[apprenticeofaghost]

"Why...why do you look so familiar?" (Bucky)

“You don’t remember me?”

[apprenticeofaghost]

soviet-ghost-story​:

Mission parameters. Bucky thought quickly - he knew that just dropping the fact that there would be no more missions in this kid’s lap would only serve to make him confused and potentially dangerous. He didn’t want to make him perceive him as a threat, because he absolutely meant him no harm. Unlike the other Soldiers he had trained, this boy had been brought to him also against his will - presumably, he lacked the sadism and innate violence necessary to want to volunteer for HYDRA’s second Winter Soldier phase. What was more, the kid had been left here, languishing since the end of the Cold War almost forty years ago, alone and forgotten.  “A lot has changed since 1988, Soldier,” Bucky said after a moment. “There is a lot of training I have to catch you up on, a lot of history, before we can begin the next mission.” The mission of living, of surviving and learning to be human again, was a hell of an undertaking, one that Bucky understood well. “The leadership within HYDRA has changed since you were last activated.” It wasn’t a lie, though the words were carefully chosen - the truth was that HYDRA simply no longer existed as it had, only in feeble pockets being eradicated one by one. “You and I are to be operating as independent units, without handlers, for the foreseeable future. I am…a free agent, and so are you. I am worried…but about your welfare, Soldier.” Bucky glanced over his shoulder; it was silent in this wing, though he could hear voices quiet in his comms. He’d muted his own so he could talk to the boy without being overheard; he doubted anyone would be thrilled that they’d adopted another brainwashed supersoldier, but Bucky wouldn’t budge from this. Kindness would have to be introduced gradually, carefully, to him.  “…Do you understand?”

“What is current year?” He asked, fumbling to understand what could have changed so drastically. It couldn’t have been so long, could it? He knew he had been put away in storage, locked up and safe among the vaults of empty chambers. 

“Free agent?” There was alarm in his eyes, something showing how much he really didn’t understand what position he was truly thrust into in that moment. “Define free. I do not comprehend this word. Without handlers? It does not...I do not operate without...”He was seeming to freak out a little.

“I do not understand. What is mission parameter? Who gives orders? How do we exist without handlers?”

[apprenticeofaghost]

"Someone asked if I have an older brother. I said yes. Even though you are rough around the edges, you are still family."

“I’m not sure I would define me as family....I have no blood ties but I suppose I should say thank you.”

[manymusesbym]

"Blood doesn't define family." Luke says. "Come here and we will watch My favorite movie ever."

[apprenticeofaghost]

“What defines family then?”

[apprenticeofaghost]

soviet-ghost-story​:

At the hoarse utterance of an old term, Bucky grimaced and began to unlatch the kid from the equipment. He put a steady hand on his shoulder to ease him back into laying down, but his touch wasn’t harsh. The first step of introducing him to the world as it was now, a world away from HYDRA, was something that Steve had inadvertently taught him when they had finally reunited: Human touch meant more than just the infliction of pain. “At ease, Soldier,” Bucky said quietly - they’d both been soldiers for HYDRA in their way, through in different programs ultimately. The touch might have been kind, but to just throw everything that he had been trained to know as far as hierarchy out the window without explanation would have likely resulted in defiance and a fight. It was the last thing he wanted. “There’s a new designation you can refer to me as. Sergeant Barnes - do you understand?” Once the equipment was off and the restraining vest was gone, Bucky reached out and helped the young man sit up on the gurney. He knew that there would be nothing in the way of comfort in this room - no blankets or towels - so he didn’t bother leaving his side to go and check. Stolen equipment would have to do once they got him out of here. “…Report, Soldier. The last date and time that you were activated, and what your mission was.” He didn’t know if the young man had ever been utilized after they were parted, or if he had just languished here forgotten for unknown amounts of time. This was the most that he had ever spoken to him - as the Winter Soldier, he was almost always silent, his words unnecessary - his handlers were the voice, he was merely their fist. Now, though - he needed to handle this situation with delicacy if he was going to try and help him.

At Ease. That seemed far more difficult than it should have been. Years of regiment taught him to be on guard and at the ready for any given time. “Last awake in 1988. During cold war, the mission perimeter was to kill the American spies.”

“What is mission perimeter now, Sargent Barnes?” He wasn’t sure what he was suppose to do. Normally when he was awoken, there was a team of people to defrost him and a handler at the ready. Now it was just Barnes and while he was use to him...he still didn’t understand why he was alone.

He sat up on the gurney, looking at Barnes and trying to read him. It was strange but prior to the freezing process, every time he had been in the same room with the Winter Soldier, he hadn’t been able to read him at all. He was a blank expression but now...he had telling signs. 

“You are worried, da?” He was looking onward, tilting his head from side to side to get an accurate read. “Why you come to defrost me? Is new mission?”

[apprenticeofaghost]

"Someone asked if I have an older brother. I said yes. Even though you are rough around the edges, you are still family."

“I’m not sure I would define me as family....I have no blood ties but I suppose I should say thank you.”

[apprenticeofaghost]

jbbarnes107​:

To say that Bucky was unprepared for this was an understatement. He didn’t know what he was doing. The thing was though, that he had been were Warren was. He knew what it was like to be free of Hydra. To have nowhere to go, to have no idea who you were, to have no one to lean on in a sense. Just because Bucky did it alone didn’t mean Warren had to. Bucky wasn’t that heartless.

“No. No commands.” Said Bucky as he tossed Warren the television remote. “But you’re going to have to get a job. Rent is expensive and you’re going to get tired of the couch.”

“Commands..” He was almost sulking when he said the next line, looking at the other like he was denying him something to eat or water. Something he needed to survive. “I will get job. What job will I get?” He looked at the other confused. “....What is wrong with the couch?”

[apprenticeofaghost]

Restrained and Contained

@soviet-ghost-story

Unconscious. Frozen. But every moment that he could remember flashed before his eyes, caught in his own waking nightmare. The smack of combat boots in small sizes hit against pavement and he knew that he was going to deeper into the nightmare the moment he felt himself on the metal slab of a gurney. 

Disoriented. He could see in his minds eye that he was just a boy. He was young and the regiment was the same. A smack of a switch when the footing wasn’t right. The hand that shoved a face in the dirt was just a remembrance. But from a young age, he knew the harsh side of regiment.

Cold. The shiver stretched against his skin, covering every piece of it. He was certain he was shaking uncontrollably. He wasn’t even conscious truly but his body was reacting to the sudden adjustment of ice to a room temperature.

A glaze of color shown against eyes that tried to open. A voice that sounded familiar called out to him. A younger version of the man stood in his minds eye, teaching him to be unyielding and lethal at vital young age.

Ghost.

That was him. He was Ghost.

Now he was on the gurney, equipment strapped to him and he opened his eyes. “Master.” It was the only thing he could think to call him. He hadn’t felt ready to call him by his aliases. It was always something that he was taught he was beneath.

The Winter Soldier was in a hierarchy and the ghost was definitely beneath him. Still, he was weak as he tried to get up from the gurney.

[apprenticeofaghost]

tormentedsoldier​:

For a moment there Bucky studied the others face in silence, as though trying to figure out how to respond to his words. From his very own experience he knew how confusing and utterly overwhelming everything following his escape from HYDRA had been. And he had done it all on his own, too paranoid to seek help. Not that he had had anyone to turn to anyway.

“I’d be happy to help you figure things out,” he replied eventually, his voice calm as he spoke. “But I’m not going to make choices for you, much less give you instructions.”

“How will you help if you do not choose for me? I do not understand freedom. I do not understand choice. It is when it is gone that we understand peace because we have the sound mind and understanding that what is being chosen is right for us.”

[awnterslder]

𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙼𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙰𝙶𝙴… … … 𝚂𝚄𝙱𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃  𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴:  𝚁𝙴:  𝙲𝙰𝙿.𝚃  𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙲.𝙰 𝚃𝙴𝚇𝚃  𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴:  "do  we  kill  captain  america?“

            𝙷𝙴  𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂  𝙷𝙸𝚂  𝙱𝙴𝚂𝚃  𝚃𝙾  𝚃𝚁𝚈  𝙰𝙽𝙳  𝙺𝙴𝙴𝙿  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼  𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙷𝙸𝚂  𝙴𝚇𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽  𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾  𝚂𝙾𝙼𝙴  𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙳𝙴  𝙾𝙵  𝚁𝙴𝙿𝚄𝙶𝙽𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴.  to  put  himself  in  @apprenticeofaghost​ ‘s  place  for  a  moment  ———  freed  from  a  freezing  chamber  for  god  knows  how  long.  disorienting  at  the  very  least.  “that’s  not  your  mission  anymore.  the  war  is  over,  warren.”

[apprenticeofaghost]

“What is my mission? I do not understand this freedom thing. It is confusing and revolting. Freedom is a lie we feed each other. Pretty soon the other shoe drops and we find someone is pulling the strings.”

[naughtyandnicerpmemes]

ANONYMOUSLY TELL ME YOUR HONEST OPINION ABOUT ME. I CAN’T REPLY/COMMENT, JUST PUBLISH.

[manymusesbym]

If my muse came with a warning label, what would it be? ⚠️

[apprenticeofaghost]

"Extremely annoying."

"Says the pampered kid."

[apprenticeofaghost]

lukas-romanova-barton​:

Lukas quiets down before tackle Warren into a hug. “I know I have a better life when it comes to family. You are also my brother now. I am not pampered though.” He says, before pulling out his phone and showing the other what being a pampered spoiled rich kid actually meant.

“You are still a little more privileged than some. I’m not sure when I became a brother but thank you? I confess I am at a loss.”

[manymusesbym]

"I never said I wasn't privileged." Lukas says. "That I know I am. Privileged and pampered add two different things. But that is okay that you are lost because I will help." He admits.

[apprenticeofaghost]

“Lukas, you think you can help me? I’m not really sure how to be free let alone be someone’s sibling.”

[apprenticeofaghost]

"Extremely annoying."

"Says the pampered kid."

[apprenticeofaghost]

lukas-romanova-barton​:

Lukas quiets down before tackle Warren into a hug. “I know I have a better life when it comes to family. You are also my brother now. I am not pampered though.” He says, before pulling out his phone and showing the other what being a pampered spoiled rich kid actually meant.

“You are still a little more privileged than some. I’m not sure when I became a brother but thank you? I confess I am at a loss.”

[apprenticeofaghost]

"Extremely annoying."

"Says the pampered kid."

[manymusesbym]

"I am not pampered!" Lukas huffs, embarrassed.

[apprenticeofaghost]

“You have always had someone to raise you and teach you. To take care of you, haven’t you?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong but you have like two dads, two moms. You know what I have? A cot in Natasha’s spare bed room and a laundry list of confusion.”

[apprenticeofaghost]

"Extremely annoying."

"Says the pampered kid."

[manymusesbym]

If my muse came with a warning label, what would it be? ⚠️

[jbbarnes107]

@apprenticeofaghost

This was a mistake and Bucky knew it. He could barely handle himself and he was taking in a kid he’d trained; when he was The Winter Soldier at that. Of course he was no longer a kid but he was to Bucky at least until he got to know him better. It was like running into the Widows, he still saw the little girls he’d trained.

Bucky grabbed some extra blankets from his closet and he grabbed one of the pillows from his large bed. He had more pillows than he needed. He set the things down on the couch and looked back at the kid. He was too tall for the couch. “We’ll figure this out tomorrow.” An inflatable mattress, maybe. A futon? Bucky could fit a futon in the small apartment.

“Should I call you Warren or is that not your name anymore?”

[apprenticeofaghost]

“Warren is my name. I don’t know any other to use,” he admitted, looking a little beside himself in his confusion. He looked back at Bucky and the couch, he knew that he was tall for it but that didn’t bother him any. He didn’t know what to do with himself anyways.

He didn’t know how to handle a life that wasn’t with orders. “Will you give me commands?” He questioned, he was fourteen when Bucky had first trained him and he was now eighty nine by the records.