Saving Bucky (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter 14 - Kobayashi Maru

Barnes' face contorts into one of shock as he drops you in surprise, staggering backwards. Coughing, you curl up into a tight ball on the ground. The pain in your chest from where Barnes' fist had you pinned is nearly unbearable. And you can still feel where each individual finger had been wrapped around your throat.

The director rushes to your side, dropping to his knees and pulling you up into a sitting position. He holds you close as you continue to gasp for air while nursing the pain in your chest. He does his best to calm you as Steve turns to do the same to Barnes, who has begun pacing angrily. His eyes have completely lost their blue shine, and are darkened by a wild rage.

"Tell us what you know," Natasha demands, advancing on you and the director. 

"Keep him away until he calms down," shouts the director as Barnes lunges at the two of you. Steve grabs him by his shirt mid-step, giving him a hard yank backwards and putting up one arm, keeping him back.

"He has every reason to tear you both to pieces," sneers Natasha. "And if I didn't want to know more, I'd let him. Now talk. And no more lies. Or the first person to die is her," she spits, pulling her pistol and aiming it at you.

"So long as you let me speak, there is no need for threats," the director says disapprovingly, his grip tightening around you protectively. "I seek to aid you, Ms. Romanoff. That is why, once discovered, I still allowed your entry to the Hold."

"Gabe," you wheeze, coughing and leaning into the director's arms. "Biofile? What-?" 

"Hush, child," he says, holding you close and pressing a fatherly kiss to the top of your head. As he does, Barnes lets out a guttural shout and lunges once more. But Steve is faster. He catches him around the waist with both arms, dragging him to the ground and pinning him in place.

"CALM DOWN BUCK," Steve shouts at a wriggling Barnes, struggling to pull away. He fights for a moment longer before falling still, chest heaving as he glares at Steve. 

You look away from the two men and up to Gabe, who also seems to struggle to watch the two companions fight.

"Gabe," you plead between pained breaths. "What the hell is going on?"

"Hush, child," he says. "I will explain all in time. But for now, what you must know," he says, looking back up Natasha. "Is that the file on that screen is one that I planted to hide my motives from my people. And to legitimize the reason for bringing in Barnes without raising suspicion. It is incomplete, and inaccurate."

"Then you better start talking," Natasha says, pulling the slide of her pistol.

The director tenses, angling his body to further shield you from her line of sight as he holds up his hands. You glance to Steve who has managed to get Barnes back on his feet. But the Sergeant still seethes and his eyes are trained on you - you can feel them. It takes every ounce of strength not to look back at him.

"After the massacre in Siberia," the director says. "The belief was that all data related to the Winter Soldier program had been destroyed, was it not?"

"It wasn't a belief, sir," Steve speaks up, throwing out an arm and pushing back Barnes as the soldier tries again to take a step towards you. "It was verified."

"It was wrong," the director says. "I have ears in every corner of the world, Captain. Through chance, one of them heard of a fail-safe. A fail-safe that had only been a rumor even among the ranks of HYDRA."

"And you think this biofile is the fail safe?" Natasha asks.

"Yes," the director answers, gaze flitting to Barnes. "When it was discovered that the Winter Soldier had left the Captain alive on that riverbank, HYDRA leaders knew they had lost their asset. They tasked their scientists with finding the file to recreate, and ultimately replace, what they had lost. The actions of one Colonel Zemo effectively ended their search. But apparently, the whispers survived."