"Wake up." I squinted my eyes open and saw that Bucky was sitting on the bed next to me. He was in his red shirt and jeans, and his sleeves her pulled up just below his elbows. I yawned and sat up in bed. I looked around and remembered that we were in a motel. Bucky was staring at me and I smiled sleepily.
"Hey. I see you're all ready to go." I stretched in bed and pulled back to covers.
"Yeah, you passed out right when you got out of the shower, and you looked relaxed and I thought you deserved some decent sleep in a decent bed." When Bucky mentioned the bed, I automatically remembered something from last night.
"How did you like the bed? Was it nice for a change?" Bucky nodded and sat up front when bed.
"Yeah, yeah it was comfortable." Bucky smiled a bit and I smiled back, but when he turned his back to me, I relaxed my face. Last night, I woke up for a very short bit, and I noticed that Bucky was sleeping in the bed. I lifted my head off the pillow and looked around, nervous he abandoned me, but I saw him sleeping on the armchair. He had his head resting on his right hand, which was resting on the armrest. He didn't sleep in the bed at all. I mean...I understand that he probably wouldn't be comfortable in it since he hasn't slept on something this soft before, but he didn't have to lie about it. But I wasn't going to confront him about it. It wasn't a problem or anything like that. He had his own preference as uncomfortable as they seemed. But I just wish he tried to normalize some things like sleeping in beds.
"Well, I'm glad you were able to get some sleep." I pulled back the sheets and and sat on the edge of the bed. I looked at the clock and saw that Steve was going to be coming by soon. "I'd say I should get ready, but I'm already kinda wearing my clothes." I leaned over the bed and grabbed my shoes on the ground. I rested on foot on my leg and put on my shoes than did the same with the other.
"Today's...gonna be a long day." Bucky was lifting up the curtains and looking through the window.
"Yup." I agreed. "Gonna fight some crazed super soldiers. I can't believe there are more. I always though it was just Steve, but then you came along, and then there's me, and now five or six more? How much more are there?" I was partly talking to Bucky, partly talking to myself. I looked up at Bucky after putting on my other shoe, and he continued to look out the window.
"There's a lot more than you think." Bucky mumbled. He was watching the outside intently, as if someone was gonna come and attack us, and he had a serious look on his face. But there was something else as well. He looked scared.
"Hey," I stood up and walked over to Bucky. I put a hand in his shoulder and patted it comfortingly. "Steve gathered a few of his Avenger friends and we aren't gonna let that doctor release those super soldiers. It'll be fine." Bucky continued to stare out into the parking lot, keeping a straight face.
"There's something else...that is connected to the reason there are super soldiers in Siberia in the first place." Bucky's voice was really shaky, and he was clenching and unclenching his fist. I looked up at him, and I could tell that he was scared. "To get...to get the serum...I had to..." he was shaking so much, and I didn't like to see him look so broken.
"Hey, whatever you had to do, that doesn't matter. Not to me at least. What matter is that we stop that guy from getting to Siberia. Then after, we'll find a way to get back off the grid again...possibly?"
"I feel like that may be a little harder to do this time around." We watched through the he curtains as Steve and Sam walked out of their motel room and to the lobby to return the keys.
"Well, according to Sharon, I'm supposed to be dead. And according to basically every history book ever until the 2014, you are also supposed to be dead. I think we can think of something." Steve and Sam walked out of the lobby and started to head over to our apartment. "Or...maybe after all this, Steve could possibly take us in?" Bucky shook his head and and let the curtains drop over the window.
"He has enough problems to deal with already. I don't want him to worry about us either. We can handle ourselves. We just gotta get rid of this guys first." Bucky swims the motel door opened and he left me alone in the motel room. I folded my arms over my chest and looked around.
"Well, it was nice while it lasted." I went to the bathroom one last time, quietly said goodbye to that very comfortable bed, and left the motel room. Bucky was leaning against the buggy, looking at the motel, and Sam and Steve were talking on the side. They both looked up and saw me, then headed to the car.
"The airport is about an hour away. Clint said that he and the others landed in another airport and are driving to the Berlin airport right now. We should get there about the same time as them." Steve updated me on what was goin in when I got closer to the car, and we all piled back into the tiny clown car. We pulled out of the motel and found ourselves back on the highway. Steve kept his eyes on the road the entire time, and Sam was texting people on his phone and updating Steve every few minutes. I rested my head on my palm and kept my eyes close, with the occasional looking over at Bucky to see if he was doing alright. Every time I peeked over at him, he was sitting up straight, and very tense. He stared out the window and had his right hand in his lap and his metal hand on the seat. His hair fell over his face, so I couldn't see his eyes, but I could imagine by now that they were probably very droopy and miserable looking. I really hope he's doing okay. This situation is even half as bad for me than it is for him. He was framed, used, and now he had to go back to a very dark part of his past. At least this time, he has people by his side to support him. He has Steve back. I took my right hand out of my lap and hesitantly put it on top of Bucky's metal hand, knowing he wouldn't feel me do so since...well since it was metal. It was a secret way of comforting him without making it awkward. I rubbed my fingers up and down the metal fingers, feeling the coldness of the metal warm up from my body heat, and feeling the indents in his arm that allows his hand to bend so easily and function normally and not all robotic-like. I rotated my head back to the window and stared out the window. I watched as cars and trucks passed by. I kept my hand on top of Bucky's hand, but I stopped rubbing the metal. As I stared out into he highway, I realized the last time I was in a car on the highway, not being held hostage or prisoner of anything, was back in D.C. Back when Bucky and I had first met and we were headed to The Smithsonian. That was so long ago. And to add to the weird nostalgia, the last time we were headed to an airport was when we were getting an airplane ride to Bucharest. My god that was so long ago. So much has changed since then, but at the same time...I feel exactly the same. Like nothing about me has changed while everything about me has changed. It's like...
I felt myself jump in my seat and I whipped my head away from the window and looked back at Bucky. He was still in the same position: looking out the window as if he was in a sad music video, but when I looked down at my hand, I saw that his metal hand had flipped over and locked with my hand. His metal fingers gently pressed onto my hand, and I could feel the coolness in his palm disappear because of my body heat. I looked up at Bucky and couldn't help but smile a tiny bit. I wrapped my fingers around his metal hand and turned back to the window. That's one thing that has definitely changed...at least Bucky isn't as secluded and introverted as he was in the beginning of this whole mess. At least not around me anyone he isn't. I never realized til now how much Bucky has grown to open up and become vulnerable around me, but I knew that there was always going to be that part of him holding him back. He was always going to have thought that his super old self was gone, and that The Winter Soldier will always be a part of him to an extent. But hopefully he also knew that he doesn't have to carry that burden. He can grow away from that burden and become his better self. I know he can become more. Goddamn it, Steve's knows it too if he was willing to keep that helicopter from taking off. But he's just too broken, too traumatized to see it. I looked back down at our hands, which were still locked together. But, this...this is a start. And everything counts.
We pulled into an empty parking garage and drove to the very top. As we pulled around the corner onto the last levels before the roof, there was a silver van parked in the spot closest to the turn, and I watched as a man climbed out of the driver's seat to meet us on the other side of the van. I sat up in my seat, feeling myself get a little nervous and tense. Steve parked the car and he looked at Bucky and I through the rear view mirror.
"We're here." He told us. I looked out the window and I saw the the guy from the driver's seat leaning against the van. He looked as if he was in his mid-forties. It took me a few seconds until I realized that one of the "friends" Steve called was one the Avengers. I felt that small tinge of nervousness grow twice the size in my stomach. I'm going to be fighting alongside Hawkeye? I couldn't believe he was right there. My mom always hated the Avengers, which makes sense because she was a bad guy working for Hydra, who also hates S.H.I.E.L.D, but of course I had no idea at the time. Anyways, I remember watching the news back in 2012 when all those aliens attacked New York, and there was small footage of Hawkeye killing like five aliens with one arrow. I always thought that was freaking cool, so seeing him in person and not in his costume was a bit overwhelming. Not as overwhelming as it was meeting Captain America, but still, it was something.
"Is that..." I couldn't even finish my sentence because I was acting like a seven year old seeing a Disney character at Disney World. I shifted anxiously in my seat, waiting for Steve to answer a question I already knew the answer to.
"Yup." Steve responded and both he and Sam got out of the car. I shifted my body towards Bucky, and he seemed to be enjoying my major fangirl moment.
"I'm sorry, it's just. I would always watch them in TV and I always wanted meet them and now I get to fight alongside them...what if they think I'm weird? What if they don't like me?" I started to panic, and Bucky just looked at me.
"Trust me, if you were able to get me to like you, these people shouldn't be half as hard. I mean, you got Steve to like you in less than a day." My smiled at Bucky, but that didn't make the nerves go away. Bucky knows the other...weirder side of me. None of these people do. That doesn't matter, Clara. I started to give myself a pep-talk. It's just one Avenger, and he had to fight aliens. Plus, if we get through this, Bucky and I can split apart without anyone knowing I can change into a wolf from Twilight. No one would know. It's just a small mission I happen to be dragged into. Mission. Holy shit, I'm going on my first mission. But technically I'm not an Avenger because I am just meeting these people today, and it isn't all the Avengers. So...it would be a mission planned by some of the Avengers with the aid of outside sources. That sounds about right.
I was so busy giving myself a pep-talk, it took me a hot minute to realize that I was the only one sitting the car, and Bucky was patiently standing next to the door and waiting for me to get out.
"Sorry," I apologized when I hopped out of the car. "I was just..."
"Fangirling?" Bucky asked me, and I nodded shyly.
"Yeah...fangirling. It's not everyday you get to drive in a car with Captain America as well as fight alongside him and his friends, and track down an evil doctor who is obsessed with Super soldiers." I stood up and looked up at Bucky. He closed the car door with his right hand and sighed.
"Well...technically, I already had that day happen for me. Clearly it didn't turn out as well as your put it." He raised his metal hand and wiggled his fingers. Then I completely realized that I just described Bucky's entire past during WWII.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put it that way. Maybe this time...it'll work out better." Bucky shook his head, causing some loose hair to fall in his face.
"Who knows, maybe I'll get a matching arm to go with this one?" Bucky attempted to make a joke, and I elbowed him playfully. Together, we both turned and leaned up against the car. When I did, I felt my heart stop again for a short moment. Behind Hawkeye was another person, who I also recognized from TV. She was much younger and had long, light brown hair. Her style was rather goth and teenager looking compared to Hawkeye's dad-look. The girl was the same girl I saw fighting with the Avengers back in 2015 with that floating city....Sokovia, I believe. I looked at Bucky, who just stared dead ahead at them. When he took a glance at me, he could see my excitement grow.
"You can go stand with Steve and Sam. I'm going to hang out back here." I shook my head.
"Know, I don't want you to look lonely back here." Bucky shook his head and brushed the hair out of his face.
"Like you said, this is a once in a lifetime thing for you. I'm not giving to let you ruin that to stay by someone who you've been with for the past two years. Plus, I'm not your dad or anything. You don't need permission from me." I thanked Bucky silently and slowly left the car and eased up on the rest of the group. I felt like a kindergartener going to make new friends on the first day of school. As I got closer, Hawkeye, who I heard Steve say his name was Clint, caught my eye.
"Who's this?" Clint asked and he pointed at me.
"Bucky had a little partner in hiding the past two years." Sam said cooly. "Another super-soldier, can you believe it?" Clint held out his hand and I took it and shook it rather aggressively due to nerves.
"Clint." He introduced himself.
"I know." I said with a goofy smile on my face. Goddamn it Clara. Now you sound like a creep. He probably thinks you are weird now. "I mean, I know who you are because I watched you during the Battle go New York back in 2012. My mom wasn't a big fan, but than again she wasn't a very good person at all." I realized I was shaking his hand way too long. He probably wasn't even used to getting this much recognition. He wasn't the most popular Avenger. "I'm...Clara. Clara Peters." I finally managed to let go of Clint's hand and I probably looked like a fool. Then my attention turned to the girl. Now that she was closer, she looked like she was around my age, maybe a bit older. It was easier to see what she looked like when the camera footage was all blurry as well as dust and degree floating around.
"I'm Wanda." She introduced herself to me in a fading accent I assumed to be Sokovian. It sounded a bit like how that evil doctor spoke on the TV back at the prison when interrogating Bucky, but then I realized that the security footage is always bad so it could've messed with his voice.
"Hi, I'm..."
"I know. Clara." I shook my head nervously. Was she making fun of how I completely made a fool of myself moments before? No, she was standing there the entire time and overheard me say my name to Clint. God I'm so paranoid.
"I saw you on TV as well. It's really cool what you can do...I'm not exactly sure what it is exactly, but it's cool." Wanda gave a cute little smile before Steve spoke up to her. I realized that my fangirling moment was done, and I could've played that whole situation a lot cooler in my head.
"Thanks for doing this, Clint. You know I wouldn't have called it I had any other choice." Clint shrugged and looked around the empty garage.
"Hey man, you're doing me a favor. Besides, I owe you a debt." I saw Steve's head turn in Wanda's direction.
"Thanks for having my back."
"It was time to get off my ass," Wanda replied in her sort of thick accent. She still had her arms crossed across her chest, but she stepped closer towards us so she seemed more involved in the conversation.
"How about our other recruit?" I felt my posture stiffen and I uncrossed my arms. Another one? If it's another Avenger, I swear I'm going to pass out from embarrassment. Clint nodded and back peddled to the van. He opened the the van door with a loud bang and inside was another man. He jerked awake and looked around all confused. I watched as he climbed out of the van, looking around at everything and everyone.
"We had to put a little coffee in him, but he should be good." I didn't recognize this guy. He definitely wasn't an Avenger, though. I walked over to Sam and stood next to him.
"Who's this guy?" I whispered next to him. He side-eyed me and laughed.
"You'll find out soon enough." He responded. Gee, thanks. Now I know exactly who he is.
"What time zone is this?" I heard the guy say, and I had my attention snapped back to him. I watched as the guy walked up the Steve, and the confusion in his eyes changed into utter shock and awe. He formed a smile and took Steve's hand and shook it vigorously. "Captain America." He said in awe. Well, at least I'm not the only one looking like a fool now.
"Mr. Scott Lang." Steve greeted him politely. Scott was still shaking his hand. Did I look that stupid when saying hi to Clint?
"It's an honor." Scoot said, still awestruck. "I'm shaking your hand too long. Wow! This is awesome!" Scott finally let go and he twisted around to look at everyone. He points at Wanda. "Hey, I know you too. You're great." Wanda returned that compliment with another cute smile. Then Scott turned towards me. "I don't know you. But still, you're probably as cool as everyone else." I wasn't sure how to react to that. I kinda just awkwardly smiled and continued to watch Scott as he turned his attention back to Steve, who stood there the entire time. He gave a big sigh, calming himself down, but just when I thought he was done, he put his hands on Steve's shoulders. I widened my eyes a bit and looked back at Bucky, who was quiet the entire time. He was quietly listening in to the conversation, and just minding his own business. "Hey man, I just wanna say..." Scott's voice turned my attention away from Bucky. "I know you know a lot of super people, so, thinks for thanking of me." Okay, this guy is clearly a lot more star stuck than I am. But this guy isn't even embarrassed and I respect him for that. Scott looked back at me and Sam. "Hey man." He acknowledged Sam.
"What's up tic tac?" Tic tac? Why call him tic tac? That cold look that Sam usually had on his face had disappeared and he was laughing and smiling.
"Uhh, good to see you. Look what happened last time when I..." Sam cut off Scott's apology.
"It was a great audition, but it'll never happen again." Scott and Sam ended their conversation, and I couldn't help but turn to Sam.
"Wait, what happened?" Sam looked at me, and he raised an eyebrow.
"You'll see soon enough."
"They tell you what we're up against?" Steve asked Scott. He thought about it for a second.
"Something about...psycho-assassins?" Scott took an educated guess, but he was pretty much on point.
"We are outside of the law in this one. So if you come with us, you are a wanted man." When I heard Steve say "wanted", I felt my heart skip a beat. Just the other day I was claimed dead, now I'm going to be wanted. This really wasn't creating a very good reputation on my end. At least these guys were loved by the world. At least Bucky had a very good reputation before the whole Winter Soldier bit. But my mom was Hydra, that automatically makes me look bad. And then the whole super soldier adds on to that. Then the whole wolf thing that came with the serum. Basically....the government and I are already gonna be in bad terms.
"Yeah, well what else is new?" Scott replied rather nonchalantly.
"We should get moving." Bucky spoke for the first time since we got out the car. Everyone looked at him, then back at Steve.
"We got a chopper lined up." Clint told Steve. I was about to ask Steve to go over the plan one more time, just so I knew what the hello as going on, but the loud speaker came on and a male voice came on. He spoke in German, and I literally had no idea what he was saying.
"They're evacuating the airport." Bucky translated for us before going quiet again.
"Stark." Steve blurted out.
"Stark?" Me and Scott said this at the same time. Tony Stark is going to be here? Suddenly I felt like there was a lot more going on with the Avengers that so didn't know of. I just knew of the super soldiers.
"Everyone suit up." Steve told everyone. "We'll use Clint's van. Take turns and be quick. We are running short on time." Sam and I followed Steve to the trunk of our tiny car while Clint, Wanda, and Scott started to take bags of their own out of the van. Steve handed Sam a bag, then Bucky, then me.
Sam and Steve walked over to the van and waited. It looked like Wanda was the first to get in. I stood next to Bucky and we stood there quietly.
"Why do you think Tony Stark is here? Steve and Sam never really elaborated on why he couldn't help us." Bucky shrugged.
"I'm going to get dressed behind the car. Keep an eye out?" I nodded and turned away from him. I watched as Wanda hopped out of the van in all red. Red leather pants, a leather jacket, and red corset. She had gloves on her hands, and not gonna lie, she looked badass.
"You know I never had a uniform before. The closest I ever had to one was a doctor coat, and even then it was just for interns." I opened up the duffel bag to see the folded uniform Sharon picked out for me. "And this is a lot more different than that." Bucky mumbled something inaudible. "What if...what if I have to reveal...the other part of me?" I asked Bucky. "I mean, I'm fully prepared to, but what if they aren't. They just think I'm a lesser version of you and Steve. Seeing me change species is a whole new level."
"You aren't going to have to change. And you aren't a lesser version of me or Steve. You are just as important. Plus, I basically trained you to fight against The Winter Soldier, so you should be good. I'm done." I turned around, and there I saw Bucky dressed in all black. His metal arm was exposed all the way to the shoulder, and I could see that red star that has been hidden under shirt sleeves for so long. He was put on a fingerless padded glove on his right hand.
"Wow, Umm. It's been awhile second I've seen you in black. It's...it's nice." Bucky laughed a bit, still adjusting his glove. "Black was The Winter Soldier's thing. This is just because Siberia's freezing. You wanna change?" I nodded and walked behind the car. I opened the duffel bag and pulled out the uniform. It was a tight jumpsuit, and there was a vest that went on top of it. There were also a pair of boots as well. "Oh god, never thought I'd wear stuff like this." I took off my jeans and shirt and put on the suit. Even though it looked tight, it was actually pretty flexible and comfortable to move in. But I'm glad that the vest was there because it looked too bare without it. In the vest, I noticed a small logo on the chest. This was an old S.H.I.E.L.D suit.
"Okay, how do I look?" Bucky turned around, and I saw his mouth drop a bit. Suddenly I become a l it take insecure. "I know, I never thought I'd be able to pull this off. I think I can just fight in jeans and a...."
"No, you look...good. That's all." I sighed with relief and tugged at the sleeves a bit.
"Oh thanks god. It's honestly not that bad, but I feel like someone else in this thing." Bucky walked up to me, and he gently raised his hand and pushed a piece of hair out of my face.
"You aren't." Bucky stared into my eyes, and I stared back. I could see my reflection in his ice blue eyes. "We should...probably go join the others." He said without looking away.
"Yeah." I agreed.
"And maybe after this whole mess, we'll figure out what to do together."