Leave This Town (Mechanic!Bucky AU)

Part 9

Hearing the actors speak your words and seeing them act out a story that once only lived in your head was still a new and bizarre sensation for you. Beginning with you sitting in a room by yourself, staring at a blinking cursor for hours on end all the way through casting, production and editing until finally it all came to life, it was a miracle. It was also strange and wonderful to see someone witness your work for the first time. You couldn't stop yourself from observing out of the corner of your eye as Bucky watched the action on the ancient television screen before you.

Bucky was content to sit back and munch on popcorn at first but as the action got intense, his hands stilled with gaze unwavering. You sat beside him, feet resting on the coffee table next to where the popcorn bowl now rested. He made small comments and asked questions throughout, which thrilled you. You didn't answer though, not wanting to taint his experience.

The Agent first caught the case as several murders were tied with a common weapon, from there he sought motive and gathered evidence. Once he found a connection in victims, he saw the pattern and it was a race against time to catch the killer.

You hid your face behind your fingers as the big twist came up, fearing that you'd give it away. The Agent finally had a solid lead finding the assassin but once a hidden file was decrypted, new evidence came to light. Grainy video footage played on the screen as the man in question was brought into the room and strapped to a chair, his memory wiped until he was a shell of a man. Orders were given and he carried them out emotionlessly, which begged the question: was the assassin responsible for his actions? Should the Agent be hunting the man who pulled the trigger or the organization responsible?

As the plot twist played out, Bucky nearly held his breath with a hand gripping your knee. You don't even think he meant to do it, but he was so caught up, you didn't want to interrupt and question the action. Besides, you didn't mind in the slightest. The movie played on with the Agent going rogue and falling deeper down the rabbit hole in search of the assassin, although less with intent to capture and more in need of answers. The climactic scene arrived where Agent met Assassin face to face for the first time.

Tensions ran high as the assassin found himself cornered, but Agent made no move to capture. By then he hardly resembled his former self, his once short-cropped dirty blond hair now long and shaggy with a fully-grown beard over his usually clean shaven face. He had disobeyed orders when he followed the assassin off the map and now stood before his target.

"I don't do those things anymore. I haven't since I escaped. I didn't have a choice..." the assassin spoke, desperation gripping his words.

"I know."

"Then why are you here? Why can't you leave me be?" he pleaded.

"I need answers. Who are they? What do they want and how did you escape?"

"If you know what they've done to me, then you know I can't answer much, but I'll give you all I have....if you'll let me go. You'll never hear from me again."

Against his better judgement and training, the Agent agreed, but somehow his gut told him it was the right call. As the end credits began to roll, Bucky exhaled heavily and sunk back into the couch, releasing his grip on your knee.

"Holy hell," he exclaimed, running fingers through his hair. "I feel like my muscles have been tense for the past hour and a half. I can't believe you wrote that. I mean, I totally believe it, but...wow," he spoke in awe, rolling his neck and shoulders to relieve tension.

"Why, thank you," you answered with a smile.

"So...the Agent just lets him walk away, even helping the assassin fake his death?"