Perhaps sensing his plan, Mr. Green takes another calm step and flings the shield with all the accuracy of Captain America himself.

[...]

“I was created to be better. With my abilities, I can copy the powers of any superhero. I have his strength, a superior healing factor. I am smarter, faster, and now I have your arm.”

[...]

Bucky catches it, again, and now he has another weapon to go with the combat knife he pulls from its sheath. When they crash into each other amidst cowering security guards, Bucky makes good use of both weapons. He catches Adaptoid’s imitation metal arm on the vibranium surface, twists away, and comes in low with the blade. It sinks into Adaptoid’s side to the hilt, but the fucker doesn’t even flinch.

Grabbing Bucky’s wrist, he twists, trying to trap the arm behind Bucky’s back. A kick to Adaptoid’s knee forces him to dodge, gives Bucky an extra second to bring Steve’s shield up in an overhand blow to the creature’s wrist. It breaks the grip, but allows Adaptoid to grab the shield’s edge. In a backwards moment of deja vu, Adaptoid twists, and Bucky has to throw his body along in a flip to avoid having his arm broken. In the process, the shield is pulled from his forearm and Bucky is down a weapon.

Backing away to get some distance, he takes a kick to the ribs and still grins because he can hear the quinjet’s bay door opening behind him.

[---]

Letting out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, Bucky turns to climb back up to his apparently well-chosen hidey-hole when the he thinks he sees Steve. He turns his head fast enough he twists his neck, but it’s not his partner. First off, Steve would never wear that shade of green. Secondly, he moves wrong, far too sleek and certainly too comfortable in his own skin. Whoever he is, he’s also much more stealthy than the others and must be following behind to see if Bucky makes a break for it behind the line.

[...]

Adaptoid leaps. It’s grace and beauty and so much like Steve that Bucky’s chest hurts.

[---]

All the superhuman Avengers Clint described to him are going toe-to-toe with Adaptoid and they’re losing. No longer in a Captain America look-alike suit, Adaptoid is four times his usual size (Bruce), has a rectangle for eyes now that match the silver and black suits flying around, a strange glowing symbol in his chest that matches the black suit (Stark), is flying (like the gold caped hero), and is throwing lightning (Thor). He also still has Bucky’s arm and Steve’s stripes.

[...]

“Ma’am,” is all Bucky can really think to say because he figures this is Wanda and he doesn’t’ like pretty women being afraid of him. Likes it less when they’re practically kids.

“Why aren’t you out there?” Clint asks her.

“It was deemed too dangerous to chance Adaptoid gaining use of my powers.”