"What the hell just happened?" Steve asked. He shivered, shaking away a sensation of coming to the end of a long dark tunnel. When he went into the water, just minutes ago he left Bucky standing on the bank but now he was in the water beside him. It was early afternoon when they came here, and now the sun had dipped low in the sky.

He turned his attention from the sun back to Bucky. He shouldn't be trying to go through unfamiliar waters with one arm. Hidden currents could wash him away, but here he was, holding onto him.

"Steve? Which Steve am I talking to?" He asked, gasping between words. He was frantic. Everything about him was off.

"What do you mean, which Steve? Who the hell else would I be?" he asked. The shivering became more pronounced. "What happened? Did I lose... time?"

Bucky exhaled loud and long. "Something weird just happened. When you came up out of the water before you were the other Steve, my Steve. You, he told me things that only he would know."

"That's impossible!" Steve exclaimed, but he had the evidence of the lost hours and the disorientation in front of him.

"No, it's not, but we need to get out of the water before it happens again. There's something in here that triggered it. Come on," he said. It was then he realized his handicap and allowed Steve to pull his arm over his shoulder as they waded to shore. Once there, he collapsed on the bank, holding his face in his hands. Steve gently reached out and gently tipped his face upward revealing red eyes and silent tears. Bucky wasn't one to cry.

"He was here. For a little while, for a few hours, I got him back. He was happy to be back, we argued, just like we used to. I told him I'd look after him like I always did, but things wouldn't be the same... and I guess he took that as some kind of rejection because he went back into the water. I couldn't stop him… it's like he knew what would happen."

"I'm sorry Buck." Steve sat back, the sun's rays dipping lower. He had no memory of this but Bucky's tears and the setting sun was all the proof he needed.

"I told him the truth, I'd do all those things, but to be honest, I'm glad I have you back." His hand went to his, and he held it tight. "There's something else I have to tell you. Do you know how everyone keeps hinting at a 'higher' agenda? That someone else had a hand in all this?"

Steve nodded, half afraid of the answer.

"It was them, and you. They found out about what would happen because Doctor Strange looked into the future and saw only one way of defeating Thanos, but it meant they would disappear. The world needed them so they did this thing, I guess like Wong did with you, except they thought you would be empty, your minds gone and your bodies just empty shells and they would inhabit your bodies. There was no need for the rest of us to know. It surprised them to find you still alive, the same way you didn't blend the way you thought you would."

Steve's memory went back to the battle of Wakanda, of meeting his counterpart and feeling him combine with his own energy. "That explains why some of them said their counterparts were smiling. We were working at... cross purposes. Damn it!"

"And it could explain everything that's happening with Tony and the others. When they fell into that coma, maybe the other guys woke up and they don't want to leave."

"What will happen with Bruce?" Steve asked but knew there was no answer. He didn't want to think of Bruce being contained again, unable to break free of the other guy.

"Is he gone?" Bucky asked. Steve closed his eyes and searched through his own mind. Things seemed more clear than they ever did since he came here.

"All my memories seem to be my own," He said. "If he's there, he's fast asleep, but I still sense something, but it's faint. I'm sorry," he repeated.

"I lost him a long time ago," Bucky said, taking a deep breath. "I wish our good by had been a little better but knowing him, there probably was no other way. I couldn't fix him and I think we both always knew it."

Somewhere in the darkness, something screeched. A cold almost metallic call.

"What was that?" Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged. "Some animal. Whatever it is, it sounds like it's a few miles away."

"I hope it's not that damn drone. We should get inside," Steve said. "We have a lot to think about."

Once inside, Steve went into one of the side compartments to change. The metallic sound was getting closer so instead of getting ready for bed, opted to change into dry clothes. Coming back into the main room he saw Bucky had done the same.

"I don't think it's an animal," he said.

"Neither do I, but we can't risk going to meet an unknown in the dark, in unfamiliar territory. We should be safe enough in here, and if Vision's right, it won't see us." He dug around in his pack and pulled out a small vibranium powered lantern. He placed it in the tent's middle, turning the switch on to the lowest setting. A calming blue light flooded the tent. At that moment something lit up the area outside, like a lightning strike but it was silent. Nothing struck the tent. Another sound, a low radiated buzz, and another flash.

"Looks like a battle going on out there," Bucky said. He positioned himself into attack mode, half kneeling on the floor, his good arm hanging free ready to hit anything that came after him. That arm could give a good punch on its own.

Steve did the same, wishing he had brought his Shield, but it was back at the Palace, tucked inside the Quinjet. The flashes stopped, and they heard the sound again, but this time it was coming from the opposite direction from where they first heard it.

"I think it's going away," Steve said as he relaxed but immediately tensed up. They could hear footfalls outside the tent.

"Captain Rogers?" A familiar voice rang through the dark. They both relaxed. Steve unzipped the tent flap. "Vision, come in," he said.

Vision, in his human form, entered. "Forgive me, but the drone followed me. I tracked it down to the southern border of the Kingdom, something is going on there, something of which everyone needs to be made aware. Now it is following a false trail away from here. Most of my systems are off, I am on silent running if you will but it might make its way back. We must get word to the Palace but I'm hesitant to go there myself. I assume they do not send their own weapons against it because, as I have said, it is cloaked and the outside world limited knowledge of vibranium at the moment. The drone has the capabilities to calibrate itself. I think that's what they're trying to do, put vibranium on their radar and the Wakandans are too smart to fall into its trap. As for their following me, I believe they are picking up the residue from their own weapons, or perhaps their attack caused it to infuse me with alien technology. That blind spot is the one advantage we have right now.."

"What's happening on the southern border?" Steve asked. "What did you see?"

"There is, as you know, a market town there, Serozi, and I was able to blend in. This form is just one of many I can take," he said. "I lost track of it there, but while searching in the area where I last saw it, there was a group of traders who were trying a little too hard to fit in. I don't have intuition but I see the world in norms and patterns…"

"And something wasn't fitting the pattern," Steve said.

"Precisely. I followed them and to my surprise, discovered them speaking English among themselves. The spoke of losing the target and of entering Tema… posing as a relative."

Steve and Bucky exchanged a mutual glance. They rarely spoke of it by name because there was no need. Tema was their home.

"Then one said it was too risky, as it was too close to the Palace and they decided upon infiltrating one of the other towns along the lake."

"Which one?" Bucky asked.

"I don't know. It was at that moment a loud procession of what I assume were holidaymakers making their way down the street. My hearing is acute, but the noise canceled out the conversation. By the time they had passed through, they had left. I felt it best to warn you at once and I'm sorry that the drone followed me here, but it seemed to concentrate on me and I saw no indication the scanners picked up anything else. I must get word to the Palace."

"We can help you with that," Bucky said, rummaging around in his pack. He produced the small silver device and gave it three clicks. An image of Themba appeared.

"White Wolf," he said. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine. Vision is here with me, and he has a message for T'Challa." Vision repeated his story. The impassive expression on Themba's face melted into concern.

"This is not a surprise," he said. "It is cloaked and staying one step ahead of us, but we are fortunate that their knowledge of vibranium is still limited. Thank you for your surveillance."

"Our friends, are they ok?" Steve asked.

"They brought the arm back to the Palace where it is once again under containment. Doctor Banner, Peter Parker, and Wanda Maximoff have been working nonstop on finding a solution. Mr. Stark assists them when he can but he and Agent Romanoff are the same. Clint Barton and Sam Wilson are looking after them. Colonel Rhodes is furious. They secured the drone inside his plane without his knowledge and operated it remotely. He has been doing his best to reason with the outside authorities but they keep pressing him. The Security Council is, of course, upset that you are gone. We have yet to hear from Wong or Thor."

At the mention of Thor, something about Bucky's face changed. Steve had seen that look before, back in the hospital when they talked of making the elements inert. He had just remembered something.

"Could you tell T'Challa that I think we've found what we were looking for," Bucky said.

Themba nodded. "Yes, of course," and then cut the link.

"What did you mean by that?" Steve asked. Bucky didn't answer right away opting to stare into the blue glow of the lamp. After a moment he disappeared into one of the side rooms and came back with a red water bottle that was part of the camping gear they picked up back at the village.

"Vision, can you fill this with water, from the pool and come back in here and scan it?" Bucky asked. "I have an idea…"

Vision looked bemused for a moment but took the container from Bucky. "If you think it will help," and disappeared into the night.

"What are you thinking?" Steve asked.

"We haven't had time to talk it out, come up with any theories about what happened to you, but there's probably a reason so they allow few people to come here. Thor told me that is the reason we have ghost stories and sacred places. Things are off limits for a reason. There's something in the water. You changed and changed back again."

"I hope to hell it's not magic," Steve said. "I've had enough to last both our lifetimes."

"So have I," Bucky said.

Vision returned, with the bottle. Sitting down in front of the lamp, his eyes became white and a visible light stream penetrated the liquid. After a moment, it stopped. He sat still for a moment, as if going over the results in his mind, then repeated his actions. He did not move for several long minutes, processing what he had just learned.

"To begin with, it is just water, nothing magical, but water mixed with many minerals and elements. It is close to what we describe as hard water. I'm detecting lithium, valium? No, not valium, but valerian, a plant. St. John's Wort and while there are no large deposits here, I am detecting vibranium."

"I'm not a scientist, but that sounds like a hodgepodge of minerals, herbs, and drugs," Steve said.

"Not drugs, but the base elements," Vision said.

"The plants, the flowers, that herb garden outside. I bet they're not just here for decoration," Bucky said. "No wonder this place is off limits. I wonder what each of them does and how do they affect people? Are they supposed to cure something?"

"We already know one thing they do," Steve said. He and Bucky shared a mutual glance. He explained to Vision the events of the preceding hours. "I wish Bruce was here," he said in conclusion.

"These elements separately have a part in the treatment of depression and other mental maladies. Mixed with vibranium they appear to form a Superdrug and my findings I'm afraid, would as much as I might try to break it down…"

"We still wouldn't be able to understand it," Bucky said.

"As I am not human and do not understand these afflictions, you will find my assumptions quite sterile I'm afraid. I agree Doctor Banner would be the best person to examine this."

"Should we try to bring him here?" Bucky asked.

Steve considered the option for a moment. "It's risky. He hasn't had the coma experience yet. What if halfway between here and here, he falls asleep and wakes up as…"

"I think they're supposed to come here," Bucky said. "Or perhaps we are supposed to take this to them. This is what we are looking for, this place, I think it can help all of you."

"If this place can help us, what didn't T'Challa tell us about it before?" Steve asked.

"Because he didn't know? He knew about the blending, but did anyone think to tell him about the weird things going on inside your heads?"

"Of course we didn't," Steve said. "We thought the problem would fix itself."

"Everyone thought a lot of things," Bucky said, He sat down on the ground and fingered the device. "We could send another message, and you could give Bruce the results of your scan but I want to wait. Two messages, so close together, that thing might pick up something…"

"You are right. The first thing we must do is take out that drone," Vision said. "That is my job, then we should proceed with whatever solution is the most viable. I will see you when this mission is complete." With those words, he unzipped the tent and disappeared outside.

Bucky sat on the ground for a long time, staring into the lamp.

"We need to rest," Steve said. "It's been a long day, but to tell you the truth, I'm afraid to close my eyes."

"So am I," Bucky said. "We can't get drunk, drugs have to manufactured specifically for us so we can't just pick up anything that's lying around, I don't understand it, but I hear people use sex for an escape. I can't even do that. We can't forget. You ever think… we're just cursed? Whatever is in that pool... might help us forget…"

"Buck, no! We can't go messing around with that. We don't understand what it does! I know we have advantages other people don't, but I accepted a long time ago, it comes with a price, but the thing is, we don't have to go it alone. We have each other." He sat down beside him and placed his arm around his shoulder. Bucky reflexed at his touch and then buried his face in his shoulder. Steve knew his companion, who rarely flinched from the obstacles life put in front him was crying now, in his silent way.

"I'm so sorry... sorry we did this to you," he said. He kissed the top of his head and pulled him closer.