…I Love You 3000…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, a little bit of sadness, violence, and blood, deaths, and Steven being a scary motherfucker and we are going to meet the Winter Soldier! And who knows what! All reviews are appreciated.

"Character talking"

"Character thinking"

…Flashbacks…

Chapter 10

The first time Steven struggled to open his eyes; he was greeted with cries full of alarm, what he caught before he was pricked with perhaps another needle of sedative, was the noise of a moving vehicle and the men surrounding him that was speaking in Germany, maybe Russian? He wasn't able to detect that much with merely a few flitting words his unsteady mind didn't comprehend entirely. The second time he woke up was to the same shouting, this time it was too panicked like they were noticing something that they shouldn't or they didn't do their job, but the next time he was stabbed it was with too much force than needed.

The third and final time he woke up, thankfully he wasn't sedated, so that provided him the opportunity to take in the barren room he was in; raising his head to see why he couldn't move his arms, glaring darkly when he noted that not only he was naked and that the sole item of clothes on his body was his suit slacks, but also his hands were bound; a few tugs to the shackles informed him that he could break free from them, but if he did that, then whoever kidnapped him won't show up, and that will leave Steven with more question than he needs, especially with his kidnapper having a powerful enough sedative that was able to knock him out, no sedative was strong enough to work on him, and the last one that work was fifteen years ago and it only knocked him for ten minutes before his body became resistant to it.

The noise of the cage door opening caused Steven to twist his head with a sinister frown to the man who dared to capture him, only for his eyes to widen for a fraction when he met Zola, in flesh and blood walking inside the room, with… with Bucky! Bucky who was muzzled with his mask, a rope attached to a choker that was clasp tightly on his neck, the end of the rope was in Zola's hand, Bucky who was nude from head to toe, quivering and shuddering, but staring at his feet obediently. That sight made Steven's blood pulse like magma in his body; anger darkened his eyes, specifically when he saw Zola sending him a polite smile.

"Commander Rogers, such an honor to meet you!" Zola declared, causing Steven to let out a grunt, his eyes refusing to leave Zola alone, following his movements like a panther watching its prey, an act only caused Zola's beam and for his smile to stretch even further. "I have to admit, I made the appropriate decision for choosing you instead of Captain Rogers; I'm pleased with myself if I may add." Zola stated and Steven nearly said screw it and smashed the chain to attack the imp in front of him, but with Bucky shaking and looking feverish he resolved not to move, seeking to assist the situation to the best of his capabilities to discover an alternative out for him and Bucky. "… After all, no one, not even a potent werewolf like the assist was able to shake off the sedative as you did, it was intriguing how you were able to wake up after two hours, most victims of the sedative regain their conciseness after three days. The next time, you woke up after an hour! I'm spectating that your body is becoming immune to it; such a fascination, I believe that's what happens when you don't have a designation to ground you is it, Commander Rogers?" Steven had missed the first part of the dialogue, not that he cared for, his body was tensing in revolt when he saw the ravenous look in Zola's eyes when he studied his body.

"What does Hydra's scum wants with me? Weren't you ruined in the forties? Or was my counterpart that much of a disappointment?" Steven gritted out, deciding to appear astonished that Hydra was still roaming around; trying to show Zola that, no, he didn't know about Hydra being S.H.I.E.L.D. all alone, and that the Avengers have been working for months to round up all of Hydra's agents, and that in a few more weeks where they were planning on launching Project Insight; Hydra will fall.

Zola chuckled at his words, making Steven grind his teeth until they hurt even with the serum running inside his body. "You see Commander, for years now, we have sought to recreate the same serum running inside of your counterpart body; the closest we got to create it was the Winter Soldier…" Steven saw how Zola pulled the rope in his hand roughly, making Bucky stumble before correcting himself as quickly as he can, loathe and fury built up inside Steven. "All of our experiments after that failed, and with your counterpart crushing the Valkyrie in the arctic, all of our hope of recreating stronger soldiers dashed with it. Imagine our surprise though when the dear Captain's body was retrieved from the arctic a year and a half ago, alive even! By that point we realized we can't recreate the serum without Dr. Erskine, who regrettably died years and years ago; but I didn't give up faith, I know that with the strong super-soldier Omega we have and Captain America, we could create the perfect soldiers! Imagine my thrill when you showed up, you! The purest form the serum ever conceived! With no instincts, no werewolves gens, no secondary gender to oppose you, you are the ideal candidate to help Hydra rise from the ashes!" Zola crow in triumphant, causing Steven's eyebrow to twitch in irritation, his glare increases ten volts daring Zola to try something.

"You surely have something wrong in the brain if you thought I will ever help you," Steven hissed like a furious lion, his eyes darting to Bucky who looks worse and worse every moment that went, and it made Steven tense when Bucky let out a muffled moan of suffering that if not for the serum running inside of his body, he would have never discovered it.

"That's when you are the wrong Commander; you see the assist is a few minutes from fierce heat, and when it arrives, the assist has every right to restrain you and do anything he wishes, think of it as a… reward, for serving us faithfully for seventy years." Steven pauses at those words his fury increasing every moment that passes, and he realizes that any time now, he will certainly lose it, and when he does no one will escape this place alive. "If you think that you have it in you to force him away, think again, we will make certain his discipline will be worse than yours, isn't that right, Sargent Barnes?" Zola questioned with a nasty grin, his sharply stare, making Bucky raise his unsteady hands to draw his mask off, letting it clang on the ground.

What made Steven's eyes widen wasn't the face behind the mask, for Steven had known for forty years that the Winter Soldier was his best friend and brother; no, what made anger course through him was the black bruise on his jaw and the blooded mouth, the flaming hot anger nearly leashed out, and Steven felt the beast inside of him sang, calling for blood and death, and Steven's know that nothing short of the wail of anguish and suffering from his enemies will appease his desire for vengeance.

"You know what to do, soldier." Zola said with a smugly satisfied expression on his face, he presumably thought that the shock and the rage clouded Steven's face was from him seeing that the soldier in front of him was his long-lost friend and that Steven won't do anything to struggle least he injured that said friend. Unfortunately for Zola though, he had just signed for death when he left the room, leaving Steven with Bucky alone; just a few moments more, and Steven sower that he will unleash what he struggled to suppress for years, and wipe out all of Hydra today.

"Bucky…" Steven gently whispered; his words seemingly settled on deaf ears as the soldier sway before striding toward Steven, straddling his lap, not a few moments afterward, making Steven tense like a bow. "Bucky, don't do this; I can get us out of here." Steven hissed when he felt Bucky moving his hips, rubbing down on his prick, making Steven feel sick to the bones when he felt wetness soaking through his slacks; the knowledge that Bucky, his best friend, and brother forced to this, was enough to snap Steven, he bites his tongue harshly when he realized how glossy Bucky's eyes were, noting how drugged and out of it he undoubtedly was, and it made him wonder if Zola had adopted the same tactics in his universe too, a reflection that made the beast in his rage. "I'm sorry, Buck." Steven whispered as he leaned closer to Bucky, forcing him to let out a gasp when he breathed the hated trigger words in Bucky's ears, hoping that they were the same in this universe.

Bucky collapsed on him when Steven finished giving his order, it will provide Steven time, time to wipe out all of Hydra while Bucky sleeps the worst of the drug. Using his strength Steven snapped the chain that bound his hands to the wall, rising with Bucky in his arms, butting him in the corner of the room where there was a small bunk. Making certain that Bucky was secure, Steven closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath and letting go of whatever control he had, unleashing the beast inside of him that demanded to crush and slay, something that he never did for years and years; the dread inside of him picked up every time the darkness inside of him draw closer and closer to being out, what took place decades ago still echoing in his mind, and Steven feared that there was no going back this time when there was no Tony to yank him out, Steven though, he will wait, and hopefully count on the Avengers to find him in time. When Steven opens his eyes, they were crimson, a mad grin taking over his face as he stared around the place. His eyes fell on Bucky for a second before moving to the bars…

He was going to hunt…

"Did you find him, J, Edith?" Tony called out desperately, it had been six hours since Steven was captured from under their nose, everyone was on their last nerve, growling and scowling at the thought that Hydra was able to drop one on them. Peggy was the most disturbed by it, still furious about how they didn't foresee a strike from Hydra, accompanied by Rogers, who growled at the thought of Hydra's agents being in the same place as him without recognizing them, everyone wondered why Hydra had moved after Steven, and all of them had a specific reason for why they did it, either for his knowledge or for the serum in his body, everyone though knows that they need to find Steven and they need to find him fast before something happened

"I apologies Sir, but I am afraid that I cannot locate Commander Rogers."

J's words got another curse from Tony, all the Avengers were with him in the workshops, wearing their gears, ready to leave any second Tony will provide them the go-ahead, they just need to find where Steven's location was. "What about you, Edith?" Tony asked desperately; he was still feeling guilty. If only he didn't leave when Steven ordered him to, then maybe the Hydra agents wouldn't have overwhelmed Steven and sedated him.

"I located him."

Edith said after a while of ambiguous silence and Tony furrow his eyes, thinking that he had imagined the reluctant tone the A.I. used. "Can you take us to him?" Peggy asked in a distraught tone, her sentiment echoing from all the Avengers, Edith has just found Steven when J cannot, that means the need to move fast.

"That will be unwise Commander Carter, I am afraid that I will not be able to provide you Steven's whereabouts until the crisis had passed."

These words cause Peggy to growl and step toward the pair of glasses that were lying on the bench, scowling at it with deadly eyes, "And why not? Steven is out there. If we don't act now, he could be harmed or worse! Isn't your primary protocol to care for him?" Peggy snapped at the A.I. standing over the still glasses, if it was any other time, Tony would have thought the whole ordeal was extremely ridiculous, with his aunt giving a pair of glasses her 'I'm disappointed with you!' stare.

"I cannot send you to Steven's whereabouts, because if I do, Steven may believe you a threat and dispose of you. I am initiating the 'Black Mamba Protocol', please stay inside the workshop, you are not obliged to move until Steven connects me himself."

As quickly as Edith said those words, the workshop went into a lockdown making everyone's eyes widen and gaze at the electrical barriers that enveloped every exit. "J override!" Tony yelled, searching around the place, not believing that Edith just locked them inside of his workshops and condiment Steven's life to hell by declining to cooperate.

"I am thoroughly sorry Mr. Stark, I have disabled J.A.R.V.I.S. for the duration of your stay, I cannot jeopardize you by putting your and everyone else lives in danger."

"What do you mean by that, Edith, why is Steven considered a risk?" Natasha asked, eyes darting around the place searching for a gap, she realizes that she can't crush the glasses, the risk of Edith transforming its conscious to the Stark mansion is extremely high, and the probability of them being held here if they destroy it even higher, so that left her with nothing but work to gain information from the A.I. until it deemed it clear for them to leave the workshops.

"It seems that Steven had… snapped. He is not himself anymore, and at this stage, he is eliminating all of Hydra as we are speaking, I can connect you to Hydra's security feeds so that you experience the kind of risk you wish to throw yourself in.

Everyone glanced at one another with calculating looks before nodding their head. Not a few moments afterward the screen in front of them start showing the feeds. Everyone's eyes widen when they saw Steven shackled to the wall with nothing but his slacks, a few moments later he woke up and searched around the place, minutes passed before Zola and a naked man came in the room, everyone's eyes widen at Zola's explanation. As for Rogers he let out a strangled noise when he saw the mask fall and the man behind it was nothing but James Barnes, it made Peggy wonder for a second what will Rogers do that he realizes that Bucky was now alive, alive for seventy years, helping Hydra. They all understood what transpired when Zola left the room, struggling to ignore Rogers' angry snarl when Bucky get on top of Steven, a few seconds though Bucky tense and became lifeless on top of Steven, they saw how the shackles were crushed with a flick of Steven's wrists, how he rose up carrying Bucky toward the bunk in the distant corner of the room. What frozen everyone though, was when Steven opened his eyes later, they were crimson red, and for a second Peggy thought that he was a feral werewolf. The ruthless grin on his face that followed was even worse.

"The feed was two hours ago, what you are going to see next, I ask of you to not think of Steven any differently than you did, for he cannot help what happen to him, the closest thing I can describe it is that he is like Dr. Banner, every time Steven got truly angry… he unleashes the 'Beast' as Mr. Stark liked to call it."

Whatever warning Edith gave them, didn't prepare any of them to the sight they would receive, fear starts taking grip of them and their breathing was trapped in their lungs, too chilled to do anything but gaze at the carnage that was taking place in front of their own eyes, their eyes didn't blink at the red that covered the walls, their ears still continued to reverberate from Steven's brutal laugh and roars after every kill he carried out, and the song he chanted, made their blood freeze in their veins as it echoed in their minds over and over again.

Often, when I go outside…

Steven went through the corridors of Hydra's hideaway, his hand was gripping a metal pipe, his chest and arms painted red with blood, the grin on his face would have driven everyone screams bloody murder and run to the hills as quick as they can, not wanting to be spotted by him least their fate will be worse than those who went down before them.

All the people run and hide…

Steven grin widens when he saw Hydra's agents running toward him with guns and knives, aiming at him ready to take him out, only to be destroyed by Steven who operated without a care in the world to the bullets that were being let loose in his direction, laughing maniacally when he got his hand on one of the guns unloading it on a few that were foolish to stand close enough near him, for those that wailed and ran away, Steven didn't offer any mercy, he put the bullets in their heads as he went on his way with a grin.

Even when I smile or grin…

Steven grin madly as he saw that there were some unsuspected preys guarding under the bridge Steven was striding on, he suddenly jumped over the bridge, landing a powerful blow to one of the guards, his eyes becoming wilder when he heard the sound of breaking bones, he shifted to the other guard who took a step back, but Steven didn't allow him any chance, as he swung the pipe in his hand with all of his strength, that when the pipe made connect with the guard's head, the guard was throw harshly at the wall, his neck at an odd angle that indicates it was broken

They look at me like an evil thing…

Agents screamed and ran away, leaving behind their positions when they picked up that Steven was nearing them, those who were brave enough to seek to take him out, were wiped out, the ones who teamed up in hope of slowing him down were slain, those who sought to run for their lives were executed, no one was safe…

So into the town, I slowly stroll…

Steven walked around the place searching for the rest of his prey, passing rooms only to come out of them bloodier than when he entered them, his laugh ringing through the walls warning people to rush away before they were captured, shrieks and shouts could be heard around the base, pleading, crying, dying

To kill them all, as I was told...

Finally, after a long search, Steven found Zola, who was to Steven amusement not a bright enough like his fellow scientists to tremble in the corner and pray for death or for Steven to spear their life, he was actually looking at Steven with enchantment and a glimmer of devotion in his eyes, seeking to sway Steven to follow reason, to see how powerful he was, that he doesn't need to stand on the Avengers side, that with a potential like this he could take over the whole world, bringing it to its knees.

Revealing in their scream of pain…

Steven though only grin madly and let out a chuckling, shattering the computer behind Zola, which caused the madman shriek and decide to attack Steven, but Steven seemed like he was expecting for this as he shifted to the shorter man, the ominous look in his eyes made even Zola take a step back in fear, the rest of the people who were in the room let out screams of dread and panic, it was just a few moments before everything was over.

As I dance about the bloody rain…

The Avengers could only wait as Steven continued singing…

"You are late." Everyone flinched and glanced around when they heard the voice reverberating through the walls, when they raised their heads they saw that Steven was already watching them, resting with his back to the wall with Bucky sleeping soundly his head in Steven's lap, who was gazing at them with crimson eyes, binding them in place, and for a second they all feared what will take a place. After Steven was done with the last Hydra agent, Edith finally cleared the lockdown, permitting the Avengers to run after Steven, and by that point, no one actually preferred to go in dread of what the man will do to them, but in the end, they accept it and get ready to head to Hydra's HQ, and hopefully, by then Steven will be back like how he was before.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but you see, your crazy A.I. locked us in the workshops so…" Tony started giggling nervously, the noise made Steven zero on him with narrow eyes and tilted head a puzzled look pasting on his face, a movement that made Tony blink his eyes but soldier on, avoiding the fact that he just saw Steven kill more than a thousand people in the past three hours.

"Who art thou?" That was Thor who asked; his tone was full of scared and bewildered emotions but he took step after step until he was facing Steven, grimacing at the sneer he gets from the blond man, who leaned on the wall behind him, his torso and arms painted in dry blood that was flaking.

"I don't know, I don't care, but don't try to turn into my enemy." Steven hissed, his grin widening when Thor took a step backward, his eyes calculating Steven, shifting uncomfortably by the sinister stare. "You can say; I'm the darkness that lurks within…" Steven left it at that and rolled his eyes when the rest of the Avengers shifted in their places. "Don't bother; your Steven will be back shortly. This time I was generous to return this body to him; next time, don't expect such generosity." With a scoff, Steven closes his eyes and collapsed on the wall behind him, when five minutes passed and Steven didn't wake up everyone surged toward him, though Rogers only goal was moving toward Bucky, drawing him into his chest, gripping him securely, avoiding everyone as they crowded Steven trying to wake him up…

This was bad…

So what do you think?

Dark chapter I know, but we are more than halfway through the story so cheers!

God, I'm now cursed with only writing short chapters, help!

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Nazaki-Sama