Chapter 14
Steve
"I knew you "
Steve got startled back into the present. He was sitting at the shore with waves lapping at the bare skin. He did not dare go further. Bucky was restlessly pacing back and forth since the arrival :a painfully familiar sight.
Steve was so lost in the thoughts he didn't know until bucky came this close.
"Yes. You know me"
Bucky was wrinkling the forehead. Trying to process the simple truth of him knowing Steve.
"We were on a mission… there was a bridge… A Train"
The cursed day of Steve existence. But he has to answer.
"That was the last time I saw you" ' that was the last day I felt like a living thing ' he didn't say.
"I fell? "
Steves heart sank. He couldn't formulate a reply. Hot tears threatened to well up around his eyes. He tried to swallow back all the overwhelming emotions.
Bucky looked at Steve scrutinising.
"You are not.. A.. fish?"
"No I'm human. But"....." I was given this serum" Steve could not come up with a proper explanation.
'at least I was human ones, thenI crash landed a plane to Arctic. I didn't remember being human until I saw you' that detail will have to wait.
"Do you know your name.? " Steve asked instead.
"I'm…"
Bucky stopped and started to think. He looked lost.
"your name is James Buchanan Barnes" "don't you remember?" "your family, home, anything?"
Steve couldn't bear it anymore.
"What happened to you?" It came out of Steve's mouth without thinking, more like talking to himself. But bucky took it as a question.
"Ice.." Bucky was frowning trying to concentrate. "Chair, words"
Steve doesn't understand what to make out of those.
"Orders and missions " bucky continued.
"What means chair?"
"deleting unnecessary information for better compliance"
Steve remembered some news brought in by the spys. There were talks about methods of torture that made minds to bend. Is it what bucky referring to.
"Was your mission to blow that thing up? "Steve changed the topic.
"with optimum stealth" bucky agreed.
"Who ordered you?" bucky hesitated. A soldier would not give away information. Steve had no right to demand. But he wanted to.
He braced for the worst.
But he was never ready for the answer he got.
"Hydra "
Bucky retreated back to the treeline in haste. He didn't seem to like continuing the talk. Being asked things must have made him uneasy.
May be none of this is real. Maybe these are his final moments after the crash and time is stretching beyond limits showing Bucky one last time, showing horrors beyond the imagination come true.
Even that thought felt better than the painful truth.
Bucky has been captured by the very evil he gave up life to eliminate. How long did he suffer to become a ghost of his past self which was so vibrant with life?
Steve willed all emotions away. He needs to be the mindful one here.
They need to get out of this place. Steve doesn't have any idea about the location. He might be able to carry bucky and swim. Would bucky allow him to? Can he even transform back?
Even if they make it what then? What if bucky wants to go back to hydra. Is Steve going to report back to the army base?
How long has it been anyway?
If length of his hair is any indication it has to be some years.
Steve's thoughts were interrupted by a hum from the sky. It came from far away and source of it could not be seen.
A search party as to be expected. Steve knew the inevitable. It could be hydra looking for bucky. Could be the people checking about the explosion. Whoever it is Steve and Bucky are not in a favorable state. There is no explanation as to why they are there. There is no way of hiding or getting away unseen in miles and miles of sea.
Bucky also heard it and both of them got into the tree cover.
A ship appeared in the air and it descended on to the water. It has to be enormous in size to be seen from that far.
"Helicarriers" bucky said nodding towards it
"is it hydra?"
Bucky remained silent. Uncertain.
"stealth isn't adequate" was bucky's reply.
Steve hoped bucky is right. But you can't stick to assumptions when in war.
"I could go get a closer look. See who they are and what they are up to. `` it was more like Steve was talking to himself.
" High end surveillance technology. 3D sonar, heat signature detection. " Bucky said.
at least bucky is asking him to be careful.
"if they are hydra ., do you want to go back to them?" Steve dared asking.
Bucky was visibility shaking at the thought. He was afraid of the very concept like he expected to be punished.
" but I knew you "
Steve vowed for the millionth time to burn down everything that did this to bucky.
Right now he has a mission.