Chapter 90

Steve Rogers, clad in his iconic Captain America uniform, gripped his vibranium shield tightly as he faced off against his former friend, Bucky Barnes, now known as the Winter Soldier. The massive Helicarrier shuddered around them, the sounds of the battle raging on echoing through the metal corridors.

Bucky, his eyes cold and devoid of recognition, launched himself at Steve, his metal arm a blur of relentless strikes. Steve raised his shield, the vibranium ringing as it absorbed the powerful blows. He staggered back, the force of Bucky's attacks pushing him to the edge.

"Bucky, please," Steve pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation. "It's me, Steve. We're friends, remember?"

But Bucky showed no signs of comprehension, his expression remaining blank as he continued his assault. Steve dodged and parried, his shield a barrier against the onslaught, but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever.

Bucky's metal arm slammed into the shield, the impact sending shockwaves through Steve's body. He gritted his teeth, his muscles straining to maintain his footing. Bucky's relentless attacks were wearing him down, and Steve knew he needed to find a way to get through to his friend.

"Bucky, I know you're in there," Steve said, his voice firm. "You have to remember who you are. We've been through so much together."

Bucky paused momentarily, his brow furrowing as if a glimmer of recognition flickered within his eyes. Steve seized the opportunity, pressing forward with renewed determination.

"Remember, Bucky," Steve pleaded, his shield raised in a defensive stance. "Remember who you are. Remember our friendship. Remember..."

The Winter Soldier's metal arm shot out, his hand closing around Steve's throat. Steve gasped, his shield clattering to the ground as he struggled against Bucky's superhuman strength. Bucky's grip tightened, his eyes narrowing with cold indifference.

"I am the Winter Soldier," he growled, his voice devoid of any trace of the Bucky Steve once knew. "I have no friends."

Steve's vision began to blur as the lack of oxygen took its toll. He clawed at Bucky's arm, his desperate attempts to break free proving futile against the Winter Soldier's unyielding grip. Just as Steve felt consciousness slipping away, Sam slammed into Bucky and knocked him off balance.

Steve Rogers gasped for air as Sam Wilson's timely intervention knocked the Winter Soldier off balance, breaking his grip on Steve's throat. Sam, clad in his high-tech Falcon suit, hovered above the Helicarrier's deck, his wings propelling him with impressive agility.

"Cap, you alright?" Sam called out, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.

Steve coughed, his hand massaging his bruised neck. "Yeah, I'm fine. We need to stop Bucky."

The Winter Soldier recovered quickly, his gaze fixed on the two heroes with unwavering determination. He launched himself at Sam, his metal arm a blur of motion. Sam dodged the initial strike, but Bucky's relentless assault soon found its mark, clipping one of Sam's wings.

"Argh!" Sam cried out as the damaged wing sent him spiraling downwards, crashing onto the Helicarrier's deck. He grimaced, his suit's systems sparking from the impact.

Steve rushed to Sam's side, his shield raised in a defensive posture. "Hold on, Sam. I've got you."

The Winter Soldier stalked towards them, his movements calculated and precise. Steve knew he needed to find a way to break through Bucky's conditioning and reach the friend he once knew, but the task seemed increasingly daunting.

"Bucky, please," Steve pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation. "You have to remember who you are. We're brothers, we fought side by side. Don't let HYDRA control you."

Bucky paused, his brow furrowing as if a flicker of recognition crossed his features. Steve seized the opportunity, stepping forward with his shield lowered.

"That's it, Bucky," Steve said, his tone gentle. "It's me, Steve. We can get through this together, like we always have."

Sam, still recovering from the impact, watched the exchange with a mix of hope and concern. He knew Steve's bond with Bucky was deep, but the Winter Soldier's programming seemed almost impenetrable.

Bucky's metal arm twitched, his eyes narrowing as he processed Steve's words. For a moment, it seemed as if the old Bucky might resurface, but then his expression hardened once more.

"The Winter Soldier has no friends," he growled, lunging forward with renewed ferocity.

Steve raised his shield, bracing for the impact, but the force of Bucky's attack still sent him staggering backwards. Sam tried to intervene, but his damaged wing left him grounded and vulnerable.

The two heroes found themselves on the defensive, their every move countered by the Winter Soldier's superior strength and speed. Steve knew they needed to find a way to subdue Bucky without causing him permanent harm, but the task seemed increasingly daunting as the battle raged on.

Kamen Rider Fatale, her sleek black suit gleaming, leaped through the shattered window of the command center, landing gracefully on the Helicarrier's deck. Her piercing gaze fell upon the intense battle between Captain America and the Winter Soldier.

"Steve! Do you need any help?" Fatale called out, her voice modulated by the helmet's speakers.

Steve Rogers, his shield raised to deflect the Winter Soldier's relentless strikes, spared a glance towards Fatale. "I'm fine! I got this. Stop the ship!"

Fatale hesitated for a moment, her concern for her friend warring with the urgency of her mission. But she knew Steve's unwavering determination, and she trusted him to hold his own against the Winter Soldier. With a nod, Fatale turned and sprinted towards the Helicarrier's control room, her Ninja Dueler at the ready.

The Winter Soldier, sensing Fatale's movement, tried to break away from Steve and pursue her. But Steve refused to let him go, tackling Bucky to the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the Helicarrier's hull.

"I won't let you stop her," Steve growled, his eyes blazing with determination. "I know you're in there, Bucky. Fight it!"

Bucky snarled, his metal arm lashing out to grasp Steve's throat. "The Winter Soldier has no friends!" he roared, his grip tightening.

Steve choked, his vision blurring, but he refused to yield. With a mighty heave, he broke Bucky's hold and landed a powerful blow to his friend's midsection. Bucky staggered back, momentarily winded, but his eyes remained cold and unforgiving.

The two super-soldiers resumed their fierce battle, each anticipating the other's moves with uncanny precision. Their clash echoed through the Helicarrier's corridors, a symphony of vibranium against metal, punctuated by the occasional grunt or cry of exertion.

Fatale, her focus unwavering, raced towards the control room, her Ninja Dueler at the ready. She encountered a squad of Hydra agents, their weapons trained on her, but she dispatched them with a flurry of precise strikes, her blades a blur of motion.

Reaching the control room, Fatale found the system heavily guarded, with Hydra operatives manning the stations. Without hesitation, she leaped into the fray, her Ninja Dueler slicing through the air as she fought to disable the Helicarrier's targeting systems.

Gunfire echoed around her, but Fatale's agility and training allowed her to evade the hail of bullets. She somersaulted over a console, landing behind a pair of Hydra agents and dispatching them with a swift double-strike.

"Ark, can you hear me?" Fatale called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. "I need you to take control of the targeting systems and disable them, now!"

A crackle of static answered her, followed by Ark's calm, synthetic voice. "Understood, Initiating override protocols."

Fatale watched as the Helicarrier's systems flickered and reset, the targeting reticles disappearing from the displays. She allowed herself a brief moment of triumph.

...

Nick Fury ducked behind a concrete barrier, his one good eye narrowing as he assessed the situation. Brock Rumlow and Alexander Pierce were making a desperate escape, their footsteps echoing through the abandoned warehouse.

Fury's team, including Phil Coulson and Melinda May, had been in hot pursuit, but the two Hydra operatives were proving elusive. Rumlow turned, his weapon spitting a hail of bullets in their direction.

Coulson pressed himself against the wall, shielding himself from the incoming fire. "Fury, what do we do?" he yelled over the din of gunshots.

Fury's mind raced, weighing their options. Rumlow and Pierce were slipping away, and they couldn't let them escape. But the risk of engaging them directly was high, especially with Rumlow's firepower.

"We need to cut them off," Fury decided, his voice calm and authoritative. "May, take the east entrance. Coulson, you're with me. We'll flank them from the west."

Coulson nodded, his expression grim. "Understood."

Fury peered around the barrier, his keen eye tracking Rumlow and Pierce's movements. "On my mark," he said, tightening his grip on his weapon.

May broke away, her lithe form disappearing into the shadows. Fury waited, his muscles tensing, until he saw the telltale signs of Rumlow and Pierce's retreat.

"Now!" Fury barked, surging forward with Coulson at his side.

They raced through the warehouse, their footsteps echoing as they closed in on their targets. Rumlow whirled, his gun blazing, but Fury and Coulson were already in motion, their own weapons firing in rapid succession.

Bullets ricocheted off the concrete walls, and Fury felt the familiar sting of a graze against his arm. He ignored the pain, his focus unwavering.

Ahead, Rumlow and Pierce were nearing the exit, their desperation palpable. Fury gritted his teeth, willing his legs to carry him faster.

Suddenly, a blur of motion emerged from the shadows, and May appeared, her weapon trained on the fleeing Hydra agents.

"Freeze!" she commanded, her voice sharp and unyielding.

Rumlow and Pierce skidded to a halt, their eyes darting between the three S.H.I.E.L.D. agents surrounding them.

Fury approached, his gun still raised. "It's over, Rumlow," he said, his tone laced with a hint of triumph. "You and Pierce are coming with us."

Rumlow's eyes narrowed as Fury approached, his grip tightening on his weapon. In a last-ditch effort, he swung his gun towards May, but the agent was faster. She lunged forward, her leg sweeping Rumlow's feet out from under him. He crashed to the ground, his gun clattering away.

"Nice try," May said, her boot pressing down on Rumlow's chest, pinning him in place.

Fury turned his attention to Pierce, his expression hardening as he stepped closer. The former SHIELD director met Fury's gaze, his features betraying a hint of defiance.

"Alexander Pierce," Fury said, his voice low and steady. "You've had a good run, but it ends here."

Pierce opened his mouth, perhaps to plead his case or offer some last-ditch justification, but Fury cut him off.

"Save it," Fury growled, reaching into his coat and producing a pair of handcuffs. "You're under arrest."

He grabbed Pierce's wrists and snapped the cuffs into place, the metal clicking with a sense of finality. Pierce's shoulders slumped, the fight leaving him as the reality of his situation set in.

Fury glanced over at Rumlow, who was still pinned beneath May's boot. "Take him in," he ordered. "I'll handle this one."

May nodded, her grip tightening on Rumlow as she hauled him to his feet. Rumlow shot Fury a look of pure venom, but the director paid him no mind, his attention focused solely on Pierce.

"You know, I always thought you were one of the good ones," Fury said, shaking his head. "Guess I was wrong."

Pierce remained silent, his gaze averted.

Fury sighed, the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. "HYDRA's been a thorn in our side for too long. But it ends today." He gestured towards the cuffs. "You're going to tell us everything you know."

Pierce finally met Fury's eyes, a hint of resignation in his expression. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Fury's lips curved into a humorless smile. "No, you don't."

With a nod, he turned and began to lead Pierce towards the exit, the former SHIELD director in tow. Rumlow's curses echoed behind them, but Fury tuned them out, his focus solely on the task at hand.

They had won this battle, but the war against HYDRA was far from over.

***

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