You didn't change
“There, in the centre room, there’s the daughter of one of the men trying to take control over the Taliban of this region. They take her separated from the other children because they know she could be the only target of a mission” Iris explained pointing to the map on the screen as everyone listened to her.
“So, do we only rescue her?” Clint asks with confusion evident in his eyes. “No, we save all of them. However, I can nearly confirm that the moment you enter that room, a security system will be triggered. And given this is no Avenger tower, the security system will likely be a bomb,” she replies.
“So, how do we extract her?” Steve inquires while resting his hands on the table.
“Steve, the Winter Soldier, and I will enter the building, starting from the right wing. Stark, Natasha, and Clint, you will handle the six men outside. As you finish, the boys here will escort the first eight children out, and Clint will take them to the jet. As they re-enter the building, we will shift to the left wing, and Natasha will be prepared for when the other eight emerge. Steve and the others will assist you. Stark, you will cover them and prepare the jet for departure. I will come out last with the girl. Is everything clear?”
“So, your plan is to go by yourself in the main room? No way.” It was predictable that Steve wouldn’t agree with this part of the plan. However, he looked too hot in his suit to put up any argument. “No other way, Captain. Discussion over,” she responded firmly. In about an hour, they were all ready. As the tailgate opened, she pulled up her hood and hoped that everything would proceed smoothly. Steve locked eyes with her, nodding with the confidence of someone who knows that everything he touches gets fixed, or perhaps it was just a facade.
To her right, she could sense the anger in the air, emanating from the other supersoldier, Hydra’s most famous killer. “My name is not The Winter Soldier,” he whispered so only she could hear. “I know,” she responded, noticing his body tensing. “Don’t mess this up. James.” And just like that, they were on the ground running towards the school. Her eyes were focused ahead, senses on alert. Steve kicked the door down and they split. Everything was going as it was supposed to. Almost no men were inside the building and James took care of the few. The first 8 children were secured on the jet. One-third of the mission was done. They just needed to keep their focus. “Found the other 8,” she heard Steve’s voice through the earpiece. “Take them out,” she instructed, entering the next room, two knives in both her hands shining in front of her, ready and steady.
“Iris, I’ve lost Bucky,” he suddenly reports with a rising panic. “What do you mean?” Iris asks, her voice shaking a bit.
“Take the kids out, Steve,” she ordered. “Find him,” Steve responded, worry lacing his usually steady voice. There were no men inside and this was a fucking school, James was not lost. She knew that much. As she retraced her steps through each room on the right wing, she heard Clint’s voice over the earpiece, “Two armored incomings. You have a max of five minutes.” Bucky had better have a good reason for jeopardizing the mission like this. Finding nothing in the right wing, she sprinted toward the center of the building. She saw the room where Naija, the last child to save, was. But Bucky wasn’t there. If she entered that room, she would have two minutes to exit before the entire building exploded, potentially with James inside. A part of her found the thought kinda appealing. But she couldn’t do it. Steve would never forgive her. But why did she even care? “Last eight children secured,” Steve reported. “Steve, do not dare to come back in. I’ve got this.” She moved back to the left side, and after a few meters, she saw an open door. “What the hell are you doing?” she spat out, snatching a bunch of folders from his hand. “Did you know about this?” He nearly screamed, his voice barely audible over the sound of gunfire from the approaching vehicles. As she looked at the file in her hands, she read the label, “The Winter Soldier Program.” They were both shocked, but there was no time for that. A hail of bullets hit the windows of the room as they fled down the hallway. “Get the hell out of here,” Iris screamed. “What are you doing?” “Getting the kid. Get the hell out of here before I kill you,” she warned.
Steve saw Bucky running toward the jet, as Tony took care of a few men that were coming their way. He looked shocked and mostly angry. Once the men were down, all eyes were on the timer. She should have been there by now.
“We need to leave” Tony yelled as he was already in the pilot seat, accelerating the engine. “No. We wait for her,” Steve cried out. The idea of leaving her there, in the middle of god knows where, in a building ready to explode, with a dozen men approaching, seemed unthinkable. But looking around, it was clear that this thought was not shared by all.
“Stark, we are not leaving her,” his voice came strong, “I’m going back in.” A metal arm gripped his arm and shoved him back inside the jet, “No you are not.” Bucky responded as the tailgate was coming up. “Tony, stop!” And then there was chaos. As the tailgate almost closed, she slid in holding the child, while the whole background exploded. The impact of the explosion hit the back of the jet but fortunately, Tony had already gotten them enough in the sky. Steve sprinted towards her, just as she gently loosened her grip on the child. Her face was a mask of fury, but her gaze was not directed at him. Instead, her eyes were looking at something or someone behind him.
Then, with a speed that was almost unnatural, she moved. A knife was thrown past him, its trajectory aimed unmistakably at Bucky.
“You didn’t change a bit,” she cried out storming past Steve without a backward glance, “how could you risk everything, put everyone in danger? And for what?” Her fists clenched, she lunged at him, but her strength gave out. Stumbling, she fell to the ground, her hands instinctively clutching her left side as blood seeped through her fingers.
Without missing a beat, Steve immediately scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the medical room. Banner and Natasha were hot on his heels. As he gently laid her down, he cut open her jacket. Nestled against her side was a folder, now stained with her blood. A bullet had found its place on her left side.
Leaving Banner with the space he needed to work, Steve quietly exited the room, his footsteps leading him to Bucky’s room. As he raised his hand to knock, he found the door already opened. Inside, Bucky was sitting on his bed, his arms crossed tightly across his chest and his eyes closed.
“I thought I lost you,” Steve said quietly as he stepped into the room.
“Sorry.”
“What were you doing?”
“I got lost.”
“Oh bullshit,” the words came tumbling out, their harshness echoing in the otherwise silent room, “She went back for that.”
Bucky’s eyes flicked open at the sound of the blood-soaked folder landing on his bed.
“Get it together, Buck.”