The Assassin Shadow - Bucky Barnes

Chapter 37

Papa and I get out of the car as we park in front of the wooden house. We go inside and Pepper greets us. As we say hello to everyone, a small girl waves at me. "Who's that?" My dad asks.

I take a deep breath as I wave back, "His daughter."

"Who's daughter?" He frowns.

I sigh, "Tony's."

Morgan comes up to me, "Hey. Do you wanna play Barbies with me?"

I smile at her, "Of course."

She takes my hand, guiding me to her room. The little Stark gives me a doll and I play with her for a bit, simply happy that I could maybe take her mind off the fact she won't see her father again. I know how it feels like. I don't wish it upon anyone. After some time, Pepper came in. "Hey girls. Come with us please, we're starting the ceremony." I nod at her and Morgan grabs her mother's hand before we join everyone in the living room. "I thank you all for coming, it means a lot. I would like to start by showing you a message Tony had prerecorded." She activates Iron Man's mask and a hologram of Stark appears.

"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited. I hope we get it back and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised, but come on, who knew? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And for better or worse that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to grow up in. So, I thought I'd better record a little greeting in case of an untimely death. On my part. Not that death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That's the thing. Then again, that's the hero gig, right? Part of the journey is the end. What am I even tripping for? Everything is gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to. I love you 3,000." He finishes his speech, looking directly in the direction of his daughter. The hologram disappears and we all follow Pepper into the backyard. She carefully places Tony's reactor arc on a bed of flowers on the lake. We watch in silence as it slowly goes away. A tear slides down my cheek as I remember the last weeks I spent with him. Sam puts a hand on my father's shoulder and mine, comforting us in different ways.

***

Bruce was explaining to Steve how to return the stones at the right time and place to keep the timeline in order, "Remember you have to return the stones when you got them or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternatives realities."

"Don't worry, Bruce." Steve reassures, closing the case containing the stones. "Clip all the branches."

"You know, I tried. When I had the gauntlet, the stones, I really tried to bring her back." Banner confess. I take a deep breath and Papa takes my hand in support. "I'm sorry I couldn't succeed. I miss her." He finishes, looking at me.

I nod, "Me too."

"You know if you want, I could come with you." Sam suggests Uncle Steve.

He stops in his tracks and turns to his friend, "You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me though." Steve comes to my father and I, "Don't do anything stupid till I get back."

My dad chuckles, "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." They embrace, "Gonna miss you, buddy."

"It's gonna be okay, Buck." My uncle turns to me. "I can't believe how much you've grown since I've met you. I'm proud of the young lady you've become." He tells me.

I frown, "You guys stop. You sound like you're saying goodbye. Save me that speech for when you're old. Well, physically old, I guess." I laugh, the two of them follow me before Cap climbs onto the replica of the time travel machine Bruce succeeded to build.

"How much time is this gonna take?" Sam asks Banner.

Banner answers, "For him, as long as he needs. For us, five seconds." Captain America takes Mjolnir in his hand, "You ready, Cap? Alright, we'll meet you back here, okay?"

"You bet." He replies before putting his mask on.

"Going quantum. Three, two, one." Steve disappears in front of our eyes, "And returning in five, four, three, two, one." As he presses the button for him to come back, nothing happens.

Sam turns to Bruce, "Where is he?"

"I don't know. He blew right by his time stamp. He should be here." Banner explains.

I frown, "Well, where the hell is he if he's supposed to be back?" I exclaim.

"Get him back." Sam adds.

Bruce tried many things on his devices, "I'm trying."

"Get him the hell back." The falcon continues.

Banner turns to us, "Hey, I said I'm trying."

"Lyly. Sam." Dad says. We turn to his direction, a figure sitting on a bench further away. The three of us approach the man, "Go ahead, Sam."

Sam joins Steve who now looks old, "Cap?"

"Hi, Sam." He smiles.

"So did something go wrong or did something go right?" Sam asks him.

Steve explains, "Well, after I put the stones back, I thought: maybe I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get."

"How'd that work out for you?" He questions him.

He smiles, "It was beautiful."

Sam nods, "Good. I'm happy for you. Truly. Only thing bumming me out is the fact that I have to live in a world without Captain America." He adds.

"Oh, that reminds me." Steve says as he lays a circular suitcase with the shield inside next to Sam, "Try it on." Sam looks at the shield before looking at us. Papa nods at him, assuring him to take it. He grasps it and puts it on his arm. "How does it feel?"

"Like it's someone else's" He replies.

Steve looks up at him. "It isn't."

Sam exhales a long breath, "Thank you. I'll do my best."

Steve takes his hand in his, "That's why it's yours."

"You wanna tell me about her?" Sam asks, looking at Steve's ring.

He looks back at the horizon in front of us, "No. No, I don't think I will."

I wipe a tear from my cheek as I watch the scene unfold before me, "So, he really was saying goodbye. And he is physically old now." I tell my father. He nods, "You knew, right?"

He looks at me, "I wasn't sure, but... I had a feeling."

I smile, "At least, he and Peggy got a happy ending. They deserved it."