The Viper || BUCKY BARNES [2]

16 ― The Aftermath

2016 ― Wakanda

HOLLAND STARK WAS STILL UPSET with Steve Rogers for lying to her when he knew that she didn't kill her brother and Maria, and he knew that she was agonizing over it for years. But she did go with him to the prison where Clint, Sam, Wanda, and Scott were being held to break them out. Even though she was distraught with Steve, she owed it to the rest of her team, to her friends to break them out.

And then, after they got them out and got them someplace safe, Steve took her and Bucky to Wakanda. After hearing them out, T'Challa offered to help both Holland and Bucky with their HYDRA deprogramming. Holland needed a break from the avenging world, so she was perfectly fine with this. But Steve wanted to talk to her first.

"Holland, I'm sorry... I thought by not telling you and Tony, I was sparing the both of you from the pain of the truth, but I realize that I was sparing myself. I know how much you agonized over whether you did it or not, but I didn't know what was worse, letting you stay like that, or telling you that Bucky did it...-" Holland cut Steve off by hugging him.

"...-What are we?" Holland whispered to him. She was upset with him; it hurt like hell to know that Steve knew and didn't say anything, but no matter what, she loves him way too much ever to hold a grudge against him. Since she didn't know how long they would be in Wakanda and away from Steve, she didn't want Steve thinking she hated him before they temporarily go their separate ways.

"Family... always." He whispered back to him, and Holland nodded her head.

"Family... always." She whispered back. "I know you did what you thought was best in the situation and best for me. I love you so much, Steve. I really do." She said, and Steve smiled at her as they pulled away.

"I love you too, Holly." He said, and then they rejoined Bucky, who was sitting with one of the Wakandan doctors, and Holland sat next to him. There were two cryo-ice chambers; Bucky and Holland both decided that they wanted to go back under ice until the Wakandans found a way to wipe HYDRA from their minds. "Are you two sure about this?" Steve asked.

"I can't trust my own mind," Bucky said as he shook his head.

"Neither can I... I've had two blackouts within a year and a half, Steve, that's dangerous. So, until they figure out how to get HYDRA out of our heads... I think going under is the best thing." Holland said, and Bucky nodded his head.

"For everybody," Bucky said, and then he looked at Holland and laid his hand down in her hair. "I love you." He said, and she leaned in until their foreheads were touching.

"I love you too, Buck." She said. The two of them leaned in at the same time and kissed each other. They didn't know how long the Wakandans would keep them under, so Holland wanted to treasure the moment; when they pulled away, she nodded her head, and they pulled back before getting into the chambers and allowing themselves to be strapped down, and she looked at Steve. "If by some miracle you get in touch with Tony... just let him know, I'm okay." She said, and Steve nodded his head.

"I promise." He said. Holland smiled at him as her chamber closed around her, and then she closed her eyes and let the ice take over her.

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"Thank you for this." Steve Rogers was now speaking to King T'Challa. In following them to Siberia, he found out that Bucky did not kill his father and that Zemo did, so he handed Zemo over to the government to be handled, and then he allowed Steve to bring Bucky and Holland to Wakanda.

"Your friends and my father... they were all victims. If I can help your friends find peace..." T'Challa trailed off, but Steve didn't need him to finish the sentence.

"You know, if they find out they're here... they'll come for them..." Steve trailed off. Since they were all technically criminals now, Wakanda and T'Challa could get into deep trouble if the government ever knew that Holland and Bucky were here. T'Challa looked back at Steve before he looked back out of the window they were standing by.

"Let them try."

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Be on the lookout guys, since this chapter was so short, I will be publishing book 3 today, which will cover the events of Infinity War and Endgame. 

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xoxo.