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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐍𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠

HYDRA Base, Siberia

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Allie wakes and is greeted with darkness as she is too tired to even open her eyes. She feels the sweat drip down her pale skin and begs her teeth to stop their incessant chattering. Her chest is searing with pain, becoming tenfold as agonizing with each breath that she takes.

So she just lays there with her eyes forced shut, trying to muster up any of the remaining strength that she has left.

After what seems like forever, Allie's eyes languidly flicker open and her head thumps with immobilizing pain, making her immediately regret her decision. The world blurs and she finds herself unable to focus on anything but the stabbing pain in her eyes.

While she was out, HYDRA must have taken off her restraints because she labouriously lifts her hands up and buries her palms into her eye sockets, trying to stop the pain. For what reason they unchained her, she does not know. And she doesn't have it in her to think about it either.

Instead, she feels what she thinks is cold tears drip down her face as she tries to stop the pain in her eyes. She wants to tear her eyes out of their sockets just to rid herself of the incessant aches.

But she knows that if she is in this much pain, it means the serum worked. To what extent, she doesn't know. But whatever they injected her with cannot be good. It's HYDRA after all.

The serum seems to be the root of all her problems. It's making her feel like her insides are being torn apart piece by piece. That her eyes are being gouged out of their sockets and that her head is being bashed against a concrete wall. And if this is anything like Bucky went through months ago when they were back at HYDRA, she knows that there are many more serums to come.

But there is something about her that feels different. Aside from the overwhelming pain that she is in, she knows that her body is also suffering from some other effect of the serum. And that effect doesn't feel normal.

Something is wrong.

Very wrong.

And she wishes they just killed her instead.

After a few moments that she spends recollecting her thoughts, Allie slowly pushes herself up into a sitting position, vaguely aware of her surroundings. Her vision swims in and out of clarity but as she looks down at her hands, she can see clear as day, that they are coated in thick, scarlet blood.

And she screams.

Her hands go straight back up to her eyes and she feels the cool stream of blood that flows from her eyes. She clamps her hands down tightly, trying to stop the onflow of the crimson substance that pours out of her body endlessly.

She screams and screams in fear of what is happening to her.

Heavy footsteps soon echo into the room in a flurry. White coats whip around her and grab ahold of her emaciated limbs. They forcefully pry her trembling fingers away from her eyes and stare in shock as they flicker vibrantly silver in color.

"Ms. Williams, please restrain yourself from moving-"

"Don't touch me!" She shrieks, and unbeknownst to her, her eyes turn completely silver as she struggles against their hold. "Get away from me!"

At her words, the scientist collapses, clutching at his head and screaming bloody murder. His screaming rivals her own as seizes on the ground. His eyes squeeze shut as his face turns bright red, with short wheezes pushing past his lips as he keeps screaming.

She lets out a loud cry as his body soon stops moving, with a small pool of blood dripping from his ears and nose. He just died, just like that. All within a matter of seconds.

And the only thought that runs through her head is "Did I just do that?"

Did she just kill that man?

And then the alarms go off.

It is barely audible over the other doctor's shrill screams, but it is loud enough to break Allie from her trance. She turns to the man, her eyes shining silver, and watches as he too falls to the floor, writhing in pain.

Allie and the doctor's screams chorus together as she watches him clutch at his head, his face turns bright red as his nails dig into his temples. His body starts seizing just like his colleague. Tears falling down his eyes as he wails out in pain.

She stares at his body in shock, thinking"what the hell is happening?"

How the hell did those two men just up and die without her even lifting a finger?

Her thoughts don't seem to linger for too long as she is soon alerted to a group of soldiers who come striding into the room, guns raised and pointing at Allie. She feels fear rise in her throat as she pushes herself from the table and stumbles back into the corner of the room, barely able to hold herself up.

Two of the soldiers break away from the group and stride towards her, guns raised with their fingers tensing over the trigger. But they only are able to grasp ahold of her wrists before they too, feel the agonizing pain in their heads.

As they fall to their knees, Allie cowers even further into the corner. Tears drip down her gaunt face and she looks down at the men in horror.

She has become a monster.

The soldiers that stand at the other side of the room look at her in terror. They recognize a freak when they see one and the sight that lays in front of them does not ease their nerves.

This frail young girl has just littered the floor with 4 dead bodies, all who are laying in their own pools of blood, with only a look.

But the doctors that stand behind the soldiers look at her in awe. They created a miracle. "Her powers have begun manifesting. The patient is unstable and highly dangerous. She requires immediate sedation until the process is complete."

The soldiers glance at each other in fear before they slowly inch closer to the quivering girl.

"Don't come near me! S-stay away from me!" She warns them, not bothering to hide the stutter in her voice. Even she is afraid of herself.

Whatever she did to kill those 4 men somehow stops as one of the men advances towards Allie and hastily grabs ahold of her weak body before he jams a syringe into her neck.

Allie howls out in pain as she immediately feels the effect of the chemical workings its way throughout her body. Her legs go weak and she would have fallen face first into the ground if it wasn't for the soldier that injected her with the sedative catching her.

It's as if all her strength drains from her body, leaving her with no option but to be forcefully dragged back onto the table like a rag doll.

Not taking any chances, the soldiers restrain her limbs as she resists the urge to let her eyes fall back into the back of her head. She briefly catches some of the words that the doctors whisper to each other in Russian but her she finds herself unable to comprehend what they are saying.

"мастер! / Master!" The doctors say, halting their movement as Allie cranes her head and catches sight of Mikael staring down at her with a grief-stricken look. He walks over to her and takes her hand in his, holding her tightly as if she was going to fade away into nothing.

"She's much more powerful than what we expected. She even bypassed the vibranium helmets that the soldiers were wearing." The doctors inform him and he nods briefly, keeping his eyes trained on the girl laying down in front of him.

"Well fix them, make them stronger." He orders.

"да, мастер. / Yes, master." They murmur before they hastily turn back around to finish whatever it was that they were doing.

Allie furrows her brows as she looks up at Mikael who gives her a pained smile. Her body feels as if it is floating on air and her mind is quickly succumbing to unconsciousness. She struggles against her restraints, pulling with all her might which makes a few of the soldiers snicker.

"Mikael..." She begs, her voice fading into a slur as the serum dulls her senses.

"мой дорогой / My darling." He whispers and he sweeps a piece of her dirty brown hair behind her ear. "I'm so sorry that you have to endure all this pain, it hurts me to even see you like this. But it'll be worth it. You'll see." He assures her, tightening his grip on her hand comfortingly.

"What have you done to me?" She groans, barely able to keep her eyelids from falling shut.

"I have made you stronger, faster, and more powerful than any other human being walking on this earth." He tells her, looking down at her with pride. "You, мой дорогой, will be the new face of HYDRA." He grins. "I have made you into a miracle."

"Mikael, what have you done?" Is the last thing she says before she fades into unconsciousness.

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It wasn't long before the Howling Commando's timestamp for grieving had been used up.

They all had wanted to get back into it and take their minds off the ever-present absence that hung over their heads like a dark cloud. They were ready to get back to their jobs which persisted of kicking ass and saving the world.

They wanted to get back to what Allie would have wanted them to do.

But it was hard when they felt the absence of their favorite ass-kicking comrade. When they yearned for her fiery temper and witty comments.

They missed her, and going on missions didn't make it any easier.

It had taken them all morning to hike up the face of the mountain. They battled against strong, snowy winds and the jagged, uneven edges of the mountainside. The harsh gale whipped at their faces, making their eyes tear up and pushing their hair in front of their faces. The pure white clouds above them that swirled in the sky seemed to get closer and closer with every step that they took.

It took them half a day to reach the summit of the mountain. Thankfully, the zip line had previously been fastened on top of the peak, providing them with a way to get onto the train as they were all too tired to do anything once they finished their hike. They also had been gifted all the right gear to wear that would prevent them from dying a cold, painful death in the Austrian Alps.

So they spent the last few hours nestling themselves into their warmer gear, trying to regain some very desirable heat in their bodies. But even now, hours later, they never got to feel the warmth that they desired, Instead, all they feel is cold and fear.

They once thought that the cold would be the scariest thing about this mission. But now they realize that it isn't.

It is the dizzying drop that sits between the jagged peaks of the snow capped mountains. The abyss causes the men more fear than anything else. Because anyone who falls down that is guaranteed a certain death.

It is No Man's Land.

But they have no time to focus on their fear of the chasm because the train was due to arrive any minute now. The whole group of them are crowded together over the small ledge of the ravine, awaiting the dreaded Schnellzug train.

Falsworth stands off in the corner, looking out through his binoculars as he awaits the train. Jones and Morita are sitting down, huddled over the radio trying to tune into the trains own radio line. Dum Dum stands at the far end of the ledge, looking down into the endless crevasse between the mountains.

And Bucky and Steve stand together overlooking the zip line, both praying for a successful mission.

Bucky ignores the incessant noise of the radio behind him as he stands next to Steve. He too, still feels the loss of Allie and the ache in his chest has not subsided. But he no longer feels the same grief that he did weeks ago.

He is still grieving, and probably will for the rest of his life, but he doesn't feel that intense anger or sadness when her name is brought up. Instead, he just longs for her. He wishes that they were able to live their lives together. That they had more time.

But they don't.

She was taken too early. She had so much more life to live and things to see. But it was all robbed from her.

She was robbed from him.

The wind suddenly whips against his face, thankfully breaking him from his depressing thoughts. It is almost as if he is being told off by mother nature herself, and deciding that he would follow her orders, he speaks out to Steve.

"Remember when I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?" He says, showing a rare smile as he remembers the fond memories of easier times.

"Yeah, I and I threw up?" Steve responds, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"This isn't payback, is it?" Bucky jokes which somewhat shocks Steve who has gotten used to 'severely depressed' and 'scarily quite' Bucky Barnes.

"Now why would I do that?" He laughs, shaking his head slightly before he lets out a sad sigh.

"Are you sure you are up for this Buck? No one is going to be mad or upset if you aren't ready." He tells Bucky as he turns to face him and places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Bucky keeps his gaze trained resolutely down on the train tracks before he turns back to Steve impassively. "I'm fine. It was time for a change of scenery anyway."

Before Steve has another chance to make sure Bucky is fine, Jones speaks up from behind them. "We were right. Dr. Zola's on the train. Hydra dispatcher gave him permission to open up the throttle. Wherever he's going, they must need him bad."

Bucky looks down at Jones, clenching his teeth in anger. Yes, he isn't angry over Allie's death anymore. But he is still very angry at Jones for his horrible treatment of her when she was still alive. However, he keeps his mouth firmly closed shut as Steve puts his helmet on his head and walks over to the zip line.

Jones' claims are then corroborated by Falsworth who spots the train coming around the corner of one of the mountains through his binoculars.

"Let's get going because they're moving like the devil." He comments in his thick British accent.

Steve then pulls down on the handles of the zip line, getting ready to descend down onto the train. "We only got about a 10-second window. You miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield." He warns the boys.

"Mind the gap," Falsworth replies.

"Better get moving, bugs!" Dum Dum adds, enjoying the thrill of this new mission.

The boys then fall silent as they wait for their window of opportunity to get onto the train and take in Doctor Arnim Zola. True to their word, the boys only have to wait a few seconds before the train comes zooming into direct sight.

"Maintenant! / Now!" Dernier yells to Steve who then pushes off the icy ledge and flies down the zip line. He is then followed by Bucky and Jones who all join him in speeding down the abyss in pursuit of the train.

The world blurs as they hurtle down the zip lines. Snow flies in front of their eyes and they all inwardly pray that they do not become 'bugs on a windshield'.

But alas, they all make it onto the train. They let go of their handles once they are safely on top of the carriages and fall to their knees, grasping ahold of anything that will keep them from falling down into the deep caverns below.

They don't even have time to regain their balance before they jump up and climb over the speeding carriages. Running headfirst into the strong Austrian wind to find the entrance into the train.

Thankfully, they find a ladder leading down into one of the carriages not far ahead and Steve and Bucky hurriedly climb down it. Jones remains on top of the train, with his gun held tightly in his hands in case something goes wrong. Neither of the two men give Jones a second glance before they leave him at the mercy of the winter storm.

Bucky and Steve enter the dark carriage that is thankfully not as cold as the dreary weather outside. The room itself is only barely illuminated by the small bars of light that shine down from the ceiling. The middle of the carriage is occupied by rows and rows of shelves which all seem to be filled with concealed weapons and other HYDRA equipment.

With a small nod to each other, the boys walk silently down the aisles, weapons raised and ready to shoot. The only sound that is heard is the reverberating noise of the wheels moving along the train tracks which sends chills down their spines.

Because when you can't hear your enemy, your enemy can hear you.

When they reach the end of the carriage, Steve gives Bucky a hesitant look before he moves into the next one. Bucky turns and doubles checks that his compartment is empty before he follows Steve.

But then the doors suddenly slam shut, separating Bucky and Steve.

Steve slams himself against the doorway, returning Bucky's frantic look with one of his own. But then Bucky turns around abruptly and Steve is forced to watch on as Bucky takes on a group of HYDRA soldiers all alone.

But Steve has no time to help Bucky as he is greeted with his own HYDRA soldier who has his own bazooka looking gun aimed at Steve's chest. Steve glances at the man's black exoskeleton suit which emits an all too familiar blue light and jumps out of the way when he realizes the type of ammunition that is going to be fired his way.

The two shots miss Steve by a couple of feet as he goes crashing behind a pile of chests that line the tin wall of the train. Steve huddles down as low as he can while he formulates some sort of plan that doesn't end with him being turned into a pile of blue dust.

But while Steve comes up with a plan of his own, Bucky is jumping into action and firing bullet after bullet at the group of soldiers with his trusty rifle. They go round for round with Bucky who narrowly missing getting shot as he too, jumps behind a pile of boxes that are leaning against the tin wall.

He is unsuccessful with taking down the two remaining soldiers and quickly runs out of bullets in his rifle. Swearing beneath his breath, he pulls his small handgun from its holster and when the shooting ceases for a moment, he returns with his own assault as he darts across to the opposite wall.

Thankfully, he manages to take down one of the soldiers, but he is still under constant fire from the remaining guard. He fires round after round at the man until he hears the dreaded 'click' of an empty bullet chamber.

He hides back behind the boxes and looks up to the roof in panic. The HYDRA soldier is soon going to realize that Bucky is out of ammo which means that he is a dead man. Fear washes over him at the thought.

But he also can't help but feel ready to die. He has had enough of this shitty world with all the shitty things that keep happening to good people. First, there was Steve's mom who died in one of the most painful ways possible and left behind an orphaned Steve. Then the war broke out and killed millions of undeserving people just because power hungry people felt superior to that of others.

And then there was Allie.

He will admit that she did have a troubling past where her morals had been compromised because she didn't know any better. But ever since he had been locked in that cell with Allie, he saw firsthand the effort that she put into right her wrongs. She showed him the goodness in the world and she gave him a love that can never be replaced.

And right as he is just about ready to accept his early death, the door opens and a slightly beaten up Steve chucks him a new handgun. Steve's own problem was seemingly dealt with so he wastes no time and rushes into the room ready to help Bucky.

Steve slams one of the longer boxes on the shelf with his shield and it nearly lands on top of the HYDRA soldier who narrowly misses it by jumping out of the way. Bucky then fires a single bullet into the man who falls to the floor, joining the rest of his dead team.

Bucky takes two strides and joins Steve who is staring at the pile of bodies. "I had him on the ropes." He tells him tiredly.

"I know you did," Steve responds between breaths before he notices the sounds of a gun being fired up behind them.

"Get down!" He shouts, pushing Bucky behind him as he hoists up his shield to protect them from the blast.

Unfortunately, neither of them had time to brace themselves for the impact of the shot which sends both of them flying back and into the floor. The force of the explosion rips a hole in the side of the carriage, exposing them all to the harsh Austrian weather.

Bucky glances over at his friend who is struggling to push himself up to his feet. Knowing that the blow took a toll on Steve, Bucky scrambles up to his own feet and hastily picks up Steve's shield. He fires a round of bullets at the man but is unable to hit any exposed body parts.

Before Bucky even has a chance to react, another blue blast is sent his way and it collides with Steve's shield. The force of it sends Bucky flying out of the carriage and he barely manages to grasp ahold of a steel bar that looks like it won't be able to support his weight for long.

He clings onto the bar with all the strength that he can muster and searches for something that he can secure his footing on. He faintly hears the sound of Steve's shield colliding with something, more than likely the HYDRA soldier, but he pays no mind to it as he struggles to find a way out of his current predicament.

"Bucky!"

Bucky turns his head to the sound and sees Steve climbing out on the adjacent steel bar, trying to reach for him. The wind whips at his face which makes it harder to see as his eyes begin to tear up. Or maybe it is the fact that the reality of his death is becoming much clearer as he struggles to maintain his hold on the bar.

"Hang on! Grab my hand!" Steve shouts, which is barely audible over the creaking of the metal bar that Bucky is holding on to. Internally swearing, Bucky attempts to move towards Steve but is stopped when the bar cracks under the pressure and detaches from the tin wall.

Bucky's screams echo into the chasm when the bar is finally severed from the wall, plunging him into the rugged mountain tops below. He is enraptured in a moment of dizzying confusion, still holding his hand out towards Steve as he plunges to his death.

The world spins around him and his mind begins to shut down. But before everything transforms into the bitter darkness, he remembers Allie's smile. And it gives him a brief moment of happiness before his eyes close and the world turns black.

Steve hangs on, rendered silent as he is forced to watch his best friend descend down to his death. Too stunned to move or say anything at all. When Bucky's body is no longer visible, he turns his head away in pain and scrunches his eyes closed. Trying to block the memory of Bucky's deafening scream from his mind.

He feels his heart shatter in his chest, as he is forced to watch another one of his loved ones die right before his eyes. To hear his pleas for help and not be able to do anything about it at all.

He can't help but let the tears fall from his eyes as he grieves over the loss of another friend. Another person that he could have saved.

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A/N - Hey everyone!!!

I'm so so sorry that I broke my promise of not updating :(

Tbh I had a bit of writer's block and was also majorly stressing about my mid-year exams (which by the way, were not fun.)

We are officially into the end(game) of Tricks! There's one more chapter left before the teaser for book 2! I'm glad I no longer have to hide that there will be a sequel to Tricks and I'm pretty sure you guys will be able to figure out what the plot will be.

ALSO, THE DEVILISHLY HANDSOME RICHARD MADDEN WILL BE PLAYING MIKAEL BAUMMAN!!!!

But without further ado, let's get onto the questions,

1. What did you think of the chapter?

2. What are your predictions for the end of the story?

3. What are your predictions for book 2?

4. How was your day?

Once again, thanks for reading and have a beautiful rest of your day!

- Grace xx