The initial breach hit with the force of a truck, water taking the three of them out in one fell swoop. Steve's shield hit the edge of the doorway, wall breaking on impact, rubble getting caught up in the rapids. Unleashed torrent tugging him along unwillingly.
Steve felt himself grinding to a halt, the water becoming shallow as it dispersed around the floor space.
Steve's hand grasped a railing pulling himself up. The stairs looked down on him, water swirling just below his knees.
"Steve!" Sam's call stood out over the rushing water.
Trudging his way through the bubbling river, Steve took the first left into the small dead-end corridor. Sitting, the water rippling around his upper chest was Sam pulling at his leg.
"My leg is stuck." Sam spat, out of breath from his efforts to escape.
Steve had to think strategically. He needed a plan.
"We lift on three." Steve ordered, Sam nodding in acknowledgement.
Steve found perch on the thick slap of concreate, iron rebar wired throughout the rubble.
"One, two…"
The splashing of water became apart too late. The Winter Soldier tackling Steve further back into the corridor, both crashing into the hands of the grimy water.
Steve went to lift his head up to take a much-needed breath. A fist smacked his face right back down. Driving his shield into the side of his attacker gave him that precious moment Steve needed to get to the surface.
Bucky had been shoved back, hand bracing himself against the wall. Soaked hair was attached to his face in an assortment of places, the once dry blood down the side of his face revitalised.
A hand around the Soldier's ankle diverted his fixation on Steve. A kick to the face put Sam in his place.
Steve was up, getting a solid hold around Bucky's neck with one arm, shielding it with the other.
All the man could see in Steve's grasp was the underside of his Vibranium shield.
"Sam!" Steve called out just as Sam brought himself back above the water's surface, sporting a new cut above his eyebrow.
Having risen considerably the water now lapped over Sam's shoulders, almost reaching Steve's waist.
He didn't hear if Sam responded, the crack of a metal arm against his shield deafening. Bucky refused to yield even as Steve's arm around his neck tightened, making him gurgle on the saliva at the back of his throat.
The water kissed the base of Sam's chin, tilting his head back the only way to keep his nose and mouth free of the rising river. He needed Steve's help.
Bucky still refused to concede. Somehow clinging to consciousness.
The water rose too high, forcing Sam to take a deep breath as his face was enveloped.
Steve was out of time and out of options.
Steve rid Bucky of his last few attachments with consciousness, driving his head into one of the walls beside them, making him drop like a stone.
Acting fast, water clawing its way up his chest Steve plunged down into the murky depths.
When he resurfaced, he had Sam in his grasp, coughing up a mouthful of disgusting water.
"I'm alright." Sam confirmed between his soggy breaths.
Diving back down almost immediately, Steve returned this time with the unconscious Bucky.
"Go, I've got him." Steve ordered, and for the first time that day Sam listened. He headed for the drowning stairs, able to hobble and swim on his injured leg.
Steve dragging Bucky behind him made it to the stairs, where he's able to haul his friend onto his shoulders. Fatigue sapped his strength; he wasn't about to give up now.
Sam griped the railing, leaning on his good leg, looking down at what could have been his watery grave.
The scaling of the stairs was much harder than the original decent. Clothes soaked through and an unconscious man over his shoulders, not to mention battle worn muscles. Steve was understandably not in fighting form.
"Steve" Sam huffed from behind, his leg not making it any easier for him. "Thank you."
Steve continued to scale the stairs, boots waterlogged and squelching.
He didn't know what to say back, never had he been so torn in his life. Bucky was his friend, but so was Sam. If it came to it, he wasn't sure if he would be able to make the choice. Sam or Bucky.
This time he had been lucky.
The river still chased them slowly up the stairs, it as stubborn as the HYDRA programming in his friend's head.
"What's the plan then?" Sam then asked, voice straining every time he limped up a step.
Steve didn't have a plan; he didn't know where to go from here. Sam had been right. Bucky couldn't be contained, that much had become painfully clear.
"We can't stay here." Steve avoided the question.
"No shit." Sam gave a pained chuckle.
Panting they conquered a couple more steps, progress slow.
"Do you really think there's something left on him in there?" Sam finally asked, the question having been lingering on his lips for a while.
Steve inhaled sharply.
"He's confused… He…" Steve was cut off by the sudden jolt of the Winter Soldier abruptly freeing himself. Kicking his legs off Steve's shoulder, an arm around his neck, Bucky threw Steve into Sam sending them tumbling back down the stairs.
Shaking his head from the disorientation of the fall, Steve's eyes focused. Bucky, wobble in his step, was climbing the stairs. Moving away from Steve and Sam.
"Sam?" Steve helped Sam to his feet, still not able to apply much wait to his injured leg.
"Go after him."
Sam didn't have to tell him twice.
Newly invigorated Steve raced after Bucky.
He caught up to him in the stairwell, he didn't get a chance to say anything, Bucky kicking out behind him unexpectedly., Steve dodged back almost loosing his balance.
Bucky having merely stalled Steve continued his rush up the stairwell.
Steve realised something. The Soldier was on the run, escape now his priority.
Compelling his muscles into action Steve got back in the chase, hot on his heels. Bucky as exhausted as Steve, used his metal arm to force himself up the stairs. It gripped the railing and yanked him up each step.
The pursuit didn't end once having conquered the stairwell; the climb being traded in for a final sprint to the finish line. Daylight through the open gate at the end of the corridor signalling the exit.
Bucky had a head start, already halfway down the corridor when Steve turned the corner. Sprinting after Bucky Steve persuaded his arms to exert every ounce of strength they had left.
Steve launched his shield. Soring straight and true Bucky had little time to react. Skidding to a stop he spun around, metal arm up, shield hitting his forearm. The shield ricochet, cutting through pipework, embedding itself in the wall.
It had given Steve all the time he needed to close the gap between them.
Like a bull Steve tackled straight into Bucky, sending them flying through the open gate, daylight blinding after their extended time in the dark.
Rolling in the dry dirt they both clambered to their feet somehow, only a couple of meters between them.
Bucky breathed heavy, fists up ready. He didn't attack.
"I told you before. I'm not going to fight you." Steve kept his hands at his side, resting back on his heals as he attempted to settle his distressed breathing.
The Winter Soldier remained where he was.
"Why?"
"Because you're my friend." There was something in the man's eyes that wasn't there beforehand. Steve noticed it. "No matter where you go Bucky, no matter how hard you hit me. I'm not going to stop trying to help you." Steve swallowed back a breath. "I'm with you till the end of the line Buck."
Bucky's arms gradually lowered.
After almost seventy years. Decades having been and gone.
Steve was looking at Bucky.
In his eyes was his friend, and there was no doubt in his mind, no question on the matter. It was him. Standing right there, his face completely still eyes meeting his.
A crash behind Steve made him look back behind him. Sam was on one knee, having stumbled at the gate out of the dam.
Looking back. Bucky was gone.
"You sure?"
"It was him."
Steve knew Sam had to ask, to question his judgment.
"What changed?" Sam asked from the passenger side of the car, Steve keeping his eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel.
"I'm not sure." Steve sighed. "But back in the dam. I could tell he was lying when he said he didn't know me."
"How?" Now Sam was the one with all the questions needing answers.
"I just did."
The car traversed the isolated road, potholes unavoidable. Hissing Sam massaged him injured leg, which was uncomfortably shoved into the footwell of the passenger side.
"Fury never gave our mission a timeline after all" Sam tried to lighten the mood.
"Our?"
"We'll find him Steve." Sam consoled. "How ever long it takes, we will find Bucky. Together."
Steve couldn't help but glance over at Sam, a small smirk forming.
"Together." He confirmed, nodding his eyes turned back to the road.
Authors Notes
Eyo, hope everyone enjoyed this story! I will be writing a second part to this story, so stay tuned for that. kudos and comments, all that stuff, is always apricated. See you soon.