A Daring Rescue

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Memories are a strange thing. You can go to a place and think you'll never ever forget it, no matter what happens, but when you finally return it seems like another planet. A place so different from how you remember it that you wonder if it's even the same place at all. This was how Bucky felt as he stepped out of Stark's helicarrier into the chilly morning Krakow air.

The cloaking technology that Tony had managed to encrypt into the carrier meant that the team had managed to land on the outskirts of the HYDRA campus undetected, and Bucky could easily make out the giant building through the thick fog with his enhanced eyesight. He had been here before, for a long time, but it seemed different somehow. This was the building where Pine had given him the instruction to kidnap Erin, the building where she had been locked up and tortured for five days. The building where he had stood by and watched.

He'd expected to feel something deep inside when he caught a glimpse of it again, but he was surprisingly devoid of emotion as his heavy strides took him closer and closer to the place where he had sworn he would never return. The only thing filling his mind was Erin. Was she still alive? Was she alright? What had they done to her? He couldn't help clench his fist slightly at the thought. There had been blood on the linoleum kitchen floor in Erin's flat, the splatter pattern had looked like a gunshot wound. That wasn't something he wanted to think about.

"Okay, so here's the plan." Tony's voice broke through Bucky's internal monologue. He felt a warm hand on his elbow and he stopped walking and turned around. Steve let go of his arm and turned to look at Tony.

"Capsicle and the big guy are gonna take security," He said, tapping Banner on the chest with the back of his armoured hand. Bucky knew better than to question that decision. He was sure now that Bruce Banner, the mild-mannered physicist was, in fact, The Hulk. In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have goaded him so much on the way here, trying to get him annoyed.

"That involves taking out anyone you see in your way," Steve and Bruce nodded, "Banner, try to be at least a little inconspicuous."

Bruce smiled, slightly embarrassed, and nodded.

"Winter?"

"Don't call me that," Bucky snapped, but Tony ignored him and carried on.

"You know this place, you know the layout. Your job is to find Erin and get her back here."

Bucky nodded, happy with that decision. He would be the first person Erin saw, hopefully, he would be able to reassure her, even a little.

"And you?" He asked Tony. The man smiled and flipped up the hood on his Iron Man suit, cloaking his face.

"I'm going to disable the alarms and security cameras." His voice was tinny, metallised by the mask, "This is a quick in and out operation, I don't need anyone getting distracted by anything." He looked pointedly at Bucky for this bit, and despite the mask over his face, Bucky knew the exact expression he would have on.

"What'cha lookin' at me for?"

Tony tilted his head to the side.

"We're going in to get the girl, nothing else. I don't want you going off on a wild goose chase to find that Pine guy."

Bucky took a step back and brought his hand up.

"No, no, no. The terms of this were that I could kill him. After everything that he's done to me, to Erin. I want that man dead." Of course, saving Erin was the priority, the reason he had come here, but if he didn't get to see the light fade out of Pine's cold grey eyes he would go back to America feeling like he'd missed his chance. He was never going to get an opportunity like this again.

Honesty ♧ Bucky BarnesWhere stories live. Discover now