They could see Sharon’s obscured figure convulse backwards with fright as he gave the violent reaction.
                          
“Dismissed!” He yelled.
                          
Once the power balance had been re-established she gave a tiny curtsy, a bow of the head and clopped out in her high heels. Sharon exhaled deeply as she escaped the office and collapsed against the wall outside, assuming she was finally free.
                          
“Sharon?” Bucky inquired.
                          
With a flail of her blonde curls, she swung her head around and met Bucky’s eyes than Steve. “Hi...” She managed, hesitating and staring like a rabbit in the headlights before retreating.
                          
“D’you think I should talk to her?” Bucky suggested to Steve, lips quirking nervously.
                          
“I think Coulson made it clear that you’ll understand if she needs someone to talk to about it. I think she’ll come knocking if she needs it – but right now I think she needs air. C’mon pal, stop fretting... Let’s go get breakfast...” Steve clapped him on the shoulder and let his fingers trail down Bucky’s metal arm before holding hands.
                          
~
                          
Sydney, Australia
                          
“Oi Steve, d’you think they’re gonna stick us on the barbe’ if we get caught?” Bucky wheezed in an Australian accent, eyes tearing up with the smoke attacking them.
                          
They were caught in the burning building with agents still roaming through the bog-like black fog. The exhaust from the pilant inferno of building – collapsing and melting as they spoke – twirled in tornados of billowing coal coloured smog.
                          
“Jesus, Bucky!” Steve choked, masking his face with his sleeve, but still managing to pound Bucky in his flesh and bone bicep. He rasped out a strangled laugh and ducked behind a flaming falling beam to avoid an array of bullets being sprayed.
                          
Bucky kicked an approaching Hydra agent through a swirling fiery hole in the floor and he plummeted into the crater of flames, screaming as he went. He snagged Steve by the hand and grappled him to his feet and the pair ran down the corridor hand in hand.
                          
“Rogers-Barnes, are your sorry arses still inside that flaming building – no pun intended?” Sam’s fizzling voice radioed into their earpieces.
                          
“Workin’ on it!” Bucky choked and hacked, the smoke inhibiting his sight and his breathing.
                          
“The structure looks minutes away from collapsing and there’s no chance anyone else will risk running back in after you, that’d be suicide!” Sam shouted urgently.
                          
“Exactly two minutes and fifteen seconds...”  Tony reported, his suit taking in readings on the weaknesses of the towering inferno.
                          
“We’re used to it!” Steve spluttered with a fist balled against his mouth as they staggered through the flames.
                          
Their footfalls were loud claps in the empty hallways, drowned out by the crackling of the flames and the creaking of the wood and metal crumbling all around them. The walls were being licked by the climbing fire and the floor was blazing behind them. From outside they could hear the sirens and their flickering blue lights flashed across the walls through broken windows.
                          
They reached the end of the corridor and the roof collapsed down and blocked the stairs that marked the exit. Bucky and Steve swerved away, halting their running abruptly, feet slipping about and arms shielding them as specks of dust and debris followed the plummeting cluster of building.
                          
“We’re gonna need another way out!” Steve shouted over the roar of flames, squinting through the dense smoke.
                          
“No shit, cap...” Bucky agreed, twirling on the spot to try and pick out another exit but everything was blacked out by the sight-smearing smoke.