Radioactive: I Will Always Return

9~ Defiance

*Third Person P.O.V*

Steve reached the exterior control panel of the third Helicarrier, and wasn't entirely surprised to see a familiar face. The Winter Soldier himself was standing right where Steve needed to be, and he didn't show any sign of moving. Steve refrained from sighing, for while he'd known that Bucky probably wouldn't give up until he was dead or incapacitated from further stopping HYDRA - as unappealing as that sounded to Steve - he had half hoped that Bucky would either come around or stay out of it.

He even would've like it for Bucky to be too late to stop him, but clearly he'd underestimated him and his new abilities since HYDRA recuperated him. If there was one thing he wished for right now, it was to have the old Bucky back; as much as they'd had petty arguments back in the day, the one thing Steve didn't want to do was fight Bucky to the extent where one of them would have to die in order for the other to win.

"People are gonna die, Buck," he murmured. "I can't let that happen."

Bucky just stared - more like glowered - at him, unmoving. The two of them stared at each other from different ends of the platform, neither moving.

Steve tried again, "Please don't make me do this."

They stared at each other for a moment longer, almost daring the other to make the first move. A heavy silence floated around them, broken only by the noise of the Helicarrier's engines. Apart from that, it was just them - no one else was around, and for that Steve was partially grateful, else he would find himself facing more than one enemy.

Not that he entirely considered Bucky to be an enemy, not after everything they had gone through together. However, given that he was working with (or for) HYDRA, Steve's opinion on that was varying. Everything in his life had changed from the moment he became Captain America, almost too much change - neither for better or worse - than he liked, and losing BUcky and then Jodie had been the final straw in all of it.

He was done with changes in his life that led to catastrophic events or were consequences of said catastrophic events, and he was more than willing to end this NOW.

Steve's eyes hardened and, gritting his teeth, he lunged forward and threw his shield at Bucky, who rebounded it off his metal arm and sent it flying back to him. Seve caught it and launched himself at Bucky, the two of them throwing hits and punches at each other but always seeming to block them. Bucky managed to get a hit on Steve; the bullet he'd been waiting for his torso only just skimming through the material of Steve's suit, saving him from a fatal wound, and that only slightly angered Steve as he retaliated back.

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A/N: I apologise for the short chapter, but I decide to start their big fight, and then cut to the rest of the chase with the others. I know, this probably means that this sequel will be A LOT sorter that the prequel, but I don't wish to bore you all with describing a fight. If it was between many instead of just two, things would be different. Anywho enjoy this chapter and I'm currently writing the next one!

Thanks, J xxx