Ties (sequel to The Stark Family)

7

TARGET LOCKED.

The Winter Soldier had Target2, a young female, trapped. Target2's neck was trapped under his metal arm.

Target1 was a piece of work. He had called for help from his dad, who was in Jacksonville, looking for his son. His dad was on his way, and the Winter Soldier wasn't going to be compromised.

Target1 slashed the Winter Soldier across the face and his mask was thrown off.

"Bucky?" Target2 asked.

"It's Britney, cower before me," the Winter Soldier spat. That made no sense, where was it from? Was it a past he had tried so hard to erase? He could remember a young girl teaching him that. 

"It IS you!!" Target2 said, relieved.

"No! No! I'm the Winter Soldier!" He pressed harder on her neck. He cut off her airway long enough so she would pass out and moved to Target1.

"Hey, its me, Peter!"

The Winter Soldier shot nonetheless. It didnt hit.

A figure flew in from above, a man of iron. The Winter Soldier pivoted, who was this? Repulsors hit him from above and Target1 screamed.

"Dad! No! It's Bucky!" Target1 yelled as the Winter Soldier fell to the ground.

Iron Man lowered to the ground, approaching the Winter Soldier.

"Touch my kids again, I dare you," he challenged. He didn't see the face behind the blood. The metal arm under the sleeves. The fear in the cold eyes.

"Dad! You hit Bucky!" Target2 cried, pain written all over her face as she recovered and woke up.

Iron Man didn't hear. Didn't know.

"Dad! Stop!" Target1 yelled, jumping on the suit.

"Peter, get off!" 

"Dad, it's Bucky!" Iron Man let up. He saw the face.

"No no no no no no no no no no," Iron Man repeated over and over again, reaching for the Winter Soldier. The boy was running as fast as he could with a limp in the other direction. Retreating. He had failed his mission. He disappeared into the distance after Iron Man stopped following him.

-------

They didn't know what to do. Carol was trying to catch her breath and Peter had come over to help her. Tony landed next to his kids.

"They're gonna hurt him, you know," Peter said "He failed his mission to kill us,"

"How do you know?" Tony asked.

"I heard Attie talking while we were kidnapped," Peter recalled "Attie himself was scared they were gonna hurt him if he lost us or one of us died,"

"Well, then we gotta get him. I need to take Carol to Jacksonville so she can be with Mom and her brothers," Tony said.

"No, Dad," Carol said "I'm fine. I'm getting Bucky. Besides. Mom isn't in Jacksonville,"

"I was just there," Tony said, confused "Where else could she be-" Carol pointed at the sky. A purple streak was shooting across the sky. Then it descended towards Tony and the kids.

"Right there," Peter said, smiling.

Pepper landed in her purple suit right in front of them.

"You looked like you needed a Rescue," Pepper said, mask disappearing. Tony leaned in and kissed her.

"Bucky, Bucky, he's-" Tony began, breathless.

"With Hydra, babe. I know, I was watching. From above. You left really quickly, so I followed," Pepper said.

"Who's with Steve and Clint?"

"No one. Clint's 14. I think they're fine,"

"Right. Let's go get Bucky,"

-------

Getting into the Hydra facility was easy. They were all wanting to see what happened to the Winter Soldier. He had failed a mission. The perfect soldier had finally screwed up.

One agent was particularly interested in seeing what happened. She didn't really fit in with the other Hydra agents. Something about their motives and strategies. 

No no no. This wasn't a Hydra agent. This was Miss Maria Hill. And she wanted to find James Barnes.