Bucky’s Perspective
I stared, frozen, at the figure before me. It couldn’t be. Years spent in the dark, enduring unimaginable pain… they couldn’t have survived all this.
“[Y/N]…?” I breathed, the name a raw whisper. The figure stopped, head turning with agonizing slowness. Their gaze locked on mine.
“Bucky.” The voice was a low growl, laced with a cold fury. They pushed themselves upright, wrists straining against the rusted chains. A glare, burning with years of torment, pinned me in place.
“[Y/N], what have they done to you?” I reached out, hands gripping the iron bars of the cage. They laughed, a hollow, brittle sound.
“Now you care?” They spat the words, their voice rising with unrestrained rage. “You left me to rot! You… you fucking bastard!” The scream reverberated off the cold stone walls. I closed my eyes, the sound a deserved punishment. I had abandoned them, and this was the consequence.
“We’re getting you out of here, alright?” Nat asked, her voice calm as she worked at the lock. [Y/N] looked at her for the first time, a flicker of hope in their eyes. They nodded, a small, almost imperceptible movement.
“Yes, please.” The words were a soft whimper, barely audible. Nat finally abandoned the lock pick, pulling a pistol from her sidearm. She shot the lock, shattering it into fragments. [Y/N] flinched at the sound, recoiling slightly. Nat moved quickly, working at the wrist restraints. Steve and Tony turned to me, their faces grim.
“Who are they?” Steve asked, his voice low. I hesitated. Should I tell them? Would they abuse their power? I trusted Steve implicitly, but Tony…Tony was another matter. “They’re… complicated.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “They’re Hydra’s secret weapon.” I glanced toward [Y/N], the dark wings folded tightly against their back. “Their name is [Y/N]. I’ll explain everything later.”
Steve nodded, his jaw tight. Nat called out, “Hey Tony, I could use your assistance in here.” Tony moved forward, nodding, and began using the lasers in his suit to cut through the remaining chains. Together, they helped [Y/N] walk toward the cell door, then out of the base and toward the waiting ship.
“Peter! Open the ship!” Tony yelled, his voice echoing across the tarmac. The ramp slowly lowered, and I saw something flash out of the corner of my eye near the base, a glint of metal. Peter sat inside the ship, mask pulled up. His eyes widened when he saw [Y/N]. Nat settled them into a seat and draped a blanket over their shoulders. [Y/N] offered a quiet thank you, pulling the blanket tighter around them. Steve moved to take the helm, while Tony went to speak with Peter. I sat down beside Nat and [Y/N]. I was nervous, bracing myself for an attack, but they remained still.
After a while, [Y/N] began to droop with exhaustion. Nat went to speak with Steve, leaving me alone with them. I held them as they drifted toward sleep.
“I really am sorry, [Y/N].” I whispered, my voice barely audible. No response. They must have already fallen asleep. Then came a soft hum, a vibration against my leg. Their eyes fluttered open, but didn’t focus. A hand slowly shifted, gripping my arm weakly.