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Tony wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, colors indescribable—and from one moment to the next the image was gone from Steve’s mind.
*
Cold seeped past Steve’s skin and into his muscles, not quite freezing his bones, but making him sluggish. His eyelashes were stiff with frost, sticking together. He could almost hear the sound of snow crunching as he opened his eyes.
Steve saw his breath before he saw his surroundings. It took him a moment, the contrast between the dark walls and pure white snow was confusing. The last few minutes crashed into his mind. Tony seeing that video, him attacking Bucky—shooting Bucky’s arm off.
Steve jumped to his feet, his clothes stiff with frost. Tony was nowhere in sight—Bucky was nowhere in sight.
“Bucky?” he called out, his voice raspy from disuse. “Bucky?!”
He could see the devastation of battle around him, but no Bucky, not even his blasted off arm.
Desperation clawed at Steve’s throat as he went through the base, his shouts echoing off the cold walls.
He couldn’t tell how long it lasted before he ran out into the cold, only the jet he’d stolen there. His heart broke when no one was inside of it. His fingers dug into the leather of the pilot’s chair, tearing it unconsciously.
A loop of all the things Tony could be doing to Bucky, all the violence and misplaced anger, ran through his head. His breathing became short. He almost felt like he was having an asthma attack. He didn’t know what to do.
He didn’t know what to do!
He always had a clear path forward, but now he was lost. He barely found Bucky the first time! And now Tony had him. He could be doing anything! God, hadn’t Bucky been through enough?
Who could he call? Sam and the rest of the people on his side probably got caught without him there. Natasha had helped him, but without a doubt Tony had her locked up for doing the right thing.
That left just Sharon. He wasn’t sure if she could help at this point. She was part of one of those government agencies, no different than SHIELD. She would have to do.
But getting into contact with her was a whole other problem. When she helped him out last, she was the one to get in contact with him.
The jet’s radar started beeping—three aircraft and a swarm of vehicles, all heading his way.
Steve sat in the pilot seat, turning the jet on, but none of the buttons made sense to him. It was like they’d all been switched around. He ground his teeth, trying not to let panic grip him.
The jet was surrounded by snowmobiles and he could hear the planes and choppers above. Steve cursed under his breath. Soldiers surrounded the jet, guns and more than one bazooka pointed his way. Before he could act or make them understand why they were being unreasonable, he was detained.
*
Within a day of being in Russian custody, he escaped. He had to find Bucky. He had to keep him safe from Tony.
More than ever he wished he had Natasha’s help. She would have gotten him out of Russia in less than a week. Instead, it took him just over a month—every second spent worrying about Bucky.
Outside of Russia, the real hunt began. He learned that he was a fugitive in three countries, and nearly every country he had to go through had extradition treaties with at least one. He also learned that Tony had gone back to the US, with no word about Bucky.
Steve and Bucky were being blamed for the multiple deaths of the task-force that had a shoot to kill policy on Bucky. They were the ones who were about to commit murder. It only meant sense that Steve would react with equal force.
Then there were the deaths in the tunnel during their chase. If the task-force and the man in the panther suit had been reasonable, none of it would have happened! But the government was covering that part up, using Steve as a scapegoat since he wasn’t there to defend himself.
Steve tried to set the record straight and plead to Tony to not hurt Bucky by posting a video, but he received backlash from all sides. The media pulled apart his logic, twisting and distorting it till he looked like some callus villain.
Tony’s PR team coupled with the UN, stated that he had no knowledge on the whereabouts of the ‘terrorist’ Winter Soldier.
Panic attacks nearly crippled him.
Then a video that didn’t make sense was released by the Russians. It was of the Siberian bunker. It showed Bucky and Steve shooting the frozen Winter Soldiers without hesitation. They laughed together and spoke with unreadable lips. Bucky left after that, leaving Steve there to search the base. The video ended with him going to the jet and being captured by the Russians.
It was so clearly fake, so obviously doctored that Steve was almost certain that from one moment to the next people would be calling the Russians out for their deception.
But they didn’t.
The public outcry for Steve and Bucky’s heads only got louder. The hunt for them only grew more vigorous. Everyone was convinced that they were a pair of monsters. Every step he took was dogged by countless people, all faceless, all standing in Steve’s way.
Then they set his friends against him. It was Wanda. The UN had turned that poor sweet kid against him. He was only able to dodge her because he was the one who trained her.
Slowly, he made his way to America, to the US.
Getting into Stark Tower was surprisingly—suspiciously—easy. He found Tony in his penthouse. He was grinning, showing his real character. Steve had been right with his first assessment of Tony Stark. He was no hero, only playing the part for his own amusement.
“I’m glad you’ve decided to turn yourself in,” Tony said dryly. He sipped at a green smoothie, looking completely at ease.
“What did you do to Bucky?” Steve ground out. It took everything in him not to put his hands on Tony, to shake some sense into him.
“You lost your toy-soldier? Again?” Tony scoffed. “Why are you asking me? You had no qualms with using my money and resources for non-Avengers outings without my knowledge before. Shouldn’t you be begging for my money and lawyers to save you instead of throwing accusations at me?”
Steve prowled forward, but was stopped mid-way by an invisible barrier that burned his skin.
“Did you think I’d let a cold-blooded fugitive like you near me without protection?” Tony teased. “I don’t know why you think I did something to your terminator, unless there’s something you’re not telling me.” Tony put on a look of pure innocents that just screamed false to Steve.
“You know why.” Steve could barely contain himself.
Tony fluttered his eyelashes. Steve punched the invisible wall, searing his hand. The sent of burnt meat didn’t deter him.
“Temper temper,” Tony chided. “I don’t have a clue where your boyfriend is. I don’t even know why you think I would. Maybe it’s some psychosis from your time in the ice.”
“You tried to murder him! It was Hydra that killed your parents! Not Bucky!” Why couldn’t Tony see past his own ego and understand that?!
“Really now. How strange,” Tony drawled out. “Jarvis, can you call Howard to my penthouse please.”
“I won’t fall for another one of your tricks, Tony. Just give me my Bucky.” And hadn’t Tony gone on and on about how he lost his favorite computer program after he made Ultron? It was like his lies were compulsive.
Behind him, Steve heard the whoosh of the elevator doors. He glanced backwards and froze. It couldn’t be, but Steve’s eyes hadn’t fooled him since the serum. He recognized Howard, even though he was much older—looked much older now.
Steve was tongue tied.
“You murdered all those people,” Howard said softly, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I ever thought you were a good man.”
It was like a punch in the gut. He didn’t know what to say. He hardened his resolve. He wouldn’t be fooled by another one of Tony’s tricks. “Damn it, Tony! Just give me back Bucky!”
“Language, Cap,” Tony scolded, grin still in place.
Howard circled around the invisible barrier and to Tony’s side. He looked so disappointed in Steve.
Before Steve could even think of what to say, armed task-force members, Wanda, and now Sam surrounded him.
“Sam!” he called out, but received only a shake of his head and another look of disappointment.
It didn’t make sense—none of it made sense.
He couldn’t put up a fight against Wanda’s telekinesis. He was put in handcuffs that had Stark Industries sketched into them. They put a short chain between his feet, making each step stunted.
Time passed in a blur. Every time he told the story about Siberia, they put forward contradicting evidence.
Slowly, Steve started to question himself. Once he started, he never stopped. A sort of madness overtook him. He was constantly in a state of confusion and anger. His mind deteriorated until all that was left was self-doubt and grief.