What Fades Away

chapter 13: particles

a/n: mental health topics, angst, soft smut

"This is a NY1 breaking news update...

Two bodies have been found in Central Park overnight. These discoveries are an addition to the five victims found over the past month. All the victims have been dark haired females in their mid to late twenties. Officials are urging women in Midtown to stay vigilant and travel in groups, in an effort to prevent further killings. No word yet on any possible suspects, however rumors persist of a connection to the Avengers, now led by Sam Wilson also known as Captain America..."

Bucky abruptly turns off the television, tossing the remote onto the coffee table. He runs a hand over his face, taking a deep breath. Furnace and nine. The words echo in his head in a mocking tone.

"Got any ideas?" Sam asks. He walks over to the couch, sitting down beside the super soldier.

"Other than talking to Mara's mom? No."

"How is this guy doing it? Like, it's almost impossible for serial killers to exist now," Peter pipes in from the kitchen between mouthfuls of cereal.

Bucky called him last night after talking to Mara. He figures she's going to need all the support she can get for the trip today.

"He's smart, well, smarter than these cops. Which to be honest isn't that fucking hard," Kate quips with a sigh. She's packing a bag, filling it with any equipment that they might need for the day.

"It doesn't help most of these victims have been sex workers," Bucky mentions. "Most cops don't care when something happens to them. It took that FBI agent getting killed for it to even make the news."

"Assholes. No wonder we're having to do their job for them," Kate grumbles.

Sam glances at Bucky. The lines on his face and dark circles under his eyes tell the Captain that his partner isn't sleeping well. After a certain point, not even super soldier serum can hide that.

"You sure you're good, Buck? I could always come along," he asks.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just tired. We gotta find something today. I don't know how much more Mara can take."

Sam claps a hand on Bucky's back in reassurance. He meets Kate's eyes over the back of the couch. They both have been waiting for the ball to drop. Too much pressure and something is bound to crack. It's just a matter of who it gets first, Mara or Bucky.

Mara comes into the living area. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she's dressed nicer than she has been in a while, a pink sweater and black skinny pants. She smiles at Bucky, stopping to run her nails along his shoulder before going to make coffee for herself.

Last night, Bucky watched as she tossed and turned endlessly. Her brain won't allow her body to rest, a feeling he's more than familiar with. After the fourth or fifth time of waking up in a cold sweat, Mara decided to just sit by the window and watch the flurries of snow fall. Every once in a while the scratching of her pen or the tapping of her nails on the phone would fill the air, waking Bucky up from his light sleep.

"Mara, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, I can go alone..." Kate asks before getting cut off.

"It's fine, really. It's been a while since I've seen her. She might not even want to see us," Mara replies, stirring sugar into her coffee.

"How long has your mom been there?" Peter asks softly.

Mara's eyebrows scrunch together as she thinks. The year her mom was committed is just a blur. Everything happened so fast.