The Super Soldier

Chapter 14

BUCKY'S POV
     I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm standing on the side of the highway with a cardboard sign that says New York in all caps.
     I highly doubt this will work but it's worth a shot.
     I don't know where I am and I have no money what so ever and there are lots of people after me. So basically hitchhiking is my only option.
     No ones going to want to give me a ride. I'm dirty, I haven't showered in forever, I smell, I have long gross hair, and the worst half-beard ever. I look sketchier than a meth-addict murderer, with blood on his hands, in a Walmart.
     After lying in the field for about an hour I got up and began to wonder. Soon I reached a small forest which led to a highway. Within the cover of the trees I changed from my uniform and stored it in a bag made from the ripped up parachute.
     I then found some cardboard next to the road and also found something to write on it with. Now here I am.
     I look down the road to see the only car that's passed in the last twenty minutes. To my amazement the car slows down a couple yards out. The car, which is an old, beat up minivan stops in front of me.
     The window rolls down and a middle-aged woman sticks her head out the window. "You need a ride, hon?" She asks in a thick southern accent.
     "Yes. That would be greatly appreciated." I reply in my least sketchy voice possibly.
     The lady presses a button inside the car and the back door slides open to reveal two little kids sitting in the back seat.
     "Sorry sugar, since space is a little tight, looks like you have to sit with the kids." The woman says.
     The seat in the back is a bench seat and of course the only one open is the middle one.
     "Don't be shy." She tells me. "Sit in the middle. I've done a darn good job of raising my children, they won't bite."
     I climb over the little boy sitting on the side that was open to me and sit down in the middle seat. I reach over my shoulder and buckle the seat belt.
     "Y'all good back there?" She yells over her shoulder.
     I nod my head in response.
     "Ok then. We are off." She says closing the door and starting the car. Within moments we are already miles from my spot on the side of the road.
      "What's your name, sweetie?" She asks once we are well on our way.
      I hesitate for a moment. "Uh, James." I reply.
     "Well, uh James you can call me Linda." She replies.
     "Thank you so much Linda. I don't know what I would've done if you haven't given me a ride." I answer genuinely.
     "You can call me Jack." The little boy on my right says. I turn my head and look down at this blonde haired, green eyed kid. "I'm six years old."
     "And you can call me Amelia." The girl on my left says. I then direct my attention to her to see similar version of her brother. They look almost identical besides her long red hair, freckles, and pale complexion. "I'm nine years old."
     "Well like I said my name is James but if you want, you can call me Bucky. Oh and I'm ninety-seven years old." I tell the kids.
     "Are not!" Jack exclaims.
     "Am too!" I joke back.
     I then direct my attention to Linda. "If you don't mind me asking Linda, where are we?" I ask.
     "About ten miles from Washington DC." She replies.
     That makes sense I guess. Steve and I were in Charlotte North Carolina when the government captured us. I fell asleep while in custody so who knows how long the ride was. It makes sense to have their super secret prison close to the Capitol. The rescue wasn't that long before we were bombed out of the sky so it makes sense that we didn't get that far.
     "So why were you out here in the middle of no where?" Linda questions.
     "I was out camping in these parts doing some research about the environment here. One night I came across another camper who claimed to be doing the same thing. We slept out under the stars together and when I woke up the next day he was gone and so was all my stuff." I lie.
     "Bless your heart. You've been through a lot. Someone ought to put people like that in their place." Linda replies.
     "Yeah someone should." I say starring out the window.
"So what brings you to New York?" Linda continues to prod.
"That's where I live. I was just down here doing my research." I continue to lie. "Why are you guys heading there?"
"My sister lives in Queens." Linda replies. "We're going to visit her for the week."
"Oh yeah Queens." I say thinking of Peter. "Great place."
I suddenly feel someone grabbing my metal arm. I look down to see Jack gripping my arm.
"Is this thing metal?! It's soooooooo cool!" He exclaims.
"No it's not. It's just a sleeve I put over my arm so it looks metal." I say winking at him. Apparently he gets the message and winks back.
Linda shakes her head as if to say 'oh kids and their imaginations.' Instead she asks, "Are any y'all hungry?"
"Me! Me! I am! I am!" Jack and Amelia shout in unison.
Linda tosses three granola bars in the back seat. I tear mine open and begin to munch on it.
"Amelia what flavor did you get?" Jack questions very seriously.
"Chocolate chip." She answers smugly.
"No fair I want chocolate chip!" Jack whines.
"Well what flavor do you have?" She asks sarcastically.
"Raisin." Jack replies glumly.
"Well enjoy your raisin!" She teases.
"No fair! You had chocolate chip last time!" Jack complains.
"Nuh-uh!" Amelia proclaims.
"Yeah-uh!" Jack yells back.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"MOM!" They both scream at once.
I sigh. This is going to be a long car ride.

**************

STEVE'S POV
I wake up to a blinding light and groan. Not this again. Why does every time I'm knocked out I wake up to a bright light? I'm so sick and tired of this.
After the plane fell apart and I failed to grab Bucky's hand I was sucked into an enemy plane. I then hit my head on the inside of the of the enemy plane and I've been unconscious since then.
Of course I'm wearing a prison jumpsuit. Those seem to be very common. The cell I'm in has a glass wall on one side and the other sides are cinder block. Directly across from the glass wall on one of the cinder block walls there's a door. I'm guessing that's where they give me food. Presuming they even give the prisoners food here.
The only place I have to use the bathroom is a disgusting looking toilet in the corner. Do they seriously expect me to use it when guards can see through the glass? They must think I'm some type of animal or something.
I walk up to the glass wall and crane my neck to see what I can see from it.
Outside my cell there appears to be other identical cells lining a narrow catwalk. Every once and a while guards will walk by and not even seem to notice me.
I squint my eyes trying to get a glimpse at any of my fellow prisoners.
To my excitement I realize in the cells I can see there's Wanda, Nat, Sam, and Scott.
I'm really happy that they're alive but sad to have to see them imprisoned.
I try banging on the glass to get their attention with no luck. Finally after several attempts Wanda looks up and sees me.
She jumps up and presses her face and hands against the glass. She then gives me a small, sad smile and waves.
One by one everyone else who can see my cell acknowledges I'm there. They all seemed kind of discouraged knowing there will be no rescue plan.
Well there might. Bucky's still out there.
After several hours of me being here I notice guards opening up everyone's cell and and dropping off disgusting crap that is supposed to be food.
I'm happy to see Wanda shove it back through the slot in the door with her powers.
Finally the guards come to my cell. Instead of dropping their disgusting food through the slot, they open the door and cuff me. Then blindfold me, of course. And don't forget the gun pressed to the back of my head.
"The boss wants to talk with you." One of the guards growls in my ear.
They lead me through the complex, for what seems like hours. They push me along with their guns and yell insults at me every other minute.
Finally I hear a door open and I'm pushed inside. The guards shove me into a chair and then cuff my feet. Only then do they take off my blindfold.
I'm sitting in a concrete room in front of a stainless steel table in a stainless steal chair.
Across the table sits a pretty decent looking guy in his late twenties. I know right away this is Alexander Williamson's son. I don't believe I ever found out his name.
     I lean forward and rest my cuffed hands on the table. "So I don't think we've ever formally met. But I've met your dad. Great guy." I joke.
     Alexander's son reaches across the table and slaps me across the face. "My father is a disgrace." He sneers through gritted teeth.
     "Oh so you're one of those guys. The kind who have dad problems. I see." I continue to tease.
     "Do you know why I brought you hear Captain Rogers?" He asks me ignoring my comment.
     "Yes in fact I do but before I answer your stupid question I would like to get on a first name basis." I retort sarcastically.
    "It's Marcus." He says in disgust. "Marcus Williamson. Now answer the question."
     "You brought my team and I hear to kill us." I sigh.
     "Tsk, tsk tsk. I thought you would be smarter than that Cap." He frowns in disappointed. "I don't want to kill you or your team. I simply want to wipe you and your kind from the very existence of the universe."