Can't Catch Me - Bucky Barnes

Flashback

A young ten year old girl looked at the floor as she sat in her room. She listened to the sounds of heavy Russian laughter and metal chiming as it collided with eachother.

Her eyes watched a small dieing fly crawl across the bare ground. A tear fell down her cheek as she watched. In her mind, she was that fly. She still found herself surprised that she had company. Dieing, unspeaking, and worthless company.

A loud clang of metal stole her attention. There was yelling and the sound of an intense fight. She rose from the bed and approached her barred doors. This was the room she stayed in before the frosting.

What she saw was a man. An aggressive screaming man. He was being dragged into the cryo chamber next to Erika's room. He was missing and arm.

Erika watched while holding her hands on the cold bars of the cell. When his eyes caught hers they dropped in disbelief. He stared at her like she was a dieing dog. A sad and unbelievable sight that filled fear with more anger.

The man tried to shove away the operatives but they pushed him into the champer and clamped the locks.

"What is this?! Get off of me!" He screamed, Erika jumped back from the sounds.

The operatives walked away from him and into a control room as another operative called then over.

The man in the chamber slumped.

"Hello." Erika said through the bars. When he looked at her and he once again just seemed to look as though his emotions became crushed by seeing her.

"I'm Erika. What's your name?" He seemed like much better company than the now dead flying laying in the center of her room.

"I-I'm B-bucky. Bucky Barnes. What are you doing here Erika?" He looked up, a cut on his head had blood dripping down his face. Erika tilted her head as she looked through the bars. Every so often there was someone coming through the hallway that she could talk to.

"I have a really important purpose. One I have to fulfill when the time comes. Why are you here?"

"An important purpose eh, I don't know why I'm here Erika. But this is a bad place" Bucky looked up at Erika with empathy.

"Bad?"

"Very bad. They lie, they deceive, and they make you believe exactly what they want." It was during this moment Bucky knew had to start crushing the concept of trust for Erika in this place. How else could he save her?

Erika gripped the bars and stared at Bucky while shaking her head.

"Why should I believe you."

"Because I'm the only one who's going to look out for you. I'll protect you Erika." He smiled at her, and she smiled back. He promised to protect someone who had never been protected before.

"You'll protect me? Forever?"

"Forever. Trust me Erika. They are bad. Don't trust people like them." His eyes glance at the operatives moving around in the control room. "Can you keep a secret Erika?"

She nodded happily.

"Whenever I wave my hand like this." He drew a rainbow formation with his pinky using his one locked down hand. "You'll know that I'm telling the truth."

"So then if I do this." She drew the same pinky rainbow except upside down this time. "it means I believe you." She smiled and Bucky nodded.

The Cryo chamber gave a lurch. Bucky's eyes looked at Erika sadly. It started moving and closing around him.

"I hope to see you again. Goodbye Erika."

"Bye Bucky."