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[b]Washington D.C.
March 27th, 2005
9:22pm[/b]

Bucky had spent the last twelve hours in what amounted to an intensive public speaking tutorial. Though it was at short notice, SHIELD had brought in the finest public relations men, body language experts, and elocution teachers that money could buy to coach him for his interview with Lois Lane tonight. Bucky wasn’t a natural orator as Steve had been and never really had to be. He had been a scout, not a leader, and he’d never had to lead men into battle like Steve so often did. Wearing the uniform and carrying the shield was easy compared to that. Bucky could fight, he’d always been able to fight, but leading was another thing. It was that part of the job that Bucky felt apprehensive about. Tonight was the beginning of something. After his interview with Lane he wouldn’t be Captain America the solder, but Captain America the symbol, and America needed that more than ever after what had happened at Belle Reve. He just hoped that he could meet that need.

He stood in the makeshift studio that SHIELD had built in the Triskelion with Maria Hill and went over the “lines” that had been prepared for him. His responses hadn’t so much as been scripted as they’d been mapped out. SHIELD had tried to get Lane to submit her questions ahead of time but she’d refused. Perhaps it was a sign that Lane was every bit the battle axe as Hill had made her sound. As Barnes and Hill went through them, the sound of shouting came from behind them. A red-haired man in a suit and thick-rimmed gasses was screaming obscenities at one of the producers Lane had brought along.

Bucky gestured towards the shouting. “What’s going on there?”

“That’s Gyrich,” Maria Hill said with a sigh. “The White House sent him over to make sure tonight goes as smoothly as possible.”

One of the producer’s colleagues walked over to Gyrich to deescalate the situation and was met with a wall of rage that was every bit as venomous as the first tirade. The two members of Lane’s crew, both surprisingly young, stood in silence as Gyrich hurled abuse at them.

A wry smile appeared on Bucky’s lips. “He has an interesting management style.”

“Don’t worry about him. His bark is [i]several[/i] times worse than his bite. The same however is not true of Lois Lane. She’s a shark, Cap, if she smells blood in the water tonight she’ll go off script on us in a second. Stay calm, stay on message, and we should get out of here in one piece.”

Bucky smiled again. “No pressure then.”

A bell rung and the makeshift studio burst into life. Lois Lane appeared flanked by several colleagues. She wore a beige pantsuit with an open-collared white shirt underneath. Around her neck dangled a press lanyard. She stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed Bucky stood in his Captain America uniform beside Maria Hill. Lois smiled in his direction faintly and Barnes smiled back. With that she took to her seat and was fitted with a microphone and Bucky was directed to take a seat opposite her. The bell rung once more and a producer called for the crew to clear the set. Hill, Lane’s producers, Gyrich, and a cadre of other SHIELD agents stood behind the cameras as Lane prepared to begin.

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On a screen some graphics appeared that Bucky could only presume were what the viewers at home were seeing. Footage of Steve and himself fighting in the Second World War that transitioned into footage of HYDRA and the Red Skull. A prerecorded narration from Lois played over it until the cameras flicked on and the journalist stared straight into the camera and began to speak.

“HYDRA are back. It’s been eight days since the Red Skull attacked the SHIELD super prison Belle Reve and murdered dozens of SHIELD agents, Director Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan amongst them, and the world is still in shock. Today I sit down with the individual that SHIELD hope to spearhead their response to the HYDRA threat. Some may have seen the footage of his run in with Cornelius Stirk last night, others may not have, but with me in the flesh for his first televised interview is Captain America.”

Lois turned from the camera to face Bucky. “Captain, it’s an honour to meet you.”

Bucky nodded politely. “The pleasure is all mine, Lois.”

Lane lead with a question about the mantle of Captain America and what it meant to him. Bucky was prepared for that. He didn’t need any coaching or body language experts to talk at length about Steve Rogers and what he’d sacrificed for their country. Barnes navigated his way through his response easily enough and saw Maria Hill extend him a thumbs up in his direction as he waxed lyrical about the importance of the legacy he was stepping into. Lane nodded throughout his answer and finally took a glance down at the sheet of paper on the table between them.

“There are some that might say that your return coming so soon after the attack on Belle Reve is a public relations move by this administration. What would you say to that?”

Bucky nodded knowingly. “I can understand why some might think that. At the end of the day, Lois, I’m here to play my part in the fight back against HYDRA and I can honestly say I’m not too concerned about anything else. Was the unveiling of Steve Rogers a public relations move? Or Jeffrey Mace? I’m sure there were people that said that then too but that’s not we remember either of them for. We remember their sacrifice, their service, and I hope to be remembered for the same. I’ll leave worrying about public relations to other people.”

Maria Hill smiled from behind the camera. Bucky could see her in his periphery, Gyrich's foot maniacally tapping on the floor next to her, but he tried his best to keep his eyes on Lois. This was surreal, more surreal even than he'd imagined, and the heat of the lights was bothering him. They spoke for a few minutes about the shield and Bucky informed her that the real one was sat in the National Museum of American History and that was where it was going to stay. That he intended to be his own man, shield and all, and that explained the change in uniform [i]and[/i] shield.

"There will be a great deal of interest as to who you are beneath the cowl. I’m sure you’re aware of that. I won’t put you on the spot on that front though if you wish to volunteer that information I’ll leave it to you," Lois said with a mischievous smile. "What I will ask though is this: who are you accountable to? Now more than ever I’m sure the American people will want to know that those we entrust to fight HYDRA are accountable to them."

For the briefest moment Bucky imagined what might have happened had he unmasked himself there and then. What the world might think if they knew that the Captain America sat before them was none other than James Buchanan Barnes. He had no one to protect, no loved ones left alive, but SHIELD had been [i]adamant[/i] that his identity remain secret. Word had come down from Fury himself that under no circumstances was Barnes to reveal his identity to anyone. It made sense. Especially since Hill had told Bucky earlier they were planning on setting up a secret identity for him to live a "normal" life under when he wasn't at the Triskelion or in uniform.

“My identity will have to remain secret. There are people that I care about, friends and family, that are the reason I put this uniform on. Keeping them safe is of the utmost importance to me,” Bucky said determinedly. “In regards to accountability, first and foremost I work with SHIELD. More often than not I answer directly to Director Fury but as I showed in Washington with Stirk, if something happens I’m not going to stand by and do nothing. I think I have a moral obligation to do whatever I can to keep people safe.”

Lois frowned a little at that comment. “Does that mean you’d be willing to use lethal force?”

“If the situation called for it,” Bucky said solemnly. “It’s not something that I would do freely or as anything other than a last resort. Taking another man’s life, regardless of the reason, is not an easy thing. If it had to be done to protect this country, the people in it, and the values that it stands for? I would do it.”

In his periphery Barnes could see Maria running her hand across her neck as if indicating him to stop there. They had decided that it was better that Barnes downplay that aspect of carrying the shield, if only because of the legal ramifications that came with it, but Bucky wasn't ashamed of being willing to do whatever it took. It was what had kept the free world free, good men doing bad things, being willing to give their todays for other people's tomorrows, and there was no point hiding that. He'd seen Steve take plenty of lives, though news of that rarely reached home, and he didn't doubt that Mace had been forced to do the same. Bucky had always had a low opinion of those that put their moral scruples above saving lives. That wasn't going to change now that he was Captain America.

After a few more minutes discussing HYDRA and Belle Reve, Lois offered Bucky some closing words. This was what Barnes had spent most of his evening preparing for and what those media men had assured him would make the news. He had to get this right, he had to show the world what kind of man he was, and he had every intention of doing that. He wouldn't offer the public false hope. He would tell them the cold, hard truth. Bucky hoped that might earn their respect more than empty platitudes.

"I understand the attack on Belle Reve might have people at home sitting uneasily at the thought of HYDRA and the Red Skull on the loose. They would be right to be. HYDRA are dangerous, the Red Skull is as dangerous a man as there is on this planet, and you’d be crazy not to be afraid of them. Know this though: as long as there is breath in my body I will do my utmost to take HYDRA apart, piece by piece, using whatever means are necessary. We know these men, we know what they stand for, and what they want to take from us. I will not let them take the freedoms this great nation of ours affords us. It might take a long time, years even, before HYDRA are put to the sword again but I assure you they will be put to the sword. There [i]will[/i] come a day when you can put your children to bed knowing that they’ll wake up in a world without men like the Red Skull."

Bucky stared down the camera as sternly as possible. "You have my word on that."