"Steve" you got his attention, both stopping outside of the door, pausing to look at each other before entering carefully.
"Sergeant, three, two, five, five, seven." The man laying on a table mumbles. You both enter, ready for a fight until your eyes lay on a heartbreaking sight.
"Bucky" you gasp looking to the man on the table, bringing a hand to cover your mouth as you choke out a sob. "Oh my god." You stand by as Steve rips him out of the straps, holding him to the table.
"Is that?" Bucky starts, looking up at the buff Steve Rodgers.
"It's me, Steve and y/n" Steve helps your friend to sit up.
"Steve?" he asks "y/n?" he looks to you with a worry on his face.
"Come on" Steve helps him to stand up as you stand in shock, unable to move.
"Y/n" he smiles before gaining his focus.
"I thought you were dead" you scold him with some tears falling, quickly wiping them away to not make a scene.
"I thought he was smaller" he looks to Steve with confusion as you wiped your tears, laughing lightly. Steve looks over to a map on the wall as it also catches your attention. Steve had placed Buckys arm over his shoulder to help him escape.
"Come on!" He dragged Bucky out as you took lead, making sure the path was cleared.
"What happened to you?" Bucky asked, still confused on what he had missed.
"I joined the army" Steve replied with a shrug.
"And she did too?"
"The SSR, but pretty much" you look into the hall.
"Did it hurt?" Bucky questions, now stumbling around the hall on his own.
"A little"
"Is this permanent?"
"So far"
"What happened to your face?" The confused brunette asked you he faced you while Steve peeked around the corner.
"What? Oh just took a punch on the way in here" you shrug.
"Y/n" he looks to you with a softness in his voice.
"Hey, I'm fine, your fine, we are all fine but we won't be for long unless we get out of here" you tell them as you take lead again and Bucky watches after you with a simple smile until Steve nudged him but to reality.
"Stop ogling over her, let's go"
As the three of you made your way to escape the building was rocked with a series of explosions. You had entered the lab which you came through earlier only to find that it was burning down in flames. Looking down into the fire you decided you had to keep moving up. Steve urged you and Bucky up the stairs until you reached the catwalk above the lab.
"Captain America!" Schmidt calls from the other side of the catwalk. "How exciting, I am a great fan of your films" next to him stands the doctor that was at the end of the hall when you found Bucky. "So Dr Erskine managed it after all" Steve and Schmidt walk forward to meet in the middle as the doctor stands back. Bucky slowly moves so that he is protectively in front of you in case things go south. "Not exactly an improvement, but still, impressive" he comments as Steve punches him in the face.
"What is that?" You ask Bucky as you notice a red skin under his eye where Steve had punched him.
"You've got no idea" Steve said as the other man fell back.
"Haven't I?" He stood up and punched the shield as Steve had used it to block the punch. The super soldier froze when the realization hit him that he wasn't the only one, when his eyes laid on the dent in his shield. Your friend had moved to grab his gun but was punched again this time in the face as he fell down and dropped the gun into the flames.
"Steve!" You shout trying to move to help him as Bucky held you back, arms wrapped around your waist. Steve kicked Schmidt back as he jumped up but before he could fight anymore, Zola had pulled a lever, separating the catwalk.
"No matter what lies Erskine told you, you see, I was his greatest success" Schmidt pulls off the mask to reveal his red face. You gasp at the sight as Steve is now next to you again.
"You don't have one of those, do you?" Bucky asks again.
"You are deluted Captain, you pretend to be a simple soldier but in reality you are just afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly, without fear!" He moves to escape while giving his speech.
"Then how come you are running?" Steve shouts across but without an answer the door closes behind them, leaving you trapped in the burning factory. Another explosion crashes as you all stumble. You crashed into Bucky's back but he caught you carefully before you could fall down.
"You alright?" He asked, holding onto your shoulders and looking intently into your eyes. You just nodded as Steve looked around, finding a way out.
"Come on! Let's go! Up!" Steve instructs making you both go up the stairs before him. You reach the top to find a metal bean going across and leading to a door.
"Steve" you start in a warning tone.
"It's the only way" he cuts you off. With an sigh you nod, agreeing with his plan.
"Let's go, one at a time" Steve instructs helping Bucky over the railing. You watch intensely as the man you had just saved is now walking across a beam as explosions go off underneath him. The beam shakes and starts to loose hold as Bucky slips. You hold your breath until he rushes across and flips himself over the railing on the other side.
"Are you ready?" Steve held out his hand to help you over the railing.
"As I'll ever be" you nod with a shaky breath. Steve helps you to climb onto the beam and you look down before you are about to let go of the railing. "I can't do this" you start to panic, taking deep breaths as you look into the fire, ready to swallow you whole.
"Just look at me, okay?" Bucky called out to you from the other side. You hesitantly raised your head to lock onto his blue eyes. Carefully letting go you slowly walk towards Bucky as he continues to talk to you. "Just pretend you are a knight in shining armour, walking across the bridge, over the moat filled with crocodiles" he starts to tell a story as you continue to focus on him. "And-and your coming to save the princess in the castle on the other side" your foot slips and you look down with sudden panic as you try to balance yourself out again.
"No I can't I-I can't do it" you start to cry again, with more panic than before as you are about to die.
"No no no, don't say that! You are not going to die okay? Not on my watch. You still have a princess to save" he starts again as you look up with a heartbreaking expression. "It's me, I'm the princess, y-you need to save me!" he tells you, voice shaky and cracking at the end. He watches as the beam starts to break off and you start to wobble. "Y/n I need you to save me okay?" He calls across.
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Question of the day: how did you feel about the events in this chapter?