Fall of the Mighty ★ [4] ✔

Water and Bridges

⏳ 2016   

The quinjet tailgate lowered, and a gale of brisk, cold snow blew inside. The wind howled, ushering in the coldness from the outside.

I clenched my jaw as I gazed out into the white expanse. I looked into the snowy distance at the building rising from the ridge. The HYDRA base. That was where we were going. That was where that shrink was, prepping living weapons of mass destruction to unleash on the world.

Bucky stepped up next to me, checking the cache of his weapon before slapping it loaded. I sent him a sideward glance, him looking out into the frosty plains with distant eyes, an inscrutable yet fixed expression etched onto his face.

I fiddled with my gloves. "You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?"

Bucky looked to me with a remembering squint. A side smile beamed onto his face. "Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?"

"You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead," I recounted with a smirk.

"What was her name, again?"

"Dolores. You called her Dot."

Bucky shook his head in disbelief. "She's gotta be a hundred years old right now."

I clapped Bucky on the shoulder. "So are we, pal."

Brothers. He was my brother. He was everything to me. I'd given up so much for him. I'd lost friends for him. I...I'd given up Andi for him. And I would do it all again. I would do anything for him. I would die for him. Because he was my brother. We'd done everything together. We'd fought wars together. We'd survived the bonds and chains of time, now standing before destiny as old men with young bodies. Old souls and hearts.

And I was going to save him. I was going to rescue him. I was going to reverse what HYDRA had done to him. I was going to get the old Bucky back. My brother back. 

I knew Andi was coming. She always did in the end. I didn't know if she was going to help me or go against me. But whatever happened in the end, I was going to save Bucky. I just hoped that I didn't have to hurt her in the end, as much as I already had.