illuminate. (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter Ten

"I got a fire in my soul

The fear's taking hold

But I'm taking control

Of my own life

I'll never back down

I get up, up, up

When I'm bleeding

Undefeated."

~*~*~*~

New York Sanctum. Greenwich Village. May 2017.

You stepped into a large dark foyer dominated by an imposing mahogany staircase. On the floor, red, tan, green and orange tiles laid arranged in an intricate mosaic. You followed Strange and the other man past several items encased in glass or displayed on the wall, reminding you of artifacts in a museum. The two men led you further into the residence, passing by three windows each displaying a different landscape – a lush forest, a snow-covered mountain range, and golden grasslands. They stopped at the end of a long hallway; Strange opened a door before the other man could stop him.

"I meant the library here at the Sanctum. Are you sure we should be taking her to Kamar-Taj?" he asked.

"Kamar-Taj?" you asked. "As in the temple in Nepal?" Strange and the other man looked at you in slight surprise.

"How do you know about Kamar-Taj?" Strange asked.

"I'm an excellent researcher," you replied vaguely. Strange eyed you carefully. The other man said nothing, but you had a suspicion if Strange gave the word, you'd be out on the street faster than you could blink. "To be fair," you said, crossing your arms. "If you all are trying to keep whatever you have going on here a secret, you're doing a shitty job. There's internet forums full of information about this place."

Strange chuckled lightly, gesturing for you to follow him, "Follow me," he said. He stepped through the door, the space between him and the door frame rippled as pebbles dropped in water. Tentatively, you reached out and put your hand through, noting the change in temperature on the other side. You turned back to look at the other man, who impatiently ushered you through the barrier. Taking a deep breath, you moved through the doorway and entered into a large stone rotunda. You let loose the breath you had been holding as your eyes fell on the massive stone globe floating in a sea of stars above a pedestal that held a talisman of an eye. It glowed with twinkling orange lights, mimicking the lights of cities as seen from an airplane.

"Gods," you breathed.

"This isn't even the fun stuff," Strange said. "By the way, I'm Dr. Stephen Strange." You turned to look at him, he beckoned you forward.

The other man followed behind you. You crossed a large courtyard passing groups of people dressed in robes practicing martial arts and conjuring shapes of glowing orange energy in the late spring air. You entered into a shadowed library. Your steps echoed off the stone floors as you approached a table laden with books surrounded by hexagonal shelves. The room exuded a powerful energy. It tingled across your skin; you could almost reach out and touch it.

"So," Strange said, plucking a book from a nearby shelf, "you want to learn about the Mystic Arts?"

You nodded, "More or less."