Bucky Barnes vs the Adaptoid

Then he takes his Glock in hand and discovers Adaptoid’s knee caps can shatter like anyone else's when shot there. It’s a pleasant surprise, and for a moment Bucky considers reaching the jet, but the fucker throws Steve’s shield and it comes at him faster than he can react. Tumbling backward from the force of the blow, Bucky gasps for air with lungs that simply will not cooperate.

The jet engines start to warm up so, despite everything in his body screaming at him to stay down Bucky rolls onto his hands and knees. Through his hair, he can see Adaptoid climbing back to his feet, the shattered knees already healing. Even Steve can’t heal that fast and, for fuck’s sake; can’t he catch a break?

“Stop fighting, James Barnes,” Adaptoid says, apparently wanting to chat again, “Agree to my terms and I will not be forced to destroy you.”

Bucky’s laugh is a little hysterical as he climbs to his feet.

“Buddy, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna join you for anything.”

Adaptoid roars in what appears to be rage, and charges him. Bucky manages to block one, two, three, four punches, and the copied metal arm catches him under the chin. Stars flash before his eyes, but Hydra trained him well, and he rolls as he hits the ground, gets back to his feet, and kicks the shield into Adaptoid’s face as the idiot tries the same tactic again.

“Sucks when you throw that and it comes back to bite you, doesn’t it?” Bucky says with his new ‘Net-acquired vocabulary while catching the shield on the rebound.

The latest rejection appears to have killed Adaptoid’s desire for communication, and he wastes no time attacking again. Bucky throws himself into it; he can hear the jet taking off, gaining altitude, and soon not even Steve’s muscles would be able to jump high enough to reach it. Their metal arms howl and it takes everything Bucky has not to take a blow he won’t be able to get back up from. He can’t do any damage to Adaptoid, he’s known that from the start.