Steve stared up at Cara hopeful, full of love for her, hoping his feelings would help jar hers and bring her out of Hydra's control. Cara stared back at him, softening, thinking, trying to remember, staring deeply into his eyes. Then, of course, as he expected, his earpiece started lighting up.
"I'm sorry, what did he just say??" Tony came over coms hurriedly.
"Um, I think he was cutting in and out." Sam interjected.
"He just said he loves her, he talked about meaningful memories! How long has this been a thing and how did I not know??" Tony continued, with battle sounds in the background.
"No definitely didn't hear any of that, we're just trying to break the control over here." Bucky said.
"The Captain definitely said that he is in love with Agent Barton. Are your earpieces not functioning properly?" Thor chimed in, clangs of his hammer muffled in the background.
"Wait, Cap's in love with Cara??" Bruce chimed in.
Bucky gave Steve a dirty look but Steve didn't notice, he was watching Cara, every feature of her beautiful face, her gorgeous blue eyes, big full lips and the way she seemed to be softening. He wanted to throw himself at her, to feel those big full lips pressed against his, feel her in his arms again. He also noticed the cut on her cheek from his shield, her eye already bruising as well. But it hadn't been her, this may still not be her, but he needed to try.
"Okay, how many of you knew? There's no way so few of you are not shocked by this. I gasped." Tony chimed in again.
There was silence over coms again.
"How many of you!" Tony urged.
"I knew/Same/I knew first" Bucky, Sam, and Natasha all admitted respectively.
"I did not know." Thor said.
"Well thanks for sharing with the rest of us. Let's maybe be thankful Clint's out for this one, this has been distracting enough, we still have jobs to do." Tony said.
"Actually I heard the whole thing." Clint said weakly.
Bucky Looked at Steve panicked again, this time Steve looked at him briefly concerned before he turned back to Cara again. This time he noticed she was silently crying. He let go of her hands slowly, carefully. Bucky raised his rifle slightly, not fully trusting she was out of it yet.
"Well shit that's going to be an awkward ride home." Tony said
"I already knew. I found out last week." Clint added, groaning.
"Guys Clint needs medical attention bad, we need to finish this up, if you can't get her out of this, knock her out and bring her back we can deal with her back at the tower." Nat said.
"Just getting ready to blow this popsicle stand. Hey Cap, you guys have 10 minutes to get shit figured out and get out of there." Sam said
Cara gently placed her hand on Steve's cheek.
"Steve?" Cara said shakily.
Steve exhaled deeply with relief putting his hand over top of hers, eyes welling with tears of relief. Steve brought his other hand up to her cheek as she leaned down toward him. Steve leaned up meeting her halfway as their lips met. The feel of her lips on his was euphoric, a warmth spreading into his cheeks, relief coming over him as she forced her tongue against his. The relief was short lived however. With a loud bang from Bucky's rifle, followed by a wet thwack, Cara fell off of Steve. Rolling back clutching her ribs, the clang of a knife hitting the floor rang in Steve's ears. He quickly got to his feet retrieving his shield, heart sinking as he did. She wasn't her. She hadn't remembered. She had pretended, drawn him in, and was going to stab him if not kill him. Steve's head whirled to Bucky.
"You shot her?!?"
"Did you want me to let her stab you??"
"Well I didn't want you to shoot her! Jesus Bucky!"
A slow clapping caught both of their attention. Steve raised his shield, standing defensively in front of Bucky. Bucky stood behind him rifle raised, looking down his scope at the man entering the room while also keeping an eye on Cara. She had her hand pressed firmly against her side, blood very slowly beginning to drip from her fingers. Soon Strucker stood before them, slightly in front of and next to Cara as he addressed them.
"Incredible, isn't she?" Strucker said proudly.
"Yeah she was incredible before you decided to turn her into a science experiment." Steve shot back.
"You of all people, Captain, should understand I've simply enhanced what was already there. She is a born killer, a true artist. And the way she truly had you believing she loves you just before the strike." Strucker continued.
"I'm sure all the scrambling you did to her brain had nothing to do with it." Bucky shot back.
Strucker chuckled lightly to himself eyeing them.
"This is true, she does listen to whoever her handler is, without question. Let me show you just how obedient she can be. Арчер убери руку."
Cara removed her hand from her wound obediently, not a single emotion on her face as blood began to pour down her side. Becoming uneasy Steve shifted his sight from Cara to Strucker rapidly until he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Okay we get it!"
"Достаточно."
Cara replaced her hand on her wound, still not showing any expression on her face. Strucker smiled at them still and Steve could feel his anger boiling. He was not okay with him messing with Cara like she was a toy, or what he had done to her for that matter.
"I'd recommend you stop using my girlfriend like a toy, before you regret it." Steve threatened.
"Ah, yes, young love... she resisted the mind control so much at first because of you. It caused her a great deal of pain you know, its very painful the more you resist. You remember, don't you Winter Soldier?"
"That's not who I am anymore." Bucky said quickly.
"Aren't you?"
Strucker looked at Cara, and without a word she began speaking very clearly.
"тоска"
Bucky's one eye twitched, and Steve became nervous. He Couldn't lose them both, they were here to save her, not lose another one of them.
"ржавый"
Bucky tensed and Steve sprang into action. He threw his shield again, Cara knocking it away with ease.
"семнадцать"
Bucky groaned, his stance weakening slightly. Continuing forward, Steve went after Strucker, grabbing hold of him. Strucker broke his grip and they fought while Bucky and Cara were at a stand off.
"рассвет"
Bucky cried out, shooting at Cara but missing each shot. Cara never even flinched. With the distraction, Strucker headbutted Steve, knocking him back away from him. Strucker walked forward and grabbed Steve, punching him hard across the face as Steve blocked the second punch.
"печь"
Bucky went to charge her but shaking and rumbling stopped his advance as well as Cara's words. Distant explosions started to happen, Tony and Sam had succeeded in setting charges to bring the place to the ground. Strucker laughed at him.
"You can destroy this facility but you will never take down Hydra. When you cut off one head-"
"Two more take its place. Yeah I know, I've heard it all before." Steve said.
Strucker laughed again. You cannot stop my greatest creation, my dark archer. Hydra will always come for her. Hail Hydra."
Steve suddenly furrowed his brows, a closer explosion causing Strucker to become distracted again. With the distraction, Steve kicked Strucker sending him flying to the ground. He raced over to Bucky who looked slightly disoriented, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Buck! I need you to keep Strucker busy, I have an idea, I can save her. On my signal, get her out of here."
Bucky nodded, racing over to face off with Strucker. Steve approached Cara who was kneeling on the ground as he approached her. Without warning he grabbed her forcefully and pulled her into a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, pressing himself against her. Steve pulled away slightly, pressing his forehead to hers.
"I love you more than anything in this world Cara Barton. Even if you can't remember me, can't remember our love, just know, it was real and its true and its pure. You're everything to me, and you will always be my great love." Steve said.
He pulled her in again kissing her pressing himself fully against her, making sure she could feel his love. There was another clang of a knife hitting the floor, as another close explosion went off Cara brought her arms up to wrap around him tightly, kissing him back passionately. Steve could feel her, feel her true love being fully given back to him. When she pulled away there was a single tear running down her cheek, and the sparkle was back in her eye.
"You were my favorite part of Paris, and every day since. I love you too Steve, with all of my heart. You are my greatest love and always will be, I'm so sorry, I, I think, I think I hurt people we love."
Several more approaching explosions went off and Steve kissed her forehead firmly before kissing her one more time passionately. When he pulled away, he hooked something through her belt, tears in his eyes, he stepped back.
"I love you Cara, please forgive me."
Before she could figure out what he meant by that, Steve turned toward Bucky, the room now on fire, coming down around them.
"BUCKY, NOW!"
Bucky immediately sprinted toward Cara as Steve sprinted toward Strucker. Cara watched as Steve battled Strucker as the room began to explode and collapse around them. She tried running toward him but Bucky hit her like a train, grabbing hold of her. As they ran he clipped himself to her, grabbing the hook gun they were now attached to. Cara tried to struggle away from him but he had a firm grip on her with his metal arm, watching Steve, growing further from her as she cried out for him. Bucky scooped up Steve's shield just before diving out of the window. The last thing Cara saw was Steve and Strucker, fighting with all their might as they were engulfed in flames and explosions.
As they fell, Cara could feel her heart break. The mountainside exploding massively above them. Cara hoped they'd hit the ground and that she'd never have to wake up again. But the quinjet quickly appeared above them and Bucky fired the grappling gun, whose wire they were attached to. The tears began streaming as they zipped up and into the jet. No sooner had they landed on the floor of the jet, Bucky dropped the shield, unhooking them and pulled her into him as she let out bone chilling wails. Tears streamed down her face, her heart felt like it had stopped, shattering into millions of unfixable pieces, and her sobs could not be soothed as Bucky held her tightly, his tears landing softly on her shoulder. Not a single one of them said a word the rest of the flight, only Cara's wailing filled the air. Each one of them silently crying on their own, feeling Cara's pain through her sobbing, as well as for their loss. The entire time, Cara never looked away from the battle worn shield, laying coldly on the floor of the jet.
She wished Bucky had left her there or had let her fall.