TALES FROM FALLEN WARRIORS ─ marvel

IV. The Winter Soldier

Chapter Four
Josephine

Siberia is very cold. From the second we stepped off the cargo ship, shivers ran down my body and they haven't stopped since. It's only gotten worse since we 'borrowed' a van and started the trek up the mountain where the HYDRA base is. All four of us have been huddled against Lee, whose gotten pretty handy at his whole Light Elf glowing powers. Of course here on Earth he can only muster up a faint glow of light, but it's better than nothing and I'm freaking freezing.

"My boyfriend the space heater." Stevie mumbles with a smile.

Lee leans his head against Stevie's and chuckles into his hair. I roll my eyes and say: "A space heater is better than what Lee's giving off."

He shoots me a look. "Don't insult the person whose keeping you warm right now."

Fair point. I offer him a sweet, innocent smile. "What I meant to say was I love you and I'm very grateful for your Light Elf magic."

"Mhm. That's what I thought you said."

I flip him off, this only makes Lee grin.

Bastard.

"Okay, let's go over the plan again," Steve insists, his hands tightening on the wheel. "Liam will stay behind to guard the van. Stevie will shift into an animal large enough to break down the doors."

"I've picked a rhino." Stevie whispers to us cheerfully.

"And Josephine will cover us while we clear a path to the elevator. Once we get down to the bottom level where Bucky is being held, Olivia and Zy'aire will go free him. Josephine will then transport him with one of her forcefields while the rest of us cover her. Hopefully we'll be able to make it make to the van and escape without issue."

"Okay, you gotta call me Jo, I hate being called Josephine. The only people who call me that are my fathers when I'm being yelled at." I insist.

Steve nods. "Alright, Jo it is."

Natasha turns around in her seat and looks at each of us intently, her tone grave as she warns us: "Be careful with the Winter Soldier."

Stevie gapes at her. "He's our dad."

Natasha shakes her head, something like pity shining in her eyes. "He's not called the Winter Soldier because of the climate he lives in. He's called that because of his cold and calculating nature. It's not in his programming to be anything other than a killer. He's a monster."

Steve looks like he wants to say something but he decides against it. Stevie on the other hand decides the opposite: "Don't talk about our dad like that. You don't even know him. He's the kindest, bravest, smartest, most pure hearted man that's ever lived. He's not a monster. He's a victim of HYDRA and he needs to be taken far away from their control."

Natasha stays silent. It's clear she doesn't believe him. Sure we've shown her pictures and talked about how wonderful Uncle Bucky is, about him being an Avenger and a dedicated family man. But she only knows the Winter Soldier, and I'm sure believing the truth of who he is after what she's seen will be hard. Throughout our childhood we were taught about HYDRA and what they did to him. I've seen videos of the Winter Soldier in action, read stories in history textbooks, learned about the worst things imaginable that were done by his hand. But it never mattered. To me he's my uncle. I knew he was innocent in all this, that he was a good man, that he'd never hurt me or anyone else. I've always known the truth. We all have.

Natasha is just now learning the truth, and she's having a hard time believing it. The rest of the world will have a hard time believing it too. Uncle Bucky had to stay hidden from the world for years out of fear of being arrested or killed. I realize now that even if we are successful at rescuing him today, he's far from being free. People's perceptions of him, their belief in him being a monster, are just as much of a prison as the one he's in now.