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Are you awake?

[it's a little early for running, even for them. but it's apparently not a good time for sleeping either. steve hesitated to even do this, but...

if he can't talk to himself, who can he talk to.]

[It's early, but the message still gets Steve's attention. He wasn't really sleeping, not when he's still getting used to the new city and the fact there are monsters that could bust through the fences.

Not when he knows Loki is right there, relatively peaceful or not.]

I'm awake. What's happening?

[Clearly something must be going on if he's getting messages at this hour.]

It's nothing.

[which is true and not true. nothing's on fire, nothing's being invaded. he shouldn't have bothered him at all.

but now he's, and he knows he can't just back out of it.]

I was just wondering if you'd gone through something in your past, and how you handled it.

It's about Bucky.

["Nothing" of course means that it has to be something, and when he gets that next message, Steve confirms what he had expected. It's enough to wake him right up, even if he weren't already brushing off sleep.]

What happened?

Hydra.

[isn't it always hydra? maybe steve will tell him otherwise. maybe he'll be sorry he asked.]

They turned him into their assassin. Did you know that?

You're talking about the Red Skull.

[Not just HYDRA, who were always bad news, but the Skull, who was his own level of insane, twisted menace. He could see the Red Skull trying to take control of Bucky, just like he's obsessed with personally tearing down Steve, but he hadn't managed to succeed.]

Tell me what happened.

It started with him.

Bucky was captured in the 40's, experimented on. So when Bucky died...he didn't. He ended up right back in their hands again.

They wiped his memories, they brainwashed him. They gave him that arm. And they sent him out to kill for them.

Bucky was alive, so was Hydra. I should've figured it out sooner.

[It's probably good that they're just texting. Otherwise, Steve would be treated to his alternate universe self clenching his fist around the phone, almost cracking the device.]

We've had an experience like that, yes.

I'm guessing he's still recovering from that. I'm here to help you if you want it.

Can you tell me how to help him?

There are ways to combat brainwashing, but restoring memories... That's more complicated.

Is he talking to you?

Not if he can help it.

The thing is, I'm a little bit ahead of him timewise. I know he can get better. I just don't want him to go through it alone.

Hm. Yeah, I met him briefly. He cut and ran.

You know that the other Avengers from my world and I would be happy to help reach out to him. He might not be thrilled about taking it, but we can try.

And at least we can be here if he needs help.

Two of us and another version of himself. I guess if we can't get through to him, nobody could.

If he spends time talking to Bucky, I think he'll open up. Maybe he just needs someone that knows where he's coming from.

[Not that Steve doesn't understand his best friend, but it's different when going through the things Bucky went through. Losing his memory and being forced to do things against his will.]

I know that he won't let him keep running. He wouldn't want anyone to suffer like that alone.

What about you? How are you taking all of this?

I'm handling it.

[steve probably has a point about bucky knowing where his counterpart is coming from. it's likely the same for him, steve understanding what lies beneath the surface of those words. it's not easy, it hurts him, but if there's one thing he - they - are good at, it's enduring.]

I'm sorry about all this. You've probably got enough on your own plate.

[Steve saying that he's handling it is about as reassuring as Bucky telling him there are no problems. It's just that he won't admit to them.

Much like Steve.]

You think I don't have enough time to listen to you? I would be a pretty lousy Steve Rogers if I couldn't make time to help another version of myself and his partner.

We can handle it together.

IC Contact

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