The room was quiet, too quiet for Natasha's liking. But looking around, she could understand why. Wanda and Clint sat off to the side in an expensive looking couch. They story that everyone on the raft painted made her furious at Wanda's attackers and extremely grateful to the boy who had saved and protected her. Thoughts of that boy then brought her to what was her main concern. Steve had been eerily silent since they landed in Wakanda. It was all going so well, too well, if she wanted to be honest with herself. Of course, even a simple prison break could never go as planned. She looked over at Steve, at his blood-soaked chest and hands. His pale face set in a blank expression, eyes red from tears and hardened by loss.
James Buchanan Barnes, Steve's Bucky, was dead. Natasha could hardly believe it. The Winter Soldier had been taken out by one round to the neck. A brutal shot meant to drown the victim in their own blood as they desperately try to breath. It wasn't a quick death. Bucky had thrashed on the floor gasping for air and choking on his own blood. Steve had tried to quell the bleeding but the bullet had done its job and made Steve's attempts useless. They all knew the quinjet didn't have the medical supplies to deal with an injury like this. And the closest place that could have treated him was now closed off to them since the Accords were ratified. So, they were all forced to watch as their leader, Captain America, beg his friend to hang on as he desperately tried to save him.
Sam had gone to the cockpit and had made sure they flew far away from the raft in case Tony showed up but eventually Nat had to take over since only Steve and herself knew their next destination. They were originally intending to take Bucky to Wakanda to have his Hydra programming removed, at the insistence of their King, T'challa. Unfortunately, the African nation was too far and Bucky had been dead for quite some time by the time they landed.
After offering his sympathies, T'challa had given them a suite of rooms to rest in until a funeral was arranged. Now everyone sat around licking their wounds and Natasha for the first time in her life, had no idea what to do next.
"Did you get him?" Steve's voice rang out like a bell in the silent room. Everyone turned to him, as they tried to figure out who he was talking to. "Clint, did you get him?" Steve's eyes bored into Clint, a dangerous glint to them that promised bodily harm if someone crossed him.
Clint was silent for a moment, unsure how to answer that. "I hit him with an explosive arrow," Wanda sobbed and Steve flinched as he too knew of Rob's importance to the young woman. "But," Clint was quick to reassure Wanda. "His armor most likely protected him from the worst of the explosion. He should be fine for all intents and purposes." Wanda seemed to brighten up at that and Nat saw Steve's jaw clench and hands curl into fists.
"Steve, you need to calm down." Nat went to Steve and tried to place her hand upon his shoulder. He jerked away from her and stood before she made contact.
"He killed my best friend Nat." Steve started to pace as all his emotions since Lagos finally burst. "I just got him back. All those years of searching gone because of some kid who decided he should be judge, jury and executioner. What right did he have to take him away!?" By the end Steve was shouting.
Before Nat could respond Wanda snapped at Steve. "He didn't decide to be anything!" She shouted at Steve, standing up and glaring at him. "He was just avenging his family, who the Winter Soldier killed!"
"That wasn't Bucky!" Steve snapped back.
"Yes, it was! Your pal Bucky was the Winter Soldier. An Assassin for Hydra. A killer!" Wanda shot back, eyes flaring red briefly.
"He wasn't in control of his mind Wanda. He would never have done those things if Hydra didn't mess up his mind." Steve interrupted her rant. He hated how people couldn't understand that Bucky wasn't in control and therefore innocent. "Just because that kid couldn't look past his own hatred and think for one minute doesn't give him the right to kill an innocent man."
Wanda was seething now. "Just because Hydra wiped his mind, doesn't make him any less responsible for all the people he has killed Steve! What about all the families your buddy has torn apart while Hydra had him? Did you just expect them to be fine with that kind of explanation? Oh, we're sorry but he didn't have control of his mind so therefore he shouldn't be held accountable. I'm sure they would all be so happy to just let go of all their hatred." Wanda's eyes started glowing red again and she and Steve were nose to nose.
"Now that you brought it up, isn't it a little hypocritical of you to believe your buddy was innocent but Stark isn't?" Everyone sat up straighter at that. Wanda barged on before Steve could interrupt her again. "I manipulated his mind into making Ultron. I messed with his mind just like Hydra messed with Bucky's but you have always blamed Stark! Now that it's your friend, you don't blame him at all. What does that say about you huh?"
Steve opened his mouth to retaliate but Clint shut them both up. "Hey! Will you two calm down!" He got between them and pushed them apart. "We are all on the same side ok? Look, what happened to Bucky was terrible Steve but even if he wasn't charged with the bombing in Vienna, nobody was gonna let him walk free. Like it or not he was going to be held accountable for what he did under Hydra. But it doesn't matter anyway because he is DEAD! He is gone Steve, and now we have to figure out what we are going to do since we are now the worlds most wanted criminals." Wanda was the first to step back but her face remained in a scowl as she went back to the couch.
Steve took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself before scoffing and leaving to room. Sam went to go after him but Natasha held him back.
"Leave him be for now. He needs some time alone." Sam seemed reluctant to stay but wasn't willing to cross Natasha.
Nat looked around the room again and saw Clint talking quietly to Wanda who still seemed rather upset. Walking over, she wrapped her arms around the girl she had taken under her wing. Rubbing her back she whispered soft reassurances in her ear.
After some time, she kissed her forehead and asked, "Are you ok?"
Wanda nodded. "I just couldn't let him say those things about him." Wanda heaved a heavy sigh. "I just couldn't stand there and let it happen. Not after all he has done for me."
"I understand, malen'kaya ved'ma. I understand." Nat reassured her. "Steve will cool off. He just has to come to terms with his loss."
Wanda grunted but chose not to comment. Nat continued to hold her for a while after that. Sure enough, Steve came back and this time with Scott and a few platters of food. Setting them on a table everyone gathered around to eat.
"We need to figure out what to do now." Steve said after everyone was finished.
*The Compound*
Tony hung up the phone and groaned into his hands. Ever since the Accords were brought up, things had been going to shit. The team broke up, Steve betrayed him for an assassin, and now, one of his newest recruits were missing, possibly critically injured. Now he had to contact the kid's last family member and give them the bad news.
The only bright spot in Tony's life right now was his other new recruit, Peter Parker. The kid's hero worship had really helped him through this time of strife. He only wished he could be more involved with the kid but with Ross running things, he had to put Happy in charge of the kid.
"Friday, get all the records of the prison break on the raft and see what you can find." Tony got up, getting ready to go.
"Right away boss."
According to reports, the kid had shot the Winter Soldier from a sniper's nest before Clint shot an explosive arrow, destroying the nest. Immediately after that, all cameras on that level died. When guards made it to that section all they found was some blood and bits of armor. No body, no limbs, nothing. The kid just vanished. His first theory was that Steve's crew took him, but if his precious Bucky was shot where he believed he was, then Steve defiantly wouldn't have let him on board. The next theory was if Ross had imprisoned him as some form of punishment but then why would he report him missing.
All the theories he was coming up with could easily be debunked and cast aside. It really did appear as if Rob had just disappeared into thin air. Getting into his car, he headed over to his place to give his mother the bad news.
"Hey Friday, what happened to the tracker we put into his suit?" Tony asked as he checked his phone and went over video from the prison break. He paled when he saw Wanda crush the guard.
"It appears to have been destroyed shortly after the reported explosion." Friday's irish drawl rang in his ears has he watched Rob's bullet hit the Winter Soldier in the throat.
When he found the kid, he was going to thank him personally for that. Hell Ross wanted to give the kid a medal for killing one of the worlds deadliest fugitives. But all that would have to wait until they found him.
*With Rob*
"Ugh my head." Rob groaned as he came too. The first thing he noticed aside from the pounding headache was his lack of armor. The next thing he noticed was the dark room he was in and with that observation came the realization that he was now bound to a chair in nothing but his underwear. Glancing around he realized he was in a dark room, no lights or windows to be found. Just a single door, right in front of him.
The room he was in was bare of all things aside from him and the chair. Bland concrete walls and a cracked concrete floor were the only distinguishing features of the room.
A cursory glance at his body showed quite the number of bruises but the worst of the injuries had been tended to. Shifting as much as his bonds allowed proved that whoever did this was no novice. As there was no current root to escape that he saw, Rob decided to sit and wait. Surely his captor would be here soon now that he was awake.
He didn't have to wait long as heavy footsteps were heard closing on his position. Soon enough a stream of light cracked in front of him and soon it turned into a sun as a door in front of him was opened. Clenching his eyes shut to ward off the glare he missed the figure stepping into the room.
When the light faded and he heard the door close he opened his eyes. Before him stood a tall dark figure. They appeared to be in all black and seemed to have extremely broad shoulders.
"Hey man." Rob coughed to clear his throat. "It's been a real privilege being here but I really should get going." The figure continued to stare at him it's red eyes unblinking. "Hello? I know I took a bad hit but I'm pretty sure I'm not hallucinating."
"Dude, let me go You have no right to keep me prisoner." Rob by this point was shouting at the figure. It's cool, quiet gaze unnerved him to the core.
He was about to say more when a male voice rang out in the room.
"A man can have anything if he is willing to sacrifice. With your rise comes a solemn vow. You will have nothing." The figure started walking around him, carefully staying out of the light. "Your privilege is the dirt. In the darkness, only my ambition will guide you. The oaths you swear, the promises you make, they are to me alone. Your freedom will be the wars you wage. Your reward, the losses you inflict on my enemies. Your entitlement, the pain you endure for my cause. And when darkness finds you, you will face it alone."
At the end of the speech the figure was directly behind him. Rob was shaking and before he could utter a word, a sharp pain enveloped his body.
"AHHHHHHH!" Screaming from the intense pain, He rocked in the chair. Volts of electricity traveled through his body as the man kept whatever he had stabbed him with in his back.
When whatever was shooting electricity into his back was removed, Rob was left a twitching, sobbing mess. Of course, he only had enough time to get a few breaths before it came back. Another scream ripped from his throat.
Translation:
malen'kaya ved'ma : Little witch
The Russian comes from google translate so if it is wrong blame google. Now I did sneek in (Not really) a fun little Easter egg thing into this chapter that I hope you enjoy. I did make some slight alterations to fit story but the vast majority of it is the same. Anyway, I am very happy with how this rewrite is turning out. For my readers who read the original, I do hope you are enjoying this just as much if not more so than the original. The original in my opinion moved way to fast and had very little character building. Now hopefully with everything stretched out and characters fletched out it makes a better story. And yes, Bucky is in fact permanently dead. One of the many changes to come with this rewrite. A little warning, nobody is safe. So, pop a review with what you think because the more reviews the quicker these tend to get written. Cuz I read Gravester22 review and I wasn't originally gonna kill off bucky right then but it just shot ideas into my head and I loved them sooooooooo most of this chapter was written shortly after that review was posted. Btw Thank you Gravester22 for your constant support of this story it truly means the world to me.