RAISON D'ÊTRE ( bucky barnes ) 一 under editing

TWENTY-SIXTH

RAISON D'ÊTRE
TWENTY-SIXTH

"THE RECEIPT FOR YOUR GEAR." Sharon places a piece of paper on the table then slowly slid it over to Sam, who sat on the opposite side of the table from her. It hadn't been long since they met with Tony Stark and the red haired woman Natasha, before they were suddenly pulled into another room. The walls were all glass, allowing anyone to look in and out, and all that was inside was a long table and chairs with a TV hung above in the corner. When she turned her head to look out the room, she spotted Stark, Ross, and Natasha watching a series of screens in front of them as a man interrogated Bucky.

There was something about this whole situation that had irked her the moment Steve had first stepped foot in their apartment. They'd been careful, extremely careful, and while they'd gone about their lives in Romania as if they were any other Romanian citizen, they never dropped their guard 一 sunglasses and hats to hide their faces, jackets and gloves that always managed to cover up Bucky's glistening metal arm, always paying with cash and never with anything else. Rome and Bucky, they never faltered, never done anything to cause them to really stand out. They'd always been that couple in the apartment building, the ones that kept to themselves and never got in trouble, so why now? How had they been found? She'd cloaked Bucky so well, fixed and perfect the spells so that they would never be able to 一

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. 

She'd spent those two years refining the spells, making sure the cloaking spells were always strong and doing its job, but she'd always done it for Bucky. For Bucky, who was always in the most danger and needed the help the most, Rome always made sure he was protected. However hers, she'd left on their own, eventually growing weaker as time went on. But of course, that still didn't explain how they found her. Sure, the spells had grown weak over time, but Rome was an ancient witch and no dime-a-dozen witch they picked up off the streets would be able to break through her spells. When Rome's eyes locked onto Stark's back, it hit her 一 Aline. Her cousin was just as powerful, if not more with all that added power, and the man had mentioned her, said her name in a familiar way. Did that mean her cousin was working alongside them, planning to capture Bucky just to punish her? Was... was this all just an elaborate part of Aline's plan for revenge, for leaving all those years ago?

No! Aline might hate her for what she did, but they were family. They could fight and argue all the livelong day, but in the end, they were family and blood and nothing would break that. Besides there was no way Aline would do something as cruel as this. But then again, what she'd seen Aline do all those years ago... no, no! Rome shook her head violently, nearly slapping herself for thinking that. She crossed her arms angrily over her chest, immediately starting to scold herself for thinking such mean things about her beloved cousin. So she decided to push those thoughts away for a later moment and instead focus on the subject at hand; she didn't trust these people, not one bit. They claimed they were doing this for protection, but for who? 

"'Bird costume'?" Sam scoffed. "C'mon."

Sharon held her hands up in surrender. "I didn't write it." Slowly, she glanced around the area and when she made sure no one was watching, she reached down and pressed a button on the table console. The TV suddenly blared to life, and the group turned to look. It displayed the interrogation, Bucky still trapped in that metal and glass cage, while the man sat comfortably on the other side of a table. Rome looked over at the blonde woman and gave her a thankful smile, before giving her full attention back to the TV.

"I just want to ask you a few questions," the interrogator said, a folder opened before him. "Do you know where you are, James?" When his only answer was silence, he let out a sigh. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."