Between the Lines
The rain was still there the next morning. It annoyed Bucky, but he decided to brave the storm anyway and head to the MIT dorms. The downpour got worse the closer he got, but he didn’t think much of it. He passed a few students who complained about the weather. He eventually got inside and made his way upstairs.
Bucky approached the door and found a SHIELD agent standing by the doorway like he was guarding it. The agent stopped him and asked him why he was there. Bucky answered simply that he was tracking Kitty. He then asked what he was doing there, the agent answering that he was part of the investigative team.
As they finished their conversation, someone opened the door from inside. He was greeted by bright pink glasses being worn by an Asian girl with short black hair and an even brighter yellow jacket over her SHIELD uniform.
“What are you two arguing about out here?” She asked with a frown.
“This man says he’s also a part of the investigation of Katherine Pryde,” The agent responded, narrowing his eyes at Bucky.
The girl looked him up and down and then huffed at the agent, “That’s the metal arm guy that’s Captain America’s bestie. He can come in.”
“Come on in, big guy,” She said as she opened the door for him and he went inside.
Bucky looked around Kitty’s dorm room. Raindrops pattered against the floor to ceiling window. There were two other agents in the room as well that had made note of him as soon as he’d come in. One was searching the area around Kitty’s bed while the other stood by Kitty’s desk. The girl that had let him in went back to rifling through Kitty’s closet.
Unsure of where to go, Bucky walked over to the agent by the bed. Once the agent had noticed him, he told him to piss off and started looking under the bed. He scoffed and then made his way over to Kitty’s desk, standing by the agent searching for it.
The agent was a woman with dark skin, blue eyes, and remarkable curly white hair. She wore a black pantsuit and a velvet black headband. There was something about this woman that was intimidating. He got the feeling that she could easily be friendly and welcoming. If that’s what she wanted. And as of that moment, that didn’t seem to be where her mind was at.
She’d been sorting through the pictures that had previously been hung on Kitty’s wall. She’d made little stacks and was looking at a specific picture of Kitty and Kurt. The sky outside darkened slightly. The woman looked at the picture maybe a little longer than she should’ve before flipping it over and placing it in one stack. She then plucked off another picture and looked at it as she spoke, “You must be Mr. Barnes.”
Bucky stopped looking at the pictures and looked at her, “That would be me.”
“I was notified by Fury that you would be joining us at some point,” She set down the picture and held out her hand to shake, “My name is Ororo Munroe. I’m leading this investigation.”
He nodded and shook her hand, “James Bucky Barnes. And they are?” He gestured to the other agents.
“Agent Dayton is searching the bed area and Agent Anderson is outside by the door,” She introduced the other members of her team, “The girl in the closet is a trainee. Her name is Jubilation Lee, but she goes by Jubilee.”
“Nice to meet you all then,” Bucky took in the names before looking back down at the small stacks of pictures. He found it strange that they were turned down. He then looked back at her, “Any leads so far?”
“When we arrived, her laptop was gone, but we believe most everything is still here,” Ororo explained and after seeing him look at the pictures, she spoke again, “We think these might lead us to possible accomplices or people that may be hiding her.”
“Have you run facial rec on them?” He asked.
“Not yet,” She shook her head and then plucked another picture from the wall. It was a picture of Illyana, Kurt, and Kitty. In this picture, Kitty wore the black jacket with the purple dragon design on it.
Lockheed. Right. That could be something. Kitty hadn’t brought the little purple dragon to Madripoor which meant that he had to be here or with Kitty. Where was the black leather jacket now? Bucky looked around the room.
“Think I found something,” Agent Dayton announced from under the bed and then emerged with a cardboard box.
Munroe, Jubilee, and Bucky all walked over to where he’d come out. Dayton began pulling items out of the box before Jubilee dove downward and shoved him to the side as she looked through the items more rapidly.
“Hey, Ororo, this looks sick, right?” Jubilee pulled out the black leather jacket that would usually have Lockheed on it.
Bucky hid his shock with ease, seeing that Lockheed was noticeably absent on the jacket. He glanced at Munroe. There was a bit of thunder outside. She seemed about halfway there, having an expression mixed with seriousness and shock.
She then cleared her throat, “We can take the box to SHIELD for analysis.”
“What? I can’t keep it?” Jubilee asked playfully.
“It is evidence and it will remain within SHIELD custody until ordered otherwise,” Munroe directed. She had a certain regality about her that was rare. Bucky had only ever seen that kind of majesty in the Wakandan royal family. She’d fit in there without even trying. Munroe then turned back to the desk.
Jubilee pouted and then Dayton snatched the jacket from her, shoving it in the box. Him and Jubilee rifled through it a bit more, but that wasn’t where Bucky’s mind was at. He hadn’t failed to notice Munroe pocket one stack of photos.
When he turned back, she had finished sorting the remaining photos. She found a couple of rubber bands and wrapped the stacks before placing them in the box. Bucky didn’t want to bring up the stack of photos she’d taken, deciding to see what she would do.
Bucky had a hunch. Bobby said he needed to look for people that might know her whereabouts. He figured that meant her neighbors or friends at MIT, but now he thought he meant other mutants blending in with the population. He wouldn’t put it above certain mutants to hide within SHIELD. Right under their nose. He had no way of proving that either Ororo or Jubilee were mutants, but his gut was telling him that they were.
So he decided to test this theory. Ororo didn’t seem that interested in helping with the search after sorting the photos and was instead going through her phone.
“You wouldn’t happen to know very much about Kitty, would you?” Bucky asked as if he was asking about an old friend.
Ororo looked up from her phone. There was another bout of thunder outside. Perhaps there was some connection there? If Bobby could control ice, then who’s to say Ororo couldn’t control the weather?
“If by Kitty, you mean Katherine, then no. I do not know much about her,” Ororo denied with a shake of her head. While speaking, she’d allowed a microexpression of her true feelings to slip through. It had pained her to say Katherine instead of Kitty.
But again, he didn’t bring it up, he just continued, “Well, you seemed pretty interested in those pictures.”
“The other individuals in those pictures could potentially hold powers similar to hers. If they don’t, then they might know where she is,” Ororo made up what sounded like a rehearsed excuse, “I will have someone run facial recognition on them later today.”
“In this weather? You’d go all the way to SHIELD to run facial rec on a few people who might not be involved?” Bucky asked, adding slight exaggeration to his voice. He knew people would more easily reveal their secrets if caught off guard.
“I would because this matter is urgent,” She insisted. Okay. Maybe she was a bit more of a challenge than Bobby.
“I’m just saying that it could wait,” Bucky shrugged, acting nonchalant.
The sound of two voices came from outside. It sounded like an argument. Munroe seemed to notice it as well, turning her head to the door.
Riri opened the door with a victorious grin like she’d won against Anderson outside. Once she noticed Munroe, Jubilee, Dayton, and himself, her face dropped.
Munroe looked past her and raised her voice to check on Anderson, “Agent?”
A thumbs up came from the side of the door and Anderson gave a meek, “She got me in the, uh, downstairs area, Ma’am.”
Jubilee snorted, Dayton shot her a dirty look, and Munroe sighed. She then approached Riri, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Riri took in the sight that was Ororo Munroe for a second before insisting, “This is my friend’s dorm, she’s been missing, what’s going on?”
“Nothing you need to worry about, Miss,” Munroe was trying to get her to leave by avoiding the answer altogether.
“Riri Williams,” Riri gave her name and then started to argue, “Like I said, this is my friend’s dorm. I think I’m entitled to knowing where she is and why SHIELD is going through her stuff.”
“Again, Miss Williams, this is none of your concern. All you need to know is that Kitty will not be returning to campus anytime soon,” Munroe informed her. What was bad news to Riri was a perfect Freudian slip. She said Kitty- not Katherine.
Then Riri noticed him and pointed at him, “You. I know you. You were here with Captain America. I think you owe me an explanation.”
Munroe looked back at him and raised a critical brow. Bucky stepped forward, saying to Munroe, “I’ll deal with her,” As he guided Riri out.
As Bucky shut the door behind them, Riri crossed her arms and looked at him with irritation. Anderson had seemed to recover by now, but was still standing strange. He hobbled in front of the door and glared at Riri who gave a brief satisfactory smile.
Bucky then guided her down the hall to where he remembered her dorm room’s door was.
“So can I get an explanation now?” She asked, putting a hand on her hip.
“Yeah, yeah, but you have to stay quiet about all this,” Bucky warned her.
“My lips are sealed,” She made the gesture of zipping her lips shut, “Now what’s the deal with Kitty?”
“She got involved in some.. Superhero stuff and it got her in a bad place. Now she’s on the run from SHIELD and nobody knows where she is,” Bucky explained as vaguely as he possibly could.
“Oh no,” Riri’s eyes widened and then her expression twisted to confusion, “Wait, superhero stuff? Is Kitty a superhero?”
“Kind of. I don’t think that’s what she would call herself,” Bucky sighed, remembering the conversation at the base. Vigilantes more like it.
“I didn’t know she was a superhero. Who knew two superheroes would be living right next door, huh?” Riri thought aloud and chuckled.
Bucky looked at her for a second, processing, “You’re a superhero?”
“Yeah, Ironheart,” She smirked and did the Ironman gesture. Bucky blinked. She frowned, “I should be in SHIELD files somewhere.”
“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t read those very often,” Bucky shook his head and then went back to the subject at hand, “Look, Riri, if you know anything about where Kitty could be hiding, you need to tell me. I’m not going to hurt her or turn her in.”
Riri thought and then shook her head, “I don’t know where she is, but she did leave me something a couple of days ago.”
“Where is it?” He asked. His curiosity was piqued.
Riri opened her dorm room door and then stepped inside, picking up a green velvet item from the edge of her bed. She then picked up a small card that had been attached to the tag, “Just this.”
Bucky looked at it and then picked up the card, opening it and reading it. It was a sentimental little note that simply read, “I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye in person. Keep this and remember me.”
He then set the card back down, “You didn’t happen to see her, did you?”
“Nope, it just appeared on my doorstep,” She shrugged and then set it back down.
Bucky pinched his nose, “Alright, one last question. When did those people show up?” He meant the SHIELD agents, but was specifically referring to Munroe and Jubilee.
“They showed up yesterday morning right before the storm started,” Riri answered, “They’re not bad, are they?”
“Not sure, but I think I’m gonna find out soon enough,” Bucky replied, seeing Munroe exit Kitty’s dorm moments later with an umbrella. She was leaving.
Bucky waved to Riri and she disappeared. Upon Munroe’s instruction, Anderson entered the dorm room. Munroe walked down the hall towards the elevator with Jubilee noticeably absent. Munroe dialed a number and then held the phone up to her ear. Bucky decided to follow, his footsteps almost silent. And now he was playing with fire, or apparently, the weather.
While Munroe took the elevator down, Bucky practically sprinted down the steps. He made it in time to see her leave the building and put up her umbrella. She made her way towards the train station. Bucky hadn't brought an umbrella and put his food over his head, finding a far enough away seat so that he wouldn’t be noticed on the train. Munroe seemed to be too involved in her phone call to have noticed him.
Munroe hung up a few stops later and left the train. Bucky followed. From where they were, the rain was much lighter, only a few drops hitting them instead of the downpour that had been present at MIT. Munroe walked down the street, checking her phone every so often. Bucky kept his distance, but was still able to follow her with ease. The streets were mostly empty as the rain began to intensify and the sky darkened.
Munroe stopped in front of a small café. She looked at the sign before she heard someone clear their throat. There was an older man seated at a table under an awning, shielding him from the rain. From what Bucky could see, the man had short cut white hair and pale blue eyes. His face was etched with wrinkles, but his demeanor held a certain intimidation. It was similar to Munroe’s manner in a way. He wore a faded red shirt with a black jacket over it.
This man seemed to be who Munroe intended to meet. She walked over and took a seat next to him. He handed her a cup of coffee which she hesitantly took.
The man raised a brow, “If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn’t do it with a cup of coffee.”
Munroe sighed and took a sip, “That is not what I meant.”
“Is this weather your doing?” He asked.
“Partially,” She replied.
The man nodded, “I see. Now, why did you ask me here, Ororo?”
“If you know where she is, you must tell me. I need to bring her home,” Munroe responded, skipping straight to the point.
“Why are you so sure I know where Kitty is?” He questioned, stirring his coffee.
“You arrived back in the United States right after she disappeared. Knowing you, that can not be a coincidence,” Ororo reasoned, watching for his reaction.
Bucky had hidden behind a nearby wall. He was close enough to hear their conversation and remain undetected. Or so he thought.
“I needed some time away from Genosha. I’m giving Lorna a chance to rule,” He provided an excuse that sounded tacky and ill-prepared. Munroe must have had the same thought.
“You wouldn’t leave Genosha unless something important was going on. I know you, Erik. And I know when you have an agenda,” Ororo pointed out.
Erik. That name was familiar. Where had he heard the name Erik? Oh. OH. That’s who Bobby said not to talk to or mess with. Bucky silently wondered why he’d issued that warning. This was an old man who, while intimidating in attitude, didn’t look like he could put up that much of a fight. Then again, neither did Kitty once upon a time.
“Worry not, I’ll be leaving in due time,” Erik said.
“With Kitty,” Ororo assumed, basically accusing him of lying.
“You think I would risk my people to harbor a fugitive?” He questioned, slight annoyance in his tone.
“Were you not once a fugitive?” Ororo countered, matching his tone.
“Touché,” He sighed and then took another sip of his coffee. He then turned the questioning back on her, “If I were hiding Kitty, what reason would I have to hand her over to you?”
“For her safety. The humans are trying to find her. They see her as a threat, but if we remove her from the picture, we may be able to salvage everything,” Ororo explained. Finally, they were getting somewhere.
“And if she chooses not to go with you?” He asked.
Ororo wasn’t expecting this question and paused to think, “She should know better than to refuse.”
“She should, but we both know her pride is stronger than her logic at times,” Erik nodded his head.
“She gets it from her namesake. And Logan,” Ororo added.
“Mostly Logan,” Erik remarked.
Ororo chuckled and then composed herself, “But she will see the reason if I speak to her. Erik, please, if she’s with you, you must let me speak with her.”
“I wish I could help you, Ororo, but I’m sorry. I don’t know where she is. She has no reason to ever come to me for refuge,” Erik apologized. The sky grew darker and a bit of thunder rumbled.
Ororo sighed and spoke through her teeth, “Thank you for meeting me then. Best wishes for Genosha.”
“Give Charles my best,” Erik replied and then sipped his coffee.
Ororo stood up, taking her cup with her and departing down the street. As she passed Bucky, he could see the frustration on her face. She started walking back towards the train station, leaving Erik alone at the café.
Bucky thought about leaving as well because of Bobby’s warning, but one thing stuck with him, keeping him standing there by the wall.
Erik was lying.