behind blue eyes [bucky barnes]

sixtyeight

Song: Indian Summer by Jai Wolf

. . . . .

Over the course of the next two days, Bucky spent the majority of his time down in the lab with Shuri. She ran test after test once the man had explained what he was asking her to do. Maria split her time between staying down there with him and going around the palace and surrounding town with T'Challa. One thing she made sure of was that she stayed as far away from Okoye as possible. She wasn't near ready to go through that entire saga once more.

On their final day, Shuri was ready to give an update to the couple.

"So, I have ran several tests on Sergeant Barnes-"

"Bucky," corrected the man with a smile that matched Shuri's own.

"Oh, whatever! As I was saying, I have run every single test imaginable on Bucky. I tried to narrow down the exact area of the brain where the activation words are held. Which - total side note - isn't it kind of terrible that those are what make up your soulmate tattoo?"

"Woah, woah, woah," Maria said with a laugh. "Are you judging me about my tattoo right now?!"

"Why yes," Shuri said in all seriousness. "Yes, I am."

"And what does yours say Miss Judgy Pants?"

"It doesn't say anything," Shuri replied, lifting up her arm to show what was on her wrist. Maria and Bucky both leaned forward simultaneously - only to turn to one another with shit eating grins. Neither of them said a word as they sat back and returned to their original facial affect.

"You were saying," Bucky said, motioning towards the tablet in her hand. Shuri looked between both of them in shock. "C'mon! I'm over a hundred years old! My days are numbered!"

"Are you two- You- What is going on?!"

"Like we are going to tell you what we know," scoffed Maria.

"You have to!"

"You insulted my soulmate - and by extension, me," Bucky said with a smirk as he slung his arm over Maria's shoulders. "So no insider information for you, missy."

"You two are unbelievable," exclaimed Shuri. "As I was fucking saying, I ran all the tests I could, but they came back inconclusive."

The happy-go-lucky attitude that the couple shared quickly evaporated in thin air. The two were deflated instantly. Maria weaved her hand into Bucky's to comfort his overwhelming anxiety.

"Inconclusive," the girl asked. "What do you mean?"

"It means that I can't determine exactly where the activation materials are because they are all over his brain," Shuri explained. She laid her tablet on the side and showed a projection of Bucky's brain. Lit up all over were the areas where information regarding Bucky's brainwashing was stored. Shuri was right - his brain was covered in the things that allowed for the words to work. The couple looked at one another solemnly. It seemed to be a lost cause.