The New Friend
2014 The Red Star At Night
Above all, Phil Coulson still believed in justice. His foundations may have been shattered by Hydra infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and his team were on tender hooks, striving to still be a force of good in the world, but the righteous conviction that wronged people deserved to have their moment still drove him.
This was his purveying thought as he entered the small room in which Hydra Agent Grant Ward sat handcuffed to a metal chair that was bolted to the floor. The room was in the basement of an abandoned apartment building in Brooklyn, New York. It was an old and crumbling one that was scheduled for demolition in two weeks. The thought pained him, given it's history, but down with the old and up with the new was the sign of the times. Coulson thought the world could use a bit more of the old. Still, it would serve as a venue for the delivery of justice every bit as well as a Court of Law.
"I'm going to wipe that smug look off your face with my fist," Ward sneered. It was pure chance that they'd caught him, Garrett having abandoned him to save his own hide. Coulson had entered the room a few minutes earlier and had stood near the open doorway with a smirk on his face. He could forgive a lot of things, but betrayal, subterfuge and cold blooded murder weren't among them. An abusive childhood didn't expunge Ward of his crimes.
He'd sent the others away, save for May, who waited in the wings with their guest. Coulson smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he leaned against the door jamb. "If I may, I'd like to ask you a question," Coulson ventured.
"What?" Ward's exasperated sigh only served to add to the perverse delight Coulson was experiencing. He wasn't the man he used to be. He didn't used to enjoy toying with people, but he was enjoying this.
"Tell me, what do you think about Captain America?" The incredulous look he received was expected. "I want to know what you think of him."
"You know Coulson, I think they seriously scrambled your brain bringing you back from the dead."
"Probably, but I honestly do want to know."
"Fine, I'll play your game. To start with, he's a pussy..." And what followed was string of expletives, derogatory comments and a besmirching of the good Captain's character. Knowing how much Coulson admired the man fueled Ward's rant.
"Thank you, I was hoping you'd say that." On cue, a newcomer appeared behind Coulson emerging from the dark and stepping into the room. He was dressed in black leather combat boots, a pair of dark blue jeans and a black leather motorcycle jacket under which he wore a black t-shirt. His hands were gloved, his face freshly shaved with his short brown hair pushed back. His eyes were of a bright blue-green but there was something dark and cold about them unlike anything Ward had ever seen.
"I'd like to introduce you to Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th, a Howling Commando, an American hero and the life long best friend of Captain America," Coulson continued. "He's a new friend. I like him. He says I can call him Bucky, which, if I'm being honest, is pretty cool." The confusion on Ward's face was priceless. Bucky shucked off his leather jacket and passed it behind to May. The single lightbulb above their heads fully illuminated the metal arm that emerged from the cuff of the t-shirt. "Being as you're Hydra, you might know him better by his code name - The Winter Soldier." Ward went deadly still and the colour drained from his face. "He's been feeling a lot like himself lately and you might say he's got a bit of a grudge against everything and everyone Hydra."
Coulson stood up straight again as Bucky stepped in front of him. Looking over the broad shoulders of his new friend, Coulson spoke his parting words to Ward. "I'm going to give you two some alone time. Why don't you tell Sergeant Barnes more about what you think of his best pal, Steve?"
The End