"Did I ever mention-"
"Yeah. Yeah you did." Sam yelled teasingly over the raging winds blocking their flushing ears.
Bethany couldn't bare to look down as she held onto Sam for dear life, firmly squeezing her traumatized eyes shut to avoid the terrifying drop beneath her dangling feet. The duo soared through the crisp sky with ease, as Sam carried her atop the dangerous helicarrier to complete their assigned mission. A couple of minutes before this horrifying experience, Steve had decided to take on a helicarrier alone, while Natasha, Sam and Bethany infiltrated the remaining two.
"Seems simple enough." she had nodded confidently, secretly excited to witness what exactly Sam Wilson could do.
Unfortunately, it was too late before she had realized it was much better not knowing at all.
"If I survive this, I'm gonna personally murder Rogers." she croaked, as her breath was uncomfortably caught in her dry throat as the winds knocked the remaining air out of her aching lungs.
"C'mon Summers! It ain't so bad! You need to see this view-" Sam's encouragement was abruptly cut short as they was violently jerked downwards.
She couldn't admit one scream as they descended rapidly through the rushing air, gradually landing heavily against the helicarrier. Fortunately, they weren't too far from the floating ship, as the fall didn't hurt as much as she thought it would've. Bethany wheezed desperately, completely winded from the uncomfortable impact. Quickly recollecting herself, she propped her shocked body on one shaky knee, immediately searching for Sam with increasing panic.
"Sam?! Sam where-"
"Look out!" he shouted to her left, abruptly pushing her against the concrete.
Soon after, an deafening explosion erupted in her numb ear.
"Jesus, they're relentless." Bethany muttered, awkwardly arising to her uneven feet.
"They? No, just him." Sam warned, breathing heavily beside her.
Frowning at his alarming words, Bethany slowly turned around. The violent winds whipped her untamed hair as she gasped in horror at the painfully familiar assassin storming towards them. Bucky approached the struggling pair at an alarming rate, dressed head-to-toe in his Winter Soldier attire, grasping tightly onto an intimidating grenade launcher that had most definitely been the cause of the explosion. She couldn't help noticing his familiar glassy eyes, twisted into an determined scowl, prepared to finish them off as quickly as humanly possible.
"Not again." she breathed, unable to take her watering eyes off of his mesmerizing figure.
"Beth we have to ignore him. If we don't finish our mission millions of people will die." Sam advised by her side, preparing his Falcon wings to take off once again.
"James Barnes, friends call me Bucky. But we aren't friends are we?"
She was unable to reply, entrapped within her own thoughts, as Bucky had once again made her speechless just by his presence. Suddenly, she felt Sam's gentle, but firm, grasp against her quivering shoulder.
"B it's okay, you don't have to explain anything. I can wait."
"Steve told me about him. About what he meant to both of you. He isn't that man. Not anymore." his truthful words echoed in her throbbing ears, stabbing violently against her heart with harsh realization.
"In the near possible future, do you ever see us together?"
"I know." she whispered, unable to determine if he could understand her above the sirens and severe winds blaring in the unpredictable air.
"I'll be back, B. After this we'll have plenty of time to catch up, alright?"
Without another word, Bucky continued his relentless assault, unforgiving towards her conflicting grief. The first grenade bounced into the air, slowly sailing down to their compromised position. The world slowed down as she watched the explosive descend towards them, quickly deciding the best course of action.
"I love you, Beth."
The endless memories felt relentless against her damaged mind, but at that specific moment, something deep inside Bethany's fractured rib-cage snapped, as she immediately realized her feelings were unjust.
This isn't Bucky. This is the Winter Soldier.
"I'm sorry Sam..." she mumbled abruptly, selfishly ignoring his surprised gasp as she pushed him over the helicarrier edge.
"I gotta take care of an old boyfriend."
Sam's shouts of protest faded from her diminishing thoughts as Bethany concentrated on her new target. Avoiding the lose grenade sailing directly at her, Bethany decided to run straight towards the intimidating Winter Soldier. Anger fueled her energy, allowing her weakened legs to carry her forward.
He stopped in his tracks, seemingly unfazed by her new direction, but continued to position his fists accordingly, tossing the grenade launcher violently to the ground. She glared at him in disgust, enraged by his sudden attitude.
"Oh, now you wanna fight me?!" she screamed angrily, bolting towards him with increasing ferocity.
The fight began as soon as she reached him, grunting with desperate effort as she threw her fist towards his broad chin impulsively. He swiftly ducked under her swing, avoiding her sloppy attack with impatient ease. He retaliated with an nimble uppercut, which she hastily dodged, briefly sensing his fist brush inches away from her sweating chin. The two continued to battle with expanding intensity, furiously keeping each-other on their toes.
"You said you would come back to me!" she yelled ferociously during kicks, narrowly avoiding his metallic grasp for her exposed neck.
"I couldn't bare the grief of you being dead, but this is ten times worse!" she shouted miserably over the sirens blaring around them, slowly succumbing to her frustration.
Suddenly, from her words, the Winter Soldier picked up his pace, throwing harsh blows in quick succession. She could barely keep up as her energy quickly diminished, slowly remembering the pain she had endured earlier that fateful day. Her attack quickly transformed into defense, as she perilously tried to avoid his merciless onslaught. Through the midst of their decreasing battle, Bethany caught glimpses of his cannibalistic azure eyes, scowling at her in suspicious desperation.
What is that...she thought for a fleeting moment, suddenly unnerved by his unnatural behavior.
Her sloppiness soon got the better of her, as he quickly found the weak spot in her defense, vigorously catching her by the shirt, hoisting her to her feet. He glared at her with intense rage, breathing profoundly from their short fight.
"You're a waste of my time." he growled, and without another word, tossed her off of the floating helicarrier ledge.