Classified || Bucky Barnes

Chapter 1

January 6th, 2002 (age 16)

Forest Lake High School

Marina rubbed her palms nervously against one another, relishing in the warmth blossoming between them. A propped open door on the opposite end of the stuffy gym leaked freezing air into the building. It swept across the basketball court and chilled her like a spear of ice driven through her spine. She shivered and bounced to her feet, glancing down at her black and pink wrestling shoes when their laces tapped softly against her ankles. She hated the color: pink. It was what it stood for that she liked, femininity in an otherwise "boy's sport."

Her head snapped up when the scoreboard's deafening buzzer rang out, signaling the end of the thirty minute break. A puff of air left her cheeks and she hesitated a moment before starting toward her father shuffling anxiously at the corner of the navy blue mat. Without peeking from the paper-strewn clipboard in his hands, he plucked the headgear from where it sat draped over his shoulder, tossing it blindly to her. Marina stepped aside to catch it before slipping it over her hairnet.

Finally, he looked up and sucked in a deep breath. The timber wolf mascot on his ball cap briefly caught her gaze which soon flicked to his hand as he reached out and pulled the velcro tight beneath her chin, nearly cutting off her breath entirely. He leaned sideways toward her as she bounced back and forth between her feet to stay warm. The nub of his pencil zigged around the page between them as he explained that she'd been bumped up a weight class. The plan had been for her to stay at 125 -- which she was already a bit light for to begin with -- and collect a three point void given that the opposing team had no one at that weight. Instead, her father, and coach, tossed her carelessly into the next weight bracket in hopes of coming out with a six point win instead. Her worried eyes leapt to the scoreboard to see the other team with a three point lead. She was the last weight class. Their last chance.

A part of her was admittedly surprised her father had willingly thrown her into a fight. The only reason he let her join the team to begin with was to fill a weight class. He never actually expected her to do much aside from walk out and have her hand raised when the other team had no one for her to wrestle.

Marina rolled her shoulders as she stepped into the center of the mat, only now realizing just how small the painted white out-of-bounds circle truly was. She shook the thought from her mind and looked to where the other team was huddled around their teammate chanting his name encouragingly. Her face screwed up in annoyance at their prideful, beaming smiles. It wasn't until they disbanded that she felt her stomach plummet to the floor. As their teammate strode out onto the mat, each of their fallacious smiles melted away to reveal the worry etched into their features. She blinked a few times when the boy stopped before her, his breaths heavy as though the walk over had drained him.

He was a frail, lanky boy, a freshman she assumed by his youthful face. One of his legs was twisted slightly and he walked with a limp that shifted his entire frame sideways with each step. It suddenly made sense as to why her father bumped her up to face him. He knew the boy didn't stand a chance.

The ref stepped into place between them and motioned for the teens to shake hands. Marina lowered her stance and sucked in a shallow breath as she extended her arm. His hand was small in her own, surprising her further. He was shaking. Meeting his bright eyes flooded her with guilt, the excitement there burning bright like a bonfire. 

She'd hardly even recognized the ref's piercing whistle, the boy shifting his weight awkwardly from hip to hip. Marina reluctantly circled him as she pondered her options. His eyes were glued to her ever moving legs, the gears turning so loudly in his head she thought for a moment she heard them grinding against one another. His own spindly legs were right there in her reach for an effortless takedown, but she resisted, surprising even herself when she purposely pushed her left foot toward him. He took the opportunity he'd been granted, lunging forward and sweeping her to the floor with a double leg takedown.