A Game Of Hide and Seek - A Bucky Barnes Short story

Chapter 14

Cassidy shot awake, feeling cold and exposed. Quickly sitting up and ignoring the screaming pain of her body, she saw she was in a pristine lab. It looked different than what was in Hydra. Was she still hallucinating? The pain was not a hallucination, for sure.

Nevertheless, the instinct to flee was strong. She got off the bed she was on and quickly realized she was not alone. Bucky, Shuri, and Okoye were standing across from her, staring at her carefully. Bucky looked as if he might cry, which made her want to cry.

"You're...You're not here," Cassidy whispered as she took a step back with crazed eyes that were wide and bloodshot, "You are Hydra. You can't make me talk...you can't make me talk! I'm not giving you anything!"

"I see now what the Captain meant," Okoye spoke softly, "She thinks we are not real."

"Because you're not!" Cassidy began to violently shake as she nearly fell over, "You never were! Over and over again you came and then disappeared!"

"Cass," Bucky slowly took a step toward her as his voice broke, "Doll, I'm here, I am actually here. We all are."

"No you're not!" Cassidy screamed as tears crashed down her face, "I can't let myself believe it! I would rather you break me then give you anything!"

"I need to get her under now," Shuri worriedly looked at Bucky, "What they gave her just may be still in her system and it's confusing her. I need to get it out."

"And how do we do that," Okoye kept her eyes on the broken woman a few feet from her.

"Use the syringe there," Shuri pointed to a syringe sitting on a table next to Okoye, "It's strong enough to knock her out safely."

Okoye slowly grabbed the syringe and put down her spear, but Cassidy's eyes widened and locked on the syringe with unbridled fear. Okoye almost dropped the syringe, but she kept a hold of it and felt immense pity for the poor girl.

"No," Cassidy's voice cracked as her body violently shook, "Please don't."

Bucky walked toward her with his palms lying open in front of him to try to convey he meant no harm while Okoye figured out how to inject her without hurting or scaring her.

"Shuri," Bucky ordered, "Get Wanda."

Shuri messaged her brother to send Wanda, knowing that if Okoye could not stick Cassidy with the needle that Wanda would be able to safely knock her out using her powers. Cassidy still stood with wild eyes, watching Bucky approach her. Her gaunt figure shrinking in on itself.

"No," she croaked, "Don't come near me! Last time they made me think I tried to kill you! I won't have it happen in this one, but you're not even here. I'm a monster!"

"Sunflower, please let me touch you," Bucky was desperate to hold her tight and protect her.

"No!" She screamed and turned toward the doors.

On shaky and weak legs she ran, stumbling away from the lab. She did not get far before she collapsed onto the floor and dragged herself around the corner, sobbing because she wanted out of the repeating nightmare she thought she was in.

Arms wrapped themselves around her and she hoarsely screamed and sobbed while adrenaline pulsed through her to kick and get away. She did not want to be restrained by Hydra anymore. Was this the breaking point of her sanity? Has she finally succumbed to the madness?

Bucky felt the tears sliding down his face as Cassidy fought him. Wanda came running down the corridor as Bucky stood with a screaming Cassidy pinned in his arms. The others were not far behind. Everyone was shocked by Cassidy's sudden behavior, freezing as her powers started to pulse erratically with her emotions. She was quite literally on the verge of blowing them all up.

"Wanda!" Bucky yelled, "Knock her out!"

"But that means I have to-"

"Just do it," Bucky pleaded, "Please."

Wanda stepped forward and with a wave of her hand a red glow surrounded Cassidy's head and her eyes glowed red for a second. Cassidy's body went limp and Bucky hooked his arms under her knees and back to catch her.

Bucky felt immense grief barrel down on him as he felt what Steve felt: Cassidy's abnormally light body. He turned to thank Wanda but froze when he saw her face. Wanda's face held absolute horror, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"Wanda?" Bucky became scared.

"How...how could she still be living after what they did," Wanda choked on a sob.

The Queen Mother came up and wrapped her arms around Wanda as Wanda began to bawl her eyes out. Whatever had happened to Cassidy, had to have been absolute hell.

"You can talk to one of us about it later," the queen mother consoled her, "I don't think Cassidy will want to when she wakes up."

Bucky swallowed hard and took Cassidy back to the lab, while the others waited outside. Shuri was shaken by what had happened and quickly busied herself with helping Cassidy. After a few tense filled minutes, Shuri was done with clearing Cassidy of any drug or concoction that had been injected into her.

"I am sorry I can't do anything about the bruises," Shuri looked down, "those will have to heal on their own."

"I suggest she stays here to recover for at least a week," Bucky took Cassidy's hand, "she's just so thin," he hoarsely whispered.

"Of course she can stay," Shuri softly grinned, "As can the rest of your team, then you can transfer her home when she is stable enough."

"Thank you," Bucky bowed his head as tears fell down his face.

The rest of the team filed into the lab, gathering around the small bed of their comrade. Holding and comforting one another they vowed to stand by Cassidy through it all.