Whatever It Takes

Chapter 39 - It'll Heal Eventually

Storming through the airport, you stop only briefly to change some of your currency, before you finally switch on your phone. You have a few missed calls, mainly from Sam, along with a text:

"FURY TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR MISSION. STAY SAFE AND CALL ME IF YOU NEED YOUR WINGMAN"

Smiling, you quickly switch your phone off so that it's not traceable. You feel a pang of guilt that you hadn't spoken to him since leaving the tower. Not sure where to start you head to the city centre, just wanting to get your bearings. Liking the hustle and bustle of the streets you can't help but look around every corner. You'd always known that Barnes would be extremely difficult to find, but starting to wander around the streets, you begin to wonder if Fury has sent you on a wild goose chase.

Stopping off at a cafe to refuel your caffeine levels, you enjoy the sun shining down on you; relishing the peace and quiet after the past couple of days. Knowing that it might not be for much longer if the team aren't able to stop Ultron. There's a farmer's market in the middle of the city square so you take up a favourite hobby: people watching. Suddenly a large man in a baseball cap catches your eye. You can't pinpoint what it is about him that has caught your intrigue, but you can't help but stare at him, everything about him sets you on edge.

He turns around slightly, clearly looking around him to make sure no one is following him - making him even more suspicious. Eventually he turns around showing his full frontal profile. You almost drop the cup you're holding, some of the hot liquid spill onto your lap, making you jump up, taking your eyes off the man briefly. As a waitress comes over to help you, you look up once again and meet those eyes: those steely blue eyes that strike a chord of both fear and admiration through you. It was Barnes.

It's as though you're both frozen in place. You can't hear what the waitress is saying, or care what else is going on around you. Right now all you could focus on was Barnes. After almost a year, after loose end after loose end, god knows how many cities, and here he was finally in front of you.

Someone taps your shoulder, drawing your attention away for a brief second. When you look back Barnes is gone. Throwing some leu down on the table and quickly apologising in Romanian, you head off - reaching where Barnes was formerly standing, trying to work out which direction he had went in.

Taking a chance you spot a narrow secluded alley - knowing it's a choice you would take - cursing yourself that you hadn't taken a longer stakeout of the area. You always usually made it a habit to know of reasonable exits; and entrances for potential attackers. "Fuck," you breath out as you hit a dead end. Not trusting the area you're in, and how quiet it is, you pull the knife you'd managed to get through airport security.

Suddenly you feel the breath on the back of the neck, you knew it was Barnes but you had to be cautious. Turning sharply and bringing down the knife you feel yourself hitting skin - despite this strong arms grab you and pin you against a wall, sending you flying backwards into your memories of the Red Room.

"Who sent you?" His voice is barely a whisper, but filled with rage as his metal arm lies heavily on your chest, making it almost impossible for you to move with the amount of force being used against you. "Was it HYDRA?" His eyes are filled with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"Barnes," You're barely able to speak with the amount of pressure being placed on your lungs. "You could at least recognise me?" You huff out eventually. His eyes bore into yours, almost as if he's looking straight into your soul. After a while he starts to release the pressure on your chest. He still doesn't quite recognise you yet, so you decided to try another tactic. "Bucky?" You plead, instantly making him let you go and take a step back.