Shadows and Secrets (A MCU FanFic)

Chapter 3: Double Agents

Bucky's POV

"The game starts...NOW!"

Nat run to the door, and, after a few seconds hesitation, Sam, Tony, and Bruce ran after her.

"That was abrupt," Steve noted.

Clint sighed. "They don't pay me enough for this."

"You get paid?" Marjorie tilted her head slightly, making her blond, curly hair fall to the side.

It was a inch or so longer than sholder length when it was dry and in tight curls, but halfway down her back when it was wet. Marjorie's hair was an object of fascination for Bucky. He wondered if it was as soft as it looked...

"I wish," Clint said. "I am so broke." Marjorie laughed. Bucky felt instantly jealous, and then guilty for feeling jealous.

Steve cleared his throat. "Souldn't we be doing something?"

"True. Race you!" Majorie stepped into the shadows, and disappeared. She could teleport through shadows.

Clint followed Nat's path to the door, only with less enthusiasm. Steve ran past him.

Bucky inwardly sighed. Steve was always trying to be the fastest.

Bucky speed-walked over to Clint, and matched his pace.

Nat cares way to much about this, Clint signed, a smile pulling at his lips.

Bucky, Nat, and Clint were the only ones who knew ASL. (American sign language)

Clint was so good at reading lips, that he could keep up with even Tony's science-genious-nerd-talk at full speed, which was good because he often lost his hearing aid. (And Clint wasn't wearing it half the time he did know where it was.) But he had his limits, and Bucky knew he was more comfortable signing.

I know, right? Bucky signed back.

Someone needs to defeat her. Clint was full-on grinning now.

Bucky liked Clint. He was one of the few people who didn't treat him like he was broken. He was broken, but still.

I don't suppose you have any ideas?

Of what she will do, or what we should do?

Either.

I have both. Nat is going down. Clint reached the end of the stairs.

"Finally here, slowpokes?" Steve grinned and poked Bucky in the ribs.

Well, he tried to.

Anticipating this, Bucky had moved just out of reach.

"Everyone knows I was here first," Marjorie said, materializing out of the shadows right next to him. Bucky mentally jumped.

"Weird shadow-teleporting-magic does not count," Steve declared.

    "Um, first of all, it's not magic, it's—"

    "We've all heard this lecture at least five times, and if we want to find Nat's flag first, we need to make a plan." Clint was taking charge, which was unusual.

Clint could be working with Nat as a double agent.

Or maybe he just really wanted to beat Nat at something, like everyone else in this tower.

Bucky needed new friends. Preferably ones that were not insane, for a change.

"Alright," Clint continued,  "Here's the plan. Marjorie, you'll track them, and we'll try to figure out what Nat is doing. Then we'll improvise accordingly."