The increasing frequency and force of the explosions told Steve that going down and back out the way he came was not an option. He figured the roof was their best shot. Very unlikely there'd be any sort of transport, but they could get up and away from the fire, then down and out.

They came out onto a walkway high above the factory floor. Another explosion rocked the building, the wave of heat sending them stumbling back. Bucky was using the handrails to pull himself along, but he was keeping on his feet and keeping pace with Steve. They turned and headed up another flight of stairs, heading for a bridge Steve could see a few feet down the walkway with a door on the other side.

"Captain America, how exciting!" a voice called from across the chasm. Steve looked up to see the little man from the laboratory and a tall man in a long leather coat. He was smirking at them, thoroughly unconcerned by the inferno below them. It had to be Schmidt.

He handed his briefcase to the little man, walking back towards the bridge. "I am a great fan of your films," he said with a smile, gesturing at his chest.

Steve stepped onto the bridge, his face set into hard lines. This was the head of Hydra. This was who had gotten Erskine killed. This was who had tortured and nearly killed Bucky.

"So, Doctor Erskine managed it after all," Schmidt said, walking slowly out to meet him. "Not exactly an improvement, but, still," he said conversationally, tilting his head slightly as if deciding Steve would do. "Impressive."

He was close enough now, and Steve lunged forward, his fist connecting with Schmidt's face. Schmidt staggered back a step, putting a hand to his eye. "You have no idea," Steve growled.

The skin around his eye where Steve had hit him looked…something was wrong with it, and Schmidt's amused smirk turned predatory. "Haven't I?" he asked. His fist shot forward and Steve instinctively pulled up his shield. Schmidt's fist hit it with a resounding clang, denting the metal.

Steve reached for his gun and Schmidt struck out and knocked it away, down into the flames below. Steve rocked back and landed on his back, waiting until Schmidt stepped forward again and kicking him with both feet squarely in the chest. Being on the losing end of things most of his life, he knew a lot of moves to use from the ground. Now he had the power to make them work.

Schmidt went flying back as Steve got to his feet, and he felt the bridge moving underneath him. The little man in the hat had pulled some sort of lever, separating the bridge and pulling him and Schmidt back to opposing sides. Steve didn't take his eyes off Schmidt, but he was aware of Bucky leaning on the rails at his side as he came to a stop.

"No matter what lies Erskine told you," Schmidt shouted, gesturing at himself. "You see I was his greatest success!" He reached up to his neck and started pulling, and Steve's mouth dropped open in disgust as Schmidt started peeling the skin away from his face, revealing the bright red flesh underneath. He flung his head back dramatically, emphasizing the gaping hole where his nose should have been and baring his bright white teeth.

"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky asked. Steve shook his head, eyes still on Schmidt.

"You are deluded, Captain," Schmidt said, drawing his skinless eyebrows together. "You pretend to be a simple soldier." He tossed the useless skin down into the fire below him. "But in reality, you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind!" He sneered contemptuously, turning away from the bridge.

Steve just kept staring, trying to process what he was seeing and glad in a way he'd never been before that Erskine had perfected the serum before offering it to him.

"Unlike you, I embrace it proudly!" Schmidt declared, grabbing his bag back from the little man. "Without fear!"

"Then how come you're running?" Steve demanded as Schmidt stepped back into an elevator.

Schmidt simply smiled and shut the door, disappearing.

The heat of another explosion forced them back away from the railing, and Steve remembered the urgency of their situation. "Come on!" he said, grabbing Bucky's arm. There was one more flight of stairs, then a beam across to a door on the other side. It was their only option now. "Let's go. Up."

He jogged up the stairs, Bucky close behind. That beam looked a lot less sturdy now that he was up here looking at it, but there weren't a whole lot of other choices at this point. "Come on, let's go," he said to Bucky, pushing for him to climb over the rail he was leaning against. "One at a time."

He kept a hold of Bucky until his feet were planted firmly on the other side of the railing, reluctantly letting go as he started to move. He really hoped Bucky's balance would hold him all the way to the other side. He would have felt a lot better putting Bucky on his back and making the crossing himself, but the beam never would have taken the weight of both of them at once.

Bucky inched his way across, keeping upright as Steve willed him not to lose his footing. The beam shifted, shaking Bucky with it, but he kept his balance, speeding up as the beam continued to creak and shift. He'd made it a little over halfway when it groaned, and he took a long step forward and jumped as the beam fell away from beneath him. Steve watched in horror, unable to breathe until Bucky slammed into the rails on the other side, looping his arms through the bars. It looked like it took a lot of strength, but Bucky managed to pull himself up and over.

Bucky leaned on the bars, catching his breath and staring down at the fire and fallen beam in dismay. "There's gotta be a rope or something!" he called desperately, looking back up at Steve.

"Just go! Get outta here!" Steve yelled, waving at him to run for the door. Maybe he could find another way out, but he hadn't come this far to let Bucky die so close to freedom.

"No, not without you!" Bucky yelled back, slamming his hand on the rail. He'd never leave Steve behind. Steve didn't know why he'd thought that would work. Frustration welled up in his chest, even as he looked around for an option. If Bucky got himself blown up because he was waiting on Steve, Steve was gonna kill him.

He looked at the railing that had bent outwards as the beam tore away. Okay. That…Okay, maybe not an awesome plan, but there sure weren't any of those around. He was running out of time, and if he died, so did Bucky. He grabbed the rail and bent it further out, marveling in the back of his head that he could actually do that, giving himself some room. Backing up, he eyed the grating beneath him and the empty space in front of him, calculating. It was kind of far. It was really far. He could do this. He had to do this.

Bucky realized what he was about to do and was staring at him like he was crazy. Steve took a breath, shaking his shoulders. Bucky was right. He was crazy. This was a monumentally bad idea. Before he could talk himself out of it and get them both killed, he took a giant step forward, then another and another, running at the opening.

He launched himself out into space, arms whirling as if he could propel himself forward. Another explosion rocked the building, and flames and heat billowed around him, forcing his eyes shut and surrounding him. He had no idea where he was or how far he had to go, then he felt himself slamming into hot metal. His arms shot out to catch it and hands were pulling at his arms, keeping him from going down as he failed to catch his footing on the grating. Bucky held on and Steve pulled and then he was going up and over the rail.

He leaned on the railing a moment, catching his breath. He'd actually made it. "That was amazing," Bucky panted from beside him, slapping him on the back.

"Thought you were gonna say that was stupid," Steve, turning to him with a smile.

"It was definitely stupid," Bucky agreed. "Figured you knew that already."

Steve huffed a laugh and stood up, moving for the door. It led to a small platform on the outside of the building and a lot of stairs. A lot of stairs. But they went all the way to the ground, and that's all they needed. He could see the prisoners from before running into the woods. It looked like most of them had made it. He shook his head in disbelief. This had actually…This had actually worked.

"Let's go, Buck," he said, wrapping an arm around Bucky's back and heading for the stairs.