Dove on Fire (Bucky Barnes)

Chapter Eleven

Flashback 2016

Bucky groans, his body heavy as he forces his eyes to open, panic rising in his chest at the blank spots in his memory. He glances around the empty space and only then does he notice his arm is trapped, wedged between to metal plates holding his limb in an iron grip.

"Steve" 

Bucky's head shoots up at the soft voice, his eyes meeting the woman's. He remembers her, well, mostly her voice and striking features. She stood with her arms crossed over her middle, a scowl on her face. Bucky took his time taking in her appearance. She had pale blonde, almost white long hair, a good contrast to her sunkissed skin. Her vibrant blue eyes met his and she pursed her lips in thought, her small nose scrunching up as she stepped towards him.

"I'm sorry, it was the only thing we could think of." She mumbles, gesturing to his trapped arm. "Which Bucky are we talking to?" Bucky was too wrapped up in the woman he vaguely remembers, that he didn't notice his old friend step into the old rusted room. Bucky lifted his head to meet Steve's gaze "Steve" Bucky chokes out, his voice hoarse and dry. "Your mom's name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes" he adds, a small chuckle escaping his throat.

"Can't read that in a museum" 

Steve sighs in relief. Bucky looks back over at the woman, a name ringing out in his head as his flesh hand reaches for the tags around his neck "Clementine" he murmurs softly. Her lips part as she nods her head gently "just like that we're supposed to be cool?" Sam askes with his brow raised. Clementine nudges his side.

"What did I do?" Bucky was almost afraid of the answer, he saw the blood on Clementine's forehead, and the dirt covering Steve. "Enough" Steve answers, his arms crossed over his chest "Oh god, I knew this would happen. Everything Hydra did is still inside me. All he had to do was say the goddamn words" Bucky curses angrily.

"Who was he?" Clementine asks, she leans back against the wall."I don't know" Bucky answers quickly shaking his head as he speaks. Steve sighs as he kicks the dirt a little "people are dead, the bombing, the setup. He did all this to get five minutes with you, I need you to do a lot better than 'I don't know'" Steve demands softly, a sad look in his eyes as he looks back at his oldest friend.

"He wanted to know about Siberia, about where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where" Bucky recalls, his head tilting at the memory. "Why would he need to know that?" Steve presses.

"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier"

Steve and Sam leave the room to make a few calls, to get together a team, they'll definitely need one. Bucky watches as Clementine appears with a few bottles of water under her arm, she had already released his arm from the machinery. "Here you need to drink this, super soldier or not, you still need to be hydrated" she comments handing him a bottle, her hand brushing his. He feels warmth spread through him and only then does he notice the insane amount of heat radiating from the woman, something a normal human would miss, but not him. 

"Thank you, and not just for the water." He breathes as she sits on the ground opposite him. Clementine looks up at him with a small smile, one that made him question if she was real "It's okay. We can beat him to Siberia and fix this. What you did wasn't you, you had no choice."

Present-day

Clementines P.O.V

John Walker approaches Karli, his homemade shield in his left hand. I don't have time to listen to the words exchanged a flag-smasher slams another blow to my face.