"Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. 

"I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

Steve stepped away from the microphone.

"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" Sam asked.

"Oh, top of his head. It's what he does." Bucky said.

~~~

"You picked the wrong side, Agent." Rumlow said.

"Depends on where you're standing." Sharon Carter replied.

~~~

"Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?" Sam asked.

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad." Steve replied.

It took a lot of willpower for Bucky to hold back a laugh. Gods, he really loved Steve.

Sam took off into the air, while Steve and Bucky stayed on the ground. 

"Hey, Cap, I found those bad guys you were talking about." Sam said.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"I'm not dead yet." Sam replied.

~~~

"I'm sorry, did I step on your moment?" Natasha said, gun pointed at Pierce.

~~~

"Alpha locked." Steve said.

~~~

"Bravo locked." Sam said.

~~~

"All SHIELD pilots, scramble. We're the only air support Captain Rogers has got." 

Tarus didn't appreciate that sentiment.

~~~

"Disabling the encryption is an executive order, it takes two Alpha Level members." Pierce said.

"Don't worry, company's coming." Natasha said.

Pierce startled when Fury walked in, very much alive. "Did you get my flowers?" Pierce asked, to which Fury glared. "I'm glad you're here, Nick."

"Really? Cause I thought you had me killed."

~~~

"You need to keep both eyes open."

~~~

"Hey Sam, I'm gonna need a ride." Steve said.

Oh no. Bucky thought. Steve I swear don't- Steve jumped.

"Roger! Let me know when you're ready." Sam replied.

"Just did!"

Sam just barely managed to catch Steve, all while nearly giving Bucky a heart attack. He was old enough for that to be a thing, too.

"You know, you're a lot heavier than you look." Sam said.

"I had a big breakfast." Steve said.

"Right, Boyfriend, On my way to pick you up." Sam said. "Please don't jump."

"Definitely won't." Bucky replied.

Sam reached Bucky at the same time that Tarus reached Steve. "Go go go!" Bucky yelled.

Tarus pushed Steve over the edge, and Bucky felt his heart drop. Sam dropped Bucky in time for the super-soldier to body slam into Tarus.

Tarus got up and caught one of Sam's wings, and managed to tear it off. With a spartan style kick, Sam went flying. Or a lack thereof. Sam managed to get his parachute, and landed of the roof of the triskelion.

Bucky pushed himself onto his feet, fighting back nausea.

"Cap! Cap, come in. Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm here! I'm still on the Helicarrier." Steve said, pulling himself up. "Where are you?"

"I'm grounded, the suit's down. Sorry, Cap." Sam said.

"Don't worry, we got it." Steve said.

~~~

"Falcon?" Maria asked.

"Yeah?" Sam returned.

"Rumlow's headed for the council." 

"I'm on it."

~~~

Inside the helicarrier, Steve and Bucky faced off against Tarus.

"Didn't expect to see you like this, Winter." Tarus said.

"My name is Bucky." Bucky said, his hair tied back, wearing his old uniform from the Howling Commandos.

"Thought they wiped your brain." Tarus said.

"They thought." Bucky said. "They were wrong."

"Doesn't matter. Surrender. You may have taught me to use my body," Tarus said, "But you didn't teach me about my power. How could you? You have none."

"That's where you're wrong too." Steve said.

The shadows seemed to coalesce around Tarus, forming an armor. The pipes of the helicarrier burst, and water rushed to Bucky's aid.

"I've got this." Bucky said. Steve nodded, and headed for the objective.

"What is this?" Tarus yelled, watching the water.

"Your power comes from a blood transfusion." Bucky said. "Am I right?"

Tarus' silence was confirmation enough.

"I was born with mine." Bucky said.

Tarus snarled and launched himself toward Bucky, the beginning of the brawl. That's what it was, a brawl. Two strong bodies, with powers they didn't properly know how to use.

Bucky used a tendril of water to put some space between them. "You look sick," He called out. "You weren't meant to have that power. It's killing you."

Tarus' eyes flashed, and he drew a gun, firing a few shots. Bucky didn't feel the impact, and then realized that he wasn't the target, Steve was. Tarus emptied the rest of his magazine in Bucky's direction. But due to the fact that Bucky was now charging him, Tarus' aim was off, and only one or two hit. Bucky would figure out how many later.

~~~

"Charlie locked."

"Okay, get out of there, boys." Maria said.

"Fire now."

"But Steve..."

"Do it! Do it now!"

The helicarriers fired on each other.

~~~

"Ow. Those really do sting."

~~~

"41st floor! 41st!" Sam complained.

"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building!" Fury replied.

~~~

Debris was falling. Bucky tumbled out of the way of a beam. Looking to the other end, Tarus wasn't so lucky. Bucky winced.

"Steve!" Bucky called out.

"Right here." Steve said, making his way down.

Bucky helped him. "Okay, how do we get out?"

"We jump."

"Excuse me?" Bucky demanded, supporting Steve's weight.

"It's water down there." Steve said. "Water's your friend."

Bucky made a strangled noise. "I hate this. I hate this. If you make me jump or do a thing with heights ever again, I won't talk to you for a week. At least. Longer the higher up it is."

"Buck, we need to go." Steve said.

"I hate this." Bucky said again, before they fell, or jumped, whichever was more appropriate.

The water landing didn't go quite as planned. A piece of debris knocked Steve out pretty early on in the struggle. Bucky wasn't good enough with the water yet to do multiple things, so he focused on making an air space for Steve to breathe. Meaning he had to swim manually, and one arm was holding onto Steve.

When the helicarrier crashed, it upset the river. Bucky had a hard enough time keeping a hold of Steve, and the currents were not helping. Himself getting pinned between a couple pieces of debris was a struggle.

He couldn't let Steve get hit again. But he was already using his power to make an air bubble for Steve. Bucky couldn't do two things at once. If it was just Bucky stuck, he could just use the water to push the debris apart from each other, but it wasn't just him, and Steve needed to breathe.

"Sorry, Steve." Bucky said, and released the bubble, instead pushing the debris apart. Bucky wrapped both arms around Steve, and then used the water to propel them out, avoid still sinking debris.

Bucky pulled Steve onto the shore, and with shaking hands, tried to find the water in his lungs and draw it out.

Bucky laughed exhaustedly when Steve coughed, his chest rising and falling. Then Bucky passed out too.

~~~

When Bucky pried his eyes open, having heard music playing, he startled. Percy was standing against the wall opposite Steve's bed, where Steve was showing signs of waking. On the other side of Steve's bed was Sam.

"You know this guy?" Sam asked Bucky.

"Yeah, I know that little turd." Bucky said.

Sam's eyes widened in a slightly incredulous expression. The wolf-glare Sam had been enduring practically the whole time wasn't 'little turd' worthy. The glare hadn't even been at him.

"On your left." Steve mumbled.

Sam looked at Steve and scoffed.

"Oh good, you're awake." Percy said.

"Percy?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, that's me." Percy nodded.

Sam realized he recognized Percy. "Wait, you're Stark's kid!"

"Uh. Yeah." Percy blinked. "One of them."

"What are you doing here?" Bucky asked.

"I wanted to ask you something." Percy said. "What the fuck?"

Sam slapped a hand over his mouth to prevent laughter.

"Language." Steve said.

"Oh no. No, you do not get to do that. You do not get to be chased on a manhunt and then blow up huge monster planes and scold me for language." Percy said. "I'm studying politics, and then Dad and Zeus are arguing, and when I go to see what's going on, Ares says you guys are fighting shit! Like what the actual hell!"

"HYDRA was going to kill millions of people." Bucky deadpanned.

"Oh." Percy said, and it looked like all his confusion, panic, and worry evaporated. "Okay. That makes sense."

Sam looked between the two incredulously. He leaned towards Steve. "Are they usually like this?"

"I think so." Steve said.

~~~

Percy walked into another hospital room. Three previous Agents of SHIELD were playing Cards Against Humanity. They all looked up when he entered.

O'Brien was sporting a heavily bruised face, one eye swollen shut. Woods' had one arm in a sling, and a cast. Myers, however, was in bed. It was obvious why: One of their legs was missing below the knee.

"Hey Perce." Woods greeted.

"Sorry I wasn't there." Percy said.

"It's okay." O'Brien said.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked.

"We're fine. Biggest problem will be trying to find a good prosthetic." Myers said. "I'm too picky for my own good. And don't have the biggest budget."

"I know some people. I think we can get you set up with something. Without your wallet's help." Percy said.

"Oh thank god." Myers said.

"Gods, Myers." Percy said. "Don't sell your mom too short. She's helped me out in the past. And Kat, too."

Myers' eyes widened, and the others turned to look at them.

"Don't be mean to Myers, guys, their mom can make you actually miserable. I can too, but she would be worse." Percy warned.

~~~

"Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do." Natasha said.

"Why haven't we yet heard from Captain Rogers?" The Committee General asked.

"I don't know what there is left left for him to say. I think the wreck in the middle of the Potomac made his point fairly eloquently." Natasha replied.

"Well, he could explain how this country's expected to maintain its national security now that he and you have laid waste to our intelligence apparatus."

"HYDRA was selling you lies, not intelligence." Natasha said.

"Many of which you seem to have had a personal hand in telling."

"Agent, you should know that there are some on this committee who feel, given your service record, both for this country and against it, that you belong in a penitentiary, not mouthing off on Capitol Hill." Scudder said.

"You're not gonna put me in a prison. You're not gonna put any of us in a prison. You know why?" Natasha said.

"Do enlighten us." Scudder said.

"Because you need us. Yes, the world is a vulnerable place, and yes, we helped make it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it. So if you want to arrest me, arrest me. You'll know where to find me." Natasha said and stood, before walking away.

~~~

"It's over. Fury has released everything to the public." List said.

"Everything he knows about." Strucker replied.

"Herr Strucker, if they get word of our work here, if they find out we serve HYDRA..." 

"HYDRA, SHIELD, two sides of a coin that's no longer currency." Strucker said, walking past Loki's scepter, "What we have is worth more than any of them ever knew. We've only scratched the surface and already..." They walked out of the lab. "There are other facilities doing HYDRA's good work around the world. We'll feed them to Captain America and his colorful friends. Keep them off our scent."

"What about the volunteers?"

"The dead will be buried so deep their own ghosts won't be able to find them."

"And the survivors?"

"The twins." Strucker said.

Inside glass cells, Wanda and Pietro practiced with their abilities.

"Sooner or later they will meet the twins. It's not a world of spies anymore, not even a world of heroes. This is the age of miracles, doctor. There's nothing more horrifying than a miracle."

A/N

I wouldn't say "I'm Back!" yet, but here's a little something to help hold you off a little longer.

Also, Barns Courtney anyone? Just found out I love this guy's songs