Chapter 12
Steve
Steve's head felt like a sky clearing after a storm. Suddenly the world felt wider, more open. Like he could see into unimaginable distances. There were memories he didn't know he had. Memories of a life he forgot.
Now that the chaos of his mind is settling there is one word woven with all of his past. 'Bucky'
Bucky he grew up with. Bucky he knew better than his own self. Bucky who never abandoned him. Bucky he loved. Bucky he thought dead.
Bucky fell. Steve failed to follow one last time. He nosedived a plane into the ocean instead. His last memory being the rapidly closing white of the ice field. Then with the blow of the impact everything blacked out getting as dark as the grief consuming him.
Next thing he remembers is swimming in the ocean with a very simple mind, all alone and without a purpose. All the memories locked away.
When he saw bucky; his home, his soulmate once again it broke down all the walls in his conciseness. His mind was trapped in a tiny cabin and suddenly stepped out. He could not comprehend all the memories that came flooding.
But bucky straight away asked who the hell is Bucky?. He didn't recognise his own name. It's not just the effect of being knocked out just now. How he behaved past few days isn't normal at all. He was like something lifeless among the others.
Bucky looked so different with a bristle and shabby hair. He is bigger than he ever was. His beautiful blue eyes have lost their shine. Even when he didn't have any memories of bucky Steve felt that there is something wrong with his eyes.
Everything about him seems wrong except Steve can swear on his life that he isn't mistaken. He would know bucky anywhere. With his eyes closed. Even with all his memories gone. Like how he knows to breath.
When bucky started to swim towards the small deserted island Steve was taking them, Steve stayed dumbfounded staring at the figure getting away from him. He didn't have an idea of what is happening. Only the instinct of wanting to keep bucky safe made him follow.
Hours and miles later things got clearer than a crystal.
Of course bucky has every right to not recognise Steve. You don't expect a literal mermaid in the middle of the ocean to be your childhood best friend from Brooklyn.
Steve could hear Eskrines words.
"the serum is not going to make a super soldier. It perfects the one requirement of evolution. The ability to survive. Survival needs health, strength and intelligence. The perfect ability to face all the challenge you face "
So Steve was trapped in ice, drowning, dying. He had to survive. But without vita Ray serum doesn't work fast. How long did it take. Might have taken years. Why were his memories gone?
Bucky should not have survived the fall either. Unless he was stronger than a normal man.
Zola. That serpent of a man. His experiment must have made bucky survive. Did the army found him after Steve went missing only a week later?
Dear God. Did the war never end?
But nothing about the mission bucky just carried out seem right. Even Steve would not approve that much of risk taking.
So many questions without answers.
Bucky safely finished miles of swimming and was walking in waist deep water towards the island. Steve can't follow much further. If only he has legs to walk to the shore.
What happened next isn't something Steve could ever correctly put into words. It felt similar to how his scrawny body transformed into a taller, bigger, muscled one. Except there was no pain this time.
Steve found himself back with two legs. They wobbled as Steve tried to remember how to walk.
Next moment bucky was on him. He attacked viciously. Steve struggled to dodge the heavy blows.
"Bucky'' ``bucky wait. I'm not trying to hurt you"
Bucky literally growled. "Go away"
" I didn't recognise you first. you are my friend"
"No I'm not." bucky slammed Steve to the shallow water hitting his head on the ground underneath. He kept punching like a man possessed. His eyes wild with no flicker of recognition.
"Please you gotta remember. You know me" Steve talked through the split lip. "we were friends. I called you bucky. Your name is James "
"shut up" bucky screamed. "Go away and never come back "
" no, I can't. I'm not leaving you. Not again " Steve never had a beating so bad. His mind has millions things to say but he can't come up with something rational to say as Bucky tried to beat him to a pulp.
"I'm with you till the end of the line "