Save Me || Bucky Barnes

33

"In 1972, I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain." Zola explained. Bucky's eyes widened in shock, as did Steve's and Natasha's. None of them realized before that such an accomplishment was possible.

"How did you get here?" Bucky demanded.

"Invited." he replied simply.

"It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic values." Natasha explained, turning to face the confused men.

"They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own." Zola spoke mysteriously. Steve and Bucky shared a glance before Steve spoke up.

"HYDRA died with the Red Skull." he stated.

"Cut off one head, two more shall takes it's place." Zola spoke, reminding the pair of HYDRA's catchphrase from the 1940s.

"Prove it." Bucky challenged the computer.

"Accessing archive." 

As images of Johann Schmidt and the original SHIELD founders flashed across the screen, Zola began to explain what he knew.

"HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed." As he finished talking, another shiver ran up each one of the trio's spines.

"That's impossible. SHIELD would have stopped you." Natasha pointed out.

"Accidents will happen." If Zola had actually been standing in front of them and not as a computer screen, Bucky imagined the man shrugging nonchalantly. Then, he imagined jamming a right hook to Zola's jaw. 

The next images pulled Bucky out of his thoughts and sent another shiver up his spine. Pictures of Howard and Maria Stark's deaths flashed across the screen, followed by Nick Fury's recent death.

"HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum." the computer continued to taunt. Steve, fed up with Zola's actions, suddenly raised his fist and let it fly towards the computer screen. The glass shattered with startling ease.

"As I was saying...what's on this file?" Zola continued like nothing had happened, his computer animated face jumping to a different screen.

"Project Insight requires insight. So, I wrote an algorithm." Zola continued to speak, as if he was proud of himself for what he had done.

"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?" Natasha demanded, cautiously taking a step closer to the screen.

"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it." Zola spoke, putting emphasis on the word 'dead'. Bucky whipped his head around to survey the room and noticed something alarming.

"Steve, the doors are closing!" he shouted a warning. Steve whipped around and threw his shield at the closing elevator doors. Although, it didn't have much of an impact. The doors shut just before the shield stop it, causing the shield to bounce off the doors and back to Steve's waiting hand.

"Guys, I got a bogey. Short-range ballistic. Thirty seconds, tops." Natasha warned as she looked at her phone.

"Who fired it?" Steve asked.

"SHIELD." Natasha replied, her eyes hard. 

"Dammit." Bucky spat as his fist collided with the nearest computer screen. He was at a loss for how to get out of this situation. With each passing second, it looked more and more like the three of them would die in the brain of an arrogant Swiss man. The very same man his Charlotte had died trying to capture.

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain." the computer spoke. Natasha quickly pulled the flash drive out of the port before she ran over to join the two men.

"Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us...out of time." the voice taunted once again before it went silent. The three of them quickly scanned the room, trying to find some way to get out of this alive. Then, Steve spotted what could be the best solution. It also could be what gets them all killed, but his idea was better than just standing out in the open.

Steve quickly managed to pull off the metal covering of a hole in the ground before the other two rushed over to huddle inside. Just before the bogey collided with the building, he made sure the three of them would fit under his shield as he raised it above their heads. It was just in time too.

Dirt, debris, and rubble rained down on the three as the building collapsed. When it was safe, Steve raised his shield and worked with Bucky to move the rubble around so they could get out as quickly and safely as possible. They were all covered in dust and had several scratches, but they all considered themselves lucky to still be alive.

"Let's go, back to the truck." Steve ordered quietly before the three of them rushed through the debris back to the stolen truck. It was just in time too, because as soon as the trio pulled away from the building at full speed, Rumlow and several other STRIKE agents arrived at the scene.

They moved quickly among the rubble and broken computer parts, searching for their targets and hoping that they finally got them this time. After scouring the grounds, no one found anything. Rumlow huffed in annoyance before he pulled out his phone and held it up to his ear, ready to give his next set of instructions. 

"Call in the asset."