My Star Spangled Hero

Chapter 21

What's the hardest thing you've ever had to do? Was it putting down a beloved pet? Or perhaps ending a relationship with someone you wanted to spend your forever with? No matter how many times we are faced with a hard decision, humans panic. It's in our nature. But what if the one persons life that you valued more then your own relied on you not panicking? What then....

This was by far the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I remember it as if it was yesterday. I saw him, bleeding and on deaths door. His best friend pinning him down. I saw him fall...and I saw him sink. It was either him or the world who lost...and honestly, that day I lost both.

~3rd Person~

The goal was in sight. All he had to do was insert the final chip and it was over. Steve sighed in relief. Suddenly the one person he didn't want to see moved in front of him, blocking his way.

"People are going to die Buck, I can't let that happen" Steve warned. Silence. Either he didn't want to answer or he couldn't. Steve sighed, he didn't want to fight but he had a strong feeling it was going to come to that. "Please don't make me do this" Steve begged Bucky. The figure stood still, staring at him coldly. Steve gritted his teeth and drew his arm back and threw his shield at his best friend.

Bucky raised his metal arm and blocked the shield, sending it falling to the ground, useless. Steve ran forward and grabbed his shield with only one thing in his mind. 'I don't have a choice. Sorry Buck' he thought over and over again. Bucky pulled out a gun and aimed it at his face. BANG BANG BANG. The shield deflected each of the bullets as it had done for Peggy. Steve kept advancing, blocking each shot that could end his life. Steve pushed his shield against Bucky but he moved the gun.

Pain. That's all Steve felt next. The next bullet grazed his side. He winced but didn't let his guard down. He pushed Bucky with all his might, sending him flying back and hitting the rack of chips. As Bucky got up, Steve saw him reach into his belt. In the sunlight Steve could see a glint of silver. Bucky had a knife.

Steve's eyes flicked worriedly from Bucky to the blade he brandished in his hand and raised his shield. Bucky's face was set as he launched himself forward, ready to kill. Steve braced himself for an attack that came as quick as lightning. Bucky grunted with each kick, punch and stab but it wasn't good enough. Steve dodged each attack, one stab later sparks were flying. While Bucky paused momentarily to catch his breath, Steve quickly lowered the rack of chips. Things just got ten times more serious.

While his back was turned Bucky ran...Steve only turned in time to weakly deflect the blow. One thing was for curtain, Sam was right. Whoever Bucky was...he needed to be stopped. Steve quickly pushed Bucky away from him and snatched the chip from it's slot. Bucky could see he was loosing. He was starting to get desperate. He quickly grabbed the knife and prepared to stab Steve in the stomach or at least to distract him from placing the S.H.I.E.L.D chip in place. Steve raised his shield and narrowly avoided the blade. Bucky withdrew his attack and saw his enemy draw a delicate chip from his suit. Bucky ran and tackled him over the side of the rail.

Both men fell and landed on a light grey structure of the air craft. Steve moaned in pain as he felt the blow, his shield slipping and falling away from him, landing on the glass panel down bellow. The chip slipped from his grasp and slid to the edge of the structure both Steve and Bucky had landed on. This was it, skill against still. No weapons, no hiding. Bucky ran at him once again. He wasn't going to let this....Captain America beat him. Steve's fist was already balled, all he needed was a close range. Steve jumped up and the fight was on. Punch after punch, blocked. Kick after kick, deflected.

Occasionally one man would grunt in pain as he let his guard down but that was it. Bucky was just counting down the punches. One. Two. Three. He grabbed Steve's arm and threw him over his shoulder. The winded man slid down the slope uncontrollably. It made Bucky's blood boil when he saw Steve snatch the chip from the ground. Bucky ran to the man and the fight was on once again, only this time it was very one sided. Within a couple of seconds, Steve was helpless. So he did the only thing logical. He jumped.