Hello all! This is my first fic… It's been nagging at me for over a month and I've been fleshing out a lot of the story and while it's not complete I thought I would get this first bit out since you know, finals are coming up and I want to procrastinate and all.
This first chapter is mostly from Bucky's perspective from different times. The whole story won't be like this but I thought I would mash up the beginning.
Please review if you have the time! Thanks for reading! And do enjoy.
Also, I don't own anything Marvel of course. Just my OC's.
March 2016 – A sleeping Bucky Barnes in Bucharest, Romania, 3:06am
"Bucky! Bucky!"
Bucky's chest heaved and sweat dripped down his temple as his memories came flowing back as if passing an invisible black wall.
September 1943 – Bucky's perspective
All the guys were huddled around the first radio they had seen in weeks. Coming back to base felt like Christmas. Almost.
Sitting on his buddy George's bunk, Bucky got a better listen to the announcer on the radio. "U.S. bombers hit Italian warships thirty-five times today. An RAF raid destroys several vital German dams as well. Another victory for the Allied powers. That is all the news from the war front for today folks."
Then the announcer went silent.
"Looks like we have a special performance for you all tonight by Amelia America out of Philadelphia."
Bucky turned to George, brows furrowed. "Amelia America?"
George didn't take his eyes off the radio as the girl started singing "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn. "Shh, Buck. She's touring with that Captain guy, raising money for the war." George grew silent and then lowered his voice. "Her voice sure is pretty, ain't it?"
Bucky couldn't push the thought away that this voice on the radio reminded him of a certain girl from Brooklyn. The lyrics continued. "Keep smiling through.
Just like you always do."
Bucky couldn't help but smile.
February 1945
"Do you think HYDRA stands a chance?" Bucky asked turning his head up to Steve, as they weaved through the crowded camp after raiding another HYDRA base.
Steve clapped Bucky on the back. "As long as the Howling Commandos have their sharpshooter, I think we'll take HYDRA down in no time."
The corners of Bucky's lips pulled up into a smile as he glanced over at his now taller friend. It had been a few months since Steve had saved Bucky and the rest of the soldiers from the HYDRA base in Austria yet Bucky still wasn't used to Steve's new Captain America persona. In many ways Steve was a completely different person now. From scrawny brave kid to commander and chief.
Coming back into camp always made Bucky heart feel heavier thinking about having to face Amelia. "How do you think she's doing?" Bucky face kept its composer.
Steve sighed as they stepped into the hustle and bustle of Commander Phillips' tent. "After hearing about what Schmitt did to her parents, I can't wait to bring him to justice."
Bucky smirked. "Not all of us can put it so eloquently, punk."
"Barnes! Rogers! How is our strategy working out?" Commander Phillips yelled from across the tent, as he looked to be in a deep discussion with Howard Stark and Agent Carter.
"Well, sir!" Steve commanded back, taking an extra second to give Agent Carter a longer look and a half-smile.
*BANG* A gunshot. Then nothing. Everyone went still. A silence tension grew in the camp. Maybe if no one moved then danger could be avoided?
Nope.
Steve and Bucky were on their feet in a split second racing towards the source of the noise as screams rose from the nurses' tent. Commander Phillips followed.
Out of the nurses' tent came a light brown haired girl in a Captain America red, white and blue dress running towards Bucky and Steve at full speed, eyes locked on Steve.
Taken by surprise, Commander Phillips tried to move out of the way while Steve and Bucky stood their ground. What has gotten into her? Bucky thought. Closing distance between them, in one swift move, the girl jumped up with a clenched fist and sucker punched Steve in his left cheek with so much force that he was thrown back by about twenty feet.
Bucky looked around at the crumpled form of his best friend in disbelief. How is that possible? In shock but quick on his feet, Bucky attempted to hold the girl back from going after Steve again, but his attempts were useless against her.
The girl went after Steve and punched him one more time for good measure before dragging him behind her. Before Bucky had time to process what just happened, she was already running away from the camp with a limp Steve dragging behind her.
Steve unconscious? This is bad. Bucky thought.
Soldiers started firing at the girl. No!
"Hold down your fire, men! She has the Captain!" Bucky yelled as he ran towards the girl.
With no 200 pound man to pull, Bucky thought it wouldn't take him long to catch up. But she was one step ahead of him. He saw her running straight for a truck just outside of the camp.
Shit, Bucky thought to himself. He could never reach her in time if she got away in a truck.
"Amelia! Come back! This is ridiculous."
The girl turned around, planted her feet on the ground and stared at Bucky, her eyes deadly sinister.
Bucky lifted his arms up in surrender so as to not to provoke her.
Bucky thought this girl couldn't possibly be Amelia.
"I'll never speak to you again, James Buchanan Barnes."
Her eyes grew wide for a second as if she recognized Bucky for the first time and her mouth dropped open as if to say something. She crocked out, "I –" but before she could say anything else her head flopped to one side, eyes fluttered shut and her hand slipped from Steve's collar.
"Amelia!" Bucky yelled and he ran to catch her.
But he was too late.
The moment her head hit the ground it was as if it was a reset button was pushed and she was woken back up. She jumped back into a defensive position with that dead look in her eyes, loaded gun pulled out of her holster and pointed straight at Bucky's face.
Bucky was now frozen in place between Amelia and an unconscious Captain America.
"Amelia, what's going on?" Bucky said quietly, hands up.
Her eyes shifted between Bucky and Steve.
Without giving Bucky a second glance she turned on her feet and ran to the truck.
Half hour later
Holding ice to his head, Steve closed his eyes trying to not think about the throbbing in his head. Since having the super soldier serum in him, a hit had never hurt that bad.
Bucky leaned against the far pole of the tent, head turned down.
The commander sat down behind his desk. Steve was sat down in front of his desk, ready for questioning.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Rogers."
Steve took a deep breath, trying to think of a reason why Amelia would ever do this. That wasn't Amelia.
"A HYDRA agent disguised in red, white and blue." Phillips huffed. "Hah. Unbelievable. I should never have trusted her. Her mother is German, right?"
"I know her mother." Steve looked up at Phillips. "She was always against the Nazis."
"You never know, Rogers. Germans can be two-faced."
"Amelia would never do this." Steve said.
"Then who was it that just ransacked my camp and terrorized the nurses?" The commander asked, throwing his arm out towards the nurses' ward. "Oh, there's no question that Amelia did this. My question for you, is how was this young woman able to render you unconscious? Secrets like that can't be kept from me, Rogers." Phillips sat back in his chair.
Steve took a deep breath. "I honestly have no idea, sir."
"Really? No idea?" Phillips eyes grew wide and he grew silent for a second. "That's not acceptable!" Phillips hit the table with force and signed heavily. "This is worse than I thought."
Steve looked at the commander in confusion. Commander Phillips' face grew even more stone cold and un-amused if that was possible. "I'm holding you responsible for her actions, Rogers. You got her here."
"Yes, sir."
"I need better than 'yes, sir', Rogers! She stole important strategy documents," Phillips explained, standing up, eyes shifting. "We could lose the war because of this frilly singer, Amelia FUCKING America! This sneaky Kraut bitch!" Steve pursed his lips and told himself to keep quiet at the commander's vulgar terms. "If you ever really knew her, I need you to figure her out now and quick. What's her next move?"
"Amelia would never do this." Steve repeated looking up at Phillips with a blank look.
"That's not good enough, Barnes." Phillips said through clenched teeth.
Suddenly Barnes turned up his head to see the commander right in front of him, as well as everyone else in the camp.
Bucky looked around in surprise. Everyone in the camp was standing and looking blankly at him from all angles.
They all started to chant. "Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak." The words were monotone but familiar. Bucky tried to leave but he couldn't seem to move his feet. He looked down. What? Why was his arm metal?
He looked up again. The commander stayed in place in front of Bucky but suddenly everyone else started slowly walking towards him, even Steve. Everyone had that blank dead look in their eyes that Amelia had.
"Furnace. Nine. Benign." The slow chanting went on. Bucky's heartbeat quickened. He still couldn't move his feet even though he fought the invisible force.
Then the words started to become Russian and something clicked in Bucky's mind. They chanted, louder and closing in on Bucky, "возвращение на родину (Homecoming). Один (One). грузовой вагон (Freight car)" Bucky's hands clutched his head and screamed. грузовой вагон. Freight car. Freight car. Freight car. Freight car.
Then he was falling out of a freight car over and over, snowing falling into his eyes, Steve calling his name. Bucky knew that his life would soon be over. Over and over and over. Bucky! Bucky!
Something was pushing him.
"Good morning, Soldier."
March 2016
"Bucky! Bucky!"
Bucky gasped and sat up in bed, chest heaving.
What do you think? I would love to know!