the strongest avenger (2)

one hundred and five

My eyelids flutter open and the first thing I see are two giant red eyes--wait no. Upon further inspection, they're goggles. Sam's red goggles.

Then I remember where I am. In Moscow, fighting Hydra in the snow.

Sam's mouth is moving a mile a minute, while I'm still trying to clear my own vision.

I clear my throat. "I cannot hear you! I'm deaf right now!"

Sam's lips form a flat line and he points to his head.

"I can't read your mind yet! My magic isn't back yet."

His shoulders slump and he speaks into his wrist while I sit up and wipe snow and blood from my face. My bracelet vibrates and I bring it up, reading the message.

Nat and Bucky blew up the building, we're all meeting up.

Grinning, I look up and give Sam two thumbs up. His shoulders shake with laughter as he stands from his crouch and holds out his hand for me. I take it and let him pull me up.

Looking over my shoulder, my mouth pops open as I examine the remains of the facility. The whole building caved in, leaving a devastatingly huge, blackened hole in its absence. Obviously there's debris and bodies everywhere, but the hole is very big.

I shake my head and make my way over to Nat as she runs towards me. I envelope her in a tight hug, taking in her cinnamon scent mixed with blood and sweat. She pulls back and holds me at arms length, frowning as she reaches up and touches my right ear. Her fingers come away red and I wince at the sharp pain of her touch.

I read her lips as she mutters an apology. My body jerks as someone touches my arm, and I turn to see Wanda with a small smile. We hug and I take in her ragged appearance.

"How did you do?" I ask her.

Wanda chuckles and holds a thumbs up. I turn and freeze as James runs up to me, picking me up in a bone crushing hug. I immediately hug him back tightly, breathing him in and feeling relieved.

His mouth moves against my neck, but I can't hear what he says, so I just pat him on the back until he puts me down and I look at him.

"Hi Bubs, I'm so happy you're okay! But I literally can't hear you!" He cringes at, what I'm assuming is my loud voice, and just tugs me to him and places a kiss on my lips.

Bucky suddenly jerks back and rubs his lips, a pained look on his face.

"What?" I ask him.

He points at me and I watch his lips. "You shook...shot--"

"I didn't shoot you."

He moves his lips very slow and I frown at his words.

"You shocked me."

"I shocked you?"

He nods and I laugh. "I guess my powers are slowly coming back."

He just shakes his head and wraps an arm around me as everyone comes together. I just keep nodding and smiling as Steve and Thor say words, Loki mutters something and Sylvie scowls at him. But then all of their heads jerk towards something and Bucky immediately shoves me behind him.

I swat at his arm while peeking my head around, finding Danika of all people holding a gun and walking towards us. I look over at Nat as she slowly starts to grab her gun and Bucky shifts as well. Looking to the left, Wanda flicks her hand and a small light of red appears, but just as quickly disappears. Her muscles strain as she tries to summon something.

I myself reach deep and try to at least open up links to Danika's mind. It's faint, and it's causing sweat to form on my brow, but I can somewhat read her mind.

Stupid...end this...find...right timing...use gun...

I realize what she's doing slightly too late.

"NO!" I call out as I launch myself at Wanda at the same time as Danika fires the gun at her.

A muffled second gunshot is heard, but all I care about is Wanda underneath me. I get off of her and tug at her clothes, trying to find a bullet wound.

Her body lurches as I push down on her lower abdomen. Immediately, I look up at Natasha across from me.

"We need Bruce!" I tell her.

Natasha starts talking into her wrist as I put pressure on the wound to help staunch the bleeding. Someone taps my shoulder and I look up to see Sylvie handing me her cloak. I take it and press it to Wanda's stomach.

Snow flies in my face as the jet lands and the door opens, Bruce running out, Tony following with a stretcher. I stand back and watch as Steve and Bucky lift Wanda onto the stretcher and into the jet.

We all follow them as they head into a small separate room. Bruce yells something and Bucky jogs over to the pilot's seat. Natasha takes my hand and leads me over to a seat as the door closes and the engines fire up.

"What's happening?" I whisper, my eyes trained on the dried blood covering my hands.

Natasha types on her phone and hands it to me.

Bucky's flying us back, Tony and Bruce are working with Wanda. Bruce said she should be fine, but they're calling Dr. Cho.

"And who's Steve calling?"

Fury. SHIELD's coming out to clean this mess.

"Got it. Danika?"

Dead, Sam got her.

I just nod and try to process all that's happened in the last few hours, eventually falling into my own thoughts.

About an hour or so later, Nat taps my shoulder and holds out her phone.

Wanda's okay. They stopped the bleeding, the bullet is stable and she's on drugs so she's sleeping.

I let out a deep sigh of relief, Wanda's going to be okay.

"So, what now?" I ask.

Nat pauses, thinking before typing on her phone.

We get to be free.