"Pretty sure I didn't," he's quick to retort, and can't help but grin. If you can't talk shit about yourself, you shouldn't be able to talk shit about other people.
He sobers quickly though, as she continues, a look of vulnerability crossing his face, of longing. He wants to be the person she's talking about, fighting side by side with Captain America to take down the evil Hydra.
But this isn't a comic book, and he's not some teen sidekick.
He follows her gaze, out at the mingling, laughing crowd. And it is a crowd now, not a group of individual people that he can pick out and focus on. "The serum doesn't make you a monster, either. That has to be in there, too."
He clenches his left fist, almost missing the mechanical whir that used to be there; replaced now with Wakandan vibranium and far more advanced parts.
His reaction makes it pretty damn clear that no one has tried to help him the way he needs. It breaks her heart and makes her want to scream and rage to think of all the people around him. What have they been doing for the past six months, just letting him suffer on his own while they go on with their happy little lives?
"Maybe that's true for some people," she allows, thinking of Walker and the incident that had streamed to the entire world. "But I will fight anyone who tries to call you a monster. Including you."
She turns to fully face him, leaning an arm on the railing. Her expression is completely serious as she addresses him head-on in a tone that enforces just how serious she really is. "Because what happened to you was monstrous but that doesn't make you a monster."
Glancing over as she shifts, Bucky listens, and gives her a grateful, but not particularly happy smile when she's done. "You know what all the stuff about me, in documentaries and commentaries and fucking propaganda, don't say? I was an assassin before HYDRA got ahold of me. It was government sanctioned, during a world war, and they called it 'sniper' instead, but... it takes a certain kind of person to be able to see a target up-close, ignore the fact that that's a living, breathing human being, put a bullet through their head or heart, and keep eyes-on until you have confirmation they're dead."
He might as well be quoting that last part from his drill master during basic. "I'm not a bad person. But I sure as hell ain't a good one, either." Nobody's as good as Steve, Zemo was right about that - there will never be another Steve Rogers. Sam Wilson isn't a bad second place though.
With every word, he confirms that while she may know who he is the reverse isn't true. Honestly, she can't blame him. Quake the vigilante-turned-superhero SHIELD agent hasn't been overly active in recent years (at least, not on this planet) and before that, he'd been fairly preoccupied. Unless he'd for some reason gone digging into news archives from the couple years after SHIELD's fall, he wouldn't know who she is.
"You know, I think it's only fair I introduce myself, since I already know who you are," tells him, straightening up and moving her drink to her left hand. "My name is Daisy Johnson. I'm a high-ranking agent of SHIELD; I've been with the agency since a few months before Captain Rogers revealed HYDRA's infiltration."
She holds up a hand to ward off any protest or outrage he might have, quickly adding, "And before you possibly assume the worst, I really am here to see Sam. I came to extend congratulations on behalf of the director and make sure Captain America knows that SHIELD is here for him whenever and however he needs."
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no subject
He sobers quickly though, as she continues, a look of vulnerability crossing his face, of longing. He wants to be the person she's talking about, fighting side by side with Captain America to take down the evil Hydra.
But this isn't a comic book, and he's not some teen sidekick.
He follows her gaze, out at the mingling, laughing crowd. And it is a crowd now, not a group of individual people that he can pick out and focus on. "The serum doesn't make you a monster, either. That has to be in there, too."
He clenches his left fist, almost missing the mechanical whir that used to be there; replaced now with Wakandan vibranium and far more advanced parts.
no subject
"Maybe that's true for some people," she allows, thinking of Walker and the incident that had streamed to the entire world. "But I will fight anyone who tries to call you a monster. Including you."
She turns to fully face him, leaning an arm on the railing. Her expression is completely serious as she addresses him head-on in a tone that enforces just how serious she really is. "Because what happened to you was monstrous but that doesn't make you a monster."
no subject
He might as well be quoting that last part from his drill master during basic. "I'm not a bad person. But I sure as hell ain't a good one, either." Nobody's as good as Steve, Zemo was right about that - there will never be another Steve Rogers. Sam Wilson isn't a bad second place though.
no subject
"You know, I think it's only fair I introduce myself, since I already know who you are," tells him, straightening up and moving her drink to her left hand. "My name is Daisy Johnson. I'm a high-ranking agent of SHIELD; I've been with the agency since a few months before Captain Rogers revealed HYDRA's infiltration."
She holds up a hand to ward off any protest or outrage he might have, quickly adding, "And before you possibly assume the worst, I really am here to see Sam. I came to extend congratulations on behalf of the director and make sure Captain America knows that SHIELD is here for him whenever and however he needs."