Chapter 23: Fury

Sam was sitting in the lounge, sipping his morning coffee, and scrolling through news on his phone when he heard a faint voice yell something from outside. A moment after he looked up, and Barnes plummeted passed the window outside.

"What the hell?" He set the coffee down and ran outside, skidding to a halt just in time to see Bucky dusting off his jeans.

Tony and Steve were there. Tony was rolling his hand in the air in a 'hurry up motion' and Steve looked overall displeased.

"Come on," Tony said. "You can do better than that. Vision?"

The android floated down from the roof.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Testing," Stark answered without bothering to look at him.

"Okay, one more time," Bucky sighed.

Vision grabbed Bucky with one arm and carried him up to the roof.

"Now, this time, keep the hand directly below your chest." Tony yelled upward. "The wrist has a slightly wider range of motion than a human one, use that to your advantage. You have to keep the force centered at the correct focal point, or you'll go askew again."

Bucky gazed down for just a moment, then flung himself off the roof. His metal hand was flat against the bottom of his chest, palm facing outward. A moment before he hit the ground, the repulsors on his hand activated and pushed him up into the air far enough for him to swing his feet beneath him as he dropped back down. He landed with a soft thud.

Tony clapped. "I'm so proud!" He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "You sweat, you sacrifice, and then one day they're all grown up and flying out of the nest."

Steve crossed his arms. "Are we done for the day before he ends up landing on his head again?"

"Why don't you just give him a gadget for his other hand?" Sam asked.

Tony held his index finger in the air. "I don't just give these things away like candy, you know. FAA was all over my ass after the first couple of flights with the suit. The lawyers worked that one out, but let's just say the FAA won't take kindly to a bunch of people flying around willy nilly in New York airspace crashing into planes and buildings."

"Geez." Sam held up his hands. "Just asking."

"Well, Falcon, you of all people should understand the massive headache with flight regs. The repulsors on the vibranium hand aren't designed for flight. They're a combat and defense aide."

"Flying's your guys' thing," Bucky said, flexing the fingers of his metal arm. "I'm hungry. I'm gonna round up breakfast."

"Hey, Bobbly Flay, wait up! Are you cooking something?" Sam said, turning on his heels and following Bucky inside.

-0- -0- -0-

Sam followed Bucky into the lounge and slid onto a barstool. "So, whatcha making?"

Bucky eyed him as he rifled through the cabinet until he found a cast iron skillet. "I take it you want in on this?"

"I could eat." Sam was pleased to see Bucky looking more relaxed after his breakdown the other day. The release of that pent up emotional pressure obviously did the guy good.

"Well, it depends on what's in stock here." Bucky opened the refrigerator and leaned on the door as he peered inside.

A moment later, he pulled out a dozen eggs, a jar of green salsa, an orange bell pepper, cheese, and a pack of tortillas. Sam smiled, thankful that the staff kept the kitchen well-stocked.

Bucky grabbed a knife and began dicing the pepper when a familiar, deep voice sounded outside the kitchen.

"I better see some pretty impressive proof that aliens are returning. And, by the way, I know about the Winter Soldier, which means others probably do."

"How…? Hill, that little Judas…" Stark's voice carried into the kitchen.

An explosion of movement took Sam by surprise. Bucky catapulted himself over the kitchen island and then the stairway railing at the back of the room, somehow never letting go of the knife. A millisecond later, Stark, Steve, and Nick Fury walked into the kitchen.

"I've got other resources, Stark. Don't pin this one on her," Nick responded, looking around the kitchen and giving a nod to Sam. "So where is he?"

Steve's gaze swept the room, then hovered questioningly on Sam.

Sam didn't know what Cap wanted him to do. Point? Given how things went the last time Fury and Barnes met, Sam didn't think an impromptu get-together was a good idea.

"Bucky," Steve called, eyeing the stairs. "It's okay. Fury's a…" he glanced at Fury briefly, a slightly skeptical narrowing of his eyes giving a subtle warning, "…friendly."

Fury rolled his one eye and nodded. "Like he's the one that should be worried about me? That's rich. If anyone deserves to hold a grudge, here…"

Bucky was at the top of the stairs. Sam didn't even hear his footsteps. The kitchen knife was still in his right hand, hanging at his side. His blue eyes were fixed on Fury, his face a chiseled mass of apprehension.

"Hey there." Fury threw an exaggerated wave at Bucky. "Remember me? The guy you almost killed?"

"Fury…" Steve raised a silencing hand and stepped between the two men, then turned to face Buck. "I should have told you he was alive when we talked about him earlier. At the time, I was going by the fake Dr. Cho's advice not to talk about the past. I'm sorry."

Bucky's chest moved with a slow, deep rhythm. His eyes flickered to Steve briefly, and his hand tightened on the knife handle.

Fury noticed the movement and gave Steve a hard look. "Oh, he seems totally reformed."

"Bucky," Steve raised his hands placatingly, "you might want to put that down. Fury's on our side. He's got resources we need."

"Yeah, asshole," Fury commented. "It's not nice to kill the guy who might be useful to you."

Bucky's gaze dropped to the knife in his hand. Cautiously, he moved to the kitchen and set it on the counter.

"I was just cutting a pepper," he said quietly, flatly.

"Yeah, well, don't let me interrupt your domestic pursuits." Fury waved a hand in the air and sank into the armchair facing the kitchen.

"Okay, so now that we're all on the same page…" Tony began.

Bucky turned to Steve. "What the hell's going on?"

Tony sighed and flung himself onto the sofa. "This is going swimmingly."

"We roped Fury in on the pending alien invasion," Steve said. "If we have any chance of winning this fight, we need everyone."

"Don't mind me. I'm a ghost. We have that in common, it seems." Fury leaned back in the armchair.

"We didn't tell him about you." Steve shot a backwards glare at Fury. "He just seems to find things out, but he can help."

"Yeah, that's me," Fury replied. "Helpful…So, Sergeant Barnes, is it?" Fury pushed himself from the armchair and walked toward Bucky.

Bucky tensed.

Come on, man. Sam cautioned silently, wondering when Fury had gone suicidal. His approach reeked of threat, and Bucky had the air of a wild cat cornered by a stray dog.

"You have anything you want to say to me?" Fury continued. "Like, I'm sorry for ripping the door off your totaled car or shooting you three times…"

Bucky's jaw clenched and a murky disquiet clouded his eyes. "I didn't have a choice."

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess that means we're good then." Fury rolled his eye.

"Fury, come on," Steve prodded. "Now's not the time."

"I'm glad I didn't kill you." Bucky's voice wavered subtly, the only indication of the turmoil that rolled beneath. "I am sorry I kept getting captured, didn't slit my throat before the Russians found me, and my mind was too feeble to resist being turned into their assassin."

Fury had the decency to look taken aback by Bucky's words, and his expression softened. "Okay, okay." He sighed. "Look, I'm not here for you. I'm here because the world might be ending in less than three years. From what I understand, you're on the side of the world not ending. Am I right?"

Bucky gave a tight nod.

"Then," Fury continued, "we're on the same side."

Bucky held Fury's dark gaze for a few moments, then held out his right hand. "James Buchanan Barnes."

By the kaleidoscope of emotions that fluttered over Steve's face, Sam figured there was a significance to the way Bucky introduced himself that he wasn't quite getting.

Fury sighed and took Bucky's hand. "Nick Fury. I'm glad we're on the same side now, because, frankly, you're one scary, badass motherfucker, and we're going to need as many of those as we can get if we're going to save the world from aliens."

Bucky dropped his hand. "I never wanted to be that, but I'll show up for the fight." He took a deep breath. "It's what I'm good for."

Well, damn. Sam thought that was about the saddest thing he'd ever heard. As he studied Bucky's blue eyes—the ones that always bore hints of the deep scars behind them—he realized that he was seeing less and less of the Soldier he went up against on the bridge and the helicarrier.

Now, he saw the guy that Steve put everything on the line to save. Sam hoped they all made it through whatever aliens were coming so that the 98-year-old guy in front of him could finally stop fighting and get a chance at a real life.

-0- -0- -0-

Fury sat back in the chair and stared at the now-blank screen in the conference room where he'd watched the footage Tony amassed from the alternate, future timeline.

He swiveled in his chair to face the others. All the Avengers in the complex were assembled, including the newest members he hadn't met yet—Wanda and Vision.

"Half the world's population?" Fury asked, shaking his head.

"Half the life in the universe," Stark corrected.

Fury could barely wrap his brain around the scale of that destruction. Just how populated was the universe, anyway?

"But you all somehow managed to reverse it?" Fury asked.

"Not entirely," Steve said. "It seems like we somehow figured out how to bring people back, but five years had passed and that really messed things up."

"It was called the Blip," Natasha said. "Or, rather, it will be."

Tony raised a finger, "Oh, but I die in the process, just in case you thought maybe we should let it play out the same way, not that we know what that way was… is… will be. Natasha and Steve vanish—not sure if they're dead or alive."

Fury gazed at Stark. The man's words sounded cavalier, but fear infused his tone. Fury reached into his jacket pocket and placed a beeper on the table.

Tony's eyebrows almost reached his hairline. He leaned forward in his chair and grabbed it, rolling it around with his fingers before setting it back down. "Well, I've been outdone in the tech department. Might as well pack it in and call it a day. Fury, where'd you get this marvel of modern technology?"

Fury barely glanced Tony's way. He leaned forward and laced his fingers together on the conference table. "I'm going to say a pending alien invasion that wipes out half the universe qualifies as an emergency. Wouldn't you?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Nick," Natasha deadpanned.

"Twenty years ago, a woman gave me this beeper and told me to only use it in an emergency," Fury began, eyeing the pager. He hoped it still worked after two decades. "If anyone can help us stop the Blip from happening, it's her."

"Who is she?" Sam asked.

"Captain Carol Danvers, thought to have died in 1989. Now, she's enhanced. One of the most powerful beings I've ever encountered. She's somewhere, out there," he flung a hand toward the sky, "helping the Skrulls, or at least she was, back then. I'm not sure what she's doing now."

"How long will it take her to get here once you activate the pager?" Steve asked.

Fury shrugged. He assumed since emergencies required fast response times Danvers knew she'd be able to make it to Earth quickly if called.

"I have no idea," he confessed, "but 911 calls generally don't lend themselves to long wait times. I'm sure she knew that when she gave it to me."

"You've had that pager since the 90s?" Bucky asked.

Fury looked at the man who once sauntered like a predator across the street toward him—face masked, eyes dead—and tried to reconcile that memory with the one before him now—short hair, hunched shoulders, a hint of bleak insecurity behind an otherwise steely gaze. Barnes had the bearing of a man who carried too many burdens.

"Yes," Fury answered.

"Aliens attacked New York almost two years ago, right?" Barnes asked.

Fury nodded.

"Wasn't there an evil android that almost destroyed the planet?" the former assassin asked again.

Fury leaned forward. "And?"

"Did you try to call her then?"

Fury bit the inside of his cheek. "No."

Barnes looked quizzically at Fury. "You have a high bar for emergencies."

Fury scowled at that. "I don't scare easily, and the Avengers are here for precisely those situations."

Despite his words, Fury inwardly conceded the man had a point. A lot of lives could've been saved had he reached out to Danvers, but he had faith the Avengers could handle the situation. Ultimately, they had. He couldn't go running to Danvers every time some big bad asshole came to town.

He leaned forward and activated the beeper. Even though the assault was almost three years away, given the magnitude of the threat, he hoped she wouldn't be too irritated by the emergency call, especially if she was in the middle of something up there in the great black yonder.

-0- -0- -0-

A week later, Bucky was on the roof again, phone in his hand. He felt like fresh air, music, and research. He could understand the appeal of the cell phone. It was the world's library at his fingertips.

A couple of vinyl Adirondack chairs and a small, lime green metal table had appeared a few feet from the roof's edge. The items were lightly bolted to the cement, a precaution against the wind. He wasn't sure when the rooftop upgrade happened, but he took advantage of the new furniture and sank into one of the chairs.

He pulled up the 40s Pandora station Steve had preloaded for him and, once the music started, opened Google. He and Romanoff hadn't spoken about their night together since it happened, but if it ever happened again, he wanted to be prepared.

He had no illusions that he could ever settle down and have a family. He had killed too many people, done too many horrible things. He was too damaged inside to have a family. If he was lucky, he might find someone he could feel comfortable with, who wouldn't mind his past or his metal arm.

Unfortunately, even if he did get the Winter Soldier program out of his head, he wouldn't know where to begin when it came to modern women. He dove into Google. First on his agenda was something they never taught him in school in the 1930s. He typed in: 'What do women enjoy during sex?'

A list of websites highlighted by blue links popped up. He clicked the link proclaiming 'Survey of Female Sexual Pleasure Reveals What Women Really Want.' The image that greeted him when he went to the article was almost obscene. He looked up quickly, scanned to make sure Vision wasn't around, and returned his attention to the article.

After thirty minutes of browsing various articles, diagrams, and eye-popping illustrations, something caused him to raise his head and scan the surroundings. He wasn't sure what had grabbed his attention, but he cocked his head and listened. He sensed a faint, low hum—almost a vibration in the air.

There was a bright spot in the midday sky. It quickly grew into what looked like a fireball… heading directly toward the Avenger's compound. He was on his feet when the fireball slowed, and he could make out the shape of a….

"What the hell?" he muttered, turning off his phone's screen and sliding it into his pocket.

In the distance, an alarm sounded. The security system had picked up the approach.

A woman with shoulder length blonde hair descended in front of him, hovering a foot above the roof. Her face was all business for a moment, then the edges of her mouth twitched upward.

She floated the rest of the way to the roof and stood in front of him, glancing around briefly. "Where's Nick Fury?"

He took a breath. "You must be Captain Carol Danvers?"

She nodded. "What's the emergency?"

"End of the world kind of stuff. It's going to be quite the story." Bucky turned to head back into the complex. "Follow me, Captain."

"Danvers is fine," she told him.

Oh, right. Introductions. He still sometimes forgot the basics. He turned back to her and extended his hand. "I'm Bucky."

She shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"So, you just came from space without a suit?"

She gave a tiny smile. "I travel light."

"And fast."

"You're lucky I was in the neighborhood."

He cocked his head at her. "What neighborhood is that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "The Milky Way."

He shook his head. Androids that could float through walls. Time travel. Space-flying women. It was a bizarre world.

"Let's go round up the others," he said.

-0- -0- -0-

"So, you've been to other planets?" Bucky pulled a beer out of the lounge refrigerator and held it up inquiringly.

"Yes, and no thank you."

Bucky popped it open, closed the door, and took it for himself back into the seating area. He plopped into the armchair across from her and took a sip as he studied her. She was sitting ramrod straight in the other armchair, her gaze sweeping the room periodically.

All business. He heard the footsteps of the others down below and in the hallway behind him. She didn't seem in the chatting mood, but how often would he have the chance to talk to someone who traveled the universe and wasn't trying to destroy humanity?

"What are they like?"

She cocked her head at him. "They're all different."

"I would imagine." He leaned forward and took another sip of his beer. "Give me something here. I was born in 1917. This is all new to me. The world might be ending in less than three years and right now, we have a few spare minutes. Tell me something. What's out there?"

"You were born in 1917?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him.

"It's a very long story." He tried for a smile.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, but it'll have to wait, our spare minutes just ran out," she said as Steve, Natasha, and Sam walked into the kitchen from the doorway near the refrigerator.

A moment later, Wanda and Vision came up the stairs on the other side of the room. Danvers and Bucky rose.

Steve stepped forward and extended his hand. "Carol Danvers?"

She nodded, her gaze focusing on Vision even as she shook Steve's hand.

"I'm Steve Rogers. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"You're welcome. Where's Nick Fury?" she asked, turning her attention back to Steve.

Bucky didn't think he'd ever encounter someone more no-nonsense than Peggy Carter, but here she stood.

"He's on his way. We've informed him of your arrival." Natasha explained. "He should be here in a couple of hours."

"In the meantime," Steve continued, "we can catch you up on the basics."

"Of this world-ending emergency?"

"Yes, that," Bucky answered as Steve and the others took seats in the lounge.

Steve wasted no time summarizing the situation.

"Thanos." Danvers nodded. "I know of him. He's a legitimate threat. We should wait until Fury arrives before continuing."

-0- -0- -0-

After a bit of small talk, the various Avengers left the lounge to attend to business while everyone waited for Fury and Stark to arrive. Bucky and Steve remained, fresh beers in their hands.

Danvers nodded at Bucky. "So, you tell me yours. You said you were born in 1917."

"Right." He took a sip of his beer. "I was frozen on and off in a cryogenic chamber since somewhere around 1946—I wasn't big on calendars during that time, so I'm not sure exactly when they first put me on ice."

She raised an eyebrow. He downed the beer, then went into the kitchen for a glass of water. Steve quietly nursed his beer.

Bucky wondered what Steve thought about all this space stuff. He'd never been as fascinated by science, space, and technology as Bucky. Bucky was the one who dragged him to the tech expo and pushed their way to the front of the Stark demo. Bucky devoured sci-fi and fantasy books, listened to the radio dramas, and found the one thing he loved most about trekking across Europe during the war was looking up into the star-filled sky and feeling swallowed by its vastness.

"Now, tell me yours?" he dropped back on the arm of the chair and leaned forward. "What's space like? What are the other planets like?"

She cocked her head and gave a tolerant smile. "Hala is the home-world of the Kree. I lived there for six years, after the Kree suppressed my memories. The Kree Empire is one of the most powerful in the galaxy, and one of the cruelest, but the people of Hala don't all know the truth. The Kree paint themselves as righteous and their enemies as monsters, like most authoritarian governments."

Bucky took pause at her revelation that she'd had her memories suppressed.

"My captors wiped my memory, too. I guess assholes come in all species. What's Hala like?" Bucky asked.

"It's larger than Earth, so it has a greater gravitational pull. Its atmosphere is richer in nitrogen. Its capital city is Kree-Lar, home of the Supreme Intelligence and the Hall of Judgment."

"I have no idea what that last sentence means." Bucky admitted, taking a swig of beer. "Got any photos or video?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "Why do you care? It's not a place you would ever visit—nor should you want to."

"No shit, but you're the first person I've met who has visited another planet… at least, that I know about. That's pretty cool. I know nothing surprises these guys, anymore, what with having already fought aliens." He glanced at Steve, noticing the bemused expression on the other man's face. "I'm just a relic from the 40s still learning the ropes here, and aliens are pretty goddamned amazing to me. I mean, we have proof that we're not alone in the Universe, and no one seems to think that's a big deal. But it is to me."

"Yeah, well," Danvers began, "some of those aliens are unfriendly, like Thanos and his armies."

Bucky sighed and stared at his beer. "Yeah."

Wasn't that always the case? Different countries or different worlds. Human or alien. It didn't matter. War was the constant.

"You okay, Buck?" Steve shifted toward him, beer in hand.

"Yeah." Bucky looked up at him. "I just kind of hoped that, if there is life out there," he jerked his chin upward, "they have it figured out, but if they can't, I don't see much hope for us."

"Figured out what?" Danvers asked m.

"Peace." He took a sip of his beer.

It seemed that peace was as elusive in the rest of the universe as it was on Earth, and that thought depressed the hell out of him.

FRIDAY'S voice interrupted. "Barnes, please report to Dr. Abodon's office to speak with Princess Shuri from Wakanda."

Bucky was on his feet instantly, his gaze locking with Steve's. Excitement sent a tingle into his gut. Had Shuri figured out how to free him from the code words? He spun on his heels and was out the door. He heard Steve mutter something quickly to Danvers, then his quick footsteps followed closely behind.

-0- -0- -0-

Steve vibrated with anticipation. Instead of pacing, he plastered himself against the wall and crossed his arms, trying to contain his jittery energy as he waited for Shuri's image to appear on the transparent panel in the lab. Bucky stood in front of the panels, his hands in his pockets, bouncing almost imperceptibly on the balls of his feet.

Dr. Abodon was there, notepad in hand, seated at one of the workstations. He told them he didn't know the specifics of the information Shuri had, just that she'd made progress.

"It's good afternoon your time, gentleman," Shuri's image appeared on the panel.

"Good night, on your end," Steve said, forcing himself to engage in the pleasantries when all he really wanted to do was get to the point.

"Yes, it's a little late here," she agreed, "but I have been working on an algorithm that I believe will identify and eliminate the neural pathways associated with the Winter Soldier program in Barnes' head."

Bucky took his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms. "How, exactly?"

"Using a modified version of the neural scanner, we'll do a deeper probe. The algorithm identifies neural pathways that are unique to the activation sequence and destroys them."

Steve crossed the distance between him and Bucky in less than a second, alarm twisting in his gut. If he understood her correctly—and he frankly wasn't sure that he did—she wanted to destroy part of Bucky's brain.

"Are you talking about a type of lobotomy?" he asked, thinking back to that table he'd found Bucky on in the Hydra basement where he'd been moments away from having his brain carved into.

"No, of course not," Shuri looked aghast. "This is minimally invasive, and it targets specific neural pathways, not complete sections of brain tissue."

Bucky tilted his head. "So, a micro lobotomy?"

Shuri sighed. "Not at all. Humans lose brain cells regularly. New pathways are often formed, some pathways degrade. In this case, as we work you though your memories, the algorithm will separate the pathways associated with the memories that make you James Barnes and identify the pathways that are exclusive to the Winter Soldier activation. I anticipate there will likely be some overlap as memories and neural pathways are often related and integrated with one another. In the case of overlap, those pathways will remain. My hope is that there are sufficient unique pathways associated with the activation sequence that we can destroys those pathways without affecting your other memories or the essence of who you are."

Steve crossed his arms. She seemed confident, but her words alarmed him. "Do you mean there's a chance that we could lose who Bucky is in this process? Turn him into… what? A vegetable? A different person?"

She gave a half nod. "It should not be a danger if we limit the degradation to the activation sequence. The algorithm will ignore any pathways that overlap with prior memories not associated with the sequence. You should retain all the memories from your time as the Winter Soldier except for the actual activation process. To create such a complete neural map, you will need to come to Wakanda, Bucky. I have spoken with my father, and he approves your visit—only you and Captain Rogers."

Steve glanced at Bucky and saw a mixture of hope and hesitation in his friend's eyes. He didn't blame Bucky for the apprehension. The procedure sounded both deeply invasive and potentially dangerous.

"Give us a moment, please?" he asked Shuri.

She nodded. "Of course."

Steve muted the line and turned to Bucky. "It's your call."

The daunted, almost apologetic expression on Bucky's face made him look younger than his years. "I guess I don't really have a choice. I can't live any kind of a life with this thing in my head."

Bucky looked at Dr. Abodon. "What do you think?"

The doctor swiveled on the stool, his fingers tapping the notepad. "I'm not familiar with the technology she's talking about, so I can't give you a risk-benefit analysis. We can certainly continue the cognitive behavioral therapy techniques you've been doing, but they aren't effective in removing the effect of the activation codes." He took a breath. "I wish I could give you better answers."

Bucky nodded forlornly. Steve didn't like going into Wakanda blind, trusting the technology of people he'd only spent a few days with, but Shuri and T'Challa seemed straightforward and trustworthy. Steve had a decent read on people, most of the time.

"Can we bring Wanda?" Bucky asked, hopefully. "She's probably the person best able to intervene if something goes wrong."

"That's a great idea." The last couple of times Shuri activated the Winter Soldier, things didn't go so well. If they kept Wanda in the lab, she could stop Bucky from hurting himself in the restraints if something went wrong. "If the Wakandans agree, I'll ask Wanda."

Steve unmuted the connection. "Thank you for waiting, Shuri. We're honored to accept your kind offer. We would like Wanda Maximoff to accompany us as an added safety precaution to prevent Bucky or anyone else being injured. Wanda's unique abilities will allow her to safely contain Bucky should the need arise."

Shuri looked uncertain, her mouth pressed into a hard line. She glanced at someone off-screen, then sighed. "I will have to discuss that with the King. As you know, our ways do not allow outsiders in Wakanda. If you and Barnes are to be granted entry, it will be under strict conditions, and you must sign another nondisclosure agreement related to our technology."

Steve nodded. T'Challa had required the Avengers sign such an agreement before their visit to help Bucky. "That's not a problem. When might you be able to discuss our request with the King?"

"I will do so tomorrow and contact you after I have an answer, Captain Rogers," the teenager informed him.

"Thank you."

"One more thing, Bucky." Shuri shifted her gaze to the man. "I understand you've been having new sleep disturbances since our sessions?"

Bucky nodded.

"Do you still have them?"

Steve knew the answer to that question just by looking at his friend's face. Between the nightmares and the sleep hallucinations, Bucky looked perpetually sleep-deprived.

"A little less frequently, but yes," Bucky told her.

She nodded solemnly. "I hope to be able to help you with those, as well, but if you decide not to come here, I'll work with Dr. Abodon on a solution."

"Thank you," Bucky replied.

The connection ended, and Steve turned to Dr. Abodon. "From what you saw of their technology, do you think she can do what she says?"

"I think she has the best chance of anyone." Dr. Abodon rose from his chair. "Her neural scanners are decades ahead of anything else I've seen. There's always a risk when destroying neural pathways. The brain is still pretty much a black box when it comes to how it all coalesces to form and store memories, how genes and neural patterns influence personality, emotion, and behavior. She's right in her assessment of risk. By destroying certain pathways," he looked directly at Bucky, "you might lose memories permanently."

"I can live with losing a few memories if it means getting rid of this Hydra bomb in my head," Bucky replied. "But can she do it? You said my neurons regenerate to some extent, which is why the electricity didn't kill me or permanently damage my brain. Can she permanently destroy neural connections?"

"She seems to think so, and since we don't know much about Wakandan technology, we'll have to trust her assessment," Dr. Abodon replied. "Bucky, would you have time for a private session now? Given the information presented, there are a few things I think it important for you to think about before making a final decision."

Bucky opened his mouth to respond when FRIDAY's voice emanated from the ceiling. "Captain Rogers, Fury has arrived, and your presence is requested in the conference room."

Steve slapped Bucky on the arm. "You can stay here and continue the discussion if you like. I'll catch up with you later."

Bucky turned to the Doctor as Steve headed off for the impending alien doom planning session. "I'm all yours. What's up?"

-0- -0- -0-

"Thanos controls several armies, including the Chitauri, Sakaaran, and Outriders," Captain Danvers told the room, seated at the end of the table, her eyes hovering on Fury. "This planet would have no defense against an all-out assault. The attack you successfully defended against earlier was miniscule in comparison to what you can expect if Thanos turns the full force of his attention to Earth."

Steve let her grim words hang in the air. Fury, Natasha, Tony, Sam, Wanda, and even Vision looked anxious. What would Thanos want with Earth? The first attack had been led by Loki—would Loki be behind the upcoming attack?

"Is there any reason you can think of why Thanos would focus on Earth?" Steve asked.

Danvers shook her head. "I can't be sure. Thanos is searching for Infinity Stones, which would give him great power." She looked at the stone in Vision's forehead. "He wants all six, and you have one right here."

"The Mind Stone?" Tony asked.

Steve straightened. It was beginning to make sense, and it gave him a sinking feeling in his gut. "Thor said the Mind stone is the fourth Infinity Stone to show up in the last few years. He thinks someone is behind the scenes, making a play. Thor's out there," he jerked his head upward, "trying to figure out who's behind this and what's coming."

"How can we contact Thor?" Danvers asked.

Fury sighed. "He contacts us."

"We could try painting big white letters on the front lawn," Tony suggested with a sarcastic smile. "I told the guy not to leave."

"So, Thanos is coming here to collect the Mind Stone." Steve announced. "Thor has another one—the Tesseract Stone."

Danver's chin shot up. "The Tesseract contains the space stone. Thor has that?"

"Thor's brother Loki used the Tesseract to open a portal in space so aliens could invade our planet," Tony clarified. "That was the attack in New York. We defeated them, as you know, captured Loki, and Thor took Loki and the Stone back to Asgard for safe keeping."

"I am familiar with Asgard," Danvers said. "It is a highly advanced civilization. I will attempt to contact Thor and see what else I can learn about Thanos and the location of the remaining infinity stones. I'll report back with any information I find." She reached into the side pack of her belt and pulled out a flat disk. "In the meantime, use this if you need to contact me. It will allow for real-time communication." She placed it on the table in front of her and showed them how to activate it.

"Thank you," Fury said.

"No thanks are necessary," Danvers replied. "We can't allow Thanos to succeed—more than the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. Countless worlds will pay the price if we fail." She gave the group a curt nod. "Keep the communication device somewhere safe and well-monitored. I'll use it to contact you, as well."

"Will do." Tony palmed the device.

"Are you leaving immediately?" Steve asked, rising from his chair.

"Yes. The impending attack may be almost three years away, but we can't afford to waste time when the stakes are so high."

As Danvers made her exit, Fury turned to Steve. "About your friend, Barnes…."

Steve sank back into his chair. He didn't like Fury's tone, and he didn't want to hear more bad news. He'd had his fill of bad news.

"What is it?" He forced himself to ask.

"Remember, I said if I know he's here, others do, too?" Fury began. "Well, they do. There are still some Hydra operatives in hiding. They don't pose a substantial threat, but they're taking the position that if Hydra can't use the Winter Soldier, they'll make damn sure the Avengers don't, either. Someone leaked to the feds that the assassin who destroyed the Triskelion and part of DC is the Winter Soldier and that he is alive and being held here."

Steve rubbed his forehead as though he could wipe away the heaviness of the day's events. "The leaker is Hydra."

"Yes."

"And what evidence did they provide?"

"Oh, you know, cell phone and security camera footage of the confrontation in Hungary, along with other anonymous tips" Fury answered. "Your uniform is recognizable and the footage of Barnes is blurry and grainy since he moves fast. Fortunately, cameras didn't get clear images of his face at the Triskelion, on account of all the blowing shit up that he did. Too much fire and smoke, or his hair was over his face. Basically, very few people know that Barnes is the Winter Soldier, and no one's expecting the Howling Commando who supposedly died in 1944 to be alive, so there's that in our favor. We need to keep as much of a lid on this as possible. What the feds suspect is that you captured the Winter Soldier in Hungary, brought him here, and for reasons unknown, are holding him. Since he's one of the most wanted Hydra agents still unaccounted for, expect someone to come knocking on your door."

"This is the last thing we need right now," Natasha piped up.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "We should be focusing on, you know, the aliens."

"The feds don't know about the aliens," Fury said. "We need to let them know. We all need to be on the same page and come up with a story about why and when the aliens are returning, and how we know. Since they know aliens exist and pose a threat, thanks to Loki and the New York attack, we shouldn't have too hard a time making up something to convince them that there's a timetable on a return trip."

"How are we supposed to explain it?" Sam asked. "Tell them that Steve, Tony, and Natasha followed the Winter Soldier into the future and then back again?"

"Well, obviously," Fury replied, "leave out the time travel stuff. That would just sound crazy."