The screaming seems to go on forever. When it stops and the force field is finally deactivated, Bucky drags himself up the stairs and begs for Steve's life.
He knows it's madness when he throws himself at the enemies' feet but he does it nonetheless. Whatever happens, it'll be worth it.
The mad titan is sitting on his throne from which he can overlook the battlefield. All of the noble heroes who came here to stop him are either dead, captured or have simply fled the scene. It's too late for that now.
Thanos is guarded by two warriors of the Black Order. They're armed to the teeth. Both of them are powerful beings from other worlds that follow him anywhere, bringing chaos, destruction, and death. He doesn't need their protection. It's a display of power, and so is Steve Rogers, and what they've done to him.
Part of Bucky wonders why they haven't stepped on his neck yet, why the Order has even let him come up here, but when he lays his face on the stone cold ground at Thanos's feet he's grateful for any chance he gets.
"Please, just stop this. He's the only thing I have left. Please..."
It's hard to get the words out with Steve laying wounded and writhing on the ground. Bucky feels his lips tremble. Crying won't help his case and it's pathetic. Thanos only values strength and obedience. With the gauntlet and the stones he's a god with nothing to fear.
Bucky tries to breathe through his nose and ignores the sick feeling in his chest that tells him that he's injured, he's trapped, and he needs to flee. It's an instinct. The smell of blood gets thicker.
"What do we have here?", Thanos asks amused.
The guards step closer. Bucky sees one of them point a spear at his back in his peripheral vision, and for an instance, he can feel the tip pierce his clothes and cut into the skin. A threat. Then the weapon is removed. He thinks the wound is superficial. It doesn't matter anyways. Unmoving, he keeps his face and his outstretched hands on the ground. A sign of submission.
A traitorous voice in his head tells him that Steve would be ashamed of this display. He'd give him a piece of his mind right now if he had any power left to scream.
As if the titan has read his thoughts, and maybe he could do that now with the gauntlets' infinite power, he snaps his gloved fingers together and Steve curls into a ball of hurt. His muscles spasm in pain, and he moans, but his eyes remain closed. Small mercies.
Bucky tries to breath like he's unaffected by all of it. He used to be good at pretending. They trained him for that and right now, he's failing miserably. He knows it and they know it, too. They've seen him kicking and beating on the force field for an hour, screaming Steve's name in vain. This act is fooling no one...
Stop.
Don't look.
It's too much.
He can't stand to watch it. The noises Steve makes don't sound human anymore. He shouldn't even be conscious. The serum is trying to repair the damage but it can't locate the source of his agony.
A silent tear runs down his face as Bucky tries, desperately, to compose himself. He should have turned to the other side.
"Stop hurting him! I'm begging you. Please!"
The guards at Thanos's side laugh and he feels a hot flash of shame. They want to humiliate him but he can't care about that now. He swallows hard."I love him. Please!"
"Say I let him live. This brave Captain of yours, this pathetic creature..."
Thanos stands up and walks over to Steve's side. Bucky doesn't dare to move a muscle. His hands are shaking.
"Earth's greatest hero."
He looks down at the person Bucky loves the most in disgust. Like he's an insect that Thanos needs to get rid of. Steve whimpers when his fragile body is nudged with a boot but it doesn't register anymore. Steve's whole world is pain.
"What do you want with such a man?"
Stop it.
Bucky is sobbing silently. He tries not to break while Thanos watches him intently. The titan is not a merciful creature and he can't be weak anymore.
"What can you offer me in return?"
They say that your whole life flashes before your eyes when you're dying but all of Bucky's memories, the ones that will come to him now, are images of Steve.
Beautiful, reckless, courageous Steve.
He makes a choice.
When he speaks his words are almost too faint to understand, so he repeats them.
"I'm a killer."
Bucky feels like he's dying as the words leave his throat.
"I can kill for you."
Thanos doesn't react.
For a second, Bucky is afraid that they're gonna laugh again or kill him on the spot. Or kill Steve, and just be done with it.
Then there's a sharp intake of breath, a sigh, and the titan saunters back to his throne.
"Why would I need more warriors? Why take you?"
His voice is deep and alien, like a monster from Bucky's nightmares. But he's considering it.
"I'll kill millions, whole planets... I'd do anything for him. Anyone you want dead, just say the word."
Please let this be enough.
Slowly, careful not to alarm anyone, Bucky rises and sits up on his knees, his palms turned up. He's not a threat.
The guards hiss at him but Thanos gives some hand signal and they back off.
A small insane part of Bucky wants to laugh. His whole life has led up to this moment. Now is his chance to make it right.
"Don't you know? I'm the Winter Soldier. They made me for this purpose."
Time to lay it on thick.
He looks up at Thanos without asking permission, trying to seem more courageous than he really is. Trying to seem sincere with his offer.
They never look into his eyes. The members of Thanos's precious Order get punished for this. He knows that. They burn down worlds to appease his anger. Bucky's seen the footage and he only has one shot.
He is nothing to this terrifying alien madman and he holds his gaze because their lives, Steve's life, depends on it.
"If I grant your wish, you'll never see him again."
Bucky feels his confidence slip.
The hell did you think was going to happen, Barnes, when you came up here? When you gave them this?
Sometimes, he wishes he still had the mask to hide behind. It was easier then, although nothing had ever stopped his eyes from going wide and fearful once the googles were off.
Even with the mask on, Steve would have recognized his eyes eventually. He would have...
His mind is drifting. Maybe he's going into shock.
The mad Titan looks at him, amused. His alien eyes sparkle with something that Bucky recognizes from his old captors. Sadism. The pleasure in hurting others.
Bucky is not the praying type, not anymore, but he finds himself wishing for strength or maybe a fast death instead.
No. He can't be selfish now. He can't refuse. Do it for Steve, you coward.
"Yes. I... understand."
Compliance will be rewarded.
With the snap of two gloved fingers Steve stops twitching. Bucky has the sudden urge to run over to him, to make sure he's alright, to tell him...
Thanos grabs him by the throat. Bucky doesn't lower his eyes, or looks away. He refuses to be afraid. Thanos can have his pain. It's not about that.
"If you try to contact him in any way I'll rip off the rest of your limbs one by one, and then I'll take your eyes, and your ears. I'll take all of your senses until the universe is lost to you. Those are my conditions."
Bucky looks over to Steve again who's laying on the ground, finally peaceful. He must have passed out now that the pain has stopped. It's simple. He nods and tries to swallow around the hand choking him.
"I'll require one more thing, before I release the Captain..."
The guards are at Bucky's sides in an instance. Grabbing his arms, securing him.
He doesn't struggle.
There is no point.
It turns out that Thanos will accept Bucky's offer only after he takes his human arm.
—
The Earth is still spinning many years later but other planets are not.
Bucky contacts Steve on his birthday. Once every year, over and over again.
The mad titan has moved on to destroy other galaxies but he always finds out about the calls sooner or later.
Steve often cries about what happened but to Bucky, it's all worth it.
When Thanos has been defeated at last and they finally meet again, Bucky is mostly a cyborg.