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BEFORE YOU CONTINUE....

Thank you for checking this story out. I just wanted to do a little reminder that this is the sequel to my story Chasing Ghosts, so if you haven't read that, I suggest you give it a read. If you're here to continue the story, welcome and thank you so much for reading!

★★★

Nadine is restless.

It's been six months since she escaped from Jameson's clutches and the wounds still feel fresh. Despite all her attempts to continue her life, her mind has turned against her. Her paranoia won't leave her alone, and every anxiety-ridden thought has become more than just an echo, worsened by her connection to the weapon of potential mass destruction. They scream at her, every day, every night, to the point that she feels herself coming undone.

Desperate to return to a version of normalcy and ignore her nightmares, when the opportunity to track Jameson down presents itself, Nadine doesn't wait for it to fall in her lap. She takes it, despite the protests, despite Bucky's worry that he'll lose her for good. Because even though she understands his concerns, Nadine can't wait in the sidelines until Jameson's caught. She's terrified that whatever he did to her will turn her into the monster he wants her to be.

Nadine won't rest until he's taken down. The question is, though: How far will she be willing to go to satiate her need to stop Jameson?

Bucky is conflicted.

Coming back to Wakanda put many things into perspective about the type of future that he wants. Despite Shuri's assurances that he's been deprogrammed, fear plagues his thoughts. He's worried, still, that his mind will make him once again an enemy to his loved ones. It doesn't help that Nadine is relentless in her pursuit of Jameson. She's convinced that she's the only one that can defeat him -and that she has to do it alone.

To make matters worse, he knows she's downplaying just how much she was affected by the sphere. He knows she's keeping a darker reality from him, but refuses to talk to him. Nadine could be standing right in front of him, and yet still feel out of reach.

Despite that, Bucky continues to fight for their future. He wants a life with Nadine, and he'll do whatever it takes to ensure they get it. But the question remains: How far will he be willing to go to save Nadine's soul?

★★★

STORY DETAILS

MAIN PAIRING: BUCKY BARNES X OC
BEGAN: Mar. 2025
ENDED: TBA
UNIVERSE: MCU - ALTERNATE UNIVERSE
TIMELINE: Set a year after the events of Captain America: Civil War
RATING: M for swearing, sexual themes, graphic violence. Reader discretion advised.

★★★

STORY TROPES

ROMANCE: # "Will you love me after all that I've done?". # lovers, but barely holding on. # "I don't need saving" gf x "then I'll burn with you" bf. # romantic angst. # devotion is their language. # "I'd follow you anywhere" x "Don't follow me to hell" dynamic.  # love is war. # hands reaching, but always out of reach.

OTHER: # canon divergence. # mcu!bucky barnes with comics!bucky barnes traits. # antihero turned tortured hero pipeline.  # female rage. # fractured family. # trauma survivor turned judge, jury, and executioner. # revenge is my only comfort. # morally gray.

★★★