Captain America Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier Steve Rogers Fan Fic - The Constant

Chapter Ninety-Nine: No Other Option

No Other Option

It happens at 10pm GMT: every network across the globe is hacked. Every television station, every radio station, social media services across the internet, even digital advertisement boards – if it could broadcast information, then it was targeted. A message was sent to everyone who was in front of a screen, plugged in or wireless.

The message was brief and only lasted three minutes: This is a public announcement. Please stand by on Channel 1917 for important news tomorrow at 10pm (GMT). The content will be for over eighteens only, and is unsuitable for children. We now return you to your normal station.

No one knows who sent it, but it continued to appear every hour on the hour until 9pm the following day. After that, it appeared to be up to you if at 10pm you chose to see it.

If so, turn to Channel 1917 and watch.

*

"Hello James," Tony's voice is quiet, and somehow he just cannot bring himself to use the name 'Bucky'. It doesn't sound serious enough for the type of conversation they were going to have. He picks up the chair that Coulson left behind and brings it closer to the electric field.

Bucky smiles as if the answer to life had just been revealed. "How did I not guess you were in on this somehow?" he says to Tony as he too sits down, albeit the other side of the force field. He is still pale, with black shadows under his eyes, and despite his calm demeanour Tony can see he is struggling.

"Well you know, limited intellect, you soldiers not as bright as us scientists.....how's the arm by the way?"

Bucky lifts his left arm, opens and closes the hand, turns it and then places it back down in his lap. "Can't complain, needs a little calibration when you have the time," and Tony nods.

Then silence as each man regards the other.

Tony sighs breaking it, leaning forward and rubbing his hands together, then looks at Bucky. "I need your permission."

"For what?" Bucky senses the conversation has gone up a notch.

"The next part of your trial," Tony says, no humour apparent now.

"Okay. You've got it."

"Just like that huh? No questions, no smart remarks, no....?" Tony opens his hands. He watches as the smile fades from Bucky's face and instead he sees the tiredness in his eyes, sees the decision James' has already made on his own fate.

"Best just to find me guilty, sentence me and let the world move on," he says quietly.

"And let Hydra win? Let them get a foothold again? Leave no warnings for the future?"

Bucky can hear an anger in Tony's voice that puzzles him. "I don't understand, what is this to you?" he asks him, leaning forward now, adopting Tony's position without realising it. Two very serious men in a very serious discussion.

Tony is quiet at first and Bucky does not think he is going to answer but then he does. "Howard and Maria Stark, killed - murdered December 1991 by Hydra."

And Bucky's stomach churns and his heart begins to beat faster. He looks away frowning, looks down at the ground and Tony can see he is trying to remember, trying to concentrate. "I killed them?"

"Don't you know?"

"I thought....I thought I had remembered them all but....oh God. So there's even more, more people I murdered, more harm done, more grief, more...." he stands up fast, knocking the chair backwards. His face has gotten paler, his head is beginning to throb as he forces his mind to try and think. His heart starts to race, he starts to sweat. How many more has he killed and not remembered?