Raising Cain

Beginnings, Missions and Promises

Wow, I am on a role this week! Anyway, Merry Christmas guys! Even if you don't celebrate Christmas like me, have an awesome day!
So this one is basically how and why Bucky immersed himself into Percy's life. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Winter had never liked the dreams but he had long ago accepted them as something he couldn't control. At first he thought it was part of the handlers' design, so after completing a mission he could see its results. He dismissed that idea quickly. The dreams suggested that the asset was not doing the good HYDRA wanted to do. That maybe HYDRA itself was not working to help people. He refused to accept that possibility because the asset knew nothing but the Mission. The Mission was all that mattered, all that could matter. The dreams simply helped him stay sane during the long years when HYDRA didn't need him. When he was put in cryo sleep and all he did was dream. Dream of what was, what had been and what could be.

Years passed and the dreams never stopped. Every night he would be plagued with death and destruction and always change. Change brought about by his actions and it was rarely, if ever in the right direction. Then he dreamt of a child. A child with raven black hair and sea green eyes and something in his mind sparked. Family. Protect. Important.

He knew the dreams were important, that no matter what he couldn't ever disregard them, but he never really believed until New York. He had just completed his mission and was making his way to the rendezvous point when he saw the child. Percy, his mind supplied as he saw the approximately two year old boy cheerfully making his way through traffic, more often than not avoiding death by a hair's breadth. He acted instinctively, rushing to save the kid without any thought to possible consequences. Later, he wasn't even sure he could have hesitated even knowing the consequences. Not with the way his mind was screaming at him. He knew he would never have hesitated even given the choice. He would never have wanted to.

~line break~

He was needed more and more over the next ten years. The new century had brought with it change and chaos. Unending, complete chaos. He would go wherever he was sent and complete his missions without fail in spite of any kind of resistance, be it from enemy agents (fiery red hair blowing in the wind as she attempted to protect the target) or from the mythological world (hell hounds and dracenae chasing him through the streets of Rome as he tracked his mission) and he dealt with them all, yet always on the lookout for the kid he barely knew but his mind insisted was family. HYDRA may have left him a blank slate, but his dreams filled it in. His past wasn't as buried as HYDRA believed and if it meant he could protect the young kid in Manhattan he honestly didn't care if it meant he was compromised. He had a mission to complete and it was protecting the one he deemed as family.

~line break~

He had quickly realised that Percy didn't really have anyone beside his mother to take care of him and protect him. This knowledge only strengthened his resolve, especially when the young child would leave his small apartment, arms littered with bruises. Watching Percy mouth off to boys older and stronger than him, he resisted the urge to facepalm as the demigod's sass made an appearance and the image of another came to his mind unbidden. A young sickly blond who had as much of a mouth on him as the black haired ten year old in front of him. He was as much his brother too but the Soldier didn't have much time to dwell on that as the teens surrounding Percy had gotten tired of being insulted and decided beating up a ten year old was the best course of action. Morons.

Of course, he couldn't let his baby brother get beaten up. He was unsure where the sentiment came from or why it sounded so right but it really didn't matter much at the moment as he pulled the three boys off Percy and sent them packing.

"Are you alright младший брат?" The Russian phrase for 'little brother' slipped out before he could stop it, luckily Percy's confused expression told him he hadn't understood.

"Um thanks, I guess. I'm fine. You really didn't need to bother." Percy muttered, clearly embarrassed at needing help and surprised that someone actually bothered to.

The Soldier scoffed, of course he needed to, the kid couldn't throw a punch to save his life, taking on three others older than him and expecting to come out fine on the other side was stupid. He told him as much and smirked when the younger scowled.

He realised he was wasting precious time because even though his handlers weren't due for some time he couldn't afford them finding Percy.

"So thanks for helping me and all, even though according to you I can't fight to save my life. Well, I kinda already know that so, old news and whatever." He was started by Percy suddenly speaking up and yeah, no way was he leaving the kid unable to defend himself even a little.

"Call me Winter," that, he decided, was an appropriate enough name. It was kind of true and he couldn't be tracked by it. "And I'm gonna teach you how to throw a proper punch." The rest of the afternoon was spent like that, teaching Percy the basics of defending himself. It would serve him well for whenever he couldn't protect him. For now it would have to do.

~line break~

He knew they were going to put him under for a while now. Things were stable enough that HYDRA could handle it themselves, the asset had completed his purpose for now. He had one last mission in New York to complete though before they put him under.

He found Percy once again getting beaten up because of his big mouth and was once more reminded of the skinny little kid with the brightest blue eyes in Brooklyn. Shaking away the shreds of torn apart memories, he focused once more on the brother he had in front of him. He still couldn't punch worth a damn.

Helping up the now twelve year old who clearly just had the crap beaten out of him, he realised this might be the last time he got to see Percy for a long while, that is, if he ever got the chance to see him again. The thought made him feel cold inside in spite of all of HYDRA's conditioning.

It was most likely the fear of not being able to protect Percy coupled with the fear of losing him that made him do what he did next.

"I'm gonna have to go away for a while, I don't know how long. Point is, I'm not gonna be here, so you need to know how to defend yourself. This doesn't just apply to being able to throw a proper punch." He pulled out his smallest gun, a desert eagle, which he handed to a wide eyed Percy after removing the bullets from the magazine. "I want you to know how to use one. You don't have to aim to kill, just hurt enough so you can get away."

He spent the next few hours teaching Percy to get used to the weight in his hands, to shoot and not miss whatever he was aiming at. He taught him well enough so that he was equally adept with both hands. There were monsters in this world and they were not limited to those hiding under a child's bed. Some wore the faces of men and they were the ones to fear. He should know, he was one of those monsters. In time, everyone understood this truth of life. He just needed Percy to be prepared when he faced his own demons and he would do anything in his power to ensure that his brother was as prepared as he could be.