Chapter 29:

"Come on брат (brother) I could really do with you waking up right about now."

Luna had woken up hazily, about 10 minutes ago, shrouded in a cloud of pain. Quickly she had attempted to take stock of herself. She was laid out on a bed, thin mattress and no pillows or duvet. The length of her torso was covered with thick white bandaging, leaving Luna in only a sports bra and leggings and the second she tried to sit up a harsh, unexpected cry of pain tore its way out of Luna's lips as three areas of her back suddenly felt as though they were on fire. She drew in a deep breath, attempt to remain calm as she took stock of the room she was in, at the same time as processing her last memories and trying to figure out where she was. Her head was pounding, and the room tilted a little every time she shifted her heads position. She was concussed, badly from what she could tell, and she had three serious injuries along her spine, meaning she couldn't yet move. Turning her head to now look left Luna's breath caught in her throat, both from the intense feeling of nausea that worked its way up her body from the movement and the image next to her. Bucky was with her.

All of Luna's memories seemed to hit her much like a tidal wave would and a sinking feeling settled in her gut as the memory of the choice she made pushed itself forwards into her mind. She tried her best to remain calm, and she attempted to surveil Bucky and any potential injuries he might have from across the room. He was sat on a bed much like her own and on the surface of it, she couldn't see any wounds bleeding. There Wass a burn on his chest, one covered with some bandaging, and from the way his head was positioned on the bed Luna assumed there was an injury there too. But he still had his arm. Clearly Hydra hadn't figured out how to remove it just yet. That was good, Luna reminded herself. Tony could track that. Tony could track the arm and the team could come and rescue her and Bucky before anything bad happened. "Come on брат (brother) I could really do with you waking up right about now." Luna started calling out to Bucky, needing him conscious for at least a little while so she could assess his physical state. She didn't even want to think about where he would go mentally as a result of being back with Hydra. "Come on old man, lemme see those baby blues." Luna's voice was slowly becoming more desperate, getting loud enough that it hurt her own head to hear herself calling out. Luna didn't think her heart could sink into her chest any deeper than it already had, but suddenly Bucky's eyes snapped open and he sat up on his cot. "Buck thank god. Are you okay." He didn't reply. That's when Luna thought her heart had practically stopped. "Bucky, talk to me." Nothing. Bucky lay, on his bed, eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling, but Luna could practically feel the turmoil running through his head, the cacophony of noise that was doubtless running through his mind, screaming at him exactly what Luna had done. That it was Luna, who had landed him in this situation, Luna, the kid who he had trusted that led him right back to the people he had tried so hard to escape from. "I cant move, so I'm gonna need you to tell me what's going on in your head Bucky." At those words, Bucky's head fell, more like flopped actually, to the side, his eyes, still looking right through her, moved to the general direction of Luna. Still, nothing.

"You deserve this," spoke up a voice in the back of Luna's mind. "You deserve so much worse than this." It was fucking true. It didn't matter to Luna that she was back, it never felt truly real that she had escaped. But Bucky, he had started again, made a family and he was happy. And Luna had chosen for that to be taken from him, she chose their torture over a boy she had barely known for two weeks getting hurt. She had done this. And he had every right to freeze her out, hell he could hit her, scream at her, he could probably kill her and at this point she would understand. After a few moments of heavy silence Bucky's head moved back to central, him looking at the ceiling across the room from Luna, and the two sat in the room fell silent apart from the sounds of their breathing and the hum of the stark electric lights above them. Luna didn't know how much time elapsed whilst the two of them lay there, unspeaking and unmoving for the most part, apart from the occasional noise from Bucky, caused by a muscle tightening out of nervous reflex. But then they heard the sound of combat boots hitting the ground a few hundred meters from where their room. It was easy, when they didn't have to see anyone other than each other, for Luna to pretend that they weren't really at a hydra base, that someone else had taken then, but people were coming, and the harsh reality of their situation collapsed onto Luna. As sharp as someone sticking a knife into her gut anxiety shook through her. She couldn't move. Hydra agents could come in and do whatever they wanted to her and she wouldn't be able to fight back at all. Luna's breathing became more audible as its pace picked up, growing quicker and quicker as the footsteps outside their door grew close and closer. They were outside. A card was being placed in a scanner. They were coming. "You're gonna be okay kid." Came Bucky's quiet voice from across the room with his eyes still glued to the roof, only seconds before the pair heard the metal doors decompress and slide open.

A woman, in a white lab coat accompanied by three Hydra guards dressed in black, fully equipped with batons, guns and probably more knives and other weapons than the two would be able to count, walked into the room. Luna's breathing increased almost tenfold as she truly began to panic, at the sight of a Hydra scientist in front of her, mind immediately catapulting her back to all the times she had been lain over a cold metal table for Hydra's 'improvements'. Being stuck so open, so vulnerable, unable to move or defend herself front of these Hydra members was having a serious effect on Luna and the intensity to which she was panicking. When they walked into the room Bucky immediately sat up straight, legs hanging over the side of the bed he was placed on. The scientists wouldn't be able to see it, but Luna could tell from the look in his eyes he was ready to pounce. "Calm down, sergeant Barnes. We're just here for the Black Moon."

"You will not touch her," growled out Bucky ferociously from where he was sat, muscles clenching dangerously tight as he spoke. But when the three Hydra agents moved anyway, surrounding Luna's bed and blocking her view of Bucky, he let out an animal growl and stalked across the room with the speed of a cheetah, hand immediately connecting with the shoulder of the Hydra agent closest to him, as he pulled the man round, swinging his metal arm high ready to strike, and to protect Luna. Before the blow could hit its intended target Bucky collapsed like a doll to the ground, letting out a cry of agony as blue tendrils of electricity ran down his body. Instinctively Luna shifted to move towards Bucky, to help him somehow as he lay on the floor in pain, but she barely moved an inch, causing the wounds across her back to cry out in a pain of their own. After about 5 seconds, but what felt like an eternity, the woman in the white coat pressed a small black button that she was holding in her hand and Bucky's cries of pain stopped. Bucky let out a few hoarse, panting breaths as he tried to push down the feeling of pain still radiating across his body. "Bucky," said Luna, trying to keep her voice even as she spoke to her partner. At the sound of Luna's voice, also constricted with pain Bucky's head snapped up and he began trying to push himself up onto his feet, only to collapse again, as one of the goons placed a violent kick to his ribs, sending Bucky to the ground in a fit of coughs. After another eternity Bucky looked up from where he was laying on the floor, locking eyes with Luna, who now had tears streaming down her face, letting out a hoarse "I'm okay kid."

The woman who was stood now on the opposite side of Luna to Bucky cleared her throat, before saying "Really Mr Barnes, you always were an impulsive idiot. You didn't think we'd leave you in here without a way to control you. Of course that won't matter for long, you will be the Winter Soldier again soon." She looked to Luna, who was cowering slightly on the bed below her, "Now be a good asset and stay there while we check on the Black Moon's wounds."

"NO ! No, please, please stay away from me." Luna couldn't handle it, the concept of a strangers hands all over her whilst she couldn't move, couldn't defend herself. It made her want to throw up and cry out in rage all at once. A sharp pain spread across her cheek and lower lip, and Luna quickly realised with utter shock that one of the guards had just hit her. "Oh darling," spoke the woman in the lab coat above her, "You don't get a say." and with a sudden change in demeanour she barked out to the guards, "Get her on her side now!" And rough hands began to pull all over Luna's body, rolling the terrified girl onto her side as she cried out in pain at the sudden movements. "Jesus, at least give her some damn painkillers or SOMETHING!" Yelled Bucky from his position on the floor, where he had locked eyes with Luna, who was letting out grounds of pain that she was clearly trying to hold in. "Mr Barnes ! Do we need to render you unconscious ?" Snapped the woman from across the room. Bucky practically growled at her from where he was, but he refused to break the eye contact he had made with Luna, instead choosing to focus on keeping Luna occupied whilst the scientists checked on her wounds. "Hey kid, look at me, just keep looking at me yeh ? This is all gonna be over soon, just hold on okay?" Luna managed a small nod back to Bucky, as more tears crept out of her eyes and she could feel a pair of gloved hands pull back some of the bandaging on her back and begin poking at the middle wound on her back. Pain rocketed through Luna's body. At some point Luna must have blacked out a little, because the next thing she registered was the guards around her manhandling her back into the position she had been lying in earlier.

"You will stay in here for two more days while your wounds heal, then you will begin training alongside the Winter Soldier." Luna barely registered the group leaving the room, instead her eyes trained themselves straight onto Bucky, who was lying on the floor next to her, beginning to gather himself onto his feet. A sense of self hatred began filling Luna, as she grew angry at herself for the response she had given to her 'check-up'. Bucky had been on the floor, literally being electrocuted, all because of her, and she couldn't even deal with them moving some bandaging on her back. "Are you okay?" Asked Luna, voice wavering and hoarse from her cries of pain and fatigue. Bucky who was now sat on his own bed let out a humourless laugh as he said, "Was about to ask you the same thing doll." Another silence settled across the room, before Luna decided to address the obvious, "Bucky, I am so sorr-"

"Don't doll. You did what you had to do, for Sam or Steve, I would've done the same. The team will be here for us soon, and all we have to do is survive until then." Came Bucky's almost immediate response, as he locked eyes with Luna, standing up and moving over to her bed. "Can I take a look at your back?" Luna let out a small nod, as a sense of relief filled her. Bucky understood why she did it. She could breathe again. Despite his best efforts, Bucky's examination of her back still stung like a bitch, although not as badly as the one Hydra had conducted earlier. "Looks like it's gonna heal up nicely kid, you're gonna be fine." Said Bucky, after carefully moving Luna back onto her bed. "You are too большой брат, (Big brother.) We're gonna make it out of this."

Peter Parker couldn't register where he was. He knew, at some point, Bruce had come up to the roof, where he had sat frozen, long after Icarus took Luna and Bucky away, as the heavens opened up above him and the world immediately around him became soaked with rain. He was numb to it. He was numb to absolutely everything around him, other than the tearing feeling he felt coming straight from his heart as he watched Luna get carried away. He could've helped her. It was that night, that film night the two had had together, when they'd watched Star Wars and Luna had fallen asleep in his room. He knew then, could tell then, that he liked her. Granted, he didn't think the feelings were returned, and he'd figured they'd never really grow much, but on that night a week or so ago Peter Parker realised that he was falling for Luna. And apparently Bucky had realised it too, because even though he'd never tell Luna out of sheer embarrassment, that morning, after F.R.I.D.A.Y apparently snitched to the rest of the team exactly where Luna had fallen asleep and Luna had gone to therapy with Sam a certain sergeant Barnes had pulled Peter aside in a corridor and been perhaps the most intimidating Peter had ever seen him be in his life. There was no intention in Peter's mind ever about hurting Luna, but after their little 'chat' he was terrified to even say a wrong word in front of her.

Someone, probably Bruce once F.R.I.D.A.Y had given him the all clear, had come onto the roof and collected Peter, who was sat unmoving on the rooftop, being pounded by rain that felt like tiny bullets digging into his over sensitive skin, buzzing with blood gushing through his veins so fast he felt he might burst. And yet Peter couldn't move. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Luna had hit him. She chose to go with Icarus. Peter could have helped her fight. Granted it might not have been for long. Hell it might not have barely made any difference at all. But maybe Luna would still be there, with Peter, maybe even Bucky would be too. But she sacrificed herself to save Peter. Watching her being carried off by Icarus. God, Peter felt like someone had literally reached into his chest, ripped his heart out and set it alight in front of him. Bucky had looked out for him, saved him on missions more times than he could count. He was nice to Peter, and didn't laugh when he got tongue tied, or annoyed when he rambled. He was someone Peter could talk to when Flash was being a dick to him in school without the worry that he would march into midtown the next day and kill the kid. He was a friend.

And Luna, god Peter didn't really know. She was Luna. She was kind despite everything she had lived through, she laughed even though she had seen the most darkness. Her blush made a room glow with warmth. She let Peter ramble on and on about Star Wars and Lego and everything else under the sun and she never made fun of him for it. She listened, not begrudgingly, but happily, interestedly. Peter liked her, really liked her. And now she was gone. All because she was trying to keep Peter safe.

He didn't know when, but the next thing he registered was that he was sat on one of the visitors chairs in the waiting room of the med-bay. Someone draped something over his shoulders, at some point. It was that action that jarred Peter back to reality. "Hey there kid. Someone's been asking to see ya." Peter's head lethargically turned to the side to see Sam Wilson sat next to him, a blanket of his own draped across his shoulders. Peter just nodded his head at Sam and drew himself to his feet, walking in a daze towards Tony's designated (Yes, designated. God knows enough of Tony's experiments went wrong to justify having his own room in the place, let alone adding on top of that the amount of times he managed to get injured, despite his massive suit of armour) medbay room. He didn't stop as he reached the door. F.R.I.D.A.Y opened it for him, as Peter knew she would. It was seeing his mentor in the med-bay bed with wires and machines surrounding him that truly shook Peter back into reality. With watery eyes he looked to the man that had become a true father figure to him, saying "They took them Mr Stark." Tony's face dropped in sympathy from where he was lying in the bed, as he shifted across, gesturing to where he had made space in the bed, continuing speak as Peter moved to sit on the bed next to his mentor as he was pulled into a hug. "I know kid, I know." Peter suddenly sniffed, looking up to Tony with a fierce determination in his eyes, saying "We're gonna find them Mr Stark." Tony matched the younger mans look of insistence with his own, saying "Yeh we are kid. I promise you we are."

-AN-

hi all ! hope you liked this chapter ! reviews are always more than welcome xx

love as always

ERS xx