driftfleet | ★ 1 | ACTION ★

Entry tags:

★ 1 | ACTION ★

Who: Bucky!Cap Barnes
Action: Throughout the Marsiva holding area
When: Feb 15-17-ish

[Bucky is new. He's new, and confused, and he figures the best way to get answers is to go find them. For better or worse, there's not a whole lot of space in which to find them, since he's limited to the same holding area as the rest of the passengers, but on the plus side, given that everyone else is confined to the same area, he's more likely to run into said passengers. When he spots someone who looks like they might be amenable to talking, he's very likely to approach.

For the most part, the faces are not familiar; he wanders the living area and the kitchen (where he's likely to stop and get some coffee, thank God that seems to exist here). He pokes his head into the bathroom and gym, too, and of course actually makes use of the former to take a shower on a regular basis. The gym he doesn't so much use as inspect and note; he's still too wary of where he is for anything resembling recreation, and thanks to the serum, he doesn't actually need to do much in the way of regular training to keep himself up. Maybe later.

Mostly, what will strike people is the fact that his face looks like the Bucky Barnes already on board, if you've managed to get a good look at that, but his hair is cropped short and his face is clean-shaven and his left arm is definitely not metal. All he's got to wear is the dark blue STRIKE uniform (sans helmet and shield) that looks - to some people, probably - like it should belong on Steve Rogers instead.]

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[The thing is, as soon as Bucky spots her, he starts to feel something almost, almost like relief - and then she has to go and ask that.

Well, that answers that, then. Probably?]

Romanoff, [he says, and it's not a question. It's a cautious greeting.] You usually call me whatever you want.

[Which is generally,] Barnes is fine.

[He's still maybe trying to judge whether she's his Natasha, though most signs seem to be pointing to no. Not in the least because she wasn't missing last he checked, and he still doesn't know whether that's a thing.]

[His reaction tells her a lot. Almost as much as that STRIKE uniform and his intact left arm do. She remembers hearing about Jim, the Barnes who was here before, the one who'd taken up the shield. Not him either, since she's fairly sure this Barnes doesn't know what's going on here...

But if he's anything like other versions of himself, he'll be an ally. She shakes her head a little.

As though her life isn't complicated enough.] Barnes it is. [Her lips twitch in a rueful smile, almost apologizing for what she's about to ask.] Have they explained where you are yet?

[If there's anything he's learned, it's that life can always, always get more complicated. ]

Not as much as I'd like, [he has to admit. He watches her for a moment, before he says,] Honestly, I'd like to hear your take on it.

[If she's at all like his Natasha - and she already is, in a lot of the outward ways - then a debrief from her is exactly what he wants.]

Guess it's on me to be the welcoming committee. [Natasha puts aside her own problems for the moment. This situation might unpleasant, what with people rummaging around through each other's heads, but having a job to do makes it easier to focus.

Something productive to focus on.]

Well, Barnes, looks like you are one of the newest star on an intergalactic reality TV show. They tap people from all over time and space and bring them here, allegedly to watch us travel from world to world.

[Allegedly.]

[Bucky's expression is at least sympathetic. He can imagine how very much she probably doesn't want to be the welcoming committee, but things are what they are.

And he's kind of glad she is, all told.

Even if what she says is... well. He seems to process it all right. Relatively speaking.] You know... I'm not sure whether that's weirder than Welcome to the future, here's a bunch of aliens pouring out of the sky or not.

[Thoughts?]

[That gets a chuckle out of her. He's not wrong.]

No, actually. In a lot of ways it's not so much different from home.

[Every week, a new threat or machination, a new weirdest thing she'd ever seen. She's had similar thoughts before. Once you've seen an army of aliens pour out of the sky over New York, is anything else really shocking?]

That's the problem.

[He blows out a breath, nodding.]

Only in a more closed system, it looks like.

[Granted, it seems even more closed now than usual, is the gist he's getting, but still.]

How long have you been here?

[Oh, Barnes. That is a question. Natasha glances away, her expression shuttering. She doesn't want to panic him, because it's complicated. But the question is direct and the short answer is probably the best place to start.]

Two and a half years, give or take. Not everyone stays that long.

Edited 2019-02-17 18:51 (UTC)

[Bucky's not stupid; there must be a reason that question got that kind of response from Natasha, of all people.

Still, he'll work with what he's got, first, because,] That's a long time.

Little longer than I've even known you, actually.

[Not that that's important, just - to give her context.]

What else can you tell me?

A version of me. [There's a reason. Mostly things she's not in a hurry to share; she focuses on the parts that will help him understand.] When I say space and time, I mean it. Sometimes more than once.

You're the fourth version of you I've met since I got here.

[And, at least overtly, the most stable. So he's winning that particular race.

Not that she's found a version of Barnes she's had trouble getting along with.]

There's little differences. We come and go and...sometimes we come back.

Right, [he corrects.] A version of you. That's... gonna be a little hard to get used to.

[But he can. He can get used to pretty much anything, he's learned. His life just necessitates it.

For example: Her next words.] Four, [he repeats.] Huh. Lucky you?

[He nods.] With no control over the situation, [he says, mostly for confirmation.] This is kidnapping.

It's not the worst part of being here. [In some ways, she has been lucky. She doesn't argue that. He doesn't realize how correct his joke is.

She snorts then as he finishes.]

It's kidnapping. One way or another, they're using us for their own benefit.

Makes me kinda wonder what is.

[That's definitely a question - but also a chance for her to ignore it.

He lets out a slow breath.] Okay. What do we do about it? In your professional, experienced opinion.

Gather intel, wait for an opportunity to exploit it. It's sparse, but the Atroma haven't been able to hide everything. We've been finding what we can.

[If he knows her, she doubts the answer will come as a surprise.]

Not the place to discuss what we've found.

[She glances around the holding area pointedly.]

But some other time, when there's more privacy...?

[Bucky nods - it's not a surprise. It's a sound strategy, especially for her, and he doesn't doubt she's been working on it. The fact that she's still here tells him a lot. Nothing good, but a lot.

And he also definitely understands what she says next.]

I understand. Later's fine. [His lips quirk.] I hear I'm not going anywhere.

[So, on to questions he figures he can ask in relative "public":] While I am here - anyone I should avoid? Or - well, not avoid?

[He guarantees nothing, but he can take things under advisement, at least a little better than Steve.]

If you're like the other guy I've know who've worn that suit, I imagine you can take care of yourself.

[The other guy who's worn that suit, and the other guys who've had that face.]

There's not usually too much trouble around the fleet, but some people you might not get along with.

[Studying his face, considering what warnings he might need none the less.]

Loki's here. Haven't had a problem with him, though to be fair we don't chat much.

[Bucky assumes the other guy is Steve, for whatever it's worth, and,] Yeah. Yeah, I can.

[He's got the serum, or at least a serum, is what he means. It's an open secret, by this point, and there's no point in trying to keep that from her.]

Loki. [He sounds both surprised, and maybe not all that thrilled. He's kinda not.] I admit, my experience with him is pretty much dealing with his great idea to conquer the planet, starting with New York.

Bet he loves being here.

You'd have to ask him. [Possibly Natasha should interact with Loki more, but while she's reasonably confident not considering him an active threat, that doesn't mean she's especially friendly.] Or Thor. Most of my news comes through him.

[Which she believes works well for both of them.]

So New York was attacked. After that...?

[Where is he in their timeline? Maybe things diverge from there—though it seems like a lot to hope that there's no Winter Soldier.]

[Bucky blinks, because,] Thor's here?

[Well, shit. Things are really starting to look like Kidnappers: A Lot, Kidnappees: Zilch.

He blows out a breath, but at least her question is something he can answer.] After that, it was a big fuckin' midtown mess to clean up. Fury asked me to stay on with SHIELD. Been running ops with the STRIKE teams out of D.C. for almost two years. [He looks rueful.] Sometimes with you, as a matter of fact.

Well. A different you. [You get what he means.]

You need more than that?

More than enough. [It paints a very clear picture of where Barnes might be, if his life is paralleling Steve's as much as it seems to be, where their relationship might be—amicable, but professional—and it tells her what else he might need to know.]

Yeah, Thor's here. A lot of familiar faces have come and gone. Tony used to be around, then he was gone again. Same for his dad. Agent Carter.

[Presumably familiar names.]

Steve Rogers? He's still around, if you haven't run into him.

[That's about where they stand - amicable, professional... and occasionally a little competitive, but where's the fun in life if you don't try to test yourself against someone else every once in a while? His life is pretty devoid of fun; he's got to get it where he can.

Something in Bucky's face changes at the mention of Howard and Peggy, especially, but it's relatively closed off. Just a tiny tightening at the corner of his mouth, but - well. Howard's gone for him, the same as Steve and the rest of the Commandos. Except Peggy, and she's... complicated. In a lot of ways.]

Yeah, [he confirms, to the last.] Yeah, I have. [He lets out an explosive breath, and just barely suppresses the urge to run a hand through his hair.] It's - not someone I'd ever expected to run into again, you know?

[His smile is definitely a little more forced, but she'll also find that he's a much better actor than Steve.] He said I'm apparently harder to kill than everybody counted on.

[It's a small thing, the change in his expression. Natasha tries not to read too much into it. It would surprise a lot of people just how much of her job came down to not making assumptions, not reading too much into every little turn of phrase or gesture. It was one of her first lessons, not getting t creative. That's how you really get good at reading people's micro expressions and seeing through lies, by not letting your own suppositions get away with you.

But Natasha got t know that face very well over the last couple of years, and while it may have been a different man wearing it, it wasn't an entirely different man.

She doesn't pry. Instead, she lets the reaction slip past her with no more than a mental note.]

Thought that might come as a surprise. Sorry I was too late to warn you? [She offers up an apologetic smile, which softens slightly as she continues.] Hard to kill might be one way to put it.

Not for lack of people trying.

[Bucky makes a noise that is just this side of too polite to be a snort, if barely.] Not on you.

[The smile that twitches his lips a moment later is wry.] Yeah, there seem to be a lot of those people. I mean - I guess I can't ever complain again, given... [you know. All the shit this other him has apparently been through.

And he knows it's not on her to keep him informed, and he won't blame her if she doesn't answer, but he still can't stop himself from asking (well, it's mostly a question, if somewhat a statement), quietly:] Steve took it badly, didn't he.

[Bucky knows how he feels, after all, given the possibility that he missed Steve somewhere in that ravine. And he's seen Steve's face, here. He knows. He just maybe needs that outside perspective, and if she's willing to give it to him, he's going to trust it.]

[She meets his gaze for a moment, unbroken eye contact as she considers the answer to his not-question. The look says everything he needs to know. Of course, Steve took it badly. His judgment where Barnes is concerned has been biased.

Biased, to put it lightly.

But it's not really Natasha's place to explain the ins and outs of how Steve's friendship with Bucky (his Bucky) had become leverage for upending first SHIELD then the Avengers.

Finally, she huffs softly.]

Took it badly is one way to put it, yeah. [Confirming what he already knows.] But he's had chances to reconnect. That's more than some people get.

[That look definitely tells him what he needs to know, and he already knew the answer to the question before he asked it.

But okay. Yeah. It's probably as bad as he thinks, if not worse.

He nods.] Yeah. It is. [Some small part of him can't help but be jealous, at the same time he's afraid and excited that maybe he might get the same. God, it's so complicated. Nothing with Steve was ever easy.] Sometimes I feel like I couldn't make this shit up if I tried, you know?

That's even if I leave Loki and his army out of it, [he adds, jokingly, a second later.]

You been all right here? [he asks, a moment later.] If you're inclined to give a guy you just met an honest answer.

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