Shadowed Past: Swan Song
Chapter 7: It All Adds Up
Chapter title credit: "It All Adds Up" by Shinedown (Album: Threat to Survival)
There ain't no magic bullet
There's no cure for the weak
There's no sympathetic shoulder here to put you to sleep
You're a long, long way from where you thought you would be
Every murderer has a motive but you ain't killin' me
Bucky didn't understand why Alex was telling him to leave. He had to go see if everyone was alright, why would he run and leave them behind in the rubble from an explosion? But then his eye caught a television playing in a store window, his name plastered across the screen in bright white letters.
"Breaking: Wakanda Bombing led by suspect James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier"
Great. This meant cops, and lots of them.
"Bucky? Are you still there?" Alex was still on the phone.
"Yeah, yeah. I just saw the news."
"You need to run. Don't worry about Piper."
"But I-"
"She's not in trouble. You on the other hand are in a huge heap of it."
Bucky quickly adjusted his hood to hide more of his face and pulled his left glove tighter over his metal hand. The paranoia was sinking in. He began walking down the street to blend in with other citizens. He spoke quietly in the phone. "Tell Steve to stay put. I'll figure out."
"Too late. He's already left with Sam. He texted me a few minutes ago. Just lay low, and stay out of sight. They'll be there soon."
Bucky nodded, then he remembered that Alex couldn't see him. "Okay."
Piper and Natasha sat on the bench in silence. Piper's wounds had already healed, and she had taken the time to heal Natasha's as well.
"Are you okay?" Natasha finally spoke up.
Piper hesitated to answer. Not out of confusion, but simply out of mental distance. "Okay enough. You?"
"Got lucky." Natasha's attention drifted and she noticed that T'Challa was sitting on the bench next to theirs. She nudged Piper to grab her attention. Before Natasha could speak, Piper stood and approached him. She knew what she needed to do. It was no secret that she had abilities anymore. She was in this just as much as everyone else.
"May I see your hand?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Your hand?"
T'Challa slowly put out his hand, and Piper held his palm in hers. The mixed emotions running through T'Challa's mind made Piper feel lightheaded. He was sorrowful, hurt, angry, depressed, and most of all, filled with vengeance. But she needed to focus. She felt the small amount of her energy washed over him, and when she opened her eyes all of his physical wounds had been healed.
"Thank you, Mrs. Williamson." His voice was grateful, but he showed no signs of gratitude.
"Anything for you, your highness. I'm terribly sorry to hear about the accident."
He nodded gently. "In my culture death isn't the end. It's more of a stepping off point. You can reach out with both hands and bask, in segment. They lead you into a green valley, where you can run forever."
Natasha joined the conversation. "That sounds peaceful."
"My father thought so. I am not my father."
"Task force will decide who brings in Barnes." Natasha said strongly. Piper watched his for his response.
"There's no need. I'll kill him myself." He rose, walked away, and vanished into the darkness.
Piper wanted to cry out so badly, claim that Bucky didn't do it. She knew he didn't do it. Not her James. She knew. But Piper was now smart enough to realize that if she said anything, that would only make her weaker in the situation. If T'Challa knew that Bucky loved her, he could easily use her as a target to get to him. It was best that she bit her tongue, and so she did.
Suddenly Natasha's phone began to buzz, startling them each. It was Steve. As Natasha spoke with him over the phone, Piper looked past the thrashing sea of people to see Steve standing across the street. He needed to work on his undercover outfits.
Steve talked low into the phone. "He's still a threat in their eyes. I won't let them arrest him for something he had no part in."
"You're only going to make this worse." Natasha nearly hung her head as she spoke.
Steve sighed deeply. "He fought for me. I've gotta fight for him."
"They'll arrest you, too."
"I guess I better get moving, then."
Bucky had hunkered down in an old apartment that had been clearly abandoned. He wasn't sure how Steve would find him, but he knew he would. He always did. On another note, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Piper off of his mind. He was worried sick about her, but in the back of his mind he kept trying to remind himself that she was with Natasha. He knew she'd be okay. If anything, Piper was actually safer. She signed, and therefore she was on deck with those in the position of power. Not the runaways.
Suddenly Bucky heard someone fiddling with the lock on the door, and practically vanished into thin air upon his act of ducking into hiding. He heard slow footsteps cross the squeaky floorboards and remained silent. Like on so many missions he had been sent on before. It was in his blood now, the stealth. Even if the nightmares had stopped. The footsteps halted right in front of where Bucky was hiding. He prepared for attack. As soon as the target was in line of sight, he went to strike, but after his first punch he noticed those blue eyes,"Steve?"
"Thank God, I didn't know what I was gonna find in here." Steve breathed out in relief, rubbing his jaw where Bucky had hit him.
"Do they know you're here?"
Sam's voice sounded over Steve's com. "You've got thirty seconds."
"Does that answer your question?"
Sam interjected again. "Just kidding, fifteen."
"Make up your mind, Sam." Steve snapped.
Bucky and Steve exchanged a look that they both knew by heart. They were going to have to fight their way out of this one.
"Ten seconds."
A nod was exchanged as they stood back to back, each watching opposing entrances.
"Five, four, three two-"
The door that Steve was facing burst open, and officers began flooding in. One by one, the two began pounding their way through the swarm of men. Bucky stopped some bullets with his metal hand before wiping some guys out, and Steve did some whacking with his shield. It felt good fighting by each other's side again. Steve and Bucky hadn't worked together like this in nearly eighty years.
After punching and kicking his way through enough soldiers, Bucky was able to make it to the window. He leapt out and onto the rooftop of the nearest building, and so the chase began.
As soon as Bucky got to his feet, he saw that he wasn't alone. Some guy in a black suit was on his tail. Bucky couldn't decide if he was seeing things, or if this guy's suit looked like a cat? When the two began dueling hand to hand, Bucky had never felt the need to dodge sharp objects in his entire life. This guy was trying to claw his eyes out.
Meanwhile, Steve was following close behind with Sam buzzing around overhead.
"Who's he fighting with?" Steve shouted as he ran across the rooftops.
"Never seen him before." Sam responded.
The man in the cat suit continued to lash out at Bucky, who couldn't seem to dodge his swings fast enough. Once Bucky slipped from his grasp, the chase began. Bucky was first, followed by the man in the suit, followed by Steve, followed by Sam up in the air. The three wound up in a tunnel, running past cars and dodging debris and now the police. Bucky was speeding towards the light of day at the end of the traffic tunnel as fast as his body would carry him, until he realized it was too late.
"Stand down, now." Rhodey boomed. Steve and Sam were at Bucky's side, as well as the man in the suit. The three were trapped, and they put their hands up in surrender.
"Congratulations, Cap, you're a criminal." He continued as the three began to get patted down and weapons taken away from them. The man in the cat-like suit removed his helmet to reveal the face of Prince T'Challa. "Your highness." Rhodey greeted him.
Sam, Steve, and Bucky continuously exchanged looks upon their arrest. They were in deep this time.
Alex had been pacing their apartment floor for hours now. Steve hadn't called her, and nobody would answer any of her calls. Thankfully Joseph had been napping a lot, so that kept some of her nerves at ease. Her mind raced about her son. What else could he do? So far, he moved things with his mind. This was going to be fun. The entire plot surrounding the Seidr case clouded her mind. Howard Stark wanted Steve and herself to produce an offspring that would be the most powerful being the walk the planet. Wanda could move things with her mind. It wasn't an uncommon thing. So, Alex knew he could do more. She also worried he may be damaged in some way because of the curse, since it plagued her while she was carrying him. After what felt like another hour of thoughts racing through her mind, her phone finally began to buzz softly on the bed. "Steve? Is that you?"
"Hi, honey."
"Where are you?"
"Well let's just say we're in a little trouble."
Alex heard Sam's voice in the background. "You call this a little trouble?"
"Steve, what happened? Don't lie to me."
Steve sighed before deciding to confess the truth. "They were after him. We tried to lay low. Should've known that it wasn't gonna work."
"Steve-" Alex breathed. She knew where this was headed.
"They got us. All of us. Bucky's trapped in a special ward because they still think he's out of his mind, and Sam and I are in containment. It's a nice containment though, the chairs are comfortable."
Alex held her face in her hands. "You're going to be charged with federal crimes, Steve, this isn't a joke."
He talked low into the phone. "We'll get out of this. I promise you, we will. It'll just take time."
"I really hope so. And you said they had Bucky in a special ward?"
"Yeah. Essentially he's in a glass showcase complete with titanium walls and shatter proof windows. They don't trust him."
"He won't go off, will he?"
"I hope not. It's for his own good not to."
Alex sighed again. "I'm worried, Steve. I feel like I'm alone here. Vision's in and out like a ghost. I love him but he's currently no company to me. I think Tony reprogrammed him with an extra dose of sass and rudeness ever since we've all been arguing like this."
"Wanda's still there, isn't she?"
"Yeah, under Vision's guard. Tony's got her on lock down. Vision won't let her leave his sight."
Steve's fist clenched. "Not on my watch."
"Steve, just relax. I'll handle it."
"She's just a kid, Alex, he's treating her like a rabid animal just because of the accident."
"I'll ask her if she wouldn't mind watching Jo Jo for a little while, I can talk to her then. Vision can just put a cork in it."
Steve nodded. "Okay."
"Be safe, Stevie. Please don't do anything rash. You'll only make this worse."
"What have I got to lose?" Steve muttered.
"Yourself? Me? Joseph? Your best friends? Please, baby, think about us at least. You've got so much to fight for."
"I will. I promise. I love you, Alex."
"I love you too, Stevie."
"Wait, Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"Is Piper okay?"
"Yeah, she's here with Natasha in the other room. Nat's keeping a close eye on her. No worries."
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. Thank you, hon. I love you."
"I love you more."
Alex hung up the phone and felt the tears boil behind her eyes. This was all such a mess, and she had a deep feeling that things would never be the same.
Wanda sat in silence in her room. There were files sprawled out all across the floor, and the only noise in her ears was the sound of her faint breathing. She had been searching for hours and found no leads on where Pietro would've run off to, or who he could possibly be working for. She was stumped. She thought she was almost out of ideas, until one suddenly popped into her mind.
She'd had a special connection with Pietro since before they were born. She could sense him when he was coming. It was like they were conjoined in their minds, or in their hearts. Wanda knew that she could use that connection almost as a tracking device. If she focused hard enough and traveled through the astral plane, she could find him.
"Wanda, you know how dangerous that is."
"We talked about this."
Steve's warnings flashed through her mind.
Words fell from her lips as a whisper. "I have no other choice." She leaned her back against the end of her bed, resting her hands on the floor to keep her torso balanced. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and was soon floating through her conscious again. This wasn't the same as going back into her memories. This was worse. She was trying to find something in present time, which was much riskier. She began to feel Pietro's presence as she drifted father north, she could almost taste him.
"Wanda?"
She gasped, opening her eyes to be back in her room. Vision was standing next to her wall. She sighed. "Vis, we talked about this."
"I knocked and received no answer."
"Oh. Sorry."
"May I ask what you were doing?"
"I was thinking. I'm exhausted from all this work."
"Well, good thing that dinner is ready. I made your favorite." He walked over and offered her his hand.
She took it, standing. Her knees popped and cracked, and her muscles were stiff. "The real question is, did you use the right ingredients?"
"I suppose you'll have to come see for yourself."
"He didn't do it." Piper muttered, staring off into space. Natasha had been steady watching the camera footage from Bucky's cell, and Piper had refused to look. She couldn't bear the sight to see her James strapped down like that.
Natasha glanced over her shoulder before sitting down next to Piper softly. "Deep down, I believe you. But we need proof-"
"Why do we need proof? He wasn't even in the area during the time of the bombing. I don't care what the security cameras are showing."
"He followed you there." Tony spoke from the doorway.
"He didn't-"
"Barnes just can't take his eyes off you. Literally. He didn't feel comfortable not watching over you, so that's why he was outside the signing."
"I don't believe you."
"Rogers confirmed it."
Piper fell silent. Steve wouldn't lie about something like that. "That doesn't mean he set off a bomb. If he was here for me, then why would he put the love of his life in danger by causing an explosion?"
Natasha exchanged a look with Tony before she spoke. "We're not saying Barnes did it as much as-"
"The Soldier." Piper chuckled to herself. She could feel the many images from Bucky's mind swimming around in her head. "I can assure you, The Soldier is no longer a part of Barnes."
Before either of them could respond, the lights going black as alarms began to sound. Piper took this as her chance to run for it. She faded into thin air as she channeled Alex's invisibility, and sprinted out of the room.
"Get eyes on Barnes! Now!"
"Williamson's gone!"
Chaos unfolded in mere seconds. Piper's eyes skimmed over the havoc to see Sam and Steve running off, and she took off after them. She found herself in a predicament when she rounded the corner where they had disappeared, however. There was no sign of them. But, she could sense Bucky's presence. He wasn't far. Their connection was strong, and even before she had abilities, she could sense it. She took off to the left, sprinting down a maze off hallways, following the connection until she found where Bucky was. She showed herself and hid around the corner. She heard another man speaking.
"желание..." Longing. Piper could understand what he was saying in Russian. She had never learned the language. The words made her muscles clench, and all the images from Bucky's mind began taking over her own.
"ржаветь," Rusted. Bucky began struggling out of instinct. He knew, or at least he thought he knew, what was coming. "No, please, no."
"печь," Furnace. He opened his eyes and realized that they were just words. Nothing was happening.
"рассвет," Daybreak. Piper clenched her eyes and jaw tight and she felt something come to life inside her. It was taking over, and she couldn't do anything about it.
"семнадцать," Seventeen. Bucky kept his eyes on Zemo. It wasn't happening. Not today.
"неопасный," Benign. All was silent.
"девять," Nine.
"возвращение," Homecoming.
"один," One. An ear-piercing scream sounded. A scream that Bucky knew all too well.
"грузовой автомобиль." Freight car. Zemo let the last word slip from his lips before he slowly approached the source of the noise.
Piper then stood in the doorway.
Bucky felt his heart sink and tears form in his eyes. "No." It was too late. He began struggling against his confines. "Piper!"
Zemo continued to slowly walk towards her. "Солдат?" Soldier?
Piper slowly turned her head to look at him. She spoke in a soft tone. "Готов выполнить". Ready to comply.
((So, for any clarification, basically what's happened is that when Piper erased all of the bad memories that caused Bucky's nightmares out of his head, she also retracted the Winter Soldier programming into her own mind. Over time it just got worse, and now that she's heard the words it's been fully activated.))