Red Star ✴️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

1: A Missed Shot

It was a sight to behold in awe and terror.

Captain America standing above one of the brightest minds of our generation, his shield sticking out from his chest like a spear to the heart. Though it did not pierce his skin, the shield in his chest hurt Stark more than any physical pain ever could.

In shock from his actions and exhaustion from battle, Captain Steve Rogers sat beside the body of his once good friend, feeling horrified yet justified in his actions.

After catching his breath, Captain stood from the ground, wrenching the disc of Vibranium from the Arc Reactor in Iron Man's suit. With a horrifying crunch, the shield broke free.

Tony Stark could only watch as his ex-friend turned away with the shield to help up the traitor - the monster - that had murdered his innocent parents. It didn't matter that he didn't know, or didn't want to. It hurt all the same to be in the presence of a murderer and his accomplice. An accomplice that kept such an important secret from a grieving son.

"That shield doesn't belong to you," Tony Stark spat with venom in his voice. "You don't deserve it."

Captain America simply continued walking.

"My FATHER made that shield!" Iron Man screamed. Pain echoed in his voice.

Steve Rogers stopped.

Clang.

Tony Stark looked on in disbelief to see the shield - a symbol of pride, freedom, and love of country - simply fall to the ground like the devil from heaven.

Iron Man struggled to stand, the weight of his suit pinning his tired body to the ground. He watched in shocked horror as his best friend and traitor merely walked away.

Further.

And further.

Until he was just...

Gone.

Captain America refused to look back. He couldn't stand the sight of his comrade-in-crime crumble against humble concrete. It was a sight no mortal man could bear.

Not even a super soldier.

"You did the right thing." Bucky muttered out, trying to get his feet beneath him once again.

"Yes..." Captain sighed, refusing the urge to look back. "... But at what cost?"

Bucky couldn't answer. No one could in that situation. It was a time of mourning - mourning an era, an alliance... A friendship. It was a high cost indeed.

Captain America trudged on, his best friend's human arm strewn over his shoulder to support his weight. Currently that was all the weight he could handle. His grief could be dealt with later.

The two climbed out from the side bunker, returning to the room containing six honey-amber tanks. In each containment unit sat a different super soldier, each with a bullet hole marked perfectly in the center of their skull.

"Maybe we should bury them." Bucky questioned. "Or at least throw them in the snow. They don't deserve to rest here."

"All in due time, Bucky," Steve simply responded, before stopping in front of one of the tanks.

"Huh..."

"Huh what?"

"Well..." Steve questioned, taking a good look at the hole in the glass. "Am I just tired, or..."

Bucky turned to follow his friend's gaze.

"No, that's... That can't be right."

"Zemo wouldn't just miss like that."

"Maybe in haste?" Bucky bit back quickly. "Unless--"

"You're not thinking he would actually leave one of the super soldiers alive?"

Bucky froze for a second. Having regained a basic level of strength, he removed his arm from his friend's shoulders and investigated the tank. Specifically, the nameplate.

"Bowman..." Bucky froze. "... Why would he choose her, of all of them?"

"It could be a simple mistake." Steve responded. "I mean, he shot the glass. It just looks like it missed her."

"Well, if the glass is broken, then it's only a matter of time before she wakes up. The cryofreezer will slowly lose its integrity. Once all the dry ice runs out, she'll be just as awake as any of us."

The two paused, eyeing the containment unit.

"What should we do?"

"To be honest Rogers, I don't have a plan for this one." Bucky responded quickly. "But I've sparred with all the people in this room. They got forced back under Cryo because they turned violent without control. I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her."

"So what, we should just kill her?"

Bucky turned to Steve. "I think that might be our only choice."

"Only choice?" Steve questioned. "Bucky, we have thousands of choices. We could leave her here--"

"--and have another out-of-control, Hydra-brainwashed, super soldier in the world? Yeah, because that's exactly what the world needs right now."

Steve paused for a moment, taking in that information.

"We could take her with--"

"Oh HELL no." Bucky bit back. "I was so, so hoping you wouldn't say that."

"Well, why not?"

Bucky paused, gobsmacked. "Well, first off, she's dangerous--"

"So are you."

Bucky stopped.

"Ok, well second, she's brainwashed--"

"So were you."

Bucky froze, coming up with a new argument.

"But what if she doesn't snap out of it like I did?"

"And what if she does?" Steve retorted. "Face it Bucky, if that were you in that capsule, you'd want a second chance. You'd want someone to see the good in you, like I did."

"People like me are better off dead."

"People like us were put in a unique position to help others." Steve rebutted. "Why don't we give her the same second chance the world gave us?"

Bucky stopped to consider it.

"If this works..." Bucky started, "... Then we just recruited another avenger. Whoop-de-do. But are you prepared for the situation where it doesn't?"

"Well, I've already gone this far." Steve shrugged. "SHIELD's abandoned us, I'm pretty sure we're on every wanted list in the world, I just lost one of my best friends to this moral dispute, and everyone else who sided with us is currently in a floating prison in the middle of the ocean."

Bucky looked at Steve sideways. "And?"

"AND--" Steve continued, "-- if I've gone this far to destroy the found family I love to uphold my own moral compass... I can take down this--"

Steve glanced at the nameplate.

"--Bowman."

"Actually..." The soft voice of a woman echoed. "It's Ms. Bowman to you."

---

Before I have Marvel comic fans jump down my throat, yes, I know Bowman is male. He is part of the Hydra Four, but of the four, his power set was the most interesting to me AND Hawkeye doesn't nearly get the love he deserves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Sue me.

But don't.