𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐃, steve rogers

03. DEFINITELY NOT A DOLPHIN

2016 | AVENGERS COMPOUND — To say this mission was a walk in the park for Tony Stark was a lie. Because for days he was exhausted and hardly found time for himself. But when he got home there was minimal energy flowing through him, possibly the adrenaline. "I'm telling you guys, there was someone there." Tony explained when he came back home this afternoon, after handing over the cube to S.H.I.E.L.D.

With tired eyes, he stood in the living room with Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff and had to tell them about his mission underwater today.  Tony was completely excited and energetic at the same time, you don't see something like that every day.  "I saw something down there in that shipwreck ...  And- and it saw me too.  And no, it was definitely not a dolphin. "

"Tony, do me a favor and get some rest please." Natasha said calmingly, worrying about her friend. She knew that he wasn't in a good mental state for a few weeks now, often having nightmares or panic attacks, since he struggles with ptsd. And who could blame him? With everything that had happened to him. "Ugh, I can't believe Fury sent you straight to another mission after what happened in Sokovia. I swear-"

"What did Fury say?" Steve asked serious, raising one of his eyebrows.

"He said, he doesn't believe my mermaid theory." Tony answered sighing, with his hands on his hips. He was thinking deeply.

„No one does." Natasha snorted with a short laugh, amused because of her best friends conspiracy theory. As a man of science, did he really believe in mermaids?! That's just crazy.

"But even FRIDAY said, she found something human on the radar." Tony protested yet again, but no one wanted to answer something at this point. Well, what should they even say to him? They can't just tell him he's exaggerating way too much with his silly theory. "Well thanks for the lovely support, you guys. Okay you won, I'm going to bed. Good Night." Tony said tiredly disappearing to his room.

"Do you think Tony really saw something down there?" Steve asked Natasha skeptically, turning around to face her.

"Steve, don't you dare start with this now, too please." She sighed, still in disbelieve.
.
"What if Tony's right? Stranger things have happened."Steve said. Something inside of him wanted to believe Tony somehow.

„You don't think that, HYDRA has something-" Natasha asked.

"Think about it. Bucky and Wanda, do you really think, they were the only HYDRA experiments?" Steve began.

"Mmmh ... what are you suggesting?" the redhead asked, giving in a little. She may not believe in mermaids, but maybe there really was something more to what Steve had said.

"We should search for more HYDRA bases. We can't let HYDRA continue to perform their experiments on humans. Who knows what they could create." He suggested, not wanting to think about what HYDRA was currently scheming at this moment.

Right after Natasha and Steve discussed their plans, he couldn't think about anything else anymore. And thats why he decided to look after his friend Bucky. The Avengers secretly took Barnes in and kept him hidden ever since, what had happened in Washington DC. Not even the government knows, that they're hiding the Winter-Soldier ... and it should stay that way. He sadly caused a lot of uproar since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Steve often went to him or Sam, if something worried him.
He knocked on the his door and waited patiently. "We need to talk." Steve began the conversation and stepped into his room, after Bucky had opened the door. „Nat and I think, that there are still more hidden HYDRA-Bases. And we think there are more experiments ... more enhanced that were created."

"Possibly..." Bucky said, looking up sadly into Steve's face. and looked a little sadly in Steve's face. It wasn't easy for him to talk about HYDRA. Almost every night they were still haunting him in his dreams. "I don't know ... HYDRA erased our memories to often."

"Stark said, he'd seen a mermaid." Steve explained. „Do you remember anything?"

„I'm sorry..." Bucky apologized and tried to remember. He couldn't remember anything, but he had a feeling he was wrong. Something inside of him captured his thoughts. You're a good man James. „Siren." Bucky muttered quietly. But he didn't even had the slightest idea what he was saying.

„What?" Steve asked confused.

Bucky thought he was crazy and that his thoughts were playing tricks on him. He didn't want Steve to think the same about him. He didn't even remember what his own words were. "I- I'll let you know if I remember anything."

„Thanks Buck." Steve said and decided to go back to his own room. He didn't blame him, he knew about his problems talking about hydra. But before he was completely gone, Bucky suddenly stopped him and plucked up the courage to speak. But he was quite unsure. „Steve, I think there was a girl. A friend of mine..."

"I'll look into it." Steve nodded and gave his friend a weak smile. He left it at that and thanked him for trying to help. He didn't want to stress or put some kind of pressure on him any more further. His informations were important and useful, Steve wanted Bucky to know, that he's just as important. "I believe you, Buck." Right after those words he left, laying down on his bed, starring at the dark ceiling above him, while trying to find some sleep in this entire chaos of thoughts.

But how could he find peace or sleep if HYDRA's creating a new threat at this exact moment?