The Newest Avenger ❤️

Chapter 14

It doesn't take them long to come across the Winter Soldier. Steve can see in his eyes he is no longer his friend; he is no longer Bucky. He has no idea how they did this. They had trouble bringing him in before, but they didn't have Wanda to help.

Soldiers appeared like they did last time; out of nowhere. They knew there were too many for them to handle. They kept it to just Steve and Wanda on the ground. Steve was able to get Bucky to follow him into an abandoned building as Wanda snuck up behind him and incapacitated him. "Loki? Do you hear me? Now!" She shouts out just before Loki appears before them and he grabs them and transfers them all back to the compound.

One minute Loki is in the kitchen with Anna, the next she sees him put his hand up as if to quiet her and he disappears. "Loki?" She stands up panicked, then she hears a commotion outside. She looks to find Wanda doing her best to control Bucky with Steve and Loki. She runs outside towards Bucky, but Steve catches her before she can reach him.

"Wait! Let Wanda and Loki do it." She watches as Loki keeps him still and Wanda tries to erase whatever they did to his mind to bring him back. She watches Wanda back off as Bucky falls to his knees.

Anna runs to him to fall on her own knees in front of him. "James? Bucky?" When he looks up at her, all she sees is Bucky, her Bucky.

"I'm so sorry Anna," he sobs as she wraps her arms around him, crying with him as everyone watched.

***

Anna gets Bucky a shower and a change of clothes. "I need to talk to Steve." He dresses quickly, turning away from her as she grabs his hand.

"Bucky wait." He doesn't turn back to her, pulling his hand away as he walks out of the bedroom. She follows him downstairs where everyone else is waiting. She tries grabbing him again, but he just pulls away again. "Bucky!" He stops, hanging his head as he faces away from her and everyone turns to look at them. "James Buchanan Barnes! You turn around and look at me!!"

"I need to talk to Steve," he repeats, still not turning around. He couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. Not after everything.

Anna ignores Steve as he approaches them, positioning herself between them, and pushing Bucky back. He doesn't budge as she begins to hit him and he continues to stand like a statue, staring at the ground. "Not until you talk to me, James." Her voice gets softer, almost pleading. "Please."

Steve finally grabs her gently, pulling her away from Bucky, his voice soft, "just let me talk to him, Anna."

She gives up, storming away to her room as Loki appears in front of her just as she slams the door. "Loki. Fuck. You can't be doing that."

"Sorry, Pet." He laughs, watching her lay on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Just checking on you."

"I'm fine, really. Bucky is back, that's all that matters for now.... I guess." Neither of them speak as he lies on the bed beside her, both of them staring at the ceiling in silence.

Steve leads Bucky into the conference room and closes the door. "You can't be acting that way towards Anna. You don't know what she's been through, what we've all been through."

Bucky just shakes his head, dismissing what Steve has said. "It's Red Skull."

"What do you mean it is Red Skull?" Steve calls everyone into the conference room, including Loki and Anna. Once they are all in their seats, they sit and listen to Bucky go over his experience since being taken.

Wanda leans forward as he finishes to corroborate his story. "I saw it, in his head. He is telling the truth."

"Okay, it isn't as if we don't believe you, Bucky. But how did they do it? How did they reactivate the Winter Soldier?" Anna asks, staring at Bucky, but he doesn't look back at her as he answers.

"They... they brainwashed me the same way they did before. Just with new words. It doesn't matter right now," he shakes his head dismissively, annoyed, "what matters is that we have to stop Red Skull and his daughter."

"That girl is his daughter? And she is with Brock? This is a lot to digest, Buck." Anna spits out, staring daggers at him, hoping he will look at her but he looks everywhere but at her.

Natasha stands up with a sigh, sensing the tension rising in the room. "Okay. I will see what I can find. Why don't we all just take some time to relax and regather." She looks at Anna encouragingly with a small nod.

As everyone gets up to leave, Bucky rushes out the door ahead of everyone and Anna starts to follow but is held back by Steve. "Wait Anna, let me talk to him first."

Anna hesitates but nods in agreement, heading to Bucky's room to wait for him. She and Steve had become closer the last few months while Bucky had been away. Her feelings for him had begun to reappear, and now she is more confused than ever.

Steve follows Bucky into the training room. "Buck!"

"I know, Steve! I know!" Bucky punches a punching bag, and it goes flying across the room.

Steve approaches him cautiously, his voice softer, "then why won't you talk to her?"

Bucky sits on a bench and hangs his head in his hands as Steve sits next to him. "Because... I was so worried about her being taken from me; I never considered the possibility of me being taken from her." He looks up at Steve, his eyes welling with tears. "I don't know what to say to her, Steve."

Steve sits listening to his best friend silently sob about the girl he himself was in love with before he puts his hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you don't need to say anything, Buck. Just be there."

Anna had fallen asleep on Bucky's bed before he returned. He didn't say anything, not wanting to disturb her or wake her. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while, watching her sleep, her chest rising and falling evenly. She was skinnier than when he had left, her face a little gaunt. He knew she always forgot to eat, and he knew he would have to talk to Steve in the morning about her eating habits since he left. He stands to strip down to his underwear, nudging her over slightly as he crawls beside her. She doesn't wake up, but her body still reacts to his the way it had a thousand times before, like two magnets as he put his arm up and she positioned her head in the little crook of his neck and shoulder that belonged to her. She wrapped her arm around his torso as he kissed the top of her head. "I love you, doll," he whispers softly. She doesn't respond with words, but he hears a soft, content sigh in her sleep before he falls asleep with her.