Chapter 5 - She's Poison But Tasty

"Are you sure your friend will be alright by himself?" Harlow asked as they walked back to the motel."He threatened me to leave him alone when he started flirting with one of the bartenders, so I think he'll be fine," Bucky laughed.Bucky had offered to walk Harlow back to her motel, which turned out to be the same one where Bucky and Sam were staying.They climbed the stairs and stopped at Harlow's door. Harlow stepped forward to unlock it."Well... aren't you coming in?" Harlow asked innocently.Bucky smiled and followed her inside."Welcome to my crappy motel room," Harlow laughed, but her voice cracked."I don't make you nervous, do I?" Bucky asked."What? Oh no, I just don't make a habit of bringing strangers home from a bar," she laughed, trying to cover her nerves.Harlow moved to stand in front of Bucky."It was really nice of you to walk me back, but I do recall some promises you made at the bar," she smiled."Did I? Ah yes, the one where I promised you wouldn't need drugs to have your way with me," he laughed."Do you break promises, Bucky?" she asked, letting her hands come up to play with his jacket."No," he whispered, bringing his lips to hers as she thrust her hands into his hair.Harlow lost herself at that moment. They were just a man and a woman, not enemies.Suddenly, Bucky broke away."I need to tell you something before we go any further," he said. Harlow swallowed hard and nodded."I was... in an accident a long time ago, and I lost my arm," he said reluctantly, revealing his metal hand by removing his glove and jacket.Harlow stared, but the silence became too much for Bucky."Pretty bad, hey?" he whispered.Harlow gave a small smile and lifted her hand to his face. "No, not at all."Harlow pulled his face down to hers. Their kiss was rough, and Bucky gripped her hips, pulling her closer. They couldn't get enough of each other, their tongues entwined, and their hands clawed at each other and they made their way to bed. Bucky played with the bottom of her shirt until Harlow gave him permission to take it off. Bucky gazed down at her body before colliding with her mouth again, pushing her onto her back.Bucky's metal hand drifted down slowly from her cheek, past her bra, and to the button of her jeans. The cold touch of the metal forced Harlow to snap back into reality."Wait! We should probably lock the door," she laughed."Good idea," he said, getting up and making his way to the door.Harlow watched as he did and quickly reached under her pillow, her hand disappearing.His guard was down. This was her chance.Her fingers curled around the gun she had placed under the pillow earlier. She slowly pulled it out, stood up, took aim at Bucky's head, and switched off the safety.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bucky's reflexes were still as sharp as ever. He heard the distinctive click, a sound no ordinary person would notice. He turned and kicked the gun out of her hand, causing Harlow to fall back on the bed. She threw her legs up and kicked Bucky in the chest as he charged at her, sending him backward. But he quickly regained his composure.Harlow threw open the bedside table drawer to reveal a switchblade and lunged for his neck, aiming for a messier death than she had hoped for, but she was determined.Bucky was quick. He blocked the incoming blow with his metal arm, but Harlow continued to slash, narrowly missing his eye and cutting him on the cheek. He hissed in response.Enough, he thought.Bucky latched onto the girl's wrist and twisted until she cried out and dropped the knife. With his other hand, he grabbed hold of Harlow's neck, wrapping his metal fist around it and threw her back onto the bed, squeezing tightly to keep her in place. Harlow struggled against him, clawing at his metal hand, but no matter how much she moved, she couldn't shake him."Who are you?" he yelled, trying to read her.Bucky noticed Harlow's jaw moving wildly as if she was trying to chew something.Using his now free hand, he shoved his fingers into her mouth, careful not to get bitten. Harlow cried out in resistance, but he managed to retrieve the small-cap she had tried to bite down on. He pulled it out and examined it.A cyanide pill.He threw it on the ground and looked back at the girl who couldn't meet his gaze."You're not going to talk, are you?" he asked, tightening his grip, causing her to gasp for air.It was only when Harlow's eyes started to close that Bucky realized how tight his grip had become. He recoiled as he remembered that this wasn't who he was anymore. The girl coughed and gagged, holding her throat now red from the pressure.Bucky ran his fingers through his hair. The Winter Soldier would have tortured the girl until he got the information he needed, and then killed her quickly after. But Bucky... Bucky had no idea what to do.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bucky sighed and picked up the gun and the knife to ensure she wouldn't go for them again."Get out," he said, his voice filled with fury.Harlow looked at him with wide eyes, trying to steady her breathing. "What?" she whispered."Leave, and don't come back here. If you do, I'll have no choice but to kill you," he said sternly.Harlow couldn't move. She just stared at the Winter Soldier, the cold-blooded assassin who was letting her go."I said go. Or do I have to make you?" he yelled.Harlow leaped from the bed and grabbed hold of Bucky's hand, the one holding the gun. Bucky pulled back, but Harlow positioned it so that the gun was aimed at her head."Kill me," she said, her voice trembling."What?" he asked, concern flooding his face."Just kill me... If you don't, they will. I'm dead either way," she whispered."Who will?" he asked."Hydra," she replied.Bucky almost laughed. "Hydra is gone.""You, of all people, know the saying: 'Cut off one head, and two more grow back.' Hydra will never die. There's always one weed that will continue to grow within it," Harlow cried. "Please, I'd rather have a bullet to the head than what Mr. Fastner has in store for me," she said.Bucky paused."Fastner is still alive?" he asked."Yes. He was the one who gave me this mission. He killed my parents and said that I have to prove my loyalty to Hydra" she said,"He killed your parents and you still want to do as he says?" he argued,"I have no choice! All I have ever known is Hydra, ever since I was a child I was told Hydra was good and that we were changing the world for the better" Harlow cried, letting her hands fall to her side and sitting back on the bed, "I have no one, I'm better off dead."With a heavy sigh, Bucky ran his hand through his hair, trying to find the right words amidst the tangled emotions that swirled within him. He pulled a dining chair closer to Harlow, a silent gesture intended to convey his intention not to harm her."Is Harlow your real name?" he asked gently,Harlow nodded, her vulnerability now laid bare before him. The fear in her eyes tugged at Bucky's heart, reminding him of the fragile nature of trust."Well, Harlow, how about I make you a deal?" Bucky proposed, his voice laced with empathy. "You tell me what you know about what's left of Hydra, and in return, I'll protect you from them.""I can protect myself," Harlow responded with determination, her voice laced with a hint of defiance.Bucky almost smiled, admiring her spirit even in the face of such adversity. He understood her desire to stand on her own, having fought a similar battle within himself."Yes, I could see that," Bucky acknowledged her ability, "You put up a good fight, but there's nothing wrong with asking for help. I know that more than anyone."Harlow's skepticism lingered, a natural response to the fractured trust that had plagued her the past couple of months. She questioned his belief in her words, wondering if she could truly find solace in his protection."Well, I guess I just have to take a chance then," Bucky stated, extending his robotic hand toward her, a symbol of his newfound purpose. He hoped she would see it as an offering of assistance and not a reminder of the pain he had inflicted on her.Harlow's gaze shifted from his mechanical hand to his eyes, contemplating the opportunity in front of her. At that moment, a realization struck her—Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, was a force that couldn't be easily vanquished. Perhaps, despite their troubled history, he was her best chance at survival.Closing her eyes and releasing a deep sigh, Harlow gathered her courage and extended her hand to meet Buckys. They shook hands, a pact forged in the crucible of their shared vulnerabilities."Hydra ordered me to kill you because they knew you were too dangerous to be left free," Harlow confessed, her voice laced with a mix of guilt and desperation. "Hydra has a large base in Germany. When I left, they were preparing for something big."Curiosity ignited within Bucky as he absorbed this new information. His mind raced, trying to decipher Hydra's plans."What were they planning?" he inquired, eager to piece together the fragments of a puzzle that had haunted him for so long.Harlow's brows furrowed in frustration as she shook her head. "I don't know. They weren't about to share classified information with a traitor's daughter. But whatever it is, it's happening in France."Bucky's gaze hardened, his mind connecting the dots as he considered the implications. The stakes had never been higher."Do you believe me, Mr. Barnes?" Harlow's voice broke the silence, her words laced with a mix of hope and apprehension."I believe you, Harlow," Bucky affirmed, his voice steady and resolute.