The Revenge of Devil | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 18

Bucky Barnes stood in one of the bathrooms at the Avengers' headquarters, looking at his reflection in the mirror. No matter how hard he tried, despite his shorter hair and clean-shaven face, he could no longer see the young soldier who had rushed to the service and defended Steve Rogers when he was still a young boy. The reflection in his eyes revealed that he was far from the young man he looked like and that he had experienced more than enough in his life. No, he had already buried the soldier in the Alps on his first major mission with Steve. And he also hoped that thanks to Ayo, he had buried Winter Soldier, a soldier without his own free will, killing on orders and without a drop of mercy.

So who was he now? Just James Barnes? An improved soldier who tries to be a better person and hopes that life and the people around him will give him a second chance? As they say, to the third of all good. Maybe he won't have to say goodbye to this self anymore.

But as he realized a moment later, he might have buried his then self, but in reality, he just pushed it into the background. Because the young soldier Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier, and James Barnes were one and the same person. And he must learn to find the so-called golden center between these three identities. He has to learn to live with all of his selves, to be able to control them, to keep them under wraps, and when the time comes, to be able to release them to the surface but to manage to pull them back in time. It may be a long-distance run, but now he's at the Avengers headquarters. And there's Steve. He will be under the supervision of the best superheroes and they will take care of him. And who knows, maybe in time they will take him among themselves when they teach him how to be one of them.

"A new beginning, a new self, a new look?" Steve said with a smile as he walked around and peered into the bathroom. Bucky wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there staring at his reflection, but it must have been a long time. He was quite surprised that Sam hadn't shown up yet to tease him and kick him out. But there were plenty of bathrooms at the Avengers' headquarters, so maybe he was in some other place.

Bucky didn't answer at first, just reached for a white towel and wiped his face. "It's the least I can do. Shave, get a haircut. I'd like to start over, with a clear shield, but I'm afraid it won't work at all," he muttered, giving himself one last look and stepping cautiously out of the bathroom. Steve grabbed him by the shoulders and led him into the kitchen.

"Don't worry. They are good people, I know them. We all have a past, we just don't talk about it. Even Tony has. He'll forgive you in time, I believe to it," Rogers assured him in a firm voice, and Bucky had to smile. His endless optimism always fascinated him. He always believed in second chances. Maybe he should start believing in them too. "Well, now the truth. Did you really throw yourself into the parade just because you want to start, as you say, again, or because you want to impress Romanov?" he teased him kindly and pushed a cup of hot coffee toward him.

"Your famous agent Romanov," he growled, remembering the last time he'd met her. Yes, he liked her behavior and attitude. The way she went to him immediately and showed him that she was not afraid to hurt him... He had to smile, but he knew Steve was watching him, and he would have interpreted his smile differently than it should have been, so he'd rather drink coffee. "I didn't know she was coming. Does she want to start training already?"

"Sure, it's about time," Captain America nodded emphatically. "And don't play so surprised. You knew she was coming. But take your friend's advice to heart; don't start anything with Natasha. First, she's in a happy relationship with Bruce. And second, well... "

"She's an agent who's not afraid of anything, of course," Bucky added, grinning. "Trust me, Steve, that's the last thing I want. I'm not dating anymore."

Rogers glanced at him. "And yet you are in the best years of your life."

James was about to cut him off again, but Natasha, who they hadn't even heard coming down the hall, stepped inside. She glared at them when she saw them enjoying their coffee in complete calm. "And you were in the army? The best soldiers?" she growled at them. Steve just laughed, but Bucky looked a little taken aback and leaned inconspicuously to his best friend.

"Does she want us to salute her or something?" he asked in a whisper, and Steve chuckled.

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt," Natasha dug into him, a twinkle in her eye. So Bucky awoke the young soldier's soul, stood alert, and saluted her.

"Hello, Agent Romanov," he told her, a crooked smile curling his lips that all the girls he had ever been with simply loved.

"That's better," she praised him. "Relax, soldier."

"Doesn't it remind you of dear Agent Carter?" James turned to Steve, who smiled a little sadly and nodded a little. Maybe so. The two had more in common, not just that they were agents.

"You're going to train with me, or what?" Natasha shouted at them on her way down to the gym. The two men exchanged an amused look, finished the rest of their coffee, and hurried after her.

"I see you changed your hair and shaved," Nat said as they finally joined her. "I'm going to warm up. I hope you don't mind if I smear your pretty boyish face a little from your blood."

James frowned and put his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. "I told you I didn't beat girls. Plus, I'm almost a hundred. I am no longer a boy," he added dryly.

"You're afraid I'm going to kick your ass, aren't you?" When Bucky still didn't react and looked at her with a completely calm expression, she yelled at him, "Hey! That's an order!"

He sighed and began to take off his sweatshirt. "Someone should tell her we're not in the military here," he said toward the amused Steve, then turned back to her. "Look, I don't want to hurt you. If they haven't told you yet, they've made me a Winter Soldier."

"If they haven't told you yet," she imitated him, "then I won't back down from any challenge. And I'll kick your ass anyway. Not because you let me win, as they taught you in the last century. But because I just can combat."

"She's getting on my nerves," Bucky growled, then finally pounced on her. But Natasha was ready, so she calmly repulsed his attack. They continued. Their fight looked as if it had been rehearsed beforehand as if they had planned each punch until it looked almost like a battle dance.

"Okay," Natasha breathed when they stopped after a while, and neither of them managed to get the other. "It wasn't bad for a beginner and such an old man."

Bucky threw up his hands and looked at Steve. "For a beginner? Seriously?"

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Is that a buckynat hint?🤔