Shadows on the Highway
The car rumbled along the highway, the tension inside thick as Steve, Natasha, Sam, Celeste, and Sitwell occupied the cramped space. Sitwell’s nervous glances darted between them as they drove, his voice shaky as he spilled Hydra’s secrets.
“Project Insight isn’t about security,” Sitwell stammered. “It’s about control. Hydra’s algorithm identifies threats before they even act. Once the Helicarriers are up, they’ll neutralize anyone who stands in the way.”
Steve clenched his jaw. “And who decides who’s a threat?”
Sitwell’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Not you.”
Before anyone could respond—
BAM!
A metallic hand slammed through the window and yanked Sitwell clean out of the car. The Hydra operative barely had time to scream before he was flung straight into the path of an oncoming truck. The sickening crunch of impact sent shockwaves through the vehicle.
“Down!” Steve barked.
Gunfire rained from above, ripping through the roof. Natasha instinctively threw herself over Steve, shielding him as Celeste dove over the middle seat, taking Sitwell’s vacant spot.
Sam wrenched the wheel, tires screeching, but before he could react—
BOOM!
A grenade round exploded just behind them. The car lurched violently, flipping through the air before crashing onto its roof. The world spun as glass shattered and metal groaned under the force.
Celeste had barely crawled out of the wreckage before bullets peppered the ground around her. She rolled, narrowly avoiding another shot, and took cover behind a wrecked car. She could hear Steve helping Natasha and Sam to their feet nearby.
A figure moved with unnatural grace, landing with deadly precision. The Winter Soldier.
His gaze swept the battlefield, cold and calculated. Without hesitation, he raised his weapon and fired.
They split up.
Sam took to the air but was struck mid-flight, sent hurtling into a nearby car. Natasha engaged next, weaving between gunfire. She got close enough to land a strike, misdirecting him and slipping behind him, but it wasn’t enough. A sharp gunshot rang out, and Natasha gritted her teeth, clutching her shoulder as she scrambled behind a car.
Now it was Celeste’s turn.
She lunged at the Winter Soldier, their movements blurring together in a deadly dance. She struck with light-infused daggers, forcing him to deflect each blow. His metal arm absorbed the impact, sparks flying as he countered with brutal efficiency. Their fight was close-quarters, vicious, each strike landing harder than the last.
A sudden shot rang out.
Pain flared through Celeste’s upper arm, the force sending her staggering. But she pushed forward, refusing to back down. She dodged, countered, her blades clashing against metal. She almost gained the upper hand—until he twisted, slicing a knife across her stomach.
Celeste gasped, stumbling backward, hand pressed against the wound as blood seeped through her fingers. She barely made it behind cover next to another wrecked car, breath coming in short gasps. Across from her, Natasha met her gaze from her own hiding spot, both of them injured but unwilling to surrender.
Then Steve stepped in.
He clashed with the Winter Soldier in an all-out brawl. Their strikes sent shockwaves through the pavement, Steve’s shield clashing against metal. The assassin moved with terrifying precision, countering Steve’s attacks with brutal efficiency. Their fight escalated into a knife battle, each movement a blur of steel and instinct.
Steve barely dodged a lethal strike, blocking with his shield as the Winter Soldier forced him back. Then—
In a stunning move, the assassin caught Steve’s shield with his metal hand and hurled it aside like a mere toy.
Celeste watched in horror as Steve took a solid hit, knocking him backward. But then—
Steve’s next punch struck true. The Winter Soldier’s mask flew off, revealing the face beneath.
Celeste’s breath caught in her throat.
“Bucky?” Steve’s voice cracked with disbelief.
The assassin’s expression flickered, a shadow of confusion passing over his features. But then, as if something inside him snapped, his gaze hardened.
“Who the hell is Bucky?”
Before Steve could react, the Winter Soldier attacked with renewed ferocity, his programming taking hold once more. Celeste barely had time to process it before Hydra operatives closed in, forcing them all into retreat.
The battle wasn’t over yet.