It's that time of the week again. In editing I've realized some vital flaws in my original writing so I'm more or less rewriting the ending or at least a good portion of it (It's so much better now IMO). Which means little to nothing for y'all, I have up until 16 fully edited as of right now, so weekly releases can keep going forward!
Complete sidenote: I love when you guys comment and interact. I just want to message you and tell you everything. Also, not me bouncing off part three ideas with one of my besties and us being like oh look, a plot bomb that totally hasn't already started manafesting, nope not at all).
Anyway, enjoy!
With love, Dubs
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January 11th - Winter Soldier Supplemental - The Causeway
"Bucky?" Steve said seeing the man and the Winter Soldier bristled. Maggie had called him that over and over, he had wanted her to. She said it in a way it was all he desired and without hesitation he had accepted the name… And as the man in front of him said it as well, he felt a similar familiarity from the man.
"Who the hell is Bucky?" he asked, pointing his gun at Steve. Whoever he was, the Winter Soldier envied him. Once his mission was over, he would become him and at the very least, take Maggie for his own. He hesitated shooting, his mind drifting to her tears. Anger bubbled inside him as he looked at the man in front of him, "And why do people keep calling me that?"
The Winter Soldier pulled the trigger. The shot missed as another man, one in a wingsuit, flew in and knocked him down. He rolled next to a truck and stood up quickly, but there was a moment of hesitation as he stared at the blonde, civilian clad, star-spangled man.
"Because that's who you are. And Maggie? Our Maggie? She's alive," Steve said quickly. The Winter Soldier's eyes narrowed. She wasn't their Maggie. Steve, however, continued quickly, trying to draw his old friend out of the assassin in front of him, "Did you hear me, Bucky? I said Mag—"
"Stay away from her!" the Winter Soldier yelled, anger bubbling. He raised his gun again to fire on the man and continued quieter, so only Steve could hear him, "She's mine and she's safe."
"What do yo—" Steve began but ducked as a small rocket flew past him and toward Bucky. It hit the truck next to the Winter Soldier, creating a large explosion. The Winter Soldier hit the ground hard and rolled away before taking to the sewers. Hydra disguised as SHIELD was arriving and he had no business being there. He listened as the agents arrested Captain America, echoes of the man's voice telling him Maggie was alive reverberated in his mind.
He punched the wall.
The Winter Soldier was on a short leash after being MIA for almost the entire day previous and he knew that meant it was highly likely Pierce was listening in on his mission. Why did that stupid blond man have to call her theirs. And why did it cause such a visceral reaction—
A voice coming over his earpiece brought him from his thoughts.
"The Secretary commands your presence at home, soldier," the male voice spoke in Russian. A chill ran up the Winter Soldier's spine. Home. The old Federal Bank building. He was either being decommissioned or reconditioned, and he assumed the latter of the two was preferred. He closed his eyes and Maggie's tear-stricken face returned to him. He opened his eyes again immediately.
"Understood."
He had failed her again.
Winter Soldier Safe House
Maggie stared at the ceiling in a haze. Whatever Bucky—no, the Winter Soldier—had given her, had not been enough to put her to sleep. Instead, she laid for what felt like an eternity in a strange lucid state. When she finally felt herself returning to normal, she looked up at the cuffs covering her wrists. She blinked several times, unable to decide if her eyes were deceiving her. One of the chains on the steel cuffs was broken, as if it had been stretched apart…And stretched enough that with just the right finagling…
Her hands came free almost instantly and she held them up in front of her. She sat up quickly and looked between her hands and the bent bars. Had she done that? Or had she forgotten some part of the Winter Soldier leaving her there. Maybe he had just given her an easy chance at escaping when she finally came to… that was something her former fiancée would do, if he was still in fact in there…
She looked at the clock. 16:30.
She groaned. It had been almost a whole day in her lucid state, no wonder it had felt so long.
Maggie stood from the bed and walked to the door, expecting it to be locked. Instead, she found it easy to swing open. She immediately looked around for traps. All she saw, was a piece of paper on the kitchen counter, with Cyrillic letters written on it. She walked over to it and picked it up. She read it once, quickly then flipped the paper over. Seeing nothing else, she flipped the paper again and began to reread it, slowly:
'Anya, Maggie,
Odds are when you read this, I've completed my mission or something went wrong,' the letter began, her name from Hydra struck through and replaced with her actual name, 'I planned to come see you one final time before they reset me. If I didn't… Then Pierce knows I helped you. Stay safe. Stay in this home. Stay away from me. I've taken measures to lead myself on a hunt that will take time to find you the next time 'round. Hopefully, by the time I do, I'll have some of my memory of you back. Even if not, I meant what I said. I could never kill you. I don't remember much, but I know you always feel right.
'I… don't know who Bucky is. All I know is that look you gave me when you first woke up and thought I was him—I never want to forget your face in that moment. I hope I never do, but I know I will.
'This house is yours now. These are the keys. I'll say it one more time. Stay away from me and stay safe.'
Maggie rolled her eyes.
"Idiot," she mumbled under her breath, "like hell I'm going to just wait for you to come after me… Especially while Pierce is still alive? Who the hell else is going to save your ass?"
She picked up the keys and went into the bedroom, grabbing clothes from the dresser. They were clearly some of his, and far too large for her. She could solve that later, for now she just needed to get to someone she could trust. Her brain immediately went to Steve Rogers. He couldn't be that hard to find, could he?
She walked to the front door as she tied her hair up but stopped seeing another note taped to it.
'I knew you wouldn't just stay here,' it read, its lines a scrawling English cursive. Maggie smiled as she continued reading, 'Your things are in a bag in the top of the bedroom closet, as well as some clothes. Maggie, you're my happiness so please stay safe. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain.'
Maggie sighed.
"You get one pass Barnes. One. That means you're still in the hole, mister," Maggie mumbled as she went back to the room. She pulled the bag from the closet and dumped it on the bed, surprised when the SHIELD tablet fell from it. She stared at it for a moment before she turned it on. A map popped up instantly and a beacon lit up in a nearby dam. She let out a surprised chuckle.
"Alright Bucky," she whispered, "Maybe you get two."
She wondered if he knew bringing the tablet was important, but as she stared at the blip on the screen, she couldn't help but think it was purely coincidental. He couldn't possibly know Fury was alive. No one could. She wouldn't, if it wasn't for the little edible tracker that she had placed in his meatball sub.
She knew immediately her course of action.
Fury had been her main failure over the years. He had trusted her once again and she was going to tell him everything… Tell him everything…and apologize for lying to him. He would be their best chance at getting away from Pierce. He was the best chance to cripple Hydra once again.
