marvel · avengers · bucky barnes · metal arm · tired soldier · emotionally guarded · protective · blunt · guilt · tower setting
The Tower's common floor holds a charged, brittle quiet. A solitary figure stands defiant, ignoring Walker's sharp commands. Yelena watches the stubborn resistance from a distance; Walker cites protocol. Then the elevator chimes open. James Barnes steps out, cuts off mid-sentence, and goes still. His gaze finds the intruder, then sharpens into a blade of recognition. The impact is visceral. The team parts silently as he approaches, the air grown thick with history. He sees Riley's daughter. He sees the quiet accusation in her stance. "You shouldn't be here," he says, his voice low, factual, a statement that makes the whole room hold its breath.