Dreamcatcher
Kitty had made her way back to the base they’d used before. It was emptier than before. She guessed that either mind-controlled Sam or Walker had had this place searched when she went on the run. Or maybe even before that.
All the boxes and closets were empty. All of the old costumes and extra accessories the X-men had left behind were gone. Well, she’d definitely be hearing about this from Scott when she got back to the mansion.
Speaking of the mansion, she’d left out the fact that she was rejoining the X-men to Kurt and Logan. And she felt guilty for it. She figured when she went back to Genosha after this Frost business was over, she’d have the chance to tell them. Kurt would probably be excited. Logan could go either way, but in the end he’d reluctantly agree and probably be the one to drive them back.
Kitty didn’t hate having to go back. In truth, she’d gotten a little homesick. And she really missed a lot of people back there. She found herself in the middle of the debriefing room and looked at the high-tech table in the center of the room.
The damn thing had either been shut off or pulled apart. Which meant she had to fix it. It was the only thing she had access to that had a detailed map of Madripoor. She groaned and then crouched down to see if it was broken. Luckily for her, it wasn’t broken, the table needed a reboot. Unluckily for her, SHIELD had also taken the extra toolboxes that had been placed in nearly every room for Hank’s use. Tools that had gotten covered in layers of dust, she assumed.
She could figure this out, she guessed. She crawled under the table and made her way over to the singular leg under the center of the table that held all of the fancy wires and whatnot. Kitty pried off the metal covering and cut her finger in the process.
She let out a loud ‘fuck’ and then laid out under the table. She fished a bandaid out of her pocket that Kurt had given her months ago. How did he always have bandaids on him anyway? She shook off the thought and then wrapped her finger with the bandaid. She didn’t want to get out from under the table and decided to just phase the trash through the floor.
A floor below, Bucky was suddenly hit in the eye by a piece of paper, “What the hell?”
He picked up the three pieces of paper that had seemingly spawned out of nowhere and looked at them. A bandaid? He looked at the ceiling. If Kitty were here, she’d be upstairs.Because there’s no way the leftovers of a bandaid were stuck to the ceiling.
Time to head upstairs, he thought
Kitty continued to fiddle with the wires for a few minutes. She could figure this out. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. She reached her hand into the leg and pulled out a thick red wire that had been cut in half. She facepalmed out of frustration. She began to contemplate where to go from there when she heard a door open nearby.
Kitty froze and listened for footsteps. Unusually enough, she heard none. She looked in the direction of the door she thought had been opened. The room was too dark to tell. She got up, deciding that phasing through the table might not be the best option for stealth. She crawled over to where it seemed darkest in the room.
Kitty thought, if she could sneak out, she could catch whomever it was that was here off guard. She did just that, waiting to make sure it was safe before she emerged from under the table and quickly made her way into the shadows. She crept over to where she’d set down her bag and silently removed a gun (which she had grabbed from the jet and she had no idea who it had belonged to).
She crept over to the door and held the gun in front of her. She didn’t see anyone in the doorway.
“Wrong door,” Bucky spoke from the other doorway.
Kitty turned around and lowered the gun, “How did you find me?”
“You’re easy to track,” Bucky disclosed.
“And yet, somehow, you didn’t find me the last time I disappeared,” Kitty pointed out as she put the safety back on the gun.
Bucky shook his head, “I got all the way to Erik and then left it up to him.”
Kitty stopped and looked up at him with disbelief, “You met Erik?”
“Yeah, intimidating guy, controls metal,” Bucky described.
“That’s him,” Kitty still looked at him with slight shock, “How are you alive?”
Bucky sighed, “I ask myself the same question everyday.”
“Not what I meant, but okay,” Kitty went to rephrase her question, “How did you survive a conversation with Erik?”
“I don’t know, he just let me live,” Bucky responded and crossed his arms.
Kitty put the gun in her bag, mumbling, “Never thought I’d see the day he’d let a human live.”
“Is that not something he usually does?” Bucky asked.
“No, he’s very averse to most humans,” She replied and stood over the table, “Like murder kind of averse.”
Bucky looked at her with mild concern, “How did you even meet him?”
“Oh, he tried to kill me,” Kitty answered honestly, “But we’re good now.”
“Comforting,” Bucky replied with sarcasm. Then the silence settled in again.
“Why are you still here?” Kitty asked out of the silence, “I would have thought you’d be with Sam trying to make sure he didn’t do anything supervillain-y under Frost’s control.”
“I had Torres watch him,” Bucky started to explain, “I came here because you know how to stop Frost and I want her out of Sam’s head because, and you’re not allowed to tell him this, he’s my friend.”
“I can only assume that Torres is enjoying constantly being thrown on babysitting duty. First with Kurt and now Sam,” Kitty guessed, chuckling lightly to herself before asking, “But seriously, you don’t need to stay. I have things handled.”
Bucky nodded, not quite believing her, “Right, because it’s smart to face Frost alone. And without a plan or backup.”
Kitty frowned at the sarcasm and then stopped leaning on the table, “Okay, you’re not going to like this, but I do have a plan. Once Kurt and Logan were safe, I was going to go and stop Frost.”
“On your own,” Bucky repeated.
“Yes,” Kitty nodded.
“Don’t you see how stupid that is?” He brought up, uncrossing his arms, “You’re supposed to be the brains of your operation.”
Kitty scoffed, “She won’t see it coming. Not if it’s just me.”
“Yeah, no,” Bucky shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out an exasperated sigh, “Yeah, no. I’ve tried to do the whole ‘Everyone’s better off without me. I’m a lone wolf’ thing. And believe me, it is not all it’s cracked up to be. Sam is my friend. I’m helping.”
Kitty frowned and shook her head, “Bucky, no. Let me handle this. She’s a telepath. She’ll try and get in your head and I can’t help you without suffocating you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time somebody else has been in my head,” He pointed out bluntly before putting his foot down, “I’m going.”
Kitty opened her mouth to loudly object before she lost her confidence and agreed, “Fine, but you have to listen to me and don’t doubt me.”
“Done and done,” Bucky bowed his head for a second.
“Good,” Kitty said and then narrowed her eyes before kneeling down and going back under the table.
Bucky raised a brow, “What are you doing?”
“Ah, see, you’re doing it already,” Kitty pointed out before explaining, “I’m trying to fix this table so I can get a proper map of this place and find Frost.”
“Okay,” Bucky nodded, “That is all that I needed to know.”
There was a brief period of silence as Kitty got to work below the table. Bucky could only look at the table with mild concern as he heard the occasional clang or curse word.
“So what was Tony Stark like?” Kitty asked from under the table.
Bucky stopped, surprised by the sudden question. Especially since it was about Tony Stark. He felt a wave of guilt come over him and he looked away from the table.
He failed to notice Kitty phase her head through the tabletop and look at him, “Tough subject?”
He looked back at her and shook his head, “It’s complicated.”
She nodded phased back through the table, “Sorry for asking.”
“It’s.. it’s okay,” He attempted to answer the question to the best of his ability, “I didn’t know him that well. Steve knew him better than I did.”
“Oh,” Kitty said, it was quickly followed by a flash of the hologram on the table.
Bucky looked at the table, “Do that again.”
“I’m trying,” Kitty shouted from under the table, a clang following afterward.
There was another series of noises and zapping before the hologram flickered over the table again. It then disappeared as quickly as it came.
“This thing is impossible,” Kitty declared and then got out from under the table.
“Thought this was kind of your thing,” Bucky crossed his arms again.
“It is, but I have no tools since SHIELD decided to raid this place,” Kitty snapped, the frustration apparent in her voice.
“Let me try something,” Bucky began, trying to get her to calm down.
“By all means,” Kitty gestured to the table, allowing him to do whatever he needed.
Bucky looked over the table before raising his metal fist and then hitting the table. He didn’t use his full strength, knowing full well that it would break if he did.
Kitty covered her mouth, “What did you do-?”
Bucky didn’t look at her. He knew that if it didn’t work, he was in for a little slice of hell and a lot of yelling.
The hologram flickered before turning on and hovering above the table in its like blue and white glory.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kitty’s jaw dropped, “How did you know that would work?”
“I didn’t,” Bucky admitted with a shrug, “That’s how we did things in the 40’s.”
Kitty’s brows raised, “Right. Sometimes I forget you’re a hundred years old.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Bucky grumbled, “What are we looking at again?”
Kitty went over to the control panel on the edge of the table and pressed a button. The hologram was reshaped into a 3D diagram of Madripoor. Kitty raised her hand and began to change the diagram, zooming in on Hightown.
“What am I looking at exactly?” Bucky asked. Sometimes modern technology just went right past him.
“Hightown. As established, Frost is somewhere here on Madripoor,” Kitty began a full explanation, “Her telepathy gets worse with distance, so she’s going to stay here or go wherever Sam is to maintain control. Frost isn’t the type to hide in Lowtown. She's like a walking designer handbag so the likelihood is that she’s somewhere in Hightown.”
“Got a guess as to where?” Bucky prodded.
She flicked her hand and three buildings turned red and detached themselves from the rest of the hologram, “A few. The Imperial Hotel, King’s Impresario Restaurant, or the Ariezoni Executive Office.”
“A hotel, a restaurant, or an office,” Bucky repeated, “The hotel sounds like the only logical place she’d be. Why not that hotel that we went to for the gala?”
“Frost is never going to be in the same place twice,” Kitty elaborated with an annoyed sigh, “The hotel seems like where she’d be, but you never know with her.”
Kitty moved away from the table and got her laptop out of her bag and started it up. She then rapidly typed away and pulled up the security footage of the Imperial.
“I’m not seeing her,” She said as she scrolled.
Bucky tried to think what would be more likely. Why would she hide at a restaurant? “Try the office.”
Kitty gave him a thumbs up and then typed away for a few minutes before pulling up the security footage of the office.
She knitted her brow, “There’s interference.”
Bucky lifted his head, “You think that’s her?”
“It’s a lead,” Kitty smiled, finally feeling victorious. She went over to the table again and then enlarged the image of the office building. She pulled up directions to the place.
“Do you not know where we’re going?” Bucky asked.
“Pardon me if I’m not super familiar with the criminal city,” Kitty responded with some added sass.
A smirk tugged at Bucky’s lips and the urge to respond with nothing less than a sarcastic remark, but he stopped himself, replying simply, “Alright, alright.”
He looked at the window, spotting the moon rise in the sky, “Might be a little late to go after Frost.”
Kitty looked away from the hologram and glanced at the window, she sighed, “Of fucking course it is.”
“How about this, we scout out the building tomorrow and make sure Frost is there before we go in guns ablazing,” Bucky posed a plan to her.
Kitty thought it over, “Fine. Stakeout it is then.”
“If she’s there, we’ll come back, get weapons, and then go back and confront her,” Bucky finished laying out the potential plan.
“Did you just think of that?” Kitty asked with a tilt of her head.
“I will admit that I have thought about it beforehand,” Bucky responded reluctantly.
“That’s what I thought,” Kitty cracked a smile, “It’s a good plan.”
“Don’t lie,” He couldn’t tell if she was making fun of him or just finding it amusing.
“I’m not lying. It’s a good plan,” She insisted as she transferred the directions over to her phone.
“But you find it amusing,” He continued, narrowing his eyes.
“I find it amusing because I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself,” Kitty admitted with a shrug before shutting off the table, “And it's usually the other way around.”
He raised a brow, not quite believing her. He turned around, “I’m going to find a place to sleep. It’s been a hell of a day.”
“There’s a couch in one of the rooms down the hall,” Kitty directed.
Bucky nodded before looking at her from the doorway, “Not going to sleep?”
“I will eventually,” Kitty waved it off, “Nighty-night.”
Bucky pushed down another urge to throw a sarcastic remark at her and then left to find the room. He knew he probably wouldn’t end up sleeping on the couch like she’d suggested. He was just glad she didn’t seem to hate him.
He was also kind of glad she hadn’t called Illyana the moment he showed up.
^^^
Bucky was used to the nightmares. But that didn’t make them any less terrifying. He woke up at some point in the night. The moonlight blinded him for a second as he sat up and wiped the sweat off of his brow.
It took him several moments to remember where he was. He wiped his face again. He was on the floor by the couch, trying to ground himself before making another attempt to go back to sleep.
He finally gave up and shakily stood up. He made his way through the dark hall and back into the room they’d been in before. The room was lighter than before due to the intake of moonlight.
Bucky wiped his face again and then his gaze found Kitty, sitting by a large window in another room, sitting on a bean bag. She was invested in whatever was on her phone.
He carefully approached her, knocking on the doorpost with his metal hand to get her attention.
Kitty looked up from her phone and at him, “You’re up.”
“So are you,” He retorted.
“I couldn’t sleep,” She responded and then looked back at her phone.
“Neither could I,” He shrugged before questioning, “Why are you awake?”
Kitty looked like she was debating her answer, “My mind was racing, I guess. You?”
“Nightmares,” He replied simply, “You mind if I sit here?”
“I don’t mind,” She shook her head and continued to look at her phone.
Bucky sat down on the cold, wood floor a small distance away from Kitty. He looked out the large window next to them. It was a nice view of Madripoor from above, the city lights casting warm lights from their spots in the town. He didn’t see Kitty put her phone down and place her cheek in her palm, also looking out the window.
“So you and Illyana,” Bucky piped up suddenly.
Kitty stopped looking outward, eyes flitting over to him, “What about it?”
“Are you and her..?” He put his hands together.
Kitty’s eyes widened and she got flustered, “No! I mean, no. She and I- we’re not- we’re friends.”
Bucky raised a brow, “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I don't think- I don't know if it's what she wants,” Kitty nodded and then looked out the window again. He couldn’t tell for sure, but he got a sense that she wasn’t quite happy about it.
“I’m sorry she tried to kill you,” Kitty suddenly apologized, “I didn’t know she was going to do that.”
Bucky sighed, “She didn’t try to kill me, kid.”
“She didn’t?” Kitty tilted her head, looking at him again.
“No, she didn’t,” Bucky began to retell the story of the day's events, “What she did do was kick my ass and then warn me not to mess up.”
He witnessed Kitty’s demeanor change to something happier.
“Either way, I’m sorry it happened,” She apologized again. Yet, she seemed happier knowing Illyana hadn’t tried to kill him. He’d let her have it.
Kitty adjusted her seating and went back to staring out the window.
“Are you okay?” Kitty asked gently.
Bucky looked at her questioningly, “What do you mean?”
“I could hear you. Having nightmares and all,” Kitty explained.
“Don’t worry about it, kid,” Bucky tried to shrug it off like he always did.
“I am worried about it,” Kitty stated, “It sounded bad.”
Bucky hesitated. She could see right through him. So he decided to be honest, “They’re just nightmares. And yeah, a lot of them are.. not great. But I can deal with them.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what are they about?” Kitty questioned softly. She didn’t want to overstep.
“The things HYDRA made me do,” He answered truthfully and looked out the window, “Ironically enough, I had a lot of nightmares about our first meeting at HYDRA before the fight at the casino,” He paused, remembering something, “May I ask you something?”
Kitty nodded.
“Near the end of our fight,” He began. Kitty tensed up. He hesitated again before continuing, “You gave up. Why?”
It was Kitty’s turn to sigh and look somber. She didn’t need time to think about it before replying, “I was tired. I just wanted it all to end. I wanted the pain to end. I was thirteen and I was done. I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Bucky had been there. He too had once thought it would all be easier if it was over. He felt his stomach drop, knowing just how young she was when she felt that way, “I’m sorry. I never should have-”
“It wasn’t your choice,” Kitty interrupted him, “I’ve had a lot of time to think and I know it wasn’t your choice to do any of that. I know it wasn’t mine.”
“You should-” He tried to talk again.
“I don’t blame you for what happened so please don’t blame yourself,” Kitty interjected again, looking him in the eye. She spoke softly. What she said was genuine. She meant it. For the first time in seventy years, somebody other than Steve and Sam didn’t blame him.
Bucky couldn’t quite believe it and found himself at a loss for words. He broke off eye contact with her as he struggled to comprehend what she had said.
Kitty watched his expression change, figuring she said something wrong and rude. She took a breath and then stood up, “Sorry. I’m sorry if that was rude. I’m gonna try and go back to sleep,” She ventured to the doorway.
Bucky got out of his head and quickly turned his head, watching her leave, “Kitty.”
Kitty halted at the doorway and turned her head to look back at him.
“Thank you for not hating me,” He thanked her just loud enough for her to hear.
There was a long period of silence as Bucky and Kitty stood across the room from each other. Kitty spun around and caught him in an unexpected hug.
Once again, he was left without a word to say. Luckily, Kitty spoke first, “Thank you for staying.”
Bucky hesitated. He couldn’t believe that after everything that he did, after everything that had happened, she was forgiving him. Thanking him. This couldn’t be real.
Finally, he hugged her back, letting his guard down and wrapping his arms around her.
“I’m sorry,” Bucky broke the silence, “For everything I did to hurt you back during HYDRA. You were a child and I shouldn’t have done or allowed those things to happen. I’m sorry for what happened with Walker. Sam and I should have never allowed him to stay in the team. Kurt never should have gotten hurt. Logan never should have gone to prison. Kitty, I am so sorry.”
It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Once she began to let go, he unwrapped his arms. She took a step back.
“Thank you for proving me wrong. I was so terrified that you were going to be the same person as you were back then and I am so, so happy and amazed you proved me wrong. Honestly, I have never been happier to be wrong,” Kitty admitted, “So I want to apologize too. I’m sorry for thinking you would still be that person. I’m sorry for treating you like that person when we first met again. I’m sorry.”
All this time since HYDRA and Bucky had never expected to be getting an apology back from someone he knew during those times. He was a silent guy, but now he truly had a loss for words.
“Okay, now I think I’m actually going to find a place to sleep,” She tried to wipe her face with her sleeve. Had she been crying?
Lockheed materialized and flew in front of her before he started licking her cheeks. She laughed and lightly pushed the dragon back, “Geez, Lockheed, you’re not a dog.”
Lockheed squawked and then landed on her shoulders, flapping one wing in her face in an attempt to send a message. Kitty swatted away his wing, “Alright, I’ll sleep.”
“Goodnight,” Kitty turned around and flashed one last genuine smile at Bucky before she disappeared down the hall.
Bucky crossed his arms and smiled.
Maybe this was what forgiveness felt like.