My Soldier (Bucky Barnes)

The Darkness Before The Rainstorm

I had been carrying about 7 boxes with me as I was coming from the file room. Seriously, I had no idea of Stark being old school with having a file room in the tower. It surprises me like it did yesterday. He couldn't look at my face last night and now too. Guilt was radiating from him but why to even do it. Well, I decided for the bygones be bygones and focused on getting back at Ultron. I saw Nat coming down the hallway and she gave me an impressed look. I had two sets 3 boxes stacked on one another which I carried with both of my arms and one box was well- balanced on my head. "Why would you need those? We got high tech devices with files in the database already." "They're a just in case. Trying to save us the trouble." "Huh. We'll see about it. You need help with that, Sweety?" she asked me. "Nope, I'm good. Also these were the last boxes. Thanks though." She just smiled and we both headed the same way. Once we entered the lift I decided to ask her the question which I was dreading to ask for the last 7 hours. "I know what you're gonna ask and yes I like him." Damn she can read minds. "Well thankyou for answering my question but seriously, did anything happen between you two?" I gushed at her. "Uh um we uh. God fine we flirted" she said as she blushed. "Hot damn!" "Well don't think you can escape from me though. What's going on with you and Rogers?" "Nothing's going on. Why'd you ask?" "'Cause well you both seemed close yesterday and not to mention you're still wearing his jacket from last night." "One, we talked regarding Sam with the new leads on our the missing person's case and two, he gave it so I could cover my wounds from the fall." "Oh. Well, it was a nasty fall. I hope you're okay. Sorry for this, what I said about uh between you and Steve." "Nah that's fine. He's a friend and so are you. You two are the only people who understand me." "We all do and thankyou." she said with a genuine smile. 

After reaching the lab, Nat helped me place down the boxes aside. Thor gave me a proud look. I smiled back and we continued on our scramble hunt on our computers. Four hours and still nothing. Steve then entered the room with Clint behind him. Steve came in with a tablet in his hand. "What's this?", Tony asked him. He placed his tablet screen on the table and it showed the holographic image of Strucker.. but he was dead? "A message. Ultron killed Strucker." Why would he kill him? Was Strucker related to this? Did he know something? "This is a smokescreen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?" Nat questioned. "Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss" I answered. Steve gave me a nod of suggesting that he meant the same. "Yeah, I bet he... Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased." Nat confirmed. "Not everything", I said and looked at the boxes. Everybody except me and Steve groaned. Nat gave me a look and I just winked back at her. After some time, Steve decided to break the silence, "Known associates. Well, Strucker had a lot of friends." "Well, these people are all horrible", Bruce retorted as he looked through the photos of the men. Tony looked into them too.

"Wait. I know that guy." Banner passed him the photo he was looking at. "From back in the day. He operates off the African coast, black market arms." Steve gave him an accusing look. "There are conventions, alright? You meet people, I didn't sell him anything", Tony said as he defended himself. He then presented photo of a man named Ulysses Klaue. "He was talking about finding something new, a game changer, it was all very "Ahab"". "What's this?", Thor pointed out at the scar on Klaue's neck. "Uh, it's a tattoo. I don't think he had it...", Tony said but Thor cut him off, "No, those are tattoos, this is a brand." Tony then zoomed in on the picture as Bruce started running a search on it. It was a bit familiar. I had seen it in one of the HYDRA files earlier. "Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning thief, in a much less friendly way." Bruce said "What dialect?" Steve asked him. "Wakanada? Wa- wa--" he tried at pronouncing. "Wakanda" I said. All eyes then came on me. "You know the place?", Clint asked from a corner. "Heard of it. HYDRA wanted it for its precious resources. but never found it. That was in 1999. But the first big smuggle racket was disbanded circa 1970-80 by the forces of Wakanda. Some of it is still hidden or with someone." "What resources?" Steve asked me. "Vibranium, the strongest metal on Earth." I say as I point towards Steve's shield which sat in the corner of the room. "I thought your father said it was the last of what he had." Steve asked Tony. "Well clearly it was smuggled then and so it was not before any less than 12 years." I said. "We gotta find this guy. He definitely has the stolen vibranium." Nat said in an urgent tone. "Ultron will be after him too if he wants to make himself a stronger armor... or an army." I said to the team. Steve gave me a knowing look and then turned to Stark. "Where's this guy now?" 

Tony quickly turned around and began to trace the man. "Somewhere in the African Coast. If its the same ship, then I know it." Steve turned to face the team. "Everybody, suit up. Meet at the hangar in 40 minutes." We all then scurried off to our rooms. I put on my latest suit. It was all black with some gold plating designs with many pockets and thigh holsters. It was even fire proof. I was about to tie my hair but decided against it knowing the hair tie will burn into ashes. I let my unruly hair fall on my waist. I loaded up the knives onto the holsters and then left my room as I headed to the hangar. Everybody joined in no time and we set off after getting into the jet. The plan was discussed. We had to make sure that Ultron didn't get his hands on the vibranium and wait for the signal of attack. After two hours or less, we reached. Tony identified the ship and we got in. Tony headed in the front as we all took out the guards silently. We could hear Ultron complaining about being compared to Stark with Klaue but soon we heard Tony saying something and Steve and Thor joined him. 

I then heard one of the twins speak. Pietro. "Shit. Twins are here. They're with Ultron." I updated Nat and Clint on the comms as they were hiding in the vents. Steve warned the twins to get out of it knowing they were wronged by HYDRA and that he could possibly help them but, they refused. I understood their reason. They were only 10 when their home got blown up during the attacks in Sokovia. The weapons had been from Stark Industries and hence they blame Tony for the death of their parents. I do understand their grief and anger but helping Ultron or joining HYDRA won't result good for anyone. Soon blasts were heard, meaning the fight had started. I started burning up the guards around me while I did hand- to - hand combat with them, successfully eliminating them. I saw the blue blur again and threw fireballs at him. He tried holding Mjnolir, hehe, but since he obviously wasn't worthy enough to lift it, he got caught and fell into a wall. I then flew into him and tried at fighting him but damn his superspeed. Ugh. He escaped and he started punching and kicking me from different places and finally threw me off the first level but I blocked my fall with my powers which made him slow down and look at me from the railings. I took the opportunity and threw fire at him. I went to Nat's aid after she called for help and we both got rid of the guards together. 

Suddenly I got pushed against the wall. The speedster was back. This time I flew to the center of the level and let out a huge energy surge to surround me in while also making sure that none of my teammates got burned. I landed on the floor only to be attacked by Ultron himself. His metal fist was pressing hard on my cheek every time he punched. After two punches, I blocked his third punch by grabbing his hand. I started heating it so it would melt. He started flying and pushing me onto the walls one after another to get rid of me but I didn't give up. "You bitch!" he spat and then he threw me off him. This time, I couldn't hold on and fell against a wall. He then punched on the nearest pillar and removed it. Then he tried throwing it at me like it were a spear but I quickly moved and was saved. Tony then intervened and took off fighting with Ultron. I realized my comms had fallen out so I picked it up and put it back in my ear. I fought some more guards. Honestly, where were they even coming from? I was now on the first level again when I started asking for status from the team. "Guys I'm free here. Where are ya'll?" Then I heard  Bruce, "Guys is this a code green?". Everybody started saying something which caused the overlapping of various voices. I tried focusing at one noise but suddenly I was thrown into wall with a huge crash. I sat up and waited for my vision to clear as I had hit my head. Then I saw all red surrounding me. Like the mist that waits for the nightmare to begin.