Old Friends Chapter 11
By: Cadet Deming
I don't own the rights to Captain America or The Avengers, Marvel and Disney do, so please don't sue. Rated T for violence, language, drug references and adult situations. Thank you so much to the people who read and review.
Author's Note: Sorry it took longer to update. I moved last weekend and it turned out I had no air conditioning, working refrigerator, hot water, cable or internet for 5 days. On the bright side: the electricity worked.
Steve watched the coroner zip a body bag around the corpse of the Air Force policeman who fired at Bucky. Steve felt as if he had shot the man himself. He may as well have.
The guardsman's name was Steven Adams. His name just had to be "Steven" too.
The woman Bucky took as a hostage huddled under a blanket. She sipped from coffee and gave her statement to an officer. Even from a distance Steve could tell she was trembling.
Bucky was led away in handcuffs to a heavily armored van. He had appeared so imposing before Steve realized his true identity. Now he just looked defeated. His metal arm was as wilted as his human one. The wind brushed his long hair out of his face and he stared back at Steve.
Bucky's expression seemed to say, "You were supposed to protect me."
Steve should have kept him safe, and he failed. He should have protected him 75 years ago and he should have been able to protect him now.
Bucky was shoved into the van. The next time Steve would see him would most likely be behind bars. Even if they could prove Bucky was brainwashed or mind-controlled before, he still would have to answer for what he did today.
Natasha whispered, "I don't think you should be rushing to take responsibility for this."
Steve said, "Excuse me?"
She said, "Any time someone dies in a hostage situation, fingers get pointed. People will be looking for someone to blame."
It was the worst part of being a military leader: Someone dying under his watch.
Steve said, "I made the call to keep the Air Force personnel 100 feet away. It was far enough for Adams to see Bucky move his gun and not realize he was setting it down, which panicked him into firing. At least I think that's what happened. Unfortunately we can't ask him now what his final thoughts were. I should have honored Bucky's request to evacuate them."
Natasha said, "Captain Carol Danvers wouldn't let you. You can pin the blame on her."
Steve grew irritated at Natasha's attitude. He knew she was a lot more "morally flexible" than he was, and had dealt with it before, but his emotions were so raw from everything it got under his skin.
He said, "It's not my nature to place blame on other people."
"Your nature is to be a self-destructive martyr without a cause! Do not take the fall for this."
"This all happened because Bucky was trying to get my attention! It is my fault. Sometimes I wonder how you sleep at night."
Natasha looked as stunned as if he had slapped her. He immediately regretted saying it. He wanted to apologize, but that would be doing the exact thing she accused him of doing too much of.
Sam interjected, "Hey guys, no need to get snippy. Call me crazy, but isn't…I don't know…Bucky the one responsible for what happened? And I'm dating Carol. But if you want me to pull a "Bros before Hos" I'll stop seeing her."
They all turned and watched Carol. She looked poised as she spoke to a reporter from a local station. Steve wondered what she was saying to the press. He dreaded having to talk to them himself. The most frustrating part of being a Super Soldier was when he was used as a propaganda tool to be trotted out for publicity for the war effort. It left a bad taste in his mouth about giving public statements.
Natasha said to Sam, "Actually, maybe you should keep dating Carol. Instead of blaming her, try to stay on her good side so she doesn't blame Steve for the shooting. Maybe the four of us will go on a double-date together. If we befriend her, she'll be less likely to turn on Steve and keep her testimony from being adversarial."
Sam said, "Are you trying to pimp me out Natasha? Because that's actually kinda cool."
Sam looked to Steve with the expression of a hopeful puppy.
Steve asked Natasha, "What ever happened to good old-fashioned honesty in the pursuit of justice?"
She said, "It's not dishonesty, it's channeling your personality to influence someone to a desired outcome. I did it all the time as a spy. Sam, just be your normal, charming self."
Sam grinned, "You think I'm charming?"
Steve said, "I don't know Natasha."
She put her hands on either side of his face and asked in her huskiest tone, "Will you trust me on this?"
Steve sighed. It was hard for him to resist her when she used that voice.
"I'll take your advice, but I don't like this."
"I don't like any of this either, but this is the world we live in. Let me coach you on what to say to the press. You'll have to give at least a sound bite, and save the rest for the lawyers."
She kissed him, and for a moment he forgot about the whirlpool he had been sucked into. She laced her hands around his lower back.
Sam said, "Do you guys wanna get a room? There are cameras everywhere."
Steve pulled back from her. He wasn't big on public affection.
He said, "Sam, your mission is Carol. I'll face the press."
They walked towards the gaggle of cameras. It was worse than facing a firing squad.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Madame Hydra bellowed, "Wake up boys! You won't believe what you missed."
Brock tried to sit up, but his side hurt. It was bandaged from having three cracked ribs. Eric rested in the hospital-style bed next to him, his scythe conspicuously missing. They were both hooked up to IV's.
Madame Hydra was dressed in a green turtleneck and slacks. Instead of a scarf, a large brown snake was draped around her shoulders. Its black, beady eyes stared at Brock.
He hated snakes, and the whole place was full of them. There were walls and walls of aquariums and cages filled with the sneaky, scaly reptiles.
She turned the volume on the television up.
A newswoman announced, "This is Tracy Martin, coming to you from the Brubaker Shelter for the Homeless and Destitute, where James Buchanan Barnes, the HYDRA assassin known as the Winter Soldier took a hostage and shot and killed a member of the Air Force Police sent to arrest him before Captain Steve Rogers bravely apprehended him. I'm here with US Air Force Captain Carol Danvers. Captain Danvers, can you please explain why the Air Force police were involved in apprehending a former US Army member in the middle of a civilian criminal act?"
Martin thrust the microphone in front of Danvers' face.
Danvers said, "Well…the Air Force technically has jurisdiction over extraterrestrial issues. HYDRA has a history of using weapons with alien Asgardian Tesseract technology, therefore we had jurisdiction."
Martin looked confused, "So what you're saying is aliens were involved here?'
"Well…we had suspicions the arm attached to Bucky Barnes utilized alien technology. So therefore we…"
Brock was disgusted at how poor Danvers was at lying. Director Pierce would have come up with a better cover-story in less time and delivered it with a much more convincing poker face. He watched her blather on with excuses and sound bites.
Martin said, "And here we have Captain America Steve Rogers himself. Captain, can you tell us what happened here today?"
Rogers stepped into the frame. He wore civilian gear, but clutched at his infamous shield like it was a security blanket. It made Brock happy to see he looked visibly uncomfortable in front of the news camera.
Rogers said, "What happened today was a tragedy. My heart goes out to the family of Steven Adams."
Martin asked, "Is it true that Barnes asked for you specifically?"
Naked guilt flashed across Steve's face. Brock knew he was never good at acting or subterfuge.
Steve said, "Yes. He asked for and surrendered to me."
Martin asked, "Do you feel responsibility for today's hostage crisis?"
"I…would like for the issues today to be sorted out in the court of law. Like any American citizen, Bucky is entitled to have a fair trial, so I won't say anything to bias any potential jurors. I have no more comments."
Martin said, "But the public has a right to know…"
"I said no more comments."
Steve turned away and held his hand up, blocking his face from picture-taking.
Brock turned the volume down. "Shouldn't I be there now? Shouldn't we be there? Rogers and Barnes are in the same place!"
Madame Hydra stroked the snake, keeping her long, pointed fingernails from scratching it, "I admire your enthusiasm, but this was recorded 2 hours ago, while you were both in surgery."
The right side of her face was still covered with hair, so he couldn't read her full expression. He couldn't tell if she was angry with him for being under while everything went down.
He asked, "Where did they take Barnes? I could attack tonight. I could lead the Squad."
Eric said, "Shouldn't we get those experimental enhancements before we go after the Super Soldiers? Can I get my scythe back first? And can I have more of those meds you gave me before I went under anesthesia?"
Madame Hydra said, "Yes to your first two questions and no to the drugs."
Eric muttered, "Dammit."
She said, "Here's my plan. Bucky is going to be held while they sort out if he's competent to stand trial. From what you've told me, I suspect Rogers will be visiting him often. Depending on where he's held, I may have an inside source. In the meantime, I'll have my doctors operate on you to make you Superhuman. You can train the rest of the Serpent Squad with your military knowledge, a quality my previous recruits have admittedly lacked. We'll let enough time pass for Rogers to let his guard down and then we'll attack in coordinated force from where he's least expecting it."
Brock said, "Like snakes in the grass."
She smiled mysteriously with heavy-lidded eyes, "Funny you should say that."
He said, "Except I know Rogers. He never lets his guard down."
The snake bobbed its head and flicked its tongue out at Brock as if in agreement.
Madam Hydra said, "He won't be ready for what I'm going to turn you into."
To Be Continued