Steve sat alone, lost in thought, his fingers absently tracing patterns on the table. The revelation of the Winter Soldier's true identity weighed heavily on him, leaving his mind in turmoil. The world around him felt distant, blurred by memories and unanswered questions. Every recollection of his past with Bucky felt like a double-edged sword—reminding him of what he had lost and what had been stolen from his friend.
The door creaked open, breaking the silence. Nick Fury stepped in, his presence commanding yet measured. He studied Steve for a moment before speaking.
"Your friend has been restrained," Fury informed him, his tone neutral but firm. "We've decided to provide him with therapy, try to bring back some semblance of normalcy. He's not beyond saving. You should speak to him from time to time. It would do good for both of you."
Steve exhaled slowly, his gaze still unfocused. The idea of facing the Winter Soldier again—Bucky—brought a wave of hesitation. Was there even a part of his old friend left in there? Still, Fury had a point. If there was any chance of restoring Bucky, Steve owed it to him to try.
Fury didn't wait for a response. He had more pressing matters to discuss. "Now get up. We need you for our next mission."
That caught Steve's attention. He looked up, brow furrowing. "What's going on?"
"Hydra still has a unit of Winter Soldiers placed in cryogenic sleep in one of their bases in Siberia. We don't know how long it'll take for them to realize their assassination plan has failed, but we can't risk them activating all of them at once. Handling multiple super soldiers would be difficult, even for our team."
Steve squared his shoulders, the soldier in him overriding the emotional turmoil. He nodded. "Let's move."
................
The team arrived in Siberia to find the Hydra base eerily silent. Snow-covered structures loomed over them, the cold biting through their gear. The facility was massive but abandoned, the corridors empty apart from the cryogenic pods still active in the lower levels. The sight of them was unsettling—rows of frozen super soldiers, their faces emotionless, locked in a mechanical slumber.
Tony scanned the cryo chambers, his HUD displaying biometric readings. "Looks like they're all still in dreamland. Good. Let's keep it that way."
He retrieved a set of enhanced tranquilizers, specially designed to keep even a super soldier sedated. "These should make sure they stay asleep long enough to get them to a containment facility. No unexpected wake-up calls."
One by one, they secured the chambers, ensuring the soldiers remained unconscious. Natasha coordinated with their extraction team, who would transport the cryo units to a secure location where they could be evaluated and, if possible, rehabilitated. Steve silently watched over the process, his expression unreadable. He couldn't shake the thought—how many more like Bucky had Hydra stolen and twisted into weapons?
As they stepped out into the frigid air, Tony glanced back at the facility. He tightened his jaw, debating his next move for only a second before making his decision.
"Hold up. One last thing."
He raised his palm, repulsor glowing bright against the icy backdrop. A well-placed blast ignited the facility's power core, triggering a chain reaction. Explosions rippled through the base, consuming what remained of Hydra's operations here.
As they watched the flames rise into the Siberian sky, Tony turned to the others. "Just making sure they don't come back for their toys."
No one argued.
With their mission complete, the team turned and left, leaving the burning remnants of Hydra behind them.
Back at Avengers Tower, exhaustion settled over the team. They had barely caught their breath when a floating news article caught their attention—an announcement of Alexander Pierce's death.
Tony frowned. "How did that happen?"
Fury smirked slightly. "Despite the Winter Soldier being an urban legend and a super soldier, the title for the best assassin still doesn't belong to him."
Everyone turned to Natasha, who simply winked in response.
Clint raised an eyebrow. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."
Natasha gave a sly smile. "Smart man."
Rin, shifting gears, spoke up. "Since most of our immediate threats are handled, we can focus on rooting out the rest of Hydra."
Before she could continue, Tony cut in, directing his words toward Rin. "Since we're moving ahead of the original timeline, we shouldn't have any major events happening for a couple of years. You can confirm that, right?"
Rin affirmed, nodding. "The next major event will happen around 2015—unless, of course, we find Baron Strucker, one of Hydra's leaders, earlier."
Tony grinned. "Perfect. We'll handle Hydra, but you, Rin, have something else to deal with."
Everyone looked at him, confused.
...........................
Rin stood in front of a bustling building, a backpack slung over her shoulder. The towering structure gleamed under the afternoon sun, its glass panels reflecting the vibrant cityscape behind her. Students milled about the entrance, chatting animatedly, their laughter blending with the distant honking of traffic. A large, bold sign above the doorway read: Midtown School of Science and Technology. The institution exuded an air of academic prestige, its modern architecture and state-of-the-art facilities making it clear that this was no ordinary high school. Rin exhaled sharply, steeling herself for what lay ahead.
She scowled, muttering under her breath. "Fuck you, Stark."
Tony's voice crackled in her earpiece. "I heard that."
She rolled her eyes and sighed, stepping forward. "Yeah, yeah."
With a deep breath, she walked inside.