Chapter 4
By the time that the pool house door reopened, Bucky had already put her phone back exactly where it was. He hadn't been able to find anything. Not a single piece of information that would suggest Alice was anything besides what she appeared to be. He did however manage to find her last name and birthdate on her social media profiles though. He was planning on running that through international databases when he went back to his apartment, although he was far from hopeful that anything would actually show up. He was positive everything about her was a lie.
“Sorry if I took too long,” Julia said, walking over to a table and started putting certain papers in a file ‘My parents are actually gone for the day so I had to lock up as well. Please ignore my clothes”
Bucky raised his head to look at her, only partially aware that he had been staring at the floor “No you look…What on earth are you wearing?!” he tried his best to stifle a laugh.
Julia turned bright red and gave him the meanest look she could, which did nothing to help his laugh from slipping through. “Well I didn't bring anything to change into because ‘this’” she waved her hand around “Wasn't exactly planned. Anyways, its just clothes. I don't know why it matters” she grumbled.
Bucky walked over to her and bent down a bit to read what it said on top of the crest on her left breast pocket. Julia leaned her head back and didn't try to fight him, just wanting to get it over with
“St. Cecilia’s Womens Preparatory School. Huh I didn't know you were Catholic”
“I’m not. My grandparents wanted me to go there and they paid for it” Julia scooted away from him now hoping that he got his fill of teasing her “My mom kept my old uniforms for ‘sentimental’ reasons. Trust me, an old polo and khakis aren't really my style” she rolled her eyes “Can we please just go?”
Bucky folded “Fiiiiine” he stood up and walked over to the door, opening it for her like the gentleman he is “When we swing by my place, we can take my bike wherever you want to go instead. It's easier to navigate. And its faster” he followed her out.`
—-
Bucky had taken the drivers spot and driven them to his apartment in D.C. Julia insisted on waiting right outside because of “his privacy” or something and that made him chuckle. He showered and changed and they took his bike to a diner a few blocks away.
“The foods not bad here, promise,” Bucky said in between bites of pancakes. He had a whole spread in front of him, super soldier appetite Julia assumed.
“It's not that” she pushed her eggs around, toast untouched “I just have a feeling that were really close to figuring out what's going on” she turned her head toward the window and watched the city bustle by
“You should still eat though, Jules. Especially if you have that feeling” he responded with a raised brow and poked her toast with his knife.
Julia rolled her eyes at the nickname
“You know, Alice is the only one who actually calls me that” she said after grumpily stuffing eggs into her mouth “You heard my parents, their nicknames for me, theyre almost intelligible “ she huffed with a smirk “Other Than that its always been ‘Julia Agnes Immaculata Maria’” she made her hands into a prayer symbol and laughed.
Bucky fake coughed on his food “Agnes? Immaculata?!” his teasing grin was wide
“Buchanan” she responded flatly
“Touché” His smile weakened slightly but still had a glimmer in his eye “But! And sorry to change the subject, “But finish your food because we need to get going. I remembered an old outpost that can help you with your ‘clothing’ situation”.
Julia glared, although without malice, as she finally ate her food. As she was in between bites, she used her fork to signal him to keep talking, to explain.
Bucky took a sip of his coffee “It's an old safe house that has extra uniforms and boots and more importantly guns. Luckily it's been almost forgotten since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D and” he coughed as a hopeful excuse for his next sentence “And I-I um I know the uniforms there will fit you” he immediately drank more coffee, quickly filled by toast. With that Julia stopped and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Bucky “-it's just super soldier stuff. I can immediately recognize size and shapes…” he tried to act cool as the heat of embarrassment was crawling up his neck.
“You've been looking at my ‘shape’?” Julia teased, but her voice betrayed her false confidence, even with her smirk.
Bucky rolled his eyes and without warning switched from his casual demeanor to stone cold soldier “If this thing is as bad as you say it is, we can't take any of our vehicles.”
Julia starred but also felt very unnerved
“Were going to steal a car.”
Julia choked on toast.
—---------
The building itself wasn’t anything special. It was approximately 6 stories tall with a covered entrance on the ground level and most likely had a few basement levels. It was located in a mostly empty office park, at least it seemed that way. Maybe it was because it was overcast outside that everything just seemed too still.
“So what do you think? Maybe if we go around back there is a side entrance? I doubt we can just walk in” Julia hummed as she took off her seat belt. They had been parked out there for about 30 minutes and haven’t seen anyone go in or out.
Bucky just watched the building, listening to
“I don’t hear anything” he said flatly
“Well duh, there aren’t even any cars around”
“No” He looked at her sharply and tapped his ear “Super hearing, remember? And I don’t hear anything” emphasis on anything “Not even the buzz of electricity which is clearly on”
He was right. The lights were on. It was just then when a side door opened. The building was on a slight hill which gave them plenty of coverage to hide the car but keep a look out. Julia made a movement towards the door handle but Bucky quickly put his arm over her chest, pinning her to the seat
“Stay here. Let me check it out. I’ll come get you if it’s safe” Julia frowned but nodded in acceptance.
Bucky quietly left the car and made his way over to the side of the building. A few feet to the left of the door was a man in a janitor’s uniform taking a smoke break “Sorry Bud” he whispered and before the man even noticed Bucky had choked him unconscious and laid him on the floor. After making sure they were alone, he checked around his neck for a lanyard “Bingo” he said and pulled out an access card. He tapped the card on the door's lock and it made a successful sounding beep.
“Do you think that because he’s a janitor he has an all access pass?” Julia asked, peaking over his shoulder.
Bucky jumped “Jesus Jules!” He shook his head “How did you manage to sneak up on me?” He admonished but without any malice in his voice. He pushed the door open slowly and looked both ways. The coast was clear so he walked in, Julia in tow.
It was quiet inside. Too quiet and the only footsteps that Bucky could hear was his own and Julia’s. The hallways were strangely empty as they walked through
“So what would we be looking for exactly?” Bucky questioned, eyes scanning empty rooms.
“Well,” Julia swallowed. “I’m not really sure how evil super power drugs are made but usually in tv shows there’s like a lab and a bunch of chemicals and stuff” she was fiddling with a zipper on the shield tactical suits leg.
Bucky just starred at her with a raised eyebrow “You have no idea, do you?”
Julia blushed and looked at him “That’s not true! I’ve just never been in a drug… factory” she coughed “But this place has weird deliveries at all hours of the day. The trucks have the safety diamonds that suggest that it’s not office furniture. There was a paper on it in the pool house…”.
Bucky hummed as they cleared the first floor.
Floor two, clear. Floor 3, had a gym, but clear. Floor 4, footsteps.
As soon as Bucky heard them he put a finger to his lips telling Julia to be silent. She nodded but then rolled her eyes when he pointed to the ground and then put his hand out flat, a ‘Stay Here’ motion. His eyes were sharp and demanding, not playing around and Julia nodded once more, begrudgingly.
Having settled that, Bucky turned around and removed a gun from one of his holsters. He made his way slowly down the hall, staying close to the wall with his pistol by his face. It was a good 5 minutes before he saw the people who were making their way towards him. Two men in lab coats. ‘Damn’ he thought ‘Jules was right’. Thankfully he noticed them first and took them out with two shots to the head. He should’ve used his silencer and now he’s worried who heard the shots. He makes it to the end of the hallway without any more encounters. They must’ve taken the stairs, he thinks, because he didn’t see anything of importance in the room he passed. His hand waivers on the stairway handle for a few seconds before he changes his mind and goes back for Julia.
“This floor is clear now” he says once he meets back up with her.
Her eyes were filled with unknown emotion but her voice was a whisper “You killed people didn't you?”.
Whatever Bucky was expecting her to say, it wasn’t that. His blood ran cold and he suddenly felt guilty for forgetting that she wasn’t some special agent, she was just a girl who probably hadn’t ever witnessed a death before.
“Jules… I-“ he stepped forward with his hands out, as if coming over to put them on her shoulders. His voice was soft, he didn’t want to scare her “I had to. They-“ he stopped when her entire body language changed and she looked at him with a giant smile on her face
“So I was right!” Julia beamed “You had to kill them because you saw the lab right? It’s here and I was right!”
And once more, she caught him off guard. Bucky couldn’t help but relax and let out a little laugh “You’re really something else ya know?” A smile gently crossed his face. Julia just stared at him expectantly. “Yes you were right, but no I didn’t see the lab. Considering we’re on the fourth floor, I have a feeling it’s going to be on the sixth. It could be on the fifth but I doubt it. At first I thought it was gonna be underground but there doesn’t seem like any reason two scientists would be here on the fourth if it was in a basement”.
“So let’s get back on the stairs and go! We’re so close, Bucky!” She was buzzing with excitement and turned to open the entrance to the stairs when Bucky grabbed her wrist hard and pulled her back
“No! Jules. No.”
She stared at him incredulously
“It’s dangerous. Those two men I shot, they had guns. I knew this was going to be dangerous if you were right but… ugh I don’t even really know what I thought, bringing you in here but you can NOT continue this search”.
With that her face twisted in anger “Excuse me!?” She pulled her wrist back “There is no way in HELL that I’m not finishing this! This project is my baby! It’s gonna be my big break!”
“Listen, let me take you out of here. Take you to somewhere safe. I’ll come back and take care of this myself. You’re not suited for this”
“Yes the fuck I am! If you’re so worried Sgt. Barnes, give me a fucking gun” her hand reaching for one of his before he pinned her to the wall.
His eyes were full of fire and fear “Don’t do that again. You need to leave here Julia.”
Seconds passed as she tried to still her heart and her breathing. She opened her door to respond but nothing came out. It was just then there was an explosion in one of the rooms. Bucky pulled her to the ground and covered her with his body. The windows were blown out and glass was thrown everywhere. Luckily it was down the hallway but not too far as they saw the glass shards scatter on the ground. Smoke started coming toward them as the sprinkler system sprung to life, followed shortly by an alarm. Bucky pulled away from her but was still inches from her face
“You need to get out now!” He shook her shoulders a little bit. Any fight she had in her was gone “You take the stairs down as fast as you can and you get in the car and you drive away! I can handle this!”.
Julia finally met his eyes, she was scared beyond belief
“Okay!? Julia! Do you understand!?”
She nodded and he helped her stand up “Go!”
And with that she opened the door and bolted. Bucky felt a small sense of relief as he saw her run downstairs instead of up before the door slammed shut. Now he was alone and he was going to do what he does best. Run into the line of fire. Unfortunately that might be literally now.
—--
Julia ran down the stairs with tears in her eyes and she didn't know if they were from fear or the smoke slowly creeping into the stairwell. ‘What the fuck’ she kept repeating in her head ‘What the fuck, What the fuck, What the fuck did I get myself into??’. When she finally got to the bottom floor, she burst through the door, barely registering that the janitor from before was no longer there. What did make her stop though was Alice’s car parked right next to hers. There was no mistaking her car, a hot pink jeep with no doors and too many anime stickers on the sides that were there. For just a fleeting moment she had a horrible thought, she wondered if Alice had anything to do with this but she quickly shook her head of the thought
“No thats- thats not possible” she said aloud to herself before restarting her trek to her car. Just then there was another explosion inside the building and she whipped around to look at it. Shaking and frozen in place Julia wiped her eyes and swallowed hard
“Fuck it” she said and ran in through the main entrance.