THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 74

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Less than an hour later, Emilia arrived at the empty secluded hall near the Princess Bay lighthouse.

Hidden under her leather jacket, she adjusted Bucky's Sig-Sauer P229 behind her back. Although she wasn't a fan of guns, he had shown her the proper way to use them in Madripoor. He knew very well that she could defend herself without one. Still, it gave him a sense of security that she could control it.

In the building, she followed the long corridor to were Jackson had described her.

Cautiously, she poked her head around the corner. The first thing she saw was Bucky.Without thinking, she ran toward him.

"Barnes!"

He raised his head, wanting to stop her. But by then it was too late.

"MIA! NO!"

The clicking sound set off a chain reaction. Translucent walls folded up around Emilia from all sides, enclosing her. Rooted to the spot, she had to stand and watch as the prison, measuring about five by five meters and made of thick slabs, built itself up around her with a loud roar.

When the noise stopped, she opened her eyes again, narrowed in shock, and looked around. They were fixed on Bucky, who was staring at her in fear for her sake.

The only thing she wanted was to get to him somehow. The expression on his face acted like a match that activated all of her energy reserves.

She created a sonic wave, but it bounced off the walls around her unaffected. Surprised by this, she tried to drill a hole through it with a fireball. But she failed again. A quick glance at the floor was enough. She was standing on the same material that surrounded her.

Desperate to do nothing, she turned her gaze back to Bucky.

Only now did Emilia realize how dehydrated he really was. Jackson hadn't really given him much to eat or drink. It was just enough for him to survive with the help of the super soldier serum in his blood.

The lack of fluid in his body clearly left the already prominent facial features as well as the veins on the back of his hand. The shadow around his mouth was even darker than usual, barely distracting from the tired look in his eyes.

"Bucky..." More than a heartbroken whisper didn't escape her lips as she tried to suppress the tears that were welling up.

"The little bird has finally returned to the nest."

Jackson's appearance behind her made her spin around. He saw something in her horrified look and then pressed a button on the wall beside him.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, sweetheart. I'm not a monster. Your dearly beloved Sergeant had everything he needed."

Under the clanking sound, the steel chains around Bucky's vibranium arm drove down, whereupon he fell weakened to his knees. Emilia noticed how long the iron really was, sliding almost endlessly down a pulley system on the hall ceiling.

In a small passageway in the back, she spotted a simple sink next to a toilet. If he was denying him food and water, at least Jackson hadn't deprived him of the last of his dignity as well.

"Now that you're finally here, it's in your hands."

"What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious? You."

"That's it?"

Somewhat perplexed by her dry counter-question, he walked toward the glass box and slowly around it.