Back To Brookes // back to barnes bk2

10: do you bleed?

I looked back at Bucky. He pursed his lips. "Greater good and all that, darling. Greater good and purple babies. That's what we have to fight for."

"I've fought my whole life for the greater good, Bucky! My whole damn life! And I want to be done now! I want you here with me, drinking coffee in the morning and listening to old records for hours. I want what Laura and Clint have, minus the husband that leaves to fight bad guys. I just want you. I don't want battle scars and the greater good. I want us safe more than anything, to make the world safe, but I can't lose you in the process!"

Couldn't. Could not let him, would not go myself.

"Maisie, we might need him. We'd love to have you back if you'd come . . . but we need anyone we can get our hands on now." Clint said softly.

I turned to face him completely, my feet on the floor. Bucky looked at the floor. I looked back at Bucky.

"What are you talking about? What's happening now?" I demanded. "Didn't you just defeat someone?"

"Ultron." Clint corrected. "Yes, about a year ago. That's how long you've been out of this, Maisie. You would know, these things don't have a schedule. We got him, and we lost a lot. A lot, Maisie. And I wanted to leave so I wouldn't remember . . . who we lost . . . but I can't lose anyone else, I can't let anyone else lose anyone either. That's why I fight, and why we have to keep fighting, no matter what it is."

"Just tell me who it is." I crossed my arms, sitting back.

Clint licked his lips, looking down at his folded hands. "Tony."

"What? No." I chuckled harshly. "No way."

"And JARVIS and Rhody and Natasha and a kid from Queens and the King of Wakanda." Clint listed, taking in a deep breath.

"Well, damn." I breathed. "What's going on with you guys?"

Clint stood up and grabbed a stack of papers from a bookshelf, then dropped them on the coffee table in front of me.

The Sokovia Accords

As he sat back down, I looked between him and the papers.

"Last year, there was a big battle in Sokovia. Big battle. With Ultron, Tony's stupid robot thing. There was a lot to do with that. Lots of details. You can look up the Wikipedia later. But the damage, the threat of it all, was overwhelming, and one hundred odd countries wanted us to stop saving the world without their approval, because that totally makes sense." He gestured to the papers. "So there's this. Telling us what we need to do now. The rules we have to follow."

"That's bull." I breathed, flipping through the pages. "The Avengers have saved the world again and again. New York? DC? Literally every time an evil power has come against the world? They've saved the world multiple times. And now you have to wait five to seven business days to defeat the next Loki or Ultron? Bull."

"Tony thinks otherwise. Big liberal." Clint breathed a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. Didn't work. "It's going hand in hand with something I never wanted to tell you two . . . The reason I went to get you." He looked at his hands again, then stood up and clasped them behind his back. He licked his lips and breathed in deeply.

Bucky and I watched intently. My heart was about to come out my mouth.

"When they went to Vienna to sign the Accords, a suicide bomb was set off. It killed T'Chaka, the former king of Wakanda . . . and they're blaming it on Bucky. The entire world is more aware and afraid of you than ever. No one cared too much when you and Maisie escaped, but now that they've seen this, the world is scared. Everyone wants you dead."

I pursed my lips and smacked the side of Bucky's head, less playfully this time. "And you want to put yourself in the crossfire, dumbass."

Bucky seemed unfazed, still looking at Clint. "I was in Illinois the whole time. I never left that house. Why would they blame me?"

"I believe you. With every fiber of me. But security camera footage says a man that looks just like you did it. And we don't know who." Clint answered, sticking his hands in his pockets. "And we need you to fight with us. Both of you. We'll keep you away from SHIELD, you just have to do the fighting."

I inhaled deeply. "Who's on our side?"

"Cap, Sam, and a few new guys. And me. And only the two of you are on the same level as Steve here." He looked me dead in the eye. "You can say no, and I'd understand why, but you two could be vital pieces in this chess game. This could mean you finding safety. Once and for all."

"What does Tony want? Why is this a fight?" I asked.

Clint laughed bitterly. "Because Steve made it a fight. He's protecting the two of you. Mostly Bucky, for obvious reasons, decades of history there, friends for life, all that, but also you. Because you have the same mission, you and Steve."

"Protecting Bucky at all costs." I affirmed. "All costs."

"Steve's stubbornness made it physical. Tony believes the news, and he wants Bucky taken in too. And he's not letting it go." Clint continued.

I just shook my head. "I'm in."

Bucky's eyes darted to me. "What?"

"Protect you. At all costs. That's been my mission for a while now. I can't stop now, I suppose. Even if that puts a pause on the purple baby plan . . . What's wrong?" I asked, scooting closer to him and pushing his hair back to see his slightly green complexion.

"Tony Stark, right?" He asked, looking between Clint and I. "Howard Stark's son?"

I nodded.

Bucky swallowed, then gagged, covering his mouth with his hand. He shook his head, looking back at the floor. "I did something a while ago . . . It's not going to help."

"We know, Bucky. He doesn't, but Cap and I do."

His breathing picked up as he hid his face in his hands. I looked up at Clint with mouth agape. Clint shook his head quickly, eyes wide. We'd talk later. Bucky sighed deeply and looked at me.

"Are you sure, Maisie? Very, very sure?" He asked, lips pursed. I nodded. Bucky looked back at Clint. "I'm in too."

Clint uncrossed his arms and looked between us both. "I'll let Cap know."