Haunted By Him

Chapter Two

“Okay, the deal is this,” the woman says. She’s crossing her arms over her chest and looking at him sternly. “I pay for your ride into America and I help you get away from whoever’s chasing you. To repay me for my kindness, you convince Steve Rogers that you’re his lost Sergeant Barnes and once I collect the reward money from him, you can scram, alright?” Natalia says. The Winter Soldier isn’t sure what to think.

“Wait, what?” He says. “I gotta convince someone I’m this Sergeant guy you were talking about?” The woman makes a face and shrugs.

“That’s the price of the ticket, buddy,” she says.

“You said you just need someone to fake being him,” the Soldier says and her eyes turn into slits.

“Yeah, fake it and fake it well,” she says. Then, she relaxes a little and offers him that sly half smile again. “But don’t worry. We’ll clean you up, make you look the part. I’ll teach you what to say. With that jawline, it’ll be easy.”

“Jawline?” The Winter Soldier says. He still feels lost. He’s not sure what happened to his escape plan.

“You look like him, mister,” the woman says. “Believe me, I would know. I thought we’ve been over this.”

“I don’t even know your name,” he says and the woman straightens a little and smiles.

“Natalia Romanova,” she says and mocks a curtsy. In her filthy clothes, it’s almost comical. “And you are?”

The Winter Soldier looks away. Natalia waits for him to speak and when it becomes obvious that he’s not going to, she lets out a frustrated breath and turns.

“Fine, be that way,” she says. “You don’t need another name, anyway. From here on out, you’re Bucky.”

“Who do I have to convince?” The Winter Soldier demands and Natalia raises an eyebrow at him.

“The name ‘Steve Rogers’ doesn’t ring a bell?” She asks and he shakes his head. Natalia makes another face. “Geez,” she says. “Captain America? The American Avenger?”

“I said I don’t know who you’re talking about,” the Winter Soldier says.

“Do you live under a rock?” Natalia asks and the Winter Soldier grinds his teeth together in an attempt to keep his patience. “Then you probably don’t know the story, either, do you?”

“Enlighten me,” he says.

“Alright,” Natalia says and she dives into a storyteller voice. He wonders if she’s mocking his ignorance. “Once upon a time, there were two American boys who wanted to go to war. That’s Steve and Bucky. Bucky went and he died. Meanwhile, Steve stayed behind and became some sort of super government weapon, but the death of his friend devastated him.” The Soldier listens patiently to her story, watching her begin pace on the floor as she speaks. “Nearly eight years later, rumors start popping up that Bucky didn’t really die, that he’s out there alive somewhere. So naturally, Steve starts putting out for him. There’s a huge reward out for his return and everyone’s looking for this Bucky guy everywhere.” Natalia turns to him. “And that’s where we are now.”

“You want the reward,” the Winter Soldier realizes. “You’re looking for a Bucky look-a-like so you can get the money.”

“Exactly,” Natalia says.

“But how do you know the real Bucky isn’t out there?” The Winter Soldier asks. “What if the rumors are right, what if he’s alive?”

“He’s not,” Natalia says. “Trust me.” And there’s something about the way she says it that makes him not want to ask more. “So you agree to the deal?” She says and the Winter Soldier looks at her and considers.

His plan has been ruined now. They’re looking for him already, he wouldn’t get out of St Petersburg in one piece on his own. But this new plan seems promising and he doesn’t see any other way and so he nods and shakes her hand when she offers it.

“I’ll do it,” he says. “I can’t promise I’ll be any good.”

“I’ll train you,” she says. “It won’t be so hard. Just fake a smile and a swagger and you’re halfway there.”

Natalia buys him a dinner and they hide out in that broken building for the rest of the night. He keeps thinking about America. It hadn’t been his original plan, but it’s far away from Hydra and that’s all he needs. As far away from Russia as possible.

It appears to him that Natalia is living in this building. She takes him down to the basement, where a makeshift bed is set up and an open suitcase is spilling over with belongings and he sits across the room from her and eats what she’s given him, which is curry and bread.

He mentions it to her.

“You live here,” he says and she looks over at him and shakes her head no.

“Just for a few nights,” she explains. “The train leaves in the morning and when it does, we’re on it. I haven't been here long.”

“Where do you come from, then?” He asks. “Who are you?” She glares at him.

“Like I’d tell you,” she sneers and, somewhat intimidated, he looks back down at his empty plate, avoiding her eyes. A second passes and he hears her sigh. “Alright,” she gives in. “I was a part of the KGB. But I’m not anymore. And that’s all you need to know.”

“Fine,” the Soldier says quietly with a shrug.

“What about you?” Natalia asks and his eyes flicker upwards. “You haven’t told me anything about yourself.”

“There’s not much to know,” he says.

“Who are you running from?” Natalia asks. “Those people, the sirens. That sounded bad.” He’s silent. “No offense or anything, but you look sort of rough around the edges, what with the hair and the stubble. Did you escape from prison?”

“No,” he says and sets his plate on the floor. This is only half true. It was a sort of prison for sure, but not the kind she’s thinking of.

“Then what?” Natalia asks. “I don’t need to know much about you, but I have to at least know if I’m smuggling an inmate.”

“Try runaway slave,” the Soldier says quietly and Natalia doesn’t respond for a while.

“Alright,” she finally says. “Sure. Okay.”

They don’t speak again for a while, and when they do, it’s only so Natalia can tell him that he’s sleeping on the floor and if he tries anything, he’s a dead man. He hasn’t planned on trying anything, whatever that even means, and he curls himself up in the corner and rests his head on the back wall and tries to close his eyes. He watches Natalia wrap herself up in blankets and they sit there for the rest of the night. He doesn’t get even a minute of restful sleep.