Bucky sat on the old couch in his half-empty apartment, watching one of the dullest shows on TV because it was 2:48 in the morning and sleep wouldn't come. Cold condensation from the Rolling Rock beer bottle in his right hand left his fingers damp as he took another drink. His left hand nervously twisted the edge of the couch pillow, the fabric bunching between his vibranium fingers.

The sudden vibration of his phone made him jump. The screen illuminated, showing a message from Sam with a shared location. Bucky frowned. Why would Sam contact him at this hour? With clumsy movements, he unlocked his phone and opened the chat with Wilson, whose contact name he'd saved as "big ass flip bird." The shared location sent a chill through him - he knew what that meant. Trouble. Maybe even life-threatening trouble.

Bucky moved quickly, pulling on his shoes and jacket before retrieving his Glock from under the dresser. Just in case. The night air hit him as he stepped outside, the city quiet at this hour except for the distant wail of a siren. Sam's apartment building wasn't far, and he arrived within minutes.

Using the fire escape, Bucky climbed to Sam's floor and slipped through the open window. He drew his weapon, moving silently toward the sounds of struggle in the living room. Peering around the corner, he saw Sam crouched behind the kitchen counter, gun in hand. Bucky had never seen his friend look so terrified.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway. Bucky tensed as a figure appeared in the doorway. A woman with long blonde hair, wearing tactical gear and a mask that covered only her eyes. His目光 froze on the red star tattooed on her neck.

No. This can't be happening.

Bucky ducked back behind the wall, memories flooding his mind - HYDRA's labs, the pain, the programming. A gunshot rang out, jolting him back to the present. Sam was exchanging fire with the woman, barely holding his own.

Bucky charged forward, wrapping his vibranium arm around the agent's neck. She didn't struggle as expected - instead, she drove a knife into his arm with surgical precision, causing the metal to lock up. With Bucky disabled, she turned on Sam, delivering a powerful kick to his legs that brought him crashing down.

She raised her gun, but Sam rolled aside just in time. Bucky lunged, knocking her arm upward as she fired. They grappled, Bucky driving his fist into her face. She stumbled backward, her mask falling away as she hit the floor. When she rose, something in Bucky snapped.

It was Reed. But not his Reed. Her eyes were cold, empty, filled with a rage he didn't recognize. Time seemed to stop as their目光 met.

"Reed..." he whispered.

Sam tackled her from behind, sending them both crashing through the window. Bucky rushed to the broken frame, staring down at the alley below. She was gone. No body on the ground, no sign of her escape.

"Buck?" Sam's voice sounded distant, as if coming through water.

Bucky couldn't speak. He could still see her eyes - the eyes of a stranger where his friend should be.