Static: Get, Set, Glitch

When Bucky thought things couldn’t get stupider. He was right. But if he thought they wouldn’t get worse, he was wrong.

They’re all sitting around Y/n’s kitchen island, preparing the home-cooked meal Brekker requested. The conversation is flowing smoothly with a lot of teasing and laughing.

Bucky’s cutting up some chives, while Sam is talking about something Aj did at school when it suddenly hits him, this—this right here has become his family. And during this epiphany, when Torres asks where he can find the cinnamon sticks, Bucky points over to the shelf without thought or effort, based purely on instinct, the second epiphany hits him harder. This apartment feels more like home than the four walls he owns down in Brooklyn.

And the moment he revelations strike, his eyes search for Y/n finding her instantly. He finds her already looking back at him with a small smile.

He passes the chives off to Steve and makes his way over to Y/n and pulls her to the side by her hand.

“You’re gonna make me burn the dumplings, baby,” she complains half-heartedly as he stops them both next to the couch.

“I need to ask you something,” Bucky tells her. He’s scared shitless but there’s enough adrenaline in his system that he thinks he can see it through. So without any more preamble, he says, “I think we should move in together.” Then he shakes his head at the wrongness of it. That’s not what he was going for. “I mean—Can we? Move in together? I don’t know if it’s too quick by whatever stupid rules we’re supposed to follow nowadays, cause you’re the only person I’ve dated in a really long while… Wait, are we dating?” His face scrunches up. “This is an awkward question if we aren’t. Cause I’m so madly in love with you, it’s driving me insane.” He huffs. “See? This is why I didn’t bring up this conversation before. Not cause I didn’t want to, just cause I suck at this. Anyway, the point is, would you like to move in with me?”

“Yes,” she answers immediately, without hesitation.

When Bucky looks at her, her eyes are wide in surprise but her lips are curved up at the ends. Bucky then feels himself smile. “Yeah?” When she nods, he suddenly realizes his question came out all wrong. “No, wait,” he curses. Her face falls instantly. “Hold on, wait,” he rushes to explain. Taking a long breath to calm himself, he says, “I want to move in with you.”

Her face scrunches up in confusion, “I already said yes to that.”

“No, I mean, here,” he explains, motioning around him at his surroundings. “This place feels like—it feels like home. You feel like home. I want to move in here. With you.”

She smiles again. She takes his hand in hers, “It does feel like home—” she pulls him to her, chest to chest, “—when I’ve got a handsome Super Soldier cutting chives for my pot dumplings.”

He can feel a blush creep up.

Until he hears a small snicker from behind.

When he turns to look at the offender, Y/n does the same.

It’s Steve cutting chives… for her pot dumplings.

The punk doesn’t even look up.

He looks back at Y/n, “You gotta stop using the Super Soldier thing as an identifier.”

Wincing, “Sorry,” she says, placing a soft kiss on his nose.

“Y/n, your dumplings are burning,” Brekker calls out.

As she pulls away and makes her way over, she chides him, “You could just turn the flame off yourself, you know? It’s not like you’re doing anything.”

Brekker sits up straighter on his seat and says, “I am the guest of honor.” Then he smiles, “Besides, I’m also the entertainment.”

“Come on, babe. You promised to leave the stripping in the bedroom,” Torres says with mock seriousness.

Steve, Bucky, and Sam groan their displeasure at the mental image.

Y/n, though, just laughs plating the dumpling in front of her. “Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.”

As Bucky grumbles at the insinuation, Sam asks for clarification, “Try stripping or watching him strip?”

Why the fuck does he need clarification at all? Does he just hate Bucky? Is that it?

Bucky needs new best friends.

Torres maybe?

Nah, he’s slept with Brekker too.

She picks up the plate of dumplings, and watching her, everyone mimics her actions. They all pick up a dish and follow her over to the couch, placing the plates on the center table.

“Yes,” she replies, walking away to grab a six-pack of beer as Torres and Brekker laugh at a very confused Sam.

They settle down and begin having their food. The conversation is light and filled with harmless jokes at first. But then, Steve and Bucky are retelling stories from back during the war, while Sam is talking about his days in Pararescue. Y/n talks a bit about her childhood, mentioning how she doesn’t remember much when Brekker interrupts.

“By the way, Harley went through the files when you asked him to decrypt the flash drive,” he says. He’s sitting opposite her, with his back to the window and Torres to his left. Bucky is to her right. Sam and Steve sit opposite each other, on the square table, to Bucky’s and Brekker’s right respectively.

Unlike the sunny weather during the funeral only hours before, it’s cloudy now. The window behind Brekker and Torres, extends from the wall up to the skylight, making the lightning evident. A particularly strong strike even lighting up the table in front of them.

“And?” She asks, confused.

“I think he gets it now,” Brekker answers. “He gets why you want him to stay a normal kid for a little bit longer.” Y/n nods in understanding. But then Brekker adds, “You’ll have to let him go eventually, though.”

“I’m working on it,” Y/n replies, honestly.

Brekker nods in understanding.

“So, what will you do now?” Steve asks him. “With your freedom?”

“I don’t know,” Brekker answers. “I honestly hadn’t thought about it.”

“A guy like you? You must’ve had some kind of a dream?” Bucky asks.

Brekker snorts, “It already came true.” He shrugs. “Taking down The Orphanage, actually getting to be free… that was the dream… I don’t think I ever imagined a life beyond that. I mean, you don’t really imagine your life beyond the ‘Happily Ever After’ part, do you?”

“Well, your dreams have come true,” Y/n tells him.

“And, what now?” Brekker urges.

“Now—now you go dream up a new one.”

When Bucky looks at her, her eyes are fixed with Brekker’s and he can see the long years on her for the first time. He can see all the pain, and suffering and fatigue of her awfully long life reflected in her eyes. But he can also see a glimmer of hope, not just for Brekker. But also for herself.

Brekker chuckles, nodding.

She raises her beer, “To Malcolm Brekker, a great smuggler, a good friend, and a subpar arms dealer.” They snicker. “You did good, my friend… and now you get to rest in peace,” she says, voice thick with the sincerity of her emotions.

“To Malcolm Brekker,” they call out in unison, clinking their beers and taking a sip.

“What do you think about Caspian?” Brekker asks. When he’s met with confused faces at the random change of topic, he adds, “For my new name?” Everyone groans in disapproval. “Too posh?” He looks around at their scrunched-up faces and nods, “too posh.”

“What about Bond, James Bond?” Steve asks, imitating his British accent very poorly. Everyone lets out a laugh, Steve included.

“I want it to be something mundane, I think,” Brekker states. “I want to be normal.” He looks down at his hands. “I want to live out the rest of my days never having to watch these hands be coated in blood ever again.”

And it is moments like these that Bucky can’t help himself from thinking the universe is playing a fucking great big cosmic joke on him. Because it’s moments like these that haunt him every single night. Because it’s moments like these when he knows, from this point on, his life will never be the same as it was before. Life wouldn’t get stupider, but it would get far worse.

Because suddenly, he hears a click. It’s a signature, tell-tale click that he remembers from the goddamn ’40s when he used to hear it every day. He knows Steve remembers it too, because he looks back at Bucky with the same terror on his face, as he, himself feels in his gut.

It’s the click of a sniper rifle.

Bucky’s hand darts out to protect Y/n, pulling her down at the same time as Steve goes to do the same for Brekker.

“Get down!” They both scream at once, the room falling into chaos.

Bucky’s eyes meet Y/n and he can see the instantaneous switch in them. “Y/n—” he tries to stop her but his attempt is futile.

Lights flash, static sounds out and she glitches out only to glitch in instantly in front of them, covering them. Her armor is up but her hands are empty.

“Mal, stay down,” she commands.

“Wasn’t really planning otherwise,” Brekker retorts sarcastically.

“Everyone okay?” Sam asks, looking around. “Anyone hurt?”

“Fine,” Torres answers at the same time as Steve.

“Y/n—” Bucky’s cut off by another shot being fired.

But this time, Y/n deflects it easily with her armor. Bullet ricocheting away.

“Y/n!” Bucky calls out.

“James, get Mal out of here!” She commands as another bullet flies in.

Bucky grumbles to himself, before pulling Brekker towards him from where he’s crouching, putting his vibranium arm over him to cover him. “Come on, Caspian. Let’s go.”

But they only take a few steps, before the bullets become more and more frequent.

Y/n dodges them easily but they go ricocheting off in every direction, the sound is almost deafening.

Ting.

Ting.

Ting.

Until—

One of them does not make a noise.

Bucky looks around confused, while Y/n continues. He scopes the place to see where it landed, stopping only when he hears a broken gasp. He turns to the man crouching next to him. “Brekker?”

Brekker falls the short way to the ground, with a hand to the left side off his chest. His backrests on the white wall behind him, now stained red.

“Brekker?” Bucky screams then. “Malcolm?”

Everyone’s attention falls to them as another gasp leaves his lips. “I think the irony of it all, really is going to kill me,” he croaks out something awfully shattered.

Y/n and Torres are next to him in an instant.

“Mal?” Torres coos at him, one hand on his jaw, while the other tries to apply pressure to the wound. “Babe?”

Bucky’s getting a horrible sort of deja vu.

“Call 911,” Sam tells Steve, who pulls out his phone instantly.

“You’re gonna be okay,” Torres assures him, his own voice breaking. “You’re gonna be fine, alright? Just hold on.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy, handsome,” Brekker replies with a smile, hand slowly reaching to hold Torres.

Bucky’s going to puke.

“Mal,” Y/n says, her voice barely a whisper. “Mal, come on, man. You haven’t even found a dream yet. Not even a name. You’ve got to hold on, please.”

Steve, Bucky and Sam are standing over the other three.

“You’re a tough son of a bitch, Malcolm, just hold on for a minute,” Sam urges, looking from Brekker to Steve, who’s telling the operator Y/n’s address. “Help’s coming,” Sam adds when Steve hangs up. “So hold on. That’s an order.”

Brekker chuckles, with a cough. “I’ll try for you, Captain.”

“You’re gonna be okay, babe. You’re gonna be fine. You’re supposed to take me for fish and chips, right? You can’t bail now,” Torres is rambling at this point, tears streaming down his face.

Bucky feels his own eyes water.

“I’m sorry, handsome,” Brekker says. “I truly am.” Bucky’s never seen Brekker with so many emotions before. He frankly, fucking loathes it. “You made this sad, broken boy really happy for a bit there. Thanks for that,” he smiles. He’s still somehow just as charming as ever.

“Mal, I swear to god if you die, I’ll kill you myself,” Y/n warns through clenched jaws.

“The shooter’s on the run, we need to pursue,” Steve interrupts, ready to spin into action. “I’ll—”

“I’m on it,” Y/n cuts him off.

“Y/n—” Sam tries.

“I’m the only option and you know it,” Y/n says, fists clenching. “You better be alive when I get back, Mal,” she warns.

“If I’m not—” Brekker tries.

“Mal—”

“If I’m not… Please, don’t forget me?” Brekker pleads, his voice small.

Y/n’s calm facade breaks. “Never could.”

“You don’t know… long life, so many friends… maybe you forget?”

Y/n reaches out to hold his hand. “I will never, ever forget you, Malcolm Brekker,” she promises, a tear slipping down her face.

When Brekker nods, seemingly happy with her answer, she breaks into a run with nothing but fury and vengeance in her eyes.

Shattering the windows, she glitches away as she falls. Glitching in on the opposite rooftop.

And the worst part is, the moment she’s gone, Bucky can hear his heart give out.

And with one last breath, Malcolm Brekker is dead.

Torres realizes the same thing and breaks down. His cries are wretched and Bucky’s blood runs cold hearing them. He fucking hates every second of this but all he can think of the rage in Y/n’s eyes. He’s consumed with it.

He gets up on his feet, taking a few steps back, and breaks into a run as well. Ignoring Sam and Steve’s protests, he jumps out the window Y/n had broken. Using his momentum, he propels himself far enough to fall diagonally, crashing into the opposite building’s second-floor staircase window.

He wastes no time, running up to the roof where he finds Y/n, standing with a note in her hands and the wind howling.

When she looks at him, he says, “Y/n—”

She wordlessly hands him the note along with a small white pebble.

Don’t say I never gave you anything.
—With nothing but love, Inara.

And the moment he reads the letter he realizes the pebble in his hand is actually Y/n’s tooth.

Bucky doesn’t know how to control his own rage while trying to minimize Y/n’s. But when their eyes meet he knows she has already given up on hope. She’s the raging storm incarnate.

“Sweetheart—”

She breaks into a run, hopping from one rooftop to another, and glitching whenever inconvenient.

Bucky tries to follow her but falls significantly behind.

“Where is she?” Suddenly Sam calls out from above him. He’s not wearing his uniform, only his wings.

“Headed west, she’s following the bitch who tortured her. She’s the sniper,” Bucky informs, as Sam drops a comm onto Bucky’s hand and flies away.

“We’ve got to stop her before she does something stupid,” Steve says over the comms, panting. When Bucky jumps from one roof to another, he can see Steve following them on the street.

“I found her,” Sam informs them over the comms, barking out an address.

All of them pick up their pace.

By the time Bucky, Steve and Sam finally make it there, both women are fighting relentlessly. But Y/n’s rage seems to give Inara the upper hand.

The sky above them has broken down and seems to be crying over Brekker as well.

“You shot my friend,” Y/n says, her voice uneven, which is new for Bucky to witness.

“Only fair since you killed my girlfriend first,” Inara replies easily, punching Y/n in the face. “Granted I was only sleeping with her for the power of it all,” she knees Y/n in the gut, and then jumps up and wraps her thighs around Y/n’s throat, suffocating her. “But you took away my purpose,” she spits out, venomous.

It’s then that Y/n notices the three men, and her face loses color.

Their presence is realization enough for her that her friend is in fact dead. And with that, he doesn’t feel like he can recognize the eyes of the woman he’s so in love with. Because they lose all the damn sparkle, bloodlust taking over.

When Bucky goes to try and help, Y/n looks at him and chokes out, “Stay out of it!” And takes Inara with herself to the floor. She quickly gets up on her feet, kicking Inara in the face.

As Inara groans and begins to get up, Y/n knees her in the chest moving behind Inara grabbing her by the hair on the back of her head.

Her right hand dawns the armor again, this time, the metal stretching out, with the hilt of the sword clenched tightly in her fist to the side.

“Y/n!” Sam warns.

“I know you’re pissed off but you don’t have to do this,” Steve says evenly.

“Yes, I do,” Y/n answers. “She killed Mal.” Her eyes seem dead somehow, as they stare down at Inara.

“And she’ll pay for it,” Sam replies in a calm tone. “But properly… We’ll get her prosecuted for it, Y/n, in a court. With evidence.”

“She doesn’t exist legally,” Y/n tells them.

“We’ll figure something out, okay? You’re the best damn lawyer we have, you’ll figure it out,” Steve reasons.

Bucky’s brain is still caught up on the dead look in her eyes.

7“This is not the way, Y/n, and you know it,” Sam says.

“She can help us nail The Orphanage,” Steve argues.

“I will,” Inara chimes in, jovially. Steve and Sam look at her but Bucky’s eyes are fixed on Y/n. “Now that Hera’s gone, there is no point keeping secrets. I’ll tell you anything and everything you want to know. I’ll rat out every sick bastard we ever worked with.”

“But?” Sam urges.

Inara smiles, “But that would mean that I would be out of jail in no time. My cooperation could be so helpful, I might not even see the inside of a jail cell at all.” She huffs dramatically, “But Y/n doesn’t want that, does she?”

She’s provoking Y/n. She wants to be killed by her, Bucky realizes.

And so does Steve. “Y/n, she’s baiting you,” he says.

“Don’t fall for it,” Sam warns.

But Inara won’t shut up. “I’ll have killed your precious little Malcolm Brekker and then I’d get to walk free. Granted I would have helped put about three dozen worth of other criminals behind bars but then is it really worth it?” Y/n is seething, Bucky can feel her anger down into his own fucking bones. “Is putting them behind bars worth not avenging your friend?” Inara asks snidely with a smile.

The sword next to Y/n slowly catches flame, glowing pink.

As Sam and Steve begin yelling for her to stop, Bucky’s heart breaks.

Rain falls over them, drop by drop.

“Sweetheart?” He calls out to her softly, and her actions halt. She looks over at him, eyes meeting. “Don’t do this, please.”

Her jaw clenches in response.

She’s just as angry as the storm.

He exhales heavily, and pleads, “Don’t do this, sweetheart. Please?” He takes a step towards her, slowly so as not to spook her. “It won’t help” Another step. “It won’t make you feel better.” Another step. “It won’t avenge Malcolm.” He’s almost there, two more steps. So he takes another and then he says, “It won’t bring him back.”

And he doesn’t quite know why, but that seems to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Because then she blinks, her whole demeanor radiating resignation and she says, “I know.”

The sword slits through Inara’s throat, cutting and burning.

Her lifeless body falls to the ground.

And with one last look from her body to Bucky, Y/n glitches away.