He blinks, expression softening slightly as the quiet words reach him. Where it any louder in this part of the town, he might not have heard. Hell, if they weren't in a back alley he wouldn't have heard, but he was listening and he heard the question and it made him pause. Was he? He'd told Sam he was no where near ready to give up. That was before the nightmare mission where he'd seen Steve and had to listen to his dead best friend tell him he was forgiven for getting him killed. Except he hadn't even been given that much, Steve had been so damn stubborn that it was Snow and the Capitol and maybe he was right, but it was still on Bucky as well. Kids in he districts had been dealt a bad hand, but instead of sitting there doing the best he could with it, he'd thrown the cards on the ground and lost them all.
He was giving up, he'd just said as much in accepting he might have his brain splattered across the Capitol's mainstreet soon. If that happened, it wouldn't just be Sam who'd have to watch, it'd be Peggy and Hannah. It'd be Rachel and Sarah and Becca and his mother, all of whom still thought he didn't love them enough to keep living, they'd find out he hadn't killed himself only to watch him die for real on District 10's big screen. The gun fell a little from it's aim on the collapsed man.
"I don't know where you think we could go, but if I don't kill him, he'll be able to identify you and James and you'll both be punished for being 'accomplices.' Besides, once he's no longer panicked, he might even realize who it was who threatened him and bring awareness to 13 and I can't let any of those hings happen. Why should I spare his life?" He finally looked over at his double. "Is this man's life more important than Sam's or your own?"
He could feel his resolve crumbling, especially as the adrenaline fled his system and the tension fell, but he had to know what exactly it was they thought was a better option. From where he stood, there was only one.
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He was giving up, he'd just said as much in accepting he might have his brain splattered across the Capitol's mainstreet soon. If that happened, it wouldn't just be Sam who'd have to watch, it'd be Peggy and Hannah. It'd be Rachel and Sarah and Becca and his mother, all of whom still thought he didn't love them enough to keep living, they'd find out he hadn't killed himself only to watch him die for real on District 10's big screen. The gun fell a little from it's aim on the collapsed man.
"I don't know where you think we could go, but if I don't kill him, he'll be able to identify you and James and you'll both be punished for being 'accomplices.' Besides, once he's no longer panicked, he might even realize who it was who threatened him and bring awareness to 13 and I can't let any of those hings happen. Why should I spare his life?" He finally looked over at his double. "Is this man's life more important than Sam's or your own?"
He could feel his resolve crumbling, especially as the adrenaline fled his system and the tension fell, but he had to know what exactly it was they thought was a better option. From where he stood, there was only one.