Through the Winter Nights
AU Movie-verse
Soundtrack Found on my 8tracks account (username )
WARNING- possible trigger warnings for mild torture also sex and some angst.
Chapter One
Bucky P.o.V
"Bucky!" I recognized the voice calling or me immediately. Growing up as an only child, that voice was the closest thing I had to family left.
"Stevie!" I grinned and turned to search the crowds of the Stark Expo for my self-appointed kid brother. "What're you doing today?" Steve Rogers frowned at my use of his hated nickname before shrugging it off and addressing my question.
"Today's the day, Buck! I'm going to do it," he took a deep breath and set his jaw in a way I recognized all too well. Steve was sensitive and sweet with a golden heart and strong morals but that man was also more stubborn than a sturdy wooden post encased in concrete eight feet deep.
"Do what?" I asked cautiously.
"Enlist, of course!" he rolled his eyes in exasperation at me, as if I should have known immediately. At his answer, I suppressed a sigh.
"Steve… maybe that's not such a good idea…"
"Bucky!" he groaned. "We've talked about this! I need to enlist," his jaw was set and I knew I had already lost my window of opportunity to talk him out of this.
"I know you think you do, Steve! But come one, don't you think America as enough people fighting for her by now?" I pleaded one last time. Steve shook his head.
"No, I do not. Bucky, I know you worry about me but I'm almost twenty-three. You've been enlisted since you were eighteen and like it or not, you're not always here to protect me." Guilt and shame washed over me and it must have shown on my face because Steve rushed on. "And that's okay! But it just furthers my point- I need to do this. Not just for America, but to prove it to myself." I sighed.
"Alright, Stevie," I nodded resignedly and clapped him heavily on the back. "I'm proud of you, you know that right?"
"Of course," Steve grinned. "Thanks, Buck,"
"No problem kid," I watched him smile and run through the crowd towards the enlistment center.
"A man in uniform," a voice behind me on my right caught my attention. I turned to see the most beautiful woman I had seen in a long while. "I always loved one of those," she smiled and suddenly she was even more beautiful. Her brown eyes reflected the festival lights and appeared almost golden in colour. Her hair was perfectly curled and pinned and her skin looked soft and smooth. On her lips was the darkest red lipstick I had ever seen, it matched her dress perfectly.
"Well," I smiled, coming back to myself. "I have always loved a woman as stunning as you, ma'am," let it never be said that James Buchanan Barnes doesn't have manners, if word got to my momma in heaven she'd come back from the grave to tan my hide. She offered her hand and I took it, taking off my hat and bowing to kiss her knuckles. She smiled down at me when I glanced up through my lashes and I stood and returned it as I replaced my hat.
"What do you say we get out of here, soldier? I know of an ice cream shop a few blocks from here, near my apartment," she invited. I grinned- my kind of lady.
"I would enjoy that, miss. However I do believe I missed your name," I flirted. She turned, still holding my hand, and walked through the crowd. Glancing over her shoulder, she made eye contact.
"Lucille Galloway, most call me Lucy Grace, darling," she answered. "What do they call you, soldier?"
"They call me Bucky, but my name is James Barnes,"
"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Bucky Barnes," she smiled again.
-qoO0Oop-
~SEXY TIMES HERE~
Her lips tasted of the strawberry syrup she had poured over her chocolate ice cream. They were soft and swollen from my kisses before we even made it into her apartment. Once she finally managed to unlock the door I pushed her against the wall and shut the door behind us, attaching my lips to hers. She moaned and our tongues tangled. It was filthy and erotic and I loved it. She broke for air and I moved my attentions lower, kissing down her perfect neck, flicking my tongue over the small mole that rested on her collarbone. My hands were not idle, one played with the hem of her dress and the other ran up and down er torso before settling on the small of her back to pull her closer. Her center bumped against mine and she gasped at the feel of my hardness. One of her hands was tangled in my air, knocking my hat to the floor carelessly as the other fumbled with the buttons of my outer shirt. She pulled my mouth back to hers.
"Bed," she gasped out. "Down the hall," she panted in between kisses. "On the right," my hands moved to caress the back of her thighs and I lifted her legs around my waist easily. She moaned into my mouth and gripped me tight with her surprisingly muscular thighs. We somehow managed to make it down the hall and I threw her onto the bed.
"Strip," she ordered, her pupils blown and lipstick smeared. I grinned.
"As milady wishes," I unbuttoned the rest of my shirt and unbuckled my belt and rid myself of all my clothes except my briefs and wife beater tank. She licked her lips as she watched me and I smirked when her gaze dropped to my pelvis and her eyes widened appreciatively. "Now for you," I growled, moving forward and finding the zipper on her dress. I slid it off her slowly, reveling in the smooth skin I revealed, inch by inch. I ducked down and began kissing it as I went along, leaving a trail of kisses up her torso and in between the valley of her perfect breasts. Once the dress was gone she reached behind her and rid herself of her bra, leaving her in a pair of plain white cotton panties. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.
Leaning forward, I kissed her, determined to muss her hair up as much as possible as I did so. It was too perfect for me. She moaned and returned the favor before her hands trailed down and tugged at the hem of my undershirt. I pulled back long enough to tear it off before pressing back into her. We both moaned at the skin to skin contact. When we broke for air I turned my attentions to her breasts. Taking one in my palm, I bent to lave the other with my tongue. She moaned appreciatively.
Suddenly she had hooked her ankles around me and lifted her hips whilst rolling me over so she was pinning me to the bed. She pulled away and grinned down at me.
"You're so beautiful," I blurted. To my surprise, she blushed.
"You've already got me in bed, you can stop the compliments, soldier." She responded with a small laugh. I furrowed my brow.
"Lucy," I leaned up and gently kissed the juncture between her neck and shoulders. She shivered and I pulled back to look in her eyes. "You're beautiful,"
Instead of responding, she kissed me hard, passion pouring out of her and reigniting my own. I caressed her skin as we kissed and she pulled back.
"I need you, James, please," she begged.
I nearly came right there. Managing to suppress my overwhelming lust, I nodded.
"I know, I need you too, beautiful,"
A second later we were both bare and she was poised over me. Her soft hand gripped my erection firmly as she lined it up with her dripping core and I moaned at the feeling which quickly turned into a shout of pleasure as she sunk down on me, her heat and wetness encasing me completely. I buried my face in her shoulder as she moaned, panting heavily.
And then she lifted herself up and slammed down. We groaned in unison as I gripped her hips and helped her set the pace. My cock throbbed with the unbearable friction, the heat and cold alternating to create such an intense pleasure as she rode me. I lifted my hips and angled them carefully, knowing I had done it right when she screamed out my name as I hit her g-spot on every thrust.
Soon she was clenching around me and more wetness poured out of her. I yanked her off of me, keeping a thumb pressed to her clit as she jerked with the aftershocks of her first orgasm. When she came down from her high I kissed her which she lazily returned. Her back was pressed into the bed and I kissed down her jaw o her neck and across her chest, pausing to tongue her breasts before continuing. Her curls were the same colour as the ones on her head and glistened with arousal. I parted her lower lips with my fingers and swiped my tongue from her hole to her clit. She jerked and moaned, her tunnel still spasming from her previous orgasm. I licked and nipped her or another minute, responding to her moans of encouragement. And then I added a finger, pumping it in and out of her tunnel. She groaned and screamed when I sucked on her clit and added another finger, curling them upwards inside of her.
I renewed my efforts, enjoying the taste of her, honey and musk. Her second orgasm hit her and she jerked off the mattress. I held her hips down with my free had and licked her until she calmed down a bit. Slowly, I kissed my way back up, still painfully hard.
"Inside, James," she panted, her voice slightly rough and hoarse. "I need you inside of me; I need you to come inside of me," she begged. I wanted to so badly but…
"Lucille," I groaned. "What about…" I trailed off, not knowing how to ask.
"It's okay," she panted. "I'm infertile," she gave a slightly sad smile and I nodded and couldn't help but kiss her sweetly. She licked her own taste out of my mouth and we both moaned. I lined myself up and sank into her dripping folds, noticing how much looser she was now that she was so aroused.
Soon I was pistoning in and out of her, our flesh making smacking sounds as we groaned and breathed heavily. I could feel the burning in my gut as the sweat dripped down us both. She flipped us over and began to ride me again just as she dropped a hand down to rub her clit and shuddered, clenching around my cock.
I flipped her over and gave a half a dozen more sloppy thrusts before following her over the edge, sperm filling her and re-lubricating her tunnel as the white pleasure rolled through my body and my arms gave out, and our bodies collapsing into the mattress. She jerked and clenched a few more times at the feel of my release and I reluctantly rolled off of her, sliding out of her as I did so.
She curled herself into my chest and I tugged the rumpled blanket over us both, kissing her hairline gently as we both fell asleep.
~END SEXY TIMES~
"Call me," it was the next morning and Lucy Grace was seeing me off, smiling as she let me out of the building. "When you come back from the war, call me," she handed me a slip of paper with a phone number and I took it with a grin.
"Absolutely, Lucille Galloway," I leaned down and pecked her lips. She smiled back.
"I'll see you around, James Barnes,"
PART TWO PART TWO PART TWO PART TWO PART TWO PART TWO
I thought about Lucy Grace so many times since I had left her apartment that day. She plagued my thoughts but in the best way possible. Whenever I took matters into my own hands, her face, twisted in ecstasy, is the image that flashed before my eyes to push me over the edge. I regretted not asking her for a picture to put in my watch so that I could have something beautiful to look at in this war. The first few missions were rough, as always. They were full of bloodshed and losses but they were necessary.
I remembered our little trip to the ice cream shop with fondness, extremely glad I had made a few good memories before I was re-deployed. She was unlike most other women, she was much more forward about what she wanted but not overly so- some women were downright pushy about it. But not Lucille- she was smart and witty and sarcastic but also refreshingly blunt.
And I loved that she wasn't cocky. She was obviously beautiful and probably very… experienced… but I saw a bit of vulnerability when I was with her as well. She couldn't see how special she was but accepted compliments with grace. But she was in Brooklyn and I was here, in Austria. We were half a world away with no means of contact until I made it home… if I made it home. And so I pushed away the memories of my last night in Brooklyn and focused on the task at hand. The Howling Commandos and I had just received a new mission.
It was supposed to be a cut and dry mission- scope out the suspected Nazi base camp and report the comings and goings to the higher-ups, along with any suspicious militant behaviors. I had 47 men to help me, which should have been more than enough. As second in command, I was in charge of Unit B whilst Robert Banks, the Captain, took charge of Unit A.
Banks took the North and East sides of the camp and I took the South and West. There were thirteen entrances and exits in total, I had seven of them on my sides and Banks had six- all mine were minor whilst Banks covered the main one and five smaller ones. We posted two men on each and the remaining 21 set up camp and worked in shifts to relieve the active ones when they needed it.
It was supposed to be a cut and dry mission. But no one knew to take I account Johann Schmidt. It was 1500 hours and time for the teams to check in when I first realized something had gone wrong.
"Sentries 13 and 14, checking in, over,"
"15 and 16 are free and clear, over."
"19 and 20 are in the green, over."
"21 and 22 require relief, over."
"25 and 26 are good to go, over."
"23 and 24, fresh and bright eyed, over,"
A terrible silence ensued. The radio crackled almost ominously with static and I stared at it, willing it to make any sort of noise. After a minute, I picked up my end of the line.
"Sentries 17 and 18, do you copy? Over," I barked into the receiver. No one responded. I sighed and tried again. "Wilson and Reyes," I tried to keep my voice calm and unworried. "Report," I ordered. Nothing but the faint static replied. "Sentries 19 and 20, do you copy? Over," I tried. This time an answer came promptly.
"We hear you, Bucky," I recognized the voice as Billy Rodriguez, the oldest soldier in our regiment; the man was pushing thirty but a fantastic marksman.
"Maintain radio contact and check up on Sentries 17 and 18, proceed with caution, we don't know what you're walking into,"
"Copy that, over,"
"Over and out," I clicked off my microphone and left the bulky headphones on, biting my lip as I looked to my right. A fresh private had been brought in to help out with the radio equipment in our regiment not two months ago. The boy was barely eighteen and too young if you asked me. I was using the other headphones and listening to everything just as I was.
"Commander, the posts appear to be abandoned," Billy's voice crackled over the speakers. "Johnson and I are going in closer, weapons at the ready,"
Suddenly, a crunch of a branch and a shout came over the radio. Gunfire popped and the scream of a dying man rang in my ears. I ripped off the headphones and exited the radio tent.
"Soldiers, Atten-HUH!" I barked out. Instantly they began to line up, chests puffed and heels together, dropping whatever they had been doing and snapping to attention. "Our sentries are being attacked, armor up and grab your guns," I ordered. "Witt and Fredrickson, you take point of groups A and B, surround sentry post 9 from the north and south, secondary unit C will follow my lead and come in once the hostiles are surrounded."
Everyone scramble to do as they were told and soon we were marching out, slipping through the trees in anticipation and tense silence.
Lucy Grace P.o.V.
Germany
"Agent Galloway, you have a field assignment," I looked up to see Agent Johnson at the door, looking towards me expectantly. Peeling the athletic tape from my hands, I used a towel to wipe the sweat from my face and nodded.
"Tell Director Fury that I'll be right in," I told him. He shook his head.
"The assignment is not from Fury,"
"Then who?" I asked, confused.
"Agent Carter," my brow still furrowed, I nodded.
"Tell her I'll be right there," I responded. He nodded briefly and left me alone in the gym. Sighing, I pulled my duffle bag into the shower area and stripped down, rinsing quickly and redressing in my standard uniform. As I pulled my wet curls into a pony tail and swept my bangs to the side, I thought, unwillingly, of Bucky.
James Barnes. He was out in the field right now, unless he was dead. But I had to admit; at least he had been honest about it. He hadn't known that I was an Agent of the government, nor had I told him that he was only the second man I had slept with.
He had been a much better lover than my first by far. In fact, I would go so far as to say he had completely ruined me for any other man; my standards were too high now. I didn't love him- that would be ridiculous! But there was definitely something about him…
Sighing, I straightened my uniform and slung my gym bag into an empty locker before marching out into the hall and towards Agent Peggy Carter's office. Peggy and I had been recruited together by the same man- Major Craig T. Lewis. The Major had worked alongside Nick Fury in the First World War and the two men had become close. So when Fury had the idea to actively and secretly recruit women, the Major had agreed. Peggy and I were the first two to be a part of Operation Pink Bow, the active and secret recruitment and extensive training of women for covert and deep cover missions. No one ever expected a woman- it was a highly successful method.
A field mission wasn't unusual for us but one from Peggy was a surprise, generally Agent Carter took them on herself instead of passing them on.
Peggy was standing in her 'office', more accurately- the room that they gave her but she rarely used due to her active nature. There were two chairs, a desk, and a nametag and that was it. She greeted me with a smile and sat down. I took my cue and sat across from her, looking at her expectantly.
"Agent Galloway," she began in a brisk voice. "I'm sure you're confused as to why I am passing you this mission and the answer is simple- I am simply too busy with the Captain America Project to spare some time for it. It is covert, not deep cover. Simple observations gig as far as I can tell. Here is the file, I'll give you a minute to decide if you want to take it," she threw a manila folder over and I picked it up, flipping through it as she left the room and closed the door behind her.
Alone, I kicked my shoes off and sat back, sighing. There were a few maps and a couple photos taken of a small shack in Austria about twenty miles from a base of American soldiers that were observing a Nazi base. The shack seemed empty but it had boarded windows and smoke coming almost continuously from the chimney which made it a threat. I was to observe it, take pictures, and neutralize any threat that presented itself.
It was simple and quick and it confused me. Peggy claimed she was too busy to take it on but it seemed to me it would only take a day or two at most. Whatever her reasons, I decided I did not care. I flipped through the information and memorized it one more time before nodding and closing the file. Peggy walked back in at that moment.
"So?"
"I'll take it,"
"Great, you leave at 0500 hours,"
Bucky P.o.V
"Oh, my little babe is a-waking!" a high-pitched voice crooned. Groaning at the throbbing pain in my head, I blinked my eyes open. A grimy sheet metal ceiling and bright lights greeted me. I winced and squinted, managing to make out a smiling face in the sudden brightness.
"Who are you?" I rasped. A giggled answered me. "What do you want?" I gritted out.
"I am Dr. Zola," the high-pitched, accented voice answered. "And I want you, my little soldier," he giggled again. "Now, hush-a-bye, be quiet for me and you'll be rewarded." I felt the prick of a needle in my arm and I jerked it only to find that it had been bound to the cool metal table that I was laying on. My other arm had met the same fate as had my legs and I jerked and struggled uselessly. The burn of the needle expanded as whatever liquid he injected me with spread through my veins. I managed not to scream for only about a minute before the pain became too intense.
Lucy Grace P.o.V.
It was supposed to be easy. And it had been- too easy. Not three hours after I set up camp and observed from afar, two men had come out of the shack. One was tall and wearing black with is hair combed to the side and mouth pressed into a thin line and the other was short with a white lab coat and thick glasses. I watched as they unloaded several silver briefcases of an unknown content into the shack before returning to the truck and unloading- oh my god.
They were hauling in a body bag!
"Neutralize all threats," I muttered to myself, dropping my binoculars and grabbing a long rage rifle. I adjusted the scope and aimed at the taller man, taking a deep breath before pulling the trigger.
The bullet hit him square in the forehead. But then something horrifying happened- it bounced off. Through the scope I numbly registered that both men were now looking towards my hiding spot but my brain was not processing what had just happened. These bullets could dent a tank! The man I shot pulled a loose bit of skin away from his forehead where the bullet had hit and scowled. I dropped the rifle, fully intending to run out of there- this was clearly a threat I couldn't neutralize- but when I spun around, there he was.
"Impossible," I breathed, too shocked to scream. He scowled at me and I saw the red patch underneath the area he had pulled off the skin.
"Bad form, Fräulein," he scolded. "Oh well, another pet for Zola,"
I felt a sharp pain and then everything was black.
qoO0Oop
I woke to the sound of screams. My head was pounding and I immediately recalled what had happened and began to struggle. A breathy giggle interrupted me.
"No, no- don't e naughty pet," a bespectacled man came into my line of vision with a syringe. "You're next," he tapped the needle and rid it of air bubbles. I struggled more but my elbow as immobile and every time I tried to move it pain shot through me- broken, no doubt. He injected me swiftly in a practiced manner. And then the burning started.
I didn't scream.
At first.
PART THREE PART THREE PART THREE PART THREE PART THREE PART THREE PART THREE
Lucille P.o.V.
I don't know what happened. One moment I was screaming in pain and then everything was black. When I awoke I could hear voices and so I kept as still as possible, keeping my eyes shut.
"The girl has not awoken, she lacks a heartbeat," the voice was familiar- the scientist- but he was speaking in German now. I thanked Peggy for the German lessons mentally.
"And the man, the little soldier boy?" another voice asked, the tone clipped and harsh.
"He has promise. He survived the serum but I have to return to the camp and use the labs in order to run tests to assess his physical changes," the scientist spoke again.
"Good work, Zola," the other man spoke, switching to harshly accented English. "I will send a truck to retrieve the male."
"And the girl?"
"Leave her. She'll rot here,"
"Hail, HYDRA,"
The footsteps retreated and I counted to thirty slowly before cautiously opening my eyes. The scientist I could hear in the other room, puttering around. The second pair of footsteps retreated and became muffled as they left the shack. An engine started and a car pulled away. I waited with baited breath. Ten minutes later I heard another vehicle approach- a truck this time. Closing my eyes but leaving a tiny crack to watch, I saw a soldier enter the shack and exchange quiet words with the scientist. The soldier left my line of sight but returned a second later with a full body bag over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. The scientist followed him out and I hear the tailgate of an army truck slam and then door slams before the vehicle pulled away.
As soon as I was sure they were all gone, I began pulling at my bonds. To my surprise, they tore like paper. My arm that I would have sworn was broken earlier seemed completely fine now. I had no idea what the one called Zola had injected me with or the intent but these were obviously strange side effects of the liquid fire.
I ran out of the shack, wasting no time and heading east. I had gone about three hundred yards before I realized that I was feeling no strain on my body at all. I slowed my speed and glanced around, astonished. I had just run farther than should have been possible in my weakened state and I wasn't even winded!
The sooner I returned to Fury and figured out what the hell the scientist had done to me, the better. I began to run again, hearing a wolf howl in the distance.
Two Years Later
I tried returning to Fury and Carter, I really did. I ran to the headquarters in Germany only to find them abandoned and bombed.
Where was I to go? I couldn't trust doctors or scientists, I had no money or family and I wasn't certain that I was not being searched for- surely if they returned to the shack and found me gone they would try to find me? I grew twitchy and paranoid. And so I ran east.
Russia. The country greeted me with a cold I could no longer feel. My once pristine back uniform was torn and dirty, spatters of blood on it, both my own and various animals that I had killed for sustenance. After nearly two months of aimless, never-ending running, I found a large cave to stop for the night. I hadn't counted on the wolves.
To my surprise, the pack didn't attack me. They were wary and I was too terrified to move. The largest one- an alpha male- was the only one to approach me. I tried not to breathe as he walked closer. His nose was an inch from my face and I could feel the heat of his breath and smell his snow-damp fur.
And then he licked my face. The other wolves howled and suddenly I was part of a dog pile. They huddled against me and I was suddenly warm although I hadn't felt cold before. And I realized the warmth I felt was happiness.
The emotion caught me off guard. Fear and paranoia were my only companions for so long, I never questioned their presence. The absence of any other thought or instinct (besides survival) had wiped away and ability to think beyond my next meal or where to make camp. But now, suddenly, I was happy. And so I stayed.
PART FOUR PART FOUR PART FOUR PART FOUR PART FOUR PART FOUR PART FOUR PART FOUR
Winter Soldier P.o.V.
"Soldier," I opened my eyes and blinked, my pupils adjusting to the brightness of the lights automatically. "This is your target," a picture is shown, information flashes across the screen that is put in front of me and I commit it to memory easily. "Take them out by any means necessary. Be discrete," I nod mechanically, obediently.
Steve Rogers, enemy of the organization, wanted for associating with Director Fury, a man I had supposedly taken out a few days ago. I had no memory of this but somehow I didn't care. Target's current partner is Natasha Romanov, ex-assassin for the organization and on the run. Take her out if necessary. Current location, New York- the "city that never sleeps"- population 8,405,837 civilians- civilian casualties are to be kept at a minimum but not priority. The information scrolled in a loop in the forefront of my mind. And then suddenly I was in the field.
I was gathering Intel when I was discovered. Instincts told me to flee and my target followed. He attacked me, I got away.
The next day I went after him again. This time, my mask was compromised and he saw my face. To my surprise, he stopped his attacks immediately.
"Bucky?" he asked, looking stunned and pale. The name jerked something inside of me and for a moment I could feel. Confusion washed over me.
"Who the hell is Bucky?" I asked, almost curious for the answer. The emotions were foreign to me and suddenly I felt a great pain. I shoved the emotions away and ran.
I returned to base. But they knew- I was compromised. They placed me in a chair I remembered well- the only memory I was ever allowed to keep for god knows how long I have worked for the organization. They let me keep it so I would know the pain that would come to me if I failed a mission. And so I was strapped into the chair and I opened my mouth obediently for the rubber palate. I bit down and tried to relax- tensing to brace myself only made it hurt worse.
They laid the chair back slowly, almost taunting me as I tried to breathe deeply. And then the pain came. I didn't scream- I jerked against my restraints and bit down hard on the rubber in my mouth but I didn't scream.
"Your mission is to kill Steve Rogers," a voice told me. The words didn't feel right and I shook my head. Pain was their response. Electricity coursed through my body, burning where it hit my metal arm and leaving a tang of blood in my mouth. "Your mission is to kill Steve Rogers," the voice spoke again. My brain was tired and throbbing and I didn't know how I managed to shake my head again.
Several times, this repeated. Hours- minutes- days- seconds- I lost track of the time. Until finally the words I was told seemed to make sense.
"Your mission is to kill Steve Rogers," the voice told me. The words felt familiar, almost comforting and yet my body winced. But, I nodded. The pain didn't come again.
My mission was to kill Steve Rogers.
Lucille P.o.V.
It was 1973 by the time I left my wolf pack. All the former wolves had died and gone and I had never aged a single day. I saw my reflection only occasionally in a pond or a sheet of ice but it wasn't until the alpha of my pack passed away from old age that I realized how much time had passed.
When I did return to civilization, it wasn't a smooth transition. It began with a construction company. They wanted to build a resort near the hot springs that my pack often visited. When they spotted me, dressed in various furs and hair a mess, they called out to me in Russian.
I never forgot the language; I often soothed the pups of my pack with Russian songs or soft-spoken words when they grew frightened at the thunderstorms. They called out to me and I responded.
"Girl, what are you doing out here?" one cried out at the sight of me. I frowned, feeling a strong urge to run but also curiosity. Memories nagged at me and I recalled the name of these people- the people who looked as I did. Humans, we were called.
"I live here," I responded in fluent Russian. My voice had grown rough to match my exterior and came out husky as I hadn't spoken in a few days. "What are you called?" I asked curiously. I could sense a few members of my pack lingering in the woods, just out of sight. The… males looked confused for a moment and I struggled with my words. "Names," I recalled "What are your names?"
"I am Victor, this is Vlad and Alexander," the largest one answered. "And what is your name? Why do you live out here?"
"I do not remember my name," I answered honestly. "And I live with my pack,"
"Pack?" one asked- Alexander, he was called. Hesitantly, fearing for their safety, I whistled lowly. A rustle in the brush caught their attention and my wolf- the only wolf I named in my pack, Violetta, trotted into the clearing.
"Holy shit," Vlad exclaimed harshly. "That is a wolf!" I nodded.
"She is part of my pack. Tell me, what are you doing out here in the woods," my words were clipped and I paused to remember them sometimes but I managed to get my meaning across.
"We are builders, we mean to build a resort on the hot springs to attract tourists," he was clearly still in shock from meeting Violetta and a few of his words were unfamiliar to me but I understood what he said well enough. Another question came to me.
"What is the year?"
"1972," he answered.
PART FIVE PART FIVE PART FIVE PART FIVE PART FIVE PART FIVE PART FIVE PART FIVE
Present Day
Taking a deep breath, I clipped the leash to Violetta's collar and grabbed my shoulder bag. Today was the day. After rejoining civilization in the 1970s, I had begun to track down Bucky Barnes. His was the only name I remembered, after all. I found out from the library and several old newspapers that he had been on a specialized mission with Captain America when he died. And so I looked up Captain America. I stumbled across several other names that I recognized- Howard Star, Peggy Carter, and a few others. Memories came back to me in increments and I slowly developed to life as a human again, rather than a wolf. It was hard, but I had a thirst for knowledge that couldn't be ignored.
FLASHBACK
Russia was limited with its knowledge and Violetta and I were not fitting in the towns there, the old ladies scolded and glared at us and the younger generations ignored us completely, other than to warn me that if Violetta harmed anyone they would not hesitate to shoot her. And so we left. We made it to Spain in a matter of months, walking nearly the whole way there. My Spanish was rusty and I had no money but I managed to get by just fine. Most Spaniards just thought Violetta to be a rather large dog or a wolf hybrid so I did not receive as many strange looks in public. But I knew that this is not where I belonged. I needed to return to the place of my birth- America. It was 1985 by the time I had saved up enough for a kennel and a plane fare for both Violetta and myself. We arrived in New York by late October.
I was able to use the town record hall and my previous military/spy knowledge to fore myself citizenship papers and a birth certificate. I lived in rural New York for years before I decided to enlist in the army once again. My neighbors agreed to take in Violetta while I was at Basic Training for the army.
Apparently I was a natural. Basic Training son turned into active duty. I was promoted after the first few years and was granted permission to bring an animal to the base in Afghanistan, my supervisor was curious- I had told many stories about Violetta and there were a few other canines on duty so she would hardly be the only animal at camp. My old neighbors were sad to see her go but shipped her over obligingly.
Everyone was shocked at the sheer size of my wolf. They were astounded at her obedience and protectiveness of me. I was promoted to the canine squadron and trained in to the Bomb Squad. My job was to defuse explosives after Violetta sniffed them out.
For ten years I worked on the squad. And that's when they began to notice- I hadn't aged. I had long since been bumped up to the leader of the bomb squad and it was the General who got me into it that first commented on the oddity of it. I brushed it off as a complement and everyone dropped it.
Another five more years and suddenly it wasn't so easy to hide anymore. And that's when I was called in. Violetta and I were taken in a chopper to a seemingly empty expanse of desert. The chopper landed and we were escorted into a cave which held a secret elevator. I was taken into a cool metal interrogation room, Violetta refusing to leave my side. They agreed to let he stay with me as long as I agreed to secure a muzzle and a chain to her so she couldn't attack. I acquiesced.
And then someone walked in who I never expected to see.
"Nicholas Fury," I greeted him with a cordial nod and a small smile. "Never thought I would be seeing you," I had the satisfaction of watching his good eye (he still had the same damn eye patch) widen in unfiltered shock before he composed himself.
"I think I should be more surprised to see you, Lucille Galloway," he almost smiled. "I think you have quite the story to tell," for a seventy-three year old, the man was looking fit and young. I wondered if he ever got around to studying Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips work with the Super Soldier Serum.
"I think we both have stories, General,"
"It's Director now, actually, Agent Galloway. Welcome to SHIELD base 17,"
"SHIELD?"
"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division," he answered calmly.
"So you and Howard finally got around to creating your own government then" I teased, remembering his past self. He had been only 20 years old the last time I saw him but he was a child genius and a prodigy, the closest thing Howard had to an equal at the time.
"You have no idea," Fury grinned.
Fourteen Years Later (AKA two days ago)
"Agent Galloway, you have another debriefing with Fury in conference room three in ten,"
"Thank you, Agent Hill," I stood from my post on Computer 27 in bank three. I stretched my back and reached down to pet Violetta's head. The wolf was still alive- she was as old as me now. When Fury had discovered her unusual age, he had her tested. Her blood work came back with interesting results- she had a chemical compound in her blood that promoted cell regeneration. The compound should have killed her as it was usually highly poisonous but for some reason it had the opposite effect on the she-wolf. Fury theorized that Zola and HYDRA had experimented on animals before they moved on to prisoners and that Violetta was one of the ones that got away.
I didn't care all that much, I was just glad she was still with me. She was all I had for so many years that the thought of losing her made me feel hollow and useless. She went on nearly every mission with me and was highly intelligent and trained to follow wordless as well as verbal commands and excellent in combat. She was also larger than ever now- the size of a small horse or a large pony. My petite for was no problem for her to carry and I often rode her like a horse while chasing down a target as she could go faster than any human and track scents with her nose.
We arrived in conference room three shortly and I sat down across from the recently "dead" director. There were about ten people besides Steve and Agent Romanov who knew the Director was alive and nine of them worked here at this base. We were also the only ones at this base- two field agents, two lower level and completely trustworthy assassins, and five doctors. He slid a folder over at me and I flipped it open. And then I froze. The name staring back at me was definitely not one I expected to see.
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes
And if that wasn't enough of a shock, the line that followed it was.
Alias: The Winter Soldier
PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX PART SIX
Present Day
I checked to make sure Violetta's leash was secure before taking another deep breath and exiting my assigned apartment. I was a mere eight blocks from Steve Rogers' apartment and less than a mile from Sam Wilson's, current best friend of Steve and ex-military man. And that was where I was headed now. The Director had apparently managed to track Captain Rogers and Agent Romanov there and it was my mission to discretely pass them information and help them with the Bucky situation without drawing attention to the area. If the enemy found them, the world was lost. I was supposed to hook them up in contact with Agent Hill who was our only remaining Agent on the inside of SHIELD/HYDRA that we knew we could trust and the only one with access to the Helicarrier specs and programming.
Violetta usually drew quite a lot of attention to herself so Fury had given me a cloaking device which I clipped to the collar. It sent out a complicated pattern of electromagnetic waves and light beams that bent the perception around us. Most people would simply see me walking a common looking do and cameras would only pick up a blur where Violetta was. We used this device often on missions like this one and it had never failed us.
Walking down the city blocks, I resisted the urge to itch my wig and put on a casual façade, popping my chewing gum nonchalantly and texting on my phone every now and then when I had to wait for the pedestrian crossing signal. Arriving at Sam Wilson's house, I rapped on the door sharply and efficiently. I heard a rustling and whispers with my advanced hearing and the closing of a door before footsteps approached me and the door swung open.
"Sam Wilson?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered slowly, cautiously. "Do I know you?"
"Oh, no," I kept my face in a smile, aware of the long-range camera pointed towards us a few rooftops away."We're being watched. You have done a nice job so far, now smile and invite me in before they realize how suspicious this is," I whispered through my smile. The man's coffee skin seemed to grow paler and he held the door open after a moment of deliberation, smiling widely. I entered and he shut it behind me. And then he slammed me against it, holding his forearm against my throat. I struggled to breathe and managed not to fight him- I could have easily removed him from my person but I didn't want to make him feel threatened. Violetta gave a low growl and his eyes flicked down to her before going unfocused briefly, trying to see past the illusion before giving up and looking back to me. I flicked my hand to tell Violetta to heel and back off. She stopped growling.
"Who are you? What do you know?" he asked. I managed to coke out an answer.
"I know that Agent Natasha Romanov and Captain Steve Rogers are I the other room. I know Nick Fury is not really dead. And I know that your name is Sam Wilson, ex- Air Force pilot and member of the terminated Project Falcon." Suddenly the door across from us opened and Steve Rogers came out, Agent Romanov behind him.
"Sam, relax," Steve ordered. The arm against my neck loosened immediately and I took a deep breath of unneeded oxygen- whatever Zola had given me made air a convenience and not a necessity. I could also control my heart rate at will which made it a lot easier to lie convincingly while in deep cover. But that was another story. Agent Romanov eyed me with recognition and nodded at me.
"Agent Galloway," she greeted indifferently.
"Agent Romanov," I nodded back, my professionalism returning easily.
"Galloway…" Steve muttered. "I know this is a long shot but… are you any relation to Lucy Grace Galloway?" I was startled but nodded slowly.
"Yes," I didn't elaborate.
"That is a funny coincidence," he smiled. "My best friend Bucky knew a girl named Lucy Galloway. She was all he talked about after I rescued him from HYDRA that day…" he paused. "And now Bucky isn't dead and you're here…"
"Captain Rogers," I smiled wryly. "I think you'll find that coincidences do not exist."
"How do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"My name is Lucille Grace Galloway," I smiled without humor. "I was born in 1927 and I once met a man named James Barnes in Brooklyn before he was shipped off to war… little did he know I was also in the army. I worked alongside a woman you know- her name was Peggy Carter… or, still is, I suppose. I hear she isn't doing so well these days." Steve was looking at me silently, his face pale and eyes wide. Off to the side a bit, Sam Wilson was sporting a similar expression. "I was on a mission in Austria when I was captured and experimented upon by HYDRA. I didn't know it at the time but Bucky Barnes was also captured and in just the next room being injected with the same serum as I by Dr. Zola, I am sure you remember him. He thought I died as I had no heartbeat but Commander Barnes survived the serum. Barnes was taken to the lab, I was left to rot. I escaped and lived on my own for decades, but that is another story."
"You… you knew Bucky then? And you know where he is now?"
"Where… not so much- but I know what he is now. I know what he has done. And I know he is being controlled by HYDRA and has been ever since he fell from that cliff seventy years ago. My mission is two-fold; I need to help you stop the algorithm and take down the helicarriers and I need to help you capture the winter soldier. Fury and the doctors at Base 27 believe that they can reverse the memory wipe that HYDRA has used on him but it won't be easy."
"Well then," Steve swallowed and took a deep breath, his shocked expression melting away and his jaw clenching. His features settled into a look I recognized all too well- the determined soldier. "Where do we start?"
Winter Soldier P.o.V.
They placed me on the third helicarrier set to launch. It was the one, according to Intel, that Steve Rogers, my target- my mission- was most likely to attack. The organization has seen that my target had gained more allies, an ex-air force pilot and an unknown female. The Romanov woman was also with him still and would present a challenge to me if she decided to stay with him but I wasn't worried.
Worry. The word rang through my head dully. It was the name of an emotion, this I knew. But I didn't know what it felt like- I knew the feel of nothing. My mind shut itself down, I was in danger of being compromised already ad my mission hadn't even truly begun.
Your mission is to kill Steve Rogers. The words ran on a mantra in my head, they became my only thought. The helicarriers took to the air and I waited patiently.
Your mission is to kill Steve Rogers. The more the words repeated the more wrong they sounded, breaking into meaningless syllables and nonsense, I shook my head resolutely.
Your mission is to kill Steve Rogers.
Lucy Grace P.o.V.
"Are you guys ready for this?" Hill asked through our comms unit. Steve, Sam and I all looked at each other and nodded (Natasha was already fulfilling her part in the plan elsewhere) before Steve answered.
"We were born for this, Agent Hill," he smirked a little and turned, leading us out and into the helicarrier bay.
The next few minutes were filled with chaos. I followed the cover Sam provided up until the first helicarrier, my thighs clutching Violetta's body just above her shoulder blades and my hands clenched in the fur just below her ears. It was a rough ride but I had more than enough practice by now. We dodged everything they through at us and I would occasionally release one hand to grab my gun and return fire as needed. Just before reaching the second helicarrier the fighting grew closer and I was forced to dismount. The serum in my veins made it easier to take the men out and I flipped and knocked them unconscious as I went along, taking a few blows that my Kevlar body suit absorbed well enough. Violetta ripped through the HYDRA sympathizers, spraying blood over the scene, her own Kevlar vest protecting her from too much harm.
I used my free hand to grab my gun and fired six shots, taking down seven enemy agents. Another came at me and I crushed their temple bone with the butt of my glock before moving on efficiently. The swarm was thinning and I wasted no time- as soon as I saw an opening I leapt onto Violetta's back and we tore out of the fray, sprinting and zigzagging towards the second helicarrier. We jumped into a closing door and hit the floor on the other side hard, throwing me from Violetta and forcing me to roll with the impact.
I ran out of bullets after taking out the first guard patrol and crashed into a wall at the sudden imbalance as the ship underneath me took off. I righted myself and stole a couple guns from the fallen patrol, walking swiftly and silently down the corridors. Hill had managed to get us maps and I thanked my photographic memory for them as I easily navigated the steel halls. Violetta trotted along at my heels and warned me with a low whine when she heard patrols approaching, her canine hearing alerting her much earlier than me.
Six more patrols were taken out and not one alarm triggered. I got into the algorithm hold and shot three more men, Violetta taking out the others. I made quick work of the lock code and swapped out the algorithm chip as efficiently as I could but I wasn't fast enough. Just as the algorithm bank was locking back up a shot rang out. Violetta yelped and growled, running to attack. I felt the impact of the bullet, the force shoving my shoulder forward. And then I felt the pain. I braced my teeth against a scream that escaped anyways, ripping out of my throat and ringing through the hold.
With great difficulty, I reached around and scratched the bullet hole, screaming and falling to my knees as I forced myself to stay conscious. Black dots spotted over my vision as I dug my fingers in and clutched the metal bullet, pulling it free. Hot, sticky liquid poured down my Kevlar armor and back. The blood covered bullet feel to the floor with a metallic ping. Violetta came up behind me and licked the wound, whining. I panted heavily and managed a small smile, reaching with my good arm to pat her head. I took a roll of gauze from my utility belt and placed one end of it in Violetta's jaws where she held it tightly. Together, just as I had trained he to do long ago, we wrapped my shoulder up tightly. A second passed after I secured the bandage and then is stood, determined to keep going.
"Come on, girl," she bowed low to make it easier for me to mount her and I swung onto her shoulders. And then we were off. I used my comms to check in on Sam who had completed his task and was now diverting missiles. Steve didn't answer his comms. I decided to check up on him in person. Violetta took me to the plane hold and I overrode the code on the bay door before hopping into a small, two-seater plane. Violetta sat behind me and I powered it up, flying us neatly out of the hold.
However, I never learned how to land. We crash/skimmed onto the top of the third and final helicarrier, wasting no time before leaping out and engaging the HYDRA sympathizers that were blocking our way inside. The algorithm hold was a lot closer to this entrance tan the one I had used before in the other helicarrier and it took about half the time to reach it. Just as I did, I saw Steve jam the faux-algorithm chip into place. And suddenly the ship was rocking with the force of being shot. I saw Bucky climb the catwalks in the glass hold and grab Steve by the scruff, pulling him down to beat on him. And Steve wasn't fighting back.
I ran forwards, wanting to scream at him to stop but the words catching in my throat. Violetta was hot on my heels. "Bucky," I breathed out forcefully, stopping not three yards from him. He turned to me, keeping Steve in a lock so he couldn't escape. Not that the Cap was struggling any.
"Who the HELL is Bucky?" he screamed, looking pained and angry. I took a step forward involuntarily and he skittered backwards, dragging Steve with him.
I saw his eyes flicker down to the gun in my hand and the ones on my belt before turning back to mine, searching me for answers. Understanding flooded through me and I dropped my gun instantly. It clattered to the grating of the catwalk and skittered off, falling deeper into the hold and away from me. Slowly, I unbuckled my utility belt and draped that on the beam behind me as well before turning back to face him, taking a step away from it and, consequently, a step towards him. This time he held his ground, eyeing me up and down and watching my movements carefully.
"Why?" his voice cracked and he looked so confused. I understood his question and smiled slightly.
"Because we're your friends, James," I answered.
"And we're with you," Steve managed to croak out. "To the end of the line,"
Pain, confusion, loss, rage, and sorrow all mingled on his features as he cried out wordlessly, tossing Steve aside like a ragdoll before sprinting away from us. Another explosion rocked the ship and suddenly the entire helicarrier tipped to one side and began losing altitude. Steve and I clutched the grating until we were balanced and then Steve picked himself up.
"Get out of here, I got him," he ordered me, sprinting in the direction Bucky had gone. I didn't want to leave but I knew that Steve would do as he said. I signaled to Violetta to follow me as I swung down onto a lower catwalk, just above the gaping hole in the hull. The Captain's shield was precariously balanced nearby and I grabbed it, slinging it onto my back before diving into the water 20 feet below, Violetta following without hesitation. We swam down and away from the wreckage, my wounded shoulder screaming in pain as I pushed myself through the icy bay water. Just as we broke the surface near shore the helicarriers hit the water, sinking faster than the Titanic. I looked back and saw Steve fall from the hold and hit the water but didn't see him surface. I was about to dive under and find him when I saw something that filled me with surprise and hope: Bucky Barnes- the Winter Soldier- dove in after him. The two bobbed to the surface a minute later and Bucky began towing a limp Steve towards the shore. I swam in that direction also and reached it just before they did.
Bucky dropped Steve on the sand and I skidded over to them, falling to my knees and checking the Captain's pulse. It was there. James was standing not far off and shifted his weight, tensing to run.
"Don't," I blurted and he froze. I swung my gaze up to meet his own blue/grey eyes. "Stay," I pleaded.
"I- I can't," he stuttered, so many emotions flashing across his features. I nodded, understanding.
"When you're ready," I took a deep breath. "Come and find us. And remember, no matter what you've done or who you've killed- we will always love you, James Buchanan Barnes," he nodded jerkily and sprinted away, his silver arm glinting in the sunset. A moment later, he was gone.
Steve gasped and choked, rolling over to better expel the water he'd inhaled, coughing like a smoker.
"Bucky?" he asked when he caught his breath. I looked in the direction the man had disappeared.
"He saved you and then he left," I told him. He looked disappointed. "He'll be back," I said confidently. "When he's ready,"