White | B. BARNES

Chapter 20

⚠️Mild Sexual Content (A/N: Forgive me coz this is my first time writing one.) ⚠️

📍 Bucharest, Romania | March 2016

They went to a nearby playground when the night comes. It was dark, and no one was playing by this hour.

Sapphire sat on the swing, "Push me."

Bucky did push the swing, letting her fly higher and higher.

"More!" She said, which Bucky followed until her swing flipped upside down, and she fell, landing on the bar of the swing standing.

"Shit. You scared me," Bucky looked up at her.

Sapphire laughed before jumping down to the ground.

Bucky and her sat down both on the swing.

"I don't mean to intrude, but what else did they do to you in the facility?" Bucky asked.

"They made me do lots of tests. And like I said, my body grew rapidly, so at 7, I was sent out to do my first mission," she replied.

"And you remember it?"

Sapphire nodded, "They needed information from the man. I tried not to hurt them because he had children upstairs, but he was about to kill me with a lighter. So, when he threw it, I dodged it then shot him right in the forehead. The house began to burn that's how his family died."

"I was shaken up that I couldn't talk when I got back to report my mission. So, they had to erase again my memory," She continued. "But the thing is, my mind never forgets. It will just come back no matter how many times they shock my head which made it a lot more painful. Because they knew I'll still know, but they continue."

Bucky clenched his jaw, remembering how that felt. Every part of him was strapped to HYDRA. His suit had straps all over it to remind him that he is no free man.

"You?" She turned to him.

"I've always been manipulated by them. They told me I'm doing a greater good for the world by eliminating these people," he told her. "Then, they'll freeze me back when they don't need me."

"Do you remember?"

"All of them," he looked at her coldly.

"Well, here we are. A bunch of experiments gone wrong," Sapphire sighed.

"What made you come with me here?" He finally asked her.

Sapphire shrugged, "I've got nothing."

"You helped Steve earlier. Why not stay with them and redeem yourself from your crimes?"

"What would it do?" She scoffed. "It won't take back everything I've done. People will not see me as some villain turned into a hero. They'll always know me as someone who brings danger to them, who brings death to their doorsteps, who serves pain in a silver platter."

"I was nothing before this but an experiment, who was made to be a monster, still am," she chuckled.

"No, you're not," Bucky frowned.

"I will always be the white lady who is tainted with darkness and has blood on her hands," she added grimly, looking at him.

"You might not see it but I do. You're more special than that," Bucky said.

"And so are you," she smiled at him. "That metal arm," she pointed at it. "It doesn't define who you are as long as you don't let it define you."

Bucky smiled at her words, standing up, "Come on. Let's go home."