How the Good and the Villain Saved Each Other

"I have a surprise for you." He stood at the door of the ward and said to Peggy who was lying on the bed, while Bucky was outside the door, which they had agreed in advance.

"What is it?" his girl asked with a smile, still beautiful even in her age.

"You must promise me not to get excited." This is for the sake of her body.

"But you said it was a surprise." Peggy blinked playfully, as if she was the same girl in the red dress who came to the bar to find him.

"Okay, then please at least promise me not to get too excited." He also pretended to make a gesture of surrender, and then motioned for Bucky to come in.

"Oh my God, James, you're back—" the moment she saw Bucky, Paige almost screamed, she sat up tremblingly on the bed, her expression seemed to be happy, but she seemed to want to cry.

"Hello, Peggy." Bucky greeted with a straight face, moving his feet a little uneasily.

Paige stared at Bucky for a long time speechless, and eventually she covered her face and actually started to sob.

"Hey, don't cry," he quickly pulled his girl into his arms, patted his back to comfort him, "I know you're happy, and I was just as happy when I found him, but you just promised me that I wouldn't be excited , it's not good for your health."

"I just promise you that you won't be overly excited. A few tears won't hurt me." Peggy coughed and retorted, but her eyes kept sticking to Bucky's face and body, as if she couldn't get enough of it. greedy.

After a while, she finally calmed down.

"Perhaps I shouldn't make such a fuss. Since you are here, he will definitely come back to you." The silver-haired girl slowly leaned on the pillow that she had patted loosely, her face paled due to illness. Flushing slightly with joy, "Boys, you are like twin miracles, no matter what you do, your Sergeant Barnes will follow you closely."

She gestured to Bucky, who hesitated for a moment and then sat beside her in front of the hospital bed—he obeyed the ladies, as always.

"You still don't remember me, do you?" Peggy stretched out her thin hand and put it on Bucky's strong forearm.

"Sorry, but I can't even remember myself." Bucky smiled good-naturedly, like a big boy, even if there was a hint of bitterness in that smile.

"But you still remember Steve, this is really jealous," Peggy complained half-truthfully, but her eyes gradually turned serious, and her hand holding the other's arm gradually tightened, "James, you know, No matter what you've done, you're still our Bucky, and nothing will change that, maybe you've forgotten who you are, but you're still him in your bones, so don't rush, take your time, everything will come to you Going in a good direction, Steve will always be with you, right, Steve?" She asked him with her eyes.

"That's right, Captain America will accompany me to the end of the world," Bucky interjected quickly, with a look of lovelessness on his face, "He has promised too many times, and I don't want to listen to it even once."

They all laughed. Bucky's situation is indeed developing in a good direction. Although he will have nightmares at night, and although he is still very wary of people other than himself, Peggy's ward is really amazing. Here, even Bucky, who has always been tense, can completely relax. Although he is still not very talkative, and only occasionally answers a few sentences, his tone is brisk, and he even joked himself several times, making Peggy Amused to "giggle" like a little girl.

"It's nice to have someone by your side," Paige said to him, smiling, as they were about to leave. "I'm worried about you, Steve. I'm too old and my days are numbered. I'm worried about you when I'm gone." It would be too lonely in this world. Well now, your Bucky is back, and I can leave with peace of mind."

"Don't be silly—" He comforted his girl with a wry smile, but he knew in his heart that this was the truth. Peggy was too old and sick, and there might not be much time left for them to get together.

Peggy shook her head lightly, without retorting, she pointed to the low cabinet on the right: "There is a cipher box in the third drawer, and the cipher is your military plate number. Take it away."

"What's inside?" He asked curiously, and at the same time opened the drawer, took out the tin box and shook it in his hand.

"Promise me to open it after I go back, okay?" Peggy replied, her voice was very soft, with a rare weakness from the soul, and her bright eyes dimmed inexplicably, almost as if she was begging him.Then, without warning, she coughed again, panting and shedding tears again to Bucky: "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but I'm just an ordinary person, an ordinary woman... I was So cowardly..."

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A clean conscience is a gentle pillow. As an accomplice of the evil god, Steve is destined to have trouble sleeping tonight. He lay quietly on the bed, recalling the scene when he and Bucky visited Peggy.At that time, he thought those tears were tears of joy, but who knew that they contained so much guilt and remorse.

It turned out that Bucky had a chance, a chance to crawl out of hell, and he remembered himself, he remembered Howard, and he struggled to grasp the only straw that could be grasped, but the straw broke, and he once again Fell into the abyss, swallowed by darkness.

He shouldn't hate Howard. They have been friends since World War II. This excellent scientist and patriot is the strong backing of the Roaring Commando. He provides them with the most advanced weapons and the most sophisticated technology to ensure that they will go through the rain of bullets, Successfully eliminate enemies and complete missions while staying alive.But he is just a mortal, a father, and he only had a son Tony at the age of 50, so how could he watch him die?

But what about Bucky?What's wrong with him?Fate is so unfair, or does it bully the weak and fear the strong, and is used to torturing good people.Steve clenched his fist and waved it silently towards the void. Bucky was the bravest fighter he had ever met, the most reliable friend, and the most adorable person. He deserved the best, not being hollowed out into a With a body, how could Howard have the heart to push him into the abyss again?

The battle of resentment and forgiveness made Steve sleepless. In the end, he couldn't bear the torment in the dark any longer. He got up and turned on the lamp, and took out the letter he had read many times from Peggy's lockbox, and read it again. up:

for my only son

Anthony, you know I seldom write letters with pen, I always hated this backward way of expression, but now I have to keep silent and write, because there are some things you can never say, and some truths even hurt you Even when I go crazy, I can't tell anyone. Only words can make me break through my guilt and tell you everything.

Three months ago, James suddenly appeared in front of me. You know him. I can often mention him when I tell you the heroic deeds of Captain America. He is the Sergeant Barnes who you think is both funny and cute. In the end, Sergeant Barnes, who unfortunately fell off the cliff in order for us to win the war, is still alive and shows no signs of aging, but his mind is clearly unclear. He grabbed my sleeve and desperately tried to find out about Steve's whereabouts. I was happy at one moment, at the other moment I was at a loss, I was so excited that I couldn't even speak, if I was smarter at that time (it's ridiculous, I never thought I was the smartest in the world before that), I would quickly bring people into the house If you hide it well, will it not be discovered by those Soviet agents, and you will be lucky to avoid a series of tragedies later?

Fortunately, your Aunt Paige is here. She is much more perceptive than I am, and she saw the danger omen in that metal arm of James.We took him back to the villa, checked him up, talked to him, and finally pieced together a horrific truth—Sergeant Barnes was picked up by the Soviets after falling off a cliff, and they didn't know what kind of blackmail he was using. Technology has taken over his mind and turned him into a killing machine at his beck and call.

In recent years, the Soviet Union has expanded very strongly, but we have been stuck in the quagmire of the Vietnam War for a long time and cannot extricate ourselves. The KGB has frequent activities in the United States. They must be searching for James everywhere.We managed to hide him, and we took turns to accompany him and help him recall the past. He gradually understood a little, and his mood was very low.

"They got hold of me, made me do bad things," he said, pulling my hand, his green eyes wide with fear, "and shocked my brain, confused me and froze for another time Use again. Please save me, Howard, save me, I don't want to do anything bad again, I don't want to hurt anyone, or be hurt by anyone."

I held his hand back and promised to protect him. At that time, I was thinking that I couldn't save the captain, but God gave me at least one chance to save his best friend.

But hope was dashed - they took you and forced me to trade James, and I said yes, without hesitation.

I tricked Paige with a false mission, injected James with anesthesia, and shamelessly delivered him into the hands of those devils.I have no regrets about this, no matter how many times I am asked to choose, I will insist on doing so. For you, Anthony, my son, my most precious treasure, it is worth paying any price, even if it is my conscience, but that It was too heavy, and the self-blame and guilt almost weighed me down.

I knew James well, had spoken to him more than once, and even called each other "friends."I've had drinks with him, heard him laugh, seen how he easily beat Captain America with his masculinity, invited the most beautiful girl in the bar to dance with and steal a kiss, and to me, He is not only a fighting hero, but also a good person, a real good person. I was saddened by his sacrifice and even had red eyes.

But now, in the face of the hand that stretched out to me for help after climbing out of the abyss after so much effort, I have no choice but to ignore it, and even push him back into the cold abyss with my own hands. I'm not a completely good person in many moments, but I still hate myself for being that way.

I dreamed of him for days on end, sometimes as Sergeant Barnes, with the libertine nonchalant expression on his face, serious but piercing eyes; Pale, with tense muscles, he carefully hid the metal arm that symbolized the injustice of fate behind him, for fear of scaring others or himself.He trusts me so much and relies on me, but look what I did to him?

Afterwards, your Aunt Peggy and I worked together to eliminate a large number of Soviet agents lurking in the country and even inside SHIELD. SHIELD won another big victory and got the government's attention and praise, but none of us were happy Get up, because this is basically the success that was exchanged for James, and it is the iron proof that we betrayed our friends.

I thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to secretly investigate the Winter Soldier and rescue him from the magic cave again. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. is not strong enough, and Peggy and I are not ready, but I have to take a risk, because it is not just for Bahne Sergeant Adams, for Captain America, for myself, and for the bond between father and son—you are like a witness, even though you know nothing about this terrible event, every time I see you, see you Innocent brown eyes, I still think about this sin, and what a selfish, horrible hypocrite I am, and I can't help but hate you, why don't you just listen to me?If you didn't sneak out of the garden, if you stayed with your mother like all good children, wouldn't you be arrested, wouldn't I need to suffer such pain and bear such sins?

But you are just a child and don't understand anything yet, so how can I cowardly attribute my fault to you?It makes me ashamed to see you and afraid to see you - when I see you, I can't help myself, I want to yell at you, want everything you do, say Every word of yours is perfect, because your life was paid for the innocence and total happiness of an innocent man, and the price is too high, and you must be worth it.

You're asleep with tears in your eyes, and that nasty guy you've had a fight with just now is sitting by your bed, looking at you as he writes the letter that will never get sent.I am your father and I will protect you, protect you from the truth, from the sin you did not commit but have to bear, and your conscience will be as light as ever.

Steve sighed, folded the yellowed letter paper and put it back into the envelope numbered 2. He stared blankly at the dark night outside the window for a while, then took the envelope numbered 1 next to him. He took out the envelope and read the letter inside.

Dear Tony:

I don’t know if you remember your Aunt Peggy, after all we haven’t seen each other for nearly 20 years, I hugged you when you were born, and I gave you several books when you were babbling Beautiful hardcover children's book, I used to be a frequent visitor to your home, because your beautiful brown eyes always reminded me of my daughter when she was a child, and your cheerful laughter has always remained in the deepest part of my memory, when I had to share with you After dealing with some fat, obnoxious politicians, take them out and admire them, and reconfirm that there is a good side to the world.

But the bond between people is sometimes very fragile. After that incident, I can't help but hate Howard, and I also start to be afraid of seeing you. I will no longer visit your house, and I will not even tell your father about it except for business. In a word.But in fact, I understand him, and I understand his pain and embarrassment. Rather than saying that I can't forgive him, it's better to say that I can't forgive myself.

As for that incident, your father wrote it clearly in that letter to you, and I really don't want to recall it again, because even if Howard tried to clean me from this crime, he still couldn't wash it off my hands. Blood stained.

I don't have much communication with James, but almost every time I see Steve, he is by his side. He is like the shadow of Captain America, or he is Captain America himself. They just need to look at each other to understand each other. The intention is so tacit that it is almost enviable-how can someone who can gain the wholehearted trust of Captain America be a bad guy?But we have betrayed such a good person to the devil, and we deserve to be panicked and tortured like Judas who betrayed Jesus.

Over the years, your father and I have been trying to rescue James. We each separately investigated the information of the Winter Soldier. It was tacit understanding, but the KGB refused to give us a chance. After the escape incident, they never sent the Winter Soldier to the United States to carry out missions. I even think that the appearance of James is just a dream, the sudden appearance of an underground ghost.

A month ago, your father handed that letter to me. I think he already felt the danger at that time, because the deliberate assassination disguised as an accident happened to him almost every day recently.

"I'm being targeted, and I don't know how long I can live," he said to me. "I'll try to do everything I want to do before I die, but there's one thing I can't do, and that's rescue James, and that's the biggest wish of my life."

I believe what he said was true.Previously, even if he was middle-aged, even if he was married and had you, he still maintained a childlike disposition. He did not know how to use means, but there was no malice or attack in it, and it was more of a kind warning.But since that incident happened, he has changed a lot, he has become taciturn, he has become ruthless, he no longer trusts anyone, and wants to control everything in his own hands.Is he getting tougher on you too?Please don't blame him, he's just overwhelmed by the crime, and doesn't mean to be annoying.

"Please look after Tony for me," he told me, "if he is capable enough, give him this letter, let him rescue James, and then return everything he owes him bit by bit, so as to save my soul; and if he does not, seal this secret forever, and leave my soul to hell alone."

Now, he is dead, lying in a coffin, with a peaceful expression, and it seems that he will no longer suffer from the past in the world.I couldn't help but start thinking: Do people really have souls?Is the soul really immortal?If a person made a mistake during his lifetime, would he really be thrown into hell and be tortured endlessly?

I don't know what the afterlife is like, but I know what a torment of conscience is, and I, like your father, don't want it for you, because of all the sinners, you are the most innocent one.When I write this letter, I still don't know what kind of decision I will make in the end, whether to hide the truth forever, let you live a carefree life under the aura of the heir of the Stark Group, or take the truth To fulfill the burden that neither your father nor I can fulfill, to offset your own sins.

But since you have read this letter, it means that I have chosen the latter, and you must grow into a man of your own.The password box contains all the information about the Winter Soldier that your father and I have collected over the years. I hope it can help you.