I climbed the stairs that led back to the control room. Aunt Sharon was at my side. She walked with her arm on my shoulder. My eyes were low as I trudged towards my Dad. He stood leaning against a glass window, in front of him were dozens of live camera footage which showed Bucky in the prison below. I stopped beside him, my arms crossed in front of me. He looked over to me, eyeing my demeanor "Anything?"
"No" I shook my head.
"I knew that sending a child to do a grown mans job wouldn't work, I don't know what I was thinking in the first place " I heard the short guy Everett mumbled.
"Alright, listen here Hobbit" I fired back and pointed my finger at him. My patience had run out with everybody right now. Dad put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me back. He gave me a frustrated stare. I shook my arm away from him and sat down at one of the desks in the control room. I looked down to my hands, hanging my head discouragingly.
"Jessica I don't know what's gotten into your lately" Dad snapped, but kept his voice low so it would just be between us. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away "you're being rude, arrogant-"
"You're causing it" I leaned forward in my seat, not caring if people heard me or not "You and all these people!" I motioned "The people who created these accords in the first place, itt's all to fit your own stupid agendas!"
"Oh grow up" he groaned, running his fingers through his dark hair. That response caught me by surprise, my mouth fell open slightly "You can't just run around here, expecting for everyone to believe that you're some all wise being who knows what is right and what is wrong. That's not how the world works, stop acting like a child!"
"I'm not childish!" I gritted my teeth "you're childish!" My Dad narrowed his eyes at me, basically proving his point. Okay, maybe that did sound a little bit childish. I dropped the subject, moving on "and going back to that Everett guy, he had it coming" I mumbled.
"He's an adult, he's a well respected Agent, and you are sixteen. You will not talk like that to anyone who is on our side"
"Our side?" I echoed "So not including Steve and Sam?" I murmured, cupping my cheeks with my palms.
"Do you really want to start with me again?!" His voice was sharp. I was really pushing his buttons now. He took off his glasses, squeezing them in his hands.
I heard the change in his tone and I immediately backed down. No matter how old I get, he will always be my Father, and he will always have the upper hand when it comes to arguments. Over the past eight years he has gotten good at winning in verbal fights.
That was the end of our conversation.
Then, the footage began. I looked over to the screen. Dad slipped on his glasses and faced away from me aggravatingly.
"Hello Mr. Barnes, I have been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you" A man sat in Bucky's cell at a desk. He was tall and lanky, he had thick glasses on over his eyes. His accent was foreign. I couldn't tell which one. Dad went to stand at the window beside Natasha "Do you mind if I sit?" I watched the screen intently, listening to the footage.
There were multiple cameras in the room. One was a close up on Bucky's face, he didn't seem interested in this man at all "your first name is James?" The man asked "I'm not here to judge you, I'm just going to ask you a few questions" I glanced over to the small glass office space where Steve and Sam sat.
My Aunt Sharon was in there with them as well "Do you know where you are, James?" The man asked. Bucky didn't answer "I can't help you if you won't talk to me, James"
Prince T'Challa was present in the room with us, he sat in a chair at the other side of the computer screens. He had his hands in a triangle form over his lips, paying attention to every word being spoken on the screens.
"My name is Bucky" he finally spoke, his voice still rough and coarse. I turned my head around to look at Steve. He was watching the video from inside the glass conference room. My Aunt was standing next to him.
"Tell me Bucky, you've seen a great deal, haven't you?" The man asked.
"I don't want to talk about it"
"You feel that if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop" That's exactly what I was thinking. Anything he says could be used against him, he's afraid "Don't worry, we only have to talk about one..."
That's when the lights went out.
I dropped my arms to my sides, darting my eyes around the room. People jumped up from their seats, letting out frightened yelps. Dad put his arm around my shoulder instantly.
"Get me eyes on Barnes" Ross paced around the room, speaking urgently into his walkie-talkie. I went to the nearest computer with Dad at my side and tried getting the footage back up. Everything was black, emergency red lights blinked from the ceiling.
"Everything is down!" I pushed random buttons to try and get the footage back up "this is no accident" I looked to Dad.
"Friday, can you give me a source on that outage" Dad instructed his computer A.I.
I spotted Steve and Sam running from conference room and down the hall to where Bucky was "Jessi" Dad turned to me, pulling me by the arm "Stay in here until, and only until I come and find you, got it?"
"Right" I nodded and waited until Dad disappeared down the hall with Natasha at his side "I'm sorry" I whispered once he was out of sight. There was no way I could just sit back and let this all happen around me.
I scrambled out from the computer room and threw open the stairwell door. I slide down the railing of the stairs to gain speed in order to get down faster. I jumped down at the bottom to join Steve and Sam as they neared the prison cell. They saw me approach, but surprisingly didn't object. I tapped my wrist bands, and my iron gloves formed over my hands, just in case I would need them.
"Only fire if you absolutely need to, and if things go south I want you to run" Steve warned me, holding his arm out in front of me. I nodded, wishing that they wouldn't act so protective of me all the time. I'm sixteen, not six.
Dead and injured men were sprawled out over the floor. The smell was already hitting me. I carefully stepped over them, sticking right beside Sam. The only light was coming from the back up generators "what did he do" I said in a hushed tone, staring a corpse, her pale eyes were open and stared lifeless at the ceiling. I opened and closed my iron gloves, listening to the mechanics inside of them.
We reached the room where Bucky was being held. The little cell that he sat in had been busted open, and a lone man laid on the floor in front of it.
"Help me" the man coughed weakly, laying on his back.
"Get up" Steve demanded, storming into the room and lifting the man off the floor, roughly shoving him against the wall. I was taken aback by Steve's sudden aggression "Who are you? What do you want?" He demanded.
The man who I thought was a UN Doctor relaxed his arms, and raised one of his eyebrows "To see an empire fall" he replied menacingly. I looked to the empty cell, and back to the dead men laying on the floor outside. There was only one person who could have caused all of this.
"What have you done?" I whispered.
Just then, out of nowhere, Bucky stepped into the light, grabbing Sam and throwing him to the floor as if he weighed nothing at all "No!" I yelled, jumped back in fear. Bucky's eyes were different. He wasn't sane anymore.
This 'doctor' must have brainwashed him again. I lifted up my iron gloved hand in defense. I was prepared to fire a blast but Bucky twisted my arm and shoved me back against the wall. I groaned in pain and slid down to my knees. My name was yelled from somewhere. The next person he attacked was Steve. I rolled out of the way as they fought.
Those two carried their hand to hang battle outside of the cell room. I regained my balance and bolted for the hallway. Bucky shoved Steve into the elevator door "Sam, are you okay?" I ran towards him. He laid injured on the floor in the hallway.
He gripped my hand as I bent down beside him "Get out of here" was all he told me.
He's right, I have to get help. Bucky could tear this whole place apart if we aren't careful. I ran past Steve and Bucky towards the stairwell. I glanced over my shoulder to my friend, wanting to help him but knowing that I wasn't of use. I pushed open the door and started up the steps. Steve and Bucky's confrontation could be heard from behind. The sound of bodies colliding with metal echoed around the stairwell. My feet kept tripping over each step because of the lack of light.
My breath was coming out ragged. The sound of an elevator door busting open exploded from within the walls, followed by what I can only imagine is a body tumbling down the elevator shaft. I covered my ears with my iron gloves, feeling an enormous amount of fear. It thudded on the cold, hard ground.
I burst into the control room, sweat coated my forehead. People were scattered and panicked. Dad and Natasha were nowhere in sight "Help!" I yelled out loud to anyone who was listening, my voice cracking "Steve! Sam! They're down there!" Still, nobody seemed to care about me. They all scrambled around "Ok then" I growled.
I'll just find someone myself. My first thought was to find Nat, she's strong, she could handle this with ease. I rounded the corner, feeling my chest thump. The Winter Soldier was somewhere in this building.
To the left, the sounds of cries could be heard. I glanced around the column to see Natasha fighting against Bucky head on. He had found his way to the main floor. She smacked him repeatedly on the head. Autopilot moved, I snuck over to her and raised my glove. Plasma built up in my palm and fired, hitting him directly in the arm. His Vibranium arm.
Well that didn't to shit. Anger flared in his blue eyes. I was his next target. His fist balled up "Now let's talk about this" I raised my hands up in surrender. He gripped the collar of my shirt and lifted me off the ground. My feet dangled "Bucky!" I pushed against his face, trying to break away from him.
He gripped my neck and tossed me to the side. I tumbled to the ground, knocking against a table in the process. He stalked towards me, his shoulders rising.
"No" I scooted back frantically "No no please!" I begged "It's me!" A sharp kick hit my cheek, sending me to the floor, and also sent my brain into an utterly disoriented frenzy. Aunt Sharon flew out of nowhere, rescuing me from another attack. My vision was blurry. Pain electrified all across my face. My right eye was swelling, as my mind became fuzzy.
And then unconsciousness.