6

Bucky sent her an address of where to meet them in Baltimore. It turned out the address was for a neighbourhood.

"You met John Walker?!" she cried as they walked to their destination, Bucky leading the way, both relaying their mission.

"Yeah, he was sent in as well. Called us Steve's wingmen."

"No."

"Afraid so."

"Asshole."

Bucky led them up to a house and knocked. A teenaged boy answered the door, very resistant to let them inside.

"Tell him the guy from the bar in Goyang is here," Bucky said. "He's going to know what that means."

"Nice kid," said Sam. "How do you know this guy?"

"I used to. We had a skirmish during the Korean War."

"Ah."

"Today's your lucky day." The kid returned. "He said he wanna see for himself." He opened the door and led them inside.

"Thank you."

An older man, who must have been the kid's grandfather, stood inside awaiting them.

"Isaiah," Bucky addressed him.

"Look at you."

"This is Sam, and Carina. This is Isaiah," Bucky introduced. "He was a hero. One of the ones that HYDRA feared the most. Like Steve. We met in '51-"

"If by met, you mean I whupped your ass, then yeah," cut-in Isaiah. "We heard whispers he was on the peninsula, but everyone they sent after him never came back. So the U.S. military dropped me behind the line to go deal with him. I took half that metal arm in that fight in Goyang, but I see he's managed to grow it back. I just wanted to see if he got the arm back. Or if he'd come to kill me."

"He doesn't do that anymore," Carina jumped in, quick to defend.

"She's right, I'm not a killer anymore."

But Isaiah didn't seem so convinced. "You think you can wake up one day and decide who you wanna be? It doesn't work like that. Well, maybe it does for folks like you."

"Isaiah, the reason we're here is because there's more of you and me out there."

"You and me."

"And we need to know how."

"I'm not gonna talk about it anymore!" In anger, Isaiah threw a tin - which embedded itself halfway into the wall. Carina jumped as it whipped past them.

Then he approached Bucky. "You know what they did to me for being a hero? They put my ass in jail! For thirty years! People running tests, taking my blood, coming into my cell. Even your people weren't done with me."

"Isaiah," Sam tried.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Come on man, let's go," the teenager ushered them out.

"Oh, that poor man," cried Carina, her heart breaking as they left the house.

Sam stormed ahead. "Sam," called Bucky.

"Why didn't you tell me about Isaiah? How could nobody bring him up?! I asked you a question, Bucky."

"I know-"

"Steve didn't know about him?"

"He didn't. I didn't tell him."

"So you're telling me that where was a black super soldier decades ago and nobody knew about it?"

"Hey!" A siren stopped them in the middle of the street. They had been approached by a cop car.

"What's up man?" Sam asked as a police officer approached them.

"There a problem here?"

"No, we're just talking," Sam told him.

"We're fine," Bucky insisted.

"Can I see your ID?" the officer asked Sam.

"I don't have ID, why?"

"Man, seriously?" cried Bucky.

"You're kidding!" added Carina.

"Sir, just calm down."

"I am calm," Sam said firmly. "What do you want? We're just standing here talking."

"Just give him your ID so we can leave," Bucky said.

"No, I'm not giving him shit, we're just talking."

"Hey, is this guy bothering you?" the officer asked Bucky.

"No he's not bothering me. Do you know who this is?" snapped Bucky.

"Hey, they're Avengers." A second officer approached and whispered to his partner.

"Oh God! I am so sorry, Mr. Wilson. I didn't recognize you without the goggles." The policeman gave an extremely uncomfortable chuckle. "I'm really, really sorry about this. Listen, guys, just wait here, okay?"

"Hey, I didn't tell anybody because he'd already been through enough," Bucky told Sam, continuing their conversation until the police approached again.

"Mr. Barnes, there's a warrant out for your arrest."

"What?" cried Carina.

"Yeah the President pardoned him for all that," added Sam.

"Not for that. You missed your court-mandated therapy. I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes, you're under arrest."

Bucky began to follow them back to their car.

"No, don't go with them-" Carina protested.

"Hey, it's okay. It's going to be okay," he assured her.

"I'm coming with you-" She was on the verge of panic now.

"Ma'am, you can't come with us."

"He's my husband!"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Barnes. The best I can offer is for you to meet us at the station," the officer told her.

"Bucky-" She was in tears as they handcuffed him and drove away with him back in the car.

"Come on," Sam told her. "We'll do just that."

Once at the station, Carina sat in a chair, holding her head in her hands. "Do you think I'm being overly paranoid?"

"I think you have every right to be paranoid," Sam told her.

"Yeah. And is it bad that I'm surprised by his pardon?"

"I think we were all surprised."

"Yeah."

"You know, not everyone is trying to take him away from you."

"Maybe not. But it feels like the rug is going to get pulled out from under our feet at any moment and this will all turn out to be some sick joke they're playing on us. I mean look at the stunt they pulled on you." She heaved a heavy sigh. "I know you know all this, but how could they do that to you? How dare they! And how dare they do all that to Mr. Bradley!"

"Hey, I know, and I agree." He sat down next to her.

"I know it's not exactly the same but we had cousins, friends, neighbours, people in our community who all had men go off to fight in the war. Some returned, others didn't, and those who did never got the recognition or assistance they were promised. Never regarded as the heroes they were. I've watched this same shit happen over and over again for decades and I'm sick of it. Every time there's a slight change, but it's still not enough. Some people will never change."

He nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Carina."

She looked up to see Dr. Raynor approaching. "Oh, hi Doc."

"You okay?"

"Not really."

"Hey, it's going to be okay," the doc assured her. "Sam, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Dr. Raynor, I'm James's therapist."

"So nice to meet you." They shook hands.

"Thank you for getting him out," Carina told her.

"Oh that was not me."

"Christina! It's great to see you again!" called a booming voice from down the hall.

"You gotta be kidding me, you know him?" cried Sam, watching as none other than John Walker himself strode over.

"Yeah, we did some field ops back in the day."

"I heard you were working with Bucky so I thought I'd step in," Walker explained, as though doing a huge favour. "Bucky's not going to be following a strict schedule any longer."

"What?" cried Carina.

"We haven't finished our work. Who authorized this?"

Walker just gestured to himself as if that were answer enough. "He's too valuable of an asset to have tied up."

"My husband is not an asset," Carina stepped in firmly.

"Ah, so you're the lucky lady. John Walker, Captain America."

"So I see."

The door buzzed open and a few guards escorted Bucky out into the lobby.

"Oh My God-" She rushed to hug Bucky as soon as he emerged. "Are you okay?"

Bucky didn't have a chance to answer before Walker was ordering everyone around. "Just do whatever you got to do with him, then send him off to me. Got some unfinished business, him and I. You too, Wilson, I'll be outside."

"James, condition of your release, session now," said Doctor Raynor. "You too, Sam."

"That's okay, I'll be out here with-"

"That wasn't a request."

"I'll wait for you," Carina called as the two followed the doc.

Sam emerged from the session first, appearing very frustrated.

"What happened?"

"The doc made us do couple's therapy."

Can't wait until the finale episode!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed ! :)