Chapter 20
By: MysticFantasy
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"Follow that train." Tony ordered and almost fell back as Clint piloted the jet to follow the train at a safe distance.
The five couldn't believe what they just witnessed. Their captain flying down a zipline onto a passing train. They were all familiar with the story of how Steve had his team had captured Arnim Zola and how they lost James Barnes.
Now it seemed that the train mission was going to be an almost exact repeat.
The five Avengers just hoped that this mission would end better than the last one.
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"Why Bucky?" Steve asked as he stared at his friend. It was taking everyting inside of him not to run over and embrace his friend. He had no idea how happy he was to see him alive.
"Because all of this was your doing, Steve." Bucky answered. "Everything was because of you."
"What are you talking about?" Steve asked. "You know that I would never put you in harms way on purpose."
"I knew that at one time. Then when you became this glorious super soldier, I found myself following you into battles that I was sure I would die in. Then, the mission where we went after Zola. I fell and landed in the ice. When I woke up, I had a new arm and a new mission. Kill Captain America."
"But why?" Steve repeated. "Why are you trying to kill me? Who put you up to this?"
"The people who found me told me what happened to me. How I lost my arm and what I was meant to do now. Because of you, I almost died. I want payback for that."
Steve lightly sighed.
"Bucky, I never meant to hurt you in any way. I certainly did not want to get you this involved but you were someone I trusted with my very life. "
"Then why did you put me in such a weak spot?!" Bucky demanded. "You left me hanging from a rail and left me to fall!"
"I did not to it on purpose! I never wanted for you to be in that spot Bucky!"
"Don't call me that! I'm Winter Soldier!"
"No you're not!" Steve shouted. "You are Sergeant James Barnes! You and I both fought during the second world war! We lived in an apartment together before you were shipped out to Europe and before I became a super soldier! I saved you from a Hydra prison!"
"Which is where I became a super soldier!" Bucky delcared.
Steve felt his heart pound inside him at Bucky's words.
"What?" he gasped.
"Right before you found me, Red Skull gave me a serum almost like yours. It made me a super soldier. Just like your little girlfriend. The Black Widow."
Steve felt himself become more on edge.
"Leave her and the others out of this Bucky. They have nothing to do with this. It's between you and me." he said.
"Fine. That's how I wanted it." Bucky said before drawing a gun and firing.
Steve jumped out of the way and behind a wall of crates. He brought his shield out from behind him and prepared himself.
"I was trained by the best to be ready for this moment." Bucky yelled as he ceased his firing. "Every day has been leading to this moment."
"Snap out of it Bucky!" Steve pleaded as he got his own gun that Natasha had slipped him before he left the jet. "This isn't who you are!"
"It is now!" Bucky declared and stepped around the crates. He fired two shots before realizing that Steve wasn't there. He whirled around in time to see the colorful shield heading right for him.
The two collided and fell to the ground as the train made a sharp turn and cause them to roll and slam into the wall.
Bucky slammed his elbow into Steve's face which gave him the change to get out of his iron grip.
"You were my best friend." Steve declared as they struggled to get to their feet. "We stuck by each other ever since we first met at the orphanage."
"That's not what I remember." Bucky replied before delivering a solid kick to Steve's lower left rib cage.
Steve groaned but didn't stay down. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to talk Bucky out of whatever dellusion he was under, he was going to have to fight back.
After blocking a punch, he sent a punch that landed in Bucky's stomach.
The dark haried soldier groaned and doubled over.
Steve took this chance to realize that the train was starting to go faster. He hurried to the control room and found the switch to reduce the speed. The train started to slow down just as Bucky suddenly got him in a choke hold.
They fell back onto the ground as the train went around another corner.
Steve struggled to breath as he tried to escape the hold he was in.
"I've waited too long for this. I am not going to let you stop me." Bucky declared as he tightened his grasp.
Steve choked out a gasp. He felt his head getting lighter and his limbs starting to go numb. Thinking quickly, he used his gun and fired a shot into Bucky's leg.
Bucky let out a yell as his grip right away left Steve's throat to go to his wound.
Steve rolled away and took in a deep breath as his head began to clear. He didn't have much time to recover when he felt a white hot fire in his arm and shoulder.
"You are not going to stop me!" Bucky declared as he aimed his gun once more.
Steve fumbled for his shield but his arm wasn't allowing that.
"Bucky, don't do this." he said.
"I have to." Bucky replied right before there was a sudden jerk and the two flew toward the front walls. Both of them crashed into the walls so hard that they both lost consciousness.
Before giving into state of deep sleep, Steve looked over and saw his friend lying on the ground and wished that everything would be ok when they woke up.
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"He's waking up."
Steve lightly groaned as he slowly moved his head to the side. His eyes fluttered open and he right away saw a mane of red hair.
"Steve." Natasha sighed in relief. "Are you ok?"
Steve stayed still for a moment and noticed a dull throbbing in his shoulder.
"Just my shoulder." he said.
"Considering what happened, I'm glad that's the only thing that hurts." Bruce said. "Shot twice but they were clean. Didn't hit anything and nothing was broken. Your arm will be in a sling for a few days until it heals."
Steve nodded and slowly sat up.
Natasha frowned at the bruse that covered the right side of his face and the small split in his lip.
When Tony had noticed that the train was slowing down, he had sent Thor down to try to stop it. The thunder god had managed to stop the train which gave the others the chance to get in and find their friend and his former friend unconscious.
Right away, they got the two onto the jet and hurried back to the helicarrier as fast as possible where both had been patched up.
"Where's Bucky?" he asked.
"He's getting checked out." Bruce answered. "Getting scans to see if there's anything that might explain why he was so deperate to kill you."
"It had to be something that the Red Skull did to him." Steve said. "Bucky told me that Schmidt gave him a serum that was almost exactly like the one Natasha got."
Bruce and Natasha looked at each other before turning back to Steve.
"So, he's a super soldier too?" Bruce questioned.
"That's what he said." Steve answered. "It would explain how he survived that fall and all of these years that have gone by. He looks the same as when I last saw him."
"We should know something in a few hours. Director Fury wants to speak with us if you're feeling up to it." Bruce said.
Steve nodded.
"Just let me change."
Natasha looked at Bruce who nodded and left the room. Once he was gone, Natasha handed Steve a change of clothes and looked out the window while he changed.
"What are you hoping to hear about him?" she asked.
"I guess I should say something along the lines of hoping it was just mind control that will wear off." Steve answered. "But honestly, I don't know what I want to hear."
"Are you hoping that he'll remember the past that you both had?"
"Maybe some. Just enough to at least remember that we were friends at one time." He said as he slipped on the shirt and lightly winced as it brushed over his wound.
Natasha heard his pain and went over to help. She helped button up the shirt then looked him straight in the eyes.
"I'm glad that you're ok." she said. "I hope you stay that way after all of this is over. I was really worried when you took off onto that train."
"Believe me, I was just as surprised to see that train and knowing that I would have to get on it to find Bucky. It was almost exactly like when we went after Zola."
Natasha looked at Steve straight in the eyes with a serious look.
"Are you going to be ok?"
Steve nodded.
"Yeah. I'll be fine."