Part 2

Sam tensed himself for one last, probably futile, possibly fatal, attempt to escape.

"Be quiet!" The Soldier hissed in his ear. "They'll hear you!"

Sam went limp as much from surprise as in obedience to the unexpected order.

The Soldier pulled his captive through a door into a darkened room. Sam caught a glimpse of the door controls. Wires with alligator clips were fastened in places they didn't seem to belong, indicating an intruder had bypassed the security controls. That relieved Sam's mind a tiny bit. If the Soldier was hiding from Hydra, he probably wasn't working for them.

The Soldier released Sam. The Falcon retreated to a far corner, while the Soldier slid the door shut manually. It clicked into place, shutting out the approaching sound of running booted feet.

The only light in what was labeled "Auxiliary Control Room 2" came from a bank of video monitors flickering silently through images of various mostly empty rooms in the complex.

In that dim light, the Soldier studied Sam's face intently.

"I don't know you," he said uncertainly.

The counselor in Sam pushed the fighter aside and tried to make contact with this wounded warrior.

"We have met," he said. "But we haven't been introduced. I'm Sam Wilson." He held out his hand.

The Soldier — no, Barnes, Sam reminded himself — studied the outstretched hand without comprehension, then tilted his head.

"We have met?"

"You might remember the wings."

Barnes' eyes widened. "The man with the wings. I tried to kill you." He sounded impressed that Sam had survived. Most of his targets didn't.

If that impressed him, Sam wanted to reinforce it. "Twice, man. You tried to kill me twice. You pulled the steering wheel right out of the car — right out of my hands!"

Barnes actually smirked. Sam couldn't think of him as the Soldier after that human reaction.

"You were with him." Barnes pointed at one monitor that showed the lab where Steve was still struggling. Sam flipped the switch for the audio, keeping the sound low so it wouldn't carry beyond the control room.

Many men lay unconscious or dead on the floor, but more poured into the room. Sam was afraid Steve hadn't tried as hard to escape as he might have at first, because he'd been trying to let Sam get away. Now, hindered by the pile of bodies at his feet, Steve couldn't make any progress toward the door.

The guards piled on the Super Soldier like wolves on a bison. Steve could hardly move because of the weight of humanity hanging on him. Yet he continued to struggle.

The guards forced him to his knees at the cost of a broken jaw from a Super Soldier elbow to the face. Five men kneeling on Steve's back bound his hands with powerful electromagnets. Flat on his chest, Steve kicked back, breaking a guard's knee.

The man staggered back, cursing. "Get him!" he snarled at the dithering lab tech. The tech climbed on Steve's back, trying to turn the Avenger's head so he could get a good angle on the vein in Cap's neck. But he got his left hand too close to Steve's mouth. Teeth fastened tight and Super Soldier jaw muscles clamped down.

Over the monitor, the watchers could hear the bones crunch. The tech screamed, then jabbed blindly with his hypodermic and shoved the plunger down.

Steve's muscles went lax, though his expression was still fierce. The guard with the broken jaw pushed an IV stand out of the corner. The lab tech vindictively stabbed with the needle and turned the IV to full. The huge bag was labeled "elephant sedative."

Steve's eyes closed, but he hardly looked peacefully asleep. His lip was still curved in a snarl, revealing blood on his teeth. There were cuts on forehead and chin and a darkening bruise on his cheek.

The guards shakily got to their feet — those who could. Wary of fakery, they kicked Cap hard.

Barnes growled to see it, but Steve didn't flinch.

The most senior of the remaining guards told the most injured to report to the infirmary and the others to go after Sam. He told the lab tech to stay and keep an eye on Steve.

"And what do I do about it if he wakes up?" the tech retorted. "Look at this!"

His red and swollen left hand was obviously badly damaged with fingers crooking in odd directions.

The leader accepted that was a serious injury and sent the tech to the infirmary then assigned five of the able-bodied men to guard duty and the rest to the search.

One of the guards drew back his foot to kick the unconscious captive.

"If you hurt him Commander Curry will kill you," the guard leader commented casually, as he ushered the others out.

The guard shifted his aim and kicked Steve in the hip instead of in the face.

Bucky's lip curled in a snarl. Sam totally agreed.

"We've got to get him out," Sam urged.

Barnes looked uncertain. Emotions he didn't understand pushed him to help Cap, but decades of obedience to Hydra were hard to overcome. It was easier to hide.

"Come on," Sam coaxed. "Steve needs us."

"I know him," Barnes asserted. "But I don't remember," he added plaintively, his whole posture becoming more uncertain.

Sam thought he understood. It must be like having a word on the tip of your tongue. You know that you know the answer, but you can't recall it.

"You do know Steve, and you know you want to help him," Sam said.

"Want … It has been a long time since I was allowed to want," Barnes said bitterly.

"Do you want to be with Hydra?" Sam asked, the counselor coming to the fore.

"No," Barnes said flatly, then. "Yes," he admitted shamefaced. "There was pain — but there was order."

"And now you have a disorderly world to deal with." Sam totally understood. Almost everyone who had been in the military would. "I get it, Barnes. I really do. I was in the service. I was ready to leave, but when I got out, I couldn't give up my routine. I still go running at O-Dark-30."

That actually got a small smile from the distressed soldier.

"There's one other habit I can't get rid of from my military days — looking out for my brothers in arms. No man left behind. So as much as I appreciate your rescue, I won't abandon Steve. Steve is my friend, my brother — and he was yours, too. I have to try to rescue him. Are you coming with me?"

The doubt cleared from Barnes' eyes and he nodded decisively. Sam watched with approval tinged with sadness, as the uncertain Bucky Barnes reverted into the decisive, deadly Winter Soldier. At least he was on Sam's side this time.

The Soldier took a machine pistol in each hand. "Yes, rescue the captain."

To Be Continued


A/N: Warning, the Winter Soldier is on a mission. There will be blood next time.

And, if you've already seen Civil War, please don't give me any spoilers. It'll be a week before I can see it. Thanks.