Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

THE FIRST AVENGER: CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"We have each other."

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"And where do you think you're going?"

A sixteen-year-old Rhiley stops dead in her tracks. One foot out and one in at the entranceway of the house. She rolled her eyes before turning to look at the boy. "Out." She huffed, annoyed.

"I'm not blind I can see that."

"Then why did you ask?"

"It's midnight."

With a slightly raised eyebrow, Rhiley responded, "And your point is?"

A sixteen-year-old Howard Stark stood at the bottom of the staircase. "It's midnight." He repeated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Where can you possibly be going at this hour?"

"Places."

"I'm coming with."

Rhiley laughed loudly, she didn't care about being loud now. The only person in the house was the person standing in front of her. "No, you aren't."

"You've snuck out five times this week already." Howard pointed out, "I'm coming with."

"Why are you just now bringing it up then?" Rhiley asked, it finally dawned on her, "You've tried to follow me haven't you?"

"You're hard to keep up with, okay." Howard defended himself, "Then I realized I'm your brother I don't need to explain myself."

"And that's exactly why I don't have to explain myself to you." Rhiley retorted, "You're my brother. Why are you trying to act like a parent?"

"Someone's gotta parent you."

"Then whose gonna parent you?"

"Myself."

"Oh my God" Rhiley sighed loudly, "Howard!" She just shakes her head and head outs the door with Howard right on her heels. "Don't follow me."

"You think I'm an idiot?" Howard calls after her trying to keep up with her fast pace walk. "That I haven't noticed the bruises that just randomly appear in the mornings? That's not how bruises work, Rhiley."

"Like I've said I punch myself in my sleep."

"Oh, so you believe I am an idiot."

"You are my brother."

Howard grabbed Rhiley by her arm and pulls her back, "Stop." He yells, "Rhiley, just talk to me." He breathed, catching his breath, "Whatever you're doing, whatever you're getting into it's dangerous."

"How do you know it's dangerous?"

"Cause I know you." Howard answered without hesitation, "Why are you pushing me away?"

"I'm not pushing you away."

"Then why are you lying to me?" Howard asked, removing his grip on his sister. She could have ripped away whenever she wanted to but had chosen not to. "We use to tell each other everything, Rhiley."

"We were kids." Rhiley reminded him, "We're not kids anymore."

"Somethings wrong." Howard ignored her comment, "Just tell me the truth and let me help you with whatever it is."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop lying to me, Rhiley, please!"

"I'm not lying." Rhiley stepped back, this time she finally let go of her cold demeanor, "I don't know what's wrong." and that's exactly what had been wrong. Something felt wrong and she couldn't explain it. "I have this bad feeling in the pit of my stomach all day and all night and it's not going away and I want it to go away."

Howard watched, for the first time in a long time, as Rhiley broke down in tears. She hasn't cried since she fell down a hill while they were playing pretend as children. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I know you're not gonna understand." Rhiley shakes her head, "And how can I expect you to understand when I don't."

Howard closed the space between them and pointed at his head, "That's why I'm the brains, idiot." He said, smiling, "This can't work if we're not honest with each other." He pointed back and forth, "We'll figure this out together, okay? Like we always do. Have you forgotten we're a team?"

"No."

"Then act like it."

"We'll never be those kids again."

"You should talk to him before you go, Rhiley." Peggy tried to convince her friend as she got ready for the mission. "At least let him explain himself."

'You heard Howard." Rhiley shrugged, trying to make it look as if what her brother had said didn't have any effect on her, "He doesn't trust me. That's all I need to know."

"He's worried." Peggy clarified, "This is a dangerous mission."

"I thought all of our missions were dangerous?" Rhiley had changed into a regular stealth uniform. One of the ones she had before Howard made her, her own. "I don't need to be treated like a child."

"Then stop acting like one." The words slipped from Peggy's mouth before she could take them back. She sighed, calming down, it was a stressful time for anyone. "Don't leave without talking to him, Rhiley." She then added, "You know I'm right and I know you know you need to do this."

When Rhiley didn't respond Peggy let out a heavy sigh before leaving her be. It wasn't long after when another knock at the door pulled her focus. She half expected Howard to be there ready to apologize or something - if she was telling lies to herself, that is.

"You ready?" Steve asked, having knocked on the open door. Peggy hadn't bothered on closing it. "We're leaving in thirty."

"I'll be right out."

"Okay." Steve hesitated for a second but whatever it was he was thinking of saying he kept to himself and left.

Rhiley had planned to just make her way to the meeting point when she stepped out of her room but instead she found herself in front of the lab. She watched, from the open doorway as her brother worked on something on the table with his back facing her. He didn't notice she was there. He mumbled to himself, she couldn't hear what he was saying but she probably had a good idea he was rambling about her.

Rhiley sucked in a deep breath. She was a mess. 'What do you want from your life?' The question caught her by surprise. She kept her lips tight, not willing to let herself break apart right then, right there. That had seemed like a silly question at the time and somehow James made her lust for a life she wanted more than this. The only thing she hadn't added to her little pretend scenario was the fact that she wanted him there with her. She wanted him a part of her life.

It felt like a pound of cement had been dumped on her chest. She stepped away from the lab door. She felt the familiar lump form in her throat and the tears that gathered at the corner of her eyes.

"I love you, Howie." She turned and left, quickly getting rid of any remaining sign of the tears she had let fall the moment she turned and walked away.

"Never saw one without the other

did you?"