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Horns blared at the crazy, homeless looking man that ran down the highway bridge. Headlights flashed at his back, his feet hitting the cement road, not looking back at the wrecked motorbike left behind. His pants and jacket bore signs of road burn, signs that went unnoticed by the passing, confused commuters of the Annapolis highway. He sprinted down the emergency lane, duffel bag hitting and swaying against his back, running faster than some of the cars that passed by. He never looked back. For he knew what was after him. He saw the man. He was much larger than him. Much stronger than him. The men who followed his orders outnumbered him. Especially in his current state. The disheveled man's legs didn't stop. The only instance they did, was when the horrid, painful shocks would run through his body. He had an idea of their source. And it was the one thing he didn’t want to return to. Still, he had to try. He had to get away.Amongst the cars that blared, honked and flashed at the madman, was a van. The black van he was trying to lose. He knew he was spotted the moment he heard an engine behind him not slow down at his presence. Instead, it sped up.
Reaching for his gym bag, the disheveled man whipped around at the last moment. He took aim. He fired. Once. The bullet hit the van's windshield. But not the driver behind it. The windows were bulletproof. Of course. The madman cursed under his breath. The van approached him, still going just as fast. He waited for the right moment. Just when the vehicle was about to hit him full front, the man jumped, rolled onto the windshield and onto the roof of the van. He swiftly latched onto the top window with his left hand and hung on. That maneuver would’ve broken an ordinary man's bones, including the ones in the arm that held onto the roof of the speeding vehicle. Luckily, this was no ordinary man. The Winter Soldier, as he was known in the underground mercenary circles, dug his bionic fingers into the metal roof, preventing him from flying off the vehicle when it screeched to a halt. Before any of the passengers could do anything, he ripped the car’s sunroof off, taking away part of the ceiling with it, and, more importantly, any bullet-proof protection between him and his pursuers. They aimed their own guns, fired and missed. His aim was much better. Just as the Soldier was about to gun down the last of them, another jolt of electricity shocked him. His muscles tensed and convulsed at the same time. He grunted loudly and painfully when his aching body slid off the car’s roof and hit the pavement, back first. The remaining survivor of the damaged van got out, rifle in hand and aiming at the downed Winter Soldier. He kicked his gun away and yelled at him to not move. The shocks stopped as quickly as they came. The Soldier laid there, panting, coughing, his entire body in pain. A second van stopped behind the other one.
Damn. They caught up too.
A small team of mercenaries stepped out, and rushed to the downed assassin, guns out and aiming at him. When all four of what remained of his current pursuers fully surrounded him, another man stepped out of the van. He was taller, more imposing than the other mercenaries. He had his own assault rifle and bullet proof vest on him, and a thick, black mask shaped like a skull’s jaw covering the lower half of his face. The rest of his visage was uncovered, baring his eyes to the world. For what stood out the most out of them were not the angry scars around them. It was their unnatural gleam.
“Finally caught you, asset. Time to go home.” The masked man held up a switch on his hand. No doubt the source of the sudden shocks. “And you’ll behave this time, or else you’re in for another session of shock therapy.”
The Winter Soldier groaned and grit his teeth, anger boiling deep inside him. “I...have a name.”
“No. You don’t. You are just a walking weapon that needs to be put away with the rest.”
Bucky’s hands reached into one of his pants’ side pockets. His movements were slow and discreet enough so that the mercenaries surrounding him wouldn’t notice. Once he had the items he needed, he promptly activated them and let them roll out of his hand. “You first.”
The elongated beeping emanated from the round mines that rolled away from the Winter Soldier's hand took everyone by surprise. The Soldier shielded his eyes just in time before the mines went off and blinded his adversaries with a quick and bright flash. They all staggered back in surprise, panicked by their sudden blindness. The Winter Soldier got on his feet in a heartbeat and reached for a knife on one of the mercenary’s belts. He flipped it and swung it at the masked mercenary’s hand. The blade hit the remote and cut the man’s flesh in the process. The wound wasn’t deep, and unfortunately the remote didn’t break from the hit. But he quickly got up, pushed two of the soldiers away, retrieving his bag and gun, and sprinted to the edge of the highway bridge. The group of hired guns could only see his silhouette as he jumped off the bridge and landed on top of a passing truck. Once he was far enough away, the Soldier allowed himself to sit on the roof of the vehicle and let out a long sigh. He didn’t know where this truck was headed. He didn’t know how long it would be before the group of HYDRA thugs that have been after him since Washington DC would catch up to him again. All he was certain off was that he had a name. James Buchanan Barnes. And he was out to find the truth about what happened to him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The night lights hit Bucky’s retinas as hard as a runaway train. It was late in the evening, close to the first hours of the morning, and fatigue had caught up to him as he sat against a closed shop in the middle of Cambridge.The truck drove all the way to this city of the Dorchester County in Maryland to restock at a gas pump. Bucky took the opportunity to use some of the money he had “borrowed” from punks who tried to pickpocket him, to buy snacks and canned drinks that would keep him awake. Everything he ate made him nauseous though. All of it was too sweet, the taste too strong and they were hardly filling. He never had to worry about such details during his missions. They rarely were long enough to the point he would need to eat or sleep or even have a toilet break. But then, HYDRA couldn’t really use a weapon that suffered from human inconveniences…He sighed and turned to his arm. The shocks had stopped. So the hunch he had in the highway was true. The signal for the remote had a limited range. That hunch didn’t explain how they tracked him in the first place. Ever since he had visited the Smithsonian exhibit in Washington, Bucky had been anything other than careful. He avoided any camera in public spaces, covered his face with his hoodie or cap. But the world wasn’t as simple anymore. He didn’t have a handler to cover his tracks properly or clean up after him. He had also read the papers. The headlines were different, but they all focused on the events that took place only weeks ago, especially the SHIELD and HYDRA files that were leaked on the internet. His name had also begun to pop up amongst those articles. Captain America also appeared there, of course. His thoughts went to the man on the bridge, Steve Rogers. According to the papers, he was now facing his own problems with the government, and there were rumors that he was going to get protection from Tony Stark. Bucky sighed. Reaching out to Steve for help now would be too risky. This was bad. Bucky Barnes was back, and he was lost and without the smallest idea of what to do or who to trust.“Come on, boy.”The sound of a female voice snapped Bucky out of his daze. He glanced up, his eyes heavy and his head pounding. He squinted his eyes and noticed a young woman walking up the street, a dog at her side. She had dark brown skin, wore jogging attire, warm enough for the evening chill, and her dark hair was pulled back in a curly ponytail. He was mostly interested in seeing if there was any chance she were packing a gun, but the one thing he noticed the difference of weight distribution between her left and right leg. It struck him as odd and unusual, seeing that she appeared in good shape otherwise. Her dog, a golden retriever, paced at her side, tongue out and stopping to sniff the odd pole or curb. As far as he knew, it didn’t show any signs of aggression. As the mutt approached, Bucky gathered the little energy he had to get up and pick up his duffel bag. Bucky jerked it away from the dog when it sniffed its contents.“Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. Corsair, here!” The dog obeyed the command and went back to her owner. The woman stood in front of Bucky, petting the dog, and looked at him. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Did you arrive recently?”Bucky cleared his throat. “Just tonight. I gotta go.”“Which one is it?”He turned around at the curious jogger, frowning in confusion. “What?”“Which one are you taking? Coke? Meth?”The young man rolled his eyes and shook his head. Of course, it wasn’t all that weird of her to suggest that he was on some type of drug. Most homeless people were by his knowledge and that was probably what he looked like to her. He didn’t blame her. He certainly looked the part with his shaggy beard and tired look. Part of him was kind of glad for this. That meant she likely didn’t recognize who he was.He noticed how she stooped down and stared him in the face. Her sudden interest made him extremely uncomfortable and he looked away. She didn’t divert her attention for several more moments, before finally getting back up.“Your skin looks healthy, has no lesions or traces of needle marks, your eyes aren’t glassy and the pupils are normal size. No drugs or alcohol then. Did you get in a scuffle?”Bucky didn’t respond, his mind mulling over the woman currently talking to him. Obviously, she wasn’t born yesterday. Taking his silence as an answer, the woman carried on. “When was the last time you ate?”The man groaned. “None of your business.”The young jogger stared back, unfazed by his sharp answer. She sighed and motioned her dog to her side. “Listen, I can’t tell you what to do. But as far as I see it, there are two options offered to you now. I am headed to a diner for a late night snack, and I am ready to pay you a meal. Or, you can just go wherever you were planning on going, lay down, and deal with your injuries and empty stomach on your own. Your pick.”The Winter Soldier grumbled. He didn’t like being presented with ultimatums. He liked it even less to have to make a choice. Being conditioned to become a living weapon didn’t really come with that kind of skill. And then there was the matter of this broad being way too meddlesome and smart for her own good…His stomach, however, was more than happy to make a choice for him. Somewhere inside his fuzzy brain, the word “diner” evoked the image of rich, delicious and bountiful food. He wouldn’t last long without food, and his metabolism needed the nutrients to be able to patch his wounds quickly. Besides, he knew he couldn’t take another sweet gas station candy bar even if it was the last edible thing on this planet. So it was with a sigh that Bucky ended up asking the woman to lead the way. Her lips moved to a smile and she motioned him to follow her. Their walk to the diner wasn’t long, but it was silent, aside from the dog’s panting. Barnes continued to note the slight limp with which the woman walked. An injury perhaps, though something told him that she likely wasn’t nearly as vulnerable as the limp suggested. He stored that information in his head, in case he would need to defend himself. HYDRA still had many faces after all, and one could not be too careful.The two soon arrived at a small diner situation in a street corner, only a few feet away from where Barnes was resting. He could read from afar the “closed” sign flipped on the door, but he noted how some of the lights inside were still on through the shutters on the windows. The female jogger didn’t seem fazed by the sign and walked over to the door. She knocked on the door three times. There was a short wait before the door emitted a "click" and it was opened by a woman holding a broom. She looked to be in her forties, much older than the jogger, and her dark skin and hair were slightly lighter than hers. She didn’t seem armed nor to be a threat.“Good evening, Liv. Come for your midnight snack?”“Hey Tara. Yeah, for me and my friend here if you don’t mind.”The woman turned her gaze to him. She looked at his appearance, from top to bottom, and offered him a smile. “Of course. Any friends of Liv are more than welcome. Come in, come in.”The warmth of the diner was pleasant and overwhelming at the same time. Bucky stepped inside and followed the jogger, Liv apparently, to the counter. The woman, who he assumed at this point to be the owner, had already taken out two mugs and had turned on the coffee machine behind the counter. He sat on the stool and placed his duffle bag on the seat next to him. He kept the strap around his shoulder, just in case he needed to bolt, or reach for one of his pistols inside.Liv slid a plastic menu to him. “Here. Pick anything you want. Though I do suggest you try Tara’s potato pie. It’s to die for.”Said woman chuckled. “It will never be as good as tía made them, sadly. What can I get you to drink on the meantime?”“I’ll have the usual decaf please.”“And your friend?”Bucky clenched his jaw. Choosing such a basic thing as to what to drink was unfamiliar to him at this point. He opted for the safe route. “I will have the same.”The owner nodded and poured the hot drinks in their respective mugs. Barnes glanced at the menu on the meantime. The long list of choices had his head spin. It was nothing compared to the snacks he would buy in the gas stations and convenience stores. His eyes went around the menu for what seemed like hours. Finally he went for the one thing that seemed the most familiar. “Beef sandwich.”Tara nodded. His host went for a more elaborate meal. A bacon burger, hash browns, chili cheese fries and two slices of potato pie. He frowned at the mere mention of it. It was a big meal even for someone of his size, let alone hers. Clearly, she wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere.The owner went to the back of the diner, to prepare the meals no doubt. Bucky drank from his mug silently. He scanned the place, his eyes drifting from one access point to the other. They lingered on the front door, the only window that lead to the street that wasn’t covered by the metal shutters. His host was quick to notice his paranoia. “You are afraid of something.”Bucky’s eyes snapped back to the woman. She watched him intently, her hazel eyes bright with curiosity. He found it extremely uncomfortable. This woman was decent at reading people, clearly.“I’m homeless. I’m afraid of a lot of things.”He could almost kick himself for how unconvincing that lie sounded. His mind raced with millions of excuses and that was the one that came out. Lying was not a skill HYDRA had considered particularly necessary for a mindless assassin. It remained silent for a short while and Liv continued to stare at him before taking a sip of her coffee.“Most homeless people don’t have to fear both the government and a worldwide terrorist network on their tail…”If the Winter Soldier had felt any sense of calmness before, it evaporated the very instant she spoke. Blind panic started to rise from the deepest part of his being. His grip on his mug loosened, especially on his left hand. A series of familiar movements rushed through his mind. Create weapon in case of attack. Break free. Run.Liv took a sip out of her mug before setting it down. She kept her hands on the table, kept them visible to him, sitting on the stool calmly, yet staying in her own personal space. Barnes frowned. She was being careful. “We have about ten more minutes before Tara gets back with our food. Let’s use that time to be honest to one another. Also, let’s not get violent. Between my dog and me, trust me when I say we can leave a mark.”She was greeted by only his hard stare and silence.“Good. I know who you are, Sergeant James Barnes. And likely, so does Tara. The only reason she hasn’t called the cops is because she trusts me and she owes me. I also have no interest in selling you out, either to the government or HYDRA. My reasons are my own, but I am interested in offering you help. Do you understand?”All Bucky could do at that was glare. Distrust coursed through his mind like a poison. Nothing in this world was ever for free.“What’s the catch?”She shook her head. “No catch. Just help. Some food and other supplies to help you on your way. Perhaps even out of the country. How does that sound?”Barnes snorted. “Sounds too good to be true. You usually help fugitives from the state?”Liv shrugged. “It’s a long story, but yes. And mostly not for free, but let’s just say you’re the exception to my own rules.”Those cryptic words made him suspicious all over again. His mouth already opened to ask further, but his sentence was interrupted by Tara coming back. She carried several plates stacked with food and placed them before the pair with a huge smile.“There you go. Enjoy the meal. Oh and before I forget.” She handed an extra plate, a bowl containing a variety of dried meats. “The usual for Corsair.”Liv smiled and thanked Tara. She placed the bowl down for her dog to eat. Bucky eyed the dog with immense distrust. He didn’t have a lot of knowledge about golden retrievers, but the fact that its owner threatened to use it against him made him cautious. His stomach growled, reminding him of the food plated before him.Bucky eyed the sandwich. It was larger than what he expected, stuffed with slices of semi-raw meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and an unidentified sauce. Tara refused to disclose the latter, joking a cook would never reveal all her secrets. The man had to fight the urge to roll his eyes and simply dug in. The various tastes weren’t overbearing for once, and he could identify what he was eating. Some memories tried to creep their way up the deepest recesses of Bucky’s mind, but now was not the time to go down memory lane. He was busy enjoying his first proper meal in nearly 70 years.The food was gone before he even truly realized it. He heard a chuckle next to him and looked up to see Liv push a slice of potato pie his way. He eyed it warily and she simply sighed, taking her fork and eating a small tip of it.“See? Nothing wrong with it. Just want you to try it.” Silence. “Seriously, if you don’t eat it, I will.”Barnes’ eyebrows twitched in a frown, but he relented. He slid the plate over to him and grabbed his own fork. As much as it was hard to admit, she was right. The pie was indeed something.The rest of the meal went by without incident. He was still incredibly on edge, mentally preparing for nearly anything. Still, no HYDRA or SWAT team broke down the door. Nor did anyone put a gun to his head. And that potato pie indeed wasn’t poisoned. Still, all of that did little to quell his sense of unease about the woman beside him.So far, she had not been hostile to him and like she had promised, she seemed to have no intentions of becoming so either. Still, whatever little she let slip about herself indicated she was anything but an ordinary civilian. After all, what kind of civilian would be so calm and collected talking to a known criminal, much less offer their help and worse, imply they had done so many times before?Once the plates were cleared and paid for, in form of Liv promising running some “errands” for her friend, the two diners got up from their seats. Liv hugged her friend, thanked her for the meal and told her she would come back for more orders. Whatever that meant. Once outside, they were both greeted by the chilly autumn night and deserted street, kept alight by the posts and illuminated advertisement. The lights didn’t render Bucky blind and his headache was mostly gone, so that was a good sign. A shuffle on his side snapped him out of his thoughts. “So, thought about my little proposal?”Bucky looked at the empty street straight ahead. “I’d rather not. Though if you won’t miss some supplies, I am willing to accept those.”For once, he was incredibly pleased with his decision-making. As tempting as it was to believe this woman would help him get out of the country, he had lost his trust in people long ago. He could deal with a potentially bugged medical kit. What he might not be able to deal with was staying put in a place where he was at the mercy of strangers and at risk of being found by HYDRA. So in the end, the best solution was to take her offer of free food and items and leave this city quickly. There was no telling when the team of HYDRA goons would catch up to his location.For a moment, she stared at him and he swore she almost looked disappointed. After a few seconds, however, Liv simply nodded. She whistled for her dog to follow and turned back to him.“Very well. Let’s quickly go by my house then. I’ll get you some stuff that will help your journey. You can wait outside if you want.”Bucky motioned ahead. “Lead the way.”She did so without prompting, clearly not caring that he decided to remain a few steps behind her. He took note of the route and kept an eye on their surroundings.The young woman’s house ended up not being too very far away from the diner. Two blocks east, then turn left, two streets down, turn right and continue until the beginnings of suburban neighborhood rose up from the dark. Her house was one of the small ones. One story house with parking space and fence that led to a back yard. Nothing special, but it had at least three potential exits as far as Bucky could see from the outside.Liv turned back to him. “Wait here. Or in the garden if that makes you feel safer. I’ll get the stuff.”She clacked her tongue for Corsair to follow her and he watched how she opened the fence, walked down the path and then unlocked the door, heading inside. He could see the lights turn on and he watched through the window how she entered and started to rummage through the living room. Stepping into the garden to feel a little more sheltered, he watched her like a hawk, his paranoid mind quite certain she might still reach for a phone or other communication device and rat him out. After all, who could he truly trust but himself?Suddenly, a small shock jerked him from his thoughts. It was small and painless and for a second, he thought he had imagined it. Yet just as that thought occurred, a second, more violent electric jolt ran through his body.His blood turned to ice and he nearly forgot to breathe. He knew what it meant. He knew what was going to happen. That man… He was near. He was onto him! They were onto him! Those HYDRA goons had followed him here! They were coming for him! They were...The next spasm had him crash into the grass. His body was numb and he found himself unable to move. His body felt like it was on fire, searing with pain. It became harder and harder to keep his eyes open, to stay conscious. HYDRA was coming and with each step closer, he was losing his chances to escape even faster.His blurry vision was only vaguely aware that someone was standing over him. The woman. Liv. She was saying something to him, her dog apparently barking beside her. He couldn’t hear a word. Had she sold him out in the end? Had she…That was the last conscious thought he had. He couldn’t struggle against the accumulation of pain and exhaustion anymore.His vision faded into black.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“ Sergeant… ”A voice, distorted and foreign, sounded through the darkness. Who it was, he had no idea. His world was just an endless maelstrom of flashes of images and sounds, disjointed and out of synch. All of it equally terrifying.“ James…down...help... ”Sick as he felt, he wanted to sneer. Of course, “help”. Always that claim that all everyone wanted to do for him was help. Preferably by putting him back in a machine and wiping his memory until he hardly had anything of a brain left to fry...“ Barnes...followed...out of you... ”He couldn’t understand what this person was even trying to say. Did it matter at all? He couldn’t move and was barely able to think. Walking the fine line between sleeping and waking, he wanted nothing more than embrace the former and seeing his current situation, not waking up didn’t seem that bad an alternative. “Bucky.” The mention of his nickname was what finally made him unable to ignore the voice any longer. He tried to open his eyes to see, though that soon proved to be another task in itself. His entire body was aching and his head felt like he had faced a freight train and lost. Taking shallow breaths, he focused his mind on one blurry section at the time, until, slowly, an image started to come together.Wherever he was, the space was notably dark and cramped, with the exception of a few makeshift lights. Over him stood a face that was very familiar. And it was right up there with the list of faces he would rather not see right now.“You…”Liv gave him a calm look. “Don’t move yet. You got quite a wallop. A lesser man would have been fried by it.”All he gave her for an answer was a vicious glare. He’d be damned if he’d take orders from her. He tried to grab her, his plan to throw her out of her range, get up and make a break for it. A solid plan, right up to the moment where he realized he couldn’t move his arms or legs.“I’m sorry about the restraints. I had to for my own safety. You were rather punch-happy while you were drifting in and out of consciousness.”His eyes went down to the leather belts that held his limbs down. He was strapped to a makeshift gurney, in a dark metal room, the only light sources being the lamps above him. Bucky began to struggle, only to have a gloved hand come to his left shoulder and push him down.“Calm down, I am almost done. After that, I will unstrap you.”He lay back. His eyes followed the sound. Much to his surprise and horror, Liv was working on his bionic arm, a few of its plates lying on a table beside her. She had a plastic gloves on and a magnifying glass propped up, similar to one used by a doctor, aimed at the exposed part of his arm and was working on it with small screwdrivers, tweezers and a variety of other small tools. Unpleasant memories surfaced in his mind and the man nearly yelled. “The hell are you doing to me?”“I’m removing those electrodes that knocked your lights out earlier. Already got rid of the GPS and its backups at my place. HYDRA considers you quite the gem. Convoys transporting gold come with less backup security than that metal grabber.”Bucky’s head throbbed out of confusion or anger, he did not know. But her words did indicate that something did happen prior to him waking up in this position. “The mercenaries. Did they ask you to do this?”“The mercenaries are the reason I’m taking these things out of you here. Your little turkey shooting system went off in my yard, with the coordinates to my house on it. And tell I’m wrong when I say these people won’t just politely knock on my door, kindly ask me if I can hand you over and then leave while apologizing for breaking my garden gnome.”Bucky frowned. Sarcasm dripped from her words and it only irritated him even further, especially considering that she was right. Have at it then. “Not if you offer them coffee first.”Liv stared back at him. “Huh. The old man has a sense of humor. Who knew?”She returned to her task at hand and Bucky used the silence between them to look around the space they were in. He now realized it looked like a storage space of some kind. A remarkably well equipped container. Aside from the sort-of gurney he was on and the chair Liv was sitting on, there was a large table, nearly occupying the entire side of the metal room. It had computers and monitors on it, All of them were alight but on standby, and further tools and disassembled gadgets down the table. He also noted with great interest the guns displayed on the walls. There was an AK-47, a small machine gun and even a shotgun. This place checked all the obvious features of a hidden workshop and safehouse of some kind. And of course, there was the dog, sleeping in a corner and occasionally regarding them with a lazy gaze.“You brought the mutt too?”Now, he was on the receiving end of a deadly glare. “Well, I considered leaving him behind. It’s not like I care if my pet and aide gets shot or anything.”Her sarcasm was now taking on a threatening edge and Bucky decided not to push it any further. Instead, he planned to focus on the opportunity to escape. He still didn’t trust this woman any further than he could throw her, though admittedly, that saying didn’t really make sense seeing how he was a supersoldier with peak human strength. Still, that made the odds that he could take her even more likely.The leather restraints on him didn’t seem all that strong either. Now fully conscious, he was sure he could tear them like wet paper. But then he would have to quickly gain control of the situation. His bionic arm was wide open and who knew what the woman was working on exactly. The best solution would be to just wait. Liv had indicated she would release him as soon as the procedure was done. Might as well conserve his energy for the right moment.It looked like his gamble was about to pay off. Soon, Liv was closing up his arm again, putting everything wire and plate back in its place without so much as a dent or scratch. She then moved to the straps, giving him a stern look.“I am going to undo the straps now. Please remain calm and do not try anything. Don’t make me do something I might regret later on.”All Bucky responded with was utmost silence. He laid back and relaxed. Both his hands were flat on the surface, glad to note his left one was responsive. Liv began undoing the clasps, starting with his legs and going up. She kept an eye on him as the last one, the one keeping his chest and arms down, unclipped and got loose. The man slowly sat up, and slid off the table. His eyes avoided Liv’s, for she would notice his intents behind them. By the time his feet hit the ground, it was too late for the woman to react.Bucky’s arms reached for Liv, grabbing her by the shoulders and arms. He slammed her down on the table, a surprised groan escaping her mouth. His right arm held one of her arms, twisting it, while his left one kept her still. She didn’t even bother asking him to calm down. Instead, she whistled. Sharp pain ran up his leg suddenly. Liv’s mutt was on his leg in a flash, its teeth digging into his pants and skin. The sharp sting of the bite was unmistakable. So much for a friendly mutt. It began pulling him away from the woman, the sound of tearing fabric muffled by the angry snarls from the dog. Bucky groaned from the pain, and quickly moved his foot, beginning to kick the dog. The beast only held onto him even more, but it also distracted him. Liv pushed back from the table and slammed the back of her head into Bucky’s face. Her skull collided with his nose and brow, making him lose her hold on her. The woman whipped around and hit him with a solid left hook. Barnes stepped back. The dog had let go of his leg and was standing next to its owner, still growling. Liv held her hands up, in a defensive position.“Now Barnes, let's not do anything either of us might regret.”Bucky reached for the table with the tools that were used to repair his arm. He grabbed one that didn’t seem sharp, but jamming it into someone’s shoulder would result in a serious injury and incapacitate them. Preferably her shoulder. He lunged at her. Her dog jumped to rescue, leaping at him, teeth out. Bucky offered it his bionic arm. He used both the extra force and protection to shove the mutt aside, the dog only tearing part of his sleeve off. The Winter Soldier advanced towards his target. He was in her personal space in a second. His improvised weapon was up in the next. Before the screwdriver made contact with her skin, Liv ducked at the last minute. She used her left leg to push herself out of the way. Bucky used his momentum to change his balance, passing the tool to his left hand and striking again. This time however, she didn’t sidestep. Nor did he hit her. She blocked his attack with one arm and used the opportunity to punch him on his side. Air was cut out of his lungs from the punch and he stepped back, surprised by her sudden strength. Suddenly there was a blur in front of him. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t the dog.Something hard, very hard and hollow, came into quick contact with his head. The impact was so aggressive that his vision went white, and Bucky could swear he saw stars dancing in front of him.Once he shook the blur from his eyes, he realized he was on the ground. He had crashed against the gurney he was laying on moments ago, and the tools that were used to repair his arm were scattered about on the floor, including the screwdriver he had grabbed. His head throbbed and Bucky could feel the bump forming on it. Wondering what caused such injury, the man peered up at the woman, then below the waist at her torn jeans. Much to his surprise, he found that the weapon in question was a metal, prosthetic leg that she used to kick him in the face with at high velocity. A titanium leg at that.The Winter Soldier felt the urge to groan. He just got his ass kicked by an amputee and her dog…He didn’t get to contemplate on this humiliation for very long. Within seconds, Liv had grabbed a nearby handgun and had it pointed straight at his head. If she had any sense of humor, it was now long gone. “Have we calmed down yet?”Bucky groaned. His head hurt like a mother. “Depends on whether you have any aspirin.”“I will take that as a yes. Listen carefully Barnes, so it gets through to that cracked skull of yours. I am not your enemy. I don’t see why you had the need to try and plant a screwdriver in my shoulder.”“You don’t understand. In case you haven’t noticed, no one can trust anyone nowadays. You could have your own agenda for all I know.”She kept an even voice. “I do. Right now, that involves keeping you out of HYDRA’s clutches.”Just when she said that, the laptop in the corner started emitting a beeping sound and she groaned. “...Which you have now just ruined by making a scene.”He frowned and followed the noise. There on one of the monitors was surveillance footage showing several armed man, scouring an unknown location. Judging from the woman’s irritation, it was not far from here.“Where are we exactly?”“A container unit on the outskirts of the city. There isn’t supposed to be anyone here. Well, except mercenaries up to no good, who were most likely dispatched to track my car. Mostly guys like these don’t think to look inside the containers. That was, until you decided to start a noisy scrap with me. Now, they are approaching our position and fast.”The man narrowed his eyes at her. She wouldn’t get an answer to that accusation. Instead, Bucky used the flipped table next to him to pull himself up on his feet. He peered around, searching for his bag. Liv pointed at the corner next to the door. She was already gathering her things and pressing keys on the various computers on the table. Her mutt sat beside her. It had no injury, but it distrusted Bucky greatly by now. In seconds, Liv had already shut down and disconnected her laptops from the monitors and swooped everything on the table into her gym bag. At the same time, she grabbed what he recognized as his own backpack and threw it at him. “Ok, time to go.”He looked at her as if she was crazy. “What, through the container door?”The glance she cast him seemed to be one of utter annoyance. He noticed how she put a strange, helmet-like structure on her head and shoved unusual bracers onto her hands, which she then covered with a knitted hat and long-sleeved jacket. She let out a frustrated sigh.“Be honest with me if I’m honest with you?”He frowned. “Yes.”She nodded.. “At the diner, I said I was willing to help you. I meant that. Still do. I have a car here. We can use that to get the hell out of here, but for that, I need you to not turn on me or try to kill me. You think you can do that?”“If you promise to explain all this to me, sure.”For perhaps the first time since the diner, she smiled. “Fair enough. I’ll tell you everything. You have my word.”By now, the sound of stomping feet, armed weaponry and shouted orders was clearly audible. He could see Liv’s eyes dart back and forward. The movement unnerved him somehow. As if she was reading some kind of bizarre text or code that no one else could see. She sighed and turned to him, handing him what looked like a Kalashnikov.“I am going outside. You stay in here, with Corsair. Only come out either when I’m done with these bastards or if they threaten to come in here. Shoot to kill, Soldier. And if my dog dies, I’ll shoot you myself.”Knowing he wasn’t in a position to bargain, the Winter Soldier simply nodded. He leaned against one of the doors for protection and Liv motioned her dog to sit and stay with him. The animal did so hesitantly and he could only nervously eyeball it. He then turned to Liv, who put a finger on her lips and then walked to one of the doors, opening it and going outside as if she were simply going to work.“You! Get down! Get down on the ground!”An icy scream left Liv’s mouth, one that was enough for both Bucky and the dog to wince. This was followed by shocked sounds and pleading. He was baffled. Had she suddenly lost her nerve when faced by being on the end of a whole bunch of HYDRA guns?“Wha...What’s going on? Why are you pointing guns at me? What’s going on?”Clearly, the HYDRA mercenaries were not in the mood to negotiate. “The Winter Soldier! Where is he?”“W-who? I don’t understand!”“Get on your knees! The Winter Soldier! His last known location was at your house! Where is he?”By now, the previously brave woman was reduced to blubbering. “I don’t know! I’m just a dock worker here on an early shift! I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”Her crying only seemed to make the soldiers angrier. “Listen bitch, you have exactly to the count of three to tell us where he is or you’ll get a bullet in the head. One…”“Please, just… Don’t hurt me! Just...”“Two…”By now, Bucky could barely keep himself from moving. He didn’t particularly like this woman, especially not after the stunt she previously pulled on him. Still, even he hadn’t planned on actually killing her, the last thing he wanted was her to die on his watch.“Wait! Wait! I’ll tell! I’ll tell!”Liv’s voice was hoarse with tears, but her words caused Bucky’s heartbeat to cease. This was it. She had broken, as easily as he figured a civilian would. Now, she was going to rat him out to save his own skin, just like he expected she would…Gripping his AK-47, he peered past the door, ready to fire. That was, until a tiny detail caught his eye. Small antipersonnel devices, craftily rolled between the mercenaries’ feets without them even noticing. His jaw dropped.She wasn’t actually afraid for her life. She was faking it to set a trap.“Please, I’ll tell you anything. I’ll tell you...”With one swift move, she touched something on her bracer. In seconds, the devices went off, emitting a strange pulse. Several of the men went down immediately. It was as if someone had reached into their minds and flipped the OFF switch. Some of the larger guys remained standing and it took them but a second to realize that they’d been had. Soon, several weapons were aimed at her and a barrage of gunfire came her way. Liv stayed put. She reached for one of her gauntlets and activated multiple buttons. An energy shield was generated just in time for the bullets to not hit her. She then pushed forward, sprinting to one side of the column to tangle with the nearest mercenary.Bucky’s compulsion to be flabbergasted was quickly overruled by logic. This was no time to stand by idly. Gripping his weapon, he turned the corner and started firing. He shot at the mercenaries that stood the furthest away, incapacitating them with precise aim to their limbs. They all hit the ground, clutching their wounds, and wincing loudly.Once the coast was clear, Bucky stepped out. Liv had just taken down the last of them with a baton. From the corner of his eye, he could see a scarce two or three mercenaries fleeing towards a van. He gnashed his teeth. Bastards were going to call for backup.Instantly, he started running after them. Within seconds, he caught up to the first one. He practically leaped at the man, pulling him to the ground. He proceeded to slam the back end of his Kalashnikov into the mercenary’s head to knock him out and then went for the second man.This one, however, saw him coming. He found himself rapidly dodging the swing of a knife and he immediately acted on self-defense. Blocking a second swing with his metal arm, he then grabbed his opponent’s hand and twisted it, forcing him to drop the weapon. He then knocked him out and looked around for the third one. His breath halted when he saw the man had already reached the van and was fiddling with a radio.“Code Red, commander! Code Red! Asset has taken out all others! He has help! Requesting b…”That was as far as he could get. Bucky was already on it. Tearing off the car door, he vaulted inside over the seats and smashed the man’s face into the radio. It knocked him out and effectively rendered the piece of machinery useless, killing two birds with one stone. He then threw the unconscious body out of the car, taking a moment to catch his breath and figure out what to do next.It was that very moment that he heard the screeching of tires outside. He looked up, only to see a silver van approach him. He tensed, ready to fight again, until he spied Liv’s face behind the wheel. She hit the brakes right beside him and threw open the passenger door.“Let’s go!”She didn’t need to tell him twice. His hands reached for the van’s steering wheel with his bionic hand and ripped it out in one clean motion. It would buy them just enough time, hopefully. He quickly got out of the HYDRA van and jumped into Liv’s car, taking the passenger seat. His unlikely ally put the pedal to the metal and he had to hang on tight as she swerved through the dockyard and smashed through a fence before making it to the main road.It was only there that she resorted to a more acceptable speed and frankly, he was thankful for it. He was still a little sick of being unconscious for so long and her little imitation of racecar driving did little to improve it. Truth be told, Liv herself didn’t seem to be in that great a state herself. He saw she was panting and she shakily reached back to pet her dog, who was already leaning forward from the backseat. The animal started to lick her hand and after a few seconds, she calmed down a bit. She put both hands on the wheel again, taking a deep breath and letting out a grunt.“This is going to be a lot messier than I thought it would be...”Bucky’s gaze went to her face. She had a frown on her, and stared straight ahead. Her hands clutched the steering wheel so tightly that the metal would most likely bend. Still, seeing the events of the last couple of days, he wasn’t in a very sympathetic mood. He had fulfilled his part of the bargain in getting to the car; now she needed to fulfill hers.“Start talking. Who the hell are you? And what do you want from me?”She cast him a sideway glance. “I’m Olivia Montgomery. Liv, for short. As I said before, I want to help you.”“Why?”“Because it is what I do.” Bucky’s intense, silent glare spoke volumes. Liv sighed and elaborated. “Officially, I’m a business owner and silent partner. I go to businesses I like or think are profitable, I invest money in them and I get a nice chunk of the profits. Computer stuff is my primary skill, as you've probably noticed. Unofficially though, I’m what you could call a “fixer”.”The Winter Soldier cocked his head. For some reason, he didn’t like the sound of that. The young woman took a moment to focus on her driving before continuing.“I make people’s problems go away against a price when the law won’t help them. Russian mail order bride shoots her abusive, American husband with political ties? I get her a new identity and the means to start a new life. Corrupt cop blackmails your family? I make him take a long vacation. Cult sucked in your family member? I get them back for you, might even politically assassinate the leader for little extra. I am one of those people working in that gray area of law and crime and as you noticed, pretty damn good with machines on the side. And I think I might be able to help you out.”He felt the urge to actually snort. So this woman was not exactly squeaky clean herself. That shouldn’t surprise him. Still, seeing the stuff she had just listed, her readiness to risk her life for him seemed absurd. If she made problems go away against a fee and generally helped average civilians, helping him didn’t fit her modus operandi at all. She had to have some kind of ulterior motive.“I don’t have any money. And if what you said in that diner was true, I’m a criminal. You have no reason to actually help me.”He could see a smirk come onto her lips and he swore he could feel a shiver. “What’s so funny?”“I don’t expect any money from you, Barnes. Or any other form of payment. As for my reason to help you despite being public enemy number one, let’s just say that you are a special case. All you need to know is that I’m probably your best bet if you want to stay ahead of HYDRA.”Bucky’s mouth formed a protest, only to quickly close again and for him to glare when he realized he couldn’t refute that claim. The brawl that happened a few minutes ago in front of her container was proof of that. Speaking of which. “Won’t you be tracked down as well? There was a lot of evidence in that container.”He practically jumped when she suddenly started to laugh. It sounded wry and sarcastic, yet full of a twisted kind of humor. He stared at her, not at all understanding, and she grinned.“Trust me. Having a band of HYDRA mercenaries chase me is not the worst thing that happened to me in the past decade. Besides, that container is under a fake name and this baby here,” she pointed at some ornamented earcufs she had on her ears, “scrambles the video feed. So if the guards try to look at my face on the playback, they will only see a bunch of distorted pixels.”The casual way she brought all of this up, only unsettled Bucky more. While he was now quite certain this woman was indeed on his side, the way she seemed unfazed by her current situation was off-setting. She was clearly no mere civilian or even a crime boss and God knew what kind of skeletons she probably had in her closet. Still, he realized she was right when she said that he needed an ally and right now, a woman working on the fringes of society was as good a chance as he would get. He had no option but to trust her.“So, Mr. Barnes… What would you like me to do for you?”He frowned as her tone retained that oddly jovial edge. What’s more, he didn’t quite understand what she meant. Wasn’t she planning to keep him out of HYDRA’s clutches in exchange for...something?She quickly noted his confusion and smiled. “You are the client. I am the one delivering the order. I can’t make you do something you don’t want. So what would you want me to help you with?”His eyes lit up in understanding, though it wasn’t that much of a relief. So she left him the choice of what to do. A hard enough decision to make when thinking for yourself hadn’t been second nature for decades. He had to think long and hard, a process she clearly had no issue with as she waited for him patiently. It was after what seemed like an eternity that he finally made up his mind and he was surprised at how confident he sounded when he stated his wish.“Help me find out what happened to me. Then, get me to somewhere safe.”Just like that, she smiled again. “Will do, Barnes. I know just where to start…”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Located only an hour and a half away from Cambridge, the National Archives at College Park was one of the local establishments that kept prints and microfilms, ranging in this case from textual records of some civilian agencies to military records dating all the way back to World War I.“It even has records on the assassination of JFK. You wouldn’t know anything about that, now would you, Barnes?” Bucky frowned and dug into his memories. His serious search amongst his fragmented mind had Liv’s smile drop. “Wait, no, don’t answer that. I’d rather not know.”Bucky glared at Liv. She was behind the wheel once again, driving her regular car with her dog on the back seat. They had set out to College Park this morning after a brief stay in a motel. It wasn’t safe enough for them to head back to her house. A thought they both shared and which had them end up in a shabby no-tell motel where they had, of course, registered as a married couple. Liv even got extra clothes for them to change into. Bucky nearly blew a gasket when she came back with a men’s T-shirt with the words “Winter Is Coming” on it. Apparently it was a reference to a popular TV show, and a clever little pun that the woman couldn’t resist on doing. It was also the first time in decades that he took a shower. That in itself turned out to be quite a challenge. Showers had changed a lot since the 40s and much to his embarrassment, he had required Liv’s help in operating it. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to make a big deal out of it, and patiently instructed him while standing on the other side of the curtain, her back turned to him. A few minutes later, he was clean and feeling a lot better, a feeling that increased when Liv offered him pizza, an Italian food that was actually familiar to him.Today, after a short breakfast, she made a call. Bucky only overheard some words, quick greetings and questions. He heard his name mentioned twice, and he got tense. When the woman spotted it, she just waved her free hand at him with a frown, motioning him to sit back down. Twenty minutes passed and the phone conversation was over, only for Liv to announce their destination.The ride to the National Archives was a relatively smooth one. Neither he nor Liv talked much during the trip and frankly, he was thankful for it. He didn’t know how to feel about this woman, even if she apparently had his best interests in mind. She had offered a service he needed and seemed determined to fulfill it. The quicker she got on with that and the less time they had to spend together, the better.They parked in a quiet corner of the parking lot and got out. Bucky was more than a little surprised that her dog got out of the car too. Liv slipped a vest on him, with the words “I’m working: Service Dog”. She smiled at his furrowed brow.“Corsair is a service dog. I don´t want to have to deal with explaining every five minutes why there is a dog in a place where dogs usually aren’t allowed in, so I prefer have this on him. I mean, he’s certified and everything, but people often jump to their conclusions.”This only made him more confused. “But you are not blind.”She sighed. “Service dogs are not just for those who can’t see. They are also for people who have seen too much.”That reply caught him by surprise. What on earth did she mean with that? Still, once again reminding himself that he didn’t want to interact with Liv too much, he decided not to question her any further. He waited until she leashed her dog and they started to walk to the entrance.The security at the entrance of the National Archives was common. They made their way to security check, with Liv presenting her backpack, showing off her prosthetic and indicating she had called in advance regarding her and her dog. She even offered to remove the prosthetic leg before passing the metal detector. One of the guards showed sympathy, said it was not necessary and simply insisted on keeping Corsair quiet. His colleague then turned to Bucky. The Winter Soldier urged himself to remain calm. The middle aged man greeted Bucky cordially and asked to place his own items on the tray. Barnes had to hold back his sigh of relief when the man stared at him and showed no signs of recognition. That was the hard part, but it wasn’t over. He handed him his wallet and his phone, leaving the concealed gun under his left pant leg, just as Liv also had one under hers. He just hoped the bracelet-like device Liv had given him for his left arm would indeed do what she said it would and keep the metal detector from going off.One thing was to explain the gun. The other was to explain an entire metal arm. Especially since he was now the most wanted man in the United States of America and it was one of his defining features. He was glad enough that wearing glasses and having his hair tied back apparently worked as a decent disguise. Turned out those silly old comics he used to read as a kid had a grain of truth in them.Once Liv and Bucky passed the metal detector, which thankfully remained silent, and retrieved their belongings, Barnes followed his accomplice inside the building. They headed to the main reception area, but Bucky had a peek inside one of the archive areas. The man was impressed by how open it was, with multiple floors and large windows that reached the ceiling, letting in the morning sunlight. He also noted the amount of students with their noses in their papers and their computers. It reminded him of his old study days on the years before the war started, minus all the technology. Some things sure never changed.He followed Liv as she walked up to a desk. The woman behind it gave them a friendly smile and asked what she could do for them. Liv returned the gesture.
“Hi, I’m the one that asked for the files on Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes and the Super Soldier Project. I need them for my thesis.”The receptionist nodded. “Ah yes, perfect timing, they just arrived.” She reached for some files amongst the stacks piled up behind her. She removed the post-it on it and handed the files to Liv, along with an extra sheet of paper. “Here they are, and here you have the rules for the use of our research material.” She pointed at the various list of rules. “You may use research room number five. It’s down the hall to your right. Be sure to leave your backpacks and phones in the lockers and your quarters will be refunded upon return of the locker key. If you need any extra paper or pencils, just ask.”Liv thanked the woman and walked to the lockers with Bucky. The man noticed how she quickly pocketed her phone while no one but himself was watching. She pushed her and Bucky’s bags inside the locker, and then they went down to where their research room was. He was a bit disappointed when he saw there was no way to lock the door, and that there were tall windows on the sides, allowing anyone to see into the rooms. It made sense in a way. They had to be careful with who handled their material.“By the way Bucky, is your ear cuff still on?”Her question brought him back to the situation at hand. He quietly nodded. She let out a relieved smile. “Good. Don’t wanna leave our mugs behind on their camera feeds. Now, let’s make our time here brief and make it useful. Which file do you want?”For once, she gave him an option that wasn’t hard. He pointed to the file with his name on it. She handed it to him without ado, taking the other file for herself. She set herself at the table to read it, stroking Corsair’s head as he sat beside her with his head on her lap, leaving him to his own devices.Thankful for this, he sat down too. He stared at the cover of the file for a long moment, before taking a deep breath and flipping it open to the first page, and began to read.
There was the basic information at first. Summaries about his family tree, his immigrant ancestors, his childhood in New York. There were even copies of pictures that he recognized from the museum exhibit. Then there were medical records, his exams to be admitted into the army and an assessment of his personality and leadership skills as a sergeant.Reading all this material was strange. It was about him, yet it felt like he was looking into the life of a completely different person. The small fragments he did remember of his life before the Winter Soldier were blurry and non-definitive, more like pictures than recollections that evoked feelings. He knew he had parents, siblings, friends. That he went to a certain school, lived in a certain part of New York. But he didn’t know the streets he would walk past on his way to the first class, where he would hang out with his friends, which movie theaters he would go to. Those memories were too detailed for him to remember. They were also the ones he sought out the most.Finally, he got to the part about his time with the Howling Commandos. It almost seemed text-book, the way the events were described. There was a list of the missions and raids that were conducted, where they took place and when. Bucky peered at the dates and his breathing got heavier. There it was, a report from March 1944. It explained how he and Steven Rogers boarded a train in Switzerland to capture a HYDRA scientist, which resulted to him falling from the speeding train during a fight and supposedly to his death. At least, that was what he expected to read at the end. Barnes frowned at the words on the paper. Liv saw his displeased face. “Something wrong?”Bucky swallowed a lump he didn’t know he had stuck in his throat. “It says here that I was declared MIA. Missing In Action.”“They thought you were still alive.”Bucky closed the file and threw it back on the table. “And they left me there.”Liv sat back, still petting her dog. “Well, I wasn’t exactly around back then, so I can’t say for certain. But I think most people did assume you were dead. Most...”
The dismissive way she said this instantly rubbed him the wrong way. What she said only increased it. He walked over to her, placing his hands on the table, his voice low and almost threatening. It was in moments like these that he also noticed that he towered over her and it surprised him that she wasn’t more intimidated by him.
“What do you mean by that?”She calmly stared up at him, eerily calm despite the increasingly tense atmosphere. She flipped the file she was reading upside down and slid it across the table towards him.
“I think you might want to read this one about supersoldiers. A true best seller. Quite the plot twist too, from your perspective.”His eyes moved down the to the file she had handed over to him. It was the second one she had requested. “Supersoldier Program”. The reason as to why, he didn’t know. He had nothing to do with the matter as far as he was concerned, but he decided to humor her. He opened the file and read the first page diagonally. There was a long disclaimer about who developed and owned the rights to the knowledge of program, and a statement that guaranteed that the only existing one was Captain America. There was also a lengthy explanation that the following was only the “need to know” basics provided to the public for educational purposes. Bucky fought the urge to roll his eyes. His reading speed slowed down dramatically when he reached the paragraph describing the procedure in simple terms. There was no detail information about what was inside the serum exactly, but the way as to how the serum was injected and its side effects seemed… eerily familiar to him.Suddenly, his head started to hurt. Strange images swam through his mind, frightening and foreign. Memories of trenches and gunfire, of men shouting Italian. Recollections of a cold table, of needles and operations, yet above all...pain… He didn’t even realize he was starting to sweat. His breathing was rapid and irregular. A terrible nausea settled in his stomach and he had to swallow to keep from throwing up then and there. He could feel how Liv watched over him and despite remaining calm, she sounded concerned.“I think you found out what you wanted to know…”“This… sure answers a lot of questions.”Liv hummed and closed the file. Her eyes never left Bucky, even when he sat down on the nearest chair. “Do you need a moment?”Bucky swallowed again and ran a hand through his hair, his brain throbbing from all the information. “No. I need some air. Let’s get out of here. I know enough.”She nodded in understanding. Gathering the files and notes she made, Bucky felt more than ready to leave. They made their way back to the reception, handing back the files to the receptionist. The woman asked to review Liv’s notes, which were likely basic to her eyes, but were mostly like a front for their visit. After that, they were cleared to go, but just as they were about to move, Liv suddenly halted.He gave her a strange look, but she didn’t return it. Instead, her eyes went down to her dog. Corsair stood frozen in place, his gaze aimed at something neither he nor Liv was able to see. The hairs on his back were raised and his lip drew back, a deep and ominous growl coming from between his teeth. It unsettled Bucky deeply. He turned around. The security men who went through their bags not only an hour earlier were going through their routine with two individuals. He could see the horrified security men’s expressions when they held up some sort of badge that the Winter Soldier immediately knew was a fake, opened the black, track backpacks and were greeted by a significant amount of neatly packed ammunition and grenades.Bucky’s eyes widened in alarm. One of the armed men produced a gun and the security guards sounded the alarm, claiming there was a suspected terrorist in the building and all civilians needed to evacuate. The other one turned his head towards the reception. He gazed straight at Bucky. There was no doubt about the look on his. They found him. Again.“Shit.”It was all Barnes said before he and Liv swam against the steady stream of fleeing people, then jumped over the counter and behind the reception desk. Liv had grabbed her mutt by the scuff, pushing him with her into cover. They swore they could already hear the disguised HYDRA men cock their guns and they knew that once all the civilians were gone, they were sitting ducks. Bucky looked at Liv.“Does this place have emergency exits?”He practically had to scream to be heard over the noise, but Liv thankfully caught it.
“Yeah, but those are probably in use by all these civilians now, with "SWAT Team: HYDRA Edition" at the end of it waiting to shoot us in the head. We need to take care of this Wild West style.”Instantly, Bucky turned to her and gave her a look that spoke volumes. She was seriously planning for a fight? With a fully prepared HYDRA battalion at that? He was so surprised he instantly let go off the woman, who subsequently scampered off to find that emergency exit.“Have you lost your mind?”“Nope. I just don’t want to die surrounded by the annals of history.”She reached up for one of the desk’s shelves. There were a few makeup items that had fallen out of the receptionist’s discarded purse, mainly a pocket mirror. Liv took it and proceeded to peak out the side. “There are only the two we saw. For now, at least. We need to get our stuff in the locker or we won’t last long.”Bucky sighed. “Where are they located?”Liv’s eyes turned at the mirror again. “Still by the metal detector. Standing 10 feet apart from each other. You get our stuff, I’ll draw the fire.”Bucky frowned. “This isn’t a civilian shooting range.”All he got in return was the most disdainful look a human being had ever cast at him. She pulled up her left pant-leg and took out her gun from its holster. “Good thing I didn’t learn to shoot there. Now move your ass, oldtimer, before our heads are mounted above the HYDRA fireplace!”Deciding he indeed had little choice but to go with her plan, he took a deep breath. The lockers were behind him to his right. Three minute and fifty three seconds of walking. Liv would buy him time, but he would still only have around thirty seconds to reach the locker before the mercenaries would refocus their gunfire away from the distraction and back on him. It would be too many bullets for him to avoid, so he needed to be quick. Sounded doable. He grabbed his own gun and nodded at Liv. She hushed her dog and motioned it to go further back behind the reception desk, hide and wait under the tables. The two of them then cocked their guns. “Now!”In a split second, he sprung into action and so did Liv. He heard gunshots behind him, the woman unleashing rounds onto their attackers, but didn’t dare to look over his shoulder. He made a beeline for the lockers, ignoring everything in his path. It was only there that he realized he didn’t have the key on him, but at this point, he cared little for proper protocol. Without thinking twice, his left hand dug into the metal lock door. The material bent under the pressure of his fingers, and the Winter Soldier used the grip to yank the door clear off. The useless scrap fell onto the floor and he took out both their backpacks. The sound of bullet fire coming from the entrance caught his attention, and Bucky had just enough time to notice one of the mercenary’s aim was back on him. Barnes held up his bionic arm, shielding himself just in time, and stepped back and behind the lockers. He quickly used his temporary safe spot to stake out the current situation.His companion held up remarkably well. She was baiting the other mercenary that wasn’t shooting at him in wasting his bullets. He smirked. That means he could take care of that one by himself. Easy enough.Just as he thought that, the doors behind the mercenaries flew open. A handful more of them ran inside and began assisting their companions. Alright. Less easy.
Taking cover behind a turned over table, his mind raced. He needed to make it back to Liv and assist her before these goons got the drop on her, but manage to do so without getting a bullet in the head himself. For that, he’d need to take a gamble, using himself as bait…He set down the backpacks and quickly rifled through them. A happy sound nearly left his mouth upon discovering that the modified apple-shaped Tupperwares in Liv’s backpack actually contained smoke bombs. That was going to make his plan a hell of a lot easier. He peered over the table and around the Archives, determining a next spot to provide him cover. This was his best bet and he prayed to whomever would listen that it would pay off.He swung his own backpack over his shoulders, detonated the smoke bomb and threw it towards the incoming group of mercenaries. The device instantly did what it was supposed to do and a thick cloud of grey smoke erupted and sent their adversaries into temporary disarray. With that, he vaulted over the table and started running. As he did, he aimed and threw Liv’s backpack in her direction. Much to his own surprise, she instantly detected the incoming object and caught it, allowing him to keep moving and hide behind the nearest pillar. From there, he took out his pistol, aimed and fired himself. Two mercenaries were down, clutching their bleeding wounds by the time they realized what was going on. Liv and Bucky fired at them, taking down the remaining men one by one. His companion proved a remarkable good shot, with a vicious tendency to go for either the head or crotch and frankly, he couldn’t tell which one was worse. He didn’t think about it for too long; he was simply glad she and especially her dog weren’t getting themselves killed.The feeling of having the advantage quickly dissipated with the full clearing of the smoke. Bucky could see outside, via the opened front doors, a handful of vans, more mercenaries, and a man. A tall man stepping into the building. Bucky’s eyes went wide at the sight of gleaming ones staring back.
Stepping in as the smoke settled was the man from the highway.Bucky cursed and turned to Liv. “There are more coming! We need better cover!”“No shit!”The Winter Soldier decided to ignore that needless commentary and moved on his own. He ran out from behind the damaged pillar and ran down the hallway. Liv followed him close behind. They found their way to one of main research halls. The area was open, with thick pillars and multiple tables, and two floors of rows upon rows of files. Bucky was more focused on flipping some tables to create cover. He turned a big, sturdy oak desk, and hid behind it. Liv was on the opposite side. She had carried her mutt with her and had him hiding in a study room near the entrance, leaving the door open in case the dog needed to bolt for it. Two mercenaries made their way past the doorway leading to the open hall. Liv and Bucky promptly shot them and the woman ran to cover once the sounds of incoming footsteps got louder.Bucky checked the amount of bullets in his handgun and sighed. He couldn’t afford to waste a single one. He peered over the edge of the desk to Liv’s location. He signalled her for ammo, pointing at his mag. She shook her head, pointing back at the dead mercenaries near the entrance. He motioned a slicing motion on his neck with his thumb, emphasizing how much of a suicide her idea was. Liv promptly answered it by giving him the bird, annoyance written all over her face. She then crouched down and took some things out of her backpack. His jaw dropped when he noticed her odd helmet and the bracers. She shoved them onto their head and arms, tuning them for a moment. She then turned her gaze onto the incoming horde before meeting his stern glare, emphasizing how much her taking them on was a bad idea. She simply cordially answered him with a look that clarified she was, as she had so lovely worded it during a previous conservation, “out of fucks to give”.Five mercenaries made their way inside the research hall. They barked commands at each other, their aim straight and ready for anything. Anything expect for whatever little pellet Liv threw at them. A short, but powerful static pulse hit the immediate area, startling the men. One of them responded by firing, only to realize that his gun didn’t work. Instantly, he shouted into his radio."Unit gamma to Triggerman, asset located with unidentified ally. We repeat, asset located in main archive hall with unidentified female. Both are armed and-"
Liv struck immediately. She rushed up to the one that currently had his back to her and simply cold-cocked him right in a vulnerable muscle of his throat. She jerked the assault rifle from the man’s hands, using the butt of it slam into the face of the next one incoming. She took his rifle as well, before getting the hell out of the fray. The other three pursued her, but she didn’t seem to care as she threw one of the rifles towards Bucky. The man grabbed it, loaded the weapon, and fired at the remaining mercenaries with trained precision.By the time he that the masked mercenary with gleaming eyes in his crosshairs, however, so did he.The Winter Soldier ducked just as bullet flew over the desk he used for cover. It wasn’t a normal bullet either. They seemed more like the kind of used to stop an elephant in its tracks. He managed a wry smile. That sounded about right for taking out someone like him. It definitely made this guy dangerous as well.He didn’t move a muscle, quietly listening to the man’s heavy steps. His heart skipped a beat when he could feel him move closer. He readied himself to move, but just as he did, a shot rang through the air. He could hear how metal met flesh and the grunt that followed was unmistakably male. He peered via one of the bullet holes on the desk and noticed with horror that Liv had given away her location to shoot the man. She had taken aim right at his head and yet, the bullet practically bounced off…The man with the skull mask’s retaliation was swift. He turned around and unleashed a barrage of bullets onto the young woman. She instantly scrambled for cover, some of them missing her by less than an inch. The tall mercenary immediately gave chase, only to quickly come to a halt and chuckle as he had to reload.With the man facing away from him, Bucky took the opportunity to change his cover. He quietly slipped out from behind the desk and rolled towards a sturdy pillar. He pressed his back against it, contemplating his next move, only to hear the man speak.“Clever little girl… You’re trying to make me run out of bullets… Figures.”The Winter Soldier found himself frowning. Something about what he said seemed...off. It was almost as if the mercenary noticed, because he directed his next sentence at him.
“You’ve seem to become desperate, Winter Soldier. I knew you’d be clutching at straws for allies, but I’d never think you’d team up with another former asset.”
Within moments, every muscle in his body froze.“She didn’t tell you, did she? I’m actually surprised you are still around, Montgomery. It’s been a while. How’s the leg?”Bucky heard the spiteful scoff coming from the other side of the hall. He gazed to his left and spotted Liv behind a pillar, loading an assault rifle she had nicked from one of the mercenaries. “Still aches. Shame you aren't six feet under where you ought to be. At least the eyes were a decent consolation prize…”A series of shots rang in the hall. Multiple bullets passed by Liv, none of them hitting her only by mere inches. Suddenly, he heard her laugh. “And there go your bullets. Touchy as ever, Brian.”More shots were fired. Only this time, Liv didn’t move. She would’ve been dead if she did, due to how the bullets flew past both sides of her head with extreme precision. He had a dangerous aim. It would explain why his eyes seemed a tad inhuman.“Mock me again, Olivia, and the next one will be on your head. You are lucky I am not here for you.”As if on cue, Barnes leaned back enough to kick his damaged cover with all his might and have it fly over to where the mercenary stood. The masked mercenary groaned in surprise and stepped aside. The abused oak desk flew past him and smashed against the wall. The HYDRA officer’s eery eyes followed the movement carefully to avoid being hit, but they failed to notice movement outside his peripheral vision. Bucky had run up close to him. Or at least close enough to shove the barrel of his pistol right in the gap between his bulletproof uniform and his mask, into his neck. Fuelled by bloodthirst and decades of experience, the Winter Soldier fired without hesitation. However, instead of him and Liv being greeted by the sound of piercing flesh, there was a metallic clunk. The mercenary had moved his head, just enough for his mask to take the hit.The said object cracked, and part of it fell down. Although the bullet didn’t end up being deadly, it left a nasty injury on his jaw, and blood streamed from the gaping wound and down his neck. Although what had Barnes feel a chill down his spine wasn’t the man’s reflexes. It was how silent he was. As if he was unfazed by the injury. His already eerie eyes took on a dangerous gleam, the irises shifting focus like a camera’s lense.A swift punch coming from his left snapped the Winter Soldier out of his trance. Bucky blocked it just in time, following by the one that came after. He pushed the injured HYDRA goon back and began punching back. Somehow the tall mercenary managed to block his own attacks as well. Although he lacked strength compared to Bucky’s enhanced one, their reflexes were equally matched. In an impressive feat though, it took Bucky one millisecond of inattention for the mercenary to take a shot and land a hard, well placed punch to the side. Protected only by a cotton shirt and hoodie, Barnes groaned at the feeling of his bones crack. He took a step back, fists up in a defensive position. Only the mercenary wasn’t going to let him go that easily. A rough hand clamped around Bucky’s neck and gripped it with crushing force. He effortlessly lifted him up from the floor, strangling and holding him up at the same time.“I’ve just about had it with your antics, asset. The command didn’t specify if I had to bring you have in one piece and honestly, I am tempted of just having them give you a second bionic arm so you can calm the fu-”Just then, Bucky saw the abused remains of the battered oak desk enter his range of vision. The precision of the landing would’ve been a sight to see if Bucky’s vision wouldn’t have been blurred by the lack of air supply. It was quite a lovely sight to see his tormentor on the ground after taking a desk to the back, groaning in pain. Getting his own neck free and some oxygen back to his lungs was a bonus. Yet as he sat there gasping for air, another stunning thought hit him. Had Liv seriously...thrown a desk at the man? With enough force to have him kiss the floor? He never doubted the strength of women, but he saw this particular woman with less layers of clothing back at the motel. Although she did look to be in peak physical condition, she had a much smaller muscle mass than him. He thought back to the man’s earlier claim and he stilled. Could that mean…That question wasn’t on his mind for long. Soon, the mercenary was scrambling to his feet again. Just then, Bucky noticed the odd device on the back of his neck, where his neck and his shoulders met. It had a spider inspired design, with a tube at its center and multiple needles from its side, digging into the man’s skin. It reminded him of a similar device, thought the other one was much bigger and was usually placed on arms. Barnes stepped back, wincing from his bruised side, planning to give the man a wide berth in anticipation of his next move. He could practically feel heat rolling off him in waves and he knew that whatever was coming, it was bad.The man stared him down, muscles tensing as he took a menacing step towards him. Bucky took a step back, his brain racing to determine the situation. If Liv’s earlier claim was correct, he was out of those special, heavy bullets. Still, he might still have other guns or blades on him and besides that, the Winter Soldier was convinced this man was a threat just using his fists.Out of nowhere, the mercenary reach down and took a handgun from his side. Instantly, Bucky held up his metal arm to defend himself, only for the man to look up and whip around. Liv had charged at the man in a seemingly reckless maneuver, drawing his fire. One of the bullets grazed her side, but despite temporarily slowing down, she kept moving and reached for the gun. She did her best to avoid any more bullets as he continued to fire in a rage, but she nonetheless held on, swinging at him with her free hand.
A fist landed on his injured face multiple times, but it had the same effect as a mosquito bite. Still, Bucky realized what she was trying to do. This time, he didn’t hesitate.
Quick as lightning, he joined the fray. He landed a series of punches on the mercenary, determined to cause damage of some kind. Soon, his adversary turned his attention back to him and he was back on the defense. The man blocked Bucky’s right blows while avoiding the ones coming from his left. He even at one point used Liv’s momentum against her, trying to fling her against him. She quickly changed her stance and pushed herself back into the fight. Her fist flew forward and landed on his face. His mask became more loose, but still somehow clung to him.She tried to land another punch, but this time, he grabbed her arm and flung her against the ground like a dirty rag. A horrific sound left her mouth as the air was knocked out of her and the mercenary already put a large hand on her skull.“About those eyes…”Her mouth still free, Liv managed to spit at him. “Won’t give you back yours, Brian.”His name was enough to trigger another fit of rage. He lifted his hand and balled it into a fist to bring down on her, but the woman responded by quickly creating her energy shield to protect herself from the blow. Furious, the mercenary continued to rain punches down on it, not once noticing the smirk on her face. Her antics once again provided enough distraction for him to not check on the Winter Soldier.Bucky didn’t hesitate. While it seemed the man couldn’t feel all that much pain, it didn’t mean his body couldn’t accumulate damage. And any body, he figured would eventually be too damaged to fight. Particularly if it was starved for oxygen…So, acting on a hunch, he tore off the metal leg of a nearby table and rushed over to the fight. He stepped behind the HYDRA office, placed the metal leg in front of his throat, and pulled back, cutting his air supply. He immediately gasped for breath, trying to claw at the Winter Soldier’s arms to throw him off. He, however, held firm, applying even more force when the tall mercenary tried to get him off. He reached his hands back to him but couldn’t grab him. Bucky held his ground. He felt the man’s body going limper by the minute. Finally, with a last desperate gasp, his body toppled forward, lying there motionlessly.The Winter Soldier, however, wasn’t done. Without even thinking, he started to apply more pressure. This man was sent by HYDRA, spearheading the operation to bring him back. He needed to get rid of him now…Suddenly, his vengeance-fueled train of thought was interrupted by the sound of sirens in the distance. He sat up, cocking his head. How did they get here so quickly?
“Barnes, we need to go right now.”Liv’s voice sounded on edge. He saw how she rushed to the study space where she had left Corsair and brought the dog back out. She took a second to calm it down, but quickly took its leash and moved, before unleashing her scrambler device. When she realized he was still sitting on the mercenary, applying pressure, all niceness was out the window. He didn’t even see her pace back to him. The Winter Soldier only snapped out of it when he felt the sharp slap on the back of his head.“Barnes! Go! Now!”Letting out a curse, he unhanded the mercenary and got up. He ran after her, avoiding the main hall altogether and following the emergency exit signs. They left fast, hearing the distant sound of police sirens. Bucky practically jumped into the passenger seat, not even having the time to buckle his seatbelt as Liv sped away.
By the time she made it to the main traffic, she let out a long, exhausted sigh and sat back in her seat. “So, that went well...”The glare Bucky gave her would be enough to function as shark repellent. “I think you owe me an explanation. Clearly, you haven’t told me everything.”Liv’s expression grew even more sullen and she let out another sigh. “You’re right. I guess I haven’t. And for rather obvious reasons too, didn’t I?”“You’re a former asset of HYDRA.”“Sort of, kind of. Have you been keeping up with the news these past few years?” Bucky gave her a glare. The kind that translated to ‘are you shitting me?’. “Right. Listen, I will give you all the sordid details and explain everything. But for now, we really need to lay low. And I know just the place to go.”
Bucky kept his hard stare on her. At this point, he was hesitating between kicking her out of the car and driving off or having her pull over and give him the answers he wanted that instant. Unfortunately, she was right on one fact. After all the mess they left behind, he and his new accomplice better lay low and avoid attracting any further attention. Besides, from what he saw, she seemed to despise this tall mercenary as much as he did. As far as he was concerned for now, the enemy of his enemy was his friend or, at least, ally.They made their way back to the highway. Barnes read the signs indicating that they were headed back to Annapolis. They stopped at a gas station to fill up, and Liv bought some wipes so they could clean off the grime on their faces and hand. They even took turns in her van to change clothes. Liv insisted they’d do that before they would go to her intended destination. Bucky was getting curious about where that place even was, and was also starting to get a bit anxious.
“So...where exactly are we going?”Liv had her cellphone in her hand. “Hold on, I need to make a quick phone call first.” She dialed a number and placed the phone to her hear. Barnes could hear the ringing coming from its speaker. A female voice answered, and the woman sitting next to him smiled. “Hey mom!”Barnes nearly slipped out of the van. He sat back on the back of the vehicle and stared at her in disbelief. Liv didn’t seem to give a rat’s ass, chatting with her mother very quickly before ending the call. She turned to him and gave him a smirk.“We’re heading to my parents’ house.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Annapolis suburbs were quiet around lunch time. It was a school day, so the neighborhood children were away and the parents were either at work or running errands. The few that were home noticed the familiar old van pull over the Montgomery’s driveway. The middle child, Liv, stepped out of the vehicle, accompanied by her dog and young man with glasses. She walked over to the porch of her parental home and hardly had she set foot on the path or the door opened and a woman stepped out.“Hi honey!”Liv had the biggest smile Bucky saw so far and hugged the woman, before Corsair got his own huge welcome. Despite the stark difference in skin and hair color, the resemblance was uncanny. Liv clearly inherited her mother’s eye shape, cheeks and nose, and they had the same dimples that popped up whenever they smiled. Mrs. Montgomery seemed to be in her late fifties, her auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail and her blue eyes were framed by a pair of thin black glasses. She turned to Bucky, stared at him for a moment, and then back to her daughter. “So, this is the infamous guest.”Liv nodded and glanced around the neighborhood. “Yeah. We should probably take this inside.”Her mother agreed and the three of them walked into the house. Once through the entrance and into the living room, Corsair left its owner’s side and simply went straight for the kitchen. Liv sighed. “Let me guess. Dad is in the kitchen cooking.”Mrs. Montgomery nodded. “It’s his turn today. Neither of you had lunch yet, correct?” The two shook their heads. “Would you like to join us then? My husband is making hot pot.”Bucky was about the turn down her offer, but Liv was faster than him. “We’d love to, mom.”Her mom nodded. “Good, I’ll tell your dad to cook extra. You can show your friend to the guest room if you want. We already prepped it.”Liv smiled. “Great! I’ll lead James to it. We’ll join you shortly.”She walked off to the kitchen, leaving them alone in the living room. Only now did Bucky dare to give her an exasperated look. “You have a very odd definition of ‘safe’, Montgomery.”She smiled. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew my parents well. Anyway, let me show you where you’ll sleep. Follow me.”Before he could respond, she started to walk and he followed her in frustration. Liv led him out of the living room and up the stairs. Barnes couldn’t help but glance at the pictures held up on the wall. Nor could he help but see an empty spot amongst them. Once on the upper floor, they went to the second room on the left. She opened it up and he peered inside. It was unmistakably a boy’s room, filled with old movie posters, actions figures and odd wooden boards with ugly art and stickers on it, one of them saying the incomprehensible words “SKATE 4 LIFE”. Old fantasy books were displayed on a bookshelf, one of them being a rulebook for something called “ D&D ”, alongside the figurines.“As you can probably tell, this is my brother’s old room. You can sleep here, I will be in the next room.”Bucky quietly took those words in, only to suddenly realize that they were alone in here and Liv still had a promise to fulfill. He closed the door behind him, set his duffle back down and turned to her, trying to sound as stern as possible without being threatening. He had learned by now that was never a good way to approach this woman.“I think you still owe me some clarity. Particularly about your involvement with HYDRA. That would be nice.”Liv sighed and paced around the room for a long, silent moment. She then turned back to him. “It’s a very long story. I would need to explain a bit about myself before even getting to the beginning.”“Then talk. Your parents will have lunch ready soon.”The vicious glare she gave him indicated his sarcasm wasn’t appreciated, but she nonetheless continued. “Do my parents and I look like we get along?”He frowned. “What does that have to do with all of this?”“It does everything if you want answers. So, tell me what you think.”Frustrated, he sighed. “Yes. Yes, you do. You and your mom seem very close, at least.”Liv leaned against the wall. “We are. Now, at least. Things weren’t always that way. I wasn’t an easy kid. Not a delinquent, if you think that. I don’t have a rap sheet and want to keep it that way. Rather, I was a smart kid, genius level according to a psychiatrist, and like most of those kids, terrible at socializing.” Liv continued to pace around the room. “I thought of it like a logic puzzle and only became frustrated when the results didn’t make sense. I got angry a lot and often started fights. I skipped school years, but never made friends and interaction with my family was equally troubled. It wasn’t good for any of us, so when I was seventeen, I joined the army with my parents’ consent and figured I’d continue my education there.”The Winter Soldier looked her over. Suddenly, her fighting skills and proficiency with firearms made sense. That explained a lot.“You’re an army veteran.”She nodded. “I started out as a private. Eventually earned my way up to Specialist. Got that one especially thanks to being pretty good with computers and decryption. Didn’t care much for the military macho culture, but I liked the life. Until Iraq, that was...”“You were sent on tour?”“Yes. Initially, it wasn’t so bad. It was interesting, I learned to speak some Arabic and I felt I fought for a good course. That was, until operation Flytrap, headed by my unit’s Sergeant, Brian Blackburn.”Bucky’s face lit up in recognition after hearing that first name. “The man in the library. “ Triggerman ”, I think they called him. Was he an officer of HYDRA back then?”She nodded. “That’s what me and the rest of our unit found out that day. Turned out he was making some nice extra wads of cash for turning over interesting subjects to HYDRA. His method was simple. Create false reports, send a unit with the right specimens over to investigate and eventually stage an attack. Proclaim the people taken KIA and done. So while my family and CO were told I was dead and all pieces of my corpse scattered to the wind, I was really laying on a slab with a HYDRA doctor poking around inside my head.”That moment, the Winter Soldier could feel his stomach turn. He remembered his own time on the slab, vividly recalling some of the processes. What occurred to him as well, however, was why Liv had bothered to look for a file about supersoldiers at all back at the Archives and correctly tied it to his altered condition. His eyes lit up. Now he understood.“They turned you into a supersoldier?”“Something like it. HYDRA wanted to see if they could turn a human into a mindless goon with a supercomputer brain. A Cyber Soldier, if you will.”Bucky blinked at the term. Liv rolled her eyes and explained. “Someone capable of doing complicated maths in their head, and we’re not talking about math olympics bullshit here. We’re talking about calculation of probabilities and variables. And an impeccable memory of data and information to boot.”“Like photographic memory?”“Exactly.”Barnes snorted. “That’s why the notes you took at the archives were so flimsy and simple.”“Considering the fact that every single page we read is currently in my head then yes, it was just chicken scratches to be used as our cover.”He nodded in understanding, but one thing still bothered him. “So...if you are no longer on HYDRA’s leash, then how did you get away? More importantly, how are you still alive?”Now, a small smirk came onto her face. “HYDRA did their job too well. They wanted someone who could think like a computer and that’s exactly what they got. I learned to manipulate their systems and brought everything down around them. The scientists, handlers, data that went in and out. I wiped everything off the face of the planet and burnt all else that wasn’t in a computer, except a single file. I made my way back to the States after that, and by the time HYDRA realized I was still kicking, I had already gone to the media and leaked everything I knew. At that point, killing me became pointless, too visible, and they instead scrambled to cover their tracks and thanked their lucky stars that the information I had wasn’t complete; I didn’t even know I was dealing with HYDRA back then. Blackburn always knew how to cover his tracks, and the info I gave to the authorities and media only led back to the abandoned, burnt out facility I had escaped from.”The question Liv asked earlier about if he followed the news or not suddenly made sense. Barnes pointed it out and the young woman explained that her torment made the front pages for a while. It was soon toppled down by some celebrity screw-up the very next week. “Not that I minded. I had a lot of baggage to go through. Lots of changes.”“Like your leg?”She nodded. “A nice little souvenir from Blackburn when he tried to prevent my escape. Still, you know how the saying goes. ‘An eye for an eye.’ Well, two in his case. Sadly that wasn’t enough to down him...”Barnes couldn’t help but snort. There was a lot of dark humour behind her joke, but it didn’t matter. The man Liv described was a sorry excuse for a Sergeant. Even from the vague and distant recollections in his screwed up mind, Bucky knew that a Sergeant’s primary role and duty was to be the safeguard of his or her unit. That Blackburn fellow brought dishonor to the rank.“I still want him dead though.”The Winter Soldier wasn’t surprised to hear something like that, but it still caught him off guard. “What do you mean by ‘still’?”She gave him a determined look. “This son of a gun is responsible for countless deaths on HYDRA’s watch. I thought the prick was nice and cripsy inside an Iraqi HYDRA facility, really, until today. I spend my life as the Specialist taking down people like him. Might as well finish the job on the Primordial Asshole that made me this way.”Bucky frowned. “ Specialist ?”“Yeah, that’s my fixer code name, don’t judge. Anyway, I either underestimated how hardy Blackburn is or how nifty HYDRA is at fixing their agents. Now, he’s after us, specifically after you. I know him well enough. Doesn’t matter if you’re in the United States or the United Emirates; he won’t stop until you’re back in the freezer. Ditto for me, except as a stiff. Someone is going to die getting you out of here and I’d rather have it be him than us.”Despite having killed too many people to count, Bucky found her matter of fact statement exceptionally chilling. By now, he had a much better idea of what she was capable of and he knew she was dead serious about doing someone in. Even worse, he was certain her prediction about how this extraction was going to go down was likely right. She was clearly determined on helping him. Especially knowing now that their interests aligned in a way. Still, there was one last thing he wanted to know.“Is this why you’re helping me? Because you have been there too?”The woman in front of him pondered. She then nodded. “Yes. But that’s not the only reason.”Bucky could only stare at her and she continued. “I was an angry teen when I left home. So when I dragged myself back with a missing leg, after being pronounced KIA, I didn’t expect my parents to be happy to see me. Yet when my dad opened the door and saw me standing on the porch, he hugged me and he cried. He took me inside and he and mom fed me and prepared my old room, telling me I could stay as long as I needed without me even asking…”There was a hint of hoarseness in Liv's voice. She cleared her throat. “My point is that, I have an idea of what you are currently going through now. You feel like you are lost and in a shitty position. You're confused, angry, have no idea what to do, and as far as you're concerned, you're just ready to walk towards whatever path you find.”The Winter Soldier mouth didn’t move. He had no answer to give, for she was absolutely right.“Me, I’m not sure if I would be here without people who loved me. My family made me go into therapy, helped me get Corsair, made me get up in the morning to make something of my life again… That’s why I want to help you. When you go through hell like we did, it’s not a road you should walk alone.”Bucky sighed and ran his hand through his hair, scratching his scalp in thought. “Even if it is a bloody bricked one?”Then and there, she grinned. “We’re soldiers. Aren’t our kind of comraderies the ones that are forged in blood?”Despite himself, The Winter Soldier smiled at that. He let out a sigh, feeling a lot more certain about his situation. At least there was one person on his side in this whole damned world.“Liv! James! Food’s ready!”The Winter soldier winced at the call for his name. A vague memory of a woman calling him by his full name, anger in her tone, popped up in his mind. Her face was blurred, but the memory had warmth in it. Odd. It was the first time such a thing happened. Bucky wondered why…Liv went to set her own things in her room. Barnes was polite enough to fight his curiosity and peek inside his associate’s bedroom. He did note the “Keep out” stickers on her door. They didn’t seem all that recent. Most likely from her teen years. She popped back out a few seconds later and he followed her back down and towards the kitchen.He was greeted by the sight of Liv’s dad, putting the last plate on the table. He was a man of average height, but notably well-built, with the same dark skin as his daughter. His black hair was short, with a few gray strands, and he had a thick beard, which along with his wrinkles, showed his older age. He smiled at him, clearly noticing how uncomfortable he seemed by just being in a normal domestic situation again.“At ease, soldier. No one is a threat to you here.”“Except for dad’s cooking. Once you tasted it, you won’t want to leave. Just ask my traitorous dog here.”Liv’s dog was at her side once more, but he noticed how its owner mentioned its name and stared a her curiously. Mr. Montgomery chuckled, greeting his daughter with a hug. “So good to see you again, little kit.”A snort escaped Bucky’s lips. “Cute.”“Says the one nicknamed ‘Bucky’ . Bro and sis are 'cub' and 'duckling', by the way.”“Settle down, food is here.” Mrs. Montgomery brought in what looked like a giant, functioning cooker. She quickly replugged it and Bucky noticed an odd kind of stew inside. It looked strange, but definitely smell good.Liv smiled. “I assume you’ve never eaten hot pot before?”He shook his head and she started pointing to all the different plates. “These are different things you can throw in the cooker to add to the stew. After a while, you can fish them out, put them on your plate and eat them. I’ll get you some cutlery. In case chopsticks don’t work out.”Bucky stared at the said items. They were just two wooden sticks. He saw how Liv used hers to easily put some ingredients already inside the pot. Huh. It didn’t seem complicated.“Chopsticks will do.”Fifteen agonizing and embarrassing minutes later, Bucky sat silently, eating his food with a fork and a knife. Everything he tried to pick up with the chopsticks would just fall from his grip, either back in the pot, or on the table cloth. It had been awhile since Barnes felt pure embarrassment. Liv’s silent laughter made her chair shake. Bucky understood why though… He, The Winter Soldier, an expert marksman, a perfect knife wielder and an experienced hand-to-hand fighter, was being outwitted by a pair of chopsticks.Still, he had to admit the food was really good. He couldn’t even remember his last home cooked meal. The dog was also getting his share, with Mrs. Montgomery slipping some meat under the table whenever her daughter wasn’t looking. The company was rather nice too. The family engaged in some small talk about the neighborhood, occasionally tossing some of their food to a grateful Corsair. From it, he gathered that Liv’s parents were involved with the military too. Her father, Jackson, was a retired lieutenant who now worked as a carpenter and her mother, Vicky, was a military shrink. She would also occasionally have sessions in the house, her office being the sunroom in the back. It had soundproof glass for privacy during said sessions. And also so that her patients wouldn’t hear her husband working on his pet project in the basement.“Hey,” the man interjected his wife, “it is not just a pet project. She is a proper boat that I am building all by myself so we can go out in the sea like when we were young. And I am nearly done.”“Don’t worry dear, we trust your carpenting skills as much as we trust the efficiency of a life jacket.”Liv snickered. Bucky shook his head with a smile and carried on eating. It was a good thing the Montgomeries were used to their daughter’s large appetite. Jackson and his wife had gathered enough food to feed a small village, which for both their daughter and their guest was more than enough. Once all the plates were empty and the bellies full, the table was cleared and everything brought back to the kitchen. As soon as the coffee machine was turned on, Vicky turned her attention back to Bucky.“James, can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?”Barnes hesitated for a moment. Noting his apprehension, Vicky reassured him it wouldn’t take long and they would be going to the sunroom. The man couldn’t help and comment how little subtlety there was behind her intentions. Vicky chuckled, but not before throwing in some dark humor. "Be glad I am the one talking to you and not my husband. If it were him instead, there would be a shotgun on the coffee table during the conversation. And it would be loaded."Bucky glared at her. She remained unfazed and she lead him out of the kitchen.Still, the thought of being in a glass room did bring him some ease, knowing the feeling of being trapped wouldn’t overwhelm him. He followed Mrs. Montgomery past the dining room and into her office. He stopped for a moment to admire how cozy it was. If it were not for the computer, the printer and the variety of small supplies, he wouldn’t be able tell that this was an office. The desk was at the back, making room for the comfortable couches in the center of the space. There were indeed large windows that showed the backyard, and the doors to the office were sliding glass double doors. The moment Vicky slid them shut, the sound coming from the kitchen was muffled, even for his superior hearing. He could distinguish Liv and Jackson’s voices, but not what they were saying. Mrs. Montgomery sat on one of the chairs. She removed her shoes and propped her feet on the sofa chair, sitting sideways. Bucky chuckled. Funny. Liv did the same back at the motel. “Please James, take a seat.”Barnes did was he was told, though he mentally refused to take the long chair, opting for sitting on the other sofa. “I… prefer ‘Bucky’ over ‘James’, ma’am, if you don’t mind.”Vicky smiled and gave him a nod. “If you drop the ma’am , we will consider it a deal.”A moment of silence settled between the two, before she continued. “So, my daughter agreed to help you. My guess is that she’s trying to get you out of the country.”His eyes widened and she nodded. “I’m aware of what my daughter does for a living. So is the entire family actually. I trust her to handle herself just fine in most cases. But let’s be honest here; you aren’t a normal case.”Bucky frowned. “And you aren’t a normal shrink.”Vicky shrugged. “I am talking to you as a psychiatrist and as a mother. When Liv came back from Iraq, she didn’t come back the same. I was expecting it, since half of my patients are combat veterans dealing with PTSD. Do you know what PTSD is, Bucky?”He shook his head, never having heard of the abbreviation before, and she continued. “It stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. People who have gone through a traumatic experience often suffer from mental problems and depression.”“You mean… shellshock?”Vicky gave him a nod. “Yes, that’s what it was called back then, correct? Liv’s was so severe she would hardly get out of the house. She would get scared and violent at the smallest thing that reminded her of the events in Iraq. She is better now, enough that she can do this line of work, but there is no telling how your experiences have affected you aside from what was leaked on the internet.”He could only nod. He understood her concern. While so far, he had not had any major “episode”, as Liv called it, he had violent nightmares. He was in a constant state of alertness and sometimes startled by the smallest of noises. Based on an earlier comment, he had even swiped at Liv when he was drifting in and out of consciousness, back at her safehouse/container unit. Vicky’s concerns were not unfounded. She wanted to know if he wasn’t going to hurt, or potentially kill, her child.“So, what is going to happen then? You want to poke around in my brain?”“If that is what you want, yes. I can help you now, later, or whenever you want before you leave the country. Would you like me to?”Bucky chuckled and shook his head. “I see where Liv got it from… But trust me when I say that my brain isn’t a pretty place to be in right now.”“Why is that?”The man thought for a moment. “It is… foggy. Scrambled, disorganized. Recollections of my past appear randomly, and they all seem to belong to someone else.”“You don’t relate yourself to the memories of your past?”“No… At least. Not until today.”“What was the difference?”“I had a memory of my mom, although I… couldn’t picture her face. She was calling for me, full name and all. I must’ve done something stupid. That memory made me feel nostalgic.”Vicky smiled. “Is it from being in such a civilian setting?” Bucky nodded but kept his silence. He fidgeted with his bionic thumb, tracing the metal. Though it was not due to nerves for once. There was a feeling of trust in the air. He didn’t know if it was the result of how relaxed the woman’s body language was, or just how calm she sounded. Still, Vicky decided to change the subject. “Are there other memories appearing as well?”He knew exactly what she meant. "You want me to talk about my assassinations.”The woman nodded. There was another silence. “We don’t have to talk about them in detail. I would just like to know if you do remember them.”“I… remember some. Not all of them. Just like with the rest of the past, I have visions that come up. But I also feel some...distance towards them.”“Even if they are violent?”He could feel his head hurting, struggling for words to explain. “They feel like I’m not there. Like I’m standing by, watching, while someone else actually goes through the motions. It...it scares me.”“Why?”In any other case, that question would’ve upset him. It seemed pretty logical to be afraid when memories resurfaced of things he barely even remembered doing. Yet this woman asked for a good reason: she wanted him to talk about what he felt and to process it.“It’s one thing to kill for duty or to kill a person who is a direct threat to you. It’s another to kill an innocent person, for no other reason than that you’re told to do so and you can’t resist orders.”“Did you ever try to fight it?”“I did. At the beginning, when they were testing my “loyalty”. They would bring prisoners, civilians that were a threat to HYDRA. They would be lined up, with a black bag on their heads.” Bucky pressed his thumb between his fingers. His eyes stared at the ground whilst the memory played in his head like an old, damaged movie. “There were always ten of them. There was an exercise before that, with their...machine, while one of them talked. Then they would order me to shoot. The first time, I shot one of the researchers instead of the civilians. I was beat down and they redid the exercise. The second time is a blur, but I couldn’t go more than the third man. On the third, I broke down after shooting a young girl. On the fifth...seven. Then I stopped. I remember another beating and… Freight car. ”By now, he was starting to feel violently ill. He was grateful when Vicky offered him a bowl, clearly used to this kind of reaction. He expected to find the remnants of his lunch to come back up, but nothing came but some snot and bile. He quietly wiped it off with the tissue she offered, trying his hardest to calm down again. She offered him a glass of water, instructing him to drink slowly. He did so, leaving the room in absolute silence, except for the sound of him drinking. Once his glass was half empty, Vicky spoke up.“Bucky, I can’t even start to imagine how hard it must be for you to face what happened. But I am afraid that you will need to deal with your past and to what is happening to you, if you ever wish to truly move on.”“How do you suppose I should do that?”“Well, normally I’d refer you to a therapist and possibly to start a medical treatment, but it’s not really an option in your case. Talking helps, much more than you think. So does writing. Have you considered keeping a journal? It could even help you with your memories. To ground yourself whenever you feel the need to.”“Even if there are things I wish to forget?”Vicky smiled at him. It wasn’t a reassuring smile, but a kind one. “Forcing yourself to forget does not help you. Trust me. You may bury your past as deeply as you want but it’s awfully hard to kill, like weeds in a garden. No matter how many times you do it, they will come back, to the point where you will be overwhelmed. The best option is to face it, accept it, and plant them firmly in your mind without any fear.”One of Bucky’s brows went up in confusion. “Are you comparing my mind to a garden?”Vicky chuckled. “It is one of my hobbies.”One look at the beautifully maintained garden outside indicated that this definitely wasn’t a lie. Once again, it went through his mind how much he liked the sunroom. The lack of sterility was comforting and it kind of fit the mentality Vicky Montgomery seemed to exude. No wonder Liv loved her parents so much. He too felt at ease here and it finally allowed him to ask a thing he’d been afraid to wonder about.“Do you think… Do you think I can be fixed?”“You are not broken to begin with, James. You are a soldier who came back home with a wound. It may not be a cut, a gunshot, or even a missing limb,” Bucky felt a twinge on his left shoulder, where metal and flesh met, “but it is one that will need time and patience to heal. It will leave a scar, but it will end up just being that.”Bucky nodded. It was only when Vicky offered him another tissue and glass of water that he noticed he was still a snotty mess and looked ill. She assured him that it was alright and got up, slipping her shoes back on.“I will give you a moment. When you feel you are ready, we will be in the living room. You will have a nice cup of coffee and a warm slice of pie waiting for you.”With that, she made her silent exit, leaving the sliding doors closed behind her. Bucky had his head leaning on his hands, his fists against his forehead. Vicky’s words did a lot to his mood and mind. But, despite having brought up some of the less pleasant memories and aspects of his current situation, Bucky felt… relieved. Her answer to his final question did more than that though. It gave him hope. Something he had only had in slim ressources when he left Washington.After what seemed like hours, Barnes made his way out of the sunroom. He followed the smell of coffee to the living room and found Liv and her parents sitting there. Each of them had a cup of coffee, though there only was one slice of pie. Bucky frowned at that and Liv explained. “We already had ours. Couldn’t wait for you for that one, sorry.”The man couldn’t help but to roll his eyes and sat down on the sofa chair. Liv handed him his coffee and pushed the slice on the coffee table towards him.“I was just explaining to my parents what happened in the College Park, since it is all over the news stations right now. And Twitter. HYDRA is probably gonna go after people I know… I told them they should leave here. Go to a safer place for a while.”Bucky nodded in agreement. “It is the best option. They know where to go?”Mr. Montgomery laughed. “This isn’t the first time someone is after our family. It’s either because of military life, one of my wife’s patients, or one of my children’s lifestyles.” ‘Lifestyles’ ? So Liv wasn’t the only one linked to dangerous affairs? Liv saw the confusion in his face. “I’ll explain you some other time. Anyway, my parents will go to somewhere safe, don’t worry.”He quietly took this information in, before turning to Liv. “So that leaves us free to pursue Triggerman.”Liv gave him one of those inquisitive looks of hers. “You want to go after him first?”“More or less, yes. You yourself said he’d keep coming after us as long as he’s alive, so we need to take him out before anything else. We do need to come up with a plan though.” Bucky thought for a moment, before realizing something. “I do wonder how they found us this time… You said you removed the GPS and tazing elements from my arm, didn’t you?”Instantly, he saw Liv’s eyes turn to her mother’s. Her mother nodded in response to the unasked question. She then took a deep breath.“I did take out the GPS, yes, but I left one tazing element in.”The sick, nauseating feeling he had only minutes earlier flooded Bucky once more. He couldn't believe his ears. His hands balled into fists on his lap and his breathing increased. The dark glare he shot at her had everyone on edge in an instant. He saw from his peripheral vision how Jackson sat closer to the edge of seat, ready to jump in. However, it never came to that.Liv took a device out of her pocket and put it on the table. She pushed it towards him. “Before you get pissed with me, understand that I left it in with a reason. I took a gamble deciding to help you. A dangerous gamble if it turned out you were still brainwashed. I wanted to have some precaution before I was sure I wouldn’t wake up with that metal hand of yours around my throat.”The man stared at the device. It was a remote, small enough to hide in one’s pocket. “Is this the only one? That works on my arm?”“It is. Even more than that. It’s tied to the one in your arm by nanites: the tazing element is set to more or less “die off” should something happen to the remote. This thing goes, the electrodes go. They can no longer be reactivated in any way.” Liv sighed and looked straight into his eyes. “I want you to have it. As a sign of goodwill and trust.”The Winter Soldier looked at her and despite himself, he felt his anger slowly ebbing away. Part of him had to admit Liv had a point in setting up safeguards to protect herself. To think that she was actually willing to reveal and give those up now said a lot about her. She really was trying to help him out and actually trusted him enough to leave him unsupervised. The little animosity that was left, was directed at the remote. He grabbed the device and snapped it, breaking it in half in his hands. He could feel a minor twitch in his left arm at the same time, yet nothing painful. He was free of HYDRA’s control and it gave him no small amount of relief. Still, they had a plan to make to ensure this was permanent.“So if it wasn’t the GPS, how did they find me?”Liv cleared her throat and smile awkwardly. “I think I got reckless. When I helped you, I banked on the fact that none of the people chasing you knew who I was and that this job would be short. After all, I erased…well, more like burnt and wiped all information of Project Cyber Soldier. All of it, except Brian Blackburn. He probably had a hunch and followed a money trail.”Bucky snorted. “All the more more reason to get him off our case, one way or another.”Liv smiled and nodded. “Yup. But we have an advantage now, thanks to our intensive outing to the Archives. We know who we are up against and how they’re tracking us and I happen to have the kind of connections to render the latter void.”Jackson chuckled. “That’s my little kit. Always with something up her sleeve. Just tell us what do to help, and we will do it.”She snickered. “Thanks, dad. Now, we need to be one step ahead of Blackburn and his croonies. We need to have an attack plan. Know where to strike, and when to strike.”Barnes thought for a moment. A thought crept to his head, one that had him smirk. “I think I have an idea of where to start.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was late at night. The red letters on the motel’s electric alarm clock read 3:40 AM. The streets of the center of Annapolis were calm, safe for the passing ambulance or police car. Liv sat next to the window, typing away in her computer. Barnes lay in bed, wearing his civilian clothing but with his pistol on the nightstand just in case. He should be focused on the plan, on when his enemy would strike. Instead, most of his attention was on the book he held in his hands. Liv had grabbed it, along with the entire series of fantasy novels, from her brother’s bedroom. She noticed how he had been eyeing them curiously whenever she would take a break from helping her parents pack and go check on him in the bedroom. “You might as well take them,” she said at one point. “We will be doing a lot of waiting the next couple of nights.”Waiting. Bucky hated it. Especially when it involved on him being a sitting duck. He stared out the windows of his shared room. They faced the street, there was a building on the other side, only a few stories higher than the motel. Perfect shooting spot for an assassin. “Caught anything on one of your cameras?”Liv typed on her keyboard. No doubt switching from whatever she was doing to the cameras she set up around their motel. “Nope. Nothing. Save for some pigeons.” She looked at her side in reflex and grunted. “Darn it.”It was a habit she had apparently. Whenever her subconscious would realize how calm it was, she would check her side to see if her dog was there. She would then remember that she left it with her parents. “Missing your dog?”“His name is Corsair. And yeah, I’m not used to parting with my dog. Sue me.” Deciding wisely not to comment on that statement, he waited for her to continue. “How’s the book?”“It is… different. In a good way. I remember hearing about this book when it came out, but never paid much attention to it back then. I am glad that it is still popular today. What happened to the author?”“Well, what happened to most old people. He died. Oh, and he defined the fantasy genre as we now know it.”Barnes hummed. It was often weird to hear about people from his era that lived a full life and died of old age. It was still an odd concept for him. One of the many things he would have to get used to…He took out his notebook and started to scribble down some notes about this “Tolkien” fellow. The small book, with a beautiful leather cover of the deepest black, had been a gift of Liv’s. She had given it to him on the recommendation of her mother, for both the purpose of journaling and recovering his memories. He happily made use of it and by now, already a quarter of it was filled with information, anecdotes and fleeting memories.Suddenly, the phone started ringing. He practically jumped, startled by the noise, but Liv calmly responded by walking up and answering. He tried to calm herself down by thinking about what she told him. That this was an unregistered prepaid phone she had bought earlier, just so HYDRA couldn’t track hers. Still, he listened intently to whatever he could glean.“Hello. Hi dad. Oh really? Hadid said that? How interesting indeed. Yes, be sure to direct him to the pawnshop for a “loan”. The network has been a great help, as usual.”With that, she hung up. Bucky stared at her expectantly. She smiled.“Turned out my dad got an interesting tip from one of his old veteran buddies. He came home from the late night shift at his construction site. He went to some hole in the wall diner and some “cop” was apparently asking for me. Dude stayed around to have a drink and came up with a BS story about how he was now a cop and used to be in the 10th Mountain Division stationed in New York for several years.”The Winter Soldier stared at her. “So?”She smirked. “Well, dear old Salman Hadid used to be part of that division for most of his military career until he retired last year and he had never seen the guy before. He didn’t think he looked like a military man at all, yet he had some pretty interesting firearms on him. I helped this guy through my “side job” a couple of times, so he figured he should call my dad and warn me.”Barnes quirked a brow. There was no sign of panic or distress in her voice. It sounded almost like she was reciting normal small talk. Then again, he had spent enough time with this woman to know how out of the ordinary she was…Bucky sighed and put away his book, marking where he had stopped. He then proceeded to check his gun and his rifle, and then the large suitcase he and Liv bought on their way to the motel. It was a very large one, the kind that would be able to contain enough clothing and supplies for a month-long vacation. However, they did need it empty for now.He looked at her. “So we got our man?”Liv nodded. “I’d say as good as we are ever going to get. So let’s not keep our 47 wannabe waiting, hmm?”The man didn’t get the reference. Instead of questioning her, he handed her her own pistol and set up his own rifle on a stand. He kept it against the table and loaded it with special bullets. He had to keep it away from the windows, yet ready to grab when the moment came. Bucky sat back down on one of the beds. He leaned on his knees and closed his eyes. Waiting, getting his mind ready for the mission.Liv gave him his space, tapping her actual phone. “I’ll make a few more calls. Lay out a trail of breadcrumbs for our little bird.”“Think he will come with friends?”“Nah. We’re in the city center, the cops are still looking for whoever made that mess in College Park, and it’s only been two days after the fact. I doubt Blackburn has the proper resources to mount anything massive on such short notice, especially considering that HYDRA is current headless.”Bucky huffed. She was right. Only seconds later did her computer emit multiple beeps. “Ok Bucky, don’t move.”“Is he here?”“Yeah. Across the street, just like you predicted.”Of course. Perfect shot point and all that. “Are your traps ready?”“He is close to only two of my tazing mines, but not close enough to fully paralyze him. Give me a second.”“You sure we have a second?”“Relax, old man, he is still setting up.” She tapped her computer. “Ok, here is the plan. Get up from bed, but do it naturally. Like, stretch or something.” Bucky followed her advice. His bionic recalibrated even. “Ok, now… Move a bit towards me. Pretend we are having a conversation.”“I thought we were having one already.”“Sassiness counts too.” The young dark haired woman continued to tap. “Just a little more….” A red lighted dot popped up in the room. It roamed around for a bit, approaching Barnes’ frame. Just as he was about to reach for his tucked pistol, Liv pressed on single key. Despite the street noise, both he and Liv heard the man grunt and groan in pain, all thanks to their shared superior hearing. Liv pointed at the rifle. “Barnes! Take the shot!” He didn’t need to be told twice. The Winter Soldier grabbed the gun, aimed it, and hit the man’s arm mid-fall. Liv watched the entire feed with a grin. “Nice. He is completely out. We just got ourselves a HYDRA agent. Well… another one at least.”Barnes’ glare was ineffective. The woman simply answered for him to stop glaring, saying he would get all the wrinkles he should have at this point, and told for him to help her gather their things. “We have a sleeping man to bag.”The next hour would have been hectic if it would not have been for the two planning this event the evening before. While Liv checked out of the motel, giving the receptionist an extra couple of dollars for the damaged window, Bucky was putting the unconscious shooter in the large suitcase. The coast was clear, all thanks to Liv having already been in the opposing building to install her surveillance system and her traps. By the time the HYDRA goon was bagged, as she herself put it, the woman had joined him there, retrieved all of her items, gotten back in her van and sped off before anyone noticed a single thing. Their next stop was the Montgomery family farm. Or rather, its shed to commence all the dirty work.The sun was rising by the time their kidnapped man woke up. He was tied to a steel chair. The rope and knots were tight, and there was a cloth bag over his head. Bucky decided it would be best to wait a couple of hours. To put him on edge, and also to get the materials they would need. Liv had shrugged. “You’re the expert.”By the time they were all set up, the man had been sitting in the chair for quite some time. No doubt he was hungry, thirsty and incredibly nervous. Exactly just how Liv and Bucky wanted him. Barnes was the one to pull the hood off the man, making sure the first thing he saw was him and a grinning Liv.“Wakey wakey, sunshine.”The man growled in response and they gave him a moment to look around. They had cleared up the space where he was kept, before he even woke up. They stripped it of any indication of where he was. Geographically speaking. Anyone with half a brain would figure out from the wooden environment that he was located inside of a shed of some kind. There was only a few, minuscule rays of light slipping through the wood boards. The rest of the shed was illuminated by a dusty lamp, decorated by a series of old cobwebs. There was also a car battery with electric cables, a tub full of water, and a table with tools and a first aid kit. Oh, and a defibrillator.“Is this supposed to scare me, asset?”“No. Just to make a point. We want to ask you a few questions. And we will use any, if not all, the tools we have here to make you answer them.”The tied up man snorted. “What do you wish to know? The quickest way to the freezer? Cuz that is where you are headed, Soldier.”Bucky blatantly ignored this threat. “Where is Triggerman?”The man grinned. “Oh, he’ll find you soon enough.”“I’m sure he will, but I prefer to find him first. Talk.”The only response he got was a wad of spit aimed at his face. It landed on his chest instead. Valient attempt. Liv handed him a tissue. “Nice. Should I give it a try?”“Go for it.”She nodded, only to then, without warning, reached down between the HYDRA goon’s legs and squeezed. Hard. The man let out a horrified squeak and the Winter Soldier found himself making a similar yet muffled noise under his breath. Liv’s face remained completely even, not at all perturbed by his obvious horror, and spoke to the man.“Alright jokester. Triggerman’s location or the little guy needs to get reattached. Gentleman’s choice.”A single look at the man’s face told Bucky he was in a world of pain. Hell, he himself felt like he was in a world of pain just watching this. He made a quiet mental note not to unnecessarily piss off his partner-in-crime in the future…Unfortunately, like him, the HYDRA soldier was trained to resist a decent amount of pain. “Hail... HYDRA...”After a while, possibly because her hand started to get cramped, she let go. Bucky watched as the guy took deep, wheezing breaths, his face regaining some color. Liv flexed her hand and noted in amazement how stubborn the man was being.“Alright. Plan B.” Bucky walked over to the tool box and got the biggest pliers he saw. He stepped over to the HYDRA goon, the pliers in his left hand, and used his right one to grab his head in a tight hold. There was not one trace of fear or hesitation, even when the tool was inside of his mouth. That was until there was the sound of barking coming from outside. Corsair was seemingly impatient and wanted to get to his master. Both Liv and Bucky noted how the color drained from the HYDRA soldier’s face like tap water. His eyes went to the origin of the barking, staring at the door. Liv picked up on his increased breathing. Bucky noted the fear in his eyes.He let go of him, put away the pliers, and turned to Liv.A small smirk came onto his lips. “Get the dog.”Ten minutes later, Liv and Bucky stood outside of the farm’s shed. Horrified shrieks came from the inside. There was nothing happening, really. Liv had just retrieved Corsair from his prancing around her family’s farm and placed him in front of the terrified man, ordering him to sit and stay. Either way, it seemed far more effective than the threat of actual torture. Who knew that Liv’s service dog would be the excellent tool to interrogate a HYDRA goon with cynophobia?“Chocolate?”Bucky happily broke a piece of the hershey bar she offered and stuck it in his mouth. He savored the taste almost as much as the screams of the man inside. Even now, he didn’t like to torture people, even scumbags from HYDRA, but the idea that this self-proclaimed tough guy, who didn’t talk even when having his family jewels on the line, was shitting himself at the sight of Corsair, a slobbery Golden Retriever with the patience of a saint, was just hilarious to him.After the man refused to tell what he knew twice, Liv and Bucky let another fifteen minutes pass. Barnes took the time to take in the scenery around him. He had to admit it was quite picturesque.They were currently at an old farmhouse, owned by the Montgomery family. It was the family’s holiday house, inherited from Liv’s maternal grandparents. They came from a medical background and wished to take their careers to the neighboring country up north. They left their farm under their daughter’s care, in which they used to spend Christmas and their summers. Or in their current case, when the family needed to hide due to the current ongoing business of a family member. The farm was located away from the state capital, in the middle of the Maryland countryside area and was not far from a lake. It provided privacy and security, just what they needed right now.Just as he was about to reach for another piece of chocolate, two figures left the house and headed towards them. In any other circumstances, Barnes would’ve been suspicious and on his guard. Though in this case, he knew the two individuals already. And he could smell the warm coffee all the way from where he stood, so that was a plus. The first one to reach him and Liv was an adult male, who shared a few physical similarities with his partner in crime. “Good morning. How are things going?”The second individual, a young woman who looked like Liv, minus the eyes, facial shape, hairstyle and with a younger appearance, bumped the older man’s arm. “Brandon, don’t ask. You don’t wanna know.”“Good morning to you too, sis’. What brings you here?”“Nothing. Just here to ignore the fact you’ve abducted and are currently holding a man in false imprisonment, breaking at least two human rights laws and topping it off with torture and emotional distress. Not to mention you are an accomplice to an enemy of the United States. No offense.”Bucky shrugged. “None taken.”Liv’s sister smiled and handed him a mug of coffee. “Anyways, if you ever need a legal, law abiding ‘fixer’ to help you out when you’ll have to answer for your own charges, you can ask Liv for my number. I would be more than happy to be part of your defense team.”The Winter Soldier took the hot mug with a frown and turned to Liv. She smiled, thanking Brandon, her brother, for the mug he handed to her. “Hannah is a lawyer.”“Oh. She isn’t that much more honest than Liv then.”Brandon snickered whilst the younger Montgomery replied with a fake, sarcastic laugh. “So, is your guest ready to chat yet? Corsair is probably trying to slobber all over him right now.”“We can always get Kaizer.”“Oh yes. Because a Dachshund will certainly make a HYDRA agent pee in his pants.”Brandon shrugged. “Well, if a Golden Retriever is enough to scare him, I wonder what an actual hunting dog with a temper would do…”Barnes stayed silent. He met said dog a few hours ago when he and Liv sneaked into the kitchen to get a light snack, while the rest of her family was still waking up. They stumbled upon Brandon’s husband getting ready to go on his morning jog with the guard dog. Little shit growled at Bucky the entire time. Considering that he could easily kick the dog all the way to the moon, he was not impressed. Still, the idea of the tiny little grump in there with Corsair, terrorizing this man by simply sitting there definitely made his morning even brighter.“Alright! Alright, I will talk! I will tell you all you want, just please, get this thing off of me!!”Liv finished her mug of coffee in one go. “That’s our cue. Thanks for the coffee.”“No problem. Should I still get Kaizer?”“Nah, it will be fine. Now run along, don’t want the HYDRA guy to see your faces.”“Let us know if we need to start digging a grave in the cornfields.” Brandon smirked at Bucky. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”Hannah slapped her brother on the arm. “Stop it, Bran.”Bucky watched the two siblings leave. He was not sure if their casual acceptance of this kind of situation was incredibly funny or exceptionally horrifying. Still, he decided not to question the family dynamics too much and simply appreciate his current safe haven.Ever since he had met Liv’s family, the faces in his memories began to become less and less blurry. They weren’t fully distinguishable yet, but a lot of them were resurfacing. Something Barnes held dear, even if he was too proud to admit it out loud.“Barnes, you ok? Do you want to wait a bit more before heading back in there?”He quickly shook his head. “No, let’s get it over with. I’m kind of hungry for an actual breakfast.”She smirked and with that, both of them went back into the shed.Just like they expected, Corsair was on the HYDRA man’s lap, trying to reach for his face, tongue out and attempting to lick him. Liv had explained this was standard training for service dogs in order to calm down a panicking veteran. Except of course, for someone with an obvious phobia of dogs, this behavior was akin to the Ninth Circle of Hell. Bucky shook his head. What was HYDRA coming to these days?With a short whistle, the woman called her dog back to her and the retriever instantly went back to her side. She petted the dog, ordered it to stay, and walked over to the man along with Bucky. The tied up assassin was a weeping mess. His steel resolve was reduced to dust. Which was perfect for them.“Ready to talk now, are we?”“Y-yes. Just… keep that mutt away from me.”“We will as long as you tell us what we want to know.” Upon the numerous nods from the frantic man, Bucky began his interrogation. “What is your mission objective exactly?”“We… Triggerman got the assignment the moment you did not report back to the secondary handler, Dr. Whitehall. The mission was to retrieve you, dead or alive. If dead, we had to make sure to preserve the body.”Liv frowned. “Why?”Anger began boiling inside of the Winter Soldier. “So they can replace me if needed. After all, the amount of successful supersoldiers is slim.” He smirked a little, glancing sideways at Liv. “Obedient ones, at least…”The captured man remained silent at that statement. Bucky decided to carry on. “That would explain why you came to the roof yesterday with both tranquilizing ammo and live rounds. Where were you supposed to take me?”“He’ll kill me if I tell you!”The Winter Soldier glared. “Balls, dog or the dog on your balls? Corsair is an intelligent boy. I’m sure Liv can tell him to…”The goon became white as a sheet. “A temporary base in Annapolis! The City Dock in Downtown! Where the Seawall is being repaired! I was ordered to track and bring back the asset within 48 hours.”Bucky and Liv gave eachother a sideways glance. This must have been about 12 hours ago. “Were you supposed to report?”“O-only if the time would be up or if the mission was a success.”“Good. That gives us enough time.”The man gave him a scared look. “Time for what?”He snorted. “That is for you and your friends to find out.”In response, his victim shook his head. “Please… Just kill me. If Triggerman found out what happened...what I said...then… Please, just give me a bullet and be done with it.”Bucky could already feel his hand move to his handgun. He supposed that was a decent request. Besides, he was done with this man, with him having spilled everything they needed to know. He might as well get rid of him. The only good HYDRA henchman was a dead one, after all.Suddenly, he felt Liv’s hand on his weapon arm. She gave him a small shake of the head, before practically smirking at the man.“Nah, that’d be far too kind now, wouldn’t it?”Liv reached for the seringue she had left on the table near the tools. Checking the dosage in it, she removed the plastic cap and went over to him. “This will have you sleep for a few hours. Hopefully you will wake up in a cell. Thanks for your cooperation.”Before either men present could respond, she jabbed the needle into the HYDRA goon’s neck. She pressed down on the plunger and stood back. Soon, the man was out cold. She gave Bucky a nod.“Would you mind getting the van while I set up our guest here for the drop off, Barnes?”Bucky sighed. It would have been more simpler to just kill the man and dump the body. But then again, he understood her reasoning of trying to avoid leaving a blood trail, unless when absolutely necessary. Besides, he knew by now Liv had a knack for making assholes suffer.A few hours later, the two of them were dropping off a suspicious, unconscious individual in the tiny village of Crownsville at the police station, who was being sought for trespassing, armed assault and illegal possession of a weapon the former night. At least according to the Anne Arundel County’s police’s database. Highly satisfied with their handiwork, they soon drove back to Davidsonsville, where they joined the rest of the Montgomery family in the dining room for a big, well deserved breakfast.“You two look like crap. Sit down and get some food in your stomachs.”Liv laughed at her grandmother’s comment and pecked the old woman’s cheek, bidding her good morning.“Barnes, this is my grandma. Malina Crawford.”He smiled ever so slightly, sticking out his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. James Barnes, but Bucky will also do…”The dark-skinned, gray-haired woman smiled ever so slightly. “Likewise. It is not every day I meet myself a legend.”“Yeah,” Hannah interjected, “let’s go with ‘legend’.”“Don’t mind my granddaughter, Bucky. She is probably dreading already the paperwork she might have to fill out one day when word gets out that her sister helped you.”“I trust my big sis’ to be discreet, but still. No one can forget the baseball incident here.”There was a collection of chuckles and sighs, the latter coming from Liv and her brother-in-law. The man traced his hand down his face. “Oh yeah, that one was something.”That peaked Bucky’s curiosity and he asked if anyone could elaborate.Brandon chuckled. “Well, basically, we were playing some baseball in the yard with the family when this crazy guy showed up with a gun. He was some guy dad got kicked out of the military due to some unsavory behavior. So we...”Hannah interrupted him. “Let’s just say that official story is that he happened to run in front of dad’s baseball bat. And Liv only threw the ball at his head by accident. Somehow hard enough to need surgery.”“It was fun seeing you explain that to the cop and end it with a ‘Honestly officer, I am just as confused as you are.’”Hannah and Liv both laughed, along with most of the family. Brandon's husband rolled his eyes with a chuckle, muttering something along the lines of ‘unbelievable’ and carried on feeding his toddler daughter on the highchair.The whole conversation was interrupted when Jackson and Vicky came into the room with several plates. They sat them down on the table smiling.“Alright, everyone! Chow time! Good old stereotypical American breakfast, especially for the two supersoldiers here.”Cries of delight were emitted from all around the table as the entire family happily dug in. With emphasis on the “family”, as Bucky simply sat there and stared at the offered meal with eyes the size of saucers.Back in his day, while the States were on rations, breakfast was just a bowl of oatmeal porridge. This was anything but a small bowl of food. There were fresh toasts with the choice of jelly, jam or butter as spread, pancakes with syrup, sausages and sliced bacon, fruits, eggs both sunny side up and scrambled, and cereals, all with some coffee, tea, or orange juice to wash it down. For a moment, he couldn’t help but stare. America had definitely changed in the past few decades…After a while, however, hunger overtook him and he joined the Montgomeries in consuming the food. He had to admit it was delicious. Soon, his plate was stacked with a bit of everything and he for once felt able to truly connect to people, if only because of the mutual love for food. He sat beside Liv, and the two shared the same disproportionate amount of food on their plates. Jackson, who sat on Bucky’s other side, noted the fact with amusement. Bucky snickered. There was a memory of him being in the kitchen table with his family, enjoying their own breakfast. This time the people in it had clear faces. He could picture his parents, his little brothers and little sister. It brought warmth to his heart, along with bitter sadness. He often wondered what happened to his own family, but it was something he was partially afraid of to find out. Thus, he simply enjoyed his meal in silence. Except for when he felt Kaizer, the family wiener dog, scratch his leg and whine for some food. Barnes let out a sigh and handed over part of his slice of ham. “Now you want to be friends.”A chuckle came from across the table. Brandon’s husband explained. “Yeah, Kaizer’s like that. Menacing and ferocious, except when it comes to begging for food.” Bucky rolled his eyes and continued to eat.Amongst the rumble of conversations that surrounded him, a soft sound reached his enhanced hearing. Long, hitch-pitched baby mumbles came from across the table. Brandon and Tyrell’s daughter, Shauna, was staring at him, or more specifically at his metal hand.Tyrell continued to try and feed the distracted toddler. “Don’t mind her. She likes shiny things.”Liv grinned. “That is true. She was fascinated with my prosthetic the first time she saw it.”The Winter Soldier disregarded half of the conversation, simply staring at the little girl. She was cute, he had to admit, and blissfully unaware of all the messed up crap her family was going through. Suddenly, he started feeling very uncomfortable. What if HYDRA would come here and her young life was at stake too?Then and there, he made a decision. He and Liv needed to make a plan and get the hell out of here as fast as they could. She was already bending over backwards to help him; the last thing he wanted was to endanger her family.After everyone was done with the large breakfast, Bucky and Liv helped clear the table. It was when they were alone in the kitchen that he pulled her aside and asked when they would plan something. After all, the sooner Blackburn died, the better.Liv nodded in agreement. “We first need to get a few hours of sleep. The agent said he had 48 hours to find you. We still have around 30 hours to come up with something and to give Blackburn a proper Glasgow kiss.”He smirked. “That’s a lovely way of putting it. Alright, sleep first. Then, information and assassination. And, hopefully, getting the hell out of the United States.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sound of the waves against the pier. The faint cry of seagulls in the sky. The passing of cars in the distance. Bucky’s ears perked at these sounds as he sat inside Liv’s van. He wore his Winter Soldier garbs once more. The mouthpiece and goggles were missing, discarded elements of his uniform that, in all honesty, he did not miss one bit. He focused instead in his artillery. There was only so much a duffle bag could carry. When he had left Washington DC, it was only with his apparel, civilian clothing, his pistols, his knife, ammo and a handful of gadgets he had still on him when the Helicarriers fell in the river. Not nearly enough for a planned assault on a team of trained mercenaries. Luckily, he had the right kind of friends. Or an ally with the right kind of friends at least.
Bucky put the assault rifle back together. It was an old one left for him and Liv in one of the woman’s businesses. The things you could find in a pawn shop nowadays... The weapon seemed in good condition at first glance, but appearances could be deceiving. So whilst his partner in crime checked and set up the perimeter, the Winter Soldier took it upon himself to do a double check on their guns. He had disassembled and cleaned every single pistol and gun they had gathered, all of it in record time. By the time the Winter Soldier was done, there was a light tap on the van’s back doors. He moved over to unlock them, and Liv quickly climbed inside. She still wore her normal clothing, no doubt to try and look as inconspicuous as possible.
“All done. ‘set up some jammers around the area and tried a little pet project of mine on the closest cellphone tower. If anyone around here tries to make a call, that tower will now make sure it takes forever for said call to go through.”
“Anyone around?”
The woman shook her head. “Not from what the scanners I left behind indicated. Then again, this entire area of the City Dock is part of a city building project. No one comes here at this time of night unless they really need to.”
Barnes nodded. He motioned at the weapons laying on the van’s floor. “Everything’s ready on my side. Ready to go?”
Liv smirked. “Just need to slip into my Sunday best.”
That was Barnes’ cue to get out of the van and give her some privacy. He grabbed his weapons, slipping the smaller ones in their respective holsters, and finally grabbed the rifle before stepping out of the van. He looked around, mentally preparing himself for what they were about to do.
As Liv had indicated previously, the City Dock in Downtown Annapolis was partially under construction. According to their unwilling informant, Triggerman and his man used a partially built office space as their temporary hideout. The two had parked the van in an alley not far from said building. The Winter Soldier leaned against the brick wall, his eyes quickly adjusting to the night lights and never leaving their destination out of his sight. There were no guards at the front, nor any on the bare, concrete upper floors. He figured there had to be cameras. Guards would draw attention, but there was no way in hell HYDRA would leave a stronghold unguarded. Just as he lifted his rifle to look through the scope for any surveillance cameras, the doors to the back of the van opened.
Liv stepped out, wearing a more combat-orientated outfit. The gear was made of dark blue kevlar and clearly designed to withstand a bullet or two. Seeing her like that, she hardly looked like a whizz kid with a missing leg anymore. She looked like a technologically enhanced soldier ready for murder. Which was about the best ally he could have right now.
He watched how she put her odd helmet and visor over her head. “You ready for this?”
The Winter Soldier nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Liv gave a nod and pulled her visor back down. “Spotted anything already?”
Barnes answered her question with a shake of the head. “There are no mercenaries outside. Though I doubt that Triggerman didn’t leave any surveillance.”
The woman beside him nodded. “Let me check.” She pressed two buttons on the side of her visor. There was a high-pitched sound of something being powered up and the lenses on her visor shifted hue slightly. “Yup. Two cameras on the side of the building, keeping an eye on the entrance.” She checked her equipment. “Maybe I can take them out with the signal scrambler on the cell tower.”
Bucky frowned. “I thought it only affected communications.”
“It affects anything that emits a signal. Including transmission of sounds or an image to a computer.”
With those words, Liv pressed a button on her arm bracer. Mere seconds passed before the cameras emitted a buzz and froze in their movement.
“Alright,” Liv changed her visor to its original color, “we can go.”
They quickly made their down the street and through the entrance, stepping inside. There were no guns, knives or goons in black masks to wield them, but they figured they would stumble upon those eventually. The ground floor was barren, just like the rest of the building. The foundations were recently finished, judging by how clean and smooth the concrete was. Barnes noted that it allowed for a lot of covers, which was perfect for them in case they needed to duck for one.
The two of them had comm sets on them, which allowed them to keep their communication to whispers and military signs. Liv tapped on her earpiece, getting Bucky’s attention. She motioned the Winter Soldier for them to check the upper floors.
Barnes frowned. “Is there something up there?”
“There are several guys up there, including some other sources of heat. But the concrete is thick, the signal weak and I can’t exactly see what these suckers have on them.”
Bucky’s brow furrowed in a frown. “That’s not very useful…”
She rolled her eyes. “Look, if you want X-ray vision, you ask one of those kids from that special school to help you out. I’m not messing with radiation this close to my face. Now move and keep quiet.”
He huffed in response, but nonetheless complied by moving up the nearest stairs. He stuck close to the wall, weapon at the ready, trying his best to stick close to the wall. Once he reached the top, he hid in the shadows and observed the area.
Liv was right. He saw about five guys, all patrolling around this specific room. He got an indication of why. He saw several pieces of important-looking computer equipment. He wasn’t an expert in this area, but he figured these were the kind that could be used to launch bombs, release viruses or, at the very least, seriously cause damage in some form or another. Particularly if someone like Liv messed with them. The strange plates on the floor, electrical ones from the looks of it, only increased the idea that these things were important.
He tapped his comm set. “Liv, you were spot on. Five guys and some interesting computer stuff. Wanna come take a look at that?”
There was a pause, one that had Bucky worried. “What is it?”
“Let me try to scan it from here first.”
There was another pause and then a hum. “This seems… odd. It’s electric based equipment from what I can tell from the the circuits. Why would they have this here?”
“The most probable reason would be that there were setting up my transportation there.”
“And not in a van?” Liv and Bucky stilled their movements when the soldiers’ radio came alive with static. They were too far away to clearly hear what was being said, but they could take a wild guess as to who was contacting them. One of the soldiers spoke up. It was faint, but not to the point that both Liv and Bucky’s super soldier hearing wouldn’t pick up on it. The HYDRA goons finally noticed that the cameras they set up in the front were not working properly and were asked to go patrol the area. The idiots didn’t even noticed either Liv and Bucky hiding behind concrete pillars when they walked passed them. Where did Triggerman find these guys?
Once the coast was clear, the two partners-in-crime made their way to the equipment. Liv pulled up her visor and went straight to the computer. After a quick look around the machine for any traps, she started typing on the keyboard. Barnes kept his attention focused on both the screen and the area around them. He didn’t see anything so far. That was until his eyes landed on a series of folders and papers left in a pile next to the computers. They were disorganized, with maps, schematics, reports all bundled up in small piles. The Winter Soldier frowned at some of them written in Russian. Were they original files about him? Just as he was about to reach for one of the files, a flash drive slipped out. The folder had no title, unlike the drive itself. And the name on its sticker had Bucky’s blood freeze.
“Сибирь”
Without even thinking, he started looking for the USB port on one of the computers. He soon found it and put in the drive, only to draw a half-scream from Liv.
“Damn it, Barnes! Don’t!”Her warning came too late. The moment he put it in and turned on the computer, it buzzed to life with a terrifying, blaring noise. Large, metal doors shut off the room from all sides, hidden amongst the bare concrete foundations. Bucky swore between gritted teeth. He had walked right into a trap.
“Like taking candy from a baby.”
He growled, instantly recognizing the voice he heard on the computer’s speakers. So did his companion, obviously.
“Finally got the good sense not to face us head on, Brian?”
“I just don’t like to dirty my hands anymore. Lord knows you made that approach hard enough of me. Besides, this will be a lot cleaner.”
A strange, surging sound started to appear all around him. His eyes widened as the floor started to light up. They were surrounded by electrical plates.
Liv caught on too. She rapidly turned to her computer and linked it to the one in the room, typing in codes and trying to override the doors. The visor, however, wouldn’t even respond. Triggerman simply laughed.
“Don’t bother, Montgomery. That computer sent out a pulse that rendered your technology useless. Bucky dearest here has effectively screwed you over.”
The woman didn’t even dignify him with an answer. Her eyes looked around frantically, trying to find some way to escape the trap in the short time they had to spare as he talked.
“Now these plates are going to give you guys a little shock. Not enough to kill you, though you both probably wish it did. And when you’re out cold, you’re going for a reunion at the nearest HYDRA base. Well, you are, Barnes. As for Montgomery, she’ll get a new cozy home in this building’s foundation.”
Bucky bit down to stop a stream of swear words colorful enough to fill an entire rainbow from pouring out his mouth. This was his fault. If he hadn’t been so careless… He looked at the computer screen, where Blackburn sat back, with a smirk so infuriating he wished he could punch it off.
“Trust me when I say I regret not being able to get that word sequence from Whitehall. I would’ve enjoyed seeing you choke the life out of Montgomery here. This will have to do. Now, let’s get started, shall we? Five...”
Anger started to get the better of Bucky the moment the countdown began. He raced up to one of the doors, slamming it with his metal arm. He gathered all the force he could into his blows, but it only left deep dents. Even Liv’s assistance wouldn’t make it budge.
“Four.”
Barnes had to act fast. He had to do something. THe Winter Soldier raced back to the computers. “Would pulling out the cords help?”
Liv shook her head. “Blackburn’s the one that has the switch. These were just for show.”
The man swore under his breath. Desperation began clouding his mind, with panic being at the end of the train of thought. His eyes went everywhere, to the steel doors, to the computers, to the ceiling, to the…
He halted on the spot under the table. Bucky flipped the table, uncaring of its contents and more what was under it. They had drilled a hole to bring the wires that powered their ruse up to this room. Which meant it was clear of electrical plates. And already a hole there. Might as well just make it bigger.
“Liv, how thick is this ground?”
“Now that’s a completely random question.” His glare emphasized how serious he was. “I don’t know… 14 inches most likely.”
Bucky smirked. “Good.” With that, the Winter Soldier raised his metal fist up, and struck it it down on the cemented floor. It cracked, but didn’t break. Yet. On the background he could hear how Blackburn was yelling at his men. What he was saying exactly didn’t matter. They had to get out of there nonetheless. Another hit came down on the damaged floor. It would take only one more. Barnes turned back to Liv, told her to be ready.
“Three…”
Taking a deep breath, he gathered all his strength and threw it into the final blow. The moment his fist hit the pavement again, it broke and gave way. A large hole had formed in the ground, big enough for them to escape.
“Tw… Wait, what are you doing?”
Had he had time to register Blackburn’s cracking voice, he might have laughed. Instead, he grabbed Liv by the arm, jumped down the hole and pulled her with him. Not a moment too soon, as just then, the plates activated. A horrific, electric noise was heard as they collided with the floor below, but the hard landing was preferable over the alternate options. Bucky’s knees ached for a few moments, protesting over the landing. He held up his assault rifle and noted with relief that there was no welcome committee on the current floor. Still, it certainly didn’t mean they were out of the woods.
“We have to get out of here. Can you run?”
Liv nodded. “Yeah, prosthetic is slightly damaged, but nothing too bad. Let’s go! God knows what other piñatas of death Blackburn decorated the place with.”
Just then, there was a loud thud shook the building. Bucky looked up and his heart ceased to beat as he suddenly found Triggerman storming down the hall. The man looked mad with rage, armed to the teeth and the Winter Soldier was well aware they were in big trouble. It was unlikely the HYDRA agent would underestimate them this time.
Liv clearly shared his thoughts. “Split! Take cover!”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He scrambled up immediately and ran to the nearest pillar for cover. His companion did the same. Within that split second, Triggerman had made his decision. He swapped out one gun for another and then started to fire rapidly at the woman.
There was the sound of bullets and explosions, followed by an icy shriek that seemed to cut right through Bucky’s marrow. He looked up from his hiding place and his blood ran cold.
Liv was injured, though not badly. Mostly shrapnel, superficial cuts and grazes. Still, all of those were the result of something far more severe. Her prosthetic leg was now blown to smithereens.
For the very first time since he met her, he could see panic on her face. She cursed and rolled over despite her injuries, trying to get back on her one good leg, hopping and crawling to safety. He watched how Blackburn simply smirked as he casually approached her, reloading his rifle. He’d reach her and kill her way before she would make it to cover.
That seemed to pull her out of her desperation. Rather than trying to flee again, she remained where she was and pulled out her Five-Seven. She flashed her opponent an almost mad grin as she aimed the weapon at him. Her plans were clear. If she was going to meet her maker, she’d want to tell the Good Lord that she died putting some bullets into a bastard.
In those few seconds, Bucky’s mind was overflowing. He had to do something. He had to save Liv. He needed her. He needed her to get the hell out of the United States alive. He would have been dead meat without her days ago and she needed to arrange the trip for him. That and, he silently admitted to himself he just didn’t want her to die. Still, there was no way he could rush out and protect her without being pumped full of bullets himself. HYDRA wants him back dead or alive, more than they wanted her dead.
Him back… Her dead…
Suddenly, a light bulb went on over his head. He could save her! Without even thinking twice, he jumped out from behind his cover. Blackburn instantly noticed him and switched his weapon to take aim. The Winter Soldier held up his assault rifle and shot a few rounds. They were as ineffective as the ones he shot back at College Park. But they made sure he got his attention. Barnes simply smirked at him, flashing a challenging smile before doing the very thing that would save Liv’s life.
He ran.
There was an exasperated groan from Blackburn’s side and he pursued. Though his impatience was starting to show. He shot grenades at the the Winter Soldier. He never aimed for him, but for the covers he was about to use. Bucky kept dodging his attacks and firing back whenever he could. He had to be fast though. This man was currently dangerous from afar. He was living up to his name and aiming his shots precisely. For once the Winter Soldier was glad for his faster reflexes.
Clearly, those were getting on the nerves of Triggerman and his voice was a clear indicator of that. “Leaving behind your ally, Barnes? Now that’s not very honorable for a Sergeant, is it?”
Bucky didn’t respond, instead hiding behind an errant slab of concrete with smaller pieces scattered around it, and he continued. “But then, you aren’t much of a soldier anymore, right? You’re a fugitive, a terrorist and above all, a killer. No wonder then that you only look out for yourself.”
The Winter Soldier growled softly. He’d love to inform his enemy of this little saying about how evil doers were evil dreaders, but he knew better than to give his position away. His eye fell on a nearby abandoned tool belt and he quietly took the hammer from it. He had to wait for the right opportunity.
“Well, she certainly won’t help you now. Might as well come out and accept your fate. You lost.”
With those words, the HYDRA agent continued to look search the area. Once he had his back turned, the smaller man took his chance. He threw the hammer over the top of his cover against another slab of metal, creating a loud, distracting noise. Instantly, he heard Triggerman chuckle.
“There you are.”
Within seconds, he approached the cover and instantly, Bucky leaped into motion. Grabbing a smaller block on concrete, he charged at the man. By the time Blackburn looked up, it was too late. The block finally slammed against his face, breaking on impact, and staggering him enough that he had to take several steps back.
The Winter Soldier didn’t allow him the breather. He pulled the rifle from his hands and quickly broke it, before pulling the belt with grenades from his opponent and flinging them away, disarming his adversary. Triggerman responded by bringing both fists down and Bucky only narrowly avoided it.
Soon, he found himself scampering through the space, blocking some of the man’s swings but mostly avoiding them. Being smaller and more agile was an advantage and while desperately trying to come up with a plan for him and Liv to escape, he hoped he could tire Triggerman out before the rest of his men returned. That and find some way to take him out, because he knew damn well bullets would not work.
His evasive behavior only seemed to make the man angrier. He was charging him like a rhino, swiping at him with swift, uncoordinated blows. Those the Winter Soldier couldn’t block in time came down like a sledge hammer and he swore he could feel something crack in there as he tried to keep moving. Still, the man did not seem to tire, but Bucky certainly did. Tired, sweating, panting and bloody, he could not keep up his momentum forever. The man noticed and chuckled. His unusual eyes seemed almost catlike that instant.
“No more bringing alive for you then. I’m gonna wring your neck and bring HYDRA your frozen corpse!”
The Winter Soldier braced himself for another charge. His eyes darted left and right, looking for some way to evade him. He searched his belt for his knife, hoping against hope the weapon would give him something of an edge. Everything almost seemed to move in slow motion, as this murderous behemoth advanced on him and he took his final stand.
Then, shots rang out. A barrage of gunfire rained down on Triggerman. The bullets did little to hurt him, but it was enough to pull him from his blind rage. With a furious snarl, he turned his head in the direction of the gunshots and Bucky followed his gaze, dumbfounded to find Liv there, having somehow managed to crawl over and steadying herself and her weapon on an unfinished window post, presenting their enemy with a fake salute.
“Like hell you will, Sergeant Fucknuts!”
Her interference was just what the Winter Soldier needed. Making the most of the distraction, he charged at the man once more. His metal arm aimed for a mean left at the man’s skull, while he readied himself to try and plunge the knife into his abdomen.
Unfortunately, the man quickly turned his attention back to him. His metal hand was caught in an iron grip and Bucky found himself lifted off the ground. Blind panic taking him over, he abandoned his plan and simply swung his free hand, going for the first thing he could find.
Triggerman’s face.
The second his knife was embedded in the eyeball, there was a scream and a shower of sparks. Instantly, the Winter Soldier was dropped to the ground, where he could only lie with astonishment for a moment. So his assumptions were true. His eyes were artificial.
He couldn’t think about it for very long. Triggerman was upon him again. He leaped out of the way as the man grabbed a nearby chunk of concrete and planned to bring it down on him. The Winter Soldier rolled out of the way, the concrete block breaking in thousands of piece behind him. Bucky then stood up and faced the man’s back. His knife in hand, he retaliated by slashing the one spot where he knew there was a gap in the armor: where the head met the neck.
Out of nowhere, there was a shink, like he had just cut through metal, and then an odd, hissing noise as if air was escaping. The Winter Soldier stood frozen as a strange, blue liquid came pouring out of the slid fabric. Instantly, a pained gasp released itself from Blackburn’s throat, along with a string of curse words.
“No!”
Triggerman immediately turned around, one hand on his head while the other was up, ready to face him if needed. Then, it suddenly hit Bucky. The man was showing pain and terror in his face. For the first time since they first faced each other. So that strange thing he’d seen on the man’s neck in the library was crucial. It somehow made him more powerful and less sensitive to pain. He could damn well hear an angel choir that very moment. He’d found his tormentor’s weakness.
“Liv! Aim for the back!”
His partner instantly obliged and within moments, it was the Triggerman who was at risk. Blackburn had managed to move back, practically limping towards cover trying to avoid bullets and knives, and shouted into his comm set.
“Code Red, Alpha Team! Backup needed! Repeat, I need backup on first floor level section B!”
Bucky felt the urge to sneer as he continued to walk after him, spitting out some of the blood that ran from his mouth. Let him shout for help all he wanted. He came here with a mission and that was to put this son of a bitch under the ground for good. His fingers clutched around the knife’s hilt. It was time to end it.
However the sudden the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Orders were barked left and right and there was a loud repeat of orders, ranging from “shoot on sight” and their current location.
Damn. Blackburn’s backup had gone back into the building in record time. What’s more, they were approaching from the side where Liv currently was, with just a rifle and with her broken prosthetic. She would be shot within seconds if he didn’t help her out of here.
He turned back to Blackburn, a growl slipping from his mouth. He should kill the bastard. That’s what he came here for. Eliminate the biggest threat and emerge victorious. Yet at what loss? Again, he needed Liv and they were both tired and severely injured. Risking the loss of his partner and fighting on might prove suicidal in the long run. Besides, he got them into this mess…
After but a moment’s hesitation, he cursed, whipped around and ran to Liv. He yanked her off the ground and scooped her up in his arms. Ignoring her protesting, he raced with her to the unfinished windows, climbed onto the still and just as the mercenaries were about to charge in, he jumped.
His legs practically screamed as they hit the hard ground below. The impact was hard enough for Liv to be thrown from his arms and she hit the sand with a groan and a painful thud as well. Still, knowing he had no time to lose, he forced himself to get up. Biting back the pain, he picked Liv back up, rushing her away from the building. He sped to the nearby alley where they had left their van. He threw the door open, stuffed Liv in the passenger seat and installed himself behind the wheel.
The tyres screeched as he drove away as fast as he could. Where to, he didn’t care. All he knew was that they needed to get the hell out of Annapolis and hide before even thinking of trying again. Their mission had failed and once again, they had gone from being the hunters to the hunted.
He looked at Liv. She had removed her broken visor and some of her gear to sit back in the passenger seat. She was in as bad a shape as he was. They had their fair share share of bruises and cuts, but perhaps she was in an even worse state than he was, seeing how she was now unable to walk, let alone run. He sighed, perfectly content as the drive to safety commenced in silence. So much for getting a huge pain out of their necks. It was only a good hour or so later that Liv finally spoke and her words, brief and concise, summed up their situation perfectly.
“We done goofed.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The painkiller tablet fizzled and dissolved in the large cup of water placed in front of Bucky. He had driven for hours, to the point that Liv’s van was on its last drops of gas. They stopped by a convenience store outside of Annapolis, just enough time to grab a first aid kit, some towels, painkillers, and sped off and out of the city. His muscles were aching and his head was throbbing, the hits he got to the head the source of the pain no doubt. He downed the contents of the glass in one go, despite the bitter acidic taste of the medicine. The diner’s coffee helped to wash it away.
Barnes sat back in his seat with a sigh. It was early in the morning, the place packed with commuters, and the man felt tiredness catching up to him. Neither he nor Liv slept a wink the previous night. They had too much adrenaline and paranoia in their systems to do so. Their main focus was to get the hell away from Annapolis and lick their wounds. They finally managed to do both hours later at a roadside motel, just by a middle-of-nowhere town.
The two registered as the recently married Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker, with Liv digging through her stuff to find two fake golden rings she had taken from her pawn shop. She wore hers whereas Bucky had his on right hand, the fake jewelry not fitting his left digits due to obvious reasons. They had rented a superbly shitty room with even shittier motel coffee. At least the nearby diner made up for its faults somewhat, as the food and drink there was actually quite decent, though it of course couldn’t hold a candle to the cooking of Jackson Montgomery, nor that friend of Liv’s back in Cambridge. Still, he wasn’t about to complain, not when he and Liv finally had a moment to catch their breath.
Speaking of his companion, she was notably quiet. She sipped her coffee in silence and merely picked at her slice of apple pie. He understood why. Aside from being in pain herself due to several shrapnel wounds, the only thing that literally kept her standing was a shabby plastic prosthetic. Better than nothing, of course, but seeing how she limped more than she walked when using it, it didn’t even come close to offering the kind of mobility that she craved.
“That spare leg of yours. It’s not good enough for our mission, is it?”
Liv looked up, clearly annoyed. She glared, but he held firm, wanting an answer. She sighed and sat back. “No. To tell you the truth, I’d have more success with this leg if I’d simply take it off and beat someone with it. Which would definitely make me feel better, really.”
Bucky would’ve snickered at her humor in other circumstances. The tension and frustration in the air was practically palpable. Barnes cleared his throat, his fingers fidgeting with the warm drink in his hands in thought. “I see.”
She grumbled under her breath. “Someone like Triggerman always goes for your weaknesses. I should have seen that coming. Now, we’re paying for it.”
Barnes ran a hand through his hair. She was right, especially since he was the idiot who fell for said trap. He took another sip of his coffee and pondered. He could count the solutions they currently had on one hand. None of them were safe, all of them involved being caught... Except for maybe one…. His voice lowered a few decibels when he addressed the woman sitting across from him. “Liv… How fast can you get me a fake ID and passport?”
She briefly peered around the diner to make sure no one heard them, before answering. “Within a few days. I also know a guy who can get you over the border on either side if you need.” There was a short silence and she smiled weakly. “You’re thinking the same as I do, huh?”
He nodded. “Our situation is bad already and getting worse by the minute. It is probably for the best if I get out of here as soon as possible.”
She sucked in a breath. “I think you are right. I mean, I’m not much of a help to you right now. At least not physically. Perhaps it’s best if I smuggled you out, hide out until I can get a better leg and take down your admirers while they’re still scrambling to find you.”
Bucky quickly swallowed down his sip of coffee before he’d spit it out all over the table. He couldn’t believe his ears. “What? No, the reason I am asking you to make me leave quickly, it is so Blackburn gets away from you.”
Liv glared at him. “I made it my job to protect you. If you are treating me like a damsel in distress because of my leg-”
“I am not talking about keeping only
you
safe, Liv.” She gave him a confused look and he bristled. “It’s about your family. HYDRA will go after everyone you love, just because you’re associated with me. I don’t want to see your parents killed because they fed me. Or see little Shauna end up an orphan, or worse, die just because her father is your brother. When I’m gone, I’ll take those problems with me.”
He could see Liv contemplating what he said and he decided to insist more. “Liv, when we met, you asked me what you could do for me. I asked you to help me find out what happened to me and to get me out of the country. You have already gone above and beyond for me. Get me out of the States and you have done -”
A sudden stab cut Barnes off. Liv had her fork buried in her slice of apple pie. She was fuming from what he could see, her breathing heavy and her grip on her cutlery tight. It was a miracle her utensil didn’t break the ceramic plate under the food really. “No… Five years since I thought I turned that piece of shit into fertilizer. He slipped through my fingers once, like hell will I let him go again, just because I am missing one lousy leg.”
He sighed. “Well, what are you going to do? You told me there is a waiting list for Grade A titanium leg. And this guy is strong enough to hold the both of us off. We only barely made it out with our lives twice. And again, this is not just about you. This is about keeping everyone safe.”
“Everyone
will
be safe once Brian gets a bullet in the brain.”
Bucky snorted. “Don’t play me for a fool, Montgomery. Killing him will bring you only empty satisfaction.”
Fists slammed into the table, making the dishes clatter on the hard surface. “What do you know about that? You barely knew the meaning of the word until you ate a fucking
sandwich
!”
Bucky inched back a little. It surprised him to see her like this. Normally, hers was a kind of tranquil fury. Now, she looked just about ready to rip his head off and keep it as a gruesome trophy. He was wise enough to hold his tongue, knowing that anything else he said would only push her further.
She quickly acknowledged this tactic and huffed. “Clever, Barnes…”
She then sat back into her seat, before getting up and leaving, making him frown. “Where are you going?”
She rolled her eyes. “Getting some supplies for our next part of Flight of the Supersoldiers. Lord knows it will soon be coming to a highway near you. See you later.”
Her obviously sour mood had him frown and he couldn’t help but respond with sarcasm. “You didn’t finish your apple pie.”
She shrugged as she stomped off with her severe limp. “You have it. You could use the sugar.”
“Right back at you.”
She didn’t respond to his last jab and left the diner, the colorful greeting sign clattering against the door when she slammed it shut. He sat back and let out an annoyed grunt. He’d met many a stubborn women in his life, but one who still thought about murdering HYDRA agents while barely able to walk was in a class of her own.
As he sat there, an old lady from the table next to him looked up. “You should go after her and tell her you’re sorry, dearie. Then compromise. It’s the secret of a good marriage.”
Barnes glared at the old lady. He wanted to retort how it was none of her business, but her innocent and genuine caring expression dissuaded him. Whatever… He dug out his wallet from his back pant pocket and left enough bills on the table to pay for the food. He then left the diner and headed back to the motel, planning to do nothing but sit on his creaky bed and find out how Smaug’s treasure would be stolen.
It was several hours later that Liv returned. Bucky had a pistol in hand when she turned the doorknob and stepped into the room. She sighed, half-heartedly stating that it was just her and that the coast was clear. Barnes put away the pistol on his end table and leaned back against the bed frame, going back to the last chapters of his book. “Got everything you needed?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we should be good for several days.”
Clearly not eager to talk to him, she opened one of the bags and took out a strange box. He watched over the top of his book how she sat on her side of their shared bed, opened it and took out of the most searingly colorful objects he had ever seen, taking a bite out of it.
“What on earth is that?”
She cast him a brief glance. “It’s a cupcake. Can’t weather this nonsense without some proper sweets.”
The man stared at the small cake, decorated with colourful frosting. “You went into town for that?”
“No Barnes, I drove all the way back to Annapolis to get these fresh out of the oven.” Bucky groaned loudly and in frustration. He was about to let her have it when Liv interrupted him. “I came across a bakery that sells cupcakes as an extra. Felt like it. If you behave, you might get one as well.”
“Well, you did mention earlier that I needed some sugar.”
Then there was that smile. The smile she always had on her face, that was far from genuine, and a pure emphasis of her sarcasm and wit. “So did I apparently.”
Rolling his eyes, he returned to his book. After several seconds, he saw on the corner of his eye an object tossed at him. He caught it on reflex, barely keeping from crushing it at the same time, and saw it was one of the frosted minicakes.
“Might improve your mood a little.”
The man looked at grumpy woman. She was focused on her tablet, eating her second cupcake of the night. He stared at the small baked good, the glaze topping partially spread on his metal palm. It didn’t smell nauseatingly sweet at the very least. He pulled down the paper side and took a small bite. It was… nice. Good actually. He could taste carrot and orange in the cake part, as well as on the frosting. He downed the rest of the cupcake in two bites, leaving only the paper behind.
Quite pleased with his snack, he eyed Liv and the box, wondering if he could perhaps sneak another one without her noticing. A futile action. Instantly, her eyes met his and she smirked ever so slightly. She grabbed another one from the box, brown with sprinkles and a black cookie on top, and handed it to him.
“Eat up. We’ll probably not have anything this good in a long time.”
In any other circumstance, he would doubt her generosity, especially seeing how she wasn’t exactly his best friend after their earlier argument. Still, they were allies and knowing luxuries like these would be few and far in-between, he decided to happily accept the offer. He happily started to munch on the second cupcake, not caring at all that Liv was staring at something intently.
“Since when do you use a revolver, Barnes?”
He followed her gaze to the gun he had in his hand moments earlier. Barnes took his time to finish his second cupcake, chocolate and cooky-dough from the taste of it, and gave Liv a matter-of-factly answer. “I borrowed.” Just as his hand reached for another cupcake in the box, it was snapped shut and pulled back, away from his reach. Bucky shared the same glare with Liv. The Winter Soldier sighed and wordlessly motioned the bathroom with his head.
She gave him a quizzical look, before turning her head to the door. She got up and walked over, cautious and carefully. The Winter Soldier seized this opportunity to reach over to the cupcake box and sneak another one. He was busy stuffing a particularly delicious red one with cream cheese on top, when Liv’s voice reached his ears, annoyed and ice cold.
“Bucky, why is there a bound, gagged, unconscious man in the bath tub?”
He shrugged, munching on his treat. “I put him there.”
The look she gave him would kill lesser men where they stood. “No shit, Sherlock. Why did you put him there?”
Getting a little irritated, he shoved the last bit of cupcake in his mouth, chewed and swallowed before answering her, not caring at all that this situation seemed to piss her off. “I saw him break into our room when I got back. He tried to come at me with an electrified escrima stick while shouting “
Hail HYDRA
”. So I punched and subdued him, but since I had no idea where the hell you were and didn’t feel like moving yet, I put him in there.”
Liv took in a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed shut. He could guess that she was mentally counting to three, trying to keep her cool. “Ok. Did you interrogate him at least?”
“Didn’t really have the time to ask for his social security number, in between the revolver and the escrima stick.”
“Fine. Let’s wake him up and ask a few questions then. Hopefully this one’s resolve isn’t made out of the steel like his friends’.”
With that, the two placed a “
Do not disturb”
sign on their bedroom door, turned on the TV and went the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. Liv was the one to turn on the shower, turning the icy cold water knob to its limit.
The HYDRA soldier jerked awake instantly and seemed anything but pleased to find her and Bucky standing over him. Bucky wanted to go the route of silent intimidation, but Liv apparently thought this was a good time to vent all her accumulated frustration on a deserving target. She reached for the tape on the man’s mouth and tore it off of him none-too gently.
“Talk now. Or else I’ll give you a history lesson on Vlad the Impaler using that toilet brush.”
Both men present in the bathroom shared the same disgusted expressions on their faces. Bucky placed his hand on Liv’s shoulder, to keep her back. “I am afraid she is serious.”
The subtle emphasis on the woman’s threat didn’t seem to deter the HYDRA goon. Apparently having an iron resolve against threats and torture was common with this lot. Barnes rolled his eyes and turned back to Liv. “We need to find this guy’s weakness.”
Liv huffed. “What? Want me to get the motel manager’s chihuahua, in case he is afraid of dogs too?”
Bucky was two steps from dragging Liv out of the bathroom and have a very long conversation with her, which would mainly involve her current sour mood and its inefficient contribution to their progress. Instead, his thought was interrupted by a voice. The HYDRA’s agent’s voice to be exact.
“You… you’re the ones who got Adam?”
The two interrogators remained silent. Barnes assumed the captive agent meant the dog-fearing colleague that they captured a few days ago. Naturally, they had no intention of mentioning what they’d done with him. Both to scare this guy and to spare Adam from it becoming common knowledge that hearing that he had wet his kevlar pants over a Golden Retriever.
After several loaded moments of silence, Bucky decided he’d been patient enough and since he was certain this guy wouldn’t squeal so easily, they might as well start with the easy stuff first.
“Let’s check his belongings.”
Liv gave him a sideways glance, thinking for a moment before nodding. “Let’s. We’re bound to figure out something from those.”
With that, Bucky got up and went back to the room. He came back a few minutes later with a disposable, prepaid phone. “Password locked. Number combination.”
“No problem.” Liv grabbed the device from his hand and stared at the keys. She tried a few times before it finally unlocked. “Open Sesame. Now, where is the good stuff.”
It didn’t take a genius to notice the sudden change in Liv’s expression. She found something. “What is it?”
All Liv did was turn the screen over to him and instantly, his face matched hers. He recognized her family on the pictures. The orders accompanying them, although encoded, left no doubt.
“Bag and ship for bargaining”. He knew exactly what that meant. “
Find and capture for leverage
.”
Liv stood there, frozen for a moment. They exchanged glances before she turned her gaze to the small screen on the phone. He saw how she scrolled through all the messages on the phone, her eyes shifting back and forth rapidly as if she was taking in tons of information at the same time. Then, she started to type.
“
Sale fell to half-price. Nuts and bolts are now sold separately
.”
Bucky cocked his head at her as she typed. The code seemed utterly ridiculous to him, but he figured he had some idea of what she meant. Still, why was she deciding to message Blackburn directly and claiming they had since split up?
There was a long silence and a small icon indicated someone was writing on the other end. After what seemed like an eternity, the phone let out a rather loud “ping” and a message appeared. Her mouth turned to a thin line and Bucky could see why.
“Go for sale, ship and bag to bargain is still on. Nuts can always be matched to bolts later.”
She turned back to him and The Winter Soldier saw her eyes were icy cold. He could sense anger at him, anger that was directed at him like it was at the diner. This time, he fully understood why.
Then and there, Bucky realized the full extent of what Liv had meant back there. HYDRA wasn’t just going call off any attacks on Liv’s family just because he had left the States. Liv would be the last known person he was seen with and they would hunt her and her family as long as they thought she had information. Or even if she didn’t… By now, he was quite certain that Triggerman simply wanted his companion dead.
A sigh escaped Bucky’s mouth. He took the device from her hand and looked back at the HYDRA agent. “Were you supposed to sneak in here and find out about their whereabouts?”
There was silence again. As good of an answer as any. “We might as well say that you are. I imagine you have a number here.” Without another word, he handed over the cellphone back to Liv. She promptly scrolled through the contact list and the dialed numbers, much to the agent’s horror.
Bucky smirked. “So here is what we’re going to do. We are going to call Blackburn from your cellphone. He’ll know you failed your mission. We’ll tell him you said everything we needed to know. And we’ll be making sure he’ll trace your phone right to this place and find you. And we’ll be long gone by then.”
Liv continued, instantly catching his drift. “It’s our word against yours and we both know Bloodthirsty Brian won’t take the risk leaving a trail behind. Of course there is the alternative. You tell us where he’ll be next, we’ll leave you here alive and intact and we’ll be on our merry way without spilling the beans. Your pick.”
One last heavy silence filled the bathroom. The agent’s face changed to a lighter shade of white, and no matter how hard he tried to hide it, his body shook ever so lightly. Bucky almost took satisfaction in that. There was a certain pride in knowing that HYDRA’s standard goons were too afraid to take him or Liv on directly in the end. Add Blackburn’s cruelty and demand for perfection to that mix and they had effectively put this man between a rock and a hard place. Maybe all the agent needed was a final push. “Right,” Bucky held onto the cellphone, “shall we go pack our things?”
Liv nodded. “Sure. I get to eat the last cupcake though.”
Just as the two were about to step out of the bathroom, the agent finally spoke up, his voice crumbling a few tones higher than it should be. “Wait! Please, don’t do anything!”
The Winter Soldier turned to him, calm and expressionless. “Well?”
“...Baltimore.”
Liv practically had to hide a grin. “Thank you.”
She and Bucky had exchanged looks. For perhaps the very first time in their joint venture, they seemed to think the exact same thing.
Within thirty minutes, everything was packed and prepped. Clearly, Liv had done this kind of thing before and even a fast packer like Bucky found himself impressed. The suitcases were by the door, the laptop and equipment in Liv’s rucksack and, the piece de resistance, there was naked HYDRA soldier tied to the bed. The latter was none too happy with his predicament.
“You treacherous bitch! You said you’d let me go!”
“I never said you wouldn’t end up in cuffs. I can’t have you tail us now, can I?”
Barnes couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He questioned his partner-in-crime once more about the… state the HYDRA agent was being left in. Sure, she wanted to leave him without guns or means to contact his boss, but the nudity seemed a bit excessive. Her response, “because I can”, didn’t exactly hold water. Still, seeing how he didn’t like HYDRA and its associates any more than she did, he was not about to argue. Instead, he helpfully carried a number of suitcases and started loading them into the van while Liv happily checked out “Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker”. He fought the urge to chuckle as he did. God knew what those people would think when they’d send in the maids and would find a naked, screaming man tied to the bed...
He was still amusing himself with that thought as he drove the van onto the highway a few minutes later. Even if he had no idea where he was driving them exactly… Still, one thing was clear.
“We’re off to kill Triggerman and his men.”
She nodded. “To the magical land of decimation and cold-blooded murder we go.”
He fought a smile. “So what do we need to do to get there?”
On that Liv remained silent. She was scrolling through her phone. After what seemed like hours, she finally let out a sigh. “We need a place to camp. Assess the situation properly and form a plan. We have one thing on our side already. Thanks to our little crank text, Triggerman now thinks we’ve gone for solo careers. That will likely make him less cautious and that puts us at an advantage. Which is a good thing since I’m now more Long John Silver than supersoldier with this leg.”
Barnes hummed in return, as even he got her reference. His eyes went down to her prosthetic leg. With that plastic thing, she was not likely to last long. Unless…
An idea crawled its way from the crevices of his brain. He remembered a place that produced the fine materials that were fitted onto his own prosthetic. They had to come from somewhere, after all. He smiled as the idea shaped itself properly.
“Liv, I recall you saying you didn’t want any money for ferrying me to safety?”
She gave him a strange look. “Yeah, your case was charity. Why are you bringing this up now?”
He took a deep breath. “I plan to change that arrangement. I may not have money, but I want to pay you for all your effort and for the upcoming assassination of Brian Blackburn.”
Instantly, she shook her head. “Bucky, right now we have more important matters to worry about. Besides, I don’t see what you can come up that would work as payment for me. I mean, as happy as Brian’s head would make me, I don’t exactly want to decorate my kitchen with it.”
All Bucky could do was grin. “Well, how about I give you an offer you’re sure to like? I’m getting you the finest leg you’ve seen in your life. And we get to piss off HYDRA as a bonus.”
One of Liv’s eyebrows crooked up in confusion. “Oh? And where do you expect to do that?”
The man smirked, his eyes straight ahead on the road. “If I am not mistaken, we need to look up for a cybernetic company. Cybertek, I think the name was.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“How many HYDRA goons does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”
“Is this really the time for stupid jokes?”
Liv grinned from behind her laptop. For the last three days, she had been using it pretty much 24/7. They were in the process of shopping for a new leg for her and biding their time to find premium offer.
She had given him a backup laptop to entertain himself in the meantime and he had gratefully made use of it. He had found information about recent events and what do the media were currently reporting about the Winter Soldier. Liv at one point commented that he should check something named “tweets”. Whatever that meant. The said woman laughed and answered her own question.
“One. You take out a lightbulb and then two will take its place.”
Bucky rolled his eyes in amusement. That joke was so stupid it actually made him chuckle. Still, after three days of just sitting around, munching chips and fizzy drinks and perfecting the modern day art of “binge watching”, he was ready for some action.
“So, did you find anything?”
She perked up. Her fingers flew around on the keyboard, typing in a few keys, before turning the device just enough to show him what she had found. “Only the bargain of a lifetime. You were right about where to look. There is one HYDRA funded, state of the art Cybertek prosthetic leg. That happens to come through Pasadena by truck in less than a week. Get them while they’re still hot.”
Bucky arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “I doubt it will be that easy.”
“Well, we can’t exactly go up, offer a huge wad of cash and expect them to sell it to us, no. Which is the preferable method for me, really. But there is another way that’s just as clean. Well, in terms of bloodshed, just not legally.”
The Winter soldier grimaced. “Sounds like the kind of thing someone like me can manage.”
“I definitely think you can. So tell me. In the time you have been up and at ‘em again in the modern world, have you ever heard of a 3D printer?”
He cocked his head. “Isn’t a printer sort of like a phototelegraph?”
She smiled. “Close. But this is like its richer, more successful cousin and it can do a ton of interesting stuff. Let me show you…”
She took out one of her gadgets, one of the smaller ones, that passed for a remote control of sorts. “See the outside case? I asked a friend to model it in 3D and then I printed it at home with my own, smaller printer. For the big stuff, I need to go to a printing shop, whom I just happened to have partnered with once I realized how practical this is for my job.”
Bucky arched his brows, for once genuinely amazed in a world of Gods and aliens. “You mean, you can literally print stuff? As in stuff you can use, not just a photo?”
Liv smiled. “Exactly. So here is the plan…”Seven days went by and on a cold, misty Monday morning, Bucky found himself lounging around a gas station in Pasadena. He was munching on a beef sandwich, nowhere as good as the one from that diner in Cambridge. He washed it all down with a giant soda, meanwhile staying in contact with Liv. She had holed up in a tyre shop across the road, making several small purchases for their future ventures and with an excellent view of the situation.
“How long until our supplier pops up?”
“Five minutes, give or take.”
He stuffed the last few bites of his food into his mouth, taking another sip. “Good. Gas station food isn’t all that great.”
Liv snickered. “Hey, I can’t help it my dad’s cooking made you a snob, Barnes. You keeping an eye on your package and the spare key?”
“Why? Are you keeping an eye on it instead?”
A sarcastic laugh was his response. “Funny. Now keep your eye on the prize. I’m going to mess with their car’s GPS and computer and strand them at the station. Remember, the one you’re looking for is model number BL23R, version V5.01. You got that?”
“Yes, yes. Now, are we going to do Operation Cuckoo or what?”
There was a short silence. “...You aren’t seriously calling this plan ‘Operation Cuckoo’?”
Bucky chuckled, taking some satisfaction in being able to rile her up. “Well, seeing what the common cuckoo does… And then there’s your distinct brand of problem-solving…”
By now, there was an annoyed groan. “Thank you, Darwin. Now look alive. They’re coming.”With that signal, Barnes straightened his body, pushing himself away from the small high table inside the gas station. Just as his partner in crime expected, the van stopped at one of the pumps. The driver, a man in his late fifties from the looks of it, stepped out and filled up the gas on his vehicle. The moment he stepped inside the station building to pay for the gas and enjoy his break, the Winter Soldier had already stepped out and began making his way to the van, a large package under his arm.
It was still dark out, and aside from early risers, delivery men and couriers, the gas station was practically empty. The man’s eyes scanned the environment and he took his chance. He calmly walked up to the car, keeping in contact with Liv.
“Approaching the car. Am I in the clear?”
“Yeah, from what I see, everyone's too busy with other things. Cameras are facing away. Go for it. You have fifteen seconds.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. With one last look around, he made a dash for the truck. He took the key Liv gave him and opened the back door. Much to his relief, it worked and he jumped in the back of the truck, closing the door behind him not to arouse suspicion. He turned on a flashlight and shone it over the packages.
It took him only four seconds to find the right package. He pulled it out of the pile and replaced it with the one he had brought with him. He stuffed the thing into his bag, then tapped the comm set.
“I got the egg. Overview of the environment.”
His companion responded immediately. “Driver is still inside. The couriers have shooed off. So has suburban dad, soccer mom and their offspring. Cameras will start moving again in seven. Move now.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. With their target package in hand, Barnes closed the van’s door quietly and walked away from the vehicle. His pace was calm. No point on drawing any attention by running away from the scene. Bucky made his way across the street and to the entrance of the tyre shop where Liv was. He reached into this bag and produced an extra soda can he had bought earlier. The dark-haired woman shook her head, indicating he should save it for later. “Mission accomplished.”
“Not quite. We need to get out of here in case the driver notices something wrong.”
Liv’s smile became slightly bigger. “You learn quickly. Let’s go.”
Gratefully taking the soda from him, she quickly headed to the van with him. Within seconds, they had driven off and were heading out of Pasadena to their next destination. As far as Bucky was concerned, that was cause for celebration. Liv, however, seemed to have gone awfully quiet.
Bucky cleared his throat, briefly glancing up from the wheel, grabbing her attention. “Did we forget something?”
“No, don’t worry. Just dreading what is coming next.”
The man hummed in understanding. In their preparations during the week that just passed, they had also worked on contacting a doctor and arranging surgery for the attachment of Liv’s new leg. After further investigation on the prosthetic prototype Liv had her eyes on, both of them found out just how painful the ‘assembly’ of the leg was on a person’s stub. The woman repeated the word “nope” a multitude of times before concluding that she would search for an alternate method. That method ended up being a back-alley operation led by an acquaintance of hers with a Harvard degree in medical science in the city of Columbia.
While Liv seemed more than confident in the man’s abilities, she obviously didn’t like the idea of surgery too much. He couldn’t blame her. Endless months as HYDRA’s guinea pig and several times under the knife to shape a blown-off leg into something less horrendous-looking tended to do that to someone. He was not sure he would respond very well to that either.
“I’ll stick around, if you want.”
The look that Liv gave him made it all too clear she thought he was joking. He shook his head in response. As dark as their humor sometimes got, war traumas was not something he was ever going to make light of.
“It must be really scary for you to be operated on again. Even if it’s going to improve things. So if you need me to stay...”
There was a moment of intense silence, only for her to smile. “Thanks, Bucky.”
The drive to the city of Columbia, Maryland, wasn’t long. They were there in less than an hour, all thanks to Bucky’s careful and focused driving. He followed Liv’s directions, and both soon found themselves on the outskirts of the center, in a more quiet, yet dense neighborhood.
The clinic was only scarcely advertised. Not surprising, since it wasn’t exactly legal. The front was a drug store and Bucky wondered if it also sold something stronger than simple cough medicine or aspirins. He and Liv parked the car in a forgotten corner and made their way went inside.Once they stepped into the clinic, they were almost immediately greeted by a jovial man. He had blond hair and brown eyes and was dressed in impeccably clean garb. In fact, Bucky realized, the entire place was kept utterly sterile. It even smelled like a proper clinic.
“Ah, Liv. Long time no see.”
Much to his surprise, the doctor proceeded to give her a small hug, one that Liv readily answered. He then gave Bucky a smile as well. He held out his hand.
“Doctor Leo Thompkins. I run this establishment with some other unaffiliated geniuses. Oh, and I was almost this lovely lady’s brother-in-law.”
As Bucky’s eyes widened, he turned to Liv again. “How are Bran and Tyrell, by the way?”
She smiled. “Good. They asked me to say “hi” and that little Shauna is becoming quite the handful. They hope to see you at their event next month.”
Leo smiled. “Tell them I’ll be there. Now, let’s go straight to the point. Where is my project for today?” The moment Liv held out the wrapped and boxed package from the bag it was in, the doctor’s smile got even wider. “Great! I have everything prepped for the operation. You didn’t eat or drink anything, correct?” The woman gave him a nod. “Good. This way then.”
The doctor led both Liv and Bucky into one of the patient rooms. For the briefest of moments, Bucky assumed that it was just going to be them in the clinic due to how silent it was. His assumption was quickly flattened by the cheerful greeting of a young man wearing thick glasses and some scrubs. He man was lean and tall, a head taller than Bucky himself, and had short blond hair. Liv greeted him like an old friend. They exchanged some words, but Barnes didn’t pay much attention to it. She deserved her privacy.
At the end of the exchange, the nurse turned to Bucky. “I will take over from here. Liv needs to be prepped. You can wait in the room next door. Someone will come check on you in a bit.”
Barnes nodded and turned his attention to Liv. His words came out awkward, but they were still genuine. “Good luck.” Liv returned a smile. She hid it well, but her fidgety hands gave away how nervous she was.Bucky exchanged a last look with Liv before the door to the prep room closed and he went to sit on a chair in the waiting area. Within seconds, he was approached by a young woman. Judging by her clothes, she likely worked as the receptionist of sorts.
“Hi. I saw you come in here with Liv. Are you with her?” He nodded and she gave him back a smile. “She might be in there for a long time. It’s a complicated operation, even for a skilled doctor that knows what he’s doing. It might take all of today to operate and for her to recover. There is a hotel that doesn’t ask questions nearby. I can help you check in there if you want.”
Bucky wondered if the girl even realized who he was or that she was simply asking it to be helpful, but he shook his head. “No thanks, I’d rather wait here.”
She gave him an understanding look. “Alright then. Feel free to get some coffee from the machine while you wait. I’m Seo-yun Min, by the way. If you need anything, just ask for me.”
The Winter Soldier was about to simply nod and let her go off, when suddenly something came to mind. “Do you have a fridge? I bought Liv some soda that I want to keep cool for after the surgery. And is the drug store just a front or do you also sell cereal bars there? I want her to have something nice.”
She briefly stared at him, before chuckling in response. “Yes, we do have a fridge. And we sell food. Let me take care of that for you.” The young woman took the soda from his hands. “I will keep you posted.”
She smiled and put away his stuff, right before leaving the room. There was a heavy silence surrounding him once more. Barnes sat back in his chair, staring at the floor. His ears picked up on the clock mounted up on the wall near the reception desk. The seconds ticked by so slowly that the man felt like time itself was being manipulated.
Why did it bother him so much? He was used to waiting, either on the job or in cryostasis. He had learned to turn his mind off. Much to his mental chagrin he could remember missions both as the Winter Soldier and as Sergeant Barnes camping out in his sniping location, waiting for the opportune moment. Despite the difference in the final objective of the wait, all these instances involved patience. Calm. Yet his gut was in knots, his heart was racing. His hands, both flesh and prosthetic, were fidgeting. He was a small pile of nerves, afraid for the woman currently in the surgery room.
The increasingly more human part of him realized that he simply didn’t want her to get hurt. Not just because she was his ticket out of this mess. The last few weeks had been a hell of a ride, filled with espionage, fighting, running and sabotage, all to get him to safety. Yet throughout all of it, Liv never once treated him as a package to deliver at a destination. He was a job she took on, for personal reasons, but her empathic motivations showed through in every reaction. She didn’t just make sure he stayed alive; she provided him with enrichment and encouraged him to enjoy himself again in all the small ways he could. Even if their relationship could definitely not be defined as friendship, he realized she was the first person that actually treated him like human being. That was more than he got in a long time and that thought made waiting for her to get through a painful, terrifying operation extremely hard on him.
Thankfully, he had come somewhat prepared. He once again pulled one of the fantasy novels from Liv’s brother out of his bag and started reading where he had last left off. While he had dismissed this kind of literature in the past, he realized he had found quite the soft spot for them. The rich imagination of these worlds sparked something in his brain, a welcome sense of creativity and accompanying free will he’d missed for so long. Just reading made him smile. Another one of those small things the woman in the operating room had given him back. He once again hoped that the reading would make time go by faster.
By the time the Fellowship of the Ring was formed, Barnes’ attention was caught by the main doors that had the words “Staff Only” printed on them opened to make way to the nurse. The male nurse walked over to Bucky and cleared his throat just as the man stood up. “All is fine, the doctor is finishing up on Liv. I can tell you now that the procedure went well. The doc will come talk to you in a moment, but he asked me to let you know already.”
Despite himself, Bucky found a relieved smile coming onto his face. “That’s good to hear. When can I see her again?”
“You’ll have to wait another hour I’m afraid. The doctor is almost done, but Liv also needs to wake up.”
“You… knocked her out?”
“She asked us to. Didn’t want to be awake for the operation. Not that I can blame her.”
Bucky nodded in understanding and the nurse continued. “Anyway, I’m going to get us some dinner at the local sandwich store as we’re all quite starved after this. Do you want us to pick up some for you too? Seo-yun said you have simply been sitting here all this time.” The Winter Soldier nodded quietly, taking some money out of his pocket, only for the younger man to refuse. “This one’s on me. I’ll let you know when you can go see her, alright?”With those words, he went off and about fifteen minutes later, he came back with a delicious BLT just for him. Bucky gratefully took the meal, wolfing it down within seconds, and then anxiously went back to reading. Not that he caught much of the trek towards Moria. All he wanted right now was to see his companion again.
His patience was practically worn thin by the time Dr. Thompkins finally came out. He shot up from the chair and walked over, practically wanting to demand to see his partner. Dr. Leo hushed him with a smile.
“We put her in a bed in the recovery area. She is waking up and she may still be quite groggy. Don’t tire her out too much, okay? It might take a while before she is fully lucid again.”
He moved his head to indicate he understood, before insisting to be brought to the recovery room. The doctor led him there without protest. He practically burst into the room and instantly singled out his companion.
To say she looked like a mess was an understatement. She was pale as a sheet, her hair was disheveled and she seemed to stare into space through lidded eyes. She mumbled something, but it was slurred and incoherent. It was the most pathetic he had seen her and he had to say he didn’t like it. He carefully made his way to her side, keeping his movements slow, avoiding to startle her. He sat on a vacant chair at her bedside. Her eyes shifted to him and a small smile crept to her lips. Her voice sounded so hoarse and dry when she spoke up. “Hey. You still here.”
He smiled. “Well, I can’t really go anywhere without you, can I?”
“Not without getting shot anyway…”
She lay back and it took Bucky several moments to realize she was eyeing a watercooler. He walked over there to give her a cup of precious fluids. She drank it down slowly, before leaning back against her pillow.
“This is going up there in my top 10 of Shittiest Situations I’ve Been In At Work”.”
He chuckled. “That bad?”
“I hate being like this.” Liv coughed and muttered a thanks when Bucky handed her back the cup of water. “My head is so cloudy. I can barely think. I hate it. Not having my mind working properly, and realizing it.”
“I know how that feels.” His eyes went down to her covered legs. “Feel anything yet?”
There was a dry laugh. “I am trying to dust up my brain here. I will let you know if my cyber leg is working in an hour or two.”
Bucky nodded. There was another long, heavy silence, until a faint knock on the door had Bucky turn around. It was the doctor, Leo, with the soda Bucky had asked them to keep cool. Liv instantly perked up upon seeing it.
“Ah, sugar rush!”
Ignoring the doctor’s admonition to take it easy, she grabbed the can and poured the contents down her throat with the help of a straw. Bucky already anticipated what was coming and had already a tissue in hand when she began coughing again. “Drink slowly. Your muscles are still waking up.”
He got a scuff as an answer. “Familiar with the secondary effects of having the lights out?”
Silence. “You can say that.”
Doctor Leo spoke up to his patient. “You do need to take it easy, Liv. Especially in the next few days, fast healing or not. Your nervous system and the rest of your leg need to get used to the new attachment, and adding strain and stress to it is a bad idea.”
Liv merely grinned in response. “Can’t do, doc. We are going against the clock already. The moment I my brain is done with its nap, we need to prepare.”
The doctor rolled his eyes in pure irritation, before giving Bucky a begging look. The Winter Soldier caught on to its meaning. He turned to Liv with a sigh, doing his best to produce a commanding tone.
“Dr. Leo knows what he is saying. You should listen to him. We can wait a few days if we need to. You’re no good to me on a badly functioning leg.”
Liv snorted and muttered with a tired voice. “You can’t tell me what to do.” She was about to take another sip of her soda but Bucky swiftly took it out of her hands. “Hey!”
“I will replace this with prune juice.”
Her disgusted expression to such a serious threat had the doctor snicker. “You wouldn’t dare.”
The threat was innocent and non-violent. But he knew her dislike for that beverage, enough to make her face sour. Liv let out a sigh in defeat and leaned back in her pillows. “Fine.”The doctor gave him an approving look. With a small victory in his pocket, he insisted one last time that Liv should rest and moved away to attend to other matters. That left them all alone, sitting together in an awkward silence.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Barnes.”
“Why not? You just went through surgery. I am not heartless to the point of not caring.”
“I’ve been through much worse. Both of us have. I’d rather be up and doing something rather than lying in bed all day musing on how shitty the world is. Been there, done that.”
Sitting back, Bucky figured this was an excellent time to ask a question that had been on his mind for a while. “That’s how you got into this line of work?”
“By saving someone in need? Yeah well… It was luck really. When I was recovering from you-know-what, I starting also noticing the suffering of others around me more than before.”
“Most people would get into charity work for that reason.”
Liv snorted. “Too many obstacles between those that want to help and the ones in need. Lots of funds and good-will get lost on them. No, I thought helping them directly was more efficient. And when you suddenly become part of a group of people who are down and out and clutching at straws, well, you get some interesting contacts.”
Bucky gave her a wry smile, knowing exactly what she meant. “Criminals. Or at least questionable businesses.”
She chuckled. “Any kind of business, really. A lot of contacts means a lot of options. And without paperwork and red tape, more accessible for the kind of people who don’t have the legal channels on their side.”
“Do you take all of them for lunch at your parent’s place as well?”
A laugh came with his answer. “No. I bring some of them to my siblings though. No need to delve into the seedy side if the right person can get things done legally. Unfortunately, suspected terrorist doesn’t fall in that category…” Seeing his expressionless face, she groaned. “Look, I understand. You’d rather not have to rely on a semi-crook for protection. And frankly, I’d rather live in a world where people like me weren’t needed. Sadly, we don’t. A lot of things slip through the cracks in the legal world and someone has to sift through the muck. But I care for those people and I’m proud of what I do. I want to do my best for you, from one broken mess to another, so bear with me, alright?”
Bucky’s eyes shift to her leg level once more. “I will. You’ve gone through hell and back to keep me safe so far. I just hope to be able to pay you back in full one day.”
Liv frowned. “What are you rambling about, Barnes?”
“You said it yourself, I am a special case. I am not sure a leg is payment enough. For us to be even in the end.”
She rolled her eyes. “Like I said, I don’t want money. But seeing how there is no choice left for us, there is another thing you can do for me that makes us even.”
He stared at her determined expression. “Well?”
“Sergeant Brian Blackburn has committed treason. Now he hunts people for a terrorist organization. I don’t think a couple of life sentences are going to cure him of that. How about we make sure he meets justice nonetheless? Frankly, that makes me happier than a million bucks.”
There was a short silence. “That’s it?”
She smirked. “Easy enough right?”
Instantly, a grin spread on his face. “Easy enough. Deal.”
It was only then that he realized he was still holding her soda. He returned it to her with a smile. She gratefully took it and started drinking, making him smile. “Get some rest first. I will ask the doc’ if we can order some food so you can recover properly. I already had some.”
“Oh sure. My wallet is in my bag there.” She pointed at her large duffel bag on a plain cabinet.
Bucky shook his head. “It’s on me. Consider it a ‘get better soon’ gift. Mexican sounds good?”
Liv’s laugh lit up her face. There was some color popping back into her face now that she had something sugary. “Sure. You know me all too well, Barnes.”
Bucky smirked back. “I do my best, Montgomery.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What in blazes are you doing?”
Bucky and Liv turned their heads up in perfect synchronization to the good Doctor Leo. The older man had offered his patient and her “client” to stay in the spare room of his house, located in the more quiet area of the city of Columbia. He insisted on his patient and friend having a proper rest in a proper place. What he did not expect was to stand on the guest door’s threshold and find various types of guns on the bed, a mechanic’s workshop on the desk and a series of papers scattered on the floor. However, that was not what shocked him.
“Liv, what are you doing??”
“I can explain-”
“You are still recovering! You shouldn’t be messing around with your new leg!”
Liv slowly raised both hands up in surrender, including the one holding her screwdriver. She did the same grimace a child would have when caught with its hand down the cookie jar. Barnes had his hands busy checking an assault rifle, so all he could do was shrug.
“Her idea, doc. Not mine.”
Liv merely gave the physician a sweet smile. “Assholes don’t wait, Leo. I’d love to be able to, ahem, kick back for a few more weeks, but we can’t afford that.”
The doctor sighed. “I’ve known you long enough to not argue… Do you need anything for this? Medical expertise? Drugs?”
“Not likely. Wouldn’t want to be jacked up on the stuff Blackburn is guzzling.”
Leo frowned and Bucky decided to elaborate. “Our target has some kind of strange filtering device on him. It pumps something into his system that makes him less sensitive to pain. He seemed very panicked when we damaged it. Liv tried to dig up more info about it, but nothing new.”
Almost instantly, he saw how the man perked up in interest. “You mean, like the Centipede serum?”
Bucky cocked his head in surprise, looking at the doctor and Liv. She gave him a slight smile. “The doc can probably explain that one more comprehensively than I do, provided he uses layman’s terms.”
Taking this as his cue, Leo responded. “A while ago, someone dumped files of SHIELD and HYDRA online. Some of the files leaked were about copies of the supersoldier serum. One of them was something called the Centipede serum. A mix of earlier serums used, but apparently, it was so powerful they couldn’t directly inject it. It had to be filtered into the blood, using special devices.”
Bucky’s eyes widened. That description sounded a lot like what he had seen on Triggerman. Even if it wasn’t exactly the same thing, it sounded pretty damn close and he knew HYDRA had a habit of using old ideas to create new ones.
“Sounds dangerous. Sounds like HYDRA, really.”
The doctor chuckles. “It also sounds dumb as hell.”
The Winter Soldier stared in surprise and the other man continued. “From what I understand, both from research and examining Liv, old-fashioned supersoldiers are made with serums that are used a limited amount of times. Once it’s injected, it permanently changes a person and done. The same is likely true for you, right?” Bucky nodded and the doc smiled. “Well, the Centipede serum doesn’t work like that. It has to constantly be filtered into the blood to be effective. It’s like a steroid or epinephrine, most medication really. It has a temporary effect and since dosage is everything, if the device somehow malfunctions, the very thing that makes you stronger could also kill you.”
Liv spoke up with an amused tone. “Are you implying something, doctor?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about. Either way, put away that screwdriver and get some rest. Or… at least lay down wherever there is some space left. If you are indeed going to go up against such a brute, it is best to do it while having properly recovered.”
“Oh, we’re not going to go after Brian. We’re not ready for that.”
Leo frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry, I guessed from the arsenal that is all over the guest room that you were about to go to war with someone. My bad.”
The young patient laughed. “No, we are going to ‘visit’ one of his operations. An old friend told me some veterans have been missing around Baltimore. I’ve already poked around and it seems a pharmaceutical company has been doing some extracurricular work there.”
Bucky finished cleaning up his weaponry and filled in the rest for her. “We need to send a message to Triggerman. Something to draw him out. The best way to do that is to issue a challenge. What better challenge than to burn someone’s hard work to the ground?”
Leo shrugged. “As long as you don’t burn people along the way, I won’t pass judgment on you.”
Liv scoffed. “Knowing HYDRA, there will not be any people left to save. We will be mindful of civilians though.”
The doctor nodded. “Send anyone my way if they need a discreet patching up. I will leave you to your preparations.
Do
get some rest, Liv. I mean it.” The man walked out of the room, off to another day of tending to patients.
The Winter Soldier then turned to his companion. “Finished checking all our guns and everything seems to be in order. I’d say we are good to leave tomorrow morning at 6 AM sharp like we planned. But for now, breakfast?”
She smiled. “Sounds about right to me.”
Even now, Bucky realized he was still a military man to the core. At 6 AM the very next morning, the two of them were off to Baltimore. Armed with a van full of explosives, guns and computer gear, it was time to visit some hell upon HYDRA.
They drove to the industrial area, where one of the research facilities of the company dubiously named ‘
LifeEnhance Pharmaceuticals
’ was located. The security was standard, with a gated main entrance for personnel and deliveries, the supposedly hired security company had their members carry regulated firearms and were trained to all types of situations. Well, all but two pissed off, resourceful supersoldiers with the sole intent of tearing it down.
Within about five minutes, Bucky was rearranging the downed outdoors security into a nice little pile. They he grabbed his weapons and started to make his way inside through the loading docks. Once in there, Bucky tapped his comm, remotely connecting with his companion, who surveyed the damage from afar.
“Scan of the building?”
“One moment.” He heard Liv tap on her keyboard at an impressive speed. She made a report mere moments later. “We were right. Skeleton crew tonight. Should make it easier not to spill blood. Remember, Barnes. It should look like an accident to the outside world.”
He nodded. “Kill the infrastructure, not the people. Got it.”
Liv clicked twice. “Ok, got control over the cameras. Got my eyes on you Barnes, so behave.” Bucky rolled his eyes. Despite having worked alone during way too many years as the Winter Soldier, Barnes was used to being part of a team and knowing someone had his back. The fact that Liv had to stay behind this time seemed odd to him. Stomm, Blackburn thought Liv left Bucky behind, and they wanted to keep it that way. It was always nice to have the Specialist watching your 12. “Now, go piss off some HYDRA men, Soldier.”
That was about the most tempting invitation he ever got apart from a meal by Mr. Montgomery. Keeping an eye out for any security, Barnes slowly advanced into the building. His first stop was the security guard’s booth, to make sure no one would be alerted, effectively cutting any outgoing communication with the Specialist’s remote help. After this, it was a matter of rounding up the handful of indoor security guards, quietly taking them down and dragging them off to the panic room, a bunker below the building.
Then Bucky proceeded to the first laboratory. Some members of the medical staff were working on machines that mixed blood, did analysis and were also producing samples of the Centipede serum. The blue hued liquid glowed in the multiple tubes. Barnes simply glared at the staff, who scampered out of the room in fear, screaming for security. They wouldn’t come. They are all tied up and knocked out. The Winter Soldier lifted up an industrial stool and used it to smash the machines, tubes and samples. Liv instructed him how her one of her chargers worked and he placed it on a wrecked machine, left the room and went into the next one. So far, carving a trail of bloody destruction and giving HYDRA goons nightmares was easy enough.
Yet as he was about to do so, Bucky caught onto a voice. One of the scientists was shouting, loud and clear, screaming into a walkie-talkie. The words said were frighteningly familiar to him.
“Main lab. The Winter Soldier is here. I repeat, the Winter Soldier is here. Code Red! Evacuate all personnel and launch sequence!”
“Even their outsource labs have self-destruct buttons now? How much of an evil cliché can you get?”
Barnes managed to hear the snort let out by Liv just before the evacuation announcement went off, a looping pre-recorded message ordering personnel to evacuate the premises.
“Bucky, we have to move. I don’t think the local authorities will ignore an exploding building.”
“At least the scientists are doing the work for us…”
“Less talking, more moving, Barnes!”
Bucky huffed and started to move to the exit. The staff paid him little mind. Either they were too panicked and wanted to get out in time or were already aware they were not fit to tangle with a supersoldier. As such, the Winter Soldier decided to ignore them as much as they did him. That was, until he heard screaming over the blaring sirens.
“What about the subjects?”
“Leave them! Their block will be incinerated when the self-destruct commences! The cops won’t find anything! Let’s get out of here!”
Those words had Bucky freeze in his tracks. Subjects… There were still people in there! People like him!
“Liv, we got a problem.”
“Yeah yeah, the building is about to explode. I am delaying the sequence as much as I can here.”
“It’s not that. There are people here. Test subjects. Something tells me they are not here willingly.”
There was a silence on the other end of the communication set. “Let me check the plan.” Her voice came up again a mere second later. “There are a bunch of labs back where you came from. Just go all the way down the hallway this time, and then turn left.”
In less than a second, the Winter Soldier turned and sprinted down the hallway. The alarm rang through the entire facility. Barnes cursed it, the loud noise muffling any other sound. He finally reached the holding block and burst in, kicking the door open. The sight was gruesome. Men and women of different ages and ethnicities, locked into cells that wouldn’t even be fit for labrats, screaming and crying as they banged onto the glass walls, aware of their imminent death. Some of them were in horrific shape, signs of fresh scars and surgery clear upon their skin. The fact they were in decent physical shape had Barnes wince. They had to. There was no use for sick test subjects. His eyes peered around, searching for any visible button to open the cell. Upon the lack of obvious release mechanism, the Winter Soldier was more than happy to reach for a fire extinguisher and use it, alongside his arm, to render the glass prisons into small, useless shards. Once all the prisoners were free, Barnes threw aside the battered extinguisher and turned back to them. “You all can walk?”
His rescuees barely seemed to understand, either from shock or due to the noise, but the fact they could stand was good enough. He grabbed hold of the nearest one and started to yank his arm, to tell them they should follow. Thankfully, they did so without protest and he started to lead them out of the building.
He reached for the comm set in his ear and yelled in it. “I am headed for the exit. How is that countdown doing?”
There was static, noise, and finally a displeased grumble. “It is about to scream at you to hurry the hell up.”
“Can’t you stop it?”
“I would be revealing my presence to Blackburn, Barnes, he knows my work when he sees it! I am gonna try and delay it some more, but you really have to go.”
Barnes frowned. They had to leave, quick. The pre-recorded alarm then started a countdown.
“
All personnel evacuate. Self-destruct process will be initiated in 5 minutes. This is not a drill-”
That was her idea of a delay?! Without even thinking twice, the Winter Soldier turned to the patients and yelled. “Move! Now!”
Thankfully, the test subjects were quick to listen. Following closely behind them, they all rushed for the exit. All of them soon made their way down the hall and had already set their eyes on the nearest doors to the parking lot. Their getaway should be clean and simple. At least, that was the plan until Bucky noticed the scientists were trying to seal the doors from the outside, manually. Bucky sprinted to the doors. He reached it in a blink of an eye and kicked the doors open. They caved immediately and one of the unfortunate scientists got a faceful of his boot. A few others were launched several feet onto the parking lot. The other scientists ran for their lives, scared beyond their wits. By the time Bucky and his following made it back to the gated entrance of the facility, they were all out of range of the explosion.
It was loud and needlessly destructive and he noticed with glee that save for the unconscious ones, the rest of the HYDRA personnel had already fled in terror. He quietly watched the spectacle from a distance, feeling more than a little pleased by the fact he and Liv had managed to make HYDRA blow up the place for them. It was at this point that the Specialist’s voice came back up in Bucky’s ear. “I can see you made it out in one piece.” Bucky followed the sounds of a moving camera. It was one of the ones on the front gates, and it turned over to him.
“I will be there in a second. First we need to leave a message for dear old Brian. Any sweet nothings you want to leave Triggerman with, Bucky?”
“Yeah, I have a message for him.” Barnes reached for his back pocket. There was a single paper, folded neatly, but the writing on it thick and dark. The letters were clear in the distance. He held it up to the camera with one hand, the other slowly raising to offer a one-finger salute to the people on the other side. ‘
Come get me, Brian.’
He could hear Liv laughing from the other end. She then explained that, thanks to some nifty hacking she did the day before, she would upload the footage onto HYDRA’s network. Moments later, she had deactivated all the cameras and drove her van to meet up with Bucky outside the facility.
“So, shall we then? Before the cops show up? Also, I think these people might want to get somewhere warm.”
He looked at the people they just had rescued. “Let’s take them to Leo’s. They might need medical attention.”
One of the men, slightly taller than Bucky but lacking in physical strength, held his hands up. “H-hold up, where are you going to take us? We don’t know who she is and you… you are part of them, aren’t you?” Barnes stared at the guy in silence. The glint of a wedding ring contrasted with the pale skin on his fingers. He seemed tired, there were bruises on his arm where injections were made. He looked like a desperate man that just wanted to go home after such a long ordeal. Bucky knew the feeling. “My friend here and I will take you to somewhere safe. You will get proper medical treatment and then, she will help you all get home.”
Those words tumbled out of his mouth before he knew it. It was a more than reasonable offer in his head, one that he somehow was certain Liv would honor without question. And from what he could read from the freed subjects’ expressions, they shared the same opinion. One of the women they saved, the one that could barely stand on her feet, had a determined look on her face. “Lead the way.”
Bucky smiled, barely even noticing that himself, and started to guide the subjects towards the van. He loaded them in the back, then told Liv to step on it. She did, putting that shiny new leg to good use. Soon, they were heading back to Columbia and a good hour or so later, Dr. Leo found himself examining a fresh batch of patients. And noticed how red the flesh between her upper leg and her prosthetic. Bucky rolled his eyes at the lecture his partner got.
“Excessive strain, fraying the newly attached nerve endings… That leg sure went through a durability test. Oh and I have five patients with varying degrees of head trauma and god knows what drugs clogging up their veins. You sure like to keep me on my toes, Liv.”
The Winter Soldier responded before his partner could. “Those days of legal medicine start to look appealing now?”
The older man let out a laugh. “Not really. You’d be surprised at all the crazy stuff you see in any kind of hospital. I’ve taken a chainsaw out of someone’s chest, saved a woman who came to life after being legally dead and performed surgery on a guy who had managed to impale himself on a shovel vertically. Yes, right there.” The mere mention of that had Bucky wince and the doc continued. “No, all I’m saying is that Liv here often brings me the kind of people with conditions that you don’t see in average medicine. I learned a lot of things that most doctors don’t know thanks to her. Still, it usually isn’t just about curing a person. Often, other stuff comes into it as well, stuff I’m not an expert in.”
With those words, he turned to Liv. “Have you found more information on these people yet, so we can send them home after clearing them?”
Liv looked up from her computer and a Snickers bar“They are veterans from what I got out on our way here. One of them is all the way from New York. We didn’t get to grab any samples on our way out unfortunately. Self-destruct protocol and all. I’m currently pulling strings to arrange transportation and get them home safely.”
Bucky frowned. “Wouldn’t it be easier to simply call their families and let them do the pickup?”
She shook her head. “Negative. By now, whatever coherent part of HYDRA is left might have figured out it was you there and you took these subjects. Especially if the fleeing scientists saw them get out. They may catch onto any phone calls and try to destroy the evidence, so to say, before they get to the destination. No, I want to make sure they got home quietly and without a hitch, perhaps even go to the cops. Because HYDRA is gonna have a much harder time going after them if they’re in a safe place with the local law enforcement aware of their predicament.”
“What is our best bet then? Anonymous call? Leaving them at the local police station?”
“I’m calling in favors right now. The kind of people with private planes, bus companies, scraping “loans” from the pawnshop. I’m getting these people home quietly in exchange for a promise to go to the police and not mention us, not a single name. Though I don’t think they’ll be HYDRA’s priority. Not after that heartwarming video message you sent.”
“Do you think Triggerman will assume you were involved too?”
“I think not. I wore a mask during the infiltration. But we can’t say for certain. I was still present after all. But hopefully, they will just see me as a hired mercenary with both legs intact.”
Whatever else she wanted to say was interrupted when suddenly, a ping was heard on her computer. She checked to see who it was, only for a massive grin to appear on our face.
“Our least favorite vlogger uploaded something on HYDRA’s network. An ode to one Bucky Barnes. It even has the appropriate title.”
Instantly, Barnes looked at the screen. ‘
Message to Asshole
’ He snorted. She had his attention. “Play it?”
She happily obliged and within seconds, they were treated to a storm of words that would, in Liv’s own set of words, not be suited for lunchtime TV.
“
Well, you must be fucking proud of yourself, roasting the rest of my men on yet another sabotage operation, Winter Soldier. Thinking you’re all high and mighty seeing it go up in smoke. Well, laugh while you can. I know you will come across this eventually, so let me tell you: I
am
going to find you and I’m interested to see how well you’re holding up when you can no longer hide behind Montgomery’s skirt! Also, tell the bitch I said “hello” and there’s a bull’s eye on her family’s heads
.”
Bucky instantly looked over at Liv, only to see her smirking. “Well, he is still politer than most YouTube commenters.”
Dr. Leo gave them a distasteful look. “I take it that’s your cue to go?”
The Winter Soldier nodded. “I think so. It’s time to choose a battleground and end this.”
Liv smirked. “Preferably not a building under construction.”
The doctor simply nodded. “I’ll just return to my patients and wait for the signal to send them home. Try to be discreet on your quest. If not, burn the son of a bitch.”
Bucky found himself smirking. Now that was a good advice. Liv agreed and they answered almost at the same time.
“Will do, Dr. Leo. Will do.”
With that, Liv motioned him outside. “Come, Bucky. We’re gonna give him a sendoff that will baffle the Devil at the gates of Hell.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Do you like watching people, Bucky?’
Barnes turned his attention to his side. He sat in the very busy main hall of Baltimore’s Penn Station. He had been staring until now at the crowds of people passing by, to catch their morning commute or having arrived at the end of it. Aside from the sound of different walking patterns, there was the periodic announcer relaying which trains were arriving and leaving, soon followed by the flipping of the time tables to display the same information and more.
Barnes just sat at one of the many benches in the hall. He was one amongst many other individuals sitting there, waiting for their train. The young man didn’t stand out from them. His hair was up, he had a thick pair of fake glasses on and wore casual mid-season clothing, loose enough to conceal his tactical gear underneath the clothes. For he was not there to wait for a train. He was waiting for someone. And that someone sat next to him with an overconfident and irresistibly punchable smug grin on his face.
“I’m sure you do. All these people, carrying on with their own silly, boring little lives and trivial problems. I bet you wish you had just that. That your biggest problem was just paying the rent or bitching about not getting the low-fat cappuccino you asked for.”
The Winter Soldier didn’t bother to look at Triggerman. To give him any kind of acknowledgment was more than he deserved. Besides, he wanted to piss him off and the best way to do that is not to give in to his trash-talking. Unfortunately, Blackburn didn’t seem to realize this strategy yet.
“You’ll never be like them again, you know. The war beat that out of you and HYDRA strangled the rest. You’re a supersoldier and HYDRA’s property now and you’re never going to have a normal life again.”
Part of Bucky wanted to turn to this guy now, wondering what the hell was going through his mind. Did he really think he dispensed any new information here. He knew very well his life was never going to be normal; Liv’s story had cured him of any illusions he still might’ve had. He just wanted one with more HYDRA corpses in it.
“The bitch probably told you otherwise, didn’t she? Probably fed you some pretty little picture about how it could all go back to normal and you could have a civilian life again. Girl suckered you good. Here you are, all alone in Penn Station, and she has long flown the coup and abandoned you. Cunt’s more fucked up than you and only cares for herself in the end.”
If looks could kill, Blackburn would’ve been dead ten times over from Barnes’ glare alone. The man chuckled, unimpressed by the angry look and yet amused with how his words clearly hit a nerve. “Protective ‘till the end, huh? Once a dog, always a dog I guess. Don’t worry, you won’t remember her once the lab techs are done scrambling your brain again.”
“I am not going anywhere,” Bucky answered, the same anger in his eyes dripping out of his mouth.
Blackburn let out another chuckle. “Where else do you think you are going? There is no place for you to run, no stone for you to hide under. Not even in a train station full of civilians.”
“What do you plan on doing? Have a large amount of collateral damage? That’d be a lot of bodies to clean up, and last I heard, the janitor was let go due to budget cuts.”
The brief reveal of wit on his part was enough to have a vein in Triggerman’s forehead throb. He relished that small victory, once again realizing just how thin of a hide one of HYDRA’s top trackers had. He could see how the man sat up, glaring at him all the way.
“Clearly you picked up a few things during your road trip. No worries though, Soldier. I will make sure your farewell party will be a private one.” With those words, Brian reached for the collar of his jacket and spoke into a thick, black button sized device, pinned on the inside. “Launch the gas evac’.”
Suddenly, the noises in the station was overruled by the hideous blaring of an alarm. An evacuation message echoed through the busy station, asking for people to leave the premises in orderly fashion due to a gas leak. Station security was already out and guiding everyone to the exits, including staff members. No one paid attention to Blackburn nor Barnes, who remained perfectly still amongst the cacophony and the commotion. All except the security personnel who shot discreetly indiscreet glances over to them, while making sure to husher the people away. It took less than two minutes for Bucky, Triggerman and a handful of armed fake security men to have the entire main hall of Penn Station all for themselves.
The HYDRA commander smirked at him. “My guys are here and you can’t hide behind Montgomery. Where are you going to run now, Barnes?”
Bucky remained seated. Not because he felt defeated. In fact, he was using all his willpower to fight the urge to uppercut the shitty grin from Brian’s face. But for now, he remained seated. For he saw one thing Triggerman failed to notice. The red dot on one of the security men’s head. His eyes remained on the clueless man, and he saw how his overconfidence turned into light confusion when Barnes mimicked his confidence.
“Who said anything about running?”
Two shots rang in the air. They hit two guards square in the head. Time slowed down, the other three HYDRA agents had their hands on their side arms. The first got a bullet to the head. The second to the neck, his own pistol dropping from his hand. The final one fell forward once the last shot hit his eye, the momentum of his jump towards cover making his now dead body land on the empty wooden bench with a loud thud. Blackburn stared in horror as his men lay dead on the ground.
Bucky simply smiled at him. “I can play dirty too, you know. Hell, been doing that long before you came sliding down the chute,
boy
.”
That single word hit more effectively than a bullet. With a low growl, Triggerman pulled a gun and started firing at him. Bucky practically flew from his seat in order to evade. He brought his metal arm up to deflect the last bullets, waiting until the weapon was empty to give him a gesture that made clear he should bring it. Triggerman seemed eager to oblige as he swiftly reloaded and aimed again, only to be distracted by a shout.
“Hey Brian! Break a leg!”
The very second he turned around, a discarded and damaged titanium leg, wielded with the fury and might of a professional baseball player, cracked him across the face. Blood, and the odd tooth or two, flew from his mouth and he soon kissed the pavement with loud groan of pain. The Winter Soldier found himself face to face with a furious looking Liv, who clearly enjoyed inflicting this far more than she should. As their enemy recuperated, Bucky rolled his eyes, discarding his fake glasses and disguise that surely would soon be in the way.
“You seriously brought the broken leg just for this, Liv?”
She smirked as she tossed the article aside. “Shut up, Bucky. It makes me feel better.”
He grinned, taking a moment to admire the sight of her. She was in her full Specialist gear now, a terrifying-looking number of dark blue kevlar with far too many spaces to hide weapons on. She was decked out to go to war and he knew that today, there would be blood.
He could hear Triggerman chortle. He got up and faced her, spitting out the blood that ran into his mouth. “So you couldn’t abandon the mental case, after all… Good. Means I get to kill both of you.”
The Winter Soldier didn’t even bother with a reply. Instead, he grabbed hold of the metal holding nearby wooden bench together and pulled. Instantly, a part of it came loose and he rushed up to Blackburn to slam it down on the man’s exposed face. Triggerman only barely held up his arm to block the incoming metal. The rod bent on impact and the larger man used this momentary distraction well by taking out his side gun and aiming at Liv. She ran for cover, diving behind one of the intact benches. Barnes used the opportunity to take out his pistol, the one he tucked in his jacket, and aimed at Blackburn’s exposed neck.
The bullets hit the flesh, hitting him on the shoulder. It stunned him just enough for Liv to jump up, using her cover as leverage, and hit him again. The rod bent the opposite side this time, but the deep grunt of pain that came out of Brian’s mouth marked a victory.
“You two never learn, do you?”
His taunt was ineffective. The Winter Soldier raised his bionic arm and delivered a blow to the other man’s jaw while he was distracted. As that punch landed, his companion thought it was a great idea to test out her new leg and planted it in the man’s ribcage. It sent him flying into the nearest pillar. Instantly, she reached for her pocket. Barnes stood ready, for he knew what she was about to do.
The Specialist took out a small device she put together in the doctor’s house. Her thumb pressed on its button and she hurled the round, mess of wires up in the air. Light, high pitched wizzing sounds could be heard by anyone who had enhanced, super soldier hearing. Which in this case was just two, but that was not the point. Barnes saw in his peripheral vision the smile of triumph when Blackburn fell to the ground, the palm of his hands on his eyes. He screamed bloody from the pain he was in, more whirring sounds, only this time, they came from his fake eyes.
“Huh. It worked.”
Bucky took this as his cue to rush in. He practically leaped at his adversary, tugging at his bullet-proof clothes to expose the device on his neck. He dug his fingers around it and started to violently jerk at it, determined to rip it off and leave Blackburn powerless.
Suddenly, however, an iron grip yanked him away and slammed him into the nearest wall. Bucky gasped for breath, before a hand started to apply pressure to his skull. He groaned in pain as the pressure increased. His head was being pushed into the stone wall. Both his hands grabbed onto the one that held him, pulling, clawing, trying to get away.
Liv instinctively came to his aid. She lunged at Blackburn from behind, wrapping an arm around his thick neck and trying to choke him out. It didn’t do nearly enough, but the distraction she proved gave him precious seconds to think. He decided to change tactics, before his skull ended up crushed. He swung his metal hand, closed in a fist, and hit the elbow on the outside. The sickening sound of bone snapping followed his sigh once his head was released. Bucky quickly got up, his head throbbing and his vision a bit hazy. He saw how Blackburn threw Liv off, shooting at her as she deflected the bullets by raising an energy shield. Only then did Bucky notice the small explosive Liv had managed to place on his neck. Dear Brian had not, right up until the moment it started to beep and went off.
The explosion scrambled his vision a second time and the last thing he noticed was Blackburn and Liv being flung in different directions. Once it got back to normal he noticed two things. One was that Triggerman wasn’t showing any pain. Even with an elbow bent the wrong way and his neck bleeding heavily. Second, the HYDRA commander wasn’t looking like his usual self…
The veins in his neck were visibly pulsing and his eyes had gone from eerie to downright disconcerting. Since the wires were partially fried, whatever made them look like normal eyes died with it. The sclera that was suppose to be white became greyish. The previously glowing pupils were now lit up and reminded him of a cat in the dark. There was the occasional twitch of muscle, and his skin now had the lightest tint of red and was beginning to glisten from extra strain. This didn’t look good. Blackburn reached for his injured elbow. Without the slightest of reactions, he snapped the bone back in place and moved it around. This did
not
look good.
As Bucky watched, in quiet horror, he swore he could see the man’s bulk increase. Sickly red muscles, the kind not caused by years of training, started developing rapidly. It happened fast enough to tear at the skin, the whole process looking painful enough to make even him retch. His eyes frantically looked for his companion and when he finally found her, her shocked face told him all he needed to know, as the one word she mouthed instantly had him obey.
“Run.”
The word had barely left Montgomery’s lips when Blackburn leapt towards Barnes. His speed contradicted all logic, considering his new bulking physique. It all but showed just how serious the fight became. Bucky only barely avoided the onslaught and started running as fast as he could.
He was closely followed by Liv. Her voice rang in the hall when she yelled at him to run up the main stairs. According to the billboards, they led to the train platforms. Barnes understood her reasoning. More cover to protect them there. They ran up the stone stairs two by two. A loud angry cry had them look behind them. Blackburn was following, his feet stomping on the ground, matching their speed. The Specialist took out her gun and began shooting. “Go!” She aimed for his legs, the bullets hit his knees and thighs, promptly interrupting his climb. She was distracted when the sound of metal being torn out echoed in the station.
“Head’s up!”
Liv moved just in time to let a soda machine fly past her and hit Blackburn head on. The larger man tumbled down the stairs, along with the machine in a loud crash. Liv simply stared back in bewilderment at Bucky, who stood at the top of the stairs, moving his bionic hand. “What a waste of good drinks.”
“Most of them were diet sodas. Come on!”
Thankfully, Liv listened and they ran as quick as they could. Meanwhile, his brain raced with ways to try and turn the tide. It seemed Liv was thinking the same thing.
“So, I don’t think knives are going to work anymore now. And bullets already did shit...”
The Winter Soldier growled. “Don’t tell me what I already know. Unless you can hurl a train at him or something, we’re done for.”
The instant those words left the Winter Soldier’s mouth, he could almost see the light bulb pop up over the Specialist’s head. “Barnes. I think you are onto something.”
He frowned. “What? You’re going to pick up a train and throw it at Blackburn. Last time I checked, your name wasn’t Bruce Banner.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, Bucky! We need to shove him in front of a train. If it doesn’t kill him, it will incapacitate him. If there is one out of commision in the station, then maybe I can…”
Whatever else she wanted to say was cut off when suddenly, a large projectile flew in their direction. They only barely jumped back when a vending machine was chucked at them. Triggerman stood by the hallway they had just come from. His face was distorted from both fury and the amount of serum pumping through his veins. Cheap snacks flew everywhere and Liv cussed.
“He never was original...”
Bucky rolled his eyes. “So, we need to get you to a train and keep him busy getting to it. On it.”
Liv gave him a nod and ran towards cover. Barnes ducked behind the nearest advertisement panel, checking the weapons on his person. Bullets wouldn’t work, he and Liv pretty much established that. Still, seeing the end game, just annoying him would probably do the trick.
He had his gun in hand and began firing at the behemoth. Blackburn noticed him immediately and he went towards Barnes, bloodthirst shining in his unnatural eyes. The Winter Soldier held the gun in his right hand for offense and readied his left metal hand for defence. He needed to buy Liv time. Lots of it. Blackburn swung at Bucky, hitting the cylindrical advertisement panel with all his might as the smaller man sidestepped. Barnes aimed for his neck, only to have to duck once more. Right. Big shape but still quick. He had to remain on guard. His left fist flew and hit him on his exposed side. Metal met flesh, but it felt like he just punched into a solid brick wall. Blackburn only seemed slightly annoyed by this. He grabbed Barnes’ artificial arm and used it to fling him across the hall and into an empty information booth. Glass shattered and metal bent under the impact, and Bucky felt both. He barely got back to his feet before he saw Blackburn charge at him. Yet he wasn’t even halfway towards him that a small vehicle charge him. It was an industrial floor sweeper that was left abandoned in a corner, going full speed like a raging bull. There was a hint of comedy the way the small, cleaning vehicle hit the large man and made him tumble.
That was when Bucky noticed Liv fiddling with the small pad on her wrist, away enough from the action to not gain Blackburn’s attention. Bucky called out nevertheless.
“I thought we agreed on something other than a sweeper.”
Liv promptly yelled back. “Shut it, Barnes, you needed my help and I needed to test my access to the station’s network. Look alive!”
Knowing it was now his job to buy her time, Barnes rushed at Blackburn. He ran to the stunned man and used the moment to punch him right in the gut. The blow was done with his bionic hand, and it was so swift, so powerful, that the HYDRA commander flew back and through one of the station’s pillars. The stone crumbled under impact, and the man was on the ground. But not down. Blackburn got up, but slowly this time. He grunted, in annoyance or in pain, Barnes couldn’t tell. His brows furrowed when the brute man grabbed the largest chunk of the pillar and threw. At Liv. Bucky was quick to get in the way and caught the large fragment. Using the momentum of the throw, Barnes held his ground and launched it right back at Triggerman. Blackburn wasn’t expecting it and promptly got more stone to the face.
Deciding this was also a good time to he went some frustration, he launched himself at his adversary. He proceeded to bring down his leg on Triggerman’s face, curbstomping him without mercy. After a few good slams that might not have done enough damage but definitely hurt, Bucky ran off again, prompting his enemy to follow.
The punishment only seemed to make Blackburn angrier. Getting up, he decided to finally make use of the heavy artillery. How he had managed to smuggle an automatic rifle into the station was beyond the Winter Soldier. All he knew was that right now, he should try not to get shot.
Just like with previous encounters, his aim was precise and deadly. He never hit Bucky’s bionic arm. Now, he went for his head.
A scream left Bucky’s mouth as a bullet grazed his face. He could feel blood pour over his cheek. He stumbled for the briefest of moments, only to quickly slide behind the nearest cover. A good thing too, as, the next few shots on Triggerman’s part surely would’ve hit. As the man reloaded once more, he quickly took his chance to slide one flashbang in the man’s direction. It hit fast and precise and he used to extra time to find a more suitable hiding spot behind another thick pillar.
Needless to say, his quick evasion only pissed off their tormentor even more. “No more going back alive for you, Barnes. I’m taking you home as a stiff. And I’ll throw Montgomery in for a bonus.”
Another shot rang. It grazed Bucky’s ear, leaving a small cut behind. His rage came back full front and he reached for his own pistol. “Not if I shoot you first,
Brian.
”
Shots rang out. Bucky aimed for the arm holding his gun, then his legs. Blackburn dodged with inhuman speed, and held his own weapon to resume fire. The Winter Soldier once ducked behind a so-far intact stone pillar. Right there, he knew the rules of the game had now changed. This was a cat and mouse game now, though the cat was more akin to a lion than a domestic feline.
Still, a sense of determination came over him. He recalled a snippet from his time in the Howling Commandos. He’d been a sniper then, he remembered, the best in time. Right now, it was time to have a duel. All he needed for that was patience.
He could hear Blackburn starting to move, seemingly stepping closer to him. The smaller man didn’t move. No doubt Triggerman was trying to goad him into fleeing, just so he could take his shot. As much as his sense of preservation told him he should, his soldier’s instinct told him to stay put.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have a sniper rifle on him. Just some smaller guns and a Skorpion. It’d have to do. He tried to slow his breathing and heart rate, quietly listening as the man approached. Though soon, it turned out his opponent could only resist taunting him for so long.
“You know you can’t hide forever, right? And what do you think a bullet’s gonna do? Might as well come out and make it quick.”
Bucky stayed dead quiet. His fingers tightened around the gun. He silently counted the steps, heard the taunts without actually listening to them. He held out his weapon in front of him, remaining motionless and finger on the trigger, right until the very second his opponent closed in on his position.
He took his chance and took the shot, aiming for the man’s eye. The bullet hit him square in the artificial pupil, enough to bounce his head back. It didn’t seem like it went any further than his eye due to the lack of blood. A roar of anger escaped Triggerman’s throat and for a second, Bucky smirked. He still had it…
He didn’t get to enjoy his victory for very long. Blackburn was recuperating, or something close to it, within seconds. He now seemed blind with rage, literally considering the state of one of his eyes, and aiming his gun at him at point blank range. The Winter Soldier only barely found time to roll aside, before jumping up and running as fast as he could towards the train tracks from cover to cover. From the corner of his eye, he saw his adversary was following him and he smirked. This was going exactly to plan.
Making sure to kite the mutated menace, he moved as fast as his legs allowed him. He could hear how the man followed him in a roaring rampage of revenge. Dodging some stray bullets, he contacted his companion through the comm set.
“How’s that train coming, Liv?”
“It will be nearly there. Some things take time.” There was a short silence. “Ok, lead Brian here to platform 9. Train will be there in less than five minutes. Hurry.”
Three minutes? More than enough. His eyes darted up to the boards and saw he wasn’t far. Jumping from the tracks, Barnes dodged a few more bullets, firing back some of his own, hitting his arm and shoulders, adding redness to his already flushed skin.
By the time he reached the tracks of platform 9, the train was nearing the station. The Winter Soldier slowed down, stayed on the tracks longer, took the time to reload his gun. He was going to need a full clip for this. The unnaturally large man jumped to the steel tracks, bending them a bit in the process of his hard landing, and continued to shoot at Bucky. Barnes had his hands on the edge of the platform when a bullet hit him the leg. He groaned in pain, slipping back down. In all honesty he expected more bullets to rain on him, but the familiar click of an empty clip told him otherwise. There were other things to worry about though… His leg bled and throbbed from sharp pain. Adrenaline pumped in his veins when the sound of both the incoming train and Liv’s voice, now on the platform beside him, reached his ears.
“Get out of there, Bucky!”
The tracks vibrated from the speeding train. Barnes had to act quickly. So he followed his brain and gut. His gun was up and firing well before Triggerman could move. His aim was focused on his legs, hitting mainly the knees. He had to fall. Bucky had to incapacitate Triggerman. He only had just a handful of bullets left. His grip was firm. His stance steady. His eyes focused. The Winter Soldier was hitting his marks once again.
The behemoth groaned and one of his knees hit the ground, full of bleeding holes. That would do just nice. There was a blaring horn coming from behind Bucky. There was more than enough time to get away. At least, that’s what he thought until he spotted Liv at the edge of the platform, ready to pull him back up, and it became clear that Triggerman spotted her too.
Terror gripped him when Blackburn reached out with lightning speed and grabbed her leg. Liv screamed, but it was clear she was not about to go down quietly. Using her prosthetic leg, she started to violently kick him in the face, pelting him with tasers and pulse attacks as she desperately clawed at the platform to stay on it. Her barrage only seemed to make the man angrier and Liv got several punches in the face for her trouble, her nose squirting blood. Bucky could tell she was quickly losing her grip and as he could hear the train speed closer, he knew the seconds he needed to get on the platform would result in her being killed. Unless...
In his eagerness to bring Liv down, Brian Blackburn failed to realize he had his back turned to Bucky. And just as his mind was racing on how to help her and end this fight, something occurred to him. Something discussed back in Columbia, right before they left.
An insane idea hit him. He had tried until now to remove the device from Blackburn. What if he simply used it against him… The current malfunction was going on overdrive, might as well crank the dial up to a hundred. That fraction of a second was all it took. He leaped on top of Blackburn, reached out with his metal arm and dug it into his neck. His hand closed around the filter and with one quick movement, he smashed it.
Instantly, there was a scream and a strange blue substance crackled through the surface and seeped through the man’s pores. His body seemed to go rapidly into seizures. The muscles on his body twitched. He could practically hear the man’s heartbeat hammering against his chest. Blackburn’s body was paralyzed. Liv kicked him out of her way and was reaching for her wrist pad. Bucky ran to her.
“What are you doing?”
The Specialist answered Bucky, screaming over the incoming train. “Stopping the train. We don’t have time to-”
No. They didn’t. That was why Bucky grabbed Liv’s arm and pulled her down with him. The woman screamed at him, yelling if he was mad. Barnes had none of that and proceeded to have the two of them roll to the center of the tracks and lay flat on the concrete part. Their bodies had barely hit the ground when the train passed above them, so fast that air rushing past him sounded like a collection of whistles. Amongst the sounds them was a clear, loud thud, along with screams of pain. Bucky felt near him how Liv fiddled with her pad and train’s emergency brakes were activated. It didn’t take long for the short carriage-less train to stop a couple of feet in front of Liv and Bucky. Barnes was the first one to raise his head once the coast was clear. He felt some bruises on his person, but nothing seemed broken. A quick check on Liv indicated him the same.
That, however, could not be said for their opponent.
He then turned to Blackburn or what’s left of him anyway. Whatever was in his system had already started to disintegrate him seconds after the impact. The train had hit him and run him over full speed, resulting in nothing but some scattered particles, tattered clothes and beef jerky spread all over the tracks and front of the vehicle. Triggerman was no more and, thanks to the blunt force trauma and overdose combined, they didn’t even have to bother getting rid of a body.
“The train was kind of unnecessary in the end…”
Liv gave him an even look, though a hint of amusement shone through. “They say the best kill is overkill. Probably true for HYDRA agents. Heads growing back and all.”
Her casual remark had Bucky stifle a chuckle. “Yeah, you have a point.”
There was a short silence, in which Liv stared at the meager remains of their nemesis. As light as she made of the situation, it was clear this battle had an impact on her. This was the end of an era for her and she had finally managed to stop a person that caused her and so many others, so much misery.
“Too bad there is nothing left. Wanted to send a picture as a message to HYDRA. Guess the news will do that for us.”
Bucky gently shook her shoulder. “Let’s get out of here. Before the firefighters realize there is no gas leak.”
She took a deep breath. “Yeah.” The woman gave Bucky a small smile. “We have work to do anyway.”
Bucky nodded. Liv helped him to climb out of the tracks and the two made their way to one of the secondary entrances. Liv picked up her discarded prosthetic on the way back and swiftly wiped all cameras in the vicinity, meanwhile trying to support him as he walked.
He hissed due to his injured leg and the stinging of his cheek. The bleeding had stopped, but it still hurt like a bitch. He noted how his stomach growled. All this action had left him peckish. As he and Liv walked past the snack machine that was hurled at them mere minutes before, he stooped down and snatched two intact bars from the ground. He handed one to Liv and proceeded to munch on the other. She graciously took it, smiling a little.
“All in all,” Liv tore open the wrapping on her Kit-Kat, “I would say today was a good day.”
Bucky chuckled. “I couldn’t agree more. Let’s grab some actual lunch. My treat.”
His companion smiled. “I’ll gladly accept. In the meantime, let me make a few phone calls. You are about to go on a trip very soon, after all.”
Barnes nodded. “Let’s just avoid taking the train for now.”
The woman returned the gesture. “Let’s.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I went to Britain by boat before, you know…”
Liv furrowed her eyebrows at that remark. “Oh?”
He smiled a little. “Yeah, when the war started and I got conscripted. They sent me off to Britain first by boat.”
She let out a light sigh. “That must have been a big deal to you back then.”
He grinned, deciding to dig deeper into that memory. “Yeah, it was. I had never been abroad before. It wasn’t that easy to travel back then, after all. I was excited to see more of the world. And nervous, because of what awaited me. God, I was so naïve back then…”
“And now, you’re making that journey once more…”
He scoffed. “Yeah, just hopefully not to war this time…”
The two of them were silent for a moment. Bucky could see how a sad expression worked its way onto her face ever so briefly. He wondered why but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone and she spoke professionally. She reached for her backpack, opened it, and began handing over some the things she’d prepared for him.
“Here’s your cruise ticket. Ticket for the ferry after your first crossing. Euros. And a rental contract.”
“Thanks. But, why is my passport and ID in a paper bag? With a beef sandwich?”
“It’s a parting gift from Tara. She made them for you.”
“You friend from the diner in Cambridge is your source of fake IDs and passports.” It wasn’t a question. It was a flat, unsurprised statement. “Figures.”
“Yeah, it’s a long story. So, do you have everything? Documents? Itinerary? Money? Food? Drink?”
A genuine chuckle escaped Bucky’s mouth. They both stood at the pier of New York’s main terminal port. Barnes was about to board a large cruise ship on its way to Europe. From there, he would be taken to England, where his journey to Romania would commence. He and Liv had a long talk about where he should go, based on his skills and the news, and in the end, they had settled on Eastern Europe.
He glanced at Liv’s side, smiling. Since a few days, she was once again accompanied by Corsair. He had never seen her so happy as when she reunited with her family and dog. Hell, even he was glad to see they had remained safe all this time. Though Liv’s talk here oddly mirrored Vicky Montgomery’s before he bade her family his farewell.
“You sure you should be the one here and not your mother? Because you sure sound like her right now.”
“Har har, you won’t be laughing when customs in Europe kick your ass back here so you can be tried for your crimes.”
“I have everything. Thanks for arranging that small apartment, by the way. You didn’t have to do that.”
She smiled. “I beg to differ. I remember telling you I would help you out of here, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but nothing about getting me a place to live.”
“Consider it part of a package deal then. Especially since you helped me get rid of Blackburn.”
He grinned. “Well, it benefits the both of us, doesn’t it?”
“That is the kind of business I prefer. You are sure you’re not missing anything? Map? Assault Rifle? Combat Knife? Twinkies?”
“I got everything I need. Heck, I even speak the language of the place I’m going to. I’m well prepared.”
“You can speak 30 languages, Barnes.”
“Details.” The young woman hummed. Barnes stared at her, his brow bent in confusion. “What?”
“You did leave my brother’s books behind. You didn’t even manage to finish them.”
“I couldn’t just take your brother’s entire collection of fantasy novels to the other side of the Atlantic.”
“You’re right, he would track you all the way to Siberia to get them back, if he had to. That is why,” Liv paused so she could take out whatever she had in her plastic bag. Bucky had eyed it the moment she met up with him earlier, but didn’t try to enquire about it, “I got you these.”
The Winter Soldier’s eyes shined bright when they set upon a brand new trilogy for him to read. In fact, Liv went all the way and bought some more of the author’s work, one of them being his infamous unfinished novel. “So you have something to read on your way to Southampton. Six days at sea can be boring as hell.”
He chuckled. “Do you buy novels for all your clients?”
She stuck out her tongue. “You’re a special case, remember?”
The man smiled and packed the books in his backpack, right next to the black notebook that was half full already. Most of it were notes about his nightmares and his foggiest memories. His list of things he discovered got longer, so did the one of stuff he still had to check out. He could soon remove the famous fantasy trilogy off of it soon, thanks to Liv.
There was a short silence between them. Not sure what to do to break it, Bucky quietly listened to the people around them, and the distant sound of leaving ships. All of this felt strange and what Liv said next pretty much explained why.
“I’m gonna miss you, you know.” Barnes turned back to her. Before he could inquire more, the young woman carried on. “It won’t be the same, resume work like it is the most normal thing in the world.”
“I don’t think there is anything normal about your work, Liv.”
“You know what I mean, Bucky, don’t be a smartass.”
“Pot and kettle, Montgomery.”
The young woman laughed. It made Bucky smile. It seemed like it was years ago when they first met. The truth of it was that, in reality, it had only been a couple of weeks. So much happened since then, so much changed. He had changed, that he was certain. But there was still a long way to go.
There was a chime on the pier’s speakers before an automatic message played out, announcing the upcoming departure of the cruise ship bound to Southampton, England. This was it then.
“Well. I guess this is goodbye.”
Liv snorted at those words. “You really think so, Barnes? Here.” The young woman took out an envelope from her back pocket. “Open this once you are in your apartment in Romania. And don’t lose the books I just gave you! You will need them.”
Bucky took the envelope from her. “I hope these aren’t any compromising pictures you’re giving me, Montgomery.”
“You wish, Buck’. No, it’s a letter containing instruction and do
not
lose the usb stick in it either.”
Before Bucky could even ask her reason, he noticed the two single written on the envelope. “What is
C.C.
?”
“It stands for
Coded Correspondence
.”
Bucky raised his eyebrows. “You plan to keep in touch?”
“Pretty much. I admit I will be worried about you in a few weeks’ time. You can wipe that smile off your face now, Bucky.” He did no such thing. “So I came up with a safe and foolproof way to keep in contact with you. The instructions of how it works are in the envelope. Be sure to read them carefully.”
He nodded. “I will.”
The announcement about the ship to Europe departure’s came up on the speakers once more. Barnes couldn’t wait any longer, or he would lose his way out of here.
“Good luck then, Bucky.”
She stuck out her hand, politely, as if to end her business contract. He shook his head in response. As far as he was concerned, a handshake wouldn’t cut it.
Instead, he reached out and pulled her close, embracing her in the first hug he had given a person in a lifetime. “Thank you, Liv. For everything.”
He felt a pat on his back, and a shy yet happy laugh. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for such a softie, Barnes. It was the least I could do to a fellow soldier.” She broke the hug and put a hand on his shoulder. “Now go, before you miss your boat.”
Bucky smiled back and held up the letter. “We’ll keep in touch,
Specialist.
”
The smile on Liv’s lips got even bigger with his words. Barnes gave her a last goodbye and petted the happy golden retriever, before turning around and rushing to where his ship was docked. Passing the ticket and passport inspection went smoothly and no one recognized him. Then again, the disguise was better now, since his hair was shorter and lighter, his shaggy beard a bit thicker and his glasses unoriginal. Liv had suggested dyeing his hair blond, but he would have none of it.
Barnes soon found himself in his cabin, his bags on his bed and the letter on the bedside table. He stared outside the window during the departure. He tried to spot his now former partner in the crowd on the pier, but couldn’t see her. She must have left with her dog already. He couldn’t blame her. He hated goodbyes as well.
Bucky Barnes’ felt his heart sink at the idea of leaving the United States behind once more. The ship was taking him to a continent he hasn’t set foot in a while, at least not consciously. Once there, he would be staying in a safe house until his mind was anything but the mess it currently was. That and when people would stop looking for him and he would return to nothing but the urban legend used to scare secret agents everywhere. As far as he was concerned, that couldn’t happen soon enough.
His eyes went from the horizon to the letter on the table. He was filled with both calmness and reassurance at the thought that at least, despite the chaos that was his current life, he still had an ally in Olivia Montgomery. She was as messed up as him, perhaps even more crazy. After all, what kind of screwball decided to take on HYDRA head-on simply because she could? Still, there was something to be said for that contempt of impossible odds. It was a good thing to have in these dark times, a good thing to live by. He’d miss her, this crazy woman who put her life on the line out of compassion for a stranger, and once again, he was glad to have met her. She had faith in him that he could move on and never wanted him to stop fighting and waste all the effort she put in him. He determined not to disappoint her.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sight in front of Bucky had every muscle in his body tense. The technicians had just finished hooking up the cryogenic pod to the main power source and were about to begin a few tests. The technicians in Wakanda had a fair share of knowledge of technology, so building such a machine wasn’t much of a problem. It was a more modern version than the one HYDRA used to contain him, with a sleeker design and a more...inviting look. If anyone would’ve told him he would willingly put himself into one of these things in a country called ‘Wakanda’ a few weeks ago, he would’ve punched that person. With his left hand.
Yet now, things had changed. His bionic arm was gone for one. The lack of weight under his shoulder was a silent reminder of that. His bright idea to tear an energy core out of Ironman, like he did with Triggerman’s drug pump, wasn’t that bright in the end… More importantly though, no one knew what happened to the notebook that contained his activation codes. Zemo didn’t have the notebook on him when he was apprehended. It was out there, God knew where, and his mind still reacted to the codes in it.
He had a talk with Steve and the king of Wakanda a few days before, after he had recovered from the ordeal in Siberia. It was for the best that he’d go back under, until the activation codes that HYDRA had graciously graffed in his head were completely erased, and he was no longer a danger to himself, and even less to the ones around him. Steve didn’t say a thing. King T’Challa gave him a nod and said he would take care of everything. The understanding and generosity of the man impressed him to no end. It actually reminded him of Liv… His thoughts had drifted to the young woman these past days. With all that happened, he never got the chance to reach out to her and to tell her that he was alright. He was sure that she had her means to find out about it herself, but he regretted not having the thought of actually doing it himself. He ended writing a letter, explaining all that had happened, but most importantly, the reason behind his decision… He will in ice by the time it reaches her.
Barnes walked away from the medical room and left the technicians to their work. He made his way back to his designated bedroom, only to be stopped by the king’s assistant.
“Mr. Rogers asked if you could join him and his guest in the formal room.”
‘Guest’
? Did he managed to break out his allies from the underwater prison already? His thoughts went straight out of the window once he reached the formal room and saw who the guest was. For a long moment, he questioned what he was seeing. Yet when his eyes fell upon Liv Montgomery’s slightly irate expression, there was no doubt about it not being a delirious vision.
“Liv? What are you doing here?”
The woman rolled her eyes, set down her large travelling bag and made her way to Barnes. “Nice to see you too, Bucky. I swear, I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?” Despite the sarcasm in her tone, the Specialist had a smile on her face. Barnes returned the smile, as well as the hug that she gave him. “It is nice to see you, Liv.” He looked at her side, asking a silent question.
“You too. And to answer your question, no, Corsair didn’t come. Your friend here contacted me two days ago by email, explaining more or less the situation. Next thing I knew, I packed my things, dropped Corsair at my sister’s and the King of Wakanda himself had a private jet waiting for me. I arrived an hour ago.”
Bucky turned to Steve. His old friend shrugged. “‘Saw the address on the letter you gave me and I did a little digging. You never mentioned her before, Buck’.”
Barnes chuckled. “Didn’t have the time while my face was in every newspaper in Europe.”
“Yeaaaah, like I said, can’t leave you alone for five minutes. Also, I thought we agreed to
not
send anything directly to addresses.”
The armless man moved a bit. He felt like a kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar. “I wanted to make sure it got to you. You can’t blame me for it.”
She sighed. “I suppose not. So, how about you fill me in? I didn’t get to read the letter yet, and there was only so much in that email, since your friend here just kept it to ‘need-to-know’ basics. Is that a thing amongst you Avengers?”
The two male supersoldiers chuckled. For the next hour, Liv, Bucky and Steve sat in the formal room with the men telling what transpired in the last weeks and the woman asking him questions. They even had coffee brought to them at one point, to which Bucky pushed the sugar over to Liv. He returned her smile before she slipped two into her drink. Yup. He remembered.
In the end, they reached the same conclusion Bucky came to concerning his voluntary cryo-sleep. Much to Liv’s annoyance. “Damnit. And you were doing so well in your recovery. Speaking of which,” she reached into her travelling bag, that rested next to her feet, and got out two slightly damaged notebooks, “here. You lost these.”
Bucky recognized them instantly. It was his notebooks, the one that he started back while he was on the run from Triggerman, and a new one he started while in hiding in Romania. “You managed to get them?”
“They were on their way to the authorities to serve as pieces of evidences on your future case, and I didn’t want them to read what was in it since my name was in one or two pages. Luckily I made enough contacts in Romania by now to manage to have them ‘misplaced’. Bureaucratic mistake, it can happen sometimes.”
Barnes smiled. “Thank you.” He flipped through one of the notebooks with a single hand. The sight of the black leather booklet reminded him of the red one that was missing. “It seems like I can’t get away that easily.”
“I still don’t understand why I am here though, Rogers. My mother is the family shrink, not me.”
“Well, from what I gathered from Buck’, you know a lot of people. Interesting people, including people who study the kind of stuff you can’t major in at university. We need you to call upon that network.”
Liv stared back at Bucky, grinning. “Can’t stop singing me praises, now can you, Barnes?”
“I might’ve said one or two things.”
She rolled her eyes in response, but thankfully, Steve came to his rescue. “You said you made it your mission to help people. And since you don’t seem to care much for The Man, maybe helping some superheroes on the run might suit you. Plus, we need someone to help us for whom the government is not looking.”
Even now, Bucky was amazed by just how Machiavellian Steve Rogers could be. He was straight as an arrow, yet he somehow perfectly found the words to speak to someone whose morality was as gray as Liv’s. It was impressive, but at the same time, he wanted to put his two cents in as well in regards to her choices.
“Liv… You don’t have to get dragged into this if you don’t want to.”
The young woman scoffed at the dark haired man. “In case you haven’t noticed Bucky, I got ‘
dragged into this’
the moment HYDRA took my leg. That was long before you and I met.” With those words, Liv turned back to Rogers with her ever so confident smile. “Consider me hired, Captain. Though don’t you dare call me an ‘
Avenger’.
The whole “righteous crusader” thing doesn’t suit me.”
Bucky found himself smirking at that statement and so did Steve, clearly. “Very well. Then I will ask this service of you. Is there anyone in your network that can fix Bucky’s head? Or can you contact someone who can?”
There was a short silence, in which Liv clearly wracked her brain. “I can think of one or two of my mother’s colleagues, though I am not one hundred percent sure. There are also some doctors that are into ‘
alternative medicine’
. I heard stories about one of those in New York City. I’ve always been skeptical, but every lead is a good one in this case. I would have to find that notebook first, so they would have a foundation to work from...”
“You think you can find the red notebook?”
Bucky answered Rogers’ question for her. “Trust me. If anyone can find it, it’s her.”
The Captain didn’t question his determined statement. Liv smiled at Bucky, clearly appreciating his support.
“Careful there, Barnes. I might use you to sell my business.”
“I know of many other ways you could use me, Montgomery.”
Clearly, that was all Steve needed to hear. “Alright. So you wouldn’t object to being put on a plane in a few days to start your mission?”
The woman nodded. “Consider it done. Oh, and don’t worry about payment.
Yet
. We’ll sort it out when we get there.”
Steve gave Bucky a strange look and he gave him a reassuring glance in response. His friend would learn soon enough what Liv meant with things like that. He just hoped that this time, it wouldn’t involve a train.
She got up. “Well gentlemen, since this is settled, I will go to my new royal quarters and rest. I have a jetlag to sleep through,so I’ll leave you two to continue your bromance.”
Both men frowned. “Bromance?”
She chuckled. “Man best friend stuff. I bet you two have a lot to catch up on. Wouldn’t want to get in the way.”
With those words, she got ready to leave the room. Bucky almost sighed at that. As always, she was all business and not wasting time.
In part, he was glad for that. The shorter he’d have to stay in cryofreeze, the better. Still, he realized, he’d missed her. How could he not, when she was the one who gave a damn while he was running from everybody? He wanted to say something, anything to make sure she’d know how glad he was too see her again.
“Hey, Liv?”
She turned around. “Yeah?”
“Don’t be gone for too long.”
He wanted to slap himself for how stupid that sounded. How little that covered all the gratitude he felt for her continued help. Yet, she seemed to understand. She smiled and for a moment, he swore he saw some tenderness in her expression.
“I won’t. This is a bloody-bricked road, remember? Not letting you walk it alone. Plus, you have a promise to keep. Don’t forget it, and don’t you dare blame your beauty sleep if you do.”
Barnes let out a nervous laugh and reassured her that he wouldn’t. Giving him a final army salute, Liv then finally walked off, travel bag in hand, leaving him with a strange sense of hope. She wasn’t going to let him down. She never did. He had as much fate in her as he had in Steve and his allies. They were going to get rid of whatever programming was left in his head and until then, he would sleep peacefully.