Chapter 6 - Malice.Gloom

Arne's phone vibrated the moment he aimed at a terrorist. The sniper laid on the roof of a building in Mexico City, his rifle pointed towards one of the most wanted mafia heads in this area. He held his breath and pulled the trigger.

The head of the mafia guy jolted back, and he fell. The guards around him shouted in confusion and looked up to spot the shooter. Arne quickly disassembled his gun into its parts and packed them into the bag. He left the building and vanished into the crowd of people forming around the dead man and the guards that would probably be executed for not protecting their assigned person. Their fault. When he reached his car, his phone vibrated again. The number was suppressed, and the message only contained a few words.

"KATTA - SOS - STARK TOWER - UNHARMED - 5".

Arne pressed his lips together and got into the car. He'd known it the moment Clint had appeared at their BBQ that it meant trouble.

Quickly, he answered the message. "Available - 4." It seemed like he'd make a trip to New York.

〰〰〰

Magnus looked at his computer screen and processed the messages he'd received from the Harlovsens. Arne would be in the safe house in four hours. Erik and Olaf also were on their way. The others were too engaged to help. But three men would be more than enough.

In a rush, Magnus prepared everything for their arrival. His personnel on-site would prepare another safe flat and get the needed weapons and equipment to do this. They broke into secured buildings before, but the Stark tower would be a challenge.

〰〰〰

Bucky stood in front of Katta's cell door. Through the bars, he saw her lying on the mattress, her face averted. Nerves were settling in. He'd done countless interrogations before. Most of them as the winter soldier, but in general, he'd gotten everybody to talk in the end.

Katta, however, promised to be a challenge. She was nothing like anybody he'd met before. Bucky didn't know what would await him once he started the conversation.

They had been trained a similar way, so she would probably know his tactics and how to react to them. He entered the key combination, and the door slowly rattled open. Beforehand, two chairs had been placed in the middle of the room. He took one, waiting for Katta to react, but she just laid on the bed, her back rising and sinking in regular motions.

"Will you take a seat?" he finally asked. Katta slowly rolled on her back and looked at him.

"Don't feel like it."

Bucky swallowed an annoyed answer and sighed. He leaned back and watched her staring at the ceiling.

"It was a bad nightmare last night, wasn't it?" he said. Katta didn't answer.

"In my first night in the tower, I also had one. I was ready to beat my way back to the base when Steve found me and chained me to the elevator. I came back to myself in the morning. The soldier is still in my brain. Somewhere. Waiting for a weak second to take over again."

He watched Katta, but she kept staring at the ceiling, her mouth only slightly twitching. Bucky leaned forwards, his elbows on his knees.

"When I was captured again by H.Y.D.R.A, all they had to say were the activation words to make me their mindless weapon again." He made a short pause. "Every time I look at myself in the mirror, I can still see the thing they had made me."

Katta turned her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't spot. She bitterly chuckled while she raised her shirt, revealing long scars all over her lower stomach. Bucky's eyes widened as he took them in. They were immense.

"You really think you could make me speak by telling me things I already know, Barnes?" She sat upright and looked him directly in the eyes.

"That you know because you are not the only soldier in your family?" Bucky asked, not breaking the eye contact for a second. He felt like he was going somewhere. It seemed he was wrong.

"That I know because I've been through this fucking hell," Katta yelled. She now sat at the edge of her bed. Her hands gripped the edge so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Bucky waited for a few seconds before speaking up again in a quiet tone.

"As I've been. There is a way out, Katta. We're offering you the possibility to redress. To pay for the lives you've taken when you were not yourself. A possibility to avenge." He moved forwards on his chair and faced her. She remained silent for a bit.

"And if I said yes. Who will guarantee me that I'll not get shot the moment I drop my guard. Wouldn't it be much easier for you to take me down and eliminate the danger?"

Her words took him by surprise. Bucky paused shortly, thinking about the question.

"That is everything I need to know," she said.

"But that is not what we–," he contradicted.

"Think for one moment, Barnes," she interrupted him vehemently, waving him off. "You and I. We both are too dangerous. Do you think you would be part of the team if it weren't for Captain moral being your friend?"

Bucky pressed his lips together, listening to her words. She stood up from the bed and came closer. He also came to his feet.

"This." She stretched his arm out, touching his metal hand. "Is what people are afraid of. We are what people are afraid of."

She stepped back, averting her eyes. Bucky turned around and unlocked the door. He didn't look back as he left and got back to the conference room. He opened the door and entered.

"Would you mind telling us what that was?" Natasha asked as he took a seat. They had been watching the interrogation over the security cam in the cell and listened to every word.

Bucky leaned back, huffing a breath. "She wasn't wrong, was she? Who guarantees us that we won't get executed when things become too difficult," he said, surprised about his own words.

"We. Perfect. She already turned you around." Tony pointed at him accusingly.

"I think we already proved to you that we wouldn't let you down," Steve said, hurt in his voice.

"I get her point. Why should she trust us after we forced her into a cell?" Bruce asked, taking off his glasses. Clint stood in the corner and slightly chuckled as he watched his teammates fight. Tony turned around and looked at him. "What is so funny, Barton?"

He looked up, shrugging. "The fact that Katta didn't even need to leave her cell to make you fight," he answered, smiling lightly. The Avengers looked at each other before Natasha started shaking her head. "Hell, she's good."

"Let's take the afternoon off and not address the subject for the rest of the day." Steve sighed, receiving agreeing nods. "We need to get our head clear."

〰〰〰

Olaf strapped the knives onto his thighs before turning around to face his brothers. "We need a distraction manoeuvre to enter the building. I've been thinking about an explosion in the higher tower so that we can enter from the ground."

"I can do that. They know me best, so I should stay out of their sight," Erik said. After his conversation with Romanov, he felt responsible for her being caught.

"Fine, I'll go to the cells and free her while you have my back," Arne said to Olaf.

"Sure thing. As soon as she is free, I hand her the weapons, and we flee over the fire stairs." Olaf pulled the hood over his head. He was dressed in baggy clothes, while Arne had his business suit. Erik wore sports clothing, looking like he would go for a run.

〰〰〰

Clint was in the kitchen as a heavy shaking went through the building, making the glasses in the cabinet clash. He quickly put down the bottle he held in his head and activated his earpiece.

"What the fricking hell?" he heard Tony shout. A few seconds later, he saw him flying outside the building in his suit. Dark clouds of dust started lowering down to the window of his level.

"I can surely say that this wasn't a gas explosion," Clint heard Tony speak through the earpiece. A second explosion shattered the building, a level deeper.

"Can anyone spot the source of this destroy?" Bruce nervously asked, joining the conversation through the earpieces. Clint left the kitchen and ran to his room.

"If I didn't know better, I would say Katta's bombs from her last visit set up on their own," he panted, opening his wardrobe. He needed to get all the armour he could get.

"I have spotted two unknown individuals entering the tower, Mister Stark," F.R.I.D.A.Y sounded through the earpieces.

"Then, block their way," Tony commanded, surprised.

"I am afraid they hacked my system, sir," the AI said as apologetic as an AI could sound.

Clint cursed, strapping on his bow. "I'd bet that there are a few angry Harlovsen brothers, ready to kick our arses."

"Alright, never mind the explosion. Everybody quickly gets ready to fight. I feel like this will get ugly," Tony answered, landing back in the tower.

Meanwhile, Bucky ran down to the cells. He'd been in the training rooms only a few doors away. As he turned around the corner, he saw a blond giant working on the electric cell lock. Bucky grabbed into his holster and pointed a gun at his back.

"Freeze," he yelled. The man slowly turned around. The resemblance between him and Katta existed without a doubt.

"Step aside, Barnes. You don't want to be scraped up from the ground," he stated, nodding at Bucky. Katta looked at him from behind bars, a suppliant look in her eyes.

"This isn't about you, Barnes. Turn around and go. Now," she demanded.

"Sorry, not possibl–,"

An arm grabbed his shoulder, pulling Bucky back. He grunted as a sharp punch was delivered into his rips.

"Hurry," the deep voice behind him yelled. Bucky watched the man open Katta's cell, and she stepped out, taking two knives from him. Bucky cursed under his breath, bringing his elbow back. The person behind him grunted, and Bucky turned around, dodging a hit from a man in a business suit. He also had blond hair but was slightly taller than the other man.

Quickly, he tapped his earpiece twice. "In the cells," he panted.

"Arne," Katta yelled. "Come on."

The businessman pulled out a gun and cocked it at Bucky. As he was about to shoot, Steve stormed into the room and threw his shield at him. Bucky glanced at him, thankful before they started attacking the Harlovsen brothers.

"Hurry, there are coming more," Katta suddenly shouted. Erik entered the room and cursed.

"We're not here to play games. Come on!" He lunged forwards and pulled Steve away from Arne, crashing him to the ground. He delivered a few hits against his ribcage until he was barely moving anymore.

Meanwhile, Katta attacked Bucky and brought a knife down to his chest. He caught her wrist in the movement and tried to prevent her from stabbing him. Bucky heard Arne curse as more footprints sounded through the corridor.

"RUN!" Katta yelled while still forcing the knife down. "MALICE.GLOOM," she pressed through her teeth. Bucky watched her looking up at Arne, who curtly nodded. The brothers pulled out masks and ignited some kind of gas.

Bucky felt the gas floating through his lungs and saw that Katta was also struggling on top of him. He twisted her wrist and made her drop the weapon.

Getting up, he tried to follow the brothers, that had already left the room but was stopped by Katta, who clasped one of his ankles. His eyes became heavy, and seconds later, he felt himself falling and fainting.