Diavolo

forty one - history

"I don't know Gabe." Came my irritated voice, my eyes sore from the lack of sleep. That day, in Wayne's office, didn't end the way I wanted it to. I was supposed to walk out of that building with Zara but instead, I left alone. 

"Well, what did she say?" Gabe scoffed throwing himself down on the couch.

"She told me she had a few things to take care of and she wants Wayne to help her." I held up a finger silencing him from interrupting. "—And I don't know what she's up to, she refused to tell me." 

"Forget the little Robin. We have a bigger problem to deal with." Came Stark's voice as he entered the room. I gave him an unamused look at the mention of Robin while Gabe rolled his eyes. He ignored our grave looks and continued tapping on his screen then twisted the tablet around and shoved it in my direction.

"Senator Jake Richard has been brutally assassinated today at 6:45 p.m. We don't have much information on this brutal murder however the FBI has a suspect in custody..." Spoke the news presenter. "The suspect James Buchanan Barnes is being interrogated as we speak. The Winter Soldier has a history of unspeakable crimes, millions of assassinations. Are we even surprised that this was his work?" Gabe looked at me with knotted eyebrows.

It felt like a punch to my stomach. A million things flashing through my head as I tried to remember how to breathe.

James...

In one swift move, I shot up to my feet and moved towards the door until I felt a hard hand grasp my shoulder, "Let go Tony." I forced.

"You know him, don't you?"

I took another step closing the gap between us, "Move."

"What are you going to do? March into the Federal Bureau and demand them to release him? You're being irrational." Noting my silence, he continued. "He killed a Senator, they won't let him get away with this."

I shook my head, "Tony, I'm not going to warn you again."

As his hand tightened around my shoulder I heard Theo's voice. "Get your hands off her Stark." And like that, I was released from his hold.

"CIA has a BOLO out for you so if you get arrested. It's out of my control." That was all Tony said before he stormed out of the room.

I found myself standing a meter from the door, my mind was screaming at my legs to move but I couldn't. I had to get him out of there, and if that meant moving back on the grid, then I would do it in a heartbeat.

"Go on sweetheart." Gabe smiled, "I know you've already made up your mind, so go before it's too late." I returned his smile and shifted my focus onto Theo's pleading eyes, he knew I had to do this and that's what worries him. The fact that I would risk my freedom for someone else's.

"If you need us, we'll be here," I nodded and headed towards Xander's room.

***

It wasn't going to be easy breaking him out with a target on my back. "Xander's how long left?" I whispered whilst crawling through the air vents of the FBI headquarters.

"About 20 meters." He replied, his voice breaking up through the radio.

Minutes later, I had reached the sector where Bucky was being held. "Xanders would you do the honours." I couldn't hear his response but from the commotion below me, I can confirm that Xanders heard me loud and clear. 

I slowly lowered myself down from the ceiling and flipped the night vision over my head. My military boots barely making a sound as I approached the cells.

"Power's down." 

"I don't have eyes. I repeat I don't have eyes."

"The system has been breached."

For a moment, my eyes travelled to his face. His dark hair was cut short with light stubble on his jaw, the dark circles under his blue eyes were darker than I remembered. Although the last time I saw him was more than 3 years ago, he still hasn't changed a bit. 

"It's okay James, I'm getting you out of here." His head snapped in my direction with wide eyes and before I knew it his metal fist came flying towards my face. I ducked under his arm as he swings again with his other fist. "James it's me," I repeated staggering backwards. His aim was alarmingly accurate considering he couldn't see me. "James Buchanan Barnes," I whispered placing a careful hand on the side of his face.

"Nat?" He questioned in a deep raspy voice, his chest heaving up and down. I couldn't bring myself to reply so without thinking I grabbed his hand and moved through the disturbance. While Xander's static voice beamed through my ear.

"I can't hold them for much longer L, you need to exfil now."

I hurried towards the underground tunnels knowing exactly where they lead to, and just in time as the whole headquarters powered on. 

"I didn't kill him, Nat." I let out a staggering breath before spinning around to face him. He flicked his blue eyes across my face, then my body, making a note of every detail.

"I know James," I said, my face softening at his apologetic blue eyes. "But we need to move, it won't be long until they realise that you're gone."

He nodded taking my hand into his, the familiar feeling only made my heart beat faster. 

***

We managed to reach the safe house in New Orleans, the same one 12 and I stayed in after I escaped from the CIA. I remained sitting on the couch with his head on my lap, his breathing was slow and uneven like mine. My fingertips began to trace the features on his face, finding myself relaxing to his comfort. I met James in the red room, a place where Zara and I grew up. He was my mentor, a soldier that was brainwashed and programmed by the Soviets. He had no control over what he was doing. But nevertheless, it didn't stop him from falling in love with me.

He began to stir in his sleep frantically muttering with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "James," I said placing my hand on either side of his face. When suddenly his eyes peeled open staring right into mine.

"Nightmares?" I managed to croak.

He sighs, "Yeh, you still get them?"

I nodded trying to shift under his body weight, the metal arm weighed more than I anticipated. "Sorry." He mumbled, sitting up beside me. 

"So were you stupid or careless?" I asked after a long minute of silence.

"I told you I didn't kill him. I wasn't even at the crime scene 'Tasha, someone's trying to frame me." He states furrowing his eyebrows.

"It's LeToya." I corrected picking up a hot mug from the side table.

"Bullshit," He exclaims throwing a blanket over my legs, "I met you as Natasha, so I'm calling you Natasha whether you like it or not."

I stayed silent siping on the mug of hot chocolate.

"They wiped your memories again." Although it was barely a whisper I heard it. 

"Yeh...His son did it this time," I admitted rested my head on his lap, noticing how his eyes hardened at the mention of the Soviets who ruined our lives.

"Remember when they used to do that to us." He scoffed pushing the small baby hairs behind my ear. "They thought wiping my memory would take away the feelings that I had for you, but we'd always find our way back to each other."

And we always did.