Battlefield ★ Bucky Barnes

XIV. Accessing Archive

"Well, if that's the case then just make something up," Natasha told him with a shrug.

"What? Like you?"

"I don't know, the truth is a matter of circumstance," Natasha said. "It's not all things to all people, all the time. And neither am I."

Steve looked at her. "That's a tough way to live."

"It's a good way not to die, though."

"You know, it's kind of hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone really is," Steve chimed.

"Yeah?" Natasha smiled. "Who do you want me to be?"

"How about a friend?"

A soft chuckle escaped Natasha's lips. "There's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers."

A wave of silence fell over them, though Natasha broke it again about five minutes later. She turned briefly to look at Connie, and it was then that she realized she didn't know as much about her friend as she originally believed to. She only knew 21st century Connie Jones; 20th century Connie Jones was nothing more than a mystery to her.

"Can I ask you another question?" Natasha inquired.

"Depends," Steve answered.

Natasha looked away from her friend to look at Steve. "It's about Connie; what was she like all those years ago? Has much about her changed since the two of you, y'know, last saw each other?"

"Quite a lot has changed, actually," Steve sighed. "After we took her in, she was so happy and so outgoing; she was the sweetest and bubbliest little thing on earth. Now, she's just, well, I don't even have the words to explain it. She's definitely not the person she used to be, but there are still some aspects of that person left inside her."

"Is she not happy?"

Steve glanced over at her and shrugged. "Definitely not the way she used to be. There's a horrid distinction between how happy she was back then and how happy she is now."

"Why's that?" Natasha asked. "Did she have a boyfriend or something?"

"She did, actually," Steve told her as he thought of Connie and Bucky. "He was the love of her life."

"That explains why she doesn't date," Natasha chuckled.

"Truth be told, I don't think she ever will. This man, he was—he was absolutely everything to her," Steve's voice was strained as he spoke. "I don't think she'll ever be able to move on from him, and personally, I don't blame her."

Natasha eyed Steve carefully. "You seem a bit upset. Were you close friends with this guy?"

"Close enough."

The remainder of the car ride was silent.

It was nearing dusk as Steve finally reached their destination. He pulled to a stop in front of an old facility fence and turned around in his seat, shaking Connie awake. She awoke fairly easily and sat up in her seat, studying her surroundings to determine where exactly it was that she was. She couldn't seem to figure it out, though, especially in her current state of mind, so she decided to just let Steve and Natasha handle things for the time being.

The three of them got out of the truck and started towards the closed fence. Connie shoved her hands into the pockets of the hoodie she had stolen from Steve and followed behind the two as she attempted to further wake herself up.

"This is it," Steve said as he stopped in front of the fence, his eyes wandering elsewhere.

"The file came from these coordinates," Natasha told him as she placed her phone back into her pocket.