Chapter Text
Year 2250. 10:00 Am. Underneath the arena.
Bucky stood in a small, brisk room along with the person who had made him the tribute he needed to be. He peeled his eyes away from the dimly lit floor tiles, bringing his gaze to meet the eyes of Natasha standing across from him. She offered him a comforting smile as she stepped forward to adjust his snug leather jacket. The man said nothing, but stood in a welcoming way. Her fingers lingered for just a moment longer on the bottom of his jacket, moving the zipper up its track.
“Remember, I’m still betting on you Barnes.” She spoke softly with her eyes trained on the zipper, finally letting her hands drop back to her sides. Bucky swallowed thickly, looking back down for a moment before reaching his arms out. Natasha accepted the gesture, pulling the nervous man into her arms. The embrace was brief, cut short only by the sound of an overhead speaker.
“10 seconds ‘til launch.” The woman’s voice called out.
Bucky eventually parted from Natasha, taking a deep breath as he began to walk into the cylinder for transport. The man kept his focus on his mentor in order to keep himself grounded as the clock ticked the seconds away. Slowly rising, he took one last look at the woman, his breathing uneven in his throat.
As the cylinder broke into harsh daylight, Barnes squinted, raising his arms up to shield the blinding rays. As he blinked his vision back to its original state, he began to take in the arena around him.
It was a heavy forested landscape, with the only noticeable opening being the area in which all 24 of the chosen tributes stood. In the middle sat a large, metallic cornucopia with promising materials that would aid their survival; weapons, food, water containers, medication, and other items for shelter. Breathing heavily, Bucky clenched his fists at his sides, not daring to look anyone in the eyes. He did, however, catch sight of some of the people alongside him. Steve Rogers, district 11, stood only two platforms away from him on his left. Tony Stark, also district 11, stood one platform away on his left. Peter Parker, district 5, stood one platform away on his right. He noticed Clint Barton, district 7 far from him. Bucky’s internal notes were interrupted by the booming countdown.
“Happy Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor.” There was an unsettling pause. “ 50. 49. 48. 47. 46..” The counting began, causing birds to fly off in the distance.
Bucky dared to glance over at the kid next to him. He couldn’t have been older than 16. It was obvious the boy was shaking, unaware of his capabilities. Barnes felt awful, wishing he could help. Peter met his eyes for a moment, his breath catching in his throat. Bucky attempted a smile, but the teen had already refocused his vision on the middle.
“38. 37. 36. 35 34..” The countdown continued to his dismay.
Bucky felt numb. Surrounded by some former friends and even some children, his confidence plummeted into his shoes. He had no desire, no thought to ever kill or injure these people.
“27. 26. 25. 24. 23. 22..” Each number matched the hammering that his heart created in his head.
He closed his eyes, imagining he was anywhere but there. Anywhere but standing amongst some of the people that he had his fondest memories with. Anywhere else but awaiting the bloodbath before his eyes.
“17. 16. 15. 14 .13..” The numbers felt like they moved quicker and quicker.
The world whirred around him. The sound of a deafening explosion suddenly brought everyone back to reality, faces appearing shocked and horrified. A soft canon sound went off throughout the arena, signifying a death.
Someone had stepped off early. Thor Odinson, district 1. The landmine had activated beneath him, killing him instantly. Anxiety ran high in everyone, and the death caused a new, biting tension.
“5. 4. 3. 2. 1..” People were off their pedestals in an instant. Half of the tributes ran to the potential bloodbath in the center while others sprinted far away. Bucky found himself stepping off in the opposite direction, with the young boy taking off with him heading the same way. Steve Rogers unsuspectedly trailed behind the two while Tony Stark headed towards the middle swiftly.
Breathing immensely, Bucky threw his arms forward and back quickly, gaining momentum in his pace. Glancing behind him, Peter continued to follow, showing no aim to kill, but instead, much fear. Steve caught up almost entirely to Barnes in seconds.
“Bucky, wait!” Steve called out, his breathing labored at the speed they were moving at. “I’m not gonna hurt you pal, let’s get somewhere safe with the kid!” Rogers added, wiping the side of his cheek against his shoulder to rid it of the sweat that had collected. The young boy behind them began to catch up a bit, but only because the blonde slowed down to meet his pace. Bucky too, reduced his speed so that he was in line with the others.
“We have to find a place nobody is going. I think most ran the other direction.” The brunette pointed out, gasping for air. The cornucopia was no longer visible from where they were located.
They found a nearby cave opening and decided to seek temporary shelter there. Finally coming to a halt, Peter collapsed against the cave wall as Steve and Bucky squatted across from him. Turning to look at Steve, Bucky felt his cheeks flush, having not seen the man up close in quite a bit. The blonde caught his glance, offering him a comforting smile. The both of them had grown up significantly. Steve, once a scrawny kid, was fit and looked dashing. Bucky himself had been sporting shorter hair for a while, growing tired of his longer hair. Peter’s coughs took the attention of both of them abruptly.
“Kid, are you alright?” Steve questioned with a concerned expression. He shuffled his body into a sitting position next to Peter as Bucky remained squatting, but still facing them. The young boy shivered, bringing his knees up to his chest in order to combat the chill of the air.
“I’m.. decent, ya know? Can’t r-really be much better.” He answered, gritting his teeth and peering outside the cave entrance at the sound of birds.
“Yeah. I guess I can’t say much to help here. But, I can say Buck and I are quite the team. And you’re welcome to stick with us.” The man reassured in a consoling manner, glancing at his friend quickly. Bucky felt a rush inside himself, quickly nodding along.
Steve and Bucky had always been childhood best friends. They did everything together; supported each other, confided in each other, traveled together. When the annual Games rolled around, the both would stand huddled up against one another, Bucky almost always using Steve’s shoulder as a way to shield himself from the misery. During the Reaping that year, Bucky felt his heart stop in his chest at the sound of his name being called. But what was even worse? Hearing the name “Steve Rogers” uttered just before him. It was a blessing to have his friend with him, and a curse. The two were almost too aware of the rule of one winner.
“We should start to figure out a food and water source if we’re gonna survive out here.” Bucky blurted out suddenly, ripping himself from his thoughts. The other two looked at him with agreeance on their features.
“I.. I think I saw a small lake when we were running. I don’t know how many people would go to it, though.” Peter suggested softly, his eyes glazed over with fresh tears of worry. Steve stayed next to the boy, attempting to shield his view of the outside.
“It’s a start.” Steve concluded, looking down at the floor in a moment of defeat. “I can check if you’d—“
Bucky interrupted the man immediately.
“No. We are coming with you. The more we split up, the more defenseless we are.” He argued with a mix of panic and certainty. The young boy gazed up at Steve, nodding along with Bucky’s statement.
“I think he’s right.” He said, his eyes still wandering past the blonde every few seconds to check outside.
Steve let out a frustrated sigh, but nodded along. “I know. I’m just trying to keep you guys safe. But, I know you won’t just sit here. So let’s be careful, and only look around.” He planned, switching his focus from Peter to his best friend. “Sound good to you?’ Rogers questioned.
Barnes nodded, feeling a flash of heat in his cheeks once more. “Yes that’s.. fine. I’ll stand in the back, the kid in the middle. Steve, you take the front.” He mapped out, pointing in the air with his finger.
“Got it.” Peter said, beginning to stand up reluctantly. Steve and Bucky followed suit, filing into the formation discussed.
Silence was all that was present as they exited hesitantly. At any moment, Bucky knew someone could throw a knife at their heads, or a spear at their legs leaving them as bait. It was completely unknown what would happen in the next minute, but they persisted. Peter was visibly shaking, frantically scanning the area as they moved further out of hiding. Bucky patted his back, hoping to pass on some form of calm.
“I see it.” Steve whispered a moment later, pointing to a small clearing with a pool-sized lake. “I don’t think it’s smart if we all just walk in at the same spot, Buck. We might have to split up here.” Rogers said with a sigh, looking around as he whispered. The young boy’s breathing faltered at the suggestion.
“I.. I know. I really don’t want to. Can you at least take Pete with you? I want the kid to be with someone more likely to win a fight.” Bucky said, pushing Peter towards the other man lightly. The boy whipped his head around with sadness on his features, torn internally on who to stay with.
Steve shook his head, taking a step towards the brunette with a serious expression. “Bucky, I’m not gonna leave you alone. He will be fine with either of us. Please just stay with Peter and enter slowly from the left side. I’m going to make my way into the forested area on the right and go in that way.” He explained, pushing Peter gently back towards Bucky.
Barnes’ was hesitant with nodding along, but agreed in the end. If Steve was correct, he would be alright on his own. Bucky and Peter would have a good chance sticking together. If something were to go awry, it was an easier escape from Bucky’s position.
The blonde motioned for them to head to their opening, turning his back to them to move to the right path. Each crunch beneath their feet felt like walking on glass. Silence again fell around them as they continued to glance behind them every few seconds. It was an eerie feeling, the thought of death being possibly right around the corner.
When the two broke through the final branches in front of them, the lake glistened from the morning sun, but Steve was nowhere in sight. Bucky felt a pang of panic run through his body, but remained as calm as possible for the young boy who was smiling at the beauty. Standing close to Peter, the older man looked around in defense, awaiting to see his friend’s face again.
After what felt like hours, Steve broke into the clearing, looking a bit beat up due to branches and leaves clogging his path. Bucky breathed a sigh of relief, and the young boy gave Steve a happy wave. The group carefully stepped around the lake, meeting on the left side of it.
“It’s a lot bigger when you’re close to it.” Peter whispered, looking up at the two men who were exchanging glances of worry.
“What’s the plan, Steve?” Bucky asked tiredly.
The blonde released a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as if deep in thought. “I suppose for now we should try to stay put as long as possible. It’s an open lake but it's protected by all the brush deep in the arena.” He reasoned, sounding at a loss.
Bucky shrugged, glancing around them once more to look for any intruders. “I guess that would work. We’ll have to switch with who is keeping watch at night.” He pointed out, his focus now trained on Steve again. The two momentarily held eye contact, a spark of some unspoken feeling resurfacing. Peter’s voice seemed distant when he spoke up.
“Guys.. are you alright?” He asked, flipping his attention back and forth between the two men.
“I, yes.” Steve responded suddenly and glancing to the side, still looking at Bucky out of the corner of his eye. “We will switch shifts and take shelter in the trees. They’re thick enough that we can find places that are sturdy enough.” He concluded, patting Bucky on the shoulder. “Good enough plan for now?” Steve asked, lowering his voice as if curious about the wellbeing of his friend.
The brunette felt shivers move down his arm, attempting his best smile at his friend. “Yes.. I think that’s fine.” He answered confidently.