Winter Is Coming (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic)

Chapter 8: Snowflakes

"During the winter my attention was attracted to the changes in the stars and planets in the sky." -Paul Nurse

***

"Barnes, Loki would like to speak with you," Fury says from the doorway of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s meeting rooms.

"About what?" Bucky asks.

Fury shrugs. "Just go."

Bucky sighs, squeezing Harley's hand before he gets up and leaves.

"You do realize that all you're doing is giving Loki what he wants," Steve says to Fury.

"We know absolutely nothing about what he's up to. That makes him a hundred times more dangerous. Until he tells us, I'll continue to do what he asks."

Steve shakes his head. "You're just being controlled by the enemy. I think the real prisoner here is you."

Fury rolls his eyes.

***

Bucky stops in front of Loki's cell and crosses his arms, waiting for him to say something.

Loki stands in the center of his cell, arms behind his back, a mischievous smile glued to his face. "Hello, Sergeant Barnes."

"Get to the point," Bucky says impatiently, tensing up when Loki addresses him as sergeant. "What do you want?"

Loki begins pacing. "I figured since I'll be in here awhile I might as well talk to someone."

"If you tell us what you're doing, you wouldn't have to be in there."

"I have nothing to tell," Loki hisses. "I know that you know I haven't done anything. I can see it in your face."

Bucky averts his gaze. "I don't know what to believe."

"Which is why I like you best." Loki smiles. "You know, for someone who has so much skill and power, you don't seem to like it very much. Why?"

Bucky narrows his eyes suspiciously at the sudden change in subject. "Not everyone dreams of being an all powerful dictator like you," Bucky says sourly, "and I'm not breaking you out of there if that's what you think you're going to get me to do."

"You would know all about over ruling dictators, wouldn't you?" Loki muses. "And I never asked you to break me out. I know you can, but I'm not asking you to."

"Where are you going with this? What do you really want? You're wasting my time."

"There is something inside your girl's mind," he says quickly, "and that thing would set me free. It's an atrocious thing, and I need you to find it."

"You mean a bad memory?"

"Precisely. She knows what's really going on here, but she doesn't remember. I knew from the minute I saw her. It's in her head, it just needs awakening."

"Why didn't you ask her?"

Loki frowns. "I don't think she enjoys my presence very much, and she wouldn't have known what I was talking about."

Bucky gazes at Loki, deciding whether or not to trust him.

"No promises." For Bucky, that translates to, "I'm not going to try very hard."

***

Harley and Steve head back to their apartment building shortly after Bucky leaves. Fury told them that if they're not going to help figure this out, they should leave.

Steve decides to visit Peggy again, leaving Harley by herself. As she is searching for one of her books under her bed, she hears a jangle from behind her and feels a cold breeze.