Once upon a SHIELD case (Howard Stark)

Chapter 4

{Howard}

Just as I expected, my job as lookout was very distasteful. I was dressed as a hobo, a vagrant. Maria and Peggy insisted that I smell the part too. I probably wouldn't be able to smell anything else for months. 

So far things were quiet today. No fire alarms...yet. I smiled. Peggy was beautiful and I couldn't fault the guy for asking her out. I had too a long time ago. But she belonged to Steve still and I didn't want to risk our friendship by asking her out. 

They had only been gone about thirty minutes which meant that they should be done in the next 15...when the lunch hour would be wrapping up. 

Another glance at my surroundings. Still clear.

A few more minutes passed and I was starting to think that we were in the clear when I saw movement. it was right near the girls' escape route but it couldn't be them. I shifted silently to get a better vantage point—my gun was ready.

The person or persons moved closer and finally burst through the bushes. It was them! Maria and Peggy staggered quickly toward me, something clearly wrong. Peggy actually seemed to be dragging Maria.

Peggy's eyes met mine. "Howard, we have to leave now! Get the truck started."

I ignored her and hurried over to pick up Maria. She was in shock and stared at my blankly.

"It was him," she whispered.

I looked at Peggy but she shook her head. Who had Maria seen?

{Maria}

It was like a dream...a nightmare actually. The boyish face that I had grown up with, the man who rescued me from bullies and oncoming traffic as a child was lying strapped to a bed. He stared straight ahead, not seeming to register my presence or anything else. The look on his face showed how lost he was. 

Bucky Barnes, my brother's friend, was being held captive by Hydra. We'd all thought that he died in the War. Peggy knew the specifics about the mission even and remembered how broken up Steve had been. But here, right in front of me, he was clearly alive. At least his body was...his brain seemed broken.

"Bucky," I whispered. 

He didn't move or acknowledge me. 

I glanced around to see if anyone was near. "Bucky," I said a bit louder.

This time he moved a little.

I reached out and touched his arm, shaking it a little. "Bucky, it's me."

He turned his head, his eyes meeting mine. We stared at each other for a long moment. Then he closed his eyes and I released the breath that I had been holding. He doesn't remember. He doesn't know me.

Loosening my grip on his arm, I turned to go when his fingers grazed my arm.

"Maria," he breathed.

It was so soft, barely a whisper, that I wondered if I'd even heard him speak. But when I turned around to look at him, I knew. Bucky, my Bucky, stared back at me. 

I opened my mouth, not sure what to say, when I heard a noise. I looked at the clock and saw that the lunch hour was over—everyone was coming back. I had seconds before I'd be discovered.

I looked back at Bucky and he motioned to the door. "Go," he said.

I squeezed his hand. "I'll be back." And with one last look, I scooted out the door. I barely made it out too—a few seconds after I left the room one of the facility managers walked in with security.

Peggy was waiting for me at the agreed-upon spot and could tell that something was wrong. I couldn't tell her what had happened though, not here anyway. My mind was still trying to process everything.

We hurried out of the building without incident and met up with Howard. He could tell that something was wrong too, but I still couldn't voice what had happened.

Bucky, the love of my live, was alive...and being held by Hydra.