Inspired by another conversation in the Stark Tower Discord, between Izumi2, BlueStarOfTheSouth, and iamgoku, about how Bucky also got a super solider serum from his capture, and someone actually realised that. It's... a little non-serious, though I wouldn't call it crack exactly, and didn't quite turn out like I expected it to, but hey, it worked out in the end.
James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes stared at the letter he'd been handed for a long moment.
"Is- is this real?" He asked hesitantly, looking up at the man who'd bought it to him.
Howard Stark nodded, face serious. "Yeah." He looked worn, older than his years, and rubbed his face a little as he added, "Look, Sargent, I know it's probably not what you want, that you'd rather be on the front lines with your pal Cap here, but this could save a lot of lives-"
"I'll do it." Bucky interrupted, something similar to hope building in his chest. "This- yeah. I'll do it."
Stark seemed shocked. "You will?"
"Yeah, course. I never much wanted to be a part of this shit anyway. Drafted, so I went, but…" He shook his head. "I've already seen more than enough, sir. This is my chance to get away from all that, do a lot more helping people than I could ever do out here. Just… give me a bit of time."
"Of course." Stark agreed easily. "We'll need to be heading out soon- this is still enemy territory technically, it's a God-damn miracle that the brass let me out here to escort you- but we've got time to get yourself together." He hesitated. "Though, ah, about the Captain…"
Bucky laughed. "Let me take care of Stevie." He said. "He'll understand when I tell him what's going on. Don't worry about it."
Steve could be a damned idiot on a good day, he knew that, and now he was all big and enhanced Bucky was willing to bet he could be even more stupid if he wanted, but he'd understand what was going on, why he was choosing this.
It was for the good of all the soldiers out in the field, after all.
"Why are you doing this, Buck?"
Or not.
Bucky rubbed his forehead with one hand, using the other to finish grabbing what little stuff he had on the front lines to pack into the bag Stark had given him. "I told you, Stevie." He repeated, well aware that they had something of an audience in the form of the other Howling Commandos. "It'll help thousands of people in the long run, thousands of soldiers that won't die-"
"They're trying to turn you into a lab rat!"
Bucky blinked. "No?" He said, baffled. "That's not what they're doing at all. Hell, there's bits in the contract specifically to make sure that they can't do that." Sure, Stevie hadn't read the thing, but he had, and surely Steve had enough trust in him to believe that Bucky would never let someone treat him like that?
Especially after Hydra.
"Steve, this is something that's going to save so many lives." He repeated, hoping that this time it might sink in. "Why wouldn't I want to do that? Hell, I never volunteered for this war, I was drafted and you know it. This gets me off the front and into a place I can help more people."
"So you're just going to abandon me? After everything I did to get you back?" Steve's voice had risen again, and there was a familiar jut in his jaw that meant he wasn't going to let this go without a fight. "I can't believe this-"
"I didn't ask for this, Steve." Bucky reminded him. "I didn't ask to be in this war, I didn't ask to be captured, and I didn't ask for you to come rescue me- not that I'm not grateful, but I didn't ask for you to do it. I don't owe you for it, and this is a chance to do something that'll have a much bigger impact than one guy on the front lines."
"But- you said we were together. To the end of the line, remember?"
"And I mean it, but I ain't gonna leave good people in danger when I can help out, and this means that I can help them out." He sighed, shaking his head slightly. He got the feeling that Steve wasn't going to let this go no matter what, and honestly, he wasn't in the mood to fight him on this.
This was Bucky's choice, after all. He'd read the contract that he was being offered by the Government, and it seemed sane to him. Admittedly he didn't speak lawyer talk all that well, but from what he did understand of it made it seem very fair.
Which made sense, since they would very obviously want to get the chance to experiment on the super solider serum to try and replicate it, and they wouldn't get that chance if he didn't agree.
The contract had clearly been well thought out, no matter that it had happened in a pretty short amount of time. The base he was staying at was back in the States, he'd be housed there until they figured out the serum, if he wanted to leave he could at any time- pending the obvious talks that would happen to try and make him reconsider- everything would be provided for him in terms of food and entertainment, there was a gym, the military was willing to fly out visitors if he asked for them- pending background checks and the like, of course- and he was fairly sure that he could ask for just about anything and they'd find a way to provide it for him. The Government wanted him, desperately, and they were clearly willing to do just about anything and everything they could to get him on their side. Hell, there was even a good pay, whether they figured out the serum or not!
Surely Stevie knew that he'd've checked it all over? It was his choice, and while he was being given a lot of nice incentives, if there's been any indication that they were gonna turn him into a lab rat he would've handed the papers back to Stark and told him to stick them up his ass. But he liked what he was being offered, and it was a better chance to help the war effort than being a sniper on the front lines would be. Why couldn't Steve just get that?
He handed his bag over to Stark, who was hovering at the side and took it to put in the car he'd bought out, before giving Steve one final hard look. "I've checked over the contract they're giving me, and it's good. It's a chance for me to be helping out and I'll be doing a lot more there than I am here. This is a good thing, Stevie. Just let me go with it."
"But-!"
"Sargent, sorry to interrupt, but we need to get moving." Stark said, not actually sounding apologetic in the slightest. "The brass is gonna get pretty damn pissy if I'm out here much longer, and we've got a plane to catch."
"Right, course." He sent the man an apologetic smile and started over to the car as well, Stark getting into the drivers seat. "I'll be sure to write, Stevie, but you're not talking me out of this."
Bucky climbed in before he could reply, and glanced over at the inventor. "You might wanna start driving now. You go fast enough and he might still be too shocked to chase us."
"Is that a good idea?" Stark asked, even as he pressed down on the gas and started moving down the road they'd come from.
"I doubt the idiot's gonna quit fighting it until I'm already gone." Bucky admitted. "Don't much like it, but the best way to get him to stop being so stubborn is probably just to get the hell out of here and let him settle down alone." As much as ditching his friend here sucked, if he was gonna be stupid about it, then there wasn't much of a choice to be made. "Besides, he can't fly, so once we're on the plane he ain't got a choice… not that he had one anyway in this."
Stark hummed noncommittally.
Bucky paused. "He can't fly, right?"
Stark just shook his head. "It's a super soldier serum, not some magical fantasy power maker or something." And, more quietly in a voice Bucky wasn't sure he was meant to hear, "Unless he can flap those over inflated arms of his hard enough to achieve thrust, I think we're good."
Bucky snorted, relaxing in his seat for the first time since… since he got rescued, he thought. Sure, he was leaving Steve behind, but the man would understand eventually. And until then, he had an offer of a hell of a good job, the chance to save a lot of lives, a whole lot of extra benefits, and protection from anyone who might try to come after him because of the serum in his blood.
Things were looking good.
