The End Of The Line
Khione’s soon carving her way through SHIELD agents to prevent Steve from disarming the Helicarriers. They’re aboard one of them now, and Bucky takes in the view. It’s amazing how much D.C has changed in the 70 years he’d been gone. Steve was in front of him now, but Khione shoves him aside, sending Steve plummeting, just like Bucky had all those years ago.
Bucky’s heart aches. Even though Steve is enhanced now, he knows it’s unlikely Steve could survive a fall the way he had. Not with all the concrete below them. Bucky had the advantage back then; it was a much shorter fall.
Sam swoops in in all his bird-like glory, trying to rescue Steve but Khione pulls out a device, sending it clamping onto his wings. With a sharp tug, one of the wings rips off and Khione uses Sam’s confusion to kick him off the platform to fall to his death.
Khione leaves the men to their fates and heads towards the data core. The room Steve had no doubt been searching for. Bucky was shocked. Steve hadn’t fallen, after all.
“Please don’t make me do this.” Steve pleads.
“Do you hear that, James? Your beloved Steve does care for you after all.” Khione scoffs.
Steve looks confused. Bucky understands. Why would he refer to himself in the third person?
“Your love screams at me inside our head. He pleads for your life over his own. Should we begin? I’d hate to let you get on with your plan.”
“W-what are you?” Steve stammers.
“I am your god.” Khione says, flashing her eyes once more.
“I’m sorry, Buck.” Steve says, flinging his shield towards them. Khione blocks it, sending the shield hurtling downwards. Bucky winces at every shot she fires. Steve had opted to wear an older version of his uniform, and from what Bucky remembered, it wasn’t exactly bulletproof.
Their fight wages on and Khione draws a knife from its sheath at his side. Steve had tried to remove the targeting chip now, and Khione was intent on stopping him. She ran forward, plunging the knife into Steve’s shoulder.
Bucky screamed out at her to stop, but he couldn’t get through to the parasite. Her bloodlust was consuming his every thought, and it was giving him one hell of a headache to try and fight her off.
Khione had grabbed the chip, attempting to break it when Steve plowed into her, sending them tumbling to the floor. Steve was furiously trying to get the chip back without hurting him. It wasn’t working. He had no choice but to snap Bucky’s right arm to get Khione to withdraw.
Bucky howled in pain for the first time in a long time, Khione seemed a bit too distracted to notice her slip in control. She quickly recovered but Steve was already one step ahead of her. He’d climbed back up to the override bank. Khione fumed. She shot him in the back, but he still managed to switch the chips before crumpling to the floor.
A massive explosion occurred below them, and Bucky knew whatever Steve had done had been successful. Suddenly, large chunks of debris were falling all around them. One had fallen onto Bucky’s legs now and he cried out in agony. Steve jumped down from the control deck.
Run. Damn it Steve, run! Bucky screamed in his head, but it wasn’t any use. Steve couldn’t hear him.
Steve looked down at him with a sad smile. He used the last of his strength to lift the large sheet of metal off Bucky’s legs.
“You know me.” He says, and Bucky laughs. Of course, he knows him.
“My host cannot help you.” Khione spits, raising Bucky’s arm to punch him. Steve takes every blow she dishes out.
“Buck, if you can hear me, I know this ain’t you. I don’t know what’s happened to you, but I just want to help.” He says through the pain.
“Shut up!” Khione yells, and Bucky can sense she’s losing her grip.
“I’m not gonna fight you. You’re my friend, and a long time ago, I hoped we could’ve been something more because I'm with you ‘til the end of the line.”
Bucky feels a new power within himself. He uses all the strength he has to push Khione back into the recesses of his mind.
“NO!” She screams as she fades away.
Bucky’s ecstatic. Steve’s words gave him the strength to fight his demons, and he’d finally won. He doesn’t have time to celebrate, however, because the helicarrier is falling apart.
A large section of the roof has collapsed, but just as Bucky attempts to warn Steve, the glass beneath them gives way, sending them plummeting into the icy water below. Bucky feels the water burn his skin, memories of trains and Alps swim through his head. He brushes them off.
Where’s Steve?
He looks around but sees nothing but debris. He swims further down and sees a dark mass sinking quickly.
Steve!
He dives down towards him, grabbing the back of his flimsy uniform. Though his ‘real’ arm is fractured, he uses it to help guide himself and Steve back to the surface. They emerge on a riverbank after what feels like an eternity.
Bucky looks fondly at Steve before slipping away into the afternoon.
Khione was still in his head, but he’d finally found the courage to break free after all these years.
The last thing he sees before he loses consciousness is a large man with a golden tattoo in the centre of his forehead, pointing a zat’nik’tel at his chest. In a burst of electricity, he hits the ground and convulses before passing out.