MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS/BLANKS DO NOT INTERACT! Hello there, Lyn here, and I welcome you to my multifandom/18+ Only blog! Imagines: Open // Oneshots: Open // Drabbles: Open // Headcanons: Open
Hello! My name is Lyn, and welcome to my 18+ Only/Multifandom blog! MINORS/AGELESS/BLANK BLOGS DNI
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Note: Many of these works are NSFW, just a forewarning.
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Avenger! Bucky Barnes x Fem! Winter Soldier! Reader
Summary: After disappearing from Shelbyville, Indiana, (Y/n) resurfaces not as a recovered asset, but as a global liability. Declared an Enemy of the State and linked to a string of high-profile assassinations, she becomes the subject of an international manhunt that grows more ruthless by the day.
Hunted by governments, pursued by HYDRA, and haunted by the truth of her own creation, (Y/n) must navigate a world that only sees her as a weapon. With no safe harbor and no clear path forward, she is forced to decide whether she can exist outside the systems that built her, or if escaping them was ever possible at all.
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A/n: poor (Y/n), when is she ever gonna catch a break rip also sorry that this took so long to get out. If you didn't see the ask i answered, i was in a car accident and then my uncle passed away. i'm sorry everything took so long. rip to my uncle and my car :/
Also, if you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee! If you would prefer to read Relapse on Archive, you may do so right HERE!
This is an au where Bucky joined the avengers but still rehabilitated in Wakanda (sometime before Infinity War [canon divergent cause NOPE]). I am NOT fluent in Russian, so I did use google translate cause I couldn't find a good translator that I trusted. If anything is wrong, PLEASE let me know!! Also, I tried to list as many warnings as possible so you know what the story will contain as chapters are posted. Stay safe!
NOTE: I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANY OF MY WORKS TO BE FED INTO AI FOR BOTS, I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORKS TO BE TRANSLATED, REPOSTED, REWORKED, ETC, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!!!
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Genre: Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Drama, Dark Content
Rated: Explicit
Warning: Angst, Dark Content: Graphic Depictions of Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Manipulation, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Nonconsensual Body Modification/Scarring, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation, Graphic Depictions of Human Remains, Mentions of Sexual Coercion/Manipulation, Death, Misuse of Drugs/Forced Drugging, Self-Harm (Graphic Depictions and Mentions), Nightmares
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Author: ScariusAquarius
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relapse masterlist.
chapter 7 / chapter 8
When Bucky, Raynor, and Sam had arrived at Elijah Moore's home, the mask on Bucky's face had begun to piss him off. It was growing itchy, his skin sweating just the slightest beneath the material, and he was getting restless.
After calling Kurt to ask him to transport Thalia and her daughter to the compound, Natasha had called with information revealing that Ronald Fowler had conveniently been killed before they could truly investigate him.
Reports were saying it was a bear attack, but Bucky knew better. Had (Y/n) truly killed him? What was the point? Was that Elijah's favor that he had called in? For (Y/n) to get rid of his competition?
Bucky's train of thought was broken by Sam's voice breaking the silence in the car, his disguised face turned towards him with an inquisitive expression that felt more uncanny more than anything.
"What are you thinking, Buck?"
Bucky instantly frowned, his foot tapping against the floorboard as he stared down Elijah's door; a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.
"I don't think (Y/n) killed Fowler."
Raynor seemed intrigued then, leaning forward from her spot in the back seat as she asked.
"What makes you say that?"
Bucky tensed slightly before glancing at Raynor through the rearview mirror, his eyes firm as he replied to Raynor.
"(Y/n) isn't a killer like that. Not anymore. There's no way that she could have done that."
"That's a lot of speculation, James. Nobody has seen or heard from her in two months."
Bucky turned around in his seat, his voice low and irritated.
"Don't talk about her like that. You don't know her like I do."
Raynor and Bucky stared each other down for a moment, and Sam became uncomfortable, his voice becoming stern as he glanced between the two.
"Alright, break it up, we can worry about that later. Right now, we need to figure out how we're going to get Elijah to talk without causing a scene."
His last few words were directed at Bucky, and the man couldn't help but to grimace in irritation before settling in his seat.
"We can't take the customer approach. Elijah having three new customers after (Y/n) will look suspicious. Natasha stated to tell Elijah that 'the Widow sends her regards,' so we should take that approach."
Sam glanced at Bucky then, asking.
"You sure he won't be suspicious on why three old acquaintances of Nat's are barging into his home? It's known that Natasha is an Avenger now, so he's gonna know."
Raynor just huffed before suggesting.
"How about we go in as detectives? Ronald Fowler was known competition for Elijah. We can exploit that since Ronald Fowler has been known as a black market arms dealer, especially with the files that were recovered from the warehouse he owned."
Bucky shook his head, glancing at Raynor through the rearview mirror.
"That information hasn't gone public yet. He'll know that (Y/n) betrayed him if we bring that up, and then we're gonna have another problem on our hands."
Sam was eerily quiet for a moment before he suggested quietly.
"What if we posed as HYDRA? Elijah wouldn't question that too hard, especially with the political fallout that's going on right now. HYDRA is gonna bank on whatever they can in order to win."
Bucky's skin began to crawl at the notion, but he had to admit that Sam was right. If there was one thing that he knew about HYDRA, it was that they were resourceful and didn't care who they went to as long as they would stay quiet and loyal. Taking a deep breath, Bucky nodded before he stepped out of the car.
"Alright, then we'll go that route. Raynor, stay in the car."
Raynor was ready to argue, but after a moment of thinking, she simply sat back in her seat and nodded. Bucky was intrigued by her sudden compliance, but simply shook his head before stepping out of the car. Walking up to the doorway with Sam, Bucky couldn't help but to make a face at the bible verse that was on display before knocking on the door.
For a moment, there was silence before Bucky could hear shuffling and floorboards creak. The door was unlocked, and standing before them was Elijah Moore. Bucky was taken aback by the way the man was dressed, squinting his eyes slightly before he looked up at Elijah.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
Sam cleared his throat, asking.
"Are you the Reverend?"
Elijah's eyes squinted slightly, almost unnoticeable to normal eyes, but Bucky was sizing the man up as closely as he could. From what Bucky could tell just by looking at him, the man was confident and almost completely unbothered.
"Yes, I am, but I must inform you that this is after hours for me, so if you'd like to arrange a meeting, please speak with Thalia at the bar."
Bucky insisted, his voice stern as he leaned in slightly, Elijah becoming on edge as he stared at Bucky from above his nose.
"That won't be necessary. We have business."
Bucky then leaned in closer, stating quietly for Elijah despite the words feeling wrong and tasting awful.
"Heil Hydra."
Elijah's eyes finally widened in surprise before he cleared his throat. He apologized as he opened the door more, allowing Bucky and Sam to walk into his home.
"My apologies. I wasn't expecting a visit so soon. I assume this isn't a normal business call. Also, take your shoes off at the door, would you? I just mopped."
Bucky glared at Elijah, but the man didn't back down as he gestured to the rug by the door, and Bucky scoffed before carefully toeing off his boots.
"You would assume correctly. Who else is in the house?"
"Nobody, it's just me. My....advisor...is currently out on a business call for me."
Victor. Bucky frowned heavily before Elijah led Sam and Bucky to the living room where a nice big couch was waiting. It looked unbearably uncomfortable, so Bucky took to leaning against the wall while Sam sat stiffly.
Elijah was standing at a shelf where a bunch of decanters were waiting and filled three glasses of strong-smelling whiskey. Handing the cups to Sam and Bucky, Elijah sat down at the recliner and crossed his legs as he sat and took a sip of his whiskey.
"What is it that I can help you with?"
Bucky was quick to respond as he replied, setting his glass down onto the coffee table.
"We know that the Asset was last seen here and that it was doing business with you. Where is the Winter Soldier?"
Elijah hummed, replying curtly.
"I understand that the work your organization does it very important, but the Asset is a client, and I value the privacy of my clients."
Bucky frowned before he stepped forward Elijah, glaring down at him and curling his lip back slightly as he clenched his right hand to control his temper.
"You do not want to play coy with me. I will not ask again. Where is the Asset?"
Elijah looked uncomfortable before he shook his head and replied.
"Right, I tend to forget that your organization is keen on results. My client is with my advisor at the moment on a business call. They should be coming back either tonight or tomorrow depending on how the business call goes."
Bucky was quiet for a moment, simply glaring at Elijah, and the man was quiet before Sam piped up, glancing at Elijah.
"We're on a tight schedule, so we're going to need to know who your advisor is and where this business call is taking place."
Bucky added, crossing his arms.
"We will not tolerate losing the Asset again, and if we do not retrieve the Asset before dawn, then there will be consequences."
Elijah frowned deeply before he argued, shaking his head.
"You must understand that it may not be that simple. The Asset is deprogrammed and incredibly cautious...and very good at detecting deception. If the Asset believes there is something amiss, they will not come."
"Then you better not fuck this up."
Elijah hummed before he asked.
"What cell will you be reporting to? I'd like to know if my cooperation will have a payoff."
Bucky almost panicked for a moment before he simply stated.
"You don't need to know who we report to. You need to worry about who is reporting on you."
Elijah seemed to become suspicious then, frowning just the slightest as Bucky glanced at Sam, who was watching Elijah closely and stiffly.
"Well, when it comes to my business, I like to ensure that it is seen through. The task my advisor is on is incredibly important. Perhaps, we can come to a deal? I give you the Asset and you get rid of my advisor...and tell me what I would like to know."
Bucky paused, taking a moment to observe Elijah before he realized that the Reverend seemed to be completely serious and asked.
"Get rid of your advisor? Cutting off some loose ends, huh?"
Elijah just swallowed thickly, readjusting his glasses as he replied.
"His services unto me have come to an end due to some....unforeseen circumstances. You see, I'm in the market for someone better; someone reliable and will listen without question. A person who is both cunning but loyal without question."
Bucky had a feeling that Elijah was talking about (Y/n), and he couldn't help but to call Elijah out on his words.
"You're thinking that the Asset will be the perfect advisor, do you?"
There was a moment where a flash of guilt ran through Elijah's eyes, but he quickly masked it by taking a large gulp of his whiskey.
"I'm sure that HYDRA and I could come to an arrangement...I have plenty of useful information that would benefit the cause."
Suddenly, Bucky could hear the sound of police sirens in the distance, and Natasha's voice ran through his earpiece, making him share a look with Sam.
"Boys, you got company. Six bogey's coming on your way."
The sirens became louder, and Elijah looked annoyed as he stood. Sam stood up as well, and Bucky stated with a carefree tone.
"It seems that your advisor was one step ahead. Our business here is done."
Elijah seemed to become desperate for a second, glancing at the exit for a moment before he looked back at Bucky. There was a moment of hesitation, the sirens crawling closer, and he asked.
"What if I can get you the asset by tonight?"
Bucky frowned, crossing his arms as he asked.
"How do you plan to do that? Your advisor has betrayed you, and there's no guarantee that the Asset is where you were certain they would be."
Elijah readjusted his glasses as the police began to knock on the door, yelling Elijah's name through the wood.
"A good businessman always has backups. They are going to arrest me either way, so make your decision. Do HYDRA and I have a deal?"
"You never stated your condition."
Elijah hummed, replying.
"HYDRA will find a way to even the odds. Perhaps, a clean record would suffice."
Bucky and Sam stayed silent before the door was knocked down. S.W.A.T and police came running into the building, guns raised and voices yelling as they surrounded the men. Bucky and Sam held their hands up in the air, calm as they exclaimed.
"We're with you."
One of the men stepped forward, glaring as they approached Bucky and Sam.
"Prove it. Show me your badges."
Bucky and Sam produced the fake badges, hoping quietly that Natasha was faster than their systems to integrate the false identities so that they wouldn't get caught.
The agent took the badges with a skeptic look upon his face, handing it to another man behind him that disappeared around the corner while never taking his eyes off of Bucky nor Sam. For a second, his gaze slipped over to Elijah, and his face contorted into a deeper sneer.
While the man was gone, two other agents grabbed Elijah and put cuffs on him, reading off his charges while dragging him out of the room. Elijah was staring at Bucky and Sam with a strange look in his eye, almost as if he knew something that they didn't, and it unnerved Bucky.
Feeling his hackles raise, Bucky finally had enough and wanted to leave. Glancing at Sam, he gestured quietly for the two of them to walk out, and the man that had left came back with a slightly apologetic look to his face.
"Sorry about that, boys, you just can't be too careful."
Bucky and Sam just nodded, gesturing to Elijah.
"He's been on our radar for a while now, just haven't had the chance to catch him until now. Good work."
The man's chest puffed up slightly, a haughty gleam in his eyes as he shrugged nonchalantly.
"We're just keeping the workload light for the top guns, you know how it is."
Bucky had to resist the urge to roll his eyes before he walked over to the car where Elijah was sitting, his gaze straight ahead as Bucky began to speak with him.
"Where is the asset, Elijah."
Elijah glanced at Bucky, seeming to be mulling over his thoughts before he simply stated.
"Deal or no deal."
Bucky couldn't help but to bear his teeth at Elijah, glaring at him.
"Deal. Now tell me where the asset is."
Elijah smiled up at Bucky then, Bucky's blood beginning to boil as he looked into the man's eyes.
"See, now was that so hard?"
Bucky didn't grace the man with a response, and Elijah huffed.
"Your asset is with Victor Creed. They are supposed to be on their way here, but seeing as there has been a change of plans and my item is unable to be delivered, they should be on their way to Richard Fowler."
Suddenly, before Bucky could respond to Elijah, Christina walked up to Bucky and murmured.
"I need to speak with you."
Bucky glanced at Christina before he turned to Elijah.
"We'll be in touch."
Elijah sat back in his seat with a haughty look on his face, and Bucky just glared at him before walking away to the car where Sam was already seated in the front seat.
"What is it?"
Christina handed Bucky an iPad, showing him a police report.
"(Y/n) was last seen here. Richard Fowler, the brother of Ronald, reported the Winter Soldier at his home and stealing his car. We might be able to track her through highway patrol cameras, police scanners, you know the drill."
Bucky frowned deeply, glancing at Christina before he muttered.
"Richard Fowler, huh?"
Christina just pursed her lips at him, and Bucky stared down at the iPad before he simply stated as he got into the car.
"We have work to do."
-TIMESKIP-
It was like chasing a wild goose. Natasha had been a godsend as the two avengers and one therapist tried to keep up with (Y/n), but even Bucky knew that it was difficult to find a ghost in a sea of living bodies.
Winter Soldier's were trained to be completely untraceable. A ghost within the dark; unable to be seen but their presence being known by the mess of destruction they left behind. If you knew what to look for, that is.
Bucky hated feeling as though he was chasing his past, but in a way, he truly was. The longer that time went on and (Y/n) was nowhere to be seen, the worse his mood was becoming. He was all over the place; unable to sit still but unable to move properly as he tried to figure out just where (Y/n) would run to.
Bucky was getting overstimulated by little things but any outburst would cause Raynor to jump down his neck with clinical bullshit he didn't want to listen to. Not only that, but he'd have Sam on his ass as well, and Bucky just really wasn't in the mood to be dealing with his shit.
The worst of it all was the guilt. It was eating away at him like a disease; infecting his mind and body and his very soul. It was digging deep into his muscles and bones, burrowing like parasites that he couldn't get rid of no matter how much medicine he ingested. The regret sat heavy on his shoulders as if he was Atlas, trying desperately to hold the weight of his responsibilities and his job and himself, but God, it was so fucking heavy.
It was difficult trying to stay focused when all he kept thinking about was how horrifying it must have been for (Y/n) to hear the truth. What did her face look like? Was it horrified? Was it angry? Did she hate him?
She had every right to, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
He should have just told her the truth from the second he remembered what had happened. The moment that Bucky had woken up from the dream, he should have told her; tried to beg her forgiveness and understanding then. Would she have understood? Would she have been more gracious to him?
The thoughts made him almost annoyed.
Hell, Bucky didn't even know why he was fighting so hard to find her. Yes, Bucky wanted to protect her from the law and from being criminalized for shit that was out of her control, but she was a previous Winter Soldier. That's all that they were going to see, just like they did with him.
Life didn't get any easier for him just because he was pardoned. People who recognized him always took a wide berth, held their breath, kept their gazes down to avoid looking directly at him. It was like any move would set him off, and it was fucking horrible. Even if he was an Avenger and was doing good and was helping people, it was never enough.
God only knew what (Y/n) was going to have to deal with if she ever came back.
The thought made him pause.
Bucky didn't like the 'if'. He didn't like not knowing. He was better at absolutes and concrete knowledge. It was always easier to have all the facts. Bucky sighed to himself as he stared out the window. The radio was playing some modern song that Sam was humming along to under his breath, Raynor was typing obnoxiously on her iPad, and suddenly, the sound of Sam's phone ringing had the whole car holding their breath.
"What do you got, Nat?"
Nat's voice filled the air as Sam put her on speaker, the woman sounding tired as she spoke.
"Got a hit on a police scanner in Calgary. Police officer was doing a routine traffic stop when he was attacked. Suspect description matches (Y/n)'s, and he said the woman spoke to him in Russian."
Sam and Bucky shared a look as Bucky's heart began to race with anticipation, and he asked.
"Do we have a precise location?"
"Unfortunately, no, just a search radius. Visuals on her was lost almost immediately. They're deploying K-9 units and following the trail west into the foothills."
Bucky couldn't help but to curse as Sam muttered.
"That's hundreds of miles from us."
"If you guys keep pushing it, you should make it to the location of the traffic stop within two hours."
Bucky grit his teeth before he refuted.
"No, she'll be gone within those two hours. Sam could get us there with his suit way faster."
Raynor immediately disagreed, shaking her head.
"James, we're operating under very strict rules here. Avengers presence here while the Initiative is already under political scrutiny is highly unwise. If Sam or you get seen, you might as well fly yourself into a jail cell. Not only that, but even if you and Sam get there within 20 minutes, you still don't have her exact location."
Bucky couldn't help but to exclaim, Sam glancing at him with surprise as Raynor's brow ticked down in displeasure.
"What do you want me to do, Raynor? Just sit here and twiddle my damn thumbs like I'm stuck in the ration line?"
Raynor immediately snapped back, making Bucky huff through his nostrils.
"And in the ration line, James, the quickest way to lose your place is to push past everyone else."
Bucky and Raynor stared each other down for a moment, Bucky opening his mouth before closing it; looking away for a fraction of a second before Sam piped up gently.
"Listen, Buck, I know you wanna find her. We all do...but Raynorâs right. We gotta move smart. When we get close, Iâll put Redwing up first. We get eyes before boots on the ground that way weâre not walking into a blind spot or tipping anyone off."
Bucky couldn't help but to groan to himself and rub his temples, and Natasha stated over the phone.
"I hate to break the lovely moment, but there's reports of shots being fired now."
All bets came off of the table at that moment, and Bucky couldn't help but to turn around and glare out at the road as Sam quietly gunned it. His foot was down to the floor, going as fast as the car could handle while Raynor grabbed onto the door handle with an exasperated look.
There wasn't much that he could do with Raynor breathing down his neck and the Avengers being under close surveillance. Bucky risked not only getting thrown off of the mission by Raynor if he went rogue, but he also risked becoming a criminal again himself.
Bucky hated feeling so torn. It was almost akin to the way he felt when he first began to remember; being torn between what was real, what seemed real, what was a HYDRA-implanted memory, and what was authentic.
All Bucky wanted was to just get up and go. It was the fastest and easiest way to turn his brain off. However, all Bucky could do was just stare out at the road in deadly silence as he began to stew in the front seat. The car was tense, painfully silent, and nobody dared to breathe a word.
The road felt like it felt forever to crawl beneath the car, every mile going by slower than the last, and it was making Bucky began to feel as though he was going insane. His foot was tapping against the floorboard; the sound akin to a snare drum being repeatedly struck over and over in tandem with the pounding of his heart.
Sam was continuously checking the navigation system to check the distance to the ping where he could safely deploy Redwing, and when he finally got close enough, it took everything in Bucky not to jump out of the car and start running.
"Deploying Redwing. Engaging HUD video feed now."
He handed the tablet to Bucky, who practically snatched it from his hands as he watched the livefeed from the cameras that were integrated into Redwing's systems.
At first, everything was just black until little white dots began to appear. Anticipation gripped Bucky's veins like vices, his body tensing as the dots began to take shape.
There were at least five or six dogs running through the woods, at least 15 bodies racing after them. In the far distance in front of them was a singular body running much faster than any human could accomplish.
(Y/n).
"I got her! I got her on the feed!"
Bucky couldn't help but to exclaim. He was sat up in his seat now, and Bucky damn-near winced when he watched flashes of bright light come up on the feed. They were shooting at her, trying to slow her down or kill her, and Bucky clenched his jaw tightly.
"Where's she going, Buck?"
"Still heading north. The dogs are getting closer."
Raynor sat forward, stating in a rush.
"We can't rush in just yet. Keep Redwing on her, we'll be able to keep watch over her in the air even if she gets away now that we know where she is. Let her get away and get the law off of her tail, and then we'll retrieve her."
"They're trying to kill her, Raynor."
Bucky almost snapped, and Raynor frowned, replying.
"She's a trained HYDRA assassin, James. Nothing is going to kill her."
"We still have our weaknesses!"
He snapped, and Raynor finally became angry, snapping back.
"James, if you do not keep calm, I'm going to have Sam turn this damn car around, do you hear me?"
In his anger, Bucky couldn't help but to smack the tablet onto the dash, open the car door, and begin taking off in a mad dash. Raynor and Sam called after him, his feet stumbling from jumping from a running car, but he was quick to steady himself.
Bucky didn't even give a shit about the consequences anymore. Not when she was right there in his grasp. She was so close, he could almost feel her. He could almost hear the sound of her labored breathing, and Bucky let out a slight grunt as he forced himself to run as fast as he could.
Her face was flashing in his mind, desperate little slideshow images from the moment he had first seen her to the last night that she had been near him, and Bucky didn't know if it was sweat or his own tears running down his face as he booked it through the forest.
He could hear the gunshots, hear the dogs barking, and Bucky clenched his teeth as he began to plead in his mind.
'Please, please, please come home. Please come back. Please, please, please!'
Please don't make me bury you too.
Through the pounding of his heart, the snapping of twigs beneath his boots, the rustling of leaves and small branches smacking into him, Sam's voice entered the comms that was still embedded into his ear.
"Buck, she's changing direction."
Bucky didn't respond as he vaulted over fallen logs, racing against time as he pushed himself harder.
"Redwing's getting a better angle...shit, the terrain opens up ahead."
Bucky's heart began to sink slightly as Sam became silent for a beat before he exclaimed.
"Shit, Buck, she's heading straight for a waterfall!"
Bucky's ears began to ring, the stinging cold of winter beginning to claw at his skin in a desperate attempt to slow him down, and Bucky let out a desperate and angry cry as he burst through the treeline.
The forest fell away as the sound of white water roared below, and there she was. Her arms were outstretched, eyes closed into a peaceful expression. She looked almost weightless and for one impossible heartbeat, she looked like she was flying.
Free as a bird.
Bucky couldn't help but to scream her name as he ran after her. Skidding to a stop, Bucky dropped to his knees as he looked down below at the rushing waters below, but she was nowhere to be found.
Clenching his jaw, Bucky clenched his metal fist before punching the ground as hard he could, screaming.
"Son of a bitch!"
The stone beneath him shattered, a large crack appearing beneath him, and Bucky could hear Sam's voice; small and apologetic and quiet.
"I can't find her signature anymore."
The barking was getting louder, and Bucky could hear the law behind him now. They were closing in, any moment now, and Bucky clenched his jaw again. His heart was racing, his mind running a mile a minute, and he stood up, backing up away from the ledge.
"Bucky? What are you doing?"
Bucky shoved the comms out of his ear before he took a running start, and he leapt off the waterfall after her.
For a moment, the wind pushed up against him, almost as though it was fighting him; trying to keep him away, but Bucky had always been stubborn.
However, there was a split-second where he could hear the distant sound of a train on tracks; steel screaming against steel and Steve's voice screaming his name as Bucky fell below, and Bucky's eyes watered as he squeezed them shut.
Avenger! Bucky Barnes x Fem! Winter Soldier! Reader
Summary: After disappearing from Shelbyville, Indiana, (Y/n) resurfaces not as a recovered asset, but as a global liability. Declared an Enemy of the State and linked to a string of high-profile assassinations, she becomes the subject of an international manhunt that grows more ruthless by the day.
Hunted by governments, pursued by HYDRA, and haunted by the truth of her own creation, (Y/n) must navigate a world that only sees her as a weapon. With no safe harbor and no clear path forward, she is forced to decide whether she can exist outside the systems that built her, or if escaping them was ever possible at all.
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A/n: poor (Y/n), when is she ever gonna catch a break rip also sorry that this took so long to get out. If you didn't see the ask i answered, i was in a car accident and then my uncle passed away. i'm sorry everything took so long. rip to my uncle and my car :/
Also, if you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee! If you would prefer to read Relapse on Archive, you may do so right HERE!
This is an au where Bucky joined the avengers but still rehabilitated in Wakanda (sometime before Infinity War [canon divergent cause NOPE]). I am NOT fluent in Russian, so I did use google translate cause I couldn't find a good translator that I trusted. If anything is wrong, PLEASE let me know!! Also, I tried to list as many warnings as possible so you know what the story will contain as chapters are posted. Stay safe!
NOTE: I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANY OF MY WORKS TO BE FED INTO AI FOR BOTS, I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORKS TO BE TRANSLATED, REPOSTED, REWORKED, ETC, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!!!
-
Genre: Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Drama, Dark Content
Rated: Explicit
Warning: Angst, Dark Content: Graphic Depictions of Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Manipulation, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Nonconsensual Body Modification/Scarring, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation, Graphic Depictions of Human Remains, Mentions of Sexual Coercion/Manipulation, Death, Misuse of Drugs/Forced Drugging, Self-Harm (Graphic Depictions and Mentions), Nightmares
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Author: ScariusAquarius
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relapse masterlist.
chapter 7 / chapter 8
When Bucky, Raynor, and Sam had arrived at Elijah Moore's home, the mask on Bucky's face had begun to piss him off. It was growing itchy, his skin sweating just the slightest beneath the material, and he was getting restless.
After calling Kurt to ask him to transport Thalia and her daughter to the compound, Natasha had called with information revealing that Ronald Fowler had conveniently been killed before they could truly investigate him.
Reports were saying it was a bear attack, but Bucky knew better. Had (Y/n) truly killed him? What was the point? Was that Elijah's favor that he had called in? For (Y/n) to get rid of his competition?
Bucky's train of thought was broken by Sam's voice breaking the silence in the car, his disguised face turned towards him with an inquisitive expression that felt more uncanny more than anything.
"What are you thinking, Buck?"
Bucky instantly frowned, his foot tapping against the floorboard as he stared down Elijah's door; a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.
"I don't think (Y/n) killed Fowler."
Raynor seemed intrigued then, leaning forward from her spot in the back seat as she asked.
"What makes you say that?"
Bucky tensed slightly before glancing at Raynor through the rearview mirror, his eyes firm as he replied to Raynor.
"(Y/n) isn't a killer like that. Not anymore. There's no way that she could have done that."
"That's a lot of speculation, James. Nobody has seen or heard from her in two months."
Bucky turned around in his seat, his voice low and irritated.
"Don't talk about her like that. You don't know her like I do."
Raynor and Bucky stared each other down for a moment, and Sam became uncomfortable, his voice becoming stern as he glanced between the two.
"Alright, break it up, we can worry about that later. Right now, we need to figure out how we're going to get Elijah to talk without causing a scene."
His last few words were directed at Bucky, and the man couldn't help but to grimace in irritation before settling in his seat.
"We can't take the customer approach. Elijah having three new customers after (Y/n) will look suspicious. Natasha stated to tell Elijah that 'the Widow sends her regards,' so we should take that approach."
Sam glanced at Bucky then, asking.
"You sure he won't be suspicious on why three old acquaintances of Nat's are barging into his home? It's known that Natasha is an Avenger now, so he's gonna know."
Raynor just huffed before suggesting.
"How about we go in as detectives? Ronald Fowler was known competition for Elijah. We can exploit that since Ronald Fowler has been known as a black market arms dealer, especially with the files that were recovered from the warehouse he owned."
Bucky shook his head, glancing at Raynor through the rearview mirror.
"That information hasn't gone public yet. He'll know that (Y/n) betrayed him if we bring that up, and then we're gonna have another problem on our hands."
Sam was eerily quiet for a moment before he suggested quietly.
"What if we posed as HYDRA? Elijah wouldn't question that too hard, especially with the political fallout that's going on right now. HYDRA is gonna bank on whatever they can in order to win."
Bucky's skin began to crawl at the notion, but he had to admit that Sam was right. If there was one thing that he knew about HYDRA, it was that they were resourceful and didn't care who they went to as long as they would stay quiet and loyal. Taking a deep breath, Bucky nodded before he stepped out of the car.
"Alright, then we'll go that route. Raynor, stay in the car."
Raynor was ready to argue, but after a moment of thinking, she simply sat back in her seat and nodded. Bucky was intrigued by her sudden compliance, but simply shook his head before stepping out of the car. Walking up to the doorway with Sam, Bucky couldn't help but to make a face at the bible verse that was on display before knocking on the door.
For a moment, there was silence before Bucky could hear shuffling and floorboards creak. The door was unlocked, and standing before them was Elijah Moore. Bucky was taken aback by the way the man was dressed, squinting his eyes slightly before he looked up at Elijah.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
Sam cleared his throat, asking.
"Are you the Reverend?"
Elijah's eyes squinted slightly, almost unnoticeable to normal eyes, but Bucky was sizing the man up as closely as he could. From what Bucky could tell just by looking at him, the man was confident and almost completely unbothered.
"Yes, I am, but I must inform you that this is after hours for me, so if you'd like to arrange a meeting, please speak with Thalia at the bar."
Bucky insisted, his voice stern as he leaned in slightly, Elijah becoming on edge as he stared at Bucky from above his nose.
"That won't be necessary. We have business."
Bucky then leaned in closer, stating quietly for Elijah despite the words feeling wrong and tasting awful.
"Heil Hydra."
Elijah's eyes finally widened in surprise before he cleared his throat. He apologized as he opened the door more, allowing Bucky and Sam to walk into his home.
"My apologies. I wasn't expecting a visit so soon. I assume this isn't a normal business call. Also, take your shoes off at the door, would you? I just mopped."
Bucky glared at Elijah, but the man didn't back down as he gestured to the rug by the door, and Bucky scoffed before carefully toeing off his boots.
"You would assume correctly. Who else is in the house?"
"Nobody, it's just me. My....advisor...is currently out on a business call for me."
Victor. Bucky frowned heavily before Elijah led Sam and Bucky to the living room where a nice big couch was waiting. It looked unbearably uncomfortable, so Bucky took to leaning against the wall while Sam sat stiffly.
Elijah was standing at a shelf where a bunch of decanters were waiting and filled three glasses of strong-smelling whiskey. Handing the cups to Sam and Bucky, Elijah sat down at the recliner and crossed his legs as he sat and took a sip of his whiskey.
"What is it that I can help you with?"
Bucky was quick to respond as he replied, setting his glass down onto the coffee table.
"We know that the Asset was last seen here and that it was doing business with you. Where is the Winter Soldier?"
Elijah hummed, replying curtly.
"I understand that the work your organization does it very important, but the Asset is a client, and I value the privacy of my clients."
Bucky frowned before he stepped forward Elijah, glaring down at him and curling his lip back slightly as he clenched his right hand to control his temper.
"You do not want to play coy with me. I will not ask again. Where is the Asset?"
Elijah looked uncomfortable before he shook his head and replied.
"Right, I tend to forget that your organization is keen on results. My client is with my advisor at the moment on a business call. They should be coming back either tonight or tomorrow depending on how the business call goes."
Bucky was quiet for a moment, simply glaring at Elijah, and the man was quiet before Sam piped up, glancing at Elijah.
"We're on a tight schedule, so we're going to need to know who your advisor is and where this business call is taking place."
Bucky added, crossing his arms.
"We will not tolerate losing the Asset again, and if we do not retrieve the Asset before dawn, then there will be consequences."
Elijah frowned deeply before he argued, shaking his head.
"You must understand that it may not be that simple. The Asset is deprogrammed and incredibly cautious...and very good at detecting deception. If the Asset believes there is something amiss, they will not come."
"Then you better not fuck this up."
Elijah hummed before he asked.
"What cell will you be reporting to? I'd like to know if my cooperation will have a payoff."
Bucky almost panicked for a moment before he simply stated.
"You don't need to know who we report to. You need to worry about who is reporting on you."
Elijah seemed to become suspicious then, frowning just the slightest as Bucky glanced at Sam, who was watching Elijah closely and stiffly.
"Well, when it comes to my business, I like to ensure that it is seen through. The task my advisor is on is incredibly important. Perhaps, we can come to a deal? I give you the Asset and you get rid of my advisor...and tell me what I would like to know."
Bucky paused, taking a moment to observe Elijah before he realized that the Reverend seemed to be completely serious and asked.
"Get rid of your advisor? Cutting off some loose ends, huh?"
Elijah just swallowed thickly, readjusting his glasses as he replied.
"His services unto me have come to an end due to some....unforeseen circumstances. You see, I'm in the market for someone better; someone reliable and will listen without question. A person who is both cunning but loyal without question."
Bucky had a feeling that Elijah was talking about (Y/n), and he couldn't help but to call Elijah out on his words.
"You're thinking that the Asset will be the perfect advisor, do you?"
There was a moment where a flash of guilt ran through Elijah's eyes, but he quickly masked it by taking a large gulp of his whiskey.
"I'm sure that HYDRA and I could come to an arrangement...I have plenty of useful information that would benefit the cause."
Suddenly, Bucky could hear the sound of police sirens in the distance, and Natasha's voice ran through his earpiece, making him share a look with Sam.
"Boys, you got company. Six bogey's coming on your way."
The sirens became louder, and Elijah looked annoyed as he stood. Sam stood up as well, and Bucky stated with a carefree tone.
"It seems that your advisor was one step ahead. Our business here is done."
Elijah seemed to become desperate for a second, glancing at the exit for a moment before he looked back at Bucky. There was a moment of hesitation, the sirens crawling closer, and he asked.
"What if I can get you the asset by tonight?"
Bucky frowned, crossing his arms as he asked.
"How do you plan to do that? Your advisor has betrayed you, and there's no guarantee that the Asset is where you were certain they would be."
Elijah readjusted his glasses as the police began to knock on the door, yelling Elijah's name through the wood.
"A good businessman always has backups. They are going to arrest me either way, so make your decision. Do HYDRA and I have a deal?"
"You never stated your condition."
Elijah hummed, replying.
"HYDRA will find a way to even the odds. Perhaps, a clean record would suffice."
Bucky and Sam stayed silent before the door was knocked down. S.W.A.T and police came running into the building, guns raised and voices yelling as they surrounded the men. Bucky and Sam held their hands up in the air, calm as they exclaimed.
"We're with you."
One of the men stepped forward, glaring as they approached Bucky and Sam.
"Prove it. Show me your badges."
Bucky and Sam produced the fake badges, hoping quietly that Natasha was faster than their systems to integrate the false identities so that they wouldn't get caught.
The agent took the badges with a skeptic look upon his face, handing it to another man behind him that disappeared around the corner while never taking his eyes off of Bucky nor Sam. For a second, his gaze slipped over to Elijah, and his face contorted into a deeper sneer.
While the man was gone, two other agents grabbed Elijah and put cuffs on him, reading off his charges while dragging him out of the room. Elijah was staring at Bucky and Sam with a strange look in his eye, almost as if he knew something that they didn't, and it unnerved Bucky.
Feeling his hackles raise, Bucky finally had enough and wanted to leave. Glancing at Sam, he gestured quietly for the two of them to walk out, and the man that had left came back with a slightly apologetic look to his face.
"Sorry about that, boys, you just can't be too careful."
Bucky and Sam just nodded, gesturing to Elijah.
"He's been on our radar for a while now, just haven't had the chance to catch him until now. Good work."
The man's chest puffed up slightly, a haughty gleam in his eyes as he shrugged nonchalantly.
"We're just keeping the workload light for the top guns, you know how it is."
Bucky had to resist the urge to roll his eyes before he walked over to the car where Elijah was sitting, his gaze straight ahead as Bucky began to speak with him.
"Where is the asset, Elijah."
Elijah glanced at Bucky, seeming to be mulling over his thoughts before he simply stated.
"Deal or no deal."
Bucky couldn't help but to bear his teeth at Elijah, glaring at him.
"Deal. Now tell me where the asset is."
Elijah smiled up at Bucky then, Bucky's blood beginning to boil as he looked into the man's eyes.
"See, now was that so hard?"
Bucky didn't grace the man with a response, and Elijah huffed.
"Your asset is with Victor Creed. They are supposed to be on their way here, but seeing as there has been a change of plans and my item is unable to be delivered, they should be on their way to Richard Fowler."
Suddenly, before Bucky could respond to Elijah, Christina walked up to Bucky and murmured.
"I need to speak with you."
Bucky glanced at Christina before he turned to Elijah.
"We'll be in touch."
Elijah sat back in his seat with a haughty look on his face, and Bucky just glared at him before walking away to the car where Sam was already seated in the front seat.
"What is it?"
Christina handed Bucky an iPad, showing him a police report.
"(Y/n) was last seen here. Richard Fowler, the brother of Ronald, reported the Winter Soldier at his home and stealing his car. We might be able to track her through highway patrol cameras, police scanners, you know the drill."
Bucky frowned deeply, glancing at Christina before he muttered.
"Richard Fowler, huh?"
Christina just pursed her lips at him, and Bucky stared down at the iPad before he simply stated as he got into the car.
"We have work to do."
-TIMESKIP-
It was like chasing a wild goose. Natasha had been a godsend as the two avengers and one therapist tried to keep up with (Y/n), but even Bucky knew that it was difficult to find a ghost in a sea of living bodies.
Winter Soldier's were trained to be completely untraceable. A ghost within the dark; unable to be seen but their presence being known by the mess of destruction they left behind. If you knew what to look for, that is.
Bucky hated feeling as though he was chasing his past, but in a way, he truly was. The longer that time went on and (Y/n) was nowhere to be seen, the worse his mood was becoming. He was all over the place; unable to sit still but unable to move properly as he tried to figure out just where (Y/n) would run to.
Bucky was getting overstimulated by little things but any outburst would cause Raynor to jump down his neck with clinical bullshit he didn't want to listen to. Not only that, but he'd have Sam on his ass as well, and Bucky just really wasn't in the mood to be dealing with his shit.
The worst of it all was the guilt. It was eating away at him like a disease; infecting his mind and body and his very soul. It was digging deep into his muscles and bones, burrowing like parasites that he couldn't get rid of no matter how much medicine he ingested. The regret sat heavy on his shoulders as if he was Atlas, trying desperately to hold the weight of his responsibilities and his job and himself, but God, it was so fucking heavy.
It was difficult trying to stay focused when all he kept thinking about was how horrifying it must have been for (Y/n) to hear the truth. What did her face look like? Was it horrified? Was it angry? Did she hate him?
She had every right to, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
He should have just told her the truth from the second he remembered what had happened. The moment that Bucky had woken up from the dream, he should have told her; tried to beg her forgiveness and understanding then. Would she have understood? Would she have been more gracious to him?
The thoughts made him almost annoyed.
Hell, Bucky didn't even know why he was fighting so hard to find her. Yes, Bucky wanted to protect her from the law and from being criminalized for shit that was out of her control, but she was a previous Winter Soldier. That's all that they were going to see, just like they did with him.
Life didn't get any easier for him just because he was pardoned. People who recognized him always took a wide berth, held their breath, kept their gazes down to avoid looking directly at him. It was like any move would set him off, and it was fucking horrible. Even if he was an Avenger and was doing good and was helping people, it was never enough.
God only knew what (Y/n) was going to have to deal with if she ever came back.
The thought made him pause.
Bucky didn't like the 'if'. He didn't like not knowing. He was better at absolutes and concrete knowledge. It was always easier to have all the facts. Bucky sighed to himself as he stared out the window. The radio was playing some modern song that Sam was humming along to under his breath, Raynor was typing obnoxiously on her iPad, and suddenly, the sound of Sam's phone ringing had the whole car holding their breath.
"What do you got, Nat?"
Nat's voice filled the air as Sam put her on speaker, the woman sounding tired as she spoke.
"Got a hit on a police scanner in Calgary. Police officer was doing a routine traffic stop when he was attacked. Suspect description matches (Y/n)'s, and he said the woman spoke to him in Russian."
Sam and Bucky shared a look as Bucky's heart began to race with anticipation, and he asked.
"Do we have a precise location?"
"Unfortunately, no, just a search radius. Visuals on her was lost almost immediately. They're deploying K-9 units and following the trail west into the foothills."
Bucky couldn't help but to curse as Sam muttered.
"That's hundreds of miles from us."
"If you guys keep pushing it, you should make it to the location of the traffic stop within two hours."
Bucky grit his teeth before he refuted.
"No, she'll be gone within those two hours. Sam could get us there with his suit way faster."
Raynor immediately disagreed, shaking her head.
"James, we're operating under very strict rules here. Avengers presence here while the Initiative is already under political scrutiny is highly unwise. If Sam or you get seen, you might as well fly yourself into a jail cell. Not only that, but even if you and Sam get there within 20 minutes, you still don't have her exact location."
Bucky couldn't help but to exclaim, Sam glancing at him with surprise as Raynor's brow ticked down in displeasure.
"What do you want me to do, Raynor? Just sit here and twiddle my damn thumbs like I'm stuck in the ration line?"
Raynor immediately snapped back, making Bucky huff through his nostrils.
"And in the ration line, James, the quickest way to lose your place is to push past everyone else."
Bucky and Raynor stared each other down for a moment, Bucky opening his mouth before closing it; looking away for a fraction of a second before Sam piped up gently.
"Listen, Buck, I know you wanna find her. We all do...but Raynorâs right. We gotta move smart. When we get close, Iâll put Redwing up first. We get eyes before boots on the ground that way weâre not walking into a blind spot or tipping anyone off."
Bucky couldn't help but to groan to himself and rub his temples, and Natasha stated over the phone.
"I hate to break the lovely moment, but there's reports of shots being fired now."
All bets came off of the table at that moment, and Bucky couldn't help but to turn around and glare out at the road as Sam quietly gunned it. His foot was down to the floor, going as fast as the car could handle while Raynor grabbed onto the door handle with an exasperated look.
There wasn't much that he could do with Raynor breathing down his neck and the Avengers being under close surveillance. Bucky risked not only getting thrown off of the mission by Raynor if he went rogue, but he also risked becoming a criminal again himself.
Bucky hated feeling so torn. It was almost akin to the way he felt when he first began to remember; being torn between what was real, what seemed real, what was a HYDRA-implanted memory, and what was authentic.
All Bucky wanted was to just get up and go. It was the fastest and easiest way to turn his brain off. However, all Bucky could do was just stare out at the road in deadly silence as he began to stew in the front seat. The car was tense, painfully silent, and nobody dared to breathe a word.
The road felt like it felt forever to crawl beneath the car, every mile going by slower than the last, and it was making Bucky began to feel as though he was going insane. His foot was tapping against the floorboard; the sound akin to a snare drum being repeatedly struck over and over in tandem with the pounding of his heart.
Sam was continuously checking the navigation system to check the distance to the ping where he could safely deploy Redwing, and when he finally got close enough, it took everything in Bucky not to jump out of the car and start running.
"Deploying Redwing. Engaging HUD video feed now."
He handed the tablet to Bucky, who practically snatched it from his hands as he watched the livefeed from the cameras that were integrated into Redwing's systems.
At first, everything was just black until little white dots began to appear. Anticipation gripped Bucky's veins like vices, his body tensing as the dots began to take shape.
There were at least five or six dogs running through the woods, at least 15 bodies racing after them. In the far distance in front of them was a singular body running much faster than any human could accomplish.
(Y/n).
"I got her! I got her on the feed!"
Bucky couldn't help but to exclaim. He was sat up in his seat now, and Bucky damn-near winced when he watched flashes of bright light come up on the feed. They were shooting at her, trying to slow her down or kill her, and Bucky clenched his jaw tightly.
"Where's she going, Buck?"
"Still heading north. The dogs are getting closer."
Raynor sat forward, stating in a rush.
"We can't rush in just yet. Keep Redwing on her, we'll be able to keep watch over her in the air even if she gets away now that we know where she is. Let her get away and get the law off of her tail, and then we'll retrieve her."
"They're trying to kill her, Raynor."
Bucky almost snapped, and Raynor frowned, replying.
"She's a trained HYDRA assassin, James. Nothing is going to kill her."
"We still have our weaknesses!"
He snapped, and Raynor finally became angry, snapping back.
"James, if you do not keep calm, I'm going to have Sam turn this damn car around, do you hear me?"
In his anger, Bucky couldn't help but to smack the tablet onto the dash, open the car door, and begin taking off in a mad dash. Raynor and Sam called after him, his feet stumbling from jumping from a running car, but he was quick to steady himself.
Bucky didn't even give a shit about the consequences anymore. Not when she was right there in his grasp. She was so close, he could almost feel her. He could almost hear the sound of her labored breathing, and Bucky let out a slight grunt as he forced himself to run as fast as he could.
Her face was flashing in his mind, desperate little slideshow images from the moment he had first seen her to the last night that she had been near him, and Bucky didn't know if it was sweat or his own tears running down his face as he booked it through the forest.
He could hear the gunshots, hear the dogs barking, and Bucky clenched his teeth as he began to plead in his mind.
'Please, please, please come home. Please come back. Please, please, please!'
Please don't make me bury you too.
Through the pounding of his heart, the snapping of twigs beneath his boots, the rustling of leaves and small branches smacking into him, Sam's voice entered the comms that was still embedded into his ear.
"Buck, she's changing direction."
Bucky didn't respond as he vaulted over fallen logs, racing against time as he pushed himself harder.
"Redwing's getting a better angle...shit, the terrain opens up ahead."
Bucky's heart began to sink slightly as Sam became silent for a beat before he exclaimed.
"Shit, Buck, she's heading straight for a waterfall!"
Bucky's ears began to ring, the stinging cold of winter beginning to claw at his skin in a desperate attempt to slow him down, and Bucky let out a desperate and angry cry as he burst through the treeline.
The forest fell away as the sound of white water roared below, and there she was. Her arms were outstretched, eyes closed into a peaceful expression. She looked almost weightless and for one impossible heartbeat, she looked like she was flying.
Free as a bird.
Bucky couldn't help but to scream her name as he ran after her. Skidding to a stop, Bucky dropped to his knees as he looked down below at the rushing waters below, but she was nowhere to be found.
Clenching his jaw, Bucky clenched his metal fist before punching the ground as hard he could, screaming.
"Son of a bitch!"
The stone beneath him shattered, a large crack appearing beneath him, and Bucky could hear Sam's voice; small and apologetic and quiet.
"I can't find her signature anymore."
The barking was getting louder, and Bucky could hear the law behind him now. They were closing in, any moment now, and Bucky clenched his jaw again. His heart was racing, his mind running a mile a minute, and he stood up, backing up away from the ledge.
"Bucky? What are you doing?"
Bucky shoved the comms out of his ear before he took a running start, and he leapt off the waterfall after her.
For a moment, the wind pushed up against him, almost as though it was fighting him; trying to keep him away, but Bucky had always been stubborn.
However, there was a split-second where he could hear the distant sound of a train on tracks; steel screaming against steel and Steve's voice screaming his name as Bucky fell below, and Bucky's eyes watered as he squeezed them shut.
Summary: After disappearing from Shelbyville, Indiana, (Y/n) resurfaces not as a recovered asset, but as a global liability. Declared an Enemy of the State and linked to a string of high-profile assassinations, she becomes the subject of an international manhunt that grows more ruthless by the day.
Hunted by governments, pursued by HYDRA, and haunted by the truth of her own creation, (Y/n) must navigate a world that only sees her as a weapon. With no safe harbor and no clear path forward, she is forced to decide whether she can exist outside the systems that built her, or if escaping them was ever possible at all.
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A/n: Hello! This is a masterlist for my story, Relapse, featuring Avenger! Bucky and Winter Soldier! Reader. This list will be updated with every chapter that is released, so make sure to check back every now and then just in case that you missed something!
This is an au where Bucky joined the avengers but still rehabilitated in Wakanda (sometime before Infinity War [canon divergent cause NOPE]). I am NOT fluent in Russian, so I did use google translate cause I couldn't find a good translator that I trusted. If anything is wrong, PLEASE let me know!! Also, I tried to list as many warnings as possible so you know what the story will contain as chapters are posted. Stay safe!
NOTE: I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANY OF MY WORKS TO BE FED INTO AI FOR BOTS, I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORKS TO BE TRANSLATED, REPOSTED, REWORKED, ETC, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!!!
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Genre: Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Drama, Dark Content
Rated: Explicit
Warning: Angst, Dark Content: Graphic Depictions of Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Manipulation, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Nonconsensual Body Modification/Scarring, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation, Graphic Depictions of Human Remains, Mentions of Sexual Coercion/Manipulation, Death, Misuse of Drugs/Forced Drugging, Self-Harm (Graphic Depictions and Mentions), Nightmares
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Author: ScariusAquarius
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Chapter One: The Hunt
Chapter Two: By the Grace of God
Chapter Three: Who Brings the Magic?
Chapter Four: Psalm 112:5
Chapter Five: Paying Dues
Chapter Six: On the Prowl
Chapter Seven: With Great Power
Chapter Eight: Prometheus on the 405
Chapter Nine: Not This Time
Avenger! Bucky Barnes x Fem! Winter Soldier! Reader
Summary: After disappearing from Shelbyville, Indiana, (Y/n) resurfaces not as a recovered asset, but as a global liability. Declared an Enemy of the State and linked to a string of high-profile assassinations, she becomes the subject of an international manhunt that grows more ruthless by the day.
Hunted by governments, pursued by HYDRA, and haunted by the truth of her own creation, (Y/n) must navigate a world that only sees her as a weapon. With no safe harbor and no clear path forward, she is forced to decide whether she can exist outside the systems that built her, or if escaping them was ever possible at all.
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A/n: poor (Y/n), when is she ever gonna catch a break rip also sorry that this took so long to get out. If you didn't see the ask i answered, i was in a car accident and then my uncle passed away. i'm sorry everything took so long. rip to my uncle and my car :/
Also, if you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee! If you would prefer to read Relapse on Archive, you may do so right HERE!
This is an au where Bucky joined the avengers but still rehabilitated in Wakanda (sometime before Infinity War [canon divergent cause NOPE]). I am NOT fluent in Russian, so I did use google translate cause I couldn't find a good translator that I trusted. If anything is wrong, PLEASE let me know!! Also, I tried to list as many warnings as possible so you know what the story will contain as chapters are posted. Stay safe!
NOTE: I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR ANY OF MY WORKS TO BE FED INTO AI FOR BOTS, I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORKS TO BE TRANSLATED, REPOSTED, REWORKED, ETC, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!!!
-
Genre: Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Drama, Dark Content
Rated: Explicit
Warning: Angst, Dark Content: Graphic Depictions of Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Manipulation, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Nonconsensual Body Modification/Scarring, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation, Graphic Depictions of Human Remains, Mentions of Sexual Coercion/Manipulation, Death, Misuse of Drugs/Forced Drugging, Self-Harm (Graphic Depictions and Mentions), Nightmares
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Author: ScariusAquarius
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relapse masterlist.
chapter 7 / chapter 8
When Bucky, Raynor, and Sam had arrived at Elijah Moore's home, the mask on Bucky's face had begun to piss him off. It was growing itchy, his skin sweating just the slightest beneath the material, and he was getting restless.
After calling Kurt to ask him to transport Thalia and her daughter to the compound, Natasha had called with information revealing that Ronald Fowler had conveniently been killed before they could truly investigate him.
Reports were saying it was a bear attack, but Bucky knew better. Had (Y/n) truly killed him? What was the point? Was that Elijah's favor that he had called in? For (Y/n) to get rid of his competition?
Bucky's train of thought was broken by Sam's voice breaking the silence in the car, his disguised face turned towards him with an inquisitive expression that felt more uncanny more than anything.
"What are you thinking, Buck?"
Bucky instantly frowned, his foot tapping against the floorboard as he stared down Elijah's door; a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.
"I don't think (Y/n) killed Fowler."
Raynor seemed intrigued then, leaning forward from her spot in the back seat as she asked.
"What makes you say that?"
Bucky tensed slightly before glancing at Raynor through the rearview mirror, his eyes firm as he replied to Raynor.
"(Y/n) isn't a killer like that. Not anymore. There's no way that she could have done that."
"That's a lot of speculation, James. Nobody has seen or heard from her in two months."
Bucky turned around in his seat, his voice low and irritated.
"Don't talk about her like that. You don't know her like I do."
Raynor and Bucky stared each other down for a moment, and Sam became uncomfortable, his voice becoming stern as he glanced between the two.
"Alright, break it up, we can worry about that later. Right now, we need to figure out how we're going to get Elijah to talk without causing a scene."
His last few words were directed at Bucky, and the man couldn't help but to grimace in irritation before settling in his seat.
"We can't take the customer approach. Elijah having three new customers after (Y/n) will look suspicious. Natasha stated to tell Elijah that 'the Widow sends her regards,' so we should take that approach."
Sam glanced at Bucky then, asking.
"You sure he won't be suspicious on why three old acquaintances of Nat's are barging into his home? It's known that Natasha is an Avenger now, so he's gonna know."
Raynor just huffed before suggesting.
"How about we go in as detectives? Ronald Fowler was known competition for Elijah. We can exploit that since Ronald Fowler has been known as a black market arms dealer, especially with the files that were recovered from the warehouse he owned."
Bucky shook his head, glancing at Raynor through the rearview mirror.
"That information hasn't gone public yet. He'll know that (Y/n) betrayed him if we bring that up, and then we're gonna have another problem on our hands."
Sam was eerily quiet for a moment before he suggested quietly.
"What if we posed as HYDRA? Elijah wouldn't question that too hard, especially with the political fallout that's going on right now. HYDRA is gonna bank on whatever they can in order to win."
Bucky's skin began to crawl at the notion, but he had to admit that Sam was right. If there was one thing that he knew about HYDRA, it was that they were resourceful and didn't care who they went to as long as they would stay quiet and loyal. Taking a deep breath, Bucky nodded before he stepped out of the car.
"Alright, then we'll go that route. Raynor, stay in the car."
Raynor was ready to argue, but after a moment of thinking, she simply sat back in her seat and nodded. Bucky was intrigued by her sudden compliance, but simply shook his head before stepping out of the car. Walking up to the doorway with Sam, Bucky couldn't help but to make a face at the bible verse that was on display before knocking on the door.
For a moment, there was silence before Bucky could hear shuffling and floorboards creak. The door was unlocked, and standing before them was Elijah Moore. Bucky was taken aback by the way the man was dressed, squinting his eyes slightly before he looked up at Elijah.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
Sam cleared his throat, asking.
"Are you the Reverend?"
Elijah's eyes squinted slightly, almost unnoticeable to normal eyes, but Bucky was sizing the man up as closely as he could. From what Bucky could tell just by looking at him, the man was confident and almost completely unbothered.
"Yes, I am, but I must inform you that this is after hours for me, so if you'd like to arrange a meeting, please speak with Thalia at the bar."
Bucky insisted, his voice stern as he leaned in slightly, Elijah becoming on edge as he stared at Bucky from above his nose.
"That won't be necessary. We have business."
Bucky then leaned in closer, stating quietly for Elijah despite the words feeling wrong and tasting awful.
"Heil Hydra."
Elijah's eyes finally widened in surprise before he cleared his throat. He apologized as he opened the door more, allowing Bucky and Sam to walk into his home.
"My apologies. I wasn't expecting a visit so soon. I assume this isn't a normal business call. Also, take your shoes off at the door, would you? I just mopped."
Bucky glared at Elijah, but the man didn't back down as he gestured to the rug by the door, and Bucky scoffed before carefully toeing off his boots.
"You would assume correctly. Who else is in the house?"
"Nobody, it's just me. My....advisor...is currently out on a business call for me."
Victor. Bucky frowned heavily before Elijah led Sam and Bucky to the living room where a nice big couch was waiting. It looked unbearably uncomfortable, so Bucky took to leaning against the wall while Sam sat stiffly.
Elijah was standing at a shelf where a bunch of decanters were waiting and filled three glasses of strong-smelling whiskey. Handing the cups to Sam and Bucky, Elijah sat down at the recliner and crossed his legs as he sat and took a sip of his whiskey.
"What is it that I can help you with?"
Bucky was quick to respond as he replied, setting his glass down onto the coffee table.
"We know that the Asset was last seen here and that it was doing business with you. Where is the Winter Soldier?"
Elijah hummed, replying curtly.
"I understand that the work your organization does it very important, but the Asset is a client, and I value the privacy of my clients."
Bucky frowned before he stepped forward Elijah, glaring down at him and curling his lip back slightly as he clenched his right hand to control his temper.
"You do not want to play coy with me. I will not ask again. Where is the Asset?"
Elijah looked uncomfortable before he shook his head and replied.
"Right, I tend to forget that your organization is keen on results. My client is with my advisor at the moment on a business call. They should be coming back either tonight or tomorrow depending on how the business call goes."
Bucky was quiet for a moment, simply glaring at Elijah, and the man was quiet before Sam piped up, glancing at Elijah.
"We're on a tight schedule, so we're going to need to know who your advisor is and where this business call is taking place."
Bucky added, crossing his arms.
"We will not tolerate losing the Asset again, and if we do not retrieve the Asset before dawn, then there will be consequences."
Elijah frowned deeply before he argued, shaking his head.
"You must understand that it may not be that simple. The Asset is deprogrammed and incredibly cautious...and very good at detecting deception. If the Asset believes there is something amiss, they will not come."
"Then you better not fuck this up."
Elijah hummed before he asked.
"What cell will you be reporting to? I'd like to know if my cooperation will have a payoff."
Bucky almost panicked for a moment before he simply stated.
"You don't need to know who we report to. You need to worry about who is reporting on you."
Elijah seemed to become suspicious then, frowning just the slightest as Bucky glanced at Sam, who was watching Elijah closely and stiffly.
"Well, when it comes to my business, I like to ensure that it is seen through. The task my advisor is on is incredibly important. Perhaps, we can come to a deal? I give you the Asset and you get rid of my advisor...and tell me what I would like to know."
Bucky paused, taking a moment to observe Elijah before he realized that the Reverend seemed to be completely serious and asked.
"Get rid of your advisor? Cutting off some loose ends, huh?"
Elijah just swallowed thickly, readjusting his glasses as he replied.
"His services unto me have come to an end due to some....unforeseen circumstances. You see, I'm in the market for someone better; someone reliable and will listen without question. A person who is both cunning but loyal without question."
Bucky had a feeling that Elijah was talking about (Y/n), and he couldn't help but to call Elijah out on his words.
"You're thinking that the Asset will be the perfect advisor, do you?"
There was a moment where a flash of guilt ran through Elijah's eyes, but he quickly masked it by taking a large gulp of his whiskey.
"I'm sure that HYDRA and I could come to an arrangement...I have plenty of useful information that would benefit the cause."
Suddenly, Bucky could hear the sound of police sirens in the distance, and Natasha's voice ran through his earpiece, making him share a look with Sam.
"Boys, you got company. Six bogey's coming on your way."
The sirens became louder, and Elijah looked annoyed as he stood. Sam stood up as well, and Bucky stated with a carefree tone.
"It seems that your advisor was one step ahead. Our business here is done."
Elijah seemed to become desperate for a second, glancing at the exit for a moment before he looked back at Bucky. There was a moment of hesitation, the sirens crawling closer, and he asked.
"What if I can get you the asset by tonight?"
Bucky frowned, crossing his arms as he asked.
"How do you plan to do that? Your advisor has betrayed you, and there's no guarantee that the Asset is where you were certain they would be."
Elijah readjusted his glasses as the police began to knock on the door, yelling Elijah's name through the wood.
"A good businessman always has backups. They are going to arrest me either way, so make your decision. Do HYDRA and I have a deal?"
"You never stated your condition."
Elijah hummed, replying.
"HYDRA will find a way to even the odds. Perhaps, a clean record would suffice."
Bucky and Sam stayed silent before the door was knocked down. S.W.A.T and police came running into the building, guns raised and voices yelling as they surrounded the men. Bucky and Sam held their hands up in the air, calm as they exclaimed.
"We're with you."
One of the men stepped forward, glaring as they approached Bucky and Sam.
"Prove it. Show me your badges."
Bucky and Sam produced the fake badges, hoping quietly that Natasha was faster than their systems to integrate the false identities so that they wouldn't get caught.
The agent took the badges with a skeptic look upon his face, handing it to another man behind him that disappeared around the corner while never taking his eyes off of Bucky nor Sam. For a second, his gaze slipped over to Elijah, and his face contorted into a deeper sneer.
While the man was gone, two other agents grabbed Elijah and put cuffs on him, reading off his charges while dragging him out of the room. Elijah was staring at Bucky and Sam with a strange look in his eye, almost as if he knew something that they didn't, and it unnerved Bucky.
Feeling his hackles raise, Bucky finally had enough and wanted to leave. Glancing at Sam, he gestured quietly for the two of them to walk out, and the man that had left came back with a slightly apologetic look to his face.
"Sorry about that, boys, you just can't be too careful."
Bucky and Sam just nodded, gesturing to Elijah.
"He's been on our radar for a while now, just haven't had the chance to catch him until now. Good work."
The man's chest puffed up slightly, a haughty gleam in his eyes as he shrugged nonchalantly.
"We're just keeping the workload light for the top guns, you know how it is."
Bucky had to resist the urge to roll his eyes before he walked over to the car where Elijah was sitting, his gaze straight ahead as Bucky began to speak with him.
"Where is the asset, Elijah."
Elijah glanced at Bucky, seeming to be mulling over his thoughts before he simply stated.
"Deal or no deal."
Bucky couldn't help but to bear his teeth at Elijah, glaring at him.
"Deal. Now tell me where the asset is."
Elijah smiled up at Bucky then, Bucky's blood beginning to boil as he looked into the man's eyes.
"See, now was that so hard?"
Bucky didn't grace the man with a response, and Elijah huffed.
"Your asset is with Victor Creed. They are supposed to be on their way here, but seeing as there has been a change of plans and my item is unable to be delivered, they should be on their way to Richard Fowler."
Suddenly, before Bucky could respond to Elijah, Christina walked up to Bucky and murmured.
"I need to speak with you."
Bucky glanced at Christina before he turned to Elijah.
"We'll be in touch."
Elijah sat back in his seat with a haughty look on his face, and Bucky just glared at him before walking away to the car where Sam was already seated in the front seat.
"What is it?"
Christina handed Bucky an iPad, showing him a police report.
"(Y/n) was last seen here. Richard Fowler, the brother of Ronald, reported the Winter Soldier at his home and stealing his car. We might be able to track her through highway patrol cameras, police scanners, you know the drill."
Bucky frowned deeply, glancing at Christina before he muttered.
"Richard Fowler, huh?"
Christina just pursed her lips at him, and Bucky stared down at the iPad before he simply stated as he got into the car.
"We have work to do."
-TIMESKIP-
It was like chasing a wild goose. Natasha had been a godsend as the two avengers and one therapist tried to keep up with (Y/n), but even Bucky knew that it was difficult to find a ghost in a sea of living bodies.
Winter Soldier's were trained to be completely untraceable. A ghost within the dark; unable to be seen but their presence being known by the mess of destruction they left behind. If you knew what to look for, that is.
Bucky hated feeling as though he was chasing his past, but in a way, he truly was. The longer that time went on and (Y/n) was nowhere to be seen, the worse his mood was becoming. He was all over the place; unable to sit still but unable to move properly as he tried to figure out just where (Y/n) would run to.
Bucky was getting overstimulated by little things but any outburst would cause Raynor to jump down his neck with clinical bullshit he didn't want to listen to. Not only that, but he'd have Sam on his ass as well, and Bucky just really wasn't in the mood to be dealing with his shit.
The worst of it all was the guilt. It was eating away at him like a disease; infecting his mind and body and his very soul. It was digging deep into his muscles and bones, burrowing like parasites that he couldn't get rid of no matter how much medicine he ingested. The regret sat heavy on his shoulders as if he was Atlas, trying desperately to hold the weight of his responsibilities and his job and himself, but God, it was so fucking heavy.
It was difficult trying to stay focused when all he kept thinking about was how horrifying it must have been for (Y/n) to hear the truth. What did her face look like? Was it horrified? Was it angry? Did she hate him?
She had every right to, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
He should have just told her the truth from the second he remembered what had happened. The moment that Bucky had woken up from the dream, he should have told her; tried to beg her forgiveness and understanding then. Would she have understood? Would she have been more gracious to him?
The thoughts made him almost annoyed.
Hell, Bucky didn't even know why he was fighting so hard to find her. Yes, Bucky wanted to protect her from the law and from being criminalized for shit that was out of her control, but she was a previous Winter Soldier. That's all that they were going to see, just like they did with him.
Life didn't get any easier for him just because he was pardoned. People who recognized him always took a wide berth, held their breath, kept their gazes down to avoid looking directly at him. It was like any move would set him off, and it was fucking horrible. Even if he was an Avenger and was doing good and was helping people, it was never enough.
God only knew what (Y/n) was going to have to deal with if she ever came back.
The thought made him pause.
Bucky didn't like the 'if'. He didn't like not knowing. He was better at absolutes and concrete knowledge. It was always easier to have all the facts. Bucky sighed to himself as he stared out the window. The radio was playing some modern song that Sam was humming along to under his breath, Raynor was typing obnoxiously on her iPad, and suddenly, the sound of Sam's phone ringing had the whole car holding their breath.
"What do you got, Nat?"
Nat's voice filled the air as Sam put her on speaker, the woman sounding tired as she spoke.
"Got a hit on a police scanner in Calgary. Police officer was doing a routine traffic stop when he was attacked. Suspect description matches (Y/n)'s, and he said the woman spoke to him in Russian."
Sam and Bucky shared a look as Bucky's heart began to race with anticipation, and he asked.
"Do we have a precise location?"
"Unfortunately, no, just a search radius. Visuals on her was lost almost immediately. They're deploying K-9 units and following the trail west into the foothills."
Bucky couldn't help but to curse as Sam muttered.
"That's hundreds of miles from us."
"If you guys keep pushing it, you should make it to the location of the traffic stop within two hours."
Bucky grit his teeth before he refuted.
"No, she'll be gone within those two hours. Sam could get us there with his suit way faster."
Raynor immediately disagreed, shaking her head.
"James, we're operating under very strict rules here. Avengers presence here while the Initiative is already under political scrutiny is highly unwise. If Sam or you get seen, you might as well fly yourself into a jail cell. Not only that, but even if you and Sam get there within 20 minutes, you still don't have her exact location."
Bucky couldn't help but to exclaim, Sam glancing at him with surprise as Raynor's brow ticked down in displeasure.
"What do you want me to do, Raynor? Just sit here and twiddle my damn thumbs like I'm stuck in the ration line?"
Raynor immediately snapped back, making Bucky huff through his nostrils.
"And in the ration line, James, the quickest way to lose your place is to push past everyone else."
Bucky and Raynor stared each other down for a moment, Bucky opening his mouth before closing it; looking away for a fraction of a second before Sam piped up gently.
"Listen, Buck, I know you wanna find her. We all do...but Raynorâs right. We gotta move smart. When we get close, Iâll put Redwing up first. We get eyes before boots on the ground that way weâre not walking into a blind spot or tipping anyone off."
Bucky couldn't help but to groan to himself and rub his temples, and Natasha stated over the phone.
"I hate to break the lovely moment, but there's reports of shots being fired now."
All bets came off of the table at that moment, and Bucky couldn't help but to turn around and glare out at the road as Sam quietly gunned it. His foot was down to the floor, going as fast as the car could handle while Raynor grabbed onto the door handle with an exasperated look.
There wasn't much that he could do with Raynor breathing down his neck and the Avengers being under close surveillance. Bucky risked not only getting thrown off of the mission by Raynor if he went rogue, but he also risked becoming a criminal again himself.
Bucky hated feeling so torn. It was almost akin to the way he felt when he first began to remember; being torn between what was real, what seemed real, what was a HYDRA-implanted memory, and what was authentic.
All Bucky wanted was to just get up and go. It was the fastest and easiest way to turn his brain off. However, all Bucky could do was just stare out at the road in deadly silence as he began to stew in the front seat. The car was tense, painfully silent, and nobody dared to breathe a word.
The road felt like it felt forever to crawl beneath the car, every mile going by slower than the last, and it was making Bucky began to feel as though he was going insane. His foot was tapping against the floorboard; the sound akin to a snare drum being repeatedly struck over and over in tandem with the pounding of his heart.
Sam was continuously checking the navigation system to check the distance to the ping where he could safely deploy Redwing, and when he finally got close enough, it took everything in Bucky not to jump out of the car and start running.
"Deploying Redwing. Engaging HUD video feed now."
He handed the tablet to Bucky, who practically snatched it from his hands as he watched the livefeed from the cameras that were integrated into Redwing's systems.
At first, everything was just black until little white dots began to appear. Anticipation gripped Bucky's veins like vices, his body tensing as the dots began to take shape.
There were at least five or six dogs running through the woods, at least 15 bodies racing after them. In the far distance in front of them was a singular body running much faster than any human could accomplish.
(Y/n).
"I got her! I got her on the feed!"
Bucky couldn't help but to exclaim. He was sat up in his seat now, and Bucky damn-near winced when he watched flashes of bright light come up on the feed. They were shooting at her, trying to slow her down or kill her, and Bucky clenched his jaw tightly.
"Where's she going, Buck?"
"Still heading north. The dogs are getting closer."
Raynor sat forward, stating in a rush.
"We can't rush in just yet. Keep Redwing on her, we'll be able to keep watch over her in the air even if she gets away now that we know where she is. Let her get away and get the law off of her tail, and then we'll retrieve her."
"They're trying to kill her, Raynor."
Bucky almost snapped, and Raynor frowned, replying.
"She's a trained HYDRA assassin, James. Nothing is going to kill her."
"We still have our weaknesses!"
He snapped, and Raynor finally became angry, snapping back.
"James, if you do not keep calm, I'm going to have Sam turn this damn car around, do you hear me?"
In his anger, Bucky couldn't help but to smack the tablet onto the dash, open the car door, and begin taking off in a mad dash. Raynor and Sam called after him, his feet stumbling from jumping from a running car, but he was quick to steady himself.
Bucky didn't even give a shit about the consequences anymore. Not when she was right there in his grasp. She was so close, he could almost feel her. He could almost hear the sound of her labored breathing, and Bucky let out a slight grunt as he forced himself to run as fast as he could.
Her face was flashing in his mind, desperate little slideshow images from the moment he had first seen her to the last night that she had been near him, and Bucky didn't know if it was sweat or his own tears running down his face as he booked it through the forest.
He could hear the gunshots, hear the dogs barking, and Bucky clenched his teeth as he began to plead in his mind.
'Please, please, please come home. Please come back. Please, please, please!'
Please don't make me bury you too.
Through the pounding of his heart, the snapping of twigs beneath his boots, the rustling of leaves and small branches smacking into him, Sam's voice entered the comms that was still embedded into his ear.
"Buck, she's changing direction."
Bucky didn't respond as he vaulted over fallen logs, racing against time as he pushed himself harder.
"Redwing's getting a better angle...shit, the terrain opens up ahead."
Bucky's heart began to sink slightly as Sam became silent for a beat before he exclaimed.
"Shit, Buck, she's heading straight for a waterfall!"
Bucky's ears began to ring, the stinging cold of winter beginning to claw at his skin in a desperate attempt to slow him down, and Bucky let out a desperate and angry cry as he burst through the treeline.
The forest fell away as the sound of white water roared below, and there she was. Her arms were outstretched, eyes closed into a peaceful expression. She looked almost weightless and for one impossible heartbeat, she looked like she was flying.
Free as a bird.
Bucky couldn't help but to scream her name as he ran after her. Skidding to a stop, Bucky dropped to his knees as he looked down below at the rushing waters below, but she was nowhere to be found.
Clenching his jaw, Bucky clenched his metal fist before punching the ground as hard he could, screaming.
"Son of a bitch!"
The stone beneath him shattered, a large crack appearing beneath him, and Bucky could hear Sam's voice; small and apologetic and quiet.
"I can't find her signature anymore."
The barking was getting louder, and Bucky could hear the law behind him now. They were closing in, any moment now, and Bucky clenched his jaw again. His heart was racing, his mind running a mile a minute, and he stood up, backing up away from the ledge.
"Bucky? What are you doing?"
Bucky shoved the comms out of his ear before he took a running start, and he leapt off the waterfall after her.
For a moment, the wind pushed up against him, almost as though it was fighting him; trying to keep him away, but Bucky had always been stubborn.
However, there was a split-second where he could hear the distant sound of a train on tracks; steel screaming against steel and Steve's voice screaming his name as Bucky fell below, and Bucky's eyes watered as he squeezed them shut.
I dont ever do this, but pls send good vibes and prayers or just good thoughts for my family today as we take my uncle off of life support and send him to Valhalla/Heaven/Universe, just...wherever he's gonna be in peace.
things I wonât let ai take away from human writers
em dash
ânot x, not y, but zâ
short sentence stacking as a stylistic choice
none of these belong to ai. these are all what human writers have been writing since day one, way before ai was invented. ai was trained to mimic how human writers write â so em dash, not x not y but z and short sentence stacking would never have been used by ai at all if ai hadnât learned and mimicked them from human writers.
no, you are not âfighting against aiâ by accusing every work that has em dash, not x not y but z or short sentence stacking in it as ai-generated, you are helping ai harm the writing community by engaging in witch hunt and scaring human writers away from creating/sharing their works for fear of being wrongly accused of using ai.
speculations, accusations and ai witch hunt harm the writing community as much as ai does, if not more.
hello everyone! I'm not dead, just been incredibly busy!! I'm still working on Relapse, but i hate the way the chapter is going and keep rewriting it. I can't just skip bucky's pov, but at the same time, i'm deadass tempted to (it would not make sense to do so, but FUCK i legit hate everything i'm writing). i'm gonna get it out soon though
Tumblr is rolling out a new reblog/notes system that completely disregards creators. In their new system, they're taking a twitter-style approach where reblogs will have their own notes that DO NOT contribute to the original post's notes.
Because of this, creators will no longer be able to see an accurate display of likes/reblogs/etc. This is completely altering the way feedback and responses to works are going to be received on this website.
If you come across a fan work that you enjoy, please take the extra step to go to OPs original post, and leave your comment/like/reblog there. Or go one step further and send an ask to OP directly to tell them what you liked!
I really hope Tumblr staff reverses course and reverts to the original reblog system for the sake of the large base of creators who use this site to share their works, but until then, please be considerate and make sure the creators here see/feel the love.
istg we need more the witcher 3! geralt stuff istg i can't keep reading the same five fics
ALSO???/ WITCHER 2 DANDELION IS SO SLEPT ON??? i was NOT expecting to get hot and bothered by his character design in Witcher 2. Also, Saskia is hot as fuck (i just made it to loc muinne so no spoilers pls, currently playing the second game)
a feel like the new generation of fanfic readers NEED to understand that clicking on a fic (interaction) does nothing. ao3 has no algorithm. your private discord discussions of fic do not reach the authors. if you do not actively engage with writers they will stop posting. this isnât social media this is community.
i think because of the whole "writers write for themselves" notion that's becoming increasingly popularized, people forget that we still thrive off interaction and kindness. i write for myself but kudos and comments and bookmarks and really any sort of interaction with my fics genuinely motivates me to keep writing and keep sharing my works.
Not Without You. @scariusaquarius - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
