Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 113

"Of course not," Pietro says. "I have no reason to be. After all, I will never need to outrun the Hulk; I only have to outrun Clint Barton."

Wanda giggles at that. "What did Clint Barton ever do to you?"

Pietro shrugs. "He is just too easy to make fun of."

Wanda snuggles in a little closer, readjusting herself in her seat to get more comfortable. She looks up at her brother, and he smiles back down at her. It's all she needs to see to know that everything is going to be okay. As long as she has her brother with her, everything will be okay.

A short while passes in silence. Wanda watches out the window as the ship soars through the sky, faster than any ride she's ever had, her brother excluded. It's fascinating to her that they can be moving so fast and not feel a thing. Even cars feel like they move faster than this ship. She can't help but wonder if this is SHIELD technology, or if every ship works like this. She's impressed either way.

"Pietro," she says eventually, looking up at him again.

"Yes?"

"There was somebody else," she says. "Following us — following them. But nobody else knew he was there."

Pietro furrows his brows. "What do you mean?"

Wanda lowers her voice, speaking in Sokovian as she says, "He was like a ghost — but a good ghost. He wanted to help them."

Pietro huffs a laugh. "You think they are haunted by a ghost?"

"I said he was like a ghost!" Wanda says defensively. "I don't know what he is. But he wanted to help. He stopped the train."

Pietro raises his brows. "It was a ghost who helped you stop the train?"

"He was probably not a real ghost," Wanda says. "But nobody else could see him. You could not see him."

Pietro reaches down and puts the back of his hand over her forehead, then on her cheek. "We must find a doctor."

Wanda laughs. "What?"

"You have a severe case of delirium," Pietro tells her. "The worst I have ever seen."

"Pietro!" Wanda shoves him away playfully, and Pietro pulls her back in, hugging her again.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Pietro assures her. "If you say you saw a ghost, you saw a ghost. I believe you."

"Thank you." Wanda pulls her legs in and puts her feet up on the seat next to her, curling up in her seat. She lets out a long breath. "I don't know whether I should be excited or nervous."

"Why must you be either?" Pietro asks. "America will be whatever America is. Worrying about it is not going to change that."

"I guess," Wanda concedes. She lets out a long breath, forcing herself to relax as much as she can. "I cannot wait to go to bed."

Pietro chuckles. "Me neither."

~~~

Bucky looks at Steve.

Steve glances at Bucky.

Bucky looks away.

Then...

Steve looks at Bucky.

Bucky glances at Steve.

Steve looks away.

Over.

And over.

And over.

Steve wants to say something. He really does. He just... can't. He wouldn't know where to start. He'd spent years mourning his best friend; then, months upon months of searching for him. For Bucky to just show up here, alone, out of nowhere... He doesn't know what to say.

He and Bucky have caught each other looking their way too many times to comfortably sit in silence (not that this silence has been at all comfortable anyway), so finally, Steve asks, "How did you know we needed help?"

"You're not exactly a private citizen anymore, Cap," Bucky says.

"But this wasn't exactly a public affair, either," Steve says. "There's been no trace of you for over a year, and suddenly you're saving Nat when we don't even know where she is."

"I didn't save anyone," Bucky says. "You and I both know she's capable of saving herself."

"That's not the point," Steve says, and though he does his best to hide his frustration, he's not sure it works. "I haven't stopped looking for you since I found out you were still alive. Hell, I was starting to think you didn't survive the helicarrier crash."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you," Bucky says. He almost sounds... indifferent. Like he doesn't care. But he does; he wouldn't be here if he didn't. That just frustrates Steve more.

"Tell me you're not going to leave the second we hit the ground," Steve says.

Bucky shakes his head. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

Bucky clasps his hands in his lap and lowers his gaze to them. If he's trying to end the conversation, it's not working. Steve just keeps watching him, waiting, silently asking — demanding — an answer.

Finally, Bucky looks back at him. "There's someone waiting for me," he says. "Back home. I've been gone too long as it is."

Steve's heart stops.

So that's why he vanished? Because there's someone else? Someone more important than his

best friend? What kind of someone is it? Is there a girl waiting for him back home? Or somebody he met through HYDRA? He's not sure which option he hates more.

When he finally gets his bearing he says — nearly pleads — "But that doesn't mean you have to disappear again. It doesn't mean that you can't talk to me. I mean—" Steve shakes his head to himself, incredulity seeping into his tone. "You're my best friend, Buck. I already lost you once. I can't do that again."

Bucky doesn't answer immediately. His gaze falls back to his lap, and he lets out a long breath.

"We'll see."