Reveries of Spring│Bucky Barnes

━ 𝟏𝟓

"The hormones, more than likely."

"But wait," Martina said, furrowing her eyebrows. "You talk about the Super Soldier Serum as if it's one thing. Bucky and Steve both got it but they aren't the same in terms of strength or durability."

Lionel looked impressed at her observation. "Yes, there were some variations in the testing phases. The one used on Rogers wasn't as refined as the one used on Barnes. Barnes has greater durability and healing than Steve. Also, his serum was adjusted so that his personality was muted instead of enhanced, in a sense."

"So, what are you getting at then?" Martina questioned, watching as his eyes lit up in amazement. "What's with all the comparisons? Are you saying that my body is basically another naturally refined version of the serum?"

"Yeah," Lionel said, nodding his head eagerly. "You have a perfect combination of all the attributes but the greatest part is that it's all-natural. I have no doubt that as your body continues to grow and develop, that your powers will too. You are what Erskine and Howard Stark wanted when they experimented on Steve and what HYDRA would have killed for. No experiment that I know of can take these powers away. If they had managed to brainwash you, you would have won the war for them. I can see why Mr. Stark wants to keep you on the down low."

"Wait, he what?" Martina asked, suddenly feeling very insecure and extremely confused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh." Lionel's eyes shot open as if he had said something he shouldn't have. "No, I just meant that your powers are impressive, that's all. You are truly one of a kind."

If it had been any other situation, Martina would have blushed but she found herself wanting to get out of that room as quickly as possible, finally understanding what Bucky had been telling her about the way Lionel viewed her. 

She was just a lab rat to him; a mixture of numbers and fluids that he wanted to work out. He wasn't sensitive about all the pain and embarrassment she had been through. She figured that it had more to do with him being a scientist than anything else, but it still made her uncomfortable.  

At least Tony was able to express actual concern for her well-being, where as Lionel seemed to care less about the person she was. 

"Um, I'm going to head out," she said gingerly, standing up. "But, thank you. This has been really enlightening."

She left Lionel sifting through the files and scribbling down notes. 

As she walked back to her room, still slightly confused with everything that had been said, she could not get one particular thing that Lionel had said out of her mind. It was a disturbing thought that brought back to the surface the reason why she had been so torn about her powers before. 

"You would have won the war for them."

She was lethal. 

━

When she entered her room, she wasn't surprised to see that Bucky was lounging on her bed, more than likely awaiting her arrival.

He was sifting through Beyond Good and Evil when she walked in, and as soon as he heard the door swing open, he sat up straight and smiled lazily at her.   

"That took a while," he said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed as she came to stand in between them. He noticed that when he reached for her hand, she did not smile and kept her eyes rooted to the floor. "Are you alright?"