There Are Such Things As Wizards || Bucky Barnes

7- The Cave

The team was briefing in one of the many conference rooms discussing their next mission. "In Massachusetts, there have been sightings near a cave at the bottom of a mountain that have caused many people to be terrified." explained Tony. "What kind of sightings exactly?" asked Steve. "That's the thing, people have reported very different things. Few reported giant snakes, creepy clowns, one even reported a shark which is surprising since there is no water nearby." Natasha let Tony finish before adding, "Sounds like something Loki would do." Thor shook his head and explained that his brother was on Asgard.

"Where in Massachusetts is this cave?" asked Wanda. "At the bottom of Mount Greylock." This caught Elaina's attention. "Mount Greylock?" she repeated and Tony nodded suspiciously. "Mount Greylock is where the American Wizarding school is located, Ilvermorny." "Really, I thought the school would've been in Salem," said Sam, jokingly. Elaina shook her head, "No the school was built 70 years before the trails. Anyway the town near the school used to be filled with witches and wizards but recently, it had become a home to many more muggles, which is why we are seeing these reports." "So you're saying whatever this is you think it might be from your wizarding world?" asked Bruce. Elaina nodded before he continued. "Do you know what it is?" "Yes, which is why I have to go alone." Everyone around her started yelling and telling her it wasn't a good idea for her to go by herself. She stood from the table and the person sitting next to her grabbed her arm, thinking she was going to walk out of the room. But she didn't. She apparated.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with the beautiful forest that laid below Mount Greylock. She then heard a thud and a groan behind her causing her to turn around. Bucky lay on the ground clutching his stomach. "What the bloody hell are you doing here! You could have been splinched!" She yelled helping him off the ground and made sure none of his body parts were missing. "I have no idea what the hell you just said but you can not go on missions alone." Elaina grew furious. "This is a magical creature, meaning it is my responsibility James! So I'm sorry if I care too much about yours and everyone else's well being so none of you have to deal with the pain!" She yelled before walking off to find the creature she was looking for.

Bucky was angry, but didn't dare go after her. The use of his first name added to his anger, no one really called him that anymore and he liked to keep it that way. Just then Bucky noticed something in the corner of his eye that was not there a second ago. It was a chair, a chair that he was way too familiar with. Someone was standing next to it, a man he knew to be dead. Alexander Pierce.

Bucky felt his heart rate increase dramatically. "Come sit. You have some work to do." Pierce gestured for Bucky to sit. Bucky shook his head, his face filled with fear. "No? You forget your place. You are the fist of Hydra. Hydra owns you." Pierce crept closer to Bucky. Bucky didn't move his feet or said a word, but he pulled a gun from behind his back and aimed it at Pierce. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. But you are going to need to get wiped again-" "SHUT UP!"

Elaina heard Bucky's scream throughout the forest. She became worried knowing the thing she was trying to avoid had already happened. The creature she's been trying to capture had gotten to Bucky before she had a chance to get to it. She ran through the forest and found Bucky standing with a gun pointing at a man, but she knew that man wasn't real.

"Bucky" She said quietly as she approached him. He didn't move at all as he continued to stare at the man that was on the other side of his weapon. She then moved in front of him so the gun was now in front of her face. "Bucky, it's okay. He's not going to hurt you." He looked down at her with fear and tears in his eyes. "James, he's not real. Put the gun down." This time hearing her say his first name instantly put him at ease. He felt her soft hand gently touch his and helped him lower the weapon. She gave him a small smile and then turned around.

They both watched as Pierce turned into a woman Elaina was very familiar with. Bucky heard Elaina's breath hitch before she stepped forward. "Well if it isn't the little blood traitor." Said Bellatrix with her infamous evil smirk. "It's disgusting how much you're like your father. Conversing with Muggles. I should've killed you like I did him when I had the chance!" Before Bellatrix could continue Elaina raised her wand. "Riddikulus" Bucky stood in shock as he watched the woman melt as if she was the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.

Elaina summoned a small box from her bag and put the contents of the melted Bellatrix inside before locking it and placing it back into her bag. "Are you alright?" She said, giving Bucky a worried look. "What was that?" he asked in a quiet voice. She sighed before answering him. "A boggart. They're a form of shapeshifters in the Wizarding World. They turn into whatever the person standing before it fears the most."

Elaina went to sit on a log and Bucky followed her. "Was she from your nightmares?" She nodded. Elaina knew she would have to open up about her past to Bucky in order for him to do the same. She didn't know much about his past but she knew he was haunted by it and she wanted to help him. "Bellatrix Lestrange, my father's cousin. She killed him right in front of me. A couple years later, during the last battle of the war she used two of the unforgivable curses on me. First the Imperius Curse, a curse that placed me under her complete control. She used it to try and force me to use the second curse, the Cruciatus Curse on a child. It's a torture curse, so when I built up enough resistance and couldn't go through with harming him, she used it on me. It's happened to me twice, not both by her but it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced."

Bucky felt sorry for everything Elaina had been through and was thinking about how similar some parts of her story were to his past. He desperately wanted to open up to her but was still shaken up by the boggart. "Are you sure you're alright?" She asked again, since he never answered her the first time. He shook his head no and then put his head in his hands. Elaina knelt in front of him and gently pulled his hands from his face to get him to look at her. "You don't need to tell me anything right now, I'll be there to listen whenever you're ready. I'd like to help if you'd let me." She said, giving him a small smile. He nodded before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her into a tight hug. His head buried into her shoulder and he whispered a small 'thank you'.

Just then they heard the sound of a jet landing which caused them to pull apart. Tony and Steve were the first off the jet, both in their suits and looking very angry. Elaina knew why, but she didn't regret what she did. The boggart had already affected one more person than she would've liked. They both headed straight for her until Steve noticed his distressed friend.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Tony yelled at her. "I did what I had to. The boggart already affected one more person than I would have liked." She yelled back, gesturing to Bucky who was being comforted by Steve. "Tony, have you ever had to face your absolute worst fear, head on?" Tony shook his head no, looking at the ground imagining what it would be like if Pepper or Peter were dead in front of his very eyes. "Exactly, now if you excuse me, I have to go look for more boggarts so none of you have to worry about experiencing what it is like." She said starting to walk away. "Wait!" Someone called after her, causing her to turn around. She saw Bucky jogging up to her. "Let me come with you. You don't deserve to go through that again alone." She looked up at him and gave him a small smile and nodded. The two then made their way through the forest without finding any more boggarts and simply enjoyed each other's company.