A/N Hi guys! Many thanks for all of the support.
It felt good to be out of bed again. Actually, it didn't feel good because her back was killing her and she was still greatly concerned about everything, but Hermione would rather be up and about than isolated and helpless.
She was attracting curious looks as she was escorted to Bucky's location, but she suspected this was more likely due to her advanced stage of pregnancy than everyone knowing her identity as the Sorceress.
The agent assigned to escort her, a burly blond-haired man called Campbell, tentatively held out a hand to her as she struggled to lower herself into a seat just outside Bucky's holding area. She grasped it gratefully and winced as her lower body made contact with the firm metal.
"Can I get you anything, ma'am?" the agent asked. "You don't look very comfortable."
Hermione looked up at the man, uncertain whether he'd been assigned to protect her or prevent her from making more trouble. She had a feeling that he wasn't sure either. "I'm heavily pregnant - I'm never comfortable," she told him wearily. Agent Campbell didn't smile so she just shook her head and said she was fine.
The UN's psychological evaluator arrived a few minutes later. He looked anxious to get on with his job but Hermione noticed that his gaze strayed towards her a few times as the agents in charge of Bucky's detention went about granting him access. She wondered whether he knew who she was. If he had read up on the Winter Soldier, did his notes tell him that she was one of the last known people to have encountered him at the battle at the Triskelion before he disappeared for two-and-a-half years? She'd certainly come off worse in their exchange and she didn't particularly like to think about it. Steve might be able to look at Bucky and see his best friend but Hermione could only see the cold eyes of an assassin who had come so close to killing her. She wasn't looking forward to seeing him with her own eyes again, but if performing legilimency on him helped his case then she was prepared to do it.
Once the psychiatrist had entered the room and the doors were quickly sealed shut behind him, there was little she could do but wait. A few minutes on the chair was all she was able to endure before the discomfort in her back proved too great and she started pacing up and down in front of the elevator, her hands braced supportively around her belly.
When the main lights suddenly powered down, she and the assortment of personnel looked around in confusion. The red flashes of the emergency lighting created a distinctly unsettling atmosphere as the agents looked to each other for guidance now that they were no longer in contact with the rest of the Task Force.
"We need to get into that room," Hermione urged, her eyes wandering over the people near her in an attempt to locate whoever was in charge of calling the shots down there. "We need eyes on Barnes. We have to stop him before he escapes."
"Ma'am, I need to get you out of here," her assigned agent said.
Hermione held up a hand to stall him. "This can't be a coincidence," she continued addressing the room. "If Barnes gets loose he's damn near unstoppable. Everyone in this building is under threat."
A bang echoed from the other side of the sealed doors and everyone flinched. A dreadful certainty settled into her gut that it was already too late: that Barnes was already on a rampage. As opposed to her previous desire that they open the doors to stop him, Hermione now fervently hoped that the structures would be enough to contain him. More bangs followed and an order was given for everyone to raise their weapons.
"Ma'am, you need to leave, now," Agent Campbell insisted, blocking her view. "You're not safe here." He looked like he wanted to physically touch her in an attempt to move her away but was also reluctant to do so.
"The psychological evaluator - " she began, worried about the defenceless man's fate in the face of such a deadly assassin.
"My job is to get you to safety, Mrs Rogers, please," Agent Campbell urged, stepping forwards so that Hermione was forced to take a couple of steps back.
More than anyone there, Hermione knew just how bad the situation could potentially be and the idea of leaving the rest of the agents in such a dangerous position felt unacceptable to her. The Winter Soldier was merciless: if he broke through the doors they wouldn't be able to stop him and some, if not all, would pay with their lives.
The banging had stopped.
Hermione couldn't tell whether that was a good sign or not, but Agent Campbell stalled and it gave her a moment to think.
"I can help," she said quickly, "I can add a magical barrier to reinforce the doors. He won't be able to get past." She moved around her agent and repeated her offer to the man who appeared to be in charge. He surveyed her for a moment and then nodded.
"Mrs Rogers," Agent Campbell urged.
"It'll only take a moment and then I'll leave, I promise," she insisted, not even looking at him. The silence on the other side of the doors was making her uneasy but she took a few steps towards them regardless. She temporarily closed her eyes and concentrated on what she wanted her magic to do.
There was a warning shout and as Hermione quickly opened her eyes, the doors slid apart to reveal the Winter Soldier. She instinctively blasted him backwards with her magic as the agents around her yelled at her to get out of their line of fire. Hermione's gaze locked onto the assassin's as he recovered from her blast and fear rippled through her body at its familiarity. She knew at once that just like at the Triskelion, the Winter Soldier was going to do all he could to kill her. Were she not pregnant, she'd stay and fight, but she made no objection as Agent Campbell began pulling her backwards.
As soon as she was far enough away the shots rang out and Hermione created a magical barrier around herself and Campbell so that they wouldn't be in danger of being hit by a stray or deflected bullet. Even as she hurried away, Hermione could see that the Winter Soldier had fully emerged from the holding room and was making short work of taking out the agents that were trying to stop him. Hermione forced a couple of objects to fly into his path but they barely slowed him down at all. Just before they disappeared around the corner into a long corridor, Hermione sent three stunning spells at him in quick succession but didn't wait to see if they met their target.
"Down here," Campbell instructed, supporting Hermione down the corridor. "There are some doors - he won't know which one we take if we're quick."
Hermione nodded, repeatedly looking over her shoulder for any sign of the assassin. They reached the doors and Campbell hurriedly opened the first one for her and tried not to shove her through it. Once they were on the other side in a new corridor, Hermione magically locked it and not a moment too soon as a metal fist shattered through it. She staggered backwards unable to withhold a small scream in her shock. Campbell stepped in front of her, gun raised. The metal hand took the impact of the bullets and then it wrenched the weapon clean out of Campbell's grip. Before he could get away, the arm lunged further, grabbing Campbell around the throat and pulling him forcefully against the door. The agent crumpled to the floor in a heap. Hermione sent a sustained burst of fire through the hole in the door. If he was still there when she relinquished it, she'd try stunning him or some other method of immobilising him. And if that didn't work...would she kill him? She knew she was capable of it - all those months in space had taught her that. It would break her heart to do it though, killing Steve's oldest friend, but if it was a choice between Bucky's life or that of her and her baby's, she knew what she would do.
She ceased the burst of fire, anticipating a resumed attack. Seconds ticked by and there was no sign of him. She wanted to send a diagnostic spell Campbell's way but she was too scared to shift her concentration from the jagged hole in the door. She didn't know how long she stayed there, frozen like that, because no amount of time felt like it would be long enough before she could let her guard down. A noise behind her made her whirl around in panic, her magic surging to her fingertips, ready to be unleashed.
It wasn't the Winter Soldier.
It was Tony.
Relief rushed through her and she held a hand up to her mouth to stifle a sob. Her magic, though, still sought a release and the ground and walls around her became cracked and scorched as though struck by lightning. Another sob was released and Tony approached her slowly with his hands up. "You're OK," he told her gently. "You're safe." She latched onto him once he was close enough and although he stiffened at the contact, he didn't push her away but just gently stroked her trembling back.
After a couple of minutes, she began to calm down and she lifted her head from his shoulder, noticing for the first time that he was injured. She held her fingertips against a cut on his face and he winced a little as the wound was healed. "What happened?" she asked, turning to where Campbell was still lying motionless on the floor. "How did they get him secured?"
The pause in Tony's response made her glance back at him. "He is secure, isn't he?" she asked, her panic beginning to return.
Tony still hesitated and Hermione gasped.
"As far as we can tell, he's not on the premises," Tony allowed. "The facility was evacuated but a sweep is now being undertaken to search for him."
"Security footage?" she asked. This wasn't good news. If the Winter Soldier was loose amongst civilians, who knew what damage he would wreak?
"Went down with the power," he replied. "Same over the whole city. Once it's up, facial recognition will be used everywhere but it won't be able to tell us what's already happened. The Task Force are trying to piece together his movements to give us some idea of how he got out - somebody would have seen it."
"If they're still alive to tell us," Hermione sighed, turning back to Campbell. Although she was relieved that the Winter Soldier didn't seem about to punch through the wall and kill her, she was hardly reassured by his escape. She thought of the turmoil Steve would be going through at Bucky's actions as she diagnosed Campbell's injuries, and placed a healing charm on his head to counteract the damage that had been caused by the impact with the door.
"Do you think they'll let me see Steve now?" she asked, gently raising her fingers to lift Campbell into the air so they could take him somewhere he could rest. "He's going to be so worried about Bucky."
Tony cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Yeah, about that…" he began and Hermione looked at him sharply.
"Your husband abandoned you, Mrs Rogers," Secretary Ross told her bluntly and Hermione tried not to flinch at the scorn in his words. "You look like you could give birth any day, but instead of doing his duty as a husband and a father, he absconded with the world's most deadly assassin. He knew you'd been placed in danger and he didn't even stop to make sure you were OK before he threw away any chance he had of being a free man for the birth of his child. What sort of man does that to his wife?"
Hermione had to resist the very strong urge to glare at him. "Steve would not have made the decision lightly. I'm sure he had very good reasons for behaving the way he did. He knows I'm safe."
"How?" Ross sneered. "We have access to your phone. Neither he nor Wilson have been in contact with you or anyone else here."
"His watch," she replied shortly. "It's enchanted. It would tell him if I was in danger." She would've sent him a patronus but she had found it difficult enough to successfully cast the spell after events on Sanctuary and impossible since becoming pregnant.
Ross waved his hand, effectively showing he wasn't prepared to listen to any defence she might have of Steve's actions, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying. "The fact remains that he helped Barnes escape," Ross told her, "eyewitnesses saw the struggle on the helipad and Captain Rogers then dragging Barnes through the water until we lost sight of him. Your husband decided to take matters into his own hands and he's going to have to face the consequences whether you like it or not." He turned his gaze on Natasha and Tony and glared at them as though challenging them to object. Neither did. He returned his eyes to Hermione. "Now, you might have had more sense than your husband but if I suspect for even one moment that you are assisting him, Wilson and Barnes in any way then I will see you go down too and that's a promise."
The glass walls of the office trembled slightly along with most of its contents as Hermione struggled to keep a hold of her fears. Tony stood up with a look of concern and Natasha stepped forwards to put a supportive hand on her back. "You're OK," she told her quietly. "We're going to get through this."
Ross was watching her closely and Hermione recalled what Tony said about how much she probably scared him; how he sought to control her. She had a feeling that Steve had unwittingly given Ross exactly what he wanted over her and she was going to have to be careful that she didn't do anything to provoke him. It wasn't easy but she forced herself to remain calm and she glanced towards Natasha and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Thank you."
"The same applies to all of you," Ross continued, glancing at Tony and Natasha again. "Anyone helping those criminals will be treated as one, even if they've signed the Accords."
"Understood," Tony replied, giving Natasha a swift glance and she nodded.
"Now, I don't suppose you have any idea where they are?" Secretary Ross asked.
"We will," Tony answered confidently. "GSG-9's got the borders covered. Recon's flying 24/7. They'll get a hit. We'll handle it."
"You don't get it, Stark. It's not yours to handle," Ross told him. "You're all too close to this - it's clear you can't be objective. I'm bringing in Special Ops to get the job done."
Keep it together, Hermione told herself. Don't lose control in front of Ross. He's just waiting for an excuse to have you sent away. She could feel Tony watching her in quiet dismay and Natasha was holding tightly onto her arm.
"What happens when the shooting starts?" Natasha asked, a note of anger in her voice. "What, do you kill Steve Rogers?"
Hermione shuddered at the very thought. She picked up an empty glass from the table and turned her back on Ross so he wouldn't see her use her magic to melt it down as an outlet for her anxiety.
"If we're provoked," she heard Ross reply calmly. The molten glass suddenly turned to ice but she vanished it when she felt him walk around to face her. "Barnes would've been eliminated in Romania if it weren't for your interference. There are dead people who would be alive now." She couldn't look at him but his voice was boring into her skull relentlessly. "Feel free to check my math."
"All due respect, you're not gonna solve this with boys and bullets, Ross," Tony said, thankfully taking Ross's attention away from her for the moment. "You gotta let us bring them in."
"How would that end any differently than last time?" Ross asked, sounding unconvinced.
"You don't know Steve like we do," Tony said. "Hermione can talk sense into him now that she's on board. He won't let her down."
"He already has," Ross said heartlessly.
Hermione steeled her head and heart against his words. "You'll have my magic. I know I can incapacitate Barnes if you'll let me."
"And if I want him dead," Ross said bluntly, "are you prepared to go that far?"
"I don't believe he's truly behind his actions - someone's manipulating the Winter Soldier within him," Hermione argued.
"I don't care," Ross replied, "He's too dangerous to be left alive."
"If he's incapacitated then I can see who's truly behind these attacks," Hermione persisted.
"You didn't answer my question," Ross said. "If Barnes goes on a rampage again and threatens the lives of innocent people just like he did today, would you be prepared to kill him?"
If she'd killed the Winter Soldier when the door had slid open earlier than day, snapped his neck with her magic just like she'd done under Thanos, none of those agents would have died. Did her belief in Bucky's potential innocence justify those deaths? Did her love and loyalty to Steve? How many deaths were too many? She already had so many on her conscience and shredded through her soul…
"Yes," she said softly. "If the situation called for it, I'd kill him."
Natasha's constant grip on her arm faltered and Tony was looking at her in a way he never had before. She felt sick. She just wanted this nightmare to be over.
Ross still didn't look convinced. "How do I know that you won't take your husband's side?"
"Threatening me with imprisonment wasn't enough?" she asked bitterly.
"If I'm going to let you see your husband I want a more solid assurance that you'll play by the rules," Ross insisted. "Your magic gives you an advantage."
"We'll come up with something," Tony said quickly. "Seventy-two hours. We'll have them. Guaranteed."
Ross gave them all an appraising glance. "Thirty-six hours," he countered, his tone of voice indicating there was no room for argument. "Barnes," he stressed. "Wilson. Rogers." He walked to the door of the office. "I'll be in touch."
"Thank you, sir," Tony said quickly but Hermione could not make herself show gratitude to the man who had only just refrained from ordering armed agents to hunt down her husband and his friends at whatever cost.
The door clicked closed. Tony let out an audible sigh and his shoulders sagged but Hermione couldn't let herself relax a muscle for the fear that she would completely lose control.
"Well, this is a shit-storm of a situation," Tony muttered, massaging over his chest. "You alright, kid?" he asked, watching Hermione warily.
"No," she replied tightly.
"No one would be in your situation," Natasha told her in an attempt to be comforting. "We've just got to figure out how to play this to get the best possible outcome."
"Which is Steve being locked away," Hermione said dully.
"Ross is just angry," Tony put in quickly, getting to his feet. "If we get the three of them back without a fuss, we'll be able to talk him down, I know it." He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "Have faith. If we get you in contact with Steve, I know he'll listen to reason when he realises the stakes are so high. We can do this. I'm not going to let you down."
Steve desperately wanted to talk to Hermione.
In the space of a few hours, the world he had tentatively pictured them approaching had been torn to shreds. Their plan to wait for the birth of their child and then make a joint decision about their careers seemed like a distant and futile hope. But there was little point in grieving for the future they could have had yesterday, or even the future he'd imagined them having before the Accords had been announced: decisions had been made, actions had been taken and events had unfolded because of them.
However, not all of it had been of their own doing. The bombing in Vienna, Bucky's arrest and the interrogation at the Task Force had all been carefully engineered by the 'psychological evaluator' to reveal the existence of five more Winter Soldiers. It was a terrifying prospect and Bucky, Steve, Hermione and the others had been tangled up in the man's web: their lives forever changed whatever the outcome of the next few hours.
The man, whoever he truly was, had to be stopped before he got his wish to see an empire fall. Five Winter Soldiers let loose into the world could wreak havoc in the blink of an eye and, judging by how difficult it had been to track Bucky over the years, Steve doubted that the new UN-sanctioned Avengers would be able to stop this new threat if it was released. So, it was imperative to get to Siberia to prevent it from happening.
But that was easier said than done.
The rest of the world had only seen the Winter Soldier version of James Barnes - they didn't know the true Bucky was the one who was mostly in control. As events in Bucharest showed, they'd shoot him before they found out the truth and even then Steve doubted that they'd really care.
Steve and Sam had already been at risk of prosecution but, now that they had once again interfered with the Task Force without the authority of the Accords, he knew that simply getting in contact to pass on the intelligence of Siberia wasn't a possibility.
Every stroke that he had made to drag Bucky's unconscious form down the river had torn into his heart. Steve would happily surrender his liberty for Bucky's life but the impact it had on his family was devastating. Should his friend's life come before doing his duty as a husband and father? It wasn't a decision he'd ever wanted to make and he hoped and prayed that Hermione would forgive him. More than once he'd considered what she'd have done if their roles were reversed: if Harry's life had been in the balance, would she save her friend even if it meant not being with Steve?
He felt sick whenever he thought about the stress and worry he was causing her; how his disappearance and criminal status would be endangering both her health and the child's. Hermione might have encouraged his trip to Bucharest knowing the possible consequences, but it was one thing to be aware of them and another to face them in reality. He felt like the worst husband in the world. All he wanted was to take care of her, to keep her happy and safe, but his recent actions had produced the opposite, and the risk of going to Siberia was that it was potentially a trip he wouldn't come back from. Hermione deserved to know the truth if he was undertaking such a dangerous task, but he was worried that having knowledge of Siberia would make things worse for her health. Or was he really being cowardly and using her condition to avoid taking responsibility for his decisions?
That thought appalled him and yet he still hadn't made any move to contact her. It would be risky to do so (because he knew she'd be under surveillance thanks to her relationship with him and it could lead to his location being discovered) but not impossible. He didn't know her current whereabouts but he had faith in Tony and Natasha that they would be making sure she was being taken care of somewhere safe. He hoped that Tony had fulfilled his pledge to ensure that Hermione wasn't in danger of any prosecution and he took heart from the fact that the Task Force had been willing to allow her to use her magic on Bucky before everything had gone wrong. Surely they wouldn't have given her access if they still planned to formally charge her? But if Steve did contact Hermione to tell her about the other Winter Soldiers, would that implicate her in his actions and risk her being prosecuted all over again? It was definitely a possibility and something he wanted to avoid at all costs, so therefore it was another reason why he had refrained from reaching out to her.
She'd believe him if he told her about the fake evaluator and the five previously-unknown Winter Soldiers in Siberia, he was certain of that. But, when the only evidence was the word of a brainwashed assassin, he wasn't so sure that anyone else would be so trusting, not even Tony. But even if Tony did, Steve doubted that the Accords would let him do anything about it. A quick decision needed to be made to prevent an unstoppable force being unleashed from Siberia and Steve knew that Secretary Ross would be more interested in having himself, Bucky and Sam detained before he'd bother to listen to what they had to say and by then it would be too late.
The weight of his decisions, of doing the right thing, weighed heavily on his shoulders and, for the first time since he'd been injected with the super serum, he wished there was someone else to take the burden from him. He was a little disgusted with himself for even thinking that because it had been his choice to undergo the procedure. If he were to have his time again, he knew he wouldn't make a different decision and he in no way regretted accepting Erskine's serum, but he wished there was something he could do to stop his family from suffering the consequences of his actions.
"Maybe this is the one you need to sit out," Sam said, interrupting Steve's reflection on his inner conflict. "We can get in reinforcements. The stakes for you - "
"Are no different than anyone else who defies the Accords," Steve interrupted. "My life and my freedom aren't more important than anyone else's."
"You didn't let me finish," Sam said coolly. "The stakes for you and your heavily pregnant wife are high, man."
"Clint was in the same position with Sokovia," Steve reminded him. "He was willing to put his life on the line to make sure Ultron was taken care of."
Sam held up a pacifying hand. "OK, but he didn't have the threat of incarceration waiting for him if the mission was successful," Sam countered. "If you go to Siberia and we get the job done and escape with our lives, you still lose, Steve, and Hermione still ends up alone." Steve's stomach clenched at the thought and Sam's tone was a bit softer as he said, "I don't think it's too late for you to undo the damage as long as you go back now."
"You really think I could do that?" Steve asked him. "Send others off to carry out something so dangerous and not go myself?"
"Hermione's going to be alone, Steve," Sam repeated solemnly. "You go to Siberia, you're definitely going to miss the birth and, if the worst happens, you're going to leave that kid without a father."
Dread swept through Steve's body at Sam's grim prediction. "You think I don't know that? You think it isn't tearing me apart inside that I'm abandoning them? You know I'd make another choice if I could."
"But you can," Sam pointed out, "and none of us would blame you for it."
Steve shook his head emphatically. "That's not who I am. My choices don't come before the needs of others."
"And what about the needs of your family?" Sam asked directly.
Steve grimaced and then shook his head. "Hermione always puts others before herself, you know that," he told Sam. "She'll understand." His words sounded both hollow and hopeful. "I never met my father. He died serving in the First World War and I am proud of the sacrifice he made serving his country. I want to make my son or daughter proud of me even if that means I never get the chance to hold them in my arms." His heart grew heavier after voicing that thought out loud. Although discovering the pregnancy had been a shock, as the months had passed he had become more excited about the idea of becoming a father. He loved feeling the child move and had found himself increasingly picturing the key stages in his son or daughter's life. It wasn't easy to accept that he might not see them taking their first step, help them write their name or even get to hear their voice, but he knew that stepping aside wasn't an option for him.
Sam looked at him sadly and then sighed. "Well, alright then. I just wanted you to be sure before we put this into motion."
Bucky had watched this exchange silently, his arm still pinned down in the vice. "The three of us aren't going to be enough." He fixed his gaze on Sam. "Those reinforcements you mentioned, they might have to be called up anyway."
Steve frowned. He didn't like the idea of getting anyone else caught up in this when it could cost them so much, but Bucky knew the capabilities of the other Soldiers: if he said they needed more then he'd put out the call and see who answered. "Who did you have in mind?" he asked Sam.
"Vision and Rhodey signed the Accords so they're out," Sam said. "I reckon Clint could be talked out of retirement and he could get Wanda out of the compound. There's the little dude in San Francisco too."
"Ant-Man?" Steve recalled.
"Yeah. I reckon he'd be up to the task," Sam replied.
Steve frowned. All three of them had very good reasons to stay away: Wanda was already on Ross's radar as being too dangerous and both men were fathers.
Sam sensed his reluctance. "We'll just get in contact, sound them out," he proposed.
"They've got to know what they're getting themselves into," Steve insisted. "We can't downplay the seriousness of the threat from Siberia or the UN, Sam, that's not fair."
Sam nodded in agreement. "What about our gear?" he asked. "Do you think Hermione could use her magic to get it to us?"
"No," Steve said sharply. "We're keeping her out of this. She needs to be somewhere quiet and safe where she can be looked after. We'll have to find another way."
Steve thought about reaching out to Harry. The trial had forbidden him from getting involved in non-magical matters but if he just returned some confiscated items, that wasn't anything too serious, was it?
"How did you guys get to me in Bucharest first?" Bucky asked, interrupting Steve's thoughts.
Sam glanced at him, a glint of hope in his gaze. "I think she'd do it. She's already crossed the line for you a couple of times."
"This would be way beyond that," Steve said. "Sharon could go to prison."
"That's a dilemma a lot of people are having to face," Sam pointed out, sounding a little aggravated. "She's a grown woman: let her make her own choice instead of making it for her."
Steve paused a moment and then nodded. "Fine. Let's hope this Agent Carter comes through for me like her aunt always has done."
A/N Let me know what you think. As we all know, things are really building now!
Lots of love,
Lil Drop of Magic