It had all happened so suddenly for how hard Bucky had worked, for the time that had passed since… since Berlin.
The Winter Soldier hadn't had a hold on him like that for years. His work in Wakanda was meant to make sure that he would never again.
Something had to of gone wrong; a line of code having slipped by unnoticed.
The old words might no longer work. Ayo having proven that to him at least.
But these two new words. That short phrase. Had pierced through his mind like a spike, nothing holding it back as it delved into his subconscious triggering the Winter Soldier that had clung inside of him.
Bucky's reality, the one he had been building for the last few years, was tumbling around him. In his eyes, everything he had done to make amends now all for nothing. Because the Winter Soldier wasn't gone, he was still very much alive, just waiting for his orders.
Bucky had phased out, eyes staring blankly forward, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.
He didn't know how to feel, he didn't know what to say.
"Buck, you've gotta stay with me." Sam snapped his fingers in front of Bucky's face.
He blinked slowly, face stern.
Sam could see the man was out of it, drained mentally, a sense of defeat irradiating from him.
Sam had at least gotten an answer out of him previously. Though sceptical in himself, it was Bucky. That much Sam was sure of.
Having still been on one knee in front of the man, Sam pulled back, standing in the warehouse basement.
It was at least clear now that this had all been a trap from the start. A lure. Sam knew they were going to have company very soon.
Taking a couple of long strides back over to the crate, Sam collected the small plastic recorder, stowing it in a pouch on his belt.
He took the time to study the rest of the contents, looking over each wire and component. The speakers and lights were busted, nothing to salvage there.
Acting on instinct he lifted the false bottom out of the box, tossing it to one side with the useless remains of the trap, the pieces smashing against the floor, shards of glass dancing over the surface.
"There you are." Sam smirked.
He had found stashed at the bottom the cause for his tech malfunction.
Pulsing with a red glow, the device was recognisably designed to interrupt malicious tech in the vicinity. Sam had seen similar devices before.
Taking the shield in two hands he drove the Vibranium edge down through the device. Sparks erupting, red light flickering out.
Sam enabled the display in his goggles, the static interference he had experienced gone with the destruction of the device.
Diverting his gaze up, through his red visor he could see heat signatures, figures moving to surround the building being outlined.
"We've gotta go." Sam pivoted on his heel, heading for Bucky.
The man hadn't moved, still staring blankly at nothing. The empty expression made concern twang in Sam's stomach, that awful feeling of dread returning even stronger.
"Come on man." Sam insisted with a bit more urgency. Ending up having to take Bucky's arm to encourage him to stand.
With the soldier wrenched to his feet Sam addressed him directly, assuring his attention was on him.
"We're gonna get through this. Ok?" Sam didn't know what else to say. Not fully comprehending what had just happened, or how it had happened.
He got a sharp nod out of Bucky, Sam patting him firmly on the arm encouragingly.
Reaching down, Sam picked up the gun that had been dropped. Sam thought of returning it to Bucky, but he thought better of it. He disarmed the weapon before tucking the barrel through his belt securely.
Looking down the corridor he had seen earlier, his restored tech showed an old well-worn cargo lift at the end. Following the shaft up with his eyes led to the surface, structure being outlined for him in his heads-up display.
Something metal bounced down the ladder from which they had entered the basement, skittering across the floor towards them.
Gas immediately expelled from the metal sphere, a green tinge to the smoke.
"Move!" Sam's arm went over his mouth, having to shove Bucky to get him heading towards the lift.
Coughing the two of them hurried onto the apparatus. There was just enough room for the two of them, the lift predominantly being used for just transporting boxes for storage in the basement.
Gas not halting its assault on their lungs, Sam kept his mouth and nose pinned against his arm as he pulled and flicked at the switches on the control board for the lift.
The dials didn't react, switches just flicking back and forth without response.
Sam struck the panel with his fist in desperation, this didn't do anything, the controls dead.
Looking directly up there was something covering the exit. Scans revealed it to be a wooden panel, daylight squeezing through at the seams.
There was no time for a discussion, the debate over before it even had a chance to begin.
Sam grabbed Bucky's wrist, not giving him a chance to pull away the jet on his back ignited, sending them skyward.
The shield took the brunt of the impact, crashing through the wooden covering sending splinters flying everywhere, all the while natural sunlight assaulted their retinas.
Dirt that had been covering the plywood exploded outward, gravel falling back down against the dry ground with them.
They had emerged at the loading area, the two lorries still stationary, armed personnel surrounding them.
There was shouting in a language Sam couldn't identify in the moment.
Five men encircled them; weapons trained as both Sam and Bucky dragged their feet back under them.
The men continued shouting, guns pointing furiously. Sam couldn't make out the faces of his aggressors, all being clad in black combat gear and masks.
Both now standing, Sam and Bucky were back-to-back. Aggressive shouting at them having intensified.
Sam nudged the edge of the shield into Bucky. He had a plan, he just hoped Bucky was with it enough to follow along.
He got his answer when Bucky took the shield from him, raising it defensively. Sam wrapped his wings around in front of himself. Bullets peppered against the metal of his wings and the shield.
Bucky found a pause in the gunfire, he rolled, throwing the shield from one knee. It bounced between three men, hitting them each with incredible force, knocking them down but not out.
Sam's wings retracted, catching the shield on its returning path.
Using his body to generate momentum, he rotated mid-air, propelling the shield at the two still standing.
It ricocheted between them, making the men meet the ground, heads slamming with enough force to rid them of consciousness.
The shield returned to Sam in time to defend him against a poorly aimed burst of gunfire at his side, one of the men trying to shoot as he frightfully tried to get to his feet.
Bucky's metal hand grabbed the barrel of the gun, keeping the man in place as his other fist met his face. The attacker hit the floor again, too stunned to cry out, his hold on his gun being relinquished.
One of his fallen comrades grabbed at Bucky's leg in a desperation.
There was no hesitation in the kick Bucky returned to his face, the rifle now in his hands pointed at its previous owner.
Two shots to the chest. Clean kill.
Bucky turned to the other two he had downed, both attempting to get back up, hands reaching for their fallen weaponry. Four more shots where shared between them.
Working off muscle memory his movements where meticulous and calculated.
The Vibranium shield clanked against the rifle in Bucky's hands, the sudden impact forcing it from his grasp.
Sam was struck for words as he caught the shield, it loyally returning to him.
Sam and Bucky stood watching each other in a showdown, both waiting for the other to make their move.
These men didn't have to die. Sam knew that, and he knew Bucky would have known that too.
Gunfire interrupted the stare off.
Two armoured trucks barrelled around the corner; reinforcements loaded on the back.
They were enormously outnumbered. It wouldn't have been the first time, but something was terribly off with the situation. Sam didn't like their odds.
Cleary neither did Bucky.
Metal arm up protecting his side and face he took off into the woods.
Sam took to the sky, wings spread, full retreat in swing. That plan he had been proud of, now just a delusional thought of grandeur.
Branches nearly whipped Bucky in the face as he sprinted through the woods, the dappled light through the tree canopy above playing havoc with his vision.
At times Bucky didn't even remember why he was running.
His mind was becoming a confusing mess, memories slipping away or returning abruptly.
The last thing he could recall for certain was Sam batting a gun from his hands with the shield, three bodies at his feet.
Bucky couldn't even remember killing them.
The more the memories fluctuated in and out of existence, the more his head felt like it was going to split open.
A gun screamed somewhere ahead as its trigger was pulled back. A hot pain sizzled in his arm. His eyes finding his attacker had stepped out from behind a tree.
At speed, using another tree for resistance, he jumped, kicking off the firm bark.
The man ducked back in time to avoid Bucky's metal fist. It collided with a tree; edge of the trunk turned to splinters. The leaves above rustled but the tree remained standing.
Bucky blinked, a haziness overwhelming him. He was disoriented, not being where he had just been. There was a knife now in his hand, blood covered the silver blade.
His wide eyes looked down at it as fear and utter bewilderment consumed him.
Fresh blood was slick on the woodland floor, leaves splattered with specs of red. A man dead at his feet once again.
"Bucky?"
His head snapped over in the direction of the voice. For a second Bucky didn't even recognise his own name.
Sam had a steady hand out in front, approaching with obvious caution.
He had witnessed from above the brutal display of combat.
There had been no restraint in Bucky's punches, the man possibly even dead before Bucky pulled the sheafed knife from the assailant's belt and embedded it in the man's throat.
Upon landing Sam had seen him stagger back, eyes fluttering as he examined the knife he wielded in a daze.
There was shouting in the distance, those pursuing from the warehouse. Bucky and Sam had made good ground in the short time, but this pause was allowing them to catch up.
"Bucky?" Wild eyes shot round at him. "We need to go." Sam wasn't sure who he was talking to.
Bucky clenched his jaw, both his hands reaching up, one pressing the knife's hilt to his forehead.
Sam stepped towards him.
The soldier slashed out with the knife, the blade inches from Sam's face. Another aggressive swing resulted in the metal knife striking against the shield, small sparks as steal struck Vibranium.
The soldier tossed the knife from one hand to the other mid swing, catching it mid-air, Sam not able to reposition the shield in time. His other forearm went up instead.
Not able to match the strength of the super soldier the blade plunged into his shoulder, making him blurt out a cry unwillingly.
Using the jet on his back he forced them both forward, giving Sam the space to backhand him with the shield.
He pulled the knife from his own shoulder, not enjoying the experience one bit.
A barrage of fresh bullets struck the landscape around them, bullets spitting out all over the woods, gunfire coming from a long way off.
Bucky took off again, Sam hot on his heals.
Sam struggled to weave his long wings in and out of the trees, the aerial obstacle course keeping Bucky a few paces ahead.
"Redwing, draw their fire!"
The little drone detached from his back, small calibre gun built within firing back, forcing their attackers to find cover, pinning them down.
Sam cast a glance over his shoulder, watching Redwing zipping around, the fire now directed at him.
Looking forward, Sam found Bucky had stopped running. He had skidded to a halt in front of a ridge, the ground in front pitching down sharply into a bog.
Sam landed behind Bucky, the soldier spinning round to face him, wilderness their backdrop.
Sam never got a chance to say anything, the soldier immediately rushed him.
Shield went up, wings extending, the tips protruding into the earth. When the hurled fist landed, he remained where he was.
The soldier gripped either side of the shield, rotating it, forcing Sam to flip with it. Feet back on the ground his jet ignited, hauling them both forward and down over the cliff face. Sam couldn't get his wings to open, rolling brutally down the rocky face before slapping down into the shallow water of the bog.
Authors Notes
I have so many plans for this story XD Everyone's support been fantastic so far! thank you all. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. This story is very much going to be action packed :P