Mission Accomplished: Bucky & Steve

"You're my friend..." Words escaped from splintered lips, strength dying from the Avenger.

"You're my mission!" The mercenary yelled back, his mouth curling upward in a frustrated snarl. His fist sunk into his bones, cracking his face in a pounding effect. Blood spluttered from the wounds splitting open under the pressure of the throws. Over and over metal met flesh and in a few swings the captain's face was unrecognizable. Black splotches decorated his cheeks, his blue eyes once swimming deep as the oceans were fading to dull. Purple bruises spread like a disease across his pale skin. Crimson replaced his saliva, spilling from his lips in a meager attempt to speak to his best friend.

"B-uc-ky, it's o-kay..." A voice as silent as a breeze cooed from Steven Rogers.

"Stop calling me that!" The man hollered back, his voice cracking as another punch sprayed blood.

"Bucky..."

"Shut up!" Hands ran through his stringy hair as he tried to push away the pain throbbing in his mind. Black pupils gazed down at his face in hatred. Maneuvering memories collided against his brain causing more anger in the villain.

'Bucky.'

Why had that name sparked something in that mind of his? Why was he calling him that?! He was his target, not a friend, not a companion. He had none.

"You can f-finish th-is... c-cuz I'm with y-ou... 't-till the end of the l-ine, remember?" Coughs intermixed in his words. The taste of iron was strong in his throat and tongue. Despite this, a faint smile rose on his lips.

Ignore him.

Finish the mission.

That's all that mattered.

A silver fist raised high in the air and the Winter Soldier came down on the weak hero. A sharp thump and a reverberating crack emitted from his body. Red bubbled from his throat and rose up, oozing from his body. The light died in his eyes and stared blankly upward. Limbs went limp against the floor of the falling aircraft. As the soldier caressed his crimson fingers, a thought raced across his mind:

Mission accomplished.

"You ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?" Something of a voice fluttered into the assassin's mind as he intended to walk away from his mission, his back turned from the once inspiration of America now lying in a heap of claret and bullet shrapnel.

"Hell no. That little guy from Brooklyn that was too dumb not to run away from a fight, I'm following him." The machine ceased his steps and looked back at the red-white-and-blue lump. Clouded eyes scanned him in puzzlement.

"Because I'm with you 'till the end of the line."

"Steve?" Feeble words spilled from his tongue before he had a second hesitation of whose name he had just spoken, and like a switch a flame relit inside of his soul. It burned brightly as flashes of the past came flooding back and overwhelmed the Winter Soldier as he stood baffled. Bucky continued reexamining his friend's body for a sign of life, for this to be a terrible nightmare he had fallen into.

But it wasn't.

He had murdered his best friend.

"Steve, please..." He whispered in desperation, tears swelled in the corners of his eyes that flickered light, his body being regained from a puppeteer. Every part of him felt foreign and upsetting, not knowing how to react or retaliate from any of this.

Bucky found himself crouched by Steve’s lifeless form, arms slouched at his sides as his head drooped like a heavy weight. Where was that sun in Steve’s bright blue eyes? Where had it gone? Couldn’t he just shake him awake? This wasn’t real was it? Bucky had sworn to protect his friend’s life against everything. Did this make him a liar?  

"Dammit, no, no... no..." His throat collapsed on him and streams of salty tears danced down his cheeks. Sobs began to echo outward as the aircraft skyrocketed to the depths of the water and fire engulfed from afar. The plane surrounded by misty smoke.

"I'm s-o s-sor-ry..." A suck of breath filled his lungs as speaking became more difficult than he could comprehend. Like a blizzard, his heart turned cold and hardened, his world came crashing down in a fiery expanse. The blood dripped down the metallic weapon attached to his shoulder, causing shivers to travel down his spine but he didn’t move. All he desired was a pulse from his comrade. Yet, there was nothing.

Around them, water exploded beneath the falling fortress as it met the murky depths with a sudden splash and boom. The strong smell of sulfur and gasoline disappeared above the cloudless sky of turquoise. Waves of blue swarmed the two figures as darkness over swept them. Bucky parted his lips and shut his eyes against the splashes, his fingers finding the unmoving ones of Steve’s. Their palms kissed softly against the inevitable shadows casting over the two.

"I love you."