Take Me back to the Start | B. Barnes

71. Behind the Mask

"Where did you get this footage, Mr Whitman?" Steve asks carefully but sharply as the plaintiff prepares the tape. How can I stop this? It's evidence, therefore untouchable. Although we're about to see it for the first time, we all know what is gonna happen. I don't even know if I'm prepared for this, the nausea is unbearable in my stomach.

"It was an anonymous tip." He just answers as he takes the remote in his hand. Steve and I share a look, knowing who gave him this toxic footage. Hydra. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you're about to see is nothing for weak nerves."

"Your honor, may I go and talk to Mr Barnes?" I ask for permission, Bucky's whole body is trembling while Tony froze to a statue. "He may feel triggered by pain and memories, this would deteriorate his psychological condition. I just want to calm him down. He trusts me."

"You may." The judge allows me and I quickly pass Tony, placing my hand on his shoulder because I'm sure that he's not ready for this.

"It's better if you look away, Tony. Please don't watch this, okay?"

"Will you?" He shoots back and I press my lips together, firmly squeezing his shoulder before finally walking to Bucky who buries his face into his hands now. Sitting down next to him, I carefully put my arm around him and feel how his body is shaking, holding back a sob. He is ashamed. The guilt makes him cry silently and my heart shatters into a million pieces, watching how broken he is.

"I'm here, okay?" I whisper and press him into a hug, his head tiredly leaning against my shoulder. The jury observes us and every single move we make but I don't care.

"You're going to hate me for this..." He only replies weakly and keeps hiding his face behind his hands. Sam and Steve seem to feel uncomfortable and Tony already looks like a ghost as the plaintiff presses play. Tony was right. I can't look away. A black-white footage of an empty road from a surveillance camera shows up and in the next second, a car suddenly crashes against a tree, smoke erupting from the accident. We all know whose car it is.

The reason for their crash appears seconds later on a motorbike. The Winter Soldier. I notice Tony's increasing unease as he watches intently how the assassin gets off his bike and approaches the injured driver on the ground. With widened eyes, I press my hand against my mouth and see an older version of Howard. A dying one. Nostalgia and shudder overcome me, my eyes burning in pain.

"Help my wife. Please. Help." Howard begs between coughs until the soldier hoists him up by his hair, staring with cold eyes at the victim's bloody face. Howard stares back in disbelief, shock mirroring his face as he recognizes the man. "Bucky?"

Maria Stark cries Howard's name when the fist of the Winter Soldier suddenly collides with Howard's face, the awful sound of the cracking bones resounds as he continues to beat Howard. I wince in fright, a tear escaping my eyes as I hear a few gasps in the courtroom. My view is blurry and I suddenly feel dizzy, not being able to hold Bucky next to me. The sickness in my stomach only gets worse as I see how Bucky kills Howard. "Howard!"

Howard slumps dead to the ground and the Winter Soldier puts the corpse back into the driver seat. Maria starts crying in agony and pain when she spots her dead husband next to her until the hand of the soldier is around her throat, strangling her to death. Bucky's back is wrecked by sobs while on Tony's face is just the blank horror, traumatized by what he's seen.

"Turn it off." The judge's voice is clear and harsh. "Now, Mr Whitman. This was enough evidence. I give the witness and defendant a moment since both are clearly not feeling well."

Even though the plaintiff reluctantly turns off the TV, I can still see in my mind how both die, the images brand into my memories. I seriously don't want to imagine how Tony and Bucky must feel at the moment, suffering in front of public. The guilt and grief must be terrible. I don't have the right to be self-centered and overwhelmed by the pain now, I have to stay strong and win this case. Looking around, I see the reaction of the people. Fear. Disgust. Rage.