Chapter 8

Checkmate part 2

'… I followed your advice,' Bucky tried carefully, his eyes slightly squinted in concern as he looked at Tony. The playboy turned around with a deadly glare, but Bucky managed to continue just before the man could shout at him again. 'I talked to Steve.'

Hearing the name of the one he loves so dearly, Tony managed to take a deep breath. 'You don't say,' he uttered as he now turned to the computer and started to scroll through some data.

'You were right,' Bucky continued, noticing how the playboy seemed to calm down, a little at least. 'Things couldn't continue the way they did and, thanks to you, Steve and I managed to talk it out.'

'Trying to concentrate here,' Tony grumbled as his eyes remained locked on the computer screen in front of him.

'I just wanted to thank you…' The soldier muttered softly.

As Bucky remained silent for a moment, he noticed his heartbeat starting to increase causing his chest to heave as his blood coursed rapidly through his veins. He looked around him once more, an ominous feeling creeping up on him as his fingers clenched around the cold armrests. '… Tony, I,' he looked over at the man and gulped as he saw dark eyes peering straight back at him over the brim of the computer screen. Feeling like a prey stalked by its hunter, Bucky restlessly pressed his back into the chair. 'I think it's best to go back to bed. It's late, and, to be honest, I think you've been in your lab a little too long. When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?'

'You're not going anywhere, Barnes,' With a press of a button, Tony made sure the soldier could not escape, iron straps holding him down again by his wrists and ankles. 'You will stay here, with me, nice and quiet.'

Bucky let out a short yelp as he felt the cold iron pressing into his skin, the grip of the machine being strong enough to cut off all blood flow towards his hand and feet. He panted heavily as memories starting to come back to him. 'You,' he whispered softly, 'you're the one who's been messing with my mind…?'

'J, make sure all power supplies are stable, turn to max volt,' Tony spoke as he turned to his computer again, ignoring the soldier completely.

'Stark!' Bucky shouted, making frantic movements as he tried to free himself. 'These past few weeks I, I thought that there was something wrong with me… I couldn't understand why I behaved the way I did, why I pushed Steve away from me, but now…!' He looked the playboy in the eye, his teeth gritted, fingers almost denting the iron he was clasping. 'Why did you do this?! Is it to get back at me?!'

'This has nothing to do with you, Barnes,' Tony stated emotionlessly as he walked closer. 'And at the same time, it is all about you.' His lip twitched slightly as he looked at the soldier in disgust. 'This won't take long but it will be painful.' He reached over Bucky's head and lowered the helmet-like device that hovered above the man. 'I will make surethat it will be very, very painful.'

Knowing what was to come, Bucky did not say a word, muted by the traumas of his past. He let himself rest into the cold embrace of the chair, staring at nothing as the sound of electricity charging brought tears to his eyes.

His entire body convulsed as the heavy shock charged through his body. It did not kill him and Bucky nearly thought that to be a shame as he screamed his lungs out. He waited, for what felt like hours, to lose consciousness, to lose control of himself and let the Winter Soldier take comment, or rather, receive orders.

But it did not happen.

Although his body was shaking in agony, although his mouth filled with the foul taste of blood from biting his tongue, he would not pass out. Managing to tilt his head slightly, Bucky laid his eyes on Tony, who was leaning against a desk with arms crossed. The man stared back, saying nothing, eyes dull and impassive.

'Sir,' J.A.R.V.I.S. sounded, nearly succeeding in making Tony smirk as the man swore he heard a ring of concern echo in the artificial voice. 'The current output will not suffice to bring out the subject, I suggest you switch to-'

'I know, Jarv,' Tony interrupted. 'This one is not for the Winter Soldier,' he glared as he walked closer to Bucky. 'This one's for our Sergeant.' He waited a few more minutes, a few more long, agonizing minutes, before shutting off the electricity flow.

Bucky let out a short cry as his body slumped into the chair, painting heavily as his tear-filled eyes remained wide. He coughed loudly, blood splattering across the floor and on his clothes.

'There,' Tony said as he placed a finger underneath the man's chin, forcing his head up. 'I'd say that about gives you an idea of how I felt when you tried to steal Steve away from me.'

Bucky remained silent, he could not respond even if he wanted to. He tried to move his lips, to utter some words, but all he could do was gasp for air.

'You tore my team apart,' Tony continued. 'You killed my parents,' He wrapped his fingers around the man's jawline, leaving the skin to bruise under his strong hold. 'And now, now you're trying to steal away the one person I cannot live without.' Tony's fingers clenched even further, leaving the trembling soldier to cry and squirm under his touch. 'I love him, Barnes.'

Bucky tried to focus his blurry vision, noticing some warmth seeping back into Tony's eyes as the man confessed his love for his boyfriend.

'I love him so much,' Tony's eyes averted from those of the Soldier, a loving, almost melancholic smile forming on his face. 'The way he laughs when I make one of my bad jokes, the way he looks at me as he tries to understand what I'm talking about when I'm blabbering about one of my newest inventions. He's always… curious,' Tony said as if he was trying to explain himself. 'but he never really seems to understand.' He let out a soft chuckle as he envisioned the blond, intrigued by one of his projects. 'He's always so interested in everything I do.'

'To…ny…' Bucky uttered, tears streaming down his cheeks again as the vibration of his vocal cords left his throat to burn.

'Steve is the love of my life,' Tony concluded with a tender smile. He then turned his eyes back to the soldier and held his breath for a second.

Bucky flinched as he saw the playboy turn into an emotionless puppet the moment he laid eyes on him. All the respect, all the love and joy seeping from Tony's very being as Bucky saw his own reflection in the man's dull eyes.

'I'm not letting you take away the last person that I have left,' Tony straightened his back and buried his hands in the pockets of his trousers. 'This is where I say goodbye, Buck. You'll be walking out of Steve's life after I'm done with you and we'll never have to see each other again.' Tony's voice was cold, emotionless, not a single shred of regret or empathy to be heard. He turned around and walked towards the computer so he could ready the settings to bring forth the Winter Soldier.

'Y…ou… hurt… Ste-ve.'

Tony stopped in his track as he heard a voice that sent burning loathe to flare through his body.

'You on-ly think… o-f yourself,' Bucky continued, his voice strained and hardly recognizable as his own.

The playboy turned around, marching back towards the soldier. He grabbed Bucky by the collar of his shirt and nearly lifted the man out of his seat if it was not for the restraints holding him in place. 'I dare you to say that one more time,' his growled, his voice low as he bared his teeth.

'Have you e…ver th-ought of Ste-ve…?' Bucky asked softly.

'Wha- Haven't you been listening to a word I just said?!' Tony shook the man heavily, hearing the vertebrae in his neck crack with every jerk of his head. 'I love him! The only thing I can think of is him! He is in my head the moment I open my eyes, he follows me throughout the day and even at night he haunts my dreams!' Like a child throwing a fit, he pushed the soldier back into the chair like a broken toy.

'Then why,' Bucky whispered as he could hardly remain conscious. 'Why are you acting so selfish? You want Steve. You want me gone. You want his love…' he coughed heavily. 'But have you ever thought of what that punk wants?'

'He will want me,' Tony paced through his workshop like a wild beast trapped in a cage. He trembled, sweat covering his skin and chest heaving. 'Once you are gone, I will be there for him. I will always be there for him, and Steve will wish he noticed me sooner.'

Bucky closed his eyes as he fought to keep his head up, a timid smile forming on his face, showing his blood-covered teeth. 'I know Steve deserves someone better than me,' he started in a voice so damaged he hardly recognized it as his own. 'but that someone certainly ain't you, Stark.'

Tony trembled in rage as he commanded J.A.R.V.I.S. to release the soldier from his restraints. He pulled Bucky out of the chair, only to throw the almost limp body against the opposite wall. What happened next was all a vague turning of events, his actions a blur.

He remembers the soldier collapsing on the floor. He remembers straddling him and forcefully slamming his head against the hard marble floor till blood dripped from his ear and seeped through his hair. And somewhere, vaguely, he remembered how his fingers slowly wrapped themselves around the soldier's throat.

Bucky's weakened hands rested on Tony's wrists as his mind finally caught up with the scene. The playboy looked at his hands, or more specifically, at his thumbs which were pushing down on the soldier's windpipe. He saw the tears running down the man's temple as he desperately tried to inhale, but the oxygen would not pass through his throat.

Tony stared and waited. He waited for himself to loosen his grip and move his hands. He waited for himself to jump up and order J.A.R.V.I.S. to call an ambulance for this was not what he had intended.

He waited, for nothing.

He squinted his eyes and bared his gritted teeth as he forced more strength into his blood-stained fingers, feeling the heavily damaged skin strain underneath his touch.

It did not take long, and Tony found it almost humane.

He slowly uncurled his fingers from the soldier's throat after the man fell completely silent.

He stared.

Bucky's lips were slightly parted but his chest did not heave. His eyes, filled with terror, remained wide open while glistening with tears. He did not make a sound as Tony stood up and took a few steps back.

Regret was a luxury he could no longer afford.

Guilt used to be such a cruel mistress

And love,

Love is a parasite, slowly eating away on your sanity.

Tony had learned long before this moment.

He took a deep breath and turned off the machinery that were still softly humming in the background.

He grabbed his desk chair and sat down, his elbows resting on his knees as his hands were folded. God, he should have stored a bottle of Scotch here in his workroom.

He sighed and looked at the body that was displayed at his feet.

'Sir,' The artificial voice sounded, breaking the long lingering silent. 'Captain Rogers is knocking on your bedroom door. He seems to be in search of Sergeant Barnes.'

'Tell him I'll be right there, J.' Tony mumbled as he sat up straight and stared at the lifeless form that was once James Buchanan Barnes. 'Just got to take out the trash first.'