"She's gone," Steve's voice spoke frantically to Bucky the next morning, opening Bucky's door suddenly as Bucky sat at the edge of his bed, tying his boots.
Bucky's heart dropped, "What?" He ran out the door past Steve to Ruth's room. It was as if no one had lived there. Everything of hers was gone. It was as if she were a ghost. Bucky turned to Steve, his voice breathless, "How?"
"She must have taken a plane sometime in the middle of the night," Steve explained.
"But how?" Bucky repeated. "Aren't there sensors or—or something?"
Steve lowered his voice, "She must have hacked into the system somehow. All the cameras were cut out until five o'clock this morning."
Bucky ran his hands through his hair with exasperation, becoming panicked, hysterical. "Dammit!" He exclaimed.
"Buck, listen to me," Steve started, laying a hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I know this is difficult to understand, but she's been hiding things from us for longer than we'll ever know."
Bucky shook his head, "I just can't believe it. I can't believe that she's been lying for this long."
"Ruth comes from a place where this is all just a part of her life. I'm sorry I couldn't see it sooner," Steve said consolingly.
A dread struck Bucky's chest, "What about her conductors? Did she take those?"
Steve shook his head, "They were left on Tony's desk in the lab."
"I just..." Bucky started, feeling faint. Without her powers, she didn't stand a chance alone. Why didn't she take the conductors? Was it because of guilt? "I need some time to think." He walked back to his room, closing the door forcefully behind him. He didn't believe it. How could this have all been a lie? She told him things that came from the darkest parts of her heart. She cared for him when there was nothing about him worth caring for.
Did it all mean nothing?
Bucky felt his face warm up as he remembered her kiss. Her lips were soft against his skin, the touch of her hand as she held the other side of his face to reach him.
How could that not have been real?
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Buzzkill: The Reckoning
FanfictionReunited after years of separation, Ruth Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes are caught in the snares of right and wrong. Tensions are high as Bucky tries to bring Ruth to safety, ultimately bringing her past back to haunt her in more ways than one. ...
