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Steve doesn't like her. The way she moves, balancing between grace and gore. Easily ripping out hearts of oncoming HYDRA Agents and yet gifting him with a kind smile when she notices him getting a little scared by her. She is so plain that no one would guess what she is capable of. It’s like a switch being flipped, that changes her kind nature into a beast, that wants nothing but blood. He knows how valuable she is, that without her help the last few missions would have gone wrong in every way possible. She is like the Hulk but faster, more agile and so easily misjudged. And he knows that everyone else on the team sees it too. Only that he seems to be the only one struggling to understand. When they found her, Tony was incredibly keen on keeping her. Like a puppy one would find in a dumpster. Only that this pup was a wolf. In Sheep's clothing if you will. That made him chuckle.
“What’s so funny, Cap?” She looks at him with genuine interest. Her eyes sparkling with kindness and a sense of childlike wonder. THUD. The bloody body of a HYDRA agent drops to her feet. Dead, eyes frozen in fear of the monster that just stole his soul. His torso just as dark and drenched in blood as hers. Only that she is standing there, smiling at Steve and waiting for an answer to her question. "Uh, nothing…” He answers while thinking of a good excuse. She doesn’t look away.
Soft eyes focused on him in patience. Even when the next agent charges at her. Knife in hand, ready to attack her and take revenge for the death of his fellow soldier. But she is faster, she always is. She grabs the man by the throat, not even looking at him and rips his air pipes out as if ripping a piece of paper from a notebook. It terrifies Steve but he still tries to act normal and keep his posture as if he didn’t just see this gruesome act. It’s mostly because his Ma taught him not to stare. ‘It’s rude ‘ she taught him. And the way Buck would give him one of those cheeky grins.
“ Oh uh. It’s just something Bucky used to say..” That would work, surely. She had been shy about the topic of old friend ever since he first mentioned him. It didn’t make sense to him since she was so eager to have everyone like her. And she did succeed with most of the team. Natasha loves her like a sister. Spending many girl nights together with Wanda ever since she came to join them on missions. “Finally another girl to show you brutes that you don’t need testosterone to fight the bad guys” They cared for each other and it was a special kind of bond. Sam liked her for her knowledge of basically everything since King Charles I. The way she could tell stories and sometimes drop in little anecdotes of someone important somewhere at some point in time. And her humor. The way she would always giggle so innocently at any stupid joke he would make. And Steve knew that those smiles weren’t real. Most of them were but sometimes she would pretend only to make him feel good. She needed it, the strong need to fit in and feel normal after a long time of loneliness. An amount of time that he couldn’t imagine even with his 102 years of age.
“Oh yeah? I’m very excited to meet him. He comes over next Thursday, right?” Another two bodies now lay to her feet. It didn’t phase her one bit or if it did she was incredibly good at hiding it. She carefully wiped her mouth on her sleeve. The light gray cotton turned a dark maroon and he followed the spot with his gaze. She must have noticed it and it made her pull on it as if it would pull the dark out of the fabric. Embarrassment. It was common for her to act like that when he was around. There was always a sort of uncomfortable energy around when they interacted. Like she knew that he was wary of her but wanted to prove to him that she was no threat. Just a young lady trying to have a nice conversation. Forget the blood, gore and long past. But he couldn’t stop it. It felt like a threat whenever she was around. She might act kind and gentle but seeing what she was capable of, the way she could shred him to bits if she wished to left him on edge.
Of course, it was unfair but he couldn’t stop it. He started a civil war between his friends to protect an ex-assassin that was more unstable than she ever could be. And yet he couldn’t get himself to relax around her. “Yeah I’ll pick him up on Thursday” He could punch himself. He couldn’t even get a conversation going with her even when it was presented to him on a silver tray. He gave her a tight smile trying to ignore her bloodied clothes and the corpses scattered around her. But she understood, she always did. Steve just didn’t like her it was a fact she had to accept. She tried to get to know him way too many times. It was starting to seem desperate. Should she try again? Was it just the wrong moment to do some small talk? She was about to start again when he interrupted her to talk to the others over the com. “West wing is clear. How about you guys?” She looked to her feet, fingers starting to fumble on her pants to do anything to get through this awkward silence. Steve kept an unfocused look on something vague behind her. Mostly to not have to interact with her. “We’re clear too, Steve. Got the drive and destroyed all the data left in the storage.” Sam informed him. Steve sighed, they could go home, he could leave this uncomfortable situation and pretend it didn’t happen.
Of course, she was a good match for a mission and they worked well together but he could only see her for that. Even when she tried to be nice to him and pretend she couldn’t just snap him in half. “ Alright, clear out. We’re going back home.” The others accepted their captain's orders and retreated to the jet. It was pizza night like every Friday and they were all eager to call it a day. She loved pizza night even if for her it was just playing pretend. Stealing a few slices here and there, blending in, laughing. “C’mon time to think about what toppings to get” He’d often try to joke like that, making up for the subtleties that showed her what he was truly thinking about her. But she took it even though she knew that he couldn’t stand her.
With a slight nod and a small smile, she stepped over the dead men like they were nothing but small puddles not worth noting. Just objects, not humans that she sucked dry to steal their life to keep hers. ________________________
“So, tell me, is there anything new?” The evening calls with Buck were a daily thing by now. After his time in Wakanda, he tries to get back in touch with Steve as much as possible. The quick process of removing the Soldier from his brain was almost too easy. Or just an example of Shuri’s genius. Maybe both. He felt normal again as far as that was possible with a metal arm and over 100 years of age. And the contact with Steve became such routine and a reminder of his past self.
After the treatment, Bucky tried to find something to keep him occupied. Goat farming wasn’t the way and although he certainly enjoyed Wakanda with its warm climate, grand nature, and kind people, it wasn’t the place for him. Sometimes it was too much for him. Adjusting to technology was one thing but getting used to the advanced society and science of Wakanda was a different deal. So he decided to go back to America, back to Steve and do what he thinks is what is he is currently best at and that is to fight. He didn’t enjoy it like you would enjoy a job or a hobby but it gave him a sense of control, something to be good at. And the moment he mentioned joining to team Steve was exhilarated, so much so, that he didn’t dare to stop him even when he, later on, wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Not really. Had a standard mission today, get some HYDRA Data, in and out, you know? Nothing special” Steve leaned back on the couch. Trying to release some tension in his muscles. He knew he’d have the next days off but he just couldn’t get himself to relax. Not with…. “What about the new gal? She doing alright?” Steve told him about the new one. He didn't go into much detail and just told him that she was a new agent for field missions with unconventional methods. But trying to get back into talking with Steve and getting to know him again he, of course, had to ask for more details, much to Steve’s disliking. He then tried to break it to him gently, with metaphors and nice words to tiptoe around the reality of her. But at some point, Bucky had it with his cryptic descriptions forcing him to spill the beans. He told him about her. The powers, speed, healing, everything that Steve could remember. Each Time a dark picture flashing before his eyes. But Bucky took it well, was even curious about her and the fact that the old fairy tales were somewhat true. He asked more questions than Steve could or would like to answer. “She’s doing fine. Did a good job today.”
That was it. All that Bucky could get out of him. He knew that something was going on with the new girl and his old friend but he couldn’t guess the nature of it. With a sigh, he accepted Steve’s lack of words. He’d have his chance to meet this creature soon enough. “ Well, I should go. Shuri wanted to clear up some stuff before I leave. I’ll see you soon, Punk.”