[ WWII AU ] a ghost story

[from_the_outside]

It's been almost two years since she's been home, and little by little, the grief has gotten easier to live with.

It hasn't gone away. But she's able to focus on her job, watch movies, chat with friends, sleep most nights. She still dreams about him, but the dreams are tinged with wistful longing and only sometimes does she wake up with tears on her cheeks. She can't have his picture out in this apartment, Kate's apartment, but it's safe in the mountain house, along with his last letter to her, and she has a scan on her phone to look at when the long day is over and she's in bed, the stars from the lamp he'd given her filling her dark room.

Steve has helped, more than she could ever explain, and she hopes she's helped him in return. Aside from a few deeply classified missions here and there, they haven't worked together all that much, but she still sees him almost every day. In the halls, she's undercover as his mild-mannered neighbor, Kate, but in her secure apartment they can talk over anything, everything.

And it works. Every day is a little easier. They lean on each other when they need to, and they spend hours remembering and reminiscing about Bucky, talking shop, chatting about how Steve's fitting into the future. It's nice. She still misses Bucky, an ache that never really goes away, but they can both breathe through it, work through it, live through it.

She's on her way up from the basement laundry machines when she hears a familiar step in the hall, and has to smile to herself – first her own, then Kate's sweeter, more open one. "Hey, neighbor."

Comments

[from_the_outside]

"Does it matter?"

Steve glances at Nat, who nods. "I'll send a time and place. Away from civilians. If you want another shot, you can have one."

[nerves_of_ice]

"No." It doesn't matter; what matters is the mission, and the best way to accomplish it. He hadn't seemed suicidal, but perhaps it's self-sacrifice. He might think that offering himself up will protect others, the blonde woman especially.

More likely it's a trap, but that doesn't matter either. He can still use it.

"Both, or just you?" If his target's going to be this foolish, he might as well see how much he can get out of it.

[from_the_outside]

"Both," Steve says, grim. Sharon's not sure if the Soldier means her or Nat as the other, but that doesn't really matter, either, does it?

[nerves_of_ice]

His eyes narrow as he considers that.

"You should keep anyone else away." Low and even. "I won't guarantee their safety otherwise."

[from_the_outside]

"You let me worry about safety," Steve tells him. "All I need is for you to come. Alone."

[nerves_of_ice]

So it is a trap, and an obvious one. As good a fighter as the other man is, he may think he can defeat the Winter Soldier and end the threat.

He's wrong, of course.

It would be unwise of him to agree. He should call in STRIKE or another squad from the mercenary team for operational support. The problem, however, is that doing so has the chance of spooking the target.

"You've been warned," he says, making his decision. "Send me the coordinates."

[from_the_outside]

This is killing Steve. She can see it in his face, but he tightens his jaw and nods. "Copy," he says. "Over and out."

He hangs up the call like he's afraid to let it go even a second longer, then sends the location and time before releasing a long, shaky breath.

[nerves_of_ice]

The call disconnects, and an instant later the phone buzzes again with the details for the meet. He memorizes them and shoves the phone back in his pocket before starting for the door, his search forgotten.

There's not a lot of time, and he'll need every second to prepare.

[from_the_outside]

Steve breathes for a moment, then looks over at Sam and Nat. "Ready?"

They both nod, before Sam takes Nat in his arms and takes to the sky once more, flying swiftly to the meeting place to prepare it before the Winter Soldier can arrive.

Sharon looks over at Steve, her own face pale but set. "It'll work," she murmurs. "It has to."

[marvel_npc]

"It'll work," he agrees, trying to make it sound more certain than he feels. She's right, it has to. He won't be able to live with himself if it doesn't.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" He's pretty darn sure there's nothing in the world that'd stop her, but he has to ask all the same.

[from_the_outside]

"I have to be there," she says, gently, but with an edge of desperation.

Just a little while longer. She can hold it together for a little while longer. "But thanks. For trying to make it easier."

[marvel_npc]

"I understand," he says, as gently as he can. He can't imagine letting anything keep him from getting to Bucky now, and he's sure she can't either. "And okay. Just ... lean on me if you need to."

[from_the_outside]

"Same," she murmurs. "I'm still here for you, Steve. No matter what."

[marvel_npc]

He puts an arm around her shoulders and gives her a light hug. "I know," he assures her. "I'm not going anywhere either."

A second passes, and a rueful expression crosses his face. "Well, except for the part where we're both going somewhere else now. And speaking of, we should get a move on."

[from_the_outside]

She huffs the smallest possible breath of a laugh, and nods, tucking her head briefly against his shoulder. "Okay," she agrees.

"I'll follow your lead, Cap. Let's get back down to the bike."

[nerves_of_ice]

* * * * * * *

The location in question turns out to be a boatyard. Not ideal; difficult to secure or to clear; but not impossible. Far from it.

The Winter Soldier studies it from afar, examining angles and possibilities, and decides the warehouse-like building at the far end, presumably for boat storage, presents a good opportunity. Cautiously, he begins to make his way along the shore, then the dock, flitting between structures and staying low.

[from_the_outside]

From her hiding place, she sees Nat nod, then motion forward. Sharon nods back, and slips around the corner of the boat she's under, then climbs aboard and pulls the engine cord.

It comes to life with a startling cough of noise, sending a cluster of disgruntled seagulls flapping up into the sky. As distractions go, it's an obvious one, but all they really need is for it to work just long enough that Steve can sling the shield and get Bucky moving in the direction they want.

[nerves_of_ice]

He has a bare instant to determine if it's designed to try to lure him or get him to burst from cover, but to remain still is to die if he's been spotted. He dives into cover in the shadow of the sailing vessel he's near and scanning the area around for any human movement.

[from_the_outside]

The boat where he's taken cover is good-sized; twenty-eight feet long, at a minimum, with an enormous lead keel that keeps it steady and stable even in ocean swells.

Steve Rogers hits it like a hurricane. His shield shears off two of the supports, and then he throws himself at the boat itself like a battering ram, sending it capsizing over, directly onto the spot where Bucky had gone to ground.

[nerves_of_ice]

He rolls into the middle of the boat, using its mast to keep from being crushed, and smashes his way up through the hull with his left arm to escape the trap they've sprung on him.

[from_the_outside]

His left arm punches up through the hull – they're going to owe some poor boat owner a lot of money – and Sam drops Nat onto the hull, where she takes aim and fires with her Widow Bites.

Simultaneously, Steve leaps for Bucky's arm, forcing it back, trying to make sure it locks up and twisted behind him when the Bites hit.

[nerves_of_ice]

Electricity sparks and crackles through his arm, disabling proper operation until he can do an inertial reset. He feels the target trying to wrench it back and twists violently at the waist, turning into the other man to prevent him from locking his arm.

As he does he pulls a pistol with his right hand and fires a four-shot burst beneath his own shoulder into the target, center mass.

[from_the_outside]

"Steve!"

Steve twists, but he's too close to escape all the shots. As he crunches over in pain, a shadow swoops over the fight – Sam, holding the hook from a large crane nearby. As Nat tosses a fishing net around the Soldier's legs, Sam wrestles with the disabled arm, winding the chain around it and hooking it around his wrist.

[nerves_of_ice]

He can't pull his arm free while it's disabled, but he can move his body. The Winter Soldier lets his weight hang from the chain and swings his legs up, kicking the redheaded woman in the gut with all his strength, net and all, then attempts to do a reverse somersault to pivot his body around instead of swinging his arm around. If he can, if he can gain the reset, he can tear free and finish the mission.

[from_the_outside]

She's running, feet thudding over the ground to get her to the crane, and out of the corner of her eye she sees Steve, Nat, and Sam all swarming the Winter Soldier. Nat stumbles back from the kick, then wraps a nylon line around his ankles with a quick fling as Sam smashes into him from the sky.

Sharon scrambles up into the crane seat and slams the controls into motion. The crane, slow but powerful, begins to crank the line up, while Nat does her best to keep the Soldier's ankles and feet down.