The Story Book

Cont... It had been six months since the fall of Shield and one since Sokovia. Bucky would never admit it but he was tired. Of fighting, of leading, of looking for someone who didn't want to be found. Sam was a true angel through it all allowing him to keep Avenging and taking the lead on looking. But they were really out of options. Bucky stared off the wharf as the lights of Coney Island reflected off the dark water. He had contemplated throwing himself in once when he'd come out of the ice. The new world had scared him, the past moving farther and farther away. He'd felt cold then, not just physically but emotionally as well, simply, empty. If he was honest, he felt the same way now, but Steve needed him he couldn't just throw himself into the abyss. So he sat and leaned back looking at both the stars and the lights on the ocean and wondering where his best friend was. "The last time I was here my friend got me sick on the Cyclone." The voice

Cont... This was it. Bucky could feel it in his bones. As the metal all around him hummed he knew, Steve was here, somewhere, waiting. This was the last carrier, Hydra's last chance to stop him. He'd be here, Bucky knew. He found the main control panel and he found Steve, waiting as expected, to kill him. Only a catwalk separated them now. Bucky had donned the blue coat he'd last worn when they had seen each other. He doubted it would work but he had to try or more than just Helicarriers were going to die today. "People are gonna die Steve. That's never what you wanted." Bucky said watching his best friend's face devoid of the mask and of emotion. A flash of confusion, of hesitation.  "You don't remember, that's okay. But you have to let me make this right. I failed you. I'm not about to do it again." Bucky said coming closer. Confusion now, a look that screamed he was lost. "Will you let me fix this? Let me help you

Cont... Bucky tried to rest, get ready for what was to come, he just couldn't. Steve. Loving, kind, fearless Steve. The kid that didn't know when to run from a fight or when to back down, the kid that hated bullies with everything in him was a killer.  The best could break Bucky knew that. His own ordeal with Hydra made him wish all the more it had never happened. Hydra had changed his best friend into a weapon. Changed the artist into a killer. The scary thing was that Bucky had almost killed him. He was supposed to protect Steve, no matter what instead he'd almost killed him. Bucky stared absentmindedly at the city from the rundown dam that had been converted into a bunker and allowed himself to fall back into another decade. "We looked for you after. My folks wanted to drive you home." Bucky said walking after his best friend. They were both dressed in their Sunday best for the funeral they had just attended. "Thank you but I needed to be

Cont... His head was going to kill him. The peaceful silence he was so used to was shattered. The confusion in his mind was just too loud too much. He paused to try and silence the painful thoughts in his head. He had to keep moving, get back to base, back to safety where they could help him. He forced himself to keep going back to the base in the basement of a bank. His feet took him back on autopilot until he was in the safety of the base. The doctors could fix him here, help him like they always did. He closed his eyes and tried to relax as they fixed him up. It didn't help. Instead of finding the solace in silence, he was hit with waves of something he couldn't define, it just hurt. The man. That man from the bridge. He didn't understand but that man was the only thing that made sense. The shocked and pained look hurt to think about but it summoned some feeling deep in the Asset's chest. Then he was remembering and it hurt.   "I got you! Hol

Cont... James felt slightly guilty dragging Sam into the mess but as they drove across town with Sitwell in the back he was forever grateful for the ex-Paratrooper.  "You'll never make it," Sitwell said for the hundredth time. James glared out the window silently willing the man to be silent. "He's got a point," Natasha said leaning forward, "We're cutting this a little close."  James sighed, just what he needed, Natasha agreeing with the infiltration's right hand. "We'll use him to get into the Helicarriers and bypass the biometric scanners."  "That's insane!" Sitwell sputtered. "Why don't you put a cork in it?" Sam snapped glaring darkly through the rearview mirror. "Okay but think, they probably already know I'm go-" Sitwell was cut off by the crash of glass and a force yanking him out of the broken back car window flinging him out into the oncoming traffic. Oh