It's Been A Long, Long Time ; Bucky Barnes

Chapter Nine

1978 - The Old Sokovia

The Agent woke up with Anya by her side, Anya was reading a book and drinking coffee with The Agent's meal on the table next to her. The Agent sat up and grabbed the mug next to the runny scrambled eggs and stale toast.

The Agent poked at the meal while taking a sip of the black coffee, "Where's the kitchen?" She tapped the bread against the tray and scoffed quietly as it made a clanging noise, "More importantly, where's the chef?"

Anya gave a quiet laugh and stood from her seat, heading for the door. The Agent followed soon after. They reached the kitchen, it wasn't really a kitchen, more of a room with an oven, a toaster, and a mini-fridge. There was a stove-top so The Agent opened the fridge. She grabbed a few eggs as Anya found a bowl along with salt and pepper.

The Agent cracked the eggs into the bowl and mixed the salt and pepper into them. She poured them into the hot pan and stirred using a spatula. Anya sat on the counter and watched. The floorboard creaked and both of them faced the door frame. It was The Winter Soldier leaning against the door with his arms crossed.

"What are you doing?" he asked, walking over to the stove. The Agent took her attention from the eggs for a moment.

"Making breakfast, want some?" The Agent asked, scooping the eggs onto two plates, reaching for another, "They're better than what your guard makes you eat, I'm sure of it." The Soldier scoffed and reached his hand out, taking her offer and the plate. Anya left the room with the plate in her hand. The Agent patted The Soldier on the back as she walked past him before she stopped in her tracks and turned back to him, "You're warming up to me, I know it."

The Agent could've sworn there was a small smile peeking from his lips, it faded quickly as he took a bite of the eggs. The Agent swiftly made an exit back to her room. The Soldier looked at where The Agent was just standing seconds before, he thought about her for a moment; quickly snapping out of his trance he walked back to his room.

Anya was waiting in The Agent's room, she had barely aged since the last time The Agent saw her. Anya looked at The Agent with her eyebrows furrowed, "How do you have a personality?" The Agent stopped eating her eggs for a moment and tilted her head in confusion, "None of the scientists can explain it but you have some free will." The Agent shrugged and took another bite. Anya was waiting for her to answer but wasn't sure The Agent even would.

"I don't know," The Agent said after a few moments, "I'm smart, if I had to guess I would probably say it's because my mind is protecting itself." She looked at her feet, "I kind of wish it'd protect all of it."

"I do too Cara," Anya said. She quickly realized she made a mistake because she slapped both of her hands to her mouth.

"Cara?" The Agent asked, "Anya, is Cara my name?"

Anya shook her head, but then she nodded. Anya refused to look Cara in the eyes, her heart was racing and she didn't know what to do. What if this set off something that caused Cara to regain her entire mind? What if Hydra killed Cara because of this? What if they killed Anya because of this? Anya was truly terrified of what Hydra was capable of but finally found the energy to look Cara in the face. But the eyes that met hers were not Cara's, they were The Agent's. Anya let out a sigh of relief.

"No," Anya said after a few moments, "You are The Dark Agent."

The Winter Soldier opened the door abruptly and said, "We have a mission." Anya and The Agent faced him, their half eaten plates on the small table, "Suit up, Agent."