Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

xlix. 𝚙𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝

EVELYN SAID absolutely nothing on the ride to wherever the hell they were taking them. She rode in her own car away from Bucky. Away from Steve. Away from Sam. She was glad to be away from T'Challa. Her hands were tied tightly as they made it into a facility. She noticed the others were let loose beside her and Bucky. She caught his eye as they had him in this brute-like pod of a cage. She frowned, but she noticed his eyes on her bleeding collar, which no one would treat since she was a criminal right at that moment. Bucky's left side of his lips twitched up. She returned the half-smile, wanting nothing more than to be safe in each other's arms again.

She was roughly pulled aside, which caused Bucky's eyes to harden at how rude they were being to his Evelyn. Evelyn walked slow on purpose to irritate her guard as they neared Steve and Sam.

"Is that really necessary?" Steve asked to the guard about her hands still being tied up.

"Yeah, if you don't treat that scar, she'll bleed out," Sam called worriedly.

No one cared as they shoved her forward. Steve bit his lip worriedly at Evelyn's silence.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asked as they began walking toward a group of people. Evelyn noticed Sharon among them.

"Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition," the man said as his eyes flickered to Evelyn. "Same thing that will happen to Ms. Stark here if she doesn't start talking."

"It's Mrs. Barnes," Evelyn said finally, eyes cold and calculating as she finally met the man's stare. Sharon gulped at the absolute hatred oozing off of the woman. "And I won't say a word if you don't start treating me and my husband like human beings."

"Your husband? The one who killed all those people for decades?" the man taunted. "You'll be lucky to not receive the same sentence as him for hiding him these two years."

Evelyn smirked, which unnerved the entire group of people. She shrugged, nothing more as the man took a step back.

"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander," Sharon finally introduced to get Evelyn's eyes off of Ross. They did not even budge.

"What about a lawyer?" Steve finally asked, trying to help them in any way.

Ross snorted a laugh. "Lawyer. That's funny. See their weapons are placed in lockup. Oh, we'll write you a receipt."

"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that," Sam said with a scowl.

As they walked, Evelyn's guard let her go. They walked through hallways, Evelyn mentally finding her escape routes. Steve noticed what she was doing immediately. "You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favor, stay in it?" Ross told them.

"I don't intend on going anywhere," T'Challa stated calmly as his eyes stayed on Evelyn as if trying to figure her out.

Evelyn watched Natasha walk out of a room with Tony behind her. He was on the phone, but both of their eyes widened at the sight of Evelyn still tied up and not being tended to.

"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like," Natasha told Steve as she grabbed a towel nearby. She walked forward to Evelyn, wiping the blood from her collar. Evelyn did not even flinch.

"They're alive," was all Steve responded with.

Tony stepped forward. "No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup."

Natasha sighed as she saw the skin already repairing itself. She glanced at them all. "Try not to break anything while we fix this."

"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir," Tony said before ending the call.

"Consequences?" Steve asked doubtfully.

Tony shrugged. "Secretary Ross wants you all prosecuted. Had to give him something." He finally let his eyes rest on Evelyn. He stepped forward, taking a pocket knife from his pocket and quickly released her wrists from being tied up. They had used zip ties. "You don't move without someone around you. You're lucky you're not with Barnes in there."

Evelyn's steely gaze met his. "I'd rather be."

Tony sighed as he turned to walk off. "I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asked them as they walked.

Natasha turned to look at them. "Technically, it's the government's property. Wings, too."

Sam scoffed. "That's cold."

"Warmer than jail," Tony chirped back.

Evelyn was brought to a room where a man walked inside with a wry smile. He was going to be her evaluator as she knew everyone was watching her. She was only a room away from Bucky. She could practically feel him close to her. She stared at the man in front of her without any telltale signs that she would be speaking.

"How are you doing, Ms. Stark?" the man began as he sat down. She cocked a brow but gave no inclination that she was going to speak. "I'm here on behalf of the United Nations to evaluate you and Mr. Barnes." She said nothing. "Ms. Stark, this won't work—"

"It's Mrs. Barnes," she snapped.

The man smiled wrly. "Right. Of course, apologies." He wrote something down. "Did you ever get married to Mr. Barnes officially?"

Evelyn lowered her gaze to the table. "Never really had a chance, did I? He fell off the train in '45. I was frozen not long after. I found him again in 2014."

"Hmm," he said softly. "When he tried to kill you and your friends?"

"He didn't," she snapped again. "Not me, at least. He always knew who I was... no amount of brain washing from Hydra could change that."

"You blame Hydra for his actions?"

"He hasn't done anything!" she finally shouted. "Hydra had complete control over him until 2014 when Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. I took care of him since then. Two years of complete bliss away from everyone. We were fine until this happened. I don't know who's framing him, but he was with me in Bucharest, Romania. Look at my phone at the photos we took yesterday and this morning. Find surveillance cams for all I care. He didn't do it."

The psychiatrist hummed again. "They want you in jail for harboring a fugitive for two years, Evelyn."

"Yet during those two years, I still saved the world from Ultron and made sure he did not harm anyone. I'm not the problem here, and neither is James. I'm done talking."

The man tried to ask her more questions, but she did not answer. Tony finally barged in, gesturing for the man to go talk to Bucky. He grabbed Evelyn's arm, leading her to the room where Steve was in. He murmured under his breath.

"Where's your phone?"

"Bag," she said back.

Tony nodded, wanting to find those photos she was talking about. He wanted to help her, really he did. He just did not have time to be fighting against Ross right now.

"Stay here," he told her.

Steve smiled wrly at her when she met his eyes. She walked over to him, wrapping her arm around his. She leaned her head on his shoulder with a deep sigh leaving her lips.

"I'm sorry," Steve said.

Evelyn did not respond as they watched the psychiatrist walk into the room with Bucky. They could hardly hear.

"Hello, Mr. Barnes. I've been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit? Your first name is James?" the man began in a similar manner.

Bucky did not respond as he stared angrily at him. "I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James? I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."

"My name is Bucky. Only Evelyn can call me James," Bucky sneered. Evelyn's lips twitched into a smile as she saw Natasha turn from the other room to look at her questionably.