before the storm / bucky barnes

i. Aftermath

JAMES Buchanan Barnes falls limp at his deceased girlfriend's side the moment the Winter Soldier has completed his mission.

In the time it took for Bucky's hands to guide Cassandra to her last breath, the rest of the Avengers had successfully overtaken the HYDRA facility – eradicating any chance of Bucky's potential capture and reinstatement as the Winter Soldier, HYDRA's best weapon.

Tony Stark's mission was simple when he arrived in Siberia. To find his daughter, to save his daughter and to kill Rumlow.

Tony steps over Trent's unconscious body as he made his way to what seemed to look like the control room. In a fit a rage, Tony kicks down the door to see Rumlow grinning maniacally, his glued on the monitor before him. The screen that shows the all-too-clear picture of a limp and lifeless Cassandra Maria Stark and an unconscious, defeated James Buchanan Barnes beside her.

Rumlow's reflexes are quick, pulling his gun from his lap upon noticing Stark's arrival. However, Tony's reflexes are far quicker, grabbing the side of Rumlow's head and smashing it against the concrete wall beside him – just as Rumlow had done to Cassandra. After assuring Rumlow has been knocked out cold, Tony's machine-clad fingers tighten around Rumlow's skull as he throws his body carelessly to the floor. Tony's eyes stare down at the sorry excuse of a man at his feet before kicking him in the gut, and hard, for good measure.

Tony Stark's breath becomes shaky as he calls Natasha into the room to handle Rumlow, grabbing tapes out of the recorder and quickly making his way down the corridor to see where his daughter's body lies.

Tony begins to internalise Cassandra's death as he analyses each windowed door he passes, inhaling and exhaling rhythmically in time with his rushed steps to somewhat calm himself until he gets to the quinjet.

He shoves the door down with such force it was as if his suit would shatter with it. Tony steps out of his suit the moment he enters the room and gathers his lifeless daughter in his trembling arms.

Tony Stark has never felt pain like this. Not when his parents died, not when he sacrificed himself in the New York invasion, never.

Until now.

Until he held the child he had raised, the child he loved – loves – more than anything in the world. Dead. Gone.

His teeth grit as his eyes ghost over the deep purple bruises at her neck, the semi-dry stream of tears that glimmer down her once full cheeks that stain the collar of her dirty, grey sweatshirt.

The exposed flesh at her wrists and ankles that will never heal, the sunken cheeks that will never flush pink with excitement again.

Tony Stark, as he sobs over her body, has failed his little girl. His Star.

He will never walk Cassandra down the aisle. Will never move her into college. Will never see her smile again, will never hug her again.

And Tony blames himself.

Because this girl that he had saved from an abusive household at barely 2 years old now lay dead in his arms, 3 months short of her nineteenth birthday. He had failed her. He promised to keep her safe. He promised.

He brushes the loose strands of hair from her tired face.

"I'm so sorry," is all Tony could muster as his tears drop onto his daughter's cheeks.