A/N: Hi guys! I hope everyone is safe and healthy. I just wanted to take this moment to thank everyone for reading this story. I think I finally figured out the direction I want the story to go so the fact that you stuck around this long means a lot. On another note, this chapter suuuucks but nonetheless….

Fair warning: Peter Parker meeting the Avengers is coming up really soon...

Bucky stared at his old friend for a while as Steve stood in front of Spiderman. Frank eyed them all with interest before pointing a finger in Spiderman's direction. "He's coming with me."

Bucky narrowed his eyes as he looked between the two people. "What does Hydra want with him?"

"That's our business," Frank exclaimed as he adjusted his grip on his gun. Bucky looked down at it. His eyes narrowed even further as his brian slowly put two and two together. Standing to his full height, he shifted in front of Steve who was now on the ground, holding a bleeding Spiderman.

"You were going to shoot him?"

"Listen, just hand the kid over and we can go our separate ways."

"Not happening," Steve voiced from behind. Frank rolled his eyes before he took aim with his weapon.

"Either you hand him over or I will shoot you."

Bucky stared at the Hydra agent for a moment before turning his head slightly to Steve. "Get him out of here."

"What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you."

Steve hesitated for a moment before nodding and lifting Spiderman into a bridal position. As he took a step away the loud boom of a gunshot filled the air causing him to freeze. Looking back, he saw Frank holding his gun to the sky. "Nobody is going anywhere until you hand me the boy."

When nobody moved, Frank looked at Bucky. "Listen, you know how these things go. Hydra wants Spiderman and I have to deliver. I don't want to shoot you but I will if I have to."

Bucky looked back at the man in front of him as he shifted his weight. He quickly glanced at the boy in his childhood friends arms. Blood flowed between his fingers, dripping on the ground. Turning to Frank, he nodded. "Let Steve leave with the boy and take me instead."

Frank's eyes widened at the request as Steve let out a shout of protest. Frank eyed Bucky and the Winter Soldier could see the thought crossed his mind, but he shook his head. "Not happening. The boy is coming with me."

Bucky shook his head. "I can't let that happen."

He widened his stance in order to shield the two people behind him. A loud yet weak voice called out from a distance away. Frank turned his head in that direction before letting it snap back at the trio in front of him. Bucky noticed the man's eyes went from confident to unsure in just a second. The yelling lifted into the sky once more as Frank shifted uneasily.

"Is that your partner out there?" Steve asked, apparently not missing a thing. However, it wasn't Frank that responded. It was the quiet voice of Spiderman.

"T...Two of 'em." His voice shook as if he was holding on to consciousness. Steve adjusted his grip on the kid causing him to whimper in protest. Bucky looked back at Frank.

"You have two choices here Frank. Either you stay here and allow your partner to remain where he's at or you leave and help him and risk losing us. Either way, Hydra won't like it." Frank opened his mouth to say something but the trees rustled nearby drawing his attention.

Using that moment, Bucky sprang forward. His hand wrapped around the gun, pushing it towards the heavens. A shot rang out as Frank realized what was happening. Bucky felt the heat of the bullet on his face as he leaned back. Frank used that moment to throw a right punch to his opponents face. Bucky stumbled back before recovering and throwing a punch of his own. He watched as his metal fist connected with flesh. Spit flew out of Franks mouth as his head snapped to the side. Bucky took that moment to take a peek behind him. Steve and Spiderman were nowhere to be seen. He can only imagine Steve ran off with the kid the moment he attacked. Turning back to Frank, Bucky was blindsided by the force of Frank's body.

Frank lowered his head and ran forward, tackling Bucky to the ground. On the ground, Bucky looked up to see Frank glaring down at him in concentration as blood flowed from his nose and mouth. Lifting his arm, Bucky blocked the blow that was headed his way. Frank let out a grunt as he swung again, Bucky used that momentum to take a swing of his own. Frank went sideways, missing the hit.

Bucky let out a grunt as he pushed himself off the ground landing on his feet. Not wasting any time, he threw his leg out watching as it connected with the other man's chest, knocking him down once more. Frank remained still on his hands and knees as he tried to collect his breath.

"Y...You're protecting a...kid...kidnapper!" Frank sputtered as he spit blood onto the ground.

"What do you mean?"

Frank looked up at his old friend and shook his head. "Spiderman knows where a kid named Peter Parker is. I just need for him to tell me where he is."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Frank stood slowly. "Because you're my friend and I don't want to hurt you."

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "Says the man who's bleeding. What does Hydra want with Parker?"

"I don't know, that's above my pay grade. I will tell you this though. Before my partner and I grabbed Spiderman, he was talking to a woman."

"Who?"

"I don't know. All I know is I recognize her from the flyers Hydra has hanging up at the base. She's on Hydra's list."

Bucky opened his mouth to speak but just as he did something slammed into his back, knocking the air out of him. He felt himself fall and hit the ground. Rolling over, he looked up just as a boot sped towards his head, then darkness took over.


The moment Steve saw Bucky move forward, he tightened his grip on Spiderman then he took off. The bouncing movement caused the boy to let out a cry of pain. Steve listened as he inhaled deeply. It came out as shaky. Looking down at the masked face, he saw wet marks sprout on the red near the eyes. Even without taking the mask off, Steve knew the kid was crying. Of course he's crying, he got shot! His brain screamed at him.

"Spiderman, are you still with me?" Steve called quietly.

"I 'ont feel goo,' ' came a small voice.

"I know, stay with me kid."

Tightening his grip on the boy, Steve picked up the pace as the car they took to the funeral came in sight. Spiderman whimpered in response. If it wasn't for the boy bleeding in his arm, Steve would have just thrown him over his shoulder and used his other hand to call the Avengers. Who knows how many other men were out there in the woods.

Steve managed to reach the car in one piece. He threw open the back door and gently placed the boy in red blue and black in the backseat. Spiderman gave him a small whimper. Whipping out his phone, he dialed the first number that came up. Eyeing the forest with careful and calculated eyes, he listened to the ring.

"Capsicle, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Tony, get to Nolen Cemetery. Spiderman has been shot, and Bucky is fighting with a Hydra agent. We don't know how many are here!"

A string of curse words escaped the former playboys mouth as he started shouting at someone on his end. Given the situation, Steve bit his tongue for the usual language remark. "Where is the Manchurian Candidate?"

"Bucky. And I don't know, when he attacked I took off with Spiderman."

The sound of an engine roaring to life filled the background.

"How's the kid?"

Steve looked down at the boy laying on the seat. Reaching forward, he placed two fingers on his neck feeling the slow but steady beat. Silently, he watched the rise and fall of his chest. "He's alive, but I'm not a doctor Tony. I ran with him, so there is no telling what happened to the bullet during that."

Silence filled the phone except the purring of the engine. Steve looked back at the forest, silently begging for his friend to come running through but nobody gripped his phone tight as he brought his bottom lip between his teeth. "What if there were more than the two that we knew about? Tony, he's there all alone. We just got him back and I just left him with Hydra agents."

"He'll be fine," Tony said carefully as the familiar sounds of thrusters filled the phone. Steve shook his head as he kept his eyes glued to the forest. Every passing second sent a twisting feeling to his gut. Bucky should have been out by now. Steve glanced at the boy who was still quiet and unmoving but his eyes immediately traveled back to the forest. Every ounce of his body screamed at him to go charging into the forest in search of his friend but his feet remained stubbornly at the boy's side.

Bucky or Spiderman?

A cracking sound filled his ear. Pulling the phone away from his ear, a dark screen littered with cracks greeted him.

"Shit."

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" a robotic voice asked from above. Steve lifted his eyes to see an Iron man suit flying above him. The suit landed on the ground as the face plate lifted, revealing the face of Tony Stark. He walked forward, looking into the car at the kid.

"Is he unconscious?"

"I don't know, probably. Listen, take him back to the compound." Steve said as he started jogging back toward the forest. Tony stared at him before slamming his mouth into a tight line.

"Friday, scan the kid."

Yes Boss. Scan complete. Gunshot wound to the abdomen. Blood loss is 20%. It appears he is unconscious.

"Can I fly with him?"

I would advise against it. The bullet is near his liver.

"Right well, I never listen to you anyway." Tony lifted the boy into his arms, surprised by the lightness of him. Staring down at the masked face, paused. "Friday, what's the probability of something happening if I flew with him?"

70%

"Of course," the billionaire said in exasperation. Shaking his head, he looked to the sky. The kid in his arms groaned causing the man to look down at him. "Alright kid, we're going to do this the hard way and pray that we get the 30% chance that nothing happens." The face plate went down and in one quick motion, Tony Stark became Iron Man.

Pulling Spiderman close to his body, Tony slowly took to the sky and carefully flew to the Compound.