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[bottledblond]

Not every universe in the far and wide cosmos is as lucky (however unlucky itself that seems) to encounter Thanos during a time where people live who can do something about it. Steve Rogers, a particular version of Steve Rogers who had only just suffered through his first night of basic training in New Jersey as part of the Army’s Project Rebirth and thus had not yet become Captain America, bent to untie his shoes and saw his hands begin to disintegrate. He doesn’t panic, panicking is for people who do not live like every breath is their last. Instead, he blinks in surprise as the barracks fill with shouting. He has time to contemplate two things. One, he wishes he’d done more with his life. And two, he hopes Bucky will do all right.

He’s still thinking about that last issue when he exhales his last in a universe where Captain America never existed and finishes it bent over in the ruins of the barracks, roof half open to the sky and walls a burnt and ashy gray.

It takes him an hour to get to the road and by then, his asthma is already getting the best of him. He blacks out for the second time ‘that day’ and wakes up staring at the ceiling of what is obviously a hospital.

It just doesn’t sound or smell like a hospital. Sure. People are running around and yelling, but it smells painfully clean, artificially so, and there are machines he’s never seen before connected by wires to his body. He does the thing people should never do and yanks them loose. The machines squawk strangely and frantically and Steve is almost out of bed when two large men in green pajamas force him back.

Nothing makes sense to him for days. People come to talk to him, to find out who he is and who his family is. Evidently Steve Rogers is a popular name, because they bring in more people to talk to him, to ask him questions about his life, but no one has any answers.

He explodes, as he’s wont to do when frustrated, demands answers, but nothing they say makes sense.

By then, the war is over. Not World War II, which has evidently been over for over half a century, but this new war. And Bucky Barnes had been told of his presence. Steve is in bed, arms crossed, looking dour and getting an infusion of something that honestly is helping him breathe better when Bucky bursts into his now private room. It’s been two months

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[woundedwinter]

He slides into the driver's seat, "Well we gotta figure out what you're going to do with this new future of yours." Bucky's been trying to figure that out for a long time now and he can't be too reliant on Steve while he does the same. It wouldn't be fair to either of them.

The car slides into traffic and he starts heading back to his apartment.

"There's a lot to catch up on and a lot out there to see."

[bottledblond]

Bucky isn’t lying at all and the possibilities seem endless. Steve can feel his heart pounding away in his chest and he can’t help but put his hand there as he’d always done to try and calm it.

“I.... I was to more of it than just New York,” Steve says. “And I want to help people. But I should probably get a job. I could wash dishes. Work at a shop?”

Bucky can’t just pay for everything if a trip to the movie costs more than most people made in a year.

[woundedwinter]

"Money is the one thing you don't have to worry about," he assures him. "I've got more than enough to keep us comfortable. If you want to help people you can go back to school? Most decent jobs want a high school diploma from this decade," a teasing wink over at him, "and even some college."

"I emptied out a lot of HYDRA holdings a few years back. Believe me, we're good."

There's getting Steve current and valid ID, which means he's going to have to suck up his pride and call Wilson or someone to help him make it happen. Steve needs legitimate paperwork if he's going to live a normal life.

[bottledblond]

Luckily, there’s been a lot of this sort of think with the unblip and Steve is a well known and well documented person. The Avengers, such as they are, will need to step in along the way though. Bucky doesn’t really have a whole lot of clout with governmental bodies.

For obvious reasons.

“Does school really help anyone?” Steve asks, skeptical. This isn’t the same guy that did those PSAs for the school board of the state of New York. He’s never been that scholastically minded.

He’d been planning to go to art college but even that didn’t seem worthwhile.

“You said there are people coming back that don’t belong... or that need help fitting back in. Cant I help you sort that out?”

[woundedwinter]

Bucky doesn't really have anyone who can help out with identification or getting Steve officially back with the land of the living and as much as he hates it, he's gonna have to call Sam for some help.

He rolls a shoulder, "These days it does. It's all about the education now if you want a job doing more than flipping burgers."

Of course Steve wants to help other people. Some things never really change. "Sam can help with that. I know he doesn't work directly with repatriating the returned but he'll know someone who does, someone who can get you on the right track."

[bottledblond]

Steve tilts his head away from Bucky, cheek resting on the belt keeping him in the seat. He can’t help but stare outside. Was it like this when his other self came to? Maybe he hadn’t had the opportunity to relax and enjoy his life.

It makes him feel bad, or at least guilty to rob him of it now.

“I could help you,” Steve says. “I might not be super strong, but there’s got to be more to me than just lifting motorcycles and throwing shields.”

[woundedwinter]

"There's always been a lot more to you than that," he promises him. Not everyone had seen it, or realized that Captain America was more than the shield.

"They don't really let me do much beyond the basics but yeah, we can get you involved."

[bottledblond]

“Let you?” Steve shifts in his seat. He’s always been a bad influence on Bucky. Everyone growing up thought he was the angelic one but honestly, Steve was the most mischievous one at all.

His elbow rests on the center console as he palms his chin and blinks up at Bucky.

“They don’t sound like good friends.”

[woundedwinter]

Oh and he knows that look so well. That looks spells trouble and like always he's helpless to ignore it. "They've got a right to not trust me after all those years, Steve."

"I'm helping and that's something."

[bottledblond]

“Wasn’t you,” Steve insists. He hadn’t lived through any of this, but he knows Bucky. “And you said it yourself. You were pardoned.”

Steve is pretty sure he isn’t going to like these old friends of the other Steve and he’s a little upset that the other Steve could ever be friends with them.

“Doesn’t matter, Buck. You’ve got me now. And I trust you with my life.”

[woundedwinter]

"But I still did it."

He glances over at him with a grin, "Yeah. We got each other now." Maybe they can build a life without the remaining Avengers. Something closer to normal.

His eyes flick back to the rear mirror and the smile fades into a frown. They're being followed.

[bottledblond]

There’s no such thing as normal for Steve. There is getting by while trying to be something more. That’s his whole life. He’d just gotten the chance to be that something better and he’s not letting it go. Bucky might need a break from the fight and Steve can appreciate that while he learns, but there’s going to come a time when he needs something more.

Or at least he’ll need to try to get it.

Steve watches the smile fade from Bucky’s face like he’s going blank and he glances from window to window until he looks over his shoulder.

A big, black car.

He’s always been smart, always picked up on situations, and that’s why he could always manipulate them to some extent.

“Has that car been with us too long? Is there an ice cream shop nearby that will make us divert course without looking suspicious?” Steve just wants to see if the car stays with them if they double back.

[woundedwinter]

"It's been with us long enough to be a problem." He's not going to waste time figuring out who's following him, too many people on that particular list. What he can't do is put Steve or anyone else in danger.

"We've got to get out of this city traffic." So he cuts left and accelerates towards the nearest on ramp.

"They still there?"

[bottledblond]

So much for subtle. Steve needs to defer to Bucky on this one, even if it’s not really his nature to let the reins go. He keeps his eyes on the side mirror and as they pass a white pickup truck, the SUV comes back into view, swerving a little.

“Yeah. And they don’t look happy about the detour. They’re trying to get around on the right but there are too many parked cars.”

The ramp is two blocks up to take them over the bridge.

[woundedwinter]

"Take my phone. Call Sam." He checks the mirror again before changing lanes. "If this is HYDRA I can draw them off and handle it." And if it's SHIELD he's gonna be pissed.

"Stay low. If they start shooting get as low as you can." He can shrug off most bullet wounds, but Steve can't.

[bottledblond]

“Shooting?” Really? Just out in the open? There are people everywhere. Not even old gangster films would have goons shooting from a car in the daylight.

Steve still scrunches down and pulls his knees up, dialing Sam.

“Hi, Sam? It’s Steve. Steve Rogers. Listen, we’re in Bucky’s car and we are absolutely being followed by a black SUV with out of state plates.” Pennsylvania or Maine, maybe, since there’s no front plate like in New York and New Jersey. “We are... looks like we’re headed over the George Washington.”

Sam makes some incredible claim that he can find them and Steve hangs up the phone with a frown. “Uh. Says he’ll be right here...? He said to keep it on course and try not to take too many turns.”

[woundedwinter]

He only hums in response because if he knew more about who was tailing them he'd know better how to react. HYDRA? One of the various government agencies that were less than happy with his pardon? Bucky doesn't know and that makes this harder. Whatever they were they weren't being subtle, a black SUV all but screams trouble anymore.

"Leave the phone on, that'll help him track us."

[bottledblond]

Sam's already calling back for the same reason, and he directs Steve to press one of the buttons to put the call on speaker. "Hey Buck," Sam says once he hears the audio change. It's strange for Steve, with the sound suddenly coming from Bucky's car's sound system because, one, there's a sound system, and two, he has no idea about bluetooth.

All he can do it keep an eye on the SUV. "Moving to the left to get around you," Steve says, undoing his seatbelt to get a better look behind them.

"I've got eyes. Red Wing is coming in for a closer look," Sam replies. "I'm still three minutes out." Ten frightening seconds pass before Sam speaks up again. "SWORD? The hell does SWORD want?"

[woundedwinter]

His jaw tightens and he swears under his breath in Russian. "Whatever they want it's nothing good." The vibranium tech in his arm? Steve? He doesn't know but it does ramp up his concern that whatever happens it's not going to be good.

"Steve stay low," he warns him.

"Sam we've got to get out of the city, get them away from civilians." He pulls off his gloves, flexing his left hand. "If this turns into a fight in the city I'm going to wind up arrested again."

[bottledblond]

"Negative, Barnes. Negative," Sam says, still too far away for his liking. "SWORD is to be considered friendly."

Steve doesn't know what to make of this. He's hunkering down the best he can while the SUV tries to pull up along side their car. His heart is racing. "If they're friendly, why didn't they call first?" he asks, feeling his pulse behind his eyes as he grips the dash, crouching now between the bucket seat and the glove compartment.

"Man-- That's because someone doesn't answer his phone," Sam snaps.

Steve frowns up at Bucky.

"Just pull over before the toll plaza, Bucky," Sam sounds like he's yelling.

[woundedwinter]

Bucky doesn't consider any agency friendly at this point in his life. He's seen too much and done too much to trust in any larger organization. The Avengers aren't what they used to be and he sure as hell doesn't trust anything remotely related to SHIELD or any of the other various groups that sprang out of it.

For all his complaining about Sam though, he trusts him.

"Ugh, all right all right. I'll leave my damn phone on more often!" There's no real point to it, nobody calls him unless it's a wrong number. People sure aren't beating down his door with job offers.

At least not the kinds of jobs he wants to take.

"Fine!" He cuts the wheel, "I'm going already. Get over here, we're not getting out until you land Wilson."

As Bucky turns he looks over at Steve, frowning at him and still curled up tight to keep down low and safe. His expression softens because this isn't a Steve used to conflict, car chases or anything that's been a part of the last ninety years of his life.

"It's gonna be okay Steve."

[bottledblond]

“He said they’re friendly,” Steve nods, pulling himself back into his seat. His heart is starting to slow down again, but as Bucky pulls over, the black SUV blocks him in and another slides into the parking spot beside Bucky’s driver door.

The blond sighs, just starting to come down from the fear he’d felt when something drops down from the sky.

“Shit!” he yells, actually scrambling into Bucky’s seat before that object stands and his wings extend. “A-A-Angel—“

[woundedwinter]

They're boxing him in and Bucky has to viciously stomp down on every instinct that is screaming at him to act. His expression is flat and cold as he glares out the windows, only startling a little when Steve yelps and jumps towards him.

"Angel? No, no pal it's okay." Bucky's arm is around him but only to keep Steve from falling backwards onto the parking brake. At least that's what he's telling himself.

"That's Sam. Remember, I told you he had mechanical wings, something he strapped on. It's just Sam."

[bottledblond]

He's going to have a heart attack at this rate. Steve gulps down air, his brain finally slapping the explanation now onto the one from yesterday. And yes, now that he;s looking, he can see pretty well that it's Sam out there. It's certainly a relief, though he feels like an idiot for having had to crawl over Bucky like that.

As they sit together, Sam approaches with his hands held out in front of him. "Guys this is a bad look," Steve can hear him say. "Bucky, roll down your stupid tinted windows."

Steve's fingers tighten at the back of Bucky's neck at two women and a man come from the backseats of the two cars. Steve doesn't recognize any of them. One, a shorter white girl with dramatic red lips, approaches Bucky's car door. If he doesn't roll down the window, shes going to cup her hand and look in.

[woundedwinter]

"Give us a second!" He's going to allow Steve to crawl back over to his own seat before opening the window even a fraction. Not just to preserve his dignity but to free up his own hands if something looks even slightly suspect.

When he rolls the window down his expression is flat and cold with only a flicker of irritation evident in his voice. "So why the hell are you following me?" Whatever they're selling, he's not interested. "I already told SHIELD no, I don't know how much clearer I need to be."