New Beginning - A Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 30 - Darkness Within

Seeing Adriana laid on his lap lifeless triggered something in him. The Winter Soldier in him came back in full force. Rage and bloodlust overcame him. He laid Adriana gently on the ground and stood up, assessing the situation.

He saw Alexei had stood up and was walking, limping away from him. He quickly ran to him and grabbed his back and threw him to the ground. His rage had made him stronger. He put his metal arm on Alexei's throat and choked him to death.

He then grabbed his revolver and shot two Flag Smashers members who were lying on the ground near him. He went on a terrifying killing spree. He went from one Flag Smashers member to the next. Shot one on the head, stabbed another one on the chest, beating the shit out of another one. Sam and the others tried to stop him but he was blinded by rage and grief that he fought them too, but he was careful with them, never went for the kill with them. He finally stopped after all the Flag Smashers members were dead.

He fell down to his knees and took a deep breath. His rage finally slipped away exchanged with grief.

He stared at his hands, the hands that had been responsible for numerous deaths that day. He couldn't feel any regret or remorse for killing those people. He could only feel a gaping hole in his chest. A hole that would forever be with him. He closed his eyes and felt darkness enveloped him. He felt thoroughly exhausted.

"Bucky..Bucky..you okay?"

He heard someone calling him..it felt very far away, but he knew it was Sam. He didn't respond. He just wanted to lie down, maybe slip away, find her on the other side.

"Bucky.. she's alive.. " Sam said. He felt Sam's hand on his shoulder.

"Adriana's alive, Bucky." Sam said gently.

Bucky opened his eyes slowly. Not believing what he heard. Was he hallucinating? But Sam's hand on his shoulder felt real. He turned to face Sam.

"She's alive? But..I couldn't feel her pulse, Sam." Bucky stated in disbelief.

"Riri resuscitated her. She had brought some kimoyo beads. She put them on her wounds and somehow it helped stabilize her." Sam explained.

The kimoyo beads were beads invented by the Wakandans. It could be used for many things. He wondered how Riri could get a hold of them.

"Oh..thank God." Bucky exclaimed.
He quickly stood up, wanting to see her.

She was still lying down where he left her, surrounded by his friends and Leila. Her eyes were closed and she looked a little pale. There were blood stains on her shirt and on the floor on her back. Bucky's heart broke seeing her like that. But he also felt like a sliver of hope had entered his heart. She was alive! That was the most important thing.

He went down to his knees and held her tight. He wouldn't let her go until the paramedics arrived.

---

Bucky stared blankly to the white wall in front of him. His head and heart was in turmoil. He couldn't deal with his thoughts so he had shut down. Resorting to staring at the blank wall.

He was sitting in the waiting room in the hospital building in the Avengers compound. Not long after the fight in the warehouse stopped, paramedics and SHIELD agents came to the warehouse. Adriana was immediately air lifted with a helicopter to the hospital. Bucky stayed with her, never letting go of her hand. Once in the hospital Adriana was immediately brought to the operating room. Bucky had been waiting for almost 6 hours now for them to bring her out. With every passing hour he felt more and more dread. What if she didn't make it. He would probably kill himself if she didn't. He couldn't imagine living in a world without her. He just found her. He would much rather kill himself and maybe find her in the afterlife. He was old anyway.