CopyCat | Bucky Barnes

73

Scott and Natasha didn't know what to expect walking into the bar, but Steve did. He was more than familiar with how Alex spent her time.

When they walked in, it looked empty. The only person in sight was Dimitri, who was standing behind the bar cleaning glasses. He looked up, surprised to see the three of them.

"Hey." Dimitri said, setting down the glass in his hand.

"Is she here?" Steve asked.

Dimitri nodded, motioning over to a pool table in the corner of the bar. It wasn't lit very well, but they could see Alex lying on top of it motionless.

"Alex!" Dimitri called out loudly. "Nap time is over."

She rolled over slightly, almost to the edge of the table. "Do you have to yell?" She asked, clutching the side of her head.

"You've got visitors." Dimitri told her.

Alex sat up, moving her legs over the edge of the table and pushing her hair back. She finally looked up, seeing the three of them standing near the front.

"What is this? Christmas?" Alex slurred. "Why are there six of you?"

"Actually- uh, there's only three." Scott said hesitantly.

Alex squinted, taking a second to fully wake up. "Oh." She sighed.

Steve walked through the bar, closer to her. Alex finally got down from the table, picking up a bottle of something that had been next to her. She sat down at a table, and the others sat down one by one.

"I get you feel the need to check up on me like I'm six, but what's with the audience?" She asked, pouring the liquid into a glass.

"We have a lot to explain, but we think there's a chance we can bring everyone back." Steve says, getting straight to the point. Alex clenched her jaw, then flickering her angry eyes to meet Steve's.

Alex's POV

"No. You don't." I tell him, gritting my teeth together.

"I know- it's a long shot, but-" Steve tries to convince me, but I couldn't hear it.

"But nothing! Did you seriously come here- to give me some false hope crap?" I scoffed.

"Alex, I know you'd give anything to bring them back and we-"

"Exactly Steve, I would. But that door closed, because if you really did have a chance to undo all this- you would've figured it out sometime in the past five years!" I yelled in anger.

"I'm sorry...." Steve said, his voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you these past years.... But we have a chance, a real one. To get back everything we lost."

I sat back in the chair, downing the cup of bitter liquid. "Then enlighten me.... what is this master plan you have- to bring back everyone, which we need all six infinity stones to do- minus the fact that they no longer exist anymore."

".... It's a bit complicated, the quantum physics, and the science of it- but um... time travel." Scott struggled to explain.

"Wow..." I sighed, raising my eyebrows. "Thanks for this- really. But if you all could all leave that would be great."

"Alex, Bucky would-" Steve started to say something, but I didn't let him finish.

I stood up abruptly, punching him in the cheek. Dimitri jumped over the bar, and rushed to put himself between Steve and I.

"Woah, calm down-" He said, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Don't... don't you ever say his name." I shook my head, speaking in almost a whisper. My eyes fighting back the tears, and every cell of skin on me, fuming with anger. "Get the hell out of here."

Scott and Nat stood up from their chairs, and started moving towards the door. Steve got up as well, but was more hesitant to leave. Dimitri followed them to the door, and I sat back down in my chair. I could see him saying something to Steve, but I couldn't care less.

After a minute, Steve walked out the door, and Dimitri came over to me, taking a seat beside me. "You can save your pep talk for someone else." I told him. "It's a waste of time."

"After the snap... you were pretty much the only person I had left to turn to." Dimtiri said. "I can imagine even you knew that this whole time."

"Why else would you live in a crappy bar on midgard?" I asked rhetorically.

"Because I wanted to be there for you." He clarified. "I was there when you lost them, I saw how broken you were by it. You needed me as much as I needed you."

"If you're telling me to have hope in their bullshit time travel plan, I'm gonna punch you too." I warned him. One of the reason's I'd tolerated him all these years was because he knew better than to try and make me feel better.

"Even if you don't think it'll work, what have you got to lose if it doesn't?" He asks. "If, things were reversed, and this were Bucky here, do you think he'd pass on a trillion to one chance of getting you back?"

"I've lost him more times than I can count...." I said. "I can't keep holding onto hope- it's.... It's done nothing but eat away at me, and I can't deal with another failure."

"Let me ask you this." Dimitri says leaning back. "Is he worth it?"

"What?" I asked.

"Is. He. Worth it. Is he worth the risk of more heartbreak?" He asked.

"Always...." I answered after a minute.

"Okay," Dimtiri sighed, standing up. "Then get off your ass, and prove it."

I stood up, taking a deep breath before walking to the door. Grabbing my brown leather jacket from the coat rack. When I walked out, I could see the three of them still waiting there. My eyes met Steve's, and I could already see a small bruise forming where I had struck him.

"I'm sorry..." I spoke softly. "I'm in."