Bucky Escapes

THIS STORY IS CONTINUATION OF "GROUP THERAPY" LINK IN DESCRIPTION


He leaned towards a wall behind his back, somewhere in a remote alley. He rubbed his right shoulder with a grunt. It almost got dislocated while taking the last swing from the lowest windowsill outside. Of course, people saw him. Damn cell phones! He saw at least one person taping his descent, but what he would expect after such an emotionally spontaneous action?

He was outgunned, standard „civil” clothes provided by Stark were comfortable and sturdy but it was clear he was not allowed to carry any weapons, except for missions...

„You're my mission!”

James hissed, watching in his mind Steven's face being smashed to a bloody pulp. The notion of these confusion and anger moments, the second when the reality struck him and opened his eyes were almost as painful as memory wiping.

He couldn't give up now... Thor was somewhere there, surely enjoying himself with another hunt. Maybe demigod just allowed him to escape, to have more fun later...  Bucky staggered and then sprinted towards closest subway station.


* * *

„How the hell?!” Shouted Steven, still wearing half of his Capitan America suit. He was considering leaving it on, since he heard the news about a spectacular escape of Bucky.

„What did I ask you for, Tony?!”

Tony was hovering around Capitan, trying to listen to him and ignoring him in his typical, arrogant manner.
„I'm not a babysitter...” He replied quietly. „He's an adult man... he can do what the hell he wants!”

Steve shrugged and sighed. „Unless he decides to do something really, really stupid...”

Stark stopped pretending to read something off of his hi-tech tablet and scowled a bit. „You may be a little right, Steve...” He sent him a  cocky look. „But he's like you, he'll manage.”

Steve frowned and then just nodded with resignation. „You and your big ego... you don't really care about anyone else... this is not a real team if you keep--”

„I'm just reading his position from a bug I installed in his metal arm...” Tony glanced at a clear picture on the tablet, showing a detialed map of New York. A red dot moving along one, straight line, pretty fast, even for Buck. Stark touched the map and swiped the screen at and angle, with a quick move.

Cap walked closer, now observing 3D map of one subway tunnels.

„Our birdy took a train home?” Tony commented lightly. „This baby has ten - twenty mile range, depending on the surroundings. I'd have a 3D image of Bucky but a better bug would confilct with arm's mechianism, so I had to--”

Steve finally managed to shut his hanging jaw. How he could not think about it before? Stark would trust Bucky but he never trusted Winter Soldier.
He finnaly rushed from the spot. Tony flinched.

„Come on! We have to get him before Thor does!”

„I can't wait...” Muttered Stark.

* * *

Bucky stretched the baseball hat harder on his head. Stealing was never difficult for him, espcecially in so crowded places like subway. He lurked discretely at the end of the train, seeing how most of people around here was totally oblivious or distracted by... mobile phones. Absolute zero of concentration, he despised that.

No sign of Thor. He figured that god of Asgard wouldn't just easily belnd in. He wouldn't enter just like that. Buck cleared his throat and fixed jacket on himself. Any clothes different than his HYDRA mission suit seemed very odd every once in a while. That was the mildest side effect of brainwashing he experienced so far...

After about ten minutes, Bucky felt a bit sleepy himself. Monotone ride on line 3 somehow gave him an idea of adventure, a strange adventure. Finally he could sit steady, with no one bothering him, observe people as they were. So much has changed in the city... He vaguely remembered HYDRA lab to change every time they brough him out of the freezer... like a popsicle!

He snarled quietly and became immediatelly alert. He was in a closed space full of mostly innocent people, and he felt furious! Clenching his fists, Soldier started breathing deeper, concentrating on a point right in fron of him. In this case, it was some random, dark-skinned woman having a nap. He was so grateful she was asleep; his breath started reminding him of a panic attack state he also experienced, not that long ago.
Seconds started stretching unberably. After an infinite time of keeping himself together he pushed through the crowd violently. A few sounds of pain, a few loud curses followed him, but he didn't care. With sweat going down his neck, he jumped out at the Central Park station.

Swaying a little, he walked deeper into the park, counting that greenery will calm him down. Cursing his terrible condition, he almost wished to have another agonizing memory-wiping session; this machine kept him together through all these years. Now, his brain could not bare the reality, it was not used to so much new information, no mission.

„Bucky!” A worried voice reached him from behind. He quivered but decided to start a run. Speeding as fast as he could, he was close to reaching a wall of trees. It was better than nothing, but now it seemed like a stupid idea... some uncomfortable thought appeared in his mind, just to hide back in panic.

A dull pain at the back of his head. He landed on the grass. The world whirled for a moment. He quickly pushed himself up but another force pinned him to the ground. And another force held his left arm harder. He tasted the earth and grass undernath, when his face hit it.

„Buck! Why you keep on doing this?!” Cried out Steve, pushing him down whit his bodyweight.

„Yeah, why Bucky?!” Repeated bored voice of Iron Man.

James involuntarily jerked his metal arm, but it withdrew under a pressure of two vice-like grabs. „Don't fight it. I have four metal limbs, NOT made in Russia...” Added Tony.

Soldier just grunted hopelessly, he had to do something. An uncomfortbale thought showed up again, clealry in his mind.

„Bucky... please...” Said Steven with gentle voice. „We can solve this peacfully or a hard way.” James felt there is no discussion with him. „Sedative is ready...” He added.

„Damn you!” Screamed Bucky. „I just need some...” He growled and took a deep breath.

„Calm down Buck...” Steve tried to be his best friend, like in the old days.

„I want my life back! But I have no life to come back for...” He uttered with desperation.

He managed to notice a few people staring at them cautiously. Runners were stopping to take a look, whole families with dogs were pulling out phones.

„Dammit! Let me go! I'll stay.”

„You promise?” Asked Cap.

„Promise!”

Steven nodded on Iron Man and they let him go on three. Winter Soldier slipped out of their grabs like an eel. Bucky's agility gave Tony an eerie feeling. Right.

A quick fist landed on his helmet faster than he expected. A powerful punch repeated twice more with unpleasant cracks and interface distortions. JARVIS communictated about a medium damage of the frontal helmet part.

„That's for messing with my arm!” Screamed savagely Buck.

People around stirred. Someone decided to call the police.

Everything calmed when Capitan America held a long-haired brawler by his right arm.
The Soldier managed to free himself. He sprung around when Iron Man's fist landed on his face. He faltered. Iron Man threw the man on his shoulder. Capitan assited.

„We're going home, Buck.” He saluted to his dazed friend.
Winter Soldier sent him a hurt look through his glassy eyes.

Tony Stark flew in the air as quickly as possible, counting that Bucky won't try to free himself while gliding high over Central Park. Catching that sneaky asshole in the mid-air wouldn't be fun.