"Bad Man"
Bucky tried to think of how to approach this. Bobby had warned him. And now he was at a crossroads. Stay out of possible danger or follow the only lead he had? He picked the latter and took a deep breath. If Erik was a dangerous individual, he had to approach this with extreme caution.
Bucky took a step forward and looked at Erik. He had no time to act before he felt his arm being yanked. There was no one pulling him. The tugging got stronger and he was basically dragged out from behind the wall. Erik looked at him with a mostly deadpan expression but had an aura of anger around him. Erik had only lifted a finger and suddenly Bucky was being dragged towards him to the table.
Erik flicked his finger and Bucky was basically thrown into the chair that was once occupied by Munroe. The chair itself was also metal and the bars of the seat came undone, trapping Bucky in place. Another bar emerged to restrain his human arm.
“How did you-”
“Metal bends to my will. I could sense your arm the moment you hid behind that wall. It’s vibranium, is it not?” Erik answered his question before he could even fully ask. Erik tilted his head, looking at his arm with slight interest.
“Don’t get to bend that very often?” Bucky made the remark, trying to figure out how to remove himself from the restraints. This man clearly did not trust him.
“No I do not,” Erik replied and then leaned back in his seat, “There’s no use in struggling or fighting really.”
Bucky stopped, knowing it wouldn’t be best to piss off this man. He sat back. Erik was narrowing his eyes as if he recognized him but couldn’t quite place his face. So things could definitely get worse.
“I suppose you are one of the humans looking for Kitty?” Erik moved on, asking the big question.
“I am,” Bucky started to respond and he felt the restraints tighten and Erik’s expression got darker, “But I’m not going to hurt her or imprison her or anything like that.”
“Foolish words coming from a foolish man. You really expect me to believe that?” Erik raised a brow.
“I just want to make amends. If you know where she is, tell me. All I want to do is help her and make things right,” Bucky said, trying to remain calm in this situation. Erik was too calm. Unnervingly calm.
“Making things right. Such a human sentiment. And yet, your kind is so proficient at making things wrong,” Erik scoffed slightly and then lifted his cup. After taking a final sip, he looked at Bucky, inspecting, “Yet your want to make amends reminds me that I've seen your face before.”
“I’m not here to debate philosophy. I’m here to help,” Bucky denied him this and watched Erik’s expression change.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Ororo, I do not know where Kitty is. I do not know why everyone is so convinced I know her whereabouts,” Erik insisted.
“See, the thing is, you do. You were lying to her. You know where she is, but you’re just refusing to tell anyone,” Bucky responded, narrowing his eyes.
“That is a bold assumption,” Erik tilted his head.
“But a correct one. I can tell when people are lying and the lie is written all over your face. So tell me,” Bucky said, lightly demanding.
“And if I do not?” Erik posed the question, unfazed, “It would be foolish to pick a fight with me.”
“I don’t want a fight with you, I just want to know where she is,” Bucky asserted.
“A human that doesn’t want a fight,” Erik began and then lifted his finger. Bucky felt his metal arm jolt up. Erik inspected it a moment before dropping his arm, “I know who you are now.”
Bucky’s brow furrowed and his eyes widened slightly. So he may have to fight today. A fight that probably wouldn't end well considering that he had a metal arm and this guy could control metal. Shit.
“The Winter Soldier,” Erik spoke, allowing it to sink in.
“I’m not that person anymore. I’m trying to make amends, so please let me,” Bucky swallowed a lump in his throat.
“You are a creation born of humanity’s evils. I will not allow you to further interact with that girl,” Erik was blunt and to the point, his face turning dark with a scowl.
Bucky sucked in a deep breath before looking at the ground, attempting to formulate a response. He sighed, “If I’m still what HYDRA made me, then what about Kitty, Kurt, and Logan? Are they still weapons to you?”
Erik glared at him, “What are you implying?”
Bucky looked at him, “They were weaponized by HYDRA too. What’s the difference between me and them?”
“They were victims,” Erik sneered.
“And I wasn’t? I didn’t choose to be the Winter Soldier. I didn’t choose to be their weapon just like the three of them didn’t choose to be turned into weapons,” Bucky argued, gritting his teeth. Something inside him snapped. He was tired of being perceived like this. He already hated himself for it, “I’ll be the first to admit I did a lot of horrible things that haunt me every time I shut my eyes. But I’m trying to fix things and I’m trying to be better. You don’t have to respect me. You don’t have to even give a single shit about me, but I’m trying to undo the damage I’ve done. I’m trying to be better.”
Erik looked at him with irritation, not liking having been proven hypocritical. He finally let out a frustrated sigh.
“I know that I am far from perfect and that you probably see me as being a bad person, but you don’t know me. You don’t know what I’ve seen or what I’ve had to go through,” Bucky continued, “But I know that if I had to endure that for decades, I don’t want to imagine what HYDRA had done to children. But, unfortunately, that’s what I’m dealing with. That’s what I have to confront in order to move forward. And this is my chance to make actual amends. So allow me this one chance.”
Erik studied Bucky for a moment, perhaps there was a shred of respect in his eyes. Or maybe pity, though Erik didn’t seem like the type to pity very often. No. It was some kind of silent understanding in Erik’s eyes. Erik then sighed again and asked, “And why should I trust you? No, why should she trust you after all of that?”
“I don’t want things to get worse. I may not deserve your or her or anyone’s trust, but I still want to make things better,” Bucky spoke honestly, not struggling against the metal to show that he meant no harm, “I’m not going to hurt her. I don't want to hurt anyone.”
“Words are easy. Proving them is much harder,” Erik said. He waved his hand and the metal keeping Bucky in place fell to the ground.
“So you’ll tell me where she is?” Bucky asked, a bit of hope blooming in his chest. This might actually work out.
“No,” Erik shook his head. All that hope died instantly, and then Erik continued, “It is up to her as to who she wants to see.”
“So you’re admitting that you know where she is,” Bucky started and Erik nodded, “But you’re just not going to tell me.”
“Soldier,” Erik began. Bucky grimaced at the use of that name. Erik then directed, “If you want her trust again, you need to allow her to make her own decisions. If what you said was true about you not getting a choice to become the Winter Soldier, then the ultimate sign of trust to her would be allowing her to make her own choices.”
Bucky nodded, “I understand that, but there’s limited time.”
“What do you mean?” Erik asked with a slight tilt of his head.
Bucky debated what to say. This man obviously had problems with humans already and he didn’t want to make them worse, so he decided to put it as honestly and as vaguely as he could, “Kurt got hurt. Kitty was with him until there was a threat. SHIELD wants to put them both in prison. Once Kurt is better, they’re going to try and put him in prison.”
“Typical,” Erik rolled his eyes. He then put the empty coffee cup in an empty trashcan nearby. He then thought for a moment, “I will try to rush her along but I can make no promises.”
“That is all I can ask,” Bucky simply replied.
“Know that if she or any of my people get hurt, I will not hesitate to end you,” Erik threatened with a deadly look in his eye.
Bucky nodded slowly, feeling a jolt in his arm and spotting Erik flicking his finger and taking in the threat. He could tell this man was true to his word.
“If she does not want to go with you, you can not force her,” Erik added and then suggested, “If you are really committed to proving your worth to Kitty, Kurt, and Logan, you would be better off helping to keep Kurt out of SHIELD’s custody than hunting for Kitty,” He waved him off, “You may leave.”
Bucky stood up slowly just in case Erik had anything else to say. He didn’t. Bucky began to walk off, reflecting quietly on the conversation. He figured that what Erik said was best, to wait. Erik probably knew Kitty better than he did. Bucky knew it would be best to wait and instead help Torres with managing Sam and Val while keeping Kurt safe alongside Torres. Then he had a thought.
“One last thing,” Bucky looked back at him. Erik raised a brow, “My name is James Buchanan Barnes and I am no longer the Winter Soldier.”