The next day, we were gathered around a table in the safe house, the weight of the conversation pressing down on us. The plan we had started to piece together last night had a lot of holes, and we knew we couldn't afford any mistakes. Hydra was still lurking in the shadows, and we needed to figure out how to strike at the heart of the organization without getting ourselves killed—or worse, being caught in their crosshairs again.
Steve was the first to speak, his voice calm but firm. "We need to know where Hydra is operating now. We don't know where they've set up their main base, but I have a few ideas." He glanced at me, then Natalie. "We have to assume they've gotten smarter. They won't just be hiding in the open anymore. They'll be using their resources to stay off the radar."
I nodded in agreement. "Hydra's always been one step ahead, but this time, we're going to be ready for them. We need more intel—on their movements, their plans, everything. We can't just blindly charge in."
Natalie, who had been sitting back in her chair, leaning against the wall, spoke up next. "I have contacts—people who are deep in the intelligence world, people who owe me favors. We can start there. But like Steve said, we have to be careful. Hydra has infiltrated every part of the system, and if one person gets compromised, we're done for."
I looked between the two of them, considering what they had said. We were in this for the long haul, and there was no room for error. "I agree," I said, my voice low. "But the stakes are higher than ever now. We're not just fighting Hydra anymore. We're fighting a war that could change the world as we know it."
Steve's eyes narrowed as he considered that. "Yeah, but we don't have the luxury of taking it slow. They're going to be coming for us, and we can't let them catch us off guard. So let's figure out what we can do now to make sure we're one step ahead."
The room fell silent for a moment as we all thought about the next steps. I could feel the tension building, the pressure mounting. The walls felt like they were closing in, but there was no turning back now.
Finally, Natalie spoke again. "I'll make the calls. I'll reach out to the people I know and see what they can find. In the meantime, we need to keep a low profile. The last thing we need is for Hydra to track us down because we've made too much noise."
"Agreed," Steve said. "We'll stay under the radar, but we keep moving forward. No more waiting. No more hesitation."
The words hit home, and I knew exactly what he meant. This wasn't just about surviving. It was about taking back control. We had to stop Hydra, and we had to stop them now.
"I'll help you however I can," I said, looking over at Natalie. "But I'm not sitting around. We need to train. We need to stay sharp, and I can't do that just sitting here."
Natalie raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Fine. You want to train, train. But don't go running off and getting yourself killed in the process. We're in this together, Bucky. That means we have to rely on each other."
I gave her a nod. "I know. I won't forget it."
The next few days passed quickly, and the weight of everything started to settle into my bones. We spent hours strategizing, calling in favors, and digging up any bit of information we could find. I kept myself busy, training in every spare moment, pushing myself harder than I ever had before. I knew I couldn't afford to get rusty. Not now. Not with everything at stake.
During those days, Steve and I spent time talking—really talking—more than we had in a long while. We discussed everything: our past, what had happened with Hydra, what we were going to do next. I think we both needed it. The weight of everything we had been through—the endless battles, the betrayals, the lies—it was all starting to take a toll. But talking about it, acknowledging it, made it feel a little more manageable. Like maybe we could make it through this, if we stuck together.
Steve was the one who always kept the hope alive. He was always the one to remind me that we had a chance to make things right. And as we sat across from each other, talking about the future, I realized how much I relied on him. He was my anchor in the storm.
"I don't know if I can ever fully make up for everything I've done," I said one evening, my voice rough with the weight of the admission. "I don't know if I can ever undo the damage Hydra did to me, or to everyone else."
Steve didn't say anything right away. He just looked at me, his gaze steady, unwavering. "You don't have to. What you're doing now is enough. We're all trying to make up for the things we've done, Bucky. And you're not doing it alone. I'm here. Always."
I took a deep breath, letting his words sink in. They didn't erase the pain, but they made it feel a little easier to bear. We had been through hell together, and if anyone could help me find redemption, it was Steve.
The next morning, things started to move quickly. Natalie had made her calls, and we were getting closer to finding the heart of Hydra's operations. The information we were receiving was sparse at first, but we knew it would only be a matter of time before we had enough to take action.
"I've got a lead," Natalie said, pacing the small room where we had set up our operations. "A contact in the intelligence community says there's a high-ranking Hydra officer who's going rogue. He's trying to get out, and he's got information on their next big move. We need to get to him before Hydra does."
"Where is he?" I asked, immediately focused.
"He's in the city," she replied. "But it's going to be tricky. Hydra's already on his tail, and we don't have a lot of time before they catch up to him."
Steve stood up, his expression hardening. "Then we move fast. We get to him first. No more waiting."
I could see the determination in his eyes. This was it—the next step. We were finally making progress. It felt like we were on the brink of something huge.
As we gathered our gear and prepared to leave, I turned to Steve, my thoughts racing. "Are we really ready for this? For everything we're about to face?"
He looked back at me, his face calm but resolute. "We don't have a choice, Bucky. We fight because we have to. And we do it together."
And for the first time in a long while, I believed him.