AN: This story picks up pretty much right where Avengers: Alternate Reality left off.
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Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or any of the related characters. Those rights belong to Marvel Entertainment. This story is a work of fanfiction and is for entertainment purposes only. I am not making any profit from this story.
Chapter 1: Steve
Bucky's funeral had been a small graveside affair held two days after the factory battle.
Steve had wanted it that way, and Fury had made sure his wish was granted. He, Natasha, and Sam had stood silently with Steve as the minister said a few words, and then watched as the plain wooden coffin was lowered into the earth.
The three of them had offered words of condolence, but Steve didn't remember what they were. All he knew was the numbness that had settled over him at the end of the battle and stayed ever since. Life had become a series of tasks performed without conscious thought or emotion. When he finished one, he moved to the next, then the next after that until there was nothing left to do but lie through another sleepless night and repeat the process once more.
Somehow amongst all that nothingness he had ended up back here, at the grave. Only six days had passed since the funeral, yet it felt like a lifetime.
Steve stared down at the words carved into the stone at the head of the grave: James Buchanan Barnes. 1917-2015. A Soldier and Friend.
Steve had been given the chance to speak at the funeral, but he'd declined. The thought of trying to put into words what Bucky meant to him had been too much. The headstone certainly didn't do him justice though. Bucky had been a brother to Steve, closer than anyone else – even amongst the Avengers.
Somehow, losing him a second time seemed worse than the first. The hope he'd felt, knowing Bucky was alive, had been shattered beyond repair at the factory. There were no second chances this time around.
What he wouldn't give to turn back time.
Abruptly Steve turned away from the grave. There was nothing to be gained there, no cure for the pain by staring at its cause. The only way forward was to find the man responsible and make sure he could never take a life again.
One way or another, Loki would pay for his crimes.
AN: I am super sorry about how long it has taken me to start posting this story! Life got really busy, but now that we're on the move again, I plan to post at least two chapters each day.