Before We Rise

Chapter 23

I glanced at Bucky in the box as he stared directly at me. I moved slightly but stopped when the harness pinched my skin again. The truck soon came to a stop. Then the doors opened and they yanked me out after unbuckling me.

They grabbed my wrists and uncuffed me as I watched Bucky get taken out of the truck, still in the box. He continued to stare at me as I was guided away from him. I saw Steve and Sam, quickly making my way over to him. A group of people were standing in front of us, including Sharon.

"What's going to happen?" Steve asked.

"Same thing that outta happen to you. Physic evaluation and extradition." The man in the suit said.

"This is Everett Ross. DT Task Force Commander." Sharon introduced him.

"What about a lawyer?" Steve asked.

"Lawyer, that's funny. See that their weapons are placed in lock down. We'll write you a receipt." Everett said.

"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that." Sam said. I looked back at Bucky as Steve tugged me along, also looking at Bucky. We walked down a hallway over some water as Everett continued to talk.

"You will be offered an office instead of a cell. It's your option if you use it or not." Everett said.

"I don't intend on going anywhere." T'Challa said. Nat moved back to us as I stiffened slightly in her presence.

"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like." Nat commented.

"He's alive, that's all that matters." I told her.

"Try not to break anything as we figure this out." Nat told us.

"You bet there will be consequences." I heard Tony's voice before I saw him. "Obviously, you can quote me. Anything else? Thank you, sir." Tony hung up the phone before turning to us.

"Consequences?" Steve asked him.

"Secretary Ross wants you three prosecuted. Had to give him something." Tony told us.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asked. Oh, his precious shield. I swear he loved that thing more than me sometimes.

"Technically, it's the government's property. Wings too. And the guns and anything else you had, Riley." Nat told us.

"That's cold." Sam commented.

"Warmer than jail." Tony said, walking away with Nat.

I got sat down in a chair, outside the office because Tony wanted to talk to Steve in private. I watched the computer screens, mostly Bucky's. I played with my fingers then picked at my nails.

"She's not a US citizen and they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction!" I heard Tony yell something probably along the lines of Wanda.

"She's a kid." Steve yelled back. Yup, definitely about Wanda.

"Give me a break!" Tony yelled right back. I didn't turn around but I flinched. The door opened behind me and then I saw Steve walking out in the corner of my eyes.

"Riley." Nat said, standing next to me. My jaw hardened and I shoved myself up. The chair moved with the force of it as I walked back into the office, with Sam behind me. After a while, Steve came back in the room with Sharon following him. I frowned at the both of them. She handed something to Sam.

"A receipt for your gear." She said.

"Bird costume. Come on." Sam complained.

"I didn't write it." She shot back at him.

"I'm not here to judge you but I would like to ask you a few questions." My head jerked up to the screen, seeing Bucky with the doctor. "Do you know where you are, James?" Bucky didn't say a word. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."

"My name is Bucky." Bucky told the doctor.

"Why would the Task Force release this photo to begin with?" Steve asked, tossing the photo onto the table.

"Get the word out. I don't know, get as many eyes as we can." Sharon answered.

"Right. Good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get 7 billion people looking for the Winter Soldier." Steve said. I frowned. It didn't make sense, not even a little.

"Are you saying someone framed him to find him?" Sharon asked.

"Steve, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing." Sam reminded him.

"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads in different places." I spoke up.

"That doesn't granite whoever framed him would get him a granite that we would." Sharon said. Steve turned back to the screen.

"Yeah."

"Tell me Bucky, you've seen a great deal haven't you?" The doctor asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Bucky told him.

"Do you feel that if you open your mouth, the horrors might not stop? Don't worry, we only have to talk about one." The doctor said. Suddenly all the light went out. Sharon turned to us.

"Sub level 5. East wing."