And another chapter. Thanks to everyone who has followed/ favorited this story! Okay, so I had The Asset have a flashback, I accidentally put it in a way that made it seem like The Asset was watching from above or something, so I'm just going to pretend that's how flashbacks work, LOL.

~PaleWolfsHowl

The Asset sighed, shifting in his seat.

[Steve takes off on his motorcycle; in the Smithsonian Museum there is an exhibit dedicated to Captain America]

Natasha snickered, making everyone look at her.

The Asset looked at her confused, until he remembered her earlier future self's comment. He huffed, realizing exactly what she was thinking. Understanding dawned on the humans faces, Maybe- Archer Clint burst out into laughter, while Stark smirked.

The Asset glazed over at Steve, who rolled his eyes at his friends.

The Smithsonian Narrator: A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice.

[Steve, keeping his face hidden under a baseball cap, walks over to the exhibition]

"Remarcable disguise, really." Stark snickered at the poorly disguised future- Steve.

"Shut up." The Captain muttered in irritation, glaring at Stark.

The Asset decided to test his ground, he needed to know sooner or later if he could get away with making a snarky comment at The Captain.

"Tin Can's got a point." He said quietly, earning surprised looks from the humans.

"Great, not only is a Walking Toaster against me, but an apparently lethal assassin too." The blond grumbled.

The Asset surprised himself by smirking under his mask. Or was it a muzzle?

Woman on PA: (faintly) Welcome to the Smithsonian. Visitor information booths are available on the second level.

The Smithsonian Narrator: Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier.

[a boy recognizes him, Steve smiles puts his finger against his mouth to indicate for the boy to keep quiet and the boy nods, Steve then watches some old footage of himself]

Old Footage Recording: In this rare footage, everyone's favorite war hero, Captain America...

[Steve goes to the display where there are mannequins with costumes of Steve's old commando squad]

The Smithsonian Narrator: Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division.

Ha. The Asset hadn't known that fact about Captain America. The debriefing Hydra had given him on The Captain was mostly composed of 'Threat, take down on sight,'.

[Steve walks over to the a display of his friend Bucky Barnes]

The Asset stared wide at the image of Bucky Barnes, that man looked exactly as The Asset younger self had. His eyes widened farther as he realized that Bucky Barnes was his former self.

Oh dear. So that would mean that The Asset had served in the American Military? As a Howling Commando? At least it cleared up how he knew Steve. So Hydra must have hijacked him at some point?

At least he knew who he was, that was.. Good?

Next to him, The asset heard Steve take a deep breath as he stared at the screen. He glanced over, to see… were those tears in The Captain's eyes? Over whoever The Asset had once been?

The Smithsonian Narrator: Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.

'They think I died.' The Asset realized with a jolt, next to him, Steve seemed to be struggling to breath. Wait. Best friends since childhood? No wonder he recognized The Captain.

What did s friend even do? Who was in charge in a relationship like that?

"Er, Steve, you okay?" Bruce spoke up for one of the first times since the film had started.

The Asset- or was he Bucky Barnes now? No, he didn't deserve that name.- glanced over at The Captain, who had tears falling from his eyes. Huh, The Asset's former self must have been important to Steve, really important. The Asset wished he could step up and be Bucky Barnes again, for Steve.

But he couldn't. He knew he could never be his past self again. Hydra had long ago burned that bridge.

With a snapping noise, the girl was back, surprising everyone in the room.

"Eh, does he look okay?" The girl huffed, waving a hand and a smaller black screen appeared in front of the large screen. The Asset watched as she gestured to the humans, excluding Steve.

"James Buchanan Barnes was more than Steve's best friend. They were brothers in everything but blood." She said curtly, then turned to The Captain.

"Watch this- Or I guess, listen to this." She ordered, and Steve reluctantly raised his eyes to the black screen. With a pop, the girl disappeared.

Voices came from the black screen, first was Steve's.

"You know me."

"How is this going to help?" Grumbled Steve, glaring at the small black screen. The Asset tilted his head. If he, himself was this Bucky Barnes then wouldn't his voice come from the screen to?

"No, I don't!"

Yup. Though, it was a good thing that his voice from on the screen seemed to be without the filter of the mask. Meaning, no one would know that The Asset was indeed Barnes.

"Bucky. you've known me your entire life. Your name is James Buchanan Barnes..."

The Captain, finally realizing what this was, gasped. As did the other humans.

"He's alive." Was all Steve said, more tears running down his cheek. The Asset watched as The Captain repeated that line over and over again.

"How? How is this possible?" His question went unanswered, for nobody knew the answer, excluding The Asset.

The other humans' seemed to be having similar thoughts. It took a good ten minutes for Steve to calm himself, the black screen flickered to life once more.

"I wasn't in Vienna, I don't do that anymore."

Wait. How could The Asset have a choice? Unless he'd gotten away from Hydra? No that was impossible. What would a weapon do without a handler?

He noticed that the humans in the room tilted their heads in confusion.

Steve was looking at the screen with heartbreaking hope, obviously just hoping his friend was alive.

The asset thought what the girl had done was cruel, giving The Captain false hope. Even though The Asset was alive, he could never be whomever he had been back in his and Steve's childhood. He didn't even have control of his own mind! Showing Steve something that gave him so much hope, only to have it torn away from him? Maybe this girl was Hydra after all, to do something like that.

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive."

The asset tilted his head, wondering what his future self hadn't done. Something bad, it sounded like. Something really bad. Or maybe someone had done some research on the Winter Soldier and realized he needed to be killed? No, his future self's voice had said that he hadn't done it. Was he lying? Or maybe The Asset would get blamed for something?

"That's smart. Good strategy." And with that, the small black screen disappeared.

It was. The Asset knew that. No one survived who tried to take The Asset alive, though, no one survived trying to take him dead either, so..

Next to him, Steve looked beyond confused and a tad bit shell shocked.

"Why, if in fact, Bucky is alive, would someone want him dead?" The Captain asked no one in particular.

"Maybe he committed a crime?" Natasha offered helpfully, The Captain immediately shook his head at her. "Buck wouldn't ever hurt anyone who was innocent." He stated with absolute conviction.

The Asset bit back a sigh, if only the Captain knew...

No, he could never, ever know. It would hurt him too much.

"Well, his screen voice said he didn't do it." Bruce offered kindly, Steve nodded, immediately believing what Bruce had said. The Asset was shocked by the absolute trust The Captain had in his former self.

[Steve watches an older looking Peggy Carter being interviewed]

The Asset looked towards Steve to see if he showed any outright reaction at the women on the screen. The Captain still looked out of it, still in shock by the reveal of Bucky Barnes' current condition of not being dead.

Peggy Carter: That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line. Steve…

At the sound of his name, The Captain blinked into somewhat awareness, looking at the screen and seeing the women on it. The image that it showed only seemed to cause the blond more pain.

The Asset wanted the image on the screen to go away and stop causing The Captain pain.

He noticed that other humans in the room were shifting, as if they wanted to say or do something but didn't know what.

As The Captain trembled with grief, The Asset felt something break in him. He was aware of the humans eyes on him as he reached a hand out towards The Captain.

Not his metal hand, his flesh one. He honestly had no clue what he was doing, but gosh darn it.

He knew he had comforted The Captain back when he had been Bucky. But he also knew that a trained Assassin wasn't exactly comforting. Also, Steve was unaware of The Asset's identity crisis. But, The Asset couldn't stand just sitting there while The Captain was in pain, something he had apparently kept from his former self.

So, hoping he didn't make things worse, he reached out and gently rested his hand on The Captain's shoulder.

There was a tense moment, before The Captain leaned into The Asset's touch. He felt like breathing out in relief, but held it in. He was aware of the shocked looks on Steve's friends' faces.

Natasha looked like she might faint. It would have been amusing if The Asset hadn't been so stressed that The Captain might notice that a lethal nightmare was the one trying to comfort him.

The Asset started to carefully rub Steve's shoulder, something he vaguely remembered doing as Bucky. Huh, more memories were trickling in, not as strong as the first one, but…

Steve sighed, relaxing. The Asset felt the Captain's muscles untensing.

Good. After a moment, everyone turned their attention back to the screen. The Asset left his hand on Steve's shoulder, rubbing it absentmindedly.

(Peggy hesitates)

Peggy Carter: Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would...who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life.

The Asset could hear Steve's ragged breaths, the woman on the screen was the cause of it. The Asset wished she would go away and stop causing The Captain pain. Though, logically The Asset knew it wasn't her fault. But, still…

Using all the knowledge he had from his life as Bucky Barnes, which wasn't much, The Asset ran his hand up and down Steve's arm in a hopefully comforting way. It seemed to work, for The Captain settled down a little. The Asset was a mix of confused and happy that The Captain didn't push him away, or punish him.

[Steve looks at the photo of Peggy he'd kept in his old compass]

[Steve visits Peggy, who is now lying sick in bed]

The Asset had a feeling that Steve would have lost it at that, if he hadn't been rubbing The Captain's arm.

Obviously, whoever this woman is, she meant a lot to The Captain, which meant that The Asset would try to protect her too. Which would be hard, but he knew that he could never let Hydra harm The Captain. No matter what. Even if he was given direct orders, his loyalty would stay with Steve.

Without continuous thought, The Asset smoothed his hand over Steve's neck, then down his arm again. The Captain seemed to calm a little. The Asset assumed it was because The Captain would recognize the particular strategy that the Asset was using to calm it. After all, The Asset was now starting to distantly remember doing this before, in the long nights after someone had died… Steve's mother? The Asset wasn't sure. All he knew was that his former self had done this thousands of times.

Steve Rogers: You should be proud of yourself, Peggy.

[Steve looks at Peggy's family photos by her bedside table showing her with her husband and children]

Peggy Carter: Mm. I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours.

[Steve looks sad]

The Asset wondered if this woman would feel that same about him. If he had known Steve throughout his childhood and days serving in the war, he must have known this woman too.

Peggy Carter: What is it?

Steve Rogers: For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same.

The Asset glanced over at Steve's face, this scene was making him even more depressed. Darn it.

[Peggy chuckles]

Peggy Carter: You're always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather...mucked it up.

Steve Rogers: You didn't. Knowing that you helped found SHIELD is half the reason I stay.

[Peggy takes Steve's hand]

Peggy Carter: Hey. The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over.

But sometimes you can't start over. The Asset knew he would never be able to. Not after everything he had done. Hydra had permanently branded him as their property. He could never start over, because he would always be haunted by the ghosts of his past. He could never be free, the weight of his crimes would always over power him. He knew that when he was sent back to Hydra, all this would be wiped away. He wouldn't know The Captain. He wouldn't remember who he had once been. Hydra had wiped it all away once, they could easily do it again. And even if he did remember, they had the code words.

He was a slave in his own mind, never to be free, for he could never escape himself. He was a monster crafted by cruel, unfeeling hands.

He was sharpened like a blade, for cutting down even the strongest of men. He was a loaded gun, just waiting for someone to push the trigger. He was a weapon, he knew this, but in the presence of Steve, he was beginning to forget it.

He needed to remember he was nothing more than a tool in the hands of stronger, more dangerous men.

[Peggy starts to cough, Steve turns to get her some water and goes to hand it to her]

Steve Rogers: Peggy.

[suddenly Peggy looks at Steve like she's seeing for the first time since he was frozen]

Peggy Carter: Steve?

The Asset's full attention was snapped back to Steve as he shook at the line.

The Asset saw Stark's mouth opening, as if to say something, and glared icily at him. Stark shut his mouth quickly.

The Asset carefully masashed The Captain's shoulder and neck. He once again relaxed.

Steve Rogers: Yeah.

Peggy Carter: You're alive! You...you came, you came back.

Steve Rogers: Yeah, Peggy.

[Peggy begins to cry]

Peggy Carter: It's been so long. So long.

The Asset was pretty sure everyone winced at that, he, himself winced at what the woman- Peggy, had said.

Steve Rogers: Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance.

Steve grimaced at the line. Since the scene was over, and The Captain was no longer in danger of emotional trauma, The asset moved his hand away awkwardly. He was very much aware of Natasha's eyes burning into him.