CHAPTER FORTY —
( Who the hell is Bucky? )

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The trio, with Sitwell, squeezed into Sam's cramped car and hurried toward the Triskelion. The Helicarriers were set to be turned on the next day, so they had to figure out how to break into the Triskelion, board all three Helicarriers, and turn them offline.

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks," Sitwell told them.

"Why don't you try sticking a cork in it?" Sam replied. "Insight's launching in 16 hours. We're cutting it a little bit close."

"I know. We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly," Steve said.

"What?" Sitwell asked. "Are you crazy? That is a terrible, terrible idea."

A loud thud echoed from the roof. Suddenly, a metal arm smashed through the window next to Sitwell, grabbing him and pulling him out into the path of an oncoming truck. The metal arm disappeared just as quickly, and more thuds resonated above.

"Shit..." Evelyn mumbled before quickly climbing into the front seat, just as the Winter Soldier fired at where she had been sitting. She yanked Steve toward her chest and pushed Sam's face away with her foot just as two bullets struck the seats they had occupied. Sam quickly slammed on the brakes, and Evelyn watched as the Winter Soldier flipped off the car and rolled onto the ground in front of them.

Evelyn pulled out her gun, ready to shoot, when another car crashed into them from behind. The impact pushed their vehicle toward the Winter Soldier, who then sprang onto the roof of their car. Sam tried to brake again but to no avail. The Winter Soldier punched through the window and yanked on Sam's steering wheel. In a desperate move, Evelyn reached through the window and grabbed his leg, but he slashed at her hand with his knife and jumped onto the car behind them.

"Hang on!" Steve shouted as he grabbed Evelyn, who quickly reached for Sam. With a mighty shove, Steve pulled the car door off its hinges, and all three of them slid across the door, away from the vehicles. Evelyn watched in horror as the car they had just escaped from tumbled and rolled.

Once the door came to a stop, Evelyn quickly stood up. Her eyes widened as she saw the Winter Soldier being handed a grenade launcher. "Shit!" she exclaimed. He fired at them, but Steve pushed Evelyn out of the way, taking the blast with his shield. The force sent him flying over the bridge.

The HYDRA agents began firing at Evelyn and Sam, prompting Evelyn to quickly position herself to shield Sam from the bullets as they sought refuge behind a car. A bullet struck her shoulder, but without hesitation, Evelyn dug her fingers into the wound to extract the bullet. "Will you be alright?" she asked urgently.

Sam turned to her, panic evident on his face. "On my own? Yeah, sure."

Evelyn nodded and sprang to her feet. Bullets whizzed past her, but her reflexes were faster. She leapt over the car and rolled into a crouch. She shot at the agents, the majority of her shots piercing their skin while a couple of theirs hit her. One of the men charged at her, but Evelyn sidestepped, grabbed his wrist, and twisted hard. The crack of bone echoed, and he fell, howling in pain, and another bullet pierced her skin.

Evelyn turned to the Winter Soldier as he hurried forward, and she launched herself at him, her fists flying. Their bodies collided, metal against flesh echoing in the air. She ducked under his powerful swing and retaliated with rapid punches that landed with precision. He staggered but recovered quickly, his metal arm swinging in a wide arc. Evelyn ducked, feeling the rush of air as it whooshed past her. She rolled and then launched herself onto the edge of the bridge. She quickly leapt forward and delivered a powerful kick that sent the Winter Soldier sprawling.

The remaining agents hesitated, fear creeping into their expressions. Evelyn took a breath, her healing factor already mending the bullet holes in her skin. She advanced with a predatory grace, her eyes locked on her opponents. She no longer felt like the Gemini; something darker emerged within her. Something that HYDRA branded her with, which had always lain dormant within. "Your turn."

With a swift motion, she closed the distance, and the fight resumed—a furious clash of combat and gunfire that echoed everywhere. Some agents dispersed toward Steve, while others targeted Sam, who fought back fiercely.

Evelyn's heart raced, her adrenaline surging as she faced down the remaining men. They were disorganised now, slowing down as they witnessed the skill and ferocity with which she fought. She was used to being outnumbered, and she moved with the grace of a predator, each punch calculated, each kick a precise strike aimed at bringing her enemies to their knees.

As she moved forward, one of the men, a more petite figure with wide eyes, suddenly raised his gun again, trembling slightly. "Stay back!" he shouted, his voice cracking. Evelyn's gaze locked onto the barrel, and instantly, she saw an opportunity. She feigned a step forward, forcing him to squeeze the trigger. The bullet whizzed past her ear, the sound sharp and alarming. But Evelyn was already moving, darting to the side and closing the distance between them. She grabbed his wrist and twisted, the gun clattering to the ground as she disarmed him effortlessly. A swift knee to his gut sent him crashing to the pavement. Evelyn glanced over her shoulder at Sam and noticed the Winter Soldier advancing towards him.

"I'm over here, Winter Soldier!" Evelyn yelled in Russian.

The HYDRA assassin looked over his shoulder, and his stance turned to face her. "I will bring you in, Annihilator."

Evelyn grinned as she took a step back. "Only if you catch me!" With that, she jumped over the bridge and landed on the road below. She waited for the assassin, and just as he leaned over the ledge, she fired an ice blast at his mask, causing him to step back in surprise. Evelyn ran towards the bus Steve was thrown into, noticing how he was fighting his own group of HYDRA agents. She glanced over her shoulder briefly and watched the Winter Soldier jump off the bridge to follow her, so she ran another way to draw him away from Steve.

"Get back! Run! Get out of here!" Evelyn yelled at the people standing idly by, wondering what was happening. Seeing Evelyn covered in teared-up clothing and covered in blood motivated the majority to hide.

Evelyn crouched behind a car, waiting for his arrival. Once the Winter Soldier came into view, creeping slowly and looking around for her, she launched herself into the air and sliced his legs with her knife. Before he could react, she delivered a series of rapid-fire punches. Each strike found its mark—his jaw, his ribs, the side of his head. With every hit, she felt the familiar rush of power coursing through her. It came like muscle memory to her, training in HYDRA against the Winter Soldier and fighting each other until the other was down. Evelyn had won the majority of times, but on the odd occasion, the Winter Soldier would win, but only if the Annihilator was distracted.

She gripped his metal arm and froze it up, leaving him only with his right arm for the time being. He had pulled out a knife and began to slice at her, but Evelyn was quick to block and attack his sides instead.

Not realising he had movement back in his metal arm, the assassin swung his arm like a battering ram against Evelyn's head. Evelyn staggered to regain control, but the Winter Soldier finally had the upper hand. He grabbed her arm with his metal hand and delivered a sharp blow to the side of her head again. He delivered a firm kick against her chest that sent her stumbling backwards, and then quickly began to slice, punch, and attack the Gemini, anything to keep her down. She kept wincing in pain as she tried to get a hold of herself, but then he wrapped his metal hand around her neck, quickly lifted her and slammed her into the ground.

Evelyn could feel the broken bones in her back digging into her skin, and she began to cough as the assassin continued to squeeze her neck. He pulled a syringe from his pocket. Evelyn, gathering all her strength, grabbed his metal hand with one hand and the one holding the syringe with the other, trying to push them away.

"I...will not go...back to that hell hole," she wheezed out.

"We will be partners again."

She didn't understand how she found the strength, but hearing those last words awakened something within her, and Evelyn succeeded in flipping the Winter Soldier over and pinning his hands to the ground.

"This isn't who you are!" she urged, her voice steady as she locked eyes with the assassin below. "You are kind, caring, and loving. You fought in World War II against the Nazis, and you saved me from HYDRA. You are so much more than what HYDRA made you. Please, Winter. Remember who you truly are!"

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and for a fleeting moment, vulnerability flickered in his deep blue eyes. But that fragile spark was quickly consumed by rage. "No," he said, drowning out her plea.

With a growl of defiance, he flipped Evelyn over his head with his legs and quickly spun around to punch her with his metal arm. The metal connected with her, and pain coursed through her once again. Just as she prepared to fight back, she felt the familiar pinch of a needle piercing her skin. Evelyn's eyes widened in panic as she looked up at the Winter Soldier. She quickly pulled out the syringe but knew it was too late. Dizziness hit her rapidly, and her strength drained away. Evelyn felt numb all over and tried to push herself off the ground, but she collapsed instead.

"Why can't you see this isn't right," Evelyn mumbled. "This is...this isn't you."

The Winter Soldier hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with doubt. He cautiously moved closer to get another look at Gemini. "Evelyn?" he mumbled, uncertainty creeping into his voice. Steve rushed in before either could react and tackled the Winter Soldier away from Evelyn.

Steve rushed to her side, his eyes darting over her weakened form. "Evelyn? What's wrong? What did he do to you?"

"Syringe...it makes me weak," she managed to slur, her voice barely a whisper. She lifted her hand and pressed it against his chest with a trembling effort. "I'm fine. Just...go get him."

The Winter Soldier appeared and began to fight Steve near Evelyn. Soon after, Sam arrived and crouched down beside Evelyn, gently helping her into a seated position. Although she insisted that she was alright, her difficulty forming sentences and weak grip on Sam's hand suggested otherwise. Then, she heard it.

"Bucky?"

Evelyn turned her head and glanced at Steve, who was standing opposite a maskless Winter Soldier. Bucky Barnes.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

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HYDRA pulled the woman into a dimly lit room. Weakened from the relentless experiments, her body was a battlefield, fighting to heal itself. They tied her down onto a metal examination table while other agents moved briskly around the space. As she surveyed her surroundings, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that more agents lurked here than ever before

The door to her right swung open, and two large men entered, gripping a struggling figure between them. They dragged him roughly across the floor, leaving faint scuff marks in their wake, before lifting him onto an opposing metallic examination table. The woman tried to focus on the man's features, but his long, dishevelled hair obscured his face. She strained to place him, searching her memory for a connection, but she barely recognised anyone in the room.

The man groaned, muscles protesting, as he attempted to sit up, only to feel the cold grip of restraints fastening him into the dreadful memory wipe chair. The woman knew it was her turn next and braced herself, mentally preparing for what would come. Her attention was drawn to the glint of light reflecting off one of his arms—a prosthetic metal arm. A frown tugged at her lips as she watched the mechanical arm struggle against the hold of the restraints and the men holding it down. The man with the metallic arm scanned the room, desperate. Worry and anger swirled in his eyes when his gaze finally locked onto hers.

"Evelyn?" he whispered.

The woman furrowed her brow, uncertainty clouding her features as she scanned the dimly lit room. "Are you talking to me?" she inquired with curiosity and concern.

At that, the man's eyes widened in dread and realisation. Panic surged through him as he thrashed against the cold metal restraints that bound him, his voice rising in urgency. "Don't do this to her! No! She doesn't deserve this! Evelyn!" His gaze locked onto hers, a plea for understanding etched across his face.

The woman's stomach dropped with empathy, yet she could only offer him a sympathetic frown. "I'm... I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about."

The man began to thrash violently in his restraints, desperation flooding his movements as he fought against the bonds that held him. Two guards swiftly moved in, their grip firm as they pressed him back down. One reached for a roll of duct tape to place over his mouth, and another put the memory wipe machine on his head. With one last sad glance at the woman, they turned the machine on, frying his brain. His muffled screams were the only things you could hear.

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Evelyn found herself abruptly pushed onto her stomach, Rumlow's body pinning her down. The weight of him pressed heavily against her back, leaving her gasping for breath as the fight drained from her muscles. She couldn't even struggle against him, her strength depleted, rendering her nearly powerless beneath him.

"Stay down!" He yelled at her.

"Fuck off," Evelyn mumbled as he placed cuffs around her wrists. She looked around and saw both Steve and Sam being handcuffed, with Steve worriedly staring at her.

"Put the gun down," Rumlow told one of the HYDRA men. "Not here. Not here!"

Evelyn's mind swirled with fragments of memories associated with HYDRA, each moment a puzzle piece she struggled to fit together. She racked her brain, searching for any sign—a fleeting glance or a whispered word—when she might have genuinely recognised Bucky Barnes. Usually, she only caught the intense tone of his voice or the piercing intensity of his gaze, but one particular instance lingered in her thoughts. It was a brief moment when she caught a glimpse of him through a haze of confusion; his features illuminated just enough for her to feel the weight of familiarity simmering beneath the surface. It was shrouded in the chaos of her memories, another moment in HYDRA that Evelyn chose to block out. She should've recognised Bucky as the Winter Soldier years ago, and now she felt guilty that she wasn't able to help her friend, help Steve's best friend out, and rescue him from HYDRA's wrath.

AUTHORS NOTE
I've decided that I'm just gonna publish chapters unedited from now on just so people can read the whole story instead of waiting so longggggg
It's taken me a year to only do this much of the story and I feel a little bad 😬
Don't forget to like and comment
-rosepetal / Pheebs