Six (Captain America)

"Six" part 2: Glory and Consequence

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

The words hit Steve like a punch to the stomach. His mind flashed back to a year before, standing on an overpass with a very violent and confused Winter Soldier. He'd said the same thing. The exact same thing. Hydra had robbed him of that knowledge, just as it had robbed Six of everything that belonged to her. His lungs felt like they were constricting. He quickly took control of himself. He had to appear calm on the exterior. He took a few covert deep breaths, and looked at the woman sitting before him. She clearly had no idea who Bucky was. She knew the Winter Soldier. She did not know James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. For a moment he pitied her; then he decided she didn't deserve his pity. Not because she was unworthy; but because she didn't need it. What she needed was help, not for everyone to get all weepy all of a sudden. But Six was bringing back a lot of emotions about Hydra and Bucky that Steve had buried or thought he'd left in the past; he realized they weren't nearly as gone as he had believed.

She was looking at him, as though expecting an answer. She seemed to be getting a little bit frustrated.

"Bucky is... the Winter Soldier." Steve finally replied, evenly. He was glad that his words didn't waver.

"Why does everyone have more than one name?" She glared at him as though she thought he was lying.

He smirked a little bit, despite himself. It wasn't her fault she didn't know any of this. She'd probably been memory wiped and in cryo for years. "You haven't ever heard of a real name and a code name before?" She shook her head. "You think your real name is Six?"

"Six is my only name." She nodded. "I don't have three or four names like you people do. I am only Six."

Steve shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. You're not. You were someone before you became Six."

She shook her head as well, a little defiantly. "I don't remember anything before Six."

"Neither did Bucky at first. Not until memories had to basically smack him in the face. Then he started to remember." Steve had his hands splayed out on the table top. Six had moved in her chair to mimic him, albeit still handcuffed. Her small fingers spread out on the smooth surface of the table; Steve wondered how such delicate hands could deal such deadly blows. "How exactly do you expect me to help you? Why me?"

Six paused for a moment. "Even before... the Winter- Bucky... he always knew you. He dreamed about you. You were his friend?" Steve nodded. "And now I see him, and no one is controlling him. And he has emotion." She looked darkly at Steve, almost covetous. "I want that."

Steve took this in and then replied slowly. "What changed your mind?"

* * *

I wasn't sure yet if I should tell him, but I was beginning to think that if I didn't he may not help me. He may leave me on my own, and I couldn't outrun Hydra alone forever with no money and no memories. "I had knocked, er, Bucky, and you" I gestured at the redhead, "Nat. I had knocked them from the jet. Nat had hit her head. She was unconscious."

I saw Nat's eyes flicker, and her expression turned a bit colder. I shrugged it off. I had thrown her from a plane and given her a concussion. I deserved her ire. I turned back to Steve. "I heard him say into his comm, that Nat was down and that he was fighting me, and not to approach. I didn't think much of it at the time, thought he was just being cold and his fallen partner didn't matter. In Hydra we don't matter. But I realized later that he wasn't being cold."

"How so?"

"He kept looking over to her, even as we fought. Until we were out of line of sight. But he didn't want anyone coming because he didn't want any of you to be killed." I nodded. "And at that point, I would have killed you."