Recollection ★ Bucky Barnes

We Have To Find Her

The moment Steve approached the old house he hopped off of his motorcycle, barely stopping to put the kickstand down. There was no sign of anyone outside aside from a few neighbors, all of whom he paid no mind to. He ran to the battered front door and threw it open to reveal the mess that was Marlena's house. Everything had either been thrown to the floor or overturned, everything except for the television and the couch. The destruction made him worry for Marlena's safety; the phone line had disconnected before he even had a chance to finish telling her he was on the way, so he wasn't exactly sure whether or not she was still here.

He could only hope, though.

"Marlena!" Steve called, only to receive no answer.

The large house was so quiet it was almost unsettling; the only sound Steve managed to make out was the faint murmur of voices coming from upstairs. He recognized them from a movie he had watched a while back, but he couldn't determine exactly which movie it was from, nor did he care.

Without another thought, Steve cautiously made his way up the stairs. He hadn't seen anyone suspicious lurking around outside when he arrived, nor had he seen any vehicles, but he knew better than to underestimate Hydra and their agents. He knew he would be able to fight them off if it came down to it, but he couldn't help but wish he had his shield with him.

He inched himself closer and closer to the end of the hall, checking his surroundings every now and then for anything that could potentially be a threat to him. Fortunately for him, there was no one, not even a single explosive or even a booby trap. The situation was growing too suspicious for Steve, and he was beginning to pick up on the vibe that something was seriously wrong.

He hurried into the bedroom, and he knew almost immediately that it was Marlena's. The decor of the room looked as if it belonged to a young woman rather than an adult woman or a male. Unless Marlena had a sister, which he highly doubted, he was sure the room belonged to her.

"Marlena," Steve called once more, only to yet again receive no answer from her. He was only growing angrier as the seconds passed, and was more than ready to call for her again until he noticed a piece of paper sitting on her bed.

He walked over to pick it up, and his entire demeanor had changed as he read the words on the slip of paper. Hydra had taken Marlena in an attempt to get Bucky back, and the very thought of it made his stomach drop. Had he only arrived earlier he could've helped prevent her abduction, but he didn't, and it made him feel awful. He didn't know Marlena personally, but he knew enough to know that he was supposed to protect her. He felt that it was necessary to look after his old friend's family as he could no longer do it himself, yet he had already failed him.

Outside the house, Bucky was working on parking Marlena's Jeep. Before he and Mason had left earlier that afternoon, Marlena had told him to take it as she didn't feel it was very necessary—nor was it safe—for them to be roaming the streets of Washington D.C. on foot. She was rather hesitant about her decision at first, but she felt taking the Jeep would help prevent them from being detected by any kind of law enforcement that could potentially be pursuing Bucky. It took her about twenty minutes to teach him how 21st century vehicles worked, and although it was a frustrating endeavor for the both of them, they managed to figure it out. Marlena's only hope had been that they wouldn't get pulled over.

As Bucky put the vehicle in park, he noticed Steve's motorcycle sitting in front of the house. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the random motor vehicle and turned his head towards the house. He noticed the open and battered front door and instantly became wary. His mind immediately shot to Marlena which in turn sent an unsettling and nauseating feeling coursing throughout his body. Something was wrong, and he wasn't so sure about what it was, but he was more than determined to find out.