The Snowflake

Chapter Eight

Dr. Zola had made his way over to Bucky. They had made him change out of his uniform into a dark green shirt and black pants. A soldier had kicked his uniform off to the side. Zola had another syringe filled with the same blue liquid.

Bucky turned his head so he could watch Zola. He inserted the needle into his arm. Bucky's fist tightened and he let out a yell. Even though I was all the way across the building and the only thing filling the place were his yells, I couldn't hear him. I couldn't hear anything.

At the moment, all I heard was a faint ringing. Zola had done the same experiments on Bucky that he had done to me. He wasn't silent, unlike me. He was mumbling numbers. He didn't know what they were for.

Over the next few days, Zola would check on us and make sure we're doing okay and that we're taking the serum the way we should be. The 107th infantry has been captured over this time. Zola had left and went to go join Schmidt in another room. It was brighter than the rest of the place.

It had a bunch of screens to show the security cameras but something looked odd. They saw a man with a shield fighting off the HYDRA troops. But he had help, with the infantry that was captured. He had freed him.

Schmidt stares at the screen. "What is happening?" He asked quietly to himself, Zola turned to face him. He watched at Schmidt press the alarm. He then flipped open the clear covers for switches for a countdown.

"No no! What are you doing?!" Zola exclaimed. "Our forces aren't being outmatched." Schmidt replied, flipping all the switches and the countdown began.

The man was running down a hallway till he heard someone mumbling. "Sergeant.. 32557.." Bucky mumbled. The man walked in and ran up to him. "Bucky.. oh my god.." he said, unstrapping him from the chair. "Is this.. Steve?" Bucky asked.

"I thought you were dead.." Steve whispered. It took a minute to process what happened. "I thought you were smaller.." Bucky replied. Steve wrapped Bucky's arm around his neck, helping him on his way out.

Steve began to go the direction but Bucky fought against him. "Buck, come on. We don't have time for this!" Steve yelled. "We need to get Y/N!" Bucky snapped.

"What?" Steve asked as Bucky started stumbling his way in my direction. "Y/N. She was captured as well. We've been here for a few days.." Bucky answered. Eventually the two made it over to me.

I was still strapped down to the table, my eyes were closed. Bucky ran his way over to me and I gently shook me to see if I was awake. Or even alive. I began slowly wake up. "Bucky..?" I asked. He gave me a nod and began to unstrap me.

Steve ran over to us and helped Bucky open the straps. I stared at him, trying to see if that was who I really thought it was. "Yes. It's me.." Steve said. "Okay, come on." He said.

Bucky looked at Steve and had questions.

"Did it hurt?"

"A little."

"Is it permanent?"

"So far."

Bucky helped me up and wrapped my arm around his neck. We fled as the factory around us began to explode. "Captain America!" Schmidt began. "How exciting! I'm a great fan of your films. So Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive."

Bucky and I watched the two. He held me close as he made sure I was okay."

"You have no idea." Steve said.

"Haven't I?"

Steve went to punch Schmidt across the face and in return, Schmidt went to punch him back but it was deflected by the shield. Steve went to pull out a gun but was knocked back, making him drop the gun hundreds of feet.

Steve quickly stood up and kicked Schmidt in the chest, pushing him back. Zola decided to make a move and pull the lever that made the catwalk retract to both sides.

"You were Erskine's great success weren't you?" Schmidt asked, pulling the skin at the bottom of his face, revealing his true self. The Red Skull. "What the fuck.." I whispered.

Bucky stared at the Red Skull before looking at Steve. "You don't have one of those, do you?" He asked. "I embrace you proudly!" He yelled to Steve before entering an elevator. "Then why are you running?!"

Steve looked down at the gantry next to them. "One at a time. Go." Steve ordered. Bucky let go of me and placed his foot down on the gantry. He carefully slid across, the end of it only fell a foot or two.

He made it to the end and jumped, grabbing the edge and pulling himself up. I looked at the gantry then to Steve. "Go, Y/N.." Steve said. I looked to Bucky and he nodded. "I'll catch you. Come on, we don't have much time."

I stepped down on it and slid my way across. At the last few feet, it broke and fell to the ground. I jumped off and just barely grabbed the edge. Now I was just hanging there. I didn't really have good upper body strength and my fingers began to slip.

"Bucky!" I cried. He quickly reached down and grabbed my arms, pulling me up. We both stood up and waited for Steve. He could tell I was scared. "It's almost over.." he said. "Ok. Get her out of here! You both need to go!" Steve yelled.

"No! Not without you!" Bucky snapped. Steve looked at the metal rail in front of him and bent it outwards. Bucky pulled me out of the way. Steve took a few steps back and prepared himself to make the jump. I looked down and watched as the place around us was exploding.

Steve started running and jumped. Another explosion happened as he was almost here. Bucky and I waited a couple more moments to see if Steve had made it. We then saw him climb up and over the rail. "Okay, lets go." Steve said.

We made it outside as the place behind us had exploded. There were a few more HYDRA soldiers and Steve and Bucky went at the then, along with a couple other soldiers on our side.

I felt bad for not helping but Bucky didn't want me getting involved. The three of us eventually made it to a truck. A bunch of our troops took other vehicles. There wasn't much gas in any vehicle they took. They weren't that far from the border of Italy, but they had soon made it back.

"To be honest, Buck.." I began. He looked over at me and nodded. "Hm?" He asked. "That wasn't really how I thought your last night was going to go.."