Chapter 1: The new deal
Chapter Text
Washington, DC
Morning
“That’ll be $10.15.”
Bucky silently placed the cash and change on the counter, taking his cup from the barista. She smiled at him politely, but there was no true warmth behind it. There never was.
Bucky turned around, about to head out of the Café when someone bumped into him. Bucky looked down, seeing it was a boy, about six or so, with blond hair and blue eyes. He reminded Bucky painfully of Steve.
“Sorry, Mister,” the boy said, picking up a red ball he had dropped.
“Don’t worry about it, kid. You know, you really shouldn’t have that in here,” Bucky pointed out. “You could break something.”
The boy looked like he was considering Bucky’s words when suddenly, two people, obviously the boy’s parents walked over. Without saying a word, the mother grabbed the boy’s hand and began hauling him off. The father lingered only a moment longer to give Bucky a dark look. The message was clear: don’t ever talk to my son again.
As the family of three walked off, the boy turned around, waving slightly with his hand that didn’t have his ball in it.
Once they walked out of the café, Bucky sighed tiredly.
A few minutes later, the family of three was walking across the streets. As they reached the other side, the boy dropped his ball, which rolled out onto the street. Unnoticed by his parents, the boy turned and ran after his ball. But, as he reached his ball and picked it up, a red Camaro came speeding down the street. The driver saw the boy but was going down too fast to stop.
“Kyle!” the mother shouted as saw the oncoming car headed for her son.
A split second passed between her shout before Bucky raced onto the street, jumping in front of the boy. Using both hands, he grabbed the front of the car, grunting with effort as he pushed the car back. The driver stopped the car as Bucky breathed a sigh of relief.
“Kyle!”
The boy’s parents rushed over, his mother scooping the boy into her arms, pressing kisses all his face. The father wrapped his arms around his wife and son, not even seeming to notice Bucky was there.
Bucky stared at them for a moment before walking around to the driver’s side door. The driver, a man in his twenties, simply stared at the family, obviously shaken and in shock.
“Hey,” Bucky called to him and the man looked at him. “You alright?”
“Y-yeah,” the man stammered, obviously still shaken by what had just happened.
“Slow down. It’s not a race, and you might hurt someone,” Bucky told him.
Bucky turned to leave when a voice called to him.
“Mr. Barnes?”
Bucky turned around to see the father standing behind. Bucky was silent, waiting for him to say something.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry…about earlier,” the father apologized.
Bucky merely nodded his head, turning to walk away when another voice spoke up behind him.
“Mr. Barnes?”
Bucky turned around, seeing two men coming from the other side of the street, walking towards him.
“We need you to come with us.”
At the same time, in a completely different part of the state, Sam was running when he stopped near a patch of grass. Breathing heavily, Sam sat down, leaning against a tree. Looking over at a spot in front of him, Sam was taken back to times passed.
Ten years earlier
Sam was breathing heavily as Steve walked over.
“Need a medic?” Steve asked and Sam barked out a laugh.
“I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran thirteen miles in thirty minutes,” Sam said in exasperation.
“Guess I got a late start,” Steve said and Sam laughed.
“Really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap. Did you just take it? I assume you just took it,” Sam joked.
“What unit were you with?” Steve asked, pointing to the patch on Sam’s shirt.
“58th pararescue, but now I’m working down at the VA. Sam Wilson,” Sam introduced himself as Steve offered him a hand up.
“Steve Rogers,” Steve said as Sam took it and got to his feet.
Now
Sam was still staring at the spot where, a lifetime ago, Steve had introduced himself when two men in suits approached him.
“Sam Wilson?” one of them asked and Sam immediately eyed them, having a sinking feeling.
“Who wants to know?” Sam asked and one of them pulled out a badge.
“Homeland Security. We need you to come with us.”
Homeland Security Headquarters
Late morning
“So, you know what this is about?” Bucky asked as he and Sam stood in a conference room, waiting for whoever had them brought here.
“No, I’m as in the dark as you. But if they’re being as cloak and dagger as this, it can’t be good,” Sam said with a sigh.
At that moment, the door opened and the two looked up, seeing Thaddeus Ross walk into the room, flanked by two men in suits.
“Gentlemen, thank you for coming,” Ross said as the door closed behind him.
“Did we have much of a choice?” Sam asked dryly.
“What is this, Ross?” Bucky demanded as he crossed his arms.
“Quite frankly, gentlemen, your country needs you,” Ross said, surprising them both. “Have you ever heard of the Flag Smashers?”
“Should we have?” Bucky asked and Ross smiled tightly.
“Would have been surprised if you had. Very few people know they exist. They’re an Anti-America terrorist group. They’ve been responsible for several acts of terror over the last few months,” Ross said and Sam and Bucky exchanged a look.
“Why haven’t we heard about them until now?” Sam asked.
“Because they operate in the shadows, they don’t claim credit for their attacks. And it’s very hard to prove they exist. But if you want evidence of their crimes, I have it for you right now,” Ross said, one of the men handing him a file. “Take a look for yourself.”
Ross handed Bucky the file and he warily opened it, Sam looking over his shoulder as they looked through the pictures. The images were…horrific, to say the least.
As they looked through the picture, for a split second, Bucky paused, noticing a symbol graffitied on a wall. It was a hand reaching for what looked like a ball. But, as quickly as it came, Bucky’s reaction was masked. Only Sam had noticed.
“And what does this have to do with us? Sam and I are retired,” Bucky pointed out as he closed the file, tossing it on the table.
“Your country needs, both of you. But if that’s not enough incentive, well, Mr. Barnes, you committed quite a few crimes as the Winter Soldier,” Ross pointed out and Bucky and Sam tensed.
“Bucky was pardoned after the Blip,” Sam protested.
“In America. But he committed many crimes, in many different countries. And I’m sure a fair number of them would be more than happy to have the Winter Soldier pay for his crimes,” Ross pointed out and the two men glared at him.
“Nice to see you haven’t changed,” Sam grumbled.
“It’s fine, Sam. I’ll do it, but leave Sam out of it,” Bucky gave in.
“I’m afraid that’s something I cannot do. Mr. Wilson is needed for this mission. It’s both of you or none of you,” Ross said.
Sam and Bucky exchanged a disgruntled look, realizing they didn’t have much choice. For better or worse, they were going to be working for Ross.
The Captain America theme plays as scenes of Bucky and Sam from previous MCU movies are shown. The Captain America shield then appears followed by the ‘Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ title card.
In a hanger, Bucky and Sam follow after Ross as the two of them are briefed.
“We traced the latest Flag Smasher activity to Mardipoor. There’s a man currently serving time in a prison there, Lemar Hoskins. He claims responsibility for a recent attack and is currently awaiting trial. We have reason to believe he was acting under duress when he made this confession,” Ross explained as they walked.
“From the Flag Smashers or the Mardipoor authorities?” Sam asked.
“That’s for you three to find out,” Ross said and the two stopped.
“I’m sorry, three?” Bucky asked warily and Ross smirked at them.
“Did you really think I’d let the two of you go to a foreign country without any authority? You’ll be joined by one of my best men. And here he is now,” Ross said as a blond man walked over. “Barnes, Wilson, meet John Walker, part of my Counter Terrorism Task Force.”
“Sirs,” Walker, holding out a hand for one of them to take.
Bucky and Sam didn’t react, merely staring at the new arrival. Not out of disrespect, but a bit of shock. For Walker’s resemblance to Steve was uncanny.
After a few moments, Walker dropped his hand, seeming to recognize that they weren’t going to take his hand.
“You three better learn to work together. Because the fate of our country depends on it,” Ross warned them.
Plane, en route to Mardipoor
Later
In the back of the plane, Sam and Bucky sat on one side, Walker on another. It was silent for a long moment.
“You two don’t like me,” Walker broke the silence.
“We don’t trust you. There’s a difference,” Sam told him.
“Don’t take it personally. We don’t trust anyone who works for Ross,” Bucky shrugged.
“I understand that. The Secretary and the Avengers have a history of being on the opposite side of things. But I’m not him. I want to stop the Flag Smashers, I’ve been working on tracking them down for months, this is the first solid lead I’ve had. If you don’t trust me, trust that I want to stop these guys as much as you do,” Walker said passionately and the two eyed him for a moment but said nothing. “I’ll go check on our status.”
Walker got to his feet and walked up towards the cockpit. It was silent for a beat.
“Bucky…earlier, when Ross showed us a file…you looked like you recognized something,” Sam said gently, trying to approach this delicately.
“I didn’t,” Bucky said shortly, his voice telling Sam to leave it.
Sam nodded after a moment. While he felt like he knew Bucky better than anyone else after Steve, Bucky was still very reluctant to open himself up. Sam recognized the signs; he’d seen a lot of guys at the VA who were just like that. But it was another thing to have to deal with it in someone he knew.
“Can I ask you something? On a completely different subject,” Sam clarified and Bucky shrugged.
“Free country. Or at least it’s supposed to be,” Bucky grumbled and Sam chose to ignore that remark.
“Why didn’t you take up the shield when Steve asked you to?” Sam asked and Bucky turned away, silent for a long moment.
“None of your business,” Bucky said, but his words had no bite to them, his mind on events and people long gone.
Six months earlier
Bucky stared down at the shield in his hand, feeling the full weight of it. Its past, its meaning, and what Steve was asking him to do.
“You sure about this, Steve?” Bucky asked uncertainly. “Me, the next Captain America?”
His oldest friend looked up at him, his aged eyes still shinning with that same optimism and hope that Bucky had known almost all of his life.
“I have faith in you, Buck. You need to have faith in yourself. And when you do…I know you will do great,” Steve told him.
Bucky didn’t respond, merely looking down at the shield as though it was about to come alive and eat him.
Madripoor
Night
As they walked through the streets with Walker, Sam and Bucky looked around. The streets looked horrible. Trash littered everywhere; there were homeless people on every other corner. Bucky spotted a couple arguing before the man struck the woman. She went down and Bucky was halfway to walking over there when Walker put a hand on his shoulder.
“You can’t help her. And the mission requires us to keep a low profile,” Walker told him, although he seemed like he wanted to help her as well. “Come on, safe house is just up ahead.”
Bucky growled but, reluctantly, allowed Walker to lead him away. The sooner they got out of this country, the better.
Later, the three of them stood in a safe house, Walker opening up a laptop, which showed the picture of a black man in a military uniform.
“Lemar Hoskins. Former American Special Forces, former Counter Terrorism,” Walker started.
“Wait, if Hoskins is American, how’d he end up in a Madripoor prison?” Sam asked confused.
“Your guess is as good as mine. One minute, he’s on assignment in Singapore. The next, he’s claiming responsibility for a terrorist attack in Madripoor. He won’t talk to anyone about it,” Walker sighed.
“I thought the Flag Smashers were against America. Why a terrorist attack in Mardipoor?” Bucky asked.
“While their main goal seems to be to topple the American government, the Flag Smashers have made attacks against other countries as well. Britain, France, India, and now Madripoor. Hopefully, Lemar can shed some light on why they’ve chosen Madripoor as their latest target,” Walker said hope in his voice.
“You sound like you know him,” Bucky noted.
“I do. We served together before I started working for Secretary Ross. We were good friends. It’s why I’m so certain that the Flag Smashers are involved. I know Lemar, he’s no terrorist,” Walker said certainly.
“I hope you’re right, for your sake. So how do we extract him?” Sam asked.
“We don’t. We try to get him out; Flag Smashers will know and kill him before we even get close. One of us has to go in,” Walker said with a pointed look at Sam.
“No, I’ll do it,” Bucky argued as they realized what Walker’s plan was.
“The metal arm will give you away in a second. I don’t like it much more than you, Barnes, but orders are orders,” Walker said regretfully.
“Bucky, we gotta get that Intel. And I’m sure Walker has an extraction plan in case things go south,” Sam said with a look at Walker, who nodded.
“Yeah. I have a contact on the inside, one of the head guards. He’ll keep an eye on you while you’re in there. You’ll be in and out by morning,” Walker promised.
“Then why don’t you just go in yourself? From what you’ve said, Hoskins is your friend,” Bucky said suspiciously.
“Because if he knows it’s me, Lemar will assume it’s an escape attempt and call the guards. I don’t know what they have on him, but whatever it is, it’s enough to terrify him that he’d rather stay in prison than find out,” Walker explained. “You don’t trust me, believe me, I understand. So let me prove it. I will make sure that Sam gets out of there safely.”
Bucky stared at Walker for a moment before exchanging a look with Sam. They seemed to communicate silently for a few moments before Bucky finally nodded.
“Okay. We’ll do it your way,” Bucky said, hoping he wasn’t going to regret this.
Later that night, Sam, dressed in a prisoner’s uniform, was led in by a guard through the prison halls. As they passed the cells, Sam looked inside, seeing the prisoners looked half-starved and beaten. But it was more than that. It was the way they looked. Like they’d given up all hope and were just ready to die.
Finally, they stopped at a cell on the left. The door was opened and Sam was shoved in. The door closed behind him and Sam looked in the corner, seeing Lemar.
He looked exactly like his picture, except in a prison uniform. He had a couple days’ worth of stubble on his face and like he hadn’t eaten a good meal in that same length of time, but he was still very aware. He hadn’t lost hope yet, unlike the others.
“Hey. I’m Sam,” Sam introduced himself and Lemar shrugged.
“Lemar. You can have the top bunk,” Lemar said, gesturing to the bunk bed in the corner. “I’m already at the bottom.”
Sam nodded, walking over to the bunk and examining it. It seemed sturdy but in poor condition.
“Don’t be too picky. Food looks worse than that bed, Lemar told him.
“So, how’d you end up here?” Sam asked and Lemar smiled tightly.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Outside the prison, sitting in a van, Bucky was keeping watch as Walker lowered a phone.
“Okay, Sam just got dropped off at Lemar’s cell. So now we just wait,” Walker said.
“And hope nothing goes wrong,” Bucky said icily.
“My contact is one of the higher ranking guards. If anything goes wrong, he’ll pull Sam out,” Walker told him and Bucky didn’t respond, clearly still angry about the whole thing. “I’m not the enemy, Barnes.”
“You work for Ross. We may be on the same side right now, but the moment the mission ends, the moment Sam and I are no longer useful to Ross, he will order you to hunt us down one day,” Bucky said and Walker didn’t have a response to that.
Mostly because part of him knew Bucky was probably right.
“Can I ask you something?” Walker asked and Bucky shrugged, which Walker took as a ‘yes’. “What was it like? Working with Captain America back in the day?”
Bucky was silent for a long moment and Walker was certain he wasn’t going to respond. Then, Bucky spoke.
“Weird. It was weird. I’d spent most of our lives having to protect him, now I was following him into battle. It took some getting used to,” Bucky said and Walker chuckled.
“I can imagine. Was he really as…was he really what they say?” Walker asked carefully.
“You mean was he an idealistic and stubborn punk? Yeah. He gave everyone second chances, even those of us who didn’t deserve it. He never turned his back on his friends, even when they did,” Bucky said and it was quiet for a long moment. “You a Cap fan, then?”
“Yeah. I collected all of his comic books as a kid, I even modeled myself after him,” Walker said and Bucky laughed.
“Well, I guess there are worse people you can use as a role model,” Bucky noted. “If people were more like him, we would all be better off.”
“The world needs a Captain America, especially now,” Walker said wistfully and Bucky didn’t respond.
Back inside the prison, Sam and Lemar were sitting down, across from each other. It was silent for a long moment before Sam spoke.
“So, ever hear the name ‘Flag Smashers’?” Sam asked carefully, waiting for Lemar’s reaction.
He wasn’t disappointed. Lemar backed up, looking like he was expecting Sam to get up and beat him.
“I don’t know anything, I swear Sam! Wait, Sam…you’re Falcon,” Lemar said, recognizing him now that he looked at Sam fully.
“Yeah. I’m here on a mission to find any information I can get on the Flag Smashers. Judging by that reaction, you know something,” Sam pointed out.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. If I talk…they’ll hurt my family,” Lemar said, closing his eyes as if in pain.
Sam was silent for a moment, realizing now why Lemar had refused to see Walker.
“I understand that you’re scared, I would be too if someone came after my family. But the only way we can stop them, make sure your family is safe and that they can’t do to anyone what they’re doing to you is if you give me something,” Sam said softly as Lemar hesitated, clearly torn. “No one will know it was you, I promise.”
For several moments, Lemar was silent, warring with himself. Then, finally, he nodded.
“Okay…okay,” Lemar said with a sigh. “I’ll tell you.”
But before Lemar could get a word out, the cell door was suddenly yanked open. A guard walked inside, pulled out a gun and, to Sam’s shock, fired at Lemar. Leman went down to the floor, his eyes staring without seeing, blood pouring from his head.
Not long after, outside, Walker’s phone rang and he answered it.
“Yeah…what?!”
Shortly after, Bucky and Walker were shown to Sam’s cell. Lemar’s body was still there. Walker took one look at Lemar before swallowing thickly, looking like he was trying not to break down. But Bucky’s attention was elsewhere.
“Where’s Sam?” Bucky demanded of the guards, who looked away. “Where is Sam?!”
“I’m afraid we do not know. By the time we found…this, the cell door was open and Mr. Wilson was gone,” one of the guards explained regretfully.
Chapter 2: The Flag Smashers
Summary:
Bucky and Walker attempt to locate Sam as Sam comes face to face with a ghost from the past.
Notes:
Thank you to everyone who has supported this story so far. And without further ado, here is episode 2.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Mardipoor
Night
“Sam didn’t just get up and walk out of his cell without anyone seeing,” Bucky said, trying to keep his tone civil as he talked with Walker, the two of them waiting in an office.
“I agree. Someone is involved, but we can’t just go punching our way to answers. After the Blip, alliances are…fragile. It only takes one wrong move and a war could break out. And you of all people understand the effects that could have,” Walker pointed out.
Bucky grimaced, remembering World War II, the effects it had had on civilians. And, reluctantly, he nodded.
“Yeah, I see your point. This contact of yours, you trust him?” Bucky asked.
“About as much as I trust anyone here. But I believe he wants to take out the Flag Smashers. His brother was caught up in the terrorist attack that we’ve linked to the Flag Smashers. So he has a personal investment in wanting to stop these guys,” Walker explained.
At that moment, the door opened and the guard they were working with walked in.
“If anyone saw Mr. Wilson leave, they’re not talking. However, I do have a lead for you,” the guard said and the two men looked over at him as he pulled out a picture. “One of my guards, Chon Li, was on duty when Mr. Wilson was brought in. Now he’s gone and he never clocked out.”
“You think he’s involved with Sam going missing,” Bucky noted, looking at the picture of an Asian man in a guard uniform as the guard nodded. “Do you have an address?”
Later, Bucky and Walker were heading back towards their van when Bucky saw something out of the corner of his eye. He had just a split second to react. Bucky jumped, tackling Walker out of the way just as bullets came flying at them.
Bucky and Walker took cover behind a wall even as the shooter continued to open fire. The shooting stopped and Bucky and Walker exchanged a look. Silently, the two men agreed.
The shooter had run out of bullets, and now needed to reload. Quickly, Bucky took a look, his eyes searching. He spotted a flash of movement from the left corner, just a few feet out from their van. He pointed it out to Walker with a hand signal, and Walker nodded.
Pulling out a pistol, Walker fired a single shot. There was a cry of pain before they heard a loud thud. Bucky then jumped up and ran; racing to the spot he had seen the shooter. He found an Asian man, shot in the shoulder. Bucky lifted him by his shirt and paused.
“Walker, you’re not gonna believe this,” Bucky called out as Walker approached, seeing the same thing Bucky had.
“Chon Li. What a coincidence, we were just about to head to your house,” Walker said as Li looked at them fearfully.
Elsewhere, Sam came to. Blinking, Sam realized he was in what looked like a torture chamber. There were trays full of surgical tools around the room and he was handing a few feet above the ground, chains hanging from the ceiling that were wrapped around his wrists.
The door opened and Sam looked up, wide eyed as a woman walked in. She walked over to one of the trays; taking off her jacket. She gathered a few items before looking her shoulder at the stunned Sam.
“Hey. Long time,” Sharon Carter greeted calmly.
The Captain America theme plays as scenes of Bucky and Sam from previous MCU movies are shown. The Captain America shield then appears followed by the ‘Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ title card.
Plane
Not long after
Li cried out in pain as Walker dug the bullet out of his shoulder with a knife. They’d taken him back to their plane, tied him up, and were currently trying to give him medical attention.
“There,” Walker said as he pulled out the bullet, setting it on a nearby tray. “Now let’s get you stitched up.”
“Funny, coming from the man who shot me,” Li sneered, his accept heavy.
Bucky, who had been silent up to that point as he watched, waiting, finally spoke up.
“You’re the one that shot at us, Li. The question is why,” Bucky said as Walker stitched him up and Li sneered at him.
“Why help me when you’re only going to torture? I know who you are, Soldier. I know what you are capable of. You will never break me,” Li sneered.
It was silent for a moment as Walker finished stitching up Li. Putting his tools down, Walker and Bucky exchanged a glance. Walker stepped back, allowing Bucky to take over the interrogation.
“I’m not The Winter Soldier anymore,” Bucky began as he walked forward, stopping a foot from Li. “I’m not going to hurt you, you don’t have anything to fear from me. But I bet you’re a lot more afraid of the people you work for than you are of us. I don’t think they’d be too happy if we sent you back to them, after you failed to kill us.”
“You just said you meant me no harm,” Li said, the blood having drained from his face.
“I don’t. I’m not gonna lay a hand on you. But you kidnapped my friend and handed him over to your bosses. And you are standing in the way of finding him. If you won’t help us, you’re as good as holding him hostage yourself. So, what’s it gonna be Li?” Bucky demanded and Li remained silent for a long moment.
“Ok…ok. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Unknown Location
Same time
“Sharon, what are you doing here?” Sam asked in surprised and she smiled tightly.
“I stole your wings. And Steve’s shield, so you could save Barnes from Zemo. But I didn’t have the Avengers to help me. I had to make it on my own,” Sharon said simply, her eyes betraying nothing. “I did what I had to do to survive.”
Before Sam could ask what she meant by that, the door opened. Sharon looked back as a man walked in.
“He talking yet?” the man asked in a gruff voice.
“No. He’s being very…stubborn,” Sharon said after a moment and the man chuckled darkly.
“You’re still new at torture. Let a pro show you show you how it’s done,” the man said, reaching for the one of the surgical tools.
But Sam never took his eyes off Sharon, who likewise met his gaze. She opened her palm to reveal a set of keys as the man grabbed a scalpel.
“Oh God, how’d he get loose!” Sharon suddenly shouted as the man neared Sam.
The man looked back at Sharon and that was his mistake. Sam used the chains to propel him forward and delivered a strong kick to the man’s back. He went flying, landing at Sharon’s feet. Sharon tossed the keys to Sam, who caught them as the other started pulling himself to his feet. But Sharon took a small knife off the tray and stabbed the man in the chest. He went down, clutching his bloodied shirt before the life left his eyes.
Sam was still trying to unlock his chains when the door burst open and two more guards ran in. Sharon threw the knife, which struck one of them in the eye with perfect accuracy. He went down, dead as Sharon rushed the other, tackling him and knocking the radio out of his hands.
They wrestled on the ground for a few moments before the man pinned Sharon the ground and placed his hand around her neck, choking her. Gasping for breath, Sharon tried in a futile effort to escape when, Sam finally escape his chains and jumped, tackling the man off Sharon.
The two men got to their feet and Sam dodged a strike from the guard. Grabbing the guard’s wrist, Sam attempted to throw him to the ground but a punch from the man’s free arm sent him stumbling back. Dodging a kick, Sam retaliated with one of his own, striking the man in the face. Sharon took that moment of distraction to jump on him, wrapping her legs around his neck. The man began to choke when there was a snapping round. Sharon released him, rolling out of the way as the man’s lifeless body fell to the floor.
“Sharon, what’s going on?” Sam asked as she got to her feet.
“No time, follow me,” Sharon said, leading out another door.
Sam grunted in frustration but, reluctantly followed after her. They ran down a few halls made of brick when Sam passed Sharon. Hearing something shut followed by a click, Sam turned around, seeing Sharon had shut a gate, separating them.
“Sharon, what are you doing?” Sam asked shocked.
“No time to explain, catch,” Sharon said, throwing a flash drive at him, which he caught. “Everything you need to know is on that drive.”
“Sharon, you can’t stay here. You just killed three of these guys,” Sam argued.
“You killed them. I tried to stop your escape. I failed,” Sharon told him, giving him a pointed look as they heard voices. “Go, now!”
Sharon then ran back down the corridor they had just run. Sam heard her start shouting at some men and turned, running.
He briefly glanced back down at the flash drive, wondering what was on it, and why Sharon was involved with the Flag Smashers.
Before he could completely escape, two men rounded the corner and pulled out a gun, firing at him. Sam dropped to the ground, rolling out of the way before reaching a corner, jumping up and running. Reaching a door, he pushed it open and ran out into the streets of Mardipoor.
Plane
Not long after
“I was not always like this, you know,” Li said as Bucky and Walker waited for him to talk. “I was once a member of the Chinese Government, and I was highly respected.”’
“So how’d you end up here?” Bucky asked and the man barked out a bitter laugh.
“The same reason as you, the Flag Smashers. My superior in the government worked closely with them, he would do business with them often,” Li explained.
“What kind of business?” Walker asked and Li shrugged.
“Assassinations, drop offs. I wasn’t clued in to most of the dealings. Then, about two years about, my superior was killed and I was framed for his murder. Before my trail, I was approached by the Flag Smashers, who promised they could make sure I never faced consequences. I was told to do whatever the Flag Smasher said or my family would pay the price,” Li explained.
“If you help us, we’ll do whatever we can to get you back to your family,” Bucky offered and Li smiled tightly.
“I believe you, Mr. Barnes. But I can’t take that risk with my family’s lives. So I’m sorry, but no.”
Then was the sound of snapping before Li jumped up, free of his restraints. Bucky and Walker were taken aback only for a moment as Li launched himself at Bucky. Bucky was thrown on his back as Li wrapped his hand around Bucky’s neck, trying to break it. But Bucky sent a strong kick to Li’s abdomen, sending him flying. Li hit the chair back first and it toppled over. Hearing the click of a gun, Li looked up to see Walker aiming a pistol at him.
“Barnes, you all right?” Walker asked as Bucky got back to his feet.
“I’ve had a lot worse,” Bucky said with a glance at Li. “Doesn’t have to be this way, Li. We all want to stop the Flag Smashers. Let us help you.”
“I’ve long since accepted that the Flag Smashers cannot be defeated. The days of people like your friend, Captain America toppling secret organizations are over,” Li said, gripping one of the chair’s legs tightly. “There’s only one end to this for me.”
With a snapping sound, Li broke off the leg, making a stake before jumping up. He attempted to rush Walker and Walker instinctively fired. The bullet struck Li in the head, blood splattering as Li went down to the ground. There was a thud as the stake landed in the floor and it was silent for a long moment as Bucky and Walker stared down at Li’s lifeless body.
Madripoor
Later
Bucky and Walker tossed Li’s body, wrapped in a blanket, into a river near the edge of the island. They watched as it sunk into the water and it was silent.
“It was the only way. Us bringing his dead body to the authorities would raise too many questions,” Walker said after a moment.
“Whatever. Just another mess you’ve gotten us into,” Bucky scoffed and Walker turned to face him.
“What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
“You were the one who sent Sam into the prison. You said he’d be safe, except he wasn’t. Now, you killed the only guy who could tell us where Sam is, and we have no damn idea where he is! And to top it all off, our only lead on the Flag Smashers got a bullet in his head!” Bucky snapped angrily.
“I thought Sam would be safe. And Li came at me with a stake, I didn’t have a choice. You know that,” Walker defended himself.
“All I know is that ever since we got here, everything you’ve suggested has blown up in our faces,” Bucky argued.
Walker opened his mouth to fire back when the air was pierced by the sound of a cell phone ringing. Bucky pulled out his phone, not recognizing the number.
But it didn’t matter. There were only a very small amount of people who had his number, and only one who would be calling him.
“Sam?” Bucky said in answer.
“Never thought I’d be so glad to hear your voice,” Sam said on the other end with a chuckle.
“Where are you? You hurt?” Bucky asked.
“I’m alright, I’m at a pay phone about two minutes from our safe house,” Sam said.
“Walker and I are about a five minute drive from there,” Bucky said as he put the call on speaker. “What happened, Sam?”
“I’ll fill you in when we meet back up. Because you won’t believe what I have to tell you,” Sam said before ending the call.
Safe house
Not long after
Bucky and Walker stared at Sam after he finished his story, both of them trying to process what they had just heard.
“Sharon Carter is working for the Flag Smashers?” Bucky asked, wondering if he was finally going mad.
“I’m not sure. She helped me escape, then gave me this,” Sam said as he pulled out the flash drive. “Said it would explain everything.”
“Can we believe a word she says if she’s working with them?” Walker asked skeptically.
“I guess that depends on what’s on that drive,” Bucky shrugged as Sam plugged into a nearby computer.
Finding a video file on the drive, Sam opened it as Bucky and Walker walked up behind him. The file started playing, revealing Sharon looking at a screen. She looked behind her, as though to make sure no one was watching before turning back to the screen.
“I don’t have a lot of time, so I’m gonna make this fast. After I went on the run, Fury found me. I joined his organization for a while before he sent me undercover with the Flag Smashers to find out how they operated. I’d barely been undercover a month when Thanos happened. I’ve been trapped with the Flag Smashers for the last five years, just trying to avoid getting killed. You need to stop the Flag Smashers. I know their next target. They’re going to assassinate the British Prime Minster tomorrow during a meeting with Secretary Ross in Washington. You have to stop them, taking out the Prime Minister is part of their endgame; I don’t know what it is,” Sharon paused, looking back over her shoulder before looking back at the screen. “Please, whatever you might think of me…take down the Flag Smashers.”
The video ended and the three men were left staring at the screen.
“Well…looks like we’re going back to Washington,” Walker said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The Secretary is going to love this.”
Unspecified location
Same time
Sharon was in a room, a man behind a desk in front of her. It was silent for a long moment.
“Explain again,” the man ordered.
“Shaw started torturing Sam; he got a little too close. Sam knocked him down, grabbed the keys and unlocked himself before I could do anything. He knocked me down and by the time I got back up, Sam had killed Shaw and the guards. I ran after him but he closed the gate by the time I found him,” Sharon said, reciting it perfectly, no hint of a lie on her face.
Still, the man eyed her thoughtfully for a moment. Finally, he spoke.
“Maybe you’re telling the truth, maybe you’re not. We can go round and round in circles, but only you and Sam Wilson know for sure what happened in that room, as everyone else is dead. You must prove your loyalty to us, Sharon,” the man told her.
“I will do anything the Flag Smashers ask of me,” Sharon said immediately and he smiled unpleasantly.
“I hope so. Because tomorrow…you will be the one to assassinate the British Prime Minister.”
Notes:
And that’s the end of episode 2.
The decision to make Sharon Carter, one of the most heroic characters from the Captain America comics into the Power Broker was one of the stupidest decisions Marvel has ever made. So we’re not doing that shit here.
Chon Li would be played by Bryon Mann.
Chapter 3: The trap
Summary:
Bucky, Sam and Walker lay a trap as Sharon decides where her loyalties lie. A face from the past haunts Bucky.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Plane
Morning
“The three of you have lost your damn minds,” Ross said, appearing in hologram form as he talked with Bucky, Sam and Walker as they shared the Intel they had acquired. “You honestly expect us to act on the Intel that came from Sharon Carter? She’s a Flag Smasher!”
“And whose fault is that?” Sam muttered and Ross glared at him.
“Sir, Flag Smasher or not, if Carter is telling the truth, we can’t afford not to trust her,” Walker pointed out before things could escalate. “The Prime Minister’s life could be in danger.”
“Even if I agreed with that, it’s too late. The Prime Minster is already on his way to Washington for our meeting. We’ve been setting this up for months. I can’t just cancel it without causing an international incident,” Ross argued back.
“Then don’t cancel it,” Bucky said and they looked at him. “Go ahead with the meeting, but have Sam and Walker act as extra security. I keep an eye on things on the outside, call it in if I see anything that might be the Flag Smashers.”
“You really expect me to allow you two to operate with government approval?” Ross scoffed.
“It’s a good idea, Sir. Probably the best plan we have right now,” Walker supported Bucky’s plan and Ross seemed to think on it for a moment before he nodded reluctantly.
“Fine. But if this goes south, it will be your heads,” Ross warned before his hologram faded.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” Walker said after a moment.
Bucky and Sam looked over at him before the three men all burst out laughing.
Unspecified location
Same time
Sharon was loading a gun as she strapped a knife to her side when a man walked in, holding out a phone. Sharon put down the pistol before taking the phone, putting it to her ear.
“Yeah…yes…I see…I understand,” Sharon said, paling as she listened to the person on the other line.
Sharon handed the phone back to the other Flag Smasher, no visible sign of distress on her face. But, if you looked closely, her eyes were swimming with worry.
The Captain America theme plays as scenes of Bucky and Sam from previous MCU movies are shown. The Captain America shield then appears followed by the ‘Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ title card.
Washington DC
Late morning
Bucky, Sam and Walker are sitting around a table as a Homeland operative briefed them on the mission.
“The Secretary will be meeting the Prime Minister in this building,” the operative explained as they were shown a picture of a mansion. “The meeting will take place in a conference room on the west side of the building. Agent Walker, you will be acting as a member of the Secretary’s personal security team, you will be with him at all times. Mr. Wilson will be acting as one of the security guards at the front. And Mr. Barnes-”
“Will be at a vantage point outside the building, keeping an eye on the front door,” Bucky said and the operative looked at him annoyed before nodding.
“Yes. You are to be in position in two hours. Don’t be late,” the operative warned before walking briskly out of the room.
“Charmer, isn’t he?” Sam asked dryly.
“Rodriquez is just very by the book. This kind of thing is gonna rub a lot of people the wrong way,” Walker warned.
“Well, this is where we are. They’ll just have to deal with it,” Bucky said before pausing. “Walker…about earlier…the things I said.”
“Barnes, you’re not the first person to lose their head when someone you care about is in danger. But remember, I’m not the enemy, the Flag Smashers are. Remember, Barnes…we’re on the same side here,” Walker told him kindly but firmly and Bucky nodded after a moment.
“Yeah, yeah you’re right. And I won’t forget that again,” Bucky promised.
Later, Bucky is loading a rifle, checking that it was working when he heard someone enter the room.
“You ready for this?” Sam asked and Bucky smiled tightly.
“I have to be. Lot riding on this. The British Prime Minister dies on American soil, American-British relations go back to the American Revolution,” Bucky said and it was quiet for a moment.
“You okay, Man? I don’t just mean about this. I mean about…I don’t know. Seems like we haven’t really talked since Steve…you know,” Sam said, feeling stupid but Bucky seemed to understand.
“I don’t know. I feel…lost. And not just about the shield,” Bucky sighed as he put down the rifle. “When I remembered who I was…the one thing that anchored me was knowing Steve was out there, that he would never give up on me. Now he’s gone and I feel…I feel like I’m alone in a strange world that I don’t understand. Probably sounds pathetic.”
“Nah, it doesn’t. I actually know a little bit about how that feels,” Sam said and Bucky looked at him incredulously. “Not to the same way as you, obviously. But….when we were going up against Hydra, the words I said to Steve were ‘Captain America needs my help. No better reason to get back in.’ Those words have defined my life ever since. Now there’s no Steve Rogers that needs my help. And I’m having trouble figuring out how to move forward.”
“Steve, I loved him, but he just…he handed me the shield, he left and just…he expected us to be okay with it. No warning, just ‘here’s my shield, you’re the new Captain America, bye!’” Bucky said, feeling his frustration start to boil over.
“Is that why you didn’t take up the shield? Because you were mad at Steve?” Sam asked and Bucky was silent for a long moment.
“We should get ready. We don’t have a lot of time,” Bucky said, avoiding the question.
Sam stared at him for a long moment before nodding. Bucky was right, but Sam didn’t miss the way Bucky had refused to answer the question and avoided the subject.
But there was no time to press him for details or answers right now. They had an assassination to thwart.
Washington DC
Night
A limo pulled up outside the mansion. The Prime Minister was led out by his security team before walking up the steps. Ross, Walker and a few more security guards were waiting.
“Mr. Prime Minster, thank you for coming all this way,” Ross said, holding out his hand as the Prime Minister reached their position.
“Let us dispense with the pleasantries, and get down to business,” the Prime Minister said and Ross nodded his agreement.
“Of course. Right this way,” Ross said as they all headed inside.
Walking through the doors, Walker looked over at where Sam stood, dressed in a guard uniform at his post. They two nodded at each other before Walker headed down the hall with the rest of the entourage.
A few minutes later, from his vantage point, Bucky was looking through his rifle watching the entrance to the building. A car pulled up to the front of the building and the driver got out. Bucky paused, staring in shock as a red haired woman got out of the car.
Hydra base, several years earlier
The Winter Soldier stood silently as a red haired woman smirked at him.
“You know what to do. Don’t leave any witnesses,” she ordered.
The Soldier merely nodded before turning and walking out of the room.
Now
Bucky stared as the woman neared the front gate. He almost pulled the trigger right then and there but a guard walked over to her, checking her credentials. Bucky swore, unable to get a clear shot and the woman walked into the building.
“Walker, the operation is compromised. Get the Prime Minister out of there,” Bucky immediately radioed in.
“A little for that. The meeting has already started,” Walker said under his breath as he watched Ross and the Prime Minister sit down, starting the meeting.
“Damn. Okay, Sam, do you have eyes on a woman in red hair that just walked into the building?” Bucky asked as he put down his rifle, grabbing a pistol.
“Yeah, I see her,” Sam said as he saw the woman in question heading down the hall.
“Follow her, see where she’s going. Do not lose sight of her under any circumstances,” Bucky ordered as he jumped down from his vantage point. “She’s a Flag Smasher.”
“How do you know that?” Walker asked.
“No time to explain, just follow her Sam,” Bucky said as he began searching for a way in.
Inside the building, a young woman was tied up in a chair, gagged and had been stripped down to her under garments. A few feet away, Sharon, dressed in the woman’s uniform, pocketed a pistol before looking back at the woman.
“I’m sorry…but we all do what we have to.”
The woman tried to shout but the sound was muffled by the gag around her mouth. Sharon grimaced before exiting the room, closing the door behind her as the woman let out a muffled cry.
Sam continued to tail the red haired woman, who rounded a corner. Sam put a hand to his gun, sure something was about to happen. And he was proven right when he rounded the corner and the woman attempted to strike him.
Sam ducked, pulling out his gun but, before he could open fire, the woman grabbed his hand roughly, preventing him from pulling the trigger. She then elbowed him in the chest, causing Sam to let out an ‘oof’ before she lifted him like he was a ragdoll and tossed him across the hall. Sam hit a table with enough force to break it into pieces before going down to the floor, out cold.
The woman smirked at the sight before walking off.
“Sir, we need to end this, get you and the Prime Minster to safety,” Walker said lowly enough so only Ross could hear.
Ross knew Walker was right, but his pride would not allow him to admit it. Walker almost sighed in frustration before Ross spoke again.
“Prime Minster, before we finalize this deal, perhaps we should take some time to rest. You must have had a long flight, and I could use some refreshment,” Ross offered.
Walker almost cheered as the Prime Minister seemed to consider this before shrugging, agreeing. One by one, they got up, preparing to depart the room.
Outside the room, Sharon was at her post, holding a gun, waiting. The door opened and Ross, the Prime Ministers, as well as their security exited the room. But still, Sharon waited.
Finally, she saw the red haired woman round a corner, also watching the scene. Finally, Sharon took action.
Sharon aimed her gun at the woman and opened fire. Having seen Sharon’s movement out of the corner of her eyes, the woman dropped to the ground before pulling out her own gun, firing at Sharon. Sharon ducked behind a corner, just barely avoiding the bullets.
Having heard the bullets, Walker and the rest of the security forced Ross and the Prime Minister back into the room. One agent went with them as Walker slammed the doors shut.
“Fire!” one of the ordered as they all pulled out their guns.
“At which one?”
“Both of them!”
Both women took cover behind the corner as Walker and the security guards opened fire. The red haired woman then tossed what seemed to be a grenade at them. The security made to rub but it merely released a smoke, impairing their vision by making it next to impossible to see.
The woman then rushed forward, striking one of them with a blow to the neck so hard they heard a crack as his neck snapped. Another raised his gun at her but she grabbed his wrist, twisting and breaking his wrist. He howled in pain before she tossed him into another guard, sending them both to the ground.
Walker opened fire on her but she dodged the bullets (largely due to the smoke making it hard for Walker to see) before sending a kick to Walker’s chest. The kick sent the surprised Walker into a wall hard enough to get knocked out. The woman then pulled out a knife, throwing it behind her. It hit the last guard in the jugular and he gagged on his own blood before falling back, dead.
It was silent for a beat before she ducked, barely avoiding a shot to the head. The bullet hit the wall before the woman jumped back and rushed Sharon, who was right behind her. A blow to Sharon’s hand knocked the gun out of her hand before the woman shoved Sharon against a wall.
“Run out of bullets? Too bad, Sharon,” the woman said with a sadistic smile. “I had such high hopes for you, and yet you betrayed me. I should have killed you the moment you stepped into my house.”
London, over four years ago
Day
Sharon was let into a mansion by another Flag Smasher. She took a quick look around, spotting lots of paintings around the room. Whoever owned this place was clearly very wealthy.
“I see you have an eye for detail.”
Sharon turned around, seeing a red haired woman with green eyes walking down the stairs, her eyes never leaving Sharon.
“You must be Sharon Carter. It’s an honor to meet you,” the woman said as she stopped in front of Sharon.
“The honor is mine, Ma’am,” Sharon said and the woman laughed.
“Don’t call me that. We’re all friends here. You’ve passed the test my men have given you. You’re one of us now,” The woman said before holding a hand and, after a moment, Sharon took it in a handshake. “Welcome to the Flag Smashers.”
Now
Sharon dodged a blow from the woman before rolling of the way. But the woman pulled out her gun and fired a single shot. Sharon cried out, going down. She looked at her side, where the bullet had hit her, seeing blood begin to stain the clothes she was wearing.
“You should have known better than to betray me, Sharon,” the woman said, taking aim at Sharon’s head. “You know what I do to traitors.”
Before she could pull the trigger, however, Bucky raced down the hall, tackling her. The gun was thrown out of her hand before she pushed Bucky back. They both got to their feet, glaring at each other.
“Well, look who it is. You should have stayed buried in whatever hole you crawled out of, Soldier,” the woman mocked.
She then rushed him, attempting to strike Bucky but he grabbed her wrist with his metal arm. Bucky then lifted her up, attempting to throw her over his shoulder but the women managed to wrap her legs around her neck, chocking him as she pulled out a knife. But, with his metal arm, Bucky ripped her off him and threw her into a wall.
Bucky caught his breath as she spotted the gun she had dropped earlier. Bucky saw what she was doing and figured out her next move a split second before she made it. They both ran for the gun but the woman got their quicker. She aimed her gun at him, attempting to open fire but he blocked the barrel of the gun with his metal arm a second before she fired, crushing it with his strength before elbowing her in the face.
She stumbled back before Bucky delivered a sharp jab to her abdomen. She doubled over, appearing to be incapacitated before shooting up with her knife, attempting to stab Bucky in the face with it. He grabbed her wrist, gripping her tightly and forcing her to drop the knife.
“It’s over, Sin,” Bucky told her firmly as he forced her to her knees.
At that moment, they heard several footsteps before a SWAT Team entered the hallway, all with sniper rifles aimed at Bucky and Sin.
“Stand down! Hands in or the air or we will open fire!”
Bucky took a moment to assess his odds before glancing warily down at Sin, who glared up at him definitely.
“Don’t be stupid, Sin. We both have guns pointed at us, even you can’t dodge that many bullets,” Bucky warned her.
After a moment, Bucky let go of Sin, raising his hands into the air. Yet still, he didn’t relax. He, like the SWAT team, was watching Sin, waiting to see what she would do next as she glared at them all, considering her next move.
Notes:
DUN DUN DUN!
In all seriousness, yes, Sin from the comics is the leader of the Flag Smasher. Her backstory and why she is doing what she’s doing will be revealed in due time.
Sin would be played by Cassidy Freeman.
Chapter 4: Origins
Summary:
The origins of the Flag Smashers are revealed as Bucky divulges secrets about his past. Bucky confides in Sharon.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Washington DC
Night
“Sin,” Bucky said in warning as they all waited for Sin to react. “Don’t be an idiot; even you can’t survive that many bullets.”
For a long moment, Sin didn’t react. Then, finally, she began rising to her feet and raising her hands. For a moment, Bucky was almost convinced she was giving up.
Then, Bucky saw Sin smirk before something clattered to the ground. In a split second, horror filled Bucky as he realized it was a grenade.
“Get down!” Bucky shouted at the SWAT team as they realized what had happened.
Sin laughed gleefully as the SWAT team took cover. Bucky, on the other hand, dove behind her, landing on top of Sharon. He used his own body as a shield to protect her before the grenade went off.
Bucky found himself flung across the hall, he and Sharon hitting a wall, hard. They fell to the floor and Bucky lifted his head, seeing the hall filled with flames, an entire part of the wall torn open.
Getting to his feet, Bucky walked down the hall, looking through the flames. Hearing groaning, he saw some of the SWAT Team picking themselves up off the floor. Bucky could several of them were injured, carrying burns on their arms or face. Miraculously, none of them seemed to have been killed.
And Sin seemed to have completely vanished. Probably making her escape through the hole in the wall. By now, she was long gone. Bucky quickly made his way back to Sharon. She was thankfully still alive, but she needed medical attention, and to get that bullet out of her.
Picking her up bridal style, Bucky glanced back at the flames before he walked further down the hall, vanishing before the SWAT team even thought to look for him.
The Captain America theme plays as scenes of Bucky and Sam from previous MCU movies are shown. The Captain America shield then appears followed by the ‘Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ title card.
Bucky’s apartment
Next morning
Sharon woke up on a couch. She was confused until she tried to sit up and hissed as a pain shot through her side. Looking down, she saw bandages wrapped around her mid torso.
“Good, you’re up,” Sharon looked off to the side, seeing Bucky sitting in a chair. “How are you feeling?”
“Well, I got shot, so I’ve been better. What happened with Sin?” Sharon asked as she sat up, still a little weak from being shot.
“Well, Sin dropped a grenade when she realized she couldn’t take me and a SWAT team. She caused a whole lot of damage, killed a guy and took his car a block away. No one else was killed, although there were a lot of injuries. But American/British relations took a hit. The British government is accusing Ross of leading the Prime Minister into a trap. Ross and the President are trying to do damage control, but it’s an uphill battle,” Bucky said and Sharon took a moment to process this. “Okay, now I have some questions. And considering I saved your life, I think it’s only fair you answer them.”
Sharon nodded, having expected this. Sam and Barnes were going to want answers. She waited for a moment for Bucky to speak again.
“Why were you there, Sharon?” Bucky asked as he got to his feet.
“I set Sam free in Mardipoor. The Flag Smashers weren’t happy and didn’t buy my story. I was sent to kill the Prime Minister as a test of loyalty. I was trying to figure a way out when Sin told me she’d be there to observe. Alone. I realized it was the perfect opportunity to take her out. There’s a lot of infighting between the Flag Smashers, too many egos vying for power and not enough to go around,” Sharon explained and Bucky caught on.
“Sin keeps them all in line,” he noted and Sharon nodded.
“I kill Sin; the Flag Smashers would tear themselves apart within weeks, maybe days. But I failed. And now, unless I stop the Flag Smashers in the next week, they will come for my family,” Sharon said and Bucky could see the worry and guilt in her eyes.
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we’re gonna need you to help us,” Bucky told her and it was silent for a beat. “Sam and Walker are headed over; they’ll be here in an hour. And I don’t think you want them to see like this.”
Sharon glanced down at herself and silently agreed. She was half dressed, her lower torso bandaged with only a bra covering her upper body.
“Come on,” Bucky said, gesturing over to a room behind the catch. “There’s a closet in there. You can borrow one of my shirts.”
Sharon nodded gratefully, wincing as she stood up. That was going to be a pain for the next few days, she thought as she glanced down at her wounded side.
Sharon headed into Bucky’s room, closing the door behind her. She looked around, finding it mostly bare. There was a bed but it didn’t seem like it was used that much. And there were blankets on the floor. Aside from that, there was a lamp on a nightstand and a dresser in the corner.
Spotting the closet, Sharon walked over and opened it. Searching through the closet, she grabbed a grey shirt. She was about to put it on when she paused, seeing something in the back. And she recognized it. In disbelief, Sharon moved some of the clothes aside and found herself staring at Steve’s shield in utter shock.
Not long after, Sharon exited the room, wearing the shirt.
Hearing something sizzling, she walked into the kitchen, seeing Bucky making some eggs in a skillet.
“You want something to eat? It’ll be a while before Sam and Walker get here,” Bucky offered and Sharon was silent for a moment before nodding.
“Sure. If you’re making eggs, I like ‘em fried,” Sharon said.
15 minutes later, Bucky and Sharon sat down across from each other, eating the eggs. It was silent for a few moments before Sharon spoke.
“When I was grabbing a shirt…I saw something in the back of your closet,” Sharon said and Bucky tensed, barely noticeably but Sharon caught it.
“Yeah?” Bucky asked, keeping his voice casual.
“Look, you’re a smart guy. Let’s stop pretending I didn’t see Steve’s shield,” Sharon said bluntly and Bucky grimaced. “Why do you have it?”
“Before Steve…left…he gave it to me. Told me he wanted me to be the next Captain America,” Bucky said after a moment and Sharon stared at him, wondering if he was pulling her leg.
But, while she barely knew Bucky, she didn’t think he was one to tell this kind of joke.
“That’s…wow,” Sharon said after a moment and Bucky smiled tightly.
“Yeah.”
“And I notice you haven’t donned any red, white and blue. Decide it’s not for you?” Sharon asked and Bucky was silent for a long moment.
“A few days ago…I saved a little boy from getting run down by a reckless driver,” Bucky finally said and Sharon raised an eyebrow but let him continue. “Just before that, we ran into each other in a café. When they saw me talking to him, his parent yanked him away, acted like I was a pedophile or something. Every time I walked out that door, the way people look at me…they know who I am. They know what I’ve done. And they hate me for it. Steve…he loved me, and I think that blinded him to the fact that no one would ever accept someone with my past as Captain America. I’m no longer The Winter Solider, but I can’t seem to ever escape his shadow.”
It was silent for a minute, Bucky continuing to eat as Sharon processed his words with a thoughtful look on her face. Finally, she spoke again.
“The parents,” Sharon said and Bucky looked up at her. “After you saved their son…how did they react?”
“The dad thanked me and apologized,” Bucky said, not getting where she was going with this.
“Because you proved him wrong. You proved that you aren’t The Winter Soldiers, than you aren’t the man who did all things,” Sharon pointed out. “And maybe that’s why Steve gave you the shield. Because he knows you can prove the whole world wrong. And maybe that’s why you more than anyone else should be Captain America. Because you don’t think you deserve it, which is why you do.”
Bucky stared at her blankly for a moment until they heard someone knock on the front door.
“That’ll be Sam and Walker,” Bucky said, getting to his feet and tossing his plate in the sink.
Sharon didn’t say a word, understanding that Bucky didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Besides, they had other priorities.
Later, the four of them stood in the living room. Sam and Walker stood standing while Sharon sat on the couch and Bucky in his chair. It was silent for a moment.
“Sin. You know her,” Sharon noted with a glance at Bucky, who grimaced but didn’t deny it.
“You knew she was a Flag Smasher just by seeing her. I’d be real interested to know how,” Walker said pointedly and Bucky sighed.
“It’s a long story,” Bucky said before glancing at Sam. “You were right. I did recognize something in the pictures Ross showed us. I recognized the Flag Smashers symbol.”
“What are they, and how do you know their symbol?” Walker demanded and Bucky was silent for a long moment.
“The Flag Smashers were a…project by Hydra in the days leading up to Project insight. Their goal and methods weren’t that different than what they’re doing now, creating chaos through acts of terrorism. It was a way for Alexander Pierce to convince SHIELD of the necessity of Project Insight. Sin was their leader,” Bucky explained.
“Who is Sin?” Sam asked carefully.
“I’d like an answer to that question myself. Was undercover for five years, knew her for 4. Only thing I got was her name,” Sharon noted and Bucky snorted.
“Not surprised, she wouldn’t want anyone knowing who she really was. Her full name is Sinthea Schmidt. She’s the Red Skull’s granddaughter. Just as ambitious, and twice as crazy,” Bucky said, to their shock.
“There was never any record of Schmidt having a kid, much less grandchildren,” Sharon said in shock.
“The Red Skull was crazy, but not stupid. He kept his family secret. He sent his wife and son into hiding around the time Hydra started taking control of the Nazis. And they stayed in hiding. Pierce found Sin when she was ten, brought her into the fold and told her about her family history. Her father died a year before that, pissed off the wrong bookie. Her mother died giving birth to her,” Bucky explained and it was silent for a long moment. “I assumed she died when neither the Avengers or SHIELD found her. I should have known she was just in hiding, restarting the Flag Smashers. She’s too insane to go out that easily.”
“When she punched me…it was like a sumo wrestler punched me. What is she, Bucky?” Sam asked and Bucky grimaced.
“She’s a Super Soldier, just like her grandfather,” Bucky said and three pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief.
“How is that even possible? I thought all vials of the serum were destroyed,” Walker pointed out.
“In 1991, Howard Start developed a replica. He was taking his samples to SHIELD when…Hydra got their hands on it,” Bucky said, a haunted look in his eyes and it was silent for a moment. “They were used on the Hydra kill squad Zemo assassinated 8 years ago. But one scientist studied the formula before it was used, a decade later had it replicated into one dose. Sin found out before anyone else. She had the Winter Soldier go it, and leave no witnesses.”
Unspecified location, 2001
A scientist was beaming with pride at his replica of the Super Soldier Serum. This would be a miracle for Hydra.
Hearing the door kicked in, the scientist whirled around, paling as he saw The Winter Soldier stalk in, pulling out a gun.
“Wait, please wait!” the scientist cried.
Ignoring the scientist, The Winter Soldier fired, getting the scientist in the head. Blood splattered everywhere as the scientist fell to the floor, dead. Putting his gun away, The Winter Soldier walked over to the table with the serum, picking up the vial.
Hydra base
Later
The Soldier watched indifferently as a younger Sin injected herself with the serum, laughing insanely as she did.
Now
“She knew my real identity. It seemed to amuse her to have me bring her the serum,” Bucky said with an unpleasant smile. “Anyway, as they got closer to Project Insight, Pierce thought the Flag Smashers were drawing too much attention, risking Hydra exposure. So he had them shut down. Should have known Sin would never really go along with it. She was too reckless and power hungry to let something like that go. She probably broke off from Hydra when Project Insight failed, took the Flag Smashers with her.”
“She’s been operating discretely for the last decade. Great,” Walker said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “A power hungry, insane, Super Soldier terrorist is leading the Flag Smashers. Okay. So how do we stop her?”
“First step would probably be to find her. Sharon, any ideas?” Sam asked and Sharon shook her head, to their dismay.
“Sin knows I betrayed her, and that I’m probably with you right now. Any safe house I know about will be compromised, she won’t go somewhere she isn’t sure is safe. She’ll probably go to ground before making her next move,” Sharon explained.
“Even still, we’d appreciate anything you can tell us about your time with the Flag Smashers, Ms. Carter,” Walker said gently.
Bucky opened his mouth to add to the conversation when he paused, hearing something. He was trying to figure out what it was when he saw a flash outside the window before his front door was busted open. All four of them jumped to their feet as a SWAT team rushed in, taking aim at all of them.
“Sharon Carter, by order of the Secretary of State and the US government, you are under arrest for treason, terrorism and multiple counts of adding and abetting.”
Notes:
Bit of a ‘bottle episode’ chapter but hope you all enjoyed it anyway.
Hope you all enjoyed the backstory of the Flag Smashers and Sin.
Chapter 5: Worthy
Summary:
Bucky comes to a decision as Sin puts the final phase of her plan in motion.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Homeland Security base
Afternoon
In an interrogation room, Sharon sat in a chair, her hands cuffed to the table when the door opened and of all people, Everett Ross walked in.
“Never thought I’d see the day where I’d be interrogating you. But I also never thought you’d betray me the way you did all those years ago,” Everett said, disappointment flooding his eyes as he stared at her.
“When your own country betrays the ideals you’ve built your life on… to whom do you then owe loyalty?” Sharon shot back.
Outside the room, Bucky, Sam and Walker stood across from Ross, all them looking at the man with irritation and anger.
“In case you’ve forgotten, Sharon saved your ass last night by trying to take out Sin,” Sam said hotly.
“A task she failed at. And she is still a Flag Smasher,” Ross argued. “That’s all the reason I need to have her locked up once this interrogation is over.”
“Sir, she did try to help us,” Walker tried to reason.
“And that doesn’t erase all her other crimes. She will face justice for them,” Ross said, unwilling to bend.
“You know, Albert Einstein defined insanity as ‘doing the same task over and over again and expecting a different result’,” Bucky mentioned and the other three glanced at him. “I wasn’t sure about that the first time I read it. But now, seeing you, I’m thinking he was onto something.”
“You’re treading a dangerous line, Barnes,” Ross sneered.
“Then lock me up. Because that’s what you do, right? Those who don’t comply with you become the enemy, because you always have to be right. When Banner became the Hulk, you needed to control it, so you chased him all around the world and created the Abomination to capture him. When the Avengers didn’t go along with your ultimatums, they became the enemy. Even when Thanos came around, your ego wouldn’t let you work with them even at the threat of uncountable lives being lost. And now you’re doing the same with Sharon. Notice a pattern here, Ross? If something doesn’t go your way, if you cannot control it, you treat that person like the enemy and it makes everything worse,” Bucky said firmly and Ross glowered at him. “Steve believed there was good in everyone, even you. So far, I haven’t seen it. So I’m imploring you to do the right thing here. Stop treating Sharon like the enemy, let her work with us and we can stop Sin and the Flag Smashers before anyone else gets hurt. Don’t make the same mistakes.”
“Sir, no one knows the Flag Smashers better than Sharon Carter after being inside their organization for the last five years. She has information we can use to track them down, figure out their plan,” Walker pointed out.
“And I bet she’d be a lot more willing to work with us if she wasn’t being treated like a criminal,” Sam added and Ross stared at them blankly for a moment before grunting angrily.
“You want to put your faith in that traitor? Fine. I will drop all changes against her, if she tells us everything she knows. I’ll even get her a pardon from the President himself. But if she does what I think she will and stabs you in the back, it will be on your heads,” Ross threatened.
Ross then stormed down the hall, leaving the three alone.
“Thanks for that,” Bucky told Walker and Walker shrugged.
“Just because I work for him doesn’t mean I agree with everything he does. The balance is finding out how to get him to do what you want while thinking it’s his idea. Nice speech though.”
“Steve would have been proud,” Sam told Bucky, who smiled tightly.
The Captain America theme plays as scenes of Bucky and Sam from previous MCU movies are shown. The Captain America shield then appears followed by the ‘Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ title card.
Later, the three sat in a conference room, Sharon on the other side of the table, messaging her wrists, now uncuffed.
“Thanks for getting me out of that,” she said gratefully.
“Well, it’s not free. We need you to explain everything you can about the Flag Smashers. How they operate, their methods. Anything that can help us figure out Sin’s plan,” Walker told her.
“I’ll tell you what I know for sure. Sin picks a target to attack every few months, her favorites are usually America and London. She finds a patsy afterwards, someone to take the fall like your friend Lamar. But lately, she’s been escalating, heading towards some kind of agenda. I don’t know what it is, but I know it can only move forward when the British Prime Minister is dead. That’s why she wants him killed, it’s not her usual tactics, she needs him dead for her plan to move forward,” Sharon explained as the trio listened.
“Sharon, we’ll need the location of all Flag Smasher hideouts, storage facilities, anything you can give us,” Sam told her and Sharon nodded.
“Just give me a pen and paper.”
“Sharon giving up all the information will go a long way towards earning that pardon,” Walker mentioned as he, Bucky and Sam walked down the hall.
“Which won’t matter if we can’t figure out what Sin’s planning next,” Sam pointed out.
“We know that she needs the British Prime Minister dead before her plan can move to the next phase. So we start from there, figure out what she might want that can only happen if he dies,” Bucky said and the other two nodded.
“I’ll work with Sharon, see what I can find. There’s not much else for you two to do here, so go home, get some rest. Be ready,” Walker told them and a beat passed.
“Actually…I was hoping to ask you for a favor,” Bucky said and Walker raised an eyebrow before Bucky told him what it was.
Bucky’s apartment
Later that afternoon
Bucky slowly entered his room, glancing at his closet, like he was afraid of what was inside. After a moment, Bucky let out a shuttering breath before he walked over, opening it. The clothes were still moved aside from earlier, revealing the shield mounted on the wall. After a moment of hesitation, Bucky reached inside, grabbing the shield and taking it out of his closet. Once he had it in his hands, Bucky stared down at it, feeling the history of it, from the moment Steve was first handed it to Steve handing it to him.
Several moments passed with Bucky just staring at it before Bucky started to speak.
“You told me to have faith in myself. And I’m trying Steve, I am. But this is so much more complicated than you realize. I did things as The Winter Soldier, terrible things. Things that even would have a hard time seeing passed, things that if you knew…you would have never handed me the shield. There are limits to even your forgiveness. Someone like me, being the next Captain America…I don’t know if I can do it, Steve. But…for you, for all the people that need something to believe in right now…I’ll do my best.”
“So you’re finally gonna do it then.”
“Yeah,” Bucky said softly before turning his head to see Sam watching from the doorway. “You just gonna stand there?”
“Seemed like you were having a moment, didn’t want to interrupt,” Sam asked as he walked into the room. “You sure about this?”
“I don’t know. But people keep saying how hopeless they feel, that someone like Steve is needed. I’m not Steve, but if I can help people feel hopeful again…shouldn’t I at least try?” Bucky asked and Sam was silent for a long moment.
“A few days after Steve left…I got a letter from him,” Sam admitted and Bucky looked at him sharply. “He had it mailed a day before he left. I never told you because I didn’t want you to feel pressured, I could already tell you were trying to wrap your head around what Steve was asking you do.”
“So why tell me now?” Bucky asked as he put the shield on his bed.
“Because Steve said a few things I think you need to hear,” Sam said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a piece of paper. “Here.”
Sam held it out to him and, after a moment, Bucky took it. Unfolding it, Bucky stared down at the familiar handwriting, beginning to read.
Sam,
By the time you read this, I’ll be long gone. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you, but I did what I felt I had to do. After Nat, after Tony, it just didn’t feel right anymore. I am sorry that I didn’t tell you or Bucky. I think if I had, I wouldn’t have been able to go through with this.
I couldn’t have asked for a better friend to watch my back for the five years we’ve known each other. Thank you for that. And I know I have no right, but I need to ask you a favor.
Watch out for Bucky. He acts like he’s okay most of the time, but I know he’s not. I know he still struggles with all the years he spent as the Winter Soldier. And I know he’ll struggle with what I’ve asked him to do. He’ll think he doesn’t deserve to carry the shield, that he would dishonor it. But I know he won’t, and that he’ll do great at being Captain America. He just needs to believe in himself. I have faith in him, and I have in you, Sam.
This may not mean much to you or him right now, but I hope that in time, you can forgive me. Whatever happens, don’t stop living your lives. The two of you are heroes, equal to me or any other Avenger. But even heroes need to live their lives; we can’t just be Avengers all the time. Find a balance, try to be happy. You and Bucky both deserve it.
Wishing you all the best,
Steve
Bucky reread and reread the letter several times, absorbing the words. Steve had known he’d put off taking up the shield, that he would have doubts. And yet Steve had also known that Bucky would end up doing as Steve asked eventually.
Bucky had assumed Steve hadn’t thought things through when he gave him the shield, but it was the opposite. Steve had known exactly would happen, how it would play out. And yet he still gave him the shield, knowing Bucky would still try to do the right thing.
“You okay?” Sam asked as several minutes passed with Bucky reading the letter.
“Yeah. Yeah, I am,” Bucky said, surprised to find that he meant it.
Bucky would always feel that he didn’t deserve the shield, would always feel some guilt over his past as the Winter Soldier. But none of that mattered.
Because Steve had believed in him, had believed he was worthy of the shield, in spite of his past. And that was enough.
Bucky lowered the letter to his side, standing up a little straighter as he glanced at where he had placed the shield, knowing what he had to do now.
Washington DC
The next day
In the woods, Bucky stood holding the shield in hand. He was silent for a moment, breathing it in. He stared at the trees, several of which had padding on them. Finally, after a moment, Bucky threw the shield. It struck one of the trees with padding before bouncing it back at Bucky. With his robotic arm, Bucky caught it. Staring down at it, Bucky switched hands before throwing it again.
His aim once more struck true, the shield striking one of the trees with patting before bouncing back at Bucky. Bucky caught it with his flesh hand this time, although he noted that it required much more effort to do so.
“Alright, so this is gonna take some getting used to,” Bucky muttered.
The next day, at a Homeland base, Sharon was talking to Homeland agents, giving them directions as they prepared to head out to some Flag Smasher bases. She was unaware of Everett watching her warily.
“Walker…you sure we can trust her?” Everett asked Walker, who was doing his own work near him and Walker looked up, seeing Sharon.
“Not sure. But I trust she wants to take down the Flag Smashers. Why are you so certain she can’t be? Because she betrayed you?” Walker asked and Everett grimaced, his face being enough of an answer. “We all knew The Accords were wrong, Carter was just the only brave enough to do something about it. If that’s your only reason for not trusting her, you need to get over it.”
Everett didn’t say anything else, merely looking back at where Sharon stood, this time his face having a thoughtful expression as he mused on Walker’s words.
In the woods, Bucky threw his shield with his human hand. Upon its return, he caught it with that same hand, noticing pleased that it was with ease this time. A day of practice and already he had improved.
Bucky then threw the shield with his robotic arm. It bounced off the padded trees before sailing back towards him. Bucky reached out, catching it with his human hand while at the same time noting the pain that shot through upon contact with his human hand.
The Super Soldier Serum and his robotic arm made him one of the few people besides Steve that could handle the shield. But the Serum he had was a cheap knock off of the one given to Steve. Bucky doubted he would ever be able wield the shield the same way Steve had.
But he would do his best to try.
And so Bucky grabbed he shield with his robotic arm once more, throwing it back at the trees.
A few feet away, Sam watched Bucky practice, silently observing his friend catch the shield. The silence was broken by Sam’s phone ringing. Bucky paused in his training as Sam pulled out his phone, answering it upon seeing it was Walker.
“Walker, did something happen?”
“Yeah, you could say that. We need you and Barnes back at base. We think we’ve figured out why Sin wants the Prime Minister dead.”
Homeland Security base
Later
“We’ve been looking into everyone connected to the Prime Minister, seeing if there’s anyone that has some connection to Sin or the Flag Smashers,” Walker explained as he, Bucky, Sam and Sharon sat around a table in a conference room.
“And you found something?” Bucky asked.
“You could say that,” Walker said, glancing over at Sharon.
“We didn’t find any connections to Sin, Hydra or the Flag Smashers. But we did find him,” Sharon said, pulling out a folder and opening it to reveal grey haired man. “Boris Thomas. He’s next in line to become Prime Minister if the current Prime Minister dies, at least temporality.”
“And why would Sin want him to be Prime Minister?” Sam asked.
“Because Boris heading to New York, he’s already on his way here. He’s the former Director of MI6, now he serves as advisor to the Prime Minister. Since Banner brought everyone back from the dead, he’s been working closely with our government on joint operations,” Walker explained and Bucky and Sam understood.
“How much of American operations does he know?” Bucky asked warily.
“Enough. The names of agents, mission parameters, targets, you name it. And that’s in addition to all the British Intelligence information he has, both past and present,” Walker said grimly.
“Okay, that still doesn’t explain why she wants the Prime Minister dead,” Sam pointed out.
“Use your head, Sam. Thomas is on his way here, likely to try and smooth things over between our government and his. The British Prime Minister dies and the new one is on American soil, where a terrorist group has already targeted his predecessor? What would you do in the immediate aftermath?” Bucky asked and Sam paused before coming to the conclusion the others had already reached.
“I’d get him to the most secure building in the vicinity; try my best to protect him before getting him home.”
“Exactly. And that’s when Sin will strike. The moment he’s moved to that stronghold, she’ll move on Thomas, get all the Intel he has. And she’ll make him give it up, one way or another,” Sharon said grimly.
“And then she’ll have a new list of targets, both American and British,” Walker added.
“Okay, then we need to protect the prime Minister before Sin can reach him,” Sam said.
“Little problem with that: the British government blames America for the attempt on the Prime Minister’s life; they’re not exactly taking any American calls at the moment. And even if they were, Thomas is less than an hour away by now. We don’t have time to get in contact with someone, convince them of this and then get the Prime Minister to safety. Fact is, Sin probably already has her men in position to kill him,” Walker said with a sigh.
“So then what are we supposed to do, just wait?” Sam asked in disbelief.
“Yes,” Bucky said and they all turned to him. “We wait, and when Sin makes her move on Thomas, we’ll be there to stop her.”
“He’s right. We can’t save the Prime Minister. But if we act fast enough, we might be able to save Thomas and stop Sin,” Sharon agreed.
“I don’t like this, Barnes,” Walker said uneasily.
“I don’t either. But it’s the best plan we have that has a chance of succeeding,” Bucky pointed out and, after a moment, Walker nodded.
“I’ll start putting a team together. You three, get ready. Because I have a feeling it’ll only be a couple house before we move out,” Walker said grimly.
London
Not after
Escorted by two security guards, the Prime Minister made his way to his car. After getting side, one of the guards got in the driver’s seat as the other kept a look out. Less than a second later, the guard was thrown by back as the car exploded.
A distance away, a man watched this before pulling out a phone, placing a call.
Unspecified location
Shortly after
Sin put down a cell phone, a twisted smirk at her phase at the information she had just received. She then turned to address the Flag Smashers.
“We have had hard times lately, with Sharon’s betrayal and our safe houses being compromised. But that changes now! Boris Thomas is being moved to a secure location as we speak. And our man on the inside will make sure that we have access to it. It’s time for the world to know who we really are,” Sin said with a sadistic grin.
Homeland Security Base
Later
Bucky, Sam, Sharon and Walker were watching a news report on the Prime Minister’s death when Bucky sighed.
“Guess this is it. Last chance to stop them,” Bucky said tiredly.
“Only chance we have,” Sam said and Bucky nodded.
“In the spirit of that, Barnes, that favor you asked,” Walker said before picking up a briefcase and setting it on the table.
As Sharon and Sam looked at it curiously, Bucky approached it, seeming hesitant. Then, he took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. Unlocking it, Bucky opened it, revealing the contents inside. A helmet, almost identical to Steve’s, stared back at him.
Notes:
And that’s another one down. Bit of a slower one but I wanted an ‘episode’ to focus on Bucky finally deciding to take up the shield. Hope you all enjoyed it.
Boris Thomas would be played by Peter Capaldi.
We’re in the Endgame now.
Chapter 6: My name is Bucky Barnes
Summary:
Bucky confronts his past as he and the others face the Flag Smashers once and for all.
Notes:
And here is the final chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed or otherwise supported this story. Now, on with the show!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Washington DC
Night
“I’m sorry for the recent loss of the Prime Minister,” a man said as he escorted Boris Thomas into a building, security guards surrounding it.
“Thanks you. Despite what my government thinks, I know you did your best to stop the Flag Smashers,” Thomas said as the door closed behind them. “Speaking of which, where are you on that front?”
The man opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance. A gunshot sounded and the man’s head burst, blood splattering on the stunned Thomas’ face. Everyone stopped as Sin walked in, smirking as she held a gun.
“Take him,” she ordered, pointing at Thomas as dozens of Flag Smashers walked into the room, beginning to take hostages. “Sorry, Mr. Prime Minister, but you won’t be stopping me today.”
The Captain America theme plays as scenes of Bucky and Sam from previous MCU movies are shown. The Captain America shield then appears followed by the ‘Falcon and The Winter Soldier’ title card.
“If you are just joining us, Boris Thomas, interim Prime Minister of Britain after his predecessor was assassinated earlier today in London via a car bomb, has been taken hostage along with several members of our own government in the building behind me. Reports are still scarce as we attempt to piece together what is happening, but I’m told that the people holding Thomas and the others hostage are a terrorist group known as the Flag Smashers. Stay tune as we attempt to follow this breaking story.”
A few feet away, Walker watched the paparazzi doing interviews with disgust before turning to a member of his team.
“You, make sure they don’t interfere with the job. Last thing we need is a bunch of reporters broadcasting our every move to the Flag Smashers,” Walker ordered.
Walker then walked off to a nearby tent that had been set up. Walking inside, Walker found Sharon going over floor plans for the building.
“You find anything?” Walker asked.
“Actually, yeah,” Sharon said, gesturing him over before pointing a part of the plans. “You see this basement? It’s the oldest part of the building, dating back to the Cold War. In the event of an attack by Russia, it was designed with a secret passage that leads into the sewers.”
“You think it still works?” Walker asked.
“I think there’s only one way to find out,” Sharon said and Walker nodded before tapping the Comms piece in his ear.
“Barnes, we think we’ve figured out a way to get into the building without any of them seeing us. How far out are you?”
“I’m just to drop in, Sam too. Make your move as soon as you can.”
“Copy that,” Walker said before looking back at Sharon. “Well, we might as well get started.”
In a helicopter flying dozens of feet above the building, a figure emerged from the back before jumping. He sailed through the air, nearing the top of the building. Aiming just right, he landed on top of the roof, his feet landing with a thud. Looking down, he saw there were at least six guards there. They were alerted to his presence by the thud and as they looked up, that was when Bucky struck.
He started by throwing the shield, striking one in the chest and then Bucky jumped. Landing on the ground, Bucky picked up his shield, tossing it at another guard. As it hit the guard in the back, Bucky moved like lightning. Bucky elbowed one guard in the heard, hearing the crunch that signified Bucky had just broken his nose before he grabbed another, tossing him into another guard before he delivered a spinning kick to the face of another guard. Picking up his shield again, he struck two more of the guards in the face with its blunt end, knocking them. Taking out his knife, Bucky then tossed it to the side, striking the last guard in the hand and pinning him to the wall when the guard was in the process of getting up. The guard cried out in pain before Bucky struck with his flesh hand and pulled the knife out, letting the guard drop to the ground, out cold. In a matter of seconds, Bucky had taken out all six guards.
“What, you couldn’t leave me one?” Sam joked as he landed, his wings folding back as his feet touched the ground.
“There’ll be plenty more inside,” Bucky said as he placed the shield on the back.
“That’s what I’m worried about. Nice suit, by the way,” Sam said and Bucky shrugged.
From the waist up, Bucky’s suit was nearly identical to Steve’s during the battle at the Compound. But his utility belt was a lot more bulky, to make room for his knife. His pants were black, completed with a pair of black boots. To complete the outfit, he had a gun in a thigh holster strapped to his thigh.
“Walker, we’re heading inside. Whatever you’re gonna do, do it now. Hopefully, they’ll be too busy with us to notice until it’s too late,” Bucky said before opening the door to the roof, he and Sam heading inside.
On another floor, Sin forced Thomas and a woman into a room with a large computer.
“Now, Prime Minister, you’re going to do something for me,” Sin said, pulling out a flag drive. “Any details on American-British operation over the last year. Put it on this drive.”
“You’re bloody mad,” Thomas said, staring at her in disgust. “You may hold me hostage, but I will never help you after you killed my predecessor. Go ahead and shoot me, because I will gladly die before I help you.”
“Oh, I was hoping you’d say that,” Sin said with a sinister giggle that sent chills down Thomas’ spin.
Sin then pulled out a gun, pointed it at the woman she had brought in and, to Thomas’ horror, pulled the trigger. Blood spattered onto the floor as the woman was shot in the head, falling to the floor as Thomas stared in horror.
“Did you think it was mere coincidence that I waited for you to be brought here before I made my move? I could have come after you at any point once your predecessor was killed. But I know you would die before cooperating. But I now have an entire building full of leverage to use," Sin said with an insane laugh. “Now, are you going to cooperate, or do you require another demonstration?”
“It will take some time for me to get the information you need,” Thomas said softly, swallowing past the lump in his throat as he stared at the lifeless body on the floor.
“Then I suggest you get started, Prime Minister.”
Elsewhere in the building, three Flag Smashers were leading a hostage down a hall when a shield came flying at them. It hit the wall before it ricochet off and struck one of the Flag Smashers in the back. The moment of surprise was when they struck.
Sam came flying it, firing his pistols, getting another Flag Smasher in the shoulder while Bucky raced in, delivering a spinning kick to the head of the other before grabbing the first Flag Smasher, disarming him before grabbing him by the shirt, slamming the Flag Smasher against the wall.
“Hey, you okay?” Sam asked as he checked on the hostage once he was sure Bucky had the last Flag Smasher in hand.
“Y-yeah. Thank you, Mr. Wilson,” the man stammered.
“Where are the other hostages?” Bucky asked over his shoulder, his gaze never leaving the Flag Smasher.
“On the ground floor. That psychopath has at least thirty men keeping guard, plus around fifteen more spread across this floor,” the man answered.
“Why were they taking you up here?” Sam asked.
“Leverage. Mr. Thomas is being coerced into giving up all the Intel he knows. They’ve already killed one person to do it. I imagine I’m next on the chopping block if he thinks about not following through.”
“You know where Thomas is being held?” Sam asked but the man shook his head.
“Where is he?” Bucky asked the Flag Smasher.
“Don’t know. I don’t ask questions, and wasn’t my job,” the Flag Smasher sneered and Bucky shrugged.
“Fair enough.”
Bucky released the Flag Smasher before slugging him with his robotic arm, knocking him out.
“He might have been lying,” Sam pointed out.
“No, I don’t think so. Didn’t seem like the lying type. Plus, Sin was never one to share,” Bucky mused before tapping the Comms piece in his helmet. “Walker, the hostages are on the ground floor. Sin has at least thirty Flag Smashers watching them.”
“Copy that. We’re already on our way,” Walker said.
“Over and out,” Bucky said before turning to Sam. “Sam, get him somewhere safe. Then head downstairs, try and help Walker and Sharon get the hostages out of here.”
“And what are you gonna be doing?” Sam asked.
“There are fifteen more Flag Smashers on this floor; one of them has to know where Sin is. And either way, Sin is not getting out of this building with all that Intel,” Bucky said, picking up his shield before racing off in search of his targets.
“Mr. Wilson, who was that?” the man asked once Bucky had disappeared down the hall.
“That was Captain America. And he’s got his job to do, so I better do mine. Let’s get you somewhere safe,” Sam said as he began leading the man down the way he and Bucky had walked.
Shortly after, Bucky poked his head around the corner, seeing three Flag Smashers. Bucky immediately threw his shield, which struck a wall above them. The Flag Smashers turned as the shield bounced off the wall, striking one in the chest as Bucky emerged at the end of the wall, taking out his gun and firing. He got the other two Flag Smashers in the shoulder and then went down before Bucky raced over, grabbing the other Flag Smasher and putting him in a choke.
“Sin, where is she?” Bucky demanded.
Down in the basement, part of the wall moved aside to reveal a door. Walker walked through, looking around to make sure no one was there before signaling Sharon and his team to walk through the doorway.
“Okay, we know the mission. We take out the Flag Smashers and get those hostages out. No unnecessary risks, I do not want the hostages in harm’s way under any circumstances. Now move out, as stealthy as possible,” Walker ordered.
Several floors above, the remaining Flag Smashers were meeting up. They had noticed their allies were beginning to get picked off and were starting to grow concerned.
“Should we call it in?” one of them asked uncertainly.
“You want to interrupt her? Whatever this is, we can handle it,” another disagreed.
As if in protest, Bucky jumped down, the shield in hand. Bucky banged it against the face of one Flag Smasher before throwing into the chest of another and elbowing a third in the face. Upon realizing what was happening, a Flag Smasher pulled out a pistol but, before they could pull the trigger Bucky blocked the barrel with his robotic hand. The bullet impacted harmlessly against his palm before Bucky head-butted the Flag Smasher hard enough to know them out.
Catching the shield on the returned, Bucky used it to deflect some bullets one of the Flag Smashers fired. As the other Flag Smashers ducked to avoid the bullets, Bucky threw his knife, which struck the Flag Smasher in the hand and disarmed him. Bucky then grabbed him, throwing him into another Flag Smasher with enough force to send both crashing to the ground. Bucky then threw the shield at the Flag Smasher who had not wanted to call Sin. It impacted on his chest, sending him stumbling back as Bucky fired his gun, getting the remaining Flag Smashers non-fatally but incapacitating them.
The shield returned to Bucky and he rushed forward, tackling the first Flag Smasher to the floor and putting a gun to his head.
“Now, here’s how we’re gonna do things: I’m gonna ask you a question and you’re gonna answer. You seem to be in charge here, so tell me where I can find Sin or I will pull this trigger,” Bucky said firmly.
“Wilson, are you in position. Can you see them?” Walker asked over the Comms as Sam peaked behind a corner, managing a look down at the ground floor.
“I see them. The guy was right, I see at least thirty Flag Smashers. They all have assault rifles. And I don’t think any of them have any issues with using any of those hostages as human shields,” Sam said quietly.
“We need to get the hostages away, or least a distraction,” Walker said and Sam frowned, thinking.
“You know…I think I might have an idea. You have any flash grenades on you?”
“Well done, Mr. Prime Minister,” Sin said smugly, smirking as she saw all the data on the screen. “The Flag Smashers thank you.”
“I’d say go to Hell, but I don’t think even that would be enough. If there is any justice in the world, you will get what you deserve,” Thomas sneered at her and Sin laughed mockingly.
“Don’t you know? The age of superheroes is over. There is no justice, no law. Merely power and those with the courage to wield it. No one is coming to save you this time,” Sin said smugly. “Now start downloading.”
At that moment, a door behind them opened up.
“Get down!”
Sin whirled around, seeing Bucky as Thomas instinctively ducked. Bucky threw the shield, which came sailing towards Sin. Sin dodged but the shield struck the computer, cracking the screen and causing it to shut down. The shield bounced back towards Bucky, who caught it as Sin realized what had happened and let out a primal roar of rage.
“I’m going to kill you!” Sin snarled as she pulled out a gun.
Thomas took cover, ducking behind a desk as Sin opened fire, Bucky using his shield to block the bullets.
Down on the ground floor, the Flag Smashers were standing guard over the hostages when they heard a noise. Looking up, everyone saw what seemed to be several grenade had rolled onto the floor, less than a foot away.
“Move!” One of the Flag Smashers shouted, assuming they were actual grenades.
But it was too late, the flash grenades going off in a blinding flash of light, blinding the Flag Smashers. Their enemies distracted, Walker, Sharon and his team entered the scene, firing and taking out several Flag Smashers as Sam flew down from above, firing at his own targets.
Bucky threw his shield and it sailed towards Sin but this time, she caught it with ease, smirking at him.
“I’m a super soldier too, remember?” Sin said before tossing the shield aside. “You want to beat me; you’ll need to do it hand to hand.”
Bucky rushed over and the two began trading blows. Sin pulled out a knife, attempting to stab Bucky in the face but he grabbed it with his robot arm, yanking it away from him before delivering a kick to Sin’s left leg. The blow put her off balance and Bucky struck her across the face with his metal arm, sending her flying across the room.
Sin landed on her back but quickly sat up, pulling out her gun and opening fire. Bucky dodged, rolling onto the floor and putting him right next to his shield. Picking up, Bucky used it to block the bullets before rushing forward, pulling out his own gun and opening fire. Sin rolled out of the way and Bucky threw the shield, Sin not able to dodge it this time and it struck her in the back, sending crashing into a nearby chair. Bucky was racing over to her when –
“Falling train.”
At the two words, Bucky seemed to freeze, momentarily shut down. Sin giggled maliciously as she pulled herself to his feet.
“Sorry, Soldier. You can change the uniform, but you can’t change who you are,” Sin said as she picked her knife up off the floor.
She’d barely taken a step when Bucky fired two twice, getting her in the shoulder and the leg. Sin cried out in pain before falling to the ground, blood dripping from her.
“The Wakandians took everything Hydra put in my head out years ago. Those don’t work on me anymore,” Bucky said as he walked over, kicking her knife away as reached her.
“You’ve won then. Finish it, Soldier. Kill me,” Sin sneered.
“No. I am no longer The Winter Soldier. Neither you or Hydra have any power over me anymore,” Bucky said calmly, placing his gun back in its holster before tapping his Comms piece. “Sam, Walker, status?”
“We’ve taken down all the Flag Smashers; we’re getting the hostages out. What about Sin and Thomas?”
“Sin is down, and the Prime Minister is safe,” Bucky said as he saw Thomas come out from his refuge. “It’s done.”
Later, Bucky, Sam and Sharon watched as Sin and all her associates were loaded into several trucks, with armed guards keeping watching. Walker was talking to Everett Ross, nodding at what he was saying before he walked away, approaching the trio.
“Homeland is going to find a place in holding for all of them. Then, they’ll be transferred to a Maximum security prison. Considering all the crimes they’ve committed, the death penalty is not off the table, for any of them,” Walker explained.
“No less than they deserve,” Sam noted.
“You have no idea how right you are about that,” Sharon said grimly.
“So, who wants to get out of here?” Bucky asked, suddenly realizing how tired he felt.
“I don’t disagree, but you might want to deal with that,” Walker said, pointing at the mob of reporters. “A new Captain America showing up to stop a terrorist attack is definitely a major headline.”
“Bucky, I know you don’t like the media, but if you don’t give them something, they’ll just make something up,” Sam pointed out.
Bucky weighed his options for a few moments but, as much as he didn’t like it, Sam was right. Besides, at least this way he could control the narrative.
So, with great reluctance, Bucky approached the reporters.
“Sir, who are you?”
“Is the government replacing Steve Rogers?”
“How did you get that uniform?”
The reporters fired off rapid fire questions as Bucky listened, carefully considering his next move. Finally, he reached up, slowly removing his helmet. The reporters’ questions all stopped as he revealed his face, the only sound on the street being the flashes of camera.
“My name is Bucky Barnes. In 1941, I enlisted when America joined the Second World War. My unit was captured by Hydra in 1943 before being rescued by Captain America. I became one of his Howling Commandos. I spent the next two years fighting alongside them before I fell from a train in 1945 and was presumed dead. Hydra captured me, experimented on me, and brainwashed me until I’d forgotten who I was. They called me The Winter Soldier, and I spent the next several decades doing a lot of things that I regret. Things that still keep me up at night. Then, about ten years ago, Captain America reminded me who I was, helped me break free of Hydra.
“Like many of you, I was snapped out of existence by Thanos five years ago and returned to a changed world. Before he died, Steve Rogers asked me to take his place as Captain America. I know that there are many who will feel because of my past, I don’t deserve the shield. Maybe you’re right. But Steve Rogers believed it was our responsibility to fight to protect people, to preserve our freedom. I may be the least qualified person for the job, but I’m the one Steve chose to do it. Because just like Steve, I believe it is our responsibility to fight to protect others and our freedom. So, until my dying day, I will fight to do so.”
Bucky then turned and walked off, ignoring the reporters as they fired off more questions. He’d said his piece. He didn’t owe them any more than that.
“Nice job, Cap,” Sam complimented as he reached them once more.
“I think Steve would have been proud,” Sharon added.
Bucky didn’t respond, just wanting to go home. He could deal with all the fallout tomorrow. For now, he just wanted to rest.
Washington DC, a few days later
Morning
Bucky walked through the doors to the café, closing the door behind him. It was a crowded café as he made his way towards the barista. Bucky then noticed everyone was staring at him.
And it wasn’t the way he was used to people staring at him, full of judgement and like they were afraid he’d snap at any moment. It was…different. It was almost like he was back in the 40’s and was a soldier returning home.
Bucky had barely come to this observation when the entire café broke into applause, to his disbelief.
“Nice job, Cap!”
“Welcome back!”
“Can I get your autograph?”
Bucky found himself surrounded by the customers, all wanting to thank him and get his autograph. And, for a moment, Bucky was back in the 40s, being given a hero’s welcome after returning home from the war.
It was an odd feeling, but not one that Bucky found he disliked.
Bucky’s apartment
Later that afternoon
“Ross can never use your past against you again. The people for the most part have accepted you as Captain America and a hero. The British government has even issued you a full pardon for any crimes The Winter Soldier committed as thanks for rescuing Thomas,” Walker said as he, Bucky, Sam and Sharon sat down in Bucky’s apartment as they had before Ross’ men had burst into Bucky’s apartment a week ago. “Even the President is on your side now.”
“Well, I guess one good thing came out this,” Sam noted and Bucky smiled tightly.
“A man like Ross will never let someone like me go. He’ll find another way to come after me,” Bucky said with grim confidence.
“Then you’ll just have to be ready when he does,” Sharon pointed out and Bucky shrugged, not disagreeing.
“In any case, thank you all for your help. It was an honor to work with all of you. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but thank you. No one will be able to deny that we could not have stopped the Flag Smashers without you,” Walker said gratefully before holding out a hand to Bucky. “Good luck, Barnes.”
“Bucky. My friends call me Bucky,” Bucky said before reaching out and grasping Walker’s hand in a handshake.
“Bucky. I hope to see you around,” Walker said, dropping his hand before nodding at Sam. “Sam.”
“Walker. Good luck,” Sam told him.
Walker merely nodded before he walked out Bucky’s front door. It was silent for a beat.
“So what’s next for you, Sharon?” Sam asked as he looked over at her.
“Well, Ross was a man of his word for once. I’ve been pardoned, although I suspect Walker had a hand in making sure Ross followed through,” Sharon said with a tight smile.
“Either way, you’re a free woman,” Bucky pointed out.
“You of all people know we’re never free,” Sharon said and Bucky grimaced but didn’t deny it. “I’m going to see my parents. It’s been eight years. I’m looking forward to it.”
“I can only imagine. I’d give anything to have one more moment with my parents. Don’t waste it,” Sam told her and she smiled more genuinely.
“I won’t,” Sharon promised before glancing over at Bucky. “Thank you. Walker told me what you did, how it was you who convinced Ross not to charge me with anything. So thank you.”
“Think I should be thanking you. What you said to me…it was one of the reasons I finally decided to pick up the shield,” Bucky told her.
“I just got you to do what you knew deep down you should have been doing. You don’t need to thank me for that,” Sharon said before walking over and, to the surprise of Bucky and Sam, kissing him on the cheek. “Good luck.”
Bucky merely nodded as Sharon followed Walker out the door, closing it behind her.
“I think I should take off too, I have a lot of work ahead of me,” Sam said and Bucky raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m going to look for Wanda. She’s been off the grid since Westview. I’m worried, I have been for months.”
“So why haven’t you done anything about it?” Bucky asked curiously.
“Because I was doing what Steve asked, looking out for you, making sure you were okay. But now, I think you are. And it’s time for me to step out of Steve’s shadow, be my own person,” Sam said and Bucky nodded in understanding.
“Keep me posted on Wanda.”
“You’ve got more important things to worry about, leave Wanda to me,” Sam said but Bucky gave him a flat look.
“You’re not the only one who cares about Wanda. I don’t turn my back on my friends,” Bucky said in a tone that left no room for argument and Sam nodded slowly.
“Okay, fair point. I’ll tell if I find anything out on Wanda. Good luck, Cap,” Sam told him.
“Thanks. You too.”
Sam nodded before he too left, closing the door behind him. Now alone in his apartment, Bucky looked out the window, seeing the sun shining. Bucky stared at it for a moment before smiling, finally feeling like he was walking out of the darkness of his past.
The Raft
Same time
Ross walked down a hall and into the prisoner’s section. He passed Sin’s cell on the way. She glowered at him but Sam ignored her, walking over to another cell. The occupant looked up at him blankly.
“Mr. Secretary,” Zemo greeted his voice neutral. “What can I do for you?”
“I need your help. And it’s something you will want as much as I do,” Ross said and Zemo raised an eyebrow. “We’re going to destroy Bucky Barnes.”
Notes:
And that was the ‘season finale’.
I wrote this story in large part to do justice to Bucky, Walker, Sharon and even Sam, as I felt the actual show let them all down. I hope I have succeeded in that.
As I said in the first chapter, I did not enjoy the show, it seemed like they had no idea what they were trying to do, as long time characters such as Sam and Bucky acted in complete contrast to their previous characterization while characters like Sharon were turned into mustache twirling villains for no reason other than it was the easy solution. Even new characters like Walker got the short end of the stick by getting dumped on for the entire show merely because he wasn’t Steve while characters such as Karli were treated like misguided but heroic people in spite of her shallow motivations and multiple murders. The fact that Zemo came off as the most reasonable character in the show should tell you everything about the quality of storytelling.
If you asked me to describe the arc of any character from the show and what they learned during it, I would have trouble describing it because no one seemed to learn anything of significance, bad behavior either goes unpunished or is rewarded while good behavior is treated like a crime. Even the ‘arcs’ of Sam and Bucky felt unneeded and pointless, as the two end up exactly where they were at the end of Endgame. I couldn’t even tell you with total honestly who were the villains and heroes, as who the writers thought were the villains and who the audience did were worlds apart.
Moving on, I’m leaving it open ended to continue the story if I decide to come back to it (I haven’t made up my mind completely on that front but I’m open to the possibly of continuing this universe). A hypothetical Captain America 4 would focus on Bucky fighting against Ross and Zemo while Sam would be looking for Wanda (in this universe, Multiverse of Madness would not happen) during that time, resulting in a Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers situation where all three Avengers team up again.
Because there’s no reason why people like Sam or Clint would just ignore Wanda clearly spiraling and would do their best to find and help her. It’s one of my issues with the Hawkeye show, specifically Kate Bishop. She was okay, but it always rubbed me the wrong way that they gave Clint a replacement Wanda rather than focusing on him continuing to look out for Wanda the way he had been.
So, that’s my story. I hope you all enjoyed it.
Until next time.
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