Growing up during war was difficult. Being a girl growing up during that time period only added to that difficulty. Being a girl and a mutant on top of that made for a terrible fate.
Despite all of the challenges, Anna McDonald never counted herself as unlucky. She had food in her belly, a roof over her head, one parent who was still alive, and the two best friends that a girl could ask for. Anna was heading across the hall over to Steve's apartment as she mulled over her life. She still remembered the day when she first met Bucky. Bucky had been one of her closest friends since as long as she could remember. Her mother used to babysit for him and his little sister Rebecca when they were merely toddlers. They had gotten along like two peas in a pod despite the small two-year age difference. It was actually Anna who had introduced Bucky to Steve when they were only children.
Steve had been in the same grade as Anna. Even at a young age, Steve appeared small and frail—those two qualities made for a tough and unforgiving life. He would get picked on a lot by the other children in their class and Anna had been raised to always do the right thing and that meant doing what she could to help those who needed it. Steve Rodgers did not necessarily need anyone to protect him, he was always willing to fight his own battles and his determination kept this little kid from Brooklyn from staying down. That fact made Anna respect him more and she didn't mind when she had to stick up for her new school friend. It was easier to stand up to the bullies when they were younger. All Anna had to do was call out mean names to the other boys and threaten them with her girl "cooties". But as the years progressed and the bullies got bigger and smarter, the attacks became more forceful and aggressive.
She could remember the day the three of them had first came together vividly.
A tiny girl with large brown eyes, a little too big for her pale face, was swinging happily on the swing-set at the school playground. Beside her swung a skinny, blonde, blue-eyed boy. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't manage to pump his legs hard enough to reach the heights that his friend was reaching. Both were unaware of the fact that the class bully, Robby Clarke was lurking behind Steve. As Steve swung back, Robby shoved him off the seat. Steve went flying into the air and landed roughly on the mulch-covered ground.
"Steve!" Anna's small voice called out in shock. She could barely blink before Robby was on top of her friend pressing his face into the mulch. "Stop it, Robby!" With a growl, she had launched her small body off the swing to tackle the bully.
"Get off of me, you little bitch!" Robby easily tossed Anna to the side. He didn't even watch as the tiny girl hurtled into the ground.
Anna laid still in the mulch, her head was pounding and she had never been angrier than she was in that moment. A hum was running through her body and a wave of panic washed over her as she tried to calm her breathing. The little girl knew that if she did not get control of her emotions then what she had been painstakingly hiding for the short few years of her life would show itself—her abilities.
Right on cue, like a knight in shining armor, Bucky was there. Bucky had been on the other side of the fence, at the big kid playground, when he had heard Anna's shout pierce through the crisp fall air. As soon as Bucky had seen Anna in the dirt and the small boy whom he knew to be her friend being kicked repeatedly, Bucky had sprinted towards them.
Robby was forcefully ripped off of Steve who was still lying face-first on the ground.
"What do you think you're doing?" Bucky was shaking the bully, slightly lifting him a few inches into the air by the collar of his shirt. "Didn't your ma teach you any manners? You don't pick on other kids and you sure as hell don't lay your hands on a girl." Bucky was seething with anger and was waiting for the bully to answer him.
Bucky's question was left unanswered and he merely scoffed as he pushed Robby away from him. "Just like I thought, a coward. Don't you ever touch either of them again, you go it? If I ever see you so much as glance in their direction, I will show what it's like to really be in a fight."
Robby only nodded once before running away, tears of fear and embarrassment running down his face.
After the bully had run off, Bucky had offered a hand to Steve to help him up. Steve had hesitantly taken the hand and was easily lifted off of the ground into a standing position.
"Damn, you can really take a punch, kid." Bucky grinned at the smaller boy, taking in Steve's only slightly disheveled appearance. "I'm Bucky by the way. Bucky Barnes."
Steve stuck out his hand, in a very polite and adult-like fashion. "I'm Steve Rodgers. And I guess I'm just used to getting thrown around." Steve's face broke out into a huge, charming smile as Bucky shook his hand and laughed at the last comment.
"Well, thanks for all the help, boys." Anna was still sitting on the ground, irritated that neither of her friends had bothered to help her up. She had not known in that moment that a once in a lifetime friendship was being forged between the two guys that she cared about most in the world. In that moment, she was blissfully unaware of what the world had in store for them.