Buzzkill: The Reckoning

Chapter 56

Everything inside Bucky tore apart. His voice strained as he screamed aloud with the anguish that burst his heart.

"She's not responding," Bucky spewed out, his hands shaking, his whole body beginning to tremble. "She's not responding anymore. We have to go get her," He commanded to anyone who would listen. He ran to the door, slamming his metal fist into the barricade and ripping the door away to expose the rubble that encased the hallway, everything pitch black, only a flickering spark from wires in the walls giving off any light.

"Bucky, listen," Steve urged, quickly going over to him and grabbing his shoulder. "We don't know if any part of this building is stable. You could be crushed before you even make it to her."

Bucky jerked his shoulder away from Steve's grasp, "I don't care, Steve! She's dying, I can't let her die alone. I can't let her be there all alone."

"We're doing all we can to get to her..." Steve's words trailed off. Bucky held a pain he had never seen before. A cry that came from his heart. "We've already called Dani to make her way down to her."

Bucky's whole body was wrought with heartbroken tension.

Steve's voice turned soft, "Just be careful."

Bucky looked up at Steve's eyes, and without hesitating another moment, took off through the broken hallways.

Strong concrete walls were shattered and caved in, large chunks littered the floor. Dust and ash filled the air, clouds of smoke making it a struggle to breathe. The ground rumbled beneath his feet. Bucky threw all caution aside and ran over the heaps of rubble. He had the picture of the map in his mind. He knew where he needed to go to get her, but the hallways were broken, cut off where they normally opened up. He made his way around the wreckage, climbing, crawling over debris of the shifting rock around him. His mind raced, desperation taking over every bit of logic in his mind.

Bucky pushed through to the hangar, sparks still flying off the metal walls where Ruth and Kal just were. Toppled steel beams were the only thing that stood in front of him, crawling his way through the barricade to break into the light of day.

But in his heart there was no light at all.

Dani crouched down on the ground over a body, Ruth's body. Dani turned her head and looked up to him while time slowed around them, her head just barely shaking, telling him what he feared the most.

Bucky ran over to Ruth, falling to the ground beside her as Dani stood and backed away. his face filled with warmth, hot tears filling his eyes. He took Ruth in his arms gently as if she would break, holding her close. Her face was cut up and brushed with blood, dark smoke leaving marks on her skin.

Bucky's chest heaved. Her clothes felt cold, damp. He lifted his hand to see they were covered in her blood.

"Please," His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. He looked to her face, tears streaked down the patches of smoke on her skin. "Stay with me, Ruth. Please. I can't...I can't do this without you. Not again." He cradled her in his arms, tears falling from his face. "I love you."

Even as Dani stood backed away, blood soaked on her hands from trying to block the wounds, Sam flying in on his wings, bringing Steve beside them, shouting to Bucky that Nat and Syd were bringing over the jet, Bucky didn't feel as if there were any other presence with him at all. His whole world had been ripped away from him. Every light, every bit of warmth that he could ever feel had been destroyed.

He had never felt so alone. He was so alone it hurt to breathe. Nothing felt like home anymore. The only home he had loved lay dying in his arms.

There was no one.

He was alone.