pure devotion | | bucky barnes | | book one

12. first encounter with the winter soldier

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𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐫

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Mila sits beside Steve in an SUV type vehicle. Prince T'Challa sits in front of Steve and Mila who sit in front of Sam. "So, you like cats?" Mila snorts and quickly covers her mouth to hide her smile. "Sam." Steve warns. "What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?" It's silent for a moment then both Mila and Steve attempt to start conversation. "So... your a prince?" "Your suit . . . it's Vibranium?" T'Challa's eyes narrow as he glances sideways at the two.

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father," Mila understood his pain all too well.  "I also wear the mantle of king. So, I ask you . . . as both warrior and king . . . how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" Steve is stone faced as the convoy heads underground but Mila looks guilty for crimes she didn't even commit.

The SUV pulls over and everyone steps out. Mila watches as Bucky's pod is carried away by a forklift. "This is sick, they're treating him like a caged animal." Steve side glanced at Mila but chose not to comment.

With Sam, Mila, and T'Challa Steve approaches Sharon who's standing with a diminutive, grey-haired man. "What's gonna happen to him?" "Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition." "We are far from insane, sir." Mila replies coldly. "This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander." "What about our lawyer?" Steve asks the man. Everett chuckles, "Lawyer. That's funny. See their weapons are placed in lockup. Oh, we'll write you a receipt." Mila glances back at Bucky who is already looking over at Steve.

She attempts to give him a soft reassuring smile, which he hesitates to return but eventually does. Steve watches the exchange closely. "I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that." Sam warns as he hands over his suit.

On a covered sky walk the trio walks into another building. "You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favour, stay in it?" His words are patronising and if Mila ever gets out of this she'll be sure to leave him with something to remember her.

"I don't intend on going anywhere."  Natasha walks over to Steve and Mila then flips to walk in the same direction as them. "For the record, this is what making things worse looks like." "He's alive." Tony is on his phone when they walk in.

"No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup." "Try not to break anything while we fix this." Mila tried to argue but decided against it and shut her mouth. "Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir." he hangs up the phone then turns to the trio. "'Consequences'?" "Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. Had to give him something."

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve questions them. "Technically, it's the government's property. Wings, too." "I'm in the clear though." Mila says just as Tony walks over with a bulky pair of handcuffs. "Spoke to soon?" "Yep." Tony nods clamping them on her wrist gently. "Wasn't a big fan of that collar." "Me neither." Mila agrees. "That's cold." Tony turns to walk away. "Warmer than jail!" he shouts back.

Mila is sitting in an office chair watching the feed with Bucky on it. He's strapped to a chair in an uncomfortable manner. A man walks in an takes a seat in front of Bucky. He starts talking to him but the audio isn't available to them right now. Sharon walks in with Steve behind her.

"The receipt for your gear." She hands it to Sam. "'Bird costume'? Come on." Sharon shrugs. "I didn't write it." "Sorry that was me." Mila jokes. Sharon pushes a button which stops the restriction on the audio from Bucky's evaluation. "I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?" Bucky doesn't reply. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."

"My name is Bucky." he finally replies. Steve studies the blurry photograph of the man who bombed the congress in Vienna. He puts the paper back down on the desk and Mila reaches over examining it.

"Why would the Task Force release this photo to begin with?" "Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" "Right. It's a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier." "You're saying someone framed him to find him?" "Steve, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing." Sam tells him. "Well, we didn't bomb the UN." Mila reasons with Sam. Steve nods in agreement.

"That turns a lot of heads." "Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him. It guarantees that we would." Everyone goes silent then realisation strikes them. Mila's gaze falls on the evaluator in the screen, her eyes narrow. "Yeah..."

"Tell me, Bucky. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?""I don't want to talk about it." "You fear that... if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don't worry." The man gets a message on his screen that is unreadable from where Mila is. "We only have to talk about one." In the office the lights go out. This is very bad.

Sharon turns to Sam, Steve and Mila. "Sub-level 5, east wing." Sharon runs forward taking off Mila's handcuffs. The trio jump into action, running for the bunker. They run through the corridors quickly, trying to reach Bucky.

They turn at the entrance to the east wing and see a group of agents all knocked out. The red lights flash eerily in the hallway. In the bunker the "doctor" is lying on the ground. "Help me. Help."  Steve marches over. "Get up." he grabs Zemo and shoves him against the wall. "Who are you? What do you want?" the man begins to smirk "To see an empire fall."

As Sam and Mila enter Bucky jumps out of a corner and swings his fist which smashes through the wall as Sam ducks. Bucky grabs him by the jaw and throws him at the open pod. Mila runs forward and attempts to twist the metal in his arm. Steve lurches into the fight and lands a punch which Bucky barely feels. Bucky kicks and punches Steve out of the chamber.

A punch from Bucky goes through the elevator door. Steve blocks the next one but the power of Bucky's fist sends Steve tumbling into the darkened elevator shaft. Mila runs forward and jumps into the elevator shaft, using the air to slow her down. Mila lands beside Steve using her air to lift him up out of the shaft. Mila soon follows.

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Mila and Sam make it to the warehouse where Steve was able to drag an unconscious Bucky in. Mila lifts the metal of a contraption and Steve slots Bucky's arm underneath. After a few minutes Bucky comes to. Steve peers through a gap at a chopper flying overhead. Sam and Mila are over by Bucky.

"Hey, Cap!" Steve walks over to join Sam and Mila by Bucky who sits with his arm in the vice. They stare at him waiting for him to speak. "Steve." Mila watches as he scans their group. "Which Bucky am I talking to?" "Your mom's name was Sarah...You used to wear newspapers in your shoes." Steve chuckles. "Can't read that in a museum." Sam looks over at Steve, "Just like that, we're suppose to be cool?" "Sam." Mila warns.

"What did I do?" "Enough." Bucky looks down sadly. "Oh, God, I knew this would happen. Everything H.Y.D.R.A put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words." Mila felt horrible looking at Bucky and his pain stricken face.

"Who was he?" "I don't know." he shook his head sadly. "People are dead. The bombing, the setup. The doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know.'" "Steve, give him a break." Mila whispered to Steve.

"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where." "Why would he need to know that?" Bucky looked up at them slowly. "Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

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(A/N)

OMG! I have been doing so much writing my hands hurt haha.

More Bucky content.

[Word Count: 1498]