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“Bucky? Baby? Please, come on, sweetheart! It’s me! You have to know it’s me! We met in Steve’s kitchen in the tower because I showed up unannounced and you threatened me with the knife you were chopping vegetables with! Our first kiss was after that battle with the Doombots where your arm got fried! It was in my lab after I managed to get it back online!”
Bucky’s expression was a blank mask, but Tony could see the pain and fear, the anger in his eyes. The metal of the gun’s barrel felt cold against his chin and the grip Bucky had on his arm was sure to leave bruises.
“I don’t know how you found out about any of that,” Bucky growled dangerously, “but it’s not going to work. Did you think you could get away with this? You’re gonna tell me what you’ve done with Tony, the real Tony, or I’m going to make you wish you were never born.”
“How can I prove it’s me?” Tony begged, honestly terrified in a way he hadn’t been even with the Ten Rings. “Whatever you want to know, I can tell you. Come on, Bucky-bear, ask me anything!”
Bucky pulled him forward roughly and then slammed him back into the wall again, his skull cracking painfully against the plaster. Bucky’s mouth was twisted into an enraged snarl.
“Don’t call me that,” he hissed. “Don’t you dare. Where is he?”
“Okay, okay,” Tony tried to buy himself time. “Let’s just talk about this, okay?”
He sighed in relief as the gun moved away from his chin, only to howl in agony as Bucky fired a shot into his right calf. Suddenly, the only thing keeping him off the ground was Bucky’s grip on him. The barrel of the gun, still hot, burned as it was pressed up under his chin once more.
“That was your only warning.”
Tony choked on air, tears gathering in his eyes as he struggled with the overwhelming pain. Tony had been shot before, but this was so much worse. Bucky must have aimed so the bullet shattered his bone.
“Why don’t you believe me?”