'The Wolf Within'

Chapter 1

• • •

"I heard you got arrested in the street last night 

Called me with a voice I didn't recognize."

• • •

It was a wet, cold October afternoon in New York. Shoppers were rushing from shop to shop, spending money on stupid designer wear. Oh, how the other half lives, I thought, stuffing my hand into my pockets, trying to stay warm. Stomach rumbling, I decided it was time to get back to work. My eyes searched the crowded street looking for an easy target so I could buy some hot food. I stopped landing on a scruffy-looking guy. 

There was something off about him; he looked out of place with his baseball cap pulled over his long shaggy brunette hair, almost as if he was cowering away from the street. However, somewhere buried deep, my eyes had seen him before. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind, seeing the outline of a wallet in his coat pocket. It looked like an easy steal, front pocket of the coat with no buttons, zips, or obstructions of any kind.

Quickly but calculated, I started towards him, hood up and head down; eyes fixed on the pavement until I knocked shoulders with him. I dipped my hand into his jacket pocket, retrieving a light-tattered leather wallet. 

Suddenly I felt a firm grip on my wrist. I looked down to see a gloved hand clenched firmly around my arm.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The man seethed out in a deep voice, causing me to freeze.

Looking up to meet his stare, without a second to think, I immediately kicked his knee, tugging my arm out of his grasp, and sprinted off down the street, wallet still in hand. 

Dodging street sellers and civilians, causing various angry shouts behind me from those I had shoved out the way. Turning a corner, I bounded down to the end of the alleyway with the guy still hot on my tail. 'Geez, this guy is fast,' I thought. However, I knew I had the upper hand after living on these streets for half my life. 

As I got to the end of the alleyway, I saw a tiny gap in a chain metal fence. Quickly shimmering my small frame through the hole, ripping parts of my clothes on the sharp metal as I went, I knew there would be no way the man would be able to follow me through. 

I looked at him with a smug face as he shouted: "Oi, stop! Give me my wallet back!". A smug grin appeared on my face as I raised my hand to my head, saluting him before casually turning and walking off down the street.

"I said give me my wallet back! You're going to regret this! I will find you!" He shouted after me furiously, rattling the chained fence as I proceeded to walk away, not once glancing back.

• • •

~Bucky's POV~

I tugged my jacket, throwing it down in anger onto the couch next to where Steve sat, causing him to raise an eyebrow in a state of confusion.

"Uh oh, looks, little winter soldier is having a tantrum," Tony teased jokingly as he sat at the bar, drink in hand. I turned towards him, glaring daggers at him. 

"You want to tell me what's up?" Steve queered with his concerned expression etched on his face. 

"A little ulițar (street kid) stole my wallet when I was out walking," I admitted with embarrassment. 

"A KID stole our big tough assassin's wallet and got away with it...?" Tony burst into laughter from the doorway, causing me and Steve to glare at him. He quickly ran off, probably to his lab, where he belonged.

"It's not even the fact that the kid stole my wallet that's caused me to get so... so... frustrated! He just looked so damn familiar; I know him from somewhere. But my damn brain is so messed up I can't remember where!" I shouted, getting more and more worked up. I couldn't shake his damn cooky grin out of my head.

"It's going to take time to regain your memories, Bucky, but you will. I believe in you, punk". Steve replied with reassurance.

Edited 16/09/22