The air outside the crumbling Hydra facility was thick with dust and smoke, the remnants of the battle hanging in the silence like a heavy fog. The sun was barely visible, struggling to pierce through the dark clouds that had settled over the area, mirroring the turmoil in my mind. We had stopped Zola. We had stopped the countdown. But that didn't mean the war was over. Hydra was far from finished.
I stood in the wreckage, the heat from the burning ruins still licking at the air. Steve stood next to me, his shield resting on his back, his gaze scanning the horizon as though he could see the enemy still out there, waiting to strike.
"We did it," Steve said quietly, breaking the silence. "We stopped the self-destruct. But there's more to do."
I nodded, my hands still clenched at my sides. I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me—the mission, the constant threat of Hydra, the shadow of my own past that refused to let go. But more than anything, I could feel the bitter taste of not being able to fully trust the victory we'd just secured.
"We've stopped one facility," I said, my voice low. "But that doesn't mean Hydra's done. Zola was just the tip of the iceberg. We need to get to their core, to their leadership. The deeper we dig, the more we'll find. And it's not just Hydra we're up against anymore."
Steve turned to me, his expression determined. "I know. I can feel it too. Hydra's influence is everywhere. But we've taken down one of their major strongholds. That's a win, Bucky. It's progress."
Progress. It didn't feel like progress—not when the scope of Hydra's reach was so much bigger than one building, one mission. We'd crippled a part of them, yes, but they were like a hydra in itself—cut one head off, and another would grow back. Their influence, their network—it was deeper than I had ever realized. And now, I had to face the reality that this fight was far from over.
"We'll need more than just us," I muttered, my mind already racing through the logistics. "We need allies. We need resources. We need a plan that goes beyond taking down a single base."
Steve placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but reassuring. "And we'll get it. We've got SHIELD, the Avengers, and anyone else willing to stand with us. We don't have to fight this alone."
I met his eyes, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to believe it. I couldn't do this alone. Not anymore. The weight of the world was too much for one person, and even though I had the strength to keep pushing, it was the people around me that made the difference. Steve, Natasha, Sam, all of them—together, we could stand against Hydra and the forces that sought to tear this world apart.
"You're right," I said, exhaling slowly. "But we need to move fast. Hydra won't stay down for long."
Steve nodded, his jaw set with determination. "Then we don't waste any more time. Let's get back to the base, regroup, and figure out our next move."
As we made our way to the extraction point, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking into something bigger than we could fully understand. Hydra was still out there, lurking in the shadows. And they were watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. This was far from over, but at least now we had a chance. A chance to strike back. A chance to win.
The ride back to base was quiet, the kind of silence that settles in after a major operation—after the dust settles and you realize just how much damage was done, and just how much more you need to do. We didn't speak much on the way. There was nothing more to say right now. We had done what we needed to, and now it was time to plan.
As the jet touched down at the base, I felt the familiar buzz of activity around us. The Avengers were already there, working together to coordinate the next steps. Sam was talking to Fury, his face tense but focused, while Natasha and Clint were huddled over a computer, running through the intelligence we had gathered.
Fury caught my eye as I stepped off the jet, his gaze unreadable. "You're back," he said, his voice a low rumble. "And from the looks of things, you've got a lot to report."
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Zola's out. But Hydra's still alive. We need to hit them harder, get to their core before they can recover."
Fury didn't seem surprised. "I figured as much. Hydra's deep. You've only scratched the surface. But we've got some intel on their operations. SHIELD's been working on getting us a bigger picture of their network. If we play this right, we can start cutting off their head."
I turned to Steve, who had been standing quietly next to me. "We need to be careful. Zola's not the only one out there. There are bigger fish in Hydra's pond—people who won't hesitate to take us down if we're not careful."
Steve's face hardened. "We'll be ready. We've got each other."
Fury raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing the weight of what we were saying. "I'll give you everything SHIELD has on Hydra's current leadership, but you're going to need more than just intel. You're going to need resources, allies, and firepower. This won't be a quick fix."
I looked out at the others, the team that had been with me from the start. Sam, Natasha, Clint, and even Tony—if he was back in action—would be our best shot. But it wasn't just the Avengers we needed. Hydra was everywhere, buried deep within every government and corporation, and we needed to start unearthing them, one by one.
"I know," I said quietly. "But we're not backing down."
Steve gave me a reassuring look, and for a moment, everything felt possible again. We weren't just fighting Hydra. We were fighting for the world's future. And as long as we kept moving, as long as we kept fighting, we'd have a chance.
"Let's get to work," I said, turning toward Fury and the team.
And as we began to plan the next phase of our mission, one thing was clear—Hydra was going to regret ever thinking they could win. We weren't finished yet. Not by a long shot.