I'M SO SORRY! I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting this long! I was hoping to get this chapter finished and uploaded before I left but it just didn't happen. I'm sorry!
So, just so you're aware and warned, I am studying abroad this semester and three weeks ago was when I left. I traveled Europe for two weeks and now I'm about to start classes! I'm super excited but that also means that there might be some more waiting. I don't know when I'll get a chance to write as I don't have a schedule at the moment. I'm hoping once classes start I'll create a regular routine and start writing more frequently. But for now, please be prepared to wait. I'm sorry to have to ask this of you but it's life for me right now. I will do my best to keep writing for you all because I love you guys and I love this story! I will finish this story, so never fear! Please enjoy this update and thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites/follows, and patience! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! You are all AMAZING! :D
Natasha reacted first. As the metal arm disappeared and the first gunshot tore through the roof of the car, she vaulted onto the front seat pulling Steve's head away from his headrest as a bullet shot past him. She kicked Sam away from his kill shot as he desperately tried to keep control of the car. Finally, the gears in Steve's head went from shocked to action. He pulled the emergency brake, throwing the assailant off the roof of the car. The man landed once on his back and flipped to his knees, metal arm gripping the road to slow him down. The three stared in stunned silence as the man, no – the Winter Soldier stood, mechanical arm whirring. He wore black combat gear, his metal arm gleaming in the sun with a black mask and protective glasses. His hair fell below his ears in brown strands and he held himself confidently. He was intimidating to say the least. Steve narrowed his eyes and started thinking of all the ways they could overcome him as Natasha raised her gun to the Winter Soldier. He should've expected the hit from behind.
The force of the impact knocked the gun from Natasha's hand and the car squealed in protest. Sam gripped the wheel trying to keep the car from swerving and rolling. The Winter Soldier stood calmly in front of them, jumping on top of the car as they got within inches of hitting him. So this is the man that killed Fury, Steve thought as the back window shattered. Sam slammed on the brakes, trying to interfere with the assault in some way. Steve was rather limited in helping as Natasha was still sitting on his lap, searching the floor for her gun. A hand smashed through the front windshield, tearing the steering wheel from the car.
Sam cursed, glancing up briefly to see where the Winter Soldier was. Finally, Natasha found her gun and fired a few rounds at the roof. The Winter Soldier jumped off the roof onto the car behind them that had backed off when he began attacking. Without the car behind them and no steering, the car swerved dangerously but luckily didn't hit the sides. Yet. Rejoining the fight, the large car crashed into them again sending them spinning. They hit one barrier and began to tip. Steve knew if they hit the next barrier the car was going to roll terribly. He quickly placed his shield against the door, pulled Natasha against him, and grabbed Sam.
"Hang on!" Steve shouted. The car hit the railing and sent them flying. Steve kicked the car door open and they fell unharmed from the car. He landed with a grunt as Natasha and Sam held on as best they could. They slid after the car, sparks flying and Steve saw a highly armored truck drive past them. At the next stopped car, Steve let go of Sam in hopes of giving him some cover. He had no way of defending himself until he got his wings back.
Steve and Natasha on the other hand, this was what they were trained to handle. The make shift sled came to a stop at the same time the armored truck stopped a few feet away from them. Natasha got up quickly and Steve followed soon after, pulling his shield from the car door. They stayed close, trying to communicate a plan of some sort. He and Natasha had worked together enough to tell each other what to do with a single glance. But not this time as the sound of a bazooka firing made Steve's head snap up. He pushed Natasha out of the way, placing his shield in front of him just in time before the missile got to him.
The blast was instantaneous. Steve was thrown back violently, his mind barely registering his weightlessness over the pain in his body. His shield had taken the most harmful vibrations of the blast but it was a powerful gun. His breath was slammed from his lungs as he collided with a car, his shield coming loose. There was a moment of falling and then he crashed into a bus, glass shattering. Screams met his ears and he let out a groan. The next moment he was being thrown about the bus as it tipped on its side. His head smacked against a window and his world went black.
She'd been avoiding them all day. Nana and Nattie had found her in the kitchen, intensely concentrating on decorating a three-tiered cake. That always meant she was upset. Charlie would channel whatever emotion she had stirring up her brain into decorating a highly detailed cake. They had asked her what was wrong and she just brushed it off as worry. They knew it was more but they didn't push her. Only Steve did. Charlie set down the axe that she'd been using to cut firewood and sighed heavily. Steve's phone call had set her mind reeling. Yes, she'd come to the conclusion that she'd trust him and support him anyway she could whether or not he trusted her in return. The problem that plagued her now was why. Why did she trust him so easily? Why were they so close when she normally didn't get close to people?
The questions scared her more than she cared to admit and it was eating at her. She didn't like to get close to people and didn't usually let them in. In fact, had she ever let anyone in as close as she'd allowed Steve? That was even more terrifying. A man she had only known for a little while had somehow gotten her to talk more about herself and her past than even Nana and Nattie. But he was helping. She felt better after talking to Steve and she even wanted to talk to him. This was all new to Charlie and she was freaking out. What was she supposed to do? What was normal? What was normal for her?
With another sigh, Charlie took off her gloves and set them on the block next to the axe. Chopping wood was not helping her, it just gave her more time to think. Maybe if she added some more flowers to the cake it would help. She could try doing sugar art work-
"Lotte!" Nattie called. Charlie looked up and shielded her eyes from the sun.
"It's lunch time." Charlie nodded and made her way up to the house. Nattie's face was scrunched in concern, his arms folded and eyes searching. Charlie tried to paste a smile on her face but Nattie's frown just deepened.
"Lotte, something's wrong," Nattie said, stopping her before she went inside.
"I'm just worried, Nattie-"
"It's more than that, Lotte," Nana said from the door. She wiped her hands on a towel and joined Nattie outside. Cornered. Charlie's heart thumped and she looked at the ground.
"What happened with Steve? Did you hear something on the radio or-"
"How did you know it was Steve?"
"You've been worried about him for the last few days, why wouldn't it be Steve?" Nana pointed out. She had a good point. Charlie took a deep breath and sighed, looking up.
"Steve called this morning."
"Oh thank goodness!"
"Is he alright?"
"Does he need anything?"
"He's fine," Charlie said softly. Nana and Nattie shared a confused look.
"What else did he say?" Nattie prompted. Charlie wiped her hands on her shirt and tried to decide what to tell them. She didn't want to tell them about Steve's question, it was too raw.
"I asked if he was hurt but he said he was alright. It wasn't a long conversation because he was using a payphone. He said that a lot of people close to him had betrayed him and-and that sounded like it hurt him a lot," Charlie explained. Nattie frowned and Nana looked worried.
"That boy doesn't deserve this. What's really going on?"
"Why would SHIELD make him a fugitive? Someone else must be behind this." Charlie's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of that. It didn't make sense that SHIELD was against him but if someone else was pulling the strings? That made a little more sense but who could do that?
"Well, no use standing outside worrying. We'll keep him in our prayers and trust that he's in God's hands. Let's go inside and eat," Nana said. She met Charlie's eyes and smiled softly, trying to reassure her. Charlie nodded but couldn't muster the strength to smile back. There was too much going on, too many emotions. However, Nana's words rang in her head and a peace began to settler over her. Steve was in God's hands and Charlie would trust in Him.
Steve heard people moving about, distant screams, but the roaring in his ears was the loudest. He slowly propped himself up, opening his eyes as if in a dream. No, a nightmare. Everything was a nightmare right now. Steve blinked trying to comprehend what he was seeing. It looked like the floor of a bus with broken glass and burning paper everywhere. How long had he been out? What was happening? Who was hurt? He looked to the side to see two men hauling a woman out of the damaged bus. How long had he been unconscious?
The sharp raps of bullets jerked him from his daze and he ducked. There was a pause, just enough time for Steve to jump to his feet, and then the bullets really started flying. Steve ducked and dodged, dancing with death as he made his way to the back of the bus. He needed to get out of here or he'd be trapped. Meet the enemy on open grounds. Where was his shield? How was he supposed to fight them? Steve knew he could take a few bullets and live but not a machine gun amount of bullets. He wasn't invincible. But he didn't really have another option.
Steve crashed through the bus' back window and rolled. His hand found the familiar smooth curves of his shield and he rolled onto one knee, shield in front of him. Thank you, God, Steve prayed as the bullets pinged off his shield. He took a few glances around his shield, assessing his position. Multiple assailants, one with a machine gun on the car, the rest on the ground. Steve took a few more seconds to catch his breath and then tilted his shield to the left. The bullets ricocheted off his shield into the assailants. Steve heard a cry of pain and he began walking forward, hunched behind his shield. He moved towards the machine gun, his biggest threat at the moment. An assailant moved to his side but was shot before Steve could react. Someone from the highway had shot him. Sam.
Steve started running, adrenaline pushing past the last few hazy thoughts. He jumped onto the car and vaulted over the assailant, grabbing him by his shirt color. As he landed on the back end of the car, Steve pulled the assailant down hard. The assailant didn't move again. Steve hopped off the car, looking around. At the sound of more gunshots, he ducked and ran behind a car for cover. HYDRA was here. The Winter Soldier was after them. Sitwell was dead. Steve looked up to see Sam, firing from the highway. Where was Natasha? He scanned the area quickly and heard distant explosions. Natasha must have drawn the Winter Soldier off. Steve looked back at the last assailant, then up to Sam.
"Go! I got this!" Sam yelled, firing at the assailant. Steve gave one last look and started running. He ran towards the screams and cries for help. He ran towards the fight. Like he always did. Steve took a side street, pumping his legs to go faster. Natasha could handle herself but she'd already gone up against the Winter Soldier. He'd left her with a scar and a failed mission. Steve didn't want to see what he'd do to her next. Another explosion, much closer this time sent tremors through the ground. He was close. Just one more side street and then he would be there. Hang on, Natasha, Steve thought. Distant yelling, it sounded like Natasha. One gunshot rang through the air and Steve felt his body go cold. Please let her not be dead, he thought. He couldn't handle another death. He rounded the corner and saw the Winter Soldier standing on a car, raising his gun to shoot.
Steve ran at him, without a plan or idea of what to do except stop him. The Winter Soldier, eye mask gone, turned, and slammed his metal fist into Steve's oncoming shield. The shield chimed and Steve grunted under the pressure of the man's fist. He was strong, too strong to be normal. The Winter Soldier slapped the shield away, revealing Steve and kicked him hard. Steve flew backwards, his head smacking the pavement. He brought his knees up and shield around, right in time to block the onslaught of bullets. The gun clicked, empty of bullets, and the Winter Soldier threw it away. Steve rolled, his shield protecting him, and ran behind a car as the Winter Soldier fired with another gun. The gun jammed and Steve jumped over the car, kicking the gun from the Winter Soldier's hand.
The Winter Soldier spun into the kick and pulled out another gun in one swift motion. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off Steve's shield as they circled each other. Steve waited for one more bullet to be fired before he swung his right first toward the Winter Soldier. He connected with his chin but the Winter Soldier didn't flinch under the pain. Steve brought his shield in for an attack but the Winter Soldier blocked it, grabbing the shield and swinging his arm in towards Steve's stomach. He blocked the hit with one hand but a right hook found him in the jaw. The pain barely registered as the Winter Soldier took the shield and flipped it. Steve followed the motion and cursed internally as the Winter Soldier slipped the shield out of his hands. That was his shield. His only defense and only weapon.
Steve took a few swings but the Winter Soldier easily deflected them with the shield. After the second hit, the Winter Soldier slammed his fist into Steve's chest, throwing him backwards. Steve rolled and stood on one knee. A moment of silence, a deep breath, and Steve attacked. He ran towards the Winter Soldier, ducking as his shield sliced through the air. The shield embedded itself in a van, cutting through the metal easily. Steve refocused on his target that was fingering a knife. Great, Steve thought as he swung his arm in for a punch. Blocked. Attack. Blocked. The Winter Soldier blocked every one of Steve's attacks and in return, Steve blocked every one of his. For the first time in a long time, Steve was battling an equal opponent. Each enemy Steve had faced was strong but this was a different level. Usually, it was Steve against an alien or science experiment gone bad or a highly skilled assassin. He hadn't encountered anyone with his level of strength and speed in a very long time. Steve's skills and abilities were put to the test as over and over again the hits didn't connect and he blocked the impending knife stroke.
Finally, Steve saw his opportunity. The Winter Soldier attacked him twice, once with the knife and once with the metal arm. As he was gearing up for another attack, Steve slapped him making his head whip back. Before he could retaliate, Steve spun, kicking the knife free from the Winter Soldier's hand and sending him crashing into the van behind him. Steve ran and slammed his knee into his midsection. He swung his arm in for a punch but the Winter Soldier blocked it, hitting Steve in the face. Steve backed off and the Winter Soldier went in for an attack. He caught the arm and slammed the Winter Soldier into the ground. The Winter Soldier quickly got up and with his metal arm, grabbed Steve's throat. The Winter Soldier squeezed and Steve tried to think of a way to break the guy's arm. But it was metal and couldn't be broken. Steve was beginning to see spots in his vision before the Winter Soldier threw him across the hood of a car.
Steve gasped and blinked the spots away. He heard the car shudder and rolled away from the metal arm. It left a dent in the concrete, clicking and whirring as the Winter Soldier stood up. Steve spun and blocked the next attacks the best he could. His windpipe was throbbing and he was still trying to get his breath back. But there was no time. The Winter Soldier slammed Steve into the van, flicking another knife from his pocket. He kicked Steve against the van again, using both hands to swing the knife down. Steve caught the Winter Soldier's arms but he was strong. Steve moved his head as the knife was pushed forward, slicing through the metal. The knife screamed as the Winter Soldier dragged it through the side of the van, trying to get to Steve. At the end, Steve ducked and grabbed the Winter Soldier around the middle. He pulled him backwards, lifting him over his head and into the concrete. Steve jumped up and, seeing his shield, pulled it from the van.
Steve blocked the next two attacks. The Winter Soldier was good with a knife, really good. This isn't a back alley, Steve. Bucky's words rang through Steve's head as the Winter Soldier's fist connected with Steve's jaw. No it wasn't. Steve blocked the next few attacks and caught the Winter Soldier's metal arm. He slammed his shield into it, trying to damage it so it wouldn't work. It was as tough as it looked and Steve only got his shield into the arm an inch. Seeing as that wasn't working, Steve swung the shield into the Winter Soldier's face, knocking his head violently backwards. He spun, took the Winter Soldier by the face and threw him towards the ground.
The Winter Soldier rolled, the rest of his mask falling to the ground.
He stood, turning his glare upon Steve, chest heaving.
Steve's mind and body stalled.
"Bucky?" The question was a whisper past Steve's lips. Images of Bucky smiling and laughing flashed through Steve's mind. Images of Bucky on the experiment table. Images of Bucky falling off the train. Bucky was standing in front of him. Alive.
"Who the hell is Bucky?" the Winter Soldier asked.
No, Bucky asked.
Bucky asked?
Was that really Bucky? Steve's mind didn't even register the gun that was being raised towards him, his mind blank with the possibility. Was it Bucky?
But there wasn't even a question. Steve knew Bucky and he was standing right in front of him. As the gun became level with Bucky's face, Sam swooped in and kicked him out of the way, interfering with his shot. Steve blinked as Sam landed, wings retracting into the suit. All Steve could do was watch Bucky as he rolled out of the hit and into a standing position.
Bucky locked eyes with Steve. His eyes shifted to the side once and then came back to glare at Steve as he raised his gun again. A whistling sound instinctively made Steve duck and he broke eye contact with Bucky. The bomb exploded and Steve whipped behind him to see Natasha leaning against a car, holding a grenade launcher. He turned back and Bucky was gone.
All that was left was smoke.
Bucky was gone.
Steve stood stunned, barely breathing. A part of him knew he needed to move, to fight but he was numb. He couldn't feel his limbs, could barely register the sirens coming closer. His mind couldn't comprehend what he'd just seen. The Winter Soldier was Bucky? How? How was that possible? The experiments. It had to have been Zola's experiments. Bucky.
"Drop the shield, Captain! On your knees!" Rumlow shouted. Steve did as he was told and dropped the shield. "Get on your knees! Now! Get down! Get down!" Steve held his hands up, in a daze. Bucky was alive.
"Get on your knees! Down!" Rumlow kicked at Steve's legs and he complied. He felt a gun pressed to the back of his head and still, Steve didn't fight back. They had Bucky. HYDRA had Bucky. Everything Steve had fought for was crumbling around him.
"Don't move," Rumlow commanded. First Peggy died, then Fury, and now Bucky was an assassin? But he's alive, Steve thought numbly. Distantly he heard helicopter wings and Rumlow's hushed voice. He felt hands grab him and haul him roughly into the back of a van. Steve vaguely recognized Natasha and Sam being thrown in their with him. He stared blankly into nothing.
"It was him. He looked right at me and he didn't even know me," Steve said. He didn't know why he brought it up, it just tumbled from his mouth.
"How's that even possible? It was like seventy years ago," Sam asked. Anyone who knew anything about Steve, knew about Bucky as well. He was his right hand man, his best friend. But no one really knew what Bucky meant to Steve. No one.
"Zola," Steve spat. "Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on 'em. Whatever he did, it helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him."
"None of that's your fault, Steve," Natasha stated weakly. Her eyes were half closed and she held her hand to her shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky." Because it was his fault, wasn't it? It was his fault that Bucky had followed him during the war. He should have sent him back home when he had the chance. It was his fault that Bucky was on that train. It was his fault that Bucky fell from the train. It was his fault for not looking for Bucky and letting HYDRA capture him. It was all his fault.
"We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck," Sam said, breaking Steve from his thoughts. He raised his head and really looked at Natasha. She was pale from blood loss and her eyes were closed in pain. Sam didn't look too beaten up but he looked shaken. These were his comrades and he hadn't seen they were hurt. Before Steve could fall back into his thoughts, one of the guards pulled out an electric rod. Steve tensed, ready to protect Sam and Natasha but there was no need. The guard slammed the rod into the second guard, knocking him out. The guard pulled off the helmet to reveal Maria Hill.
"That thing was squeezing my brain," she complained. She shook her head and looked around. Seeing Sam, she looked to Steve.
"Who's this guy?"
(side note: the last part of this scene, I couldn't find it on youtube to watch. So if it doesn't match it exactly, I apologize! I just wanted to get it written and updated for you guys!)