Winter

8.

I woke up to an ACTUAL hostage situation. Steve tried to wake me up, when he checked that I had accidentally reopened my head wound during the night, he let me sleep in. This was a slower heal because I whenever I scrunch my face or move my forehead, the wound opens again.

I woke up to a pretty quiet house, I went to the bathroom, finding only a thin red line on my forehead. I threw the old bandage away, brushing my hair and bangs to cover it. The whole house was suddenly filled with voices,  the sounds of struggling and fighting, and eventually a punch. I rushed from the bathroom. My brother had kidnapped Agent Sitwell.

" Steven." I said, " Why didn't you take me to help with this? What if someone spotted you?"

" Exactly." Steve said, " What if someone saw you. Specifically a Russian Assasin who HYDRA currently has assigned to kill you."

I looked at Sitwell, his mouth was taped. " You always annoyed me. You were a nightmare to work with..."

" Is now the time for that?" Sam said.

" Right. What now?"

" We go to the Triskellion, break in and give him back when he's given us enough information."

Sitwell looked so violently annoyed, just glaring at us. I nodded, " Well, what are we waiting for?"

***

Sam was gracious enough to let us take his car. I sat up front, my brother and Nat in the backseat next to Sitwell. I was tapping on my shield nervously. " I figured a gal like you wouldn't be anxious anymore." Sam said.

" It never goes away. Not after the war we fought." I shrugged, " It got worse after New York. The serum makes everything so intense. Emotions included."

" I read about you." Sam smiled, " You were nuts, at least that's what they said. Stubborn, offensive while Steve had your back. I saw you both fighting in New York on TV, it's amazing."

" We've lost everyone," Steve sighed, " She's the other half of me, I'm the same to her. The whole things, with twins being in sync. It's accurate. I can't read her mind, but we can just tell when one needs the other."

" That's some freaky shit." Sam teased, " Are you like the twins from The Shining?"

" Maybe." Steve and I said at the same time.

Our laughter was cut short by the sound of a window shattering. My heart stopped when I saw the metal arm reach through the window, throwing Sitwell from the vehicle like a rag doll. " Stop the car!" I screamed.

Sam slammed the breaks, the car behind us hitting us. We swerved into the guardrail. I unbuckled my seatbelt, but I froze when I saw the Winter Solider, standing up in the middle of the highway. " Get out!" Steve yelled, " Marilyn, get out!"

I kicked the door out, putting my shield up at he shot at me. Move, Marilyn, move. I ran across the highway, jumping off the highway bridge, landing on top of a car. The windshield smashed under me, but I didn't have time to worry. Gunshots barely missed me before I ran under the bridge. My heart was pounding, all I heard was the loud booming in my ears. My shield would have bent under my grip if not for its material. You've gotta get out of here, Marilyn, come on.

I heard fighting above me, and I saw Nat drop down. She put her hand up, telling me to stop. I saw his shadow, but he could see us. Natasha began firing, quickly pulling me along to safety.

We ducked behind a car, " You need to run. Run far away."

" Not without you, Sam and Steve." I said.

" Marilyn, he's going to kill you without hesitating. You can hold out until the ammo is gone, but after that it'll be slow and it'll be painful. You need to go."

I felt like crying. I haven't been scared in a long time. " You and Steve need to be right behind me. Promise me."

" I promise. Go."

I began running, screaming at civilians to run away, to seek cover. I rolled out of the way as a masked figure swung his gun at me. Not him.

I was on my back, but I kicked up into his stomach, swinging around like Nat taught me, catching his neck with my foot.

" It's nothing personal, Lynny."

Rumlow. I hated him. " Oh, it's 100% personal for me." I snapped.

He was a good fighter, but he was useless without backup. I dodged every swing, bringing my knee into his jaw, then slamming him into the ground. I ripped his mask off, he was grinning. " Shouldn't have stopped for me."

I was suddenly off the ground, and I was thrown full force into a truck. The Winter Solider had caught up. I prayed Natasha, Sam and Steve were alive. I didn't know what to do, so I started talking. " You don't have to do any of this."

" Shut up." He said bitterly in Russian.

I caught his punch with my shield, elbowing his knee. I headbutted him, getting out of the way quickly. " I've never done a thing to you. What they tell you about me is wrong."

" I don't care. I'll enjoy this, they told me to make it slow."

" You're working for dictators. You're just a pawn to them."

" You talk too fucking much."

He spoke in English. That voice...

Freezing was a mistake. He punched me in the side of the head, and I went down like a rock. I heard him unsheath his knife, but a loud impact came after.  " Go! Go right now!"

My brother had tackled him, leaving a large crack in the concrete. " Yeah right!" I said.

My shield flew into his chest, Steve having time to bring his own up into his chin. That made him angry. The Winter Solider grabbed Steve's shield, throwing it so hard, it sank into the concrete. He knew my brother would die before he touched me, so he started slashing his knife at him. Steve dodged into, getting a few punches in.  But the Winter Solider ripped his shield from the ground, bashing Steve over the head with it. My brother crumpled like an aluminum can. " Steve, no!"

I tried to tackle him, but I was small, just like I was compared to Steve. I still drove him into the ground, but it was a mild inconvenience at best. He picked me up by my throat, almost savoring at the sight of me struggling. But I remembered a trick my Bucky taught me when I was in high school. If any nasty dude wants to touch me, gouge his eyes out.

I grabbed his face, almost pushing my fingers into his eyes, but he was quick to grab my wrist, I felt it shatter like glass. My fingers caught his mask, and I took it with me as he threw me back.

I swore, I almost vomited on the spot. He was worn down. He wasn't himself at all. His face was in a scowl, pure hatred in his eyes. But they were still the same blue they used to be. " Bucky?" My voice cracked with tears

" Who the hell is Bucky?"