Leave Me Broken [Winter Soldier] II

Life Without Her [Chapter 29]

"Love of two is one

Here but now they're gone

Came the last night of sadness

And it was clear she couldn't go on

"Don't Fear the Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult

            Ophelia had never before wanted someone dead like she did now;  she wanted Tony Stark dead, and it was possible. 

           She was too close to the situation, she had too recently been shoved back into the dark part of her personality and it was bubbling to the surface without the use of her trigger words, and without the sickening music that had been used to condition her in the past. This Huntress, the one that felt an uncontrollable rage building up inside of her after seeing Bucky ripped apart and unconscious in the snow almost exactly as she had first seen him, this was a different Huntress. 

          She was entirely in control of her mind, but not of her rage. 

          Ophelia was still atop Bucky and so she rose to her feet, standing over the man protectively. The expression on her face would kill if looks could do just that, but she was not going to be using her looks to kill Tony Stark. Glancing down at Bucky once more, she studied his serene face and just about second guessed her own anger. How peaceful he looked suddenly reminded her that there was a goodness inside of him that prevailed throughout seventy years of being used by HYDRA. She wished she didn't have the urge to kill Tony, but when she saw the scraps of Bucky's arm, and the bruises already forming upon his jaw, she simply could not control herself. He had been hurt too many times to let this go, he had been beaten and bruised too badly for Ophelia to simply wait for Steve to finish this. Tony Stark was going to kill Bucky unless someone killed Tony Stark.

          Tony was just getting the upper hand, avoiding punches thrown at him from Steve. She quickly created a mental bridge with him once again, beginning to wreak havoc without even thinking about it. She brought forth the memories of Pepper dying, and Tony paused for only a split second, as if confused as to why he was remembering that very moment. She brought forth Charlie Spencer, one of the many casualties in Sokovia, a death he took the blame for. Every single time something went awry and he blamed himself, Ophelia found it and made it prominent in his head. Suddenly he began to realize what was going on, and he managed to throw Steve down just in front of Bucky.

        "Get out of my head!" Tony yelled in her direction.

        Steve spoke with exasperation to his tone, getting Tony's attention back on him. "He's my friend."

        Tony appeared to forget momentarily about Ophelia. "So was I."

        The fight commenced once again, and Ophelia did what she knew best now. Her way of fighting was cruel, but she only had Bucky. Even though she had people like Steve and Sam who cared about her, it was different. She was never going to be their burden or their responsibility. She loved them for everything they did for her, and she would do anything for them in return. 

         But Bucky, he was different. He never saw her as a burden, he never treated her like he was obligated to be there for her. They needed each other, otherwise they would simply be broken. 

         She wreaked havoc in Tony's mind, pulling strands of violent memories, even ones before he was Iron Man; he was a man filled with guilt, and Ophelia didn't hesitate to bring it all forward.