The burning friendship

672 Reads | Published almost 5 years ago

"Bucky, remember who you are."



Whispers Captain America, the sentinel of liberty. Behind him there lies a massive Hydra super computer, ready to signal the massive gunship to cleanse mankind of those they perceive "weak". In front of him, his friend James Barnes, twisted, tampered, changed.



"You are my mission."



Yells, a fake, manufactured bravado coming from behind the mask. Even his fighting spirit was manipulated . This wasn't Bucky at all.



"I've already stopped the machine Bucky. Your mission is over. It's your friend, Steve. Steve Rogers. Remember? The kid from the Brooklyn?"



Captain America tried to calm down the man who calls himself the Winter Soldier. A puppet for Hydra, the Russians, anyone who can pay their handlers really, this so called soldier had a terrible bionic arm and he was drugged and controlled. A weapon ready to be pointed towards a goal. This made the Captain despair, as much as his tone and words were soothing. Because under the augmentations and the mind control it was his childhood friend. He couldn't lift a finger to stop him, even if he wanted. Even if mankind was at stake, James Barnes was part of him.



And this is why the Captain threw his mighty shield to the side. And waited for the Winter Soldier to charge him. The captain made a fist, he tried hitting the Soldier on his side as he jumped towards him, and even if he landed his attack true there wasn't enough force to stop his foe. He eats a knockout cyber punch to his face, the pain inside meets the paint outside. Flames lit up from the explosives planted by his soldiers. The Gunship was crashing down as the battle continued.



The Captain collapses to the floor from the force of the blow.

The Winter Soldier quickly follows, punching him with his cybernetic arm. Over and over again. An unnatural rage flowing through his aggression.



"My name is not 'Bucky'! You are my mission! You are my mission!"



Suddenly, one of his punches land right next to the Captain's side, making a huge dent to the gunship.



"You are my mission... Steve..."



His memory was gone. Erased.

His name was taken from him. He wasn't treated as a human anymore, more like an attack dog really.

His life didn't exist anymore. Only the mission.



Then why punching that man moved him so much? Why each cold, calculated Haymaker he landed over the Captain he felt like jumping out of that gunship?



That moment of hesitation and the Gunship main computer failure made the two fall down the hole the Soldier himself punched.



The two friends, now enemies, fall down the air. The Winter Soldier - No, Bucky - grabs the Captain mid air. He shields his body once the two hit the water. And he swims to the shore, with the fainted Captain on his back.



He leaves Steve at that beach.

The Winter Soldier walks, aimless.

He had nothing but a feeling. A feeling so powerful, not even the terrible machines of the Russians or Hydra could take from him.



A new life has opened to him. No more mind control. No more drugs. He was free once again. That friendship burned all the dark, terrible things done to him. Bucky was finally free to choose his own path again, even if he wasn't the same person as before.