New York, Astoria Hotel – January 12, 1909

Bucky knew these kind of events were important. They were for people like him, at least. People who belonged to the high society. And Bucky, as a member of a very wealthy and important family, did 100% belong to the high society. So it was natural for him and his parents to participate to the high society's events. Events where people with lots of money usually discussed about money. And politics. Bust most importantly money. Not exactly the most interesting things to talk about for a 19 years old boy, but Bucky couldn't really complain. He never complained. Why would he?

Not only his parents deeply loved him, which at the end of the day was the most important thing to him. They were also incredibly rich and let's be honest, Bucky didn't mind that at all.

"Money doesn't buy happiness" some people would say.

"Clearly you ain't got enough" Bucky would answer.

Because when money allows you to have expensive clothes; the best food you could ever eat; a huge bedroom with a king size bed and a private bathroom; a personal butler and multiple other people ready to do anything you ask; properties across America and Europe; first class tickets for every train or ship you might board; the chance to travel all around the world; and a family to share all of that with, how could you not be happy?

So, even though Bucky didn't really want to go to this party/celebration-of-something-he-didn't-know-anything-about, he didn't complain because that would be unfair. Participating to events where people talked only about politics and money was the price Bucky had to pay as a member of that world. And, considering the lifestyle that world allowed him to have, he didn't really mind paying it.

"Yup. I'm handsome"

Currently Bucky was looking at himself on the full-length mirror (with borders made of true gold thank you very much. They did pay for one of the best suites after all). He wore a black suit over a white button up and white vest. He fixed his white bowtie and then he attached the chain of his gold pocket watch to his vest. He finally glanced at his hair, making sure not even a single hair was out of place.

While he was still looking at his own reflection with pride, he heard a knock coming from the other side of his bedroom door. "Come in"

"Mrs. Barns says they are both ready, sir" their butler, Edwin Jarvis, announced, coming inside the room. "And Mr. Barnes says, and I quote: «Tell the kid to stop drooling over his own damn reflection because we're already running late»"

Bucky rolled his eyes but he couldn't repress a smile. "I am not a kid and I am definitely not drooling"

"You definitely are!" Bucky's father declared from the other room. "I could hear your thoughts about how handsome you are from the corridor!"

"Well" Bucky turned back to the mirror. "That's because they're true"

"Ha! That's a funny one. You really need a pair of glasses, son"

"Trust me, Jarvis" Bucky told their butler, who was trying his best to remain serious. "He's just jealous"

George Barnes chose that moment to enter the room. He was dressed just like his son, only George's bowtie was black. "So, are you done with the restoration?" he asked, pretending to be bossy and failing miserably because George Barnes was one of the sweetest men Bucky had ever known. "Or do you need something else to put on that pretty face of yours? Perhaps some of your mother's lipstick?" he then looked at Jarvis "I think some red lipstick would make you even prettier. What do you think, Jarvis?"

"Yes, that should help him keep a low profile" Jarvis answered in his usual composed way.

"Ha ha. Very funny" Bucky muttered, although there was a smile on his face. Because Bucky loved when he and his father teased each other.

"Don't listen to your father" Winnifred said, joining the rest of her family. She was dressed in a dark blue short-sleeved dress and white gloves that reached her elbows. "You look wonderful sweetheart"

"Thank you, Mother" he then kissed her cheek "You look lovely"

"I agree with Mr. James, my lady. You do look stunning"

"Oh, thank you Jarvis. See George?" she asked, hitting her husband's arm "Why don't you learn from him?"

"I told you you look beautiful!" George protested.

"Yes. But I prefer the word stunning"

"Right, I'll write that down" George then glanced at his pocket watch. "Alright, time to go" he then turned to Jarvis "Try not to enjoy yourself too much while we're gone" he said seriously, although Jarvis knew it was all an act.

"Of course sir. I'll just take a bath in that wonderful bathtub this suite offers and then I'll order some food from the restaurant. I'll tell them to send you the bill, of course"

George nodded satisfied, like he couldn't expect anything else from their butler. "That seems wonderful. You should try that chocolate cake with strawberries on the top. It's delicious"

"I certainly will, sir"

Although everyone knew Jarvis would never do such things, that was a clear sign of how George treated the people working for them. Not like servants, but like family. Jarvis considered himself one of the luckiest people in the world, he really liked working for the Barnes family.

"Well, enjoy yourself then. Bucky, let's go. We don't want to be late"

"Right. I'll see you later Jarvis" Bucky winked at him. "If I come out from the reptile cage alive"

"I'm sure you will, sir. As always"

Bucky then followed his parents outside their room and together they made their way to the great saloon where the event took place. "Do we even know what this is all about?" Bucky asked.

"I think it's a presentation of some kind" Winnifred answered, fixing one of her earrings. "Am I right, dear?"

"Yes, although I'm not too sure about what. I've heard it may involve a new kind of ship, but it was just a rumor"

Bucky blinked at his father. "Why would anyone make so much fuss for the presentation of a ship?"

"Probably because they've got nothing better to do" George answered with a wink "But whatever it is, it's supposed to be important. Rumors say even Thaddeus Ross will be here tonight"

Bucky huffed. "It must be REALLY important if Mr. Ross bothers to show up"

If Bucky and his family were rich, they were all peasants compared to that man. Ross was one of the world's richest men and he was considered the greater banker of all times. If there was someone who loved talking about money and most importantly about new ways to make it, that was Thaddeus E. Ross.

Once they entered the big saloon, Bucky immediately realized two things were out of the ordinary. First, among the aristocratic guests there were also several journalists ready to take notes and pictures. And that was quite odd because journalists weren't usually welcomed at the high society's events. Then Bucky noticed that at the center of the room, in front of a big marble staircase, there was what looked like a big box covered by a red blanket. Was that the object of the presentation?


As time passed, things went as Bucky had predicted. He stayed by his parent's side, acting as the polite and well-mannered boy everyone expected him to be. Occasionally Bucky would shake hands with businessmen who knew his father, or he would receive compliments for his good behavior from the ladies. Nothing out of the ordinary, but Bucky didn't really mind. He actually liked hearing people say to his parents how good and well-mannered their son was.

"Good evening Mr. Coulson"

At the sound of his dad's voice, Bucky turned around and saw a man approaching them. "Mr. Barnes. What a pleasure to see you"

They both shook hands, then George put his hand behind his son's back. "James, this is Philip J. Coulson, Chairman of SHIELD shipyard in Belfast. Mr. Coulson, this is my son James"

"It's nice to meet you, sir" Bucky said, extending his hand.

Coulson shook it with a smile. "Nice to meet you, young man"

"You remember my wife, Winnifred, I presume?"

Winnifred smiled politely. "Mr. Coulson, it's lovely to see you again"

"Good evening, my dear" Coulson said before kissing the back of Winnifred's gloved hand "You are a real angel. You're a very lucky man George, I hope you know that"

George chuckled. "I certainly do. So, if you are here tonight I assume the voices are true"

Coulson raised an eyebrow. "Voices? About what?"

"About the reason we're all here" George explained "It is about a new ship after all, isn't it? Are you and your shipyard involved?"

"Perhaps" Coulson answered cryptically. "You don't want me to ruin the surprise now, do you?"

"Considering all the fuss-" George glanced at the journalists at the corner of the salon and then he looked at all the aristocratic guests who were there "-this surprise of yours must be huge"

Coulson looked quite satisfied. "Oh believe me, it is" but he didn't add anything else, leaving Bucky on the edge because for the very first time he was honestly curious about what was going to happen that evening.

The two men then started talking about politics, business and the usual stuff people of their status were supposed to talk about. After several minutes Winnifred glanced at her son. "Why don't we see what the buffet has to offer?" she whispered, knowing that, even though he was acting nicely as always, he was also incredibly bored.

"Please" he whispered back.

Winnifred smiled before turning to Coulson. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, gentlemen. But my son and I would really like to see what tonight's menu has to offer"

After saying their good-byes to Coulson, the two left Coulson and George to their conversation and headed to the side of the saloon where the buffet was placed. There were several tables full of all kinds of foods and expensive bottles of wine and Champagne.

"Hello Winnifred, my dear" a male voice called behind them.

Winnifred turned around and saw a familiar face walking toward them. "T'Chaka! What a pleasure to see you here"

Bucky watched as the man, T'Chaka, kissed the back of Winnifred's hand. Bucky's parents and T'Chaka had met a couple of years earlier and they immediately became friends. T'Chaka was a native African man who came in the United States with his parents when he was 10. In the following 40 years, T'Chaka managed to become, to many aristocrats' disappointed, one of the American leaders in the mining industry. Recently his company built new mines in Wakanda, his homeland, where there was a rare metal that, apparently, could be stronger than steel and a third the weight. Nobody knew that this rare metal, named Vibranium by T'Chaka himself, even existed. Because nobody had never had the means nor the will to invest in that part of the world, considered by many as worthless. Until T'Chaka proved them wrong, of course. If he somehow managed to get enough Vibranium and to understand how to work it, he would be able to create marvels and become a world pioneer.

Bucky knew the majority of the aristocratic people weren't thrilled that someone like T'Chaka and his family belonged to "the club". They considered him just as worthless as the land he had come from. When he founded his company, many laughed at him. A black man would never become a successful businessman, they said.

Of course when his company quickly grew in size and revenues, they changed their mind. Mainly because those same people who had laughed at him decided to invest in his company when they realized it was definitely worth it. Since then, people treated him and his family with half the kindness and respect they treated each other, which was still a lot if compared to before his success.

It was sad to know that these people treated T'Chaka and his loved ones with (fake) respect just because of the wonderful things his company had to offer. Luckily, Bucky and his parents weren't like them at all.

"James" T'Chaka said, looking at him with a warm smile "Happy to see you, sonny. You've grown quite a lot since the last time I saw you"

Bucky smiled politely before shaking T'Chaka's hand. "Thank you, sir. I'm happy we'll enjoy your company tonight. I've heard you had some health issues lately"

"Yes, but nothing some rest can't fix"

"Which is why we should have stayed home, baba" a young man said, walking next to T'Chaka.

"Oh, finally someone who thinks like me!" Bucky joked before hugging his friend. "Hi T'Challa, how are you doing?"

Just like their respective parents, when T'Challa and Bucky met they immediately became friends. Bucky really appreciated T'Challa's calm and wise behavior, and on the other side T'Challa liked Bucky's cockiness and adventurous personality.

"Hi Bucky" T'Challa said, slapping his friend on the back. "I'm fine. Been working a lot lately but I don't mind. How are you?"

"Honestly? I'm fine but also incredibly bored" Bucky answered, breaking the hug.

"Nothing new then. That's why I'm here to save you. You want to go and see if they have some decent food?"

"That's exactly what I was about to do actually" Bucky, happy to finally have the chance to talk about interesting stuff to someone around his age, turned to his mom. "Mother, do you mind if-"

"Go, sweetheart" Winnifred said with a smile. She then looked at the other boy "T'Challa, it's nice to see you again"

"Lovely to see you, Mrs. Barnes. Baba, I'll see you later alright?"

"Of course. You young ones must stick together"

The two young men left T'Chaka and Winnifred to their talks, heading to the buffet. "Hey, where's Shuri by the way?" Bucky suddenly asked.

"Actually, my dear sister decided to stay at home tonight"

"Ah, I see" Bucky bumped his shoulder against his friend's. "She has always been smarter than you"

"You know, I don't know how I feel about you constantly making compliments about my sister" T'Challa looked at Bucky with a knowing smile. "Are you trying to seduce her?"

Bucky chuckled. "Oh God, no. I mean, don't get me wrong she is very pretty. But I would never make a move on a young woman knowing her brother would instantly kill me"

T'Challa nodded satisfied. "Good. We are on the same page then"

They kept walking silently. "But…" Bucky eventually said. "Would you let me make a move on her? I'm joking!" he immediately admitted after seeing T'Challa's gaze. "God, I'm joking. But seriously, I wouldn't be that bad of a partner"

"Just shut up, Jimmy. My sister's off limits for you"

"Yeah yeah" Bucky playfully rolled his eyes. "Good luck to the poor soul who'll marry her. You're going to be a terrible brother in law"

"If the poor soul will be the exact opposite of you, then he won't need any luck at all"

"Ha-Ha" Bucky pretended to laugh. "You are soooo hilarious"

Eventually they reached one of the tables with the buffet. T'Challa chose to taste one of the available desserts while Bucky asked to the steward a glass of Champagne.

The man filled an elegant cup with Champagne before handing it over to him. "Here you are, sir"

"Thank you" Bucky said, before drinking a small sip. "So, you said you've been working a lot. Is it about this Veranium metal I've heard about?"

"It's Vibranium, Bucky. And yes, that's why I've worked so much lately. Me and my father have returned to Wakanda to see if there are more places where Vibranium can be found. That proved to be harder than we thought. That metal is extremely rare. And that's not the only problem we're facing"

"I guess you're referring to the fact it is so strong that no amount of heat has been able to melt it"

T'Challa looked at him impressed. "Ohhh, so you do know what I'm talking about"

Bucky shrugged and smirked at him. "I did my homework, pal"

"You read the papers you mean"

"You should be proud I've kept up with the latest news about your work" he then emptied his glass. "Wow, this Champagne is so good. I need a refill"

T'Challa chuckled. "Of course you do"

Once the steward handed Bucky a new glass full of Champagne, Bucky raised it. "Cheers, pal" and he drank some.

"Aren't you a bit young to drink that?" a female voice asked beside him.

Bucky and T'Challa turned to the source of the voice and they saw a very attractive woman standing at Bucky's right. Bucky had no idea how she came so close to him without him noticing. She was young but still older than both of them, probably around 30 years old. She wore a long-sleeved black dress that contrasted with her pale skin. Her red hair was perfectly combed in an elaborated chignon. She wasn't even looking at him, but Bucky couldn't say the same about himself. He scanned her body from top to bottom.

"So?" she asked, finally turning her piercing gaze to him. "Aren't you young to drink Champagne?"

"I don't know" Bucky smirked. "How old do you think I am?"

"16?" she asked without a second thought.

T'Challa failed to suppress a laugh while Bucky was sure his soul had just committed suicide. "I'm 19 actually" he mumbled.

The woman shrugged "Still young" once again she looked away.

Bucky, with his eyes still stuck on her, didn't say anything for some time. Okay, maybe his father didn't agree with him… but it wasn't like Bucky didn't know he was good looking. And his attempts to flirt had never been rejected before. But apparently there was a first time for everything.

"May I ask your name, ma'am?" he asked kindly, showing her his best smile.

She looked at him again. Bucky felt like her gaze could look through his soul and his smile faltered a little. "Natasha. Natasha Romanoff"

Bucky, thinking that this woman didn't look like the kiss-the-back-of-my-hand kind of woman, chose to extend his hand instead. "James Barnes. But my friends call me Bucky"

"Oh? Are we friends now?" Natasha asked, shaking his hand firmly. Yep, definitely not the kiss-the-back-of-my-hand kind of woman.

Bucky shrugged. "We could be. Maybe we could-" he walked closer to her "-get to know each other" beside him, T'Challa rolled his eyes.

"Hmm. And if I don't want us to get to know each other? I told you you're too young"

"Then I guess you'll never find out how amazing I am"

Natasha nodded, a shadow of a smile appeared on her face. "You certainly don't have confidence issues, do you?"

"Nope" Bucky answered truthfully. "But I can say the same about yourself, Miss Romanoff. Can I offer you a drink?" he then asked, pointing to the table beside them.

"It's a free buffet you know?"

"It's the thought that counts"

For some reason Natasha glanced at the big staircase on the other side of the room. She then looked back at Bucky with a smile that looked more like a smirk. "Very charming, kid. But I'm afraid my time is over"

"Wait. Kid?!" Bucky asked incredulously as Natasha walked away from him.

"Until our next meeting" was Natasha's answer. "Bucky" she added, glancing behind her shoulder.

Bucky watched her leave before drinking another sip of Champagne with a knowing smile. "Yep. She definitely likes me"

"Oh yes I'm sure she does. Kid"

"Shut up!"

"Aw, the kid's pride has been crushed, hasn't it?You make me want to squeeze those little puffy cheeks"

"Hey! You're just two years older than me!"

T'Challa laughed. "But differently from you, no one mistakes me for a 16 year old kid. Your face was priceless"

Bucky signed. "I hate you"

"No you don't" T'Challa said confidently, putting his arm around Bucky's shoulders.

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess I don't really hate you" Bucky paused. "Only from time to time"

T'Challa chuckled. "Good. Cause I hate you from time to time, too"

Bucky chuckled too.

They spent some time talking and enjoying what the buffet had to offer. Bucky was currently drinking his third cup of Champagne when one of the steward caught everyone's attention with an announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Thaddeus E. Ross"

Immediately everyone in the whole room turned their attention to the big staircase. From there, greeted by a long applause, came down Thaddeus Ross himself, dressed in what looked like the most expensive suit of the room. Bucky noticed Miss Romanoff joining three other men who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He recognized Mr. Coulson, but he had no idea who the other two men were. Meanwhile Ross made his way to the bottom of the stairs, but he chose to stop at the third step so he could be at a higher level than everyone else in the room. Not a coincidence, Bucky thought.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Ross said with imperial voice. "We can all agree that in the last decades the world has changed deeply. We live in a time where huge forces are moving. The forces of technology and progress. Forces that have helped humankind to reach mighty goals. Forces that will take us all beyond our limits. And so, in the spirit of this age, we are here tonight to celebrate an extraordinary project"

That caught Bucky's attention because, judging by Ross's words, something big was about to be announced and Bucky, like everyone else in the room, was extremely curios to know what it was.

"The MARVEL LINE, controlled by my International Mercantile Marine Company, and SHIELD shipyard have been working together to design a new, big ocean liner. It will be the biggest moving object ever created by man. A vessel made to rule the waves, of size and luxury beyond compare. Which shall dominate the transport of people from the Old World to the New. So Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present you the only ocean liner worthy of her name, and of this age: R.M.S. Titanic"

It was then that the red blanket was removed, revealing a glass box that contained a model of a ship. Immediately all guests clapped their hands, excited and fascinated by the new liner, while journalists took as many pictures as they could. Bucky and his family had been on many ships before. After all, it was the only way to go from America to Europe and vice versa. He had travelled on both the Lusitania and the Mauretania, the latest being the largest ship ever created. However, looking at the model in front of him, Bucky already knew that record wasn't going to last long.

"A bit arrogant, don't you think?"

Bucky came out if his thoughts and turned to T'Challa. "What?"

Instead of answering right away, the other boy just stared at the model. But, differently from everyone else, T'Challa didn't look excited. He looked serious. Even a bit sad. "The name" he eventually said.

"What about it?" Bucky asked confused.

"It's an arrogant name, don't you think?"

"I don't actually" at that answer T'Challa looked at him with an unreadable expression.

Bucky was really interested about technology and progress. He lived in a time where those two forces, as Ross had called them, had drastically changed the world over the years. Moreover, if there was one thing he really loved, that was crossing the ocean on a floating palace. He liked everything about it: the feel of the wind when he stayed on the deck, the ship's luxurious interiors, the dances in the first class saloons, the excellent food. But he also loved the mere technical parts of an ocean liner: its dimensions, its speed or just the thought that normal men could design and build something so massive and incredible. It was very fascinating to him.

"I mean" Bucky explained "It's like Mr. Ross said isn't it? It's a name worthy of this age"

"Hmm. He also said this ship will rule the waves" T'Challa's words didn't exactly sound like a compliment, but Bucky didn't get that.

"He did, yes"

T'Challa raised an eyebrow. "And you believe that?"

Bucky hesitated. Not because he didn't know what to answer. Because he still couldn't figure out what his friend was trying to say. "I do. Totally"

T'Challa huffed. "Well, it's arrogant to think that. Nothing created by man can rule nature"

"It should" Bucky immediately commented, which caused the other young man to look at him with both his eyebrows raised. "I mean, think about it" Bucky added, wanting to prove his point "For centuries we lived in the dark, and then electricity came. If people wanted to move from one place to the other, they needed to use animals or their own feet. Now there are cars and trains and ships. Where there used to be small houses made of wood, there are now skyscrapers. For most if its history, humankind didn't know of the existence of the New World because they couldn't navigate the ocean. Now they want to build the biggest ship ever created" Bucky paused for a moment "And the more time passes, the better things get. Progress always wins" he concluded, looking at the model.

T'Challa looked at it as well. "Perhaps it should lose sometimes"

Bucky turned to him with wide eyes. "Why would you say that?"

"Because, differently from you, I believe technology and progress cannot fix all our problems. And we've got plenty of them already. If we start believing technology and progress allow us to control everything, even Nature, then the consequences might be too terrible to predict"

Bucky was getting annoyed, T'Challa's point of view didn't make any sense to him. "I really don't understand you"

There was a moment of tense silence. "Well" T'Challa eventually said with a small smile, trying to ease the mood "It's not the first time"

That phrase made Bucky's lips turn up. "Yeah. And we can bet it won't be the last one"

"Even better. Where would the fun be?" T'Challa asked with a more sincere smile, immediately copied by his friend.

"T'Challa" both boys turned around and met T'Chaka's gaze. "Come son, we are going home. I need some rest"

"Coming, baba" T'Challa turned to Bucky with an apologetic smile "I have to go. It was really good seeing you again"

"Yes it was. Hopefully we'll see each other soon"

"I really do hope so" they then hugged, clapping each other on the shoulder. "Until next time, my friend"

"Until next time. Tell Shuri she better come next time, so I can finally talk to her"

"Why?" T'Challa asked, breaking the hug. "Am I not interesting enough?"

Bucky huffed. "Of course you're not. She is way more interesting than you"

T'Challa simply answered with an eye roll and a fond smile. He then walked away, following his father outside the saloon. Once his friend was out of sight, Bucky walked toward Titanic's model, trying to locate his parents among the other guests. He eventually saw them both near the stern of the model. George was talking with one of the two men Bucky had seen earlier near the staircase. He was young, around his mid-30s, with black hair and black mustache. Apparently, he was telling Bucky's parents how the ship's engines worked.

"It will be equipped with two reciprocating, triple-expansion steam engines and one low-pressure Parsons turbine, each driving a propeller" the man explained.

"Interesting" George said, staring at the model with a finger under his chin. "I have a question though: why don't you use just steam turbines like DC LINE does on their ships? They would generate more power"

"Turbines are more powerful yes, but they also cause uncomfortable vibrations. By combining reciprocating engines with a turbine, we provide a good combination of performance and speed"

George nodded. "Yes, I remember those vibrations when we boarded the Mauretania. Very annoying indeed. You have a point there, Mr. Stark" he then noticed Bucky approaching them. "James, come here son" when the boy was close enough, George put his hand behind his back "I would like you to meet Mr. Howard Stark. Naval architect at SHIELD shipyard, in Belfast, and the man in charge of the plans of Titanic. Mr. Stark, this is my son James"

Stark extended his hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you, James"

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Stark" Bucky said, shaking his hand "Naval architect uh? So you are the one who created this marvel"

Stark smiled politely. "Oh well, I didn't do that alone. All the people of the drafting department were involved. And let's not forget the workers. After all, they'll be the ones who will put Titanic together"

Bucky couldn't help but be surprised at his humble words. He could easily take all the credit for himself, instead he chose to mention his colleagues at the department and even the workers. Bucky liked him immediately.

"Always so humble our Howard" a man suddenly commented, getting close to them. Bucky recognized him as the third man who listened to Ross's speech near the staircase. "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation. I'm Alexander Pierce, Chairman and Managing Director of MARVEL LINE"

"Oh, it's an honor to meet you Mr. Pierce" George said as they shook hands.

"My pleasure, Mr. Barnes. My good friend Mr. Coulson has told me many good things about you" Pierce then put his hand on Stark's shoulders. "Our dear Howard here forgot to say he is the director of the drafting department. And without his brilliant mind, SHIELD workers wouldn't have nothing to put together at all"

"I just did my job"

"And thanks to your job the whole world, in a couple of years, will see the greatest ocean liner ever made. And believe me when I say that your name is the one that'll be remembered for this, not the workers'"

Stark didn't seem to agree on that particular aspect, but he chose to remain silent. Pierce and George then started talking to each other, with the MARVEL LINE Chairman trying to convince Bucky's father to invest on his company. Winnifred instead had a conversation with Stark about the ship's interiors.

Meanwhile Bucky walked around the model to admire every aspect of the ship. It had a very elegant design with no huge vents on the upper deck, which made it look much nicer and sober than other liners such as Lusitania and Mauretania. Bucky then admired the stern, trying to imagine how big the real propellers were going to be.

"You like what you see?"

Bucky almost jumped at the familiar voice. He turned to his left to find none other than Natasha Romanoff, who was looking at him with her smile/smirk.

"Miss Romanoff" Bucky said, trying to sound unaffected. "You're really good at walking around unnoticed"

"It's a gift" she then glanced back at the model. "So, you like it?"

Bucky turned to the model as well. "A lot actually" he then looked at her "Don't you?"

"Hmm, I'm not as excited as everyone seems to be. But I think that is because the man I'm working for has been talking about Titanic for more than a year. After a while you get tired of listening to the same things"

"And who is the man you're working for? May I ask?"

"Mr. Ross" Natasha replied simply. "I'm his personal secretary" she explained after seeing Bucky's surprised face.

"A remarkable position" he commented.

Natasha shrugged "It has its privileges" then her attention was caught by Coulson who gestured to her to join him. Bucky noticed that Ross was talking with another man a few feet from Coulson. Natasha nodded before turning to Bucky. "Well, work calls. Enjoy yourself, Mr. Barnes" and she walked away.

"Hey" Bucky said with a smirk. "I thought we were becoming friends. You called me Bucky earlier, after all"

She slightly turned around but didn't answer. However, Bucky noticed she was smirking as well. She stepped beside Ross who told her something and then both him and Coulson left the room, with Natasha behind them.


"So Mr. Pierce asked you to invest in his company?" Winnifred asked when they eventually came back to their hotel room.

"Yes" George answered, undoing his bowtie. "I said I'll consider it. MARVEL LINE seems like a solid investment, especially now that they're building the largest ship ever made"

"Are you sure that is a smart decision, dad?" Bucky asked. "Titanic hasn't been built yet, we don't know how the public will react. Plus, DC LINE controls Atlantic routes right now with their liners"

"Believe me, son, things are about to change. Titanic's launch is going to be a huge event" George commented. "Mr. Pierce told me Titanic will be 100 feet longer than the Mauretania. And far more luxurious too. When it will be complete, everyone will want to board it. And from what I've heard, MARVEL LINE intends to build a fleet of twin ocean liners like Titanic. If they do that, they will soon control the Atlantic"

"100 feet longer?" Bucky couldn't hide his surprise. "Now I understand all the fuss"

"Anyway, I'm happy that for once you enjoyed yourself" George put a hand on Bucky's shoulder "I know you get bored during these events"

Bucky shrugged and smiled. "There are worst things. I did enjoy myself this evening. Maybe with the right topics-" he thought about Titanic "-and the right people-" he then thought about T'Challa and his father, about Natasha and her interesting presence, about the interesting conversation Bucky exchanged with Mr. Stark about future technologies "-it's not that bad after all"


Chicago – May 20, 1909

On the outskirts of the city a young, skinny man was trying to sell some newspapers so he could use the money to put some food inside his stomach. But it wasn't going that well.

"Fucking rain…" Steve mumbled from under a huge tree, where he had found some repair. It wasn't like selling newspapers allowed him to make that much money. Steve didn't even remember the last time he ate three complete meals in one day. He considered himself lucky enough whenever he had the chance to eat one meal a day. So, in his current situation, even one single day of not working was going to be a pain in the ass. Ad in his stomach. Especially because he wasn't the only one who needed to eat.

"Sam" he called, seeing his friend approaching him. "How did it go?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sam asked ironically. "No one needs their damn shoes polished when God starts the Great Flood"

Steve chuckled. "You don't even believe in God"

Sam walked next to his friend, grimacing at how uncomfortable his wet clothes felt on his skin. "Well I certainly do now! I believe God hates us!"

"You just need someone to hate" Steve commented calmly, used at his friend's moods when things got bad. Well, worse than usual.

"Can you blame me?" Sam asked angrily before sitting on the floor, not caring he might get his trousers dirty. "It's been two whole days since we ate something! In this shitty city people would rather keep their shoes dirty than allowing a black man to clean them, and the money you make selling papers is not enough for both of us!" Sam signed deeply. "This is so fucked up, man"

Steve sat down next to him, leaving the unsold papers on the wet floor. "I know. But we have to-"

"If you're about to say we have to look at the bright side-" Sam muttered "-I'm going to make you eat those papers. At least one of us would eat something"

Steve chuckled. "Yeah alright. I have to admit, we haven't been very lucky lately" he then took a newspaper and started to read it to kill time.

"Oh really? I didn't notice" Sam ran a hand through his short wet hair. "We're only asking for a stable job to live a half decent life. Is it too much to ask? What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"Probably move to another country" Steve answered, eyes fixed on the newspaper.

"Oh yes, of course" Sam mumbled, not taking Steve's words seriously. "A vacation is what we really need right now. Let me go pack the bags and then we'll leave for Paris. Or Rome"

"I was thinking about Belfast, actually"

Sam then turned to look at his friend because he sounded far too serious. "What are you talking about?"

Steve answered by showing Sam the article he was reading. "Look at this"

May 20, 1909

BIRTH OF A NEW TITAN.

By Christine Everhart

On March 31 SHIELD shipyard, in Belfast, started the construction of a new huge ocean liner. It will be 882 feet long and it will measure more than 45,000 gross tonnage. Her designers decided to call her "Titanic". The ambitious project has four creators: the tycoon Thaddeus E. Ross, owner of the International Mercantile Marine Company and one of the richest men in the world; Alexander G. Pierce, Chairman and Managing Director of MARVEL LINE; the owner of SHIELD shipyard, Philip J. Coulson; and the shipbuilder and naval architect Howard A. Stark.

Below the article there were the pictures of the four men. Steve and Sam recognized Mr. Ross because, c'mon, how could you not know him? But they had no idea who the other men were. Under the drawing of a ship, the Titanic apparently, there was a declaration made by one of them.

«We are facing unknown waters, forgive me for the joke» Mr. Stark tells me with a smile «No one has ever built a ship this big, so no one really knows what could happen once she will be out there on the sea. Even now that the construction has just started we get to see how challenging this project is. That is why I am personally supervising every aspect of the construction. I want everything to be perfect. For the safety of the ship, and most importantly for the safety of the future passengers».

Mr. Stark then takes me inside a building where the lifeboat davits are built. «This is my colleague Hank Pym» Mr. Stark says, introducing us to Mr. Pym, another shipbuilder. «He is the inventor of a new kind of davit that will be installed on Titanic. Hank, why don't you tell Miss Everhart how it works?».

«Well, what has concerned me since the day I started working on Titanic at Mr. Stark's side-» Mr. Pym explains «-is the number of passengers she will host. And that made me realize one thing: shipyards have been building bigger and bigger ships in the last years, but somehow the number of lifeboats requested on a ship hasn't changed in 20 years. The new type of davits I invented will solve this problem, because they can hold a larger number of boats, allowing a ship like Titanic to have a proper amount of lifeboats».

I then ask Mr. Stark if he believes they will complete the construction on time, since I have heard the shipyard is facing lack of workers.

«We will» he assures me. «And to be even surer I personally asked my friend, Mr. Coulson, to let people know we are looking for more workers. So if you are reading this, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. We have plenty of work to offer here, and if you need a job and you are willing to work hard, come to Belfast and together we will build a page of history».

Titanic is scheduled to be launched in 1911 and to be operative in 1912.

Once they were done reading, Sam and Steve looked at each other. The first with a frown, the latter with a smirk. "Oh oh. I know that look and I don't like it"

"We must go to Belfast"

"Oh Jesus…" Sam mumbled.

"Sam" Steve put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We gotta try. You just said it yourself. We need a stable job and this-" he raised the newspaper "-this could be our chance to finally get it. It would mean a stable pay for at least a couple of years"

Sam blinked at him a couple of times. "You hit your little head or something?"

Steve groaned. "Come on Sam!"

"No, I'm not coming anywhere! And you know why? Because nobody would hire someone like me-" Sam said, referring to his skin color "-and don't tell me it's not true because we've already proven that point multiple times. And nobody with half a brain would hire a guy who barely has the strength to support his own, miserable body to work at a shipyard! I definitely wouldn't!" Sam concluded.

"Well" Steve began, completely unbothered by Sam's comments because, come on, he was right about his body. "Good thing you're not the owner then"

"We've been trying so hard" Sam said, disappointment taking place over anger. "To get a stable job. To get a decent pay. To get to live a little… instead of just surviving. And yet-" Sam raised his hands to the air. "-nothing has changed. Why would be different this time?"

Steve shrugged. "I just feel it"

Sam blinked. "You. Just" he paused at every word. "Feel it"

"Yeah" Steve said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wow" Sam nodded. "Wow. Once again you surprise me with your incredible gifts, Rogers. Gifts mere mortals like me can only dream to have"

Steve chuckled at his friend's irony. "C'mon Sam"

"I'm not going on the other side of the Ocean to ask for a job and receive a kick in the ass as an answer!"

"Listen" Steve pointed to the article. "They're building the biggest ship ever and if what the article says is true, that they could be late because they haven't got enough workers, I'm sure they would hire anyone if that means this Goddamn ship will be complete on time"

"Yes, because a black dude and a walking stick would make a huge difference"

"Come on Sammy-"

"Don't call me that!"

"-I know it's crazy-"

"Damn right it is!"

"-but you have to trust me"

Sam remained silent for a couple of minutes, thinking of a way to make his best friend change his mind. But he soon realized he couldn't find one. The truth was, since the day they met Sam knew he would have flowed Steve anywhere. And he did.

"Ugh, fuck it…" beside him Steve smiled widely, making Sam want to punch him in the face "Alright fine! We're going to fucking Belfast"

"Yeah!" Steve exclaimed happily, half hugging his friend "You won't regret it"

"I already am…" Sam mumbled but he couldn't really hide the smile on his face because Steve and his happy puppy face had that effect on him even though he hated to admit it. "Okay, slow down man" he added, looking at Steve's joyful face. "We have to reach the port of New York first, that's where the majority of ships to Europe set sail, and that might be difficult. Then we have to actually board a ship, which is pretty damn expensive even for a third class ticket. How do you plan to do all of that, uh? It's not exactly like we're rolling in gold, is it?"

Steve simply smirked. "Just trust me"

"Oh God…" Sam whined. "Fuck my life"


A/N: First real chapter done. What do you think so far? Any kind of feedback is always appreciated!