High School Never Ends 1/?
Chapter 1: The One Where Bucky Thinks He's Dreaming
Author: murrdaburr
Wordcount: 844
Pairings: Steve/Bucky, Phil Coulson, Nick Fury mention, eventual Avengers gang shenanigans
Rating: PG, slightly graphic violence
Description: Bucky's been an orphan since the age of 4. He's dreamed of leaving Hydra since the first day he got dropped on their doorstep. And he finally gets his chance when a fight goes too far and Phil Coulson comes to rescue him.
The large oak trees fly by and make way for skyscrapers as his case worker speeds on the highway, desperate to leave the country side and orphanage behind them. Bucky idly touches his left shoulder, which tapers into nothingness, an empty sleeve left behind as a ghost of the one thing he had control over until one too many fights with the other Hydra children left him blacked out in the hospital for two weeks. It all happened too fast. All he really remembers is pounding Zola’s face into the dirt for calling him a faggot and then being dragged by Pierce and his gang to the monkey bars where they left him to hang. They found him the next morning, left arm completely broken, infection creeping in slowly, and days later when he finally woke up in the hospital it didn’t hurt anymore, it didn’t anything anymore. They assigned Bucky a case worker, someone to rescue him from years’ worth of torture masquerading behind one incident.
“Guess I really had to give an arm and a leg to get the hell out of that place.” Bucky said the first time he met Phil Coulson.
“Just the arm will suffice James.” Phil says pulling a smile out of Bucky’s stern face. He wasn’t in bad shape for a kid who woke up with one less limb than expected. He was on his fourth cup of Jell-O when Phil asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re taking this pretty well. When Nick Fury sent me here he warned me this was the worst case he’d ever seen. I’d agree.”
“I’ve seen worse. I’ve had worse.” Bucky says nonchalantly as he rips open the foil top with his teeth and digs in. “I’m right handed anyway.”
Phil wonders what could have possibly happened to James Buchanan Barnes over the past 12 years in that orphanage that an accident this bad barely phased him.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I’m hungry. Would you rather me cry into your shoulder? Just tell me you’re taking me away from this fucking place.”
It’s Phil’s turn to smile as he slides the empty cups aside and places a folder in front of Bucky. “Mr. Fury wants you at the academy. He’s willing to sponsor you fully, tuition, room and board, all you have to do is say yes.”
Bucky had heard of Shield Academy before; home of the brightest and bravest, training ground for future military and political leaders. But the question was how they heard about him.
“You have the highest test scores we’ve ever seen James. We’d love to have you as a student, you could do amazing things.”
Bucky remembers the test, given to every 13 year-old in the country with the hopes of finding the key to world peace hidden in America’s youth. It was the dumbest thing he’d ever seen. A series of physical endurance exercises and a 500 question packet later, left Bucky with the understanding that adults just didn’t get the idea behind war and defense. There are good guys, and there are bad guys, and you made sure no one died. It seemed like common sense to Bucky. He told Phil as much.
“Do you see why we want you now James?”
Bucky didn’t see. But he didn’t care, Bucky had just won the lottery.
“When do we leave?
A couple weeks of therapy later, Bucky loaded his duffel bag of worldly belongings into the back of Phil Coulson’s car and headed towards New York City. He was still trying to get used to his body, much lighter now. Bucky was unsure how a one armed punk from Brooklyn was supposed to keep up in a military academy but if Phil said he could do it then maybe it was possible. Phil could have told him anything and he would have believed it. Bucky didn’t believe in God but if he did he imagines that he’d look something like Phil Coulson, the man who raised him from hell.
“How long is it going to take to get to Shield?”
“We’re making a quick stop first.”
Bucky held his breath. Maybe it wasn’t true, maybe they were taking him to another orphanage. Or maybe this was all a horrible dream. How fast was the car going? Was it going slow enough for him to stop, drop, and roll out?
“It’ll be another half hour till we get to Stark Industries. When I told you Nick Fury would sponsor you, I meant it. He doesn’t half ass things James. Howard Stark has a new prosthetic technology we’ve been investing in and you’re the perfect candidate. If you’ll allow us, we’ll make you whole again. It’ll be a quick stop. You don’t have to agree to anything yet, just pop in, take a look at what Mr. Stark has to offer you and then we’ll head to the academy.”
Bucky has to start breathing again because his jaw drops to the edge of his chest. This had to be a dream.
Author: murrdaburr
Wordcount: 844
Pairings: Steve/Bucky, Phil Coulson, Nick Fury mention, eventual Avengers gang shenanigans
Rating: PG, slightly graphic violence
Description: Bucky's been an orphan since the age of 4. He's dreamed of leaving Hydra since the first day he got dropped on their doorstep. And he finally gets his chance when a fight goes too far and Phil Coulson comes to rescue him.
The large oak trees fly by and make way for skyscrapers as his case worker speeds on the highway, desperate to leave the country side and orphanage behind them. Bucky idly touches his left shoulder, which tapers into nothingness, an empty sleeve left behind as a ghost of the one thing he had control over until one too many fights with the other Hydra children left him blacked out in the hospital for two weeks. It all happened too fast. All he really remembers is pounding Zola’s face into the dirt for calling him a faggot and then being dragged by Pierce and his gang to the monkey bars where they left him to hang. They found him the next morning, left arm completely broken, infection creeping in slowly, and days later when he finally woke up in the hospital it didn’t hurt anymore, it didn’t anything anymore. They assigned Bucky a case worker, someone to rescue him from years’ worth of torture masquerading behind one incident.
“Guess I really had to give an arm and a leg to get the hell out of that place.” Bucky said the first time he met Phil Coulson.
“Just the arm will suffice James.” Phil says pulling a smile out of Bucky’s stern face. He wasn’t in bad shape for a kid who woke up with one less limb than expected. He was on his fourth cup of Jell-O when Phil asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re taking this pretty well. When Nick Fury sent me here he warned me this was the worst case he’d ever seen. I’d agree.”
“I’ve seen worse. I’ve had worse.” Bucky says nonchalantly as he rips open the foil top with his teeth and digs in. “I’m right handed anyway.”
Phil wonders what could have possibly happened to James Buchanan Barnes over the past 12 years in that orphanage that an accident this bad barely phased him.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I’m hungry. Would you rather me cry into your shoulder? Just tell me you’re taking me away from this fucking place.”
It’s Phil’s turn to smile as he slides the empty cups aside and places a folder in front of Bucky. “Mr. Fury wants you at the academy. He’s willing to sponsor you fully, tuition, room and board, all you have to do is say yes.”
Bucky had heard of Shield Academy before; home of the brightest and bravest, training ground for future military and political leaders. But the question was how they heard about him.
“You have the highest test scores we’ve ever seen James. We’d love to have you as a student, you could do amazing things.”
Bucky remembers the test, given to every 13 year-old in the country with the hopes of finding the key to world peace hidden in America’s youth. It was the dumbest thing he’d ever seen. A series of physical endurance exercises and a 500 question packet later, left Bucky with the understanding that adults just didn’t get the idea behind war and defense. There are good guys, and there are bad guys, and you made sure no one died. It seemed like common sense to Bucky. He told Phil as much.
“Do you see why we want you now James?”
Bucky didn’t see. But he didn’t care, Bucky had just won the lottery.
“When do we leave?
A couple weeks of therapy later, Bucky loaded his duffel bag of worldly belongings into the back of Phil Coulson’s car and headed towards New York City. He was still trying to get used to his body, much lighter now. Bucky was unsure how a one armed punk from Brooklyn was supposed to keep up in a military academy but if Phil said he could do it then maybe it was possible. Phil could have told him anything and he would have believed it. Bucky didn’t believe in God but if he did he imagines that he’d look something like Phil Coulson, the man who raised him from hell.
“How long is it going to take to get to Shield?”
“We’re making a quick stop first.”
Bucky held his breath. Maybe it wasn’t true, maybe they were taking him to another orphanage. Or maybe this was all a horrible dream. How fast was the car going? Was it going slow enough for him to stop, drop, and roll out?
“It’ll be another half hour till we get to Stark Industries. When I told you Nick Fury would sponsor you, I meant it. He doesn’t half ass things James. Howard Stark has a new prosthetic technology we’ve been investing in and you’re the perfect candidate. If you’ll allow us, we’ll make you whole again. It’ll be a quick stop. You don’t have to agree to anything yet, just pop in, take a look at what Mr. Stark has to offer you and then we’ll head to the academy.”
Bucky has to start breathing again because his jaw drops to the edge of his chest. This had to be a dream.