CHURLISH | james b. barnes

[ 57 ]

"Yeah, well, it's a chance." He replied, leaning back in his seat. "I'll take any shitty chance I've got."

Lucy looked at him through the rearview mirror.

"He did something to you?" She asked.

Frank lifted his head.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

Lucy sighed, turning around to face him.

"The Blacksmith. Did he do something to you?" She questioned. "Is that why you're so bent on killing him?"

Frank opened his mouth, then shut it. He bit the inside of his lip, looking from her, to the window, then to her again. He thought over his words, before letting out a scoff.

"Yeah." He said. "He took everything from me."

He fell silent immediately after the sentence, his eyes growing far away, lost in thought.

Lucy decided not to disturb him further on the topic. Whatever happened to him–whatever he did–was none of her concern. He didn't seem like a HYDRA agent and didn't seem to care about the fact she was a weapon.

That's all that mattered.

Silence enveloped the car as Klause turned down the street, passing by police cars and weaving through slowing cars. He kept his gaze focused on the road, unconcerned by the lack of conversation. Lucy could handle herself–Klause was just there as an aid. He was there as a tool, and that was all.

"You just a science experiment?" Frank inquired. "Or somethin' else?"

Lucy shook her head, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"I'm a lot of things." She replied. "HYDRA experiment, weapon, veteran–"

That seemed to catch his attention as Frank leaned forwards, curiosity flicking between his eyes.

"You a vet?" He questioned. "From, what, World War II?"

Lucy smiled.

"I suppose." She shrugged. "Does that mean something to you?"

Frank pursed his lips. His eyes flitted back and forth before he relaxed against his seat again.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, I served four tours. In the Marines–in Afghanistan. You know about that–that war?"

Lucy exhaled.

"I'm not. . .not familiar with it. I've heard about it." She paused. "You were a Marine, huh? I think–yeah. . .I remember some soldiers. I remember killing them."

She let her eyes shift away from Frank. She stiffened, her hands clasping together tightly. She hadn't cared at the time–what they'd been wearing, who was killed. It was only after, when she really thought about everything she'd done, that she remembered.

That she remembered the military uniforms.

She looked in front of her as Klause turned once again. This time the docks came into view, and the vehicle started to slow.

"You were tortured, right?" Frank mentioned. "I saw some of that shit. For some time I thought maybe–maybe what happened–was cause of HYDRA, the two Soldiers. . .I did some diggin', didn't have to dig much. You were tortured. People do stupid shit when they're hurt. You got that?"

Lucy blinked slowly.

She didn't know what event he was talking about, but if he wasn't explicit about it than there was probably a personal and emotional reason.

"The shit you did–it was coerced." He continued.

She turned around to face him again, frowning.

"Co-erced?" She questioned.