Bucky getting arrested is so silly
Anyways tw: JOHN WALKER.

THEY FOUGHT THESE WEIRD PEOPLE, which led them rolling in the grass. The supposed hostage was actually another Flag Smasher. Now, as they walked down the street, the tension was palpable. Bucky was especially irritated by the appearance of the wannabe Captain America, John Walker.

"Does your metal arm mean you're like half a robot?" Sev asked about the millionth question since they'd started walking.

"I don't know," Bucky responded, his tone gruff.

"Well, technically, you could be considered a cyborg," Sev mused, her mind racing with new questions.

"What's going on in that big cyborg brain of yours?" Sam asked, playing along with Sev's line of thinking.

"It's computing," Bucky said flatly.

Sam and Sev started to laugh, while Bucky remained completely silent. "You know what, I can actually see it. I can see the gears turning," Sam said, clearly amused.

"Sam, I think they're malfunctioning," Sev said, continuing the joke.

"Oh! They're malfunctioning, shutting down. Yep, they're on fire," Sam added.

Bucky cut them off, his patience wearing thin. "We gotta figure out where that serum's coming from."

"Yeah, and how in the hell, after eighty years, are there eight super soldiers running loose?" Sam asked.

Sev heard a car behind them and turned back. The vehicle stopped in front of them, and out stepped John Walker. Sev audibly groaned. "So that didn't go as planned, huh?" John said, attempting to sound casual.

They all kept walking, ignoring him. He continued driving alongside them. "Look, at least we know what we're up against, huh?"

Still, no one answered. "We're pretty sure it's probably one of the big three."

"Aliens, androids, and wizards," Sam said.

"Sam, you were right..." Sev said, giving him a small grin.

Bucky glanced at Sev before looking back at John. "No, Sev, nothing that man says is right," he said, referring to John. "There's no such thing as wizards."

"Then it's aliens or androids," John said.

"Or super soldiers," Sam interjected.

"Shit. Super soldiers, for real?" John's partner, Lemar, asked, sounding incredulous.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed.

"Wow. All right, well, then we gotta work together," John suggested.

"Yeah right," Sev muttered under her breath.

"That's not happening," Bucky said firmly. Sev called it.

John Walker spoke again, and Sev wished he wouldn't. "Look, I think we stand a much better chance if we all just—"

"Just because you carry that shield doesn't mean you're Captain America," Bucky interjected, his voice filled with disdain.

"Dial down, Dad," Sev said, trying to get him to calm down a bit. It wasn't that she didn't agree with him, but she knew his temper could lead him to break rule number two: Don't hurt anyone.

"Look, I've done the work, okay?" John said defensively.

"You ever jump on top of a grenade?" Bucky asked, his voice sharp and challenging.

"Yeah. Actually, I have. Four times," John replied. "It's this thing I do with my helmet. It's a reinforced helmet... it's a long story, but anyway—look, it's twenty miles to the airport, and you guys need a ride, plus you have a kid with you."

No one said anything, but Bucky seemed to be considering it. "Gary, stop," John said to the man driving the car. "Get in," he said more firmly.

Sev looked up at her dad, her eyes pleading. "Maybe we should, Dad. It's a long walk, and I don't think any of us want to argue the whole way."

Bucky sighed, clearly torn. "Fine. But we're not friends," he said, making it clear to John. "I'm only getting in cause of Sev."

IN THE CAR, tension hung thick in the air. Sev was crammed between Sam and Bucky, feeling every ounce of her dad's seething anger directed at John Walker. The only sound was the low hum of the engine and the occasional bump of the road.

"Does he always just stare like that?" John asked, trying to break the ice but failing miserably.

"He can do what he wants," Sev snapped, crossing her arms defiantly.

John sighed, clearly irritated. "Sorry, kid. Why is there a kid here, anyway? She's what, fourteen?"

"She's sixteen," Bucky corrected sharply.

"Yeah, and it's none of your business anyway," Sev added, her tone icy.

"Okay, look," John said, trying to regain control of the conversation. "Things have gotten kind of, uh..."

"Chaotic," John's partner, Lemar, finished for him.

"Yeah. Well, the GRC, they're doing the best they can to get things up and running smoothly post-Blip," John continued.

"Reactivating citizenship, social security, healthcare," Lemar added. "Basically just managing resources for the refugees who were displaced by the return."

"The Global Repatriation Council does all that, I get that. So why exactly are you two here?" Sam asked, his skepticism evident.

"Well, they provide the resources, and we keep things stable," Lemar explained.

Sev scoffed. "Not doing very good at that..." she muttered. Normally, Bucky would nudge her to be quiet, but this time he let it slide.

"Hey, I don't remember asking for your input, kid," John snapped.

Sev opened her mouth to retort, but Bucky beat her to it. "Don't talk to her like that, or at all. Thanks," he said, his tone cold and final.

John scoffed. "Okay, well, we have a lot of resources, alright?" He paused before continuing. "If you guys joined up with us, we could—"

"No," Sev and Bucky said simultaneously. It was a thing they did often now, a testament to how in sync they were.

"I got mad respect for all of y'all, even the little girl, but you were kinda getting your asses kicked until we showed up," Lemar said.

"Who are you?" Bucky asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Lemar Hoskins," Lemar replied.

"Look, I see a guy hanging out of a helicopter in tactical gear, I need a lot more than Lemar Hoskins," Sam interjected.

"I'm Battlestar, John's partner," Lemar said proudly.

"Battlestar?" Bucky echoed incredulously. "Stop the car!"

The car came to a sudden halt, and Bucky was already opening the door, he grabbed Sev's arm pulling Sev along with him. "Come on, Sev. We're walking."

Sev scrambled out of the car, giving John and Lemar a final glare. "Nice name," she muttered sarcastically as she followed Bucky.

BACK AT THE PLANE, Sev was lying on Bucky's lap, her breathing slow and steady, on the edge of sleep. Bucky had draped his jacket over her as a makeshift blanket, and he absentmindedly fidgeted with her hair, finding solace in the soothing action. His mind was still reeling from their encounter with John Walker, the frustration bubbling just below the surface.

Sev didn't move as she spoke, her voice a soft whisper. "Are you okay, Dad?" she asked, sensing his turmoil even through her drowsiness.

"I'm fine," he replied gruffly, not looking up. He kept his eyes on her, fingers still threading through her hair. "Let's take the shield, Sam. Let's take the shield and do it ourselves."

Sev stirred slightly, her voice tired but firm. "That's so dumb. That's, like, such crazy."

Bucky sighed deeply, the weight of his thoughts heavy on his shoulders. "I'll take Sev home—" he began.

"No," she snapped, her eyes fluttering open. "I don't wanna be at home alone that long."

Bucky knew she had a point. He knew about her nightmares, the fear that crept in when she was left alone. He couldn't leave her, but he didn't have the words to reassure her right now. Instead, he continued to run his hand through her hair, offering silent comfort.

Sam, sitting nearby, leaned forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Look, man, we can't just run up on the man, beat him up, and take it. Do you remember the last time we stole it?" Sam asked, his tone serious.

"Maybe..." Bucky replied, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

"I'll help you remember, in case you forgot," Sam said, pausing to let his words sink in. "Sharon was branded an enemy of the state, and Steve, Sev, and I were on the run for two years. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna live the rest of my life la vida loca."

Bucky looked down at Sev, her eyes closed, but he could tell she was still awake, listening. He strummed his fingers through her hair a bit more, his mind racing. "We just got our ass handed to us by Super Soldiers, and we got nothing," Sam continued.

"Not entirely true," Bucky said, his hand moving to trace gentle patterns on Sev's cheek. She smiled faintly at the comforting gesture. "There is someone... you should meet."

THEY WERE NOW IN BALTIMORE, a city bustling with life yet incongruent with the gravity of their mission. They stood outside a modest house, unsure of what awaited them. Bucky had taken Sev and Sam there, but neither of them had any clue why.

Bucky knocked on the door loudly, and it didn't take long for a boy to answer. "We're here to see Isaiah," Bucky said.

"Nobody named Isaiah live here," the boy replied curtly.

Bucky sighed. "Look, we just wanna talk to him."

"You must not hear what I just said. You ain't getting in this house," the boy said firmly. "Y'all can leave now."

"Tell him the guy from the bar in Goyang is here," Bucky insisted. "He's gonna know what that means."

The boy looked at them for a moment before sighing. "All right, wait here."

Sam looked irritated with Bucky, and Sev could see the tension in his stance. "Nice kid. How do you know this guy?" Sam asked, his patience wearing thin.

"I used to," Bucky said. "We had a skirmish during the Korean War."

Sev raised an eyebrow. "A skirmish?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, a skirmish."

The boy returned and reluctantly let them in. They stepped into a room where an elderly man stood tall, exuding a palpable sense of history and strength. Sev hesitated, unsure whether to greet him. He looked like a man who didn't take kindly to pleasantries.

"Isaiah?" Bucky said, taking the lead.

Isaiah turned to face them. "Look at you," he said, his voice carrying years of experience and a hint of disdain.

"This is, uh, Sam and my daughter, Sev," Bucky introduced them. "Sam and Sev, this is Isaiah."

Isaiah's gaze softened just slightly as he looked at Sev. "He was a hero," Bucky continued. "One of the ones that HYDRA feared the most. Like Steve. We met in '51."

"If by met, you mean I whooped your ass, then, yeah," Isaiah corrected him.

Sev's eyes widened. "Really? You whooped my dad's ass?" she asked, a touch of admiration in her voice.

Isaiah chuckled, a brief flicker of amusement crossing his stern face. "We heard whispers he was on the peninsula, but everyone they sent after him never came back. So the U.S. military dropped me behind the line to deal with him. I took half that metal arm in that fight in Goyang, but I see he's managed to grow it back. I just wanted to see if he got the arm back. Or if he's come to kill me."

"I'm not a killer anymore," Bucky said, his voice steady but tinged with regret.

"You think you can wake up one day and decide who you wanna be?" Isaiah asked rhetorically, his tone harsh. Sev slipped her hand into her father's, sensing his discomfort. "It doesn't work like that. Well, maybe it does for folks like you."

"Isaiah, the reason we're here..." Bucky started, but Isaiah shifted his head, indicating he was barely willing to listen. "...is because there's more of you and me out there."

"You and me..." Isaiah repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"And we need to know how," Bucky said, desperation creeping into his voice.

Isaiah's face contorted with anger. "I'm not gonna talk about it anymore," he said, his voice rising. He picked up a piece of metal from the table and hurled it into the wall, the sound reverberating through the room.

Sev flinched, gripping Bucky's hand tighter. "Dad, maybe we should—" she began, but Isaiah cut her off.

He approached Bucky, his eyes blazing with fury. "You know what they did to me for being a hero? They put my ass in jail for thirty years. People were running tests, taking my blood, coming into my cell. Even your people weren't done with me."

Sam opened his mouth to speak. "Isaiah—"

"Get out of my house!" Isaiah shouted, his voice echoing with the pain of decades.

Bucky gently pulled Sev's hand along, his expression one of resigned sorrow. They left the house in silence, the weight of Isaiah's words hanging heavily over them.

Sam was the first out of Isaiah's house, anger radiating off him in palpable waves. Sev understood why. She watched as Bucky let go of her hand and jogged to catch up with Sam. Sev trudged behind him, trying to keep up with their longer strides.

"Sam..." Bucky began, his voice low and tentative.

"Why didn't you tell me about Isaiah?" Sam snapped, looking back at Bucky with a mixture of disbelief and anger. "How could nobody bring him up?" His voice was loud, filled with righteous fury.

Bucky remained silent for a moment, now walking next to Sam, while Sev caught up and positioned herself slightly behind them. "I asked you a question, Bucky," Sam insisted, his tone demanding answers.

"I know," Bucky responded, his voice carrying a note of resignation.

"Steve didn't know about him?" Sam continued, his voice still raised.

"He didn't. I didn't tell him," Bucky admitted.

They stopped, Sam still visibly upset. "So you're telling me that there was a black Super Soldier decades ago and nobody knew about it?"

Sev was about to speak up, to try and diffuse the tension, but then they all heard the sound of a siren. Two police cars pulled up, and two officers got out, walking towards them with authoritative strides.

"Is there a problem here?" One of the cops asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"No. We're just talking," Sam said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"We're fine," Bucky added, his eyes narrowing.

One of the officers glanced at Sev and Bucky. "Is this your daughter, sir? Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Sev's eyes widened slightly, feeling uncomfortable under the cop's scrutiny. "She's fine," Bucky said, his voice sharp. "This is my daughter."

The cops didn't linger on Sev and Bucky for long. They soon directed their attention back to Sam. "Can I see your ID?" one of them asked.

"I don't have ID. Why?" Sam replied, his frustration growing.

"Man? Seriously?" Bucky interjected, his tone incredulous.

The cops stepped closer to Sam. "Sir, please calm down."

"I am calm! What do you want? We're just talking," Sam retorted, his patience wearing thin.

"Just give them your ID so we can get the hell outta here," Bucky urged, his voice low and urgent.

"No, I'm not giving him shit, we're just talking," Sam insisted, standing his ground.

Sev moved closer to Bucky, noticing a few nosy neighbors starting to gather around. "Is this guy bothering you two?" one of the cops asked Bucky.

"No, he's not bothering us. Do you know who this is?" Bucky replied, his frustration evident.

The other cop leaned in and whispered something in his partner's ear. Sev couldn't catch all the words, but she heard enough: "...Avenger... Sam Wilson..."

The cop's eyes widened as he looked at Sam. "Oh god. I'm so sorry, Mr. Wilson. I didn't recognize you without the goggles. I'm really, really sorry about this."

Another police car pulled up. The first cop gestured for them to stay where they were while he went to confer with the newcomers.

Bucky turned back to Sam, his voice low. "I didn't tell anybody about Isaiah because he had already been through enough."

Sam just shook his head, still processing everything. "Mr. Barnes," the first cop said, approaching them again. "There's a warrant out for your arrest."

Sam stepped forward, his voice tight with frustration. "Look, the president pardoned him for all of that."

"Not for that," the cop corrected. "You missed your court-mandated therapy. It's like missing a check-in with your PO."

Sev sighed heavily. "Really?" she muttered under her breath, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes, but you're under arrest," the cop said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

Bucky didn't argue. He simply placed his hands infront of him. "My daughter..." he began, looking at Sev.

"I got her, Bucky," Sam said firmly, placing a reassuring hand on Sev's shoulder as Bucky was led to the back of the police car.

Sev turned to Sam, her eyes filled with concern. "What now?" she asked quietly.

Sam sighed, his expression softening as he looked at her. "We go to the police station."