𝐕𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐧 || bucky barnes

Leave Me Alone

Bucky's one-time late-night visit became more frequent. The whole week he would visit her and continue to try and have a conversation with her, even though it was always one-sided. He would talk about his family, his day, and his missions. Katherine never participated in the conversations. She hoped that if she never spoke he would go away, but obviously Bucky wouldn't take the hint.

Every morning an Avenger would visit her to ask if she was ready to comply and give information, but each time she'd just flip them off and walk away into the bathroom. Every team member was beyond frustrated with the assassin. They didn't know what to do to get her to speak. None of them knew of Bucky's late-night visits. He didn't know why he didn't tell them, he just didn't like people in his business.

Tony Stark was the most frustrated out of everyone. Peter has been nonstop calling him every day, begging Tony to let him see Katherine. He's been so persistent, Tony had to ban Peter from coming into the building. At least until the whole Katherine thing blew over. Tony couldn't deny that it didn't hurt him to see Peter so distraught, but he couldn't let the kid get hurt. Katherine is a prisoner, she's a killer. It scared him deep down that he didn't know what she's capable of.

Katherine grew more hostile each day. Being locked in a cell and not being able to see the sun, was getting to her. All she saw every day was the automatic lights that turn on in the morning and off during the night and seeing Bucky also enraged the girl. Her hatred for the man only grew each time he opened his mouth. She was aware that her not speaking to the Avengers was frustrating them, but that was her goal. She wants them to be so hopeless that they have to resort to sending her to prison. She knew she had a higher chance of escaping prison since she knew people there. She also wanted to see how far the Scooby Gang would go.

"Can I ask you something?" Bucky was yet again visiting Katherine. Sitting in his chair in front of her cell, while she was lying on the cot staring at the ceiling. He didn't get a response, but asked anyway, "Why did you suddenly stop talking for a week?"

Katherine didn't reply and just shut her eyes. After the first night of Bucky's visit, she became mute. She made no insult, no comeback, no witty comment, she said nothing.

She didn't know why she stopped speaking, but she figured being locked in this cell for so long was making her crazy. She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, she grew pale from not being in the sun, and she tried her best to look presentable but the exhaustion was clear on her face. Being in the cell reminded her of her past and she never liked to remember her childhood.

She knew if she opened her mouth nothing positive would come out that's for sure. Rage would bubble up inside her every time she heard an Avenger speak, including the one speaking to her now.

Bucky saw how tired she was, he just wondered why she wouldn't speak. He sighed, "I mean I know being in that cell isn't the easiest and that you're probably angry at us for putting you in there, but it's just odd. I know I haven't known you long, but from the moment we met, you took every chance to throw every insult in the book at me. And now it's just....why'd you stop?"

Katherine's insides were boiling at this point. She thought they should be grateful she stopped speaking. All she did was throw insults at them and get them where it hurts, but for Bucky to ask why just infuriated her. She finally got up from the cot and stormed up to the glass separating the two. Bucky stood up as well, getting closer to the cell. He thought he finally got through to her, but he was far from it. Katherine's eyes were in slits and her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Her fingernails dug into her skin. Her words were filled with nothing but malice and anger. 

"Why'd I stop? For the past week, you come over and have one-sided conversations with me, and each time I think to myself if I don't say anything he'll go away, but no, you can't take the fucking hint. Why can't you see I want nothing to do with you or any of you? I stopped talking because I knew the second I opened my mouth I would just hurt your feelings. Why can't you just give up and leave me the fuck alone? Just Leave. Me. Alone."

Bucky was stunned by her outburst. He took in her words and her pleas to just let her be, but he couldn't help but cling to one comment she said. 'I stopped talking because I knew the second I opened my mouth I would hurt your feelings.' He knew it was crazy of him to ignore everything she just said and only listen to the part where she didn't want to hurt him emotionally. She was obviously just speaking before thinking, but he figured if she said that then maybe, there's a possibility that she can be saved. Because if she was such a horrible person like she claimed, then she wouldn't dare say she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

He looked into her piercing blue eyes and softly said, "I can't do that."

That only seemed to rile Katherine up even more. All her anger finally coming to the surface. She finally snapped. "Why? Why can't you leave me alone?! This doesn't affect you, it has nothing to do with you. Why are you still here!? Can't you see I hate you! Your entire existence builds this never-ending rage inside me. Take the hint and give up already! Stop trying to help somebody that doesn't want help!"

Bucky stood tall and spoke with confidence, "I don't care that you don't want my help or that you hate me. I'm not giving up on you. I'm going to keep helping you whether you like it or not."

"Why? Why do you care so much?!"

"Because I see someone worth saving."

Katherine stilled at his words. She couldn't believe what he said. No one besides her mother thought she was worth it, that she was worth saving. As Bucky said goodnight, he left her alone with her thoughts. She stood there watching him leave while his words made her head spin. She didn't even realize how her shoulders relaxed, her fists unballing, and how her anger simmered down.