The Mimic

189

Thanos.

Bucky could feel his stomach twist at the sound of those footsteps behind him. It was more than a chill down his spine, but he was determined to keep a brave face. Shaky puffs of air were forced out of his nostrils as he slowly reached a hand down to the gun holster strapped to his leg, his vibranium arm fastening tightly around the gauntlet. Bucky was completely alone. He had no backup, and no time to call out for help on his earpiece. It was just him and Thanos. A purple giant against a man with a vibranium arm. It wasn't looking good for Bucky, but there was no way he was going to give up without a fight.

"Thank you." Thanos hummed in a calm tone, continuing to stroll toward the super soldier. "Thank you for bringing the gauntlet to me. I am truly grateful." He smiled. A hand raised up to wave away the aliens that were still trying to attack Bucky, the other still having a firm grip on his double-edged sword. "I'm happy that you're able to understand my goal of wiping out the human race. You're all as stubborn as one another, and if I'm correct, humans haven't particularly treated you or your girlfriend well, have they?" He cooed, his smile only seeming to grow at the sight of Bucky's shoulders tensing.

Just like the last time y/n tried to control Thanos' mind, he was able to see into a few of y/n's memories. From her time in Hydra with Bucky, to her time in the Avengers. It had been a rocky road for the pair of them, and Thanos knew exactly how to pull at the heart strings. How to hit a nerve. How to make Bucky snap.

Bucky clenched his jaw, his whole body tensing at the mention of y/n. Thanos was right, the world hadn't treated them fairly. The world hadn't treated them fairly at all. There were so many people on the planet that had manipulated him, used him, and hurt him, but that didn't mean that he was willing to give up the gauntlet. He was happy with the small circle of people that he adored. Giving up the gauntlet to avoid an inevitable defeat from Thanos was something that didn't even cross Bucky's mind.

Thanos continued to stroll toward the super soldier, merely a few steps away. "Now's the time to hand the gauntlet over." He hummed, keeping his eyes fixed on the back of Bucky's head. The man hadn't even turned around to face him. It was disrespectful. "Just hand the gauntlet over and all the pain you've suffered will be gone. Nobody to mourn you or force you back onto this hellish earth, and nobody to hurt you or your girlfriend ever again." He cooed, confident that he was beginning to manipulate Bucky.

The purple giant wedged one blade of his double-edged sword into the ground, aware that he didn't need it to fight a man with a vibranium arm. It wasn't fair on Bucky. He continued to stroll until he was inched away from the super soldier, able to breathe down his neck if he really wanted to, but instead he reached a hand out. He reached his calloused hand out and set it on Bucky's shoulder. "Hand it o-"

Bucky whipped around, shoving the giant's hand away from him as he cocked his gun. "I'm giving you five seconds to walk away." He snapped through gritted teeth, beginning to take slow steps backwards. His boots seemed to catch on every single piece of debris on the ground behind him, causing him to stumble, but the stone-cold look on his face remained. "Five."

Bucky's heart was pounding out of his chest. The adrenaline that coursed through him caused the hand holding the gun to shake, yet he continued to put on a brave face. He had no choice. It didn't matter how terrified he was, Bucky was going to fight for the gauntlet.

"Four." He hissed, beginning to raise his voice to show Thanos that he was being serious.

"Three." The giant wasn't moving.