At precisely 3 PM in the afternoon, James showed up at the Smithsonian, nervousness coiling and uncoiling like an uneasy serpent in his gut. There were several moments where he was about to chicken out and turn tail to run back to his safe little apartment where Eclypsa would be there to pet and comfort him. After thoroughly berating him for being a wuss.

James squared his shoulders and walked through the entrance. Immediately he noticed the bird man standing there. The bird man was a large intimating man and his body language-crossed arms and scowl indicated that he was ill at ease and was on the defensive. The man cocked his hip and jerked his head towards the WW2 exhibit.

"Cap's in there. He asked that I stay out here but the minute I hear any funny business, I'm comin' in, an' there ain't gonna be no punches pulled. I shoot to kill, got it?" He growled. James nodded curtly wondering how Captain America had such staunch and loyal followers. Climbing over the rubble, he entered the exhibit.

"Bucky," the Captain said in a hushed, almost wistful tone. James frowned as a memory flashed through his head, quicker than a shooting star. It was clear though. The memory was about this man-Steve-but he was much smaller and skinnier. And he was all beat up, his fair skin purple with broken capillaries and his lip was a swollen bloody affair. In this flash he heard himself say, "Steve, when are you gonna learn? Why can't you just go to the museum and stay at the museum," as he pushed a battered little sketchbook into Steve's hands.

James blinked and the moment was over. Steve stared at James his blue eyes wide and full of guileless concern. "Are you alright? Did you remember something?" He asked. James looked around slowly and murmured, "You used to come here to draw. But sometimes you'd leave and get involved with fights outside of this place."

"Yeah!" Steve added enthusiastically, "I got beat out here, in front of the theaters, down at the pier, in the alley behind the bookstores-" James held up his hards to stop the Captain-Steve. It was too much, he remembered seeing small Steve covered in wounds and it distressed him for some reason. "Ok ok. I think I remember you but you're so different now? What happened?"

Steve's face darkened. "It was during the war. You signed and I wanted to help but I was too sick. Too weak to be accepted into the Army. There was a visiting doc and he developed a new super soldier drug and I volunteered to be the test subject. It was the only way I could join the Army."

"Jesus! Volunteer?!" James swore, "For an experimental drug that might or might not work?! Hell, boy you got cotton instead of brains?!" Both men were taken aback by his outburst. Steve's face brightened like the sun. "That's the Bucky I know! I knew you're in there!" Steve immediately went in for a hug but James sidestepped him. He was not ready for hugging just yet.

James frowned, "I think-I think I can trust you. I'd like to remember more but there's more important shit to worry about. Bane has a legion of 500 fanatics at his side and he has complete control of the city because he made some shady ass deals with the gangs here. What's your plan?"

Steve had a wolffish smile on that didn't suit his genial face. "Well were going to need all of his followers in one place and we're going to bring them all down." James' brows rose, "that's ridiculous. Usually, people attacking when there are less people to defend."

"Here's the plan, get most of Bane's men in one fell swoop then draw the remainder out until the only one left is Bane himself. Then if he is as strong as the rumors say, all of the Avengers will assemble to bring him down."

James shook his head. "That is a terrible plan." Steve smiled, "I know but it's the bet we got and Bane is not going to expect that. Trust me!" Steve's bye eyes shone with conviction,"Are you with me or not?" Automatically James' mouth answered him, "Til the end of the line."