Hey everyone, still doing edits and posting the chapters here and , so if you are seeing this you know what time it is. What an adventure this has turned out to be, and I'm glad you are all taking it with me. Love the feed back from all of you and I hope to keep you all loving the story and hungry for more. I don't own Marvel, it's intellectual properties or it's characters. I do this for fun! That said, here is...
Chapter Eleven
James Buchanan Barnes, or Bucky to his friends, had experienced more in his life than he had ever could have imagined. He was drafted into military service for the second world war, fought alongside the man who would become not just the first Avenger, but his brother Steve Rogers. Served in the special forces unit the Howling Commandos. He even felt what it had been liken to die. One of HYDRA's top scientists, Arnim Zola was on board a train that the Howling Commandos had been ordered to take down. It had all been a trap, an attempt to kill Captain America, only it was Bucky who fell from the train into the ice and snow drenched abyss, as Steve watched on helplessly.
Bucky had been told that he underwent multiple surgeries to save his life and repair his broken body. He remembered though getting his first bionic arm. It had been crude, cumbersome, but still a marvel of then modern technology. Bucky remembered becoming the Winter Soldier particularly well. HYDRA had crafted their own super soldier serum based off blood samples left from Red Skull. While they had removed the outward physically damaging side effects of the serum, they did nothing to lesson the amoubt of the internal damage it could do. Bucky shivered as he recalled every nerve, every cell in his body feeling like it was on fire. Recalling how distorted reality became, how his sanity fragmented almost beyond repair.
That was the difference between him and the others in the Winter Soldier program. They lacked the mental strength and will that Bucky possessed to be able to stay sane and follow orders. Only by using hypnosis and brainwashing techniques was HYDRA able to maintain control of Bucky for so long. Then came the day he saw Steve again, which was the beginning of the end of HYDRA's control of Bucky's mind. Then fighting along side Captain America and the Avengers to stop Thanos, then finally helping to finish the Mad Titan for good. It was after that day that Doctor Strange had approached him with the way to save Steve.
He had grappled with the decision alone, knowing full well that if he told anyone else they would want to be the ones to help. Bucky was not about to let anyone else sacrifice themselves. As much as had wanted to go see Stark's and Steve's funeral, he knew he would never have been able to keep it from Natasha. So he had patiently waited for the Black Widow to begin her journey to return the Infinity Stones. Following her from a distance, watching her work with flawless efficiency. Remembering their time together as he trained her in the Red Room. He had almost expected her to detect him, but so determined was Nat to return the Stones, so set on getting to Vormir she never knew he was there.
Bucky looked at Gamora for a moment, stopping in mid stride from their walk in the Soul Dimension as he said, "Man, after all I've seen, I feel so Damn old it's ridiculous." The warrior woman laughed lightly before saying, "Fear not, in the eyes of most of the cosmos you're still just a baby!" This caused the Winter Soldier to laugh as well until thunder split the air around them and everything began to shake. Gamora took hold of Bucky's arm to steady herself, as he did his best not to fall either. "What the hell was that?" Bucky asked when everything settled down again.
The sound of the Red Skull's voice boomed and echoed all around them. "It would seem, as if there is to be a changing of the guard, Sergeant Barnes." Gamora looked around, expecting to see the Red Skull appear before them. "I would have thought, Frauline, that you would have been a little smarter than that. I can't come to the Soul World unless I die, seeing as how I am caught between the living and the dead I will never be able to do that. However, Sergeant, you can come here. I await your arrival with great anticipation." Silence returned, leaving the two of them alone. Gamora looked at Bucky as she said, "It can't be true. He has to be taunting you somehow. There is no way to leave here."
Bucky shook his head no in opposition as he replied, "Well I gave up my life for Steve to be able to return to life and leave here, but I didn't actually die. From when I held the Soul Stone I could sense it wanted something from me. This must be it." Gamora nodded her head before looking down at the floor, suddenly feeling all alone again. Bucky lifted her face up by the chin and looked her in the eyes. "I promise you , you won't be alone here."
Taking a step back, the Winter Soldier focused his mind to the wind swept cliff of Vormir, closing his eyes in concentration. When he felt the chilling blast of mountain against his face Bucky opened his eyes again and found himself back on Vormir. Red Skull was waiting for him, just as he had said. All of a sudden, bolts of electricity began arcing all over Red Skull, and he appeared to be in agony. It lasted only a short time, but when it was over, gone was the wraith like form the old HYDRA leader existed in for what seemed like an eternity. Returned to him now was his flesh and blood body.
"You can't imagine how good it is to actually feel anything after so long of being unable to do so." Red Skull said, flexing his muscles, testing his body once more. "So, I guess it would be pointless to ask if you're going to give up and just go live your life somewhere right?" Red Skull dropped into a combat stance as he replied with a smile. "You assume correctly, Sergeant." Bucky dropped into a stance of his own and the two warriors began to circle one another. Red Skull struck first, sweeping a kick at his opponents legs following a blindingly fast jab at Bucky's head.
The Winter Soldier blocked the sweep at his leg with his shin, slipped the jab before returning fire with a bionic fist to Red Skull's gut. He continued on with a hard strike of his elbow to Red Skull's jaw. The leader of HYDRA recovered quickly and kicked Bucky in the chest, and as he doubled over from the blow, Red Skull delivered a punishing headbutt. This should have caused a lesser opponent to be left dizzy and open for attack. This was the Winter Soldier, he'd seen more combat than most, trained the deadly Black Widow and had fought Captain America to a stand still. Bucky used the momentum to launch himself into a flip kick, the hard sole of his boot crashing into the Red Skull's chin. Landing back on his feet, the Winter Soldier launched himself back at his enemy.
The two super soldiers began raining blows at each other, landing hit after crushing hit on one another, with slowly, The Winter Soldier began to gain the upper hand. Bucky broke through Red Skull's guard with flurry of fast strikes at the HYDRA leader's head and body Red Skull was reeling, he weakly struck back at Bucky's head, only to have him catch it in his bionic hand. Bucky pulverized it easily, watching as Red Skull fell to his knees in agony, still trapped in the Winter Soldier's grip. "It's over. You've lost." Bucky told his fallen opponent, releasing him and walking away from the fight.
No sooner had the words been spoken was Red Skull returned to his former state of incorporealness, and as the leader of HYDRA looked back up to his conqueror he began to disappear, fading away as if he had never existed at all. Bucky looked up from where the Red Skull was, seeing Doctor Stange sitting on the edge of an open portal. "Congratulations, Guardian." Bucky breathed a sigh of relief, before asking, "So, what happens now?" The Sorcerer Supreme got up and walked over to the new Guardian of the Soul Stone. "You are the Stone's Guardian now. You can reside within the Soul Dimension and have an active role in the universe at large, seeing as how you kept your body."
The Winter Soldier was stunned by this revelation, asking, "So, I can leave here at any time?" Doctor Strange held up a finger as he replied, "With one stipulation. Should anyone come here searching for the Soul Stone, the moment they even come to Vormir's solar system or surface you will instantly be brought back here by the Stone's power to guard it and lead those who understand it's worth to find it." Bucky nodded his acknowledgement, and as Strange stepped back through the portal he looked back at Bucky and asked, "Coming?" The Winter Soldier nodded before saying, "Can you give me one minute?" The Sorcerer nodded and waited patiently as Bucky turned back to the cliff edge.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on Gamora, focusing on her presence. Gamora found herself standing back on the cliff of Vornir's mountain with Bucky. She ran forward and hugged him."You did it! How am I here? Am I free?" Bucky shook his head no in disappointment as he said, "I'm sorry, not yet. I can only bring you here for now to tell you that I'll be leaving for a bit, but I will be back." Gamora tried not to feel saddened, as she realised her friend was trying to find some way to allow her to return to life. Sharing another hug Gamora stepped back and waved her goodbye before vanishing back to the Soul Dimension. Bucky turned back around and stepped through the portal.
Steve and Natasha were laying in bed together in tangled sheets. They had spent the whole night they got back from the Avengers compound making up for lost time. More than once Nat poked fun at Steve throughout the night. She had expected him to not be very experienced, hearing him say before it was hard to meet anyone without shared life experiences. He surprised her with his skills in the bedroom, to which he smugly replied. "I'm over a hundred, not dead." (Definitely not dead.) Natasha thought to herself as she lay against his bare chest, her hands drawing small circles over his sculpted muscles.
She felt his fingers run through her hair and she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Goodmorning!" Steve said, his smile capable of melting Natasha's heart everytime she saw it. She propped her self up on an elbow to lean in and give him a kiss, granting him another view of her amazing assets before her lips met his. "Goodmorning to you too, soldier. Care for breakfast? Or are we sleeping in today?" Natasha asked after, to which the first Avenger replied, "I'm all for staying in, but I don't think there will be any sleeping." He finished with a wink, and before the two could get any further heard a pounding on the front door of the apartment.
Steve dressed quickly and grabbed his shield, Natasha threw on the SSR shirt and grabbed a pistol as they went into the living room. The pounding on the door came again and Steve moved up against the door frame as Natasha aimed at the door. Steve aksed, "Who's there?" To which they heard Sam on the other side say, "Cap! Come quick! Got someone at Strange's place you're gonna wanna see!"
And that is chapter eleven everybody! Sorry it took so long, been posting this on and editing all of this as well as trying to write, work and be with family. Hope you all love it and I'll have twelve up soon!