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abbatoirablaze · 2 years

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Til The End Of The Line, Chapter 15, The End

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: murder, brainwashing, noncon, coercion, smut, unprotected sex, pregnancy, medical situations, loss of baby

“Mission report. December 1991. Howard Stark!”

Soldat looked back to the rest of the room, his long, dark hair shielding him from actually having to see any of their faces. He kept his head bowed as he spoke, “Mission report. Status completed. The asset was obtained and secured for use of HYDRA. Heil Hydra.”

His bike followed the car. The gravel crunched beneath his bike, the engine humming his ears as he focused on the car ahead of him. His end game was in sight as he shot at the back wheel of the luxury car. The car went veering off and pressed into the tree line with a heavy thud, connecting with a large oak. Both occupants of the vehicle were still alive as he slowed down on the gravel road. From the sound of it, he could hear a slight wheezing from one and gasping, bated breaths from another. The couple still in the car were definitely still alive. He frowned.

His bike stopped and he was quick to turn around, pushing back to the vehicle. He knew that he had to complete his mission. No witnesses left standing. Opening the driver’s side door, he saw the man gasping for air.

“M-my wife,” he begged, looking over to the woman who is pinned to her seat due to the vehicle’s front end being smashed in. She had a gash on her brow, blood already dripping down her stern looking face, “my wife, please! Help her!”

He ripped the man out of the vehicle without a word and threw him to the driver’s side of the vehicle, pushing his frame against the driver’s side rear door. Howard squinted, looking at the man. There was a vague sense of recognition on his face as he swore that the man was Steve Rogers war buddy. A man he’d long thought had been dead, since he fell from the train in the mountains, “S-sergeant Barnes? I-Is that you?”

“HOWARD!”

Soldat reared back his fist and drove it into the man’s face over and over again until he felt the pulse point drop away. It only took a few hits, which surprised him, as Stark faded into death. Dragging the corpse, he placed him back into the driver’s seat, beside his still living wife. The woman in the passenger’s seat cried, shocked to see her husband dead beside her.

“H-Howard!”

The woman wailed. The dirt and gravel crunched beneath his feet as he walked around behind the car and stopped in front of the woman’s door. She cried and tried to fight him as he teared the door open, and his hands gripped the warm flesh of her exposed neck.

Her nails created little crescent moons on the flesh hand that he didn’t seem to notice as he strangled the life from her. The light in her eyes went out a few moments later when he snapped her neck, not entirely feeling comfortable watching the woman pass in front of his very eyes. Closing the door, Soldat turned his attention back to the camera that he’d noticed upon originally pulling up to the vehicle.

It’s a well-lit and monitored street by the Stark family…with their own private security that toured it at the top of every hour. He knew he had a good window, seeing as they had passed the guard as they pulled out. He was easily ahead of them, their few miles long driveway turning into the perfect murder location. The guard wouldn’t notice or even find them for another hour, and by then it would certainly be too late to even attempt resuscitate the wealthy couple.

But regardless, he’d made sure to take the extra precautions by snapping Mrs. Stark’s neck and killing the head of the household first.

For once Soldat was grateful that that their estate was hidden properly away from any prying eyes. Soldat raised his gun, taking out the camera.

“And then I shot out the camera in the southern corner of the streetlamp that was approximately two and one quarter miles from the estate! The copy was obtained from the guard station at the head of the property when the guard went to complete his top of the hour rounds and was turned in with the asset.” he ended, looking back to the soldier who was intimately writing down every detail that he’d told them.”

“Good! Mission status, complete. Asset and offending tape was secured by The Winter Soldier, and we can progress with the super soldier program under directive 082434 of the initiative!”

The door to the room opened, and soldat caught his gaze snap to hers.

“HEIL HYDRA!”

The door closed behind her after they did their signature greeting, “are you finished with him?”

The soldier nodded, “Yes Lynx.”

“Soldat?” she asked softly. The soldier turned his attention towards her, “come with me.”

“Ready to comply.”

She nodded, and the two of them walked back to their shared cell together. It wasn’t until the door closed where their lips met in a passionate kiss. While he may not have remembered all of her, he knew that he loved her. And without hesitation his tactical suit started to be stripped away from him. Belts and pants quickly dropped to the floor. When it was just the two of them, more naked than the day they were born, they allowed themselves to be something more than an asset to the cause. They belonged to one another.

“Soldat!” she whimpered, feeling his erection brush against her core.

He nuzzled her jaw, nipping at it as he placed a few simple kisses next to her mouth, “I love you, Lynx. You are mine and I am yours.”

“Yours,” she whimpered softly as they lost the rest of their clothes. His hands were quick to grip her hips, “I love you, soldat.”

In a frenzy he sheathed himself inside of her, needing to feel the comfort in her touch. She moaned, hissing at the stretch of him. Her nails clawed into his shoulder as he didn’t wait for her to adjust to his size. His hips pistoned away at her own, needing to feel close to her. Needing to be even more inside of her. Needing to fill her.

“Mine!” he growled possessively.

The sound of a baby crying nearly made his heart stop. The guards hadn’t bothered to check on her through her screaming, figuring that it was nothing more than her having another mental break. She’d been off ice for a number of years and HYDRA had taken away her right to lead them when she started having nightmares. They said that it came from being awake too long after the cryo-genesis process.

Doctors tried to ‘help’ her, but usually ended up dead, found in the morning with their necks snapped. So, they ‘relieved’ her. Brought in someone by the name of Pierce. He was a high-ranking US government official, who happened to have strong ties to HYDRA previously, as his father, and his grandfather had been supporters, leading all the way back from its inception during the second world war.

But none of that mattered to Soldat as he looked at the little boy with icy eyes. He was so small in soldat’s hands. So tiny. But he could see the fire in the little boys’ eyes. Hear it with how he wailed for his mother. He knew that this baby, his son, was a fighter. Like the love of his life. Like himself.

But in an instant, the infant stopped crying, hearing him coo a sweet ‘shh’ to him. The baby eyed soldat down, recognizing the tone from times when he’d allowed himself to be vulnerable and speak to her stomach, late at night. He cooed back at him, and soldat’s gaze softened even further. He used the pillowcase to clean the baby off and wrap it around him, before snuggling the infant to his bare chest.

His breath caught in his throat when the baby gripped his vibranium thumb.

“He-he’s beautiful.”

Soldat looked to his wife, his heart swelling more than he had ever thought would be possible, “he looks like a carbon copy of me…”

“Missing the vibranium arm,” she tried to joke. It earned a soft smile from him as soldat’s attention turned back to the cooing baby, “I want to see him. Soldat?”

Soldat nodded, crawling beside the woman he loved, making sure to be careful and tender with the cooing baby. She looked at him softly, having recognized a familiar look in his features. She frowned, “wh-why does this feel familiar?”

He frowned as he looked away from the baby boy, “I-I don’t know…”

“Doesn’t it feel familiar?”

He nodded sadly, “Yes…”

Still in a daze, the door opened. Soldat cradled the infant possessively, looking at the doctors, who were moving slowly towards them. They looked worried, “Soldat…give us the infant.”

“Soldat?”

“They’re not taking him,” he growled, turning away from them, “they’re not taking our son.”

“Th-this feels familiar too!”

“Lynx, be reasonable,” the doctor said swiftly, “tell soldat to give us the baby. We don’t want to injure him.”

“Why does this feel familiar?”

The doctor’s looked between one another, “give us the infant and we’ll tell you.”

“ANSWER ME!”

The baby started crying in soldat’s arms, and she felt anxiety bubbling up.

“It’s 1994, Lynx…you and soldat had a child in 1992…two years ago,” the first doctor said softly, holding up his hands, “we wanted to check the infant and soldat wouldn’t let us. The child was killed in the fray.”

Her heart stopped, “wh-what?”

Soldat shook his head, “No. I-I wouldn’t let you hurt my child! Y-you’re lying!”

“Lynx…look at us,” the doctor said softly, still holding their hands out, “we’re telling the truth. The mission from December 1991 was the date you conceived. The baby was born prematurely just like now. Born in your cell. Soldat wouldn’t let us take the baby boy for a checkup. We needed to make su-“

“They’re lying!”

But they weren’t. When she looked at soldat it was like her mind was transported to another time. She could see a fight. She could see soldat refusing to give the child up. The doctors telling her that the baby didn’t survive the scuffle. It brought tears to her eyes as she looked away from him, “do it.”

Soldat’s eyes went wild, “WHAT?”

She looked at him, “d-don’t hurt our baby…I-I can’t lose him, soldat…p-please!”

The young asset looked at the frozen woman in front of him. They loaded her into one of the cryo chambers along with five of the assets that she’d helped train in the 90s.

“What next, Summer Assassin?”

“Find the winter soldier,” the young man had ordered , “it’s time that he sees the legacy he created.”

“Sir?”

“I’m the last of the original plans, Hemmler,” the young man growled, turning his icy stare to the guards, “we’ll come back for the assets once we’ve found him…but for now, we need to make sure that they are all contained.”

“But sir!”

“What are you questioning?” the young man growled, looking at the soldier, “Schmidt disappeared in the 40s. Zola has been gone since the 70’s. And my mother…Pierce decommissioned her when I was born…and Pierce has been dead for years…So what exactly are you trying to question, Hemmler? I know the plans for Hydra…”

“It’s just…no one has been able to locate the Winter Soldier, sir.”

“I said find my father,” he growled, looking at the guard, “and do it before he becomes truly unhinged!”

Hemmler left, leaving the young man who looked like a carbon copy of his father in the cryo chamber. He reached out with his left hand and touched the cool glass, "I'll bring him back to us mom...and we'll figure out how to make you okay...I-I promise."

Tag List: @designatednewbie, @lohnes16, @blueeberryyy

#til the end of the line #marvel #marvel au #hydra #alexander pierce #the winter soldier #winter soldier #the avengers

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sjsmith56 · 6 months

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The Plan - Part 23, From There to Here - Bucky Barnes One Shots

Summary: After the final battle against Thanos the remaining Avengers are transported to a military base. Steve gives the order that Bucky is to be protected at all times, expecting that the authorities will try to take him into custody. After getting Bucky’s status clarified, Steve takes his friend to see Rebecca, still alive. He also breaks the news that he plans to return to the past but explains why.

Length: 8.8 K

Characters: Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Colonel Rhodes, Sam Wilson, King T’Challa, assorted Avengers and military types

Warnings: Steve leaving (reasons obviously not canon, but it’s an interpretation), Bucky feeling abandoned, the military trying (and failing) to take Bucky for their own purposes, sad reunion with Rebecca.

Author’s notes: Told from Bucky’s POV as he tries to make sense of what will happen to him. Like many other fans, Steve’s leaving felt unnatural and unsatisfying to me. This one shot is my take on one possible reason why he did it, and why Bucky accepted it, even though it still bothered him. It also formed the basis for another fanfic story I wrote Stopping Winter, that details what Steve was up to on his return to the 1940s. If you wish to read this it is currently a WIP on Wattpad, AO3, and FanFiction.net under my username, SJSmith56.

<<Part 22

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The fight was over, and we won but we also lost. Tony Stark finally proved to all of his detractors that he could make the ultimate sacrifice and he did, saving the universe from a being that made HYDRA look like school children but losing his life in the process. The last time I had seen him was when Steve and I left him in Siberia, in a broken Iron Man suit, while we hightailed it for Wakanda. That was the time he wanted to kill me for being the one who took his parent's lives. It wasn't how I wanted to resolve things with him, not that it's really possible to resolve anything when you're fighting together on the battlefield.

When many of us rematerialized in Wakanda seemingly right after the battle we lost, we didn't know it had been five years ... five years of not being in existence, then several sorcerers appeared and told us to get armed as the fight had resumed, only this time in New York State. None of us got a chance to ask about anything, or anyone. None of us were given the opportunity to deal with the fact that the world had changed while we were ... just gone. We had to walk through one of those weird portals into another battlefield, a hellish one at that and meet a different version of Thanos. Just as dangerous but now determined to snap everyone out of existence.

It seemed like an eternity of fighting, shooting, close combat with more nightmare creatures, until Stark raised his hand, with the stones on them, the power of them tearing him apart, and stating defiantly, "I am Iron Man," before snapping his fingers and sending Thanos and all of his legions into oblivion. Then he fell against a concrete block where a kid started crying over him then a beautiful blonde woman, his wife I was told, smiled kindly at him and told him to rest. He closed his eyes and died. I never got to tell him how sorry I was that it was me that killed his parents, me that put that everlasting pain of loss into his heart.

As portals opened to send some of the combatants back to their country, even back to their planet, I stood there, unsure of what to do. I was still wanted and once the authorities found me on the battlefield with the others, I was sure they were going to arrest me, and shuffle me off to a secure prison before putting me on trial, or court martial, find me guilty and put me in front of a firing squad. But I was done with running, done with hiding, so I waited for the inevitable to happen. As I waited, several of the others, the Avengers, slowly gathered around me. At first, I thought they were there to help take me in then Steve looked over at me, nodded, and pressed his comms. I could hear his command through my comms earpiece, and I almost cried when he said it.

"Protect Bucky," he said. "No one takes him in. He's one of us."

It was King T'Challa who spoke next. "We are here, Captain," he said. "Wakanda will stand with you and the Avengers."

When trucks were sent to transport us to a military base there were armed guards waiting to take me but the looks they received from the others and the order Steve gave them to stand down was confirmed. They stood aside as we all boarded the trucks. Steve made sure I was beside him.

"What happened?" I asked. "I remember my hand beginning to disintegrate then nothing until I was suddenly standing up in Wakanda."

He smiled at me. "Wait until we get into one place, all together, and we'll explain it all," he replied. "We all need a shower and a change of clothes, but we'll tell you everything, I promise."

The trip from the desolation of the battlefield to a base with green grass and trees was less than an hour's duration but we could feel our hearts lift at the change as the sun shone on us and the sound of birdsong was all around. When the truck stopped in front of a barracks building an officer stepped to the open end of the truck and looked for Steve, making eye contact with him.

"Captain Rogers?" he said. "I have orders to take Sergeant Barnes into custody."

"No," said Steve, stepping towards the officer. "He stays with us."

"Sir, it's not negotiable," said the officer. "This comes from the Joint Chiefs."

"He's an Avenger, and we just defeated an alien force from decimating the entire world," stated Steve. "We're hungry, dirty, and tired. But we're all willing to fight for Bucky Barnes, because he's one of us. That's also not negotiable." He looked back at all of us, receiving nods of agreement from the others. "You really want to be the guy who picks a fight with us? Because I could fight all day."

I smiled. Some things didn't change. The man looked very frustrated then stepped back.

"Let them go," he said to the armed guard. Then he turned to Steve. "He's your responsibility, Cap. If he goes after anyone, we'll take him down."

"If anyone tries to hurt him in any way, I'll take them down," replied Steve. "He's to be given the respect due to a Sergeant in the Army, which he is, who has been a PoW for 70 years, because he was. Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir, crystal clear. I'll pass the word."

Only then did Steve jump out the back and we all followed. The lieutenant led us to the barracks and directed us to a hallway where we could pick our own rooms. He said there were toiletries and clothing ready for us. Then he looked at how big I was, along with another guy with long blond hair who was even bigger than me, saying he would bring bigger sized clothing for us. Steve insisted we bunk together, not trusting the military to keep their word and leave me alone. It was easy enough to carry a bed from one room into his, along with a locker, and the personal items that were there for us. While I waited for my change of clothes Steve had a shower, coming out wrapped in a towel. A soldier knocked on the door and dropped off some military athletic wear for me, a sweatshirt, sweatpants, underwear, socks, and what he called sneakers. They hardly weighed anything, and I wasn't sure they would hold up. Steve smiled.

"They are really comfortable," he said. "Once we debrief and get out of here, I'll take you shopping, and we'll get you some regular clothes. Go, have your shower."

Entering into the bathroom I stripped down and turned the shower on, stepping under the very warm stream. In Wakanda the water in the hut had been lukewarm which was fine in the heat, but this water was hot, and I let it hit my back, angling it so the spray went right between my shoulder blades. There was shampoo so I washed my hair, running it through my fingers so it wouldn't get tangled. I noticed then that unlike my HYDRA hand my hair didn't get tangled in the plates of this vibranium hand. It was definitely an enjoyable sensation. Before I came out, I peeked to make sure no one else was in the room as I was still a bit leery of people seeing my body. The scars had faded but were still quite prominent to me, and the arm and shoulder unit were definitely topics of a conversation that I really didn't want to have. Fortunately, Steve was alone.

"How's the new arm?" he asked, making me swear inside my head but he was Steve, so I gave him a pass.

"It's good. Much lighter than the other, stronger too. Just noticed when I washed my hair that it didn't get tangled in the plates. It always did with my other one."

He took a deep breath then and I knew he had news for me, likely bad news at that. I was shocked when he told me something else entirely.

"Rebecca is still alive," he said. "She survived the Snap and still lives in the retirement home in New Jersey. I think we should go see her."

"Freckles?" I asked. "She's what, 93 now? No, she doesn't remember me."

"She does and she wants to see you," said Steve. "She told me at her birthday party. The hippies and Grant Allman came out for it as well. Megan drove Summer, her dad James, and Tamsin. She's graduated from college, honours degree in political science. Grant went with me. It was a great day."

"You were all there together," I said, not believing him.

"We were all invited to her birthday party," he replied, as this shit-eating grin spread across his face. "You would have loved it. She has another three great grandchildren. There were balloons, streamers, and a big chocolate cake."

"How did you meet Grant?" I asked, surprised they had connected.

"He contacted me," said Steve. "He went to all the safe houses on the list you gave him. Used the money to change his life, helped quite a few veterans to get through some problems, and helped accumulate HYDRA files on you."

I sat down. They knew everything. Knew what I had done. Steve saw my face and stopped smiling, his face becoming serious.

"Bucky, we have the evidence to prove you were tortured, brainwashed, and forced to become the Winter Soldier," he said. "Despite what the Joint Chiefs of Staff believe they have no case against you. We were working on getting you a posthumous pardon, now we'll re-file the motion as a pardon for a living person. You'll probably have to appear in court, but we'll make sure we get you a good lawyer who will represent you properly. With the witnesses we have willing to testify to your character after you left HYDRA, they'll accept that you are not the Winter Soldier anymore. T'Challa will also provide the medical documentation of everything they found when they deprogrammed you."

For a time, I said nothing, just put my clothes on. "What if I believe I deserve punishment?" I asked. "I did all those things, Steve. I killed all those people. My journals are full of them. Speaking of which, where are my journals?"

Suddenly, I felt anxious as my whole being was in those books. My heart started to pound as I contemplated that they were all gone. Steve came over to my bunk and kneeled before me.

"They're in a safe location, still in Wakanda," he said. "All of the HYDRA files that we found, and that were found on your behalf are being stored in a secure place in New Jersey. They've been digitized." I looked at him, confused by what that meant. "Put into computer format. Bucky, do you remember Jovan Sakić?"

I nodded. He was the Roma leader in Croatia, born in New Jersey.

"He's been searching as well, not just your files, but all of HYDRA's files. Many of his people were victims. When you stood up for them in Zagreb, they adopted you as one of their own, meaning your fight is their fight. He's also watched out for Rebecca, making sure she has everything she needs."

I rubbed my hands on my face. All these people, who I had accepted help from had determined that I helped them and were paying it back, trying to help me clear my name. It was overwhelming and I didn't know what to say. Which was just as well as there was a knock on the door. Steve opened it to a man I remembered meeting in Wakanda. Rhodes was his name, I think. He came in and acknowledged me.

"Sergeant," he said, then he turned to Steve. "I hear they tried to take custody of Barnes. Sam and I talked to the lieutenant, and he tried to tell us the order came from the Joint Chiefs. I phoned my source in Washington, and it didn't. It came from the Military Intelligence Corps. We're pretty sure they want to "examine" Sergeant Barnes, then second him to their command."

"You mean turn me into their asset," I said. "Fucking unbelievable."

"I agree," said Rhodes. "So, I phoned the President. We've golfed several times. He has agreed to remand you to the custody of Cap here. It was the best I could do. Where he goes, you go. But if you step out of line...."

"Yeah, I get it," I said. "I'll behave. I'm not the Soldier anymore. Thank you for getting that at least."

"Hey, if it was up to me, I would show the whole world what was done to you, so they know how true evil works," said Rhodes. "HYDRA made you their weapon, but they had people who were high up in government, industry, and the military who were the ones making the decisions. They're the real criminals and some of them were in the perfect position to play one side against the other. Wars were started because of some of these people and their influence is still at play as some in command still refuse to believe they were compromised."

"Thanks, Rhodey," said Steve. "We should meet up in the mess for some food, and a debrief for those who reappeared. Bucky said they weren't given any time to adjust before coming to the battlefield."

"Sounds good, I'll pass the word."

He headed out and Steve looked at me. "Hungry?"

"Starving," I replied. "Even for army food."

We headed towards the mess hall, picking up more of the Avengers and a few others, including the talking raccoon, who eyed my arm, a tree person, a green skinned woman, and several other alien looking people. Steve said the green skinned woman was Thanos’ daughter, as was another blue skinned woman who seemed to have more cybernetic parts to her than I did. Both turned against him, so I guess their help was invaluable. When T'Challa and several Dora Milaje appeared all conversation from the regular military stopped. The women all made faces at the food but T'Challa said something in Wakandan that made me laugh. I didn't pass it on to the others, but I couldn't disagree with him that it was at least edible.

Once we had eaten our fill and Steve asked if we could use the mess hall for a debriefing, he stood in front of everyone, looking at every single person in turn.

"First of all, thank you for your efforts," he said. "We were able to find a way to bring all of you who disappeared back. When Thanos snapped his fingers in 2018, he had one thought on his mind ... that half of all living things disappeared. There was no rhyme or reason to it. His thought spread throughout the galaxy, possibly the universe and it wasn't limited to sentient life. Even animals disappeared. Then one of the Avengers, Scott Lang, who was trapped in a quantum dimension when it happened, was able to return and realized that for him only hours had passed in the almost 5 years that passed in this realm. I won't get into the science behind that. Those of you who are interested can talk directly to Bruce Banner, as he was part of the team that designed the replacement gauntlet and built the machine that transported us. Basically, we had to go back in time, using the quantum dimension, to where the stones still existed, borrow them, and bring them here to snap everyone back into existence. A complication occurred ... mainly a past version of Thanos found out and planted a spy in our midst who helped him get to this time and this place. That's how we found ourselves fighting him again. Except this time, we succeeded."

There was an increase in general comments and side conversations then Steve asked for our attention again.

"The stones that we brought from the past ... they have to go back to the exact moment we took them, otherwise we risk creating multiple timelines that will deviate from the original one and we've been warned that's a very bad thing. Unfortunately, one of the first things Thanos did when he arrived was to destroy the device we used to travel in time. Bruce, I'm going to ask if you can oversee digging it up and if there is anyone here with any kind of knowledge that can help rebuild at least one station, I'll volunteer to return the stones to where and when they belong."

"I will help," said Shuri, standing up. "I have the knowledge, despite how young I look."

"I'd like a try at it, Cap," said a gravelly voice, then the raccoon stood on top of his table. "I can build just about anything. That's no bullshit."

"My dad," said Hope Van Dyne. "He created the Pym particles that you apparently used to do this. I'm sure he would help. So would my mom. They're both geniuses."

"Alright," smiled Steve. "We have a plan. Bruce, Princess Shuri, Rocket, Hank Pym, and Janet Van Dyne will do what they can to rebuild the device. I would also ask that you all stay at or near the base until we have a memorial for Tony Stark. We owe him that much. I'll find out what I can about it. Until then we're based here. Try not to be too hard on the soldiers. They're not used to this many unusual people in one place."

With Steve finished and talking to some of the others Sam came and sat next to me, nodding at me in acknowledgement.

"What?" I asked, still not warmed up to him.

"How are you doing?" he asked and I looked at him before looking away, not answering. "Don't do that. I'm genuinely interested. I have a background in counselling veterans with PTSD. I know that I personally am having issues about being gone for 5 years. I still haven't phoned my sister and I'd like to take a side trip to see her .... Sorry, see what I mean? You have other issues, Buck. Being dissolved and watching as it happens doesn't help dealing with them."

"Don't call me Buck," I said. "To you I'm Bucky or Barnes. Only Steve gets to call me Buck."

"Fine, Bucky," he said, emphasizing the extra syllable.

I just shook my head. The guy was an asshole and probably thought the same of me. Which I didn't mind because I knew I could also be an asshole, had known since I could think. Then I let go of some of my aggression and looked at him.

"I know you mean well," I said. "I really do but I'm quite messed up. The only place I felt good was Wakanda and now I'm not there. They wanted to take me into custody here, the Military Intelligence Corps. Doesn't take much to know that they want my skills. I don't want to kill anymore. I did what I could to protect the human race from Thanos, but I can't do any more than that, not again."

He listened then gazed seriously at me. "I get that," he said. "You were under someone else's control for so long that your freedom to choose is important, really important to you. I'm going to make a suggestion. Whether you listen or not is up to you. Get a therapist, someone who can listen to you objectively, and help you work through your issues. You have 70 years of imprisonment and slavery to deal with. No one can do it on their own. You've lost most of your family, most of your friends, and you're a man out of your time. I know we didn't get along so well at times and that reflects my own biases. For that, I'm sorry. But I am invested in your future. If you need someone to talk to just call me. I'll pick up the phone."

He stood up, patted my shoulder then left me. Why the hell did he do that? Made himself helpful ... damn, I hated that. But Steve liked him, and I knew the little shit would pester me to be more friendly with Sam. Despite my misgivings I was going to have to trust someone.

Steve approached me again. "I've arranged transport for us into town tomorrow to get some clothing, and other necessities," he said.

"I have no money," I replied.

"I do," he said, pulling a wallet out of his combat pants. "I always carry my wallet."

"Punk," I muttered, receiving a big grin from him.

The rest of the evening was spent with Steve constantly being in demand while I sat back and cooled my heels. Only the Wakandans stayed near, occasionally making a comment in their language. Nothing offensive, just observations of life in America. It wasn't that the others were afraid of me, or maybe it was to a degree, but just that they didn't know me. I was the new one and the one with a dark past.

The following morning we met up with an older army sergeant, Dan Hobbs. He saluted Steve, even though Steve said he wasn't in the army anymore. Then he looked at me making me feel like I was being evaluated. He must have been an instructor at some point because of what he told me.

"I've read some of the HYDRA files on you," he finally said. "I read that you were trained as a sniper, and they were pleased about that because your instincts as a sniper would be kept intact and they wouldn't have to expend any effort in training in you in that, or in most of your combat skills for that matter."

"Yes, Sarge," I replied. "That's my understanding."

"That was good thinking on their part," he noted. "You boys that were trained as snipers for World War II learned from the best. I respect your skills, Sergeant Barnes, but if you try to escape while we're out, I've been ordered to shoot to kill."

"I have nowhere to go Sarge," I answered. "I'm not looking to escape. I just want some real clothes to wear. Not that there's anything wrong with these.”

He grinned. "Understood. Let's go, my truck is in the parking lot."

The trip into the nearest town didn't take long but Sergeant Hobbs wouldn't shut the hell up. He had an opinion on everything, from the colour of the street name signs to the way young men cut their hair, or didn't cut their hair, as he gave my long locks a good long look. He came with us to the clothing store, always inserting his opinion on one piece of clothing over another. Not that it really mattered because it had been so long since I had bought clothes that I just wanted to get the first things I could and get the hell out of there. After determining what size I needed we began going through the shelves or hangers and picking things out. Most of it was black or dark in colour, black or dark blue jeans (as I had become used to wearing them when I lived in Romania), T-shirts (mostly dark colours), underwear, socks, and a comfortable pair of black lace up boots. The sneakers were fine but they didn't feel right for walking. As we were walking past a display, I saw the shirts I really liked, advertised as Henley's, long sleeved T-shirts but with a button up collar. I found my size and grabbed several, not caring about the colour.

"What about a jacket?" asked Steve. "Black?"

"Black," I confirmed. "I need gloves as well."

"Can I give you some advice Barnes?" asked Hobbs, then didn't wait for an answer. "I figure at some point you're going to have to appear in court, either to face trial or to give your testimony in the likely investigation of how deeply HYDRA had infiltrated the military. Cut your hair and wear a suit, with a tie. Don't show up with that long hair and don't wear blue jeans. Present yourself as a real man and they'll respect you right away. Show your metal hand. I know you have a different one now which is good, because different will distance you from those Nazis. I guess what I'm trying to say is you have to represent yourself as a good man and how you look when you walk into that courtroom could set the stage for how they treat you."

It was good advice and I acknowledged it but I had reached the end of my tether for being out in public so Steve said we could leave buying a suit to another day. Hobbs drove us back and we headed back to the barracks with my haul. We had missed lunch so both of us were already feeling the effects of not having enough food to sustain us. Just before we entered the door to our room a private brought a note to Steve and he made a face, then shook his head.

"They're not happy that I challenged their authority about taking you into custody," he said. "I've been called to the CO's office to explain myself. You're not invited."

"You think they might try again while you're gone?" I asked.

"They shouldn't, not if the President has intervened," he replied. "I better find Rhodey and tell him about this. He might want to come with me. In the meantime, I'm sure we can find somewhere for you to be, surrounded by friends."

For a moment he said nothing, as if he wanted to talk about something serious then someone knocked on the door. He was definitely in demand. This time it was Sam.

"Just noticed an armed guard outside," he said. "I'm thinking they're here for Bucky."

"Shit," said Steve. "I've been called to the CO's office to explain why I intervened. Have you seen Rhodey?"

"In his quarters," said Sam. "What's the plan?"

"Gather everyone," said Steve. "Bucky isn't to be left alone for them to grab him. He's still under Avengers protection. Make sure T'Challa and the Dora Milaje are aware of this. The Wakandans, Thor, and Peter are our strongest fighters, although I hope it doesn't come down to that." He looked at me. "Let's go find Rhodey."

After filling Rhodes in we went to the mess hall where everyone else had gathered. Sitting me in the middle of the group Steve and Rhodes went to the CO's office. As soon as they left the armed guard came in and headed straight towards us. Before they could get to me the Dora Milaje stood in their way.

Now, anyone who has never seen the Dora Milaje before tends to underestimate them. They think they are decorative in purpose, exotic looking women surrounding a foreign king as part of his "harem." Nothing could be further from the truth. They are bodyguards first, but their structure is military, with a general, Okoye, who commands them with the toughness of any drill sergeant I ever encountered. Armed with their vibranium spears, and their intricate knowledge of hand-to-hand combat they are fearsome warriors. The corporal who attempted to order them aside found out the hard way that no one tells the Dora Milaje what to do.

"Move aside, ma'am," he said, smirking at her. "We have orders to take Sergeant Barnes into custody."

"No," was Okoye's simple response.

Then he tried to push her aside and met an immovable force. As everyone else in our group tensed up, ready for a fight, King T'Challa stepped forward.

"Corporal," he said, in his deceptively calm voice, "you do not want to proceed any further. General Okoye has committed to keeping Sergeant Barnes from harm and she will not let you pass."

"General ...," smirked the corporal. "In case you haven't noticed we're armed with guns. Your spears will not be enough to keep us from Barnes."

A slight uprising of her lips was the only indicator that Okoye was amused but she still didn't stand down. Visibly irritated the corporal attempted once again to get past her and found himself on the floor. Before his guards could even react the five other members of the Dora Milaje who were there disarmed the others and had them on the floor as well. The others in our group just watched and let it happen, knowing the guards needed to be taught an object lesson. When another squad of armed men arrived, the others stood up, even me but Sam gently touched my arm.

"Let us handle it," he said. "I'm guessing they're trying to goad you into reacting, giving them an excuse to take you with force."

I nodded but all of my instincts were on alert, and I could feel the adrenaline flowing through me, as HYDRA had always conditioned me to accept the fight response, rather than the flight option. That is where Steve, Rhodes, and Sergeant Hobbs found us, in this tense standoff. Using his sergeant's voice, Hobbs called the soldiers off, ordering them to stand down then stand at attention while he addressed them. When the corporal objected, I had to smile as the shorter Hobbs stood in front of the younger man and glared at him.

"What part of that order did you not understand, Patterson?" he asked. "Who ordered you to come here and create an international incident?"

"Sarge?" he asked, genuinely confused. I almost felt sorry for him. "I ... uh, a Captain Meriweather."

"From the Military Intelligence Division, am I right?" he asked. Patterson nodded. "Do you normally obey orders from someone not affiliated with the base? The order that Sergeant Barnes was not to be bothered was given by the Commander in Chief. The Commander in Chief! You know who that is, right?"

"The President?" winced the young corporal. "But Sarge, Captain Meriweather ...."

"Is in the CO's office right now, explaining why he just tried to countermand the President's order." Hobbs looked past Patterson at all the other soldiers, then raised his voice so that any other soldier in the mess hall could hear him. "Just so you all understand ... Sergeant Barnes is a sergeant in the United States Army. He was a prisoner of war for 70 years until he escaped from his captors. The President has given him permission not to report for duty until his legal issues have been resolved, which includes him being free to retain legal counsel and to go about his way unhindered. Until then he is to be given the respect due a man in his position. I had the privilege of spending some time with Sergeant Barnes today, and in my opinion, he is a man who I want on my six." He looked back at me, our eyes meeting. He nodded at me, and I nodded back. "If I hear any sort of disrespect spoken of Sergeant Barnes, I can make sure that some extra training can be added to everyone's daily duties. Dismissed."

As everyone in our group stood down the soldiers picked up their guns from the floor and slinked off under the watchful eye of Sergeant Dan Hobbs. With both of them shaking their heads at what almost happened Steve and Rhodes approached us.

"Well, good thing the CO had already called Washington to confirm the order," said Rhodes. "That Captain Meriweather tried to do an end run around it, claiming he wasn't aware of the President becoming involved. That just irritated the President and the CO even further. Sarge, you still have to have an escort, but it's not limited to Steve anymore. It's been expanded to include Sam, and me, if you trust us."

"The CO has also assigned me a vehicle so we can go see Rebecca tomorrow," said Steve. "On the way back, we'll stop to see a lawyer that Grant found for you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it, all of it."

I did appreciate it, but everything seemed to be happening so fast that I was having trouble keeping up. At that moment I could feel a headache coming on. Since it was almost dinner time, I ate but as soon as I was done, I told Steve I just wanted to rest. Even though we had slept the night before it wasn't a good sleep as we were both still filled with the adrenaline of the battle. After getting the necessities taken care of during the day we both wanted some time to relax. As we talked while we got ready for bed we reminisced about the times when we slept over at each other's homes. It was a lifetime ago but in the dark of that barracks room it felt right. Just before I fell asleep, I thought of something.

"Steve?"

"Uh huh?" he mumbled.

"We're gonna get a place together, back in Brooklyn, aren't we?" I asked.

There was no reply then I could hear him breathe out. "We'll talk about it tomorrow," he said. "I'd like that, but I only have a one-bedroom flat."

It sounded like there were other things going on that he wouldn't give me a straight answer to but I didn't want to push it, even though I could feel the anxiety beginning to build again. I had to trust Steve. So far he hadn't let me down.

The following morning, we were about half an hour away from the base when Steve finally stopped talking about mundane things and came clean.

"I'm not making any plans because I'm not sure I'm staying," he said.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"It's not really a where but a when," he said. He glanced at me and my face must have alarmed him. "Give me moment to explain."

He told me about how they went back to various points in time to take the stones, at times and places they knew they would be available. To keep those timelines going the way they should the stones had to be replaced at the exact same moment and time.

"I'm doing it because I can move fast enough to replace them without anyone seeing me," he said, his forehead creasing a little. "Since we thought everyone who disappeared was dead, I've been thinking about leaving it all behind, the superhero thing. It wears on me. The responsibility, the effort it takes; it's become too much. I wanted a simpler life and I had it until Scott appeared to tell us about the quantum universe. I don't want to be Captain America anymore. I just want to be Steve Rogers."

"So, what does that have to do with travelling in time?" I asked, making him grimace slightly, then I got it. "You want to go back."

"Yeah, I do," he said. "We can both go back."

"What about facing the charges against me?" I asked. "That sounds like running out on everyone who's stuck their neck out for me, doesn't it?"

"That's one way of seeing it," he agreed. "But you could start over with a clean slate. Say you were a PoW and that you lost your memory. We show up a few years after the war and we begin our lives again."

If it were only that easy. I looked down at my hands, seeing the first obstacle right there. "How do I explain this?" I asked, holding up my vibranium hand. "It's advanced even for this time. Plus, if HYDRA ever gets an inkling that I'm back don't you think they would come after me again?"

"Yeah, there is that possibility," he said, as he kept driving. "I loved her, Bucky. Tony and I went back to the 1970s to get Pym particles and one of the stones. I was in Peggy's office and she still kept a picture of me, pre-serum me. She loved me in both my bodies, skinny Steve and Captain America Steve."

"So you want to go back for her," I clarified, sounding more irritated than I thought I did, "more than you want to stay here and help me see this through. That's some plan."

"Buck don't be angry," he said. "There's another reason to do this but we have to see Rebecca, so you see it for yourself."

I tried to get him to explain but he wouldn't, just kept saying I would find out at Rebecca's. Eventually, I gave up trying to get him to say more and we drove the rest of the way to Newark in silence. As we pulled up to the senior's home, I could see it was a very nice place, with well-tended flower beds out front. Inside was just as nice; clean, bright, and by the sounds of it, full of activities for the residents. After checking in at the reception Steve led me to Rebecca's room before stopping me in the hallway.

"Let me get her ready to see you," he said. "She knows you're coming but I imagine she'll still be in a bit of shock when you walk in."

As I cooled my heels in the hallway I could hear him talking to her, telling her I was just outside. He asked if she was ready to see me. Then he was there at the door, beckoning me in. I stepped into the room, seeing a tiny white-haired woman with bright blue eyes, sitting in an armchair. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw me and I kneeled down to her, feeling like I wanted to cry myself.

"Bucky," she whispered, running her fingertips over my face. "My big brother. Look at you. You've hardly changed and I'm an old woman."

"Oh, Freckles," I murmured. "You're still beautiful. I still see my baby sister."

She kissed me then and put her arms around me, drawing me in close. I could feel her tears making my cheek wet and I rubbed her back with my hand, trying to comfort her. We stayed like that for several minutes before she finally loosened her hold on me. As I leaned back, she took in all of my face again.

"If I hadn't seen Steve and how young he remained I wouldn't have believed it possible," she said. "Those people that kept you prisoner ... I hate them. They stole you from us. Ma and Dad died without knowing the truth. Is it true some people want to put you on trial for what you were forced to do?"

I nodded. "Steve said they have all sorts of evidence that prove I was tortured into it but I still did it, Freckles," I replied. "I still feel guilt for the people I killed."

"I know," she smiled sadly. "That's just the type of man you always were, Bucky. You always owned up to your mistakes." She looked over at Steve. "Did you tell him?"

"About going back, yes," he said. "But not about the letter. You still have it?"

She nodded. "It's in the top drawer of my desk. I got this letter after Ma received that medal for you. I never showed it to her as it would have upset her. She had already showed me the Hobbit book with your Christian name in it, even though Peggy Carter told her to keep it secret." Steve handed her a folder and she looked at it before looking at me. "Just read this."

I opened the folder and saw an opened envelope, and a plain piece of paper with handwriting on it. It was addressed to Rebecca Barnes Proctor, dated in 1991.

October 10, 1991

Dear Rebecca,

I'm sending you this letter after learning about the Medal of Honor that was awarded to your brother, James Buchanan Barnes. Did he deserve it? Yes, absolutely, but not just for the reasons you think.

You see, Bucky is still alive, still a prisoner of war, being held by an organization known as HYDRA. I was part of a small group of people trying to rescue him. We had to be very careful with our efforts as HYDRA was very suspicious of anyone who had access to your brother. When they first acquired him, after he fell from the train in Austria, his body was so broken, and they treated his injuries while injecting him with a super soldier serum. What was worse was they were already torturing him, trying to break his mind.

You see, Rebecca, they saw what Dr. Abraham Erskine did to Steve Rogers with his super soldier serum and they wanted to do the same thing to a soldier that they could control. What better way to do it than to choose a soldier who they could hurt because he couldn't fight back, neither physically nor mentally. Except, we know that Bucky did just that. He fought them as hard as he could, even when he didn't know who he was, he still knew enough to understand that what they were doing was wrong.

Ultimately, we failed. We were so close to getting Bucky to a place where we could take him back and fix him but they moved him to another place, imprisoning him in a way that he had no idea of time or reality. Our agent finally found him and tried to help but was caught and killed. When we finally heard about it the agent that managed to tell us that much had also been caught and executed, leaving Bucky truly on his own. I wanted to go myself to find him but the risk of being caught was too great and I was forced to stand down, to my shame and disappointment.

I'm sorry, very sorry, that you're only learning this now. Missions like the one I was on are secret for a reason but sometimes the secrecy that is needed to protect the people involved means that when it goes wrong, nothing can be done to rectify it. When the secret about Bucky finally comes out it may dismay you. People may say things about him that just aren't true. Just believe that there are people who know the truth and will do all they can to make sure everyone knows. I know, because I'm one of them.

Always a friend to Bucky until the end of the line.

I looked at Rebecca then to Steve, both of them with a sincere but deliberate expression on their face. I looked at the date again, saw the paper was old, the envelope it came in was postmarked October 12, 1991. Then I looked at the writing again because I had seen that writing before, many times in the 1930s and 1940s.

"How is this possible?" I asked Steve. "You were looking for me in the 1950s? You were frozen."

"I was frozen," he answered. "But apparently, I was also there, in hiding, trying to find you and rescue you."

"But it didn't work," I countered. "I mean obviously, it didn't work because I still did all of those killings for HYDRA. I was still the Winter Soldier."

"Yeah," he said, looking down. "Bucky, I asked Dr. Strange about this. This letter proves I went back, not just for Peggy, but for you. Even though I know I wasn't successful I still have to go."

"Why?" I stood up, holding the paper towards him. "If it didn't work what's the point of going back at all? What's the point of leaving me here, after I've just ...."

Rebecca touched my hand, and I could see the tears in her sad face. Steve let out a tortured breath then stood straight and looked me in the eye.

"Because there is a chance that when I go back this time I'll be successful," he said. "Dr. Strange saw it but he can't tell in which timeline I rescue you. So, apparently, it is my destiny to return to the past to try to find you and to keep trying until I succeed. In that timeline, you return home, you see your parents again, you stand up as a groomsman at Rebecca's wedding, you become godfather to my children, and you get married yourself, able to have the family you always wanted. The best part is that you and Captain America fight together, stopping HYDRA in their tracks, preventing them from doing to that timeline what they did to this one."

I staggered back a little hearing him outline what could happen if he succeeded in finding and rescuing me. It all seemed too fantastic, too much like a science fiction novel. Yet, if there was a chance that he could save me and together we could stop HYDRA then maybe it was something I had to let happen.

"How will I ever know if it worked?" I asked. "Isn't this timeline already set?"

"Yeah, this timeline won't change," he said, frowning slightly, in that way he had. "This timeline will continue on. I'm doing this for the timeline that hasn't happened yet. For the Bucky who hasn't fallen yet, hopefully hasn't had the words implanted, and still knows who he is. It's a sacrifice, Bucky. You have to let me go and stay here on your own, figure out life on your own."

"Does Dr. Strange know how I do in this timeline?" I asked, wanting desperately to have something good to cling to.

Steve shook his head. "He refused to say, something about not interfering in the natural order of things. My going back is part of the natural order of things."

That staggered me more than anything. I had just been reunited with my best friend and he was preparing to leave, for good. Another thought came to me.

"You wrote this in 1991 which means you might still be alive," I said. "The serum can keep you alive longer, can't it? You could still be my friend in this timeline, still be there for me."

"I'll be more than 70 years older," he said. "I'll probably be a very different man than the one standing here. I'm not sure I'll be of any help to you. It's possible I've already died by this date. Buck, there are people here, that belong in this time who will help you. Sam has been a good friend to me and he could be a good friend to you, if you let him. Grant, Jovan, Megan, even James Marsh have all said they're just a phone call away if you need them. Hell, Sergeant Hobbs seems to like you. You just have to give those people a chance."

I knew he was right but a part of me felt abandoned, even betrayed, that the one person who I remembered throughout all of it couldn't stay and be part of my life going on. It was unfair.

"Do the others know about this?" I asked, gesturing to the letter.

He shook his head. "No, just us three and Dr. Strange but he won't talk about it to anyone. You can't tell them, either. Dr. Strange did say there will be one person you tell but he didn't say who it was, or why you told them. I'm guessing it will be someone you trust more than anyone."

I still didn't like it but it was obvious there really was no choice in the matter. We stayed, visiting Rebecca for another couple of hours before saying our goodbyes. She made me promise that I would come to see her as much as I could. On the way back to the base we stopped at a lawyer's office and I met the lawyer who had agreed to handle my case. He said he was representing me pro bono, which in Latin means "for the public good." In my case, it meant he was also representing me for free, since I had no job, or prospects of one. With the evidence of all the recovered HYDRA and army files that Jovan Sakić, Steve, and apparently Tony Stark had found he was confident of a pardon. He also recommended I file a claim for back pay; as a PoW I was entitled to it. Finally, he wanted to file a lawsuit against the estates of several high profile individuals who had been identified as HYDRA leaders; people who had actively suppressed the knowledge of my existence to the world and kept me imprisoned. Some of them were military so there would be additional claims filed against the army for the actions of several generals in keeping my existence a secret.

Over the next week Steve and I hung out together as much as possible, often including Sam in our activities. Steve wanted me to feel comfortable with him and the others, I guess. I tried but it wasn't easy as I often felt judged, mostly by myself. When Stark's memorial service was held, I had a panic attack, feeling I shouldn't be there, as Tony wouldn't have wanted me. Steve had already left, having been asked to be an honorary pallbearer. Sam, tasked with getting me there, knocked on the door and saw me sitting on the bed in my black jeans and shirt, the suit I bought still hung up in the locker.

"Bucky, you're not ready," he stated, ignoring the fact that it was obvious.

"I'm not going," I replied. "Tony wouldn't want me there."

"Tony's not going to be there," he said, again stating the obvious. With a small grimace he sat down beside me and mirrored my posture. "Bucky, you need to go, even if it's just to resolve your own feelings about the man. Let's face it, you didn't get a chance to tell him you were sorry. But he also didn't get a chance to say he forgave you."

I looked at Sam, shaking my head slightly in acknowledgement. Maybe this was why Steve wanted me to accept this man as a friend. Sometimes, in his plain spoken but obvious way Sam said things that needed to be said out loud. He stood up suddenly and picked up my zip up jacket, handing it to me, not saying anything. Putting it on, I followed him, and we joined the others, waiting for the vehicles to take us to Tony's cabin, where the service would be held on the pond beside it. A young woman, Wanda, beautiful but with sad eyes smiled at Sam, then turned her gaze to me. She looked at me without flinching, or judgement, then gently placed her hand on my arm.

"You're not alone, James," she said softly. "I was also HYDRA, but by choice, a choice made when I was an angry child. I blamed Tony for my parent's deaths, saw him as a monster, until I faced the real monster. We all do things that we regret. It's what we do with the regret after that's important."

During the service I almost bolted several times, but Sam was there and so was Wanda, both of them lending me their calm presence to see it through. Later when the device that would allow Steve to return the stones was completed, I joined the other few people who were present. We said goodbye, the same way we did when I went to war, except I knew I wouldn't see my friend like this again. It hurt, but it had to be done because that's who Steve was, the guy who never gave up fighting. He was just taking the fight to a place I couldn't follow. Then he stepped on the platform, looked at me once more and activated the suit he had to wear before disappearing in a flash.

As the others panicked when he didn't return, I looked in the other direction and saw the old man sitting on a bench, facing the lake, with a large carrying case by his side. I called to Sam, and nodded towards the old man, knowing who he was. Sam seemed hesitant to approach the older Steve until I told him to go ahead. This was Sam's moment with destiny, and I was there for him, whatever that would entail. Steve had come up with the plan, and I was going to follow it.

Part 24>>

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