Reveries of Spring│Bucky Barnes

━ 𝟎𝟎

Artemis turned around to sneer at him before turning back to Martina. She inched herself close as she answered. "Ignore him, he's new. We work under S.H.I.E.L.D and we're a group of heroes that help those in need. We want to help you."

Martina shook her head rapidly, clawing at her arms with her cracked fingernails that were coated in dried blood. Artemis wanted so badly to cement the fact that she and Loki were not there to imprison her and throw away the key, but it seemed like the girl was not willing to relent.

The look in Martina's eyes was one that she was entirely familiar with. It was the look of fear in a buck's eyes before landing the final shot, the look of desperation in the eyes of a cornered dog, and- unfortunately- the look of sheer despondence that she had seen so often in Loki when they had first met. 

"Hey, it's okay..." Artemis cooed, shaking her head softly. "It's okay, Martina. We know you didn't mean to start those fires. We just want to help you control your powers."

Martina sucked in a deep breath, remembering the screams of all the people that were consumed in those fires, thinking about the way their charred bodies smelled caused the tips of her fingers to tingle in a painfully familiar way.

Artemis noticed the way the woman stared at her hands in horror as she tucked them under her armpits as her head began the shake violently. She waited for a brief second before speaking again.

"Martina, we can help you," Artemis whispered, smiling when the woman's tremors began to diminish. "I promise you."

Martina sucked in another deep breath as she nodded her head, feeling the way her neck ached at the motion. She bit the inside of her lip as a look of relief washed over Artemis' face.

"Good, good," Artemis said, reaching over to her belt to reveal a set of handcuffs. "Look, I'm going to need to put these on you now."

"N-no," Martina pleaded, trying to merge with the dank wall behind her. "No, no."

"Please don't be scared. This is for your safety as well as ours. It's a long trip back to headquarters and we just want all of us to be safe," Artemis insisted, as gently as she possibly could, her eager hands inching the cuffs closer to Martina's wrists.

Martina was letting out shallow breaths as she started sobbing uncontrollably and both Loki and Artemis could see light smoke emitting from the palm of her hands and spreading up her wrist.

"Artemis..." Loki warned, hesitant to take a step closer in fear of agitating the cornered mad dog.

"I got this," Artemis snapped. Even with her back turned to him, there was a warning in her tone for him to keep his distance. "It's really okay, I promise, we're not going to hurt you."

It all happened in a matter of seconds- Artemis leaned forward a tad, angling the cuffs toward the young woman- and then everything erupted.

"NO ME TOQUES!" Martina shouted, holding her hands up to shield herself from the cuffs, but instead, a blazing fire shot out from her hands and hit Artemis' shoulder.

"Artemis!" Loki shouted as he saw Artemis reel back, holding her hand over her wounded and charred shoulder. He snarled his lips as he looked at Martina and began to stalk toward her. "You little-"

"Loki, it's okay!" Artemis yelled, although her words did not match her anguished tone of voice. She raised her hand in the air and forced him back. "Martina, it's alright. I'm not hurt that bad. Let me just get these on you-"

"NO!"

Another bolt of fire shot out and hit Artemis straight in the stomach.

Through ragged pants, Artemis barely managed to let out the words she wished she didn't have to utter. "Loki, now!"