𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

The Red Book ~ 28

Steve returns to the tense atmosphere within the compound's rec room after seizing a brief opportunity to change out of his suit and into more casual attire.

Upon entering, a heavy silence hangs in the air. Bucky and Evangeline occupy opposite ends of the couch, with him glaring at her while watching cautiously. She, on the other hand, refills her glass from the bottle, marking the second time she's done so today.

"So, I'm certain Hydra plays a role in how you two are acquainted?" Rogers remarks, striding confidently back into the room. His presence earns the focused attention of both individuals as he positions himself firmly stood in the middle.

"Yes, I suppose our meeting was orchestrated by Hydra," Bucky responds after a moment, realizing that Eva won't be taking the lead in the conversation.

Both men shift their focus to the woman in question. Evangeline appears engrossed, indulging in a lengthy sip of her drink. Eventually, she glances up at Steve, noting his stern gaze, and then her eyes flicker to Bucky, whose expression mirrors his friend. She rolls her eyes, sighs, and nonchalantly states, "I was James' brainwasher." Eva brushes off the comment and resumes her attention to her drink.

Steve frowns, turning to Bucky, and asks, "Eva was your what?"

"They replaced the old methods with Eva. She was used to reset my brain, you know, just in case memories started to filter back in, etcetera..." Barnes sighs, sinking back into his seat as he recounts the painful memories.

"Hydra wanted to test the strength of my newfound powers, so they forced me into the Winter Soldier program at the time," Eva adds, sharing the information casually, as if discussing the weather, and shrugging nonchalantly.

"So you controlled Bucky?" Steve's brow arches as he redirects his gaze toward Evangeline. She shakes her head mid-sip.

"Not quite. I wasn't the one pulling the strings, just erasing them," she clarifies, twirling the liquid lightly in her glass. "If he acted up, I would then come in, and voila, the Winter Soldier has been reset." Her fingers click as she speaks. "It was tedious work, but at least James and I became good friends." Eva turns her attention to Barnes, raising her glass with an added smirk before taking another sip.

Bucky's eyes narrow, a dangerous glare now fixated on her. "Friends don't sell out other friends, Eva!" he snaps, advancing with intensity. Evangeline restrains herself, biting back a retort, and shifts in her seat, pointedly ignoring Steve's scrutinizing gaze.

"Sell out? What did you do, Eva?" Steve inquires, and this time, Bucky wears a sly smirk, confident that Evangeline wouldn't provide a straightforward answer. 

Taking charge of the narrative, Bucky elaborates, "After all the chaos in twenty-fourteen, with Hydra and, well, me, I went into hiding. Eva, was free from their clutches, and sought me out. Together, we went into hiding." He recounts the events from over a decade ago when Hydra attempted to infiltrate SHIELD, the year Bucky was revealed to be the Winter Soldier. "Eva is right; we were friends. Or at least, that's what I believed, given we hid together for two years." Bucky shoots a quick glance in Eva's direction, his tone tinged with bitterness. She scowls in response, using the glass to shield the side of her face visible to Steve.

"So that was until Sam, and I found you, right? During Vienna?" Steve seeks confirmation, addressing Bucky but keeping his piercing gaze fixed on Eva.

"Eva is the reason Vienna happened," Bucky declares, and Steve's eyes widen in astonishment.

Evangeline chokes on the latest sip of her drink at Bucky's revelation. She looks up at Steve, registering the expression on his face, and cringes slightly. "James has blown that way out of proportion!" she argues in her defense, her head swiveling back and forth between the two men.