Prologue

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The long haired man woke up in an industrial warehouse. Confused and exhausted, he tried to remember what had happened. His memory was a bit hazy and quilt weighed down on him when he remembered what had happened. 

Bucky swallowed thickly. 

Every time he had turned into the Winter Soldier was somehow always worse than the last. And just when he thought he was free—

Feeling some pressure on his metal arm, he turned to see that it was clamped in a huge industrial vice, preventing him from moving it.

Fair enough, he thought. Actually, he was surprised that Steve hadn't left him already, after all, who would want a monster like him for a friend? But then again, he knew someone who would surely disagree. 

"Hey, Cap!" 

That was the other man, the African American one with Steve. Bucky thought he had met him before, maybe a year and a half ago. He winced when he remembered the way he had ripped the steering wheel from Sam's hands.

It wasn't long before Steve came jogging over to the room that held him. Somehow he was always so desperate when it came to Bucky. When Steve had thought he had lost Bucky, he thought he lost everything. He didn't mind crashing the plane because it didn't feel right for him to live in a world without Bucky. 

And now Steve had him back, only a more messed up version of the Bucky he remembered, with memory loss and a slightly annoying habit to turn into a murderous assassin. 

"Steve" Bucky breathed out in disbelief. Even now, even after decades, even after everything they'd been through. Steve. It had and always would be Steve. Steve was it. Steve was everything. 

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve's voice was harsh, but it was all he could do to stop it from cracking. 

He tried not to show his heartbreak show. Bucky took a small breath, thinking about how to answer that. In truth, the Winter Soldier wasn't him at all. That was a killing machine, a weapon, a puppet for HYDRA. He so desperately wanted Steve to know that was not him, "Your mom's name was Sarah."

He didn't know how he knew. But he knew that Steve was an important part of his life before HYDRA. He knew Steve, he just had to make sure Steve knew that. 

An old memory resurfaced, causing Bucky's lips to curve upwards. "You used to put newspapers in your shoes" He chuckled lightly, the image of the skinny boy that Steve used to be was nostalgic and Bucky felt a longing for a life he no longer lived. He imagined it must have been peaceful, just him and Steve. 

Steve's stoic expression faltered. "Can't read that in a museum"

"Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?" Sam gave Steve a look.

"What did I do?" 

"Enough" Steve could see the guilt plastered on his friends face, he didn't want Bucky to remember exactly what he had done. 

"Oh, God, I knew this would happen" Bucky shook his head. "Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he  had to do was say the god damn words"

"Who was he?" Steve asked, referring to the psychiatrist. 

"I don't know"

"People are dead" Steve was trying not to show his frustration, "The bombing, the setup. The doctor did all that just to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know'"

Bucky squinted, trying to remember what the doctor had talked about to him last. "He wanted to know about Siberia" He swallowed, "Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where"

"Why would he need to know that?"

"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier"

Bucky sensed a change in the demeanor of the two. Sam had tensed, looking immediately at Steve. The man in question had drawn his eyebrows together. The two of them, then turned to look at him, hoping he would explain further.

"Who were they?" Steve leaned against a wall. This was all getting too complicated, and he just never seemed to catch a break. 

"Their most elite death squad" Bucky grunted as Sam helped his arm out of the vice. "More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before the serum."

"They all turn out like you?" Sam spoke up. 

"Worse"

"The doctor, could he control them?" Steve crossed his arms. 

"Enough" 

"Said he wanted to see an empire fall" Steve looked at Sam, conveying what the doctor had said before he left. 

"With these guys he could do it. They speak 30 languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize, They can take a whole country down in one night. You'd never see them coming." Bucky hung his head. Steve couldn't even imagine what he had been through, what he had seen. And now if he was telling the truth, with the doctor controlling them, no one was safe. 

Sam walked over to Steve, leaning in a bit, clearly showing that he wanted to have a private conversation. Bucky didn't mind, he was more preoccupied with his thoughts, "This would have been a lot easier a week ago."

"If we call Tony..."

"No, he won't believe us." Sam reminded him. 

"Even if he did . . ." Steve trailed off. 

"Who knows if the Accords would let him help." Sam completed. 

"We're on our own" 

"Maybe not. I know a guy" Sam shrugged. 

"It still won't be enough" Bucky shook his head, he knew the other soldiers, knew what they were capable of. "This isn't saving the world from aliens and egotistical gods. We need skill, power, but also as many people as you can find"

"Natasha—" Steve started to say, but he already knew she wouldn't be a help. 

"Or someone like her" Bucky looked up. He had of course promised his friend that they would reunite sometime, what better time than now? Bucky missed him so much, he'd been looking for an excuse to reunite anyway.

"What do you mean? S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded two years ago, no one-"

"Before S.H.I.E.L.D" Bucky interrupted Sam, "I- I meant someone from her past.. sort of"

"Do you trust them?"

"With my life" Bucky answered honestly, "I trust Oliver with my life"

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