Steve, Natasha and Sam are in the back of a van. Steve says that it was Bucky and he looked at him like he didn't know him.
Sam asks how its possible and says that it was 70 years ago.
"I have a similar question." Howard said.
Steve says that it was Zola. He says that Bucky's unit was captured in '43 and Zola experimented on ahim. He says what whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. He says that Hydra must've found him.
Natasha tells Steve that none of it was his fault.
"Listen to her, Steve." Peggy said, remembering the similar conversation they had all those years ago after Bucky's 'death.'
Steve says even when he had nothing he had Bucky.
Sam sees that Natasha is bleeding and turns to the guard. He says that they need to get a doctor here and if they don't put pressure on the wound she'll bleed all over the truck.
"Look at you, being all responsible." Natasha said.
One of the guards pulls out a weapon and uses it on the other guard.
"That's definitely not one of Rumlow's." Steve said.
They take the helmet off, being revealed as Maria. Maria says that the helmet was squeezing her brain then she asks who Sam is.
"The falcon." Clint said in a deep voice.
The shield vehicles pull into a tunnel. Rumlow and some others get out. Rumlow tells them to dig 3 holes. commands.
"I'm sorry, what?" Tony asked.
They open the door to the one, Sam, Maria, Steve and Natasha were in, only to find that they are no longer there and there's a hole in the floor.
"Smart."
Maria opens the door of a different vehicle. Steve helps Natasha out, Sam follows. They walk into the building.
"Where are you?" Scott asked.
Maria says that Natasha has lost a pint of blood.
The doctor says to let him take her.
Maria says that she'll want to see him first.
"See who?" Natasha asks slowly.
She takes the three of them to Fury, who is alive.
"Oh, thank god." Maria breathed.
"You're alive." Natasha added.
Fury says it's about time.
The SHIELD agents all laughed. "Yep, that's definitely Fury." Clint said.
The doctor is putting pressure of Natasha's wound. Fury says that he had a lacerated spinal column, a crakes sternum, a shattered collarbone, a perforated liver and one hell of a headache.
The doctor tells him not to forget his collapsed lung.
Bucky winced.
Fury says that they shouldn't forget that. He says that other than all of that, he's good.
"Of course you are." Natasha said.
Natasha says that they cut him open and his heart stopped.
Fury says that it was Tetrodotoxin B and it slows the pulse to one bpm. He says that Bruce developed it for stress. He says that it didn't work for him but they found a use for it.
"Nothing I do ever works out for me. But I'm glad it was able to help you." Bruce said.
Steve asks why he didn't just tell them.
Maria says that an attempt on his life needed to look successful.
Fury says that they can't kill him if he's already dead then says that he wasn't sure who to trust.
"So you faked your death." Steve said.
Inside of a bank, Bucky is sitting in a chair, HYDRA agents are fixing his metal arm, other are guarding the room, Rollins among them. Bucky is having a flashback.
Zola greets him as he wakes up. Flashes of falling off the train appear.
Bucky squeezed his eyes shut, breathing becoming labored.
Flashes of being dragged through the snow and surgery appear. Zola says that the procedure has already started. Agents start amputating his arm.
Everyone watched in pure horror.
He looks at his new arm. Zola tells him that he is to be the new fist of Hydra. Bucky puts one of the agents in a choke-hold. Zola says to put him on ice. Bucky is put in a cryo tank, it freezes over.
Bucky started shaking his head, trying to will the memories, now fresh in his mind, away.
Bucky snaps back into the present and punches an agent away. Rollins points a gun at him.
Bucky flinched.
Pierce arrives. A scientist says that the Winter Soldier is unstable and erratic. They enter the room anyway.
Pierce holds up his hands, a gesture for them to lower their guns. Pierce asks for a mission report. The Winter Soldier doesn't respond. Pierce asks again and hits him in the face when he doesn't respond.
Everyone flinched away.
The Winter Soldier asks about the man on the bridge. Steve is shown mouthing Bucky's name.
Pierce tells him that he met him earlier that week on another assignment.
"There's no use in lying to him now." Natasha said.
The Winter Soldier says he knew him.
Everyone sucked in a breath, wondering what HYDRA would do to him if he started figuring more things out.
Pierce tells him that his gift has been a gift to mankind. He tells him that he shaped the century and that he needs him to do it one more time. Pierce says that society is at a tipping point between order and chaos and they're going to give it a push.
"By killing millions of innocent people." Steve said, angrily.
Pierce tells the Winter Soldier that if he doesn't do his part he can't do his and Hydra can't give the world the freedom it deserves.
Everyone glared at Pierce.
The Winter Soldier says that he knew him.
Pierce stands up and tells the scientists to prep him.
Bucky froze.
A scientist says that he's been out of cryo-freeze for too long.
Pierce tells them to wipe him and start over. 2 scientists force him to lay back in the chair, 1 puts something in his mouth. His arms are cuffed to the chair. The machine above wraps around his head.
Bucky leaned back in his chair and looked away, breathing heavily.
He starts screaming. Rumlow, Pierce and other agents leave.
"Oh my god." Steve whispered, horrified. Eyes widening with un-shed tears. That was his best friend, and her was being tortured and he couldn't do anything about it. "I'm sorry." He whispered to Bucky. "I'm so sorry."
Fury is looking at a picture of Pierce. He says that Pierce declined a Nobel Peace Prize because 'peace wasn't an achievement but a responsibility.' He says that its things like that that gives him trust issues.
Nobody said anything, just letting Pierce's betrayal of Fury sink in.
Natasha says that they need to stop the launch.
"Yes, but how?" Steve asked.
Fury says that the council isn't taking his calls anymore.
"Rat bastards." Fury muttered.
He opens a case. Sam asks what it is.
Maria says that the helicarriers will triangulate at 3,000 feet. She says that they'll become fully weaponized at that point.
Fury says that they need to breach the carriers and replace their targeting blades with their own.
"You would have to do it with all three." Coulson said.
Maria says that one or two won't cut it and they need to link all three of the carriers for the plan to work. She says that if even one of the ships remains a lot of people will die.
Fury says that they need to assume everyone on the helicarriers is Hydra.
"Which they probably all are." Clint said.
Fury says that they need to get past them, insert the bladed and maybe they can salvage what's left.
"Is that really the first place your mind goes?" Steve asked.
Steve says that they aren't salvaging anything. He says that they're not just taking down the helicarriers but they taking down SHIELD.
Fury says that SHIELD didn't have anything to do with it.
"SHIELD is compromised." Everyone yelled.
Steve tells Fury that he gave him the mission and this is how it ends. He says that SHIELD has been compromised and Hydra has been growing under their noses and nobody noticed.
Fury asks why Steve thinks they're meeting in the cave. He says that he didn't notice.
"Not until it was almost too late, we can't risk this." Natasha said.
Steve asks how many people paid the price before he did.
Fury says that he didn't know about Bucky.
"And what would you have done of you did?" Steve asked.
Steve asks if he would tell him id he knew and asks if he would have compartmentalized it as well. Steve says that all of it goes.
"There is no easy way out of this." Steve added.
Maria says that Steve's right. Fury looks each of them.
Sam tells Fury not to look at him because he does what Steve does but slower.
Fury tells Steve that he's giving the orders now.
"Nice."
Steve is on a bridge looking over the water, he's having a flashback. Bucky says that they looked after him and his folks wanted to give him a ride to the cemetery.
"Your mother's' funeral." Bucky said quietly.
Steve says he knows and apologizes. He says that he wanted to be alone.
Bucky asks how it was.
Steve says it was okay and she's next to his dad.
Peggy smiled sadly at him.
Bucky goes to ask a question.
Steve says he already knows what Bucky's going to say.
Bucky says that they can put the couch cushions on the floor like they did when they were kids. He says that all Steve has to do is shine his shoes and maybe take the trash out.
Bucky and Steve laughed a little, remembering the old times.
Steve searches for his key. Bucky picks it up off the ground and hands it to him. Steve thanks him and says that he can get by on his own.
Bucky says that he doesn't have to and tells Steve that he's with him to the end of the line.
Steve and Bucky looked at each other with glassy eyes.
Sam walks up to Steve. Sam says that the Winter Soldier is going to be there.
Steve says he knows.
Sam says that whoever he used to be, the Winter Soldier isn't the kind of guy they save, he's the kind they stop.
"What if you could do both?" Steve asked.
Steve says he doesn't know if he could do that.
Sam tells Steve that he might not give him the choice because he doesn't know him.
Steve says that he will and tells Sam to gear up.
Steve turns to leave. Sam asks him if he's going to wear that.
Steve says that if they're going to fight a war they need a uniform.
"What are you planning?" Natasha asked.
A guard(Stan Lee) Is walking around the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian. The man says that he's going to get fired. The uniform on the Captain America mannequin has been stolen.
"You broke into a museum to steal a uniform." Fury said with a laugh.
Maria, Sam and Steve are walking through the woods, they see the Triskelion in the distance.
"That is a long walk." Peter said.
Someone over the PA says that they are in final launch sequence and they are go on guidance.
"We're running very low on time." Maria said.
Pierce is meeting with the world security council. He asks how their flight was.
Hawley says that the flight was lovely but the ride from the airport wasn't.
Pierce says that SHIELD can't control everything.
Rockwell says that that includes Captain America.
Everyone rolled their eyes, all very fed up with the council.
An agent hands Pierce a case. Pierce says that the facility has been biometrically controlled and the badges will give them unrestricted access.
"Whatever that is, I don't trust it." Natasha said.
Agents are talking in the project insight prep room. An agent says that he's been parking in the spor for 2 months.
The other agent says that its his spot.
The agent asks where he's been.
The other agent says that he thinks he's in Afghanistan.
"Wouldn't be a proper workplace without people complaining about a parking spot." Tony said.
The says something in his earpiece, then turns to the other guy and says that he could have said something.
"He could have." Clint agreed, joining the conversation.
They hear a high pitched ring, and exclaim in pain someone says that it must be the dish.
Someone else says that they'll check it out.
Someone says that the Triskelion command request that they clear the area for launch. He opens the door. Sam and Maria have guns pointed at him, Steve is close by. Steve asks him to excuse them. They walk in.
"So intimidating." Maria joked.
Pierce says that the road hasn't always been smooth and some of the would've gladly kicked him out on the way. He says that they're finally there and the world should be grateful.
"No, I don't think we will." Steve said.
Steve gets on the PA and introduces himself.
"And here's the speech." Sam said.
Steve says that they've heard a lot about him over the past few days and some of them were ordered to hunt him down. Steve says that he thinks they should know the truth. He tells them that SHIELD isn't what they think it is and it's been taken over by Hydra.
"I'm starting to wonder how many were HYDRA and how many weren't." Steve said.
Steve says that Pierce is Hydra's leader and the Strike and Insight teams are Hydra too. He says he doesn't know how many more there are but they're in the building and they could be standing next to them.
"Trust no one." Natasha muttered.
Steve says that the almost have absolute control which is what they want. He says that if they launch the helicarriers Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way.
"That's a scary thought: What if HYDRA gains absolute control?" Bruce said.
Steve says he knows he's asking a lot but the price of freedom is high and it always has been. He says that it's a price that he's willing to pay. He says if he's the only one so be it and says that he's willing to bet that he's not.
"You're pretty good at that." Scott said.
Sam asks if Steve wrote the speech down first or of it was off the top of his head.
"I'm willing to bet it was off the top of his head." Tony said.
Rockwell calls Pierce a smug son of a bitch.
Singh tells the agents to arrest Pierce.
Rollins points his gun at Singh. Pierce says he guesses he has the floor.
"He's 2 steps ahead of us." Natasha sighed.
Rumlow walks into the control room and tells them to preempt the launch sequence and send the ships up now. The tech hesitates.
"He doesn't trust him. Good." Fury said.
Rumlow asks if there's a problem.
The tech apologizes and says that he isn't going to launch the ships under Steve's orders.
Steve smiled.
Rumlow points a gun at him and tells him to move away from the station.
Sharon points her gun at Rumlow, other people point guns at each other and repeats what the tech said.
Rumlow tells her that she picked the wrong side.
Sharon says that it depends on where they're standing.
"A very smart woman." Steve said.
Rumlow lowers his gun, then drops it. he grabs a knife and stabs Sharon making her drop hers.
Everyone gasped.
The situation escalates, quickly becoming a gun fight. Sharon and some other agents duck under the desks. Rumlow types something on the computer, then leaves, Sharon shoots at him.
"She was so close." Peggy said.
The bay doors start opening. An agent says to close the bay door. HYDRA agents start shooting the SHIELD agents.
Maria watches on a screen and says that they're initiating the launch.