Twenty five, don't recall a time I felt this alive (open)

[tookthewheel]

Who| MCU!Bucky Barnes and YOU
What| Bucky's back in the Capitol and dealing with things
Where| Anywhere around the Tribute Center, specify the location of your choice
When| After arena 12 goes boom
Warnings/Notes| The usual with this guy

Waking up was easier this time.

Maybe it's because he'd accepted and waited for death to come rather than fighting against it as he had before, with the same resignation and understanding of what was going to happen that had made it easier to go into the ice when his missions were done. He can count it as a bonus that waking up in a warm bed was far more pleasant than from the cryostasis tank.

Bucky gets up calmly but still with the feeling something is wrong, more than just how weak his limbs feel again after living a month with his full strength back. A feeling that persists as he heads for the shower first, then irritably shaves off the beard he always wakes up with and is coming to loathe, discovering at the same time that the brand has now gone from his cheek. Venturing into the kitchen area yields leftover casserole from the fridge which he wolfs down quickly before heading out of District 1 with Toro the tribble safely in his pocket. He needs to see his friends, check for himself that they're still here and make sure no more of them have vanished like the first Widow did.

He goes down to District 9 first, then down to the common area to start working his way upwards, choosing to take the stairs rather than the elevator as he moves through the training and district levels before finally emerging up onto the roof. There he habitually heads for his favourite spot to try and let the cold winter air blow out the still persistent cobwebs in his head.

Comments

[honeyibrokeharlem]

"I would say so. He's dangerous, but it's what he says to you you should worry about. He's better at manipulating situations than direct confrontations. The way he got us was by letting himself be captured with this... alien staff someone had given him. We tried studying it, but it turned out to have some... aggravating effect on people. We were too busy fighting each other to notice when things started going wrong."

Steve tried to pick a fist fight with Tony, Thor started making fun of humanity as a whole, Bruce almost shanked everyone else with the staff... bad times.

Especially considering Bruce can't afford to be angry.

"I think he's less dangerous with human limitations, but try to avoid listening to anything he has to say."

[tookthewheel]

"Then we don't let him talk." Bucky concludes, he spins the dinner knife that's in his right hand for emphasis. He's gotten used to the balance of them since he arrived in the Capitol, as they were the only knives outside the training level that he could have regular access to. Most days Bucky had at least one two stashed up his left sleeve, where the metal arm would interfere with any metal detectors.

Never let it be said that Bucky doesn't take potential threats to his own very seriously. "We kill him from a distance, or quickly enough he can't speak." he can think of a dozen ways to do that just off the top of his head. "I've never spoken to him."

[honeyibrokeharlem]

Bruce will never not be vaguely impressed by Bucky's capacity to find creative ways to hide weapons. He's like a homicidal squirrel. Except more menacing.

"It seems like the best course of action to me. I don't want to see what he thinks up with human limitations." The clever bastard would figure something out. He's not sure what, after showing his hand so early, but Bruce has learned to be wary. "Try to keep it that way. He's not a fun conversationalist."

[tookthewheel]

"Understood." he's fine with that. Bucky is better at killing than talking himself a lot of the time, though he's made valiant attempts to improve his ability at the latter, especially now he has people who actually want him to speak. HYDRA had liked a quiet Asset who only confirmed orders or spoke minimally about the mission, friends on the other hand have very different requirements.

He likes getting to talk.

Bucky refocuses on his plate, clearing it soon enough.