The Hurt And The Healing: Bucky X OC

Chapter Forty One: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

​​The cremated remains of the Zemo Barony floated through the air. It coated the room and its occupants, landing on baby hairs and eyelashes. Each particle caught the light emitting from the sole bulb that hadn't shattered on impact, glimmering like gold luster. It would have been beautiful if it wasn't making it so damn hard to breathe.

Mara convinced the others to spare a cup from their water ration to wet their shirt necklines. When pulled over their mouths the damp fabric filtered out the powder, letting them take in air a little easier. They were fortunate in that air pollutants were their fourth biggest worry, coming after the fact that a building had fallen on the trap door, they had limited rations, and the tight space was making everyone a little short tempered.

Zemo's bomb shelter had held up under the impact of the explosion. Unfortunately, the rest of the house had not. Both he and Sam tried to force open the trap door, but something was blocking them.

"How do you make an escape hatch that you can't escape through?" Sam demanded, punching the door in frustration. "That's literally all it's supposed to do!"

"Forgive me for not constructing my mansion to survive a direct missile strike," Zemo retorted. "I had other things on my mind, like the total destruction of my nation and family."

"Would you two shut up?" Mara snapped. "Bickering won't get us out of here, so stop arguing and think!" She turned back to Oeznik and resumed pulling glass shards from the butler's palm. The force of the explosion had knocked him to the ground, along with several jars of food.

"At least whoever bombed us won't think we survived?" Nonna offered. The others looked at her and she sighed. "Just trying to be optimistic," she muttered.

"Listen, the sooner we get out of here the sooner we can help Bucky," Mara reiterated. "Sam, can't you use your suit or something to push the door open?" He frowned at the thought and looked at the gleaming white case.

"It's too cramped in here," he replied, glancing around the room. "And besides, the propulsion jets would deafen all of you."

"Better deaf than dead," Mara said firmly. "What if we break down the cots to give you more room and use the padding to protect ourselves?" she offered. "Then could you do it?"

"I could try," he answered slowly and she knew that he was being careful to not get her hopes up. But right now they were lower than they had been in years and now was not the time to reenter a depressive slump.

"Then try," she replied as she finished wrapping a bandage around Oeznik's bleeding palm. The old man thanked her, but she could barely manage a curt nod. They had far greater things to worry about, like the fact that with every passing second Bucky's return was growing less and less likely.

Mara, Sam, and Zemo got to work folding up the cots and stashing them on the far side of the room, while Nonna and Oeznik collected the thin bedding. There was much stepping on toes and cursing in a variety of languages, but eventually they were ready. While Sam pulled on his suit, careful to keep the wings from extending and knocking someone unconscious, the others crouched down in the corner.

Sam turned and tried to say something, but Mara could not hear a word through the pillows that she had smushed over her ears. She smiled grimly and nodded. The others signaled that they were ready, and Sam half heartedly saluted them. He turned so that he was standing directly underneath the trap door and flexed, forcing the wings to shoot out. One of them crashed into the folded up cot frames in the corner, crushing them like soda cans.

Sam braced himself, pressing his hands against the trap door. The others squeezed their eyes shut as the jets powered on, filling the room with blinding light and scorching heat. Mara's eyelids glowed red and she felt the hairs on her arms burn off underneath her clothing. But there was no protecting against the noise. Even with the mattress wrapped around her ears, it made Mara's eardrums rattle. The roaring jets were soon drowned out by a ringing sound, and Mara only knew that Sam was done using his wings when the light and heat faded.