Chapter Text
Prologue: The Mission
You packed lightly, a single large backpack and a good durable jacket. Sitting on the edge of your bed, you stared down at the file in your hands - James Buchanan Barnes. It was a small file, one that Steve put together with the most recent photo he could find of his friend. After everything had happened with the ‘Winter Soldier’ and Hydra, you knew Steve wasn’t going to just let it go. He was going to find his friend and you volunteered to help, heeding the warning Natasha had given about him being dangerous.
Dangerous didn’t scare you much, it was the not knowing - that made you shiver and you could only imagine how Steve felt. Bucky was the only person Steve had growing up, he told you that much and the look in his eyes when he recalled losing him the first time, it was enough to make you want to help.
A soft knock interrupted your thoughts and you called out for whoever it was to enter. It was Steve, looking every bit ready for the hunt.
“Hey, just came to check on you.”
“You came to see if I’d back out,” you laughed and stood up, putting your backpack on. “I want to help, Steve. I will find him.”
“You don’t have to do this,” he asserted, making his way to you. “It’s asking a lot.”
“I’m your teammate and friend,” you reminded him. “I want to help; besides, I can’t wait to find him first before Sam.”
Steve laughed. “I’m glad Sam and you are making a game of this.”
“Hey, whatever gets the job done, right? Come on, you can give me a ride to the airport.”
…
Steve had received several leads and sightings of Bucky, but the path he sent you on had taken you across Europe and all its touristy places. Every city, large and small, not a single sight of Bucky and three weeks in, you were starting to think he really was a ghost.
You leaned against the cab window and looked down at the black and white surveillance photo of Bucky and sighed.
Where are you?
He looked so primitive in the photo, a bit lost, and lonely - something you could understand. Yes, being an Avenger had its perks, but sometimes things were lonely. You were a part of a team that the whole world knew, had an opinion on. Sometimes you wanted to walk away, find a small town to settle into normalcy, but here you were - searching for a phantom.
Your cell started to ring and you apologized in German to the cab driver, taking it from your jacket to see it was Steve. Feeling guilty for having nothing but no news for the man, you took a deep breath and answered in a cheery voice.
“Hallo, Freund!”
“I take it you’re in Germany, how’s it going?”
Looking out the window, you sighed. “It’s going, I’m about to drive into Heidelberg,” you informed him.
“You got a lead?”
“Not exactly,” you confessed, tapping the passenger window. “Just a hunch. His last sighting, if it was true, was in Darmstadt. So, I started going down on the map, I hit up all the surrounding cities, this place was next on the list.”
The other line remained quiet for a few seconds before Steve sighed. “Remember, you can always throw in the towel.”
“I can do a lot of things, Steve, but I’m not giving up just yet. Besides, I’m traveling all over Europe on someone else’s tab - this is a dream come true.”
Steve laughed just as the cab pulled to the small hotel you had booked for yourself for a few nights. “I’m here, Cap. I’m going to check in, look around the local community. Feel out the place and see if I find anything.”
“Sounds good.”
You thanked the driver and handed over payment for the ride from the train station, where you came in from Weinheim. “Hey, where are you two, anyway?”
“Scotland.”
Getting out of the cab, you walked toward the inn with your bag and gazed around the city - it was beautiful, romantic looking. “I’m jealous, but you should see where I am.”
“Have fun and thank you again,” Steve said.
The two of you exchanged goodbyes and you hung up - smiling to yourself, because the job of ghost hunter didn’t seem so bad suddenly.