Drive. ~James Buchanan Barnes

Chapter 12

We slump against the wall of an abandoned building, completely out of breath.

We never took a train.

Bucky keeps glancing at me. As though to make sure I'm not going to freak out. I attempt to ignore it.

I scan the building, finding the nearest exits, watching them to be sure no one comes in.

He looks at me again, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Bucky?"

"Yeah."

"Stop it."

"I just don't understand. You didn't even freak out when I kidnapped you." He murmurs.

"I freaked out plenty. I just didn't let you know about it."

"Well you got over it pretty quickly."

I scoff, "And that's a bad thing?"

He shrugs, "It isn't normal."

"Yeah, well you're certainly one to talk." I spit.

Okay, so maybe that was a little insensitive of me.

"You're getting defensive." Bucky states, his eyes still on me.

"You're getting pushy." My voice rises on volume, "I don't see why you can't let this go!"

He shushes me, and then answers in an angry whisper, "Because I'm beginning to think you're hiding something."

"You think I'm betraying you?" I question, "After everything-"

I am cut off.

We got distracted.

Bucky and I both turn as the door flies open and six armed agents enter the room. I see the distinct Hydra emblem on their armor.

Bucky begins to fight, but is brought to the ground by a stun gun. Two more men grab my arms.

I struggle to get away, and one of the men twists my bad wrist.

I let out a cry of pain, and Bucky's head snaps up to look at me.

As he attempts to come to my aid, a word is spoken. A Russian word.

He drops back to the ground, "No!"

I spot the one in charge, he carries a red book with a black star on the cover. He speaks another word, and Bucky begins to try and cover his ears.

Two of the men drag him up by his arms, pinning them behind his back.

I stare at him.

He looks so helpless, vulnerable.

Terrified.

Another word. The third word to wake up the Soldier.

He told me about this. Or mentioned it at least. The words they always spoke once he came out of cryo.

The fourth is spoken.

And I see red.

I let out a cry of rage, and suddenly the agents are in the air, but only for a split second.

They slam against the walls of the room.

The man in charge, the one with the book, grabs it and runs painstakingly away.

Part of me wants to go after him, but a larger part knows that I can't leave Bucky alone.

If push comes to shove, I can hunt the man with the red notebook down myself.

I take a moment to steady myself, my hands are shaking. I suppose that can happen after years of disuse.

Seven years, actually.

I take a breath before finally making myself face him.

He stares.

I look back at the floor.

"You okay?" I ask timidly.

"Yeah." He states shortly.

He is silent, waiting for an explanation. I let out a sigh.

"It's called Matter Manipulation..." I begin quietly, "It does a lot of stuff..."

"You never told me."

"I was trying to forget about it."

"Why?"

I risk a look at his facial expression. He tries to be unreadable, but I can see the accusation there.

"Because sometimes I can't control it." I explain, "People get hurt."

He gets up slowly, raising a hand to his head. "I don't know what to say."

I nod, a lump rising in my throat, "Yeah."

"Who knows?"

"No one." I state, "'Til now at least. Now it's you and whoever that Hydra guy tells."

He pushes past me, and I follow.

"Your parents?"

"No."

"How long?"

"The first time it happened I was nine. I saved my own life. There was this tree I always used to climb in the woods. Big, dead, rotting. I was a stupid kid."

"What happened?"

"A branch broke while I was getting close to the top. I started falling..." I trail off. Remembering.

"And?" He urges.

I glance at him, "I imagined the ground was soft. Like pillows, or feathers. Then, when I actually hit it, it was."

"So what you did back there was just raw? You didn't think about it?" He questions.

"Yeah," I pause, "I got angry."

"I can't believe I kidnapped someone even more dangerous than me." He mutters.

"I'm only dangerous if I use my...abilities." I bite back, "I went seven years being perfectly normal before you came along."

"Seven years?"

"I was fourteen the last time I did anything like this." I confirm.

He shakes his head, "What the hell happened?"

I inhale deeply, "Do I have to answer that?"

"Do you ever want me to trust you again?"

"That's not fair." I say.

"I don't really think anything is fair about this situation, V."

"I got careless one day. Someone got hurt."I state simply.

"You said nobody else knew." He argues back.

"Yeah."

"Someone died." That wasn't a question.

"Yeah, Bucky." I say tiredly, "Someone died."