Wings, Metal, and Frost

Back in Action

Ellie woke up when she heard the TV playing in the living room. She sat up and rubbed her groggy face, then glanced at the empty spot in the bed next to her. Ellie frowned. She didn't remember Bucky waking up or leaving the bed. Ellie looked at the closed door, light peaked in from under the frame and she could hear the TV clearly now. Ellie threw back the sheets and got out of bed to make her way to the door. 

Bucky sat on the wood floor of the living room in front of the TV. His arms were wrapped around his crossed legs and pulled them to his chest as he stared at the screen. Too many emotions were flooding his head as he watched John Walker, the new Captain America, talk about being a "hero". In Bucky's mind, this man was not Captain America, and he was barely anything of importance. Holding the Shield and wearing the suit meant nothing.

Behind him, Ellie quietly entered the living room. On the TV, John Walker boasted. 

"Look, here's the thing... Uh, I'm not Tony Stark. I'm not Dr. Banner, okay? I don't have the flashiest gadgets, I don't have super strength. But what I do have is guts. Something Captain America always had, always needs to have, and I'm gonna need every ounce of it. Because I got big shoes to fill." 

Ellie gave a dubious look at John Walker and she placed her hand on Bucky's shoulder. He gave a quick glance to acknowledge her before he turned his head towards the screen again. It was a quick enough glance for Ellie to catch the glossy look in his eyes. 

"How long have you been out here?" She asked him. 

"Um, a couple of hours," Bucky answered. 

That's when Ellie noticed the blanket and small pillow on the floor next to the armchair. She sighed and squeezed his shoulder. 

"We have a bed for a reason, Buck," she said. 

"It's too soft," he replied flatly. 

Ellie's face softened and she looked back at the TV screen as the painful interview continued.

"Did you know Steve Rogers?" The woman sitting with John Walker asked. 

"I was two years out of West Point when Steve came back on the scene," Walker answered. "I followed his career very closely as an Avenger. I like to think that I modeled my work after his."

Ellie's brow furrowed as she listened to what he had to say. It all seemed like a bunch of bullshit to her. When did the government get to decide who Captain America was? Why did Sam have to give up the Shield? Ellie glanced down at Bucky. Yes, she did know that Sam let go of the Shield. He told her privately and gave her the green light to tell Bucky if she thought he could handle it. But she didn't want to tell Bucky because of how it would anger him. Hence why Sam told her first and not Bucky. What she didn't realize was that the Shield would just be handed out like an auction item. Now she was almost as angry as Bucky. But not at the same people. 

"So, you've always wanted to be a hero?" The interviewer asked Walker. 

"I liked that what I was doing would make people feel safe. Steve Rogers was the kind of guy who could do that, he gave me hope. Even though I never met him, he feels like a brother." Walker gave a charismatic smile. 

"Ugh!" Ellie let out an unintentional sound of disgust as she turned to grab the TV remote. 

John Walker had no connection to Steve whatsoever and he really thinks he can call him a brother? That infuriated Ellie. As the screen went black, Bucky's eyes narrowed and his jaw jutted forward. He was doing his best at holding back the tears, but they were eventually gonna fall. Ellie's hands went to her hips as she thought. Thought about what she saw, about what she could say to Bucky. This was a mess. Ellie cleared her throat.