Bucky's Anchor

Chapter 59 - A Clash of Loyalties

The room was too small for all the tension building between us and John Walker. I could feel it like a current running through the air, waiting to snap. Zemo had just slipped through our fingers, and now the Dora Milaje had arrived, fierce and determined, making everything ten times worse.

Ayo stood in the center, regal and resolute as always, her presence dwarfing the tension Walker brought with him. The other Dora flanked her, silent but equally imposing. Walker, always the one to make things worse, stepped forward, arrogance dripping from every word.

"You've got no jurisdiction here," he said, his hand resting arrogantly on the shield. "Back off."

I cringed. I could see Bucky's shoulders tense beside me, but it wasn't anger—it was dread. The kind of dread that told me this was about to go south quickly. Walker didn't understand who he was dealing with, and his ignorance was going to get us all into trouble.

"I suggest you stand down," Ayo said, her voice as steady as ever, but the warning in her eyes was clear. "We have jurisdiction wherever we find ourselves."

I didn't even dare breathe. I could feel the shift happening, could see it in the way the Dora Milaje adjusted their stances. They were ready. Ready for a fight if need be. And if John Walker kept pushing, that fight would come.

Bucky tried to step in, but Walker cut him off.

"Let's be reasonable here," Bucky said, his voice tense but calm. "Ayo, you know this isn't what we want. Zemo's gone. This doesn't need to happen."

Walker smirked, clearly missing the growing storm around him. "Reasonable? Reasonable is you all falling in line behind Captain America."

I couldn't stay quiet anymore. "John," I said, my voice sharp as I stepped forward. "This isn't about you or the shield. We don't want a fight with the Dora Milaje."

But it was too late. Walker's arrogance sealed our fate as he moved to place a hand on Ayo's shoulder.

"I think we've had enough of this—"

He didn't get to finish. Ayo moved so fast that Walker didn't even have time to react. In a blink, she had disarmed him, sending him stumbling back as the shield clattered to the floor. My breath caught as chaos erupted around us.

Bucky was immediately in the middle, trying to block, trying to stop what was happening, but the Dora were relentless. They weren't here to negotiate. I watched in awe as they dismantled Walker and his partner, Lamar, without breaking a sweat. Every move was fluid, precise—deadly.

Sam yelled out, "John, get out of there!" but Walker, too stubborn to admit defeat, grabbed his shield and launched himself back into the fray.

I stood frozen, watching Bucky fight to protect Walker, but also to keep himself from becoming the enemy in the eyes of the Dora. Every punch, every block, was careful, measured.

In the midst of it all, I felt my heart pounding, not just from the fight but from the weight of everything around us. The truth I was still holding back gnawed at me—*the baby*. The secret that seemed to get heavier with every moment, every risk Bucky took.

But I couldn't think about that now. Not when we were standing in the middle of what felt like a ticking time bomb.

---

When the Dora finally stood victorious, Walker lay crumpled on the floor, his pride more bruised than anything else. The weight of the fight hung heavy in the air, and Bucky, breathless and frustrated, met Ayo's gaze.

"You should have left this to us," she said, her voice cold, though there was something softer beneath it—disappointment.

Bucky wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily as he took a step back from the broken shield still lying on the floor. "Ayo, I didn't have a choice. You know what's at stake."

She looked at him, a long, hard stare that seemed to hold years of history between them. "You were given freedom, Bucky Barnes. Wakanda trusted you. Now, you've jeopardized that trust."

The words hung in the air like a sword. I felt the sharp sting of them for Bucky, knowing how much Wakanda had meant to him. He had called them his home once, and I knew he felt he owed them everything for giving him peace.

"I didn't want this," Bucky admitted, his voice quieter now. "I didn't want to break that trust. But stopping Zemo... it's bigger than me. Bigger than what I owe."

Ayo's expression didn't change, but I saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes. "You released the man who killed our king."

Bucky's face twisted in pain, the weight of that truth falling heavily on his shoulders. "I know. And I'll face whatever consequences you see fit. But I need you to know... I didn't want to betray you."

I stepped forward, unsure if I was helping or making things worse, but I couldn't stay silent anymore. "Bucky never wanted to hurt Wakanda, Ayo. He's trying to stop something bigger. He's been fighting this fight, and I've seen what it's done to him."

Ayo's eyes shifted to me, her expression softening just a fraction before she returned her gaze to Bucky.

"You were the White Wolf," she said, her tone carrying the weight of something deeper, something personal. "We thought you would honor Wakanda's gift."

Bucky swallowed hard, his voice almost breaking. "I never stopped honoring it. I promise you that."

The silence that followed was unbearable, thick with unresolved tension. Finally, Ayo spoke.

"Eight hours," she said, turning her back to us. "After that, we come for Zemo. No matter what."

The Dora Milaje left without another word, their exit as swift and graceful as their fight. I stood beside Bucky, the weight of the moment pressing down on us. He didn't move, just stood there, staring at the door as if he could somehow will it all away.

---

When the room finally settled, Bucky dropped into a chair, running a hand through his hair. I moved toward him, my heart aching as I saw the exhaustion written all over his face. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with so much regret that I didn't know what to say.

"They hate me," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

I knelt beside him, placing my hand on his. "They don't hate you. They're hurt. And maybe right now, they don't understand why you did what you did, but... Bucky, you did it for the right reasons."

He shook his head. "I betrayed them, Em. Wakanda gave me everything... and now they see me as a traitor."

I squeezed his hand, trying to give him whatever strength I could. "You're not a traitor. You've been trying to save people, to stop something bigger than all of us."

His eyes met mine, filled with a sadness that made my heart break. "And what if I can't?"

"You can," I said, my voice firm. "Because I know who you are. You're the man who's been fighting for the right reasons all along. You're not perfect, Bucky, but you're not the man you were. And they'll see that. Maybe not right now, but they will."

He exhaled slowly, his shoulders sagging as the weight of everything pressed down on him. I wanted so badly to tell him about the baby right then, to give him something good, something hopeful to hold onto. But it still didn't feel like the right time. How could I tell him when he was already carrying so much?

So, instead, I just leaned in closer, resting my head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close, and for a few moments, we sat in silence, letting the chaos of the day melt away around us.

"I'm sorry," he whispered after a long moment.

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For dragging you into all of this," he said, his voice thick with guilt. "You deserve better."

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze with all the love I could muster. "I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, Bucky. Right here, with you."

He gave me a small, tired smile, but I could see the doubt still lingering in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't fully believe it until he saw it for himself, until Wakanda forgave him.

But until then, I would be there. For him. For us.