End of the line

[CaptainObvious]

The escape was at a considerably slower pace than Steve may have liked, but Bucky was in pretty rough shape and disoriented. He tried to pull himself together as the truth sank in ... Steve was here- FUCK! Steve was here in bloody Nazi-occupied Austria. I told you to stay at home jerk!!! Bucky cursed himself, and yet, Steve had saved his ass from whatever tortures Zola was saving for later.

His body screamed in pain with every step. His head was pounding, it hurt so badly it made his vision blur and he had ringing in his ears. He felt like he was about to vomit, but he tried desperately to cover it up to spare Steve the sight ... then again, Steve already saw him dazed and restrained on the table ... He didn't look his best by any means.

"What happened to you? I thought you were smaller" Bucky managed, a joke that lacked his usual energetic delivery. He felt his stomach lurch but resisted the urge to vomit ... They just had to get a little further, get to a tank or a cargo lorry that would get them the hell out of here. Bucky pulled himself up along the stairwell, Zola racing past on the other side of the warehouse. The scientist stopped and stared with a nauseating fascination at Bucky. You weren't supposed to get off the table ... yet here you are ... standing ... running.

Zola scurried off like the filthy rat he was. Bucky was glad to see the back of him. He and Steve made their escape, stealing a light vehicle, Bucky trying to subtly collapse in the passenger seat without causing too big a scene to cause Steve to worry. Steve sped out of the facility and they made their way back to base camp. The other prisoners had already stormed the prison and stolen all manner of tanks and combat vehicles and lorries to make their way to camp ... Bucky and Steve on their way behind them.

((we can do a brief reprieve, the pair catching up in a bar and then quickly flash through Bucky falling to his "death" and Steve waking up in modern day USA!))

 

[Supernova]

Getting out wasn't half as hard as it should have been to get out of a Nazi compound... Especially one of Hydra. He wasn't complaining though. Although the mission of escape was easy they had still lost some soldiers. It hurt that he wasn't able to get them all out, and he wasn't even completely sure on how many he had lost yet. Later on that night he would have time to silently mourn the men he had never known, but had so much respect for already. Steve was happy though, he had Bucky with him safe and sound. His friend would only need to be quickly patched up and then he would be good as new... He would ensure Bucky would have some rest before going to the bar, but once he was ready then they would have more than enough time to catch up with each other. He was more than exited to get some one on one time with his best friend.
-

He had lost around 100 men, but saved more than 600 lives. This was definitely something that he could live with. It still hurt him to know he lost people, they would have lost many more people if Steve wouldn't have taken the opportunity.
The minute they got back to the base, after he went through a standard check up to ensure he wasn't hurt. Although it wouldn't matter. The serum could heal up most wounds in an hour without any assistance from bandages or medication. His body could handle far more than it ever could of . He went and took a quick shower and then changed into his uniform so he could go sit at the bar and try to do his best to forget the night. Celebrate his new rank of Captain that he was literally just handed out of the blue. Just a few months ago he was a scrawny kid in Brooklyn and now he was a beefed up Captain in the military.

" Free beer for the table" he said setting a pitcher of beer on the table of men who had helped him find Bucky. He was forever grateful and the least he could do was buy the men some beer.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Bucky wasnt a super soldier like Steve ... and he'd spent a lot longer in the HYDRA compound than Steve had, so it took more than an hour for him to get back in shape. Zola's formula had been somewhat successful however and his body did heal more rapidly than expected, but the exhaustion couldn't simply patch itself up. Bucky needed a meal and a rest which, after a quick physical and some patching up, he was granted. He wolfed down his food and fell asleep the second he put the fork down. He'd wanted to talk to Steve, to prove he was gonna be okay so Steve wouldn't worry (and also chastise Steve for being crazy and storming the facility on his own), but he crashed out asleep before he could do such a thing.

He didn't sleep too long, just long enough to pull himself out of bed again and track down Steve. It didn't take long to find him, everyone was talking about Captain America now. No one gave Steve a second glance, now the entire world adored him. Bucky couldn't help but be a little resentful ... he'd seen how great Steve was right from the start, people only paid him any attention because of the suit and the serum, but Bucky knew he was so much more than that.
Bucky hadn't showered or changed ... not that anyone would notice whether or not he smelled in the bar anyway, the air was heavy with the scent of beer, sweet but just a little pungent to Bucky who was still a little shakey on his feet.

He looked rough still, some dirt and blood still on his face, roughly smeared a little from his forearm or his sleeve, his usually neat hair was unkempt, his uniform was riddled with tears and holes, he'd usually look so neat and tidy he didn't look himself, but the spark in his bright blue eyes was back and for Steve that would be enough to know his friend was back.

"Jesus, I'm lookin at a ghost!!!" DumDum Duggan declared when Bucky wandered in, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder, half to steady himself, half because he was so damn relieved to see his old pal, it seemed Duggan was pleasedto see him too.
"You started without me Stevie?" Bucky smirked, "You're a Captain now, you outrank me, think you can afford to buy your pal a few beers" he teased, slumping down into the chair.

"You look pretty rough James" Morita said, Bucky waved his hand.
"I'm doing better than I was in that pit in Austria" no use giving Steve something to fret about. "Get me a pretty dame and some dancin' music and I'll show you who's lookin' rough!"
There was no way in hell he was up for dancing right now, but he could at least resort to his usual teasing. He was alive and Steve was here. Bloody hell!!! It was unbelievable.

 

[Supernova]

He hadn't gone long without Bucky in his life, and the past few months had been enough to make him more than miss his best friend. It felt like everyday he was constantly praying and hoping that the man was doing well, and that he was safe. For the most part that seemed to be the case. Nothing was completely irreversible, and he could have his Bucky back. Things were finally starting to begin to seem normal again, well besides Steve not being a scrawny guy anymore. He didn't exactly miss that part so they would make along just fine. " I didn't start anything without you Buchanan, the guys deserved a round of drinks for what they had done for me. Finding you in that place would have been impossible if they wouldn't have said anything. We might have not made it out in time... we barely made it as it was. "
As grateful as he was about their help he really did want to get some alone time with Bucky. Not ALONE, but just not with the guys. Steve wanted to catch up, and in that time he was more than happy to buy his friend a few drinks. It was a good time to start paying off his debt. " Sure I already owe you more than I actually think I can ever repay back, so a few beers seem's fair enough." He had a lot to catch Bucky up on. Becca and his Mother were doing well, and now Steve had made sure that part of his military check went to help them out. They were really supportive about sending him off, and Becca didn't go short on making it a big deal that Steve was going to get to finally do what he wanted for so long.

" I swear that's all you think about.. your lifelong friend bust your ass out of a prison camp and your thanks is can you buy me a beer and someone find me a pretty dame." he teased with a grin. It was around that time that Peggy walked into the bar looking quite spectacular in a knee length red dress that hugged her frame but was still very classy.

" That's my cue" Steve mock saluted the men goodbye and walked back over to the bar, ordering two of the beers. They never served them cold which took a while to get used to, but it wasn't going to stop him. At this point you could have given him almost anything. He couldn't really get drunk anymore so as long as it tasted good he was up for it. Beer was good though. It was familiar. Spending the evening at Bucky's with his feet kicked up drinking beer just cracking jokes back and forth. He left the drinks on the bar long enough so he could go speak with her.

" So how does it feel?"

" Being more than a chorus line girl? I can't say that I miss it"

" Really? So your dancing days are over"

" That depends. Are you asking to be my partner?"

" Of course. As much as I would adore just going back and forth with you I must be going. So I will see you next week at the dance hall? "

With a yes she flashed him a smile and kissed his cheek before leaving the bar the exact way she came in. Taking every man's eyes in here with her. She was insanely gorgeous, and for some reason she was fond of Steve. Why? He would never completely understand, but he didn't have time to ponder that at the moment. Bucky was back and he still wanted to spend some time with him. So he retrieved his beers from the bar and returned over to his friend handing him one of the bottles. If he had a massive grin on his face no one seemed to notice, but then again he had only been there for a few moments.

 

[CaptainObvious]

" I swear that's all you think about.. your lifelong friend bust your ass out of a prison camp and your thanks is can you buy me a beer and someone find me a pretty dame." he teased with a grin.

It was just like old times. Bucky responded with Steve's teasing with a wolfish grin, just broad enough to conceal the wince of pain as a stabbing ache shot through his ribs. It'll pass Barnes, hold your shit together. The pain was easing, but damn it wasn't going anywhere in a hurry it seemed, still, he was made of tough stuff, tougher still it seemed since Zola's experiments, although he felt like utter shit right now.

"You weren't expecting me to shower ya with roses and kisses were you?" he joked back, ribbing and jibing with one another, just like as kids, they'd never grown out of that, playfully slagging one another off rather than immediately saying thanks or "I care about you", that usually came later, a quiet solemn "thank you" and a meaningful pat on the back. RIght now was all jokes and laughter.

Then Peggy arrived and only had eyes for Steve. Morita reclined slightly in his seat, eyes scanning Peggy in her stunning scarlet dress, he let out a low whistle and Bucky mouthed a "whoa". Well she was certainly a fine dame for a dance, although she wasn't giving Bucky a second glance. He could write it off to his roughed up shape, after what he'd been through, but he knew better.

Then Steve returned with a cheshire-cat grin, no surprise after chatting with a lady who looked like that.
"I can't believe it" Bucky said incredulously, swigging back some of his drink, good, that tkaes the edge off a little, the pain cooling slightly even though the beer wasn't ice cold and as smooth as usual. FUck it, it wuld do. "I can't believe I've turned into you" he laughed a little, now Steve was catching all the girls and Bucky had to hope they had cute friends. It was ironic but he was happy for Steve, jealous that others were catching his attention instead of Bucky having a comfortable monopoly of Steve's time and attention ... but happy for him.



There were sing alongs and stories and a few more rounds of beer though it didn't seem to make Bucky all that drunk, Steve was utterly sober no matter how much he drank, the others were wasted and staggering back to sleep it off in the barracks.
Two double whiskeys and the bar to themselves. Bucky knocked it back, it didn't burn his throat as much as it used to, he kind of missed that "kick" but put it down to European liquor being milder ... he wasn't utterly convinced but then again, he hadn't known Zola's experiments had had some success and his body was healing better, metabolism faster ... As the toxins from the failed serum began to wear off, the parts of Zola's serum that did work began to take effect.

"I told you to keep your punk-ass out of the war ... and then here you are ... " he said, casting a glance to Steve sitting beside him, a weary smile. "I coulda hit you yknow, for bein' so stupid ..."

He sighed, casting his gaze down befor elooking back up to meet Steve's gaze again. "Thanks pal" he said with utter sincerity and gratitude.

Two weeks from now they'd be storming a train after demolishing several HYDRA bases across Central Europe ... Two weeks from now, Bucky would die for the first time.

 

[Supernova]

Seventy Years later Steve was pulled from the ice and taken under extreme medical care to thaw his body out. It had been about a year since that happened, and Steve was still trying to get used to the future. Everything was so different. Kids were walking around with phones the size of their palms instead of playing ball in the street. People rushing down the sidewalks not even paying anyone a glance. Back in his day you could stop and have a conversation with just anyone, but Tony made it clear that none of these people wanted to be spoken to unless they spoke to you. That ontop of it still feeling like he lost Bucky a year ago was really getting to him. He had lost everyone he loved...Peggy. Bucky. All of the guys from the Howling Commando's. Everyone was gone, and he was having such a hard time coping.

Not everything had been bad though. Being Captain America was still just as satisfying as ever, even if they weren't fighting Hitler. That was enough to keep him sane. The world still needed him and all of that had been proven with the events these past few months. This thing with the Avengers and Loki. Going back into hiding now wouldn't do anything for him, and he didn't want to admit it but he was getting tiered of being alone. It was something he was working on... well Natasha has been trying to work on it. Why did he ever talk to her about how he felt? In his mind he was just thinking maybe make friends with Thor and Bruce. Probably Thor since if they went out drinking they would be about equal because neither of them got drunk on spirits that existed on Earth. Bruce would be harder to befriend. He didn't understand science and that seemed to be the main thing the man talked about. Not understanding science was also a reason he completely overlooked even trying to befriend Tony. Also it had a lot to do with the whole not wanting to live that promiscuous and odd lifestyle.
Nat was thinking that he meant he wanted a girl in his life... which wasn't completely untrue. The pain of losing Peggy was still a little to fresh for him. It's one thing to break up with someone, but it's a whole different ballgame when one of them dies. Getting over that isn't as simple. Out of respect and a little bit of fear he didn't argue with her about it. Sometimes he even bothered going on the dates she set up for him. Not all of them were horrible, some he probably would have taken out on a second date under different circumstances. Others were kind of odd, or just all together way to interested in a night and nothing else. His dating style was still old fashioned anyway. Nat didn't seem to inform any of these girls about who he actually was. Not just Captain America, but Steven Grant Rogers the guy from the 1940's that was frozen solid for seventy years. Everyone who was used to how he went about relationships were the kids he was trying to talk to's grandparents. That kind of freaked him out to... he wasn't going to lie.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Сильное желание
​

"I had him on the ropes!" ... "Sure you did Buck" ... "BUCKY GET DOWN!"
BANNGGG.
The freezing cold air whipped past his ears, it felt like it was peeling the flesh off his fingers as his hand stretched, reaching, grasping desperately to close the gap, the inches between him and Steve.
"BUCKY HANG ON! ... GRAB MY HAND"
He tried ... dammit he tried.

Проржавевший
​

He was falling. The first impact was so severe, so jarring that he didn't even feel it. His entire skeleton shook and rattled as he tumbled down the cliff but he was freezing as he fell and falling so fast. He couldn't even manage to scream, his vision was going black before he even hit the bottom. He could only hear the sound of air whipping past him and the crack of bones. A strangled scream escaped him when his arm wedged between a crevice in the cliff face. He thought his fall would stop now, the pain would arrive but the noise of air hissing past would cease- His body kept falling, a spray of blood hit his face, his arm was gone and he hit the water.

Семнадцать
​

"The procedure has already started-" ...
It was a live surgery- At first Bucky hadn't known what was happening or where he was. There was a whine of a drill. In a daze he looked down and saw a bloody stump where an arm had once been. A be-speckled scientist leaned over him with a leering smile and a face that made him feel queasy.
He screamed as the whining drill bit into his mangled stump, tearing out more pieces that the cliff hadn't claimed during his fall.
"What's happening?! What are you doing to me?" he couldn't get the words out. He screamed and it all went black again.

Рассвет
​

He woke again, the drilling had stopped but- ... No- ... He couldn't- There was a voice. Saying something. He couldn't remember.
"You will be the new Fist of HYDRA" A scientist. A man with glasses ...

He looked around. Who was he? His arm looked strange- It was metal. A man with a clipboard studied him. He looked to his other arm, it wasn't metal, it was strapped to the table. The metal arm moved and responded like a flesh one. He grabbed the nearest doctor, choking him- Had to escape-

"He's not ready. Put him on ice. Shut him down."

Печь
​

"Доброе утро солдат" <<Good morning Soldier>>
He was sitting in a chair. His arms were shackled. There was a man with a book looking at him. He didn't know who he was. The man had to explain. He called himself Vasily Karpov. He told the Winter Soldier who he was ...
"You're a Soldier for Mother Russia. The Greatest Soldier, and you are on an important mission. I am your handler, Vasily Karpov. You have a very important range of skills that we need to defeat our enemies. Do you understand?"
The Soldier nodded ... Yes ... it felt right, his body- He'd fought in wars, he was a soldier. He had to protect his country.
"I have a mission for you. Sanction and extract."
The Winter Soldier began his work.

Девять
​

The Soldier killed and killed and killed. He was helping Russia. Then being frozen. Then waking. Killing. Frozen. Waking. Killing. Frozen. Eventually he forgot about the fight, he only knew the orders and his handlers. Karpov grew old and died, then came the next handler. A brutal man who took pleasure in beating and berating the Soldier, reminding him he was a weapon, not a person. The Soldier complied and killed, complied and killed.

Доброкачественная
​

The Red Room was a strange place. It had been so long since he'd seen children ... and the little girls were unlike any others. They were weapons in training.
He trained them. How to fight. How to kill. How to hide in plain sight. How to become an American, so their enemy would never see them hiding in a crowd.

Возвращение домой ​

How much time had passed? The little girls were bigger now, women grown though only a handful of them remained.
"Soldat. You and Black Widow will infiltrate the compound ... ... ..."
Orders. The same as always ... Natasha- The Black Widow, the fiercest little girl from the Red Room. Red hair and steely eyes, she moved like no one else, she didn't make a sound. The Soldier remembered her. She was the best there was in the Red Room.

They fought together, they returned to HQ together. They grew close.
"Soldat- ... I'm not sure about this"
"About what? Natalia?"
"This fight. What if Lukin and Karpov are wrong? What if-"
"Shhh ... You mustn't say things like that"
"You shouldn't even be here if they kne-"

They punished him then. Tore out the only memories he had of a warm, comforting embrace. Tore out the only memories he had that weren't clouded by a spray of blood. The worst part was they made her watch- He saw her sobbing and shrieking as they pulled his brain apart and when he awoke he knew something was missing but he couldn't tell what ... He never saw that Black Widow again and he didn't remember what he'd had and what he'd lost. Eventually he forgot that something was missing at all ...

Один
​

Odessa. The Black Widow worked for SHIELD now. He shot her. Neutralised his target but spared her ... She stared up. Knowing who'd fired that slug, not even seeing where it came from. The Ghost story of her past vanished before she'd even seen him again- A pang shot through her that ached as badly as the bullet. She didn't try chase him. She'd seen what they'd done to him and there was no coming back. He couldn't be saved.

Грузовой автомобиль
​

New orders. America. It was time to strike their enemy at its beating heart. The pulsing nightlife, New York city, lit up like a christmas tree all year round. They kept him frozen, only waking him when the city itself also seemed to thaw into Summer.

Thor had vanished, most assumed the demi-God went to Asgard, never to return again, taking with him, the alien villain, Loki Laufeyson. The Hulk had gone, disappeared after a rampage. Iron Man had trashed his suits and "retired". The Heroes were a dying breed, but there was one sentinel left, an icon, the age of heroes wouldn't die until he was destroyed too. Black Widow operated in the shadows, like the Soldier. Her death wouldn't have the impact of Captain America's. They needed him killed, only then could HYDRA rise up and show the world true order, true control.

Alexander Pierce deployed the Soldier. A bomb ready to be set and primed to blow up a building in the heart of Manhattan, to catch Captain America's attention. To tear him, and the city he loved, to pieces. Intimidating him, inciting chaos before ending him. Then HYDRA would step in and "save" the world where their hero, their Captain America had failed.

The Winter Soldier disappeared into the crowd, blending seamlessly as he inched toward his target.

 

[Supernova]

Sometimes he was really blown away with just how much Natasha reminded him of Bucky. They both loved liquor more than they really should have and they were always wanting to go out and have " fun." Fun meaning dragging Steve out for the night to go dancing and once again try to set him up with some dame. Back in the 40's women laughed at the idea of being his date, but now they were coming out of the woodwork. Everyone was excited to be known as Captain America's date. His new body didn't make it that much harder either. He was sure even if he wasn't a Supersoldier and looked like this their would still be woman wanting him. The fact he could lift up a bus was merely extra, Natasha told him that it was bragging. He wasn't exactly upset with the idea of showing off, for the longest part of his life there wasn't much grand about him so now he couldn't deny he enjoyed it.

Natasha decided it would be fun to drag him out of the tower tonight. She claims that he spends to much time in the gym and that he needs to stop acting like is entire life revolves around saving people and to for once go do something fun. Where she thought that he never did anything for himself came from he didn't know. Just because he was bigger didn't mean he was a different person. Going out dancing didn't appeal to him, and these days he hated it even more just because people thought they had to act easy to get his attention. Women like Peggy were almost nonexistent. He was pulled into a kiss by a complete stranger and Peggy shot at him with a pistol. A guy spoke to her wrong and she knocked him out in front of the rest of the soliders. She liked to show off her natural beauty.. girls these days were either orange from to much tanner or wearing way to much makeup. Sure a lot of them were still pretty, but none like Peggy. God how he wished he had her back.

They were leaving some off the wall named club. He thought he didn't fit in back in the 40's.. Why did these people think they had to play the music so loud? Was it supposed to make it sound better or were people just that hard of hearing these days. At least back in his day people danced, he didn't know what he saw but he was positive it wasn't dancing. " Come on Nat. Can we just go back to the tower. I appreciate the effort, but I really don't enjoy doing this. "

"You went out dancing all the time back in the 40's.. or at least that is what you told me."

" Yeah.. with Bucky, but it was different. We didn't have anything else to go do, and he was literally my only friend. I hated being alone and now I don't mind it so much. Plus even back then I sort of fit in."

" Steve that's what scares me... you are so happy being alone. Someone that wakes up to find out everyone they love is long dead probably needs a companion, but every time I try to help you it never works out. "

" That's because I have you and anytime the Avengers come around I have them."

" That's not the companion I mean.. Come on Cap you can't tell me Steve Rogers doesn't want a Mrs. America"

" That's not what I want anymore.. Things might be at peace in the world right now, but there is no telling when they are going to need me again and I have to keep them first priority. If I find someone I like then I will want to let them have first priority so much more ."

 

[CaptainObvious]

The Winter Soldier's orders were simple. Plant the bomb. Blow the place to hell.

It was strange ... This time the target wasn't an influential scientist or political delegate or ambassador. He wasn't even blowing up a government building. The "target" seemed ... odd, but the Soldier followed orders.

Bucky would have known this place but Bucky had died back in the 40's. He wasn't that man anymore, he was the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier had no ties to America, no ties to Brooklyn, New York, or the building he was about to blow up.

But Bucky had ties ...

That building, abandoned now, which struck the Winter Soldier as odd. His targets usually involved buildings where he could cause civilian casualties and huge damage but this place was boarded up and dark. An old dance hall from the 1940s. During the war it had been briefly occupied by recruiters finding young men to fight the Great War. Bucky had been there, Steve had been there. Eventually, the Charleston fell out of style and the dance hall declined till it was reduced to its present dusty, desolate state.

The Winter Soldier easily yanked the boarded up door off its hinges and went into the depths of the building to plant the bomb where it would cause the most damage and utterly ruin the main foundations and structure of the building, ensuring it collapsed entirely.



His handler had the remote detonator of course. The time was not quite ready. The Winter Soldier had one loose end to cut off first...
<<"Find the Black Widow and take her out. Quickly. Efficiently.">>
<<"Understood">>

In the dark, black-lights and strobe-lights of the club, the Winter Soldier disappeared. He looked like any other clubgoer in the dark, but his eyes darted about seeking out his target. Natasha's red hair certainly made her easier to find, she often wore wigs on undercover missions ... The Winter Soldier had had those memories torn out long ago. She was a red haired stranger when he finally laid eyes on her, as if looking at her for the first time in his life.

She was chatting with the second target, but he was for another time. The Winter Soldiers orders were specific and explicit. Take out the Black Widow, she's too clever, she could take us down before we have a chance to enact our true plans. Weaken Captain America, torture and torment him, spread fear throughout the public and then HYDRA will be their saviour. Only once HYDRA proves that Captain America cannot protect his people, can they step in in his place and snuff him out for good.

Blowing up a piece of Captain America's history and killing his only real friend in the 21st century were the cruelest kinds of attacks. With his morale crippled, HYDRA would swoop in with ease. With a bomb set and the Winter Soldier on Natasha's trail, the first two steps of the plan were in place and it was too late for Captain America.

".. Things might be at peace in the world right now, but there is no telling when they are going to need me again and I have to keep them first priority. If I find someone I like then I will want to let them have first priority so much more ."

"Keep thinking like that and you'll be 200 before you get a date Rogers" Natasha teased, Steve was having a hard time adjusting ... she couldn't blame him really. His world had died, he'd vanished during a war, woke up in an alien world and been told he'd won ... only to find himself in another kind of war entirely. Losing Bucky seemed to hurt the most though ... Nat noticed Steve sometimes glanced over his shoulder, still looking out for the sniper who'd covered him during World War Two, the American soldier who'd died in that war. Steve hadn't had time to mourn Bucky before he went under, and when he thawed out, that grief wasn't even a year old although 70 years had passed.
Still, he couldn't live in his past forever and if he kept delaying, his 21st Century Peggy Carter would pass him by and that simply wouldn't do. She'd try again tonight, maybe she'd be lucky.

"Lets just have one drink, ...

The Winter Soldier closed in, in the crush of bodies so close to the bar, it was hard to get much room to slash or stab but it would be hard to see who did it with everyone in such close quarters. He slid his combat knife from its holster and sank it into Natasha's gut, cutting her off mid sentence.

... If no one catches your eye then we ca-"

Her vision blurred, her hands immediately swept down to her stomach to clamp over the heavily bleeding wound. She looked up but couldn't quite make out the features through her hazy vision. The Winter Soldier briskly pushed through the crowd to escape through the back exit and vanish into the night.

"B-black jacket- Long hair. ... That way"
Nat coughed, pointing toward the exit as the Winter Soldier made his escape.
"I'm fine- Jus- Stop him" she groaned, waving a barman to call an ambulance and get a first aid kit. She'd learned a lot in the Red Room. It was a bad wound but she'd hold it together. She was fortunate the bar had been so packed, if the attacker had had even an inch more space, she was certain he'd have torn her up too good. She'd bleed out too quick. She was losing a lot of blood, and fast, but he wouldn't kill her this time.

As the crowd discovered what had just occurred, panic began to spread, people screaming and moving in all directions. The Winter Soldier would be even harder to track if he was anywhere in the club,and if he'd made it out onto the streets, Captain America's pursuit would be hindered by the people milling about.

 

[Supernova]

200 before he met a girl? Well he was a little less than halfway there at the moment already so. He knew she was just joking and that the teasing was merely just for the best. Those jokes completely flew past him at this point in his life. Why should he be worried about something as petty as a relationship when he had greater matters to attend to? Natasha wouldn't ever understand.

They went up to the bar for a drink, which he wasn't exactly going to deny. He could drink as much as he wanted and wouldn't ever get drunk so in this case he wasn't going to turn it down. He could power through the rest of the evening and then go home with enough time to crack open a good book and lay back on his bed. Or at least that was what he thought, but someone had different plans for him. Suddenly Natasha was holding a gaping wound that was poring blood. He was torn to chase after the culprit or help Natasha. That had him hesitating for a moment before Natasha was making it clear she could handle herself, and that is what set Steve into action. He ran after the guy as quickly as his legs would carry him. The crowd in panic was making a million times harder for him, but then again Captain America didn't get famous for quitting whenever things got hard.

It was a challenge, but he eventually got through the crowd with enough time to see the man turning a corner. Steve quickly set after his target, knowing the streets like the back of his hand. Was this guy from New York? Would Steve have the homefield advantage because he was used to walking these streets all of the time. It was a flashback to the day he got the serum. He chased a guy down through the same busy streets 70 years ago, and he had caught him so hopefully this would end up going the same for him.
What kind of beef did he have against Natasha anyway? The question sounded stupid, but it was still on his mind. Natasha didn't talk about her past very much, but being an assassin probably made her a lot of enemys. Or was this person someone who knew her from the Avengers? They probably would have tried something on Captain America though. This could possibly be a trap to get the supersoldier into a vulnerable place so he would easily be taken down. Was he willing to take that risk? Yeah. Of course. Natasha wouldn't let him live with himself if he let the man get away. He didn't think he could live with himself if he got away.

The guy led him through backstreets he didn't even know someone would know existed. Steve was pretty sure he had chased this guy through the entire city by now, and it was starting to get frustrating. Finally he was able to find himself getting closer to the man. It still took a few blocks before he was really able to tackle the man to the ground, pinning his body against the concrete so he could ensure he wouldn't have to play another game of catch the bad guy.

" Who the hell are you?"

 

[CaptainObvious]

No one had ever outrun Steve Rogers ... not since he'd had that serum. So the Winter Soldier was not like a regular human. He'd been enhanced as well, peak physical fitness, extensive training and experience in the field in spec ops. If Steve thought he was taking on some random thug who took a stab at Natasha, he was sorely mistaken. The Winter Soldier was no ordinary thug, he was Russia's greatest weapon. Natasha had been one of the Soviets greatest assets as well. A spy with an unbeatable record until she'd changed sides. The KGB and HYDRA let her go, let her slip away and play the hero, her past couldn't remain buried forever, her Red origin would catch up with her and her very allies would turn against her. No one really trusted a double agent, she'd be her own undoing.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the Winter Soldier was sent to take her out before she could betray or suffer the betrayal of her Avengers friends.

Russia took care of Her own, even if Natasha had forsook her Soviet roots, the Soviets hadn't forgotten her.

Steve caught up, after a lengthy close pursuit. The Winter Soldier tucked and rolled, Steve clung on, the Soldier knew he couldn't shake him off, not just yet, so instead he used his weight and momentum to force them into a tangling, tumbling mass of limbs. His enhanced arm jerked and wrenched to break out of Steve's grasp until finally their brief tumble came to a halt. Steve pinned the soldier, who finally snapped his head to look at the assailant in the face.

who the hell are you?

Steve didn't need to ask ... it was obvious. Even after years on ice ... it wasn't that easy to forget him. This was Bucky ... but ... this Bucky was broken.

who the hell are you?

"No one" came the gravelly, emotionless response. His voice as vacant and blank as his eyes ... They'd been piercing blue once, he'd had smiling eyes ... mischievious flirty eyes and a smirk. Hair always neatly combed and slicked back, clean shaven ... just the way the ladies liked him back in the 40's ... Now he had a shadow, scruff of stubble and a wild tangle of longer dark locks, unkempt. Despite the feral exterior though ... it was almost impossible to mistake him for someone else. It was Bucky.


Natasha held the wound closed, though she felt weak and faint. Damn him. Damn him to hell. She swore. She'd loved him once, stupidly ... the Red Room, the KGB, they were no place for sentiment. She knew what they done to him though ... he didn't remember her, he didn't recognise her, and for some reason or another, whoever was pulling his strings had decided it was time to snuff her out.
She hoped Steve was strong enough to take care of him ... but it pained her to think of either of htem dying. Best case scenario it wasn't Steve ... She didn't want The Winter Soldier to die, but part of her knew he'd died long ago and this was just a machine a killing machine ...

Emergency services arrived and whisked her away to the hospital, with medics taking care of her ,she allowed herself to black outand leave the work to the medics and to Steve, hoping when she woke up the horrors would be all over, things would have been fixed.


With Steve Rogers in position, the handler hit the detonator switch. The building exploded in a spectacularly horrifying ball of flames and debris. The blast was so close, The Winter Soldier had lured him to the exact spot, they were both blasted away, crashing into the wall of the building across the street as glass and windows shattered and sprinkled down.

The Winter Soldier took the moment of distraction to make his escape.

 

[Supernova]

When he first got the guy to the ground his mind had been clouded with so much rage that he had completely overlooked the familiar person beneath him. It wasn't until he had gotten off the high of the chase and calmed a little that he realized that he knew the blue eyes staring back up at him. Or well he used to.. The warm eyes full of love and happiness had been changed into something that was just dull and lifeless looking up at him.

Bucky.

That name alone was enough to knock all of the fight out of him. Sure he was happy to spar Bucky, but he never really wanted to fight him. The happiness of knowing he was alive hit him like a bus. His heart was doing backflips in his chest. He wanted to just scoop the man into his arms and hug him until Bucky pushed him off and said that he was just making things awkward now. Go on about how he loved him, but not that way.. leaving Steve to laugh like an idiot because he had known that.
He couldn't do that with him though. This guy wasn't HIS Bucky.. No this guy was just an empty shell of what his bestfriend used to be.

How was he supposed to react to knowing that Bucky was still very much alive, but remembered nothing. A large part of him wanted to try and see if he could fix what had been broken in his friend.. if he could even refer to Bucky as that anymore.

All of the sudden there was a blast and his body was being launched into the side of a building, flying through the window of the shop onto the hard tile flooring. There was nothing denying that it was painful, but obviously the bomb was just another thing connected to Bucky. The sad thing was the blast he could heal from, seeing what he had destroyed was something he would probably never recover from. The old dance hall that they used to go to all of the time.. A place he had grown to cherish more now than ever because it was the spot they spent most nights at and Bucky just destroyed it like it was nothing.. Like it didn't mean anything.

He wasn't shocked to look over and see that Bucky had used the blast as a chance to escape. So this was how they were going to want to hurt him. Take the person he arguably loved more than anyone to take out a place that used to be their hang out. They had managed to find his weakness and set it into flames. He didn't know what to do anymore.. Right now he had just felt so lost, and the closer he got to where the building used to stand the harder he had to fight tears. That wasn't Bucky. He wasn't your bestfriend, but just who was controlling him. Making him do all of this.

 

[CaptainObvious]

It hadn't been the Handlers intention for Captain America to identify the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier usually vanished before his targets could even see him. He struck before anyone saw him coming, that was why he was a ghost story, a legend. Steve wasn't like most people though, he wasn't human he was super-human. Despite the blip in the plan, the Winter Soldier got away, and perhaps Steve discovering the identity of his attacker was the most brilliant thing to come of this scheme after all. Nothing would break Steve more than seeing what his best friend had been turned into.

Killing Natasha would hurt him, destroying a relic of his long-distant past would wound him ... but seeing Bucky transformed into a ruthless assassin was soul crushing. That would cripple Steve.

The Soldiers tactical armour was scuffed from the tumble with Steve and the subsequent blast from the explosion, but he got away largely unscathed. Steve was a little more worse for wear since he wasn't hitting night clubs dressed in his Captain America uniform. Civvie clothes didn't offer the same protection adn the Winter Soldier lived in his combat armour.

In the hospital, Natasha received a blood transfusion and was properly stitched up. She'd checked herself in under a false name when she came around. She didn't know who put out the hit on her, but she knew if it was Ex-KGB, they'd be thorough, they'd check the job was properly done . She couldn't hang around here for long and she couldn't let herself be found easily.

She texted the fake name to Steve so he could find her in the hospital, followed by another message.
I need to get out of here before whoever put out this hit on me comes back. Help me Steve.

She was too weak to make it out entirely on her own, but Steve could help sneak her out and they could get a cab to his flat, or hers, or ... just anywhere away from the hospital where she knew she was sitting in a bed that was a ticking time bomb ... She couldn't hide or defend herself here.


Back at the KGB safe-house, The Winter Soldier returned and delivered his mission report. Target neutralised, secondary target engaged, package delivered, adequate collateral damage.
<<"Who was he?">> The Winter Soldier asked the handler.
<<"Who?">>
<<"The Secondary target.">>
<<"Our enemy. The American.">>
The Winter Soldier paused ... The American hadn't paused a second when he began pursuit but then- ... Once they locked eyes, the American froze ... The look in his eyes had caught the Winter Soldier somewhat by surprise which was hard to do when most emotions had been ripped out from decades of abuse, brainwashing and cryogenesis. Something- ... It had meant something. It wasn't just strange because he rarely looked his targets in the eye like that, it was strange because it was the way the target had looked at him.
<<"He looked at me... Like he knew me.">>
<<"Do you think you knew him?">> the Handler asked, carefully ... the brainwashing process was complicated and sometimes the technicians were injured in the process if the Soldier lapsed and his muscle memory took over, lashing out ... It was best not to toy around with his head too much. If he didn't remember everything ... it was better he remembered a little and they left him as he was until the mission was complete, rather than wiping him now ifhe didn't fully remember who Steve was.
<<"No ... I don't think so.">> The Soldier answered. It had been dark ... he didn't get a proper look at Steve, it had happened so fast ... He didn't remember.
<<"He is a dangerous man. If you remember anything, I need you to tell me. Do you understand Soldat?">>
<<"Yes.">>
He did. He was a good soldier, he obeyed, he was protecting Mother Russia, he was doing the right thing.
<<"When is my next mission?">> he asked, no major injuries, a few rapidly-healing bruises from the scuffle with Steve, but he was ready to go right now.
<<"Soon. Reports from that nightclub suggest the primary target received first aid on the premises and is still alive. You need to find her and finish the job.">>
<<"Understood.">>