The end of the line [Bucky Barnes]

Ghosts

TW: Violence, blood, death

*******

The entire team is sitting in the conference room as Tony called for a meeting.
He has been speaking for the last thirty minutes, and at this point, the only people paying attention are Steve and Parker.
Wanda is kicking Pietro's leg under the table, bothered by his attempts to make her lose her patience.
There's a thud, and Pietro hisses, making Tony eyes darting on the two siblings at the end of the table, "Are you two done yet?" he scolds, and Wanda's face goes red.

Bucky gets distracted from his thoughts and looks up, seeing the rest of the team is looking at Tony scolding the Maximoff siblings.
"Tony, I think we should reconsider that request. If we start operating as support in the city, we may not be able to properly respond to a serious issue."
Steve states, followed by Nat, and Sam nods.
"If we are divided into different areas of the city, and something serious happens, our forces will be halved." Natasha resonates with him.
"We already respond to a serious call, like that one big robbery. But being daily displayed on the ground like cops is not what we do." Nat adds.
Their work is to keep the earth safe, not only Manhattan or DC, and it's not about feeling superior.

"They are right, Tony. There where there's a serious need for us to act, we will. But for the rest, we should let the State handle it." Bucky shrugs, looking at Tony sitting in his chair.
"After all that happened during the Accords, I think we should do something to actually get some approval," Tony argues back.
"From who? The public will always be divided about us. The government, on the other hand, has already done enough to get between us and our work." Bucky huffs, still not over the fact that he has to work for the same government that was ready to put him down after leaving him in the shit for years.
Tony sighs, sensing that he won't get them to agree with him on this one.
"Fine, let's hope us declining won't make them saltier then." He mumbles, getting up.

"Well, I think we're done here." Tony states and everyone stands up.
The team is about to leave the room when an explosion makes the building shake.
The system alarm goes off, and the lights turn red.
Everyone is in shock. This is supposed to be one of the safest places in the country.
"What the hell was that?" Sam shouts, looking around to check on the others.
"Friday?" Tony calls, tapping on his watch.
"Sir, there was an explosion on the first floor. I'm reporting severe structural damage." Friday reports, "The laboratory and the training room have been shut down. Is not possible to report the status of those." Bucky heads snaps up. Just yesterday, Helen told him she was going back to work.
"There were people in it?" Nat asks, stepping closer to Tony.
"The training sessions of the day haven't started yet. Therefore it must be empty.
People were working in the laboratory, but I can't communicate with the servers." Friday speaks again.

Bucky walks to the door, but something else happens, "Sir, I'm getting police reports of two more explosions in the city."
"What?" Steve utters, concerned.
"We have to go," Clint says, walking to the exit, "get ready. We have to split."
"I'm going to the lab. Where are the other explosions?" Bucky asks, his heart pumping blood in his body like crazy.
"Time square and on the Brooklyn Bridge," Tony responds, his brows knitted in concern.
"I'm coming with you," Nat says to Bucky, and they leave for the laboratory.
As they get on the first floor, they realize the hall is filled with smoke. There are exposed wires hanging around.
A collapsed wall shows the damage made on the entire floor.

"Is Helen at work?" Nat asks, stepping over a beam.
"She said so," Bucky mutters, feeling his chest heavy.
They get in front of the laboratory entrance, but a portion of the ceiling collapsed, blocking it.
"Help!" some voices echo behind the rubble.
Bucky and Nat start to dig with their hands, making enough space to open the doors.
People rush out, covered in ashes and blood. Bucky eyes try to scan every face, hoping to see Helen.
"She is not here!" He yells, walking in and looking around.
He runs through the hall to her office, but there's fire filling the hallway, making it impossible to walk in.