10/21/24-1025/24
At a movie theater alley it was later in the afternoon and a jerk was hammering Steve in the jaw, knocking him into a line of garbage cans. Steve groaned but got back up. His a natural fighter, bobbing and scoring a kidney punch, but the guy barely felt it, swung and Steve tried to block with a trash can lid but the jerk yanked away the lid and pound him again. Steve's feet lift off the ground and hit the cement hard. For a moment, Steve lay still as the jerk hovered, panting. Then Steve got to his feet again and shook his head.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" the jerk asked.
"I can do this all day." Steve said wiping his bloody mouth and the jerk knocked him back into a pile of garbage.
He moved to hit him when someone grabbed his arm.
"Hey!" someone said and the jerk spun to see a soldier, James "Bucky" Barnes. "Pick on someone your own size." he said and the took a swing.
Then Bucky slugged him, spun him around, and planted an army boot in the ass and the jerk ran away as Bucky looked down at Steve, getting up from a pile of garbage.
"Sometimes I think you like getting punched." Bucky said.
"I hade him on the ropes." Steve said, got up and a folded enlistment form fell from his pocket and Bucky picked it up and read it.
"How many times is this?" Bucky asked and read it. "You're from Paramus now? You know it's illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?" he said and Steve frowned, taking in Bucky's uniform.
"You get your orders?"
"The 107th. Sergeant James Barnes, shipping out for England first thing tomorrow."
"I should be going." Steve said and Bucky smiled.
"Come on, man. My last night! I got to get you cleaned up." Bucky said, wrapped a hand around Steve's should and they started walking out of the alley.
"Why? Where are we going?" Steve asked and Bucky whipped out a newspaper and handed it to Steve.
"The future." Bucky said and Steve opened the paper where an ad read, "WORLD EXHIBITION OF TOMORROW." MONORAILS RACE AROUND FUTURISTIC BUILDINGS.
Later that night they were at the World Exposition of tomorrow.
A monorail sped over an epic fair and Steve and Bucky walked down the busy midway.
"I don't see what the problem is. You're about to be the last eligible man in New York. You know there's three and a half million women here?" Bucky said.
"Well, I'd settle for just one." Steve said and Bucky waved at a girl in the distance.
"Good thing I took care of that." Bucky said as two girls waved back in front of the modern marvels pavilion.
"Hey, Bucky!" girl 1 said.
"What'd you tell her about me?" Steve asked and Bucky smiled, still waving.
"Only the good stuff." Bucky said.
At Marvel Pavilion Exhibits line the hall a glass box held a red-suited android.
"Welcome to the Modern Marvels Pavilion and the World of Tomorrow. A greater world. A better world." the announcer said,
"Dr. Phineas Horton presents...The Synthetic Man!: a fire extinguisher rest at the base. Bucky, and Connie and Bonnie hurried past the exhibit while Steve tagged after, ignored.
"Oh, my God! It's starting!" Connie said as the girls squealed, urging Bucky towards the Stark Stage.
A crowd gathered by a stage: "STARK INDUSTRIES PRESENTS..."
Meanwhile Steve bought peanuts as Bucky and the girls got in close.
On stage, a dashing Howard Stark stood with a 1942 Cadillac.
The girls giggle, smitten.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!" a lady said.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Howard said while Steve offered Bonnie a peanut but she looked at them with scorn. "What if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all? Yes. Thanks, Mandy. With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology you'll be able to do just that." he said, hit a button and the Cadillac rose, leaving its tire on the ground, bulky devices where the wheels should be and the crowd gasped and Bucky and Steve gape, impressed.
"Holy cow." Bucky said.
"With Stark Gravitic Reversion Technology," Howard said with patent pending. "you'll be able to do just tha-" Howard said when there was a a pop and explosion and the car slammed to the stage. "I did say a few years, didn't I?" he said and the audience applauded.
As Bonnie swoon over Howard, Steve looked around, sheepish and saw something in the distance.
Then Bucky wrapped his arm around Connie.
"Hey, Steve. What do you say we treat these ladies-" he said but saw Steve gone.
In his place, a little girl dug eagerly into his bag of peanuts.
At a Recruitment Center.
Steve stared at a mirrored booth in front of the recruiting pavilion: "YOU DUTY: TYR IT ON FOR SIZE!"
A burly man stood in front of the mirror looking big and heroic in uniform. Then Steve stepped up into the mirror, wearing A G.I. uniform in disappointed eyes barely seeing over the collar. Then, Bucky clamped a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on. You're kind of missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing." Bucky said.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you." Steve said.
Nearby a man was listening in on the argument as Bucky eyed the recruitment signs.
"You're really going to do this again?" Bucky said.
"Well, it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck." Steve said.
"As who, Steve from Ohio? They'll catch you. Or worse, they'll actually take you." Bucky said and Steve looked at him with a grim smile of disappointment.
"Look, I know you don't think I can do this."
"This isn't a back alley, Steve. It's war."
"I know it's a war."
"Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many important jobs."
"What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Bucky. Bucky, come on. There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them. That's what you don't understand. This isn't about me."
"Right. 'Cause you got nothing to prove." Bucky said and they stopped for a minute staring at each other.
"Hey, Sarge! Are we going dancing?" Connie asked.
"Yes, we are." He said annoyed, walked toward her but stopped, torn and finally turned back to Steve, who saw his genuine worry. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back."
"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."
"You're a punk." Bucky said affectionately and hugged him.
"Jerk. Be careful." Steve said affectionately, hugged him back and Bucky turned to go. "Don't win the war till I get there!" Steve called out so Bucky turned around, saluted him and left, swooping up Connie under his arm.
"Come on, girls. They're playing our song." Bucky said and Steve turned to the tent.
They had hidden one thing for the last few years and hoped when this war was over, and they got home alive, it could still continue.
YOU ARE READING
Captain versus Sergeant
FanfictionOne Soldier there, the other gone, but all together one secret had been kept for years. Until the other soldier is found years later. In the end, a new problem begins along with a new team.
