Armor (Winter Soldier)

[17]

"What happened?" Bucky asked while Steve hopped back in the jet.

"I saw her." He replied. "I should've gotten her when I had the chance. She attempted to shoot me for no clear reason and I guess I let it loose."

Bucky placed his hand over Steve's shoulder in a comforting way. "We'll find her."

Steve nodded and stood up from his sitting position.

"Next stop: Sheffield, Michigan. John, I need the coordinates. Evan prepare any useful tech. We need to be there in exactly twenty minutes."

"Roger that, Cap." John and the crew replied, making Cap and Bucky exchange a smile.

After a few hours, the mission was complete and the jet arrived at Avengers Tower at three-am.

Fury had called on Bucky and Steve to hold a meeting in the conference room.

"How did this occur again?" Fury faced both Bucky and Steve.

They both looked at each other, then Steve explained how he had found her, but it was too late.

"She can withstand any temperature, you know that." Fury mentioned while taking a seat on the leather couch.

"Nothing's lost. She will go from lab to lab until she finds answers. Or the rest of EALF will have luck and find her."

"The issue is that we need to find her before they do.", Steve added, comprehending.

"And that is why we are destroying every single laboratory,with all the fugitives of SHIELD we have left." Bucky pointed out, mentioning the information that his best friend had said back at the jet.

"Jarvis," Fury called.

"Yes, Mr. Fury?", the robotic voice surprised Bucky a little bit.

"Open up all the files that you have on Alexa Star Viriav."

"Right away sir.", he replied. All of the three men anticipated the data.

Soon, pictures, words and numbers filled the hologram.

Steve was shocked and Bucky felt like he was going to pass out at the sight of various experiment pictures displayed. She couldn't possibly be Insanity.

In these pictures, she looked healthy, alive and happy. While in the others, EALF looked like they were torturing the poor girl to death.

"Born July 13, 1943. Expectant death on May 5, 1974 at age twenty-five." Jarvis informed.

An unsteady feeling, developed inside Steve's stomach when he saw scientists throwing her inside a tub of boiling water.

"She used to surf. Great one, actually. She got offered sponsorship and other things, but rejected them." Fury stated while the rest of the small videos kept playing.

"That is until 1974." he added closing the file with a single type on the hologram.

"Drowning. No one found her and EALF did. Simis, daughter of Lakryia, crashed on the pacific, not too long after Alexa had drowned on the same spot."

"So you're saying that she–"

"I'm saying that she was reported to have alienic molecules and cells in her DNA. Because of Simis." Fury cut Steve off.

"She isn't normal." Bucky stated.

"No and that's why we need her."

-

No later after Fury had dismissed them both, Bucky parted ways to see Sam (who was probably sleeping).

She had been sick while he was gone and that worried him, a little too much.

Bucky opened the door to his temporary room and found Sam lightly breathing on the bed.

He smiled, knowing that she wouldn't want him to frown.

After he got himself ready for bed, he slid under the covers right next to Sam, hoping not to wake her.

Sam's eyes fluttered open to the sound of Jarvis's voice.

"Alarm set to nine." It kept repeating over and over again.

She noticed Bucky's arm draped over her and she smiled, reminded of the news she had to share with him.

"Thanks you Jarvis." She said groggily, slowly getting out of Bucky's grip.

"Don't leave..." he mumbled, making his grip tighter on her waist.

She gave out a light chuckle. "Come on, we have to wake up! What time did you get here, anyways?" Sam asked, now facing him.

His stubble had stretched all the way to his neck now, Sam took note of that.

"Three." he replied, smiling.

Sam bit her lip, trying to think if a way to tell him. Having decided to tell him a little later, she spoke. "Alright I'll let you sleep."

"Sam," Bucky started, looking deeply into her green morning eyes.

"Hmm?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I have something to tell you." he said.

She thought of this for a few seconds. "You can tell me later. I have something too."

He nodded and let go of her waist, bringing both human and metal hands to her face, making their foreheads press together.

"I love you." He said grinning and didn't let her reply, because he pressed his lips to hers.

-

Both Steve and Bucky had been spending more time together.

And now, they were in the tower's gymnasium, boxing.

"Alright," Bucky gasped while putting his guard up. "One more round."

Steve grinned. "Its not like you can beat me down. You're out Buck."

"You're down Rogers."

And like that, the first punch came from Steve, Bucky blocking it with his real forearm.

Two more hits from his best friend and Bucky took action, kicking with his leg.

Steve quickly dodged it and slid his foot under Bucky's heel, almost knocking him down.

But Bucky was quick and did a back somersault, getting him back on his feet.

"This arm sure doesn't help a lot." Bucky complained, gesturing towards the metal arm. "It weighs a ton."

"Still not gonna beat me though." Steve confirmed and set his gueard up again.

After a good while of fighting, Steve decided to walk off to the punching bag. Bucky, on the other hand, was taking a long sip of water on the bench. Part of the velcro was still wrapped around his right hand.

The door to the gym opened and Sam came inside.

"I just wanted to see how you guys were doing." She smiled

"Were doing fine." Bucky smiled and pecked her cheek.

"How are you? Feeling any better?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sam replied tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"The Doc just says I need some medicine for the stomach flu. That's all." She added.

"Stomach flu?"

"Its a..sickness." Sam said. "I get those very frequently."