Notes-This was based solely on the end-credit scene in Ant-man and Sebastian Stan mentioning that Bucky didn't trap himself in the vise.

~*~BEFORE~*~

Day 0, 9pm

Bucky woke groggy and annoyed. His ribs strung when he took a deep breath. Something was digging in the flesh of his wrist while the damaged edges from metal panels on his left arm scrapped against his flesh arm. Blood leaked down the side of his face and his shaggy hair hung in front of his eyes. He blinked a few times, trying to clear them. His head was pounding from a slight ache, a familiar pain from drugs that Hydra had often used to knock him out.

The last thing he remembered was an ambush from more than a dozen hydra agents. What had started as a car chase led to being cornered in an abandoned building that looked like it needed demolished soon and therefore clear of civilians. He hadn't cared about civilians before, unless Hydra demanded no witnesses. He was weary of them now, of who might be lurking in the shadows around the next corner and of hurting anyone who hadn't warranted it.

He had taken out several agents before one of them had taken him down with a full tackle as another had struck him with a stupid needle.

How he hated needles.

Currently he was slumped against some kind of machine with his hands zip tied together. He snorted; they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel. But he dared not question the sense his attackers had for thinking a bit of plastic could hold him.

And just as he became aware of several agents holding (him) beside the machine and was about to retaliate, something clamped down on the forearm of his left arm and dug in with a vicious bite. Whatever it was, it was agitating the synthetic nerves in his metal man. He hissed in pain.

Suddenly Bucky was clear headed and snapped the zip tie like a twig. He swung at his attackers with a knife from his boot, managing to give one a shallow slice to the gut and to another a graze to the side. Only to be suddenly dazed when the only uninjured agent hit him with a metal bar causing the soldier to drop his knife.

The agent he had gotten in the side kicked his knife away. The soldier lunged for it only to stumble back against the machine. One agent – the one who had clamped the machine onto the prosthetic arm - smirked before using the metal bar to bash the controls and pry pieces off, insuring that the machine was locked solid.

"Not going away this time," the agent muttered as he worked. He was an older man in his forties. He had scars on his face that disappeared into his hairline

The other two tended to their wounds, a younger man whose side was slick with red was digging through some bag for medical supplies one handed. His other hand was pressed against his side. The other, a woman, bounced back and forth from watching the young man search and watching the last agent and the soldier by the machine which by now Bucky figured was some kind of old vise. She at least was weary but alert. The male agents were too focused on their tasks.

The soldier inched his free hand closer to the inside of his left boot, it was all about timing now.

"Agent Jackson, call for backup," the older man had finished his destruction now, "Let them know we have the Asset secured and we are down to three agents."

"Yes sir," she said before pulling out a cell phone. Bucky had loosened the ties of his boot by now and was reaching for his last two knives but he knew it wouldn't be enough.

That was until Bucky noticed that the young man was loading a handgun now, having patched himself up, and an attack plan formed. Patience and silence would be the key.

"Hello ma'am, this is Agent Jackson. Yes, the Asset is secured. Only Agent Kibbs, Agent Beck, and I are left." A pause, listening. "We understand, ma'am. Three days? But ma'am- Yes, ma'am. No, no, we can wait if we need to. The Winter Soldier wouldn't be able to escape."

Bucky smirked for a moment as he pulled out one of his knives and adjusted his grip on the handle.

The male agents were watching Jackson as her conversation ended. Bottom of the barrel, indeed.

"Well?" implored the older man. He must be the leader.

"It'll take about two days to gather enough backup to move the Asset to the new base and then another day for them to get here, she said about 8pm on Friday."

Her response was met with outrage. The moment to strike was inching closer and closer.

The young man stomped over to the woman, "There were fifteen of us. First we lost some in the car chase and then the rest just trying to corner him. This is the Winter Soldier we are talkin about! Three freakin days, unbelievable!"

"I know, Beck, I was there so shut up and get out of my face!" the woman growled back and pushed the young man away only for Beck to stumble back a step too far.

The soldier stabbed the young man's spinal cord and then kicked the young agent with enough force to send Beck flying into Jackson. But not before the young man had dropped the gun within Bucky's grabbing range. The second knife went straight into the heart of the old man, Kibbs.

While Jackson was pushing Beck off, Bucky reached out with his foot to drag the gun closer. And just as Jackson stood grabbing for her gun, she dropped again with a bullet in her brain.

After putting a few bullets in Beck, Bucky collapsed against the vise, the gun held loose in his hand and laughed. Hope and confidence glowed warming in his chest.

Three days, that should be plenty of time for him.

Day 0, 11:37pm

So far no amount of struggling had helped Bucky pull his arm free. He couldn't reach anything sturdy to pry the clamps of the vise off. And the more and more he tried to pull free, the more and more the pain increased.

He managed to drag the agents' bag over with his foot like he had with the gun but found nothing useful but a cell phone, probably the young man's. It's battery was starting to get low by the time he figured out the 4-digit number password, having used the smudged screen for clues. He changed the password to '2278' for Capt. and turned it off to save the battery.

He had three days and vowed to fight for his freedom in every second of it.

Day 1, 11:56 pm

His confidence had diminished by midday and his hope was following close behind. Bucky had spent the day trying to free himself, but every attempt had failed. The constant pain was sapping away his energy faster than his hunger. He rechecked that Hydra agent's bag over and over for anything he could use, only to end with empty results every time.

His back and feet ached from standing. If he sat on the ground it hurt where metal and flesh met.

He couldn't do this alone. He needed help and he knew he had to be careful of who he asked. While Hydra was scattered like flies, they still had heads to fall back on.

He pulled off his boot and slid a small card from under the pad in his shoe. The card had once been a pristine white with a retirement house's info on one side. It was the one were Agent Peggy Carter now resided. Steve Rogers' number was written on the back in Peggy's elegant handwriting. He had visited during one of her good days a couple months back when he had been still trying to piece himself back together.

Well, correction. He had visited during the night and had been surprised to find Peggy still awake and alert. Almost like she had been waiting.

'He misses you.' It was the first thing she had said to him and then the last as he had left via the window.

Bucky had known he hadn't been ready to face Steve then and he didn't know if he was ready to face him now.

But he only had two days left. He had to choose. He would have to trust that the end of the line wasn't after Steve found him.

Note- This will also be posted on A03.