Katelyn Steel is an old and powerful witch, who is doing everything to overcome her weaknesses and protect herself from the people that are haunting her. Her magic is not exactly as Loki's. She is a witch and she casts spells.
What Kate needs is the...
I was getting everything ready for the spell as I waited for Loki to return. A few minutes later, there is a knock on my door and I am surprised on how quick he came back.
Without checking, I open it but it isn't Loki on the other side.
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I get into defense mode immediately. "No, no, wait! Please, I'm only here to talk" he says, raising his hands in surrender
"Yeah, because you love to talk. But since when are you speaking English? I learned Russian for you" I admit
"I'm not the Winter Soldier anymore. I'm James Bucky Barnes" he says
"And I'm supposed to believe that?" I ask
"I have no vibranium on me, you can go ahead check" he says.
I wave my fingers towards him and I scan his form with my magic. Not only he isn't carrying vibranium, but he doesn't have any kind of weapon on him. He is also wearing normal clothes and not the usual suit he always wore before.
"It might be going soft and I might regret it but... Come in" I say and I drop my hands
"Thank you" he whispers as he walks in.
I walk further inside, keeping my distance from him "So if you are not here to kill me, what do you need?" I ask
"To apologize" he answers
"I beg your pardon?" I ask surprised
"I'm sorry for what I did to you while I was under Hydra's control. I don't remember everything but I think that I remember enough" he says, keeping his head down.
Wow, today's day is full of surprises.
"They brainwashed you, didn't they?" I ask. He nods weakly in response. "They tried to do that to me as well, when you had caught me. But, thankfully, I have my mind protected and I made it out of there, alive" I say
"I heard. They knew many things about you" he replies
"Unfortunately..." I sigh and he smiles sympathetically
"They also knew that you could read minds" he mentions
"I can sense a favour coming..." I say.
"Only if you want to. I don't want to pressure you. But I would like to remember my past, before Hydra" he says
"You don't already?" I ask
"No, I only have a few spare memories. I went to a museum and I read about myself... and Steve Rogers. He was the first one I remembered but not much" he informs me.
"Well, I am actually in the middle of something else but... I can try" I say
"Really?" he asks, almost surprised
"Yes. Your memories were probably locked away, that's why you're having small pieces come back. I can release them. However, I cannot control which memories will be brought back, so I have to ask you, are you sure you want to remember?" I ask
"Yes" he answers in a weak voice.
"Ok. I will need physical touch, though. If you're comfortable with it" I let him know
"Are you?" he asks
"I'll have to be" I sigh.
I walk closer to him and I place my hands on his shoulders slowly. But on his left shoulder I feel the metal under his clothes. I look at him and he nods.
His eyes are beautiful. But sad... What? What am I even saying? He tried to kill me and he almost did. Well, so did Loki and look where we are now.
"Everything ok?" he asks, interrupting my thoughts
"Yeah, sorry" I reply. I move my hands further up to the back of his neck so I'd finally touch his skin. "When I begin my eyes will start glowing purple, so don't be surprised. And you will not, for any reason, pull away from me before I finish because it can cause serious brain damage" I explain
"Ok" he replies.
"Close your eyes when you're ready" I say. He takes a small breath and closes his eyes.
I close my eyes too and whisper the spell under my breath. I open my eyes again, and this time they are glowing purple.
I start breaking the wall each brainwash put in his mind and the memories get released. From the newest to the oldest, all of them return.
I could feel him fighting his urge to pull away as he remembers his years with Hydra. It is actually worse than I thought. All these years I thought that he is just working for them. Unfortunately, I am seeing his memories too.
I complete the spell and my eyes turn back to their normal colour. I release his neck and I look at him.
"Are you alright?" I ask. He doesn't answer and doesn't even raise his gaze from the ground. "I'm sure it's all so overwhelming, but is there something I can do..." I say
"No. Thank you for the help" he says and storms out.
"How is he still alive?" I ask myself. I know he has gotten the super soldier serum but his brain should have turned into mousse by now after so much resetting.
However, I am intrigued. I saw that there are certain words they said to him in order to active him after every reset. Maybe I can reverse whatever program they put in his brain.
But there isn't a spell that can do that... yet. I am feeling pretty confident though, so I grab my spell books and I start making notes. I start creating one more of my own spells. Soon I realize that I will definitely need to see him again to get a better of whatever they put in his head, but that doesn't stop me. I am excited so I start conducting things for a few different scenarios.
I was so focused on creating a spell for Barnes that I forgot about Loki. I jumped when he walked in my place unbothered. "I thought a 300-year-old hunted witch would know better than to leave her door unlocked" he says
"I was busy, I forgot" I reply as I stand up and walk to him "Where is your brother?" I ask
"I brought his hair" he answers as he pulls out of his pocket a small bag with a few blonde hairs.
"That should work" I say and I take it from him.
I go at the table to start the spell, but first I gather my notes from earlier.
"Желание, Ржавый, Семнадцать, Рассвет, Печь, Девять, Добросердечный, Возвращение на Родину, Один, Товарный вагон. Why are you writing random words in Russian?" Loki asks as he holds up one of the papers
"It's non of your business" I grab it and I put it with the rest.
I perform the tracking spell and I give him Odin's location. "Thank you. I have to go now because my brother is waiting, but I promise that I'll be back as soon as I can and we could talk...?" he suggests
"I'd like that" I answer. He lets out a small relief breath and smiles.
"Great. I'll see you then" he says
"See you" I reply as he leaves. Back to the Barnes spell now.
