Warriors (Bucky Barnes)

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Gemma shook her head, and stepped away from the door. Fury walked right in, and sat on the bed, obviously unconcerned by the odd intrusion. She scoffed, and glanced around, trying to understand. How had he found her, and why? Grinning, like he knew her thoughts, he watched her as she tried to recover from her confusion.

Fury grimaced, and decreed, "Your boy, Bucky Barnes, has gotten himself into a lot of trouble. Captain America and Iron Man just had a showdown in Germany, and he was there. So, on top of the bombing, he's going to be hunted by the U.N. for breaking the Accords they made to stop vigilante heroes."

"Nice story Director. What does any of this have to do with me? I've been helping Bucky stay under the radar for over a year. I've got his back." Gemma hissed.

"Aw. I'm flattered he told you about me..." Fury mused. Suddenly, his amused grin dropped. "Listen, Miss Frost. Bucky flipped his lid, and the Winter Soldier made an appearance. He's not stable, not now. He's going to need someone to talk him into what he's going to need to do to stop the bastard from coming back." Fury elaborated.

Gemma sat on the edge of the dresser, and folded her arms. Of course he wanted to make her do the dirty work. Bucky had been right when he'd said Fury was like the man behind the curtain. He pulled everyone else's strings, while he watched.

Fury eyed her closely, tapping his fingers on his knee. He expected her to do what he wanted, no questions asked? Good luck with that. Gemma huffed, and stared back, shrugging her shoulders.

"So what? He was brainwashed. He's been in control of it for the past two years. He can stop it from happening, I've seen it. And what about you? Why aren't you out helping them if you are so concerned for him?"

"Gemma, all the asshole that triggered him had to do was say a few words, and Bucky was his puppet. He has to be reprogrammed. He has to prove he's no longer a threat." Fury exclaimed. "And I'm not really here. I'm not technically supposed to know about any of this."

"Right, well, maybe you should step up, instead of observe from the sidelines." She stood and started pacing. "Anyway...Where on this God forsaken planet are people capable of reprogramming Bucky? More importantly, who would be willing with everything he's been charged with?" Gemma challenged.

Fury grinned, obviously untouched by her grievances. "I'm so glad you asked. Come, sit and I'll tell you..."

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Gemma laid on the bed, Fury long gone. He had informed her that there was a child prodigy in Wakanda that had the capabilities to help Bucky. Gemma just had to be willing to push him to go to go there. Simple, right?

"God, why can't you just let us be happy?" Gemma demanded, as she stared at the ceiling tiles.

Before she knew where she was going, Gemma found herself back on the beach. She watched as the waves crashed on the shore, destroying sandcastles and washing away any sign of their existence. She wondered, did the children know that everything they had built would be annihilated in a single moment? Or, like her precarious life with Bucky, did they hope their creations would find a way to stand strong, possibly forever?

Gemma sat on the sand thinking through what she would have to say to Bucky to convince him to get help, if that's what he needed. He was strong, and he knew that he could mostly stay in control of the Winter Soldier, but what if he never had to worry about it again? Would that not be worth a little bit of lost time?

Gemma continued her inner monologue as she went back up to her room. As she stepped inside, she froze in place. Sitting side by side on the bed were Steve Rogers and Bucky. She laughed, and ran to Bucky, taking him up in a long awaited hug as he stood with a wince. He groaned, but held her tightly with one arm.