Chapter 43

I tap the arc reactor on Tony's chest mindlessly, hearing the metal clang against my fingernail.

It was glowing through his chest, lighting up my fingers and half my face. Such a bright blue. It's comforting almost. If I close my eyes I can pretend I'm dreaming, drifting away on my back in a sea of pure nothingness but solitude.

Peace.

My heart yearned for it.

My soul cried for it.

Because for all my life, I've experienced nothing but pain and suffering, death and chaos. I've forgotten what it felt like. To just... exist. Simply be here, now in the present, without all the problems or all the worries.

"Blues, you mind?" Tony huffed out loud, breaking me away from my trance. He's annoyed at my childish actions, gaze peering at me from above.

I slowly raise my head and let it fall, choosing to ignore him as I continued to tap.

Natasha lets out a small chuckle and Tony, although beyond annoyed, lets me do my own thing.

The Prince of Wakanda is sitting on the opposite side of the room with his female guards. Everett Ross is in front of us, hands folded, spine straight. He's trying his best to ignore me, given how I threatened him but the fact that I'm in close proximity probably didn't help either.

I didn't care.

My eyes are only on Bucky.

The evaluator was talking mindlessly, asking questions that Bucky responded to in a one-word-one-tone type of way. 

I can't help but feel concerned.

It's already been 10 minutes. The clock is ticking. I needed to somehow convince the others to stop being assholes to each other and work together. How was I going to achieve that? 

Unconsciously, I feel my hand reach down to my wrist where I'm scratching at the blue veins. 

I don't know if I'll be able to stop this war.

I don't know if I'll be able to survive this. 

"Dammit," Ross is looking at his watch, murmuring his frustration. He's aware that the people he reports to are going to need answers. It doesn't help that my Protector remained tight-lipped about it. 

He's going to be waiting a long time then. 

"You're not going to get anything out of him," I said out loud from my position, still tucked under both Natasha's and Tony's arms. 

Ross turns to meet my gaze, quickly scanning our position on the couch with disbelief. A dozen thoughts filtered through his mind. One stuck out.

They seem so... normal.

Like we're not just heroes, we're not just the Avengers, we're human beings with capabilities of emotions just like anyone else. We care, just like anyone else. 

He's misjudged us. I can tell how he makes his choice to let his guard down by the way he uncrossed his arms and relaxed his shoulders. 

"It won't do Barnes any favors if he withholds information." He says flatly, without the usual ice in his tone from previously. "CCTV footage captures Barnes with the van, his face is clear as day."

"You mean the grainy black-and-white footage with only half his face?" I held back a scoff and shifted in my position to get comfortable. "He wasn't in Vienna, and neither was I. We were in Bucharest remember? That's where you found us." 

Ross frowns, his brows furrowed. He chooses not to say anything and turns back to the monitor, but I know the doubt has been planted.

It didn't make sense that we were in Bucharest if we were suspects in the bombing in Vienna. The time frame didn't match. 

However, I knew it wouldn't matter. To get the Avengers in line, the Government was going to take an inch of anything to control us. It's what they've always done. It's what they will always do. I should know. I did their dirty work. 

"Tell me, Bucky. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?" The Evaluator is speaking, his voice echoing from the monitor across the room. He watches Bucky with nothing but a blank mask, needing a reaction from him. 

"I don't want to talk about it." Bucky harshly cuts in, shutting the question down with vengeance. He's not liking how his sanity was being poked and prodded. Worse, the cage that pinned him down reminded him of his time in the Cryo-tube.

It's making him uncomfortable. I can tell by how his answers are getting increasingly short and curt. He's putting on a brave front, but I feel how his brain works, how his shoulders tense, how his eyes dart around as flashes go through his mind.

The memory of how we tried to escape in Bucharest. The anger that we've been caught, and then the pain, the pain of seeing that chain wrapped around my neck, the screams that claw at his heart, the words that left his mouth, the command of HYDRA to shut me down.

He's seething.

Very loudly might I add. 

A shiver rolled down my spine. I flinch as though I could physically touch his rage. He's not supposed to be worked up right now. I told him to trust me but it seems my Protector is getting ready to move the second things go awry.

"Goddamit," Now it's my turn to curse beneath my breath. 

Both Tony and Natasha sit up at the same time, concern noting their features.

"What's wrong?" Tony's hand comes down to rest on my forehead but I shake my head, stopping him in his tracks. 

Rising from my position, I lean my elbows on my knees, my foot tapping rapidly on the floor. "Is he going to be found guilty?"

"The Government has proof," Tony speaks slowly, looking nervous at my action. 

"A picture isn't proof." This time I did scoff, brown eyes glaring at the screen. "Where's mine then? Are they going to lock me up?"

Natasha shook her head. "I don't think that's what you have to worry about,"

The Accords.

But of course.

That's the more pressing issue, that's the more important thing right now, and not my Protector who is currently locked up against his will. 

What a joke.

Fuck this, we're wasting time. 

"Ross," 

He flinches as I call out his name turning to me with surprise.

"You and I both know he isn't our guy," My gaze is straight, my stare even more so. I hold him there, letting him see just how serious I am. "You're not stupid, you can see it, as clear as day. Someone is setting him up. The question is who?" 

"It doesn't matter what I think," He snaps, annoyed that I would even question it. "I have orders Ms Stark, unlike you, I have people to report to--"

"Don't you get it yet?" I cut him off. "This isn't about who bombed Vienna. It doesn't matter how many people died that day, the people you work with would have used any excuse to take Bucky out, this is just the most obvious one."

"We know you have a history with him," Natasha places a hand on my forearm, halting me from going any further. "But he's HYDRA's number one assassin, he's credited for dozens of political assassinations, this isn't about one event, it's about all of them."

"With that logic, maybe I should remind all of you something," I turn to her and inwardly smile. "While he's out there assassinating political rivals who do you think was right by his side?" 

Tony snatched at my shoulder, so fast that I would have missed it if I blink. He levels me with a fierce gaze, the corner of his mouth tilting downwards.

"Don't." 

A warning.

Ross is still listening.

If I admit it now, if I confess to my crimes, it would be over.

Not even Tony could save me. No one can.

"Ignore her Ross," Tony glances at the man, putting on a light-hearted grin. "Emotional psyche breakdown remember? Heard it was that time of the month--"

My brother's hold on my shoulder is tight, as though he could control what I say or do. Even with that fake facade, I feel his panic brewing inside him. The panic that they would take me away. 

Ross narrows his features, the gears in his mind turning. 

As the silence stretches, I hear the evaluator echo across the office, his words jaunting and soft. 

"You fear that... if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop." He says. 

There's a pause, a moment of silence before I feel the back of my neck tingle in alarm.

"Don't worry. We only have to talk about one."

The screen goes black, all the monitors power down and suddenly the office is plunged into darkness.

I feel an intense energy shift that knocks me off balance and tears my breath right out of my chest. 

"Woah," Clenching my hoodie above my heart, I grimace at the intense discomfort spider-webbing across my body. 

"Great. Come on, guys, get me eyes on Barnes." Ross calls out sharply, his order spreading out to the guards who are out in an instant. 

Both Tony and Natasha stood up at once, the unease wrapping around all of us. I watch my brother click on his sunglasses, quickly, turning them on. 

"FRIDAY, get me the source of that outage."

"Whatever it is, it's not here, I would've felt that--" I'm in the middle of standing up, my powers weaving through my fingers for Bucky before I felt it, a wave of the onslaught. 

Energy so thick and raw, screaming and screaming at me, begging me, make it stop.

Temnaya Ved'ma.

Dark Witch.

Black leaks out of my fingers, the blue and green disappearing as they are swallowed whole by the shadows. He's in trouble. My Protector is in trouble. 

Oh no. 

I jerk my hands back, trying hard to shut the black down but the alarm I'm feeling is creeping up my spine, making me careless, making me scared.

He needs me. He needs me. He needs--

Then there was nothing.

I couldn't feel him.

Just this cold, cold, feeling. 

"Blues," Tony's voice drags me back. He's staring at me, at the colors I make, at the black that seems to consume the light whole. "Were they always like that?"

He's getting suspicious. Even Natasha seemed more alert now.

"I'm fine," I tell them both, gritting my teeth. "New effect--is this really what we're worried about right now?" 

"Sir, the subject has broken out of containment." A guard runs in Ross's direction, hurridly showing us the footage of Bucky who is practically decimating everyone that gets in his way.

No. Not Bucky.

The Winter Soldier.

"Shit, his training kicked in." I palmed my face worriedly and proceeded to lace up my boots, making quick work of them. How the hell did this happen? The only way for his training to kick in is if he was triggered. 

Damn it all. 

"Come on," Rising to my feet, I gesture to both Natasha and Tony. "We need to stop him before he gets anyone else gets hurt."

Abruptly, the metal link I'm connected to is pulled against my will and I am forced to follow its movement, where I find Ross and a couple of armed guards looking ready to kill.

"Are you fu-"

"You tell me what you have planned or I will throw you in lock-up, with or without proof!" He shouts at me, thinking I was at fault.

I bit my lip and tugged back. "I didn't do this, you hobbit."

He narrowed his gaze as I bared my teeth. "I told you this would happen, I warned you and it doesn't matter now, because you need my help," 

We stand across from one another, gaze to gaze, the tension stretching and snapping. I step forward, hands at my sides, fingers clenched. "The Dark Witch is the only one who can stop the Winter Soldier."

A deafening silence rings in the air at the declaration.

"Get this off me, and I'll stop him."

I'm not doing this to help the Government.

I'm doing this for my Protector who's going to be horrified once he wakes up and realized what he did.

I needed to be there for him. Just like he was there for me.

My brother who stands by my side is conflicted. Natasha can't do anything either.

They signed the Accords. This was out of their hands.

We hang in the air for a split moment, the balance tethering, but Ross blinks once, twice, before his features contort, and is angry at it all. He knows what I'm saying is the truth. He knows I'm the only one that can do this.

Ross lets the metal link go and watches me quietly before nodding at my brother. "Get it off."

My brother obeys, touching something beneath my ear, and the clasp release itself with a hiss, landing on the metal floor with a loud, clang.

Finally. 

I cracked my neck and showcased a cat-like grin that made everyone freeze.

"Maybe you aren't an idiot after all," I tell Ross, winking dangerously.

Taking off in the opposite direction, I don't wait for Tony and Natasha to catch up, a brief peek of echolocation is enough to let me know where the Winter Soldier was going.

He's still moving, and fast. The only thing running through his mind right now was the mission.

Complete the mission.

What mission?

I can feel both Tony and Natasha behind me, their emotions radiating in concern for my well-being.

I paid no attention to that.

Bucky needed my help.

Because the Winter Soldier had taken control.

"Please tell me you brought a suit," Natasha pants out as the three of us weave through offices and hallways.

"Sure did. It's a lovely Tom Ford, three-piece, two-button--" My brother rolls up his right sleeve and gives the Spy a sarcastic glare.

"I'm an active-duty non-combatant."

That meant; he didn't bring the full suit but had some in hand.

"Not the time for your quips Tony," I jabbed at him, stopping in my tracks to find out where the Winter Soldier was going.

He was shifting around endlessly with a goal in mind.

I visibly flinch upon feeling his cold energy refracting back at me.

It wasn't warm and so unlike the man I know. He's going further down the rabbit hole. 

"Follow me," Blondie--Sharon,  jostles past the three of us indicating us to follow. 

I see red.

My already-to-thin temper snapped in half.

Who was this girl to so blandly challenge me? Who was this girl to take Steve? 

I don't know why but I reached over and snatch her wrist, bringing her to a halt.

Those eyes watch me with wariness as I allowed my grip to tighten over her skin.

Both Tony and Natasha stiffened at the sight but I didn't care.

For a girl who's related to Peggy, she was nothing, like her.

She didn't have the honor Peggy held.

And it pissed me off.

I may not be with Steve anymore because of her but that didn't stop me from getting mad at this pathetic excuse of a girl.

This girl wouldn't last a single day if she had to go through the many hardships of my life.

Black leaked out of my hands and twist around us in apparent anger.

"No," I spit, my tone heavy with rage.

Shoving her hand aside, I smooth back my battered hair and flipped it over my shoulder.

I found out where the Winter Soldier was.

"Follow me."

Pushing past her, I allowed a dark wave to smother around her making her gasp at the intensity.

A dark smile curled on my lips and I didn't stop to see if she followed.

Tony and Natasha exchanged glances. They knew not to mention why I did it.

I think it already clicked in their mind.

Lorelie is losing it.

And to hell, if I didn't know that.

~~@ @ @~~

A/N

No hate to the actor that plays Sharon.

But Lorelie just feels like Sharon's not standing by her 'honors'. I'm sure she knows the relationship Lorelie and Steve share yet she still does it.

Who won't be mad.

But... do you think Lorelie and Steve are still a thing? Will they still make it?

What's their shipname Idk. XD

Loreve?

What about Bucky and Lorelie?

Lorecky?

Oh god, I suck at this.

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