Chapter 51: Phase One of Healing

The sound of the shield dropping echoed through the chamber. Bucky could hear the hurt in Tony Stark's voice, the panic of a man who was at the end of his rope. He wanted to feel bad for him, know that he should, but whatever argument was going on between him and Steve didn't concern him. The Winter Soldier had murdered the Starks, and Bucky knew he was going to have to live the rest of his life with the hatred from Tony and the guilt from himself. Whatever else was going on was out of his control.

The cold shocked his system, and while he could feel the brain injury from the last kick from the iron boot healing, the exposed wiring from his arm made it feel like sharp pokers were entering through his shoulder and wedging their way into every nerve in his body. He remembered hearing once that at extreme temperatures, the human body doesn't register hot or cold, only pain. And that's what he felt now - pain.

"What do we do now?" he asked Steve, his voice lower and more forced than it should be. Each step hurt, and his body was having trouble keeping up with the constant reinjuring coming from what remained of his prosthetic.

"Honestly? Not sure." he replied as they limped towards the quinjet. From behind one of the snow drifts, the Black Panther stepped out. Steve immediately put himself between the King of Wakanda and Bucky, and while Bucky could fight if he really needed to, all he wanted to do was collapse. The man took his helmet off, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance." he said carefully. Steve didn't drop his defensive posture, and Bucky tried to stand up a little straighter, even if he knew he was anything but intimidating right now. T'Challa continued, "I know you have no reason to trust me. But I was wrong, about everything. And now I see that revenge is not what we need."

"What do we need then?" Steve asked. His voice was tight, suspicious. Bucky had never known him to be like this. Then again, Bucky hadn't known him in a very long time.

"Helmut Zemo is detained on your quinjet. He is the one responsible for all of this." he said, and Steve flexed his fingers for a second before relaxing his arms down.

"And what do you plan to do with him? I think I'm past the bargaining chip phase." Steve responded. Bucky wanted to believe he was past the ruthless killing part of his life, but he didn't think he'd regret it too much to put one more notch on his bedpost. The man had effectively ruined everything good he had going for him. Now, the whole world knew his face, and the woman he loved was compromised. The only thing stopping him was the fact that Mika would (probably) disapprove.

"I will turn him in to the proper authorities. They can be the ones to deliver fair justice. As for you two…" He left the sentence hanging, waiting for them to fill in the blank.

"We can disappear. You never have to hear from us again." Steve replied. T'Challa looked surprised, as if that were not the answer he was expecting. He laughed, shaking his head.

"Captain Rogers, I think you and I will work together more than once in the future." he said. His eyes slid over to Bucky, who held his gaze. "Besides, I believe Sergeant Barnes needs someone to take a look at that."

"I can just rip it off. It's fine." Bucky said. Before, he kept the arm for functionality's sake. But now, he had no excuse, and he could finally be rid of it. He had no idea what his arm looked like underneath it, but that was something he could deal with later.

"We can't ask for help, not after all the shit we've just put you through." Steve said, his tone finally dropping to his normal speaking voice. T'Challa smiled again.

"You're not asking. I'm offering." he said. "Zemo has caused enough chaos in our world. It's time to put some good back into it."

"No offense, but from what we've been told about your home country…" Steve couldn't bring himself to finish the statement, and Bucky couldn't offer any help. Before two days prior, he'd never even heard of Wakanda. T'Challa nodded; this was a reaction he'd expected.

"Trust me, Captain Rogers. We can help. You'll see." he said. He touched a bead on his bracelet, and from underneath the snow (or had it been on top of the snow, and just cloaked?) a black aircraft materialized, buzzing softly in a way they'd never heard. The plane screamed of a technology that they'd never seen, and Bucky thought that if he didn't feel like his entire nervous system was about to shut down, he'd love to analyze it thoroughly. "The jet will take you back to Wakanda, and I will meet you there after I deal with this."

"What if they take you into custody?" Bucky asked. He didn't like being sent ahead to a place he'd never heard of and people he'd never met, but it seemed like this was his only option besides freezing to death in the Siberian snow. And Mika would not approve of that either.

"Let me worry about that, Sergeant Barnes." he said. He touched his bracelet again, and a ramp lowered from the aircraft. "My mother and sister will greet you when you arrive. I shouldn't be far behind you."

Steve looked to Bucky, who shrugged in response. What choice did they have? He took one step towards the jet, stumbling slightly as his muscles didn't respond to the neural impulses the way they should. Steve grabbed his arm, bringing it over his shoulders again. They paused as they reached T'Challa.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Steve said. Bucky tried to voice his gratitude, but spasticity from the injuries were keeping his mouth sealed shut. T'Challa nodded in response before turning away from them, going instead to the quinjet. They limped onto the black plane, the controls whirring to life as they stepped onboard. A surprisingly human voice greeted them, instructing them to make themselves comfortable and telling them that the craft would lift off as soon as they were safely seated. Out the window, they could see the quinjet take off, heading back in the direction from which they came. Steve helped Bucky lower down into a seat, his joints shuddering as they were forced into different positions. Now that things were calming down, his body was able to ramp into overdrive to try and heal. Steve collapsed a seat over, pushing his helmet off and leaning his head against the wall of the craft. The voice gave one final warning before smoothly lifting off and heading to Wakanda.

"What if it's worse where he's sending us?" Bucky asked, though he didn't sound particularly worried about it. Even if more enemies awaited them, he couldn't help but feel like he deserved it.

"He didn't seem like he was lying." Steve said. He chuckled briefly. "But we can take whatever is there, even if Natasha says I can't punch my way out of everything."

"Debatable." Bucky said dryly, ignoring the fact that he only had one hand to punch things with now. He didn't really care about losing the metal one; he was just getting annoyed at the random electrical shocks it kept sending back into him. Now that they had a minute, he asked, "Do you know where they took her?"

"Probably the Raft. That's what the Accords said would happen to those who violated it." he said, knowing who he was talking about even if he didn't say her name. Bucky had never heard of this prison, but he had a feeling that it was not good.

"How do I get her out? None of this was her fault." he said. The pain from his arm was slowly diminishing to a manageable level, manageable enough for him to start planning a jail break. He didn't know where they could go afterwards, but that didn't matter.

"I'll get her. You gotta get patched up." Steve said, and Bucky nodded. As much as it killed him to agree, he knew that he was in no state to go back to Mika - assuming she still wanted anything to do with him. If he was going to ask her to stay, he had to be fully functioning. Maybe, if the people of Wakanda could make such an incredible aircraft, and fix his arm, then they also had something that could fix his head.

"Thank you, Steve. For everything." he said softly. Even despite their earlier conversation, he didn't think he was worth all of this trouble. But just like seventy years ago, Steve was always by his side.

"Of course. Lost you once, bud. Not gonna happen again." he said, clapping a hand on his good shoulder. Bucky grinned, the ghosts of their past friendship circling around his head. He'd been avoiding his past ever since he walked away from his handlers, but perhaps he didn't have to let go of all of it. He loved everything knew in his life (besides recent events), but it also felt good to have a little bit of the life he lost back.

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, watching out the window as they passed over lands and seas that they'd never encountered before. Of all the places both of them had travelled to over the years, Africa (any of the countries there) was not on the list. Animals that they'd only seen in books and movies ran underneath the craft, the plane so silent that it didn't even bother them. Jungles and plains and forests passed below them, the colors so vivid they didn't seem real. For miles and miles, nothing but nature sprawled out in front of them, and they couldn't help but wonder exactly where they were going.

The calm voice alerted them that they were reaching their destination, and both of them straightened up as they tried to spot any place that looked like this jet belonged there. They could see nothing but treetops, even when they stood and moved closer to the front window. There seemed to be a shimmer in front of them, and a noise like a pop underwater sounded around them, making them stand to attention. Out of nowhere, a bustling city unfolded in front of them, with other flying jets winding between towering buildings. The shift sent another shock through Bucky's brain, and Steve grabbed him to hold him up as the plane headed towards the largest tower. Now, T'Challa's words made sense.

"What the fuck?" Bucky whispered, and Steve laughed in agreement. All their pain from the fights were forgotten as they tried to see everything all at once, and they ignored the gentle voice asking them to sit and prepare for landing. They didn't know why the voice kept giving them safety instructions, considering the ride was much smoother than any aircraft they'd ever ridden in. It gently circled a large platform and set down lightly, and out the front window they saw as a middle aged woman in white and a teenage girl in attire that could best be defined as funky came out to meet them. The older woman, obviously the matriarch, watched them descend to the platform with a regal air, but the girl (they assumed her daughter, T'Challa's sister) had a grin on her face that was by no means professional.

"Captain Steven Rogers? Sergeant James Barnes?" the queen asked, and Steve and Bucky found themselves deflating in her presence. Bucky tried to stand on his own, but it was soon evident that he still needed to lean on Steve, despite their audience. This was an actual queen that they were speaking with, and a queen that was offering them solace. It was a humbling experience.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Steve said reverently, and they both wondered if they should bow. Her facade broke then, and she gave them a very motherly smile.

"You may call me Ramonda, and this is my daughter, Shuri. Come. T'Challa has given me all the details, and it sounds like you have been through a great ordeal." she said, gesturing for them to follow her. Shuri fell into step next to her mother, but kept glancing back at them as if they were a science experiment that she was dying to inspect.

"I'm very sorry about the King." Bucky said, somehow still feeling like it was his fault even though he knew he had nothing to do with the late king's passing. Ramonda was silent for a moment, her lips pressed together.

"Thank you. But you are not to blame." she said. Her voice was slightly strained, and he could tell this wasn't the situation she wanted to be in, but she was going to listen to the new king and make the best of it.

"Is your arm hurting you?" Shuri piped up, sounding younger than she looked. Ramonda pinched her elbow, but she ignored it, turning to walk backwards so she could talk to them. Her impatience had finally run out.

"A bit." Bucky replied. He remembered one time Mika asking him the same question, and he'd lied and said no. But considering the random spasms going through his body and the occasional spark flying from the stump, he didn't think he could pull the off the fib this time. They entered the large building to find a group of people in crisp, white clothing waiting for them. The man in the middle stepped forward, greeting the queen and the princess before turning to them.

"Hello, my name is Lwazi. Allow me to show you to the medical wing." he said. Ramonda gestured for them to follow him now, lightly saying,

"I leave you in these capable hands now. I will return to you when T'Challa arrives." She stayed in place and watched them as they walked by, and they could hear her argue briefly with Shuri before the girl came jogging up next to them, using a bead on her bracelet to scan what was left of Bucky's prosthetic.

"What is this made of? How long have you had it? What process did they use to attach it? Were they able to salvage most of the synapses? What's the minimal sensory threshold?" she rattled off questions, only pausing when a particularly large spark jumped out at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know any of that. I just woke up with it." he said. He was incredibly grateful for their help, but now was not the time for him to relive the moment he got his arm.

"Why did you choose the star? I can recreate it, if you want-"

"No. I didn't choose it." he said shortly. She had a shocked look on her face, and it became painfully aware to him that he was not only speaking to a princess, but a child. "I'm sorry, Princess. The people who gave me this prosthetic...it was not by choice."

"I see." she said, obviously not knowing what to say now that she knew a little bit of what she was dealing with. Bucky could barely handle interacting with adults, let alone a teenager, and he wracked his brain for something to say to make her feel better.

"You're more than welcome to take it off and mess with it, if you want. I obviously have no use for it anymore." he said, moving what was left of the shoulder and giving the cheekiest grin he could muster given the situation. Her bright smile returned, and she started scanning it again.

"Well I'm afraid it's going to have to come off regardless, my scans show a horrendous infection underneath it." she said, her brows furrowing. He shrugged, the motion causing another lightning bolt of pain to go through him. Lwazi had Bucky sit down on a bed along a wall, the first of a long line of them. He showed Steve to the next one. With no obvious emergent injuries and the ability to walk on his own, Shuri was not as worried about him. Instead, she focused on Bucky, and the puzzle that he presented.

"Thank you. For your help." he said quietly. Another person in white passed by, handing her a tablet before continuing on their way. She gave him another bright smile, but he could tell she was thinking of other things.

"Of course. Now, do you have any other concerns besides this?" she said, tapping his shoulder with an instrument and jumping back as a whole slew of sparks flew from it. Bucky gave a dry laugh, thinking of the pain that had been radiating from the back of his head ever since he woke of from the nightmare of yesterday morning.

"Nothing that you would be able to help with." he said, making her straighten up and look mildly offended.

"Excuse me?" she asked, reminding Bucky exactly how much attitude teenage girls tended to have.

"Not discounting your talents, just…" he struggled to find his words. "Whatever they put in my head, the words that bring out the Winter Soldier...I don't think anyone can get them out."

"I'm not just anyone." she said. Ah yes, she didn't have attitude. She had moxie. She moved in front of him, and he closed his eyes as she used her bracelet to scan his head. He opened his eyes when the lights faded to find her staring at the tablet, her brows furrowed as she analyzed the data. Bits of video flashed on the screen, and he recognized it as fragments of memories. He saw the blood trail from his arm, the scientists, the Machine. He dropped his eyes to the floor after he noticed Shuri's filling with tears, not wanting to face her. It was hard enough to talk to Mika about his past, let alone a stranger that was one sixth his age. "I can fix this."

"It's alright, I know-" he stopped as her words sank in. "What?"

She sniffled and wiped one tear from her cheek, but her voice was strong as she said, "It'll take me some time to configure my equipment - actually, I may have to engineer something new - but I can fix this."

"How?" he asked dumbly. His body had gone completely numb; he didn't want to hedge all his bets on this girl, but he was quickly becoming hopeful, more hopeful than he'd allowed himself to be in a long time.

"Your body, it's still fighting it. It's been fighting it the whole time." she said, tapping a few places on the tablet and bringing up a simulation of his brain. Laced through the entirety of it was a red line, threaded through the different areas of his cortex. "See that? That's what they put in there."

"It's everywhere." he said, his heart sinking. All this time, he thought he was getting better, but there was still so much in him. How could he ever think about being a normal person when his mind was still plagued with the evil from Hydra? How could he ever let himself be alone with Mika again when his mind was just a ticking time bomb?

"But it's separate." she said, as if that meant something. When he seemed unimpressed with her statement, she continued, "As long as it's separate, I can cut it out. Its borders are regular. It's removable."

"Are you serious?" he asked. Her explanation made sense, and while initially he didn't believe she had the technology, she'd made it more than clear that she did. His mouth had gone dry, and he held his breath as he waited for her answer.

"Completely." she said. "You won't have to live with this anymore, Sergeant Barnes."

He didn't know what to say, his mouth opening and closing though no words were coming out. She seemed to enjoy this reaction, smirking as she tapped away on the tablet some more. With this offer on the table, a whole world of possibilities were open to him. But all he could think about was Mika. No more worrying about hurting her with his arm, no more losing sleep thinking that someone could make him turn on a dime. He could finally let go of the worst of his past, and move on to his future.

"It will take me a few days, so I'll set you up in an apartment. And then as soon as I get it all situated, we can begin." she said, practically bouncing with her excitement. This girl obviously liked challenges, and this one was unlike anything she'd ever seen. "In the mean time, let me get someone to take care of this shoulder, and I'll create a vibranium cap to seal it."

"Thank you." Bucky said, unable to think of anything to say besides that. Shuri nodded again, stepping away and going over to Steve to talk to him. Lwazi came back to him then, armed with a tray of tools that looked like they belonged in a mechanic shop rather than a medical bay. He was a professional man of few words, for which Bucky was grateful. He was tired, and hurting, and wanted a few minutes to just be lost in his own thoughts. Lwazi carefully cauterized the wires sticking out from the remnant of his arm, and was somehow able to do so without sending waves of pain through him. In fact, the arm felt better than it had since...it was his own.

Over an hour later, T'Challa returned with the queen. He was no longer in his Black Panther suit, instead just regular clothing, though he maintained the black motif. Steve stood up to shake his hand and greet him, and while Bucky did shake his hand, he had to remain stationary so that he did not mess up Lwazi's hard work. A man behind him handed Bucky his backpack and placed Steve's gear on his bed, waiting for a nod from T'Challa before leaving them.

"How are you feeling?" T'Challa asked him directly. Based on the look on his face, Bucky looked like a right mess. But he nodded and tried to smile encouragingly.

"Better than I have in a long time." he said honestly. "How did it go? In Berlin?"

"As well as could be expected." T'Challa said. "They asked about you."

"And what did you say?" Steve asked. He didn't sound accusatory, he only sounded like he wanted to make sure their stories were straight. T'Challa shrugged.

"I told them that I was not concerned about you. I was after my father's murderer, and I found him." he said. It was technically the truth, though Steve knew they would not leave him alone for long.

"And what about...our friends?" Bucky asked, though again Steve knew exactly who he was worried about. The King sighed then.

"I'm afraid they are imprisoned in a place called the Raft. Highest level of security, built to house enhanced beings." he said, and Steve crossed his arms and huffed.

"Just as I thought. Damn." he said, shaking his head. If Steve was worried about this place, then Bucky definitely was. Mika was trapped with super criminals? Even if he didn't trust his own mind, he'd much rather have her here than there. But as worried as they were, T'Challa was smirking.

"I didn't say it was impossible to get into. It'll just take a little work." he said. Steve stood up a little straighter then, his face showing that he was ready to leave at that moment.

"When can I go?" he asked. Bucky could see the plan forming in his head; take the quinjet, now that T'Challa had returned with it. Go to the Raft. Retrieve everyone.

"You won't be going alone, Captain Rogers." T'Challa said. Bucky nodded, sliding off the table despite Lwazi's protests.

"I'm ready. I need to save Mika." he said, though every joint in his body protested and his arm started screaming at him again.

"No. You will sit back down and let me finish my work." Lwazi said sharply, making even Bucky pause. "Do you want to deal with the Princess?"

Bucky thought about it for a moment, but remembered that Shuri was offering him literally everything he wanted. "No. Sorry." He sat back down, looking at Steve apologetically.

"Don't worry, Sergeant Barnes. I meant I would be joining him." T'Challa said, and Bucky let out a sigh of relief. He'd seen T'Challa fight, and knew that if he could depend on anyone beside Steve, it would be him. And if he was still playing the both of them, he was doing it so convincingly that Bucky wouldn't be mad. He would probably just be impressed. The King looked to Steve. "Ready when you are, sir."

"Let's go. They've been in there too long already." Steve said. He put a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I'll get her back for you."

"Thank you." he breathed. He didn't like just sitting here, didn't like waiting around while someone else was working. He didn't want Steve's face to be the first one Mika saw after her imprisonment. But they were all correct; now was not the time for him to be running off into battle. No matter how much he hated it, he had to stay here. Steve and T'Challa left then, leaving Bucky alone.

"Don't worry. She'll only have eyes for you." Lwazi said, bringing Bucky back down to earth. He let out a laugh; he'd forgotten the man was there.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked. This time, it was the older man's turn to chuckle.

"Because women are too good for us, son." he said shortly, his eyes never moving from the wiring in front of him. Bucky could tell he was nearly done, as his nerves were quieter than they'd been in seventy years.

"I won't argue with that." he replied. He always believed that Mika was too good for him, and the past seventy-two hours only confirmed that. He would understand if she wanted to leave, but he'd be beyond elated if she decided to stay. The buzzing stopped next to him, and Lwazi pushed back and admired his work.

"I believe it's all finished. I'll go fetch the Princess." he said, standing up and leaving without waiting for a response from Bucky. Bucky waited for a few moments, taking stock of how his arm felt, before eyeing his backpack. He hadn't looked at it besides when he fished his old uniform out from it earlier that morning. He wondered if the weapons were still inside it, or if the King had confiscated them when he pulled it from the jet. He opened the main pocket to find everything as it was, but something was different about the front pocket. He unzipped it and out fell the weathered red journal, the star on the front mocking him. His blood ran cold as he picked it up; after so many decades of seeing it, this was the first time he was holding it. Why was it in his pack? Did Sharon put it there? Had she thought it was his, or had it been lumped together in evidence under the box labeled "Winter Soldier"? He thumbed through the pages, his breathing shallow as he took in details about himself that he'd never considered. And then he reached a page simply labeled Activation.

At the very sight of the word longing, the back of his head started prickling. He slammed the book shut, throwing it to the side and putting his hand over his eyes. This was not what he needed to think about right now. He needed to be positive. Shuri was going to fix this, fix him. She was going to erase everything, and he was going to be able to live his life again. He could stay with Mika, if she would have him.

He didn't want to think about Mika, alone and scared in that super prison. But he knew Steve was going to get her, so he continued to try and think of all the good times they had together. He thought of her giggles when she had a bit too much wine, of her hand tucked in his pocket when they walked outside on cold days, and her humming as she kneaded bread on the counter. So many good memories were coming back to him now, and if everything worked out, then they would be able to make more.

Shuri came back then, carrying a black cloth with her. She was smiling brightly, like a girl who had a secret. That was never a good look, and Bucky watched her from the corner of his eye as she started measuring the area around his shoulder.

"So. Word around the lab is you have a girlfriend." she said in a teasing manner, and Bucky sighed.

"Seems I can't trust Lwazi with any secrets." he replied, and he eyes flew up to his.

"So it's true then? Is it the girl from your memories?" she asked, clamping her mouth shut and eyes going wide as she realized that the question actually had come out of her mouth. Bucky gave her a startled look; he knew she'd seen some of his memories, but he when it came to Mika he was only worried about certain ones.

"Exactly which memories did you see?" he asked lowly, and Shuri held her hands up in innocence.

"Nothing inappropriate, I promise." she said, going back to her measurements of his shoulder. With some sort of pen, she started cutting and fusing the cloth she brought with her. "Honestly, I thought you just had a wild crush on Wonder Woman."

"She's much prettier than Wonder Woman." he said immediately. Her friends loved to make fun of her for looking like the superhero from the movies, and he tended to join in occasionally as well. But if someone else didn't bring it up, he often forgot about the comparison. Shuri smiled at his statement.

"Well I can't wait to meet her." she said, slipping the cap onto his arm. A cool sensation spread through him then, and he wondered if this was what normal people felt like all the time. She patted him carefully. "There we go. All set."

"Princess?" he asked before she could leave. She looked up at him with quizzical eyes, wondering where he was going with this.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice tender.

"Do you...have a cryo chamber?" He didn't want to go back under the ice, but there was a chance that he was going to have to. Shuri looked confused, her head cocked to the side.

"It hasn't been used in a while, but yes, we do. Why?" she asked. She didn't think anyone would voluntarily go into it; they used to use it for patients that needed more time, ones that were in emergent situations but required equipment that she hadn't invented yet. She hadn't touched it in at least a year.

"Just checking. For safety." he admitted. She nodded, chewing on her lip for a moment before speaking.

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that." she said. For sixteen, she carried herself with incredible countenance. "Now come on, let me show you to the lab apartment. You're in desperate need of a cleanup if your girlfriend is on her way here."

She started walking off, assuming Bucky would follow her. He was afraid the pain from earlier was going to come back as he slid to his feet, but since his body no longer had to deal with the strain from his shoulder, it was able to heal most of the rest of him. He walked after Shuri as she led him to an escalator, taking him up to an apartment. His heart started beating a little harder as he realized that Mika really and truly was on her way here. He looked down, noting the blood and tears along his Hydra uniform.

Shuri was right. He needed to clean up. Now.

And we're officially in Wakanda! Not gonna lie, y'all, I thought Civil War was going to last like, five chapters. And here we are, ten chapters later. Oops. The Wonder Woman joke is honestly for myself, cause in my head Mika is played by the stunning Gal Gadot.

I can't thank y'all enough for all the amazing reviews! I'm obsessed with your feedback. Seriously. A couple mentioned losing sleep or reading this to get through work and my heart! I didn't cry but I legitimately came close! Thank you for loving this story as much as I do!

I hope y'all liked this new installment. Please let me know what you thought!

-XM