Project 43

Are you going to stay?

"Yesterday classified Shield files were uploaded online in what we now know to be an overtaking of the intelligence service. From the files, we can say that Shield has been for some time working against the American and worldwide public..." The news channel had been left on for hours by then as Elias dived deeper into the files on his computer. He had bought an old one from a fleamarket a couple of months earlier and now he was using it to comb through Shield files to find anything on himself.

After scanning through a few of the files Elias could safely say that what the Americans called Shield was just Hydra working under a new name, whether they knew it or not was irrelevant. What it meant for Elias was that many of his files might have been uploaded along with everything else. Those files could contain his identity, his tests, and his current state and he didn't want to even imagine what someone like his brother would do if he found out.

Elias scanned the lines frantically searching for his name, Project 43. It was the name given to him by the scientist that created him. It was like a product name for the weapon they invented.

After hours on end, Elias couldn't find his Hydra files. Instead, he came across the name Shield had given him, 'Target 2'. Shield had kept track of Elias' missions or at least the ones they thought to be his. Of course, there were many wrong and the files contained only a small fraction of the mission Elias truly went on but still, it was impressive. Elias recognized many of the missions to have actually been carried out by the Winter Solider but he didn't take offence to being mistaken for the man.

For seventy years, Elias was constantly reminded of how he was the second best. The Winter Solider would always be a better weapon, the thing they took off the shelf when things got real. The scientists who 'created' Elias worked endlessly to make him as good as Winter and got angry when it didn't work. He was punished for not being as good, for not being receptive enough to the tests, and for the serums not working. Every day he was beaten because he wasn't as good as they wanted him to be, as good as the Winter Soldier.

Very rarely did the two work together but when they did, the aftermath was never pretty. In hindsight, Elias felt sorry for the man. He had been in that same position but Elias had been allowed to keep his memories from the time he was with Hydra. The Winter Soldier was seemingly wiped after every mission.

After reading all the files, Elias could only pray that his original Hydra files weren't compromised. If someone found out about him, God forbid his brother, Elias wouldn't know what to do. 

"I'm headed to Europe tonight. Wanted to ask if you'd come," Fury asked Steve. The two accompanied by Sam Wilson stood in front of Director Fury's grave none of them truly knowing what would come next. Shield was gone and a big part of Hydra went with it but still some remained.

"There's something I got to do first," Steve answered deep in thought. He knew Bucky was alive. His best friend, his family, was out there and Steve needed to find him.

"You should be honored. That's about as close as he gets to saying thank you," Natasha remarked. Steve and Sam turned to see the redhead walking over to them.

"Not going with him," Steve asked walking up to Natasha.

"No," she simply said shaking her head.

"Not staying here," Steve asked as a follow up already knowing the answer.

"Nah," Natasha said sounding almost bitter.

"I blew all my covers. I got to go figure out a new one," she continued with a small smile on her lips.