Strings - A Winter Story

-25-

"In real life, the hardest aspect of the battle between good and evil is determining which is which"

The ringing sound of gun fire in the background keeps Autumn on her toes. It echos through the halls and is deafening.

"Bucky? This is no time for hide and seek" Autumn calls out, scanning every dark corner for him. She continues past the t-junction they had separated at and holds up her gun at the ready. Autumn treads silently as she moves, her nimble frame almost undetectable in the poor lighting. Every foot she places in front of her, she is inching towards him completely unaware of what awaits.

Autumn halts in her place as she contemplates going back to Steve and Clint when a door that is slightly ajar catches her eye. Focusing on it she edges closer until she has a view into the poorly lit room. She can't see anyone but needs to verify and satisfy the need to check it before out. Gun first she enters and stalks her way into the centre of the room. Autumn drops her gun down as she releases a deep sigh, only a table and chair occupy the room. She sighs and commences to spin around to leave the way she came, but a figure stands and blocks the way. A tall figure, with hair covering his facial features.

"Christ Bucky, don't scare me like that" Autumn jumps at the surprise of seeing her friend and places a hand over her chest. She lowers her handgun fully as in her eye he is not a threat and then notices that his rifle is lying on the ground beside her. Confused at the sight, she questions it.

"You drop something? Come on Steve and Clint need our help" Autumn ushers and walks towards him confidently heading towards the door. When she is a metre from the door, the cold metal arm clamps itself around her neck. She can't speak as the surprise catches her off guard. Autumn darts her eyes up to Bucky as she grits her teeth in pain, but those eyes aren't Bucky's.

Using minimal strength, Bucky shoves Autumn backwards and she crashes to the floor harshly. She instinctively gulps in big breaths of oxygen to re-fill her deflated lungs.

"Bucky? What are you doing?" Autumn yells aggressively as he approaches her again. She gets anther a glimpse of his eyes. They aren't the icy sea blue eyes she likes, they are the same eyes she saw the first time he nearly killed her.

This isn't the man she has grown to like.

"This isn't you Bucky, you're not the Winter Soldier" Autumn pushes the words out as she tries to steady herself as well as try and back him down but it doesn't have any effect. Suddenly and with phenomenal speed, Bucky darts towards her, aiming to strangle her with his bare hands. She anticipates his move and kicks his left knee, causing him to lose his balance. It gives her enough time to duck out of his way and aim towards the door. However the Winter Soldier being the Winter Soldier catches her before she even makes it half way. Bucky yanks down hard on her hair causing her to yelp out in pain. She lands on her back and looks up to see the bottom of his boot incoming towards her face. Without thinking she rolls swiftly to the side and the boot smashes into the concrete floor a mere few inches from her head.

"Bucky I know you're in there. Remember the mission" Autumn and Bucky stalk around in a circle facing each other, Autumn trying frantically to deescalate the situation .

However, this causes him to stop momentarily as if he is contemplating her words. For the briefest of moments, Autumn believers she has gotten through to him.

"No, you're my mission" Bucky nearly whispers in a cruel, cold tone. All hope fades from Autumns face as she knows she has to make a choice here. Kill him or let him kill her. Then it hits her like a train, a feeling she has never felt before.

Doubt.

She can't kill him. After all he has done for her? When he went assassin mode on her the first time, he showed regret after. This isn't the man she knows. This is a monster that was placed in him without him wanting it. These are his strings. He had no choice. She can't kill him. She just can't.