When several of the Avengers venture into the Netherworld to rescue Thor and Lumen's sons, Bucky stays behind and maintains surveillance at Avengers HQ. But his quiet vigil is interrupted by a message. The sender is Yelena Belova- Natasha Romanov's younger sister and fellow graduate of the Red Room. Nikolai Baranov- the only male student of the Red Room- is a fugitive on the run after committing a series of assassinations. Suspicious that Nikolai is under the influence of the same mind-altering compound she and Natasha contended with some years ago, Yelena implores Bucky to help find Nikolai, liberate his mind, and clear his name. But they aren't the only people searching for Nikolai. The Winter Guard- Russia's very own government-sanctioned team- is hunting him as well. But their intentions are very different- they have orders to kill him without hesitation. Further complicating the situation is the chance of sparking an international incident should the involvement of an Avenger be uncovered. Right at home in covert operations, Bucky accepts the offer as just another routine mission. But when he crosses paths with the deadly assassin, his need to free the young man from the prison of his mind becomes personal. Because, if anyone understands the agony of being controlled, it's Bucky.
16 parts