Red, White & Blue | Bucky x Reader

Chapter Sixteen

I'm paralyzed as the footage begins to play, forgetting why I'm here and losing myself to the memories of that day.

The car crashes into the post as the motorcycle whips past, quickly turning around and stopping behind the car. I stagger from the driver's seat as the rider dismounts, and I raise my pistol, firing multiple rounds as the masked Winter Soldier approaches, deflecting the bullets with his metal arm.

My gun clicks empty, and I toss it aside as I charge at him, punching and kicking at the masked man. I manage to hit him in the face, knocking his mask askew, but before the mask can fall, the Soldier lands a clean punch to my temple and pulls out his gun, shooting me in the shoulder. I stumble back from the impact, falling out of sight of the camera.

I glance up at Bucky, finding him with his head hung low, stealing glimpses of me from behind his hair. When I finally catch his eye, I give him a small smile and a slight nod, I don't blame him for the things HYDRA made him do.

The Soldier pulls his mask away, revealing his face, and he turns back to the car, dragging Howard Stark from the backseat and pulling his head up by the hair.

"Sergeant Barnes?" Howard asks, glancing up at the assailant as confusion forms on his bloodies face.

"Howard!" Maria cries weakly from inside the car.

Tony tears his eyes away from the monitor long enough to glare at Bucky, realizing what's about to happen. Bucky takes a shallow breath, glancing between me and Steve, and I suddenly understand why he never mentioned that he killed the Starks. He's afraid we'll hate him.

Without any recognition in his eyes, the Winter Soldier punches Howard hard in the face, letting him slump forward, dead.

"Howard!" Maria yells.

Tony closes his eyes for a moment, grieving as the truth about his parents' deaths unfolds.

The Winter Soldier drags Howard's limp body to the car, pushing him into the driver's seat and laying his head against the steering wheel, portraying the scene as a car accident.

The Soldier then walks around to the other side of the car, pulling open the back door. Expressionless, he strangles Maria before moving her body to the front seat as well.

Finally, the Winter Soldier walks toward the surveillance camera, and we see his face clearly as he raises his gun, the screen going black as he fires.

Steve and I watch as Tony processes the footage he just witnessed. Angrily, Tony lunges for Bucky, and I step between them as Bucky takes a step back, raising his rifle in defense. Thankfully, Steve grabs Tony's arm before he can do anything else.

"No, Tony," Steve says softly, trying to draw his attention away from us. "Tony."

"Did you know?" Tony asks as he turns to Steve, consumed by grief.

"I didn't know it was him," Steve replies.

"Don't bullshit me, Rogers!" Tony seethes. "Did you know?"

"Yes," Steve admits.

Tony shakes Steve's hand from his arm and takes a step back, his chin jutting outward as he turns to me. "And you. All these years, you knew and never said anything."