I'm with you... {completed}

13) 1945 ((1941))

      "Hey I think we're getting something." Gabe listened intently to the scratchy signals being emitted from the radio.
"They were right. Dr. Zola's on the train. Hydra dispatcher gave him permission to open up the throttle," he paused, "Wherever he's going, they must need him bad."
       A wave of apprehension swept over the Commandos. A throat was cleared and Falsworth spoke up. "Let's get going, because they're moving like the devil."
        "Yeah," Steve agreed. "We've only got about a 10-second window. You miss that window, we're bugs on a windshield."
        Falsworth snorted and muttered, "Mind the gap."
        Dum Dum laughed as he clipped Gabe to the zip line. "Better get moving, bugs!" He patted the Commando in the back.
       "Okay," Dernier started the count down as Steve and the Commandos prepared for the jump. "Trois, duex, un, Maintenant!" Steve, Bucky and Gabe jumped in quick succession. The rest of the men would stay back and meet their Captain back at the bottom of the mountain. They swung through the air, flying an inch away from death. It was over in an instant, but in the moment the fear of falling felt infinite. Steve landed roughly on his knees and unclipped himself from the zipline hastily.
They crouched low, moving toward the safety hatch on the top of the car as wind vortex around the train threatened to throw the three Commandos over into the snow covered valley. Steve popped open the lock easily as any other person would a bottle cap. He looked into his men's  eyes, into Bucky's eyes, before lowering himself into the train. Gabe set up the portable machine gun at their entrance, where he would serve as the lookout. He nodded at Bucky as an okay.
Bucky jumped in, landing on his feet, though not as gracefully as his blonde counterpart.
         Steve lead with Bucky close behind. They walked through the car, guns up, shield at hand, ready for a fight. They reached the end of the car a peered into the next. Nothing. There was nobody. Something was wrong.
         Steve stepped into the next car. That was all it took.
A door slammed shut between the two men, separating them from each other as gunfire was let lose on Bucky, who quickly returned the favor. Before Steve could attempt to break through the door, an electronic sound rising in pitch caught his attention. He turned in time for a blue flash of light to fly past him, barely missing his arm.
       Bucky fired with quick precision, hitting one of the two men shooting at him. He ducked into the corner of the train behind a stack of boxes as he reloaded his magazine. Sparks flew as bullets bounced off the wall in front of him. He turned and aimed again the second the bullet spray stoped.
       Steve put his shield to use as the strange blue fire shot at him.  The light seemed to be coming from a machine that his attacker wore. He fired back with his handgun accurately, hitting the backpack, which seemed to be the engine, that the masked attacker wore. But his bullets barely made a dent. Again, the high pitch siren. Steve took his chance realizing that the sound signaled the machine reloading and sprinted forward. He drop kicked the man, knocking him against the floor where he passed out. Steve grabbed the strange gun and shot open the door that had departed him and his partner.
Inside, the firefight continued, neither man able to get an edge on the other until Bucky ran out of ammo. Just then the door blew open with a flash of blue. Steve gracefully tossed his gun to Bucky then sprinted forward, shield up, and shoved one of the boxes or cargo off the shelf, hitting Bucky's opponent out of hiding. Bucky shot once, ending the fight.
        They stood for a moment,taking a breath. Bucky stepped forward and nudged the body on the floor with his foot, checking that the nazi was dead.
     "I had him on the ropes."
Steve grinned.
     "I know you did."

        ~1939~
"War continues to ravage Europe. But help is on the way. Every able-bodied young man is lining up to serve his country. Even little Timmy is doing his part Collecting scrap metal. Nice work Timmy!"
"Who cares! Play the movie already!" A douche shouted out over the recruitment commercial.
"Hey, want to show some respect?"
Steve whispered at the man in front of him. The commercial continued with a few annoyed glares and grumbles.
"Meanwhile, overseas, our brave boys are showing the axis powers of the price of freedom is never too high,"
"Get on with it! Start the fucking cartoon!" The loud asshole shouted.
"Hey, buddy, wanna shut up?" Steve spat at the jerk in front of him.
Slowly, as if only to create anticipation for the Steve, the douche stood up and turned to Steve. The prick towered over Steve as he sat in the small theater seat, not that it would've made a difference had Steve been standing.

      The fists pummeled Steve leaving him bruised and bloody. He pushed himself back up, bringing his arms up into a fighting stance.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" The dickhead leaning over him sneered.
Steve smiled as best he could with the black eye and busted jaw, "I can do this all day."
Steve prepared for another attack but it never came.
"Hey!" Someone yelled, interrupting the underhanded fight. "Pick on someone your own size."
With a single blow to the side of the head, Steve's attacker was incapacitated. He toppled to the floor, landing at Steve's feet.
"Ya know," Bucky reached out and pulled Steves arm around his neck to help him walk, "Sometimes, I think you like getting punched."
Steve huffed indignantly. "I had him on the ropes."
Bucky shook his head and sighed. "I know you did."

I had him on the ropes.

                         I know you did

The words echoed in Steves ears.

       The walls had been taken down to the studs as scavengers sought wood for heat in the winter. They creaked as the quiet city was encapsulated in with a soft, white blanket. London, the center of city life, now sat in pieces, a city destroyed by bombs. Steve could remember all details of this place before the bombings; he sat at the now former bar he and the commandos had frequented during their stay in the city He remembered their joyful laughter, their off key singing, their obnoxious cheering.
        The snow outside fell silently choking the streets. Steve would have been shivering under three layers of blankets before, he would have been wrapped up in Buckys arms as he had been so many winters before.
         But now he didn't need the blankets what with the serum and all. Besides, he didn't have-
       Steve downed the last of the whiskey.
       "Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area. Please wait for the all-clear. Your attention, please. All citizens shall remain indoors until further notice. Blackout is still in effect throughout the London area."
       Steve Flicked off the radio and poured of another glass. "Dr. Erskine said that... the serum wouldn't just effect my muscles, it would effect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um...I can't get drunk. Did you know that?"
          Peggy stepped out from where she been hiding in the shadows. "Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person." She caught his eyes for a moment. He held her stare and chugged the burning alcohol.
          "He thought it could be one of the side effects." Steve could practically feel the pity pouring out of her eyes.
     "It wasn't your fault." He looked away.
     "Did you read the reports?"
     "Yes."
      "Then you know that's not true."
     "Steve," Peggy's hurt over Steve's state played over her face, over her entire demeanor. She restrained herself from reaching out to hug him. She knew Steve well enough to know that that he didn't want that.
"You did everything you could." Peggy bit her upper lip between her teeth and wrinkled her forehead in concern.
"Did you believe in him?," she paused, "Did you respect him?"
        Steve glanced at her giving an unconcealed look of pain. He didn't need to say yes.
"Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it."
                  

       I had him on the ropes.
            I know you did.

Without giving them a second to catch their breaths, another enemy equipped with one of those strange guns appeared.
        "Get down!" Steve threw his shield up, redirecting the explosion to the side of the train. The momentum tossed Steve to the side away from his shield and Bucky, blowing open the side of the train. Bucky scrambled for the shield and held it high as he approached he man with the blaster, releasing bullet after bullet with perfect accuracy. A blue ball of light flew toward him, throwing his body out the hole in the car.
Steve grabbed the shield and threw it with as much force as he could at the enemy, knocking him out.
"Bucky! Hang on!" Steve climbed onto the precariously hanging sheet of metal. "Grab my hand!" He reached. Further. Further. Almost. Bucky extended his hand as far as he could, reaching for his lover.
The metal snapped.
"NO!" Steve yelled in horror. He listened to the sounds of the only person he had ever loved screaming in pure terror as he toppled into the ravine below.

Steve downed another glass.
     "I'm goin' after Schmidt. I'm not gonna stop till all of Hydra is dead or captured." He set down the whiskey bottle.
Peggy nodded as if she were accepting orders.
      "You won't be alone."
      Her words couldn't help Steve. No matter who or how many people were around to go be sympathetic smiles, Steve would always be alone without Bucky.