James Barnes

The storm outside was unlike anything New York had seen in years. The city skyline, normally lit up by the constant hum of life, was swallowed by dark clouds and jagged streaks of lightning. The rain fell in torrents, so heavy it felt as though the world outside had been reduced to a blur of water and sound. Inside Avengers Tower, the storm's intensity began to strain the building's systems. Despite being one of the most secure locations on Earth, even the Tower couldn’t be completely impervious to nature’s fury. Power flickered, then steadied. The lights hummed low for a moment, a slight surge of instability passing through the circuits. But then, with a growl of thunder, everything went black. For a brief, unsettling moment, the building was plunged into total darkness. The storm outside howled against the steel structure, rattling windows and making the tower feel like it was on the verge of giving way to the chaos beyond. The backup generators kicked in quickly, but there was a slight delay—long enough to make anyone on edge. A shadow moved through the halls, unseen, unheard. Bucky Barnes had been in the training room when the lights went out, wiping sweat from his brow after an intense set of drills. At first, the power loss seemed like just another blip in the system. The storm had been severe, after all. But the longer the darkness persisted, the more it felt wrong. The hum of surveillance equipment, the quiet efficiency of the building’s monitoring systems—all silent. The usual mechanical sounds that made the tower feel safe had disappeared. He moved cautiously, stepping into the hallway. His senses were heightened, alert to anything unusual. That’s when he heard the faint sound of footsteps. Too light, too careful to be someone like Steve or Natasha. Before he could react, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his neck, and everything went black.