CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
AN IMPOSSIBLE PLACE

HE HAD PUT HER IN an impossible place. She sat in her cell, the keys in her hands, her mind racing a thousand miles per hour. Tears were in her eyes, frustration was taking over her body. This wasn't how this was supposed to play out. She was supposed to be the one protecting him, not the other way around. She didn't know what to do. She clenched her jaw. She could either do what Bucky said and escape and leave him there to deal with this torture they were putting him through, or she could go after him and attempt to get him out as well. Although she was leaning towards the latter, she knew for a fact that if she were to go through with that plan she would undoubtedly get them both trapped again, or even worse, get them both killed. She sighed. Why did she have to fall in love with a human? She knew this was her father's doing. He knew what he was doing when he sent her down to earth to be a Guardian Angel. She should've just stayed in Heaven, all of this could've been avoided. Or it still could have happened, just without you there. She winced at the thought.

Celeste ran a rough hand through her dirty locks before letting out a frustrated groan. She shook her head to herself, in utter disbelief that she was actually about to do this. She made her way over to the cell and started to test all of the keys, twisting them and cursing with every one that didn't work. When the satisfying click of the door unlocking entered her ears she quickly pushed the door open, peeking her head out and looking down either hall. An alarm wasn't sounding yet so either Bucky hadn't made a distraction yet or he had been caught. She immediately pushed the thought from her mind. She couldn't think about Bucky's safety and successfully make it out of this hell hole alive. Was she going to make it out alive? His words echoed through her mind: I need you to live for me.

He had no right to ask that of her. He had no right to tell her that she had to live for him when he wouldn't live for her. Bucky didn't think he was worth it, but he was. To her, he was worth the entire world. Celeste wished that she could kiss him one more time and tell him that she loved him one more time because the thought of never seeing him again made an ache form in her chest and she just couldn't get rid of it. This was cruel. This was a form of torture. She couldn't live knowing that he was being tortured day after day. It was selfish of her to even consider leaving him behind.

Celeste wanted everything to stop. She wanted time to stop. She wanted to go back into her cell and curl into a ball and cry until she fell asleep. She was so weak. She couldn't fight. They had stripped her of everything. Her powers. Her dignity. Her humanity. Anger bubbled in her stomach the more she thought about it, her lip curling up in a snarl as disgust took over her features. She can't believe there were people so cruel alive in this world. She would never understand why this planet was her father's favorite. The people were cruel and so inhumane it made her sick. It was cruel of her to think, but she hoped that they would kill Bucky instead of torture him. Because then at least he would be at peace.

Finally, after contemplating what she was going to do, Celeste ran. She ran as fast as her weak legs would take her, taking corners and praying that they were getting her closer and closer to the exit of the building. When she ran out of breath, she shoved herself inside of an empty room, leaning on her knees as she allowed her breath to catch up. She felt like she was going to be sick, but she forced herself to push through the feeling. She had to live for him. Knowing that she was alive was going to be the only reason that Bucky kept going, she knew that for a fact. He loved her, more than he had loved anyone in his whole life. Just as she loved him more than anyone or anything.

Her breath hitched in her throat when the sound of the alarm went off. He had done it, he had caused the distraction. This was her chance to run. This was her chance to make her great escape, to never look back. She was never going to see Bucky again and the thought made her want to pass out. She'd rather die than never get to hold him again. She would come back, though. She would come back for him when she had her powers and her strength. She would come back for him and she would be able to hold him and kiss him and tell him how much she loved him and that she was never going to leave his side ever again no matter how much her begged her to do so.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Celeste quickly fall to the ground, making herself as small as physically possible and closing her eyes tightly as she prayed that they wouldn't come in here and that they wouldn't find her. As she sat there listening, a regretful thought formed in the pit of her stomach. A thought that made her head pound with guilt even though it hadn't  happened yet. If there was one thing that Celeste knew for sure, it was that there was no way in hell she was going to make it out of here without killing someone. And although she wanted to burn this entire building to the ground with everyone inside, she was still an Angel of God, and it was still against her nature to kill. She'd already had to do it in the War, she really didn't want to do it again. But she knew that she would have to do whatever it took to survive, and if she killed a few on the way so be it. Less bastards to lay their hands anywhere near Bucky.