Eligible Bachelor ✔️

Chapter 16

I finally heard Bucky start to wake. I sat up to him jolting up out of bed.

"Melody?! Where is Melody?" Bucky looked around to see he was in the lab at the compound with Natasha and Steve looking at him.

"Buck, calm down. You're safe." Natasha placed her hand on his arm, seeing him nod as he did, grabbing her hand in his.

"Okay. But Melody. Did you guys find Melody?" He watched Steve and Natasha look at each other, "fuck! He was trying to turn her into a super soldier."

I leaped up from my chair as Tony entered the lab. I approached my friend, grabbing his shoulders as I tried to keep my mind from racing, "what do you mean? Who?"

Bucky shook his head, "you were right, it was her father. They had been unsuccessful at turning me so he thought with her training and that she was his daughter that she would be easier to control for him. That's why they were draining me. They were giving her my blood."

Tony looked at Bruce, "is that even possible?"

He shrugged, "I mean technically, yeah. They could do that."

I felt my heart sink to my stomach, "that is if she even survived."

Bucky scoffed, "he said he didn't care if she did or not. In fact it was better for him if we both died. We have to find her, we don't know what it could do to her. And she would never want this, or to be used by him."

I nodded, "we will. We can only assume he's doing it for the specific reason to fight us, the Avengers. Right? So we won't need to find them, they will seek us out. But we do need everyone here. Wanda, Thor, Loki, Sam, everyone."

Natasha nodded in agreement, "as soon as there is a sighting, we are going to need to capture her and bring her here. I'll call Yelena and Clint." She waited until everyone left the lab before turning to Steve and Bucky, "we'll find her Steve."

I shook my head, "even if we do, we can't guarantee we can help her or fix her."

Bucky placed his hand on Steve's shoulder, "we have Wanda, it might not be easy, but we can. We have to."

I nodded, "I know." I have smiled at them so they thought I was optimistic as they walked out ahead of me from the lab. I walked to Tony's office, letting myself in before shutting the door behind me.

"Please, do come in Rogers."

"We don't really have the time for knocking and niceties at the moment Stark. Do you have any idea where Carbonell would take her?"

Tony watched him begin to pace in front of his desk.

"I mean, she's his daughter, he wouldn't hurt her would he?"

Tony sighed, standing up to grab Steve from pacing, "I wouldn't underestimate him Steve. Or his hate for us. Especially if he knows she's dating you now."

I groaned, "that's what I was afraid of. But we'll be able to get through to her and help her though, right?"

He shrugged, "I have complete faith between you and Wanda that you could break any sort of conditioning they could do."

I nodded, sighing, "I hope you're right."

Tony placed his hand on Steve's shoulder, "she loves you Steve. I've never seen her so in love with someone before. And the same goes for you. I know without a doubt that you can get through to her."

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I was sitting at my desk at the compound almost a month later when I heard someone burst into the room. I looked up from my sketch to see a panicked Bucky. "What?! What is it?"

"There's been a sighting Steve. We have to go. Now."

I stopped Bucky as we made it to the hanger, "is it really a good idea that you come along? They think you are dead maybe we should leave it that way."

Bucky shook his head, "I'm not staying back, not again. I'm going with you to help bring Melody home."

Natasha nodded, looking at Steve, "let him come. For one, there will be no talking him out of it. And for two, he can stay back on the jet and come out and surprise them."

I sighed, nodding because I knew that Natasha was right, "okay fine. Let's go." You could feel the tension on the jet as everyone sat in silence, not knowing what we would be finding when we landed. As we approached we found Melody flanked of a group of soldiers. She stood still and didn't speak as we exited the jet and approached cautiously.

Finally she put her hand up for them to come no closer. "Mr. Stark. Captain Rogers. Mr. Carbonell would like to talk to you. Just you two." She pointed to the building to her left, "now."

I watched her speaking, the blank expression on her face. She didn't know me, or any of us. My heart took up permanent residence in my stomach as I looked to Natasha.

She nodded, "just go. We will get her. We'll be fine."

I groaned, walking off with Tony into the building.

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"Bucky, let's go. You're up."

I heard Natasha's voice on the comms as I waited on the jet. I found no one moving as I approached Natasha and the rest of the Avengers, gun up. I noticed Melody, along with the other soldiers, watching me. They all thought I had died. I watched her tilt her head as if assessing what she should do. I went to speak but before I could her and the soldiers ran towards us. She seemed set just on me as I dropped my gun, not wanting to hurt her, "Melody!" I watched the blank expression as I tried to break through to her in between trying to block her hits. I was stronger, but she was by far much smaller and quicker than I was. She soon had me pinned to the ground. I watched Wanda come up to us but I shook my head before she could use her power on Melody.

Melody tried to get up but Bucky grabbed her hands, keeping her on him, "green eyes. Come on, you know me. I'm your friend." I watched her hesitate, but start to lunge for me as Wanda used her power to send pain to her head before putting her to sleep. I sighed as I stood up, scooping her up to take her to the jet.

As we arrived to the jet we heard an explosion above us in the building Tony and Steve went into and Steve either jumping, or being blown through the window. All we could see was the shield making it's way to the ground with Steve on top.