Thread: Of Winter & Of Wonder [Tempt x insufferable]

Bucky moved like water through the crowd, slipping through hundreds of unsuspecting pedestrians without as much bumping shoulders into one the slight adjustment in his cadence was done so masterfully, refined over the many years of his training, there was not a single observer in view noticing his altered pace, the narrowing gap between him and his target. He did not know his targets name, but he recognized the mans gait faces could be disguised, height could be adjusted, clothing could be changed in an instance, but a persons gait, their most basic movements, in his target's case - long, confident strides, a light swaying of his hands, and the occasional stretch of his neck, werent as easy to conceal, especially from a person in his previous line of work, someone who knew exactly what he was looking for. He named his target Thumb , for upon closer inspection, the man was missing one on his left. He first noticed Thumb three days back during one of his nightly reconnaissance, seated outside a small caf two blocks from the apartment he was staying. Thumb was facing away from him that day, a cup of iced coffee and the days newspaper in hand, as inconspicuous as a stranger passing through the night, but Bucky felt it, that old animalistic instinct so deeply embedded into his psyche it was a part of him, that constant prickle of paranoia that never seemed to dissipate, the soft whisper only he could hear youre being hunted He spent the rest of the day shadowing Thumb , and when he memorized the mans gait, it allowed him to process all the information his subconscious had stored over the past few days, recognizing all of the times hed seen Thumb before outside the marketplace, across the street from the towns center, two trams behind on the subway. It was clear to Bucky that he was being followed, but he did not know of Thumbs intent. Strangely, he felt a sense of thrill from that piece of information. The hunt is on. He led Thumb into the busy streets of Bucharest, weaving between the weekend crowd, ducking into a nearby store and waiting until Thumb crossed by in front of him. It was then the hunter became the hunted. Bucky stepped out behind the man who was trailing him only minutes before, shadowing him through the crowd, keeping a constant shield of people between them two, far enough not to be spotted, but close enough to keep tail. Thumb was an easy target to follow, he did not observe his surroundings, he wasnt taking the necessary precautions to prevent himself from being followed, like he had never even considered the scenario of being tracked himself. Bucky kept his distance and considered his options. The man was clearly an amateur, an easy kill. Two steps ahead, lunge , and his knife would sink into the mans unguarded side, a hand over his face to muffle his voice ten seconds more and Thumb would bleed to death, and Bucky would then disappear back into the crowd, leaving behind nothing but a lingering shadow that would too soon fade. But that meant whatever information Thumb had would also die along with him, and Bucky needed that information. He needed to know who Thumb was working for and how they found him. So he continued his silent pursuit, following Thumb through the city square and back into the subway station. They alighted three stops later Strada Lipscani , an older part of town still untouched by Romanias crackdown on drugs and sex trafficking a dark speck on Bucharests tourism board with brothels and gambling dens around every corner where the streets were ruled by gangs and opium was king. It was also where Bucky had been staying since the attack that took the life of Wakandas president three weeks back. It also meant Thumb knew exactly which part of town he was staying. Dangerous, dangerous. But it didnt matter. Thumb wasnt going to live through the night only what he knew mattered. Bucky watched Thumb sitting down onto one of the nearby benches overlooking the subway, no doubt a vantage spot to wait for his return. He stopped to think. It could work to his advantage. He headed back into the subway and waited there for an hour before returning to where he last saw Thumb , purposely crossing their paths and making sure that the man was following before heading in the direction of the night market. They passed by dozens of street hawkers, each peddling their specialties from their pushcarts, the delicious aromas reminding him that itd been a long day since his last meal. Bucky pushed those thoughts aside, continuing his way through the marketplace, occasional slowing down his pace purposely so that Thumb could follow. He led Thumb through the market, towards an area of winding alleyways, a place he had familiarized himself with over the last few days. He stepped past a homeless man propped against a streetlamp, surrounded by dozens of empty liquor bottles, and disappeared into the shadows . It was a long minute wait until Thumb followed into the alleyway. Bucky heard the footsteps first, the same long strides, coming closer, and closer and when the man finally came within distance, he stepped out into the shadows, straight into Thumbs path. Thumbs eye bulged wide open, but before he could do or say anything else, Bucky shot forward, the back of his palm jutting into Thumbs neck, then without missing a beat, pivoted downwards, sweeping Thumbs legs out from under him. Thumb crashed down onto the ground, heaving for air. Bucky stepped in behind him, locking onto his arm and twisting it against his spine at an unnatural angle, close to complete dislocation a warning to stay down. Thumb complied. Make a move and Ill break your arm. Thumb nodded. Who else knows. N-No one, Thumb stuttered. I Im just a reporter, Im only doing my job please I have a family, I He was interrupted by the sound of his bones snapping, his screams quickly muffled by Buckys palm. Lie to me again Buckys voice dripped low, dispassionate. And Ill break your other arm. Thumb nodded, his demeanour changing, hardening. Who else knows. Everyone who accessed the bulletin board. What bulletin board. For open bounties. Five million on your head. Who put the bounty. Tony. Tony Stark. Bucky fell quiet for a long second. How did you find me. Mr. Stark he provided satellite scans of your last known locations in Bucharest. Bucharest is a big place. I I found you by luck. I was having dinner at the night market and you walked right past me. Bucky exhaled, annoyed by the turn of events. Who else knows. Thumb shook his head. No one, I wanted to claim the bounty for myself, but if you let me go, I swear I wont tell anyone, Ill- Then I am sorry. Bucky swung forward, his knife plunging into the side of Thumbs rib, his momentum forcing Thumb down onto the ground. The blade then twisted upwards, punctuating the mans lungs, a simple procedure Bucky had done over and over before. Fifteen seconds . Thumb would drown in his own blood in fifteen seconds. It was the average time for most of his targets around Thumbs build and height to die the same way. Exactly fifteen seconds later, Thumbs hand fell limply into the nearby puddle of dirty water, disturbing the reflection of Buckys still dripping blade. When all was quiet and calm, Bucky got up to his feet and cleaned the scene, removing the dead mans wallet and adding a few more slashes across his body to make it look less like a premeditated attack and more of a mugging gone wrong. Then he left the alleyway behind and disappeared once more into the crowd. -------------------------------------- Bucky needed an immediate exfil. He didnt know if Thumb was telling the truth the man swore he had not revealed his location to the rest of the bounty board, but a dying man would say anything to save himself. Bucky knew that first hand, hed seen plenty of powerful, arrogant men, reduced to bumbling children at the other end of his pistol, crying, pleading for their lives. He waited in the building across his rented apartment for the rest of the night, a good enough vantage point, until he was absolutely certain that there was no ambush hiding in waiting, before entering his home for the past three weeks and leaving minutes later with a light duffel bag. It was all he owned he was prepared since the first day to leave at a moments notice the two long minutes hed spent inside were to remove any traces of him ever being here. He made his way to the train station next, passing by the bench which Thumb had sat on while waiting for him only hours ago, before getting onto the first arriving train and leaving the city of Lipscani behind. Two days later, Bucky arrived at Satu Mare, a small city near the border between Hungary and Ukraine. He found a tiny rundown motel near the outskirts of the city a place with steel bars between the counter, a shotgun under the cashiers desk, no identification needed, and only dealing in cash. He booked a room and changed his appearance, putting on a trench coat which hid his slouched frame and a thick hat which concealed most of his features, before returning to the counter and booking another room down the hall from his. The cashier did not even bother looking up when taking his money. He headed to the second room, tossing his duffle bag onto the bed. The place was old and dusty , it smelled of cheap tobacco and rot, but he wasnt complaining. This part of town was somewhere where people minded their own businesses and walked with their heads down. Perfect to lay low and plan his next move. But first He opened his bag and emptied the contents onto the bed a silenced pistol, a few spare magazines, his combat knife, a few old grenades, and two bundled up notes of cash. There wasnt much, he was already running low on resources since his escape from HYDRA the frameup at Vienna burned all his remaining contacts, making his situation even more dire. He was completely alone now, with no possible way of procuring any further resources. Not that it mattered. He always worked best alone, and weapon and cash were only luxury, he could operate without. He crossed over to the first room with the grenades in hand, tearing apart the bedsheets and using them as makeshift ropes to tie the grenades pin to the doorknob. If anyone attempted to open the door from the outside, the strings would pull and the grenades would explode. It was a trap and also a warning. He wasnt worried about room service or the motels management coming by, judging from the establishments current state, it seemed that the person behind the counter was the only employee. He then made sure the lamps were turned on before exiting from the window and heading back to the other room, which he made sure to keep in complete darkness, creating the illusion that only the first room was occupied. Then he laid down on the bed and for the first time in three days, fell into fitful, nightmare-ridden sleep.