WICKED ONES - Bucky Barnes

Chapter 3

Oakley sat on the bleachers outside. It was a windy day in New York as she watched the football players run around on the field below. She exhaled, her hair blowing in her face before she got a chance to brush it back. Her laptop sat on her perched legs. Oakley blew air from her lips. She stared at an empty Google search bar, the cursor blinking in her face.

For some reason, she was hesitant to look up Sergeant James Barnes. The... Could you even call it a memory? She couldn't remember when or what that was that she saw. Yet, he looked so familiar it made her head spin to think of it.

Oakley stared at the screen as she heard footsteps clomp along the bleachers. "What is it Jamie?" she asked, not turning her head towards her brother.

Jamie's mouth dropped and he pouted. "How did you know it was me?" he asked, plopping beside her.

"Because you do that every time I'm up here," Oakley said, slowly typing into the search bar. Jamie smiled a tad and leaned back, placing his boots on the seats in front of them. "What's up Jamie?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

"We need to talk about Alex," Jamie said. Oakley raised a brow, her fingers pausing on the keyboard.

"What about him? Don't go all protective because I'm your sister. I'll be fine there's no need to be worried-" Her brother's finger pressed against her lips.

"I actually worried Oak," Jamie interrupted. "I..." he paused, grinding his teeth as he watched his sister's expression. "I've heard rumors-"

Oakley scoffed, shoving his hand away before closing her laptop with a click. "Oh rumors, like you believe those," she stated.

"I've heard this from multiple people Oak okay? He's not a good dude he's just like the other football players," Jamie explained.

"Seriously Jamie," Oakley said, brushing her hair back. "I can make my own options on people,"

"Yes seriously, I don't want you hurt!" Jamie exclaimed, watching her grab her things. "Oakley listen to me!"

Oakley spun around and clenched her jaw. "I am. I am listening because you won't stop. Leave it alone." she demanded, pulling her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you later," she exhaled before leaving him on the bleachers.

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Oakley sat in the corner of the library, her laptop back in her lap. She watched as Google search results popped up by the hundreds. Oakley hesitantly moved the cursor to a search result and clicked.

THE WINTER SOLDIER; JAMES BUCHANAN "BUCKY" BARNES: CAN WE TRUST THE STAR-SPANGLED COMPANION TO KEEP OUR FAMILIES SAFE?

She furrowed her brows as she started reading through the article. The Winter Soldier, the name would have rolled off her tongue if she spoke it out loud. She mouthed the name over and over again, fidgeting with her rings before grabbing her pen. Peter mentioned having a plan on how to ace this paper but he never mentioned anything about doing her own research.

The man now famously known as the Winter Soldier served a greater purpose for our enemy. For years, he had been used as a brute-force cyborg weapon for Hydra, a branch of the enemy our army had fought against in the Second World War. It seems that he had been used as their personal assassin. The man claims he had been wired to do it, but did he have any control? The Winter Soldier killed many for the underground force that was Hydra.

"Right, right he was an assassin," Oakley hissed through her teeth as she kept reading. "How could I forget that," she muttered.

The Captain's sidekick killed these people, who is to say that he is done? From multiple resources and public records, James Buchanan Barnes mentioned a set of 'trigger words' that the Hydra operatives wired into his brain after multiple decades of torture and brainwashing. Are we to believe that the hardwired assassin has now found peace? Has found an easy way out of the lives he's taken? Where is the justice? He gets to save the world in which those people are not allowed to live anymore. If the man is truly free from these wired triggers, is he truly safe?

James Buchanan Barnes now resides in a small neighborhood in his birth city Brooklyn, New York. He is in our neighborhoods. He is in our government. He is 'protecting' our lives.

Are we supposed to trust the Winter Soldier?

Oakley blinked at the screen, the words on the screen blurring except the text trigger words. She rubbed her eyes, pressing her palms against them still she saw spots. It felt like she knew all of this already like it was locked away. She pried her hands away and shoved her hair behind her ears. "Focus, fucking focus," she grimaced, her thumbnail sliding between her teeth as she reread the article.

Oakley followed a few other kids into Colton's house, the music blaring in her ears as she walked past the threshold. Lights flashed as teenagers danced and laughed. It was a party after all. She slipped through conversations till she reached a drink station and poured herself a cup. She sipped the concoction and her expression went sour, her lips pursing as her nose scrunched up.

Alex spotted her through the crowd and grinned. His eyes hid malicious intent as he slipped through dancers. "You don't like the taste?" he inquired, refilling his own solo cup.

Oakley almost choked on the bile liquid, her hand pressing against her sealed lips before that could happen. She swallowed down her potion and nodded her head, clamping down on her lips. "Mhm," she muffled.

He finished his drink and held his hand out, his brow raising as the corner of his mouth peaked. "Wanna go somewhere more..." he thought for a moment. "Quiet?" he asked.

Oakley removed her hand from her mouth and nodded, her thin line of a mouth turning into a sheepish smile. "Lead the way," she said. She took his hand and followed the taller teen through the crowd and upstairs. She couldn't pry her eyes from the large house, the expensive paintings hung on the wall, and the decor that was littered around.

Alex lead her into a bedroom, the vibes quite neutral. Oakley guessed off her head that it was a guest room. He closed the door behind her, the music thumping under the floor and against the walls. The whole house vibrated.

Oakley sat down on the edge of the bed, taking a sip of her drink. Her expression turned less sour than before as she took smaller sips. She watched as he sat beside her. "So..." she drawled, watching him turn to her. "Whatcha wanna talk about?" she implored, leaning forward slightly.

Alex smirked a tad. "Hmmm maybe we play a little game, how about truth or dare?" he asked, leaning back on his arms. Oakley gulped a tad and hesitantly nodded. She felt weird not agreeing to something since he invited her here.

"Sure," she said hesitantly.

Alex hummed and nodded. "Truth... or... dare?" he inquired.