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*****
Half an hour later, at Mike's house.
Mike looked at the unconscious Winter Soldier, rubbed his chin, and muttered, "So it's him."
Hearing this, Tony and Clark turned to Mike in surprise.
"Dad, you know him?"
Clark asked in a low voice.
"Have you forgotten? When you were little, we ran into him together."
Mike prompted Clark.
"When I was little… the assassin?"
Clark pondered, then his eyes lit up. "The one who tried to kill Howard and Maria!?"
"Right."
Mike nodded. "Your memory's not bad."
Clark gave a small smile.
"He tried to assassinate my parents?"
Tony's eyes went cold.
If not for Mike, his parents would have died back then, and now—if not for Clark—he himself might have died at this man's hands.
At the thought, Tony's gaze darkened, a flicker of brutality slowly surfacing.
"Sir, I've identified him."
Jarvis's voice sounded.
Tony took out his phone, tapped it twice, and a virtual screen projected into the air.
"James Buchanan Barnes. Member of the Howling Commandos. Close friend of Captain America. During an operation against Hydra, he fell into a ravine and was declared dead."
"Steve's friend?" Tony blurted, then frowned. "Then… is he Hydra?"
The room fell silent.
"Call Steve," Mike said evenly. "He shouldn't be on a mission, right?"
Tony nodded and placed a call.
While everyone else studied the Winter Soldier with curiosity, Mike turned with a cheerful squint toward Hope.
Gwen, who had been quiet, blinked, then mimicked Mike's look and beamed at Hope as well.
After the father and daughter had stared long enough to bring a faint blush to Hope's face, they both chuckled.
"Hope," Mike said happily, "what identity are you here under this time?"
"Yes, what identity?"
Gwen chimed in.
Tony and Pepper Potts watched the pair with amused smiles.
Before Hope could answer, Clark stepped in to block the father and daughter's line of sight, straightened his face, and said, "Let me reintroduce her. This is my girlfriend, Hope."
Mike and Gwen exchanged a glance.
Heh-heh-heh!
Listening to their odd little chuckles, Clark groaned, "Can you two be normal for once?"
Hope smiled, walked to Mike's side, rolled her eyes playfully, then hugged his arm and said in a teasing tone, "Uncle Mike, I'm abducting Clark!"
"Go ahead," Mike said generously. "No need to return him!"
"Fantastic! Clark is finally married off!"
Gwen cheered.
Watching the antics of father and daughter, Tony and Pepper laughed along.
Clark narrowed his eyes at them. "That's enough, you two."
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Clark glanced over. "It's Steve. I'll get it."
At that, everyone sobered.
Clark opened the door, and Steve all but sprinted into the room. Peggy Carter followed with quick, purposeful strides.
They stared in shock at the unconscious Winter Soldier on the sofa and gasped, "Bucky!"
"He passed out. It'll be a little while before he wakes."
Clark explained.
"What happened?"
Steve's mind was reeling. He stared at Bucky in a daze, then looked to the others with confusion.
"I'll explain," Tony said.
He recounted what had happened at the restaurant.
Calmer now, Steve gazed at Bucky, his expression complicated. "We'll have to wait until he wakes to know what state he's in."
"Wake him," Tony said, looking at Mike.
Mike gave Tony a puzzled look. "Why are you looking at me?"
He jerked his chin toward Steve. "He should do it."
"Like waking Sleeping Beauty?"
Gwen muttered.
Steve chuckled and pinched Gwen's cheek. "I'm no Prince Charming."
Peggy Carter nodded. "That much I can confirm."
Steve shot Peggy a speechless look, then stepped to Bucky's side. He lightly slapped Bucky's cheeks and called to him in a gentle voice.
Seconds later, Bucky's eyes snapped open. Without the slightest hesitation, that steel fist flashed with cold light and shot toward Steve's face.
Bang!
Steve rode the momentum of the punch, and when Bucky's knee drove for his gut, Steve caught Bucky's leg with his free hand. But Bucky heaved with sudden force, flipped off the sofa, and slammed Steve beneath him.
As Bucky's metal fist rose again to hammer down, Clark blurred forward, seized Bucky's wrist, and hauled him up.
Bucky swung back at Clark.
Clark caught the other arm as well and hoisted him off the ground. As Bucky tried to struggle again, Steve pinned his legs.
"Bucky, it's me—Steve!"
Steve shouted, eyes locked on him.
Bucky's movements faltered. His eyes trembled for a heartbeat, then he fought even harder.
"What's going on?"
Peggy Carter studied him gravely. "Don't tell me… he isn't Sergeant Barnes?"
"No, it's him. I'm certain."
Steve's voice was firm.
"Then he's been controlled," Mike said, and a card appeared at his fingertips.
Name: Professor X.
As the card dissolved into motes of light, a wave of psychic power surged out and froze Bucky in place.
"Let him go,"
Mike said calmly.
Bucky stood like a puppet.
Mike walked up to him, placed a finger between his brows, and sent psychic energy into his mind. "He's been brainwashed. I'm going to awaken his memories."
With that, Mike's eyes gleamed. Invisible mental force probed into Bucky's mind.
As memories resurfaced, a storm of expressions crossed Bucky's face—
Pain. Anger. Despair. Numbness. A fleeting smile…
A few minutes later, Mike snapped his fingers.
Bucky's eyes opened.
He looked around in bewilderment, then his gaze fixed on Steve.
"You… Steve?"
"It's me!"
Steve rushed forward, and the two embraced tightly.
A smile tugged at Bucky's lips—
But from lack of practice, it looked more like a grimace than a grin.
A few seconds later, they separated. Steve said, "It's so good that you're alive."
Bucky nodded, then looked to Mike. "Thank you for bringing me back."
"It was nothing," Mike replied. "By the way, I found the trigger words used to control you. I've removed them all."
At that, Bucky froze, then emotion flooded his face. "Thank you. Truly—thank you!"
(End of Chapter)