I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 54

Rachel approaches Steve and Sharon with Sam after they talked about Peggy. "Steve, there's something you gotta see" Sam says with a concerned expression that Rachel shares. Sharon takes them to her hotel room to watch the news report about a bomb hidden a news van killed multiple civilians in Vienna, including King T'Chaka during the ratification of the Accords. "Officials have released a video of their suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous Hydra agent linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations" the reporter states and reveals a photo of Bucky.

Everyone rushes to Vienna and Steve, Rachel and Sam find some hats to keep their faces hidden. Steve and Rachel walk onto the street to see first responders rushing around. Rachel notices Nat sat on a bench and sighs in relief. "Oh thank god. There's Nat" Rachel states, pointing at her. Steve pulls out his phone and calls Nat's cell. "Yeah" she answers the call. "You alright?" he asks her. "Uh yeah, thanks. I got lucky" she answers. "I know how much Barnes means to you, I really do. Stay home, you'll only make this worse for all of us. Please" she adds pleadingly. "Are you saying you'll arrest me?" Steve questions. "No. Someone will, if you interfere. That's how it works now" Nat answers quickly. "If he's this far gone Nat, I should be the one to bring him in" Steve argues. "Why?" Nat asks. "Because I'm the one least likely to die trying" Steve answers before hanging up.

Steve and Rachel enter the restaurant where Sam sits at the bar eating some food. "She tell you to stay out of it?" he assumes and takes Steve's silence as an answer. "She might have a point" he adds. "He'd do it for me" Steve states in defence. "1945 maybe. I just wanna make sure we consider all our options. The people who shoot at you, usually wind up shooting at me" Sam explains before Sharon approaches the bar.

"Tips have been pouring in since the footage went public. Everyone thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym. Most of it's noise, except for this" she explains before sliding a file to Steve. "My boss expects a briefing pretty much now, so that's all the head start you're gonna get" she concludes. "Thank you" Steve answers. "You're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight" she informs them before leaving. Steve scans the file before leaving with Rachel and Sam following, insisting on helping him.

Steve and Rachel enter Bucky's apartment, after Rachel convinced Steve that she can help. Her powers are strong and she can help protect Bucky from the authorities or protect them from Bucky. He reluctantly agreed before entering the building with her while Sam flew to a rooftop. Steve opens a notebook to see a photo of him as Captain America inside. "Heads up, German Special Forces approaching from the south" Sam informs them. "Understood" Steve replies before turning around and seeing Bucky standing behind him.

"Do you know me?" he asks Bucky while Rachel stays alert. "You're Steve, I read about you in a museum" Bucky answers. "They've set the perimeter" Sam informs them again. "I know you're nervous and you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying" Steve replies as he places the book on the counter. "I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore" Bucky states. "They're entering the building" Sam states, his voice becoming more frantic. "Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they aren't planning on taking you alive" Steve tells Bucky while Rachel glances out the window. "That's smart. Good strategy" Bucky replies before footsteps can be heard. "They're on the roof, I'm compromised" Sam states. "This doesn't have to end in a fight Buck" Steve argues. "It always ends in a fight" Bucky states while removing his glove. "5 seconds" Sam warns. "You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve questions hurriedly. "I don't know" Bucky answers. "Yes you do" Steve replies while Sam continues to warn them. "Breach, breach, breach!" Sam yells.

A bomb is thrown through the window and Rachel quickly uses her powers to throw it back outside before it explodes. Another is thrown through another window and Bucky kicks it to Steve who covers it with his shield, containing the explosion. The Germans start trying to break the door down so Bucky throws the table towards it and jams the door shut. Men swing through the windows and Bucky starts fighting one while Steve pulls the rug out from underneath the other. Another man enters through the door and Steve grabs his gun before Bucky kicks him back out the door. "Buck, stop! You're gonna kill someone!" Steve yells, grabbing Bucky. Bucky pushes Steve to the floor while Rachel fights another man who enters the room. "I'm not gonna kill anyone" Bucky states before punching through the floor board beside Steve's head and pulls out a bag and throws it out the window.

More men enter the room and Steve quickly stands to shield Bucky from the bullets. Bucky pushes Steve towards one of the men and through the window, onto the balcony. Rachel steps in front of Bucky when another man aims his gun at Bucky. She raises a barrier of her energy to protect them both from the bullets while walking towards him. Once she's close enough, she grabs the man's gun and kicks him. Before she can do anything else, Bucky throws a chunk of cement at him and he's knocked unconscious.

Bucky rushes out of the apartment, attacking the men that were outside his door while Rachel follows behind him. Rachel protects Bucky while making sure that none of the men are killed by Bucky. When a man crashes through the roof window Bucky raises him arm to shield himself from the gunfire while Rachel attacks a man advancing towards Bucky. She watches Bucky when she has a second to spare and sees him glance around the area, looking for a way out. She realises that this is about to get a lot messier.