To be fair Steve was adamant that putting an unstable assassin/super soldier into the field was an okay idea. Maybe not the best one he had but Thor was on Asgard and Hulk was somewhere…. Hulk liked to disappear and reappear a few days later.
Bucky was busy fighting one of the members of the wrecking crew, Wrecker, it was rather amusing to watch Bucky who barely stood at 6 foot fight someone twice his size and win easily. Steve heard two consecutive gunshot and saw Bucky collapse, clinching his side,"Bucky, you alright?"
Bucky's head twisted up and Steve could hear the snarling grin form, and heard Bucky yell,"Ow. Mother fucker shot me."
Steve snorted and threw his shield hitting Piledriver in the face,"Should we let him in on your little secret Bucky?"
Bucky delivered an uppercut to Wrecker who was blown into Bulldozer by Tony,"Sure."
"You three." Steve began earning a startled shriek as Clint dodged a hit from Thunderball,"Stay out of Bucky's way. Bullets don't slow him down they just piss him off."
Bucky engaged Thunderball dodging the wrecking ball each time it came close causing it to collide with Wrecker. Bucky barely landed on Wrecker's shoulder before bouncing off and hitting the ground clutching his side. Natasha delivered a strong electrical pulse to Bulldozer causing him to collapse. Bucky dropped and picked up his gun which Wrecker grabbed from him,"Son of a bitch grabs my gun and fucking shot me. Some people have no class."
Steve just clapped Bucky's shoulder as he caught his shield on the rebound,"How's your side?"
"Fine, but gunshots are a real pain in my side Steve." Bucky said deadpan causing Tony to bark out a laugh as Bucky gripped his side grimacing at the blood flowing through his fingers.
Bucky smiled at the camera before sitting down on the hood of a wrecked car putting his metal arm through his hair and trying to take his mind off his throbbing side as the "real" avengers did the press circuit.
"Captain Rogers, do you have anything to say on Time magazine's articles on your corruption as a child by Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier?" The reporter asked as Steve watched Bucky flinch and walk away toward the tower. Clint tried to grab Bucky's arm and succeeded for a second before Bucky yanked his arm back glaring at the archer.
Steve pursed his lips and looked at the reporter levelly,"I don't think Time magazine can make judgements on who's a good person when they made Hitler person of the year."
Tony grinned and looked at Steve who began to run toward his best friend. Bucky stopped hearing Steve run up to him. Steve helped Bucky steady himself as he walked back toward the tower,"That wasn't necessary, Steve. I can take care of myself."
Steve shrugged,"The Only person who get to talk shit about you is me."
Bucky knocked into him jarring his wound causing him to gasp and blanch,"That's well and good but Cap I don't feel so hot."
Steve looked at Bucky who stumbled and collapsed,"Tony!"
Tony flew over and scanned the former assassin,"His gun was that hybrid he had made. The shell is tearing up his insides his liver kidney and lung have already been perforated."
Steve lifted Bucky up in his arms and began to bolt toward the nearest hospital as Tony confirmed they'd be waiting for him,"I thought he got shot once."
"He's an overachiever Steve." Tony said tiredly,"he doesn't do something once."
Bucky took shuddering breaths as his lung collapsed when Steve reached the hospital. He was laid on a gurney as Steve pulled the mask from his face. Bucky was rolled into the hospital, gasping his throat and lungs not pulling in enough oxygen. Steve walked into the hospital watching as Bucky was rolled into a room and prepped for surgery. One of the Doctors approached Steve after a while,"Captain Rogers, he'll be out of surgery in a few minutes. We had to keep him awake he burned through the anesthesia faster than it would take effect. We also had to work around the physical augmentations to his skeleton but he'll live. His lung collapsed and he has a tube in his chest to help him breath. I'll retrieve you when he's out of surgery."
Steve's alarms went up when he heard Bucky was operated on without anesthesia, but guiltily relaxed when he remembered Bucky talking about how Hydra operated on him without anesthesia,"Alright."
The doctor came back a few moments later and led Steve to a room with Bucky pretending to sleep, what gave it away was the fact that his mouth wasn't slightly open and he was too tense. Steve sat down and put his boots on the bed ignoring how the nurse looked at him with a scalding look,"Quit faking you liar."
Bucky whined but opened in eye his metal arm gripping his side,"I'm injured. I had surgery and you're mean to me."
Steve looked at him with a poker face,"You agreed to fight."
Bucky scowled,"Cuz you're a stupid idiot with a big fat dumb head."
Clint flew into the room followed by Natasha. Natasha touched Bucky's shoulder where his metal mended with the flesh and Clint began raiding his meal. Tony walked in in an actual suit,"How's it hanging?"
"I have a tube in my side and about twenty things of Buckshot in a jar." Bucky said dryly, clearing his throat,"What does that tell you?"
"That you're a big baby?" Steve asked protesting when Bucky smacked him.
"I am a veteran. I don't have to take this shit from you." Bucky said setting his jaw and looking out the window.
"Jeez Buck, I forgot how annoying you were." Steve said ignoring the tantrum Bucky was throwing.
Bucky continued to glance out the window only moving when Clint sat down on his leg to turn on the tv and Natasha sat next to him, poking him in the side to get his attention. Natasha looked at Steve,"Nice work with the press, grandpa."
Steve mockingly bowed,"Thank you, and he's my buddy only I get to shit on him."
Bucky was still looking out of the window, his voice sarcastic,"Gee, thanks Steve."
Bucky smiled slightly and leaned back against the pillows relaxing at the slightly familiar atmosphere of being accepted as a comrade.