Chapter 2
As soon as Bucky opened his eyes, he closed them again, dreading the bright light that invaded his vision. His head was pounding as fast as his heart was beating, and he felt as if he could throw up at any given moment. The empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table in front of him explained it.
Slowly, very slowly, he stood up and stumbled his way into the kitchen, looking for the aspirin he had spent weeks pretending they actually work. Drinking to the point of blacking out was out of the question since he had been experimented on by HYDRA for those few weeks before Steve found him. That just meant he had to try harder to forget. But forgetting was hard when his former reason for living stared at him from across the room. It was a picture of Bucky and Steve, laughing in front of the Stark Expo the night before he was deployed. Bucky would do anything to go back there right now. He missed Steve so damn much, and some days it hurt more than others.
He put the picture back on the table as someone knocked on his front door, reminding him that the pills really are worth shit. Bucky ignored the knocks, hoping the person at the door would give up.
Despite his hope, the person at the door kept knocking. He opened the front door, not even hesitating to look at the woman in front of him before sneering, “Look, it’s eight in the morning and I have the biggest goddamn hangover so can you just tell me what you want and le-”
He stopped and looked at the woman in front of him. The blue dress she was wearing complimented her doe-like brown eyes, and even though she tried to hide it with makeup, her tiredness radiated off her like heat from an oven. Despite this, she was as beautiful as ever. Just as beautiful as the last time Bucky saw her. “Peggy Carter. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“How have you been, Buck?”
“Don’t call me that.” He deadpanned.
“Why can’t I? Steve called you that.”
“Don’t talk about him.”
“Why not? Too sensitive? Is he why you’re now a drunk, barely living? Because it’s been three years since he died, and I don’t think he wanted that for you.”
He forgot to hide his newfound super strength as he punched a hole through the wall in anger. “You have no idea what Steve wanted. You didn’t know him. I did.” He let go of her, putting his head in his hands. “I did.”
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” Peggy nudged gently. She led him in the house and sat him on the couch as she fetched the first aid kit. Bucky didn’t even wince as she dabbed at his wounds. “I wasn’t joking earlier. How have you been?”
“How do you think I am? I’m assuming you noticed the empty bottle of whiskey on the coffee table. And I know you aren’t here to just chat. We never knew each other like that, even if you did, it’s been months since I dropped off the grid. Why now?”
Peggy finished bandaging his hands and quietly packed away the first aid kit, setting it on the table in front of him. “You’re right. I’m not on a social call. I’ve come to you with an opportunity. Stark, Colonel Phillips, and I are founding an intelligence agency. We want you in with us”
This was not what I expected. “To do what?”
“You’ll spearhead all our field work, under Colonel Phillips. I will be the public face, while Stark will handle our science division.”
“How is Howard?”
“He’s doing well. He misses you, you know, talks about you all the time.”
“I miss him too. But, why do you need me? And… why now?”
“Please keep in mind that what I am about to tell you is beyond top secret and if you whisper a word of this to anyone I will not hesitate to kill you.”
Bucky sat up straight and saluted her, rolling his eyes. “Aye aye, Captain.”
“Thank you. Now, we understand that you worked with the Howling Commandos to bring down HYDRA. At the time, HYDRA was run by Johann Schmidt, also known as Red Skull. The Red Skull is dead. You saw to that, but you know their catchphrase-”
“Cut off one head, and two more grow back. I’m familiar,” Bucky cuts in.
“I knew you would be. You spent months fighting against them, which makes you the perfect person to finish the job and help us dismantle HYDRA for good.”
He looks to the picture of him and Steve. He knew he had to pull himself out of his hole, if not for himself, but for Steve. To honor him. “When do I start?”
-
Bucky got out of the army truck, looking out over Camp Lehigh, thinking about the stories Steve had told him about his time training there before the serum. Peggy came around from the other side of the truck and walked towards a bunker. “Come on, James, let’s go.”
On their way to the bunker, Peggy suddenly stopped, looking at the ground, tears pricking her eyes. “This is where Phillips and I knew Steve was the right one for the serum.”
“Why? What happened here?”
“I was leading the cadets in their exercises, and Phillips threw a fake grenade in the middle of them. Everyone ran away, except Steve. He jumped on the grenade. He would’ve sacrificed his life for men who didn’t even like him. It was the noblest thing I’ve seen anyone do.” She seemed just as in awe as he assumed she was that day. He tamped down the feelings of jealousy that she was able to admire him out in the open.
Bucky stared at the spot numbly. If Steve had told him about this before he fell, Bucky would’ve made a big fuss. He would’ve yelled about what a punk he was, and how he had a perverted death wish. But not anymore. Now, he just felt numb, which is how he always felt when he thought about Steve. “That sounds like something he’d do,” he mumbled to himself.
Peggy took him gently by the arm and led him away. They stepped into the bunker and were instantly bombarded with people.
“Agent Carter, here’s the op you need to sign off on.”
“Sergeant Barnes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ma’am, here’s your morning coffee.”
“It’s an honor, sir. You’re a hero.”
Bucky stayed quiet, overwhelmed by all the noise. He hadn’t been around this many people since before HYDRA had given him the serum. His senses had been forcefully dialed up to eleven, and he hated it. In a crowd where, a few years ago he would’ve thrived, he was now drowning. Thankfully, his saving grace appeared in the form of Howard Stark.
“Sergeant Barnes!” He shooed everyone off and led Bucky and Peggy into a conference room. “If Carter hadn’t been able to convince you to join up, I would’ve dragged you here myself! Thank you for coming.”
Bucky just smiled thinly. He missed Howard, but Bucky figured his high spirits were going to start annoying him real soon.
“I’m sorry about all the commotion,” Peggy said sympathetically. “I haven’t been in for a couple days, there’s a lot to do. Colonel Phillips will be in shortly. Take a seat.”
“No, it’s fine… it’s just been a while since I’ve been around this many people.” He sat in the stiff, uncomfortable chair, which was not unlike his cheap one at home. It was a few minutes before the man showed up. Bucky stood as Phillips entered, who saluted Bucky as soon as he saw him, despite the fact Bucky was ranked below him. Bucky and Phillips worked closely together to take down Schmidt, and Phillips held him in high regard. “Please, Colonel, that’s hardly necessary.” They shook hands. “It’s good to see you, sir.”
“Yes, it is, Sergeant. I’m glad you’ve joined us.” That was about as emotional as Phillips got, and Bucky was glad for the appreciation.
Peggy closed the shutters on the window, blocking them all from the gawkers, and Howard pushed in front of Phillips and gave Bucky a huge hug. He squeezed Bucky’s shoulders tight, and squeezed even tighter when Bucky tried to pull away. “It’s so good to see you, Bucky,” Howard mumbled into Bucky’s shoulder.
“It’s good to see you too, Howard.”
After Steve fell, Bucky and Howard grew extremely close while working together to bring down Schmidt. Their shared, great love of technology is what brought them together. He got an up close and personal look at the technology he and Steve looked at that last night at the Stark Expo. Thinking about that night made Bucky’s heart hurt, but Howard and the idea of revenge on Schmidt helped ease the pain.
They would spend night after night creating new kinds of tech to help defeat HYDRA, though Howard did most of the heavy lifting in that regard. They were able to defeat Schmidt in a few short months, and with Steve avenged, Bucky retreated into himself. He refused to visit Howard, and didn’t want Howard seeing him either.
Bucky supposed he thought cutting out everything to do with Steve would help. But it didn’t, it just made it worse. He was happy to see Howard again, suddenly realizing how much he missed him.
Howard let go of Bucky, and held his face in his hands. “Jesus, you look like shit.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself, kid.”
“Sorry to interrupt this love fest,” Phillips gestured to the table, “but we need to get started.”
The four of them sat down, and Phillips started briefing Bucky on what was to take place. “Son, did Peggy fill you in?”
“A little bit, sir.”
“Let me add some color, then. HYDRA went to ground when you took out the Red Skull, but the rats are still scurrying underground. Our job is to exterminate them. All of them, starting with this one.”
Peggy stood up and handed Bucky a file. On the first page was an identification summary for a one Wilfred Malick. He recognized the picture. Malick was there when Zola had experimented on Bucky. His heart dropped, trying in vain to keep his composure. “I recognize him. He was working with Zola when they kept me and the 107th in prison.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Howard shift around, gears turning in his head.
“He will be our first target,” Phillips ordered. “We have intel that in five days he will be moving ingredients needed to create a super soldier serum. We are going to intercept Malick and take those ingredients. The world will have no more super soldiers.”
Except it already does, and I think someone’s figured it out.
After Phillips finished briefing the three, he dismissed them, and Howard pulled Bucky into an empty hall. “You seemed real shifty in there. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Bucky thought he could trust Howard with what had happened to him, but he wanted more information first. That meant running a little bit rogue on their mission, which wouldn’t be the first time. Bucky grins. "Not at all. Let's get to work, shall we?"