I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 58

Rachel stands as she looks around the room, seeing agents rushing to fix whatever the issue is. Steve looks at Sharon expectantly. "Sub-level five, east wing" she states and the three run out of the room. "Rach-" Steve starts as they run down a staircase. "Don't start Steve. I'm coming" she states and Steve groans. "You're so stubborn" he mutters. "Yeah but you love me for it" Rachel replies with a grin and Steve smiles over at her.

The three of them reach Bucky's cell to find multiple men unconscious on the ground. Steve walks through the room with caution, Rachel behind him and Sam following. "Help me. Help" Zemo pleads in pain and Steve marches towards him. "Get up" he orders but Zemo doesn't move. He lifts him off the floor and shoves him against the wall. "Who are you? What do you want?" Steve questions him and he grins in response. "To see an empire fall" he answers before Bucky attacks Sam.

Sam is knocked unconscious and Rachel quickly kicks Bucky as hard as she can. When Bucky goes to punch her she raises her wrists and Bucky punches the centre of her handcuffs. He then kicks her abdomen while her arms are in front of her face and she's sent to the floor, winded. Steve quickly jumps in front of Bucky to draw his attention away from Rachel and Sam. Steve and Bucky fight through the hallway and to the lift. Bucky punches Steve and he's sent through the closed door and down the shaft, landing on the roof of the lift with a thud.

Rachel regains her breath as Sam regains consciousness and she shares a look with him before looking over to see Zemo leaving. "Hey" Sam calls to him and he runs off. Sam and Rachel get to their feet and run after him. Rachel stops to look down at Steve worriedly while Sam continues after Zemo. "Steve" she calls and he groans. "I'm ok" he assures her as he stands. "Be careful" she calls before chasing after Sam and Zemo.

They follow Zemo up a staircase and into the crowd of people evacuating the building. They run outside and search for him as best they can but find Zemo's jacket on the ground and sigh in frustration. "Damn it" Sam mutters. Meanwhile, Steve has made his way to the roof to stop Bucky and finds him taking off in the helicopter. He jumps up and grabs the helicopter, trying to stop it from taking off. He holds on to the helipad and pulls the helicopter back down before Bucky flies the helicopter into the helipad. Steve quickly jumps out of the way and merely avoids the tail propeller.

Bucky grabs Steve by the throat and holds onto him tight as the helicopter tips over the edge of the helipad and down to the river below. They're both knocked unconscious when they hit the water but Steve quickly regains consciousness and gets Bucky out of the helicopter before swimming to the surface.

Sam and Rachel meet Steve with an unconscious Bucky at a nearby warehouse that's empty. They lock Bucky's arm in a metal device before waiting for him to wake up. Rachel checks on Steve when she sees him covered in dirt and dust but he assures her he's fine. Just as she's nodding the handcuffs beep and she feels a rush of her energy dissipate. She becomes lightheaded and reaches for Steve as she loses her balance. Steve quickly wraps an arm around her waist and takes her extended hand with his other arm. "Rachel" he says in concern as he practically holds her up. Rachel holds tightly onto Steve as she takes deep breaths and blinks a few times. She manages to stand and the lightheaded feeling subsides but she's extremely tired. "I'm ok. They've just turned the intensity up" she pants. He guides her to sit against the wall in the room they've got Bucky in.

"We've gotta get those off" he states as he takes hold of them. He tries to pull them apart but it doesn't work. He tries from a different angle but they still don't move. "Steve, it's ok. We'll find a way to get them off. We have bigger problems right now" she assures him and he's about to disagree when the sound of a chopper can be heard. They all look to the ceiling, knowing it's close so Steve stands. "Stay here" he tells her and she nods with a smile before he runs out to see where the chopper is.

"Hey Cap" Sam calls when Bucky starts to wake up. Steve jogs over from where he was watching the chopper circling above them. Steve and Sam stand in front of Bucky while Rachel remains seated against the wall and Bucky groans and starts to come around.

"Steve" Bucky says as he sits up straight. "Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asks. "Your mom's name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes" Bucky chuckles and Rachel smiles at the thought. "Can't read that in a museum" Steve states with a happy and relieved smile, knowing his best friend is back. "Just like that we're supposed to be cool?" Sam questions sceptically. "What did I do?" Bucky asks knowingly. "Enough" Steve answers, avoiding giving him details. "Oh God. I knew this would happen. Everything Hydra put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words" Bucky states. "Who was he?" Steve asks. "I don't know" Bucky answers honestly.

"People are dead. The bombing, the setup... the doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know'" Steve tells Bucky seriously. "He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where" Bucky explains with realisation. "Why would he need to know that?" Steve asks. "Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier" Bucky answers. "Who were they?" Steve asks as he leans against the wall beside Rachel with his arms crossed over his chest. "They're most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in Hydra history. And that was before the serum" Bucky answers. "They all turn out like you?" Sam asks. "Worse" Bucky states.

"The doctor, could he control them?" Steve questions. "Enough" Bucky answers. "He said he wanted to see an empire fall" Bucky tells Sam and Rachel. "With these guys he could do it. They speak 30 languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilise. They can take a whole country down in one night, you'd never see them coming" Bucky explains and Sam makes his way over to Steve.

"This would've been a lot easier a week ago" Sam states. "If we call Tony-" Sam suggests. "No, he won't believe us" Sam interrupts. "Even if he did" Steve continues. "Who knows if the Accords would let him help" Sam replies and Steve nods. "We're on our own" Steve states and glances down at Rachel who's watching them. "Maybe not. I know a guy" Sam states and Steve and Rachel frown in confusion.