"Come on, let me teach you the correct way to stay up late."
Bucky carried the little kid to the sofa, then went to warm her a cup of milk and got a plate of Oreos. He sat next to her, turned on the TV, and tuned it to a boring late-night shopping program.
The little kid didn't need others to comfort her with phrases like "don't be afraid" or "don't take it to heart"; that would only remind her and make her recall the scary scene again.
She just needed someone to be by her side, knowing she wasn't alone, and she would feel secure.
"Do you know how many correct ways there are to combine an Oreo? They are Oreo-Oreo, Oreoleoleo, and Oreo-Oreo-Oreo..."
Although Bucky wasn't good at telling bedtime stories, he told a few cold jokes and ridiculed the TV shopping that challenged people's intelligence. Soon, little Skye calmed down and slowly started to doze off...
Dong dong dong...
However, just as little Skye was about to fall asleep, there was a soft but urgent knocking at the door.
Who is it!?
Bucky looked at the little kid in his arms, who had suddenly woken up, and rolled his eyes in annoyance.
If you got the wrong door, I'll electrocute you!
He went and opened the door, and was stunned.
Outside the door was a haggard and anxious Frank Castle.
"I need you for something, can you come with me?"
"Let me change my clothes."
Seeing that Frank seemed eager to drag him away, Bucky, who also wanted to keep in touch with him, nodded and said nothing.
He just went to comfort little Skye, who seemed a bit scared again when she saw Frank.
"I'm going out for a bit. You can go back to your bedroom or watch TV, but whatever you do, don't open the door if someone knocks..."
After another round of instructions, he put on his clothes and left with Frank.
"It's my son. He lost too much blood and stopped breathing for too long, causing oxygen deprivation in his brain. The doctor said he might have permanent intellectual damage."
Sitting in Frank's muscle car, speeding along, Bucky also learned the reason Frank was looking for him.
But unfortunately... although the system items were powerful, they only restored health points and replenished vitality. The healing items could only pull his son back from the brink of death, but for problems like brain hypoxia due to cessation of breathing, the system items were powerless.
"I know you have special abilities, and this world has extraordinary abilities. So, can you help me again?"
However, Frank's plea only received Bucky's apologetic gaze and a slight shake of his head. Frank's heart instantly turned cold, and he momentarily lost his grip on the steering wheel, causing the car to swerve.
Frank, unwilling to give up, asked in a trembling voice, "Is there something you need..."
Bucky interrupted him directly: "If I had any demands, I would have made them earlier, wouldn't I? I'm not stingy either."
Then he handed him a [Revitalize-I] syringe.
"This is what I used to treat you and your son. It's a healing agent that can be used for emergency treatment of seriously injured patients. This is the only treatment method I have. You can try it for your son, but... you need to be mentally prepared."
Bucky didn't feel bad about giving away one or two healing agents. Even if it was for a cybernetic body, as long as it could save people and help, he would help.
But even the Network Access Pod that connects to the brain does not have the function of repairing brain damage.
Moreover, cybernetic bodies cannot be installed on other people.
Items can be used by others because Bucky is still using them, which is the same nature as Bucky firing a gun, scanning with a cybernetic eye, or hitting someone with a cybernetic limb.
Frank looked at the exquisite little gadget with a red cross on it in his hand, and his heart was completely cold, but his eyes were filled with hot tears, and his chest was filled with indignation and fire.
But a parent's love is pitiful; even with slim hope, he held onto a one-in-ten-thousand chance, suppressing his near-madness, and took Bucky to the S.H.I.E.L.D. hospital.
Then he watched Bucky inject his son with the syringe, but his son showed no response. Finally, sadness turned into despair.
Then despair erupted into madness.
Frank, with bloodshot eyes and not a word, rushed out of the hospital, got back into his car, and slammed the door shut.
"Where do you want to go? Has Coulson found any news?"
Just then, he heard a familiar voice beside him.
In his rage, he hadn't noticed how Bucky had gotten into his car.
Then he realized he hadn't even thought about what he was going to do; his brain was simply filled with fury, and his body was dominated by anger.
"...FUUUCK!!!"
Frank, driven mad by indignation, finally broke down, pounding the steering wheel with both hands, letting out a beast-like roar.
"...Hey, Coulson, have you interrogated those two thugs overnight?"
After Frank had screamed himself hoarse, slumping over the steering wheel with his arms wrapped around his head, Bucky pulled out his cell phone and called his receding hairline brother.
"What? Just finished surgery, still resting, wait until they wake up to question them? Where are they? Let me go see, what right do those two innocent-killing scumbags have to such treatment?"
Bucky secretly spat, damn it, he couldn't save good people, but he had to treat animals instead.
Yet he still had Frank drive to another S.H.I.E.L.D. emergency hospital.
Once there, under Coulson's curious gaze, he gave each of the two scumbags a healing agent, then said, "Wake these two scumbags up, then interrogate them."
The two scumbags' injuries were healed, but they were still under the influence of sedatives.
"You can let Frank join in; his threats will make it easier for you to handle the case, but keep an eye on him, don't let him do anything excessive."
"I understand, please rest assured."
Bucky saw Frank transform from a dazed zombie back into a furious beast, staring intently at the two scumbags. He pulled Coulson aside and gave him a few instructions. Coulson, true to his receding hairline, remained as steady and mature as ever, which reassured Bucky a little.
Since there were still no clues, Bucky's presence here wasn't very useful.
"Who's watching Frank's daughter?"
"Caregivers have been arranged."
"Then I'll leave first. Notify me if there's any news."
After speaking with Coulson, Bucky went to find Frank, but didn't say much.
Little Skye needed others' sympathy, but Frank didn't.
Bucky just patted his shoulder and left him with a sentence: "If you need help, call me."
After leaving, his mood, which had improved somewhat after upgrading, became a bit depressed again.
In this world, there are so many scumbags that suddenly appear, and then make people feel unhappy.
Damn it, if I'm unhappy, you shouldn't be happy either!
Bucky thought to himself, if Frank can't find an outlet, can't he?
Connect to the police radio, let's go!
The night was still long, and scumbags who were up all night were everywhere. How could Bucky sleep?
ADVANCE CHAPTER AVAILABLE IN PATREON
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