Chapter 20: Bucky

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Avengers Compound

Afternoon

Wanda's phone rang and pulled it out. Unknown caller flashed across the screen and she frowned before answering it.

"Hello?" She answered hesitantly.

"Hey." Barry said awkwardly and she relaxed.

"Barry." She breathed.

"Look, I'm sorry." Barry said immediately.

"For leaving without asking me how I felt about it or for not calling?" Wanda asked a little anger in her voice.

"A little of both I guess." Barry said and she sighed.

"Why didn't you ask me if I wanted to come with you?" Wanda asked after a moment.

"Would you have?" Barry asked curiously.

"I don't know." Wanda admitted.

"I didn't wanna make you choose between me and The Avengers. More than that, I didn't want to make you choose between me and Pietro." Barry told her.

"I would have chosen you." Wanda said surprising Barry.

"Even over Pietro?" Barry asked stunned and she sighed.

"He's in a coma and I'm not sure he'll ever wake up. I can't put my life on hold waiting for a day that may never come. If it comes to The Avengers and you, I pick you." Wanda said.

"But it can't just be about me," Barry told her, "I don't want your decision to be because you think it's what I want. I want you to decide for yourself."

"And…If I choose to sign The Accords?" Wanda asked hesitantly.

"Then I guess we'll see where we go from there," Barry said, knowing that it was what you called 'irreconcilable differences' but knew Wanda wouldn't sign if he said that, "I love you Wanda."

"I love you to." Wanda said softly.

"I'll keep in touch when I can. I promise." Barry said before hanging up.

London

Same time

Barry tossed the burner phone in the trash, leaning against the wall. Sam had talked him into staying at the hotel he and Steve were staying at tonight. Honestly, the man was very convincing.

"Barry," Barry looked up as Sam rushed over, "we got a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Barry asked, alarmed by the look n Sam's face.

Not long after, Barry stood in the room Steve and Sam were staying in, Sharon on the phone as he, Steve, and Sam watched the news report about the bombing.

"Police have released a video of the suspect, which police have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, The Winter Soldier." The reporter said, showing said video.

Barry and Sam both looked at Steve. Barry had heard a little about James, or Bucky as Steve called him. He knew Steve wanted to find him, make sure he was oaky. Steve believed Bucky could be saved. Barry wasn't so sure.

"I have to go to work." Sharon told them after she hung up.

Vienna

Later in the afternoon

Barry and Sam sat at a café, eating lunch. Well, a snack for Barry. They were eating a cap and sunglasses to disguise themselves as Steve walked in, also wearing a cap and sunglasses.

"She tell you to stay out of it?" Sam asked.

"Yep."

"She might have a point." Sam pointed out.

"He'd do the same for me." Steve argued.

"I1945 maybe." Sam argued.

"It doesn't make any sense, any of this," Barry said and the two looked over at him, "you guys spent two years looking for him, nothing. Yet now he comes out into the open to bomb The UN? For what reason?"

"You think Barnes is being set up?" Sam asked and Barry shrugged.

"Either that or he's just gone crazy. Which isn't an option we can rule out, if half of what you guys told me Hydra did to him is true." Barry said as Sharon walked over.

"Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everyone thinks The Winter Soldier goes to their gym. Most of it's noise," Sharon said as she put a file in front of Steve, "Except for this. My boss wants a briefing now, so this is all the heads-up you're gonna get."

"Thank you." Steve said gratefully and she nodded before she left.

"What's your play here Steve?" Barry asked, wanting to know what Steve was thinking.

"If Bucky's being framed, I need to figure out why. Maybe he can tell us, have some Intel that will explain this." Steve offered.

"And if he's just gone batty?" Sam inquired and Steve was silent for a moment.

"Then I need to be the one to bring him in if he's this far gone. I'm the one least likely to die trying." Steve said and Barry and Sam exchanged a glance.

"Alright, let's go then." Barry said.

"You don't have to come with me." Steve pointed out.

"We know." Sam said and Steve nodded with a grateful look as he picked up the file Sharon had given them.

Bucharest

Later in the afternoon

After they'd suited up, Sharon's file led them to what was apparently Bucky's current residence, a rather modest apartment complex. While Steve went inside, Barry and Sam stood watch, Barry on a building nearby and Sam from the air. Both of them noted with alarm that German police were surrounding the area.

"Heads up Cap, German Special Forces coming in from the south." Sam called in over the comms.

"Understood," Steve said and paused, "do you know who I am?"

"You're Steve," A voice Barry could only assume belonged to Bucky was heard, like someone in the background of a phone call, "I read about you in a museum."

"They're setting up a perimeter Steve." Barry said in alarm.

"I know you're nervous, and you've got plenty of reason to be. But you're lying." Steve told Bucky.

"I wasn't in Vienna, I don't do that anymore." Bucky said in an earnest voice that Barry couldn't help but hope he was telling the truth.

"They're entering the building." Sam said alarmed.

"Well the people who think you did are coming here now. They're not planning on taking you alive." Steve warned Bucky.

"Good strategy." Bucky complimented with the air of someone talking about the weather rather than people trying to kill him.

Barry saw police jump onto the roof and looked up at Sam. Sam was now in the line of fire of those men.

"Police are on the roof, I've been compromised." Sam said as he flew away, out of their view.

Barry saw a cop holding a grenade launcher, taking aim at the window that belonged to Bucky's apartment. He sped over to take him out but he wasn't fast enough. He already got a shot off before Barry hit him, sending him down to the ground, out cold. Barry looked towards the building frantically to see the grenade break through the window. Nothing happened, so Steve and Bucky must have handled it.

"Sorry." Barry said to the unconscious office before speeding off.

Barry heard a lot of gun shots, grunting, and bangs over the comms, so he assumed Steve and Bucky were engaging the police. From his vantage point, he saw a man he assumed was Bucky throw out a duffle bag onto the roof of a nearby building before jumping from the balcony onto the roof. However, he soon found himself engaged with a man dressed in a black suit resembling a cat, claws and everything.

Barry sped over to the roof top, reaching out, grabbed Black Cat's hand, and tossed him away from Bucky. Black Cat landed hard on his back landing hard as Bucky stared at him in surprise.

"I'm a friend of Steve's." Barry offered as way of explanation.

"I figured." Bucky said dryly as Black Cat stood up, his claws shinning.

Suddenly, a helicopter flew in, firing bullets at Bucky. Barry grabbed him and sped him down the rooftop onto the ground as Sam flew it, kicking the end of the chopper, causing the pilot to lose sight of Bucky and Barry. The pair looked up to see Black Cat sliding the down the side of the building using his claws.

"Go! He's after you not me, go!" Barry shouted at Bucky.

After a brief hesitation, Bucky ran, jumping down into a tunnel and running inside as Black Cat reached the ground. Barry rushed him but Black Cat got him in the arm with his claws, taking Him off guard. Black Cat then grabbed his other arm, elbowed him in the chest, and pushed Barry down into the tunnel. Barry landed hard on the hood of a car, causing the driver to skid to a stop and Barry went flying, hitting wall. Grounding, he looked u as Black Cat jumped down, Steve following him. As Black Cat went after Bucky, Steve passed, eying Barry.

"I'll catch up, go!" Barry shouted and Steve didn't need to be told twice.

As Barry shakily stood up, he looked down at his wounded arm. Whatever Black Cat's claws were made off, it had cut through his suit. Something Tony had assured him was impossible. Suddenly, he heard sirens and looked up to see a police cruiser ride after Steve, Black Cat, and Bucky.

"Damn it." Barry growled as he sped after them.

He got there in time to see Steve ride off after Bucky and Black Cat in the police cruiser he took after knocking the officer out without seriously injuring him. Suddenly, Black Cat jumped on the hood of the cruiser. Barry sped over, tackling Black Cat off the vehicle. Steve nodded in thanks before going after Bucky.

"Sam, I could use a little help." Barry said as he tossed Black Cat onto the ground.

"I'm on it." Sam said as Black Cat made his move.

He clawed at Barry's ankle and Barry cried out as Black Cat sent a kick to Barry's feet, knocking him on his back.

"Stay out of my way!" Black Cat snarled before jumping up and running after Steve and Bucky.

"I'm immobilized, go after our new friend." Barry grunted as Sam flew overhead.

Sam nodded and flew off. Moments later, various police cruisers rolled up, two stopping as the others moved on. Four officers got out and Barry swore. With his leg wounded, he wouldn't have time to heal.

"Hands up!" One of them barked as they trained their weapons on him.

Mentally growling, Barry put his hands up and one of them pulled out a pair of cuffs, walking over and putting Barry in the cuffs.

"Congratulations Flash, you're a criminal." The officer growled in his ear as he and another officer helped Barry to his feet, no care for his wounded leg.

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