Chapter 12 - Guide to Control
"I apologize that once again you were taken from my country. I promised you safe haven here," T'Challa told Clint once they returned to Wakanda. T'Challa would have apologized earlier but by the time they had taken down the entire building, Clint had fallen asleep, his head laying on Bucky's metal shoulder. How the archer found that comfortable, no one had really dared to ask. Clint waved a hand at the king.
"It's fine. We already knew Hydra was like fucking rats. Hard to get rid of," the archer responded. Scott snorted, making everyone look toward him. When he noticed, he raised an eyebrow and waved his hand toward Clint.
"How can you not find that funny?" the man demanded. No one replied. "Come on, Hydra being rats, T'Challa being a cat!"
"I have enhanced abilities similar to a panther. I am not an actual cat," T'Challa argued. Scott huffed and rolled his eyes. He was still of the same position. It was funny.
"Back to an actual topic and concern," Sam proposed. "How are we going to get rid of Hydra for good?"
"You can't," Bucky and Clint replied at the same time.
"What do you mean?" Sam wondered.
"Stevie thought he beat them in the 40s. Hell, the Commandos and Peggy thought they had gotten all the stragglers. The new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D had claimed the same. Yet, there is enough of Hydra to still be a threat to Clint and myself," Bucky explained.
"We've now killed at least three Rumlows in the past. Yet he keeps coming back. And he always said the last one was a LMD. Hydra, or even Rumlow himself, had to of made maybe hundreds or more LMDs. And that's just Rumlow. Who knows how many other agents or even Hydra leaders are still out there," Clint added. Sam winced. "The only way we'd have any chance of winning is finding where those LMDs are either stored or made and destroying them. And that's not even counting the amount of those places. If it's anything like the Chair, we'll also need to destroy the notes on how to make more."
"Depressing," Rhodes grumbled. Clint and Bucky shrugged. It was the truth. They needed to hit everything and it had taken them years to get Hydra to a point were they should have been gone. To do it again with not just one place but who knew how many? Clint and Bucky would certainly be left in trouble the entire time. Especially Clint.
"Okay, so we'll work on that," Sam swore. Clint crossed his arms over his chest.
"We can work all you want. But it doesn't stop the current problem in time. I am a gigantic danger to everyone here," the archer pointed out. Bucky huffed and placed a hand on the archer's shoulder.
"We ain't putting you in cryo," the Sergeant told him. Clint sighed deeply. It would have been the best option. Keep him out of the way, maybe hidden somewhere. "If Hydra is hidden here in Wakanda, there isn't anything to say that they won't just steal you right out of here."
"We can easily find some other way," Clint pressed.
"What about the Guardians? Send Clint off Earth?" Wanda suggested. Clint blanched. He really didn't want to go back into outer space even if it was a great idea. It had been nice hanging out the the guardians before but he had also had Loki. Those memories of being with the trickster and being taught magic would hurt him once he got back on the Milano.
"That maybe unwise," T'Challa called. They all looked to him. "While it is good to remove Clint from Earth, it may hurt us in the end. There maybe times when we will need a second super soldier."
"But all they need to do is active the trigger words," Clint grunted.
"Hey, can you turn off your aids?" Rhodes questioned. Clint frowned. If he hadn't been turned into a super soldier, it might have worked. But the serum had been slowly healing his ears. Something he hadn't told anyone. After nearly seven years since being injected, Clint's hearing had turned to sixty percent hearing rather than the eighty it had been before. Slowly he shook his head making the air-man furrow his brows. "I thought you were like eighty percent deaf."
"Not anymore," Clint muttered.
"What do you mean, not anymore?" Bucky asked. Clint sighed.
"The serum has been healing me. It's not like what happened with Steve or anything. It's really slow going," Clint admitted. Bucky frowned. If Clint's ears had been healing based on their messed up serum, why wasn't his arm regrowing? "Docs said that the serum's gonna finish fixing my hearing within the next six years or so. Then they said I'd need to have my implants removed."
"Can't the serum just push it out?" Scott wondered. Hope slapped his arm.
"They say that the serum can't fix that area cause somethings already there. Basically, it believes the implants are part of me."
"Explains why my arm never fixed itself after seventy years," Bucky mumbled, glaring down at the metal arm. If it was slow growing, then Shuri would never had noticed regrowth when she gave him the new arm before Thanos came to collect the last stones. Sighing, he looked to Clint. "How good is your hearing now?"
"Sixty percent. With my aids turned off, I'd still be able to hear enough that someone could trigger me."
"Damn, why-"
"Rhodes, don't finish that. I've said it a thousands times. If it was easy, the Avengers wouldn't be dealing with it," Sam hissed, holding a finger up in Rhodes direction, stopping the man from finishing. Rhodes huffed.
"We'll figure this out. Or at least, make it safer for Clint to be out and about," Bucky swore, looking around at everyone. Clint's shoulders sagged and no one could tell if it was relief or the feeling of defeat.
"I hope so."
Having some sort of plan to hash out, Sam spent most of his time with T'Challa and Shuri, investigating. Rhodes left to go do some military duty or whatever. Scott decided it was time to visit his girl and see how she was doing. Hope decided to travel with. That left Wanda, Bucky and Clint left roaming Wakanda with no real intent on a place to go.
"I don't understand why Shuri and I can't remove the words," Wanda huffed a week after Sam and T'Challa went to find a place Hydra would have LMDs or the equipment to make them. "It was put in the same way. Should be easy."
"My serum is slightly different than Bucky's. Maybe that difference made the trigger words latch onto my brain in a different way," Clint suggested. Bucky snorted.
"Or it's just your brain," the Sergeant joked. Wanda laughed as Clint whined a 'hey.' Sobering for a moment, Bucky's face nearly blanked out from emotion. "It sucks that we can't make this work."
"You know what," Clint called, jumping in front of Wanda and Bucky. They pulled to a stop. "What if you trigger me and tell me to obey only you?"
"No," Bucky hissed. Clint raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"I'd have to forever watch what I could say around you. There is no way to really get you out of the conditioning," Bucky snapped. Clint's gaze turned to the ground in sadness. He hadn't thought of it that way.
"He snapped out before," Wanda mentioned. Bucky shook his head.
"That was a fluke. I should know. There is no proof that it would work again. And it happened when Rumlow kept telling him to return back to the corner of the room while I kept telling him to release me," Bucky stated. Clint frowned. He thought back to that event. While his body had warred itself against who to listen to, it hadn't changed until Bucky said please. "I don't want to risk him staying under my control."
"I understand your fear," Clint responded. Bucky looked up and glared at him. "But, I know you won't abuse it. It's one of the best options we got."
"I'd rather you go to space," Bucky snarled before turning back the way they came and storming off. Clint closed his eyes, seriously beginning to regret what he had been asking Bucky to do. It was clear that neither of them really liked the idea of Clint being controlled by someone. But, they needed to do something. T'Challa had been right. They might need Clint at some point and he may be too far away with the guardians to be able to help.
"I'll go talk to him," Wanda tried to soothe but stopped when Clint shook his head.
"No. I'll go," he mumbled before walking off after Bucky's receding form. They managed to walk around three different sets of hallways before Bucky stopped.
"What do you want, Barton?" Bucky growled. Clint sighed. Back to last name.
"To talk." Bucky snorted.
"Gonna tell me how me controlling you is a wonderful idea?" Bucky countered, turning to face the archer. Clint winced.
"Going to apologize," the archer muttered. Bucky's raised an eyebrow. "Look. I get that that option sucks for you but, what else can we do?"
"There has got to be something. Everyone is thinking of different ways," Bucky grumbled. Clint shook his head with a harsh exhale of breathe.
"Look, we can think of a thousand different ways to fix it and a thousand and two ways of it backfiring. Having you in control of me, I can't find a downside outside of you accidentally ordering me to do something," Clint told the soldier. Bucky's gaze turned to look up at the ceiling.
"I... I can't, Clint," the Sergeant whispered. Clint frowned. "After the 107th, I don't think I can order people around anymore. Even if it's accidental. What if we're out fighting and I order you to shoot something but in doing so, you lose the opportunity to either defend yourself with that arrow or use it to escape a dangerous situation?"
"Honestly, from what we've learned, I can only follow orders that name me as Luchnik," Clint replied. Bucky snorted. While that was technically true, they had also seen that Clint followed the orders in English. What if he called out 'archer?' Then again, Bucky highly doubted he'd call Clint by that, ever. Still, what if someone else called that out and when Bucky ordered him to do something, would Clint do it? Bucky shook his head before looking back to Clint.
"I can't risk it, Clint. I don't feel anywhere near comfortable with that plan."
"You think I don't?" Clint growled, making Bucky step back in surprise. "You don't think I'm not fucking terrified? It's like I'm under Loki's control again but this time, anyone can get to me. Not one person."
"And so, you want me to take Loki's place?" Bucky snarled. Clint shook his head.
"No. I want you to take control and keep me safe." Bucky stilled.
"What?"
"When Loki first came through the portal from... Where ever he had been. He put the Scepter, or Mind Stone, against my chest. I lost myself. Forced to think he was not only my boss but my... Everything. I loved him. Loved him so god damn much," Clint started to explain. Bucky paled. That sounded nothing like he thought. Actually, didn't sound like what Clint use to say before. "Never told anyone cause it felt wrong. But, he hardly had to verbally order me to do things. If Loki hadn't spoken to me when we were in his memories, I would never had known I actually had been able to fight. I just thought I bent to his will. After having... Having Rumlow control me, I can see the extreme difference. With Loki, if he told me to jump, I'd do it, no questions asked. Where with Rumlow, I had a small opportunity to stall. Ask how high, where to jump and crap like that. I was able to feel myself fight. Like I had some sort of control even if he could order me."
"Clint-"
"When Rumlow ordered me to capture you and kill the others, it wasn't my body's or the conditioning that had me attack. It was my instinct. Instinct that I could delay by a millisecond or something. Enough time to give you guys warning as to what I was doing. With Loki, there wouldn't have been anything. It would have been over before any of you saw me." Clint sighed and looked toward the ground. Bucky could feel guilt rolling through him. His eyes were beginning to twinge as he tried to stop tears from forming.
"I had-"
"No idea, I know. I don't think I told anyone about that. And I doubt Wanda saw the extent of what I went through for those three days," Clint interrupted, looking back up to stare at Bucky. "Hell, I don't even think Loki understood what the Mind Stone did to me. He explained it to me what if felt when he was under Thanos's control. It was nothing like what I felt. Speaking with Selvig, his was different too. He was more loyal to the Tesseract, or Space Stone, then he was Loki." Clint paused, making sure Bucky was fully understanding what he was trying to say. Judging by the look on Bucky's face, Clint knew he understood. "That's why, I'm mostly okay with you being the only one who could control me."
"Clint..." Bucky started, his face shifting into a saddened grimace. "I don't think I will ever be okay with that. As you said, I know what it was like. And even if it feels different than Loki, I want you to be under your own power."
"I trust you," Clint softly replied. Bucky winced and Clint knew immediately what the Sergeant was thinking. So, he walked forward and placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder, leaning the man toward him and pressing their foreheads together. "Bucky, I trust you."
Bucky let out a sudden and soft sob. It was broken, pained. Clint closed his eyes, feeling like absolute shit. He shifted his stance, pulling Bucky in for a hug and the duo just stood there as Bucky seriously wept over what Clint had said and was asking. It felt like hours before Bucky was finally able to calm down. Clint didn't let go until Bucky attempted to pull himself away. He ended the hug, but shifted his hands to rest on Bucky's shoulders again, not letting him get too far away.
"Bucky, please?" Clint whispered, making the soldier focus on him. Inhaling a broken breathe, Bucky closed his eyes.
"Longing, Rusted," Bucky began. Clint felt a chill run up his spine. Bucky hitched a break. "Seventeen, Daybreak." His voice cracked but the words still made Clint feel the control falling over him. "Furnace, Nine, Benign." Clint was able to softly squeeze Bucky's shoulder in thanks. Bucky's eyes snapped closed. "Homecoming, One." Moaning, Bucky reopened his eyes, seeing Clint's partially glazed gaze staring back at him. It nearly made him stop but he knew that he needed to finish. Clint was right. He needed to order the archer to only follow him. "Freight car."
A final chill ran up Clint's spine and the archer stiffened. Bucky snapped his eyes closed and backed away, Clint's hands easily dropping off. The archer was focused solely on Bucky, waiting for a command. But now, Bucky found he wasn't sure he could. Pained, Bucky rubbed his flesh hand over his face.
"Bucky? Clint?" a female voice called down the hall. Bucky shifted slightly to look behind Clint. Wanda was coming down the hall. She frowned when Clint didn't turn to look at her. Swallowing tensely, Bucky focused back on Clint.
"Luchnik, I want you to only follow my commands. No one else can order you to do something," Bucky quickly demanded. Clint's eyes closed to show that he was accepting the order. Not that they could really test it right now. Wanda rushed forward, not quite at a run but a fast enough pace that she was beside Clint before Bucky could do anymore orders.
"Bucky! What did you do?" she cried, shocked. Bucky winced.
"He wanted me too. Told me our best option was me ordering him to not follow anyone but me," the Sergeant defended. Wanda raised an eyebrow and shifted, drawing her hands up to send her magic toward Clint and read his memories. "Luchnik, do the spell that stops you from draining other's magic!"
Wanda stilled for half a second, forgetting that the trigger words would ruin the archer's concentration on that spell. She closed her eyes, tears slowly starting to form before she finally sent her magic toward Clint's head. The archer's eyes flicked to her before refocusing back on Bucky with a near questioning gaze. Bucky couldn't stop himself from wincing. How was he going to get Clint out of this state? Return him to normal? What would be the best way to word it?
"Oh," Wanda muttered under her breath before dismissing her magic and dropping her hands. She gave Clint another once over before turning to look at Bucky. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."
"It's fine. We argued about it for a while before I actually did it," Bucky replied. He glanced to the archer. "Now, how am I gonna snap him out?"
"Maybe order him to not be under control?" Wanda suggested. Bucky raised an eyebrow and seriously thought about it.
"Can't hurt to try. Luchnik," Bucky commanded, watching Clint. The archer made no reaction so far. "I want you to forget about those words. Act and think on your own..." He glanced at Wanda for help. That didn't sound at all like it'd work. She made a face that indicated she had no idea what else to add. Bucky refocused on Clint. "You will no longer be under anyone's control, even if they state your... Commanding words."
There they paused. None of the trio moved, just waiting for something to happen. After a minute or two, Bucky looked back to Wanda. Her face looked pained and tears were slowing falling down her face. This was why Bucky hadn't wanted to do this! He'd never be able to word things right. "Clint?"
"I don't think it worked," Bucky mumbled under his breath when the archer didn't respond.
"Try again!" Wanda demanded. Bucky winced.
"Luchnik," he started. "I... You will not be standing around waiting for orders. Instead, you will blend into whatever situation you face as if you were not under control. Act how Clint Barton would act."
Clint's body shivered seconds before the archer gasped. He closed his eyes, his face morphing into sadness. "Bucky-"
"Don't. Please, just don't," Bucky begged before spinning on his heel and walking away. Behind him, he heard Wanda speaking with Clint. The archer seemed to be back... But, Bucky knew he technically wasn't really.
On time! BooYah!
Thought I was actually going to be late this week... Didn't sleep at all last night. But, I got up and was like 'first thing first, edit and post! Then debate sleep.' So, if there are errors, that's why. I did this half asleep. Well... Edited half asleep. It was already written... Anyways. Darius is doing great. Having no big issues. We did have a minor health scare that I can't remember if I mentioned last post or not... But, he's good. No issues. Hubby's store started back up a RPG night so I had fun doing that. Can't wait for next weeks. And uh... That's about it I think.