On the mountainside of a towering peak, Steve and the Howling Commandos were preparing their zip lines.
The resistance had pinpointed Dr. Zola's location, and in mere moments, his mobile laboratory would pass by on the railway below.
These winding mountain rails, secretly constructed by Hydra, were flanked by sheer cliffs to conceal their existence.
"Time it right. The train's moving fast, and we've got a very narrow window to slide onto its roof."
Steve sketched a plan with pebbles on the ground. They were in Austria, where snow still clung to the peaks, and icy winds slipped under everyone's clothes.
Bucky clapped his chest, rallying his best friend. "No problem, pal. We'll all follow your lead."
Steve was about to add some details when the distant whistle of the train echoed. It was time to move.
He hooked his shield onto the zip line and slid down the mountain, eyes locked on speed and timing. Bucky, Dum Dum, and the others followed suit.
But the train was faster than the resistance's intel had suggested. Only four of them—Steve, Bucky, and two others—made it onto the roof.
Dum Dum didn't make it. His stocky frame struggled to balance on the slick surface. He thought he'd landed, but his foot slipped, and he tumbled onto the tracks, the freezing steel nearly knocking the wind out of him.
Grimacing, he scrambled up, but the train was already speeding away, leaving only faint blue exhaust drifting in the wind.
He yanked off his hat, slammed it into the ground, and cursed, staring at the vanishing train while praying for Captain America's luck.
The plan was unraveling from the start. The resistance's intel was way off.
When Steve smashed open a carriage door with his shield, they stormed in—only to find it packed with Hydra soldiers.
Steve and Bucky locked eyes with the enemy. The soldiers, faces hidden behind gas masks, stared back.
The air grew still, then erupted with the hum of charging weapons, blue glows flaring brightly.
"Open fire!"
"Angriff!"
The Hydra lieutenant and Steve barked orders simultaneously. The carriage exploded into chaos.
Blue energy blasts clashed with the fiery spray of Thompson submachine guns in the cramped space.
Steve held his shield forward, charging the enemy, while Bucky ducked behind a machine for cover, laying down support fire.
One of their teammates took a hit, reduced to ash in an instant.
Bucky returned fire, avenging his friend. The enemy retaliated, forcing Bucky to scramble under a row of seats, pinned down and unable to move.
But Steve was already in the fray, shield bashing enemies while his free hand drew his pistol, firing off shots.
Left fist, right shield—he fought to clear the enemy as fast as possible.
Finally, the Hydra soldiers were down, leaving only Steve and Bucky standing.
The howling wind roared through the open door, snowflakes swirling into their collars, muffling their voices.
But growing up together, they didn't need words. A glance was enough. The mission wasn't over.
Carriage after carriage, they found crates of test samples and incomprehensible equipment.
They pressed on, hunting for their target: Dr. Zola.
They found him, locked in a carriage, smirking through the window.
"Captain America, you've fallen for it! This is a trap I designed just for you!"
With that, Zola hit a button. The doors to Steve and Bucky's carriage slammed shut, sealing their exit.
From the walls, massive figures emerged—towering giants in heavy armor, wielding energy weapons.
They didn't speak, but they sure knew how to shoot. Their advanced weapons fired like cannons, blasting toward the duo.
Steve shielded Bucky, urging him to find cover, then charged the monsters head-on.
Monsters, indeed.
Standing nearly ten feet tall, weighing over 400 pounds with their armor, these were no ordinary foes.
It didn't go well. Steve could barely hold one back, while the other three were unstoppable. Bucky's submachine gun sparked uselessly against their armor.
Clad in black, their chests bore glaring red Hydra insignias.
Their next volley blew a hole in the carriage wall, and the blast hurled Bucky out—into the abyss of the cliff beyond.
"No!"
Steve's eyes burned with rage, his mind unraveling.
He kicked an enemy aside and sprinted to the breach, leaning out.
Bucky hadn't fallen. Someone was holding him by the collar, floating in midair.
"When riding a train, don't toss trash out the window. Basic manners."
A raspy voice, tinged with amusement, delivered a bad joke.
"Deathstroke!"
"That's me. No need to shout—I'm not deaf yet."
Su Ming tossed Bucky into Steve's arms, watching their heartfelt reunion with a sigh.
Did he really come all this way, chasing intel from Peggy, just to watch these two stare at each other mid-battle?
"Move it. Save the brotherly bonding for after the fight. It'll get you killed."
He pushed past Steve at the breach and slipped into the carriage.
Hydra's gunfire greeted him instantly.
He shoved Steve and Bucky into a corner, dodging a blast with a backbend. His cloak whisked him into the enemy's midst in a blur.
The Cloak of Levitation wasn't as fast as the Flash, but for short bursts, it outpaced these foes' reactions.
His scimitar flashed, a brilliant arc of white light, and four heads rolled.
" Tch."
These weren't entirely human. Hydra had climbed new tech trees—maybe even scavenged some of Kang the Conqueror's relics.
The giants were like steel shells, their bodies mechanical save for organic heads.
Sparks sprayed from their severed necks like fireworks.
"Kind of pretty." Su Ming sliced through layers of doors with his blade, dragging Zola out. "Your invention?"
"Don't kill me! I surrender!"
Su Ming clicked his tongue. Killing Zola had upsides and downsides. The man was a villain, but his future work with S.H.I.E.L.D. on networks and space tech was valuable.
"He's surrendering. No killing," Steve said, stepping forward with his shield, eyeing Su Ming warily.
His memory flashed to the last time Deathstroke sent him flying with a single move. Now, the man seemed even more dangerous.
"He's all yours. I'm here for other business. Don't get in my way."
Su Ming made an excuse, swiped some of Zola's research notes, and, on his way out, plucked Zola's round glasses off his face, placing them on Bucky's nose.
"You almost died today. Cherish your new life."
From this day forward, you're the new Bucky! Time to lean into that snarky sidekick role!
Bucky froze, glasses perched awkwardly, but the words rang true.
Su Ming stifled a laugh and flew out through the carriage's breach.