Melioration ~ James Buchanan Barnes

OO3 ~ The way there

Armed with the most deadly weapons and gadgets, Bucky drives all the way from Chicago, Illinois to New York, city. Located there is the Avengers Tower where the Scepter is being held. 

He has to drive for over twelve hours so if he drives a bit faster than allowed, he will be there earlier. He can perhaps make it in ten hours only. He will deal with police, tickets and all that comes with it, later. 

Unfortunately, he has to stop for gas three times during his trip and all times he manages to take off without paying. Sometimes he loves the feeling it brings. The rush, the thrill and the excitement. However, being the outlaw is not what he always wants to be but right now, he is not in control. After the activation words, it's like he's a different person with the memories from his past life gone and like it never happened. Only the memories of Hydra remain. Therefore, {y/n} will be imprinted in his mind forever. And that's the last thing he wants. 

She was alright when he woke up and finds her rather ok now that he is the Winter Soldier but before that, when she was chanting the words and threatening him to get him to retrieve something for her, he hated her. Despised her to his very core. How could someone treat another human being like this? Yes, he has a very particular skillset and Hydra has been using him for years on end now but she seemed different when he woke up. She looked like someone who was there to set him free. But it was quite the opposite. She also has the intentions to just use him like he's nothing and when he's done getting the one thing she needs, he will probably be put back on ice. Until next mission.

He cringes at the thought of it but like before, he is not in control and he has no other choice but to obey. Maybe he should take longer to obtain the Scepter. But that is not like him, he can't do that and also, he is not able to. His mind is all over the place and yet it's focussed on the Scepter and to destroy the Avengers. How proud she must be to have accomplished this. 

~

The drive is long and hard, with difficulty getting past toll roads without paying but he is now driving into New York city. The city that never sleeps. The Avengers Tower is brightly lit in the sky along with the many advertisement billboards. It has changed so much since the last time he was here which was in the 60's. He parks the car somewhere people won't notice and sneaks over towards the building. He can already see numerous surveillance camera's around the building so he has to think of a way to get in unseen. He wears a black facial mask that covers his nose and mouth while his eyes are painted black to not be recognized.

It shouldn't be a problem for the soldier and he isn't planning on making it one. He takes care of the ones he has to cross without being seen and then enters the building where, obviously, more camera's await him. 

He succeeds in taking out the ground floor without being seen but as soon as he steps into the elevator, he is made. Of course he has dropped a few body's to avoid them calling for help but it seems like someone noticed. 

The alarms go off and the building goes into lock-down. Bucky remains calm, thinking he has everything under control and that this minor set back isn't going to stop him from snatching that Scepter. He points his gun at the door and waits patiently for it to open, ready to shoot the first person in his sight. 

The elevator doors slide open and there is no one in sight so Bucky lowers his gun and carefully steps out on the floor. The alarms and red lights are still going off and it feels all too suspicious for him. And even though he's on the right floor, they would never leave the Mind-Stone unguarded. 

He is right about that because after setting one foot into the direction of the lab it's in, a man in an Iron Suit is flying towards him with blasters on his hand and chest, ready to overpower him with them if he says one wrong word. 'Stand down!' But that is the last thing Bucky is going to do. He smirks and pretends to lay his gun on the ground, only to shoot at the last moment to get the element of surprise. Indeed, the Iron Man did not see it coming but when Bucky almost reaches the lab, someone with a shield made of  vibranium knocks him over. 

He groans painfully and looks at the man who is catching his breath. He looks familiar although Bucky doesn't know here he would have seen him. The strange man however, seems to recognize him too even with the mask covering most of his face. He doesn't hesitate to pull it off his face, revealing his entire features to him. 

'Bucky?' 

{A/N} I address him as Bucky when I write about him. I just don't let you (the you in the story) call him like that because of the reason I gave in last chapter. Thank you for reading this chapter and have a nice day!