Buzzkill: The Reckoning

Chapter 32

"I need a computer," Ruth demanded as Natasha followed her step for step into the empty lab.

"If Tony catches you on any of his computers he won't be happy. What do you need?" Natasha replied, keeping her voice even, hoping Ruth didn't spiral.

"What is he going to do? Throw me off the carrier?" Ruth shot back.

Natasha ignored Ruth's attitude, "Do you really want to be on his bad side?"

Ruth sighed. "I need to search something."

"Like what?"

"News sites."

Nat looked over at the door, "Alright, but hurry."

Ruth leaned over and began immediately searching on the computer for every single news alert involving one or more children in Oslo, Norway and surrounding areas in the last couple of months.

A few moments passed, Ruth's eyes scanning the screen quickly to find something that sparked familiarity.

"Anything catch your eye?" Natasha asked, looking briefly to Ruth's screen, curious.

Ruth's heart beat pulsed loudly in her ears, her eyes blurred with tears of rage as she read the host of articles in front of her. Everything inside her sunk, wrenched to the floor, her chest clenched with a fury she hadn't felt in years.

Without even speaking a word, Ruth erased the computer history, knowing Nat was watching her like a hawk, and strode off to her room before she lost control.

Slamming her door behind her, Ruth glided into her room with unceasing rage. Her body ached, her mind swelled, her veins pulsed. She looked down at her arms to see the discoloration of her scars amplifying.

This was beyond her. Everything in her life that built her up to this. The war, her mother, the facility, the Woman, Ryker, SHIELD, Hydra, Bucky. Kal doesn't hesitate to destroy everything in her past; for what? Was it still just a game?

Ruth caught her reflection in the mirror above the dresser ahead of her, her knuckles shined white as her fists clenched tight. Her eyes were dark, a shadow looming over them she remembered from years ago.

Ruth exclaimed angrily, slamming her fist against the mirror, the noise of the shatter echoing loudly throughout the room, the wood panel behind the mirror rattling, rocking the dresser along the ground.

A sharp, piercing pain struck Ruth's shoulder as she made impact. She hobbled back from the broken glass, knowing she would be scolded for this at some point. Suddenly numb, Ruth moved back against the end of her bed and slid to the ground. Looking forward, it felt like an exhaustion was settling in her brain.

"Ruth, are you alright?" Bucky swung the door open, voice frantic as he ran into her room. His eyes grew wide as he looked at the piles of shattered, broken glass covering the dresser and littering the ground surrounding Ruth. His heart fell as he looked to her. He walked carefully over to where she sat, "Ruth, you're bleeding."

Ruth's eyes looked tiredly up to his, then narrowing as she looked to her fist, deep blood covering her knuckles and dripping over her arm and the floor. The blood felt cold as it flooded her skin.

"Come on," Bucky urged, helping Ruth up gently to stand. It hurt to see her like this. He walked her to the bathroom on the other side of the room.

Ruth stood silently in front of the sink while Bucky held her bleeding hand under the cool water. She winced as he pulled out small shards of glass from her skin.

"Sorry, but these need to get out of your hand," He told her, his voice calm, soothing.

Ruth stayed quiet, watching her hand intently as her mind ran at a dizzying pace.

Bucky looked to Ruth's worn face, "You need to take it easy on your shoulder, it still needs to heal."

Ruth shook her head, keeping her gaze at her hand, "I'm fine. You need to be the one resting."

"I just passed out. You think Hydra would put that word in my head if it shut me down for a whole day?" Bucky replied, realizing now was probably not the time for banter. He wrapped her hand carefully, holding onto her with all the care in the world.

The cloth felt soft against Ruth's skin. She moved her fingers slightly, figuring out her range of motion.

Bucky didn't take his gaze off of her as they continued to stand in the silence of the bathroom. He kept his voice soft, "What happened?"

Ruth kept her focus to the ground. "Kal," she said simply. "She found the kids. The young kids from the facility."

"There were young kids still there? What happened to them when Hydra invaded?"

"The Woman had them sent out in vans to be taken to Russia," Ruth replied. "I intercepted them."

"What did you do? Where did they go?" Bucky asked, keeping close to her.

"I took them to an orphanage outside of Oslo. I wanted them to get away, to have a different life than mine. Who knows what would have happened to them in Russia." Ruth finally looked up into Bucky's eyes, "Kal burned the orphanage down."

"What?" Bucky said breathlessly.

"She found the kids, and she burned the orphanage to the ground."

Bucky wanted to reach out, to hold her. "Ruth, I'm so sorry."

"She's taking this too far," Ruth shook her head, her eyes becoming warm. "She didn't even take the kids. She just wanted to kill them out of spite, out of gameplay."

"How come you've never told me about this before? About saving those kids?" Bucky asked, his voice careful.

Ruth's voice broke, barely above a whisper, "Because I knew something like this would happen."

Bucky took Ruth in his arms, holding her softly against himself. Her body began to shake, her breathing becoming sporadic as emotion gripped her.

Ruth closed her eyes, wanting to slip away, wanting to go back to Bucharest. Who knew that hiding away in a grungy apartment with another assassin would have been the best thing to happen to her. The only thing left from that time was him; James. And Ruth almost lost him today. Ruth shut her eyes tighter.

When would he be taken away from her, too?