Sebastian Stan Short Stories

Bucky Barnes [15]

"Pay-back"

("Bulls Eye Part 2")

Post Civil War; God only knows if there are spoilers.

Some minor bits of language (I realize I don't always warn this, but I think I should start)

*

My alarm clock had been going off for nearly an hour. The same song had been playing on repeat, starting and restarting every five minutes because I couldn't get out of my bed to turn it off.

Why, you may ask, couldn't I get out of bed? I'd love to say it was because I was sore from training or injured from a mission. But no. I was tied to my bed, like a fly in a spider's web. And I knew who did. Bucky freaking Barnes.

I had woken up like usual, lying prone under my sheets and comforter, but everything had gone to hell in a handbasket when I tried to roll over and hit the button to turn off my waking song. I now held a deep seated, fiery hatred for that song. I couldn't roll over or move my arms and legs, but I could lift my head to see why.

Layer upon layer of parachute cord was wrapped over and under my mattress and bedframe. It was the same heavy duty stuff we used to tie down cargo in the backs of Wakandan jets. A single, unbraided piece of paracord was made to support 350 pounds, and I was cocooned in it. I had briefly thought about shimmying out from under it, but my ankles and wrists had been tied loosely to the slats of the headboard and footboard, respectively, with braided handcuffs of paracord.

I was going to throttle Bucky.

I laid in wait, hoping someone with common decency to notice my absence from morning training. Someone like Steve or Wanda, who would also be willing to assist me in getting back at Bucky. This had been going on for a long time, this prank war. It started innocently. Sugar in the saltshaker and salt in the sugar pot in the mess hall. Ridiculous amounts of food coloring added to drinks to stain the unlucky target's teeth. Then it had escalated. I snuck into his quarters while he showered and stole every piece of clothing, sheet, towel, and pillow he could have possibly used to cover himself. It backfired in an arguably pleasant way: Bucky simply strutted down the hall to my room to ask for a towel. He was literally Buck naked. Apparently, we had risen to this level. Or stooped.

After my least favorite song in the whole wide world began playing for the fourteenth time, someone knocked on my door. I ordered the AI governing my locks to let them in.

"Didn't I tell you this was good?" Bucky asked. I lifted my head and saw him standing next to Sam at the foot of my bed.

"You know, I underestimated you. This is great, though," Sam conceded. They were both grinning like fools. "Pray tell, how did you do it?"

"Why don't you sit down? I'll happily tell you," Bucky offered. They both took a seat in my rarely used armchairs.

"I missed it when you hated each other," I informed them.

"We know," they said together. There was more grinning from the pair of assholes.

"Can't you let me out of this mess before you start bragging?" I asked.

"No, that would defeat the purpose of bragging," Bucky told me. I flicked him off with both of my bound hands, and he winked at me. That bastard.

"I hate you, Barnes."

I let my head flop back against the pillow and listened, seething with every second that passed.

"Well to start with, I had to bribe someone to flood her room with an aerosolized sedative so she wouldn't wake up," Bucky began.

"Very smart," Sam complimented.

"Thank you. Then I came in and tied off her hands and feet. While wearing a gas mask, might I add," Bucky continued. Their repertoire was like a poorly acted soap opera. "I used braided cord, so there was less a chance it would cut into her skin when she pulled on it."

"Very considerate," Sam said. He began laughing halfway through.

"So damn considerate of you," I spat.

"Then, just for kicks, I wrapped the bed in paracord," Bucky finished. I waved around my middle fingers right as my alarm began playing again. "Would you like me to turn that off?"

"For all that is good and merciful on this earth, please turn it off."

"But I like this song," Sam interrupted. So I was left to groan in annoyance as Sam sang along. When the song was finished he addressed Bucky again. "You know, it might be a bad idea to cut her loose while we're in the room. Well really just if you're in the room. I think I'm safe."

"You're definitely not safe," I warned him.

"You're right," Bucky agreed. And then they left. I listened to my alarm two more times before Wanda came knocking.

She gave me a look of pity as she took in the sight. She was trying her best not to smile.

"You are in quite a pickle," she noted.

"Yes, you're right. Please get me out," I begged. I thrashed against the cords as if to prove my desperation.

In half a second, Wanda's wisps of energy had sliced through every piece of paracord across the bed. She came closer to carefully cut the braids around my wrists, and I pulled my comforter out of the way so she could get to my ankles. God only knows how long Bucky had been in here tying me down and wrapping me up.

When I was finally free, I ripped my alarm clock's power cord out of the wall and threw it onto the ground. Wanda, although oblivious to why I had destroyed something so inoffensive, sent a ball of red energy into the midst of the cracked clock.

"What is your plan for retaliation?" she asked. 

"I have a couple ideas. I had a while to think," I explained.

"When you're ready for them, Sam and Bucky are currently pinned to the ceiling of the training gym," she told me. She looked at me with a proud smile and read the question on my face. "I learned how to leave my powers in place even when my mind is not focused on them."

I began to rub my hands together maniacally.

"This is going to be fun."

*

Author's Note:

I was already thinking of a part 2 for "Bulls Eye" when someone requested it (sort of). So, @CassandraSalas1 this one is for you!

We're also up to 12,000 reads!