Death Where is Your Sting? - B. Barnes

Chapter 35

"Come on. Pick up, pick up. Shuri, it's Bucky. I know you're mad, and I get it. I deserve it. But listen, there was another Hydra asset. She spared my life, I owe her. She's...really sick. Dying. We can't find any answers, and the only one who knows how to fix her is the Power Broker and I can't - I could really use your help here. I will gladly let Ayo beat me senseless if you just help. Do it for her. Please. Call me back."

Bucky set the phone on the counter, leaning both hands on the edge and hanging his head in defeat.

"Maybe we should call-"

"No, Sam."

"Sharon can-"

"She'll call, Sam. Shuri...Shuri will call me back."

"Sharon can be here faster. Or we could take Ray to her."

"To a government facility? No. Not happening."

"Bucky, we don't know how much time-"

"I am very much aware of the situation, Sam. But I trust Shuri. She can help. She will. I just...A couple days is all I'm asking. Before you bring Carter into anything. Please."

Sam studied Bucky's face for a moment, the desperation and determination mixed together in his eyes. "Alright, two days. Unless Ray gets worse. Then we call Sharon."

Bucky nodded. "Two days."

~<>~

Ray jolted upright, severely disoriented.

"Hey-" Ray shrieked at the sound of the quiet voice beside her and something touching her hand.

"Don't touch me!" She tried to scramble away but something grabbed her.

"Easy. It's just me." She met his eyes as he turned in the light.

"Bucky..."

"You can see me."

"I...yeah, I can. It's a little fuzzy but..."

"What did you remember?"

"What?"

"You jolted awake. Nightmare, right?"

"Right...Uh...It was right before the blip, when I dusted."

"You too, huh?"

"You dusted?"

"Yeah. Right off the battlefield in Wakanda. Where were you?"

"Yikes. Uh, I was...Madripoor." She felt him shift beside her. "I can't believe I didn't remember this before. It was...the Power Broker had found me a couple days before. That's why she had my files." She covered her face with her hands. "God, I was right, she was looking for me."

"That explains why they had all the equipment on hand. Even in Baltimore, they injected you with something, right?"

"Yup." She popped the "p" on the end. "Damn. And I practically handed myself over when I walked into that warehouse in New York the night I found you."

"You couldn't have known." She sat up and turned in his direction.

"But I think I did. I knew the Power Broker was the one who owned the warehouse, who...Ugh! Those shipping containers probably had the equipment in them! Stupid!" She planted her feet flat on the mattress, put her elbows on her knees, and dug her fingers into her hair line, blowing out a breath of frustration. "I gave her exactly what she wanted."

"Don't - "

"She won, Buck. She did it. She programmed me to-"

"No. We got you out. She can't win if..."