The Winter Ghost

Part 19

Five years. That's how long it's been since he disappeared from your life. Since they all did. The therapy that Steve insisted you take part in was nothing short of torture. Hydra couldn't have thought of such a vile strategy. But you showed up, every week and listened to the group of once strangers cry and whine. You wanted to stop going, it's not like you ever shared anyways, but you couldn't bring yourself to leave. You knew Bucky would want you to at least try.

Try as you may, there was no way to put the toothpaste back in the tube after that phone call all those years ago. But you often wonder, if there was just a little less cell reception, could you have lived that extra month with Bucky in blissful ignorance. Would that have been better than knowing of your impending dume? Thoughts you would never share with the group, but instead would keep you up at night.

Five years, and you could still remember it like it was happening now in the small rec room Steve rented out for this grieving group of misfits. The fluorescent lights above you buzzing louder and louder until they melted into gunshots, echoing around the once peaceful Wakanda jungle. The serine views turned -battlefield.

"Where are you?" You screamed through your comms. You were running through the trees, Nat by your side. The gruesome battle taking place was now life or death and though you fought, you wondered if it would be easier to find Bucky and spend what little time you had left resting. It was selfish, but then again, so were you.

"Bucky!?" You pushed, tripping over vines and face planting onto the ground. You gasped, pushing yourself back up, allowing Nat you pull you back to your feet.

The two of you had separated after Thanos made his appearance. Now it was a life or death game to keep him away from Vision. That was the end game.

The three of you stumbled into a clearing and there stood Thanos, gaudy gauntlet on hand and axe embedded into his chest. Your eyes almost didn't recognize the six foot Asgardian God who held it pressing it deeper into his flesh. Steve lay a few feet away, eyes closed and body twisted into a horrifying position. Wanda houved over Vision's lifeless body, a deadly hole gaping from his forehead. You tried to stop Nat from attacking, but it was too late. You were too late.

In one fell swoop, the alien knocked her down to the ground, leaving you standing alone, face to face with the monster.

"You know not what is to come, little girl." He spat, his deep voice rattled through you. "But you will." He heaved in pain, his eyes locking with the seething God before him. "And you... You should have gone for the head."

Your heart sank, body frozen as he snapped his fingers and disappeared into a ball of light. The whole world went silent then. Even the trees rustling in the wind stilled for a moment.

You looked down at your hands, glowing red with what blow you were ready to send at Thanos, but here you were, alone and he was gone. You were too late. You were always too late.

"Y/n" His voice shook you out of your trance. You spun around, tears falling from your eyes to meet Bucky. He had a soft smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. The chaos erupting around you fell away when he looked at you like that.

"Buck?" Steve called his friend's name, calling your attention away from him for a split second. The look on the Captain's face was one filled with horror. When you turned back to Bucky, you could only imagine yours mirrored that itself.

Small particles of ash swirled around his figure, chipping away at his form. You were only a few feet from him, but it felt like a mile as you ran to his side. He collapsed into you, knocking you both to the ground in the action.