Third in the Timeline series |
After being told she was the infamous Agent 4, that every S.H.I.E.L.D agent thought was a rumour, Clara decides to get back in the field. Her old boss, and presumed dead, Phil Coulson guides her as she reunites with ol...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Clara sat on the edge of a hard mattress on an equally hard bed frame as she towelled dry her hair. Luckily the old S.H.I.E.L.D safe house she had lead them all to still had a supply of towels as well as food and running water. Heather sat on the bed next to her. Neither of them had said a word since the jet had crashed, not out of bitterness but because neither of them knew what to say to the other. Clara had, of course, told Heather about her time travel adventure in order to clear up the confusion of how she knew Maggie. So of course Heather knew everything that had ever gone on between Clara and Bucky. Heather didn't know what to say or do to make the situation better. And neither did Clara.
Steve and Sam had taken Bucky to a seperate room where they could detain him until they were certain he no longer posed a threat. Clara had taken Steve to one side and explained to him why she couldn't be there when he came round. Steve looked at her with a delicate pity in his eyes that made Clara want to both hug and hit him. She knew that she could count on Steve to understand and to be there for her but with the emotionless style of S.H.I.E.L.D training she had endured, she hated that she needed to rely on him.
Without a word, Clara made her way to the surveillance room. To her surprise all of the cameras still worked and she was able to watch the confrontation between Steve, Sam and Bucky at her leisure.
Bucky's eyes flickered open and he groaned, in pain or in remorse, Clara wasn't sure.
"Steve." He mumbled as he came around and saw his friend standing stoically, arms folded, in front of him.
"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked bluntly, staring at Bucky sternly, impatiently awaiting an answer. The room fell silent as the two locked eyes. Clara had found an old desk chair but the tension in the room was enough to keep her on the edge of it. She leaned forward, bringing herself closer to the monitor. Intently, she watched Bucky's face as he lifted his head and gave his answer.
"Your mum's name is Sarah." He said softly. His voice was gravely and strained, he sounded exhausted. Clara sighed contently and leaned back in her chair.
"You used to wear newspapers in your shoes." He chuckled weakly. Steve smiled. As Clara watched him over the monitor she suddenly saw that scrawny boy she had met during her first week in the past. How much simpler everything was back then- even though she spent the entire time juggling her feelings for Bucky with her need to return to the future.
"You can't read that in a museum." Steve said contently, now smiling at his friend and taking a step closer to him now he knew he wasn't a threat.
"Where's Clara?" He asked, his eyes looking up at Steve in a sort of plea.
"She's not here right now." He said and Clara watched Bucky's face fall. "She's resting." Steve explained and Bucky perked up a bit. "She almost died." Steve added and Bucky's face fell again. Clara raised a hand to rub her neck. She'd be fine.
"Oh god." Clara heard him whisper as he hung his head. "What did I do?" Bucky asked at last. He looked up at Steve, imploring him for an answer.
"She's fine." He said in response and it seemed to be enough for Bucky. "But she had a nasty shock."
"I knew this would happen." He said solemnly, "All he had to do was say the goddamn words and it all came flooding back."
"Who was he?" Steve demanded, "People are dead, Buck. He did all that just to get ten minutes with you. We need to know who he is."
"I don't know." He admitted gravely. Steve sighed and turned away from him. "But he wanted to know about Siberia, where I was kept."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."
Clara turned off the monitor with a deep sigh. She sat back in her chair, running her hands through her still damp hair. What they had done to Bucky was bad enough but he's not the only one? All that time HYDRA had been making more? And no one had stopped them.
Clara stood up and pushed the chair away. She headed through the door and strode down the corridors until she reached the room where the others were. She could see Sam and Steve standing in the doorway. The doors had fallen down years ago and had never been replace. She could hear them talking.
"Tony won't help." Steve said bitterly, "Even if he did, who knows if the accords would let him. We're on our own."
"Maybe not." Sam said suspiciously, "I might be able to help. I know a guy."
Clara had gone down there with the intention of helping them with Bucky but know she had thought up a different way she could help. Sam knew a guy. So did Clara. She knew a guy who knew several guys, all of which would be more than willing to help out. All it would take was one phone call to a certain Phil Coulson.
