Winter & Summer: A Marvel Story in an Alternate Universe!

Chapter 13

"Y'all really hit the jackpot right here," Sam said, circling the room illuminated by semitransparent projections of just about everything loaded onto Summer's flash drive. The subsequent days after Summer and Bucky returned from Japan were mostly spent here, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York headquarters, analyzing the information with Sam and the other agents.

And there was a lot of it. "HYDRA campout locations, weapons arsenals, invoices, fake identities, real identities..." Sam listed off.

Summer shrugged, smugly. "Only cost us an arm and a couple legs," she quipped, winking, "but we managed to get 'em back."

"It's all checking out too," Agent Scarborough said, walking in with a computer tablet. "Our guys in Europe have already tracked down groups in Romania and Austria. We even have eyes on a couple people in Congress."

"Congress?" Bucky echoed. "Our Congress?"

"You really that surprised?" Sam asked.

"It also looks like their core leadership is made up of six people in six different parts of the globe," Scarborough explained. "Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Cap."

"You know they'll start moving and fast," Sam remarked. "We need S.H.I.E.L.D...."

"Already have agents locked in on them," Scarborough confirmed. "You're all set to fly out to Germany at oh-600 tomorrow."

Sam nodded affirmatively. "Good work."

"And that's it," Scarborough went on. "That's pretty much the nail in the coffin for HYDRA."

"What about Kirishima?" Bucky asked.

"Kirishima's proving to be a little harder to find," Scarborough said. "The man is like a chameleon. As soon as you think you've nabbed him, he vanishes."

"Well, if you need help calling him out of hiding..." Summer chimed in, extending her arms out in a showy manner, "you've got yourself some good bait right here."

"No, no, you're not bait," Sam shook his head, chuckling. "For one thing, I know Bucky won't let you do that..." Bucky blinked stoically at this. "And I won't either," Sam continued. "I know you don't need protection, but HYDRA already has your blood. I can't risk any chance of them stealing the rest of you back. Not when we're this close to stomping them out for good."

"Well, nuts!" Summer pouted.

"So in other words, we're grounded again?" Bucky asked.

"Not necessarily. I'll get y'all lined up with another assignment next week. But for now, I really can't let HYDRA get near either of you two."

"Actually," Summer remarked, "from what we were told, HYDRA's not too interested in Bucky."

"Why do you say that?" Sam queried.

"Kirishima mentioned something along the lines of Bucky's programming being outdated," Summer explained, "and that Bucky's blood compounds might actually have an opposite effect on potential Super Soldiers."

"Like," Sam clarified, "power them down or something?"

"He didn't say," Summer said. "He just said Bucky's...useless basically." She turned to Bucky. "No offense." Bucky simply shrugged.

"Wait," Scarborough chimed in. "I have a hypothesis. What if Bucky's blood could power down a Super Soldier? We know Super Soldier blood compounds are finicky. We know Bucky's in particular was severely damaged. And we know HYDRA doesn't want him - so what if, Bucky's blood was used to create a serum that could reverse a Super Solider? A counter-serum, if you will."

"That's a wild idea," Sam replied. "Are you suggesting this is something we try?"

"I mean, I'm no scientist, but it might be worth a shot," Scarborough shrugged. "That way if HYDRA or anyone else tries to build a new Super Soldier army, we have the antidote to stop it."

"I don't know, Scarb," Sam said. "That just sounds a little oversimplified."

"Actually," Bucky remarked, "I am curious to know what's..." He drew a circle around his chest with his palm. "...happening inside of me."

Summer's eyes widened for just a second as Bucky went on.

"What is my blood capable of?" Bucky asked, rhetorically. "I'd really like to know."

Sam looked at Bucky squarely. "You mean to say you volunteer?"

"Yes," Bucky said. "I volunteer."

"Like I said, worth a shot...get it?" Scarborough turned and smiled at Summer, knowing she was smiling too. The women winked and shot finger guns at each other.

Sam sighed and shook his head as he turned to his friend. "Look, if you're all right with S.H.I.E.L.D. sticking needles in you..."

"I'll be okay, Sam," Bucky assured. "We might want to reach out to Wakanda too. See what they have in their files for me."

"I can take care of that," Scarborough said. "And I'll also call up science division right now to come get your sample."

"All right," Sam remarked, clapping his hands together. "Summer. Bucky. Why don't you both take off the rest of the weekend? Get some rest, stay out of trouble. There's this really cool art pop-up thing they set up over at Central Park. Y'all should check it out."

"Ooh, I wanna see it!" Summer cheered.

In a matter of moments, Bucky got his right arm pricked, and after a quick briefing with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s scientists and talking a bit more with Sam, he and Summer were headed for the door, back out onto streets of New York City.

They walked side by side - Summer, with a mild skip in her step.

"Wow, I sure am curious about what they wind up finding," she said. "Wouldn't that be something if my blood can turn someone into a Super Solider and yours can reverse it? Also, I'm hungry. You want a hotdog?"

Bucky was quiet for a moment, hands in his coat pockets. He hadn't really talked to Summer since they returned from Japan - as in, really talked to her, after coming face-to-face with her former handler. Her Zemo. He could only imagine what she was feeling inside - how harboring that feeling was probably consuming her, especially if she wasn't being prompted to express it.

He figured, now that they were alone, perhaps this was a good time to ask.

"Summer, uh," Bucky muttered, a little nervously, "I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

The question hit Summer with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Are you okay? I mean, after all that went down in Tokyo with Kirishima and everything, I was just wondering if you were okay..."

"Umm...yes? I mean, I guess I'm okay," Summer replied, with nothing more than a shrug. "Got a few bumps and scrapes like you, and of course the little prick in my arm, but...all things considered, I think I'm doing pretty good. Hey, isn't Central Park this way?"

"Central Park?"

"Yeah! I thought we were gonna go see the art thing Sam was talking about?"

Bucky inhaled, like he were about to say something, but ultimately sighed, deciding no longer to probe. "Yeah. Let's go see some art."

"And get a hotdog. I am starved."