Tangled Paths | Bucky Barnes

Chapter 8: Meet the Avengers

8
Meet the Avengers

Bucky's Safehouse, Brooklyn NewYork

Bucky sat pressed up against the front door of the run-down apartment he'd been laying low in for the last year. It had taken him some time but memories had a way to find their way back to him. Key things like Steve's mom's funeral, the day he'd been enlisted, the day leading up to his 'death', etc. would come the easiest. He noticed other things were provoked, or would come in a dream.

Bucky attempted to wrap his mind around what had just happened. The girl that had attacked him was definitely Darla, but he remembered distinctly that she'd died. So how was it that she was there, 70 years in the future bartending in Brooklyn? Bucky closed his eyes and searched his mind for details. He tried to focus on why he thought that. He remembered that they tried to use her as leverage to get him to talk, and a flashback of him watching on the monitor as they shot her smacked him in the face. A feeling of dread overcame him, but he pushed through it. They must have faked it and kept her for some reason but how did she get dragged into it in the first place? An image of the Scientist holding the paper flashed in his mind but contorted to Darla holding it and putting it in his pocket.

Bucky's eyes snapped open in horror, It was his fault. He was the reason Darla was dragged into it. He needed to do something. He needed to help but he knew he couldn't do it directly. Bucky scrambled to his feet. He left his apartment and headed to a pay phone. He looked at the small list on the metal sheet attached to the phone, tossed a few coins inside and dialled the number that was listed. It rang once and then the call went through.
"You've reached the United States directory service, how may I transfer your call?" The woman on the other end of the line asked.
"Put me through to Sam Wilson please, should be a Delacroix Louisiana area code," Bucky replied lowly. He heard some typing on the other end.
"Okay Sir, I'm directing you now." She said.
"Thank you," Bucky replied quietly. The line began to ring several times.

"Hello?" A man answered.
"This Sam Wilson?" Bucky asked as he glanced around.
"Yeah, you've got him, who's this?" Sam replied. Things were silent for a moment.
"You know who this is," Bucky answered.
"Bucky? How'd you get this number?" He asked in a hushed tone.
"You've had the same phone number since you were 18, it wasn't exactly a challenge," Bucky replied. He could hear Sam sigh on the other line.
"What do you want?" He asked in a semi-offended tone.
"Tell Steve I want to talk, tell him I'll meet him at Prospect Park at 8. He knows the spot." Bucky replied. Sam attempted to question him further but Bucky hung up and began to make the trek.

Bucky arrived at the spot at about ten-to-eight and sat down on a bench near the Pond. He pulled out his smokes and a cheap Bic lighter then pulled a smoke from the pack and pressed it to his lips and flicked the lighter to light it. He then placed the smokes and lighter back in his pocket and began to reminisce. A few minutes later a man approached and sat beside Bucky on the bench sporting some jeans, a muscle shirt, and a brown leather jacket. Bucky knew who it was but didn't look at him. Instead, he lifted the smoke to his lips once more and took another drag then began to speak.

"You remember when my mom got us skates for Christmas? We used to come here every night after school. I didn't get the hang of it as fast as you did and I wanted to give up but you wouldn't let me. Told me if I fell I just had to get back up again and eventually after some hard work I finally figured it out." Bucky said to Steve as they stared at the ducks floating in the pond. 
"Yeah. Then when you finally did figure it out, all of the other boys wanted you on their hockey teams but didn't want me to play. You told them if they wanted you they had to take me too." Steve smiled fondly at the memory and hugged his own arms, his expression slowly faded when he pulled himself back to the task at hand. "What am I doing here Buck? And how'd you find Sam?" He asked.
Bucky glanced in Steve's direction as he took another drag.
"Ever since the Triskelion wreck, I knew you were going to try and find me. I started noticing Sam on my trail and I became curious about him. So, while you too were following me I was following you. I was one step ahead of you two every time because I knew the moves you were going to make. As for why you're here..." Bucky trailed off and sighed.