"A ghost? Ghosts exist here?" Bucky asked, surprised at the fact he wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that were true considering the few things he had learned about them so far. The group exchanged glances, but he took note that no one answered his question. "If she's not real, then who or what is she?"

"We do not know. All we know is our last Queen disappeared long ago. This is as much a surprise to us as it is to you, and the answer is something we must discover for ourselves. My apologies, but we must take you to a holding area. You are not our prisoner but for your own protection. If anyone else sees you, it might cause a panic," the translator said. He didn't know what else to call her. "Follow me. It's not far."

Bucky fell into step beside her, conscience of soft footfalls behind them. He hoped it was Thor keeping them in sight and the idea was reassuring. The soft light reminded him of early morning, just after dawn and the red leafed plants were disconcerting but he was sure there was a reason for it. They walked past a courtyard that reminded him of old ruins in he had seen in England except here; it all looked new and lived in. On the other side was a row of small stone buildings. She opened the door to one and led him inside. It was small but clean. A window on one side revealed a small garden and a high wall. Heavy wooden beams covered the ceiling. The rough-hewn table and chairs taking up the center of the room reminded him of a pioneer's cabin. Off to one side was another door which he assumed was the sleeping area. Red-leafed houseplants were situated on the shelves, along with what looked like scrolls. There were no obvious signs of technology. He had been held in much worse places.

"We have much to discuss among ourselves and it might take time. It would be best if you didn't go wandering." She started toward the door.

"Can you send me back?" Bucky asked.

"Not until we get more answers," she replied, stopping at the door and turning to face him." If what you are saying is true, you might be safer here. We are dealing with an unknown."

"If they are in danger, I should be with them..."

She said nothing for a moment, her eyes on the floor as if pondering something."Can you describe the place?" she asked."The place where you were kept?"

"It was a large empty room," Bucky said. He wasn't sure what to say about the miraculous material. "There was air for us to breathe, and there was light, but we couldn't find a source. The walls glowed."

She took a step closer to him. "I believe what you said, about the merging of two realities. They said I disappeared, and after returning, fell into a deep sleep and when I woke up, I had more knowledge than before. I can do more than I could before, like translate languages, and can sense emotions. I created the portal that brought you here. No one else here knew how to do that. You saw them, they are jealous. There is so much more in my head now. They might think you arrogant, for what you did, but I thank you."

"It wasn't me, but I hope you use your new abilities for good." Bucky wondered why she was sharing all this with him.

"We have an ancient legend, of a place, called...The Vault. A storehouse of treasure and knowledge. I had hoped that might be where they took you."

"If there was a treasure there, I didn't see it," he said. The treasure might be the ever-changing element, whatever that was, but he needed to know more about these people before he would reveal more. Would they use it for good.. or as a weapon of oppression?

"You did not react when we mentioned ghosts. Are they ... a thing where you come from?"

"There was something not... real about Regina," Bucky said, watching her. "Look, I wish I had the answers you're looking for but I've said all I can. I need to get back to... my friends. Can I at least see them?"

"If what you say is proven true, and you are not our enemy, we might arrange that." She took her hand off the door and approached him, pausing between each step. "You have endured much, suffered much. More than your comrades." Her features became hard as if she were trying to concentrate. "Your name is not James, is it?"

Bucky chose not to react. " It's the name I'll use while I'm here. What's yours?" He said as a way to move the conversation away. It unnerved him. If she could do this, he didn't want her to become aware of what he was holding back.

"We do not have names or titles. We are not worthy. You may call me, the Speaker." Her face relaxed. "For now, we must investigate, find out what this means." With that, she was out the door. Bucky sat down and stared out the window.

Since he was alone there was nothing to hold back the images of being pulled away from Steve. The empty feeling of things being out of his control, of his freedom to choose taken away again consumed him. He raised his metal arm and brought it down hard on the table, causing it to break into small pieces. His hang-ups about himself and what he had with Steve seemed so trivial. Now, If he saw him again, he would push past all that. Then there was the unnerving idea his friends might be in danger and the Speaker's ability to sense things about him. He picked a part of the broken table and threw it against the wall. It didn't solve his problems, but it felt good.

A sound of someone outside. Maybe The Speaker returned. He waited, his breathing almost out of control to the point of hyperventilation. After a moment the door opened, and the hooded figure entered and pulled back his head cover. It was Thor. The air released from his chest in one long drawn out motion.

"Greetings, James, if that is the name you wish to use here." He stared down at the broken table and smiled as if in approval. "I would do the same if I were in your position. However, your appearance here was most fortuitous. I tracked the signal through Earth to here, but it faded. I was about to leave this place when they brought you here. I heard what you told them."

"Lucky me. It's good to see you. Bless you, Steve Rogers, for planning ahead and to T'Challa for agreeing to it. How long have you been here?" Bucky said. "This is the second day for us."

"A day and a night. I entered by stealth but it is something I have done before, on other worlds. Who else came with you?"

"Steve," his voice caught a little at saying his name. "T'Challa, Bruce, Wanda, and Peter."

"Ah, the Spider-Boy."

"He prefers Spider-Man. We are all enhanced. They said we were the only ones strong enough to make the trip. How many of them are there here?"

"There is a sizable community here but the ones with you appeared to be their leaders. This place is walled, can only be reached by an entrance through a cave. It exists in seclusion from the rest of their civilization but there is a city nearby."

Buck sat down in a chair, moving a piece of wood that had fallen there. "You can call me Bucky. I'm sorry, I didn't know your counterpart all that well. He showed up when things got to be too much for us, like with Thanos,"

Thor threw back his head and laughed. "So my story is the same in both worlds. And by your words, I take it that Steven told you what we did. I didn't know your counterpart at all, but I knew his story and that my friend thought he was worth saving, and he did not disappoint him." His voice trailed off and for a few seconds a sadness seemed to wash over him but he replaced that with a smile. "And I am confident, neither will you. But now, the trip. Can you describe it, and I know you didn't tell your hosts everything... but tell me."

Bucky went into detail, describing the tunnel of light, the magic material, the food and the rooms, the lab. Thor listened intently then sat back for a while going over this information in his mind.

"I had heard stories, of travelers going missing in this section of space but investigations revealed nothing of any consequence. This place would be almost invisible to an ordinary being but I am not ordinary. The rest of the planet is not like this," he said.

'Like this...?"

"It's a progressive civilization on par with your own world. They have the technology, but no space travel. I don't think most of the people out there are aware of the existence of this...compound."

"A place set apart. That's what Regina said."

"Ah yes. The ghost."

"I don't know if she was a ghost but she didn't seem real. A hologram, maybe?"

"A long-running hologram, if we can believe these people. Something has to power the technology. I wonder if this might not be... some sort of religious community."

"A religion?"

"Perhaps. Ah, before I forget, take this. It will go well with your arm." Thor handed Bucky a gold band. "Slip it around your wrist. It is a tracker, in case something separates us." Bucky put the band on his wrist and it disappeared against the backdrop of the vibranium.

"Thank you. Did you find your people? Are they ok?"

"Yes, they are in a temporary haven, under the care of my watchful friends. It was hard, the coming together. Much chaos but eventually..." He stopped. Bucky sensed a slight tremor in the room. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes..." Before they could react the bits of the table raised up, some of them flying across the room. Bucky had to duck his head to keep being hit by one and the one he was holding shot out of his hand. One by one they snapped back together and settled on the floor. The table had repaired itself.