Winter's Redemption [winter soldier//Bucky Barnes AU]

Chapter Thirteen

BUCKY'S POV

I snuck a glance at Sarah before I headed into the fight, still confused as to why she gave a damn about me. Her face was laced with worry and her eyebrows were knotted together as I headed towards the city.

I wondered why she was worried- it's not like I've done anything to warrant her trust, besides maybe stitch her up so she didn't die from blood loss. It was probably just because she needed someone to keep her hidden. It's not like she liked me as a person- I'm a monster, and everyone knows it. 

I shook my head, breaking her stare and continuing forward. I thought about scouting out the situation before jumping headfirst into it, but there was really no point. I was already feared by thousands.

So I just walked straight into the city. People screamed and sprinted from me. They've probably seen the footage of me fighting before- or they were there to see it in person. They ran in different directions, sheltering their children.

I wish they knew I didn't want to hurt them. That it wasn't my fault. That I didn't want to do any of it.

But they wouldn't care anyway.

So I just looked straight forward, and pretended I was the hero. They were just running from my enemy.

I took my gun and pointed it at the first assailants I saw, Hydra logos prominent on each of their jackets. They were firing at something I couldn't see, but no matter who they were fighting, I knew the person on the other end didn't deserve it. There was no question whose side I was on- and this time, it wasn't Hydra's.

I opened fire, aiming for their arms so they couldn't shoot. I got a good ten of them before they even noticed me. Once their gaze shifted to mine, some of them hesitated, perhaps because they aren't used to fighting against me. I used their hesitation to my advantage, shooting their arms and hands in their second of pause and making them drop their guns. The remaining agents shook themselves from whatever daze they were otherwise occupied in, beginning to fire back in retaliation. I dove between two cars.

The Hydra agents were torn between shooting at me and shooting at someone in front of them. I decided to get a closer look at their other targets, my curiosity getting the better of me as I wondered whether or not they were friends. I maneuvered my way between cars to get a better look, dodging a few poorly aimed bullets. More and more Hydra agents fell, and I sprinted out from behind the car, shooting like a mad man to catch them by surprise.

When I looked to my right, I froze in my tracks and nearly got shot. I stared. It was him.

Steve.

He was shooting at Hydra, but he saw me. His eyes locked on mine for a few seconds between shots.

"Bucky!" He called out in surprise. His voice sounded just as how I remembered it and just the simple familiarity of it made my heart constrict.

 I looked between Hydra and Steve, and continued to dodge bullets as I thought about the precarious situation I was in- caught between two sides, nether of which I fit into. One side I fought to stay away from; the other, I craved to be a part of. A million conflicting emotions were running through my head and I struggled to sort them out.

He called out to me again, bringing me back to him. My head snapped up and I promptly decided to run to his side. Something in my gut was telling me that that's where I was supposed to be- and I followed that feeling now. I counted to three and stood up from my spot behind a car, sprinting as fast as I could before joining him behind another car. My back slammed against the metal, heart beating fast, and I turned to face him. He seemed at a loss for words.