Disruption. | Bucky Barnes

Chapter 13.

I decide to distract myself, they'll all be back soon, surely nothing, not even aliens from another planet could take that long to defeat, right?

Wrong.

A week goes by before we hear anything from anyone, before we see anything on the news even. When it reaches Monday I finally bring myself to go to Pepper, I already know that she's stressed, but I figure she must know something? Tony couldn't not contact her?

I've left her alone, knowing that she's probably busy, but I'm going stir crazy not knowing.

When I find her she's sat in the office with her head in her hands, I clear my throat and she looks up at me and quickly composes herself. "Eden!"

"I.. I just wondered if you'd heard anything?" I can't help but fiddle with my fingers, something I tend to do when I'm nervous or uncomfortable.

Pepper dips her head but when she looks back to me she smiles, "they're all well."

That's all she knows, I can tell from her face.

I stand still not knowing what to do with myself, every question I had has gone, how can I put my stress on this woman? She already has enough to deal with. And Morgan...

Well Morgan doesn't really know what's going on, Peter hasn't been at school, he's been spending his time here, Morgan is keeping him busy enough, she loves spending time with him, but I know he's in his head about all this as much as I am.

I've tried spending time in the lab, but nothing I do distracts me enough, I contemplated ringing Frankie, going out, getting black out drunk, and yet that seems to of lost its appeal since... well, since there's only one person I want to spend my time with.

Pepper stands in her chair and it scrapes against the floor, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Tony won't tell me much, just that they're okay and-" she looks worried, very fucking worried, I know it's bad.

Tears threaten her eyes and she walks around her desk and leans back against it.

"I thought it was over, Thanos, he's dead, and yet there's always bigger forces at play."

I won't pretend to understand anything about Thanos, I didn't pay the attention I should've, I was going through my own things, self indulged with my mother's passing, I was no where near New York, no one else mattered, for me it already felt like the end of the world, why would I care if a mad titan came and snapped half of us into oblivion.

I didn't know what my dad was going through, I more or less hated him, I didn't care that he was in space for twenty odd days and announced missing before he managed to come back to earth, I didn't care he was doing whatever he was doing, for me that wasn't in my interest.

But I know it was big, I mean, the entire universe does, who knows who would be here if Thanos had succeeded?

I don't even know what to ask Pepper, I don't know enough to ask questions, I don't think I even want answers to the questions I do have.

"Is it of this world?" For some reason this is the only question I have ready to ask, because honestly it's common for the answer not to be.

Pepper shakes her head. "It's in Wakanda, so there's nothing being reported. I don't know if that's better or worse?" She throws her hands up in frustration and gets to her feet.

"They can handle themselves, they did so last time, these are weaker beings than him."

I can't handle where my imagination is going, I can't handle the thought of my friends, my family, in danger.