Okay.

He's pissed.

And he probably doesn't hide it very well as he absolutely flies through the obstacle course and the run three more times. For the first time in his life he lets his anger at the situation absolutely roar through him as he runs faster, jumps higher, and climbs quicker.

He can feel them watching him whenever he's in their line of vision. And he doesn't care. One of the rungs dents under his fingers, he doesn't stop. One of the wooden posts shatters when he yanks on it, he keeps going. Then he runs the last bit and comes sliding into a stop in front of the drill sergeant.

His glare is not mean at the sergeant but it is unrelenting. He wonders what the man will have to say now. He knows he finished three laps in less time that it would have taken the rest of the squad to complete two.

The sergeant is looking at him with something he feels the tiniest bit of smugness about.

Shock. And a bit of fear too.

That Steve doesn't like as much. Then his eyes slide to the private who got his picture ripped up. The guy won't even meet his eyes. Coward.

He looks back the sergeant and the man clears his throat and nods. "First in the gas chamber tomorrow. Last out."

Steve's eyes narrow, "sir, yes, sir."

—

Bucky watches in shock at the speed, agility and pure force Steve exudes as he crushes the run and course in record time.

Maybe Steve's still skinnier than the whole group, and only average height, but he looks like a complete monster he tears through it. He can sense the complete disbelief radiating out from the rest of the group as well.

Then Steve is standing there. Barely out of breath, not even a drop of sweat, glaring at them like he'd take all of them down if he needed to.

And for the first time in his life he experiences fear of Steve instead of fear for him.

—-

"I secured all the items you asked for."

"Thanks, Howard." Natasha says with a sigh, "I hope we can all video chat on Christmas." Her melancholy is a little stronger today. Clint had called and they'd talked for over an hour and it had made her miss all of them terribly.

"When I am there for their graduation I'll make sure to video you. Christmas is too far. We will talk before then."

She nods and speaks, "thanks, I'm sad I can't be there. Any news?"

"Only that Steve's making waves and pissing people off, he's lost basically every privilege but won't stop. So whatever the hell he is doing must be worth it."

"Like what?" She asks, "is he okay?"

"I think so. They keep them so cut off. But grads in less than two weeks and then communication should be more normal."

Her nose wrinkles at the thought. Maybe Bucky going along hasn't been such a bad idea. "How's Clint?"

"He said he'll call you soon," she answers first, "but seems to be good. Kind of cryptic about what he's doing."

How are laughs and she can hear him tinkering with things, "he's on a special ops team. Of course he's cryptic."

Clint hadn't said those exact words, so this was official confirmation. "Is he going to be safe?"

A solemn pause before Howard speaks slowly, "safe? No. Given every skill and surrounded by the best to hopefully prevent anything bad from happening? Yes."

Her eyes narrow, "is this a team you'd let Tony on?"

"Hell no." He laughs, "but Clint is a totally different kid. I can't expect the same from them. Tony would get himself killed in an environment like that. And I don't mean that as an insult to him. He's just…"

"Tony."

"Exactly. Too big to be small, too loud to be quiet you know? Like me."

"And Clint—"

"—Is one of the most adaptable human beings on this planet. Like you."

"Is that a compliment?"

Howard laughs, "absolutely." Then he curses in the background and she hears a 'pop'"

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, hey kiddo I'm going to have to call you back another time. And hey, send me your performance schedule, maybe me and the misses can fly out and see you—"

Surprise and an aching happiness floods through her, "really? Do you think you might be able to bring Yelena? I'd pay for her ticket."

Another sigh, but she can hear the turn behind it. "Just send me the damn schedule, Romanoff."

—-

Clint looks up and eyes the rest of the team.

While annoying as hell, Johnny has become a teammate and a decent friend. He and Morita get along well, but the guy is pretty quiet.

He met Logan once and the guy's sideburns were enough to write home about. Guy was like a brick wall but with humor.

Castle had come back a day or so ago and he'd listened to the guy's descriptions of the possible new recruits.

"You shoulda seen it, Jimmy." Castle says with his unique speech patterns, "kid thought he was missing the target. Had no idea he was hitting three in a row perfectly."

"So he our sharpshooter?"

Castle laughs, slapping his knee and his boots thudding on the heavy desk he's sitting on top of, "no, get this, he's the punk ass strategist that's pissing off everyone up top."

Morita laughs, "what's he doing?"

"He's questioning them. And damn, you should read some of the reports, hack in and see, kids got 'em scrambling in too many ways. They've actually already changed a few things for the next recruits. But they won't tell him that of course. He's this stick of a kid but his times are phenomenal."

Morita rolls his eyes and grabs his keyboard, "what's this punk ass's name?"

"Rogers," Castle says, "Steve Rogers."

Clint chokes, the water he was drinking exiting both his lips and nose. Oh geez it burns. He winces and wipes at his face.

"You having a stroke over there?" Castle asks.

And he coughs, trying to regurgitate the water that's entered his lungs. "Yep." He answers in a rasp.

And he could say he knows them. Should he? For some reason he doesn't.

"You sure you want someone who questions authority?" Morita asks, reading the reports. Clint desperately wants to walk over and read them too, "he's going to question you."

Castle grins, "I sure fucking hope so. The brains on this kid. It's like he's been fighting a war his whole life." Clint grimaces, "he's lost every privilege a private can have and he's still there. What does that tell you?"

The grin on Morita's face is sly, "that he's pissing them off but he's right."

"Bingo."

"So who is our sharpshooter?"

"Funnily enough they're friends—"

Clint's breath leaves him in a whoosh. No way.

"His name is James Barnes. His accuracy is a bit less than Roger's but his physicality and skills are better. His knife skills, weaponry and everything else are top notch."

A moment of indecision.

Does he tel them?

He's known them for years. They're not going to be able to hide that.

"These guys happen to be in North Carolina?" Clint asks, "from Brooklyn?"

Castle's eyes slide to him and Morita's swipe to the computer. A beat of silence and then Castle narrows his eyes, "yeah. How'd you know."

Clint wipes at the water he spit on the desk absently with his sleeve, "grew up with them."

Castle's face shows an expression Clint hasn't seen on it yet, surprise. "define growing up."

"Met when Steve was about to enter highschool in a summer program. That's where we all became friends, including Barnes."

"That long ago, huh?"

He nods.

"Steve always been a fighter?"

Clint snorts, "yeah. One way or another."

"He have the scars when you met him?"

Clint's face registers surprise. But then he remembers them documenting his body too. Shit. "Not all of them."

"You know how he got 'em all?"

"Yep."

"That kind trauma can cause people to get violent."

Castle speaks as if from experience. And he's pretty sure he does. "Yeah." Clint responds slowly, "but not Steve. He would never."

"What else can you tell me about them?"

He doesn't know what to say. How do you explain everything they've been through?

The man stands and walks over, "I'm thinking you're a fountain of knowledge and you're being a desert, what gives?"

"Hey," Morita asks, his voice getting a strange quality, "why does Howard Stark have interest in this kid?" He turns to Castle, "is he trying to scout him too?"

Castle turns to Morita, "Howard Stark? The weapon's guy? What do you mean?"

"There's a note here for the mess, and medical things to get passed on to him."

Clint keeps his face impassive.

"Medical?" Castle asks, "why?"

"Doesn't say."

Castle turns very slowly towards him, "you know about this?"

And it's like, sure he could lie or deny his knowledge… but who is that going to help? And it's no big secret. One google search would—

He grimaces, he'd rather tell them then google.

"Yeah." He says shortly, "I know."

There's a pause and Castle sighs, "okay, and? You gonna tell us or do I need to beat it outta you."

Clint glares. Frank won't, but the threat is annoying.

"That summer program?" He starts, "was for gifted kids. And Howard's son was a part."

Morita raises an eyebrow, "Tony stark?"

"Yep. He and I and Barnes and Steve and a girl were all in the same group. That's how we met."

"And you all became bestest buddies?" Blaze asks, making them all look up to the door where he's standing, listening in.

"Basically." Clint admits, "but…" he hesitates. Would Steve be pissed if they all knew? Or maybe he should just truncate the story.

"Spill, Barton, I'm getting gray over here." Morita quips.

"We became friends mostly because we were protective of Steve."

Their eyebrows furrow. And it makes sense, they don't know him. Don't know what he's been through.

Clint digs out his phone and pulls up a photo of them that they took Steve's freshman year at some point. He didn't have any photos of the summer program and he for sure wasn't going to show him in the hospital bed after the dumpster.

Steve's face is gaunt and thin and his eyes stand out like bright blue lights. But he's smiling.

"So what?" Blaze asks, "kid got bullied because he was a stick bug?"

The immediate desire to snap at the guy for the nickname is wild. He couldn't know he was bullied with that exact name.

"Steve didn't have scars when his dad died, or when his ma died at 9." He pauses then takes a deep breath, "and he had most of his scars when I met him at 14. And he had the words before he started highschool."

Castles eye's narrow. And Morita looks confused, "words?"

Castle's eyes are still on Clint but he speaks to Morita, "look at his physical files."

Blaze walks over and it only takes a few seconds.

"What the hell." Morita whispers, "what are these from?" Then he sucks in air, "holy shit is that a burn?" Then a pause, "did this kid have heart surgery?!"

Clint never looks away from Castle and Castle never blinks. "Explain."

"The orphanage he was put into was a hellhole. And he suffered for it. Protected the kids there. Took the brunt of her abuse." Then he leans back, "a bastard in the summer program got pissed at Steve for a bunch of stupid things and hired thugs to mutilate him with those words and dump him in a dumpster. Where it took us almost two days to find him, and only 'cuz Tony Stark paid the brothers to tell us."

He closes his eyes then, the image still as searingly sharp but more a dull ache than a present fear, "me and Barnes found him. We thought he was dead—"

Then Blaze is speaking, voice incredulous, "Is that a gunshot wound!"

Oh yeah.

That.

Clint takes a deep breath and then starts back at the beginning.

—-

Tony wakes to someone talking softly. His eyes feel like sandpaper as he runs them but eventually he manages to get them in some functioning order so he can see.

Red hair swishes and a certain perfume hits his nose, "Pepper?"

"He lives." A dry voice says.

"Rhodey?"

Soft hand touches his temple, "Tony. Tony we talked about this."

And he looks around at the mess of a lab.

"It was just a little mental stimulation."

"Three days of no sleep and 14 cups of coffee is a death wish." Rhodey states.

Tony shakes his head, "It wasn't three days."

They're quiet and he looks up. Rhodey's face is more nonchalant annoyance but Pepper's is genuine worry, "was it?"

Pepper touches his phone screen but it's dead and it doesn't light up. "Tell me what day it is."

He furrows his brow, "uh.. Tuesday?"

"It's Thursday, Tony." Rhodey snaps, "and I get this worried call from your dad because you're not answering your phone. Man, he's lucky I was in the tri-state area!"

Guilt rolls around his chest, "I didn't mean to, you know how I get. It just happened."

Pepper shoves some empty coffee cups to the side and then hops on the desk, "I got the call from your dad too, he was wondering if I'd heard from you, which I hadn't because you stopped responding on Monday night." She shakes her head, "I didn't even tell my parents I was taking the train here." She leans forward and brushes his hair off his forehead. "You're not taking care of yourself."

He doesn't deny it.

Rhodey sits, looking at him seriously, "what's so important?"

Tony shrugs a bit, looking away, not wanting to answer.

"Anthony Stark." Pepper says in a soft but serious tone, "your best friend and your girlfriend are here. We're not leaving until you talk to us."

"I just realized…" he starts, already feeling embarrassed. "I just realized they're going to be fighting. Out on the front lines or you know… physically, in person. And what the hell was I doing?" He scrubs at his eyes, "nothing. But then—" he stands up and he grabs blueprints, "maybe I'm not good at the punching and the marching, but I can make stuff that helps them, right?" He shuffles papers until he finds the one he's looking for, "look, this was the first thing. I'm thinking of a name for it right now, but it could be a massive boost to our war weapons profile." Then he drops that and grabs another, "but I'm over here and they're there and I want to help them." He grabs one and holds it up, "this is a high powered rifle. Barnes and Barton are all about accuracy, you know? My dad said Clint's already gotten tapped for a special team. Hell, I even mocked him up a fancy bow and arrow because of where he used to work, remember?" He drops that and picks up another, "and Barnes. He's going to be a sniper too, I just know it. So I developed one for him, measured to his arm length and everything." Then he grabs more, shoving it at them, "and pistols, and knives—" he shows a grip he'd 3D printed as a mock up, "handles formed to his palm and fingers."

Then he wrinkles his nose, "I couldn't picture Steve with a rifle. It felt weird putting that in his hand. And when I asked my dad, he suggested something else." He pulls out the wide sheet that has ten different Shield shapes and designs. "I made some knife handles for him too, and a pistol but this—" He waves the paper, "this will help protect him, while he's protecting others, you know?"

The paper flutters to the lab desk and Pepper looks at all of it with a smile on her face. "Tony, this is all amazing. And I'm really proud and impressed." He starts to smile, and go into more detail but she puts up a finger, "but if you do not get some real food, some water, a shower, and some sleep, I will set this lab on fire. Do you understand me?"

He swallows at her stern face and ignores Rhodey's smile of amusement, "yes, ma'am."

She smiles and pecks him on the cheek, "good, because you're starting to smell. Let's go."

Rhodey cracks up and he frowns but doesn't fight it when she tugs on his hand.

—

Bucky stands there with his mask in his hands as they get geared up and ready to go inside.

Steve's first in line and he is stone faced. Bucky hears a whisper from Hodge's direction and a smug look on his face, but he doesn't focus on that. They usually do this early on during basic he was told, but their NBC experience was delayed until now.

"Move, soldiers!"

Steve has not a moment of hesitation as he steps forward into the building, mask cleared and on his face.

Bucky can't hear much of anything as he puts on his own mask and he gets shuffled inside.

The mask helps, but it's not perfect. And then comes the moment where they have to take it off.

He sucks in a deep breath and then yanks it off.

Immediately it's like someone is holding his head over a fire pit.

Nose hairs singed in pain and then when he can't hold it any longer, his throat ignites with the breath. It's been less than a few seconds.

"State your name, rank, and first address you lived at!"

Bucky hears the question but can barely think. He must answer because the sergeant is moving on and he's being shuffled out.

"Don't touch your eyes!" He hears someone giving sage advice and he keeps his hands away from his face.

He turns, nose and eyes and mouth absolutely dripping with bodily fluids to see Steve walking out.

His eyes are red and his face is annoyed. But other than that he isn't gagging like some of them, or dripping like others. He's not waving his arms around or gasping for fresh air.

And that cues Bucky in that Steve is no longer in the realm of normal.

He can see the sergeants and other authorities standing close and watching Steve in surprise. Steve just moves to attention and stays perfectly still.

Bucky's eyes flick to Hodge who is crouched on the grass, spitting. He's watching Steve too, a mix of anger and disbelief on his face as Steve seems unaffected.

The pain and effects start to fade pretty quickly and he straightens, and he doesn't know what possesses him, but he walks over, standing beside Steve and coming to attention.

It's not required. It's not part of the test. But it's like he's aligning himself with Steve. This is the person who is in the right. This is the person who should lead. Who he will follow.

But some of the other recruits are looking at them, and he can see them thinking, trying to remember if they are supposed to come to attention. And since they're not leaders, they follow. One after another they come and stand in a line at attention.

Steve's eyes never waver from the sergeant and Hodge is the last person not in line.

The Sergeant's eyes flick to Hodge, and it must unsettle Hodge's assurance because he falls in line, setting at attention.

The sergeant has a ghost of a smile and a slightly raised eyebrow as he stares at Steve. "Interesting." He states. And then he does grin, "dismissed."

They walk slowly back to their bunks where they will shower and change.

Steve is quiet and Bucky walks beside him silent for a while. And then Bucky clears his throat. "You're really mad about it aren't you."

Steve's hands curl into fists, "I'm trying not to be. It's just a picture. And he's just another asshole."

Bucky huffs out a laugh, "that's true. But you're still mad. Rightfully so."

"I thought of four different ways I could make his life miserable without anyone knowing or being able to prove it was me." His voice is calm and Bucky looks up in surprise, it's so unlike Steve to be vindictive.

"Like what?"

Steve opens his mouth to respond when they hear a shout.

"Hey, Rogers!"

Steve's shoulders stiffen. They turn slowly to find Hodge walking towards them, his eyes still red and nose dripping.

Bucky responds instead, "don't push your luck."

Hodge's eyebrows raise, "oh, guard dog Barnes at it again." Then he stabs a finger to Steve, "what the hell was that little suck up show back there, huh?"

Steve doesn't respond and Bucky can see how mad Steve is. But instead he takes a deep breath and turns around, giving his back to Hodge.

And Bucky thinks Hodge must be a damn fool because instead of getting the message, the guy steps forward and shoves Steve's back hard.

Bucky reaches out to grab the guy and teach him a lesson but before he can, Steve is already whipped around and has hauled Hodge forward, his fist in his shirt, "touch me again and regret it!" Steve says coldly.

The other recruits are starting to slow to watch and Bucky knows this is going to get all of them in big trouble if they don't knock it off.

"Hey—" he starts to call. But Hodge is doubling down.

"Hey, let go of me! You're assaulting me!"

It's a weak threat but they do take physical altercations seriously. The guy tries to scramble away but Steve's grip is tight and he yanks him closer.

And Bucky hears the words leave Steve's mouth even if he can't believe them. "What are you gunna do about it, huh?"

Hodge doesn't even hesitate, smashing his forehead forward into Steve's face. Bucky hears the crunch and intake of air from the recruits.

Blood starts pouring from Steve's nose and Hodge's face is a grin, "that's self defense."

Bucky steps forward, "the hell it was!"

Hodge glares at him, "everyone here saw Rogers grab me first!"

"After you shoved him!" He looks over at Steve who is slowly wiping a hand under his bloody nose. Looking at the blood like it's a foreign substance.

Bucky strides forward, ready to teach this idiot a lesson, when a hand grabs him. He looks back to see Steve holding him still, his blood getting on his uniform and now on Bucky's shoulder. "Don't." Then he's letting go and walking away.

Bucky blinks in surprise, he turns to Hodge who looks equally stunned and now Bucky can see it for what it was, Hodge was spoiling for a fight, egging them on to prove he was stronger than Steve after the chamber where he showed them all up.

The group starts snickering and walking away from Hodge and he looks even more mad. Bucky shakes his head and follows Steve back to the bunks.

"He's spoiling you for a fight."

Steve doesn't answer, his jaw tight and eyes pinched in annoyance.

That night at dinner, Bucky waits for Steve at the back of the line. He'd had rifle training with new optics and Steve had had a hand to hand combat session. After 15 minutes, he goes through the line, grabbing a tray and sitting down, eyes casting about to see when he'd show.

Finally Steve appears and sits down, his face an angry mask. His nose is crooked and bruised. But Steve had told him it didn't hurt.

"What did you tell the sergeant?"

Steve shrugs, "they haven't asked."

Bucky leans forward, "what?"

"I don't think they've seen."

"Seen? Steve, you look like Rudolph."

"Hardy-har-har."

"What are you going to do?"

And Steve's eyes are a strange sort of menacing when he looks up. "It's already done."

Bucky tilts his head, "what does that mean?"

Steve stabs at his food, "you'll see."

—-

"Natasha!" Her director calls, "again, but smoother. It's a dance not a fight."

She takes a deep breath and nods, repeating the action.

"Miss Frost, this is not your scene, try not to grab the attention when it is not your turn, hmm?"

Natasha has to keep the grin off her face as the rest of the ensemble chitter in laughter.

"Now," her director calls, "back to 1, aaaaand, begin."

Natasha lifts onto her toes and lets the music pull her into motion.

—

"Word on the street was that Steve got into trouble. First in last out of the chamber."

Clint blinks. The memory of Steve struggling to breathe from his cigarette smoke clear in his mind.

"Is he okay?"

Castle laughs, "okay? The guy barely even blinked. Three separate officers wrote impressive notes about his composure. We're going to have a bitch of a time stealing him away now."

Morita catches the small ball he's been throwing up and down for the last 20 minutes, "what'll you do if they fight you?"

"If Steve can't or won't join," Clint says slowly, "you'll lose Barnes too."

Castle nods. After Clint's entire story on his history with Steve, and the Starks, they'd stared at him like he had 8 heads. But then he'd told them to google it and they'd watched that damn hospital video.

"This is the guy?" Morita had asked, pointing to Steve's frail as a baby bird's form.

Clint had kept quiet about the whole dying thing. That's a sore topic and Howard wouldn't be pleased. He'd just said experimental treatments. They could believe whatever they wanted.

But after a while they'd believed him and now Castle was even more anxious to have them on the team.

"I'm going to be pressing the right buttons." Frank responds, his thick boots thudding to the ground, "I want a full team. As we are now, we're only getting small or solo/duo missions because we don't have a full team, but once we have those two and maybe another we move forward with team training."

"How often do you expect us on mission?" Blaze asks, twirling a toothpick between his teeth.

"No idea. But we're a drop everything and go team."

"What do we do in between missions?"

"Whatever we want."

Clint nods but looks around, they're in New Jersey which means he's not too far from home. That would be nice. See Melissa Dan Uncle Ricky, see Mrs. Stark and Howard.

"Well," Morita says with a big yawn, "I want a nap before we start demolitions training."

Clint nods, "I'll second that."

—-

"There a problem there, Hodge?"

The man is fidgeting and trying hard not to. "Sir, no, sir."

They're dismantling their entire weaponry set, cleaning it, and reassembling it as efficiently as they can.

"Attention!"

They all stand, and the head honcho (as Bucky has dubbed him in his mind) comes through. "At ease, privates."

They fall to ease and he starts pacing in front of them.

"I have it on good authority that a man by the name—" the man pauses, "son are you ill?"

Hodge's voice is tight, "sir, no, sir."

"What's that on your face and neck?"

"Not sure, sir."

The guy looks at all of them and slowly starts resuming his pacing and his speech, "a man named Frank Castle has come onto this base and tried to recruit people to his team. He has far outstretched his boundary line and whoever he spoke to should know he has no such—" another pause and then his voice is annoyed, "what's your name, Private?"

"Hodge, sir. Gilmore Hodge."

"Care to explain why you can't stop scratching yourself in front of a superior officer, Hodge?"

A chuckle of laughter passes through the group but they all wait for his answer. "I don't know, sir. I can't help it."

"Have you been out in the woods surrounding the camp, Hodge?"

"Sir, no, sir."

"Get to medical. You're making me itchy just looking at you. Now."

Hodge takes off and Bucky's eyes slide slowly to Steve who is three to his left. Steve's face is impassive and Bucky has a very strange feeling in his gut.

—-

When they're dismissed Bucky looks at him with a strange expression. He waits for him to ask. He knows he's wondering. But instead, Bucky is quiet as they walk back.

Then he does break the silence. "You think they know it was us he talked to?"

"Maybe." Steve replies.

"Why not talk to us privately?"

Steve shrugs, "why do they do anything the way they do it? And maybe they don't know. He did find us in a pretty private area."

Bucky nods, and is quiet for a bit again before he raises an eyebrow, "you think they're serious? Castle's got no power?"

And this Steve shakes his head, his hand runs against his thighs. "If he has no power, why announce he has no power?" He looks at Bucky, "no, this wasn't because Castle can't do what he said he could, this is them hoping to cut the legs out from under him by making us doubt."

Steve looks at the rising sun and he feels a hand on his arm. He looks over to see Bucky looking at him with concern, "you okay?"

Steve nods, "yeah, why?"

The line between Bucky's eyebrows deepen, "I dunno, you just seem…"

He waits, curious what word Bucky will choose.

"Different."

"And that's bad?"

"I don't know." Bucky answers, "you're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." Steve assures, "ready for graduation is all."

He starts walking away but his hearing doesn't miss Bucky's quiet, "you sure?"

—

Tony asks his dad to book a ticket for Steve and Bucky's graduation.

"Where do you think they'll end up?" Tony asks, "any word from your buddies?"

"They've all been very tight lipped." His dad says with a sigh, "makes me worried something's up."

"Like?"

"I don't know. If it was bad, like, get kicked out bad, we would have heard. If they or one wasn't going to graduate, we'd know. But I haven't heard anything like that. It's strange."

"I don't know. Guess we can talk to them in a week and find out. Any progress on the patents?"

"Yeah, couple provisionals have come through. Come up with a name?"

Tony laughs, "I have a few options. But I just haven't felt it yet. Like, I'll know it when I think of it."

His dad laughs, "okay, we'll I want to be the first to know."

Tony grins and he picks up the outlandishly large water bottle Pepper had set down on his desk with a threatening eyebrow before she'd had to go back home. "I will, pops. I will."

—-

The door to the bunk slams open and Hodge comes storming though. "You son of a bitch!"

Everyone looks on as he storms over to Steve's bunk. Bucky's standing ready to intervene but Steve doesn't even glance up.

"Hey!" Hodge shoves his boot against Steve's jostling him, "I'm talking to you, scarface!"

Rage flies through Bucky at the name, but Steve's eyes just trail up to Hodge, "what do you want, Hodge."

"I know it was you."

Steve stands, slowly and with an intense glare, "what was me."

"I don't know how you did it, but I know it was you."

Hodge's face and neck have red splotches covered in a light pink substance.

Steve doesn't respond, just stares at the guy. Bucky pushes through, "what's going on?"

"Oh, like you don't know!" Hodge says and then Hodge slams the heel of his hand against Bucky's chest, "you probably helped him!"

Bucky stumbles back a step and is going to retaliate but he never gets the chance. Steve drops, swiping his leg around Hodge's ankles and knocking him off his feet. He crashes to the ground and Steve stands over him, "don't you dare lay a hand on him or anyone ever again."

Hodge is fuming, ears red and practically steaming as he scrambles to his feet. He takes a swing and Steve ducks, landing a solid hit against Hodge's ribs. The man wheezes and doubles over but rushes at Steve, ready to shove him against the metal bunk but Steve just steps sideways and then shoved him off balance, causing him to hit the floor again.

"You're not very bright are you." Steve snaps. And Bucky feels a strange sense of deja vu. He remembers this conversation. A different bully. A different day. "Stop pretending you're the big fish in a little pond."

"Oh," hodge's voice is nasty, "and what, you think you're the big fish? Huh? You think you're the big tough guy?"

Steve laughs, and shakes his head, "I've never been the big tough guy. Probably won't ever be. But at least I'm not you."

That makes Hodge's face turn red and he stands, stabbing a finger at Steve, "I know this was you!"

Steve then smiles in a way that makes Bucky feel sick. Too mean, too vindictive, "what, don't enjoy a little poison oak in your pajamas?"

A loud gasp from everyone in the room has Hodge rearing back, looking like he's going to scratch Steve's face off. "I knew it was you, you bastard!"

Steve steps inside the arms and shoves Hodge's hands away, grabbing his shirt with both hands, yanking him off balance, "then why don't you go and cry to your sergeant you little snitch—"

Bucky hears when Steve's voice cuts off and his eyes go wide. Suddenly he's yanking his hands back as if burned and stepping back. Steve's face pales as if he's seen a ghost and then he stands there. As stunned at his own words as Bucky is.

Traitor.

Snitch.

Steve bolts. Shoving past Hodge and out the bunk.

Bucky takes a look around the stunned room and then runs after him.

—

Steve's running. Faster than he should be. Straight out and to the fence line. He slams against the metal and he's winded. More from shock and adrenaline than actual exertion.

You little snitch—

His own words reverberate in his head like a resounding clang. He slides to the ground, fence at his back and head in his hands.

Steve doesn't even recognize himself. How could he be so cruel? The same word he's been tormented with for years and he just threw it out casually at the person he barely even knows?

"Steve?"

He looks up to see Bucky approaching, a wary expression on his face.

Steve just stares at him. He has no idea what to say.

—

Bucky walks closer and studies him, as if expecting him to turn into an alien. "What the hell, man?"

Steve groans and shoves the palms of his hands against his eye sockets, "I don't even know."

"Did you really put poison oak in his pajamas?"

Steve looks out at the forest, "I figured out I'm not reactive. And I grabbed some. It's the oils that people react to and so I just—-" a look of horror crosses his face, "I can't believe I did that." He stands, a disgusted at himself expression on his face, "I can't believe I did that!"

Bucky's brow is knit together, "I mean, I'm surprised too but it's not like he didn't deserve it—"

Steve's shaking his head, "what he deserves doesn't matter." He crouches, hands over his eyes, "I shouldn't have done that. I let my anger win. It's just so overwhelming—"

Bucky steps forward, "what do you mean, overwhelming?"

For the first in a while Steve looks tired. "Erskine told me it wouldn't just affect my muscles, it would affect my cells. Down to the core of me." He takes a deep breath and then closes his eyes, "good becomes great. Bad becomes worse." Bucky can tell he's repeating those words. "I started to notice they it wasn't just that I was feeling normal emotions. They were tenfold." Bucky watches as his jaw is tight and throat bobs and he swallows, "everything's dialed to ten. My senses and my emotions. The more I eat, the healthier I get, the more it rises. And—" he wrinkles his nose, "this is the first time I've been this healthy and experienced anger which really felt like rage." He says back against the fence, as if admitting that was exhausting. "I failed." His expression is distraught, "I failed."

"Failed?" Bucky asks, suddenly understanding why Steve had been so over the top, "you made the guy itch, big whoop—"

"I harmed him, bullied him—"

"Okay, first of all, you bullied each other." Bucky corrects, "but then you recognized it and you stopped. Are you ever going to let that anger win again?"

Steve's face is pinched and he's shaking his head, "no. Man, it feels awful."

Bucky laughs, sort of relieved, "okay, then nothing to worry about. Now you know what that anger feels like. You can be cautious of it now."

A hand snakes out and rests on Bucky's wrist. When he looks up, he sees two pleading eyes, "you'll tell me right? If I'm lost and I'm not choosing what's right?" His face is desperate, "I need to know that I'll be held accountable." His voice is strained, "friends hold each other accountable."

Bucky grins, "yeah, Steve. I'll tell you. But something tells me after today I don't have to worry about that."

He shoves against Steve's shoulder and tries to get him to smile.

But Steve just heaves a sigh and stands, "I gotta go tell them what I did."

Bucky's eyebrows leap into his hair, "what! No!"

"I got to, Buck." He's shaking his head and walking back towards the camp, "it's the right thing to do."

"But he deserved it!"

Steve doesn't stop. "Even so. My retaliation was wrong."

Bucky scrambles to his feet, "what if they kick you out?"

That makes Steve pause. "Then I suppose that's the consequence of my actions."

Bucky watches in shock as Steve strides away, looking taller than he's ever seen him.

—

Steve stands in front of his drill sergeant and waits.

He'd told what he'd done and the man's face had shown surprise before it had been masked behind stoicness that they all seem to subscribe to.

"That's quite a confession, private."

He doesn't respond.

"Why tell us, if you probably could have gotten away with it?"

It's a test. A question of his character.

"That's not the man or soldier I want to be. I need the people I serve with to trust me. That doesn't build trust. It sows dissension. It makes people wary of what I would do next. I don't want that. It won't happen again."

The sergeant is looking at him for a long minute before he nods. "You'll be written up." There's a pause where Steve expects an 'and' but the Sergeant's face cracks into a grin. "I've got it on good authority your next meal might not be pleasant. So we'll stop at that and call it even."

Steve blinks in surprise, "sir, yes, sir."

"And don't pull something like this again." Guilt rises but the sergeant looks at him, "maybe it's like him. But it's not like you. Understood?" He nods. "Good. Get outta here. Dismissed."

Steve walks out with those words in his head. It's not like you.

Determination settles in his chest. Damn right it's not like him. He won't ever make that mistake again.

Bucky asks what happened and he just shrugs, "I'm getting written up, that's it."

He can tell Bucky is surprised too, but neither complain.

"Hodge is going to retaliate."

Steve looks up, "oh? In what way?"

"I don't know. I just know he was fuming."

Steve shrugs, "whatever it is, I'll take it."

"Steve—"

"Buck." He says sharply, "whatever it is. I'll take it. It's fine."

Which means that when he's handed his tray, and he can see the amount of spice added to his food. His nose picking up the cayenne pepper instantly. He doesn't blink, or hand it back or complain. He walks to the table and sets it down.

Bucky's already eating and he pauses, a fork in hand.

He looks up to see a bit so subtle group watching him. And that makes him annoyed. He hopes to high heavens that whatever's been making him stronger also makes him spice resistant.

He takes a bite and his tongue lights on fire. It burns all the way down, like a blowtorch. But he says nothing. He takes another bite. And another. Each one is scorching and unpleasant. But this is his penance. And he will pay it.

His stomach rolls with how much spice there is, but the serum must help because he doesn't feel nauseous or sick.

He expects to start to sweat or his face to turn red, but Bucky is talking to him like all is normal.

He takes another bite and this one is easier. As if his body is adjusting. Still sharp and pleasant and the spice makes the flavor overwhelming. But he doesn't stop. He eats the whole thing until his fork clatters on his plate.

When he looks up. Hodge is looking at him in disbelief and the rest seem surprised.

"Steve—?" He turns towards Bucky.

"Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah." Steve responds slowly, "why?"

Bucky's eyes flick to the table behind them, "why do they look like they're waiting for you to explode?"

The burn fully fades as he takes a bite of Howard's bar thing. Thankfully untampered with. "No reason." He says with a grin at Hodge whose nostrils flair in annoyance. "No reason at all."

—

Tony wakes from a frantic sleep and he's dialing his dad's phone number before he's fully conscious.

"Tony?" His dad's voice is worried. "It's 4 am, are you okay?"

"I got it." He says, voice still gravelly in sleep. "I figured it out!"

"Figured out what?"

Tony laughs, probably sounding deranged, "the name, dad! The name!"

A beat and then a huff, "okay, hit me."

Tony grins and repeats an old phrase from when his mom would tell him Bible stories, "and the walls came tumbling down."

"Huh?"

"Jericho." Tony says with a grin, "I'm going to call it the Jericho Missile."

—

*A/N - I really struggled with whether to have Steve retaliate or not. But I wanted to show that Steve is human. Not just someone who is perfect in all their choices without trying. He can make a mistake but he's always going to try to fix it.. AND he learns from it.

I hope that makes sense! And I'm wondering if you're picking up the clues I'm laying down! You probably are because y'all got the SMARTS.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed,
Cap