LEGACY: a bucky barnes story

Chapter 35 - Defend

What do you mean you lost him, over?

We've lost him, sir. Agents in choppers and on the ground have turned up empty. We're searching the surrounding area and their shelter. But he's a ghost, sir. Over.

He hasn't disappeared into thin air, dammit! Find him! Over!

Can she lead us to him, sir? Over.

I'm about to find out. Over and out.

I snapped my eyes shut as I hear the clicks of the door. It bursts open by a short, angry man in a suit. I eye him warily as he slams his palms on the table and leans in toward me.

"Do you know who I am?" he barked.

I looked up through my lashes. "No, sir."

"Agent Everett Ross, CIA operative. The U.S. government has put me in charge of bringing you and Barnes to justice. And I'm not having a very good day. You wanna know why?" he spat.

I tossed the idea of a witty retort and silence around in my head, deciding on neither as a response. "Why, sir?"

"Because your boy got away! A murderous machine capable of assassination on a catastrophic scale is just milling about right now! And I blame you."

"Sir, if he got away, I fail to see how it's my fault your operatives couldn't properly—"

He slammed his fists on the table. "Enough! You know damn well why this is your fault. I trust I don't need to impress upon you the seriousness of what you have done."

I angrily lowered my head and gritted my teeth. "No, sir."

"What, you thought you could run away with the Winter Soldier and nothing would happen? That you could pull from a deactivated terrorist organization fund, and nobody'd bat an eye?"

"Terrorist organization, sir?"

He laughed maniacally. "S.H.I.E.L.D. was Hydra, agent. They're terrorists. Those affiliates are one in the same under the United States government, obviously."

My stomach shuddered.

"Well? Care to explain your involvement with the Winter Soldier, agent?" he barked.

I choked down bile and attempted to speak. "He kidnapped me, initially, sir. Pulled me from the Potomac."

He leaned in and waited. "And? Is that supposed to make this okay?"

"No, sir—I can explain..."

"Then start. Talking," he seethed.

I proceeded to retell the tale of the last few months. How he initially took me out of convenience, but had patched me up and protected me when I needed it. He could have abandoned me on several occasions, but came to my aid each time. That we'd built a level of trust that allowed his memories to resurface, and the danger he no longer posed.

"He's changed, sir. He's kept me alive. He's... kindhearted and loyal and lost, but getting better all the time."

Agent Ross leaned back and crossed his arms, letting out a scornful chuckle.

"Don't—don't you dare tell me you care about this... this assassin," he cackled. "He's a murderer! He deserves to be brought to justice, and locked up! I don't care that you and-and Steve Rogers have a soft spot for him!"

I stared dead ahead at Agent Ross as my eyes welled. He took notice of this and shifted uncomfortably.

"Do you—have you... are you smitten, agent?"

It was my turn to shift uncomfortably as I flustered to respond. "I'm not-I—sir, that's not—"

"Oh God," he fumed. "Absolutely not, no fucking way. Do you give a shit about any of your training, any of your goddamn morals? Look at him! He's past the point of no return! It doesn't matter who he was, but what he's done and is capable of now.

"Though dissolved, as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., not only should you have known this, but you should have called for intervention months ago. The CIA, FBI, the police—anybody. Hand over your badge and gun."

"Wait-what? No—" I whimpered.

"Agent Coulson. This is not up for debate. The CIA has deemed it appropriate and expeditious."

"Please-please, no."

"This was the best I could do, Agent Coulson," he hissed. "Be thankful you're not disentitled, or imprisoned. You'll be on probation, pending an investigation." He sighed and muttered to himself. "If I had my way, you'd be rotting on the Raft—"

"Sir, with all due—"

"Agent Coulson!" he bellowed as I shrunk in my chair. "You fucked up, okay?! Certain progressions and face-saving technicalities must be carried out—but you gotta play the game and maybe, maybe, we can expunge it from your record in a couple of years. But this also depends on your cooperation in finding Barnes."

"You're just going to imprison him, poke and prod at him—just like Hydra. You don't care about him or any rehabilitation he is clearly capable of!"

"I don't think I need to care about a mass murdering machine!"

"He is a person, Agent Ross! A human being! Who, may I remind you, had no control over his actions for seventy years!"

"You're testing my patience, Agent Coulson. Any chance you have of redeeming yourself lies with me—are you going to do this or not?"

I could feel steam rising out of my ears, matching the burning crimson of my cheeks.

"With all due respect, sir, you'll never find him." I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms.