered, the words almost inaudible as he spoke her name slowly. His blue eyes flickered over to the Captain. "You're Steve. I read about you in the museum."

"Soldier. You know why I'm here," she stated, raising her hand to the strap of her bag.

"Vic-Bucky, the police are coming for you. And they don't plan on taking you in alive," Steve stated firmly, venturing closer. That's smart. "Good strategy," the man, the Soldier, responded after a moment, shifting slightly. His words had been directed to her target. She moved a hand, the flat of her palm towards the Captain, a faint blue energy stopping him from coming further. "Soldier. Come with me, and you won't get hurt," she reiterated, turning her head to face the blue eyed man. He looked caught off-guard with her presence, movements unsure and tense. "You won't hurt me, Archangel, and you know it."

[a/n: SPECIAL THNAKS TO hedaxarden AKA THE LOML FOR GHIS IM SO EMO ABOUT THESE TWO YALL DONT KNOW]

The Archangel, surprised by his words, backed away slightly. "Come with me, Buck. This doesn't have t0 end with a fight." The Winter Soldier-Buck, as the Captain, had called him, moved closer to the door. She didn't make a move to stop him; she could hear the heart beats of the men outside. "It always ends in a fight," he said quietly. "You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve asked, eyes flickering between the Soldier and the Archangel. The woman's dark eyes snapped up to the Captain, away from her target, and stayed there. "I don't know," the Soldier said finally, lips pursed. The man with the dark hair pulled off the glove on his left hand, revealing the glinting metal of his prosthetic. "Yes, you do," Steven said softly. The Archangel agreed, but something as insignificant as why the Soldier had saved his mission wasn't a thing to be concerned about.

An object flew in from the window, effectively shattering the glass and sending a shard into the Archangel's arm. She twisted her hands and sent the object to the side of the room. Another came in, but the Soldier was ready, kicking it to the Captain so that he could cover it with his shield-vibranium, practically indestructible. A loud shout from behind the door alerted her to the fact that this party was about to have a lot more people. They rammed the door, sending a loud bang echoing through the small room.

The Soldier picked up the mattress on the floor, and flung it to the side of the room. With his metal arm, "The most deadly aspect of the Winter Soldier," he flipped one of the tables, which flew her way. She pushed it away from her with a twist of her hand.

The men kicked in the windows as she moved the table, which left her in a whole new situation entirely. She sent one back out the window with a blast of pure blue energy, ignoring the plea from Steven. "Victoria, that kills people," he yelled over the chaos, but the woman only shot him a frustrated look as she drew her elbow back into the face of a man behind her. That name, again. But it wasn't her name. She didn't have a name. Weapons didn't have names, only models and types. She saw an opening at her target, as he used a wire from one of the men that had came in through the window to throw him down. She came towards him, arms raised. The blue-eyed man grabbed her forearms with a vice-like grip, eyes burning into her own. "Soldier. You know what's right, come with me and this won't ever be a problem,"she hissed, angling her knee to successfully dig itself into the man's stomach.

"I don't need protection, Arch. You know me," he hissed back, eyes narrowing. With a fervent rage, she pushed him back harshly. "No I DON'T!" Her voice was drowned out by the machine gun fire as Captain America threw one of their aggressors off aim. The Soldier recovered quickly, and following him as the two crossed the room, she switched her focus. James Barnes was no longer the number one target; but only temporarily. Steven lifted the gun of the man at the door, and with a swift kick, she sent the man flying backwards. With a clear opening, the two could easily escape, and then she could take care of the Soldier-

She felt the Captain's rough hold on her and the Soldier as they walked towards the door, effectively drawing them back. The Soldier, as expected, twisted the Captain's arm and put him in a defensive stance. "Buck, stop! You're going to kill someone," Steven yelled. The Soldier slammed him on the ground, and the Archangel stepped back slightly. With his left arm, the soldier put a hole through the floor and grabbed some type of pack similar to her own. "I'm not going to kill anyone," he muttered. The Archangel, hearing the approaching footsteps, doubted that.

The Soldier effortlessly flung the pack. With a flick of her eyes, she saw the bag land on the cement floor of the roof, belonging to the building next to them. The Archangel shared a brief look with the Soldier, having an idea of his plan.

They had been trained the same, after all.

The Archangel turned to see a man slip in through the window, firing bullets. With an upbringing of her arm, she was immediately surrounded by a force field. The Soldier's arm, made bulletproof amongst other things, held up perfectly.

She became acutely aware of another aggressor; she watched from behind them as James-her target-pulled the Captain along somewhat like a rag doll, using the shield to block the incoming bullets.

Too late.

A bullet grazed her side, sending her force field down. The man, still shooting, was The Soldier's main concern. He launched the captain through the window, before turning to her, blue eyes wide. His expression was grim.

"Archangel." She waved a hand in response, motioning to the man sneaking in through the door. Face glistening with sweat, she leaned against the refrigerator, holding the wound. She could feel the flow of blood easing up, yet still drenching her fingers crimson red. She couldn't see the skin heal like patchwork under the fabric of her shirt, but she knew that was how it worked.

With bright eyes, she observed the Soldier throw a cinder block into the agent. The man fell back into a room, unconscious, most likely. The Archangel took a shaky breath, pressing her wound gently. She would have to heal much sooner than this if she was to escape with her target.

Moving away from the door, the Archangel approached the Soldier, who was waiting by the door. The gunshots were a bit alarming, but she stayed by his side, dark eyes calculating and blank. A loud shout, in German, she was too focused on the plan to decipher what it meant, signaled the Soldier. Before they could ram the door again, she watched as the man sent his metal fist through the wooden door, bringing it down as the men in the dark, black suits were prepared to bring the door down.

Now.

The Archangel had been, for lack of better words, dormant. But as she followed her target, the Winter Soldier, into battle, she was what she had been made into decades ago.

A killer. An angel smiting demons and humans alike, killing with a ruthlessness one would associate with darker forces.

The woman twisted the first man she saw, grabbing him by the neck despite her height and slamming his head repeatedly into the metal railing. Three times, and then she flung the body over. She could hear James grunt as he slammed another man into the ground, leaving him unconscious. This goal to only harm of his would be looked down upon. She made a mental note to put it in her notes for her handler.

The glass above her shattered annoyingly loud , sending the woman jumping to the side. The gunfire rang in her ears painfully, her enhanced hearing increasing the onslaught by ten-fold. The Soldier reached up and grabbed the man by the leg, using his metal arm to block himself from the array of bullets.

Target one.

She grabbed the wire he'd been hanging on, quickly shifting her hands and turning it into a garrote. Securing it around the man's neck, graciously ignoring the choking sounds and everything around her, she swung him over the rail. Nearly taking her with him.

A hand grabbed hold of the back of her neck, harshly flinging her back into the wall. She collided with the wall, feeling the blood soak through her short, dark hair. Her ears were ringing; couldn't hear. But she would be fine, of course, because the Soldier hadn't meant to harm her despite him knowing her mission and she would heal just fine, anyways.

After about a split second, she vaulted up, catching the Soldier by surprise. The Archangel saw the battering ram, but he didn't know. The man brought his elbow back, nearly catching her in her temple. She swiftly ducked, taking the ram from his hands and catching an incoming agent in the face. The man's head snapped to the side, falling backwards down the stairs. The Soldier muttered a faint, "Thanks," before vaulting over the side of the railing, another officer in tow. The assassin watched as her target slammed into the wall, using the officer as a bodily shield for the collision.

Without thinking, she vaulted over, as well, barely making it over. She launched herself over the red railing with her right arm, swinging her body so that her two feet caught another officer square in the chest. The man flew back, she could hear the quote snap of his sternum, and went down the stairwell. She grimaced, looking around for her target.

He wasn't far, but neither was Captain America.

The blonde man caught an officer as he was about to fall over the railing. "Come on, man," he groaned, heaving the agent back over. The Soldier didn't respond, only giving him a blank look as he drew an elbow back into the nose of a person behind him. She snorted lightly, before dashing towards them, the Captain, to be more specific, and drop kicking a man behind him. Steven, without thinking, most likely, caught her arm and heaved her upwards before she hit the ground. It must've been because she looked like this Victoria person, she concluded.

The Soldier grabbed a hold of the railing, twisting the red metal and using it as a rope as he swung into the oncoming officers. The Archangel followed, leaping off of the railing and landing in a crouched position. The impact sent a shock of pain through her leg, only to recede as she followed the Winter Soldier in his assault. The woman raised her hand to disarm one of the officers; but the Captain was already on it. The red, white, and blue shield imbedded itself into the wall, incapacitating the officer. The trio stood there for a moment, before James muttered under his breath, "Damn it," and leaped over the railing.

The Archangel sent one last look back up at the Captain before she went after him.

She grappled onto the railing as the Soldier stopped the speedy descent, yelling in pain as his metal arm bent the crimson metal. The Archangel yelped in pain as well, feeling the fiery pain spread throughout her upper arm and shoulder. The Soldier's cap had fallen off, letting loose his dark, tangled hair that fell to his shoulders. The Soldier went over first, looking back at the Archangel before he extended a metal hand. She took it, ignoring the sharp ache in her knee as it collided with the bent bar. The brunet man busted down the door easily, ignoring the blue stream of energy that had been about to do the same thing.

The Archangel gulped, following the Soldier easily. This mission had not went as plan; had the soldier not been compromised, she would've been able to take him back-The dark haired woman sighed, joining James Barnes as he started sprinting towards the rooftop opposite of them. "We have to go, Soldier-Soon," she yelled, but her words were drowned as the two-assassin and some what former assassin- leaped off of the building.

The building was much, much shorter than the one they'd been on. The drop sent the Archangel's stomach into her throat, but she could only cry out in pain for her Target as he harshly collided with the cement. She did as well, but her legs had taken the brunt of the impact. They were up and running again, the Soldier having successfully retrieved his back-pack. She assumed it must've been important, if he had come back to retrieve it instead of leaving immediately- she had seen the newspaper. But, it was fortunate for her that the man had decided against it, or else the Winter Soldier would've been in the wind.

The Archangel hadn't seen the new participant coming-but that didn't matter, because, apparently, they weren't after her.

The Soldier went tumbling, as did the two. The Archangel had been in close proximity with the dark haired man, but she hadn't been hit. Her target had subconsciously grabbed her arm, which had annoyed her, but her feelings didn't matter. She rose to her feet, watching as the person in the suit-vibrainum, most likely-made a show of revealing cold metal claws. The Archangel knew the name of this person, she had to, but that wasn't relevant. The Winter Soldier was hers, her mission, and no one would get in the way.

Her target sent the first punch, which the person easily dodged. With a swift kick, they sent the Soldier tumbling backwards. The woman blasted the person in the suit flying back with a blast of energy, but they didn't fall. The metal claws dug into the cement, slowing their descent backwards. Her target and the other person were too close in combat-another blast, and the risk of harming James Barnes increased too much for her liking. Her eyes narrowed in, watching as the Winter Soldier swung and ducked blows, as did their opponent in the black and silver suit.

Finally, the Target was sent flying back into a metal box by a kick from their opponent. The person went to dig their clawed fist into the Soldier's face, but the Archangel was there. She grabbed their arm, twisting it and shoving them backwards. The person yelled a wordless shout of frustration, tumbling backwards. "This is not your fight," the man-his voice gave it away-warned. The two rose to face each-other, the Archangel finally placing the black suit and accented words.

"I beg to differ, Your Highness."

The Black Panther caught her off guard, ducking for her legs and tossing her to the side. She landed harshly on the cement, skin rubbing off as she slid. With a pained groan, she sat up and watched as her target used a metal bar against the vibranium claws of the Black Panther. She unsteadily rose to her feet, hand braced against a metal box behind her for support. She weakly raised a hand, watching silently as a faint ball of blue energy was blasted towards the king of Wakanda. As soon as it hit, the blood came rushing out of her left nostril, coating her lips and neck in red.

She could distantly see Captain America running towards them, but she could hear the bullets from the aircraft.

It could've killed her, but she abruptly put a blue casing over the Winter Soldier, watching as the bullets brushed off the Black Panther's suit like pebbles. The same happened to James; bullets falling away from the force field like the circle of blue was shooting them itself.

The Falcon, Sam Wilson, best friend and comrade of Captain America, launched himself into the helicopter, sending it devastatingly off track. A frown came across her face as she watched; more people, more risk of her not bringing her Soldier back to Hydra-back to home. But she could face the odds-she had to. The Archangel began running-running after the Winter Soldier, the King of Wakanda hot on their heels. The Target jumped over the side of the building, and, legs and lungs burning profusely, she jumped right after him. She held her breath as she landed lightly on her feet, watching as T'Challa slid down the metal surface. She turned to face James, who nodded, before leaping down onto the hard cement side-walk below.

The Archangel ran as fast as her target did-she could hear the steady, nearly silent footfalls of the Black Panther behind them. Breathing heavy, she reached up with a sleeved arm and wiped away the blood from her lips. She could feel it in her mouth, the coppery taste with a hint of something else-something Hydra. That's when the bullets came, sending chunks of the sidewalk up around them. "Arch, stay near me!" James yelled, turning back towards her as he leaped over the side of-He's on the HIGHWAY!

The Archangel huffed angrily, vaulting over the side and running after her target. The blaring sound of car horns drove her faster-on the heels of the Soldier. The woman looked back, watching the black cars sporting blue and red lights slowly approached. With a small huff, she noted they matched the Captain's suit. Catching up to the dark haired man, she looked over at him slightly. "Can't you-can't you teleport us out of here?" he huffed, feet pounding against the hard dark road. "I cannot," she breathed back, "I used myself up using the forcefield to protect you-" The woman nimbly jumped to the side, avoiding getting her leg ran over by an oncoming car.

Her statement went without a reply as the Soldier leaped up and ran over a slower, perhaps green car. She huffed quietly, running harder to catch up with her target. The best thing for her to do was stay safe to him-she had to take him in, even it cost her greatly.

The wailing police sirens were filling her ears-she couldn't even hear James curse as he leaped to the side, avoiding the squadron of oncoming police cars. She didn't get the memo in time-the Archangel went tumbling over the windshield of a car, landing on her feet like some type of cat. Muscles burning, her entire body coated in a layer of sweat, she sprinted towards the Winter Soldier. Even she had to admit, watching him forcefully take a motorcycle from a civilian was impressive. "Arch, get on!" He shouted, slowing the bike so that she could mount it. Taking a risk, she leaped from her spot, barely getting on the motorcycle before the Winter Soldier revved it. She clung on tightly, ignoring the slight hiss of pain as she dug her fingernails into his abdomen.

Speeding down the highway, the Archangel threw a quick look back only to see the Black Panther steadily increasing. "James-Soldier, watch o-" The Soldier already knew, apparently, because he grabbed the King of Wakanda by the throat and dragged him about 5 feet down the highway, before T'Challa leaped over, tilting the bike sideways. Ginger sparks flew from the ground as James braced his metal prosthetic against the dark highway. With a harsh grunt, the Archangel palmed him in the face as hard as she could. The Black Panther flew back onto the road, the woman watching with a small, smug grin on her face. That would be revenge from the last time they'd met.

The Soldier pushed them back up, muttering a small, "Thank you," before revving the motorcycle yet again. As they reached the end of the tunnel, she reached into the Soldier's back pocket and pulled out a small, portable explosive. He stiffened in surprise, as she threw the thing onto the roof. She could feel the debris and sharp rock pelt her exposed flesh; the nap of her neck, the side of her cheek. Hearing the Black Panther behind them, the woman let out a wordless shout, but it was too late.

The Soldier and the Archangel went tumbling, neither one holding on to the other. She could feel the dark road harshly taking off layers of skin as she rolled, face brushing against the pavement more than once. Being so depleted, it wouldn't heal like it normally would've.

She tried to stop, to brace her hands against the road or maybe even grab onto something, but the nearest thing to her was James, and he was rolling even faster than she was. With a pained groan, she covered the side of her face with her sleeved arm. There were multiple tears in her clothing, which left some of the flesh on her forearm well and exposed. Pain was pain, she thought distantly, and this was all part of the mission. She would bring back the Winter Soldier, even if she didn't come back in one piece.

They came to a slow stop, T'Challa towering over James with his claws bared. She weakly raised an arm, pushing herself to exert any form of energy she had left in her. All that came was red, from her nose, from her eyes, and the Archangel could only lay on the road, her crimson blood staining the dark pavement. The Captain barreled into the King; she realized that Steven probably didn't even know who he was battling, who was after James Barnes with a much more deadly intent than her own. The former king of Wakanda was dead, and the new king was out for the blood of the Winter Soldier.

The police cars came tunneling in, surrounding the four in black cars with blue and red lights. James grabbed her arm, hauling her up roughly. All she could do was groan quietly, the black spots dancing in her eyes growing bigger and bigger as she bled. The Archangel had wasted herself, and James knew it. He could've killed her five ways from Sunday; anything could've killed her at that moment, but he didn't, for which she was thankful for. She didn't understand why the Soldier wasn't taking the opportunity to kill one of Hydra's best agents, the only one that could ever catch him-but she didn't need to.

A person in a metal suit-not Anthony Stark, perhaps his partner-crashed in from the sky, landing noisily. They rose to their feet, aiming what was undoubtedly some form of advanced weaponry in their hands. One at her and James, the other at the King.

"Stand down, now," the stranger-James Rhodes, yes, that was his voice-demanded. The Soldier, coated in the Archangel's bright red blood, only held the woman securely, not moving otherwise. The Captain lifted his shield onto his back, the thing secured with a metallic clang as he did so. "Congratulations, Cap. You're a criminal," Rhodes said coldly. Armed officers stormed behind them, shoving both James and the Archangel to their knees. He huffed, glancing over at the blood-stained woman with blank eyes. She only stared up at T'Challa, waiting for the dark-skinned man to reveal himself.

Raising his hands, the claws receded into his hands. The man revealed himself;lifting the tightly secured mask off his face. His dark eyes went down to her, narrowing immediately. "Archangel. This was not your fight," he murmured, words accented as always.

Now on the ground, she only glanced up at the king, a smirk on her face, revealing her bloodied teeth. "I beg to differ, Your Highness."

                                           ♢

The Archangel tilted her head back, letting the now-reduced blood seep back into her nostrils.

"So. Do you like cats?"

"Sam."

"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat, you don't want to know more?"

She glanced over at the king, face blank. "Your suit. Vibranium?" The captain inquired. When the Black Panther didn't respond, she did for him. "Yes." The Captain glanced over at her, blue eyes full of concern. Her brown eyes darted to the dark-skinned man behind her. The Falcon. He stared back, gaze questioning with a raised eyebrow.

'The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. Passed from warrior to warrior. Now because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So I ask you, as both warrior, and King, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?"

His question hung in the air, before she responded. "The Soldier is my mission, Your Highness. You would have to go through me."

She could feel the King's dark, thoughtful eyes burning into the side of her face. "And what is so special about you, Archangel?" He responded, voice with a lilt of amusement.

"They say that the Winter Soldier was the most deadly assassin in the world. They weren't far off, he's the second."

"And who's the first, might I ask?" The Falcon-Sam, asked slowly.

Not turning to face him, she answered. "I am."

A/N
I'm so sorry i made y'all wait so long for this piece of crap. I just really wanted to finish writing this sequence, is all. I'll eventually edit it.

SO yeah, there are a ton of unanswered questions. How do the King of Wakanda and a Hydra assassin know each-other? How does Steven know the Archangel, whom he called Victoria?

And, we have a problem.

Bucky remembers the Archangel, but the Archangel doesn't remember Bucky. Or herself.

One more thing!!! I'd like to give a huge thank you to my good friend ihadwingsonce  for making a moodboard for this story!!!:

TBH my favorite part is the eyeliner like y e s

I also made one but it sucks, so