The Dark Captain

Chapter 9

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Tony had been working for months. With Arianna's phone left at the scene, he had no way of tracking her and the search for the vehicle that had taken her turned into a dead end when it came up as a rental. All he had was a blurry image from CCTV footage of someone watching her.

Looking at her picture, one from their last gala together. They were smiling, happy. They should have had more of those moments.

"Oh, Ari," Tony muttered, looking down.

He missed her. She was his cousin but they were more like siblings and everyone who knew them saw it. They had joked about it at times, but it truly felt as if he had lost her. The time passing had only made the hole inside of him grow.

Tony had stopped taking care of himself. He barely slept, wondering who had Ari and what she was enduring. The police had stopped looking for her so long ago, it was a joke. The Avengers had moved on with their lives, even talking about her in past tense. Now, it was only Tony who had yet to give up looking, hoping to find something to tell him what happened to her.

Bucky sat on the couch. He looked at the man on the other side of the room, hating how much Tony had changed in the last year. He was thinner, his hair holding gray streaks, and he looked on the verge of a breakdown, though what kind, the super soldier couldn't say.

"Tony," Bucky said, "it's been almost a year. We have nothing to go on. Staring at her photo and that picture won't-"

"She's like my sister, Barnes," he replied, anger growing. "I'm not going to give up on her like you did Rogers."

Memories of Steve's last moments with him played in his mind, the sense of betrayal he had felt when his best friend, his brother, didn't come back home. "That was a low blow. I know you're worried, babe, but-"

Tony slammed his hand on the table. "I'm not worried. I'm terrified!" Bucky tried to hold back tears, knowing this was another burst of anger he had to endure. "I never told her that you and I are not only dating but got married. I never told her how I used old HYDRA files to give us Morgan and Pepper was our surrogat so I had a piece of you! I took those moments from her and didn't protect her! I failed her, James! And now-"

Bucky had to get his husband to calm down, fearing for his health. "I would never tell you to give up, baby, but we need a new approach."

Tony tore off his arc reactor and placed it in Bucky's hand. "Then, you find it because I can't. You find someone who can find her and use that because I can't fucking do it."

His legs gave out and Bucky went to help him. "Tony!"

"I'm fine!" He pushed his husband's arms away. "I'm fine."

He passed out. Bucky moved Tony from the floor to their room. He had exhausted himself again, pushed his body to the limit, and now, it was forcing him to rest. Bucky got Tony comfortable, removing his shoes and glasses, even changing him into some pajama bottoms. Tears streamed down Bucky's face, seeing his husband hurting so much.

"I'll find her, baby," Bucky whispered, holding Tony's hand. "I promise. I'll bring Ari home."