The Soldier of Summer: Book 1

Chapter 7

   Bucky's P.O.V.

   That girl freaked me out. I truly believed that she was against Hydra, but there was something else about her that unsettled me.   
   She didn't look that much like Natasha. She had brown hair and hazel eyes that changed color depending on the lighting she was in. She was small, but nimble. And she was distant, but obviously hurting. And since meeting her, Natasha was acting weird too.
   In fact, she had been acting weird since we were given this mission. I was told that it was a rescue. I wasn't given much info because I was more likely to be compromised(given it being a Hydra mission and all), and I was okay with not knowing all the info. I'm more of a do and not know kinda guy.
   But what I do know is that something wasn't right with Nat. She had grown quiet, and even Sam knew something was up.
   I woke up from an uneasy sleep just before sunrise. Steve and Sam were already awake.
   "Where's Nat?" I asked Steve. He gestured down to the ground.
   "Down there with Auriana."
   Natasha was helping her check the fuel tanks in the planes. I thought she did that last night. Did she? No, she did.
   Steve shimmied down a weight bearing pole and waved for Sam and I to come down. Sam put his hand on my shoulder to stop me from moving
   "Do you really think she's against Hydra? I mean, come on, man. She's killed people, and you know it. Steve knows it too. He just don't want to admit it."
   I looked down at Auriana, who was staring down at the floor. The others didn't see it, but she was troubled, and she had done things she regretted. The light of the new sun glinted off of her right hand. I had almost forgotten her arm was metal.
   "Just do what Steve told you to do," I told him as I started to climb down. Sam threw his hands in the air, and almost lost his balance. He grasped a rafter. "He didn't tell me to do anything!" He snapped. I rolled my eyes and dropped to the ground.
   "Alright here's the thing," Auriana started, "I need a few things from the market place including clothes, food, phones, all that stuff. But I know you guys don't trust me."
   She glanced at Sam, who had come down from the ceiling. "So if you need to, you can send someone with me to make sure I don't get into any trouble."
   Steve cleared his throat. "Bucky can go with you to get everything you need."
   I didn't much like the fact of having to go with Mini-Black Widow, but I could see why Steve wanted me to go. If she was going to attack one of us, it wasn't going to be me. She was smart enough to know that I trumped her when it came to strength. But then again, she was small and quick like Natasha. If I couldn't take care of her quickly, she could get away.
   "Yeah, I can do that."
   "Great!" Auriana grabbed her backpack and swung it over her shoulders. "We'll get breakfast, too." She walked over to the warehouse doors and unlocked them. Steve pulled me back.
   "Alright Buck, Nate going to be right behind you, so if something goes wrong, give her some kind of signal."
   "Sure." I turned back around, but Steve pulled me back again.
   "Be careful."
   "Like I can't take care of myself, punk."
   Steve shoved me to the door, chuckling softly. Auriana held the door open for me, and we stepped out into the alley.