The Gathering Storm
"Barnes, move," a guard said as he struck the cell with a baton, the loud noise meant to wake Bucky, who was lying on a metal bed.
The cell had only a bathroom and a bed. Nothing more, nothing less.
Bucky sighed before getting up. He stood in front of the door and slid his hands through a small opening, just wide enough for them to pass. Metal restraints locked around most of his forearms. Then he stepped onto a platform, where his feet were also shackled, this time with chains that allowed him to walk, but looked extremely sturdy. Only then did the door open.
He saw five armed guards. The weapons they carried did not look human at all. They were clearly high-tech.
One of them motioned for him to move with a tilt of his head.
Bucky started walking, his steps making the chains lightly clash, producing a steady, rhythmic sound.
He glanced around. The nearby cells were full, each one holding someone inside, all with frightened, tragic expressions. Among them were mutants and completely normal people.
Some shouted that they had done nothing wrong. Others cried, regretting having awakened some kind of power and using it without meaning to.
Bucky looked at them for a moment before turning his gaze forward again.
As he exited the cell block, a woman with a clearly disdainful expression stared at him. Several DODC soldiers stood behind her.
"I'll take it from here," she said, looking at the other guards, who nodded and quickly stepped away.
The soldiers surrounded Bucky.
"Do you remember me, Barnes?" she asked, looking him straight in the eyes with a hint of mockery.
"No," Bucky replied calmly, dry and direct.
She frowned, then smiled.
"Doesn't matter. How about we make a deal?" she said quickly, shaking her head as if brushing off her irritation.
Bucky seemed to ignore her, staring straight ahead without reacting.
"You could earn your freedom," she insisted, her tone now tempting.
Bucky lowered his gaze to meet hers.
"No," he said again, just as cold.
That caught her off guard. Her expression turned irritated as she gestured to the soldiers. They grabbed Bucky by the arms and slammed him to the ground.
"How stupid. We could have done this the nice way, where we both benefit. But fine, I like the second plan better," she said as one of the soldiers handed her what looked like a syringe.
Bucky stared at it, his eyes narrowing.
"Oh, don't worry about this. It's just a tracker. I need to know where that so-called high-security prison is, one that's supposedly even better than ours," she said, though her expression made it clear that wasn't the whole story.
"You can try to warn them, but if you do, a missile might fall on your head. Sometimes those things just fall," she added with an amused smile.
"And with a tracker, it's easy to know where to aim," she finished, patting his arm.
"Move," she said as she stood up, motioning for the soldiers to take Bucky to the military vehicle waiting outside, along with a small escort convoy.
…
"That Reed Richards guy seems like he already had an idea of your plan. He's actually pretty smart," Pietro said through the comms, while Owen stood calmly just outside the V.I.T.A.E base, as if he were waiting for guests.
"Well, it's actually a pretty obvious plan if you think about it. It's literally on TV all the time, how the law is bad for civilians and how constant hero fights destroy entire areas. If people didn't notice, they'd be idiots," Nicolas replied from another location, also over the comms.
"Even if it seems simple, it's not as simple as it sounds," Emma cut in, her tone calmer.
"It's very meticulous, because people start hearing that during Owen's captures there are always civilian deaths. And that's what matters most. It's a way to show that even by respecting the law, registering, and working for the government, nothing actually changes," she explained.
"The law that was created to protect civilians from failures still has the same failures. That's what he wants to prove," she added.
"And capturing every hero, even those without powers?" Nicolas asked.
"It's meant to show that civilians should only be protected by the government or the police, not by other people, and that they have to accept that," Emma replied.
"It forces them to rely again on the ones who failed them in the first place. There's a reason those heroes and vigilantes were created. Basically, it's to remind them that they exist because the corrupt have always been in charge."
"And the fight he's planning now?" Pietro asked, his tone showing both interest and understanding.
"Well, about that, I'm still not entirely sure," Emma replied.
"So the government can see that it's right. We're nuclear bombs walking around the world pretending to be human," Owen said coldly.
"And a government having total control over all those bombs will really be seen as world peace," he added, a faint smile forming on his face.
"Oh, so they'll fight over trying to control the registered heroes or attract them to their own countries," Nicolas said quickly, understanding it immediately.
"Being controlled by a UN panel," Owen continued.
"When has the UN ever really done something good for the world? And who would even make up that panel? If they forced every hero into retirement, I'd really like to see how they'd protect the world from future threats."
"They created a stupid system, but not a completely useless one. One we'll use to our advantage once we reorganize it," he said with complete seriousness.
"But for that, we need to show the power these nuclear bombs truly have, so they understand exactly what they're trying to control."
"Heroes are too soft, trying not to be seen as a threat," he went on.
"But they are. They're a threat big enough to the world. And strong enough to protect it. And that's what they need to prove."
"And I'll have to force them to show all of their power."
"Wouldn't that be counterproductive?" Emma asked.
"That's why there's a next part to the plan," Owen replied, saying nothing more.
He kept watching as the DODC vehicle approached, a faint smile on his face, while in the distance he could already see other presences moving in from different directions.
"Looks like everyone's ready. I wonder if Tony will be a little sad when he sees the base destroyed after this," Nicolas commented.
"I already had another one built on a paradise island. I think it'd be nice to work and have some fun," Tony said for the first time. "Right next to the 'prison'. After all, I'm a bit jealous that Banner is the one guarding it. I'm sure he's drinking margaritas right now with the other imprisoned heroes."
"Oh, there you were," Pietro said.
"Yeah. I was finishing up a few things," Tony replied enigmatically.
…
The vehicles came to a stop, and Sadie glanced at Owen with a slightly annoyed expression before bringing Bucky out behind her.
He was wearing a muzzle, his shackled feet clanking loudly with every step.
"We brought the prisoner. Barnes, Mr. Colt," she said, then looked around and noticed there were no guards or military personnel present like before. "Aren't your men here to escort him?" she asked.
"No need. I'll handle it myself," Owen replied with a relaxed smile.
He quickly signed a few documents, then lifted his gaze to Bucky, who was staring straight back at him.
"And the muzzle?" Owen asked.
"Well, just in case. You never know if they have some kind of power like spitting acid or something," Sadie replied with a fake smile.
Owen stared at her for a moment before motioning for her to leave.
Sadie's smile widened as she turned around, retreating quickly with the rest of the soldiers.
Owen looked back at Bucky, who stood there chained and restrained.
"I'm completely sure that woman is planning something, but I don't have time to dig into it right now," Owen said calmly. "I just need you to stay still and hidden for a while."
The ground suddenly opened beneath them, and Owen pushed Bucky inside. Moments later, it closed again, as if nothing had happened.
Owen remained standing there, arms crossed.
A Quinjet flew overhead, and Owen watched as two figures jumped from it.
One was Steve. The other was Sam. Sam held Steve until he touched the ground, then landed himself.
"Where's Bucky?" Steve demanded the moment he landed.
Owen tilted his head toward him and raised a hand, signaling him to wait.
Then another aircraft appeared, almost invisible, before descending rapidly.
Scott was the first to step out, his expression furious, red lenses in his hands.
"You imprisoned Jean?" he shouted, as Logan landed behind him, sharing the same rage.
Next came a normal car, from which Jessica Jones, Luke, and Danny stepped out.
"We meet again," Jessica said, her gaze serious.
Then what looked like a flying car descended, a large number four painted on its hood, landing almost immediately.
"Where's Reed?" asked a beautiful blonde woman, her face full of concern. Beside her stood a man with an arrogant expression, scowling, and a man made of rock.
The group kept growing. More and more arrived, and every new arrival asked the same thing. Always about someone else. Someone Owen had already captured.
Ant-Man for Doctor Pym. Patriot for his grandfather, the Black Captain America. Blue Marvel reappeared in the sky. And someone else tore through the atmosphere, falling like a meteor.
"Wow. I think I overdid it a little," Owen muttered as he watched the chaos build.
Then a figure descended, floating arrogantly above everyone else, ignoring them completely. Except for Owen, whom she looked at directly.
"Where's Fury?"