The Séance • Marvel

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier: Chapter 23

Bucky stood leaning against an ambulance just after listening to Sam's speech. As Sam approached him Bucky took out his phone pretending to text someone. "Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting so all I heard was, um, 'a black guy in stars and stripes,'" he said jokingly, making Sam chuckle. "Nice job, Cap," he said in a serious tone. "Thanks." "Have you seen Vanessa?" he asked. "No, but she must be around here somewhere. Don't worry, I'll help you find her" Sam said.

They both then approached a woman hunched over covering a wound. "Sharon?" Sam said. "You're blocking my light," she said looking up at Sam. "We got to get you to a hospital" Sam tried to convince her. "She's not going to listen," Bucky said, already knowing Sharon's answer. "It's not the worst thing that's happened to me all week," Sharon explained. "Told you." A man then called over Sam. "I think he's talking to you. Look, I'm sorry for how things ended down there. For what it's worth, the suit looks good on you" Sharon said. "Thanks." "All, look, can we get out of here, please? I need to find Vanessa" rushing them both. "I don't forget my promise," Sam said as he began walking away.

Bucky helped Sharon over to a building. "Have you seen Vanessa?" he asked her, sounding more desperate by the second. Sharon shook her head, "Last I saw her she was heading to the roof to stop the helicopter. Haven't seen her since." "Alright thank you," Bucky said as he took off in a run towards the building Sharon mentioned. It was closed off due to the damages, but he was let through with no questions. He headed straight to the stairwell searching for any sign of Vanessa. "Vanessa!" he yelled, hoping for an answer, "Vanessa!" As he neared the roof of the building he saw a small drop of blood that led towards one of the offices. He looked around hoping that Vanessa was alright. Instead, he found her body slumped against a wall. In a second he was by her side holding her and shaking her. "Vanessa," he said, his voice cracking, "No please don't do this to me. I can't lose you too."

He held on to her tightly, her skin feeling sickly cold and looking almost translucent. Noticing for the first time that she was not breathing he couldn't bring himself to check for her pulse, instead he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed it. The phone answered on the second ring, "Hey man did you find her?" "She's not breathing!" Bucky quickly said, "She's not breathing and she's really pale. I think she's..." Not being able to finish that sentence. "Where are you?" Sam said quickly the tone of worry was clear in his voice. "The building where you fought the Flag Smashers, I don't know what floor." He didn't say anything else as the phone was hung up.

It only took a minute before Sam reached the floor. The sight in front of him nearly caused him to fall to his knees. Bucky held on tightly to Vanessa gently stroking her hair. He didn't try to conceal the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. Sam approached them both holding back tears of his own. "I should've been there," Bucky said in a slight whimper.

Bucky wasn't sure how many times he had lost someone he cared about. To him, it seemed like he might've been the cause of their deaths because as soon as he began getting close to them tragedy struck. He pulled Vanessa's body closer to him, trying to stop himself from crying. He felt the limp body fall against his lap, the coldness of her body seeping into his. "Please," he pleaded, "I'm not ready for you to leave me yet." "She's gone Buck, you have to let her go," Sam said letting his own tears streaming down his face. Bucky looked at Sam understanding that there was nothing else they could do. He gently picked her up, planning on taking her body elsewhere.

As they made their way back down the stairs, Sam made a call to make sure that an ambulance was waiting outside. Bucky gently sets Vanessa down as the paramedics move around them. They check for a pulse only to find nothing, but they have to go through all the procedures in order to pronounce her dead. The electrode tabs are placed on her arms and chest. The heartbreaking sound of flatlining was heard by everyone. And at 11:48 pm Vanessa was pronounced dead.

Vanessa crossed-legged in the middle of the street. The cars passed by, having no idea of her presence. The ambulance had long left, taking her body with them. She made no move to follow it, she couldn't bear to see her chosen family in pain. "Might I ask why you chose not to go back?" Dabria asked. Vanessa continued to look ahead, the car lights illuminating her face every few seconds. "Because it would be selfish of me too. The possibility of me hurting people with my powers is not something that I was willing to risk." "But how would that be any different than the life you had already lived?" Dabria asked, still trying to understand her reasoning. 

Without missing a beat Vanessa said, "Because before the only person that I was hurting was myself. My pain was my own, my grievances were my own, my demons were my own. The world shouldn't have to carry my burden just because I can't control it. I lived all of my life in fear of the things I could do, of the things I saw. You know it took me literal decades to gather the courage to face my fears. I can't do that again. I won't do that again. And I know it's selfish and I know how many people I will hurt, but I can't go through that again. If I have the chance, even the smallest sliver of a possibility of having a normal life I have to take it. So please just snap your fingers or whatever it is you do and send me off." 

Dabria nodded, understanding that Vanessa lived her life in pain, "Are you sure you don't want to see them one last time." Vanessa shook her head, "If I see them I might change my mind." She finally stood up and walked over to Dabria. The last thing that Vanessa felt was her body being pulled away, as if being pulled through a small tube, then darkness followed.