The Super Soldier

Chapter 20

STEVE'S POV

     "I just don't understand." I say, shaking my head in confusion. "Williamson thought he was God's gift to the world. He didn't seem like the suicide type."
     "No he didn't." Nat states looking just as confused as I am. "There must be a catch."
     I look over to where Bucky is curled up in a ball on the floor. He has refused to talk all morning. I went to the cell this earlier to see how he was doing when I found a dead Marcus and Bucky curled up in a ball. I don't know why, but I have a feeling Marcus said something to Bucky before he killed himself.
     "Hey Buc," I begin soothingly, "Would you mind telling us what happened last night?"
     Nat and I sit down on the floor on either side of him. Right as we sit down Bucky mummers something inaudible.
     "What was that?" Nat asks beginning to get frustrated.
     "I said, get away from me!" Bucky shouts out suddenly getting up off the floor. He then leans up against the cell glass. "I'm a murderer!"
     "No your not." I say trying to reassure him. Nat and I get up off the floor.
     "Shut up Steve!" Bucky screams at me. He then turns and drives his metal arm straight through the cell glass. The entire wall of glass shatters and falls to the floor.
     I stare at him in disbelief. Bucky stares at his fists, clenching and unclenching them. He finally looks up and meets my gaze.
      "Just stay away from me!" Bucky mummers and then runs out of the room.
     "Great. Now we're really getting somewhere." Nat mutters sarcastically, walking away, leaving me all alone.

                        ****************

BUCKY'S POV

Ok, I just need some air. I've been walking in circles around the compound for about a half a hour. I don't know what came over me. I just snapped after hearing what Williamson said.
I guess deep down I know I'm not really responsible for any of those deaths. I just can't see that far at the moment.
I should probably go apologize to Steve. It's really surprising he hasn't come and found me yet.
I enter the compound through glass doors and head to the holding cell. Of course Steve and Nat aren't there.
I turn towards the shattered glass littering the floor. In retrospect I probably shouldn't have punched through the glass.
I lift my head a little more to get a good look a Williamson's body. Well, at least that's where I thought his body was.
I turn in a complete circle and realize that Williamson's body is gone.

*************

"Steve!" I yell running into the living room to find him, Nat, Vision, and Wanda sitting in chairs and couches. "Did you move Williamson's body?" I blurt out.
"No. Why?" Steve asks with a puzzled look on his face.
"It's gone."

****************

STEVE'S POV

"He said what?" I ask. Bucky just told us what Williamson said to him last night. I don't get why people say things like that to him. Can't they just see the good in his like I do?
"I didn't kill him. I didn't see him kill himself either. I had fallen asleep." Bucky admits sheepishly.
"We don't think you killed him." Wanda reassures.
"We do need to find out what happened to him." Sam states entering the room.
"Either someone came and dragged his body away or he wasn't dead." Nat finally says out loud.
"Did anyone check for a pulse?" Tony questions, having entered the room right after Sam.
We all stare at each other.
"No." I finally say.
"Well then, I believe we have a psychopath on the loose." Bucky says cheerfully.

**************

BUCKY'S POV

After searching the compound and the surrounding areas all day, we finally decided to give up.
     Marcus Williamson was nowhere to be found.
     By the time Steve and I got back to the compound I was exhausted. The other search parties had gotten back a few minutes before us and were already shut in their rooms for the night.
     I stood in the doorway to Steve's room watching him sit at his desk. He hadn't heard me walk up.
     "I know you've been watching me, Bucky." Steve says turning in the chair to look me in the eye.
     "Wow," I laugh. "You're impossible to sneak up on."
     "Yeah. After all those years looking over your shoulder it's just become habit." Steve sighs.
     "Yeah I guess so. I also guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." I ask with a smile.
     "Yup. There's no room for you elsewhere. By any chance did you sleep in my bed last night." Steve questions with a laugh.
     "You bet I did." I tell him with a smirk.
     "Good to know." Steve sighs. "Here take this." Steve yells as he chucks a blanket at me.
     "Thanks man!" I call as I walk to the living room.
     "No problem. Goodnight Buc." Steve says closing his door.
    "Night Steve."

                              **************

      

     I know it's all in my head but for some reason I can't get over it.
     I was pulled from another wretched nightmare to hear evil laughter that sounded like it was coming from everywhere, all at once.
     I don't know why but it sounds oddly like Williamson's deranged, croaky voice.
    Something just doesn't feel right. It's almost like I have a sixth sense telling me something is wrong.
    I'm probably just being paranoid but it wouldn't hurt to go check on Steve. Make sure he's ok and all.
     I walk down the hallway and open the door to his room silently. What I find inside shocks me.
     There stood Marcus Williamson alive and well holding a knife to Steve's throat.
      It look kind of ridiculous really. Steve was several inches taller than Williamson so he had to reach to grab his hair and pull his head back.  Williamson had to crane to look over Steve's shoulder and try to intimidate me.
     No matter how silly it looked there was still a sharp, glinting blade pressing into Steve's neck.
Before I can words out of my mouth, Steve elbows Williamson in the stomach and punches him across the face. Marcus drops the knife, but recovers quickly.
Before Steve can pull his fist back for another punch Williamson sprints straight towards the door.
For a not athletic psychopath, he can run extremely fast. He runs right past me before I could even reach out to grab him.
Of course both me and Steve take off after him.
As we weave our way thought the compound all we can hear is our feet on the ground and Williamson's deranged laugh a few yards ahead of us.
We can barley see him with all the turns and curves in the hallway. Soon we lose him. The only thing we could still hear from him was his laugh, getting further and further away. Soon the laugh stops, as if he disappeared into thin air.
Then the ticking noise starts.
"Steve?" I call out into the darkness.
"What is it Bucky?" He asks sounding exasperated.
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Steve whispers angrily.
"The ticking noise!" I scoff back.
"Yeah. So?" Steve replies.
"It's a bomb." I state.
All of a sudden Steve's face falls when realizes that's what the ticking noise was.
Without even having to say anything we run around the compound getting everyone up and outside.
We get a safe distance away and wait.
When I thought the bomb would never go off and maybe I was just being paranoid, a large blast blows me off my feet.
I get up and watch as the whole Avengers compound is engulfed in flames.

•••••••••••••••••

Dear readers,
So sorry this chapter is really late. It was a busy weekend and I've been very busy the last few days as well so I didn't have a lot of time to write. I hope everyone had a great Halloween! Sorry again for the late chapter.

Sincerely,
@unsuspicious_nerd