Author's note: I recently watched the Winter Soldier, and this was the result of my overactive imagination. However, my memory isn't perfect, and this scene is different from the one in the movie, but I did my best to get the essence of it down. Forgive me if it isn't accurate enough.

Prologue

Metal was screeching, distant explosions rocking every square inch of the SHIELD helicarrier. The vibrations alone were enough to throw a man off his feet, but Captain America was not a normal man. With inhuman strength, the legendary soldier gripped the steel trap his friend was pinned under and lifted, feeling his muscles scream in protest.

This serum better be worth everything I paid for it, Steve Rogers thought as he saw the other man pull himself out from under the chunk of helicarrier just as Steve was forced to let it drop. Another explosion rocked the helicarrier and Steve was thrown from his feet, landing hard on his shoulder. Quickly, he climbed to his feet, feeling the injury in his stomach reaching its tendrils of pain throughout his body. There was no way he could keep this up. He needed his friend back.

He needed Bucky.

The man in question staggered to his feet, staring at the man across from him. Steve Rogers couldn't help himself as he stared at the metal arm his partner wielded, the red star branded on its shoulder.

"You know me," Steve managed, holding his hands up. The man Steve thought of as Bucky gave no indication of caring about Steve's statement and lunged, driving Steve into the crumbling floor of the ship.

"No I don't!" He yelled, disengaging from the man in the red, white, and blue uniform.

"Yes you do," Steve insisted, seeing the wild look in the other man's light blue eyes. They were both breathing heavily, somehow managing to stay on their feet. "I'm not going to fight you." In a move that the other man never expected, Steve pushed his shield through a hole in the floor, sending the iconic emblem of freedom sailing through the air, quickly lost to sight.

In an instant, Steve saw that Bucky - no, the Winter Soldier - didn't care about his shield. Bracing himself, Steve waited for the blow and allowed the Winter soldier to tackle him. The impact shocked him, however, and Steve couldn't even lift up his arms as the Winter Soldier began shouting something. His words were lost over the roar of the dying helicarrier and the punches he was raining down on Steve.

With one last-ditch effort, Captain America managed to gasp out one last tribute to the man who was once his comrade.

"I'm here, Bucky. I'm with you to the end of the line."

With a loud screech, the floor fully gave way and an injured and now-unconscious Captain America plummeted towards the water below, the scene eerily reminiscent of his previous descent in the HYDRA ship. The Winter Soldier was left hanging from a metal pipe, staring down at the man who was falling far below. Something was stirring in the Winter Soldier's memories. Just enough to make him realize that he couldn't let that other man die.

Before the doomed helicarrier crashed, the Winter Soldier let go of the pipe and went into a free fall, following the man below. He couldn't die. Not now, not ever.

The Winter Soldier never failed a mission.

So this is the beginning! Just like with my previous fan fiction, there is absolutely a nearly 100% chance that I will never finish this. Either that or it will be very short, but I just needed some closure on the movie. As in, what happens when Cap finds Bucky (the Winter Soldier)? Is there hostility? Conflict? Confusion?

Let's find out!

-RoR