ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴀᴠɪᴏʀ ━ Bucky Barnes/Avengers

08: first warning

After more weeks in this place. In SHIELD. Training and healing. You think I'd be ready to move on at least. But it still haunts me to this day. If I could hear him, what would he want me to do? Stay, move on, and join SHIELD? To help other people using what I have? It's something I never thought of doing. Not until they offered me a position in their team: Earth's mightiest heroes, the Avengers. This wouldn't have had happened if they didn't discover what I have. I couldn't hide my abilities from them for too long. They found out as soon as Bruce and Tony did a full body scan on me and detected I had an abnormal activity running throughout my body, especially around my hands. Now, they want me.

But who am I to join them?

I push back my thoughts when a knock suddenly breaks the silence in my room. 

"Come in."

The door opens, revealing Natasha in uniform. I glance at the vintage clock sitting on the side table next to my bed and realize it was already time. 

"Are you ready?" she asks, her arms crossed.

I slowly shake my head, "I'm never ready. But I always end up going anyway." I stand up from my bed and head out, following her lead.

"Hey, it's Steve's favor. We got to get you back up on your feet. Otherwise, you'd be "a waste". At least that's what he says." 

I scoff, "Training me is supposed to help me get back on my feet? Last time I checked I already knew self-defense. What else do you guys want me to do?"

"And what's your definition of self-defense? You're almost as good as I am." she abruptly stops in her steps and points at me, "Without your other abilities." She continues to walk, "I've been the one training you, so I've seen your skills. And I'm pretty sure you'd rather use that than the other one."

She was right about that last part. I continue to argue back, "But what for? Why does SHIELD want me so badly? I'm just no one." 

"No one? Besides Steve, you're the girl out of time, remember? It's a mystery to me how you got your skills and abilities, but I'm sure if the public found out about you they'd think you're a part of the team. Plus, we've been kind of wanting a recruit."

I sigh, "I can't Nat, I can't be a part of anyone's team. It's the one thing I've been trying to avoid my whole life, showing others who I am.

"Then forget Steve's favor. Do it for yourself. After what you've been through, at least try for a fresh start." she says sternly. "You don't have to hide anything anymore, we live in the age of aliens for crying out loud."

We stop in front of the glass door as we finally reach the training room.

I look at her before going in, "I'll sleep on it."

"That's what you've been saying for the past few weeks."

We both enter the room while putting on our combat gloves on and tying our hairs back into a ponytail. We stand in the center of the blue mat laying flat on the floor, facing each other. I wait for her to make the first move as she usually does, but she stood still. She wants me to move first. I wait for the right time to attack to catch by surprise, but as expected from the Black Widow, she quickly dodges my attacks and goes after me. 

I attempt another by trapping her with her arms, but she turns the tables around and twists my arms so that I'd be trapped instead. She holds her grip and starts to pin me to the ground. I try to find a way out by bending over my back and tossing her across the mat. As she rolls on the ground, I take that time to catch my breath before she comes at me again. 

After a few more rounds, my body gave up and glued itself to the floor. In the corner of my eye, Nat grabs an extra towel and throws it on my face.