Chapter 11
Bucky blinked as he heard the sound of rocks hitting his bedroom window. He got out of bed slowly, careful not to wake his foster sister. He glanced out of the window and grinned when he saw Brock waving wildly from the lawn.
He glanced over to make sure that his sister was still asleep before opening the window and slowly climbing his way down to the lawn. “Shhh! You will wake up Becca,” Bucky giggled as he reached the ground.
Brock grinned and threw his arms around Bucky’s waist and pulled him close. “But I didn’t! And I wanted to see you.”
“Well here I am!” Bucky threw his arms around Brock’s neck and kissed him.
“Let’s get out of here before your foster dad wakes up,” Brock grabbed hold of Bucky’s hand and ran out of the neighborhood with Bucky running behind him. Bucky’s foster father would be enraged if he knew he was out with Brock. It wasn’t that he really gave a shit about Bucky, he just really hated Brock.
“I think we are far enough away now,” Brock slowed his run down to a slow walk and tangled his fingers with Bucky’s. They were in the woods just outside of town. This was their spot. It was far away from the world were it could just be the two of them.
“So why did you come and get me?” Bucky asked as he lightly swung their joined hands.
Brock shrugged. “Got in a fight with my foster dad. Got thrown out. I think I’m going to try to become emancipated. I’m 16 after all. I can’t go back to another fucking family.”
Bucky nodded. “You think you can take care of yourself?”
Brock nodded and shrugged. “Pretty much already have. It’s different with alphas. Nobody wants some alpha teen in their house. No one. I’m not some pretty sweet thing like you. I’m a threat. I’m just tired of all of this shit.”
“I’m sorry. It’s not exactly fun being an omega,” Bucky bit his lip. “My foster dad makes me uncomfortable sometimes.”
“He’s creepy as fucking shit. And if he ever touches you, I will fuck him up,” Brock growled.
“I miss the last family,” Bucky sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to leave them.”
Brock stopped and took Bucky’s hands in his as he turned to look at him. “One day, I swear to you, I will make sure you have a family. And I’ll take care of you.”
Bucky giggled and looked up at him. “One day you are going to mate me and we will have lots of babies?”
“Yep,” Brock smiled. “But first we’ve got to finish school, and then I’m going to college. I’m going to get some awesome job and we will see the world. Then I’ll mate you and we’ll see about babies.”
“Brock!” Bucky giggled. “We’ll have babies one day.”
“Maybe in like 15 years,” Brock laughed. “We’ve got to see the world first, babe.”
Bucky smiled and threw his arms around Brock’s neck. “And you will love me and take care of me forever?”
“Forever,” Brock smiled and leaned in to kiss him.
Sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to.
Bucky blinked back tears as he took in the sight before him. Steve yanked the knife out of his abdomen as though it was nothing. He stared at the knife for a minute before tossing it onto the ground. Blood was pouring out of the open wound. There was shouting, so much shouting.
“Weaponry is not allowed!” the Decider shouted above all of the screaming.
Brock’s face was cold as he stared at Steve. Steve’s face was absolutely unreadable as he pushed his hand against his wound. Blood was seeping around his fingers.
It felt like things were in slow motion. They were just staring at each other. Bucky’s heart was beating so loudly that he couldn’t make out what people were screaming. Brian was staring at Bucky. “Mommy!” he sobbed. He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand what was happening. He didn’t understand that he just witnessed his father stab his hero. He didn’t understand.
Fuck the rules. Bucky grabbed Brian and pressed his face against his chest. Brian was not going to watch this. He was not going to see what was going on. Bucky didn’t give a fucking shit that Brian had to witness this, per the rules of the challenge.
Bucky held Brian’s face against his chest as the loud sound of Steve’s fist hitting Brock’s face echoed over all of the shouting. He held his face against his chest as the noise repeated itself over and over. Brian would not witness this.
Brian didn’t witness Brock’s face becoming more and more mangled with every blow that Steve laid on it. Brian didn’t witness Steve’s face contorted with rage. He didn’t witness the blood from Brock’s face and Steve’s abdomen mix onto the ground.
“The Challenge has paused! Stop!” the Decider screamed above the sounds of the beating and the screaming and shouting of the audience. “Stop!” he screamed.
Alice wailed in Bucky’s arms. The noises were too much for her. “Mommy, I’m scared!” Brian cried against Bucky’s chest. Bucky was scared too. Bucky was crying too. He knew. He knew what the Challenge consisted of. He had witnessed it as a child. He knew what could happen. He knew this was fucking Brock against Captain America. He knew what this would consist of. But this was more then he could ever imagine.
Steve couldn’t stop. The man known for being a hero, for being a leader, the man known for fighting all bullies couldn’t stop. Someone was grabbing him and trying to pull him off of Brock. Bucky didn’t know who they were but Steve seemed to.
“Stop! Fucking stop, Steve! He’s dead! He’s dead!” the man wailed as he pulled on Steve’s arm. Steve stopped and a look of horror went over his face.
“Brock,” Bucky whispered as tears poured out of his eyes. He hated him. He hated what he did to him. But he was Brock. Brock couldn’t be truly gone.
“Daddy?” Brian sniffled as he tried to lift his head from Bucky’s chest. Bucky held firm. Brian wasn’t going to witness this.