i think the reason why will's coming out scene may have seemed "rushed" or "impersonal" is because of what vecna showed him. he said he showed him a world where the people he loved most reacted to him with disgust and hate when he told them the truth about him. that's what caused the shift from...
...this scene to the coming out. he seems hopeful here but the way he was saying "he's just my tammy" felt like vecna made him feel that way. will is an unreliable narrator because he doesn't see the way mike acts towards him like we do. he's convinced mike is straight because mike has been to scared to show him signs that say otherwise. byler is dependent on mike getting his shit together now. i do believe byler will become canon, but it will feel rushed and i think they should have done them more justice because they won't have enough time to truly explore their relationship/dynamic further.
anyway that's my take on it. i still think byler will be canon, but we will not be hap-satisfied...
warnings: violence, torture, gun use, strong language
wc: 1.6k
a/n: I HOPE YOU ENJOYYY :)) if you're wondering about timeline, this would most likely take place before civil war. i don't see this as canon, but if you'd want to imagine that go for it!!! these two are ellie and joel inspired which you'll definitely see :') i love them.
BUCKY’S SCREAM was muffled as the Russian soldier electrocuted him. It was the same every day. He emerged from his small, cold cubicle, they strapped him up—brainwashing him with a side of shock. Then shipped him off on a mission. A never-ending cycle that Bucky wished to break free from.
Maybe one day he would. A man could hope.
The soldier removed the mouth piece from his jaw, a weird tingling feeling lingering in his cheeks from the sudden absence of it. Bucky watched as the Russian picked up the red book with a single black star—the same one that was in almost every single one of his nightmares.
The man began reciting the very words Bucky prays to never hear again. But it’s impossible. He’ll never escape this hellhole.
“Longing. Rusted.” He boomed in Russian.
Goddamnit.
Bucky began to squirm in his chair, tugging at his cuffed hands. His body felt like it was on fire. Sweat dripping down his face.
“Nine. Benign. Homecoming.”
Death would be more kind then whatever this was.
The more words his said, the more Bucky saw glimpses of his past. It was a rare occasion, but he was grateful anytime it happened. He seemed to have a happy life. A blonde man—who was in most of the memories—is supposingly the best soldier alive. Bucky heard rumors, and heard about him on his missions. Heard his name was Steve.
“One. Freight car.” The man finished. He closed the book and looked down at Bucky’s heaving chest. “Soldier?” He asked.
Bucky swallowed. “Ready to comply.”
“You’re mission today is to destroy this lab. But take some of their data. They’ve been doing experiments, similar to H.Y.D.R.A. and you need to end it.” The soldier explains. “You kill anyone who stands in your way. Understand?” He adds.
Bucky lets out a shaky exhale. He nods.
“Do not disappoint us, James.”
Bucky doesn’t respond again. Just nods.
HALF OF the building was already dystroyed. Bucky did as he was told. He gathered the information needed, and killed anyone in sight. He made sure to double check as well. That was until he heard rustling behind a few desks. It almost sounded like he heard… crying. But it wasn’t from an adult. No, an adult wouldn’t be this stupid to not muffle their sounds.
It sounded like a kid. Shit.
Bucky approached the corner, moving the debris and desks. His suspicions were proven correct when a small girl was revealed behind the broken wall. She couldn’t have been older than 12.
Her hair was blonde and she was… well, she was glowing. No way to sugarcoat it, she as genuinely glowing.
Her hands had a gold pulsing light, and it hypnotized him.
As if she put a spell on him, he felt like himself again. His killer switch was turned off. Was it her light? He wanted to find out.
Bucky slowly crouched down, resting his gun on the rocks.
“I’m not going to kill you.” Bucky whispered. He sounded frustrated. And he was. Why couldn’t he just get his job done?
The girl looked up at him, her head popping out from her arms. “Me either.” She replied, quietly.
Bucky nodded. “Good, good.” He mumbled.
“What are you doing, Solider? Kill her now. We spare no one.” A Russian hissed in his earpiece.
Bucky observed the girl. “Look, we gotta get out of here. If you don’t come with me now, you’ll die anyway.” He told her, extending his metal arm to help her escape the debris. “C’mon, they have no patience.” She grabbed his hand, confused as to why it’s not a normal human hand.
“You’ve given me no choice.” The Russian concluded. And not even a minute later, soldiers came pounding through the building.
Thank fuck it was dark inside, so they could only see through the dust with their flashlights.
“Shit.” Bucky hissed. He pulled the girl along his side and gestured to the wall so she would lay up against it like him. “Do y’know how to use your… light powers?” He whispered.
She nodded. “Enough to kill most of them. What about you? Do y’know how to use your… arm?” The girl retorted.
“Ha. Ha.” He deadpanned.
“Listen, smartass—”
Bucky covered her mouth with his right arm. His metal finger to his lips. Silencing her immediately. He could hear them not far away. He couldn’t risk anything without having a plan.
“On my count, you blast ‘em while I shoot.” He mumbled into her ear. She nodded, understanding the plan. Bucky holds up his fingers. One… Two… He mouthed. Three. And with that, the girl turned around from the wall and shot out a golden glow that lit up the whole room. It was mezmerizing.
Bucky shot the other half of the men, then switched to hand-to-hand combat when he couldn’t reload another round. When that group of soldiers were knocked, Bucky nodded his head towards a doorway. The girl followed.
She let her hands glow as they navigated their way out of the building. The dust made them cough a little.
Bucky heard more guards from the front of the lab, so he took the girl’s hand and dragged her through the hallways until they reached the back door. Idiots. How’d they not know to cover all the exits?
“When we get out this door, I need you to run like hell. You’ll be able to see my arm in the dark. We can’t risk you using your light to see. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand. We both speak English.”
Bucky rolled his eyes at her smartass comment. He could tell she was going to be a treat.
They swerved around more debris and bodies, until they saw the sunlight coming from a door. They began to jog to it—and just like Bucky said—they ran like hell. Through bushes, around cars, until they finally reached the woods.
Bucky heard the girl wince. He turned around and saw she had cut her arm. Probably from a thorn. “Jesus.” He mumbled. “You put pressure on that with this,” he tossed a cloth. “I know a place we can lay low for a bit.”
The girl took the cloth and wrapped it around her skinny arm. Then tied it in a knot.
“What’s your name, kid?” He suddenly asks her.
“Elowyn. I get called Winnie a lot, if that’s easier for you.” She tells him, picking up her walking pace to catch up to him. “What’s yours? Other than, The Winter Soldier.” Elowyn mocks the last part.
“James. But apparently I was called Bucky before all of… this.” He gestured to himself. Elowyn nodded.
“I read about you in a museum once. You’re Captain America’s best friend. Is that where you get your name? Bucky?” She rambles, stepping on leaves to hear the crunching sound.
“You ask too many questions, you know that?”
“They should be easy ones. It’s your life after all.”
Bucky sighed, running his hand down his face. He heard the pop when his eyelids returned to its original position. “I don’t remember much about my past life. H.Y.D.R.A. removes it all. Sometimes it comes back to me, but only if I’m away a certain amount of time. Maybe that’ll happen soon.” He explains, moving a tree branch out of his face.
Silence finally fell over the two of them. The only sounds heard were birds and crunching leaves. That was until, Elowyn spoke. Again.
“So are you like a cyborg or something? What’s up with the whole… metal arm that’s not at all intimidating.” She asks.
Could her questions get any stupider?
“I fell. Off a cliff. Fighting with Steve.” He told her, pausing between his words.
“Rogers?” Elowyn asks. Bucky nods. “Sweet.” She adds. And the more she keeps talking the more Bucky wishes he left her in the building. “Hey, could you be a pal and put in a good word to the Avengers for me? I feel like I could take that Thor guy down easily.” Elowyn drones on.
“How about I start asking the questions, yeah? Like, what the hell were you doing in that lab? Shouldn’t you be in school?” Bucky interrogates, stopping in his tracks. He looks down at her.
Elowyn blinks, then grins. “You really are brainwashed.”
“What?”
“Do you really think I could walk into a public school if they found out I could do this?” She shot a beam of light at a tree trunk, and the bark turned black, steaming. Bucky looked between the tree and her. “Didn’t think so.”
She began to walk again, and Bucky followed behind her. “How’d you get the powers?” He asks her, hating the awkward silence.
“Dunno. I was born with ‘em.” Elowyn replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.
Bucky nodded. So she was a mutant.
“Where are we going?” She voices.
“To get a fake passport, so we can fly to somewhere far away from here. Or, I can fly to somewhere far away.” He corrects himself.
Elowyn’s eyes widen. “You’re just gonna leave me? I’m 13. Where do I have to go?” She shuddered at the thought.
“I’m not going to leave you. I’m gonna help you find your family so you can live a life.”
“I’m an orphan, Bucky.”
Bucky sighs. He almost said Me too, but he held his tongue. “Guess you’re comin’ with me then.” He ruffled her blonde hair.
What he didn’t know is that she would be the best thing that ever happened. His first found kin after Steve.
And that he would regret every mistake he does in the future.
a/n: hiiii i hope you liked it :) sorry if it was rushed, i have a weird tendency to do that lol 😭 OKAY BAAIIII
IN WHICH :: Bucky Barnes found a daughter and a best friend all in one after his escape from HYDRA. Together, they go on many adventures to find their way to freedom.
TW :: gore, violence, suicidal thoughts, alcohol, strong language, and any other sensitive topics found in the mcu. no smut or sex.
━ brooke. virgo. infp. she!her. blue eyed angel. american. awkward. movie enthusiast. blankets. music lover. bears. soda. 666. bucky girl. vinyls. stuffed animals. nerd daughter pilled. ⋆˙⟡♡
movies: marvel. how to lose a guy in 10 days. hamilton. indiana jones. 10 things i hate about you. how to train your dragon. pitch perfect. mamma mia. the greatest showman. hercules. little women. bones and all. almost famous. fantastic mr fox. the perks of being a wallflower. scott pilgrim vs the world. mamma mia. twilight. avatar. catch me if you can. the odyssey. tick tick boom. the drama. project hail mary. the drama. crazy stupid love. lars and the real girl.
tv shows: brooklyn nine-nine. stranger things. gilmore girls. friends. teen wolf. full/fuller house. saturday night live. the walking dead. gossip girl. you. arcane. the summer i turned pretty.
music: billie eilish. tyler, the creator. frank ocean. radiohead. taylor swift. olivia rodrigo. sza. kendrick lamar. eminem. lin-manuel miranda. nirvana. arctic monkeys. the smiths. sabrina carpenter. radiohead. malcolm todd. ethel cain. madison beer. dominic fike.
games: minecraft. mouthwashing. the last of us. class of '09. roblox. fortnite. life is strange. fnaf.
youtubers: sturniolo triplets. deb smikle. larray. quenlin blackwell. brittany broski. the basement yard. courtreezy. bunch of friends.
books: a good girl's guide to murder. twilight. lynn painter. the fault in our stars. the hate u give. girl in pieces. the maze runner. how to make friends with the dark. the seven husbands of evelyn hugo. the bell jar. the hunger games. the boys of tommen. the odyssey.