Chapter 4 — Dance Practice

Bucky

The hum of machinery in the Stark Industries Workshop provided a steady, almost soothing backdrop as Bucky Barnes adjusted the cuffs of his shirt. The faint metallic tang of welding and the warm glow of holographic displays surrounded him, but he might as well have been standing in enemy territory. The room gleamed with polished efficiency—a shrine to Tony Stark’s relentless innovation and charisma. For Bucky, it was too exposed, too sharp-edged, too... alive. He preferred shadows, the stillness of spaces that didn’t demand anything from him. Here, everything seemed to demand attention—or worse, participation.