𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 | bucky barnes

56: Arrest

The door clattered when the boy closed it behind them. They had stepped into a dark, barely lit house. None of the windows were open. In front of them stood an old man who Cat assumed to be about seventy or eighty. He had short, graying hair and deep brown skin. He looked at Bucky with wise, tired eyes.

"Isaiah," greeted Bucky.

"Look at you," said Isaiah. Cat couldn't figure out his tone.

"This is, uh, Sam," Bucky introduced. "And this is Catarina. Cat, Sam, this is Isaiah. He was a hero. One of the ones that HYDRA feared the most. Like Steve. We met in '51."

"If by met, you mean I whipped your ass, then, yeah," said Isaiah, a memory on his mind. "We heard whispers he was on the peninsula, but everyone they sent after him never came back. So the U.S. military dropped me behind the line to go deal with him." He looked straight at Bucky as he talked. "I took half that metal arm in that fight in Goyang, but I see he's managed to grow it back." There was a hint of a smile on his face. "I just wanted to see if he got the arm back," he said. "Or if he'd come to kill me."

"I'm not a killer anymore," said Bucky simply, staring at Isaiah.

Isaiah's look changed to an almost sarcastic smile. "You think you can wake up one day and decide who you wanna be?" he said. "It doesn't work like that." He paused. "Well, maybe it does for folks like you."

"Isaiah, the reason we're here," Bucky continued, "is because there's more of you and me out there."

"You and me," repeated Isaiah, through gritted teeth.

"And we need to know how," said Bucky.

Isaiah got angry. "I'm not gonna talk about it any more," he said, picking up a small metal tin and throwing it toward the wall beside him. With a clang, it stuck in the wall because of the strength Isaiah had thrown it with.

He's a Super Soldier, realized Catarina.

Sam turned his head to look at Bucky as the room went quiet. Isaiah walked closer to where Bucky was standing, weight in every step.

"You know what they did to me for being a hero?" he said, staring at the man in front of him. "They put my ass in jail. For 30 years." His voice was shaking with anger.  "People running tests.  Taking my blood. Coming into my cell. Even your people weren't done with me." He pointed to Bucky, referencing HYDRA.

"Isaiah.." said Sam, attempting to calm the man.

"Get out of my house!" he yelled.

Cat and Bucky turned around as the boy that had opened the door for them led them back out, hand on Sam's back. He shut the door behind them as Sam walked angrily down the stairs.  Cat only felt disbelief.  Sad. Sorry, maybe. 

"Sam..." began Bucky.

"Why didn't you tell me about Isaiah?" asked Sam angrily. "How could nobody bring him up?"

"I didn't even know he existed," said Cat.  She looked up at Bucky. "Did anyone else know? Did Steve know?"

Bucky didn't answer.

"I asked you a question, Bucky," Sam said.

"I know," said Bucky.

"Did Steve know?" Sam repeated Cat's question.

"He didn't. I didn't tell him."

Sam stopped them in the middle of the street, pointing back toward Isaiah's house.  "So you're telling me that there was a black Super Soldier decades ago, and nobody knew about it?"

Bucky only stared at him before a police siren rung twice beside them. Two police men got out of the doors. "Hey," one said.

"What's up, man?" said Sam, a little annoyed.

"Is there a problem here?" asked the officer. 

"No, we're just talking," said Sam, the anger still in his voice.

"We're fine," said Bucky.

"Can I see your ID?" the other officer asked Sam.

"I don't have ID. Why?" said Sam defensively.

"Okay, sir, just calm down," said the officer, holding his hand out.

"I am calm. What do you want? We're just standing here talking."

"Just give him your ID so we can leave," said Bucky.

"No, I'm not giving him shit, we're just talking."

"Hey," stopped the police officer. "Is this guy bothering you two?"

Cat scrunched her brows. "No, he's not bothering us," she replied loudly, with a bit of attitude.

"Bothering us," muttered Bucky quickly. "Do you know who this is?" he asserted.

The other policeman whispered something to his partner, then the first officer looked back at Sam and widened his eyes.

"Oh, God.  I am so sorry, Mr. Wilson."  He chuckled nervously. Sam turned his gaze to Bucky, who looked away. "I didn't recognize you without the goggles. I'm really, really sorry about this."

Another siren whooped near them as a second police car pulled up, flashing lights and all. Cat looked at it and rolled her eyes.

"Guys, uh, just wait here, okay?" said the officer, walking over to the other car. He held up his finger, signaling one moment.

"I didn't..." began Bucky quietly. "I didn't tell anybody because he had already been through enough."

Sam didn't reply— he only shook his head slightly.

The officer walked back over to where they were standing. "Mr. Barnes," said the officer, "there's a warrant out for your arrest."

"No, the president pardoned him for all that," butted in Catarina.

"Not for that," said the officer. "You missed your court-mandated therapy.  It's like missing a check-in with your PO."

Bucky sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes.  You're under arrest."

"You can't—" began Cat, but Bucky had already gone with the policemen, and was being handcuffed by the door.  He glanced back up at Sam and Cat before getting in.  The policeman shut the door, and the other started the engine.  Once the policeman got in, his partner drove away.

Sam looked back toward Isaiah's house, then at Cat.

"You didn't know?" he asked.

"I had no idea," she replied.

a.n.

ya girl completely forgot to post, and now its Thursday. whoops 🤷‍♀️

but happy thanksgiving to all my friends who celebrate!! I'm grateful for all my readers ♡

and ohhhh my gosh guys just you WAIT until the therapy chapters. i split it into two because just ughhhhh...... all this leads to the therapy scene. everything in the future leads back to the therapy scene. guys you're gonna hate it

ily, don't forget to vote!! bye!!

molly