The Dark Captain

Chapter 13

"Stay back, Tony," Bucky ordered.

Tony knew better than to argue when he heard the bite of Winter in his husband's voice and simply said, "Okay."

As Tony began to hold the remaining three or four agents at bay, Bucky and Captain Hydra stared each other down. "Let's dance, motherfucker."

They ran at each other, Bucky going for the first punch, but he was easily blocked. Not that this surprised him. The Captain kicked from behind, but Bucky used his metal arm to deflect, only being forced to catch the shield before it bashed him in the face. He tried to yank the faux vibranium from the other man's grip, earning an elbow to the nose and a punch to the jaw.

This stunned the dark-haired man for a moment, allowing the blond to backhand him with the metal disk. Reaching for the shield again, Bucky began punching it over and over, attempting to break it if necessary. The straps detached from the dented metal, forcing Captain Hydra to abandon it.

Bucky took advantage of the Captain kicking the disk out of his way and he threw the enemy super soldier into a wall. As a result, the once-familiar mask fell from the Captain's face. The man stood up and turned to look at Bucky, whose composure fell the moment he saw who he was fighting. Tony looked back at the scene, surprise making him like a statue.

"Oh my God," Bucky said in shock. "Steve?"

Readying his gun and knocking the empty casing from it as he stalked towards the stunned super soldier, Captain Hydra replied, "Who the fuck is Steve?

Bucky didn't want to believe what he was seeing. "Tell me it isn't true."

The Captain came in close, the barrel pointing at Bucky's chest. "Hail HYDRA."

That was enough for Tony. He snapped out of his shocked state and used his repulsor on some gas lines behind the blond super soldier. The blast took out the wall, but it also moved the Captain away from Tony's husband. Bucky was moved back, collapsed on the floor, but not from the explosion.

He looked like he was on the verge of throwing up as he gasped out, "Oh God. This can't be happening."

"Bucky-" Tony began, but it was followed by the sound of Bucky emptying his stomach.

"This whole time-" The realization that, for the last five years, he had mistakenly condemned Steve for abandoning him filled him with guilt and shame.

"I know, baby." Tony hated that he couldn't comfort his husband until they were out of enemy territory. "I know."

Steve groaned. He had hit the wall hard. Steve and the Captain fought for control. Meanwhile, Arianna opened her eyes. Sunlight, the first she had seen in a year, hit her. It was beautiful. But then, the ringing in her ears started to fade and she sat up. She looked through the hole and saw her Captain, lying on the ground, bloody and unable to move from the pain.

She shouldn't have been able to hear him, but even reading his lips through his beard, she knew the sound of him saying, "Princess." His eyes closed and fear filled her.

She jumped up and ran as she said, "Captain!"

"Arianna?" Bucky replied in shock as she bolted across the room in time with Tony saying, "What?"

Arianna slid to a stop next to her super soldier. "Okay, listen to my voice. I love you. And I need you." Tears began falling, splashing on his chest. "Please!"

"Excuse me?" Tony exclaimed, but she didn't hear him.

"I love you!" She had to yell it, to get him to hear what was engraved on her soul.

Fighting to open his eyes to see her one last time, Steve whispered, "I love you too, Ari."

Shock was all that registered. "Steve-"

She fainted next to Steve as he passed out, unable to fight it another minute. The last she heard was Bucky and Tony calling her name.