*narrator pov*
"We have breaking news. There's a complete lockdown at the GRC meeting in Lower Manhattan where authorities are saying they're tracking multiple threats from groups seeking to stop the GRC's vote in global resettlement. There is a no-fly zone in effect and the NYPD has the area secured for the moment. Everyone is urged to stay clear."
Bucky walked through the crowd of police officers.
"I'm almost there" Sam informed over radio.
"What's the plan?" Bucky asked.
"Karli's gotta be close. Keep your eyes open."
"Well it could be anybody."
"And by the way," Sam said. "I called in some backup."
"Excuse me, sir. Are you supposed to be here?" a man walked up behind Bucky. The man became woman - Sharon, as she took off her disguise. "It's me."
"Sharon what the hell are you doing here?"
"Relax. No ones looking for me here."
"Do I hear Sharon?" Sam asked.
"Unfortunately" Bucky sighed.
"Hey Sam" Sharon said. "I thought I'd get the band back together."
"Thank you. You're risking a lot coming here" Sam replied.
"I hear pardons aren't all they're cracked up to be anyway."
"Depends on the therapist" Bucky commented.
"Do either of you have a location on y/n?" Sharon asked.
"No. But we're not sure if Karli has her."
"She seemed genuine when she said she didn't the other day" Sam explained.
"Oh come on you didn't believe her, did you? She definitely has her. Karli is lying if she says otherwise" Sharon claimed.
"So what? You think she's in there?" Bucky asked, glancing worriedly at the building.
"If she's not in there, she's still not far away. I think Karli needs her too much that she wouldn't leave her alone."
"Why does Karli need her?"
"To get to you probably."
"We'll all look out for her" Sam nodded. "They'll move on the building soon. Be ready."
A couple of minutes later, Sam crashed into the building from in the air. He took down someone on the inside.
"Sharon, Bucky, what's going on on your end?" he asked.
"Nothing. All quiet" Bucky updated.
"No one's moving toward the building" Sharon added.
"Karli's not coming in. She's trying to force everybody out" Sam realised. "It's a misdirect..."
Sam was kicked back all of a sudden, and he engaged in a fight where he was.
Bucky and Sharon entered the building from the ground.
"Tell me if you find her" Bucky pleaded before they split up.
Bucky was approached not long later.
"Mr Barnes, it's Karli" someone handed him a phone.
"Aren't you tired of fighting for the wrong side?" he heard Karli's voice as he held it up to his ear.
"I've done this before, kid" Bucky scoffed. "I know how it ends."
"It doesn't matter if I don't survive this. I'm fighting for something bigger than myself. And with all the bodies you've collected, have you been able to say the same?"
"You don't think I ever fought for something bigger than myself? That's all I ever tried to do. And I failed twice."
———
Down in the parking lot, everyone was getting into the NYPD trucks, and unknowingly being locked in.
You were in one of them, awake again.
When the door opened, you shook your head vigorously at the hostages. They panicked, and Karli's people had to force them onto the truck.
You were locked inside, just like all the rest.
Sharon spotted this from afar, and she saw spotted you, chained up.
———
"You think your cause justifies all this death" Bucky continued. "But in the end, the nightmares won't go away. You're gonna remember all the ones you killed. Trust me. Don't do this. Don't go down this path."
"If that's how you feel, you should sit this one out."
"Come on, you know I ain't gonna do that..."
"Then I hope you said goodbye to your girlfriend."
"What?"
Karli ended the call.
"Karli! Damn it!" Bucky exclaimed. He said over radio "Sharon was right. She has y/n. We need to find her."
"I'm kind of busy with my own problem here!" Sam reported back.
"Sharon? Any leads?" Bucky asked.
Sharon paused, hesitating to answer.
"She's with the hostages" she said.
"What?!"
"Hurry. The trucks are leaving."
"You couldn't have mentioned that sooner?!" Bucky yelled, as he ran down to the parking lot.
"I only just saw" Sharon lied.
Bucky hopped on a motorbike, and drove out to follow the NYPD trucks.
———
"Boss Lennox ain't responding."
"We can still get out of here before..."
"No" Karli objected. "The trucks are almost here. Worst case scenario... we kill the hostages."
"Including..."
"Including y/n."
"What about Bucky?"
"It's the perfect distraction."
———
You looked around worriedly at the hostages in the truck with you.
They were sitting around nervously, trying to ignore you, but occasionally glancing over at you.
None of them even tried to help.
The people in the other truck didn't realise they were in danger yet.
Until the trucks came to a sudden stop.
The hostages looked through the small window, and watched as the drivers were thrown out of their seats. You couldn't see as you were still stuck in your seat.
Karli got in the front of the truck you were in.
Outside, Bucky was driving directly towards it.
He stopped his motorbike and jumped off, launching himself at one of the super soldiers.
They fought each other, and Karli got out again as she tried to devise a plan.
"We need a diversion" she said. "Give him someone to rescue."
She knew exactly what she was going to do.
"Light it up!"
Bucky was preoccupied, fighting, when suddenly the truck went up in flames.
The hostages inside screamed, but they were blocking your vision of the fire so you couldn't tell why.
You panicked, and you started struggling against the chains.
Eventually you caught a glimpse of the orange glow.
You stared tearfully at the others in the truck with you, but they didn't do anything. They were too focused on trying to get out.
Bucky kicked back the man he was fighting, and ran over to help.
"Hold on!" he yelled as he tried to pull the doors off their hinges.
You heard the familiar voice, recognising it immediately.
When Bucky failed to rip off the doors, he repeatedly punched the lock to break it.
The doors finally managed to pull apart. He helped people climb out.
You saw him.
At the door of your truck.
He didn't see you.
He helped a man off.
"Thank you for saving us" the man said, shaking Bucky's hand gratefully.
"You're welcome" Bucky nodded.
He didn't turn back to the truck.
"BUCKY!" you tried to scream, but you were still gagged. Though it seemed almost loud enough as Bucky paused, and slowly turned around again. But before he could notice you, he was hit away by super soldiers.
Tears cascaded down your face as you could no longer see him.
You could do nothing as the fire started to spread to inside the truck.
———
Bucky and Walker had managed to find a way to round up the super soldiers using an app.
They ran into them, and the police came behind them to support them.
"Mercy bears richer fruit than strict justice" Walker quoted Lincoln.
Bucky went for a different approach, grabbing one of them by the neck.
"Where is she?" he yelled.
"Bucky..." Walker objected.
"Where is she?!" Bucky repeated. "Where the hell is y/n?!"
"She- she was with... the hostages" the man gasped.
Bucky let go, and the police took the super soldiers away.
"Thank you. For nothing" he frowned. He talked to Sam over the radio.
———
Sam heard the sound of gunshots, and ran towards it.
He saw Karli, pointing a gun at Sharon, who's already been shot once.
"Sam stay back" Karli warned.
"So what's next, huh?" Sam asked. "You kill then this time, then, what, a hundred? Where does it end? Please. Let me help you."
"Don't try and manipulate me" Karli said, and adjusted her grip on the gun.
"Karli, don't" Sharon pleaded.
Sam ran forward and tackled Karli. Karli threw a concrete brick in retaliation.
"I'm not gonna fight you!" Sam yelled, as she attacked him. "Karli..."
She fought more, until he fell to the floor.
"Stay down!"
"No" Sam stood up again.
Karli attacked him again, but Sam refused to hit her.
"Fight! Back!" Karli shouted as she punched his shield repeatedly. "Fight me! Fight back!"
Bucky's voice came over the radio.
"Sam, have you found Karli?"
"Yeah" Sam grunted. "I'm with her now."
"We got all her friends."
"Did you find y/n?" Sam asked, pushing Karli back to the floor.
"No. They said she was with the hostages. But I got them all out ages ago" Bucky explained.
Sam looked at Karli, who was now pointing a gun at him.
"Where is y/n?" he asked.
Karli smirked.
"Probably dead by now."
"I can't believe that..."
"Yes but you see with that device she's wearing, she's not immortal no more."
"How- ... Where is she, Karli?"
"She..." Sharon groaned from the floor. "... on the truck."
"Bucky said everyone got off the truck" Sam said.
"She was... she was tied... to the seat" Sharon winced as she stood up. "She couldn't move."
Sam looked in disbelief at Karli, who raised her gun while smiling evilly.
Before she pulled the trigger, three shots hit her in the back as Sharon hit her.
Sam ran over to where Karli fell to the floor.
Sharon talked to Bucky over radio. "Did you hear what I said? Bucky?"
He had heard.
He ran from Walker's side, sprinting down the streets to return to the truck.
When he saw it, it was still burning, but the fire was lighting up the inside now as well.
He sped up, and swung the doors open again.
A bright orange flame roared out towards him.
He could see the faint outline of a shadow in the fire.
"Bucky!" Walker caught up to him. "You're not seriously thinking about going in there? You'll die!"
Bucky ignored him and jumped in.
