Winter Soldier hit the road and rolled across the broken glass. For a breath, he did not move.
Adam kept his hand raised.
He could feel the metal arm through the air. It was like holding a wild animal by a chain. The arm wanted to move, and Winter Soldier wanted to move with it. Both of them pushed against Adam's control.
Then Winter Soldier's fingers dragged across the road. His metal hand dug into the ground, and Adam felt the pull grow stronger.
'He is still getting up.' Adam thought.
Winter Soldier slowly pushed himself to one knee. His head lifted. His eyes fixed on Adam while his arm fought against him.
The metal hand shook. Adam's fingers tightened, and the invisible force held it down.
Winter Soldier tried to raise the knife again. The blade only moved a little before stopping in the air. His shoulder strained. The metal plates in his arm shifted against each other, and Adam felt each movement like pressure under his skin.
"Stay down," Adam said.
Winter Soldier did not listen. He forced his body forward, and Adam stepped in first.
Magnetic pressure gathered around Adam's fist. He did not try anything clever this time. He only pushed the pressure into his knuckles and punched Winter Soldier in the face.
The hit snapped Winter Soldier's head to the side.
Adam punched again. This time the force came out harder. Winter Soldier staggered and kept his feet.
Adam's arm burned from the strain.
'This form is not strong enough by itself.' Adam thought. 'The power is doing most of the work.'
Winter Soldier twisted his body and tried to swing with his free hand. Adam pulled on the metal arm and ruined his balance. The punch missed.
Adam drove another magnetic hit into his chest. Winter Soldier slid back across the road.
Before he could recover, a shadow dropped from above. Sam came down with his wings open. His boot struck Winter Soldier from the side and forced him lower.
Adam felt the metal arm jerk under his control.
Steve arrived right after him. His shield flew through the smoke and hit Winter Soldier hard.
The impact tore the black mask loose. It fell away and bounced across the road.
Winter Soldier hit the ground again. The knife slipped from his hand and slid away.
For a few seconds, the street went quiet except for the sound of fire and sirens in the distance.
Adam lowered his hand a little. He already knew what face would be under that mask. That was why he stayed to the side and watched.
Winter Soldier pushed himself up again.
This time, his face was clear.
Steve froze. All the strength in his body seemed to stop.
His eyes widened.
"Bucky?"
The name crossed the road like it belonged to another time.
Winter Soldier looked at Steve. A crack appeared in the blank look on his face. Confusion showed through as his eyes moved over Steve's face.
"Who the hell is Bucky?"
Steve did not answer. He looked like the fight had been pulled out of him.
Adam's hand twitched. If Winter Soldier raised the gun, Adam could stop it. The metal arm was still within his control. He could even slam him into the road again.
But Adam did not.
'This has to happen.' Adam thought. 'If I stop every hit, the path changes too much. This blast gives them time.'
Winter Soldier started to lift his weapon.
Then a grenade round came from behind. Natasha had picked up the launcher.
Adam sensed the metal shell crossing the air. His power reached for it by instinct. He stopped himself before catching it and forced his hand to stay still.
The grenade hit near Winter Soldier. The blast swallowed him in smoke, and Adam turned his face away as heat washed across the road.
Steve still did not move. His eyes stayed on the smoke.
Adam looked at him and said nothing.
Steve was not looking at an enemy anymore. He was looking at Bucky.
Footsteps came from every side.
Adam looked around.
S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers were moving in from the smoke and the broken cars. Weapons pointed toward them from every direction.
Adam did not cancel the transformation because he had already checked the system. Lodestar's time was close to fifty minutes now.
That meant he could keep this form. If things went wrong, he could still react.
But he also knew what was supposed to happen now.
Natasha came closer from the side. She kept the launcher low while her eyes stayed on the soldiers.
She glanced at Adam.
"Do we surrender?"
Adam raised both hands. Then he smiled.
"Looks like it."
The soldiers moved in.
Steve slowly raised his hands too. His face had not fully returned from the shock. Sam looked from Steve to Adam, then lifted his hands with a hard breath.
Natasha dropped the launcher.
The first cuffs went on Steve. Sam was restrained after him. Natasha lowered her hands when the soldiers reached her.
When the soldiers reached Adam, they stopped for a second. One of them brought a different set of restraints.
Adam looked down at it.
A collar locked around his throat. The wrist cuffs joined to the collar through a metal frame. Another frame closed around his legs. The whole thing clicked into place like it had been made for a monster instead of a person.
Adam could feel every piece of metal in it. He could break it. He did not.
Instead, he looked at the soldiers around him.
"Why am I getting the special treatment?" Adam asked. "The legend is standing right there."
No one answered.
The soldiers pushed them toward the waiting van. Adam walked with his hands raised as much as the restraints allowed. Steve was silent beside him.
Natasha looked at Adam once.
She stayed silent.
The van doors opened. One by one, they were forced inside. The doors shut after them.
Then the van pulled away from the broken street.