WARNING - Please don't hate me.
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Yelena was on my right, gun up, eyes scanning as we moved slowly. "We found the hanger door. He must be inside." We heard T'challa say through the ear piece and nodded to each other as we walked around the boulders on our right. "Copy that. Moving to the perimeter." Yelena replied quietly.
We would stay outside, searching the grounds while T'challa and Sam went inside. Somehow Bucky had figured out how to disable the tracker in his arm so we were completely blind and I hated it because he knew where he was going, he knew this place better than us.
The never ending wind that swirled around us was unrelenting. It whipped at our faces and made seeing further then 15 feet in front of us nearly impossible and after 10 minutes we'd made it around the perimeter. "All clear out here. Making our way back to you." I said, nodding to Yelena for us to head back.
"He's definitely been here. It's like he left clues that he was."
"What do you mean? Like what?"
"There's a carving on the table in the basement...it's just words though but it's Bucky's hand writing."
"What specifically?" I asked as Yelena and I stopped, listening intently to what Sam and T'challa were saying.
"It says 'we didn't come this far, to just come this far.' Why? Do you know what it means Lexy?"
Son of a bitch! "Yeah it's Bucky. We need to find him like now!" My voice shook as I said it. Fucking asshole! Yelena and I moved double time, jogging back the way we had come, both struggling to see what was in front of us as the wind seemed to pick up.
I tripped over a rock but caught myself, bracing against the boulder we had passed earlier and Yelena grabbed my shoulder. "Lexy you good?" She asked quietly and I nodded as I stood up, shaking myself off. "Just tripped thats all." She took point this time and I followed quietly behind her, praying we'd find him.
"Are you guys inside?" We both froze at Sams question.
"No why? If it's Bucky I swear to god Sam." I said seriously as I raised my gun, closing in on the hanger door. Something was very wrong and that became clear when we rounded the corner, spotting a helicopter with the 2 planes we'd arrived in. "Well they didn't hide their arrival." Yelena said blandly and we moved, checking it out.
"Sam we got a chopper, I think Valentinas people are here. Be car-" my words were cut short by gunfire coming from inside and through the ear piece. Shit, shit, fuck! We moved quickly, entering the hanger silently as we moved, clearing the area before we descended the stairs.
It was silent as we travelled that staircase and we got 4 floors down when gunfire blasted again, closer this time, then we heard shouting through the ear piece, Sam and T'challa but we were only getting snippets of what they were saying.
"-right Sam. Behind the pil-"
"-above, they're above us too. Lexy we n-"
I looked at Yelena and she looked at me, her brows drawn before she nodded and continued down the stairs, with me right behind her until we arrived at the basement. "Sam. Sam. We're in the basement." I whispered quietly, when gunfire sprayed around us and I dove back up the stairs while Yelena took cover behind the corner of the wall.
"Shit. What the fuck do we do?" I hissed, rubbing my ribs I'd just bruised from landing awkwardly on the stairs. "Go back. Find another way around and out. I'll be right behind you once find the others." Yelena replied sternly as she reloaded her gun and I nodding, hauling myself up the stairs, not finding a single way out except the way we had come in.
I walked slowly once I was back in the hanger, moving along the wall in the shadows, making for the open door when movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention and I ducked back, just as a fist came flying passed my face and crushed the wall where my head had been. "Found you princess!"
My stomach dropped when I heard him. Walker. They'd sent Walker. I moved quickly, out into the open so I could see him, and didn't get trapped, gun up and pointed right where he'd been. But he was gone and as I spun my face stung as I hit the ground, dropping my gun, tasting the blood in my mouth instantly. He stood there, waiting for me to get up and I did.
I wasn't going to lie down. I wasn't going to give up and I wasn't about to die by his hand. "There you are...oh the fun we're going to have." I matched his evil smile, watching his eye twitch because I knew he hated it, hated that I had my fire back, that I wasn't weak and easy to pick on. No I was strong again and he hated it.
"I'm going to enjoy this." I said quietly, spitting the mouthful of blood out, baring my teeth at him as I moved. I caught him off guard by moving first, diving for his feet and using my jet pack last second to push me through them, sending him over my back before I unsheathed a dagger and swung at him, cutting right through the palm he'd thrown up to protect his face.
He growled loudly as he ran at me and I dodged right, ducking down as his fist swung over my head and threw my own fist into his stomach, before I sliced him, feeling the blood gush over my hand. I nearly cut him again when he grabbed me and threw me across the room.
I landed awkwardly, jarring my right shoulder but scrambled to my feet just as he swung at me, just clipping my cheek as I pulled back and spun out of his reach. He was absolutely manic in his movements which made him harder to read but easier to tire so I just kept him busy, let him wear himself down until I made a run for the door.
He tackled me out of it and we hit the snow, hard. I screamed out as he rolled me over, sitting on top of me but I bucked my hips, sending him over my head before I wrapped my legs around his throat. I slammed my elbow into his head and and again and again, while his fingers tore at my thighs and it hurt, oh god did everything hurt but I squeezed my legs together until his hands slowed, then stopped.
I jumped off him the moment he hit the ground, kicking his boot to make sure he was out, then turned around, looking for Yelena when my legs toppled out from under me and I landed heavily on my back. Walker lundged at me, trying to climb onto me as he grabbed my throat, strangling me. My vision blurred as I threw my hand out instinctively, and he stopped. His hands fell from me and I gasped for air as I looked up.
"Oh my god." I whispered. I hadn't meant to do it, it just happened. The hand I'd thrown out, was my dagger hand. I hadn't even realised I was still holding it and it was buried right to the hilt in the underside of his chin. His eyes were wide as was his mouth and I shoved him off me, crawling backwards as I saw what I'd done. I'd killed him.
☆☆☆☆☆
The wind stopped and I became acutely aware of footsteps so I spun quickly, only to come face to face with the barrel of a pistol and as my gaze moved up the gun, I snarled quietly at who was smiling back at me. "We haven't met yet have we?" She asked far to lightly, in a tone that was so condescending.
I turned my head, spitting again but kept my eyes on her. She waved the gun, motioning for me to stand and I did, carefully watching her as she moved, turning me and removed my weapons. "To the helicopter please. There's someone you need to see." She whispered softly as she shoved her gun into the back of my head and pushed me forward.
We walked slowly back to the helicopter and planes, and I panicked slightly because there was 8 guards, guards we hadn't seen before and then I remembered Shuri. Where the hell was Shuri. Fuck I hope she'd gotten out and was somewhere safe because we couldn't lose her, of all people not sweet, sassy Shuri.
I stopped in the small clearing as she moved around me, still smiling with her gun at my head and god I wanted to shove it so far up her ass. "You know, Steve would be so disappointed to know you flipped sides." I spat, taunting her and she whipped me across the face, splitting my lip again.
"Do not mention that mans name." She hissed and I laughed manically as I wiped my mouth. "Or what Sharon?" She smiled widely as she moved backwards, her head bobbing until she called to the men to bring him forward and there, thrown to his knees, blood dripping from his cheek, was Bucky.
His eyes found mine and I saw the terror, not fear but pure terror in his eyes as he stared at me. His face held no emotion but I could read his eyes and his body twitches like it was a second language. "We can't control him like we use to so, Lexy...kill him." Sharon said bluntly and I shook my head. No fucking way. His eyes changed and he pleaded with me but I couldn't, I couldn't do it.
"No...I won't...you kill me. Kill me and let him go." I said quietly, nearly begging for it to happen. "Shame...I, like John had high hopes for you." She smiled slightly as she stared down at Bucky. "She won't do it...you know what you need to do." She stepped back as Bucky stood up and I watched in horror and confusion as she handed him the gun. My mind spun at what was happening. She just gave him the gun!
"Kill her." Sharon said quietly to him, smiling at me and I looked back at him, freaking the fuck out before he raised the gun right at me. "Bucky...what the fuck." I pleaded, confused and angry as I slowly stepped to my right. He pulled the hammer back and I swallowed hard before he moved, stalking towards me exactly as I knew he would as the winter shoulder.
I backed up a few steps until my feet found the edge of the cliff and I looked down quickly before he stopped 5 feet short of me. "Why?" I asked, my voice shaking as I looked back up at him and he remained stone cold, but his eyes told me everything. "Asshole." I hissed and Sharon yelled at the men to load up, leaving me facing off against Bucky while she watched, a smirk on her face.
"You promised." I said softly, hearing my voice breaking as I stared at him. "I know." He replied coldly and Sharon grinned as she watched from her spot, 40 feet from us. Bucky moved again until the barrel was pressing against my forehead and I smiled weakly at him. "Its ok." I whispered softly. "I understand."
It was always going to end this way. There was no escaping them and there was no escaping this. I couldn't kill him and I knew it would come down to him having to kill me and I was ok with that. I didn't fear it and I didn't fear him, even now, I wasn't scared.
His fingers twitched and I repeated myself. "Its ok...It was always going to end this way...I'm not scared...I love you." He grabbed my throat with his left hand and squeezed as I reached out and caressed his cheek, seeing the emotions in his eyes. "It's ok." I gasped out as he lifted me from the ground and placed the gun to my chest before he stepped forward and held me over the cliff edge.
"I love...you...James." I could barely get the words out as he choked off my airway. I just stared into his eyes, letting those beautiful, steel blue eyes be the last thing I ever saw, the eyes of the man I loved so much, that I'd accept death for. I noticed his lips move and I smiled at what he'd mouthed and as I started to black out, the gunshot rang out. I choked, coughing up blood as my body went cold, before I felt his hand slip from my neck and I fell.
☆☆☆☆☆
BUCKY
She knew.
The moment she saw me, she knew and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I wanted to, fuck knows I tried to find a different way out of this, but this was the only way, the only way I could truly protect her, and keep my promise. I prayed she could understand what I was saying with my eyes because I couldn't risk showing emotion.
Those beautiful green eyes stared right back, and when I heard Sharon tell her to kill me, I begged her to do it, but she refused, just as I knew she would and I knew in that moment, Sharon would make me kill her. "No...I won't...you kill me. Kill me and let him go." God she was so stubborn, I heard the plea, heard her voice crack and I started cracking with it.
"Shame...I, like John had high hopes for you." Sharon's voice grated on my nerves and Ifought the urge to just snap her neck here. "She won't do it...you know what you need to do." She stepped back and I felt her eyes on me and I continued to gaze at Lexy. Even as I stood and her eyes widened, I held her gaze. Even as her face twisted when I took the gun from Sharon, I held her gaze.
"Kill her." I heard Sharon say, her voice full of malice and smugness. I raised the gun at Lexy and she stared back at me, seething but shocked as she pleaded with me. "Bucky...what the fuck." I remained cold. I had to remain cold. I noticed her step to her right and pulled the hammer back before I moved closer, feeling myself change into him.
I stopped short of her as she backed up to the edge and asked me why, and I just glared at her as she hissed that favourite curse word at me, the word I'd come to appreciate when she called me it. Sharon yelled out but I ignored her as I held Lexys eyes, watching every breath she took, counting them in my head, counting them down. "You promised."
The break in her voice tore right through me but I didn't let how much it hurt me show. "I know." That wasn't my voice and I prayed she could see it in my eyes, that I was still in here as I closed the gap between us, pressing the barrel of the gun to her forehead. I never wanted to do this, I never wanted her to have to be at the end of this. "It's ok...I understand." She fucking smiled as she whispered those words and my heart broke.
I nearly lost it, feeling my fingers twitch and she repeated herself. "Its ok...It was always going to end this way...I'm not scared...I love you." God she was infuriating so I grabbed her throat and squeezed as she reached out and cupped my cheek. "It's ok." No it wasn't. I lifted her up slowly, feeling her body weight in my palm as I lowered the gun to her chest and stepped forward until her feet dangled over the nothingness below.
"I love...you...James." Her voice barely carried to me as I squeezed harder, choking her and I continued to stare into her eyes, watching the life drain from hers before I mouthed 'I'm sorry'. She smiled, a weak smile but she had seen my apology and smiled. It was permission. She was giving me permission and I couldn't stop. I didn't feel my finger move, didn't want to feel it but the bang from the gun, the jolt in my wrist told me enough.
She coughed. Coughed up blood and as that smile faded from her lips, the light leaving her eyes, my heart broke and I opened my hand, letting her slip from my grasp. I stared where she had been, forcing myself to keep my eyes up, to not watch her body fall and after I counted to 5 I forced myself to step back, walking back to Sharon before I handed her the gun.
She smiled widely, fucking proud of what she made me do. "Well I didn't think you'd do it but I must say, that was so romantic, so personal...just a shame she didn't scream." She nodded to the helicopter and I climbed in, remaining blank as I reached for the door.
"BUCKY!" I looked up at Sam as he ran into the clearing, staring at me with that same angry, confused and shocked expression Lexy had had. "What did you do!? Where is she!?" He yelled at me, his body tensing for a fight when Sharon popped her head out of the door, causing Sam to halt completely, shocked. He had struggled to believe that Sharon was involved but this confirmed it.
She pointed to where Lexy had fallen. "You could try and find her but the bullet he put through her heart definitely did the job." She said, taunting him as she smacked my back and I watched Sam's eyes move from us to the cliff edge and back to me. "I'll kill you." He growled before he took off, sailing over the cliff edge and out of sight.
"Wings up." Sharon called out and I closed the door. I kept my face blank, forcing my emotions down as we took off, leaving them behind. I couldn't tell them, couldn't let them know but I'd done what she asked me to do. She knew it would come to this and she made me promise and I never made promises, not any more but for her, for Lexy. I made that promise and I delivered.
☆☆☆☆☆
The guards were weary of me and I was thankful for that at least. I wasn't trusted completely yet and was shoved into a cell. Watched and questioned. For a week they dug and dug, trying to find if I had any residual feelings remaining but I made sure all they got was the winter soldier, what they wanted and eventually, like I knew what would happen, Valentina finally visited me.
"So this is the infamous Bucky Barnes, or well, the winter soldier...I have heard a lot about you but what got me the most was that recent work you did...Carter told me what you did, to that sweet but stupid girl, did you know? Did she ever tell you that she loved you?" I kept my face blank as she stared at me, rambling. "If she didn't, it made that easier but if she did, oooooo, that was cold. The way you, choked her and then shot her."
She was taunting me, trying to see if I'd snap but I remained silent, unmoving just as I'd been trained to do and she finally smiled, waving to the guards behind her. "Soldier." She said sternly and I stood. "Ready to comply." I answered, hating the words as they left my mouth before the cell door opened and I exited, stopping in front of her. "You are such a prize." She smiled widely at me before she turned and left, and I followed.
The wolf in the soldiers clothing.