Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Chapter Nineteen

I rub my eyes and retie my ponytail as Tony and Bruce go back and forth for what seems to be the sixth consecutive hour. I watch as the two bounce ideas off each other, each of them passionate about the points they're making. Looking down at my paper, I see my scribbled notes and try to make some sense of it all. This science is way over my head but I won't give up until I understand it. I tap the pen on the piece of paper as I think and try to process all of the information.

"Well it's not like Jarvis gave us a lot to go off of." I interrupt the two, tired of hearing them bicker. They both might be right or wrong there's no way to tell for sure right now. The two stop fighting for a second and stare at me.

"Well do you have any idea then?" Tony smartly asks. I stand from my seat and begin slowly pacing back and forth.

"Well Jarvis said the jewel was just housing whatever is inside, that much we do know. We don't know what's being housed, or even what it's made of. I have a theory too, what if the scepter was able to grant those 'freaky siblings' their powers. How else would they have gotten those powers if not for alien technology?" I speak, some of my thoughts finally becoming cohesive with one another from a chaotic mess. I had considered the possibility of the stone granting the powers but I hadn't voiced it until now.

"That's not a bad theory." Bruce says. As if a fog had been lifted, another idea pops into my mind.

"Also, you all said it had the power to dominate and manipulate someone's mind in an instant. The common denominator here is that the scepter is likely causing a change within someone's mind. Think about it, super speed is likely to come from altering or enhancing the primary motor cortex or cerebellum. You can't fully control someone's mind without changing aspects of it either." I say. Some of the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together though I have no answer as to how telekinesis can be achieved but I'm chalking that up as part of the unknown for now and maybe we'll circle back to it when we understand it more.

Tony and Bruce remain silent, my mind begins racing a million miles per second as more theories start forming. If this scepter, or the stone in the scepter, is able to change someone's mind instantaneously, perhaps it can be used to help Bucky in some way? I'm not willing to risk experimentation though, that would be the worst possible thing I could put Bucky through but once we know and understand the nature of the stone it might be a possibility.

"Tony I think she might be right." Bruce breaks the silence. Tony stays silent, both Bruce and I watch him, curious as to what he has to say.

"I hate to say it, and this will be the only time I'll ever say this, but I think you're right too." He says and looks at me. I smile in victory, satisfied that Tony Stark finally admitted I might be right about something. Relishing in the small feat doesn't last long, Tony jumps right back into the research, telling Jarvis to run more tests and make more models.

More tests means more time waiting for answers, but I want answers now. I feel like we're on the verge of discovering something huge and I want to know what we have in our possession and what it is capable of. If it has the ability to grant someone telekinetic powers, it's hard to say where the capabilities end, it can be revolutionary.

In the meantime, I try to occupy myself by organizing my thoughts on paper, a mind map of sorts. I make a column for theories, what is known, and what is unknown. I haven't had science make me this happy in over ten years, it feels good to be doing research again and this time for the right people. Although I only hope Hydra doesn't come looking for what the Avengers took from Sokovia.

"Would you like to take a lunch break with me?" Bruce comes to the table and I finish writing my sentence. I cap the pen and lay it on top of the paper,