Captain America Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier Steve Rogers Fan Fic - The Constant

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Winter Soldier & The Man On The Bridge

The Winter Soldier & The Man On The Bridge

After The Mission

"We got him out of there as soon as we could, sir. Yes...yes...I don't actually know. I didn't see it. But Daniel did, and it...it was..." A lowered voice. "It was Rogers, sir."

Felix nods as though Pierce could see him, and then shakes his head when Daniel looks at him. He then turns to look at the Winter Soldier.

"No," he continues into the phone, "totally unresponsive. We're taking him back to the vault now. Uh-huh. We lost Artur...yes, sir...no problem. Meet you there." And he hangs up, pursing his lips and blowing out air.

They are parked on a side street, and they can still hear the sirens heading to the distant scene. In the back with them is the body of their fallen comrade Artur Kostin, the man Rogers had been with, Sam Wilson had taken him down. But there was no time to mourn for their lost colleague, and they had not even stayed to see Rumlow round up Rogers, Wilson, and Romanoff. But Pierce had just confirmed by phone that they had them.

Felix looks at Daniel Atkins. "Rumlow has Rogers, Romanoff and Wilson. They'll be terminated. Jesus, what a day...tell me again, what was it that Rogers said?"

They have the Winter Soldier but there is something wrong with him. His arm has been damaged, and he is covered in scratches and bruises, but it is his eyes that has Felix worried. Something has affected his mind.

"It wasn't exactly what he said. He called him something...it sounded like Bucky." And as Atkins says it the Winter Soldier lifts his head. Both Felix and Atkins react by reaching for their guns, but the Soldier just lowers his head again. They can see he is saying something under his breath, but it is too quiet for them to hear. He has not spoken to them since they put him in the van.

"What did Pierce say?" Atkins asks.

Felix sighs, dry washes his face. "Just that we are to take him back for mission report at the vault and he will meet us there later with Rumlow."

*

Mission Report

"Mission Report!" Felix repeats himself for the third time, but the Soldier simply sits in the master chair and stares at only something he can see.

Normally they would ask Freya to come and see if she can get any response, but word from above is she is now persona non grata. No one is permitted to talk to her, and even she herself is unaware of why. The Winter Soldier's team have been updated on the fact she has been seen talking to Rogers. To SHIELD.

She is to be terminated. And the Winter Soldier will be given the task.

Rollins enters the room. "Pierce has arrived but I warn you, he's not at all happy," he tells Felix, adding: "Rogers and his friends escaped."

"Shit! How?...No, don't tell me. I'll find out later." And with that, he turns and leaves the vault with Atkins in tow. Their next task is burying Artur's body.

After they have gone, one of the technicians pulls up a chair next to the Winter Soldier and pulls on his metallic arm, opening it up so that he can get to the circuitry within. The Soldier sits still, still lost, still watching the flashes pass through his mind. Every so often his lips will move silently, as though he is conversing with someone.

"Sergeant Barnes," Zola addresses him, standing before him. His heart begins to hammer. Fear grips him. The pictures keep moving, and this one suddenly jumps to a train about to enter a tunnel. Then he is onboard the train with a man, the man, the one he saw today on the bridge – but no, no longer in the train. Outside of it. Hanging on for his life. The man is leaning out of the rent in the side of the train, screaming "Bucky!" There is pure panic in his voice. The Winter Soldier cannot hang on, the metal is coming away from its moorings and as he falls backwards he hears the man scream again: "No!"