till the end of the line

38 Lights Out

"Hey, you wanna see something cool? I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely."

I turned around to see Tony walk in as he showed us two pens in a black presentation box.

"FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most."

Steve smirked and leaned in his chair, "Some would say it brought our country closer to war."

"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to- what do you call it? That's- an olive branch. Is that what you call it?"

"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her."

"We're kinda- well, not kinda-"

"Pregnant?"

"No. Definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault."

Steve glanced at me as I stifled a laugh while he shook his head, "I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know."

"A few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA, and then Ultron. My fault. And then- and then- and then I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference."

Tony stood up and sighed before cocking his head, "In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and Mom always made it work."

"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single."

"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. Gosh, I hated you."

I kicked Steve as he shook his head, "I don't mean to make things difficult."

"I know. Because you're a very polite person. Both of you are, well, okay maybe a bit exaggerated on Kat."

I gave him a mocking smile before I rolled my eyes as Steve sighed, "If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could."

"No, you don't."

Steve held a thin smile before nodding, "No, I don't sometimes..."

"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you both. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you both sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center, instead of a Wakandan pris-"

I closed my eyes as I stood up and turned before looking at him, "You and your stupid treaty."

I turned away from him and then walked out as I then entered another room where Sam stood. Steve soon joined us and then followed by Sharon.

I sat in the chair as I watched the screen while she passed me a piece of paper, "Receipt for your gear."

Taking the paper, I then sat up and looked down as I read over the words, "They seriously took my jacket. No. I want that back. Steve gave it to me. Sharon, get it back."

"They won't."

"It's a jacket. Not harmful at all. I want it back."

I passed the receipt to Sam as I crossed my arms.

"'Bird Costume'? Come on."

She shrugged before walking towards a control panel, "I didn't write it."

Sharon then pushed a button and now we could hear everything that was happening.

"I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James? I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."

I looked up and stood as I watched Bucky shake his head, "My name is Bucky."

I smiled softly before we were given a file on the case. I picked up the blurry photo of the man who was supposedly Bucky. The one that bombed the congress in Vienna.

"There's no way this was him."

"Why would the Task Force release this photo, to begin with?"

Sharon then looked over Steve's shoulder, "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."

I nodded as Sam shook his head, "Steve, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing. Even after Katerina searched for a while, we got nothing."

"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads."

Sharon nodded and looked up at the screen, "Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him. It guarantees that we would."

I raised my brow as I listened to the interrogator, "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 opened a package and pulled out a red book as he chuckled, "We only have to talk about one."

The power then went out and I stood up as I created a ball of light between us. Ross walked up and groaned, "Great. Get eyes on Barnes. Go, now."

I looked up at Sharon and met her eyes as I then smiled as she nodded, "Sub-level 5, east wing."

I nodded and let the light out before Sam, Steve and I ran out the back before the lights returned, flashing.

I ran only to fall as a pain struck through my head, letting a cry of pain escape my lips.

"Kat! Kat, what is it?"

"I- I don't know," Steve helped me up as we started running again, "Steve, something happened to Bucky. Something changed."

We walked into the chamber as red lights flashed. I looked down to see a group of agents out cold as we continued in.

Steve walked in front of me as we noticed another guy on the ground, "Help me. Help-"

Steve picked him up by his collar and held him against the wall, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man chuckled and then looked to the side, meeting my eyes.

"власть, война, дым, камень" (roughly translates) "power, war, smoke, stone"

I grabbed my head as I felt pain shoot throughout my body. Falling to my knees, I let out a cry as flashes and images appeared. Fires, destruction, annihilation. And then nothing, as I looked up.

"готов подчиниться" (roughly translates) "ready to comply"

I felt nothing, saw nothing but Steve as he kneeled down beside me, turning to the man.

"What did you do?!"

"I did everything I needed to see an empire fall."