Can Our Love Survive?

Chapter 15

The Winter Soldier

Natasha's POV
I got got a call that something happened to Nick. I rush to the hospital as fast as I can, I rush in and see Steve watching as the doctors operate on Nick. I'm terrified, I can't lose Nick he's like a father to me. How did this happen? Nick takes precautions this couldn't have happened without someone highly trained. "Is he gonna make it?" I ask Steve not wanting to hear a response. "I don't know." Steve looks down. "Tell me about the shooter." I ask trying to change the subject. "He's fast, strong, had a metal arm." I look at the ground, it can't be, it can't be! I start to panic a little! "Natasha you okay?" Steve asks. "Yeah, I just need a minute." I walk into the hallway trying to process everything Nick was shot by Bucky it had to be Bucky.

Bucky was the only person I knew with a metal arm, it had to be him well The Winter Soldier at least. This was my time to tell Steve, but I couldn't not yet, it wasn't the right time.

"Natasha" Steve rushes out. "He...um...he didn't make it." I nod slightly and follow Steve in, I see Nicks body laid out and let the tears fall this can't be happening.

I stole the flash drive Steve had in the vending machine, he pulled me into a room and we argued after a while I said. "I know who killed Fury." Steve stepped back looking shocked, I knew I couldn't keep the Winter Soldier from him anymore, but I could keep Bucky. This was not the time for Steve to breakdown.

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he's exists. The ones that do, call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years." "So he's a ghost story?" Steve asks. "Going after him a dead end, I know I've tried. Believe me we got history." I pull the flash drive out of my pocket. "Like you said he's a ghost story." Steve grabs the flash drive. "Well let's find out what the ghost wants."

Steve and I head to the mall to trace the flash drive. We trace it to New Jersey, we almost make it out of sight when we see an agent coming up the escalator. "Kiss me." I turn to Steve, this was super weird for me and probably him to, I mean his best friend is the love of my life. Even though he doesn't know that. But we need a distraction.

"What?" Steve looks confused. "Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable." "Yes they do." I pull him in for a kiss, it's super awkward but we make it work. "You still uncomfortable?" I ask smirking. "That's not exactly the word I would use." Steve smiles.

Steve and I drive to New Jersey and find the base, we head through a secret door and into the basement. We see a old tv I rush over to it and start typing. "Shall we play a game." I smile and turn around to explain the reference to Steve. "It's from a movie..it's.." "Yeah, I know I saw it." Steve replies. Suddenly a voice comes from the TV. Steve explains to me it's Zola who helped out the Red Skull. Even though I remember him from the Red Room and Bucky's sessions. Zola starts to explain how science put his mind into this system and how SHIELD has been growing inside of Hydra! "No, that's impossible." I say "SHIELD would have stopped you." Zola's screens shows the Starks death and Nick's just then I see a metal arm with a red star, Bucky's arm. I start to freak out, I need to tell Steve about Bucky but how? This is not the time! Zola keeps talking till Steve punches the TV.

We think he's gone when he reappears on another screen. "What's on the drive?" Steve asks. "Project insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm." Zola replies. "What kind of algorithm? What does it do?" I ask. "The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately you shall be to dead to hear it." Zola laughs and the door starts to close. Steve tries to throw his shield but it's too late.

"Steve we got a bogey. Short range ballistic." I say. "30 seconds. Tops." Steve turns to Zola. "Who fired it?" "SHIELD" I say answering Steve. Zola continues talking about random stuff. Steve finds a metal door on the floor and pulls me in and places his shield above our heads. That's the last thing I remember. Steve told me I got knocked out. He carried me to Sam's house. We spent the night at Sam's at then we head out to take down Hydra. We captured Jasper, and are driving along the highway. "Hydra doesn't like leaks." Jasper says annoyed. "So why don't you try sticking a cork in it?" Sam asks. "Insights launching in 16 hours. We're cutting it a bit close here." I add in. "I know we'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly." Steve says. "What! Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea?!" Jasper responds.

Suddenly he's thrown out the window into the highway. I look up at the car roof, and I see him

James Buchanan Barnes.