The jet came into view and immediately disappeared from sight behind a line of trees. Rhodey had arrived.

"He's here," Steve said. He remained on the balcony for a few moments, debating with himself if he should go meet him and imagining how it would go. Rhodey would apologize and say he didn't want to be there any more than they wanted him there and it would be the truth. Steve didn't envy him his mission. Turning around, the sight of Bucky sitting on the floor, clothes scattered around him, caught him off guard. He was folding them into a neat pile. Bucky wasn't a sloppy housekeeper, but he wasn't this fastidious either.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Practising," Bucky replied. "Who knows how long I'll be this way, so might as well get used to it. You can go see him if you want, but I think it would be best if I kept my distance."

Whatever Bucky was doing was at odds with the attitude he had about his disability until now but Steve decided not to point it out.

"No, it's ok," Steve said. "Rhodey agreed to Wanda and Vision's experiment, as long as he gets to monitor it. T'Challa said we could watch a video feed of the whole thing from here." Before he could say anything more, his computer beeped.

"Looks like you've got a message. Most people use their phones these days…" Bucky said as he placed a belt on top of his pile of clothes. There was something he didn't like about it, so with one movement he pushed it all to the side and started over.

"I know, I've caught up, I just haven't gotten around to…" The computer interrupted him again so he came inside to look at the screen. "A message... from Tony? A written message? Not a video message?"

"You just saw him…"

"Yeah," He clicked on the icon, surprised to see not a quick note but a letter.

Steve,

I'm writing this to you as it's easier for me to organize my thoughts this way than it is to say them, and as you know, my mouth usually gets me in trouble. Something is wrong.

When I fell asleep, I dreamed of both my lives and saw all the things I've done, and every bad thing that happened that was my fault. Some of wasn't my fault, but I thought it was, because hey, who else was there to blame?

I saw you after you woke up, and you seemed to be alright, and thought that was how it would be with me, but it's not. I'm walking around with two lives inside my head and neither one will give way to the other. It's hell. The other guy is more like you and I hate that, not that I hate you but… you're you and I'm not if that makes any sense. I think it's the same with Natasha and Rhodey. Natasha is living with depression, and Rhodey threw himself into his work, refusing to talk about it. Clint is angry at us, Wanda, Vision, and Peter are so... young. That leaves you.

I came here, not just to help Bucky, but I brought Natasha with me in hopes the Wakandans can help us. What did you do? Why did you come out of this... on the other side, ok when the rest of us aren't? What did we do wrong? What did you do... right?

Bruce worries me. He' ok at the moment but he could go under any time. If this happened to us, what will life be like for him on the other side? We're not thinking straight. I think it might be up to you to find answers for us, to see if we can somehow fix this. We need your help. Do everything you can but why am I worried. You're Captain America, Steve Rogers, you won't let me down.

Tony

The message was a strange mix of Tony' personality, and someone else. Everything about this was disturbing. Wong had said the reason, Tony, Natasha, and Rhodey took so long to come out of their deep sleep was because they were fighting the meld, but what did that mean? He searched his memory, doing his best to remember when he fell asleep and the vague strange dream he could barely remember, but couldn't think of a thing that could help them.

"What's up?" Bucky asked. "You look worried."

"I am worried," he replied. "Tony just told me he and Natasha and Rhodey are walking around with both lives in their heads."

Bucky stopped with his exercise, a sock dangling from his hand. "That doesn't sound healthy but it might explain why Natasha is acting the way she is," he said. He was working on another pile of clothes, this time they were Steve's.

"He wants me to see what I can do to fix this and I don't have the slightest idea how to do that and he's worried about Bruce. Wong's asleep. Thor's asleep. Strange is on the other side of the cosmos. I'm on my own here and I have no idea what I did that was different!"

Bucky put down the sock, steadied himself to stand up, then took a few steps to sit down on the sofa. "Come here," he said. Steve obeyed, joined him. Bucky reached out to him and pulled him close, his hand guiding Steve's head so it was resting on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through his hair and gently caressed the back of his head.

"I think this happened," he said. "Me. As soon as we decided we were together, you fell asleep and woke up and then we were really together. I, we... triggered something."

Steve pulled back, blue eyes meeting blue, and he tried to decipher Bucky's meaning. "Are you trying to say something like 'love conquers all?"

"Not exactly, but I think you wanted it to happen. You wanted to adjust to this life. There's things they don't want to give up…"

"What?"

"We might never know, but maybe they need to want it, be willing to give up certain things."

Another beep from the computer. Steve pulled himself away from Bucky to check it out. "That was quick. Rhodey, Vision and Wanda are leaving right away, going to The Plains of something I can't pronounce…"

"Northern part of the country. It won't take them long to get there," Bucky said.

At that moment there was a knock on the door. Steve opened started to toward it but Bucky stopped him.

"I think this is for me," he said, opening the door. A Wakandan Palace worker was standing there, holding out two large backpacks.

"White Wolf," he said, then handed them over. Bucky took them, placing his arm through the straps of both, said thank you in Wakandan and then closed the door with his foot. He laid the backpacks on the sofa and after a moment of finagling with his one hand, unzipped one.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked.

"Packing. Just in case. When I first came here, there was a constant threat someone might come for me. T'Challa and I put a contingency plan in place in case a saboteur got through their safeguards and defenses. There's a network out there, of T'Challa's people, always on alert, ready to help me. I don't want to put Colonel Rhodes in a position where he has to disobey orders and he won't if he can't find me. There are people who will travel with me and will help me out, but I want you to come with me. I'll understand if you want to stay, try to find a solution for your friends."

Steve turned to his computer and stared at the message. Conflict raged inside him. Tony and the others needed someone with a clear head to stay close by. What would happen to Bruce? Would he fall asleep and wake up caught in two worlds, in danger of becoming a perpetual rage monster?

"Maybe it won't be like that. Maybe Rhodey will convince them to leave you alone?" He offered.

"He might try, but he would get in trouble for it. You saw the Security Council. At the risk of sounding paranoid, they always thought I got off too lightly and this would be their chance to put me away..."

"That's what you were really doing with the clothes, figuring out what we need to take. Those aren't regular backpacks. Those are for rough backcountry camping…" Steve said. The bags were long, with frames made of vibranium, and several large compartments. Enough room for a sleeping bag and a tent.

"We might be in some rough places, but they're your friends, been your friends for a lot longer than me, and you owe them. I can find someone willing to travel with me, to help me out, but I'll be honest, I'd rather it be you," Bucky said.

Steve forced his mind back to Tony's plea. He thought about deleting it and pleading ignorance if asked about it. An idea formed itself in his head.

"I have an idea," he said, getting up and gathering the rest of scattered clothes went through the door to the bedroom. Bucky slipped his arm through one backpack and using his hand to hold the other followed him. Together they piled it all on the bed.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"I need to talk to Clint. He's got the most seniority of the group."

"Won't he be with the others?"

"Clint's been keeping to himself these days."

Clint's quarters weren't far away, just down the next hall. Steve knocked on the door. A muffled just a minute from the other side, and there was Clint. He had scars and a neutral expression on his face.

"Cap," He said without enthusiasm. That hurt. Steve remembered the man who came to running to his side when he asked. "Buck," he said acknowledging his companion. There was a definite change in his demeanor when he spoke to Bucky. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, all things considered. It's not like I haven't done this before."

"Clint, can we talk to you for a few minutes?" Steve asked. "We need a favor."

Clint said nothing but moved back to let the two men inside the room. "What do you need?" He asked. There was little enthusiasm in his voice.

"You heard about what's going on, with Rhodey," Steve asked.

"Rhodey," he said, then laughed, but it was a cynical, dry laugh. "I never knew Rhodey. I knew Colonel Rhodes. I don't know who this new guy is, or who any of you are. Things are so mixed up, I don't know who I knew or who I didn't but to answer your question I know. I hear things."

"Natasha, Tony, they're having problems…"

"All this messing around, blending, merging and then I get taken away…" he slammed his fist against the wall. He gave Steve a long hard stare.

"We tried to find you, Clint…"

"I don't remember a damn thing. I apparently had a family. What happened?"

"Clint…"

"Things seemed to have worked out for the two of you. I heard about that too…" he said, directing his statement to Bucky.

"It wasn't easy. At first, I yelled, broke things, but you know what they did with the Consortiums. They've gone through a lot to prove they came here to help." Bucky placed his hand on Clint's shoulder. "Clint, I might have to leave. If Vision and Wanda can't take care of things, I have to go. I can't stay here, not with the Security Council breathing down T'Challa's neck and I don't want Rhodey to get in trouble, he's a good guy. I can't go alone, because of... this," He said, nodding toward his missing arm. "Steve has to come with me."

"This Rhodey must be a good guy if you're speaking up for him, considering what he was before. What do you need me to do?" Clint walked away from them to the window.

"Just look out for them. Work with T'Challa, see if you can help them. I know, you're angry with us, and you have a right to be, but if nothing else, the younger ones need…" Steve said.

"A babysitter?"

"They didn't do anything wrong. I can't leave them leaderless, but I can't stay," Steve said. "We need you to be here, in case Thor or any of the others try to get in touch, to be the anchor. You were the one who wanted the team to come clean about Paris, and because you pushed it, the Consortiums are gone and that's because of you wanting to do the right thing, I know you'll do it again. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess I kind of do. But I'm doing this to help Bucky, not you." Clint crossed his arms.

"That's all I'm asking. Thank you, Clint. And please tell Sam. He'll be the first person they go after and we can't go near him...but he was a soldier. He'll understand."

"So, let Sam know, look after the kids, and try to hold things together. All I ask is you wait and see what happens out there."

"Sounds fair," Bucky said. "We need to get ready, just in case." With a nod to Clint, they left the room and made the short trip back to their quarters and went immediately to the bedroom.

"It'll be faster if I finish this. What's the plan?" he asked as he packed.

"We'll go down to the village, pick up more of our stuff, and head out over the lake. We'll stop at another village, and from there on to the Babaquovoca Caves."

"T'Challa will know where we are?" Steve asked.

"Not exactly, but he'll know who to ask if he needs to find us. Plausible deniability. You know how it works."

It took time to sort through what they thought they should take and what to leave behind. Bucky decided he should do his share, which slowed them down a little, but Steve let him do what he could. It wasn't long until they heard the familiar beep from the other room.

The link was crystal clear, looking out across a large open field. Vision and Wanda were in the distance, with a large glowing container. In the screen's corner, a small window with an image of Rhodey appeared. Wanda opened the container with her mind and removed the arm, laying it on the ground.

"This feels weird," Bucky said. "Watching this. That was my arm a few days ago."

Wanda's pointed toward it, her energy directed toward the arm. The red flashes started out intense and brilliant but she slowed it down until it was little more than a small red thread. Vision then took over, emitting light from his eyes. He no longer had the mind stone, but Shuri had replicated his abilities as much as she could from the information she had downloaded.

"He's scanning it," Rhodey said.

"Something is happening!" Wanda's voice cut it. "But it will take time and I won't be able to do this continuously."

"That's still good news," Rhodey said. "Bucky, you watching?"

Bucky leaned into the computer. "I'm here."

"The powers that be agreed to wait, so it looks like you have a reprieve. I'm going to report in." He flipped a switch when an unusual sound caught everyone's attention.

"What the hell is that?" He asked. Out of nowhere, a drone appeared, speeding toward the pair. "That's not anything of mine! Damn it. Wanda, Vision... contain that thing…"

The two looked up, horrified at the drone speeding toward them. Vision picked up the arm but was forced to fall back as an energy blast aimed at his small burden, hit both of them, lighting him up to the point that Steve thought it would fry him. Wanda grabbed the metal arm away with her mind and returned it to the container, slamming it shut. She shot out her energy to push the drone away. Vision fell to the ground, his face and body electrified. A moment and he looked more alive than he ever did. He flew upward, speeding away as far as he could across the Wakandan skies, aiming his energy beams toward the drone and it following hard after. Rhodey left his screen and then was out on the big screen hurrying toward Wanda.

"Believe me, that was as much of a shock to me as it was to you. I came here in good faith..." his voice called out. "I don't know what the hell they thought they were doing!" He ducked as Wanda pushed the container back toward the plane, her face frozen in concentration as the energy beams shot out of her hands.

Steve stared at the computer and took a long deep breath. He returned to Tony's letter and with a few clicks sent it on to T'Challa. Maybe he could help them. He felt he had done everything he could. I'm sorry Tony. He shut it down and returned his attention to Bucky. "We should have known they'd try something like this. Wonder what else they've got planned."

"We have to go," Bucky said. "Just for now, until things calm down. Give them time to regroup without worrying about me." Steve didn't like running away, but at the moment, Bucky going into hiding seemed the best move. Him going alone was not an option.

Without another word, they walked back into the bedroom, Steve pulled on one backpack on and slipped the other onto Bucky's shoulders and adjusted it to fit across the seal. He started back into the main room before Bucky stopped him. He knocked on the inside wall three times in a specific place. The wall swung back, opening into a passageway.

"I had no idea this was here," Steve said.

"My job, once upon a time, was to plan things. This is no different. No security cameras here." He entered the passageway and waited for Steve to follow him then shut the hidden door behind him. "This cuts across the edge of the battlefield."

The passageway opened into a nondescript tunnel, sensor lights leading them through the darkness beyond. They came above ground, in what looked like a large opening of an old tree.

"These tunnels are all over and have been here for a long time, in case of a palace coup. They had to use one not long before I came here, but enough of the tour. It's time to run."

"You going to be ok?" Steve asked. "Technically, you're still in recovery."

Bucky nodded and started toward the battlefield and Steve joined him, as they raced together across the field, keeping close to the edge of the forest, running so fast across the flat even ground they were able to arrive at their destination in few minutes, something that would have taken thirty minutes or more for normal men.