Sunny/Tatiana - 10:30 p.m.
Stark smiled, the drawn and tired smile of an exasperated man. He didn't say anything. The red-head beside him spoke for him instead, "I hope you enjoy the party, Marianne. The dancing's starting." She seemed like a kind woman. Shame. To be wasted on a man like that. Downright shameful.
Tatiana smiled courteously and limped down the stairs. All this walking was making her ankle stiff. If Steven and Snowy didn't come soon, she might have to shift to Plan B. She patted her purse and prayed it would stay closed.
A catchy song came on over the speakers and the entirety of the floor under the catwalk turned into a dance floor. Someone grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her into the mass of moving dresses and suits.
"One day my father,
He told me, "Son,
Don't let it slip away."
Tatiana looked up and squinted against the red and green lights that started flashing. Helmut. It took all of her willpower not to smile in relief. She wondered where the others were.
"When you get older,
Your wild heart will live for younger days,
Think of me if ever you're afraid."
She swayed back and forth and tapped her feet. All of the dances she knew were pre-1950.
"He said, "One day you'll leave this world behind,
So live a life you will remember."
Helmut eyed her with a hint of a smile on his lips. He clasped her cold hands with his and spun her around, pulling her back to him. She threw her head back onto his shoulder before he twirled her back out again. Tatiana grinned at the dizziness.
"When thunderclouds start pouring down,
Light a fire they can't put out,
Carve your name into those shining stars."
Helmut glanced to the right, apparently searching for something. While he was distracted, she slipped back through the crowd. She couldn't delay anymore, now that they were here.
"My father told me when I was just a child,
These are the nights that never die."
Tatiana speed-walked toward the edge of the crowd as the song ended. She glanced back to see if anyone was following her and ran into someone.
She twisted around to see a tall, broad-shouldered brunet. He smiled, but his eyes didn't show it, "Want to dance? I don't know how but..."
A familiar, slower song started to play over the speakers. Tatiana tried not to scowl. She would definitely blow her cover if she ran from him. She smiled, "It's not hard." At least slow-dancing hadn't changed much over the years. "Put your hands on my waist."
"When the night has come,
And the land is dark,
And the moon is the only light we'll see."
The brunet obeyed, his hands closing around her belt. His fingers spanned almost the entire circumference of her waist. Tatiana placed her hands on his shoulders, "Now, we sway about to the beat until it ends."
"No, I won't be afraid,
Oh, I won't be afraid,
Just as long as you stand,
Stand by me."
"That's it?" he murmured, obviously surprised.
Tatiana shrugged, "You could make it more complicated, but I'm not the person to teach you." If she did anything more than this, her ankle would probably give out.
"If the sky that we look upon,
Should tumble and fall,
Or the mountains should crumble to the sea."
He pulled her closer and Tatiana almost tripped stepping forward. He caught her. "Are you okay?"
"I won't cry, I won't cry,
No, I won't shed a tear,
Just as long as you stand,
Stand by me."
Tatiana pasted a smile on, "Oh, yeah, just a ballet injury from earlier this week." Ballet was something rich people did, right?
The brunet's eyebrows furrowed, "Are you sure you don't want to sit down?"
Such a gentleman. "The song's almost over. After all, this is your first time. I shouldn't spoil it," this man didn't deserve that.
"Darlin', darlin', stand by me,
Oh, stand now, stand by me,
Stand by me,
Whenever you're in trouble,
Won't you stand by me."
As soon as the last verse played out, Tatiana tore away from the man. She could not stall any longer.
Bucky - 11 p.m.
Bucky saw it. He saw it all. He was standing by the right-hand flight of glass stairs while it happened. You wouldn't have noticed it unless you were looking. It happened that quickly.
Sunny hesitatingly climbed the other flight of stairs toward where Stark was talking with a ginger-haired woman and another man. She stopped by a woman with a platter of drinks-- not Brooklyn--, dropped something into one of the glasses, grabbed a wad of cash from her handbag, and shoved it into the woman's breast pocket. The woman nodded and Sunny descended the stairs halfway and stopped, watching.
The woman strolled up to Stark and offered him the platter. He grabbed the one Sunny had undoubtedly poisoned.
Bucky's stomach dropped. His legs wouldn't move. He couldn't do anything. He watched helplessly as Stark raised the glass to his lips.
He didn't realize the gun was in his hand until he was aiming.
Bucky pulled the trigger before he could think anymore.
The glass panel on the edge of the catwalk exploded into a million tiny shards.
The glass of champagne in Stark's hand did the same thing a millisecond later.
"Tony!" The ginger screamed.
The stem of the glass fell from Stark's hand to the floor.
Bucky's heart hammered in his chest. Stark's gaze seemed to take an hour to turn to him. Bucky lowered his gun.
The crowd below started screaming and moving toward the doors.
"Bucky!" Steve yelled. Bucky turned to look for him. He found Steve halfway across the room, tearing off his Widow's Veil. He pointed up toward the catwalk, "Look!"
Bucky glanced back up to see Stark standing behind where the pane of glass had been, holding a handgun.
"Get the Iron Legion up here!" Tony yelled.
The ginger frowned, tapping furiously on an iPad, "I'm trying! They're not responding!"
"D*****!" Stark raised the gun.
The ground fused the Bucky's feet. He just wanted to run, but something held him in place. Maybe he deserved this.
Steve - 11: 11 p.m.
Steve hollered. Bucky didn't move an inch. Steve started barrelling through the panicking throng toward him. He heard the shot and the air left his lungs. "BUCKY!"
He blinked, but Bucky was still standing. Sunny was standing on the catwalk, aiming a handgun at Tony's forehead.
Steve looked around, "Get out!" The civilians kept milling around, screaming. He searched for Nat and Sam. He found them quickly, "Get the civilians out!"
Sam frowned, raising his voice, "How?"
Steve didn't answer. He fought his way back through the people to the stairs. Something exploded behind him as he started running up. He glanced backward at the wall of flames by the bar.
Nat stood on a table, "Please go to the elevators or the stairs! Get out of here!" Sam was on the other side of the room, saying the same thing. The fire alarm started wailing, adding to the almost unbearable noise.
Steve made it to the top of the stairs in time to see Sunny pressing the neck of a broken bottle against Pepper's throat.
YOU ARE READING
III: The Soldier and the Fairy Queen: Red Eve
Fanfiction(Previously titled 'LAZARUS') ______ Hopefully her heart would give out soon. That would be wonderful. To finally catch a break from this thing called life........ What is worth living for, anyway? ______ 'HYDRA is dead. Long live LAZARUS!' Who...
