Infatuation | Bucky Barnes

Chapter Thirty Four

Catherine wanted to scream as she sat in an SUV with Steve, Sam and T' Challa. Her body hurt from fighting and the motorcycle landing. They had loaded Bucky into a separate SUV. He was inside a glass enclosure and had been restrained.

"So, you like cats?" Sam asked T' Challa.

"Sam." Steve warned and Catherine couldn't help but laugh.

"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?" Sam asked.

"Your suit, it's Vibranium?" Steve asked.

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So, I ask you . . . as both warrior and king . . . how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" T' Challa asked.

Catherine felt her hands ball up in fists as he spoke. The pulled into a highly secure building and got out of the SUV just as they were unloading Bucky. He looked lost.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asked.

"Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition." A silver haired man asked. "Agent Stark, your brother wants to see you. Privately."

Catherine sat back in her seat and watched as Bucky was moved into a very secure looking, cube sized prison. His arms had been pinned down by metal shackles. It was almost barbaric, but she understood the extreme measures. The door opened and she didn't even have to look to know it was Tony. He took a seat next to her, but didn't speak for a while.

"I heard you got injured." Tony finally spoke.

She looked down at her arm and then her brother. "Yeah. First, the cat guy who is actually the Prince of Wakanda sunk his claws into me and then I was thrown from motorcycle."

"You know, it wouldn't have happened if you didn't intervene." He stated the obvious. "But, I know it isn't exactly in your nature. Especially if it's someone you care about."

"I know, but I don't regret it. They were going to kill him Tony. We heard the orders. I couldn't let them do that. He was brainwashed and swears he didn't set that bomb off. Now, he's getting the help he needs." She was quiet for a moment. "Am I in trouble?"

"I'm seeing what I can do that. Catherine, you can't keep playing both sides. You signed the Accords. Sam and Steve didn't."

"They're my friends, Tony. They needed my help." She argued.

Tony sighed and looked at his sister. Even though she was clearly an adult, sometimes he still saw her as a two year old and it made his heart sink. "Why do you have to be a good person?"

She chuckled. "I don't know."

Her eyes transfixed back on the surveillance video of Bucky who was getting interviewed by a psychologist. Even through the screen she could see the brokenness on his face. Then all the lights turned off and alarms starting to go off. Her head spun around to look at Tony.

"FRIDAY, get me the source of the power outage." He spoke.

Catherine looked around as she stood up from her chair. Something was very, very wrong. She saw Sam and Steve run out of the room they were in. For a moment, she thought it would be a terrible idea for her to follow them. However, at the moment, they weren't doing anything to violate the Accords.

She snuck out of the room undetected and hoped Tony wouldn't be mad. She supposed Sam and Steve had gone down to where Bucky was being held. If there was a power outage, she didn't know how well he could be contained. She was quiet as she walked down the stairs and into the wing where he was being held.

The only source of light was coming from the alarms. She swallowed thickly as she rounded the corner and found Bucky's holding cell empty. On the floor laid the psychologist. To the side was Sam. She ran over to Sam and crouched in front of him. "Sam, what's going on? Are you okay?

"W-We need to get out of here. That guy is not the psychologist. He did something to Bucky." Sam said as he fought to catch his breath.
Her head moved to look at the man and then back at Sam. "Where's Steve?"

"Last time I saw him, he was fighting Bucky."

She heard a creek and stood up straight. She wrapped her hand around her gun and looked around to the best of her ability. She felt the cold, metal hand around her throat before she saw him. Even through the dark she could she the dead look in his eyes. The surprise of him caused her to drop her gun, so she would have to rely on her fighting skills.

His hand tightened around her throat as he slammed her against the concrete wall. She gasped and raked as his body, trying to find someway to feel herself. "B-Bucky! Bucky. T-This...isn't...you....Fight it! You know me!"

She felt his grip only loosen slightly. "Zima..."

And then he released her. Her body crumpled to the ground and she reached up to grab her throat. Sam came running over to her and helped her up. By the time they got back upstairs, chaos had ensured. The lobby of the building had been destroyed and people laid everywhere. What the hell happened? They didn't exactly have time to stop. Instead, the two of them followed the crowd outside.

A loud, almost mechanical sound caught both of their attentions. They adverted their eyes up to the sky to see a helicopter plummeting towards the water.

"You don't think..." Sam trailed off.

"Only one way to find out." Catherine said.

The both of them took off from the crowd and headed towards the water to see if there suspicions were correct. In the distance she could see the fallen helicopter peeking out of the water, but no one seemed to be inside of it.

"Cat!" Sam yelled. "Over here!"

She followed his voice to the side of the water and stopped when she saw Steve lugging Bucky's unconscious body up onto the shore. Above them, helicopters had already gathered. Police cars could be heard in the distance.

"Now what?" Sam asked.