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Lily was immensely terrified and upset with seeing James like this.
All she wanted to do was rip open that box, tear off those cuffs, and hold him until they fell asleep. She wanted to be home with him again. She brought her trembling hands up to her mouth and nibbled on her nails as an unconscious coping mechanism. She hadn't done it much lately considering she was with James in her home and she hadn't felt the need to fall back into the habit, but she couldn't help but feel that anxiety and those nerves bubble towards the surface like hot lava in a volcano ready to explode. When Steve came back into the room looking more disappointed and angry than before, Lily's distress increased ten-fold. He stood there, with his broad shoulders, brooding eyes, and defensive stances watching a soundless screen as it played in front of the glass room. It was almost like a taunt. It was cruel because they could almost see every angry and defensive feature on Bucky's face but they couldn't hear what they were doing to him. Part of Lily thought it to be a blessing as well. Ignorance is bliss and she thought being ignorant to what they were accusing him of was better than knowing in a way. That being said, she was desperate to defend him and she needed every piece of evidence she could get her hands on for that.
Lily didn't bother tuning in to the conversation between Sam and the blonde woman who had just walked in. However, when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the woman slyly clicked a button on a small panel that said "Restricted" on it and the picture of James showed up on the small T.V. within the room, she perked up and silently thanked her in her head. Steve looked around as well, hoping no one would come storming in and turning off the new source of information.
"I'm not here to judge you." The man's tone was softer than Lily imagined. She didn't know whether to take that as a good thing or a bad thing. "I just want to ask you a few questions." Now that Lily could hear, even if she couldn't understand entirely, she could sense something in his tone. Excitement? Anxiousness? Smugness and anger? He was waiting for something to happen and Lily's heart sank into her stomach when she realized it would be happening very soon. "Do you know where you are, James?" Hearing the man say his name so bitterly almost made Lily dizzy with anxiety. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."
"My name is Bucky. Only one person calls me James." His voice nearly made Lily sob. She was oblivious to the glances she got from her peers in the room considering she was solely concentrated on the screen.
"Why would the task force release this photo." Lily's attention was reluctantly brought away from the screen and to Steve who held a picture in his hand, dropping it onto the table. Lily tentatively scooted forward and delicately took the photo into her hands. She studied the image. It was slightly blurry, but you could see clear as day that it held the supposed face of James Buchanan Barnes. Putting aside the denial towards the situation, she still felt something off about the picture. The face and body were completely disproportionate. James had broad shoulders which made his wider face seem narrower. Even through the picture, Lily could tell that the figure was smaller than James. In height and stature.
"Tell me, Bucky. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?" The man's tone was darker than before and made Lily's head snap up.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"You fear that if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop." The man swiped something on his tablet and his aura seemed to grow with excitement. Lily was too paralyzed to tremble in fear. "Don't worry. We only have to talk about one." Even without seeing the blood red book, James' expression was enough to realize what was about to happen.
And that's when the power turned off.
Lily gasped quietly to herself. The only source of light was flashing red lights on the wall that bathed the entire floor in a blood-colored hue. Outside of the room, officers and agents went into panic mode. People rushed about everywhere trying to figure out what had happened and what was happening. Inside the room, Steve and Sam rushed out as soon as Sharon gave them the location. Before Steve was gone from her sight, Lily called out his name making him stop in his tracks, as well as Sam.
"It is not him."
"I know." When Steve made another move to leave she grabbed his muscular arm gently.
"No, the picture. It is someone else. He doesn't look like that." Steve nodded, this time more gently, assuring her that he knew. "Be careful. It is not his fault. He will not know any better. He will not know it is you." She didn't realize how rushed and panicked her voice was until Steve put two warm hands on her shoulders, making her feel slightly less nervous.
"I know." He gave her a gentle squeeze and ran off with Sam leaving Lily to stand there feeling colder and lonely than ever.