A New Era- The Winding Path II

The Metal Armed Assassin

I did reach the rooftop just as I saw the assassin jump off the roof. I sprinted and jumped off as well. I saw him turn down an alleyway and I pulled out my gun as I ran. I turned down the alleyway and didn't see anyone.

I put my gun in front of me and I slowly entered, looking around cautiously. All of a sudden I hear some scuffling of feet, but before I could turn around, someone grabbed me from behind and started to choke me.

I grabbed the assailant's arm, but to my utter and complete shock, I didn't feel the usual skin, but metal! I looked down and saw that the person had a metal arm.

I felt my assailant's face and felt a rubber-like mask, and I also noticed as I was blacking out that he had long hair.

The last thing I saw before blacking out was the man's eyes as he dropped to the ground. There was black stuff around his eyes, and when I saw his eyes for just that split second, they looked dark and evil, yet there was extreme sorrow in them as well. Then everything went black.

15 minutes later....

I jolt awake and find myself in a hospital gown with an IV in my arm. My head was throbbing horribly and as I lightly touched my head, everything came back to me.

I remembered Fury being shot and chasing after the shooter. I remembered being in the alleyway being choked out. I ripped the IV out of my arm, jumped out of the bed, and ran to the nure's station.

A nurse looked alarmed and ran up to me, "Ma'am, you need to get back into your room.".

"I need to know where a man named Nicholas J. Fury is.", I demanded.

The nurse looked confused but answered, "He's in surgery, bu-".

"Where?", I demanded.

The nurse pointed to some doors on my right, and before she could stop me from entering, I burst through the door and saw Steve, Natasha, and Maria all watching some surgeons work on Fury.

I rushed over to the glass and I watched in horror is Fury flatlines, "Fury, don't die. Please.", I begged.

"Don't do this to me, Nick.", Natasha sounded so broken that I grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly. She squeezed back as we hear a doctor yells, "Defibrillator! I want you to charge him at one hundred.".

The doctor orders, "Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear!", and Fury is given another chock. "Pulse?".

A male nurse replies, "No pulse.".

"No pulse.", another doctor says.

"Okay. 200, please. Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear!", and I watch as there is no pulse on the monitor as Fury is given another shock. "Give me epinephrine! Pulse?".

"Negative.". I gasp and squeeze Nat's hand even tighter. Nat whispers brokenly, "Don't do this to me, Nick. don't do this to me.". We watch as the three doctors continue to try to revive Fury but he is still flatlining.

I watch in tears as the doctor asks, "What's the time?", and I knew that it was over, there was no hope. Fury was gone.

"1:03, Doctor.", a female nurse replies.

"Time of death. 1:03 a.m.", the doctor says solemnly.

I hang my head at those words with tears streaming down my cheeks. I watch as they fall onto the white tile floor in little droplets. I looked up to see the nurse cover Fury's face with a sheet and all of a sudden I started hyperventilating.

I stumbled out of the room with Steve not far behind, with extreme grief and concern etched in his face. "Melissa? Are you okay?".

Is he serious right now? My friend was just shot to death in cold blood by some unknown assassin. Yeah, I'm just great. Just great. "I don't know, am I?", I asked rhetorically.

Steve nodded solemnly and enveloped me in a tight hug. I felt safe and comforted with Steve's arms wrapped around me tightly. I let the tears fall quietly down my cheeks and I looked up at Steve's face.

He had a grim expression and he was looking at the wall, obviously in deep thought. "Do you know who did this?", I asked and I drew in a shaky breath.

"No, but I know who does.", Steve answered and we both looked at a crying Natasha.

Here comes the character's pov that everyone's been waiting for!

The Winter Soldier's pov or Bucky's pov. Whichever one you choose.

I can't get the image of the woman that choked, out of my head. I was told to kill her if I had the chance and that was my chance, but I couldn't bring myself to do that.

I remember her face as I dropped her limp body to the concrete and before I kicked her head to knock her out, I remember looking into her crystal blue eyes and being entranced.

And after I kicked her in the head and she went unconscious, I looked at her face. She was very beautiful even though her hair was messed up and there was already bruising from my arm around her neck and face, she looked peaceful.

There was a child-like innocence about her, which I didn't understand. Her face looked like an angel's if angels even exist. But how would I know?

My brain is wiped after every couple of missions or sometimes even after a single mission. Even if they wipe my brain, the memories of all the people that I've killed always come back to haunt me.

I've been told that I'm saving humanity, but do I really have to kill people to achieve that goal?

But I've learned to never question my handlers. My current handler is Alexander Pierce and he is actually eviler than all of my previous handlers.

And why is he eviler? Because all of my other ones didn't act like they were good. But Pierce is like a double agent. He acts like he is such a good guy but in reality, he's a ruthless killer. He may not be the one to pull the trigger, but he is the one who gives the order.

Now back to the woman. I knew that I would be tortured since I didn't kill her, but I'm willing to endure torture if it means that I don't kill this woman.

I studied her more and I realized that she possessed something that I hungered for. Peace. Innocence. Purity. None of which I possess. What is it that makes this woman this way? I guess I'll never know.

Is anybody else like "YES!" Bucky finally made his appearance?

I am! And here's my catchphrase-

Vote!

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And spread the word!

~Grace