black sun rising || b. barnes ASSEMBLE ✔️

1.8

W A S H I N G T O N D.C.
america

ATHENA

I DID not remember the last time that I was in the states; and I don't remember being in D.C.. So walking around the streets in the early morning was something that probably wasn't the best of ideas. But I had to find him.

"Athena". He remembered me. He had to have remembered something. Maybe being hit repeatedly or the lack of oxygen to his brain, it must have triggered something. He remembered.

Walking around the streets of the city, I'll admit, I must have felt like a madman. I didn't know much about this man. I didn't know where his mind was at, I didn't know anything like that. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

After I grabbed food, American food unfortunately, I ended up in the southern side of the city. It was almost opposite of the Shield agency and it must be where he was. He'd want to have gone further away. 

By the time the sun was showing it was evening, I was growing frustrated. My feet were staring to hurt and so was my head. This, is what I would call a bad idea.

I had been searching for hours. I tried to think of where he could be, what he would be doing. Trying to remembering something, anything, from before. From when he was James.

"Can we look at America. That's where I'm from, right?".

My eyes widened slowly and my feet came to a stop. When he was James, he wanted to know about American history. He wanted to know about where he was from.

I felt like an idiot. A dummkopf.

Despite my feet killing me, I knew where I had to go. And luckily after looking on my watch, I was just around the corner.

The sun was starting to set by the time that I reached the Smithsonian. People were mulling out of the museum but it still had an hour before it closed.

Standing at the top of the steps I took a deep breath. He was here; he had to be.

I paid for a ticket and walked into the building. There were a few paper maps offered out and I took one, looking over anything that had to do with American history.

My eyes skimmed over till I hit the World War II title. And then a small other part. Captain America. It was the same one I visited when Steve needed to steal his old suit yesterday.

I remember reading the plaque about James.

My feet moved at once, and despite the fact that I somewhat wanted to look normal, I knew I must have looked on edge. My nose was still badly bruised from where Stacy hit me yesterday morning. I knew my lip had been cut and there was a bruise on my neck in the shape of a handprint.

I passed by a few kids coming from the exhibit and finally walked in. Various Captain America pictures were up, facts about the war, everything in between.

The room was mostly empty. A few older adults, an old man with a veterans hat standing with a little girl.

Then my eyes feel on the last person in the room. He was standing in front of the Barnes plaque. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. Then slowly I took steps towards him.

I knew it was James by the bulk of his shoulder. I could tell his metal arm was hidden. His hood was up and his hands were in his pockets. He looked so out of place.

My feet led me to the spot next to him. I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket. "It must be kind of weird to read about yourself, huh?"

James looked at me. His eyes narrowed slightly. "I know you."

"My name's Athena. I rescued you in Russia. Do you remember that?"

"How long ago was that?"

"Five years." I turned to face him. "You know your name."

He nodded his head towards the plaque. "I'm him. James. Bucky."

"I know you as James. I want to help you." I said. "I know it's weird. I know it's crazy. I know you're scared and confused. But I want to help you."

James looked at me again. "Help me?"

"I do. Do you trust me?" I asked.

His eyes softened ever so lightly and he looked back at the plaque. I watched him read over the words for a second or fifth or hundred time for that day. Then he looked at me again and nodded. "I do."