𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
act three ━━ 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲.
· 。ﾟ୧ ⋆. 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡. ₊˚.༄
━━━ START A WAR,
❝ so you like cats ❞

• • ＢＥＲＬＩＮ

𝓜elody, Steve, Bucky, Sam and T'Challa were being escorted to Berlin's police HQ. Steve and Sam hadn't spoken to the blonde who sat in between them, she didn't have to have her abilities to know they were disappointed in her but overall confused as to why she was off with a fugitive, and of all people James Buchanan Barnes. Someone who tried to kill her multiple times as well as her friends.

Steve knew the old Bucky was some what back. But it didn't mean everything he had done would just vanish especially with the way everything was going on between the team, he didn't know if he could be trusted. Granted his face was plastered on a newspaper where a bombing had occurred in Vienna.

Though it wouldn't be the first time someone had used face plants, Natasha had used it to pose as one of HYDRA's elites to infiltrate Pierce's plans.

"So, you like cats?" Sam questioned the prince in front of them.

"Sam." Steve hissed.

"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more? I mean, Mel clearly has a thing for the bad guys. First that alien God, now your former best friend whose an assassin might I add. Excuse me for having questions if the guy right there has a thing for cats." Sam remarked sitting back in his seat looking out the window with a glare.

"He's not like that anymore." Melody mumbled earning a scoff from the man next to her.

"Says every teenager in love in fan fiction." Sam remarked earning a pout from the blonde.

Ignoring the two next to him he questioned the prince, "Your suit . . . it's Vibranium?"

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

Melody's brows furrowed at his words, "I ask you as both warrior and future queen, do you really think I'll let you put a single claw on him?" She rose a brow earning an amused smile from the prince.

Steve glances down at the blonde who was protective over Bucky; how long have they been seeing each other? He thought to himself.

𝓐rriving to the head quarters the four were escorted out of the SUV. Melody's eyes immediately surveyed her unfamiliar area, specifically looking for one man only. In no time her doe eyes met with his ocean ones. He sat inside of a pod like a caged animal.

Her eyes hardened towards the small man next to a blonde woman.

"What are you going to do with him?" Melody demanded lunging forwards only to be grabbed back by Steve. "He's innocent."

"Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition." The man remarked to the fiery blonde.

Melody glared at him before looking over her shoulder to Bucky who sent a small nod her way.

"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander." Sharon informed the group.

"Do we get a lawyer or somethin'?" Melody asked.

"Lawyer. That's funny." Everett Ross chuckled to the blonde who stood in place unamused, "She's serious?" He asked Steve and Sam who both nodded. Ignoring the blonde's glare he turned to the agents, "See their weapons are placed in lockup. Oh, we'll write you a receipt."

"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that." Sam muttered looking at his wings as they were escorted into the facility.

Melody looked back to Bucky whose sad eyes met her own as well as Steve's. The Captain placed his hand on the middle of her back pushing her gently away, "He'll be okay." He hoped.

"I'm sorry." Melody whispered, "I wanted to protect him. I failed." She said as she walked away where Sam and T'Challa were. Steve's eyes lingered on her figure before glancing back to Bucky as the doors shut in front of him.

"You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favour, stay in it?" Everett looked back at them.

"I don't intend on going anywhere." T'Challa shrugged.

"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like." Natasha noted to Steve, "Told you stay away, Mel." She looked over the blonde who looked down, her eyes lingered on the screen that was ahead of them.

"He's alive." Steve shrugged, only caring at his friend was alive.

"Try not to break anything while we fix this." Natasha nodded to the three. Melody pulled her hand away from the computer screen quickly standing next to Steve and Sam.

"-Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir." Tony's voice rang through the room.

"'Consequences'?" Steve repeated.

"We didn't do anything wrong." Melody defended crossing her arms over her chest.

Tony looked to Melody and then to Steve, "Nothing wrong? Secretary Ross wants you three prosecuted. Don't even get me started on you harbouring a fugitive young lady." He pointed to the blonde who pursed her lips looking down at the floor definetly.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve questioned ignoring him comment.

"Technically, it's the government's property. Wings, too." Natasha nodded to the two, "Even the bike." She smiled sadly to Melody whose eyes widened.

"Evil." She muttered.

"Uh-huh, that's cold." Sam nodded.

"Warmer than jail." Tony remarked.

"𝓢o, you and Bucky?" Steve questioned the blonde who sat with her legs crossed shoving plantains into her mouth and starring at the screen where Bucky sat starring above him.

Melody sighed and looked to him, "I wanted to tell you." She said after she swallowed her snack.

"But?"

"He made me promise." She weakly defended herself, Steve shook his head.

"How long?" He asked.

Melody licked her lips placing the bag down, "When you both fell into the lake. I went in to drag you out, but I saw him already doing that." She explained, "I asked if it was him, the real him. And I could see in his eyes it was. He didn't remember or know anything just that he knew you somehow." Steve nodded slowly, "So, I made the decision that I would look over him. He didn't know."

"Why?"

"Because I knew he was the last person you had left." She said softly, "I knew Peggy wasn't going to last any longer - I'm sorry." She apologized seeing the look on his face at her blunt statement, "I figured if he was safe and alive I could tell you one day and it'd make you feel at peace, like something went okay with your past. Even if he was a raging assassin for a while." She smiled earning a small smile from Steve, "He found me spying on him and I've been helping him since then. With his nightmares, control, remembering things . . ." She listed off, "He's become my friend, and I don't want anything to happen to him." She said meeting his eyes, "I was with him when the bomb went off in Vienna. It wasn't him, I swear."

"Yeah, well, they're not gonna believe us." Steve shook his head.

"They have to. He's changed his life around, well trying to. They'll understand right?"

Steve shook his head with a frown, "Unfortunately that's not how things work here, Mel. They want someone to pay for what happened to T'Chaka."

"That's not fair." She whispered naively, "He was being controlled by the bad people and now . . ."

The two were broken from their conversations as Sharon entered the room, "Your receipts for your gear." She handed the paper work over to Sam.

"Bird costume?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"I didn't write it." She defended before reaching to the speaker and allowing the three to hear what the rest of the agents were hearing. Steve sent a look of appreciation to the blonde as Melody sat up from her seat, her face inches away from the glass as she stared at the screen where Bucky's face was displayed.

"I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?" Receiving no response he continued, "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."

"My name is Bucky." He answered.

"Why would the Task Force release this photo to begin with?" Steve questioned nodding to the photo on the desk.

"Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" Sharon answered.

"Right. It's a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier." Steve nodded.

"You're saying someone framed him to find him."

"Steve, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing. Except for this one." Sam pointed to Melody who looked down, "She was hiding him."

"I was protecting him." Melody corrected earning a sarcastic smile from Sam.

"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads."

"Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him. It guarantees that we would." Sharon's gaze falls on the evaluator in the screen, her eyes narrow.

"Tell me, Bucky. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?"

Melody's hands formed into fists, "Why are they doing this to him? What's the point?"

"They need answers." Sharon nodded, "Interrogation."

"I don't want to talk about it." Bucky answered.

"You fear that . . . if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don't worry."

Melody's eyes narrowed at the screen. She placed her fingers against her ear, her brows furrowed. "I can't reach him." She murmured. "I can't - connect with him."

Steve looked to Sharon who stood up straight, "Something's wrong." He informed the blonde just as suddenly the power went out.

"Sub-level 5, east wing." Sharon nodded to three as they sprinted out of the room.

Once the three arrived to where Bucky had been held in, Melody came to a halt as her eyes darted around the bodies of agents that were sprawled out on the floor.

"Daor." She whispered before rushing forwards ignoring the two men who called for her behind her. "Bucky?!" She called. "James!"

"Help!" A weak voice called out from before her.

Melody stepped forwards only to come to a halt. Her head tilted before she sniffed the air, "Carraigeen." She mumbled at the familiar scent. Her eyes narrowed on the man who laid on the floor pleading for her aid as Steve walked ahead of her, "No! Don't!" She shouted just as he was thrown across the room.

Her eyes met with The Winter Soldier's, "Bucky?" She whispered only to be grabbed her throat and thrown across the room, her body denting the stone wall before she collapsed to the cold floor.

Through blurry eyes she watched as Steve was thrown down the elevator shaft.

Standing to her feet she rushed to the dented doors seeing Steve trying to climb up, "Steve?" She called down.

"Go! Stop him, I'll be fine, go."

"It's not him!" Melody cried out looking down at the captain who nodded.

Walking down the hall she came to a halt. Her eyes narrowed on the pink plant in the corner under a body. Making her way to it she grabbed it between her hands and crushed it, as a puff of pink and lilac smoke filled the air.

Her eyes narrowed before she sprinted out of the basement and after the rogue soldier.

Seeing T'Challa fighting with Bucky she ran forwards jumping onto his shoulders, her elbow meeting the side of his neck repeatedly. "Stop." Another hit, "It. Snap." Hit. "Out. Of." Her hands clawed at his face before she wrapped her arm around his neck, "IT!" She shouted before she was thrown off of him.

"This is going to leave a minor dent in our friendship, just letting you know." Melody groaned seeing him walk over to her with a glare only for T'Challa to kick him back into the wall to the first floor. "Thanks kitty cat." She nodded rubbing at her bruised neck.

Standing to her feet she was met with Sam, the two left together after Steve.

❨ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ❩
🐚ঌ ࣪₀🧺 .˚🌿✦

● 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱
○ 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱

hate when mom and dad fight but it's okay bucky is back and betta then eva in the next chapter

𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 ;
daor : no

𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍, 𝟤𝟣𝟤𝟪