Hello everyone!
This story takes place after the events of Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier. To clarify, Bucky escapes HYDRA before the Triskelion disaster, ergo Steve doesn't get shot multiple times and beat up by Bucky and can destroy project Insight without major problems. I have already written a huge chunk of this story so should this story get positive feedback I can update almost immediately. Without further ado, enjoy!
Steve Rogers is not defined by his actions as Captain, not by his righteous opinions, his willingness to fight for everyone, no matter who that person is, no, he is defined by one action that is but so very telling. He jumped on that grenade, shielding his fellow trainees, half the men he is, not caring that it would mean his demise. What could we take from this? Most people would say that he is selfless, an idol and most definitely a hero. But James Buchanan Barnes was not everyone and he thought that his best friend is an idiot who doesn't appreciate all the work he had done to keep him alive. At the same time he loved him for it, after all, it was actions like these which made Steve well, Steve. He doesn't tell him that though and when he hears about it when they are finally reunited in the battlefields of Europe and Steve has gained a few pounds in a very good way he makes sure that he knows how unhappy he is about his reckless behaviour. But that was all so very long ago...
The Asset shot up, his hand already at a weapon before his eyes were even completely open. Focused he analysed every possible corner for a threat in the dump of an apartment he was staying in only to realize there is no threat to be feared. He frowned, what had awoken him? A brief flash of soft blue eyes and blond hair came to his mind but it passed as quick as it came. He shook his head, grabbed his few possessions and headed outside
The night before he had escaped the HYDRA facilities as one flashback after the other had pelted him after seeing that man on the bridge. Like a wounded animal he had holed up in the first place he could find. It had taken days for him to calm down and when he did, he promptly fell unconscious with exhaustion. When he woke up he was utterly confused and what he had seen in his flashbacks evaded him like a dream, the more he focused the less he remembered. One thing he knew: he needed to get to his previous target, Steve Rogers, he had to! The urgency grew the more time passed and so, hoping to relieve at least a bit of the confusion, he began tracking Captain America.
Meanwhile Steve was sitting in a dimly lit room, rubbing his eyes as he went over the information he had pertaining his former best friend for what felt like the millionth time.
"Maybe it's time you called it a night man. It's 3 a.m. I doubt we're gonna have an epiphany to his whereabouts any time soon." Sam sighed from the other side of the table they were sitting at.
Steve nodded but continued searching, sifting through the stacks of classified files. "Yeah I didn't think so... well I'm turning in, okay? Not every day you dismantle one of the greatest threats to humanity. See ya tomorrow." He yawned and headed down the corridor with a final wave Steve barely acknowledged.
The captain's mind was racing a million miles an hour, guilt, pain, hope and worry plaguing him. He couldn't help but wonder what he could have done differently, how he could have spared his friend the pain he had undoubtedly gone through. The look on the Winter Soldier's face when he had mentioned his name was etched into the back of his eyeballs. Was his friend even still in there? Was he salvageable or was he beyond the point of help and needed to be... he winced at the thought. Suddenly he stiffened, noticing that he was being watched. He immediately relaxed his posture again though and continued with his activities calmly. "You can come in you know."
The Winter Soldier didn't answer but stepped into the light, ready to fight at any given moment. Steve finally turned around, his eyes full of pain and longing, searching the assassin's body for wounds before finally reaching his face. He got up and started at the familiar face, a face that haunted his dreams and nightmares alike. But now it was rigid and emotionless and the eyes which had only ever held brotherly love and a spark of mischief in them were now dulled, dead almost, were it not for the confusion and pain that seeped through. Overcome by pain the usually so stoic man began to beg "Bucky... we can help you. Please..."
The soldier stepped back "I am not your friend, Captain."
"And I am not your enemy. Listen only what I have to say Bucky, please, and you may leave, I will not stop you."
"You knew me. Before I fell."
Steve's eyes widened, daring to hope even just a tiny bit. "You remember that? Yes I knew you, I fought at your side in that train but… I couldn't save you" he muttered the last words full of regret.
"Don't..." he shook his head and nearly growled. "You know too much Steve Rogers."
Not giving Steve any time to react he took out his weapon and shot a dart laced with carfentanil, a strong elephant tranquilizer, into his neck. Steve dropped from his chair almost immediately, panic in his eyes before they slid shut. The Asset caught him before he hit the ground and without a noise he slid out the window with one extremely heavy supersoldier over his shoulder just as rain began to pour from the heavens above.