Combustion ✦ STEVE ROGERS² [✓]

25 | IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP

THE MORE HE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE STEVE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT HE HAD GOTTEN HIMSELF INTO SOME VERY DEEP TROUBLE.

At first, it had just been a mission to clear Bucky's name. But now things had escalated way beyond that. Everything had been fine until the psychiatrist evaluating Bucky had shut off the camera feeds and switched him back into his Winter Soldier mindset. Bucky had then attacked the entirety of the base (including Prince T'Challa, Natasha, Sharon, Tony, Steve, and Sam) before trying to escape in a helicopter. It was only thanks to Steve's quick thinking and pure strength that he was able to stop Bucky from escaping; however, the helicopter had crashed into the river in the process, nearly exploding and knocking Bucky out. Steve pulled Bucky out of the water before he and Sam hotwired a car and sped away from the facility with Bucky in tow.

In short, they were fugitives and criminals once again, just like they had been when S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. Only this time, the consequences of them being caught would be much more severe.

Now, Steve and Sam were in a large abandoned warehouse hidden in Germany. They had taken a still unconscious Bucky there, where they clamped his bionic arm in an industrial vice to keep him from using it in case he woke up and was still going haywire. And they had been waiting for him to wake up for at least an hour now.

As Sam watched Bucky closely, Steve stood by one of the windows, lost in thought. From what he'd learned, everyone on the team (as well as Sharon and T'Challa) had survived their encounter with the Winter Soldier. However, Kato was nowhere to be found - in fact, she wasn't even the bunker at all when the fight went down. She had left the office after Steve and Sam were sent to their office cell, obviously too distraught to talk to him. But Steve certainly hadn't expected her to leave the bunker entirely. Where had she gone? And why had she left in the first place?

Thinking about Kato just brought another wave of heartache to him. Steve missed her terribly, but everything that had happened since he refused to sign the Accords had kept him from her. Not to mention he was on the run once more, meaning he couldn't even go back to his apartment or even hers to meet with her in private. She'd most likely arrest him again if he tried to talk to her alone even though it would probably destroy her. And the last thing he wanted was to be responsible for any more of her trauma. She'd gone through enough already.

"Hey, Cap!" Sam said, bringing Steve out of his thoughts.

Steve turned around. Bucky was groaning and rolling his neck; apparently he was waking up. So Steve walked over to join Sam by Bucky, who simply sat there with his arm in the vice. Bucky looked up at the two with a weary, dazed expression. The two men stared back at him, waiting for a response.

"Steve," Bucky mumbled quietly.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Which Bucky am I talking to?"

"Your mom's name was Sarah..." Bucky smiled, chuckling softly before he went on, "You used to wear newspapers in your shoes."

Steve turned to Sam with a grin. "Can't read that in a museum."

Sam scoffed, clearly unconvinced. "Just like that, we're suppose to be cool?"

Bucky sighed. "What did I do?"

His words instilled some relief in Steve. Bucky didn't realize what he was doing when he was triggered. That might be some evidence to prove his innocence.

But Steve didn't voice his thoughts, instead nodding at Bucky. "Enough," Steve told him.

Bucky groaned. "Oh, God, I knew this would happen," he said. "Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words."