Scream out loud if you feel alive
Wasted love, I've been up all night
Sober up, put your head on ice
It's a homicide
It was under a cover of darkness that Bucky was rappelling through a manmade hole in the ceiling of an old Bavarian castle. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as the stale scent of chemicals mixed in with the must of poorly ventilated concrete and stone. The smell brought with it flashes of missions back when he was still living under the façade of a brainwashed assassin. There wasn’t much to see in such a decrepit space as this without a torch to light his way but he crouched down low to take in his surroundings anyway. The air was cooler, the odor not as potent due to the temperature. He ran his flesh hand along the flooring laden with concrete and stone. He could feel the grooves in the texture from centuries of wear and tear. Pressing down with a little bit of force, he caused the very foundations of the ancient citadel to vibrate. Tilting his head to the side a little, he watched as tendrils of cerulean energy crackled between his fingers. They raced along his skin and jumped onto the ground before him. The vibrations grew then, the hum resonating with the vibranium arm attached to his left shoulder. And he listened. Listened to the cries of the souls that were bound to this place, he listened to the blood that called out to him from countless decades of pain and suffering. Forcing more energy into the very bedrock of the castle, his soul resonated with the tales of the dead. Visions of centuries past were conjured by his mind’s eye, he sifted through them until he found what the mission he was on was all about, what he and Steve were looking for. The object of his hatred and the target of his personal vendetta, the bones of the very first chair that created him. Just looking at it in this manner sent shivers of dread down his spine. While he chose to keep the mantle of Winter Soldier as a way to reclaim his identity, the trauma from those times still had a way of freezing him at inopportune times. Shaking his head to clear such notions from his thoughts, the visions from his sight, and the odor from his nose, he stood from his position. Despite the tendrils of blue light from his spellwork that cast the corridor in an ominous glow, it was still dark where he landed, as if the place hadn’t seen the sun for centuries. The odor still didn’t leave his senses either, it was like it was clinging to his nose like the poor unfortunate souls that clung to this very castle. Raising his cybernetic hand to his right wrist, he activated his kimoyo beads. They were gifted to him and Steve from Princess Shuri of Wakanda herself.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKrnWvoJow
“I found it,” he said as if Steve was standing right next to him. It wasn’t necessary to call out as if they were trying to cross a great void and it was all because of the Wakandan wonder gracing his wrist.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM0ZT2BToA
“That’s good, Buck. Real good.” The praise slipped easily from Steve’s lips and into his ears. Warmth flooded his chest at the words before it gave way to the aching hole in his chest. He wished so badly to be able to fall into Steve’s arms then, to kiss and bite at that full bottom lip, to get on his knees for the big guy, but he couldn’t. They weren’t like that and if his memory served, they never were no matter how much he longed for it. He knew Steve didn’t feel that way for him. Tapping one of the other beads, a hologram of Steve floated in front of him. “Ready to be done with this place?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqh5MUixREu
“Absolutely,” he said. “This barren German castle only holds sorrow and pain. I can feel it all.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1xQW3hjHE
"Want me to call in Wanda for assistance?” He could see it as Steve’s brow crinkled in worry, those pretty blue irises that sang the song of oceans widening in concern. Steve knows he can take care of himself but Bucky still appreciated him taking into account his well being.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODArPxkAld
“No, I can handle it,” he said shaking his head. “Let’s just destroy the remnants of that damn chair and get the fuck out of here.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRGcI8ND9y
“Alright, Nat and I are coming in behind you. Sam is on standby for air support and Clint is waiting in the jet. Prepare the way for us?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMvpCsaDiY
“You got it, Cap.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwwAr10KuX
Steve’s chuckle rang out in his ears singing tender hymns in his blood, his longing for his oldest and dearest friend continued to grow. It probably would until he took his dying breath. With a final tap on his bracelet, the hologram disappeared. Taking a breath to steel his nerves, he closed his eyes for a moment and visualized the cerulean sphere of energy that rested within the embrace of his being, his very soul. Tugging at it slightly, those tendrils crackled to life again taking the form of flames, this time they encased his entire body as if he were composed of heavenly fire. He became a human torch to light the way for those who sought his guidance, banishing the shadows with his presence.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2EszFF8E9
“Oh Buck.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxatlEkodxc
Bucky whirled around to find Steve and Natalia— Natasha staring at him. “What?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa350yvXjRc
“You look—30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScFrsOo4Xv
“Yes?” He couldn’t help the hopefulness that tinged at his voice as the word left his lips.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQ5OJrRHNU
“N-nothing. Where do we go from here?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaugPzlTzOy
He couldn’t help the way his heart seemed to fall out of his chest. Steve’s reaction came from a place of awe at his display of power. He knew what he looked like, the wisps of flames dancing along his flesh like nymphs in a forest. His shoulder length hair floating in an unnatural wind that no one but him could feel. He was a vision of beauty and light objectively speaking, his own opinion on his appearance not really something he liked to think about. He wished though that his visage would have evoked a more provocative response from Steve, he would have even taken an emotional one, something to give him a hint that Steve could feel the same way he did. Turning abruptly, he missed Natasha elbowing Steve in the stomach. All he heard was a grunt and minor squabbling in the background as he led the captain and the widow deeper into the castle.
Down the trio went, bypassing the skeletons of the horrors that still lived in Bucky’s nightmares. As they continued their descent into the aged citadel, he just knew that they had long since sunk beneath the earth’s surface. They trekked down the steep decline from their entry point. The scent grew even more potent with the deaths of the many that somehow still had a hold to very fibers that ran through the stone, the concrete, and the sediment that grew thicker around them. When the decline leveled out, Bucky sighed in relief. They had finally found what they came for in a large cavern with a strange shallow pool in the distance. There, in the center of a steel reinforced enclosure held together by the sheer will of Hydra, was the very first chair.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhX1mXDCTxl
Bucky came to an abrupt stop at the sight, freezing in front of his companions. The illumination his power gave off seemed to dim just a little bit in his apprehension. He stiffened slightly at the sensation of an overly warm hand at the small of his back before he relaxed. It was Steve, it was always going to be Steve. It was his touch that Bucky craved in any and all capacities, it was only his touch that his very soul could tolerate.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuYiP75HTy
Bucky held his breath waiting for Steve to speak, voicing his rightful concern. He was only met with silence and for that, he was grateful. Steve knew he wouldn’t have been able to respond to his reassurances, it was a testament to how well they knew each other. He relaxed even more when Steve’s arms encased him in a tender embrace, didn’t even protest when Steve carefully turned him and cradled him to his chest. Bucky breathed in, even amongst the musk of the earth being surrounded by Steve and his calming scent eased his anxieties, helped him overcome what just seeing the chair was able to do to him. Feeling one of Steve’s massive hands tug at his hair, he lifted his head to meet Steve’s gaze. Whatever Steve found there must have eased his own worries because he quirked his brow at Bucky. Quirking his own in return, the hole in his chest seemed to fill. No matter what the nature of their relationship was, he would always have Steve in his life, he would always be okay with Steve by his side. Sighing as the tension in his body continued to ease, he rested his forehead against Steve’s for a moment before turning his attention back to the chair.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCyBL0eKTL
“Are you two ready?” He almost jumped two feet in the air at the raspy voice that came from his left. He almost forgot that Natasha was there, he had gotten so wrapped up in Steve. That did tend to happen often, but not necessarily on a mission. “Because I’d like to go home at some point.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VGILQAXHL
Just as he was about to respond, a rumble suddenly broke out disturbing the earth beneath them. Dashing toward the walls that were lined with bone, Bucky held on as best as he could. His concentration was broken, therefore disrupting the hold on his spellwork and plunging them all into darkness. When the earth ceased its quaking, an ominous silence followed. Bucky didn’t like it one bit. He was left feeling off kilter, stones had begun to fill his belly. A terrible feeling nagged at his senses, the urge to flee was paramount.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2cxskDLvp
“Ahh Soldat, I am pleased to see you’ve made it. What do you think of my castle?” Bucky whirled around to see a face illuminated by a single handheld torch. It belonged to a man he wished never to see again. The man who framed him for a murder he did not commit. The very same man that brought to light an assassination he did. “Captain Rogers and the Red Room’s finest are in attendance as well? How fortunate.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UlPohz0p7
“Zemo.” Bucky’s voice came out strained as he tried to get a grip on himself. His heart had begun to race like horses on a track, his palms grew sweaty, and the intricate workings of his left arm whirred ominously. He didn’t like this man at all, he would prefer it if he were dead. The baron caused so much strife in his life but that wasn’t even the main reason for Bucky’s hatred. The baron’s actions caused a rift between Steve and his friends and to Bucky, that was unacceptable. Any slight against Steve, he took as a personal wrongdoing against himself. Steve couldn’t go home, Steve had willingly allowed himself to become a fugitive for his sake. The only person that Steve was able to make amends with was Natasha but he knew that Steve missed the others as well. Loathed as he was to admit it, he knew that Steve also missed Tony. Chances to reconcile seemed to dwindle and the appearance of Baron Zemo did not help matters at all.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsY4tLQ8Pjr
“I was wondering where that blue light was coming from, I could see it all the way from the next town over. Imagine my surprise when I found that it was leading me into my own ancestral home like a beacon straight to you and a set of intruders. I still wonder though, where was the source of such brightness? Where, in all this darkness, could such light survive?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eWvZCS7aN
In Bucky’s efforts to calm himself, he missed that the cavern had been steadily filling with men and women in black tac suits similar to his own. The only difference being, they wore the telltale red insignia on their chests, the infamous hydra of myth and history. After inhaling deeply, he exhaled slowly letting a calm fall over his senses. He didn’t intend to have to fight tonight but it appeared that it would be inevitable. A familiar coldness settled into his bones, reminiscent of his icy façade. He took into account just how he would be able to fight his way out of this mess, damn the chair. If he could get far enough away from the citadel, he could light the place up with his magic and send it hell, chair and all. Ambitious feats such as that would take a lot of power though, perhaps he should have taken Steve up on his offer to call Wanda. As if conjured by his thoughts, the warmth that he could suddenly feel at his back was like a comforting balm to the ball of anxiousness that tried to take over. Steve was right there with him and nothing was impossible with his best guy at his side.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKGEqvCslz
“But, of course, my musings no longer matter.” Bucky watched in disgust as Zemo’s crazed grin pulled at his lips, it was truly a hideous sight to behold in the meager light provided by the only torch in the cavern. “I’d rather not waste anyone’s time and certainly not my own resources. Longing.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ezyOBSgPw
“You’re out of luck, Zemo.” Bucky gritted his teeth, he abhorred just hearing the words even though that time in his life had long since come to a close. “The trigger words don’t work on me anymore.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahRgxpKaBr
“Rusted.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl2v7bffoi
Despite the fact that he had been healed completely from the effects of the trigger words, his body still vibrated in anticipation of a shift in psyche that would never come. He clenched his fists, locked his elbows and knees in his efforts to hold his body still, to exude calm.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2NcvoqM7s
“Fire. Dawn.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xp08P8sLM
Bucky paused, a laugh almost bubbling up and out of his throat. Was this guy serious? Was this some sort of terrible joke? Zemo activated the Winter Soldier a year ago, the baron should know the words from memory by now. Turning to look at Natasha, he immediately stiffened. She was holding herself tensely and that set him on edge, turning his reaction from incredulous to that of dread. “Natasha?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXnwom3sE9
“Those— those aren’t my words.” The strain in her voice still spoke volumes, the words still held some sort of power over her and that scared Bucky.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5vLTywSnA
“Eighteen. Malevolent. Soul.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ6TK2zNjK
A familiar groan almost cleaved his heart in two. Slowly, almost as if he was afraid of an unforeseen truth, Bucky turned toward Steve only to see him kneeling on the ground clutching at his head. “Steve, pal?”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDE9Pj0dw5n
“Buck, something’s— it’s like my brain is pulling itself apart!” Steve’s entire body was shaking, Bucky’s was too. It was like they were tethered to the same tapestry, like he could feel everything Steve was going through. A myriad of emotions from anger to fear and everything in between flowed through both of them.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xNCbbhzMY
“Shield. One.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQLNuZEBqi
Bucky rushed over, kneeling in front of Steve, cradling his face in his hands. “Stevie, stay with me, please! Fight it! You can’t leave me like this, you’re not allowed!”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33uLr7ATE5
“Ice.”30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6P8aS4KM86
Steve’s body immediately slumped over, collapsing onto Bucky, as if the fates had cut his strings. There was nothing in the world that could have prepared him for an experience such as this. All the heartache he endured at the hands of his oppressors, all the pain. For Steve to have shared this fate hurt him to his very core. Nothing could have prepared him for what Steve uttered next.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ld2XhX6rS
"Ready to comply.”
ns 15.158.61.42da2
