Winter Baron

Chapter Eighteen

Sam kept his eyes fixed on Bucky. He could hear Zemo's heavy breathing, and groans of pain. He also heard the labored breathing, and moans of the mad man who was inflicting that pain. Eventually Zemo's sounds became soft grunts, and gasps. Soon they stopped all together. He had no energy to produce any sort of noise any longer.
That was when Sam decided to look. Please don't be dead. He thought as he studied Zemo's glazed eyes. Tears still fell steadily. Curt had pulled himself up a bit more. He was no longer holding Zemo's down aside from his hands flat against Zemo's back. Zemo's cheek laid against the cold, hard concrete. He could see Sam, but his vision was tunneling.
Don't... don't watch... he thought. He was only glad that Bucky's eyes were closed. He couldn't handle Bucky seeing this. Stop... please stop. He felt another tear fall. Sam's heart broke. Zemo's body shifted up, and down with the force Curt was using. Sam then looked at Curt, his hips moving at a steady pace, mouth agape, panting like a dog. It was when Curt spoke the final word, and he heard Bucky respond in Russian. That saved Sam from that horrible sight. He looked up at Bucky. He hadn't heard that accent in years.
"Buck?" The room grew silent besides Curt's moans, and the physical sounds of what he was doing to Zemo.
"Buck?" Sam repeated just as Curt let out a long low sound. He'd finished. Zemo winced as he felt Curt flooding him with unwanted fluids. It was hot, and it stung horribly. It's over. Zemo closed his eyes feeling a bit of relief. James. His eyes opened slowly. He was struggling to stay awake, but he needed to see Bucky.
"Hey?" Sam was terrified. Had he just lost his best friend. Buck fight! You have to fight! Curt pulled his piece out of Zemo's body. Zemo winced again. He could feel the blood coming from his arm, and shoulder, but now he felt fluid escaping from behind.
"J-James..." his voice was a whimpered whisper. Bucky turned to face Sam. His face was different. Eyes dark, and void of emotion. His entire face was blank. Curt stood up, and zipped up his pants, and buckled his belt.
"Soldier." His voice held power.
"Your new target is Captain America!" The men lowered their guns, and stepped back. Sam stood up.
"Bucky?" He searched his friends' eyes.
"Bucky you gotta fight it!" He said preparing to defend himself. Without a word Bucky threw a punch with his vibranium fist. Sam lifted the shield, and it took the blow. Sam had his feet planted, but the force still seemed to knock him back. He didn't fall. He only stumbled. He wasn't a super soldier, but he was familiar with Bucky's, no, the winter soldier's punches.
"Buck fight!" Sam shouted again. His wings unfolded. His suit was a bit damaged, but he was sure he could use it to dodge any attacks. Curt smirked as he watched them dance around each other. The winter soldier charged Sam, and threw another punch. This time the tips of Sam's wings slammed down into the concrete to brace himself. Feet planted, he lifted the shield. This time the blow was completely absorbed. Sam was unmoved, and able to counter with the shield, smacking his friend across the face with it, and sending the soldier onto the ground.
"Bucky, it's me! It's Sam!" He said as the winter soldier stood up. Sam flew into the air as best as his suit could in its current state. The soldier was fast, and grabbed his leg.
"Shit!" Sam was pulled down like a kite on a string. He hit the ground hard. Curt laughed, and clapped his hands.
"Very good! Very good!" He praised his pet. There was a glint of anger in Bucky's eyes, and Sam knew something was going on that he couldn't see.
"Bucky!" He whispered.
"What is going on?" Is this the plan? Are you just playing the role? Sam was struggling to tell if this was his friend before him, or a soldier who's mind had been trapped in hydra's web. Sam stood up. Bucky had grabbed him quite hard, and he wasn't sure if his leg was broken, or not. He winced, and it hurt.
"Kill him!" Curt ordered. Sam lifted the shield.
"I can do this all day, Buck." He said without realizing the significance of those words. The soldier's eyes widened. I'm James Bucky Barnes! I am no longer the winter soldier, this is just an act. He thought to himself in order to keep calm. The dance continued as Bucky rushed Sam again. Sam used his wings to jump higher, and farther from Bucky.
Just let me catch you. Bucky thought. I'm just pretending. The cat, and mouse game finally came to an end, when Bucky was finally close enough, and dropped down onto a crouch, he swung his leg, and swiped Sam off of his feet. It was then Bucky. Grabbed the Captain by his throat, and lifted him into the air. His grip wasn't as tight as Sam had anticipated. Bucky? He looked into his friend's eyes.
"Wonderful." Curt clapped again as he approached them. He stopped at Bucky's right side.
"It's over, Captain." Curt was caught completely off guard. Bucky dropped Sam, and grabbed Curt's neck in his right hand.
"Boss!" The men began to fire. Sam used his wings, and Shield to avoid being shot. Once again the entire building was fighting. Sam was holding his own against Curt's men, but Bucky's rage had completely taken over him. He threw Curt to the ground, and straddled him, keeping him restrained. First he landed a blow to the man's face with his right hand, then his left. The vibranium breaks Curt's nose on impact.
Blood oozed from the cut across the bridge, and out of the nostrils. Bucky continued. Curt sustained black eyes, broken cheekbones, and lost several teeth as Bucky lost himself in hate, and anger. Zemo's eyes opened slowly, he saw Bucky hunched over on the ground. He saw each punch. James. He could see the rage in Bucky's eyes, and his clenched teeth. Bucky couldn't get the sounds out of his head, Zemo's crying, and calling his name. I couldn't protect him. Tears rolled off of Bucky's cheeks. They fell onto Curt's face. Curt began to laugh with each strike. Bucky paused.
"This is it. This is what I want from my soldiers. This is just the way you killed Howard Stark. Pure brutality."
"No." Bucky replied. Curt's smile faded.
"No?"
"No. This isn't like that at all. I had no choice. I killed someone who'd been my friend, because I was gone, but I wasn't, not completely. I hated every second, and I will never forget it, or how it felt! He recognized me too, but I didn't understand why, and when I asked, they took my mind away from me! A human being! They did it as easily as a parent taking a toy from a disobedient child!" Bucky shouted.
"How could someone do something like that to another person, and act as if it's nothing?" He shook his head.
"What makes this different is that I want to kill you!" Bucky shouted. Backup finally arrived, not in the form of police, but military. Every window was broken, and men in uniform stormed the warehouse. Soon helicopters were heard above.
"It's over!" Bucky said, and lifted his left arm. He is going to end this man, but before he could he felt a sudden sharp pain in his back, and chest. The larger man had pounced on Bucky once given the opportunity, and plunged a knife into Bucky's back. Bucky groaned, and Curt scurried out from under him. The larger man ran to Curt's side, and helped him up. Smoke, and kicked up dirt began to fill the air, and visibility became poor. Bucky watched the silhouettes escaping. He reached out.
"No..."
"Buck!" He heard Sam's voice calling to him. He looked over his shoulder.
"Shit." Sam winced when he saw the blade.
"I-I can't reach." Bucky groaned.
"I've got it." Sam nodded, and grabbed the knife.
"You sure. The medics are here, maybe you should wait."
"No, just pull it. It'll be fine." He gasped for air.
"Buck I'm not a doctor, and I don't think I should just pull it, your lungs could've been hit, and I don't want you to suffocate. You're not immortal."
"No, but I'll be fine." Bucky insisted.
"Fine." Sam said before pulling as hard as he could to remove the stuck knife in one go. Bucky yelled loudly, and Sam tossed it to the floor.
"Ah!" Bucky gasped, and clutched at his chest with his right hand.
"Fuck!" His breathing was heavy.
"That hurt."
"You know what else hurts?" Sam groaned.
"My ankle! Why'd you grab me so hard?"
"I'll explain later." Bucky said as he stood up. He was wobbly for a moment before running over to Zemo. Sam followed. Bucky dropped to his knees, and pulled Zemo into his lap, cradling Zemo's head in his arm.
"Zemo?" He gently stroked hair out of the Baron's face.
"It's me, it's James." His voice shook. Sam stood beside Bucky. His face softened with sorrow.
"James?" Zemo's face contorted, and he began to cry.
"Oh, james!"
"Yeah, it's me." Bucky placed his right hand gently on Zemo's cheek.
"I'm here." Bucky's eyes teared up.
"I've got you." It was all over now. Curt's men had all been either killed, or arrested. The medics rushed around. Zemo was carefully lifted onto a stretcher, and loaded into an ambulance. Bucky, and Sam were taken to the hospital as well.
Zemo was rushed in. Bucky watched them wheel him away. All calling orders to each other. Bucky continued to say he was fine, and to help the other first. Luckily Sam's leg wasn't broken. The bone was bruised, and sprained however, but wouldn't take long to heal. Bucky's lung wasn't punctured, but had been grazed. He was quickly stitched up.
He would heal faster than the others, and it didn't hurt much. He wasn't worried. Not about himself at least. He sat down in the waiting area, elbows rested on his knees.
"You had me scared for a second back there you know." Sam said as he approached Bucky.
"Some kind of signal would have been appreciated."
"Sorry..." Bucky looked down, brow furrowed.
"Why did you have to grab me so hard though? You almost broke my leg." Sam shook his head.
"Sorry." Bucky sighed this time.
"It's okay, I guess it had to look believable." Sam shrugged.
"And you did believe it." Bucky replied.
"Huh?"
"You thought I was gone."
"I'm sorry." Sam looked down. He felt bad now.
"It's okay... I thought I was too." Bucky looked up at him with a bit of fear. Sam met his gaze.
"Buck?"
"I don't know." He sucked in his lips.
"I don't know what happened. I was there, but at the same time I had to go somewhere else. I had to be him again."
"Hey." Sam sat next to his friend.
"Tell me about it. I'm here."
"It's like I had to travel into the deepest darkest parts of myself, and he was there."
"The winter soldier?"
"Yes. As if he was a separate person. A different me, but at the same time he is me. It doesn't make sense." Bucky shook his head.
"The way our mind works sometimes doesn't make sense, Buck. In Madripoor, how did you do it?"
"I don't know. I just thought about everything I'd been through, how I was treated, and I just went from there. I knew how I had to act back then, so I just did that." He shrugged.
"This time was different, I couldn't just  pretend to be the winter soldier. I had to really become him again, and for a second I think I did. It was like he was driving, and I was asleep, but I woke up, and took control of the wheel again."
"Bruce used analogies like that about the Hulk." Sam nodded.
"I think I get what you're saying though."
"The winter soldier... he didn't want control, or even to be bothered, I only made a deal that he would come back and help me, then I'd leave him alone. He agreed."
"But then you had a hard time coming back?" Sam asked with concern. Bucky nodded.
"I'm not doing that again." He hunched over.
"I shouldn't have at all. I should've just." His hands balled up.
"I didn't know what to do at all!"
"Bucky?"
"I know what you're going to say. It's not my fault, but why couldn't I do anything?"
"Because you're good, and you didn't want anyone to get hurt."
"No." Bucky shook his head.
"I wanted them to be hurt."
"Well after... after what happened, I'm sure you did, and I don't blame you."
"No before that. They threatened your family, hurt Cass. They were going to shoot you, and... what that man did." Bucky shook his head.
"I've never wanted to hurt, or kill anyone so badly. I hate them, hydra, curt. When I got to him, I couldn't stop. I'm pissed he got away, and I'm so angry!" Bucky raised his voice again.
"Buck calm down." Sam worried Bucky would take this out on the hospital's walls if they were careful.
"I know." Bucky said, now squeezing his hands together.
"I just... I should have done something, anything. I could have stopped that." He bit his lower lip, and his eyes squeezed shut, before opening in tears.
"Why couldn't I stop him?"
"I'm asking myself the same question, Buck." Sam sighed.
                                         ~
Eventually Zemo was in stable condition. Bucky was allowed to enter the room. Zemo was asleep of course. Bucky took a seat beside the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. Sam went home to check on his family.
  Bucky assured him he would call once Zemo woke up. Bucky healed faster than the others, so he was impatient, but that was mostly due to his worry.  Zemo slept through the night, and all the next day. He slept the next night as well. Bucky called Mrs. Jones asked her if she could check on Alpine a couple more days for him.
He called Raynor. She was already aware of the situation. Zemo wouldn't be in any trouble, and his appointment would be rescheduled when he was well enough. The third day Zemo was still asleep.
"Is he going to wake up right?" Bucket asked Zemo's nurse.
"He will just give him time. This isn't uncommon." She reassured him. Bucky nodded. He was worried, but he was happy that Zemo would sleep for most of his recovery. The week went by slowly. Zemo was in, and out of consciousness. Finally Zemo's eyes slowly opened, and they stayed open. He looked at Bucky who was sitting beside his bed, eyes fixed on his phone.
"James?" He mumbled softly. Bucky put his phone down, and smiled.
"Hey." He spoke softly, and gently. Zemo began to recall the events. He gasped.
"Cass!" He tried to jump up, but Bucky stopped him carefully.
"He's okay. Everyone is okay." He smiled. A moment of silence followed.
"Actually they will want to know that you're awake." Bucky was about to pull his phone back out of his pocket when Zemo grabbed his arm.
"James, wait." He begged Bucky with his eyes. Bucky nodded.
"Can... Can we talk privately first?"