Moments in Time

Post Serum Steve/Cyborg Bucky: Highschool Au

Steve Rogers had never liked bullies. He just had no patience for people who enjoyed being cruel to others. Until his sixteenth birthday, he'd been as weak and helpless as any other nerd.

But once puberty hit, he became a popular, "cool" guy for some reason. He was nice to most people, but he always clashed with the star basketball player - Brock Rumlow. Brock was tough, dirty, and downright mean on and off the court. His group of cronies weren't much better, and Steve often intervened when they decided to pick on someone.

***

Unlike Steve - all rainbows and butterflies - James Barnes lived rough. His Mama had died in Romania, where he had lived for the past fourteen years with her and his grandparents, and he had to adapt to America. Not only that, but his dad was not exactly the nicest person on Earth, and often commented on his disability.

James didn't have nice clothes or shoes - everything he owned was old and worn, and usually a bad fit. But nobody really noticed, and since he came in the middle of February, there wasn't a huge stir at school when he showed up to his classes.

James could speak English, but he had a heavy accent that his dad didn't like, and sometimes it caught attention. Most times, he just didn't say anything at all.

***

Steve frowned as he, his best friend Sam Wilson, Nat, and Clint rounded the corner of the school. They were going to walk down to Sam's house to do some homework and have pizza and a movie night like they did every Friday. But the sound of someone groaning, and the solid thwacks of shoes hitting a solid object soon diverted Steve's thoughts.

Steve found four guys surrounding a small kid who was beaten into the ground. The kid looked small, not over 5' 5", he was skinny and delicate looking with bruises sprouting up everywhere, and cuts and scrapes adding to his ragged appearance. Only soft grunts escaped his mouth though - he didn't plead with his bullies, didn't try to placate them. He just laid there and took it, curled up as tight as possible.

Burning rage swelled within Steve's chest, burning at the oxygen residing there and demanding a release. It rose like a tidal wave, incinerating everything in it's path, and choking Steve with the injustice of the scene before him.

How could people be so heartless? Had this kid really been such a threat? He was in need of help and hope - not judgement and a beat down!

"Thought you could get away from us, huh, fag?" One of them sneered.

"Too bad for you - Brock says you're a toughie. That means we gotta break you in. It's always fun with the ones who don't give up."

Steve didn't know exactly when it happened, but his fist connected to soft, giving skin. His knuckles cracked, his skin broke, he vaguely felt his hand throb, but he couldn't stop the driving force that compelled him to keep going.

At one point he had tackled one kid while choking out another. At another, he had one behind him and the other facing him. Sam and Clint had each taken an opponent as well, while Nat tried to talk to the kid.

When the red haze finally lifted, and Steve released his two victims, he knew they wouldn't be at school the next day. He had jacked up their faces pretty badly, and they really had no chance against his built, muscular body, and his good reflexes. They had gotten a few punches in, but nothing too major, and they would be faded by the next morning.

"He's not talking to anybody," Sam nodded toward the kid, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Can you blame him?" Steve sighed, staying far enough back that the person of interest wouldn't hear. "After the way he's been treated at school, I'm kinda surprised he's still here."