Freedom?
Three months passed. Clint, Bucky, Tony, Steve and Peter left Wakanda a month after Bucky had surgery. Bucky still tried to get used to the new arm Tony and Shuri had created for him. It was a true blessing watching him trying it out. The arm was fully made out of vibranium and was much lighter than the one made by Hydra what led to Bucky having to adjust his posture because he was so used to the heavy arm.
Shortly before they left it got once more emotional. During a until then eventless day (Natasha and Bucky had gone for a run in the morning for the first time since the surgery while Clint was busy with fixing some arrows) Stephen came by.
“Hey you guys!” He greeted everyone.
“Bucky, I wanted to ask you if you are willing to give yourself in our hands for one last time.”
Clint saw how Bucky got visibly nervous.
“W-Why? Did something during the surgery go wrong? Did I uhm- is everything okay?” He stuttered and Clint took his hand and squeezed it.
“No, no!” Stephen raised his hands defensively. “Everything is fine. But we need to test out whether the trigger words were really fully erased. Therefore Shuri offered she could go through them with you. But I can assure you we are very, very certain, that they will have no effect on you anymore.”
Bucky let out a shuddering breath and they straightened up.
“Okay, I will do it. But uh…” He looked at Natasha and she slightly nodded.
“Would it be okay if Nat did it instead of Shuri? She was there once when they wiped me and I think she knows best how do it… if that’s okay with you?”
Bucky looked at Stephen shyly and questioningly.
“Of course that’s okay. Just let us know when you want to start.” Stephen gently closed the door.
“Oh god…I don’t know if I can do this…” Bucky rubbed his face and Nat and Bucky got up and hugged him simultaneously, Clint from behind, Natasha from the front.
“You are so strong, baby. Of course you can do this. Look at how much you’ve already achieved.” Clint whispered and kissed his neck.
Bucky sighed and leaned against Clint’s chest.
“Okay… let’s do this.”
All three were led into a small room. There was nothing special about except that it had no windows what made Bucky visibly uncomfortable. Clint squeezed his hand and cupped his cheek before Bucky sat down on the chair in the middle of the room.
“Hey. You can do this. I love you!”
They shortly kissed.
Stephen and Shuri stood in the doorframe.
“If you are both ready, you may start now. Clint, if you want you can stay inside but I ask you to please not interfere whatever happens. If the trigger words do have an effect on him, I will manage it.”
Clint nodded and Stephen took place next to him.
Natasha now stood directly in front of Bucky.
“Nat?”
“Yes?”
“Be like them! Be cruel, be brutal. I needa hear it the way they said it.”
“Okay.” She whispered. “Вы готовы?” [Are you ready?]
“Да” [Yes]
Natasha deeply inhaled and then she started.
“Желание!” [Longing]
Bucky’s eyes widened.
“Ржавый!” [rusted]
He grabbed the armrest of the chair he was sitting in.
“Семнадцать!” [seventeen]
The left armrest broke under the force of the metal arm.
“Рассвет!” [daybreak]
Clint had never heard Natasha’s voice become so cold and sharp. It send shivers down his spine. Bucky had closed his eyes and he was shaking. Heavily. Everything inside of Clint screamed to make it stop. Natasha had to stop. He couldn’t bear it seeing his lover going through so much pain.
“Печь!” [furnace]
Tears were streaming down Bucky’s face and he made a pained noise. Clint knew he was having flashbacks.
“Девять!” [nine]
“No, no, no, no, no, no” Bucky whispered under his breath. “Don’t make me relive his again!”
“Добросердечный!” [benign]
Natasha’s voice was firm and loud and cut through the air like a knife.
“Возвращение на Родину!” [homecoming]
“Один!” [one]
“Товарный вагон!” [freight car]
Bucky slid off the chair and sank down sitting on his knees. He was sobbing and after Stephen gave them the permission Natasha and Clint rushed towards him. Natasha fell on her knees and pulled Bucky into a her arms.
“You are free now, Bucky. You are free!”
***
It was a stormy evening and the rain was pouring like shit. Bucky stood in the kitchen preparing dinner and was assisted by an eager Peter, while Natasha and Steve sat in the living room chatting.
“Tony still got some stuff to do, but he said he tries to make it in time” Steve said. “But damn that smells so good! Buck, what are you serving us tonight?”
“We’re having this amazing curry that was served in Wakanda that evening” Bucky called back from the kitchen. “Shuri gave me the recipe before we took off. Peter, could you slice the garlic and onions?”
Clint leaned in the doorframe and observed the hilarious scenario as Peter put on his spiderman mask to avoid crying while cutting the onions and Bucky tossing the hot pan with his metal arm. Clint came and was about to hug Bucky from behind but was stopped by Bucky’s raised hand.
“As much as I love you, sweetheart – I would not do that. My left hand is burning hot at the moment.” He laughed whereupon Clint contented himself with kissing Bucky on the cheek and taking a few steps back.
“Do you guys need any help?”
“Nah… I got a brilliant assistant, we’re good! Dinner is ready in round about 15 minutes.” Bucky winked at Peter who had taken off the mask again and grinned back while adding the cream to the pot.
A quarter-hour later Peter carried a huge pot of curry to the big table in the living room whereupon Clint, Steve and Natasha applauded. He was followed by Bucky who taken off his apron and carried the naan and the rice.
Just as they had sat down the doorbell rang.
“Just in time, as I said” Steve laughed and went to open the door. A completely drenched Tony entered the living room.
“Hey fellas, sorry for soaking the floor!” he greeted as he went on to peel himself out of his soaking clothes.
“Dad, what’s going on? Why do you look so worried?” Peter asked.
“Well I… I got some important news but I don’t wanna ruin the mood so…”
Bucky came by to take his jacket. “What is it?”
“Okay, so –Fury and I managed to track down the person on the phone that caused your flashbacks.”
Bucky froze in mid-motion. The air was tense to the breaking point.
“Does anyone know someone called Helmut Zemo?”