Winter Ghost Vol. 2 | MARVEL

2|Blast to the Past

Freya set her jacket and belt on her bed before walking out of her room. She still shared the floor with Bucky and Nat. Tonight, Bucky was home after a long mission with Steve. Freya greeted him as she walked out of her room. "Hey, Bucky." Freya smiled. Bucky came in for a hug, then dropped and pulled her over his head in a fisherman's carry. "Hey! What are you doing?" Freya asked as Bucky stepped into the elevator, still carrying Freya. "You'll see." Bucky smirked mischievously as the elevator door opened and he stepped into the main commons.

He walked into the living room. "Oh, no. I'm too old for this!" Freya knew exactly what was happening. Bucky ignored her and set her on the ground. He dived for her stomach, tickling her. Freya laughed a little as Bucky continued. "I said I'm too old for this! I'm 18!" Freya repeated. "You're never too old!" Bucky argued light-heartedly. Freya rolled to her side, curling up into a ball.

Bucky picked her up upside-down and shook her, making her unravel. He then knelt and tickled her stomach while her knees were on his shoulders. Finally, Bucky stopped, pushing Freya's legs to the floor. Freya sat up and wiped a tear from her eyes.

Thor walked in, having heard all the commotion. "Was that a tickle party? For Freya?" Thor asked. "Yeah, but you just missed it!" Bucky replied. "Shucks, looks like I'll have to start my own!" Thor ran over and started tickling Freya. Freya squeaked, like she used to when she was startled or really happy. "I knew it'd come out sometime!" Thor laughed. Finally, he stopped, letting Freya breathe. Freya flopped on the floor, exhausted.

"Ok, ok, let Freya breathe!" Tony chuckled. "How's being SHIELD's Deputy Director?" Peter asked Freya. "There's a lot of responsibility, but it's very rewarding!" Freya replied, still out of breath. "I heard from Fury that you took in two vigilantes, 'Cloak' and 'Dagger'." Steve added. "Yes, but I prefer not to call them vigilantes. They are victims." Freya replied. "How's that?" Steve asked, confused. "They come from the same dark past as me, just not from HYDRA. They felt the only way to live was to commit crimes. They're young, so it was easy to convince them otherwise. I work on building their trust, not just bringing criminals in." Freya answered. Steve nodded his head. "Now I see why Fury promoted you. At first, everyone thought you were too young and inexperienced, but now, people are really starting to warm up to you." Thank you. Freya thanked Steve before heading over to grab a plate for supper.