𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 | bucky barnes

24: Overflow

Cat was amazed the moment the elevator doors opened. Holograms hovered above every table. Advanced architecture was everywhere, from the floors to the ceiling. There were geometric patterns all over. The elevator they had just stepped out of had a beautiful pattern on it, full of colors and patterns of the culture.

Cat didn't know where to look — but wherever it was, her jaw had dropped.

"Amazing, huh?" Steve muttered to her. "I looked the same when I first saw it."

"It is," said Cat. She'd never seen a lab with as many features as this. In fact, she didn't even know what many of the things in here did.

"Welcome to my lab," said Shuri, gesturing grandly all around.

"It's amazing," said Cat.

"Vibranium works wonders," she said. "Wakanda is built on a deposit of it."

"That's — wow."

She walked through the lab a little bit more.

"Barnes is over here," she said, leading them around to the opposite side of the lab. Cat looked forward eagerly. As they got to the side of the lab with the windows, she saw a sleek, white case. It was foggy, or iced over, but Cat could see Bucky's silhouette.

Shuri pressed a button. It cleared the ice and the condensation, allowing Cat and Steve to see Bucky easily through the glass.

The feeling inside the lab completely changed. It felt melancholy. Cat knew he was only in cryosleep. But his eyes were closed, he was motionless — it felt like something worse. She didn't even like the look of it.

Cat looked to the arm beside him. Just one.

She turned to Steve. "Where's his... where's his metal arm?"

Steve looked down.

"It's a long story," said Steve. "Stark, he —"

"Stark?" interrupted Cat. "Tony Stark?" She felt her breathing go faster.

"Yeah. Zemo — he showed him a recording from a street camera.. the night his parents died. It was their car, crashed on the side of the road. Bucky, he..."

"I know," said Cat breathily. She swallowed. She felt her heartbeat go faster. "But Tony was supposed to... he shouldn't have... we told him..."

Cat closed her eyes. The overload of information, the way Bucky looked under the ice, the fact that he couldn't be there to comfort her... she could feel it.

"Get me into a room," she said, voice shaky, breathing heavy. "A locked room. An empty room."

"What is she — " began Shuri.

"Hurry," said Cat. Breathing got faster. She could feel the rush coming to her head.

Shuri looked to Steve, who told her to go. T'Challa and Okoye rushed up to take Cat into a room Shuri led them to. Quick as light, the door was closed.

Cat was kneeling on the ground. This hadn't happened in such a long time. She had been hoping it would never happen again. She didn't keep her hopes up, though.

She could feel her powers coursing through her. Going crazy. It began to make her head hurt. She could feel a scream coming on, as whatever had given her her powers went through her faster than ever, irritated by an overflow of emotions.

She felt herself pushing against the walls as she sat in the empty room. She could hear screaming — her own. It hurt. So bad.

Steve had never experienced this before. He knew it happened, though. Bucky had told him. To keep her safe. To make sure he knew.

"What is going on?" asked Shuri, confused.

"She has these powers," said Steve. "Her father experimented on her when she was young and gave them to her. No one knows how he did it. But these — she calls them spasms, because it's her powers spazzing out — it was a side effect. She says she tried to study it, but couldn't figure it out."

"Is she going to be okay?" asked T'Challa, looking down the hall. The scream had stopped.

"Bucky told me it takes a couple of hours for her to recover. But it's happened to her one too many times."

Shuri looked down. "She's studied her powers... but she's never studied them here," she said. "Maybe we can find something... something she didn't see because she didn't have the right equipment."

"It's possible," said T'Challa.

"Let's go check on her," said Steve. He pulled the door unlocked and opened it. Cat was on her knees in the room, holding her head.

"Are you okay, Catarina?" he asked her. Her breathing was slowing back down to normal.

"I'd say yes," she began, quietly, "but it would be a lie."

Steve looked at her empathetically. He then helped her to stand and led her to a bench one of the workers in the lab had pushed out for her after being asked by Okoye. Steve helped her up and she laid down, looking up at the ceiling.

"Does this happen often?" Shuri asked, looking over Cat, who was now lying on the medical bench.

"Depends on.. um.. how much stress I'm under, how much is going on in my life," said Cat quietly. "Maybe... once every couple months? I've learned to... to try and control my stress levels."

"And you're always like this afterward? Headache, weakness, tiredness?"

Cat nodded as much as she could.

"Maybe we could help you with your study," said Shuri. "After all, you didn't have any of our technology when you attempted to test on yourself."

Cat looked to Steve, who smiled and nodded.

"Could you really?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Why don't we let her get some rest first?" suggested T'Challa.

"I can do it as she sleeps," Shuri told her brother. She turned to Catarina. "You won't feel a thing."

"Thank you, Princess," said Cat, smiling slightly at her.

"Shuri is fine. And it's my pleasure."

Cat smiled, then closed her eyes, and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

a.n.:

hiiiiiii guyssss!! so glad i didn't forget today ahaha

anyways this was such an intense chapter and I'm actually really proud of the writing on this one

act three i think is the favorite ive written so far, bc it's all original story for cat, it's really centered around her (but we gotta love the avengers content ofc)

anyways i love steve and cat's relationship, they are literally the best friends ever and some good chapters for them r coming up!

anyways ily, don't forget to vote!

ur bestie molly