Battlefield ★ Bucky Barnes

VI. Welcome To The New Age

MARCH 2012

Steve's eyes fluttered open slowly, the crystal blue of his irises reflecting against the light that lit up the small room around him. A man's voice could be heard in the near distance, further luring Steve from his slumber. It didn't take him very long to figure out that the man's voice was coming from a radio. The man was reporting about a baseball game, one Steve had already been to, and this confused him greatly.

Steve glanced around the room as he lay on the cot provided for him. He looked to be in a typical 1940's environment, but there was just something about the situation that was far from right.

After several seconds, Steve finally sat up in bed, swinging his legs over the mattress and onto the floor. He seemed to be rather concentrated on the man's voice echoing quietly throughout the room as he attempted to figure out what was going on, but his mind couldn't quite seem to make sense of anything that was happening.

The door to Steve's room opened several moments later, and Steve was forced out of his concentrated state. His eyes landed on a woman dressed in reflection to that of the 1940's; her hair was dark and curly, and her lips were painted a deep red color. She sent a welcoming smile his way as she shut the door behind her, though Steve's facial expression didn't change. If anything, her presence only made him feel more suspicious.

"Good morning," she spoke to Steve as she glanced down at her watch. "Or should I say afternoon?"

"Where am I?" Steve inquired cautiously.

The woman hesitated only slightly before answering him. "You're in a recovery room in New York City."

The man's voice on the radio sounded again and Steve glanced back at the contraption before once again fixing his eyes on the brunette in front of him, his confusion and suspicion becoming more prominent than before. "Where am I really?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"The game," Steve said. "It's from May 1941. I know, 'cause I was there."

The woman's smile dropped from her face immediately, and Steve stood up from his spot on the bed, slowly trailing over to her.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again," he continued. "Where am I?"

"Captain Rogers. . ."

"Who are you?" Steve exclaimed.

The door opened in front of Steve, revealing several men in black tactical gear. In his startled state, Steve grabbed two of them and threw them clean through the wall of the room, further revealing the truth behind his location.

"Captain Rogers, wait!" the brunette called out to him, though she went ignored.

Steve ran as fast as he could through the strange building, avoiding anyone he came into contact with. Agents attempted to apprehend the Captain without harming him, but to no avail. Steve was much too fast and much too strong for any of them.

In seconds, Steve was out of the building and on the streets of New York City. He ran, not at all sure what his destination was, but when he caught sight of his surroundings he was forced to a stop. He had been to the city multiple times in his lifetime, but he couldn't ever remember it looking as it did. It was so colorful, so vibrant, and not to mention far more technologically advanced than he remembered. It startled him greatly.

Steve turned as the sound of car horns could be heard behind him, and he looked to see several black vehicles barreling towards him. They came to a rather abrupt stop in front of him and behind him, and in seconds, men and women alike were hopping out of the vehicles and onto the street below. Steve was much too flustered to even think about trying to get away.