Bucky's POV
After a few months, my ribs healed almost completely... still had a bit of pain but not bad. I was however, very... unhappy. Everything and everyone was bigger than me. After a few days of delaying in the tiny house Tony had made for me, I went looking for some other borrowers. 'There have got to be a few in this tower!' I thought to myself. I walked around Steve's room before finding a small hole in the wall. "J-Jarvis?" I asked nervously, still a bit scared of the AI. Tony had let Jarvis know about me and told me to ask him if I needed help. "Yes, Sargeant Barnes?" He responded.
"Can you tell me how to get out if I get lost?" I asked. "Yes." "Thanks." I took a deep breath and walked in. It wasn't quite like I expected but I intended to find at least one borrower. I walked around for about an hour before I saw what looked like a borrower in the darkness. "Hello?!" I called cautiously. The borrower ran off and I tried to follow, but, due to my lack of knowledge of the paths I lost him.
"Jarvis?" I called hoping he could hear me. "Yes Sargeant Barnes?" He answered. "Can I get to the lab from here?" I asked. "Yes," he answered. "Take two lefts and three rights." I did as told and soon popped out onto one of his tables. He looked up after a few minutes. "Hey Bucky," He said. "Any luck?" "No" I sighed. "There are surprisingly fewer borrowers than I thought there would be." "Hey, I built this place." He told me jokingly. "I'd know if there were borrowers here." Just then, a borrower fell on his head. "What the-" Tony half-Yelled.
Peter's POV
It was my third week in the tower, I had just moved out of my old colony with Ned and MJ. Aunt May had been so upset about our moving here... because of all the scientists. 'You'll never survive if you get caught!' May's warning rang through my head. I shrugged it off as I watched the famous Tony Stark work on a new invention. Suddenly, the borrower who had tried to follow me popped up on the table. 'Run!' My brain screamed at him, then I noticed his left arm, it was all metal.
'So that's it!' I thought in distress. 'That poor guy. Stark must have dissected him and didn't want to kill him... must have replaced it with metal.' My thoughts caused my grip on the ceiling to weaken and I fell... right on Tony's head. "What the-" Tony said in surprise. 'I wonder what limb I'm going to lose.' I thought in fear as his hand reached up for me. "This creature is of similar components as Sargeant Barnes." A voice from the ceiling told him. "Thanks Jarvis." Tony replied, he set me on the table and made no effort to stop me as I ran into the hole in the wall. After I was a good ways back into the wall I noticed the other guy was close by.
"Oh," I said breathlessly. "You got away too." He gave me a strange look. "Umm, Yeah." He said in confusion. "Thank Stars." I told him. "It must have been horrible, come on! Let's get to the colony." We walked in silence for a while before I got the courage to ask him. "What happened to your arm?" "evil nazi scientists. Tony's making me a better one. He responded with a shudder. "Wait," I said in surprise. "Tony didn't do that?"
"Why would he?" He asked me in confusion. "Tony's may be an ass but he's not cruel." "But he's a scientist!" I protested in fear. "That's what they do... right?" "No? Only the bad ones. Plus, he's more of an engineer. Bruce is the scientist, and he would never hurt us." He told me. "Really? I thought- everybody was out to get us. How can you even stay here? It's terrifying!" I shuddered "Um... myboyfriendliveshere." He told me nervously. "Your What?" I asked as I couldn't process what he said.
"My boyfriend" He repeated. "So another borrower." I said."Um... no." He told me. "...he's a human." "WHAT?!" I Yelled in shock. "His name is Steve." He told me. "And what is your name?" I asked politely. "My friends call me Bucky" he said. "Huh... aunt may told me about a borrower with that name. The crazy thing is he fought in World War Two!" I told him. "...yeah about that" He told me. "That's me." "Uh, sure" I said sarcastically.
"It's true, ask tony." He said truthfully. "NO WAY AM I EVER TALKING TO A HUMAN!" I screamed in fear. "Why not? The ones here are friendly." Bucky asked me. "Because- they are humans!" I said, never dreaming he really wasn't scared. "I understand your reaction, but I promise they won't hurt you. Watch, ill go talk to Tony and you'll see." He soothed me. "Yeah! I'll stick around and watch you get killed!" I said, thinking he was joking. "It'll be fine ... watch!" He told me walking back through the hole. "Bucky, BUCKY WHAT ARE YOU DOING-" I yelled after him.
"Hey Bucky," I heard Tony say. "I was wondering where you went." "There was another borrower... I wanted to talk to him." I heard Bucky. "Good! Now you can make friends with your own kind! Won't be so lonely." Tony said happily. "I'm not lonely. I have you, and Steve, and Natasha, and Clint" He said in his defense. "Yeah, But you have been a little restless lately... thought it was because there was no one like you here. Anyway, what's your new friend's name?" Tony asked. "Peter. And I'm restless because the mattress i have is too soft." Bucky complained. "Sure... glad you made a friend! Maybe i can meet him sometime!" Tony said in his carefree way.
"I don't know, he's pretty shy." Bucky explained to him. "Aw, I won't bite. You can tell him that even" Tony grinned. "Might not be too reassuring, but I'll let him know." Bucky said as he made his way back to me. "See? Perfectly safe." He told me. "Thanks, but I'm still not too comfortable heading out there" I told him nervously. "That's ok, but don't forget to visit me sometime" Bucky said. "Where do you stay Bucky?" I asked, so I'd know where to go. "Tony made a little house for me... it's in Steve's room." He said happily. "Ok... see ya." I said as I disappeared into the tunnel.
to be continued in the next chapter *
