No-One But You (The Mystic Consultant) - Part 1
Chapter 69: Headspace (Part 9)
Natasha hadn't said a single word to anyone until Bucky Barnes returned to the group. She asked him what happened, and he started speaking to her in a quiet tone.
Ezekiel was unable to hear anything, but Natasha seemed surprised to hear what Bucky had to say.
Hmm..
Natasha only listened, because another discussion began to happen within their group.
"We need to head North. I'll help you up."
Bucky started speaking to Ezekiel, while Natasha's jaw slowly slipped open. She heard the words, but processing them wasn't happening in that moment. Natasha became very bewildered. She wondered if Bucky had hit his head.
Ezekiel heard what was said as well. He dropped the focus that he had on leaving, and he started looking up in Bucky's direction.
Clint Barton just observed. Obviously, Bucky spoke to Tony and gathered some sort of information. But the change in his behavior toward Ezekiel made the archer cross his arms...
Natasha's face displayed the disgust that she had for her former teammate. A young woman died because of him, and many women suffered out there because of people like Ezekiel Stane.
They suffered because of all the time it took for him to share information. If he shared any information at all...
In her mind, he didn't deserve any special treatment. She preferred Nick Fury's hard approach with him, because Ezekiel was only out there, playing house.
He was doing as he pleased and wasting his time with Victor Strange. It was nothing but a chaotic mess, when they had important shit that they needed to do.
"You want to head North?"
"Yeah. Can you stand?"
...
Bucky Barnes seemed a little too relaxed and Ezekiel wasn't sure how to take his gesture.
The not-so-winter soldier had a small smile moving around on his face, and he noticed that Ezekiel seemed pretty confused.
He watched him glance over toward Victor's friendly roommate. Those two had some trust issues to work out. Those issues didn't even come close to what they had to mend between him and Natasha...
Bucky couldn't worry about that in that moment. He had to take the first step and cut straight to the source of most of the problems within the group.
"Tony told me that what's happening to you has to do with the climate. This temperature is affecting you."
That was it. Bucky felt like Ezekiel could easily overcome his situation. He only needed the information, because the not-so-winter soldier noticed something about Ezekiel Stane a long time ago.
"You can outsmart Tony, then get back to making weapons or whatever it is you're doing for S.H.I.E.L.D.."
Right? Wasn't that his plan?
...
"I don't work for S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore."
Ezekiel wouldn't accept any gesture or make anything for the organization ever again. Bucky's behavior confused him, so he kept looking up at his face. Natasha seemed mad about what Bucky said, but so what..
"Oh. Really? Did you resign?"
...
Bucky didn't rember Ezekiel ever resigning from S.H.I.E.L.D.. He did remember him working there tho, for a long time. Bucky also remembered the armor that Ezekiel made for him, but Tony ruined it.
The not-so-winter-soldier took a trip down memory lane, as Ezekiel studied what Bucky Barnes had said. Did he resign? The question was very telling.
...
"I was forced out."
...
"Who forced you out?"
...
Bucky didn't remember anyone forcing Ezekiel out. An incident occurred with a young woman, and some hard conversations went on between him and Nick Fury.
The current conversation was a bit tricky for Bucky to navigate, because he could see some movement going on beside him. Natasha wasn't a fan of the conversation at all, but she did her best to ignore it.
Ezekiel heard the question loud and clear. He kept staring at Bucky Barnes as he processed what was said. He never felt welcomed there, and he was monitored like a zoo animal.
The White Jackal was also imprisoned several times, and held against his will. All of those variables came into the equation because Nick Fury wanted them to collaborate, but he never actually trusted him.
Ezekiel held onto his thoughts about it. They weighed heavy on his heart, and he started looking more toward the ground again.
He wondered if he was being put through some sort of test. Before he returned, Ezekiel had been
recuperating and learning a few things from Steve Rogers.
It seemed as if he was still being "trained", and the Jackal wondered if Steve was out there
watching.
Truthfully speaking, no one actually forced him out but that didn't mean he would return. Thinking about the situation eased up the frenzy that he had going on within his body and suit.
"I can stand up on my own."
Ezekiel needed a bit more space to accomplish the task of standing up, but he planned to move on his own.
Chapter: END
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