Rumlow and Walker stood towards the back of the training room, just watching as she easily and gracefully moved about. Lamar was stood opposite, recording her violent training session, a grimace on his face. He always hated what they did to their subjects. But this being Rumlow's daughter and, according the man himself, the love of John's life?!
He never understood what happened to his former best friend. Growing up, he was an outstanding citizen. Never a toe out of line. Then, when they joyfully volunteered to be enlisted in the army, they went their separate ways, in different units...and John returned different. That's when Lamar knew...they had diverged onto very different paths and he would always be on the good side; he would stick with John, yes, but...he was the voice of reason.
"Stay on guard!" Rumlow yelled, a step closer to the mat as his soldier struggled against her skills. John's smirk curled into a wicked smile as Katie crouched down and swung her own foot against the solder's ankles, tripping him as he landed on his back with an exasperated grunt. She slammed her foot against the soldier's throat, cutting off his air supply and dug her heel into his jugular, starting to draw blood. The soldier started struggling against her, kicking his feet and trying with all his might to rip her foot away for a gulp of air.
"That's enough." Rumlow simply stated.
Katie bit her bottom lip with a satisfied grin and finally released her hold, the soldier rolling to his side grasping at his neck and coughing for any air he could muster.
Rumlow smiled and walked over to her, never taking his eyes from her face.
"I think it's safe to say, the serum worked." Rumlow said with a satisfied grin.
John walked over and Katie just glared at him, wanting nothing more to do than punch his square jaw.
"I think so, sir." John said. "What now?"
John ran his hand up Katie's arm, but she violently grabbed it and twisted it in an unnatural position, causing to him to grimace and moan in pain.
"Don't fucking touch me." She snarled.
Rumlow gave a laugh as she dropped John's hand.
"Now, we wait." Rumlow said. "I'm sure the lovesick Soldier is looking for her. And when he does...we will be ready and waiting..."
*****
Bucky knew where he had to go first. He knew there had to something he missed. As he came to a screeching halt outside the building, he jumped off and rushed inside. There had to be some sort of indication as to WHERE she may have been whisked off to.
"I'm coming, Doll." Bucky thought to himself.
He rushed up to the front of the bar and took a deep breath.
"Come on..." Bucky hissed through gritted teeth.
His eyes were darting all over the room, frantically trying to think of what he could have missed in all the chaos. He just hoped for ANY sort of clue...
That's when a fist connected with his jaw.
He stumbled back, not out of pain, no. Out of extreme annoyance. His metal hand grasped his own chin as he started rubbing the annoying tinge away and flexing his jaw to make sure there was no actual damage. He glanced up and saw Tommy stumble back, angrily shaking his now already bruised hand, clenching and unclenching it to stave off the pain. Tommy hissed in pain and turned to glare daggers at Bucky.
"WHERE IS SHE?!" Tommy howled.
Bucky finally regained his composure and took a step forward to stand face to face with the Irishman.
"Why do you care?" Bucky asked. "You're the one who's barely spoken to her and kept her at arm's length lately."
"I wonder why..." Tommy spat out, placing some ice on his knuckles.
Bucky narrowed his eyes and continued to look around the room.
"Shouldn't you be at the hospital with your family?" Bucky asked.
"I called him after you rushed out of here." Jimmy interjected. "I thought he should know what was going on."
"What the actual FUCK happened?!" Tommy screamed, slamming his other fist on the bar top.
"John Walker." Bucky quickly said, with a deadly tone.
That was all he had to say. That goddamn name...
"What?" Tommy asked, fear and worry creeping into his mind.
"Like I told Jimmy boy over here; Walker was inside when we walked in." Bucky said. "He was waiting. I'm guessing he had something to do with your brother."
"No, we know who did that..." Tommy started.
"Walker had something to do with it." Bucky said. "Why else would he be here?"
Tommy and Jimmy glanced at each other as Bucky stared at the bloodstain on the floor.
"Why would you two even come in here?" Jimmy asked.
Bucky gave an exasperated huff as his eyes found Tommy again.
"Because of him." Bucky said.
"Me?" Tommy asked, clear confusion written on his face.
"Yes, you." Bucky said and he was no longer trying to hide is anger. "She was broken when you just left her here! I thought it would be good for her to sit and take a breather; have a drink..."
"You were stealing my liquor?" Jimmy asked.
"Seriously?!" Bucky thought.
"Walker was casually sitting in here." Bucky said, ignoring his thoughts. "He was ready and waiting. After he shot me, he had a syringe..."
Bucky finally noticed that the syringe was now lying in a plastic bag behind the counter.
"I didn't touch it." Jimmy said. "I didn't want my prints..."
"Whatever he used knocked her unconscious." Bucky continued, closing his eyes to try and remember every detail.
The fear and panic in her eyes...
"I have to find her." Bucky whispered. "I WILL find her!"
The front door to the bar flew open and Bucky turned to see Clint furiously rushing in.
"Where is she Barnes?!" Clint asked, getting in Bucky's face and grabbing the lapels of his jacket.
"Look..." Bucky started.
"You better have a goddamn good reason as to how she was taken on your watch!" Clint yelled.
Bucky rolled his eyes as he heard thrusters and those annoying web shooters in the cool and silent air of the neighborhood. Bucky glared at the two Brothers and Jimmy almost shrunk into the background, not used to being a voice of reason; he was usually always the one who started the fight, not end it or fix things.
"Barton." Sam said, calmly walking up to the seat next to Bucky and handing him an earpiece. Bucky placed it in his ear and just looked at them. Clint gave a smirk as he handed two the Jimmy and Tommy, clearly enjoying their amused but excited faces as they took the new tech and placed it in their ears.
"Can't believe you brought the kid." Bucky mumbled.
"The more eyes we have the better." The voice said.
Bucky let out a sigh of relief as he recognized the calm voice, his tension fading even if for a split second.
"Steve." Bucky said. "You're retired."
"I'm with FRIDAY tonight." Steve said. "Let's get your girl back."
Tony and Peter walked in, shutting and locking the door behind them.
"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, the nanites in his suit removing his mask. "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Holy shit, that's Spiderman?!" Jimmy exclaimed. "He's fucking 11!"
Peter rolled his eyes and gave a sheepish look.
"I'm 16." Peter said, barely above a whisper.
"Have you been able to locate her phone?" Bucky asked.
Tony took a deep breath and walked behind the bar, clearly looking for some top shelf whiskey.
"Really?" Tony asked. "An Irish pub and this? This is all you have...?"
"Tony." Clint said, walking over to the blood stain and kneeling next to it.
"Yeah, that stung." Bucky stated. "Her phone...have you been able to locate it?"
"Last place we can see is Brooklyn." Steve said. "Her phone pinged near..."
"Dean Street Station." Peter said.
Bucky's eyes narrowed as something clicked in his mind.
"Dean Street?" Bucky asked.
"Yeah." Peter said. "But after that, nothing. She must be underground."
"Dean Street is an abandoned track in Brooklyn." Bucky said.
"You think she may be there?" Sam asked.
"It's a good place to start." Clint said.
"Steve, actually, you too kid...you ever here the story..." Bucky stuttered, trying to convey all the thoughts going through his head.
"The Demons of Dean Street." Tommy interrupted. "We have that story in this neighborhood too."
"The...what?" Clint asked.
"Demons of Dean Steet..." Sam started, very much intrigued by the idea, but also wondering what they were all getting themselves into.
"Clever name." Tony said, remembering what her favorite TV show was; under any other circumstance, she would absolutely LOVE the name. "Be very interested to hear all about it."
"People started disappearing in the 1920s at Dean Street Station." Bucky started. "They said that if you walked by at night, you were never seen again."
"Yeah, but then, didn't they say, they would also see shadows coming out of the doors at night?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah." Peter said. "Aunt May used to say "if you don't come in before dark..."
"It became a ghost story." Bucky said.
"Something to get kids inside before the sun set." Steve said. "Something to keep kids in line."
"An old wives' tale." Tony simply stated.
"Okay so, what..." Clint began as he picked up his bow and placed quiver full of his new arrows on his back. "You think it's where she was taken? Why?"
Bucky's whole demeanor changed as he thought of Rumlow, Zola...his past...
"HYDRA." Bucky stated as a fact so no questions were to be asked. "Damnit...."
PING.
It was as if fate, or something crueler was mocking him; his phone going off with the notification that he had a new message. Bucky took out his phone from his pocket and pressed play on the newly received video. They all stared in shock as they watched the video of her callously fighting off the soldier, almost choking him to death with her pointed heel. They were all paying attention to her movements........but not Bucky.
It was her eyes.
The life that had once resided in those eyes were gone. The hopes and dreams of everything she had ever told him about: her love of cooking, comic books, her mother and grandmother...nothing. They had taken her from him. They had turned her into something he never wanted ANYONE to become...they had made her like him. He needed to find her, hear her call him James one more time. He needed to hear her laugh...God! He wanted to feel her soft lips against his calloused one as they both got lost in a moment.
"I'm coming, Doll." Bucky thought. "I promise I'll get you back."
Bucky gripped the phone so tight in his metal hand, the screen started to crack.
"We're coming with you." Tommy said.
Bucky wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings; the only sound in his head was his heart beating hard against his chest. He clenched and unclenched his metal fist and flexed his fingers. He looked up and down at the black and gold arm and spun it around in anger and determination.
"Let's go get this son of a bitch." Steve said.
They all walked out of the bar, furious determination and resolve in their blood.