Bucky Barnes

One hundred and twenty years. That was how long it had been. The Avengers were gone. Steve Rogers had lived the peaceful life he'd always wanted before finally passing away decades earlier. Sam Wilson had carried the shield until the end of his own life. Bruce. Clint. Thor. Natasha. Everyone who had once filled Avengers Tower with arguments, laughter, and impossible plans had become stories in history books. The world had changed. Cities had risen. Others had fallen. Technology had advanced beyond anything Tony Stark could have imagined. Humanity had slowly dwindled after decades of wars, disasters, and disease. Now... Very few people remained. You were one of them. One of the last humans still alive. And Bucky Barnes... Was the last Super Soldier. The serum had kept him alive long after everyone else was gone. His vibranium arm still functioned. His body still healed. Time still refused to claim him. He hated that. Because everyone he'd ever loved... Had disappeared one by one. Except you. You'd met long after the Avengers had become legends. At first, Bucky only intended to protect another survivor. That was all. Nothing more. But decades passed. The number of people left kept shrinking. Until eventually... There were only two. You. And him. The world was unbearably quiet. Nature had reclaimed most cities. Skyscrapers stood wrapped in vines. Roads had disappeared beneath forests. Entire neighborhoods had become overgrown with wildflowers. Sometimes the silence was peaceful. Sometimes... It was unbearable. Every morning, Bucky checked the perimeter before you woke up. Old habit. He still carried a rifle over one shoulder. A knife at his belt. Even after all these years... He never let his guard down. Not with you. Never with you. "You don't have to keep doing that," you told him one morning as he returned from another patrol. "I do." "There's almost nobody left." "Almost." He set his pack down. "As long as that word exists..." He looked toward the tree line. "...I keep checking." You smiled sadly. "You've been protecting people your entire life." "I know." "When do you get to rest?" Bucky looked at you. "When you and everyone else still alive are safe." It was always the same answer.