A limited crowd had gathered around the edge of the Latvian plaza. A sea of phones and concerned faces all pointed one way.

Sam and Bucky had only caught the end of the display. Having easily navigated the gasping crowd, they stopped amongst them. Disbelief was their initial reaction, dread the second.

They could only stare with the rest, at America's new mascot. Standing brave and bold. Covered in blood.

He just stood there, the great Captain America, over the brutely beaten bloody corpse of a man.

Those within the crowd kept their distance, either looking away in disgust or gawking through their phones, capturing the moment.

The erratic breathing of John Walker settled, hushed whispers concluding. Silence fell over the plaza.

Bucky and Sam took a couple of tentative steps in front of the crowd as Captain America nonchalantly strapped his blood-soaked shield to his arm. They passed a look between each other, Sam seeing the same uncertainty in Bucky's eyes as he conveyed in his own.

There was an unnerving calm about the way Walker looked around at the congregation of people, proudly displaying the tainted symbol of freedom and liberty on his unworthy arm.

"Walker…" Sam didn't move any closer.

Turning ever so slowly, the blood splattered man faced him. Face expressionless, eyes deadpan.

"This is your fault." His voice was cold, sending a chill down the spine of everyone in earshot. "I should have had her the first time!" The sudden burst of raw emotion made the crowd gasp, some shuffling back in fear. "But no. You wanted to 'talk her down.'" He mocked, the chuckle he produced disturbing. "And she got away! Because of you!" The intense switch between his emotions put everyone on edge.

He walked towards Sam and Bucky, those eyes behind that blue helmet chaotic.

"I said ten minutes, you couldn't even give me that." Sam defended himself, standing by his actions at the funeral. "No one else had to get hurt. No one else had to die."

Walker stopped a few meters from them. Breathing heavily through his nose he shook his head from left to right. Like a frayed thread being pulled to tight. Something snapped behind his eyes.

"Your wrong." He mumbled, still shaking his head in denial.

"This is on you Walker, not me."

"Your wrong!" The scream ricocheted off the old vintage buildings as he abruptly snatched his handgun from its holster on his thigh.

Sam couldn't react fast enough; not having the chance to flinch before the gun fired.

The next thing he knew he was on the ground. Bucky, having tackled him out of the bullet's path, lay beside him, groaning the soldier put his arms under himself to get up.

Everything had descended into utter chaos, panicked screams and yelling disorientating.

Another shot went off, the screams of terror intensifying for a moment. Bucky was in front of Sam, Vibranium arm taking the bullet, the inferior metal flattening on impact.

"Move!" Bucky shouted over the shrieking, his human hand grabbing at Sam's arm to help him up.

Walker had no moral issue with shooting into the fleeing audience, he stood stoic, face a picture of insanity as he continued to fire.

Sam got his feet under him thanks to the help of Bucky. Another shot rang in their ears.

"Arh!" Bucky grunted, his hand around Sam's arm tightening for a second. "Go!" he pushed Sam forward, his untamed strength almost putting Sam's face back to the floor.

Sam knew exactly what Bucky wanted him to do. It wasn't going to happen. His wings extended, shielding them both from the continued gunfire.

The click of the gun's hammer striking into an empty barrel gave them the chance they needed. Bucky had no say in the matter, Sam taking a firm hold around his wrist the jet on his back initiated.

Walker shouted something unintelligible in annoyance, empty magazine dropping out the bottom of the handgun, clattering against the cobbled ground.

Sam's muscles protested from their sudden exertion. Bucky grabbed back at Sam's wrist with both hands.

Sam couldn't quite make up his mind which was more painful. Heaving the weight of Bucky off the ground with one arm, or his metal fingers clasped around his bare wrist.

Barely airborne a bullet whizzed past them, narrowly missing. After a pause in gunfire there was one more shot. The piercing bullet struck the jet on Sam's back making sparks fly.

Sputtering, the single jet propulsion unit failed, the wings alone not enough to keep them airborne. Narrowly avoiding buildings as they lost altitude, eventually the two of them returned to the ground. The landing was rough, crashing into a back alley not ideal. But at least they were alive.

"That could've gone better." Bucky gripped at his side, using the dumpster beside him to get up.

Wings having retracted on landing; Sam was already standing. Other than a few scrapes and bruises he had faired well.

Sirens started to close in, Sam and Bucky taking refuge behind a couple of the many dumpsters located in the alley. The patrol car sailed by. blue and red lights flashing down into the gloomy alley for only a second.

"We need to get off the streets." Sam announced in a low voice, afraid of being heard.

"And how are we going to do that?"

They both saw it at the same time. The circler sewer grate sitting only a few feet from them both.

"Really?" Bucky huffed, noticing Sam's keen eye.

"You got a better idea?" Sam gestured around them.

Bucky sighed. Right arm still around his side, he approached the sewer entrance, reaching down with a metal hand he lifted the grate free.

As he descended Bucky dragged the grate back over the entrance. Scaling down the ladder was more troublesome than he had expected. Reaching the bottom, he wrapped his arm back around his side, having to lean against the grimy tunnel wall.

Sufficient light from the numerous access points to the surface allowed them to see somewhat clearly in the underground network.

"I think our best bet is to head away from Walker, make a plan from there." Sam expressed his thoughts.

"So, you have a plan now?" Bucky teased, swallowing back a cough.

"I always have a plan." He replied confidently, eyes busy giving the area a quick once over.

"Really?" Bucky scoffed back a laugh. "Could have fooled me."

"Yeah well…" Sam finally took notice of how Bucky was holding himself, and the blood that was dripping from under his hand.

"Buck?" Sam exclaimed. The white glint of the natural lighting above gave the fresh blood a glossy sheen.

"I'm fine." He poorly lied; the gloved hand braced against his wound already starting to tremor.

"Sure." Sam wasn't falling for it. "And I'm Marvin Gaye. Let me have a look." Sam insisted.

Bucky couldn't keep up the charade anymore, having to let his back slide down the wall, weakness like a fatal poison rushing through him.

"Hey man." Sam did his best to ease the soldier to the ground. "Take it easy." He comforted.

Pulling away Bucky's blood coated hand, revealed two equally sized holes in his jacket side. The bullet wounds oozed with crimson fluid.

Sam reached for the zip of Bucky's navy-blue jacket; Bucky lifted his hand preventing him.

"Let me take a look." Sam tried again but was still refused.

"I said I'm fine."

"You're one stubborn son of a bitch." Sam forced Bucky's hand back over his wounds. "Keep pressure." He ordered.

Bucky frowned, not appreciating such a direct command.

"I'll go ahead, see what I can find. Wait here." Sam stood from his side, looking into the tunnel ahead.

"I'm coming with you." Bucky hissed as he painfully crawled up the curved wall.

"Very funny Buck. Sit your ass down." Sam tried to ease Bucky back to the floor with a hand on his shoulder, he resisted keeping himself standing.

"We stay together." Bucky leaned heavily on the wall for support.

"And what are you going to do if we come across Walker?... Bleed on him?" Sam folded his arms.

"More than you can do." Bucky quipped back, trying his best to ween himself off the wall's stability.

"Ooh... is that how it is?" Sam laughed sharply.

"Seems that way."

"I'll whoop your ass right here, right now." Sam looked the injured man up and down, sizing up his competition.

"Fair fight." Bucky replied sarcastically.

"Don't give a damn." Sam jested, getting a smirk out of Bucky.

The sound of footsteps broke up their small scuffle, both Sam and Bucky looking in the direction of the sound's origin.

With their voices silenced and other than the rumble of traffic somewhere above, all that could be heard was the trickling of water and the thudding off the footsteps.

Having nowhere to go and no where to hide they waited for whoever it was to round the corner.

"Well. This is awkward." Zemo had his hands in his coat pocket, purple jumper standing out in the grey dark underbelly of the seaside city.

"Zemo." Sam breathed a sigh of annoyance.

"Sam… James." He walked towards them without a care. "I remember your names too." The smugness was rage inducing.

"What are you doing here?" Bucky forced himself to stand a little straighter.

"Good to see you too James." Zemo removed his hands from his pockets, dark blond hair swept to the side. "Partially in one piece I see."

"Thought you would be long gone by now." Sam admitted.

"As I said before, I have the will to complete this mission."

"I know why he's still around." Sam smirked at the realisation. "He needs us to protect his ass from the Dora Milaje."

"That is of course obvious. However, like you have found me useful. I have found the two of you equally as useful." Zemo played his cards well, telling as much as he needed while kept his true hand hidden safely.

"I'm flattered." Sam was unamused.

"So, you were looking for us?" Bucky wanted to clarify.
"Precisely." Zemo was pleased that the two of them were catching on. "We still have work to do."
"We've got a new problem." Sam unfolded his arms. He wasn't sure why he hesitated. "Walker got hold of the serum somehow."

"What?" Bucky had to think twice about what Sam had just said, still it didn't make sense. "Are you sure?"

"I saw the dude bend a pipe in half."

"Fair enough." Bucky sighed.

Zemo's face had become stern.

"People when given the opportunity, will always disappoint."

"There wasn't something right about Walker from the beginning." Sam tussled with his thoughts, over examining every encounter with the new Captain America to date.

"I told you. I know crazy." Bucky adjusted his grip on his bleeding side.

"You can say that again." Sam ran his hand over his head, trying to compile everything into something coherent.

Authors Notes

I have a need to write a Bucky and Sam fanfic, I just can't hold out for the series to end! So gonna write this story while I wait a week for the next episode to come out. Hope you enjoy!