A/N* Hello wonderful readers! I hope that you had a lovely Thanksgiving and that everything is going well. I have just returned from a long month of vigorous writing and editing and am now in possession of my first rough draft for my first book! Although I have to say, I've wanted more than anything to return to writing Aubrey and Bucky's story. Every time I open my google docs I eye their document with all sorts of ideas bouncing around in my head. (Isn't it funny how easily fanfiction is to write but one's own fiction is much harder?)
So here we are with a new chapter! This one is a bit shorter but I really just wanted to get another out to you guys, more coming soon!
That's all from me, happy reading and Merry Christmas!
Garlic Bread: I love Miss M. too, she is also crucial for these next chapters ;)
MushroomGloomCorner: Aww! I always hope that my writing has enough emotion in it...I cried a little when I wrote this chapter actually. It's bittersweet.
Aubrey watched silently as her talons activated, their silvery sheen sparkling in the light. She floated on a fluffy cloud of pain drugs and sighed as she lay back against her pillow but a thought continued to nag at the back of her mind. She had done her best to ignore it but every day it got a little closer to the surface of her mind. It had been a week since she'd seen Tony and she was starting to worry. Three days ago she had collapsed outside, her vision flashing with pain and every bone in her body feeling as though it had been pierced with a sword. Someone had found her and had rushed her inside. They had taken a medical scan of her body and everything was so much worse than they'd thought. Aubrey's bones were thinning out, slowly becoming hollow and her pancreas had started showing signs of declined insulin production. Twice a day now they checked her sugar levels along with her oxygen intake. The sound of a door brought Aubrey out of her stupor and she turned her head, watching as Miss M came in with a tray of food.
"'M not hungry" she mumbled, going back to staring out the window at sunshine she wanted to feel on her face.
"Well you weren't hungry last night for dinner and you weren't hungry for breakfast this morning. I know things look dire but hope is not lost, Aubrey. You are going to eat this food, even if I have to make you eat it." She said as she helped Aubrey move from a slouched position to an upright one, setting the tray on her lap. Just looking at the food made her feel sick, her stomach rolling in protest.
"But my stomach doesn't want me to eat it," she said quietly, staring at the ham and cheese sandwich.
Miss M's face softened and she sat beside Aubrey on the bed, sighing "I know honey but the drugs aren't going to work as well unless you eat. Your skin and bones as it is, your body needs the energy to keep going."
Gulping, Aubreys shaking hand picked up the sandwich and she made herself take a bite, forcing her jaw to chew instead of locking up. The lump of sandwich slid down her throat and she had to resist the urge to gag. Putting it down she took a drink of water before whispering.
"I don't have much time left do I?"
Miss M smoothed her hair out of the way, thinking for a moment before speaking softly "Aubrey, in order to give yourself as much time as possible to let us fix this, you have to believe in yourself…...you have to want to live."
Tears pooled in Aubrey's eyes as she choked down another bite of the sandwich. As the thought that had been at the back of her mind finally came into the light. "Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier on everyone just to fade away one night and let go." Aubrey sniffled as she wiped away a tear that had escaped and stared at the ceiling, sadness welling in her heart.
"I know it feels like there's not much to live for right now Aubrey but think of all the people that have been put in your life as little blessings. Think of all the people who would mourn you, who love you and cherish every moment with you. How many can you think of right now?"
"A lot" she choked out as the dam broke and a river of tears started to flow down her pale face "I'm so lucky to have who I do...I know a lot of people don't but I..I've done so many things that caused irreparable damage...I'm so guilty. There are so many people who deserve to live when I don't" The last sentence got lost in a sob and Miss M. moved the food tray away, pulling Aubrey's frail form into a tight hug, stroking her hair softly. The only sound for several minutes was Aubrey's muffled sobs.
"Do you want to know something Aubrey?" Miss M. asked, wiping away one of her own tears, as she continued "The difference between you and everyone else is that you are trying to fix your mistakes, things that weren't even your fault. You need to let go of all the guilt and sorrow you carry around. It's keeping you from being the best you, you can be. That's why you have me to talk to, I will listen to anything you want to tell me and not judge you. There are a lot of people that are here for you, waiting for you to ask them for advice or help. You need to remember that, alright?"
Aubrey wordlessly nodded before quietly reminding herself. "My mom would miss me, and my dad, my aunt, and my grandparents, Caleb, Joel, Elsie, Daniel, Jesse, Glacier….and Bucky"
"I'm going to miss you when you walk out of here to go help conquer the evil in this world" Miss M. whispered
Aubrey pulled back and gazed into Miss M's honey-brown eyes, looking for the lie in her words but all she found was truth shining in them. "You really believe that?"
"I do Aubrey, I'm positive that within the next week Tony is going to find a cure and you're going to be alright."
"Thank you...Miss M. for believing in me" Aubrey leaned back against the pillows, sniffling as she wiped the last of her tears away.
"I have since the day I heard about you Aubrey and I always will. But I will be very disappointed in you if you don't finish that sandwich" she finished with a chuckle, raising her eyebrow "you thought I forgot didn't you?"
"Kinda hoped you would." Aubrey huffed quietly, taking another bite and watching as the world went on outside her window, oblivious to the ally they were on the verge of losing.
Aubrey glared at the bathroom door across the room, willing herself to work up the strength to move. It took several minutes before she started dragging her tired, bruised body into the electric wheelchair. Shivering as she pulled an extra blanket onto her lap, tucking it around her papery legs. Cautiously she directed the wheelchair into the bathroom, wincing as the back wheel banged against the door. Surely that would leave a mark but her thoughts were pulled in another direction. Aubrey side-eyed the mirror, unsure what her reflection would look like but she worked up the courage and turned to face it. Her body stilled with shock as her shaking hand slowly reached up to gently stroke the wrinkles that had almost magically appeared on her forehead and beside her eyes.
This...this was proof that the serum was failing her... losing the battle with the metal poison in her body.
Her skin was pale and she couldn't help but notice how her hair hung in limp tangled strands and her eyes had lost their bright green color. Puffing a breath out of her lips, Aubrey leaned back into the chair, eyes raking over her pronounced cheekbones and the worry lines that had ingrained onto her forehead. A sigh shuddered through her as she went to the restroom before wheeling back to the bed and staring at it with contempt. She already felt exhaustion returning but wasn't ready to return to the confines of her bed. Instead, she directed the chair out the door and into the hallway.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y?" She quietly asked
"Yes Ms. Cristo?" came F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s pleasant voice.
"Tony said that the wheelchair had a GPS thing..could you program it?"
"Yes Miss, where would you like to be?"
"The lab would be fine..I...there's something nagging at my mind."
"Programmed"
"Thanks" she whispered quietly, thinking that the A.I had turned off but instead, she was startled to hear a response.
"You're very welcome Ms. Cristo." every time the A.I spoke Aubrey felt a sense of wonder. How had Tony created a computer that managed to sound so...human….so...compassionate, F.R.I.D.A.Y sounded like she really cared every time she spoke.
The door to the lab opened without a squeak as she wheeled in, finding the room empty but remnants of Tony lay everywhere. Coming up to the desk that housed the nano-tech prototypes. Aubrey pulled out a petri-dish of several million of the Nanos, gently placing it on the desk and twisting the lid off. The Nanos came to life at the movement and bounced around the dish, forming small shapes before disappearing back into the sand-like consistency. Placing her hand beside the dish, Aubrey activated her talons, a buried memory resurfacing and playing in her head. It brings with it the memory of the pain she was in during the procedure.
"What..causes these new talons to react with her emotions?" Her handler had asked.
"One of our...associates swiped a prototype of something Tony Stark was working on. All we had to do was mold it and put it to use." The doctor explained as he motioned to the last nail, still nestled into its protective casing. It seemed to ripple beneath his touch as he picked it up and showed it to her handler.
"I believe that Stark destined them to be apart of a new suit but they are better used on our weapon.-" he paused and picked up a piece of cloth previously used to wipe his sweat, placing the nail on the top and tapping the surface twice. He held the opposite corners of the cloth and watched, pride shining in his eyes. The nail sunk into the cloth and from the bottom poked out spikes, the spikes unfolded into three separate sections. Each section moved around as if searching for something.
"It's looking for her nerve endings." the doctor explained "Once it finds them, it attaches each little tentacle to the endings and is able to communicate to the brain when the talons are supposed to appear.
Aubrey shook her head slightly, trying to clear it as she mulled over what she had just learned...
Was it possible that the prototype she was staring at was the same thing that had been used for her nails?
She had been so lost in thought that her dulled senses didn't pick up the black-clad intruder who had scaled the building, moonlight glinting off of his clothes. He slid the window open, not realizing that it was the A.I who let it open. He found the room empty and looked around in confusion, growling in frustration. F.R.I.D.A.Y chose that exact moment to pipe up, trying to make her voice quieter as she explained.
"Ms. Cristo was restless and not ready to sleep yet. She went to the lab half an hour ago." F.R.I.D.A.Y seemed to sense that's where he wanted to be and discreetly led him to the right room. She bypassed the security code and the door soundlessly slid open as he crept in, unsure what he would find.
Aubrey lifted her talon up, lowering it closer to the Nano's in the petri-dish, they writhed around and Aubrey shook her head leaning back in the wheelchair.
"All this time an answer has been right here" she murmured, twisting the lid back onto the dish before lifting it up to the light and studying the minuscule forms. A voice suddenly sounded and she stiffened but recognized it and whirled around in surprise.
"Hey Brie" Bucky pulled his hood down, shoving his hands in his pockets nervously.
"Bucky? How..are you here?" Her chest warmed with happiness, an emotion that had not been present these past few weeks.
"This...woman called me up and said you needed a friend" He leaned back against a desk, folding his arms. "So...I might have borrowed one of Fury's motorcycles, and a couple hundred dollars."
"And he doesn't know?" she couldn't keep a smile from her face as she observed one of the only people in the world who somewhat understood what was happening.
"Actually...he's probably finding out right about now."
And at that moment Aubrey knew that somewhere in the world, Nick Fury was cursing a long string of profanities at Bucky. She couldn't help but imagine it and a small giggle made its way out of her mouth as her finger absentmindedly tapped the lid of the petri-dish still in her hand. Bucky's eyes strayed to the dish and he nodded to it.
"What are those?"
She opened her mouth to speak several times but couldn't decide on what exactly to say. After a couple of minutes she finally settled on;
"It could...possibly the thing that….saves me."
At her words Bucky sucked in a breath, his eyes raking over her frail form, clearing his throat. He uneasily shifted his weight before whispering "So...this thing..it's serious isn't it."
Aubrey attempted a weak smile at her friend "Yeah...but I think this could give Tony the push he needs to figure out the cure." He nodded and Aubrey studied his face, noticing how his eyes were dark with emotion.
"Bucky...is everything alright?" she tentatively asked.
He sighed heavily and pulled a chair out, turning it backward and sinking into it, resting his arms on the back. "I didn't come here to talk about my problems"
"No...But I'd rather talk about someone else's problems rather than mine right now."
He quieted and Aubrey wondered if he would ever answer as minutes passed in silence until he finally spoke, staring at the floor.
"I don't think I can be at Fury's compound anymore."
"Why not?" Aubrey had sensed when they had first gone to the compound that the confinement would have an effect on him….that and the fact that they were tracking down the remains of Hydra.
"They keep asking for me to go to one of the compounds...they're trying to track down the one I was kept at." His voice quiets with every word. "And none of them understand what I'm going through….They aren't as nice when your not there...everyone just stares at me." He stopped, looking slightly surprised at everything he had just said.
Aubrey nodded in understanding, sensing his next words and saying them for him.
"So...you're going to leave, new city every day. One can only assume they're going to try and track you down."
"That's the plan…" Bucky hesitated "He's not here..is he?"
"I'm not sure…a couple of days ago I talked to Wanda Maximoff and I'm pretty sure she's being trained by him, Black Widow, and Falcon...so it's very possible..although I'm surprised he hasn't talked to me yet….You aren't staying long...are you"
"I..don't know. I'm not ready to face him and..I may never be. My head isn't in a great place right now."
"Where do you plan on heading? Out of the country?"
"I have enough money to get me out of the country, it will be worth much more elsewhere. After that?" he shrugged and Aubrey nodded. His eyebrows rose in surprise
"You knew I was going to do this?" he asked.
"I..had a hunch..although when all this happened-" she motioned towards herself "I didn't know what you would do...before though..I sensed that you were unhappy at the compound." Bucky sighed again and fiddled with one of the knives strapped to his side
"I stayed for you though...you know that right?" he looked up at her and Aubrey heard the honesty in his words.
"I had my suspicions...Thank you, Bucky...I'm not sure what would have happened if we weren't there when all this started."
"I've thought that too" was his quiet response. The two sat in comfortable silence until Aubrey whispered.
"If..this doesn't work out….could you maybe go see my family….just comfort them...and tell Glacier I love him."
"It will work Brie...it has to" Bucky's voice became hard and his eyes flicked to her, steel in them. "It will work" he repeated, opening his mouth to say more but Bucky suddenly jumped to his feet. His eyes darting to the door moments before it slid open, his hands went to his knife but Aubrey had reached out and slid it from his belt. There was only one other person with the clearance to be in this lab and he was usually not a threat. He shot an angry look at her as Tony Stark strode in, fire gleaming in his eyes. But he slid to a stop at the sight of Bucky and Aubrey in the workshop.
"I..didn't know we were having a family reunion in here." Although it didn't take long for him to recover to his usual sarcastic self.
"It was a bit of a surprise to me too" Aubrey felt another weak smile flit to her face but watched as Tony's eyes strayed to the Petri dish she was fiddling with.
"Why do you have those out?" he cautiously asked, eyes flicking between the two of them. Aubrey sensed his suspicions and shook her head quickly.
"No, it's not what your thinking...I remembered something and I think you're going to want to hear this." Tony nodded and motioned for her to go on, his eyes still suspiciously trained on Bucky. She quickly explained what she had remembered and the connection between her talons and the Nano's, waiting for Tony's response. Throughout the story, his eyebrows had risen higher and higher on his head and he was now shaking it back and forth in disbelief, reaching out for the dish. Aubrey handed it over wordlessly, watching as he went to another table and looked at Bucky..although he was more so looking at his metal arm.
"Does it do something similar?" Tony asked
"I dunno" Bucky shrugged and leaned back against a table, crossing his arms. "Why?"
"Because-" but Tony interrupted himself, mumbling unintelligible words before turning to Aubrey, a crazed look flashing in his eyes.
"So...if I were to study how they made them do that then...I could..no that wouldn't work...it might but..who would we test it on?"
"Tony!" Aubrey snapped "Words for us non-genius people please."
"Right" he nodded, taking a deep breath. "I figured out this morning how to counteract the Tungsten but didn't know how to inject the Nano's because they would need a central point to conglomerate...Because of some other things...but if I could do something similar to what they did with those" he nodded to her nails, eyes shining "You could use the Nano's for more than just to counteract the metal."
"I..don't understand. What would I use them for?"
"You could learn how to form them into shapes and things...in other words…" Tony paused for dramatic effect "You could have yourself new and improved wings."
A/N* Sorry! Going to have to wait for the next chapter!