Avenger Ships

Mirror of Fear (Stucky)

WARNING: Mentions of past child abuse

**The idea is from Harry Potter, but I won't be using Harry Potter terms because I want everyone to be included, I can't spell for shit already, and I haven't read the HP books in years and I don't want to mess up that canon (even though I screw with this one to fit my plots pretty often).

"It does what?" Clint turned toward Thor in disbelief.

"This is the Uggr Mirror, behind it lays the weapon that can control the monsters that have infested your world. In order to pass, you must conquer your innermost demon." Thor explains for the second time, still not giving great detail about how or why this mirror is even a thing.

Tony sighs and smacks his forehead for the fifth time on this trip. "I hate magic." Him, Clint, Steve, and Bucky has been taken by Thor to Asgard when monsters had appeared on earth. They weren't a huge threat, but they lashed out because they were lost and confused. Thor has promised that getting some kind of magic item would allow them to convince the monsters to return home and ensure none of them made their way to Earth ever again.

"I shall go first." Thor proclaimed as he stepped up to the mirror. His body was soon covered in a spiral of thin blue smoke. The smoke wafted out and the mirror began to glow. A creature that the rest of the team couldn't recognize emerged through the frame. Thor froze for a moment before lunging at the thing. It jumped back and taunted him, showing him imagines of it killing his brother, then his mother and father, then ravaging his kingdom. Thor's expressions became devastated for a millisecond before hardening into determination. He stabbed the creature with one powerful thrust and it retreated to the mirror, which glowed again, before revealing an empty frame which Thor stepped through.

"No time like the present." Clint moves to take Thor's spot. His fingers were nervously tapping against his thigh, but otherwise he had a battle stance on. The mirror flashed and a man staggered out. He clearly acted drunk. "DON'T HIDE FROM ME CLINT" the man screamed. He had a dark smirk on his face. "Barney can only cover for you for so long. In the real world you're going to have to stop being such a pussy and man up." Clint's eyes went wide as he surveyed the scene. He gulped and dodged his father's punch, but much slower than his usual reflexes would allow. When the man realized his punch hadn't landed, he became angrier. He turned to the side and swung at apparently nothing, but just before the punch peaked, a woman appeared and she was hit square in the face. She tried to smile but her face was twitching. "Don't worry about me Clint." Clint closed his hands into fists, he wasn't a child anymore. He wouldn't let his father do this. Deftly, he pulled out an arrow and shot his father. He joined Thor on the other side.

"Do they really need all of us?" Tony asked nervously.

"I think they do or else Thor wouldn't of brought us all to Asgard. I can go if you-"

"-Nope! I'm going!" Tony cut off Steve and sprinted to the mirror, he wanted to rip off the bandage.

In front of him was - a piece of paper? The others were puzzled but Tony went pale with recognized. A disembodied voice tainted him. "Tony Stark is the merchant of death. That's all you'll ever be. Your contract is signed in blood." The writing went red and turned into a scene of the Avengers Tower where they all lived. There were missiles flying toward the tower with Stark written across the side. They were getting close. Pictures of all the Avengers, terrified and trapped in the tower popped up. Tony regained his composure and put on a smile reserved for media events he hated. "Making weapons is so not trendy anymore. You're fifteen years too late to be making orders honey." With that, the image disappeared.

Now it was Steve's turn. He approached with perfect military posture, ready for any challenge. The mirror opened with a frosty gust of wind that gave Steve goosebumps. An unintimidating woman stepped out in weird shiny clothes. "Hello Steve Grant Rogers. Welcome to SHIELD 2.0. The year is 2206. You've been asleep for nearly two centuries." Steve gasped and looked around the room in a panic. When he extended his arm to touch her, she morphed into Bucky. He grinned at Steve in a sickening way and opened his mouth to speak. Steve stiffened, and, knowing what the figure was about to say, forced himself to shut it up with a kiss. The mirror opened and he was greeted by the other three team members.

Bucky stood there, completely frozen. Steve was afraid of him? Of course he was, Bucky was a cold-blooded assassin. He nearly killed Steve when they met again. Even thought Steve assured him that it didn't matter, and he helped Bucky with all of his nightmares and treatments, he must've still been traumatized. He's terrified of me and I've been forcing him to stay around me. Bucky felt like crying. He couldn't tear his gaze away from his hands, which appeared covered in blood to his eyes.

Eventually, he mustered up enough energy to drag himself to the mirror. He wasn't surprised when he stepped out of the mirror as the Winter Solider. He stared at himself, at his long hair, muzzled mouth, and blank eyes. He watched himself kill innocent people and then turn to Steve. Mirror him was beating Steve up and his head was screaming for him to intervene but he couldn't. Steve went limp on the ground. The grief and rage pushed Bucky to sock his mirror image and he was given access to the other world.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked worriedly when Bucky emerged. He had taken much longer than anyone else, and they all knew he had terrible demons. He stepped foreword to provide a comforting touch, but Bucky jerked back like he'd been burned.

Steve put his hands up. "I'll give you your space." The rest of the team shot him a concerned glance, but they continued on.

The mission was a success and the monsters were corralled. Steve was just coming out from a long, hot shower when he saw Bucky in his pajamas. Steve sat on the edge of the bed and waited for his lover to join him.

"Um, I wanted to sleep in my bedroom tonight actually." Bucky said nervously.

Steve was a bit surprised, but he didn't mind. Whatever made Bucky comfortable was good with him. He'd been acting strangely all day. "Alright." Steve stood up and walked over to Bucky.

"Can I sleep alone?"

Steve stopped dead in his tracks. "Buck, you don't need to ask permission to do anything, but can you tell me why?"

"I just don't want to do this anymore."

"What?"

"I'm not the same man you fell in love with. I don't have all of my memories back and I'm not really in love with you without them." It was a complete lie and it physically hurt Bucky to say it.

Steve's face became devastated. He was silent for a while, before something else crossed over his features. "What happened in the mirror?"

"Nothing."

"Bucky." Steve's sad puppy eyes were eating at Bucky's resolve. He was the only one who could break through all the assassin training and coerce Bucky into revealing thoughts and emotions.

"You saw me. I was there among Thor's family dying and Clint being abused and Tony killing everyone. Stevie, you can't lie to me. The mirror proves that you're scared of the monster I've become."

Steve paused for a minute.

"Tony saw the missile going toward the tower. Our faces appeared, but he isn't scared of us. He's scared of us getting hurt. He's scared of hurting other people. I'm not scared of you physically hurting me. I'm not scared of the Winter Solider. I'm scared that you're going to leave me alone again, by choice or because you" Steve's voice got small "because you get injured and I can't save you. I knew if I waited a few more seconds, the train would appear and I couldn't see you get killed again. You're everything to me Buck."

"But what if I turn into the Winter Solider. What if I relapse during a mission or while you're asleep. Even when you're awake you refuse to hurt me during my episodes."

"Your episodes haven't occurred for months. They're shorter than ever. I could handle them when they were bad-"

"-because I was tied up." Bucky interjected "You were watching for them constantly."

"I love you Bucky. That isn't changing. I don't care that you've changed. I've changed too. Can I touch you?"

Bucky nodded and Steve wrapped him up in a hug. "We're surrounded by superheroes who know what to do if something happens. They'll protect me if it does. They'll protect you if it does. You won't hurt me."

Steve sounded so sincere that it reverberated in Bucky's core. Steve steered them to both lay on the bed. He curled so Bucky's head was on his chest and he ran his fingers through Bucky's short hair. "We can talk about this in the morning if you'd like, but for right now I'm tired and you're tired. It's been a long day. All you need to know is that I love you very much. I'm not leaving and we're both safe." Steve continued mumbling until Bucky's breathing slowed and his eyes drifted shut.