Not The Only One - A Winter Soldier Story

Chapter 15

     "Not exactly first class," Bucky commented as he walked into the apartment Steve had found.

     "I didn't know it needed to be," Steve replied from behind him.

     Bucky turned around and raised an eyebrow. "My place in Bucharest was better than this dump."

     "It's off the radar and within our budget, which is pretty much nothing."

     "Why here, though?" Bucky questioned.

     "Ukraine and the US don't have an extradition treaty, plus there's Ukraine's status with the UN. With all the unrest regarding Crimea, looking for us is not a national priority. And there's the fact that Odessa speaks predominantly Russian, and you know the city. I did my research, Buck. This is the best place for us right now," Steve concluded.

     Bucky gave a resigned shrug.

     "The Quinjet is well hidden. We have a place to stay. Our few belongings are here. Now we need to secure her." Steve motioned to the unconscious girl he held in his arms.

     Bucky's voice broke as he said, "Steve, tell me you're not going to lock her up."

     "She might be combative when she wakes up. I just want to make sure that we're all safe when she comes to," Steve tried to assure him.

     "She was handled like this by HYDRA," Bucky argued. "If we treat her the same way, how will she know that we are any different than them? If we don't trust her, how can she trust us?"

     "Neither of us are in top shape right now. You told me yourself that she can overpower you at your best. We have to be smart about this," Steve countered before laying the girl down on the floor. "I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on her, will you?"

     Bucky sighed angrily as the door shut behind his best friend. 

     How could Steve not see what was best for her?

     With nothing but time and solitude ahead, Bucky allowed himself to study the girl. Even unconscious and in the ugly cryosuit and muzzle, she was beautiful. The steady rise and fall of her chest comforted him. Bucky felt if he quit watching her breath she would stop doing it entirely. The thought of her not waking up hurt him too much to even think about. 

     "Please don't die," he whispered to her.

     Almost as if she had heard him, she groaned slightly and stirred.

~

     Slowly opening my eyes, I blinked a few times, trying to pull my surroundings into focus. I seemed to be lying on the floor.

     Someone else was there with me.

     A man.

     Zimniy Soldat.

     Rushing to my feet, I prepared myself to fight him. A closer look showed that he had recently been injured. His face had several cuts and bruises, plus his metal arm appeared to be missing. None of this mattered, though. He was my enemy, and my mission was to defeat him.

     I landed a swift punch with my right, followed immediately by my left. He managed to block the second one, but poorly.

     "пожалуйста, я не хочу драться с тобой," the Soldat said.

     My response to his mind games was three sharp uppercuts into his gut.

     Despite that, he managed to gasp out, "ты знаешь меня."

     Driving my knee into his crotch and simultaneously slamming my metal elbow into his throat, I displayed my anger at his words.

     "я не сделаю тебе больно," he moaned.

     I jumped up and used both my feet to kick him squarely in the chest. The air was knocked out of his lungs as he fell back. To make sure he stayed down and I did not lose my advantageous position, I got on top of him and straddled my legs over his torso. Grabbing his clothing with my left hand, I repeatedly pounded his face with my metal fist. The Soldat coughed up a mouthful of blood and looked up at me with fear and sadness in his blue eyes. I continued beating him until he lost consciousness.

     "Bucky!?"

     I turned my head around to see a tall, muscular, blond man behind me. He pulled out a gun and shot me multiple times.

     "I'm sorry," he said with a sad grimace.

     Pain tore through my body, and then everything went dark.