Disclaimer and AN: I don't own the Avengers….just borrowing them for a bit. But Emma and Audrey are mineeeee. So enjoy this chapter and please leave feedback. Sorry its short, but sometimes I need them to be – short, sweet and to the point.
Ciao!
Chapter 24:
"You don't remember anything do you?" Steve asked.
There was no response as Winter Solider looked down at the picture in front of him again. It was definitely of himself and a sickly skinny young man who looked about his age, but much shorter. It could be a forgery for all he knew. He looked back up.
"Everyone called you Bucky. You are – were my best friend. We did everything together. You even on more than one occasion tried to find a gal to go on a date with me."
Still no response.
So Steven kept on going.
After Fury had heard that name Steve called Winter Soldier, things began to click. He had a nearby agent go dig out a file from all of the stuff on Captain America and bring it to him. "Here's the file you wanted sir," an agent said handing Fury an old U.S. army personnel file a few minutes later. He immediately opened up the file and looked at the aged picture inside.
"We'll I'll be…" he muttered aloud. He turned back to look at the agent who was waiting for further instructions. "Contact Coulson and tell him that Agent Romanoff, Dr. Banner and Agent Carter need to get here immediately."
"Yes, sir."
"Why couldn't this wait 'til morning?" Emma asked whining a bit as they rode in the S.H.E.I.L.D. SUV to HQ. "I've had a day from hell."
Coulson and Natasha glared at her through either the rear view mirror or turning around and looking at her, while Bruce actually agreed with her. It was almost midnight and they were all supposed to report to S.H.E.I.L.D. HQ for some unknown reason. This had better be good.
"Well sorry! I'm just not used to being pulled out of bed at damn near midnight! I haven't been on active duty in almost 5 years! I've grown accustomed to sleep." she said trying to defend herself.
"I'd have to agree with Emma." Bruce said speaking up. "Why are just the three of us being called in and not everyone?"
"Not sure," Coulson said continuing to drive. "I'm just doing what Fury requested."
By that time they had reached HQ, where Fury and Steve greeted them at the entrance. "What are you doing here?" Natasha asked.
"We'll talk inside." Fury said directing everyone inside.
The group followed the director into the closest conference room and sat down around the large table. The trio waited for either the director or Steve to tell them what the hell was going on.
"We've finally figured out who Winter Solider really is." Fury said sliding a folder across the table towards them. Emma reached for it and opened it up, reading the name on the inside. "James Buchanan Barnes aka Bucky Barnes. Born…whoa, wait, this isn't right!"
She handed the folder to Bruce who looked at the information with Natasha looking over this shoulder. "This doesn't make sense. Winter Solider looks no older than Steve does," Bruce said. "And there was never any other candidates for the super solider serum because of Erskine's death. How can this be?"
"We're not sure," Steve said speaking up. "I've tried talking to him, but he only shows anger towards me. He was my best friend. I've got to know what happened to him."
"That is where the three of you come in." Fury said. "Natasha you and Emma try talking to him again now that we know a little bit more about his background while Dr. Banner will run a series of tests on him."
"Tests first," Emma said. "Those take the longest."
"Fine," Fury said.
"And," Natasha added. "Is there video footage of Steve and Bucky's first conversation?"
While Bruce ran the various tests on Bucky, Emma and Natasha sat back and watched the video footage of the first conversation between Steve and Bucky. One thing that both of the spies noticed was that when Steve had showed Bucky the picture of him, he had paused when he looked at it.
"Do you remember anything about your training?" Emma asked while they were waiting for their second chance to talk to Bucky. They were standing outside the infirmary, while Dr. Banner was finishing the last of his tests on Bucky.
"Very little. When I found out that it was all a farce, I sought to escape. That was when Clint was dispatched to end me. But he flipped me instead."
"Yeah I knew that. Did he ever tell you why he couldn't kill you?"
"No."
"Because you reminded him of me. And he saw something in you that S.H.E.I.L.D. could use. That was why he made a different call." Emma said turning and walking down the hallway from the infirmary back towards the interrogation rooms.
Natasha turned and watched her for a second before following after her. Perhaps she had been wrong in judging Emma at first – really wrong. She had never known the real reason why Clint hadn't killed her that day almost five years ago. Nonetheless, Natasha had been thankful for it. Maybe there was more to Emma then she had originally thought.
"Are you going to shoot me?" Bucky asked, as he was lead into the interrogation room where Emma and Natasha sat waiting for him.
"Sadly no," Emma said. "But according to what Dr. Banner has already found out, a bullet to the arm really wouldn't slow you down that much unless I shot you in the right arm since your left one is cybernetic."
"Why does that matter?"
"It just shows us that whoever taught you what you know and who funds you, knew what they were doing." Natasha said.
"But they are the same ones who trained you, Agent Romanoff."
Natasha didn't say anything as she glared at the man who sat in front of her. She was about to say something, when Bruce entered the room. He motioned for them both to come with him. Two S.H.E.I.L.D. agents entered the room and took Bucky back into protective custody so that he could be led back to his cell.
"There's no way that we're going to get anything out of him," Bruce said handing Natasha an image of Bucky's brain scan. Emma looked over her shoulder at it.
"Ok I really don't understand this, doc," she said. Emma nodded in agreement.
"Neurotransmitters." Bruce said, pointing one out. "All throughout his brain and it looks like along his spinal column as well. He was made into the perfect solider that the Russians wanted during the Cold War."
"Have you figured out how he could stay so young?"
"Not yet," Bruce said. "I'll know more in a few days. But unless we figure out a way to get those neurotransmitters out of his body or firing a different message to his brain, there's nothing that we can do."
Steve watched from a distance as Bucky was led back to his cell. He had failed his best friend for a second time.
The first time had been over 70 years ago on that train.
This wasn't how things were supposed to be.
"Steve?"
He turned his head a bit to see Emma move next to him in the hallway. "I failed him again," he muttered.
"I wouldn't say that," Emma said. "He showed a sign of curiosity during your first talk with him when you showed him that picture."
"What do you mean?"
"He paused and looked at it. Then he was looking at if for a few seconds. That is curiosity in the spy world."
"I hope you're right."
"Actually that was Natasha who pointed it out first. But anyways, we're heading back to the tower to actually get a few hours of sleep. Are you coming too?"
Seeing as there was little else he could do at HQ that night, Steve gave in and followed Emma to the black S.H.E.I.L.D. SUV that was waiting to take them back to the tower. He hoped that there was someway that he could help Bucky remember his past.
