The dimly lit room felt stifling, heavy with an unsaid urgency that clung to the air like smoke. Bucky leaned over the table, his hands braced against its edges, his eyes scanning the map of leads and false trails laid out before him. Each marked spot was a reminder of their failures, each dead end another weight pressing on his chest.

His finger traced over the lines, desperate for them to yield some sign of Jaige. Yet every passing second felt like a countdown to disaster, a clock ticking toward an unseen abyss.

"Damn it!" Bucky's fist slammed onto the table, the sound reverberating through the small room. His voice cracked as he spoke, desperation spilling over. "We have to find her! We're running out of time!"

Steve stood nearby, his arms crossed, his brow furrowed. He exchanged a brief glance with Natasha, who was leaning against the wall, her expression unreadable.

"Bucky, we can't just rush in without a plan," Steve said cautiously. "We need to think this through."

"I've thought it through!" Bucky turned to him, his eyes wild, his frustration bubbling over. "We need to activate the Winter Soldier."

The words hung in the air like a bomb, sucking the oxygen out of the room. Natasha straightened, her expression sharpening. Steve's eyes widened in disbelief, his jaw tightening.

"You can't be serious," Steve said, his voice low and firm. "You're talking about giving up control, Bucky. We don't know what that could do to you."

"I don't care what it does to me!" Bucky shot back, his voice rising. "I can't lose her, Steve. I can't."

Steve took a step closer, his voice softening as he tried to reason with his friend. "Bucky, listen to me. I know how much this hurts. I know you want to save her, but we don't even know if activating him will help. You're not just a weapon. You're my best friend. I can't let you risk everything."

Bucky's chest heaved, his heart pounding as memories of the Winter Soldier surged—cold metal, bloodstained hands, the empty gaze of a man who had been turned into a monster. He had fought so hard to bury that part of himself, to reclaim his humanity. But Jaige's voice echoed in his mind, soft and desperate, propelling him forward.

"I'd rather lose myself than lose her," Bucky said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Steve's frustration morphed into anguish, his tone pleading now. "Bucky, please. Think about this. If we lose you to him, we might not get you back."

The silence was deafening, the weight of unspoken emotions pressing down on everyone in the room. Tony stepped forward, his gaze shifting between Bucky and Steve.

"Steve," Tony said carefully, his voice calmer than usual. "Maybe Bucky's right. Maybe this is the only way."

Steve turned to him, his eyes blazing. "Don't you dare, Stark. You don't get to make this call."

"I'm not making the call," Tony said evenly. "But we're running out of options."

Steve shook his head, his voice filled with frustration. "We'll find another way. We have to."

With that, he stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

Natasha half-stepped toward the door, but thought better of it. Bucky stood frozen, his hands trembling as he stared at the map. Tony stepped closer, his voice low.

"You know he's wrong, right?"

Bucky didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the table. Natasha's eyes bored into Tony's audacious frame.

"Look, I get it," Tony continued. "You don't want to go back to that. But if it's the only way to find her, you have to. And we'll pull you out of it when it's done."

Bucky swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. "We don't know if I'll come back."

Tony placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then we'll drag you back, kicking and screaming if we have to. But we're not losing Jaige, and we're not losing you."

Bucky nodded, his resolve hardening. "Let's do it."

"Wait," Natasha clipped. All movement ceased. "Steve's going to find out. You'll have to be prepared for... his reaction." 

"I have to bring her home," Bucky languished. 

Natasha only nodded as she fell into step behind Tony and Bucky. The space between them felt colder now, the air charged with tension they approached Zemo's cell, armored under heavy guard. His smirk was back, a glint of triumph in his eyes as he looked at Bucky.

"So, you've decided to embrace the darkness again," Zemo said mockingly.

"Shut up and do it," Tony snapped.

Zemo leaned forward slightly, his smirk deepening. "I assume you understand the cost of this decision."

Tony's jaw tightened, his voice low and sharp. "Just say the damn words."

Zemo's tone shifted, a note of mock sympathy creeping in. "Before we begin, you should know—Lorea isn't stable. If you don't hurry, she may... let's say, mishandle the situation."

Tony's breath caught, his chest tightening as he processed Zemo's words. He glanced at Bucky, whose expression had turned to stone.

Zemo began to recite the trigger words.

"Желание [Longing]. Ржавый [Rusted]. Семнадцать [Seventeen]. Рассвет [Daybreak]."

Bucky's body stiffened, his eyes squeezing shut as the words burrowed into his mind.

"Печь [Furnace]. Девять [Nine]. Добросердечный [Benign]."

Each word felt like a blade, slicing through the layers of himself he had fought to rebuild.

"Возвращение на родину [Homecoming]. Один [One]. грузовой вагон [Freight car]."

With the final word, Bucky's eyes opened. They were cold, empty, and unyielding.

"я готов отвечать [Ready to comply]," the Winter Soldier said, his voice devoid of emotion, in an accent heavier than his metal arm.

"Пойдем со мной [Come with me]," Natasha ordered.

The shift was immediate. Tony and Natasha guided the Soldier back to briefing, all possible leads and maps splayed out across every surface available. The Winter Soldier moved with a precision that was almost unnatural, his focus razor-sharp as he approached it all. His eyes scanned fervently, his movements smooth and efficient.

"Use what you know. Find her," Tony ordered.

The Winter Soldier nodded, his gaze flicking to the door. 

The others followed him, their expressions a mix of awe and unease. The Winter Soldier stopped abruptly, his head tilting slightly as if listening for something. He pointed east, his voice flat. "She's here."

"How do you know?" Tony asked, skepticism clear in his tone.

The Winter Soldier didn't look at him. "I know." Without hesitation, he strode out, his steps purposeful.

"How does he know where to go?" Natasha asked quietly.

"Because he's not guessing," Tony said with a smirk.

The pair exchanged uneasy glances. The man they knew as Bucky Barnes was gone, replaced by a relentless force of nature.