Thunders Legacy [B. Barnes] [Thunder Wolf B.2]

Chapter 2

The team sat in Shuri's lab, staring off around the room, no one knowing how to break the silence of what they were told. Bucky stood looking to the window that looked into Fern's room, sighing, "So what you're telling me is that the Thunderbird is going to die, but Fern's getting better." He questioned, trying to make sense of all the fancy medical talk Shuri and Banner had explained to them.

"Essentially," Shuri pulled up a hologram, "Within the last day, there were no changes to either of them, until a couple of hours ago when the Thunderbird's vitals plummeted. Soon after we were able to stabilize the bird, Fern's vitals skyrocketed and showed promise of her waking soon."

"But, Fern said that if the Thunderbird died, she would too. What changed?" Natasha stepped forward, resting her hand on the glass of the window.

"I have a theory for that. Seeing as Fern never spoke with the Thunderbird much before the last few weeks before the attack, it's possible that are some misconceptions about a few things. I believe that Fern could feel the Thunderbird pain, but seeing as it was so extreme, there's a chance that she only felt that way. After Thor's misjudgment, Fern had no real injuries, but she was exhausted and mentally drained. She still felt sore, but I believe that was because the Thunderbird felt that way," Bruce explained, showing the team charts from earlier experiences. "There's plenty of possibilities, and we won't have an answer until Fern wakes up."

"Do you have a better time frame than soon for once?" Bucky sighed. He wanted to be there when she woke; Bucky had a sickening feeling that she would be broken when Fern woke without the Thunderbird.

Shuri smiled at the soldier, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Days, if not hours. The Thunderbird continues to slowly decline, and that can change at any second." She added, "It could still be weeks. It's never an exact science."

"It's better than the soon you've been giving me for six months." Bucky chuckled. "Keep me updated; I'll be with the baby." He gave everyone a curt nod leaving the room. Bucky stopped in the hallways leaning against the wall with a smile and tears running down his cheek; he felt like he could breathe again. There were no more unsure answers that made him feel like he wanted to give up; there was finally something to keep him going.

A cold nose pressed into Bucky's hand, he smiled, looking down at the wolf, "She'll be awake soon Ryk, you should stay with her until then." Bucky scratched behind Ryker's eyes, and the wolf whined. "I know; I've missed her too."

∆Ω∆

Bucky sat quietly watching the Thunderbird, a creature he feared and admired at the same time– he was having a hard time seeing it in such a sad state. "She's going to miss the hell out of you. I think we all will, no matter how scared of you we all are," Bucky paused, running a hand over the Thunderbird's dull gold feathers. "Something tells me that you always knew this would happen. You know I'll be there for Fern every step of the way, but I don't know if she's strong enough to handle all of this without you. Even since you spoke to her again, she talks so fondly of you, and losing you just might break her to the core."

Bucky expected the Thunderbird to put another vision in his head, showing him another one of its possibilities. All he was met with was the dull, agonizing beep of the Thunderbird letting go. Shuri, Banner, and other people from the medical team ran in, and Bucky sat there sadly smiling at the bird as a tear rolled down his cheek.

∆Ω∆

"It shouldn't be long now," Steve hesitated as he stood next to Bucky. Bucky nodded and continued to watch Fern's chest rise and fall as she slept. Ryker laid on her lap, staring at her, ears twitching at every different breath that she would take or any kind of slight twitch. "Do you need anything, Buck? Can I get you anything?" Steve sighed, resting a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"No." Bucky shook his head, pressing a kiss to Fern's hand that was clasped in between his own.

"Don't stay awake all night waiting for her to wake up Buck, you'll want to have all of the energy you can when she does." Steve patted Bucky's shoulder and left the room.

Ryker whined and looked at Bucky, snorting at the soldier. "What? I think you forget that I can't actually understand you Ryk, if you wish to communicate, you have to be clearer." Bucky rolled his eyes at the wolf. Ryker snorted and sniffed at Bucky before shaking his head and groaning again. "Are you trying to tell me that I stink? I'm sorry, but I showered yesterday; when was the last time you had a bath?" Bucky snapped, glaring down at the wolf.

"If you want another opinion, you both stink." Bucky turned to find Sam standing at the door, "I'll wait with her while you go clean yourself up. Both of you." Sam ordered, stepping out of the doorway and sitting in the empty chair on Fern's left side.

"She could wake up at any second Sam, I can't just leave right now." Bucky sighed.

"You can too because I bet you that she isn't going to wake up until you're next to her. So go clean yourself up for when she does. I personally wouldn't want to wake up to that ugly, smelly mug of yours if I was her." Sam snickered as Bucky stood glaring at his friend. "I thought so." Bucky rolled his eyes, hesitating but left Fern with Sam to watch over her.