Not-Captain-America, now known as Adaptoid, remains beneath Bucky’s tree. It’s left arm, the one thing that’s not at all like Steve’s costume, catches his attention. Silver, like Bucky’s new one, it chirps and clicks as little plates move from shoulder to wrist. As if responding, his own arm mimics the motion, clicking and chirping.

Eyes widening in horror, Bucky watches Adaptoid’s head turn to look right at him. Only, he doesn’t have eyes, or a face, with which to look.

“I’m having a nightmare,” Bucky says to no one in particular.

“James Barnes,” the thing says in its inhuman voice. Shivers crawl up Bucky’s spine and he thinks it would smile if such a thing were possible. “Found you.”

Adaptoid leaps. It’s grace and beauty and so much like Steve that Bucky’s chest hurts. It’s not so much like the stubborn punk that Bucky waits for him to climb up. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many places left to go. Up is out of the question, he’ll just get trapped. Down is far too far away, so it’s also not an option unless he feels like sliding right into Adaptoid’s green arms. He doesn’t, so that leaves sideways.

To slow the thing down, Bucky says a mental apology to Steve and throws the shield at his adversary. As Adaptoid blocks with the version of Bucky’s arm, he picks a direction at random and runs along the tree branch. Thankfully, the forest’s trees are ridiculously close together, branches interweaving and still thick and sturdy at this height. It is, hands down, one of the most stupid things he’s ever done. If he tells Steve later, the reckless ass will never let him forget it so he already plans to never tell anyone as he gets to the trunk of the next tree, pulls himself around and up to the next branch and continues away from Adaptoid.

Three trees later, Bucky realizes his plan isn’t working. Whatever Adaptoid is, he’s got better balance and speed than Bucky. With Steve’s life on the line, he can’t let himself get caught. There’s the little .22, but he can’t do that to Steve unless there’s no other choice. For now, he hits the next branch, reaches the tree trunk and slams his metal elbow into the bridge he had just used to cross over. It makes that odd sound again – click, whirr – and disintegrates the branch.

It’s a stunning display of power. One that actually roots him in place until he hears Adaptoid roar at him in anger from just behind. With a glance, he sees the freak jump to a lower branch and takes off again. At each new tree, Bucky destroys the path he took to get there. It doesn’t stop Adaptoid, but it slows him down as he has to use different branches, different paths to follow.

When he’s five trees behind, Adaptoid screams again and leaps to the forest floor. Bucky has no doubt he’ll be able to catch up from there, even possibly anticipate his movement and meet him. However, he’s also certain the branches between him and the ground will keep him hidden from sight. So, he does the stupid thing Steve would do and will never be told about. He leaps, kicking himself away from the tree as hard as he can. The jump takes him back the way he came and to the left, plus nearly skewers him on a tree branch. The arm again proves as useful as promised, catching the branch and pulling him up all on its own.