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#WAS THE SAME AS BUCKY WRITING DOWN PEOPLE HE KILLED AS THE WS
notafunkiller · 4 months
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Bucky Barnes is the best super soldier
How it was subtly emphasized in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier:
He always holds back
With the Flag Smashers and even with John Walker. We could see the difference in the last 3 episodes. Sebastian Stan did an incredible job making it clear in a subtle way.
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I want to mention that famous "Stay there" scene, and how it was visible Bucky was not punching as hard as he can in the fight with John.)
This is the thing about Bucky, he isn't after the kill, he just does his part. He doesn't try to show off his skills or that he is a good guy. He doesn't try to play the victim role, either. In the scene where Zemo fake-activates the Winter Soldier in Madripoor, he just makes a point. He's obviously not even trying hard.
If he wanted those in the club dead, they would be. But his self control was wow. Sebastian acted so well, his exes said everything.
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*And to be honest, even when he was TWS, he could have killed everyone, but he didn't. He could have killed all of the Avengers in Civil War is they were his mission, but they weren't. This is how Natasha survived when she met him, too. It depended on what kind of mission he had (if he wasn't allowed to be seen, then the witnesses would die too, but otherwise? He didn't bother).
2. His skills
People tend to forget how smart and good at making strategies Bucky is. He's been fighting (even though he hates fighting and never wanted to be in the army) for years before he was even captured by Hydra. And this is the reason why government still want him, after all. They can use his strategies as a leader (*cough* Thunderbolts *cough*).
In the last episodes of TFATWS, we could see how he outsmarted everyone. Karli was so terrified of him.
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3. Karli Morgenthau
And talking about Karli, the phone call was interesting:
She asked him if he's not tired of fighting for the wrong side, and then told him she's fighting for something bigger than herself.
"And with all the bodies you've collected, have you ever been able to say the same?"
The first thing I wanna point out is how everyone talks about the deaths Bucky caused when he was controlled by Hydra, but everyone ignores the fact that all the Avengers killed far more, but since we consider them the good side, we just don't care.
Clint, Tony, Steve, Wanda etc. They all cause(d) far more deaths than "two dozen" (known assassinations - to quote Natasha), and neither was controlled. The double standards are something else, especially for Clint. (One of the reasons why Tony was on the other side in CW was because of his guilt, after all.)
The second point is how Bucky's answer says a lot more than we might realize at first:
"You don't think I ever fought for something bigger than myself? That's all I ever tried to do, and I failed twice."
Even as TWS, Bucky had to be convinced he is on the right side, that what they do is to save the world, to give "the world the freedom it deserves".
Even brainwashed and put to sleep all the time, he had to be lied to. Bucky as TWS was a victim too. He is not a victim only because he didn't have memories or control, but also because they lied to him and used him as a toy. That milk scene is so loud. (And I am gonna talk about it in a different post). He had no rights, no choices. He was used to being tortured.
[And I wish they explored it more. We deserved and deserve a WS film - maybe with him in Romania getting back his memories, writing in his journal etc.]
"You think your cause justifies all this death, but in the end, the nightmares won't go away. You're gonna remember all the ones you killed. Trust me. Don't do this. Don't go down this path."
Despite being on opposite sides, Bucky still said this to Karli, trying to help her, to make her see the big picture, sharing how he felt and feels.
He is on "the right side". He is a hero, and Bucky being thanked by that man for saving everyone's life was touching.
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4. Baron Zemo
You can see how smart, strong, and rational Bucky is when he decides to break Zemo out of jail (his plan was amazing too), risking so much (his relationship with Wakanda people and his own freedom) to get his help for the mess. He puts the cause above his own (huge) trauma. And this makes that moment in Madripoor even more disgusting (he is treated as an object, as a toy):
Zemo: Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum. And I give you him, along with the code words to control him, of course. He will do anything you want.
The way he keeps his composure, reacts and manages the situation... absolutely incredible!
This conversation also says a lot:
Zemo: The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path.
Bucky: Maybe you're wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve.
Zemo: Touché. But there has never been another Steve Rogers, has there?
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Bucky positions himself below Steve, who's considered a good hero, a good person... like no other. But Steve never had to go through what Bucky did: from being kidnapped like that, to being tested on, to falling off the train, to being tortured, and used, and brainwashed for decades, and put to sleep when he was not needed and having n "keepers".
Also, interesting how all Steve wanted was to fight (for a good cause, but still)... and fighting still means violence, meanwhile Bucky never wanted to fight, not even before becoming TWS, in the army (and yet he is still great at fighting. And he is deadly, even when he holds back.). All he wanted was peace.
Despite not getting the "perfect serum", despite being brainwashed, put to sleep, and forced to fight for decades, he is still himself. He never gave in to the dark side for real. He fought in his own way. The first thing he did when he woke up was to choke the Hydra guy with a whole new arm!
Bucky is so underrated: from his intelligence and fighting skills, to how human he is. Being flawed, keeping his sassiness and charm from the 40s, but getting more mature and carrying his past on his shoulders... he's so relatable and real. And every day, he shows Zemo he is wrong.
The show he makes in his final scene with Zemo is absolutely fantastic. He doesn't just prove the point he isn't defined by the serum and Hydra (AND not even by Steve, thanks to Sam. His speech made him realize the important thing about himself: that he decides who he is, not others - even those who know him before becoming TWS- "And this might be a surprise, but it doesn't matter what Steve thought. You gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are." parallel to "Steve believed in you. He trusted you. He gave you that shield for a reason. That shield, that is… that is everything he stood for. That is his legacy. He gave you that shield, and you threw it away like it was nothing. [...] So maybe he was wrong about you. And if he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me."), but also that he is superior.
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When Zemo tells him that he decided to let him alive (probably so he can kill Karli) and basically calls him a killing machine: "programmed to kill", Bucky plays the role, lets Zemo talk him into killing Karli, and then Bucky watches him waiting for his own death.
[Also, Bucky's line: Imagine my relief is hilarious.]
The acting was incredible: the shock on Zemo's face and the amusement and somehow relief on Bucky's after he pulls the trigger and lets the bullets fall... He proved him he's THE standard of the super soldier. Because despite everything he went through, he is the best.
Zemo telling him to cross his name off felt like a fresh start (+ telling Nakajima the truth).
5. John Walker
John, on the other hand, is lucky Bucky is an understanding person. He gets what is like... the pressure, the environment, the loss, and even tries to help.
Bucky: Don't go down that road. Believe me, it doesn't end well.
John: I'm not like you!
Of course he is not like Bucky, because Bucky has control. He is not killing to get revenge in a cynical way.
"That serum doesn't exactly have a great track record."
John kept judging Bucky every time they spoke, somehow placing himself above this "broken" man.
"This is all really easy for you, isn't it? All that serum runnin' through your veins. Barnes, your partner needs backup in there. Do you really want his blood on your hands?"
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This is so wrong on every single level, especially because Bucky didn't choose to take the serum, and he always had his friends' back. He's loyal and ready to sacrifice himself.
The "funny" part about this is John ending up taking the last super soldier serum vial. All the judgement, the disgust, the patronizing tone, just to do that. Plus, of course, to kill someone with the shield.
(John proves Zemo's point about super soldiers, and Bucky does the opposite.)
And what is it easy for Bucky anyway?
He's under government conditions (so CACW coded), he has a vibranium arm that I bet the government would try to take after he dies (HOPEFULLY WHEN HE'S 200 YEARS OLD IN HIS BED, as Sebastian wants too) if he isn't in Wakanda, he is haunted by nightmares (which also can mean he is still Hydra's TWS in another universe as we found out from Strange), and he has to learn how to live for real. He's smart, charismatic, has values and principles, and he's incredible.
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We need to see his version of TWS going after everyone Hydra helped. TWS is him, a part of him, and doing that on his terms, having control over it would help him heal.
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illicien · 9 months
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Projects
Okay time to do a collection of my fucking List I guess. This is for me. But also for anyone who wants to harass me and ask how far along another project is. Bah. Organized from most likely to be done to least likely tbh. This'll just be a post I keep editing with new info.
If you want the finished stuff:
WinterBaron Fics Here IronStrangeFrost-adjacent Fics Here
Third Time's the Charm
Rating: E Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: "Counting On It" A/B/O Finale (unless I write that EKO-Scorpion/Zemo bit I've had in my head, but that's in the same universe rather than a necessary part of the series) Length: 2/5
Summary:
When an absence of Zemo for their infiltration missions results in injuries, Bucky puts his foot down and makes it clear that they do actually need his help and whatever's keeping the man locked up in the RAFT needs to be dealt with.
Of course, that means it's time for him to make some serious changes, and figure out how to explain his feelings.
The Devil is a Gentleman (working title)
Rating: E Ship: Hydra!Steve/WS!Bucky/Zemo Key Points: It's just this that I'm blaming on Winter Length: One-Shot
Summary:
(this will exist properly when I decide whose PoV this'll be in.)
HS/"Mafia" AU (working title)
Rating: M-E Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: WinterBaron meeting in High School, separated by circumstances and reunited as very different men. Length: Multichapter & Series
Summary:
(This'll be two long ass fics and I'm not ready to summarize this one any more than I did in the key points tbh.)
War Child (Series Title)
Rating: E Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: Young Zemo. Secretary Barnes. Length: One-Shot Series
Summary:
The Sokovian Gov't needs assistance in its ongoing civil war, and Heinrich might just be able to make a deal with someone in the U.S. Gov't to assist.
Move With Glory (working title)
Rating: E Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: War-prize Bucky as a part of EKO-Scorpion; semi-fantasy setting. Length: Unknown
Summary:
Having recently won the war against Winterlund, the Queen of Sokovia has granted her cousin, Colonel Zemo, his pick of the prisoners of war as a prize for his 'rehabilitation project'.
Black Jewels AU (working title)
Rating: E Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: Black-Jeweled Warlord Prince Bucky aids a jewel-broken Purple Dusk Warlord Zemo, and now he can't quite get rid of him Length: One-Shot
Summary:
Warlord Princes are frightening enough without being a recently released one with a known history of violence. However, there's something about a rather bold little Warlord who has decided this particular Warlord Prince might not be as violent as people have made him out to be.
Trouble Is A Friend Of Mine (working title)
Rating: M (for violence more likely than smut tbh) Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: Dead Dove 'selling' of Zemo to track a group that goes WHOOPSY SIDEWAYS. Length: One-Shot
Summary:
As the only one of them with a built-in tracker - courtesy of the RAFT - and a long history of infiltration, it's decided that sending Zemo into the hornet's nest is the best way to find the nest itself. When that tracker fails them, a question must be asked: did Zemo plan his escape, or is he in more danger than they prepared for?
All The Ways I Died (working title)
Rating: T-M (undecided) Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: It's Hanahaki Disease with Zemo. That's it. Length: One-Shot
Summary:
Zemo's fucking pissed to realize that he's in love with someone again; he'd ignore it, if it wasn't literally killing him.
Seeing Double (working title)
Rating: M-E Ship: WinterBaron (maybe WinterStrange, too, we're undecided babes) Key Points: TWO BUCKY FOR THE PRICE OF ONE HEADACHE. Length: One-Shot
Summary:
The multiverse opening up has resulted in a wide assortment of undesirable things. When one of those things involves Sam, Bucky, and Zemo finding themselves a still brainwashed Bucky Barnes, it's time to go have a talk with a wizard sorcerer.
Hunter's Moon (Series Title)
Rating: E Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: Hunter x Werewolf, knotting, general supernatural chaos Length: One-Shot Series
Summary:
Zemo is a hunter of all things supernatural, and when he captures Bucky his intention is to find out where the rest of Bucky's pack is - unfortunately, Bucky has no pack, and Zemo just doesn't believe that. It means he'll have to keep him around until the full moon comes calling - or the pack does.
To The Victors
Rating: M Ship: WinterBaron Key Points: Charity event to rebuild Novi Grad after the fall of the Avengers? :3 Length: One-Shot
Summary:
(why did I decide to put summaries on any of these, I hate writing summaries...)
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kyber-crystal · 4 years
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Maybe It’s Meant To Be
Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader
Words: ~3.7k
Summary: Sometimes, love finds people in unexpected ways. In this case, fate has extra special plans for America’s golden boy and one of SHIELD’s best agents in history. And you know there’s no running away from fate once she’s set out your futures for you. 
Warnings: mentions of violence and blood, angst, and once again, soft steve :)
A/N: I haven’t attempted a soulmate AU in over a year. this is one of my fav works but it’s really poorly written rip. The age gap between you and Steve is ~3 years. 2017 AU where they made up after the Accords :) Steve’s back with his WS look bc that suit was hot af
Tags: @pies-writes-and-more​ this is for you! THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING SO ACTIVE ON MY BLOG AND FOR YOUR SWEET AND SUPER ENCOURAGING WORDS. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. AND @marvelsswansong BECAUSE YOU'RE MY IDOL AND I LOOK UP TO YOU YOU'RE AMAZING
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Soulmates.
You'd heard plenty about them growing up. Seeing your parents' perfect relationship blossom over the years piqued your interest, and for the longest time, your only wish was to find someone who could love you with their whole heart and soul and mind, like the way your Mom and Dad loved each other.
Unfortunately, as all stories must come to an end, love stories had to find their ending. And not all of them ended on a high note.
Their jobs should've kept them apart from the beginning. Your mother was head surgeon at one of the best hospitals in Brooklyn, and your father was head of SHIELD's navy division. Constantly out and about, they were rarely granted any time to rest. Yet they still found a way to make things work; and it all started because of a run-in at a café around the corner.
Then when you were fifteen, you got word that your father had been deployed overseas again, but this time, he wasn't coming back.
You had to stand there and watch your mother slowly fall apart, breaking down a little more each day until she fell gravely ill. A mere week after her diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, she passed away in her sleep.
A person's soulmark didn't appear at a specific time. It could show up at any point in their lives, when the Gods believed the time was right for them. When those Gods felt the time was right for you to find out who it was, you'd feel a slight tingle where the mark was etched into your skin.
Some people didn't receive the soulmark at all. Along with this came a sense of freedom to fall in love with whoever they pleased, but often times it would end in a loveless relationship. But they were additionally granted the ability of being able to carry on by themselves.
If your soulmate got injured in any way, you would feel the same pain that they endured. And if they died, you would carry a weight around with you for the rest of your life that slowly progressed into a disease. So ultimately, those left in the world without their soulmate would also die in the end, further proving the claim of humans being unable to live without love.
One by one, you watched your friends find their match. They would excited come up to you, goofy grins on their faces as they showed you their marks. You were happy for them in the beginning, of course. But as years went by, and you passed adulthood with still no sign of your designated soulmark, you slowly began losing hope. There was no point in looking forward to the future when you watched one fall apart before your very eyes.
Maybe it was because of your job. None of the Avengers had received their soulmarks either, asides from Tony and Pepper. But they were an exception. Everyone could see it coming from the day they first met, judging by the way they lovingly gazed at each other from across the room. It was a match made in heaven.
You believed that maybe, just maybe, you were destined to be alone. So when you woke up one morning with the burn mark on your wrist, you were taken completely by surprise.
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"Hey, Tony? Bruce?" you asked, walking into the lab with a frown. "I need to ask you guys a quick question."
"Ask away, Killer," Tony nodded, using the nickname he'd given you years ago when you first joined the initiative. "What's on your mind?"
"So, um..." you fiddled with the sleeve of your sweatshirt for a moment, before pulling it up to reveal the mark, "this happened."
"That's a soulmark," he stated.
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," you rolled your eyes. "But why would it appear now? I don't see any sign of me meeting them anytime soon."
"When did it appear?"
"I don't know. I woke up this morning and saw it."
"Let me take a look at that," Bruce carefully took ahold of your wrist, squinting as he adjusted his glasses to peer at the mark, "huh. So it appeared last night...have you felt any side-effects?"
"Not that I know of yet, no..."
"If you start feeling any severe symptoms, I can prescribe you some medication to deal with the pain, though I doubt that's going to happen. In the meantime, we need to figure out who this could be."
"Imagine if it was someone who already died, and I'm slowly dying right now," you joked.
"No, if that were to be true, you'd be lying in a hospital bed right now."
"Does the symbol have any specific meaning?"
"That I'm not so sure about," Tony shrugged.
Bruce was silent as he began typing away for a bit, before turning the screen over to you.
"I've checked out over a dozen different sites about this, and..."
"And what?"
"Well...once both people discover their mark, they have a week to find each other before both of them disappear off the face of the earth, forever."
"Sounds like a damn time bomb to me," you muttered. "What the hell? I thought that the point of this whole thing was the gods trying to push us with someone else! Not the other way around!"
"I don't know, Y/N," Bruce sighed. "Feel free to do your own research, but everything I've read up on so far says the same thing."
"So basically, what you're telling me is I'm gonna die if I don't find out who the hell has this same mark as I do," you repeated.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Well, I'll have to worry about that later. Got a briefing with Cap, Bucky, and Wilson in five. Fury's gonna kill me if I'm late again," you breathed out as you tugged your hoodie's sleeve back down. "See ya."
"Agent Y/N," Nick Fury gave you a curt nod as you burst into the meeting room, breathless. "I hope you slept well last night."
"Of course."
"I need you four to track down a weapons dealer in Skagway," he explained as he handed Steve a black manila file folder, "shut down the base, download the intel onto the flashdrive. You’ll be staying at a safe house in Juneau afterwards for about a week to keep things on the down-low in case something goes wrong. Simple in-and-out job."
"When are we leaving?" Sam questioned.
"You're taking off in half an hour. Suit up."
You sighed. Finding your soulmate would just have to wait, then.
...
"Y/N, look out!"
You quickly whipped around and narrowly missed a bullet whizzing past you, as Steve tugged you around the corner, an arm wrapped firmly around your torso as he hid you both behind his shield.
You gasped as you felt a sharp pain in your chest, and Steve immediately pulled away from you in alarm, gripping your shoulders worriedly. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” you panted, trying to steady your rapid breathing, “I’m fine. But we’re gonna have to split up from here if we wanna get the job done faster.”
“Y/N, I can’t-”
“Steve,” you interrupted, the firm tone of voice making him immediately shut up. “I can handle myself just fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure! Go find Sam and Bucky, and I’ll meet you guys by the rendezvous point as soon as I’m done. Okay?”
“Alright.” He looked around for a moment before stepping away, as if he was hesitant to leave you on your own.
Ignoring the slight ache in your chest, you parted ways, darting down the hall with your guns up and ears alert. 
From there, it was easy to fall into your usual routine. Keep all eyes and ears open; don’t hesitate, shoot on sight unless ordered otherwise. If necessary, engage powers but if not, use your fists or bullets. The mantra repeated itself over and over in your head as you followed through with your job.
You hid behind a tower of wooden crates, back pressed up against the steel walls. “Sam. Status update?”
“Controls room with Barnes, disabling all security systems. Steve’s retrieving intel from the north wing. You?”
“Outside on standby,” you murmured, keeping a finger pressed to your ear. Three technicians were loading equipment onto crates as the other six stood guard several yards away. “I make nine hostiles on the load dock straight ahead at twelve o’clock. Three dozen in total scattered around the area. Most likely preparing for an overseas arms trade. We’ll have to stop them.”
“And...done. We’re heading your way,” Bucky reported. “Be there in three.”
“Roger that.”
Exactly three minutes and two seconds later Bucky showed up, with Steve and Sam in tow. You came out from your hiding spot and began making your way towards the loading dock where the agents were stationed. They were quick to stop what they were doing and noticed the four of you approaching, whipping their snipers out and proceeding to open fire.
...
Your breath came out in white wisps of fog as you got caught in between a fistfight with one of the three dozen men on the docks, the freezing cold slowing all your movements and making them feel more sluggish than usual. If it weren’t for the thick material of your suit and your enhancements, you would’ve succumbed to the harsh weather hours ago.
The man captured you into a tight headlock with his thick arm but despite your frostbite you were too fast; you quickly whipped around and grabbed his wrist, twisting it to the side. His eyes widened slightly as he cried out in pain, the sickening crunch of bone echoing through the frigid Alaskan air as you swiftly dodged each one of moves as he attempted to come at you, countering with a sharp right hook to his jaw. 
His body slumped to the ground with a thump. 
“Why the hell do you even carry around a sniper if your fists do all the work for you?” Sam yelled over the cacophony as he released Redwing, swooping down from the rooftops. “Seriously, you don’t need guns! You’re strong enough as it is!”
“I prefer versatility in fights, Wilson!” you yelled back, grunting as you dodged a blow to the stomach, sweeping out your attacker’s feet from underneath him as his head smacked against the wall, before sliding down to the ground with a dull thud. 
“Y/N, look out-” Bucky called out, but it was too late. You didn’t get to hear his warning in time before you felt something cold and hard hit your lower abdomen. A yell of pain ripped through your throat as you felt a sticky warmth spread across your skin, your knees hitting the ground as you clutched the wound.
At that exact moment, Steve felt a sharp pain flare up his side as well. “Shit,” he cursed to himself, “Buck, cover me so I can get to her.”
You were barely clinging on to life by the time he reached you. Your breathing was heavy and labored, your eyes beginning to roll back as you struggled to stay awake. Everything hurt. Your arms and legs felt like they were weighed down with bricks. You couldn’t move. You couldn’t open your mouth to scream, either - you had no energy left to do so.
“Come on, Y/N, stay with me, please stay with me,” he muttered as he began carefully applying pressure to your wound. You let out a hiss of pain at the same time he did. “Just hang in there for me, please. Sam’s getting the Quinjet ready. We’re gonna get out of here in just a few minutes, okay? Please don’t die on me.”
“Look, if I don’t make it-”
“Don’t say that,” he spoke in between clenched teeth while fighting back tears of his own, “you’re not going to die. Not today, not tomorrow, and certainly not on my watch.”
“Steve…” you croaked out, the stinging from the wound almost becoming impossible to bear. Your eyes were becoming heavier by the second, your body throbbing painfully now that all the adrenaline had worn off. It was a struggle just to take in a single breath and to stay awake. "I'm so tired, I can't do this anymore..."
He disappeared from your line of sight as your began seeing spots at the edges of your vision momentarily, before reappearing and pulling you into his lap, trying to put pressure on the area of injury again in an attempt to stem the bleeding. But it didn’t seem to work. There was so much blood. So much of it, coming out so fast. There was no way you’d last out here for longer than ten minutes before bleeding to death.
"Stay with me..." he murmured as he looked up around him. "Hang in there for a few more minutes, please…Damn it, Sam, how much longer is this gonna take? Y/N’s down. We gotta get her to the safe house as soon as we can. She’s bleeding out.”
"Three minutes, tops. I’m circling the perimeter as an extra precaution," Sam replied. "You guys hang tight for a sec."
"We don't have time!" he raised his voice. "Just hurry the hell over here."
"I'm so sorry," you choked out before going into a coughing fit, blood dripping down your lips and chin much to Steve’s alarm. "I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry for being reckless and not keeping a look ou—"
"Shhh, it's okay," he soothed, "There’s nothing to be sorry about. Just save your energy for later, okay? You're gonna be just fine."
"Hold my hand," you begged hoarsely.
"I already am," the super-soldier answered, but his look shifted to that of an alarmed one when he realized you couldn't feel it. "Y/N—"
"I'm cold," you said weakly, already feeling your limbs grow heavy and numb and your vision growing blurrier with each passing second. "I'm so tired, Cap, I just wanna sleep—"
"No no no, please don't leave me," he pleaded as he felt his head begin to spin as well. Where had the sudden wave of dizziness come from? "Hang in there for a little longer, please, I l—"
You didn’t get to hear the rest of his sentence before your eyes fluttered shut and everything went dark.
...
When you came to, your throat felt dry and raw, the metallic taste of dried blood around your lips and chin overwhelming your senses as you adjusted your eyes to the harsh bright lights streaming into the room. It looked like you were in some sort of antique coastal house, strangely void of belongings with the only decoration being a plain floral calendar hung on the wall opposite you, above the fireplace.
You were still in your suit, but your wound had been treated and wrapped up in a thick set of bandages. The couch you were on was old but extremely comfortable, so you found yourself not wanting to sit up at the same time you wanted to get up and look around.
The blinds were drawn shut, but the sunlight still managed to shine through. It was light outside, but you  weren’t sure what time it really was. The walls were a dull grey, and if you listened hard enough you could hear the faint ticking of a nearby clock and probably Bucky or Sam talking on the phone upstairs with someone in hushed whispers.
You finally pulled yourself up into a sitting position, glancing around at your surroundings. Someone quietly entered the living room and you looked up to see Steve. His shoulders sagged in relief upon seeing that you were awake.
“Hey,” his voice came out so softly it took both of you by surprise. You moved over slightly to make room for him to sit. “How are you feeling?”
“Like crap,” you groaned lightly, feeling a dull ache in your stomach where you’d been hit. “But other than that, I’m fine. What about you? Did you get hurt anywhere?”
“Body aches that come and go, but I’m fine. It isn’t your place to be worrying about me right now though, Y/N. You got shot.”
The curtains fluttered and a cool breeze rushed in, making you shiver. Steve took notice and stood up to go light up the fireplace, then sat back down and wrapped the fleece blanket around your body. You let out a small sigh of contentment. “Thanks.”
“Are you sure you’re alright? You knocked out for over twenty-six hours .”
“I’m fine, Steve, just tired...hey, how’s Bucky and Sam?”
“Sam’s upstairs radioing Fury on the mission status. Bucky’s taking a nap in the guest room.”
“Oh. Okay. So, I-” you were interrupted by a sharp stabbing sensation in your wrist. “Ow. Fuck.”
“Language,” he joked lightly, but when he saw the obvious pained expression on your face, his face fell. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just...I get those random pains from time to time. I don’t know why, but...they’ve gotten worse since we took off for Skagway and then came here...”
“I’m so sorry,” he apologized, eyes glassy with unshed tears, “I should’ve kept a closer watch over you. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine...I should’ve watched my own back better.”
You both fell into an awkward silence for several minutes before he spoke up again, the realization finally dawning on him. 
"Y/N."
"What?"
"Your wrist."
Your brows furrowed in confusion as you looked down and saw the star glowing brightly, sending a white-hot pain down your arm. "What about it?"
Steve pulled at his shirt's sleeve for a few seconds before lifting it up to reveal the same exact symbol.
"We're soulmates," you breathed out, the realization hitting you like a flash flood.
"Yeah, I guess we are, huh," he smiled softly.
“W-when did yours appear?”
“Monday afternoon.”
“Mine appeared in the morning...I showed it to Tony and Bruce and they said I had a week to find who it was or both me and my soulmate would die. So I guess we got lucky, huh? Only four more days, then...”
“Yeah, we did,” he exhaled. “I’m glad you’re the one. I can’t imagine living out the rest of my life with anyone else.”
“But Peggy...”
“She found her soulmate decades ago,” he explained, “which explained why our relationship was so short-lived. I didn’t expect to find mine...especially not after coming out of the ice. Maybe I had this coming from the get-go, I’d wonder...”
“Then how come they’d appear now?” Your brows furrowed together in confusion. “I don’t get it. We’ve known each other for years.”
“Because it was only this year that I accepted it.”
“Accepted what?”
“That I’d fallen in love with you, and I kept that inside for far too long.”
“You...what?” You were officially rendered speechless. 
“Yeah,” he chuckled lightly, face breaking into a gorgeous, million-dollar grin before turning serious again, lowering his voice. “Y/N, I’m in love with you. You are my infinity and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re my present and my future, and I hate that I couldn’t see that sooner. I should’ve known from the start that Peggy and I wouldn’t work out, but I never understood why...until I met you. I didn’t believe in the concept of soulmates because I felt I was undeserving of that love, but then you came along...and I started hoping and praying I’d find someone who’d love me as much as I love you. So now that I know for sure it’s you, that it always has been and always will be...I couldn’t be more happier that you’re my soulmate.”
You didn’t realize you were crying until he reached forward to brush your hair away from your face and wipe the stray tears that fell, before wrapping an arm around you and gently pulling you towards him.
“God, I made you cry, I’m so sorry,” he choked on a sob of his own. “I’m the worst.”
“I’m not mad at you, Steve,” you sniffed as you wiped your nose with your sleeve, and looked up and cracked a small grin. “You’re just so cheesy.”
“Can I kiss you?” he whispered, so quiet you almost didn’t catch what he said. 
“You can kiss me any day, Captain,” you smiled.
“I love you more than you know.”
“I know. I love you too.”
He then brought a hand up to cup your face, allowing his thumb to lightly skim against your cheek, his warm breath fanning against your skin.
When his lips met yours, it was like you were turning back the clock. Everything in the world stopped and held its breath,  and all the hurt, all the sadness and heartache and pain bottled up inside your body, washed away.
...
BONUS
“HOLY SHIT, Y’ALL ARE SOULMATES?”
The sound of Sam’s screeching made you finally break apart for air. You could’ve been like that for two minutes, two hours, or two weeks, you weren’t sure.
You blushed and quickly averted your gaze. 
Steve’s face was as red as a tomato. “Yeah. We are.”
“I KNEW IT! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS GONNA HAPPEN BETWEEN THEM SOON! PAY UP, BARNES! YOU OWE ME TWENTY BUCKS.”
“Come on, man,” Bucky groaned, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill. “We’re gonna head back home soon, anyways! And you’re not even poor.”
“A bet’s a bet, Barnes.”
“Of course you two bet on it,” you groaned. “Classic Sambucky activity.”
...
NINE MONTHS LATER
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Captain Rogers,” Fury announced, a rare smile gracing his normally stoic features. 
Steve did his best not to break down sobbing as he slid the ring onto your finger. With the backdrop of the waves gently crashing against the shore and the sun slowly sinking lower and lower into the horizon, he leaned down and cupped your face in his hands, passionately pressing his lips to yours. Your soulmarks glowed brightly in tandem, lighting up in a brilliant gold hue. 
Needless to say, there wasn’t a single dry eye in the house. 
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stuckylibrary · 3 years
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Group Ask 181
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Please send us an ask stating which group ask and which person you are replying to. Thank you so much in advance!
agustdynasty said:
Hello you lovely lovely people, I’m looking for a fic that I was in the middle of reading but couldn’t finish because one of those annoying “you have a virus” webpages that it would not let be back out of . It took place during the war and I believe that the commandos knew about stucky’s relationship. There is a scene in a church where an orphan child I believe asks them to put on a performance of Snow White and Bucky and Steve have to kiss since Bucky is Snow White. Thank you so much!
Anon 1 said:
Hi!! I’m trying to find a fic I read a while ago. Steve was an Omega and is set up to live with Alpha Bucky. It’s in a modern setting and they never met each other as kids. And they get really domestic and it’s super cute. Sorry I don’t remember much about the story
emmalostinwonderland and possibleplatypus sent in Season of all things* by Claudia_flies (complete | 26,466 | E) *chose not to warn
Anon 2 said:
Lost an au fic where Bucky was a SHIELD agent but Steve has still been frozen and Steve was lying/had designation problems in a D/S or A/B/O world. Bucky is an alpha and Steve is pretending to be but it makes him struggle a lot and they jerk off in the showers together because that’s normal for alphas/doms but Steve accidentally marks Bucky and it’s a huge insult in their culture so he’s offended and does it back and miscommunications until he figures out Steve is really an omega/sub
erika55wolf said:
Hi! I'm trying to find a post-winter solder fic where Bucky is on the run or homeless and doesn't even remember who he is. He was learning to be a person again and goes by the name Steve for a while because that's the only thing he remembers and feels strongly about. It was quite long, don't remember if multi-chaptered. It's possible Bucky was discovering he was gay and had sex for money, though I might be mixing it with another fic. Hope you can help!!! Thank you for everything you do
princessniitza sent in The Needle and the Killing Done* by spitandvinegar (restricted, oneshot |  7,549 | M) *rape/noncon
Anon 3 said:
Hey y'all! I read a fic a while ago where Steve painted all the avengers as saints or something along those lines and I can't find, I don't know if the author deleted it. Do you know any works like that?
Anon, princessniitza and skarabrae-stone sent in Ain’t No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down)* by spitandvinegar  (restricted, complete | 107,076 | M) *past rape/noncon, heed the tags
cyndagoaway said:
hey! haven’t looked at tumblr in a while and i was so sorry to hear about your last account! i’m looking for a fic so if you could help me out it would be cool. it’s a college au i’m pretty sure, bucky is a prostitute that meets steve at a bar, he’s hooking to pay off his student loans or something. so steve picks him up for the night and the next day when he starts college bucky is in his science class and they’re partners. sorry if it’s kinda vague.
Anon sent in Ain't No Rest Universe  by Kellyscams (series, ongoing | 314,093 | E)
Anon 4 said:
Ok this might be a bit vague but there was a fic I read a while ago where Steve and bucky were friends and then bucky moved away. Then Steve's looking for a flatmate and bucky comes to live with him. I seem to remember Steve had a stepfather that hurt his mum? Maybe guy called victor or smth? Thank you so much!
keepyourelectriceyeonme sent in G.I. Joes and 2AM Diners by OhCaptainMyCaptain (complete | 100,481 | E)
foolhappy said:
I’m looking for a fic I read a long time ago (I think just here on tumblr in a post?) where winter soldier Bucky doesn’t remember Steve but has habits left over from fighting alongside him, like keeping stuff in his pockets on one side, or describing things by shape instead of color because Steve was colorblind. Can you please help me find it again? 😭🙏
telvian said:
So I'm thinking my ask got lost in the move, or tumblr ate it. I'm looking for a fic with Viking bucky who falls in love with steve who is unknowingly the heir to some kind of irish land. He has a sheild birthmark and currently pierce is ruling his land. Bucky finds steve working in a brothel. Natasha is adopted by bucky after she tried to pickpocket him. Bucky is working on Thor's ship. Bucky is one of many sons to a Jarl, I believe this is shown at the start of the story. Thanks in advance!
agentseventyfive said:
Hey there. Thanks so much for all your hard work. Can you help me find a fic please. Bucky is staying in Clint’s apartment. Either injured or in recovery. He’s finding people interactions hard but starts to bond with Clints dog; sleeping on the sofa with the dog lying on him. Steve turns up & I think sleeps beside him on an air mattress on the floor? I’ve looked through the Lucky (Hawkeye) searches but the dog may not have been tagged despite having a big role. Thanks.
Anon 5 said:
Hi! I've been looking for this fic for almost an hour & it's driving me crazy, I was hoping you guys could help. So the details might be a bit off but it was shrunkyclunks. Bucky and Steve meet at a coffee shop where Becca works. It's Dom/sub and Bucky is a history(?) grad student (or some type of student) who ends up writing about captain america/the avengers and he ends up with a grant to open his own museum about the avengers. I think it also has Sharon&Wanda in a background relationship.
Anon 6 said:
hello there! I'm looking for a fic I read a while ago. It's post tws, bucky goes by James I believe but isn't really recovering the way they all hoped. Something magic happens and James somehow erases himself out of existence (?) So that Steve gets the old Bucky back. Somewhere at the end they get James back and Bucky goes back to his own time. I remember there was a scene in which Bucky enters James' old room and it's covered in papers and there's a gun with one bullet near the bed.
princessniitza, noneofusthesame, skarabrae-stone and drjezdzany sent in Memory* by orphan_account (oneshot | 23,934 | T) *chose not to warn
Anon 7 said: (past HTP)
There's a fic I lost where Bucky can't get off on being touched in any "inappropriate" zones because of past htp, and he can only orgasm when Steve touches him in innocent places (like arms, shoulders, etc) and praises him. Do y'all know what I'm talking about? Thanks!
keepyourelectriceyeonme sent in Need to Mean It, Concede It* by hjbaltimore (oneshot | 2,758 | M) *HTP
Anon 8 said:
Hello! I'm looking for this post-tws fic in which bucky moves into a friendly neighborhood before he meets steve again. i remember his neighbours were a lesbian couple and a woman he'd see run past every day. there was also some colourful clothing involved and a dog i think.
Anon sent in A Year in the Life of Sarge’s Person by Angst_BuriTTo, BlueSimplicity (complete | 189,125 | E)
Anon 9 said:
Hello :) I have been trying to find a fic, where the main theme is Bucky's arm and spine being operated on, so to speak, in order for him to recover after WS. I remember Tony putting together the best of the best surgeons from all over the world. I've searched through my bookmarks and my ao3 history but nothing jumps out. I remember something about Steve and Wilson finding Bucky being jumped near a lake i NY, but I'm not sure its the same fic. Can you help? Thank you.
drjezdzany and noneofusthesame sent in Thawed Out* by auburnnothenna (auburn), eretria (complete | 159,341 | E) *heed the tags!
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lovelyirony · 5 years
Note
since you said i can send in prompt (am abusing that); can i ask for ws!bucky who's been rehabilitated in the tower and is the only one who notices that tony is deaf? everyone else (except for rhodey obviously) assumes he uses JARVIS because he doesn't want to speak; but bucky makes a conscious effort to speak to him in sign language. i saw this photo on ig of seb stan using sign language to speak to one of his fans and i can't get it out of my mind since. Thank you!!
no problem! note: i don’t know much about the experience of being deaf, but I will try my best. Here are the videos I used for background research: 
https://youtu.be/0YcGev7B5AA (stuff people get wrong about being deaf) 
https://youtu.be/wr7rHD7pOsA (work stories about being deaf in a hearing dominant workforce) 
It’s one thing to get used to living with the rest of the team. James is surprised by everyone, the new habits he’s witnessing, and the fact that apparently both Natasha and Clint are banned from choosing music. 
“We’ve lived through so much,” Thor says solemnly. “Too much.” 
(He finds out from Bruce later that it’s because Clint won’t stop playing the Worst Country Songs and Natasha discovers that she can and will absolutely play the Russian national anthem at any given moment that she finds it funny.) 
But the weirdest thing of all to adjust to is that Tony Stark is deaf. Winter Soldier certainly didn’t know that, and there were many details about the Stark family life that he wasn’t supposed to know but did. (Like the alcoholism, like the way his father looked around the room the certain way, and Maria’s unhappiness.) 
No one else seems to notice when Jarvis will let out a small pulse to indicate that someone is coming up behind him, or when his hands will go up and then down immediately, as if he remembered it’s something that he won’t do. 
He doesn’t know why he’s hiding it. James can’t figure it out. 
But James figures he needs to be doing a hobby or something, so he gets the new laptop that he was given and types in the first google search: 
Sign Language Lessons. 
Well. Turns out there’s more than one variation of it, which he didn’t have a clue about. So then it’s American Sign Language, which is hard to learn at first. There are very specific ways to move, and not just in the hands. 
His teacher, a nice woman named Lisa, laughs at him within the first two weeks. 
“You’re not good at expressing emotions well on your face,” she writes out. “You have to start doing that, although I’m sure the murder-face works well on villains.” 
So James learns how to open his face more, move eyebrows, and also trying to unlearn some of the typical English rules. (New sentence formations were killing him, but they were shorter!) 
At the tower, James pieces together the past of the team and the interactions. All of the team assumed that when Jarvis spoke, it was because Tony was busy or simply didn’t want to talk. He’s known for being “man of few words,” although James can’t actually find the words that they say he’s said. 
When Rhodey comes to visit, Tony loves it. His eyes light up as he wildly expresses the new ideas. 
James manages to parse out a few words, even though he’s still not too good at it. 
Rhodey and Tony snap out rapid-signing, moving and laughing and smiling at each other. James is happy that he finally gets to the see the mysterious Tony Stark break out and be free to be exactly who he is. 
It’s about a month later when James and Tony are alone in the kitchen that he attempts to sign for the first time. 
Lisa is saying that James is actually getting pretty good at signing; he’s gone to some parties and dinner get-togethers in the last couple months, and even made new friends. 
But talking to friends and talking to a guy like Tony is entirely different. 
“Pass the coffee.” 
Tony blinks as he looks at James. James signs it again. 
He grins. It’s brilliantly blinding, and James thinks it’s the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen. 
Then comes rapid signing, which he can mostly understand. 
“I didn’t know that they taught you sign language!” Tony says, hands moving in grander gestures. “I can’t believe I didn’t know!”  
“They didn’t,” James responds back. “I just noticed that...” He pauses, trying to get the wording right. “None of us really talked to you and so I wanted to learn.” 
Tony pauses and grins, tears on the waterline of his eyes. 
“Thank you.” 
After this, James learns a lot. Tony’s built up a reputation as being mysterious because his father couldn’t afford to have a bad reputation. Back then, having a deaf child meant...too many bad things. It makes James’ blood boil when he looks at Tony, who looks so sad and so grateful at the same time to have people know. 
Rhodey is impressed that James knows sign, but is also wary. 
“Be careful, man,” he speaks. “Don’t mess this up for him.” 
“I never would.” 
Eventually, Tony builds up the courage to tell the rest of the Avengers. 
This leads to surprise, wide eyes, and Natasha pouting because she realized that Tony couldn’t hear the Russian national anthem, and thus there was no point in her next prank-plan of playing it on loop. 
“Believe me, it would still be effective,” Jarvis answers. “I would hear it.” James doesn’t know how Tony made Jarvis sound so snarky and long-suffering, but he loves it. 
The Avengers’ new plan is to work on learning ASL as well, and using it in more conversation. Tony admits to feeling left out because he couldn’t talk in a conventional way, and he missed out on a lot of the jokes. 
Teamwork and team morale gets a lot better, and they enjoy night time dinner talks, unless they’re eating a finger food and have certain things flinging around as they sign. (Grease or oil is just...oh no. Too hard to clean up.) 
James and Tony sign together, still. They take breakfast into the sunroom or out to the veranda and enjoy each other’s company. 
Tony asks James out on a date, and James smiles so hard he thinks that he’s going to burst. 
He accidentally says “thank you for questioning me” instead of “thank you for asking me,” which leads to Tony laughing for about five minutes, stopping, and then laughing again. 
They still go out on that date, and enjoy looking at the stars and talking about constellations and their stories as they eat their picnic. 
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quicksiluers · 4 years
Note
Two for the price of one ask! Blake (1917) and Sam Wilson for the character thing ☺️
Blake (1917)
Why I like them
ugh this BOY IS SO SWEET, he’s too good for this world, which I mean he’s dead now, and he’s just so...fun and caring. He wants to do what he thinks is right and protect his bro and make Scho smile and it’s just sdfghjk
Why I don’t
I mean I don’t like that he’s DEAD SO
Favorite episode (scene if movie)
I mean...he’s only in the one movie lol but! I love when he rescues Scho from the rumble, he really puts himself in charge of a crazy situation. He’s a brave boy
Favorite season/movie
lol 1917
Favorite line
“Talk to me. Tell me you know the way...” one because SADNESS but two it’s like...he’s dying but he needs to know that Scho knows how to get there, to save his brother, it’s the last thing on his mind and it’s just sO
Favorite outfit
lol I mean....his WW1 uniform
OTP
LIVING
also Scho lol
Brotp
Schofield (I can see it as otp too, works both ways for me!)
Head Canon
He loves flowers and plants, I mean when he was rattling off the different cherry trees it was great. But he learned as much as he could about them and would annoy Joe to the point where his brother would just shut the door on his face when he would ramble about it
Unpopular opinion
is there...an unpopular opinion for this sweet summer child?
A wish
that he was ALIVE
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen
HOW BOUT WE DON’T DIE HUH
5 words to best describe them
Caring, protective, sweet, naive, anddd friendly
My nickname for them
I don’t have nicknames for these people dfghjk I feel so sad
Sam Wilson
Why I like them
Sam is just the BEST, he doesn’t take shit from people. He’s understanding, he proactive, he’s funny as hell. I think he has a great way with people, which we see in that VA scene with WS, but also knows he can’t stay in the same place all his life. He’s loyal but isn’t afraid to speak his mind when he thinks something is dumb, I mean he always calls out Steve for that which I love cause he knows that man’s plans aren’t!! always the best! And when Sam got the shield at the end of Endgame...the tears streaming down my face were too much, every time I watch it I get chills. He deserves it so much ;____;
Why I don’t
uhhhhh let me...think....I don’t know I’ve never had a reason not to like Sam? But when I like a character, I don’t usual hang up what I don’t like about them
Favorite episode (scene if movie)
well I mentioned the Endgame scene which I mean RIP me, thinking about it gives me chills. I love his intro scene in WS and also his banter with Nat in CW. The scene between him and Tony in CW too was great, the one in the Raft. 
Favorite season/movie
oh jeez...this is so hard cause I love him both is WS and CW...I’m. gonna go with CW just because he has some of the best moments in that movie for me, I mean Mackie is so good with some of the jokes and things...the bit about the cats with T’Challa is the best
Favorite line
“Did you write that down first? Or was it off the top of your head?” I love it because it’s 1) taking the piss out of Steve and his big ol speech, 2) shows the kind of humor he has and the confidence he has in a big moment, 3) i just...really like it?? I know there are better lines....but I like this one...
Favorite outfit
I would say his CW Falcon outfit is my fav. But also...that purple athletic shirt he wore in WS for a few scenes, yes pls
OTP
I don’t know if I have one, but that’s just me being not a super shippy person...but then again, I can totally get behind Steve and Sam, Bucky too...if we got more Riley, that could work
Brotp
Steve (same thing, it’s like...OTP and BROTP, w/e works for me) same with Bucky (more in TFATWS pls), Natasha, Rhodey, Scott (in a sense lol)
Head Canon
He loves to do simple things? Like his life isn’t always crazy, well at least it wasn’t, but he loves a good book, love to cook for himself, visit home when he can (can he still, who knows) and just likes to have those calm moments to himself before he has to rush off and do some crazy hero things
Unpopular opinion
What’s unpopular with Sam? I mean, I remember back in the day (I’ve been in this fandom too long) people thought he was a sleeper HYDRA agent? which was....really weird, don’t like that. Why would he be that. But you know, Sam is also his own person. I feel like he doesn’t get the love that he should. More love for Sam.  
A wish
Oh jeez, I would love to learn more about Sam’s backstory in TFATWS. We have these episodes which gives us time to dive into the character and what being given the shield means to him. How he deals with situations. I just want it ALL. 
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen
hmm I mean don’t kill him you fucks....I’m watching you
5 words to best describe them
Smart, funny, passionate, strong, and caring
My nickname for them
Again...my nickname game is AWFUL
send me a character~!
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Note
Thanks for answering!! I loooove Peter and John and Emori and well most characters on your list really! While we're at it, which characters are your least favorite in MCU/the100? And which characters do you think are overrated or underrated?
Hey, awesome! And no problem! I love talking about the characters I like. You can come talk to me about them anytime! Or even characters you like that I don’t pay enough attention to.
Okay, this was a GREAT question, and I basically wrote you a novel in response.
The 100 – Clarke Griffin (if that wasn’t already obvious)
I used to love Clarke Griffin, but at this point, I just get annoyed whenever she comes on my screen. Clarke was a much stronger character in s2, when the writing committed to portraying her as flawed and morally grey and kind of ruthless in a way that was necessarily but also kind of concerning.
Now it seems like they always want to remind me she’s The Most Important – she’s almost become a version of the Chosen One trope in a narrative where that really shouldn’t be a thing – and a hero and just, like, suuuper pretty (the staircase scene was ridiculous). They’ve made her The Popular, Pretty Girl trope and I hate it. They might tell me in dialogue over and over again that there are no bad guys, but even when Clarke does bad, selfish things, they refuse to commit to it. She doesn’t face consequences and the writing is too concerned with making us side with her than actually calling her out. Even this season while other characters have been listing why they’re angry with her, everything is framed in a way to make us sympathize with her.
Letting a character do flawed things but trying to sway the viewer to ignore those flaws and loudly tell me that they’re still a good person rather than showing it is the easiest way to get me to not like a character. They’ve written Clarke as incredibly selfish, arrogant, and unwilling to listen to anyone else, unwilling to truly apologize or learn from her mistakes – but they just won’t admit to it or let her grow. OR commit to an actual downward spiral arc. Either would be accepted.
Plus, she’s just boring now. Everything comes too easily for her – people she’s hurt forgive her too easily, and the nightblood is basically a superpower at this point. The writing of her is just lazy and it’s not compelling.
MCU – Steve Rogers
I also used to like Steve. Whedon’s characterization was always off (and I think AoU really contributed to the problems in his overall arc), but I liked him a lot in Cap 1 and Winter Soldier is still one of my favorite MCU movies and the best handling of his character overall.
I need to rewatch the MCU before I really dive into just what went wrong with Steve’s character, but I just never really found him as compelling a character past WS and I was mad at him more than I liked or sided with him. Even with Endgame, I was just indifferent to how his story ended.
I think he suffers from a lot of the same problems as the writing for Clarke does. Steve has flaws and that’s great – it makes him interesting and human – but even while the narrative shows you his flaws, it tries to push you to ultimately ignore them because he’s a hero and we’re supposed to side with him because they already established he’s a good man. The problem is that Steve’s flaws ultimately get shown a lot more than his heroic, moral side as the movies go on. And despite not showing us that heroic side, they keep loudly telling us over and over again that Steve still is a selfless hero who will lay down on the wire – something he actually hasn’t shown he will do (for anyone but Bucky, maybe) for several movies now. In fact, he’s the only one in Endgame who really doesn’t do “whatever it takes” or have to sacrifice ANYTHING.
What @gamorazenwhoberis says in this post really explains it better than I am right now.
In short, starting with AoU (the root of so many characterization issues in the MCU), the writing starts telling us that Steve’s a selfless hero and a shining example of a good man while only really showing us his flawed behavior. It’s hard to keep buying that Steve is the “lay down on the wire” type when he doesn’t do anything to prove it. I also really struggle to side with him in later movies because I find him, in the wise words of Rhodey, “dangerously arrogant.” Steve’s intentions are always good, but he never believes he can be wrong, and that’s a problem. And again, that could be a really interesting character flaw if portrayed as a flaw – but I think too often the narrative ultimately expects us to side with him because…I don’t know, he’s Captain America, you know?  
It’s not necessarily Steve’s fault, because I think he IS meant to be portrayed as an ultimately heroic man who wants to help people but still has realistic human flaws – it’s the writing’s fault, because they way they end up framing it makes it look like Steve is all talk when it comes to heroic sacrifices but, unlike his fellow Avengers, unwilling to sacrifice or compromise.  
Also, I’ll be honest - I relate so much with Tony and project so much onto him that a lot of his actions in Civil War felt like a personal betrayal and I had a hard time liking him again after that movie. I still like him just fine in the first few films and I actually did enjoy a lot of scenes in Endgame, but a lot of his actions bother me and never feel like they’re actually addressed in a way that calls him out and the writing of him REALLY bothers. And when I’m not mad it him in later movies, I’m mostly indifferent. I do love him in other universes though.
Underrated
1. JAMES RHODEY RHODES DOES NOT GET ENOUGH APPRECIATION!!! He’s fantastic and I love him and I really wish he was given a bit more room to shine in IW/Endgame, even though I get they’re juggling too many characters. They just handled him SO WELL in Civil War that I wanted to see more writing that showed how much conviction and sense of duty he had. Also the brief moment where he talked about being paralyzed and how they have to “work with what they’ve got” was so good, I wanted so much more of it.
2. Maria Hill! The writing has really wronged her. I didn’t like her writing in Age of Ultron at all (she’s not a secretary, Whedon), and she’s been such an afterthought in the MCU since then. I’m so excited to see her come back in FFH, because I think there’s still so much cool stuff they could do with her. I’d actually love them to write her with a bit more 616 characterization, because in comics she’s kind of both The Worst and The Best all at once. She’s just MEAN. But she also helps run a massive intelligence agency with an iron fist and has a strong sense of duty and right and wrong and she’s more than a little terrifying. She’s just great. I’m glad to see her back. I love that she’s still been doing her part to help protect the world even with SHIELD gone.
3. NEBULA!!! She has such a good arc and she was wonderful in Endgame and this whole fandom sleeps on her and it’s unacceptable.
Overrated
1. Wanda Maximoff. :/ I really, really WANT to like MCU Wanda, and Elizabeth Olson does an amazing job with what she’s given, but her character bothers me a lot. I like the concept of her arc going from villain to hero. She’s really similar to Nebula in that way – her turn to villainy was born from trauma, but over time she learned to repurpose that trauma into a way to help other people.
The problem is that….it just kind of doesn’t work for me. Part of it is that she also suffers from the Clarke Griffin Problem – aka, she’s flawed and she makes mistakes and the dialogue tells me this, but she either avoids consequences or she fails to apologize for them. In theory, I like her arc about mistakes and atonement and doing better (which is exactly why I love Tony and Natasha and Nebula), but the writing of it doesn’t work for me. And her relationship with Vision is just so boring it’s hard to be invested. I think they did such a disservice to her by killing off her most interesting relationship, even though I know it was for legal reasons. (I do like her relationship with Clint, though.)
2. Carol Danvers. :( Again, I WANT to like her so badly. I love comics Carol so much. I bought a Captain Marvel shirt for the premiere. I have a Captain Marvel coffee mug. I’ve been looking forward to her movie for YEARS.
But I just find MCU Carol incredibly bland. There isn’t much depth to her even after her own solo movie, and I think Captain Marvel did a terrible job of developing her – especially in comparison to how well other MCU heroes have been developed in their own solo films. She has a lot of surface-level qualities that are fun – like being headstrong and snarky and a badass (I AM delighted that there’s no question she is the strongest hero) – but there just isn’t much emotional depth to flesh her out. I still feel like all I really know about her are basic facts and not anything about what she believes in or feels, and I feel like I was more emotionally connected with Maria in one scene than I ever was with Carol. I’m really hoping her next movie fixes that problem for me because I want to love her.
Thanks for asking!! I’m not kidding. You can always come yell at me about fictional characters. :)
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imaginetonyandbucky · 5 years
Text
Phase Change: Chapter 1
The man who used to be both Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier but now is neither has to figure out who he is and what he wants, with a little prodding from Tony along the way.
Prompt: “I love Tony x Winter Soldier, so pretty please, can one of you write something with Bucky in WS mode? Idk, maybe WS who doesn't understand concept of feelings, but he's aware that he has them and he doesn't know what to do with them, so he decides to ask Tony, who is not only genius but also the object of those feelings, so he's perfect person to ask in Soldiers reasoning...”
Also on AO3
The soldier aka James Buchanan Barnes code name ‘Bucky’ distinctly remembers the first time he saw Anthony Edward Stark also known as Tony code name ‘Iron Man.’ He had been stepping off the jet that had been used to transport him to Stark Tower, where he was being remanded to the custody of the Avengers until, as one SHIELD officer put it when he didn’t realize the soldier was listening, “the government figures out what to do with him.”  Anthony Edward Stark was standing on the landing pad, flanked by people, some of whom the soldier recognized, some he didn’t, but all of which were watching him with varying degrees of wariness.  At the feeling of all of those eyes on him the soldier slowed, heart pounding as adrenaline flooded him.  He gritted his teeth and flexed his hands, trying to choke down the urge to lash out, to fight back, to run, and the effort made his steps grind to a halt halfway across the landing pad.
Anthony Edward Stark was the one who took two steps forward when everyone tensed, who pushed his sunglasses down his nose so he could look the soldier in the eye.  He raised his chin, jaw tight, as Stark studied him, and then watched in surprise as wariness turned to understanding. Stark gave him a short nod and then the sunglasses were back in place as he turned away towards the others.  “You guys, I think the welcoming party isn’t helping.  Let’s give him some space, yeah?” And just like that the landing pad cleared until it was just the soldier and Steven Grant Rogers code name Captain America.
He heard Steven Grant Rogers let out a long exhale in relief.  “Come on, Bucky.  You’re going to be bunking next to me for now,” he said over his shoulder as he started to walk towards the tower.  The soldier hesitated a split second before he remembered code name Bucky and followed.
(More after the break!)
The soldier spent the next few weeks pacing around the compound, feeling trapped.  His living quarters were the worst because that’s where Steven Grant Rogers “Please, Buck, call me Steve” was, where he always seemed to be watching the soldier with alternating hope and despair. Both made the asset equally uneasy; he felt like he was failing at a mission he’d never been briefed on.
So he paced.  On one of the early days he found the range but not an armory, which was probably wise.  Sometimes he wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t fight his way out if he had a weapon, even though he knew he’d agreed to come here and agreed to stay.  He found multiple kitchens and gyms, shied away from the offices and other peoples’ living quarters, and ran the tree line that served as the edge of the property so many times that he’d memorized it.
He realized, after a while, that he was bored.
Then he realized he'd been under surveillance the whole time when he saw Anthony Edward Stark jogging across a grassy expanse to intercept him on one of his runs.
“Hey Murderbot,” Stark said, and the soldier had stiffened, worried that he’d broken some unknown rule by going outside. “Follow me. You need a hobby, it’s driving me crazy watching you pace around this place like a caged tiger.”  He gestured and started walking back towards the compound. After a moment, the soldier followed.
Stark took him back to the range, but this time he went to a panel on the far wall; when he put his palm on it, part of the wall slid to the side to reveal the armory.  “I understand that this is your thing,” Stark said, waving his hand towards the mouthwatering array of pistols, rifles, throwing knives, and assorted other weapons that were on display.  “Have fun.  Just as a note, the guns will self-destruct if taken out of this room.” Stark glanced at him, gaze more measuring than suspicious.  “Steve thinks this is a bad idea.  Please don’t prove him right.”
The soldier gave him a nod, already reaching for a rifle.
That night, for the first time since he’d arrived at the compound, the soldier slept through the night.  The next morning, as he was trying to find something to eat, he was drawn to one of the kitchens by the smell of food and coffee and found Stark there.
“Morning, sunshine,” Stark said without looking up from his phone. “Did you have a good time yesterday?” The soldier grunted assent while he assembled himself a plate of food.  “Great,” Stark continued, apparently satisfied with that answer.  “Well, you’ve been here forty-two days now, I feel like I’ve been patient enough.  Would you mind joining me in my lab so I can take a look at your fancy metal arm?”
The soldier stood near the entrance to the kitchen as he ate, chewing thoughtfully as he considered.  “Yes,” he said finally, having decided that keeping Stark’s mysterious goodwill outweighed the deep unease he felt at the idea.
At that, Stark finally looked up at him. “So he does talk,” Stark said with a crooked smile.  “It doesn’t have to be today.  Take your time, warm up to the idea, and let me know when you’re ready.” He stood and put his phone in his pocket and the crumb-filled plate in the sink.  He filled up his cup with more coffee and on his way out of the kitchen he said over his shoulder, “Oh, and same rules as yesterday.  Steve thinks this is alsoa bad idea, so when you do come, please don’t prove him right by trying to kill me or destroy my lab.”
The soldier scowled, starting to get the feeling that Steven Grant Rogers’ opinions were one of the reasons why he’d been so bored lately.  He raised his chin. “Now,” he growled, half-expecting Stark to argue with him, but he only shrugged.
“If you say so. Follow me.”
Stark led him to a set of steel reinforced double doors that the soldier had passed a number of times but had never been able to access.  As Stark walked up, the doors opened on their own and the room inside was huge, a bland institutional gray filled on one side with machines and desks and toolboxes and on the other with a variety of fast-looking vehicles.
The soldier liked it immediately.
“This is my lab, my sanctum sanctorum, my home away from home, so don’t touch anything.  Except this chair,” Stark said, pushing a wheeled stool towards him. “Please sit on the chair.”
The soldier sat.  “I’m not Hydra’s attack dog anymore,” he said gruffly, and Stark’s eyebrows went up.  “I’m not going to hurt you or destroy anything.”
“I think so, too,” Stark said after a moment as he cleared a space on a work table. “But I think Steve…well, let’s say he would prefer to be safe than sorry.”  He patted the table for the soldier to place his arm on it and dragged up a chair for himself. “So tell me about this thing.”
The soldier let go of his aggravation at Steven Grant Rogers and began rattling off specifications from memory, recalling all the times the technicians had discussed his arm in his presence as if he were just another piece of machinery.  He directed Stark to the access panels and then conversation gradually trailed off as Stark became engrossed in investigating his arm.
After approximately an hour, Stark leaned back and rubbed his eyes. “JARVIS got enough scans of this that I can go ahead and finish up here so I don’t take more of your time. I think the perimeter guards are probably wondering why you are late for your morning marathon.”  The soldier scowled at that.  Boredom had apparently made him predictable. “Hey, so I’m sorry if this is a rude question, but what should I call you?” Stark asked as he started refastening the access panels on the arm.
He hesitated. “Bucky?”
Stark’s forehead creased at his answer.  “I get the feeling,” he said carefully, still looking down at what he was working on, “that you don’t actually like that name.”
The soldier felt a split second of surprise before he schooled his emotions.  How had Stark noticed what others had not?  He didn’t like being called "Bucky."  Bucky was a ghost, less a memory than an abstract fact the soldier would rather forget. There was another long pause while he thought.  “Soldier?” he ventured.  He saw a tic in Tony’s jaw that meant he didn’t like that answer either.
But Stark didn’t say anything until he was finished with the arm, setting his tools down on his work table before he sat up to face the soldier. The soldier relaxed when he saw that Stark’s expression wasn't angry or disappointed.  “Come on, ‘soldier’ isn’t a name," Stark said with a faint smile.  "It’s barely a title.”
The soldier pondered that. “Soldat?” he said after a few moments.
Stark snorted. “I know soldat is just Russian for soldier.  Look, if you don’t like Bucky or James or any of the names you were born with, I can give you a new one.  Just ask Captain Hotpants or Point Break.” The solder felt the corner of his lips turn up at Captain Hotpants and saw Stark’s answering smile.  “But I think it’s important that you decide on a name you like.”
He pondered that.  He’d gone by a lot of names in his life, some for longer than others.  “Yasha,” he said, as he stood to leave.  “Call me Yasha.”
“Alright.  Let me know if you have any problems with the arm, and maybe take it easy with the exercising.  Don’t you read or watch movies or do anything that involves…sitting?”
The thought of sitting for any length of time made Yasha’s skin crawl. Except…he’d just sat here for over an hour and didn’t feel like punching his way out of the room and then the compound.  He narrowed his eyes at Stark, who already seemed to have forgotten him as he pushed himself across the floor on his wheeled stool to a computer on another table. He grunted, more to himself than in response to Tony’s question, and went to the armory instead of for his usual run.
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viperbranium · 5 years
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hi if you don’t mind me asking how people manage that trope with cap!steve not knowing bucky in most of those fics? like is it more comics complain steve than mcu? because then steve’d have just gotten beat up to a pulp, and erskine wouldn’t have heard him and bucky talking and steve wouldn’t have gone to phillips to ask if bucky was alive, and his revenge spree at the end was because bucky got killed, so much of ws and cw changes too, it has to be comics steve, i can see bucky’s story unfold(1)
without steve because doesn’t matter if he is the winter soldier or not, it happened for external circumstances, if he isn’t then that means he lived happily with his family with the life he deserved and if he still has superpowers that means some accident or war or nazis or russians, i’m sorry for annoying you but it’s so interesting i never realized how intricate bucky is on steve’s motivations but taking him out of it in the mcu wouldn’t be like saying oh bucky doesn’t matter? are those fic 2
like bucky has no impact at all and everything’s the same without him when in the mcu is not like that at all or steve has his origins like in comics? i’m sorry i must sound like such an annoying stan but it sounded like a trope i’d like to read but also bucky and sam are my faves so i don’t want to go and read fics that are like bucky can be easily replaced and get annoyed without need, i already get fuming with rage bc people do that to sam a lot in fics, i don’t want to add bucky to the list
Phew okay there’s a lot to unpack here, let’s see…
Okay so for starters I’d definitely recommend giving the trope a chance if it sounds like something you’d want to read. It’s a very popular one and there are LOTS of different fics, there’s bound to be one that you’ll like. As it usually happens, whether we like a fic or not depends A LOT on how the writer executes a concept. I’m sure we’ve all found some fic that seemed like it’d be our dream fic, like oH GOD THIS HAS EVERY SINGLE TROPE I LOVE, THIS FIC IS EVERYTHING I WANTED, only to then read it and realize that it wasn’t, in fact, everything we wanted. Not by a long shot.
Secondly, you have to keep in mind that, although there’s definitely a bunch of these cap!steve x modern!bucky fics that are plot heavy, a lot of the appeal is the fact that it allows us to play in a sandbox that’s close to canon, with characters we already know and a storyline that’s already established, but while keeping the overall tone a lot lighter and more cheerful. A lot of these fics are just about all the ways in which they could meet and them coming together as a couple in the modern world, and don’t really dwell all that much in how Steve lived without Bucky before the ice. It’s not that Bucky becomes replaceable, it’s just that… well, it’s a meet-cute fic. There’s lots of different kinds of fic, and not all them have to be super deep and meaningful. Sometimes we just want to read about Captain America going on a morning run and stepping on dog poop and slipping and a random passerby that turned out to be Bucky catching him before he face-plants the floor and Steve being a bit awestruck by this beautiful stranger, ya feel?
Most of the one’s I’ve read (and definitely all the ones I’ve written or plan to write) are based on the movies. Canon compliant doesn’t mean it has to follow canon to a T. These AUs work because we know Steve is fundamentally a good person, with or without Bucky. Like, sure, Bucky’s the most important person in his life, but that doesn’t mean Steve would’ve acted differently without him in the picture – f.e. in The First Avenger, Steve wanted to join the army DESPITE Bucky. So if we were to write a fic with Steve not having met Bucky yet, for most of us it’s perfectly believable that Steve would still join the army and become Captain America. The HOW specifically depends on the writer, if they even want to go into detail at all – Steve might’ve kept trying to join under different names, which might’ve ended up getting him arrested. Erskine might’ve heard about it and then upon seeing how badly Steve wanted to join, the same conversation they have in the movie that led to Steve being accepted into the program might’ve taken place. Steve sees Peggy in Italy and she gives him the push he needs to go rescue the men captured in Azzano because Steve is a good man who would try to rescue these people anyway, whether Bucky was a prisoner himself or not (and also Steve was already fed up with the whole being a ‘dancing monkey’ thing, and it’s implied in the movie that he would’ve taken action after his conversation with Peggy anyway, it just so happens that that’s when he hears about Bucky too). Steve would’ve still tried to defeat the Red Skull and would’ve still put down the plane to protect humanity, and then he would’ve still woken up in the 21st century and fought alongside the other Avengers to protect the world.
So you see, it can definitely work. Obviously at some point these fics stop following canon – from The Winter Soldier onwards the plot obviously has to be different, but I don’t see why that’s an issue? There are MILLIONS of fics out there that only follow canon up to a point and then diverge from it. That’s like, Fanfiction 101.
And Bucky can still be the most important person in Steve’s life in these fics, even if they meet later on – often you’ll see how Steve has never really felt like he’s “home” nor been truly happy until he meets Bucky, or how Bucky is what helps him adjust to this new life in the 21st Century. But in any case, the tone in (most of) these fics tends to be a lot lighter than what you’re thinking. They CAN be deep and meaningful and plotty, but in most cases you have to think of them as the love child between a canon fic and a modern au. If you enjoy reading modern aus where they just meet and fall in love and are still the most important person in the other’s life, even if their story doesn’t go like in the movies, then you should enjoy shrunkyclunks fics just fine (:
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lumilasi · 6 years
Photo
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BOII THESE TOOK ME THE WHOLE DAY
Anyway. 
Prepare for long ass explanation because these two pictures have a kinda long context/BG story to them.
So, I red this one fic a whiile back (I can’t remember which, but I’ll link it if I can find it) which had a darker version of Steve and all, and shit went down, lemme tell ya.
I was kinda inspired by that take on Steve and wrote my own story, now the difference being I haven’t published that one for several reasons;
1. It’s more of a collection of scenes and doesn’t have a proper plot
2. I find it has elements too similar to the inspiration source atm
3. I HAVE A LONG-ASS (grimmichi, a whole other fandom) FIC I NEED TO FINISH FIRST
  (probably....likely I start writing another one before I get even halfway done with that one)
Anyway.
In this story, which I only really sent to my friend @mad-hatter-rici the world is basically gone to shit and Steve is much harsher and morally ajar than the dorito we are more used to. Despite this he still adored his Bucky, because obviously he would. Unfortunately, this Steve’s Bucky began to go crazy due to the serum he was given, and eventually he turned into a complete psycho so Steve had no choice but to kill him. (The bg story for this world setting would be pretty different, there would be no WS period, you don’t need that kinda misery on top of everything) 
Naturally Steve was badly shaken by that experience, and became even colder than he normally was.
Then, he ends up in Wakanda by accident as his plane crashes (you know, Steve and planes don’t mix well) which would be the hidden and highly advanced nation it is in the canon.
He finds out there is ANOTHER Bucky living there, who appeared around ten years ago. This Bucky’s world was destroyed by the Space Grape (Thanos) but he somehow got sent to another dimension instead of dying. 
Also, this Bucky gained some weird magic powers while floating in between dimensions; he can look into people’s dreams and thoughts and walk on the astral plane. (these powers also protect him passively from people with bad intent for some reason, basically blasting anyone away who intends to harm him. I had a whole story behind the reason why, but I’m not gonna go into that because this post is already reeeally long, at least by my standards)
He’s basically a friend of the king (naturally it took him quite a bit of time to gain T’Challa’s trust) and occasionally does missions for him. (mostly he just hangs out in his plum farm and prefers not to wear his metal arm then, too many sad/bad memories)
So.
Naturally, poor broken-hearted Steve grows infatuated with this kinder Bucky, but the same time feels he doesn’t deserve the kindness given to him by our brunet given what he’d done.
FINALLY
As for these two pictures
Since Bucky astral-traveled into Steve’s dream to ease his nightmare, Steve is now able to do the same, spirit-walk to Bucky which he’s done in these pics.
....................................................
..................................
Such a long explanation just to get to that final sentence.
Wow.
Steve and Bucky (C) marvel
art (C) me
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imaginetonyandbucky · 6 years
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Hi!! Thanks opening prompts; I was wondering if anyone is interested in writing a Post TWS fic where the WS is on the loose and kidnaps Tony to be his new handler since he's good with mainteance for his arm and giving out orders and falls for him bringing sparks of Bucky back. While Tony alrrady knows (through Jarvis searches) that WS was responsible for his parents deaths and while he is angry he's tryibg to survive snd wants to help Bucky. Both see how damaged the other is. Xo, Katie
A/N: I tweaked it a bit so that I could turn it into a sequel for my story One More Light, which you might need to read for context.
Also on AO3!
Out of Ashes Chapter 1: Falling
“It’s probably just a coincidence,” Tony said out loud, back in his lab and spinning around in circles in his office chair.  In his pocket he was turning the dog tag over and over in his fingers, trying to resist temptation.
“What is, sir?”
“Nothing, JARVIS.”  Tony put the tag in the top drawer of his desk and closed it firmly.  He wasn’t going to look up Barnes, James Buchanan.  Because it was just a coincidence.
“I mean, lots of people probably have that name.”
“What name, sir?”
“Never mind, JARVIS.”
Tony lasted thirty minutes before he opened the drawer again.
It took him ten to determine that there has not been another James Buchanan Barnes in the US military since the James Buchanan Barnes; there was a James Brantley Barnes twenty years ago, but that’s all. There was a James Buchanan Barnes out of Little Rock (sandy-haired and twenty years old) and one out of Fort Wayne, Indiana (fifty years old if he’s a day).   The man he’d seen was the spitting image of Bucky Barnes, if ol’ JBB had gone on a week-long bender after growing his hair out.  But no way the man he’d seen was over ninety years old.
Tony rubbed his hands over his face and stared at the picture on the screen, the hat tipped at a jaunty angle, the confident smirk and the dark, guarded eyes.  He ran his thumb over the raised letters of the dog tag for a moment before he closed the windows on his computer and tucked the tag into his pocket.
“Alright JARVIS, open up the files on the palladium, we’re going back to the drawing board.”
Beware the read more
The next day, and then the day after that, and the one after that, until it became a daily habit, Bucky checked the newspaper - first the headlines, then the obituaries, just in case.  He knew it was kind of silly, because there was no reason for him to believe that if Tony did decide to go through with it, his death would even make the news, but he did it anyway.  Gradually it evolved into also doing the crossword puzzle, then the crossword and the Sudoku, until he realized that he had made himself a whole morning routine, complete with a coffee shop where they knew his order as soon as he came in.
The first time he realized he had become predictable he panicked and hid out for days, calling out of work and jumping at shadows.  He spent one whole day wedged into a corner under the Brooklyn Bridge with a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other before he finally calmed down enough to crawl out of his hiding spot in order to find food.  Eating made him sleepy, and as soon as he got to a safe place he crashed for twelve solid hours.  When he woke up his body felt shaky, fragile, but his mind was clear. And when he finally slunk into his coffee shop, still feeling vaguely embarrassed by his overreaction, the barista greeted him with a huge smile.
“I saved you the paper,” she said.  “Your coffee will be right up.”
Bucky smiled shyly and thanked her, taking his usual seat near the rear exit with his back to the wall.  He sipped his coffee and did both puzzles before he started flipping through the paper itself.
Then his brain stuttered when he saw the headline. STARK EXPO ATTACKED, it said in big letters, and underneath Iron Man and War Machine Defeat Rogue Robots. The main picture on the page was of the Stark Expo convention grounds mostly destroyed and still aflame, but above the fold there was a small picture of a man with a cocky grin and a distinctive beard, looking out at the camera over a pair of colored sunglasses.
“Tony…Stark?” Bucky read incredulously, hand drifting to the watch on his wrist. Jesus.  No wonder Tony hadn’t believed that Bucky didn’t recognize him. But in Bucky’s defense, he had pretty much been living under a rock for the past few years. He devoured the article, which took up the front page and half of one farther into the paper, not counting all of the related articles, one of which was about some guy named Justin Hammer and another about Colonel James Rhodes. “Rhodey,” Bucky said under his breath, folding the paper up neatly and draining his coffee.  Nothing in the paper talked about Tony’s mysterious not-cancer, but defeating a small army of robots almost single-handedly didn’t sound like the actions of a man on the edge of death so maybe he figured out whatever he’d been looking for.
Bucky let out a long exhale and relaxed back into his chair, feeling like a weight had come off his shoulders. Tony was ok.  He’d obviously made up with Rhodey and he was going to be fine. “Good for you,” he murmured as he grabbed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder.  He waved goodbye to the barista, feeling a real smile curl his lips for the first time in days, and when he went back outside he tilted his head up and inhaled deeply, feeling the crisp spring air filling his lungs.  He took a moment outside the coffee shop to close his eyes and feel the sun on his face, because, damn, he’d forgotten what happiness could feel like.
He didn’t realize someone had come up behind him until a voice whispered “Sputnik” in his ear. Bucky sagged to the ground, suddenly trapped in a body no longer under his control.
                                                               ***
Two Years Later    
“Who in the hell could do something like this?” Tony said, staring at the photos of the crime scene that was Steve’s apartment.  He studied the bullet holes in the brick wall, each the size of a quarter, and then pulled out the map with the shooter’s location marked on it. “I mean, that shot was just…unbelievable.” When he glanced up Rhodey was glaring at him repressively and Natasha was rolling her eyes. “What?” Tony said defensively.  “I used to sell sniper rifles, I know what it would take to make a shot like this!”
“All I know about him is that he was fast,” Steve said absently, staring down at the wooden table that dominated the SHIELD conference room. “Strong.  And he had a metal arm.”
If Tony hadn’t already been looking at Natasha he would have missed the way her eyelids flickered when Steve said metal arm, even as the rest of her face stayed impassive.  She was holding herself tightly in the way that people did when they were afraid they were going to fall apart. “Alright,” Tony said slowly, still watching her closely.  “Metal arm. That’s pretty distinctive, I’ll start digging.” Steve nodded, something else clearly on his mind as he stood.  “Natasha, a word?” Tony said, shuffling the photos and papers on Fury’s assassination back into the folder as the conference room emptied.  She raised an eyebrow but lingered, giving Interim Director Hill a brief squeeze on the arm as she walked by.
“What is it, Tony?”
“Not the first time you’d heard of a guy with a metal arm, Nat?  Because I gotta say, I stay pretty up to date with the latest technology, including prosthetics, and I’ve never heard of something like Steve’s describing.”
Natasha exhaled and looked at the conference door, making sure it was closed firmly.  “Look, most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists,” she said, voice low. “And the ones that do, call him the Winter Soldier.  He’s assassinated over two dozen people in the last fifty years.”
Tony raised his eyebrows. “So he’s a ghost story. Or like the Dread Pirate Roberts.”
Natasha pressed her lips together. “Look, Tony. One time, I was extracting an engineer from Odessa.  The Winter Soldier shot out my tires, and then shot my engineer straight through me. So I know he’s real. But going after him is a dead end. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
“But I haven’t.”  Tony offered her a crooked grin, tapping the folder against the table.  “You dig on your end, I’ll dig on mine.”
“You know Steve’s not going to sit still on this,” she warned.
“Uh, you think? After his boss was killed in his own living room by a mysterious metal-armed stranger?” Tony opened the door to the conference room, gesturing for her to lead the way. “Were you planning to babysit?”
“I was going to watch his six, yes.�� Her heels clicked sharply on the tile floor as she pushed the button for the elevator. “And you? Are you going back to New York?”
“No.” As the elevator dinged and the doors opened, Tony texted Happy to bring the car around. “Something strange is going on at SHIELD and I’m going to find out what.  Let me know if you need backup, ok?”
“Sure thing,” Natasha said with that small smile of hers that said either ‘I’m way ahead of you’ or ‘I’m going to agree and then do whatever I was going to do anyway,’ which more or less amounted to the same thing.
                                                                ***
“Son of a bitch,” Tony cursed as his call went to voicemail for the sixth time; neither Steve nor Natasha had been answering their phone for the past twenty minutes.  “JARVIS, where are Steve and Natasha right now?” He asked as he continued sprinting down the stairs to the garage, taking the steps two at a time.
“Sir, there has been no trace of Ms. Romanov’s since her last update in New Jersey, but the tracker installed on Captain Rogers’ shield indicates that he is in the middle of the Potomac.”
That made Tony’s steps slow in confusion.  “What?  Did he decide to go for a swim?”
“This may provide some clarity, sir.”  Tony glanced down at his phone at the footage JARVIS downloaded; it was a clip from a news channel showing three helicarriers emerging from the river next to SHIELD’s headquarters.
“Son of a bitch,” Tony said again, and continued down the stairs.  Thirty minutes ago JARVIS had finally broken through SHIELD’s encryption.  Twenty-seven minutes ago Tony’s search query started turning up decades and decades of documents relating to the Winter Soldier project and the man with a metal arm, including security camera footage of a gravel road that Tony knew very well.  Twenty-two minutes ago Tony realized the implication of finding all of this information on SHIELD servers, and fifteen minutes ago he started getting a really bad feeling about not being able to reach Steve or Natasha.
Tony was three floors away from the garage where his suit was stored in the trunk of his car when a shudder hit the building, making Tony miss the last two steps and hit the far wall of the landing heavily. “Sir, one of the helicarriers has hit the building,” JARVIS said.  “There is an emergency exit on the first floor, evacuation is highly recommended.”
“No kidding,” Tony said under his breath. “What about my suit?”  He held tightly to the railing as the building shuddered again; there were no windows in the stair well, and the concrete walls muffled any sound coming from outside.
“Sir, it is mathematically impossible for you to reach the emergency suit before the building collapses. Evacuation is highly recommended,” JARVIS repeated with emphasis.
As Tony hit the emergency exit door at the base of the stairs, he was greeted with chaos.  Two helicarriers were tilting drunkenly in the sky, cannons and rail guns still firing at each other with a noise like thunder.  The third cast a long shadow over the grounds of the Triskelion as it fell from the sky, taking the southeast corner of the building with it in a cloud of smoke and rubble. Helicopters circled at a distance, and the air smelled of smoke and fuel as debris rained from the helicarrier battle.   “Holy shit,” Tony breathed.
“Sir, you are still not at a safe distance,” JARVIS said disapprovingly.  “Please continue to-”
“Where’s Steve?” Tony said instead.  “You said he’s on one of those things, right?”
“Captain Rogers’ position has not changed.  Sir, I cannot recommend that you-”
“JARVIS, if Steve went up against that metal armed bastard he’s going to need back up.  I’m not leaving.” Tony swung a leg over the stone balustrade that lined the patio area he was currently on and dropped down to jogging across the parking lot.  It wasn’t long before he was in the woods that lined the Potomac, trying to keep an eye on the helicarriers as he approached Steve’s last known position.
“Any updates, JARVIS?” Tony asked, cursing under his breath as he tried to make his way through the underbrush.
“Captain Rogers’ signal has moved a thousand meters south of your position,” JARVIS answered, making Tony groan.
“I don’t suppose there’s a trail or something-” Tony was yanked backwards as an arm wrapped around his throat, tight and implacable, cutting off his air. Tony’s hands came up to scrabble at the arm around his throat as the edges of his vision went dim. He spent the last of the air in his lungs trying to twist out of the grip but it was fruitless; he might as well have been fighting one of his own suits. He felt his hands drop limply to his sides as the dappled leaves of the forest went black.
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