Home Again
Chapter Three - Lost and Found
By Paramour Party


Note:
POV switch! Hope you don't mind~


Wednesday, June 1st, 2016

It wasn't a good night. James slept fitfully for two hours before giving up to stare at his ceiling. He'd only been with the Avengers for roughly ten months, but knowing he was safe and away from HYDRA was only a little step forward to recovery.

Nights were more often than not filled with nightmares. The ones that weren't filled with murder and mayhem were hazy scenes of a life he once lived but could barely piece together; a life as Bucky the charming man from Brooklyn.

James wasn't that man anymore but that didn't mean he couldn't try to find that side of him again. The Bucky that Steve remembered and cared for. The Bucky who wasn't broken again and again and again by HYDRA only to be put back together and pointed toward his next mission.

He could see the sky was getting lighter from his window and decided he may as well have an early start to his day. He headed to the common room of the Avengers compound, everything still quiet with the majority of the team asleep. Even if it was five in the morning, he was not at all surprised to find Stark lounging on one of the couches flicking through a hologram he had projected from the tablet on his lap.

He hesitated by the doorway. While Stark forgave him for his actions as the Winter Soldier who murdered his parents in cold blood, the guilt he carried was never going to be something he'd ever shake off easily. He'd never understand how Stark was so forgiving, how he'd look his parents' murderer in the eye and invite him into his home and let him live there. Insist on calling him "Tony". The trust or faith or whatever it was that motivated Stark could be a little overwhelming, so it was rare to be alone with him, James preferring to have one of the others around as a buffer.

"I can hear you brooding," Stark called but didn't look away from his work.

James didn't respond, merely stepped into the room hesitation be damned. He went straight for the large brown armchair by the window and slumped into the seat. "Did Pepper lock you out of the lab again?" he asked to fill the silence.

Stark rose an affronted brow staring at him over the hologram for a moment to make a point. "Pepper can't lock me out of the lab," he denied.

"Are you sure?" another voice interrupted. The two of them turned to see Natasha dressed for a workout, there was a large brown envelope in hand.

"Of course I'm sure!" Stark put his tablet aside to cross his arms over his chest. "Is there gonna be some sort of super-assassin meeting I should be clearing out for?"

Natasha rolled her eyes as she walked into the room and dropped down onto the empty spot on the couch next to Stark. In the same movement, she threw the envelope at James who caught it with ease.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A mission if you want it," she replied and leaned forward to the coffee table to steal Stark's mug and drink from it.

James paused. This sounded like a solo assignment and he hadn't run any of those since joining the Avengers. He stuck to the team as a security measure.

"I want a mission," Stark said.

"This one requires subtlety, which you lack in spaces, Tony."

James let the two of them bicker lightheartedly as he opened the envelope and pulled out the file. It was a HYDRA file from the data drop nearly two years ago. It detailed a power surge and consequent power outage in a small town in Britain.

HYDRA dispatched an agent to check out the scene to find the source of the surge and find out if they could use it. That agent only came back with more questions. From satellite imaging, HYDRA knew there was some sort of circle made of stones in the field that the adjoining town liked to avoid due to old superstitions. The first recon report came back with mixed information, the data and time log not matching the verbal debriefing.

The time log showed the agent had gone to the field at 11 AM local time and then again at Noon; each time, he indicated that something around the field compelled him to leave the area and by the time he'd reached his vehicle in town he'd remembered why he was heading to the field in the first place.

The agent's last attempt for that day reported he'd successfully entered the field but the verbal report implied that there was only one attempt ever made. The disrupter disk he'd sent out in search of any forcefields recorded a faint shield-like dome, but his memory told him it had malfunctioned and burst, knocking him unconscious from the small blast of energy.

James frowned reading further. The agent went back with a standard squad of three. They worked for weeks mapping out the field and its protective dome, testing the perimeters and distances before the compulsion kicked in; a week in, they'd set up several different types of surveillance cameras to see what they could catch. All suspicions about the power sources leading to mutant or enhanced individuals.

Individual. He corrected when he saw the photos they managed to get. A woman.

"These are from 2014," James said, cutting off Natasha and Stark. They'd moved on from bickering to friendly teasing. "Why are we looking into this now?"

Natasha sat up, back straight and mission ready. "We found these fairly recently from the data dump. It wasn't a priority file for them, so we didn't prioritize it either. When we finally decrypted it, I worked on it when I had time." She motioned for him to flip to the next stapled file; this one a compilation of notes put together by Natasha herself. "There was another power surge. This time in France. Similar readings but on a smaller scale. It came up last summer. It caught my attention because I was already decrypting the HYDRA file. I have a feeling they're connected."

"A feeling?" Stark asked, "Do we work with those now?"

Natasha nudged him sharply with her elbow. "I found another photo. I erased the trace of it as much as I could, but it's the internet so if someone got to it before me, or was determined enough to find something, it's around." She shrugged.

James flipped to the last page and this photo was definitely more grainer than the first set. "You think it's the same person," he concluded.

"I don't believe in coincidences."

Stark reached for the file to review. "I have so many questions about these power sources," he murmured focusing on the readings, "the potential it can have…" There was a worried furrow in his brow.

Natasha nodded. "We need to find and secure it before HYDRA or any other ill-intentioned being finds and uses it." She stood and stretched, "And we need to find out who this person is and what their intentions are. It's strange that outside of the two initial surges, nothing else has come up. It could be nothing, or they're biding their time for something which doesn't sit well with me."

James agreed. "Why are you giving this to me?" he asked, "You've been working on this for a while now…"

"I think you'd be well suited to it. Also, you looked bored—"

"And restless," Stark chimed in, giving the file back to James and reaching for his tablet again.

"—and we all know how much you like fucking HYDRA up anyway. I hear they got a new base set up in France. It's somewhat near the second power source; another thing I don't believe to be a coincidence. You can take a nice detour. Besides, I have something else I need to work on." Natasha walked up to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder with a smile and leaned down to whisper, "And I'm sure a break from the team will be nice. It must feel a little crowded."

"Okay," he said, agreeing to the assignment after a moment of thought.

Natasha's smile shifted into a smirk. "Great. Now let's go spar, Soldat."


Saturday, June 11th, 2016

James took one day to memorize the file Natasha had given him, and by the third of June, he was on one of Stark's jets, Natasha and Steve dropping him off before they head on to their own mission.

"Keep in touch, Buck," Steve told him softly. There was an earnest look in his eyes, and James had to swallow the guilt he felt for not remembering how to be the Bucky Steve remembered.

"I'll try. Stay safe."

From there he spent the week following every lead he had. He started with inspecting the strange forcefield at the first surge point. It was strange, the forest surrounding the clearing of the field felt different than any other forest he'd been in. something about it felt alive- which wasn't the rights word because of course, it was alive. The forest was thriving but something about the air around him felt heavy like there was a presence there scanning him. As though the whole area surrounding the field was sentient if that was even possible.

True to the notes from the HYDRA file, he'd barely approached the stones before something compelled him to leave. He didn't leave. He'd spent a lot of time after leaving HYDRA to strengthen his mind against that kind of manipulation again.

The forcefield seemed to sense he didn't have any malicious intent and there was no lethal action taken against his approach. He'd reached out to interact with the dome and watched it shimmer against his metal hand.

When his investigation at the field finished, he headed to the town so see if anyone remembered her. It was another dead end. True to Natasha's notes, the woman was a ghost. The closest they'd found to a possible facial match in London was a dentist. That lead went nowhere, the woman doing a root canal during the surge. From Natasha's surveillance on the family, they'd found no signs of contact with either mutant or enhanced individuals. Just a very normal, quiet, and actually quite boring family.

When he reached the end of his leads in Britain, he moved towards the surge that had happened in France.

James found himself intrigued by the file. Natasha had started gathering information the day after the surge occurred and pulled the only photo that surfaced offline as quickly as she could. Gossip ran along the intelligence channels for about a week and then that too died. He felt suspicious on how quickly it'd gone quiet and Natasha confirmed she'd only handled the photo.

There was someone else running interference on this. He wondered if it was the woman herself but that didn't make much sense. Why wouldn't she have done the same about the first surge?

He followed the trail of information from start to finish. It took two days to follow who first brought it up to the underground and who responded. Soon after that, it was easy to see where the dead-end came from. He grimaced at the answer he found, but in the end, he wasn't surprised by it.

When James first left HYDRA and after figuring out what he could of his past, he went to ground in Europe for nine months. He freelanced, brought down known HYDRA bases left and right, and made as many trustworthy contacts as he could. One contact referred to him was a man named Gladiolus LeBlanc.

Needless to say, their first meeting had not gone well at all. Leblanc's stand on HYDRA was very clear.

"I don't trust you. I don't think I will ever trust you," LeBlanc told him venomously. A metal bat would have bashed into James's face if it hadn't been for his fast reflexes and sturdy metal arm. "I don't help your kind."

Their second meeting had gone marginally better but only because James had spent a day digging up whatever information he could on Leblanc and then a week tracking and dragging the HYDRA man who murdered Gladiolus's sister into his bar. He then asked for one favour and a promise that when it was done, James wouldn't bother him again.

He didn't blink as he watched Leblanc get his revenge. He remained stoic when the anger on the Frenchman's face faded into a frighteningly neutral mask when it turned to him.

"One favour," LeBlanc grudgingly said, "But this doesn't mean I trust you. HYDRA would never let go of an asset like you."

James didn't say anything. It was pointless to argue with a man already so angry; and in a way, he was right. HYDRA wouldn't have let him go and James was going to run until he couldn't anymore.

"I need to disappear."

LeBlanc scoffed. "You don't need my help for that."

James shook his head. "You misunderstand. I want as many of my files and the Winter Soldier project to be taken offline from the intelligence circuit. Whatever can't be taken down, I want it near impossible to decrypt. I'll pay whatever additional fees you need."

"Keep your blood money. I offered you one favour and you have it. Now get out and disappear."

Now, James sat in a basement bar in the underground, the same one where he first met Gladiolus LeBlanc. It wasn't Pur, the Frenchman preferring to meet with clients he deemed dangerous outside his own place where there were witnesses he wouldn't be responsible for.

The basement was crowded as it usually was but behind a beaded curtain was a sectioned off part of the bar where things were a little quieter and the floors less sticky from old spilt alcohol.

When LeBlanc arrived, he had a dark scowl on his face, but luckily no metal bat in hand.

"There should be no favours between us," he said in lieu of a greeting. He sat down across from him, hands crossed over his chest.

James nodded. "I need information and after I get it, I'll owe you another one." He didn't move under the other man's piercing stare.

"Still saying you're not HYDRA scum?" he asked instead.

James clenched his fists. "You know that I'm not."

The Frenchman glared at him defiantly. "I know you've been off the grid for too long that it's suspicious. I don't know who you've aligned yourself with or if you're a free agent, and I haven't decided which I think is worse."

They sat in silence letting the ambience of the bar around them fill it. "I'm not HYDRA," he said quietly.

LeBlanc hummed suspiciously under his breath but relented. "We'll see. What information are you looking for?"

James passed over the tablet with the information of the power surge in Calanques. He'd transferred and locked the files on a Stark tablet not wanting to walk around with loose paperwork. LeBlanc has no reaction to the file and James watches the man flick through it. "I've told many others that this is a dead-end," he said passing the tablet back. "I can't help you with this."

"Can't or won't?" James asked, frowning. "I know you can make things disappear. You were the last one in the circuit looking through this. Everyone gave what they knew to you in hopes of finding out more and then it disappears."

LeBlanc shook his head. "It didn't disappear. I told them as I'm telling you. This power source? It's a dead-end."

"And what if I showed you this?" James opened a different file and slid the tablet back.

There's a frown on LeBlanc's face and a minute tightening of his lips as he flicks through the HYDRA file. "What is this?" he asked, his tone sounding too flat. James narrowed his eyes catching the hesitance.

"It's another power surge from Britain. Stronger than the one in Calanques. From what we could find, it was likely the first power surge. The woman in the photos is a person of interest," he replied honestly, gauging the reaction he gets. LeBlanc is good, but James is better. He can tell from his movements, stiffer, just a touch more tense than earlier, that the Frenchman knows something. He wondered again if the woman reached out to LeBlanc to disappear.

"And you come to France looking for answers?" Warning bells were ringing and James was all too aware of the deflection on the woman.

"The surge at Calanque is more recent. And everyone knows you're the best contact for information on the continent." James leaned forward looking at the photo that LeBlanc was focusing on. It was a close up of the woman; she was talking to a clerk at the market, a small smile on her face. He saw when LeBlanc's grip tightened ever so slightly on the edge of the tablet, barely noticeable if he hadn't been looking for signs. "The potential these power surges could prove dangerous. We can't let HYDRA or anyone else get their hands on this or the woman."

"Who is 'we'?" LeBlanc asked as he slid the tablet back across the table, crossing his arms in front of him and tapping the fingers of one hand on the tabletop in agitation. "If you're not HYDRA, then who are you working for? And what do you gain from this?"

"I'm with the Avengers—"

LeBlanc let out a dry laugh in disbelief interrupting him. "Reunited with your best buddy Captain America then? I don't believe for a second that Stark would just let you on the team though," he said furious, "Remember, I am the one who erased you. Should I really believe that Stark will play nice with his family's murderer?"

James didn't react because he'd been expecting the jab. LeBlanc would be well aware of his past given his hand in erasing and encrypting as much of it as he could. It wasn't like he hadn't thought the same anyway. He let LeBlanc continue, "And suppose you are telling the truth. What do the Avengers gain from this?" He asked, waving a hand at the tablet. "You don't need more power. You all have more than enough of it."

"We want to protect it and ensure no one with the intention to harm gets it. That's why we need to talk with her." LeBlanc didn't look convinced. "Name your price and add one favour from me."

LeBlanc stood. "I will contact you after I've verified that you're not HYDRA. I want that favour regardless of whether I take the job or not."

James scowled. "One favour, only if you take the job."

LeBlanc shook his head leaning forward over the table to get right in his face. "Don't misunderstand me, boy. One favour with or without information. I came today when I didn't have to, when we previously made an agreement for you to disappear and never bother me again."

James stood from his seat and they stared each other in the eye. "Fine. But I want an answer in three days then."

He held out his gloved metal hand and LeBlanc shook it before storming out of the basement. He watched him go, brow furrowing in thought. He had to be lying about the woman. He just had to prove it before LeBlanc could turn down the assignment in three days.


Tuesday, June 14th 2016

He was running out of time but James worked well under pressure and he had plenty of patience. That patience paid off when he was canvassing LeBlanc's bar and the surrounding area. There was a bakery just across the street and a woman who looked very much like the ones from the photos exited the shop with a box of pastries and headed into the bar.

James moved position, setting up a little further away, hidden in the shadows with a scope. There was only one window in LeBlanc's bar that wasn't tinted to prevent onlookers from seeing any sensitive business. It was the window on the front door that had a decent view of the bar counter with the right angle.

He switched his scope out for one with a better zoom, searched for a good spot to catch the woman in sight and waited. Night fell and she still hadn't left but he finally caught her on the scope standing behind the bar reading.

This was why LeBlanc lied to his face. Hiding her in plain sight could be smart under different circumstances. But stupid if HYDRA ever decided to break the unspoken rule of stepping on to his territory. He stood from the hidden nook he'd settled in hours earlier, a decision made. There's a twinge of guilt for using the woman as leverage over LeBlanc for information, but he pushes the emotion aside, a mission is a mission.

He walked to the bar, a man smoking by the door noticed him right away and was on his phone in a second. James didn't let that bother him, not even when the man moved to block his path. James raised his covered metal arm in defence forcing his way through the front door and the man was backing off immediately.

In seconds he scanned the bar, taking in how many witnesses there were before he focused on the woman who stared at LeBlanc in startled surprise. James barely acknowledged the furious man, heading straight for the woman instead.

She turned to him, and James catalogued everything he could. She looked at him in suspicion, narrowed eyes and hesitant but no recognition. Her hand reached down and he wondered what weapon she'd pull against him, what her plan of attack was, anything to help him categorize her threat level.

He didn't reach her though. LeBlanc cut him off barely four steps away from the bar. James scowled but let himself be pushed into the office.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He roared as he slammed the door shut. "You'd have had your answer later tonight but you- you impatient sac à merde! You decide to show your face in my bar when we have clear agreements."

"You know exactly why I'm here," James said pointing out of the office where the woman was.

LeBlanc grabbed the metal bat he had in the umbrella stand by the door. He pointed it at him in warning. "She's not a pawn to be used in people's power games." He pressed the blunt end of the bat against his chest, jabbing it into him on every other word for emphasis.

"I just need to talk with her." James smacked the bat away but LeBlanc just brought it back resting it against his collarbone.

"Non."

James gripped the bat at the next jab, bending it with his metal fingers. "You can't hide her forever, LeBlanc."

"I can damn well try," He said, tossing aside the ruined bat.

"Well she's painting a target on her back with those power sources," he said, "If you want to protect her, then let us help you."

"All she wants is peace, safety, and to one day go home. Isn't that something you'd understand?" LeBlanc bit out, the anger slowly draining from him. The frustration was still there though, simmering as he stepped away.

James didn't say anything letting the words settle. It gave him some insight into the woman, but still no real idea on her motivations for the power sources.

"Give me one good reason to trust you," LeBlanc said. His voice no longer raised but still tense. "And then maybe… maybe I'll accept your help."

James crossed his arms over his chest. "How do I prove to you that we are trustworthy?" he asked.

The Frenchman shook his head. "That is something you'll have to prove without prompting. Now get out of here. You don't come back in here. Until you can prove yourself, she stays out of it."

LeBlanc herded him out of the bar, crowding him until he stepped out the front door. "If HYDRA catches wind of her," James warned, "your rules will go straight to hell and she'll be in danger."

LeBlanc's face went murderous. "Then you better hope HYDRA doesn't hear a thing about this."


Wednesday, June 15th, 2016

He paced in one of the safehouses Natasha had. The one closest to LeBlanc's bar. Now that he knew where the woman was and who she associated with, it made things a little easier to dig. Despite that, anything he found didn't answer very many questions.

JBB: I found the woman. But she's a ghost.

He sent the message into a secure group chat that Steve added him to with the rest of the Avengers. He wasn't expecting an answer as they were likely asleep or still on their own missions. But an update wouldn't hurt.

It was four in the morning in New York but he wasn't surprised that an answer came from Stark. He wasn't sure if the man still hadn't gone to sleep like him, or if he just woke up to start another engineering binge.

IRONMAN: she can't be a ghost if she's alive. Just look at you, everyone thought you were a ghost story.

JBB:
everything I found about her passes a surface scan, but the more you dig… I don't even know if Hermione Granger is her real name. Given that she's working with LeBlanc and that he's fond of her... He could easily fabricate a new life for her after erasing her old one.

IRONMAN: well it's a good thing we don't really need to know her old life right now. We just need to know about this one and what she intends to do with those power sources.

IRONMAN: also. Have we thought of a name for these power sources yet?

IRONMAN: it's just such a mouthful

JBB: that's what you want to discuss right now?

IRONMAN: everyone likes nicknames

JBB: I'll leave that to you then

IRONMAN: I know a dismissal when I see one. Send me what you got of her and I'll do some of my own digging.

James threw his phone back onto his bed and glanced at the time. It was ten in the morning and he hadn't slept all night. He debated the merits of a power nap over coming up with a plan of action and knew he'd have a clearer head when he felt a little more human.

He was right. When he woke after a few hours of sleep and a shower feeling more like a human being, there was a message waiting for him from Stark. It wasn't very reassuring, more of a confirmation that the woman's file was faked. He sighed, running his flesh hand over his face.

He tapped on his tablet to review the notes he'd taken on what he found and pieced together about the woman named Hermione. His instinct very rarely stirred him wrong, and from what he gathered, he highly doubted the woman was after world domination or anything that involved intentionally harming others.

If she had, her forcefields would have or should have had lethal consequences but it didn't. Instead, it actively worked to keep people from accessing the sources easily, and in the case of Calanques, keeping it hidden entirely. When HYDRA ambushed her years ago, she never took lethal action, instead, she incapacitated if she could and ran when she couldn't.

Another glaringly obvious detail would be LeBlanc. If he sniffed out any idea that even looked remotely like anything from a HYDRA playbook, he would have had her information passed along to the nearest freelancing agent to take her out, not employ her in his bar.

And then there was something LeBlanc said. "All she wanted was peace, safety, and to go home," he murmured aloud to himself.

How would the power sources tie into that? He wondered. If he could just speak with her, prove to her that she could trust them…

He looked to his phone an idea striking.


James waited until nightfall. A message to a contact in France ran interference on LeBlanc and he watched from the shadows until the last customer left Pur before approaching the bar. The locks were high quality but still not enough to keep him out.

The bar lights were dimmed and the room was mostly quiet. He could hear the woman in the back room rummaging through things. He surveyed the bar and nothing looked out of place. There were slight changes from the last time he'd been here with that HYDRA man. He walked towards the bar counter to check for weapons when the sound of approaching footsteps had him turning toward the back room.

The woman gasped when she noticed him. She eyed him warily, never turning her back to him as she slowly sidestepped to one of the tables, placing the box she had in her hands down. "You're not allowed to be here," she said in french.

He watched her reach down and he wondered what she armed herself with recognizing the action. Whatever it was, she didn't pull it on him. He could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she'd quickly glanced around the room to ensure he was the only one here. He rose his hands showing her he wasn't armed. Which, in all honesty, didn't mean much coming from him, but hoped it'd still ease her worries. "I'm not here to hurt anyone," he said knowing she spoke English. "I just want to talk."

She stepped back from the table putting more distance between herself and him. When she reached into her pocket this time, she pulled out a phone but didn't dial anything. This showed promise. She was curious, he could see it in her eyes, passed the fear and worry, she had questions.

"Well, maybe I don't want to speak with you. Gladiolus will be upset to know you're here right now." Her thumb rested over a call button.

Likely LeBlanc on speed-dial. Upset would be an understatement if he knew anything about the man. She looked amused at his off-hand comment, but she still resolved and told him to leave.

He took a cautious step forward but stopped when her hand resting on her side reached for something again. "We just want to help you."

She scoffed. "To help me?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest. The tone and movement mirrored LeBlanc and he wondered how long they'd known each other for. "Or do you want me to help you?" She lifted her gaze, defiant and daring.

"We want to help. We know that you're protecting the… power sources." He said, wondering what her reaction would be. She must have known already that he was here for that reason. The question was, would she fight to silence him or fight to protect the source.

He took note of the way she widened her stand in preparation. There was a tightening look in her eyes, her hands uncrossing and clenching at her sides. He tensed waiting for an attack that didn't come. "So you say. But who is 'we' and what do you gain from helping me? Access to the source? Intelligence on how it works? No thank you. I don't want your help."

She held a hand up and pointed to the front door. "Now please leave before you force my hand, or worse, Gladiolus gets here."

He watched her for a moment longer. She may not have realized that her actions spoke more than what she said. His earlier assumptions resonating. She didn't want a fight, would avoid it if at all possible. She was there to protect the source.

He reached into his back pocket for a USB he prepared. He gently placed it on the counter and looked her in the eye. "We are the Avengers," he said to her first question.

James, in a show of trust, turned his back to her to see if she'd attack but she didn't. And so he left with some questions answered. Now, it was just a waiting game. Protect from the sidelines and see if she'd approached them.

She was curious and hopefully, it'll prove to be enough for her to seek some answers.


Thursday, June 23rd, 2016

It didn't take much to find out where the woman lived and get himself set up in the empty apartment next to hers. He'd quickly worked out her routine, when she left, when she came back, any stops she took on the way to and back from work if she wasn't getting a lift from LeBlanc.

Everything he'd seen of their relationship looked platonic. She obviously trusted the man, and LeBlanc held a soft spot for her. He wondered if Hermione reminded the man of his sister.

From there he went to the underground, listening to gossip. One evening, as much as he hated it, he used a photostatic veil to cover his face and ask around about any news about LeBlanc's bar. There was gossip about his appearance and how LeBlanc was stepping up the security tech on his land. When he inquired about the workers there and if they were looking to hire, everyone shook their head.

After LeBlanc's sister was murdered years ago, he hired no one he hadn't personally chosen, and the staff was always kept small. Only the bare-knuckle fighter Etienne and a woman named Hermione who handled the front.

The general consensus was that Hermione was too sweet to be working at Pur, what with it being so close to the underground. But everyone had a history of some sort before showing up in their world and no one questioned too deeply on her sudden appearance. It was clear to LeBlanc's acquaintances that whatever past she had, Hermione had chosen LeBlanc for protection. No one in the underground wanted to dig into any business the man got into, lest they risk his anger. Especially since gossip still ran around the intelligence circuit about the revenge LeBlanc dealt to his sister's murderer.

When he was done in the underground, he tried to get into her apartment but the first time he stepped foot on their floor, he knew she had some sort of forcefield over the whole area. The air felt heavier, a similar feeling to the field in Britain. He wouldn't be surprised if she had another shielding dome over her own home.

Instead, James kept his distance, only leaving the apartment after she's left, and returning after she's settled in for the night and he finished a quick patrol of the neighbourhood. He spotted a few HYDRA agents in the city and he was working on figuring out what they were here for.

Protection detail was boring, in all honesty, but until she approached them, everything was a waiting game. He reached for the pack of cigarettes he bought to ease the stress. He tapped a cigarette out of the small corner opening and lit it with his lighter.

"She doesn't seem to have a bad bone in her," he told Natasha when she video called, finally home in New York from her own mission. "You read my observations?"

"It makes sense. Actions speak of self-preservation and protection of the power sources. But what is the purpose of activating them then?" she asked.

"What if she's not the one activating it?"

"But she's conveniently on or near the scene?" She rose a brow, sceptical, "I don't think it's a coincidence. What's your game plan?"

He scratched at his growing stubble with his flesh hand letting his cigarette burn away in his metal one. "Protection for now. HYDRA activity is increasing and I'm looking into why. It's likely because they're setting up base in the country. But I want to know if it's because of Calanques. If it is, then she's in danger. If not, I want to cut it down before it gets worse."

Natasha hummed in agreement. "Okay, keep me posted."

Before he could say anything more he noticed she was looking over his shoulder. "You get a cat?" she asked amused.

He rolled his eyes and looked at his open window where a black cat snuck through. He put out his half-finished cigarette in the ashtray.

"This cat has been sneaking in since I moved here, I stopped trying to kick her out after two days. She belongs to Hermione according to the collar."

Natasha cooed. "Cute. Think she trained her cat to spy?"

James huffed. "I think you're just paranoid."

She shrugged. "There have been stranger things. But seriously, keep me posted. And get some sleep! If Steve sees those shadows under your eyes, he'll steal Tony's jet and make his way down there to help or something."

They disconnected the call and he sighed. He looked down at the cat that meowed at his feet. He pushed his chair away from the desk he'd set up at and she jumped into his lap. His flesh hand ran a hand through her soft fur.

"Does your lady know you're sneaking out?" he asked scratching under the chin. "Or is Natasha right and you're spying on me?"

The cat meowed back. He groaned, he must really be sleep deprived if he was conversing with his neighbour's cat.

But he couldn't sleep. Not yet. HYDRA was getting closer and closer to this neighbourhood and he needed to know if it was for him, or if it was for her.


Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

The woman still hadn't approached him and the nerves were starting to run high. HYDRA had been canvassing the neighbourhood and surveillance showed they'd approached the building.

HYDRA was going to act soon. He started packing and preparing his things the moment he got in. He needed to think about how to get the woman out of her apartment with as little trouble as possible. He knew she was preparing to move, he'd watched LeBlanc take her cat and a few of her things a few nights ago, but she remained. Likely to finish up whatever was left in her apartment.

He was zipping his backpack closed when there was a knock on his door. He paused, eyes narrowing. HYDRA didn't knock, but he wouldn't put it passed them to use it as a distraction. He put his backpack on, clipping it in place before looking through the peep-hole.

Hermione stood nervously on the other side. He answered the door quickly barely hearing her murmured "I sometimes hate when I'm right," when he grabbed her and pulled her into his apartment. He locked the door and slammed her against the wall. She gasped and he hoped he wasn't too rough.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, feeling guilty about taking his frustrations of HYDRA out on her. He shouldn't stress too much because her showing up worked very well in his favour.

She shook slightly under his hand but she still glared up at him despite the clear fear in her eyes. "I should be asking you that," she retorted, "Did you move here to spy on me?"

He refrained from rolling his eyes as he stepped back. He watched her calm her nerves and frowned at the light red marks he left on her throat. Shit, he was too rough again.

"I'm here to protect you," he said. He was about to reach into his bag for the balm he had when she laughed drily.

"I was doing fine until you showed up because HYDRA is outside right now and they're not here for me."

He swiftly glanced out the window and saw the approaching agents. He saw one prepare to launch something and he swore. He turned grabbing her again and pushing her behind a couch. He reached over for the coffee table, holding it over him to shield them.

Seconds later, glass rained over them when a device exploded on his balcony, she yelped in surprise.

Ears ringing, he still didn't slow down. James tossed the table over to the ruined balcony doors, it wouldn't stop them, but any second it could slow them was an advantage he'd take. He hauled her up with him. "We have to go." and he was thankful that she didn't protest or question him.

He quickly grabbed the two guns he had hidden by his desk strapping them to his legs and then moved to the coat closet to grab a third in the same movement that he kicked his front door open and into a HYDRA agent. There were three agents one downed by the door and the other two taking position to fire.

He pulled her behind him, using his metal arm to deflect the bullets. He advanced on one agent bending the gun before they could fire again and then ripping it from their hands to hit them with it. He spun on his back foot focusing on the last that Hermione knocked away from them with a hand stretched in front of her, a pulse of energy coming from it.

"That's useful," he said not questioning it. "Know how to use a gun?" he asked offering one to her. She paled and shook her head.

He shrugged but he couldn't say any more because agents were coming through his broke balcony.

"Do you trust me?" he asked strapping the gun back on to his leg.

She hesitated but took his offered flesh hand. "More than HYDRA. So you'll have to do," she replied.

And then they were rushing down the stairs. He took down everyone in his path with well-aimed punches seeing how uncomfortable she felt by the guns.

Why did people enjoy fighting in stairs, he lamented. Mobility was always more limited by the lack of space. He knocked one agent into another with one kick while he grabbed one by the throat and slammed him into the wall.

Hermione was holding her own and he let her watch his back with whatever her enhancements were. He could hear HYDRA's surprised yelps when she attacked them with bursts of energy.

Luckily they were only two floors up, but not as fortunately once they got to the street they were swarmed by agents firing at them. He used his arm to block as many of the bullets as possible but it wouldn't be enough in the long term. He wondered if he should ask Stark for a shield, but decided against that. Shields were Steve's thing.

Hermione rushed up from behind him before he could pull her back. She had a stick in hand this time and a bright blast of energy or power or whatever burst from the end of it and sent HYDRA flying back. He took advantage of that, pulling her along as they ran.

"Where are you going?" she asked him. Sweat was beading on her forehead and she looked a little winded. He wondered how much energy it took her to use her powers. It was clear now that she was enhanced in some way. Not that they really doubted it before, they just couldn't cross out any technology, especially if she was crafting something with the power sources.

"I have another safehouse, outside of the city, we just have to get a car," he answered absently as he glanced around the corner behind them. HYDRA regrouped and they were approaching quickly guns out. "Does your forcefield shield thing over your apartment block bullets?" he asked.

She blinked in surprise but bit her lip in thought. "I've never thought about it. I've never had to dodge bullets before. Maybe?"

"Shall we test it?" he asked.

"Absolutely not." She looked affronted at the suggestion of testing it out in live combat, and well, he couldn't blame her.

He shrugged. As uneasy as she was around the guns, they wouldn't be getting out of here without him using one. He pulled his rifle out from his pack. He glanced at her. "Still trust me?"

She hesitated again. "Do you trust me?" she asked instead.

"I trust you not to kill me," he replied honestly with a weary grin.

She returned the sentiment with her own grin as she suddenly pressed forward and closer to him. "I won't kill you, but Gladiolus might. Just don't let go." Her arms wrapped around him holding him tightly before he could react.

There was a popping noise and everything went black. He tightened his hold on her when there was pressure all around him squeezing from every direction and taking the breath away from him. It was a worse feeling than motion sickness the cyclone on Coney Island caused. It was a short moment before there was another popping noise and he felt less like he was twisting into another shape and back in his own body.

They stumbled to the ground with a thud. James worked through the nausea and moved to cover her in case HYDRA had done something. He noticed they were no longer on the street near their apartment building but a grassy yard.

He swore when he finally oriented himself and saw LeBlanc had come storming out of the house in front of them armed with his own rifle.

James groaned as he sat up. Of course, this explained her disappearing act and what she meant by "Gladiolus might". LeBlanc was over them in seconds, gun aimed at his face as he gently pulled Hermione up.

"Gladiolus, don't," she said, her hand on his arm lowering the gun.

The man glared at her equally as angry speaking in rapid french. While James didn't speak it fluently, he understood it well. "I told you to run if you saw him, not take him with you!" he yelled.

"HYDRA was after him, they didn't even know I was there—"

"Well, they do now!"

"— and I couldn't just leave him to them."

LeBlanc scoffed. "You clearly underestimate his ability to stay alive." He looked at James nudging him with his foot switching to English. "And you! This is why I tell you to come when the bar is closed or better yet, not to come at all."

James stood carefully, strapping his rifle behind his back and holding his hands up. "It would have only been a matter of time before they came for her."

"Except they were here for you," he said.

Hermione stepped between them. "This is not the time to argue," she said in English. "He just needs a car to get to his safe house, Gladiolus, and he'll be out of our hair."

"Hermione, you know this means you have to run," LeBlanc said, worry in his eyes.

She shook her head. "I'll lay low for a few weeks. They'll forget about me."

James frowned knowing it wouldn't be so easy but didn't interrupt.

"That is the last thing they'll do," LeBlanc scowled. "They'll track where he's been since he landed in France, and when they find out we had a disagreement, rules be damned, they'll come snooping at the bar and have it under surveillance. If they see you, whether they remember the power sources or not, they'll come after you for the sole reason that you assisted in the loss of their asset."

James clenched his hands but he couldn't deny that as a possible outcome. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself in thought and LeBlanc pulled her to his side. "Let's go inside, catch your breath." His soft look faded when turning to him. "You too, Soldier. I'm picking up my favour."


It was just after five in the morning and the city was slowly coming alive. James waited in the car LeBlanc was lending them letting him and Hermione have a moment to say their goodbyes. Neither of them knew when Hermione would be able to come back, not until they were sure HYDRA was taken care of at the very least.

He watched from the window as Hermione spoke quietly with LeBlanc and kissed her cat over the head. The Frenchman directed her into his house and they went in for more privacy he supposed. James looked away and pulled out his phone from his pocket and thumbed a message to the group.

JBB: Going to the safehouse in Toulouse. ETA 7 hours. Extraction appreciated and I have a guest.

The response was immediate seeing as it was only around eleven in the evening in NYC. None of the Avengers had early sleeping schedules.

CAP: what happened?

WIDOW: Leaving without bursting a HYDRA base, I'm almost disappointed.

JBB: can't talk yet, i'll be on the road.

WIDOW: I changed my mind. I won't be disappointed if we can detour to bust the HYDRA base before evac? Go to safehouse in Nice instead.

JBB: done. ETA 9 hours

CAP: call us when you can, let's plan to meet in 30 hours. Touch base with us in 12 or when it's safe.

He didn't message more because LeBlanc was knocking on the car window, the ever-present glare on his face darkened. James rolled the window and looked up at him expectantly.

"I know you've been taking HYDRA out one base at a time," LeBlanc started, tossing a USB through the window. "And your Avengers story checked out. So my request is this. I want Hermione brought to safety and kept safe until everything is over and done with. If… if you can help her get home. Even better."

James nodded. "You can trust us to protect her, LeBlanc. I promise you this."

The other man didn't smile. "If you need anything that will help her, call me. I will do it. My programs are working right now to make sure no sensitive information of tonight makes it into the underground, but we won't be able to stop any speculations. I want you out of the country by the end of the week."

"I'm working on it."

He gave one short nod and looked up as Hermione approached. She had a backpack and a sad smile. James tried not to pay attention to them as she reached for another hug from the surly Frenchman.

"Thank you for everything, Gladiolus," she whispered, voice tinged with sadness.

Gladiolus hummed as he hugged her back. "When everything dies down, you'll always be welcome back in my bar, Hermione. Keep safe. And keep in touch." He pressed an envelope into her hand ignoring her protests.

She nodded and let go of him to slide into the passenger seat. She waved as they pulled out of the driveway and set off. James tried not to take note of her red-tinged eyes and her heavy sigh.

The first hour of the drive was quiet, neither of them speaking or turning on the radio. He'd assumed she had fallen asleep but on the second hour, she'd turned to him. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked.

"I have a safe house near Nice," he replied, briefly looking away from the road. "From there, I have some friends picking us up."

She nodded. "Are you going to be okay driving the whole way? I don't think you've slept if I haven't."

"It'll be safer to head straight there."

She sighed. "Look. We're both tired. We'll be useless if HYDRA finds us when we're working on no sleep. If you turn at the next exit, it's the Natural Park of Morvan. We'll set up camp and I'll put my, uh- I think you called them forcefields? I'll put those up so we'll be hidden and safe enough to rest for a few hours. But you have to trust me, okay?"

There was silence and he contemplated their options.

"Okay," he finally said. He followed her instructions and thirty minutes later they were walking through the forest of the park until she picked a spot that was far enough away from any wandering people, but with enough of a clear space to set out and hide for a few hours of rest.

He watched her fiddle with her bag and when she flicked her wrist, something flew from her hand and a tent was suddenly pulled up from the ground. He blinked. That was handy, he thought as she checked the perimeter. "You can head in, it's bigger on the inside. I'm going to set up the forcefields."

He hesitated at the flap of the tent, watching her with her hands up and a stick in one hand. She was murmuring in Latin and he felt that same heavy feeling in the air that he'd associated with her shields.

He had so many questions.


After the surprise from the inside of the tent faded, he felt her wary stare on his back from his casual inspection.

She stood uneasily in the middle of the tent. She looked at his metal hand, the glove he'd been wearing over it had been damaged by the bullet fire. "What do I call you? People in the underground only call you the Winter Soldier. But you must have a name."

He reached his flesh hand out. "I'm James."

She shook it. "Hermione." She turned away and started pointing out where everything was. A room for him, a washroom, and spinning in a small turn with her arms out gesturing the common area.

"Have you used this tent often?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged dismissively. "It's not the first time I've been on the run. I'm kind of tired of that life though."

He frowned and moved to reach for her in assurance but decided against it. "Don't worry. I- we'll help you," he said, "You should rest. We'll be back on the road as soon as we're rested. And my friends' current ETA is 27 hours."

She nodded, moving towards her room and pausing by the flap. "Why did you give me this?" she asked holding up the USB. "You must have known that Gladiolus would have shown me the files way before even got your hands on them."

James frowned. "Did you never open the USB yourself?"

Hermione shook her head. "Gladiolus checked it. I trusted him enough to tell me if there was something wrong with it."

Curious. He thought. "Why did you come to me? You could have done your disappearing act the moment you knew HYDRA was there but you didn't."

She glanced away from him, a hand rubbing her arm. "It was the right thing to do." she sighed. "Everything I've read about HYDRA and everything I've found out about you… I couldn't in good conscious leave you to them, super-spy-assassin or not, you've been fighting against them since you escaped. What do the Avengers get out of this?"

"If you've read enough about HYDRA to know they're dangerous, then you know we can't let you or your power sources get into the wrong hands."

She looked up at him, similar to that moment in his apartment, nervous around him, not quite fearful anymore but still defiant. "And how do I know you're not part of the wrong hands?"

She reminded him of Natasha, small and innocent looking, but a fire in them looking for a fight. "You ask a lot of questions."

She rose a brow. "How will I get my answers if I don't ask questions? It's not like there are books I can get my hands on that will explain all this."

He couldn't help but quirk an amused smile, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "If you thought I was bad news, you wouldn't have come to me tonight. So let me ask you. How do you know I'm not the wrong sort."

She avoided his eye. "You've had plenty of opportunities to take me out and you didn't take them. I looked into the Avengers and I know you're fighting the good fight. So… I guess... I want to learn to trust you."

James nodded accepting her answer. He reached into his bag for the balm in the side pocket he had for any aches and pain. He held it out to her. "I- I'm sorry about the bruises," he said motioning to her neck as she accepted it in curiosity, "It will help it heal up a little quicker. Get rest, I'd like to be back on the road in six hours if that's okay with you."

"Rest well," she murmured after agreeing to his plan. She glanced back at him once more before she disappeared into her room.

He waited for a moment, running his metal hand through his hair and sighed. He turned to the room she'd motioned as his, dropping his bag next to the cot that was surprisingly soft.

Why did he feel like he was in over his head?


Note:
I hope the POV change was okay! Just a bit more back story stuff until we caught up to where we left off. This chapter took a little longer to write because I struggled with writing in Bucky's POV.

I hope you enjoyed this update! Thank you so much for the support this fic is getting and I hope you continue to stick around for this adventure. The updates will likely be a little slower from here on out, my workload is picking up at my office and they're pulling me back to the office instead of remote work.

I did make a master post on tumblr (I resurrected that dead account) for this fic. I'll answer any questions that come up over there and also include a timeline. I'll keep that updated after every update so if you got any questions, feel free to drop them in a review or directly at my tumblr - paramourparty

One last thing, I have a short Hermione Granger/Bruce Banner drabble posted on AO3 I wrote for the Hermione's Haven Roll-A-Drabble and Marvelously Magical Fanfiction Bingo 2020 events on Facebook. I can't crosspost it yet, but if you like, you can check it out! My bio will have the link to my AO3 page.

Stay safe!

Until next time