III: The Soldier and the Fairy Queen: Red Eve

XXXII: The Killer of No One

March 16th, 2017 - 31 days after Sunny's abduction
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Steve sat beside the bed in Clint's old room, reading a book he'd borrowed from Sunny's collection, Uranium in Russia: The Journey of the Russian Atomic Bomb. He glanced up at the man laying in the bed, burrowed under the duvet. Steve could almost hear his breathing, his hearing had mostly come back since the explosion. The man's arms-- one metal, one flesh-- laid on the blanket.

Steve had been the first awake. Then Zemo and Sam had woken up yesterday. None of them had really talked to each other about what happened. Bucky was the only one who hadn't woken up yet. Steve wondered if he would be the Winter Soldier when he woke up, or if he would be Bucky.

He glanced back down to his book, but he'd been on the same page for almost fifteen minutes. He replayed the scene from two days ago in his head over and over again. Nat had said that, by the time she had reached them, Sunny was already gone. But the fact that she had done it meant that she was fighting.

Regardless, having Bucky back gave him a little bit of hope. Things were finally looking up.

The door opened and Steve looked toward it.

"You've been in here for six hours, Rogers," Nat said, smiling softly, "I think it's my turn."

"But he might wake up," Steve protested.

Nat rolled her eyes, "I can take care of myself. 'Sides, you'll be the first to know if he does."

Steve sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I... we finally have him back! We just have to get Sunny back now, and he might know where she went." He said the last part with more enthusiasm than he'd meant to convey.

Nat raised her eyebrow and squatted so she was level with him, "Was-- is there something going on between you and Sunny?"

Steve felt the blood rushing to his face, "What-- I-- she-- we--." He stopped. Why was this so hard?!

"I thought you were always honest," Nat smirked. "Look, I'm not going to blame you if you're in love with her. She's bad***. And none of this is her fault, Steve, just like it isn't his," she smiled gently.

"I just... I don't know... what if she doesn't... you know... after this," he scratched his forehead, a nervous tick, "feel the same?"

Nat scoffed, "There's a very low chance of that, Steve. And even if she doesn't, it won't be because of this. This isn't your fault."

Steve threw his scrubbed his face with his hands, "Then whose fault is it?"

Nat frowned, "I don't know. Whoever stole Sunny, I guess?"

"'Stole Sunny', what is she? A car?" Steve huffed.

Nat punched him gently, "You know what I mean." She stood up, "Go on now. See if Zemo and Sam have killed each other yet."

"Alright, alright," Steve dog-eared the book and stood up stiffly, stretching. He trudged into the hallway and closed the door behind him. Since Bucky had taken up residence in Clint's room, so they'd kicked Zemo into the livingroom. Probably not the wisest decision.

The house was dead silent. Steve walked to the kitchen, where Sam and Zemo sat across from each other over a chessboard.

"Hello?" Steve asked.

Sam turned his head toward him but kept his eyes on Zemo, frowning, "Shh! Can't you see we're focusing?"

"I am focusing, but by all the mistakes you are making, you are obviously not paying attention," Zemo fired at him, glancing down at the board.

Sam grunted but kept quiet, moving one of his pieces.

Zemo knocked one of Sam's pieces out, "See?"

"I think you're cheating," Sam sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I am not cheating. My father taught me how to play chess. He was the six-time champion of Sokovia. I am better than you are, it is nothing to be ashamed of," Zemo rubbed his hands together.

"Better than me, my a**!" Sam shuffled another one of his pieces.

Zemo smiled, "Checkmate."

Sam muttered angrily and started putting pieces away.

"What did you need, Captain?" Zemo asked.

"I was going to ask about where you went before the explosion." Might as well get right to the point.

"I went into the rubble to see if there was anything interesting," Zemo replied nonchalantly.

"Was there?" Sam asked, his defeat forgotten, apparently.

Zemo frowned, "No, they took everything."

Steve sighed, "Well, that's an issue. Once Bucky wakes up--."

"Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear," interrupted Sam, looking beyond Steve to the hallway.

Steve twisted around and saw Natasha helping Bucky toward them. He stood up abruptly, "Bucky!"

Bucky looked up at him, his expression pinched and drawn, "How many people did I kill this time?"

Sam spoke up from behind Steve, "None, actually."

Bucky frowned, his voice conveying his exhaustion, "Stop messing with me, Sam. It's not funny."

"I must agree with Samuel on this. You have not killed anyone, as far as we could tell," Zemo conceded.

"See. I told you," Nat said.

Bucky frowned, "So, what the h*** happened?"

"That's a long story," Steve offered him a half smile.