Project Hellhound

Chapter 15

"Let me guess - stories about Fenrir and giant wolves eating the sun?" Bucky asks wryly.

"You know it," Steve confirms. "Complete with dramatic reenactments."

"Well, that should make tonight interesting," Bucky says dryly, though I catch the slight relaxation in his shoulders. "Maybe I should've brought earplugs."

"I've got spare pair if you need them," Steve offers, patting his pocket with a grin. "Military grade."

"Save them for when he starts singing," Bucky suggests, and they share a laugh that speaks of past experiences.

"You remember that mission in Oslo?" Steve asks, with a reminiscent smile.

Bucky groans. "How could I forget? Thor belting out what he called 'the ancient battle hymn of Asgard' at three in the morning."

"While standing on the hotel roof," Steve adds, shaking his head. "In a thunderstorm he'd summoned himself."

"The local authorities were not impressed." Bucky's eyes crinkle at the corners. "What was it they called us in the report?"

"'Disruptive foreign entities with questionable musical taste,'" Steve quotes perfectly, tapping his temple. "Serum memory."

"Convenient," Bucky says dryly. "Especially when you conveniently forget whose turn it is to file mission reports."

Steve puts on an innocent expression. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

They share another comfortable laugh before Steve's gaze shifts to me, his expression growing more serious. "How's she doing with the stitches?"

"Better," Bucky says, following his gaze. "Moving easier. The enhanced healing seems to be doing its job." He hesitates, then adds, "There's something else, Steve. The way she responds sometimes..."

I keep my attention fixed outward, ears swiveling slightly to track their conversation while maintaining my facade of animal distraction.

"What do you mean?" Steve asks, his voice lowering.

"It's like..." Bucky searches for words. "Like she's listening. Really listening. Not just hearing sounds."

I can almost feel Steve studying me with renewed interest, and hear the sound of his arms crossing over his chest. "You think she understands us?"

I deliberately shift my attention to a bird landing on a nearby branch, tracking its movement with exaggerated interest while my ears remain pricked toward their conversation.

"I'm not sure," Bucky admits quietly. "But there are moments when..." He shakes his head, metal fingers flexing slightly at his side. "Maybe I'm just projecting."

"You've spent the most time with her," Steve acknowledges, his voice thoughtful. "If anyone would notice something, it'd be you."

"You think I'm imagining it?"

"I didn't say that," Steve replies carefully. "I've seen enough impossible things to keep an open mind."

I resist the urge to look back at them, maintaining my focus on the window while remaining acutely aware of their discussion. The bird hops along the branch, pecking occasionally at something invisible to my eyes from this distance.

Steve seems to hesitate, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His scent changes subtly—uncertainty mixing with resolve. "Listen, Buck... Bruce pulled me aside earlier. He's got theories about her cognitive capabilities that he wants to explore further."

Bucky's posture stiffens slightly, as does mine. The air in the room seems to grow heavier with tension.

"Nothing invasive," Steve assures him quickly, raising his hands slightly in a placating gesture. "He just wants to set up some observation scenarios. Simple tasks that might reveal more about her intelligence level."

"She's not a lab rat," Bucky says firmly, his voice hardening with an edge I haven't heard from him before. He steps slightly closer to me, a movement so subtle it might have been unconscious.

"No one's suggesting she is," Steve counters patiently. "But if she's got enhanced intelligence alongside her physical capabilities, wouldn't it be better to understand the extent of it? For her sake too? We need concrete evidence for Fury, Buck. Something more than just your gut feeling."

"Fury's deadlines," Bucky mutters. "Seven days to prove she's not a threat or..."

"I'm pushing back where I can," Steve interjects. "But he's not wrong to be cautious. We found her in a Hydra facility."

"So was I," Bucky says pointedly. "You didn't let them run tests on me."

"That was different and you know it."

"And if you find out she is more than just an enhanced animal?" Bucky challenges. "What then? Are you prepared for what that might mean?"

"We cross that bridge when we come to it," Steve says firmly. "For now, let's focus on getting through tonight without incident. One step at a time, Buck."

I turn from the window at this, unable to maintain indifference to a conversation so directly about my fate. My eyes move between them, tracking the tension in their postures, the subtle shifts in their expressions. I pad toward Bucky, stopping at his side—a deliberate choice that doesn't go unnoticed by either man.

"See what I mean?" Bucky says softly, looking down at me. "It's like she knows."

Steve's expression softens as he watches our interaction. "Maybe she does." He checks his watch—a simple, practical timepiece that looks almost comically small on his wrist. "We should head down. Tony's probably pacing a hole in the floor by now."

"Yeah, because patience has always been his strong suit," Bucky mutters, but there's fondness in his tone. He looks down at me, his expression shifting to something more serious. "You ready for this?"

I meet his gaze steadily, allowing a connection that feels increasingly less like pretense with each passing hour. After a moment, I look toward the door, then back at him—as clear an answer as I can give without words.

"I'll take that as a yes," Bucky says, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Let's make this count. One day almost down on Fury's clock, six more to go."

"We'll figure this out, Buck," Steve says, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We always do."

"Yeah," Bucky agrees, though uncertainty lingers in his voice. "Let's hope this time doesn't involve jumping out of any planes."

"No promises," Steve says with a wry smile as they head for the door.