I stood across the room lit by heavy fluorescents that created a disgusting sickly glow to the air. We were underground which made the air stale since it was pumped through trapped vents. I adjusted the cold metal in my hands and holstered the gun on my hip. I glanced towards the doors nervously. We were expecting them any minute now. They had called for anyone who was able bodied to band quickly for the mission. We were being set out to kill a target that had been allowed out from hibernation much too long. The one that had gotten away; Bucky Barnes.

Personally, I was scared shitless. I wasn't immortal in this game. Many of the men that I was working with in my unit had been experimented on by some form or manner. I had been born with my abilities. They'd found me when I was a teenager in a very unsavory job profession. I couldn't say a lot. I had been a teenager runaway from a government run orphanage after being in and out of foster care. It always ended up the same; something bad happened when I got angry and couldn't control my powers. So, these people had come to me and said that there were others like me. Stupidly, and oh so cliché, I had bought what they had been selling hook line and sinker.

So, here I stood, waiting for my boss and the man above him to come through those doors and prep us for the mission at hand. Although what they were about to prep us with I wasn't sure, only because I didn't think there was much of a point in trying to fight Barnes. He was too strong, too smart, and like an injured animal. They'd taken his memory and it was coming back, he was wounded, and wounded animals were very very dangerous. I didn't think we stood much of a chance honestly. Even with Rumlow in his disdained mutated form that was what he was now. Whatever, bad boy liked his new toys…I just wish he didn't. There was a soft pang in my heart as I thought about Rumlow as he used to be when he'd been one of my commanding officer. Now he was just a toy for Hydra to sick on people.

The doors to the room slid open, metal disappearing behind metal. My eyes snapped towards the man that had taken the place of Pierce as a figure head walked in. He looked annoyed and a statistician or something was squawking avidly in his ear. I watched as he waved him off threatening to grab the ipad from his hands. I sucked in a breath, this would be a quick briefing and we'd be sent out.

A little while into the afternoon that day…

I was out of breath. This had been a mistake. Captain America and the Avengers had appeared out of god knows where and we were losing. The man screaming in my earpiece was shouting for those on the field to blow everything around us up. They were screaming about getting Rumlow closer to the battle before dropping him. We had yet to locate Barnes and I was hiding inside a dank building for shelter. I was injured. I'd taken a hard hit from Falcon after getting shot in the side by one of our own guys. I'd dropped and rolled trying to stay close to the ground knowing that Falcon would need turnaround with the wings to turn. I had kicked back up to my feet and taken off. My powers didn't include super speed that was just a trait I'd picked up when running the streets as a kids. I'd booked it the hell inside the nearest building and no one had been concerned about where one person had gone too. There was too much going on and too much havoc. There was a red forming explosion outside a window and I was very happy that I was not taking on the Scarlet Witch. They didn't know the true extent of my powers. I lied and held them back a lot. As far as they were concerned, I was almost as useless as a human. They'd spent way more time investing making me into a capital soldier for the cause because of that which meant I didn't have to use my powers most of the time.

I took a deep breath in and rounded a corner but instantly stopped. Of course; I would find Rogers…There he was with Falcon standing in a room talking to someone. I couldn't see who it was…but I could hear. I knew the voice. I knew the voice from videos, from training exercising, I'd watched the guy be suited up for a battle once. Barnes…I could barely hear anything that they were saying but that didn't matter. I knew where he was. I clicked a small button on my earpiece just on the edge near the outer rim of my ear. It would tell the carrier that I'd found Barnes. I took a moment to let them continue talking. I needed out of here. I heard them radio that they were about to release Rumlow on the field. My heart dropped as I heard quick footsteps in the other room. My head snapped around the corner and I caught the back tail end of Barnes hopping a ten story window. I swore loudly enough that Falcon turned catching sight of me. He snapped down into a stance but I realized he had discarded his gear, probably to seem nonthreatening to Barnes. I cupped the wound at my side and glared him down. I threw my empty gun at him and sprinted hard towards the window. Rogers was too engrossed in watching his friend to do much but move as I hurtled to the edge of the window.

"Out of my way!" I snapped taking advantage of Rogers being stunned and sadly watching his friend to shove him out of my way.

The drop was terrifying.

I never had fully gotten used to the full impact of the dangerous things that entailed my job.

My feet slammed into the ground as I hit and tried to roll unsuccessfully after Barnes. He was faster.

In the chaos I screamed his name. He had no reason to stop he didn't know me. He didn't stop because I had yelled, he'd stopped in a defensive crouch staring up at the scene ahead of us. Time was slowing down. Panic was rising in my heart. In the clearing of haze on the battle field among the shit inhabited buildings ahead of us I could see Rumlow had been dropped on the ground. He was rising like a mechanic devil from the fire. Something bad was about to happen if I didn't intervene. They wanted Barnes alive. Rumlow would incinerate him.

The ground shook as he took a step towards Barnes. The man looked ready to fight to the death. I couldn't stand that look on anyone's face. I'd killed a man that had that look and it haunted me.

I realized that this was the chance to make a change. I could change it now. I could If I wanted…

Rumlow was descending on Barnes and I watched as he knocked the soldier's metal arm aside after two hard hits to knock him back. As his back hit the dust I heard Rogers screaming from the building.

Now or never.

"Capture the target now!" the man in my ear snapped.

"Take him before Crossbones kills him!"

I was through taking orders. I yanked the piece from my ear and threw it down before snatching at the helmet I was wearing. It rolled across the cracked pavement after a hard thud.

"RUMLOW!" I screamed angrily. I had his attention. Barnes was rolling on his side.

He came at me.

It took a moment after I initially froze in panic, Rumlow was scary without being a maniac in metal, but if I was going to make a stand, then it was here and now.

"COME ON BIG GUY!" I shouted throwing my hands up just as he leveled his arms to fire at Barnes and myself. As the heavy fired rained down I threw every bit of power I had in my veins through my powers. From my entire body I felt a heated pulse. Radiating outward from my hands was a glowing orange shield of powerful waves. I pushed them forward and advanced on Rumlow to stop his attack. I shoved my arms forward pushing the surging power at him like a brick wall. It hit him harder than I'd expected but as he went down I went down as well. I hadn't used my powers fully in so long that it had taken a huge chunk out of me. I gasped as the pain in my side intensified reminding me that I had previously been injured.

"Get on your feet. Come on…" Barnes was suddenly at my side, just as breathless, trying to hoist me up.

"Can you walk?"

"I…yes…" I wheezed shakily standing with my arm looped over his neck and shoulder.

"We need to get shelter kid. Let's go…"

He didn't have to stop. Having someone with him that was hurt was only going to slow him down. I knew that he knew that, but I guessed that was the old Barnes in this war made machine of a man that they'd never quite been able to stamp out. So I was one the run…on the run with the Winter Soldier…this seemed like a horrible choice that I would regret, but hey I wasn't really in a position to complain.