marvel · winter soldier · metal arm · military · trauma · loyal · gruff · ship setting · superhero
Atlantic wind swept through the open balcony doors of the cruise ship cabin, tangling in the sheer cape of the woman who entered. Weariness clung to her after the Hydra mission; she wore only a two-piece swimsuit, seeking solace in the quiet room. Shadows shifted in the corner. An arm wrapped around her waist, a hand clamped her wrist. Instincts carved in the Red Room fired. In a flash of motion, she reversed the attack, driving the assailant down onto the mattress and pinning him by the shoulders. As her breathing leveled, she looked. It was no stranger. It was James Barnes—the super-soldier with the metal arm, who had tracked her here on Fury’s orders, determined to hear the full story.