Ghost Soldiers || Bucky Barnes

Chapter 46: Repeat Until Death

Steve managed to get to the base around 20 minutes after Bucky got there. He could have gotten there sooner, but Dum Dum Dugan had fallen on the way back, and he was hurt. Since he was as big as Steve was, he was the only one who could carry him, so he stayed behind to help him.

As soon as they got there, Steve left his wounded friend on the floor and looked around him, speechless. The place was completely burned down, and he could see soldiers on the floor, most of them dead. He then started running around, trying to find Bucky and Clementine. He was scared for Clementine. After all, she was one of his closest friends, and he really hoped she had made it out, as well as Maria.

It took him a few minutes to find them. They were close to the woods, and Bucky was on the floor, with a girl on his arms. As he approached him, he saw Maria sitting next to him, and then he stopped abruptly as he realized that the girl on his arms was Clementine. He then took a deep breath, and continued walking towards them, hoping that she was okay.

But he knew she wasn't. When he was about a meter away from them, he noticed Maria was sobbing uncontrollably, while she held Clementine's hand gently. He then finally gathered the courage to look at Clementine. And his heart broke when he saw she had her eyes closed, and she was not moving at all. He noticed her uniform was covered in blood, and he realized that it was her own blood, and that she was dead.

He then stood there, speechless, not being able to move. He then felt his eyes filling with tears, and he lowered his head and let them fall.

His friend was gone. The first girl who had being nice to him, the first girl he had ever danced with, was there, laying on his best friend's arms, and she was gone. And he felt an amount of pain that he hadn't felt since his parents died, which was taking over him. And he then saw Bucky for the first time since he got there, holding her on his arms while he stared at the woods, not even blinking or moving a muscle. And he couldn't imagine the pain he must have been feeling, which was a thousand times worse than his own.

"Steve." Said a voice.

He then looked at Maria, who was staring at him with her swollen eyes. She then stood up and approached him, as he hugged her tightly.

"Steve, she's gone." She said, sobbing. "Clem is gone."

He didn't say anything. He just looked at her and nodded, before putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Maria, I know you're in pain." He said. "I am too, more than you can imagine... but I need you to help the others... there are many soldiers wounded, and they won't make it without your help. Can you do that for me?"

She then stared at him, looked at Clementine's body once more, and nodded. "Okay... I'll try to do my best."

Steve then gave her a sad smile and wiped her tears with his hand. "We need to be strong right now... we will grieve later."

She then closed her eyes, nodded and started walking away from them, as she headed to where the base used to be.

Steve then got on his knees, next to where Bucky was. He then looked at his best friend, as he held Clementine's body, and saw an expression on Bucky that he had never seen before. He was not crying anymore, and he was not angry either. He was just staring at the trees, and Steve had never seen him so lost and heartbroken before. And usually, he knew what to say to make him feel better, but this time, he knew nothing would. Nothing would ever make him feel okay again, and that worried him.

"Buck... I'm so sorry." He said, and his voice broke. "I can't even imagine how you must be feeling right now."

Bucky didn't say anything. He didn't even stare at him, and Steve wasn't sure if his friend had heard him. He was in shock, holding in his arms her girlfriend's body, the only girl he had truly ever loved. And Steve couldn't imagine a worst fate than that one.