Chereads / IRIS CRAWSEN:HYDRA'S GLORIOUS MISTAKE / Chapter 10 - 2024: The Search

Chapter 10 - 2024: The Search

Bucky sits in a hallway, running his thumb across a small picture. "Barnes..." Sam calls from a doorway, "I've got something." Bucky tucks the photo back into his pocket and walks into the darkened room. "Your girl has been busy..." Sam says reluctantly, "Looks like SWORD has been keeping track of her for the last six months." Bucky picks up a photo, "This...this looks like a former HYDRA base." he says with concern, "The place looks like a war-zone. Did SWORD do this?" Bucky questions. "Apparently, this happened five years ago. Shortly after the snap, and you're right. This was a former HYDRA base, was used to infiltrate in their resources. Someone got word of some teenager begin kidnapped from a small town in New Zealand and was being held there. The victim said a woman went in and tore the place down. The teenager said he was sworn to secrecy by his heroine." Sam says with speculation. Bucky thumbs through the photos of the destruction, "Definitely looks like something a ticked off Iris would do. But it doesn't explain where she's been the last 65 years."

"Hold up..." Sam says quietly. Bucky looks over to Sam with concern, "What is it?" Bucky questions. "There's a photo here. Is that a scar?" Sam says turning his laptop towards him. "She didn't have this when I saw her two days ago. Who put this out?" Bucky asks. "It appears SWORD put this out about a month ago. This is a photo they retrieved from security footage. Apparently she assassinated a former military official in Slovakia. They found him and five of his loyal guards dead. There are theories suggesting he was involved in trafficking for some secret cult." Sam replies. "Appears she's been doing some dark bidding, man."

Bucky shakes his head, "Iris is not a cold-blooded killer. If she targeted someone, it's because there is a motive. We have to find her and bring her in before SWORD does. She see's some big armed group coming after her, she'll level them. Especially if she thinks it will lead her back to a life of chains." Sam sits in a chair, folding his arms, "I know you've told me about your guys' history. But if y'all were that close why wouldn't she reach out to you? Why would she lone ranger all this." Sam shoots his questions bluntly. Bucky is at first defensive, but lowers his guard, "I had heard a rumor about a spear wielding maiden who glowed blue with fury about a month after we all returned. The night after Tony's funeral, I swore I saw her standing behind me. But by the time I turned around, she was gone. You'll think I'm crazy, but since returning from the blip, I feel like I can sense her. At first, I thought she was just haunting me, but now, after seeing her." Bucky lowers his head, ashamed of opening up such a sensitive part of himself. Sam shakes his head, smiling, " Got say, I never knew you had so much going on in that ancient head of yours." Sam leans forward in the chair, "How do we find her? She knew you were looking for her. She told you to back off. How do we help someone who doesn't want to be helped?" Sam and Bucky hear a subtle chime, Sam turns around his laptop, "What is it?" Bucky asks. "Apparently, she took out a couple of bad guys last night. Thwarted an attempted kidnapping. Call came in two hours ago." Sam says looking up to Bucky. "Bring that security photo. Let's go do some questioning ourselves." Bucky replies.

Bucky and Sam arrive to the scene, waiting for the local law enforcement to clear the area. They take a seat at an outside patio of a restaurant across from the scene of the crime. "That must be the victim." Sam says sipping from his drink. Bucky watches intently, "At least she didn't implode the place." he murmurs softly. They watch the young man describe the events vividly to the cops, weaving his tale of a glowing woman with a iron spear coming to his rescue. "I'm telling you the truth! Seriously! Y'all have seen the Avengers! The attack on New York! Thanos! And you still look at me like I'm whacked out!" the young man shouted. "Just calm down, kid. We'll get this figured out. We've run a report through all the appropriate channels and someone will be in contact with you shortly. If you see anything suspicious, call us." the officer said nonchalantly, handing him a card. The last of the officers clear the scene and the skiddish young man returns inside the building.

Sam and Bucky make their way to the building, slowly walking in as their feet crunch on the shattered glass. "Stop right there!" a voice shouts. Bucky and Sam throw their hands up as the frightened young man rounds the corner with a shot gun. "I saw you at the bistro across the street. You with them? The men who broke in here last night?" he demands, his voice shaking. Sam clears his throat, "No...actually...We're..." Sam is cut off by the young man, "You're The Falcon..." he says lowering his weapon. "Yeah, I am. And this is James Barnes, also known as the..." Sam replies before the young man interrupts, "The Winter Soldier!" he says excitedly. "We heard about what happened. Overheard you telling the officers about your rescuer." Sam says with assurance, "Care to tell us about it?". The young man lowers his gun, sighing, "I don't know what else to tell. Last night I was closing my shop, I turned the sign, came back here to count my drawer, I turned around and there were three men dressed in black tactical gear, armed very heavily. I thought they were going to rob me. They asked me my name, I told them, the next thing I know their starting to zip tie me and put a hood on my head." the man wipes his face, "I thought they were going to kill me..." Sam and Bucky look at each other, "Have you trouble here before with anyone? Any known enemies?..." Sam asks, the young man shakes his head, "No, it's really a quite neighborhood. I don't have a lot of friends. My mom and pop left me this store. Don't really have time for friends." He replies with a bit of embarrassment. "These men, they say anything while they were here? Names, orders, etc.?" Bucky ask coldly. "They did speak amongst each other, but I couldn't understand them. Almost sounded like Latin." he answers. "You donate blood, recently?" Bucky asks bluntly. The young man looks up, almost confused by the question, "Yeah...Yeah about a week ago. At a mobile blood drive truck. Why? What has that got to do with what happened here?" he answered. Sam and Bucky share an intense realization with each other. Sam unfolds the wanted photo, "This the woman who came to your rescue?" handing the photo to the man. "It's, it's hard to say. She was glowing. Blue, like really bright blue. She moved so fast. She made sure I was ok, then disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke and static." he answered handing the photo back to Sam. Bucky sighs, taking out a photo from his jacket pocket, "How about this? This the woman you saw?" handing his small photo to the man, Sam casting a confused stare to Bucky. "Yeah...Yeah that's her alright. She cleaned house with them. Her hair was longer and braided, and her skin was glowing. But I definately remember those eyes." he answers, handing back the photo to Bucky. "Thank you for your time." Bucky says quickly turning away and leaving hastily. Sam jogs out trying to catch up to him, "Hey! Wait a minute!" he shouts. Bucky slows down and turns to a winded Sam, "What did you show him?" Sam asks confused. Bucky hands Sam his small painted photo.

"Where did you get this?" Sam asks, Bucky takes back the photo tucking it in his pocket, "Shuri. While I was in Wakanda, having my brain scrambled around, I was having dreams about her, Iris. I described her to Shuri and she um...She made this for me to keep. As a way to keep seeing her face." Bucky replies, his voice tightening, "Iris is on to something. Big. We need to lure her in, figure out what she's onto and how we can help her before SWORD deems her an enemy." Sam sighs, rubbing his chin, "How do we lure her in? From what I'm seeing man, she's a walking time bomb like you used to be." Sam says with caution. "Me...We'll lure her in with me." Bucky says with a grin.

Bucky sits in an empty apartment often used as a safe house for SHIELD. "You got a copy, Barnes." Sam chatters through an ear piece, "Yeah, I hear ya." Bucky responds. "You sure this is going to work?" Sam asks. "If it doesn't I least I can say I tried." Bucky responds. He lowers down his phone next to a speaker, "Iris, I know you have been keeping a watch on me. Especially after the other day. If you can hear me...Please...I just want to talk." Bucky says with hesitation in his voice. He leans down and presses his phone screen, "Do you remember this song Iris?" Bucky whispers as 'Dream a little Dream of Me' begins to play softly. "We were training...this song was playing somewhere in the hive bunker...it'd echoed throughout the halls. I asked you for a dance in the middle of our sparring session..." Bucky voices starts to tremble, "I remember the sweet scent of your hair...Your small hands in mine...", he goes silent for a moment, "...I've missed you so much, Iris..." he whispers. He looks up as the song ends and he is left in silence. He shakes his head and rises from the chair frustrated, "Sam...it didn't work...I" is all he gets out when he feels a breeze travel up his spine. Bucky turns around to see Iris walk through a rift shrouded in dark smoke, spear in hand, hood pulled that covers all but her chin and lips. "Barnes? What's happening?!" Sam demands, "She's here..." he whispers.

"Am I so dead to you that you seek to summon me like some spirit, James?" Iris says with a coyness. She raises her face, and lowers her hood. Bucky lets out a sigh, "Iris...It's so.." he starts to exclaim before Iris cuts him off, "I told you to keep you're distance..." she scowls. Bucky is taken a back by Iris' coldness, "Why are you angry with me?" he questions. Iris realizes she has been harsh, "I'm sorry, Bucky." she replies. "How are you even here? I am so confused, Iris. Zola...He told me you were dead." Bucky says stepping closer to Iris. "It's a very long story, Bucky. But I am here, and I have learned quite a bit about myself, my abilities, even learned about you and your adventures the last eight years." Iris says as she stands her spear by itself and walks towards the large windows over looking the city. "You're an avenger now I hear. Saving the world from big purple men and aliens. A real hero..." Iris says with a smile. Bucky stands close to Iris, "Yeah...something like that." he mutters. He looks over Iris still taken by her presence, "Is it true then. Have you been watching me?" Bucky questions. Iris turns to him, "Yes..." she confesses, "I have occasionally looked in on you...". Bucky is frustrated with her answer, "Why? Why wouldn't you just tell me you were alive Iris?! I've been thinking I was losing my mind. I carried around a picture of you for god sakes so I could see your face. I thought everyone from my past was gone. Why?" Bucky demands. "Because, I have a mission, to rid this world of the disease that spreads itself from the root of Hydra. I cannot let anyone else endure what we endured, and I will never forget watching Zola use your life as a pawn in a game to control me. I cannot bring myself to put you in harms way again." Iris yells. "My life is always in harm's way Iris! My life is nothing but danger and fighting darkness back into the shadows! Don't give me that!" he bellows with a deep tone, "Tell me the truth Iris! Because the woman I knew in HYDRA would have jumped in my arms the second she saw me. We endured hell together! Found comfort in each other. I...I thought I meant so much more to you." Iris drops her head, "I found out about..." she pauses, "I figured you had moved on. I didn't want to hinder you, James. I did not want to recall your life back to a place of pain. You were apart of something so magnificent. I did not want to interrupt your new life."

Bucky stares at Iris with disbelief, "Iris..." he says softly as she looks up to him. Bucky lunges at her, wrapping his arms around her tightly, pressing his lips to hers. Iris tries to resist and pull away, but her body won't let her. The weight of the world falls away from them as they lose themselves into one another. He pulls away staring into her brown eyes, running his fingers through the unbraided pieces of her hair, "I have missed you so much, Iris. I thought I had lost you." he whispers. Iris looking into his familiar blue eyes loses herself in them, pulling his cold robotic hand to her cheek, "Bucky..." she whispers into his lips. Just as they lean in for another embrace, the moment is interrupted by the static voice in Bucky's ear, "Um...Barnes...You realize I can see y'all right..." Sam says uncomfortably, "and hear everything...I'm glad y'all worked this out...but seriously." Bucky sighs, releasing Iris from his grip, "Sorry, there good buddy. Kinda forgot you even existed." he replies aggravated. Iris steps back from him and snickers. "What's so funny?" Bucky asks. Iris waves her hand, through the ear piece Bucky can hear Sam yelling, a dark blue smoke forms a circle above them, and Sam falls through, landing in-between them. "Let's talk, shall we." Iris says with a grin, grabbing her spear and sheathing it on her back, she winks at Bucky as she leaves the room and heads to the roof. Bucky grins wildly as Sam struggles to his feet. Bucky turns to Sam who has made it to standing upright, "That ain't funny. At all!" Sam says under his breath to Bucky who just smiles and pats Sam on the shoulder, leaving the room to find Iris.

Iris is sitting on an large heating unit as the boys make their way to the roof. "I am sure you both have questions. So, here's your chance. What do you want to know?" Iris says smugly. Sam and Bucky share a quick glance, "SWORD has been tracking you and your movements for about six months now. You left a pretty bloody trail behind you? What are you after? You're clearly a woman with a vendetta." Sam ask coldly. Bucky glances at Sam, before looking up at Iris who bring one leg up, resting her hands on her knee. Iris sighs, "Yeah, I could understand how it would seem I am a mad woman out for revenge. But I promise, it's so much more then that." she replies. "Hydra has all been eradicated Iris. Who are you hunting?" Bucky questions. "They don't call themselves Hydra. Their not even the same breed. This...this is more of a cult. Made up of the broken pieces of Hydra and Broken fragments from The Reich. They call themselves 'The Purists. A very secret cult, with an unending amount of resources. These demented people will kidnap their 'followers' and subject them to a purifying process that ultimately brainwashes them. Erasing who they were and pumping them full of their hate and agenda's." Iris scoots her way to the edge of the machine, dangling her legs off of the edge. "Why do they call themselves the purist's? What are they, some kind of modern day White Supremacist Group?" Sam grumbled. "No, it's so much bigger then the vanity of one's color. These people believe in a pure DNA race. They base their beliefs on Zola's DNA mutation study. They admire Thanos' work, except they don't just want to erase half of the population, they want to erase anyone who is not 'pure' based on their DNA. They believe mutants and those with hidden abilities in their genes are the perfect race." Bucky sits on an abandon lounge chair running his hand across his face, "What are you saying? You saying that this cult is out to exterminate more then just half of population of earth? All based on their genetics and abilities?" he says with discontent. Iris shakes her head, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. From the information I have gathered from those I interrogated, they have discovered that Zola's genetic studies and his hidden weapon. A human formerly labeled as Project Annihilation." Iris confesses looking at Bucky who returns a shocked glare to her. "No...No this isn't happening." He says jumping from the chair and standing in front of Iris with his hands on her shoulders, "No one, not even me, knew you were alive. No one is going to take you again or use you the way Zola intended." he asserts. Iris rubs his hand, "I don't need you to be my hero, James. I'm telling you this because I'm not the only weapon their looking for." Iris looks into his eyes, "The cult is very radical. Anyone formerly associated with HYDRA or those who have been brought in and do not stay 'converted' to their ways are, eradicated." Iris said with caution.

Bucky turns to Sam who is anxiously pacing the roof. "They've put out a death slip for you, Bucky. That's why I'm here, to warn you and your friend." Iris continues. Sam stops pacing, looking to Iris, "How do we stop them?" he demands. Iris slides to her feet standing and moves herself in-between Sam and Bucky, "I have a lead that suggests they are gathering in a underground catacomb near Brno..." she says with a tone of hesitation. "Brno?" Bucky replies startled, Iris turns to him, "Yeah..." she answers with her voice tightening. Bucky looks away briefly reliving the memory of him and Iris destroying the village and it's people.

"I take you guys know the place then?" Sam interjects. "Yes. Unfortunately we do. It was a small village Zola sent us to retrieve the Pendulum relic. The place that..." Iris looks down with tears in her eyes, "A village he sent her to destroy..." Bucky finishes interlacing his hand into hers, "You are not responsible for what that monster made you do. We had no control over ourselves or our actions, Iris." She looks up to him, trying to bring herself to believe his reasoning, but the guilt dwelt deep in her heart.

Sam crosses his arms, "So what is your plan? You have a lead, how are we going to chase it?" he questions. "We sneak into the gathering, and get as much information about them as possible. We learn what their planning, we get out of there, then devise our strategy of attack. " Iris says firmly, "All of them. Every last one has to be dealt with. We save as many of their 'followers' as we can." Sam sighs lightly, "How are we even going to get there? The minute SWORD see's us booking a trip to a the Czech Republic, they'll swarm us. If they have infiltrated SWORD or any affiliated office with them, they'll be tipped off before we even leave the states." Iris looks at Sam then to Bucky who shares a smile with her, "They'll never see us coming, that I can assure you." she answers.