09.01 - telepathtic broadcast

[lefthandfree]

[Well, Bucky’s reached his limit. As if the calm in T’Challa’s palace wasn’t already nerve-wracking enough, he’s now on a veritable life-long vacation by comparison, and there’s no training facility in the damn base. Shadow boxing only gets you so far. He doesn’t like drawing publicity, but he’s running out of options, and he knows better than to ask the obvious suspects, especially since variety is good and bolsters adaptation on the fly.]

«Don’t suppose there are any fighters around?»

«Name's Barnes. James Barnes. I’m looking for consistent sparring partners. One hour sessions minimum. No weapons, just straight hand-to-hand and close quarters. Willing to taper strikes and throws as needed, but it’s straight sparring and not a lesson.»

«If you're interested, let me know.»

Comments

[abide]

« If you wanted to be thrown around, you could've just asked. » [ It's a tease, of course, but it should be evident that he believes Bucky's serious., which means he is too. ]

[trainees]

[ geeze, it's like everyone from home is showing up now. peter recognizes the voice; you don't forget the voice or face of the guy who tried to break your face with a metal arm. ]

If we're not formally trained, is that an issue?

[lefthandfree]

«Yeah, sure, pal. Someone’s gotta throttle that attitude of yours.» [Teasing back. God, why is this shit so easy now that they’re not on Earth? It’s bad.]

«Don’t want you to go easy though.» [’Cause of the arm. Well, lack of one.]

[abide]

« Didn't say anything about that. » [ He feels like laughing again, but this many times in less than a week? He doesn't know what to think of it just yet. So, he sort of keeps it to himself. ] « I'll go easy when you say easy. Did you wanna do this now or later? »

[lefthandfree]

[Oh, God. God, why. Why this kid.]

«I think you faired pretty well without it before. Can’t see why it’d matter so much now, so long as you aren’t chucking display boards at me or using that web of yours.»

[A beat.]

«You weren’t around when it happened, but I’m short the metal arm now.» [Mentioned for posterity because no one else has ever reacted so positively to it.]

[trainees]

Okay, okay, no webs. I'm in the process of modifying them anyway, so it's not like I would've been able to use 'em. And hey, I only chucked the board at you because you threw it at me first.

[ don't be a dick. though nothing beats the jet bridge steve just casually dropped on him. anyway.

the news about the arm makes him pause. a cold feeling tinged with worry could be felt on his end. ]

Are you okay?

[lefthandfree]

[He knows Steve won’t ever say it, but he’d think about it and worry. Bucky just felt it’d be easier for them both if he nipped it in the bud first thing.]

«Whenever is best for you.» [Because he never wants to make Steve feel obligated. But,] «Feelin’ a bit stifled today.»

[abide]

« I've always got time for you. » [ Because there's nothing he wouldn't do for him, and if he hasn't realized that by now... well, Steve is just even more determined to make that stick. ] « I can meet you there in ten. Need me to bring anything? »

[lefthandfree]

[He snorts to himself quietly at the sudden concern. This kid...]

«I’ve been through worse, don’t worry. Just figured you should know if we were gonna test your mettle again.»

[Ha. Get it? Mettle? Metal? No? It’s fine; it’s not one of his best.]

«You’re honestly not bad for your age.» [Not that he knows exacts, but Bucky can estimate his age from the way he talks. The kid’s easily more limber than Steve was at that age, though Steve was always more of a brawler rather than a strategist when it came to direct combat.] «Never did catch your name proper though.»

1/2

[trainees]

[ oh my god. that concern that was there is instantly gone, replaced with incredulity.

dryly, ]

That was terrible.

[lefthandfree]

«Towels might be good.» [So that they don’t drip sweat everywhere and make the facility start to smell like a weight room.] «There aren’t mats. Not sure how we can get any. Doubt the fabricator can make anything on that scale.»

[trainees]

Also, I'm pretty sure that fight in Germany was proof enough of my mettle and qualifications. I don't mind doing it again if you need a refresher, though.

[ u wanna go? let's fucking go. ]

Peter. Nice to meet you officially. And uh, sorry for, you know, punching you earlier.

[abide]

« I'll see what I can find. Anyway, that just means being careful. » [ A pause, and there's no way he can avoid giving him hell for that comment. ] « Unless the floor's too hard for you. »

[lefthandfree]

[He chuckles at the kid’s sheer offense to the pun but keeps his amusement to himself. He also doesn’t bother remarking on the fact that he wasn’t actually fighting at full capacity in Germany either. The plan was to divert and escape, not take the other team down entirely. He’ll let the kid dream though. Dreams are good to have, and Steve is proof of that.

Learning his first name, Bucky skims the directory for it quickly.]

«Parker? Nice meeting you too, under less violent circumstances. And it’s fine. Things were—» [Bullshit? Stupid?] «—a bit hectic, and the situation warranted it. No hard feelings on my end; I know what I am.»

[trainees]

But it wasn't, [ some brief, static-y white noise as he tries to figure out the right way of saying it. ] I mean, it wasn't really your fault, right?

[ tony didn't exactly give him much info on everything that happened, but he's done his own bit of research since then. ]

[lefthandfree]

«You know it fuckin’ ain’t.» [And he laughs, even though he remembers how hard he fell and still lived. It’s not the best time to joke about it though. Steve isn’t ready for it.] «It’s gonna be your face on the floor anyway, kiddo.»

[intranslatability]

[ holy crap. ada's going to be all over this since warmups and jumping jacks in her and eve's room can only go so far.

so despite eve's concerns: ]

I'm available. Trained in hand-to-hand combat though I specialise more in evading and deflecting blows. [ being a scout meant going forward no matter what, after all. ]

[lefthandfree]

[He smiles dryly. At least the kid’s picked up on the facts since. That'll make things easier.]

«It wasn’t. Not that I blame anyone for assuming.» [Hell, even Steve had assumed. It’s an easy mistake when you’re already one of the world’s most wanted assassins.] «Mistakes happen. And when they do, we face them and move on.»

[At least, that's what he's trying to do. It’s the easiest way to live with everything he’s done, even if it’s not actually easy at all.]

[lefthandfree]

«That’s fair enough for me. Do you have a preference toward keeping with deflection tactics? Or is anything fair game? Doesn’t have to all attack or defense on my part, I mean. I just need to get my blood going.»

[Changing it up between sparring partners is good too.]

[highflights]

Do you mind if I watch?

[lefthandfree]

«Only watch?» [That’s some spy-level technique there, assuming it’s the standard reasoning.] «What for?»

[highflights]

I can fight, but my training got cut short.

[ By coming here. ]

[lefthandfree]

«If you can fight, you may as well join.» [Unless,] «—would you prefer if I trained you? I can make an exception.»

[He’s one of the best, after all. It could help.]

[intranslatability]

Fair game. And don't hold back if you get into the rhythm of it. I like to think I can take the blows.

[ the military engineers were certainly confident of her body being able to sustain damage. let's see if it holds up or not without them always buffing out the slightest dent or scuff she got on her person. ] Adaline. Nice to meet, Barnes.

[highflights]

[ He's definitely not a guy who offers this lightly. ]

Why don't I try out first? You can get a better idea.