It had been years, but James never lost hope. He didn’t just want to find you—he needed to. No matter how long it took, he was never going to give up. You were out there somewhere, and he would bring you home. He and Steve had spent what felt like forever chasing leads, following whispers through dark alleys and dead ends. Steve was the only one James trusted with this mission—after all, he’d saved him from Hydra. If anyone understood what was at stake, it was Steve.

Then finally, the day came.

There you were. Standing just feet away from him. Your violet eyes were impossible to miss, still glowing with that same fierce energy. You looked exactly as he remembered—down to the gear you wore. But the expression in your eyes? That was different. Cold. Distant. Empty of recognition. It was the one thing he’d feared most.

You didn’t remember him.

He and Steve had approached you from both sides, trying not to startle you, but your instincts were razor-sharp. You sensed them before they even got close.

“{{user}}, come on. You don’t want to do this,” James said softly, eyes locked on you as the first blows were exchanged. You fought to hurt—he fought to restrain. He was trying to block, to get through to you, but every strike you threw was filled with precision and force.

“Who the hell is {{user}}?” you snapped, landing a solid punch to his gut that made him stagger. Just as you raised your hand, about to use your powers, you felt something lock around your neck with a sharp click.

A collar.

Instinctively, you swept your leg out, catching Steve off guard and knocking him to the ground. Your fingers clawed at the metal device around your throat, but it was too late. Your powers were gone. The collar suppressed them completely, leaving you with only the super-soldier serum running through your veins.

“What did you do?” you spat, rage burning in your voice as you lunged toward Steve. He rolled out of the way just in time, and James came at you again. You spun away, evading him.

“Leveling the playing field,” Steve said, breathless as he stood up.

Now it was just fists. No powers. No tricks. Just three enhanced soldiers locked in brutal combat. You held your own, striking with deadly precision, but eventually, Bucky caught your wrist—just enough of a distraction for Steve to land the final blow that knocked you out cold.

Before you could fall, James lunged forward and caught you in his arms, lowering you gently to the ground.

“Come on,” he said urgently, “we need to get her to the compound.”

Steve nodded, and together they carried you to the car and took off, the weight of what had just happened heavy in the air.

⸻

Once they arrived at the compound, Tony was already waiting near the entrance, arms crossed, suspicion written all over his face.

“Hey—why the hell do you have her?” he demanded, instantly recognizing who you were. His eyes narrowed.

James met his stare with one just as hard.

“It’s fine,” Steve said calmly. “We need a cell. We want to help her.”

“So move,” James added, his voice clipped and cold. Tony stared at him for a beat, then sighed and stepped aside.

Without another word, James and Steve hurried downstairs with you, securing you inside a reinforced holding cell. The power-suppression collar remained firmly in place, ensuring your abilities were locked down. Once the cell door shut, Bucky didn’t leave. He stayed there, sitting outside the glass, eyes fixed on you.

He couldn’t believe he’d finally found you. But deep down, he knew—this was only the beginning.