"Let me set the scene
Two lovers ripped right at the seams
They woke up from the perfect dream
And then the darkness came..."
~*~*~*~
Avengers Tower. New York City. November 2018.
Cascades of energy pounded against the walls and ceiling, sending dust raining down. The glass of the windows cracked then shattered all at once. You quickly conjured mandala shields with both hands, protecting Bucky, T'Challa and Shuri. Crimson energy pounded against your barrier as small whooshes of air buffeted you. The number of people around you began to multiply by the millisecond as Pietro deposited the rest of your teammates behind the barrier away from Wanda.
Through the orange glow of your shields, you watched as the leather sofas begin to disintegrate along with the rug, the coffee table, and various house plants – the pieces of each floating midair for a moment before disappearing completely. The strings of the Steinway and Sons began to pop one by one as the piano rattled violently from the onslaught of energy.
"We need to do something!" Natasha shouted over the din of the shredding furniture.
"What can we do?!" Tony replied, as he activated his Iron Man suit. You caught the flash of fear in his eyes before the nanites encased his head in a helmet. "Friday! Evacuate the Tower! Get everyone out now!"
"Working on it!" the A.I. replied. Somewhere down below, alarms began to sound.
"You need to get everyone out of here," Bruce said, his voice strained –deeper. You tore your gaze away from Wanda to glance at the doctor. His hands tightened into fists, knuckles white. Beads of sweat dotted his brow. Then a greenish hue crawled up his neck, veins bulging as his body shook, trying to maintain control. A lance of pure fear shot down your spine. The absolute last thing you needed was for Bruce's "Other Guy" to make an appearance.
You locked eyes with Bucky, who swallowed hard. Neither of you had ever seen the Hulk in person, but you both had seen the footage – the absolute devastation he could wreak should Bruce's/his life be in danger. And right now, the Hulk desperately sought to eliminate the threat. Bucky looked to Steve whose face reflected your own worry.
A golden glow hovered at the corner of your eye. You whipped around to Carol whose gaze had locked on Wanda. Wanda who continued to weep, each wail of anguish a knife to your heart. "I can take her out," the newcomer said.
"The fuck you will," Bucky challenged, putting his body in between the Kree hybrid and Wanda.
"She could bring down this entire building!" Carol spat.
"Try and touch her," Pietro goaded darkly.
"Then what do you propose we do?" Carol said exasperatedly.
"Kill her and I will make sure it will be the last thing you'll ever do," you growled. You engaged your suit as the eldritch energy wound its way up your arms, ready to strike and maintain your shield should you need to. "Ally or not."
"It's her or all of us!"
"Enough!" Steve shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the group. "Carol, Tony, fly T'Challa, Shuri, Fury, and Bruce outta here."
"We don't have—" Carol began to argue.
"This is my team, Captain." Steve said firmly, holding her gaze. "My team. We'll take care of this."
Carol's mouth sat in a hard line as she stared back at Steve, matching his intensity.
"Danvers," Fury said calmly. "Let it go."
Carol glared at Steve for a moment longer before the energy dissipated from her clenched fists. Though her stance relaxed, her eyes retained their coldness.
"Friday, send in the Hulkbuster armor," Tony ordered. A rumbling came from underneath as the marble floor spilt apart. Pieces of armor shot out of the opening and zoomed straight for Bruce who braced himself for its impact. Like solving a puzzle, the armor steadily fit itself together around the frightened scientist.
Once the lights of the heads-up display sparked to life, Bruce nodded to Tony. "Thanks."
"Just don't rip apart my suit, okay, Big Guy?" Tony quipped then looked to Shuri. "Princess Genius, your carriage awaits." He held his arms out to her.
Without any hesitation, Shuri embraced him, and they took flight. T'Challa, who had activated his own suit, rode the shoulder of the Hulkbuster, crouched in a cat-like position. Carol grabbed Fury then took off through one of the shattered windows without another word.
Tony looked to Steve as he hovered midair outside the Tower. "I'll oversee the evacuation."
Steve nodded and Tony engaged his thrusters, carrying Shuri to safety. Bruce and T'Challa followed after them.
An earsplitting crack rebounded across the room as the piano blew apart, sending shards of wood careening into the bar, shattering the bottles of top-shelf liquor. You widened your shield, encasing your team in a protective bubble of energy. Sweat poured down your back from the exertion. Despite drawing from dimensional energy surrounding you, your energy began to wane as Wanda's chaotic bursts of energy buffeted your shield. You took a deep breath to refocus, clenching your jaw as you did so.
"We need to move fast," you ground out through gritted teeth. "I don't know how much longer I can hold this."
Bucky's eyes glazed over with worry as they met yours. He shot a look at Pietro. "Piet, get Y/N outta here."
"What?" you cried, as your arms trembled. "Absolutely not!"
"Now!" Bucky exclaimed. Pietro looked from you to Bucky then back to you once more, hesitant to act.
"I go and you lose the only means of protection you have!"
"Give us some credit, Nightingale," Clint huffed as he surveyed the room, taking stock of dangers and possible escape routes. His fingers twitched, involuntarily seeking his bow and arrows.
"Buck's right, Y/N. It's not safe for you here," Steve agreed.
"With my powers, I may be the only one who can get her to stop," you reasoned, shooting a look at Pietro that dared him to follow Bucky's order while you were distracted. If you needed to, you could push Wanda's astral form from her body. Well, possibly...if you could get close enough.
"I think we are about to test that theory," Natasha deadpanned, looking over your shoulder to Wanda.
Everyone turned to see what she was talking about. A small gasp pushed past your lips as you watched Sam slowly make his way toward Wanda. Carefully placing his steps, he maneuvered around the gaps forming in the floor.
"What the hell," Clint sighed exasperatedly.
"Please tell me he's not that stupid," Bucky ground.
"Sam!" you called out.
You friend ignored your cry as he engaged his wings in front of his body. His eyes peering over the lip of his make-shift shield. You and the team watched, enraptured as Sam disengaged his wings and knelt behind Wanda.
Watching them, you were reminded of another moment such as this. Of that cold night when you had fallen to your knees in the snow of the Austrian Alps, grief-stricken and overwhelmed with sadness and anger. Your heart had made the same sound Wanda's made now – agony, heartbreaking agony.
"Wan," Sam implored softly. Wrapping one arm around Wanda's shoulders and the other around her middle, he drew her into an embrace against his chest. Much like Bucky had been the light in your darkest moments that night in the snow, Sam acted as Wanda's despite the danger in doing so.
"I got you..." he whispered as they gently rocked back and forth, "I've got you."
Slowly, Wanda's bands of psionic energy began to dissipate. Your surroundings stopped rattling. Furniture and décor that had been suspended in midair crashed to the floor. Wanda's anguished cries subsided to quiet sobs as she slumped forward, curling in on herself. Sam held on to her as she cried.
Once all Wanda's energy had disappeared, you dropped your eldritch shield. Silence permeated the room despite the shrieking alarms ringing out from the lower floors. Pietro and Clint raced to Wanda's side while Steve hailed Tony on the comms, informing them that the danger had passed. You let loose a heavy sigh and swayed, suddenly unsteady.
"Doll?" Bucky inquired warily as he steadied you.
You leaned against him wearily. "I'm alright," you placated, rubbing his arm reassuringly. "That took more outta me than I realized."
"Sit down," Bucky said, leading you to a mostly intact couch. "Nat, can you grab her some water."
Nat nodded and made her way toward the ruined bar. "If I can find a freakin' glass," she muttered to herself, carefully maneuvering around the shards of crystal and holes littering the floor like a game of Mine Sweeper.
You sighed as you sank back against the cushions. "I'm fine, really," you said, intertwining your fingers with Bucky's metal ones. "At least I know my limits with my powers in this condition." You nodded to your ever-growing baby bump.
Bucky placed his free hand on your stomach, his thumb caressing the curve of your bump. He smiled and relief flickered behind his eyes when he felt his daughter kick enthusiastically.
Natasha approached and offered you a glass filled with water. "Thanks, Nat," you said. You took it gratefully and sipped on it slowly. Natasha moved to stand next to Steve, coordinating with Tony the team's next steps.
Your eyes drifted to Wanda. Sam had managed to pick her up from the floor and place her on what was left of the leather chair she had been sitting on not five minutes earlier.
He had yet to let go of her.
Clint and Pietro flitted about, tending to several shallow cuts on Wanda's face and arms. The young Sokovian stared at nothing, her mind far removed from what was happening around her.
You continued to watch her as a medical team flooded into the penthouse common area. You tried to wave off the doctor the Avengers kept on retainer, but Bucky insisted you get checked out fully. You didn't want to worry him any further, so you obliged him, for the sake of his sanity and your own.
The doctor took your vitals and checked your daughter's heartbeat with a doppler. Though nothing seemed amiss, he recommended you visit Dr. Montgomery as soon as you were able. Bucky nodded along with the doctor, agreeing with every word he said. His thumb stroked the back of your hand, soothing himself more than you.
"We'll be sure to do that, doc," Bucky said with a relieved smile. "Thank you."
The doctor packed away the doppler and stethoscope. "Not a problem, Sergeant Barnes." He flashed a smile and then shook Bucky's outstretched hand before leaving.
Tony returned shortly after the medical team departed. "Well, Barnes and Kitten's floor along with Nat and Cap's floor aren't that damaged...just some concrete and steel missing, ya know, leaving some rather large holes. Oh, and the water main busted and has flooded the next five floors."
Wanda, who had slowly begun to come out of her catatonia, looked to the ground in shame. Her eyes brimmed with tears once more. Sam tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She settled into his embrace, seeking his comfort.
"The good thing is that everyone made it out safely. And we managed to keep this incident fairly self-contained, so I don't expect us to wake up tomorrow to all major news networks picking apart what happened and making outlandish speculations," Tony reassured, flashing Wanda an easy-going smile. The corners of her mouth perked up in a half-hearted smile that didn't reach her eyes in an attempt to return it before looking down to the ruined floor once more.
Tony sighed and then clapped his hands together. "So, who's up for a sleepover at the Four Seasons?"
~*~*~*~
Four Seasons Hotel. New York City. November 2018.
Money was no object to Tony; he spared no expense. How he managed to book the Gotham Suite, both Presidential Suites, and the Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons New York with just an hour's notice you didn't know and weren't sure if you wanted to.
You glanced around the ginger onyx-covered bathroom from the deep soaking tub. Reflected in the massive bathroom mirror, the city lights slowly blinked to life outside. The din of the bustling streets below a distant memory. When you were 51 stories above it all, the island of Manhattan seemed almost peaceful.
You sighed, settling deeper into the tub and watched the lavender and geranium-scented steam curl in wisps up from the surface of the water, reveling in the silence. After a few hours of being fussed over by everyone and their mother complete with a surprise house call from Dr. Montgomery, courtesy of your benefactor, you managed to convince Bucky to let you have a few moments to yourself.
You get pregnant and everyone turns into a mother hen.
Although, the gentle murmurings of the television let you know Bucky was just on the other side of the door should you need him. And you would...eventually. Let's face it; getting out of the deep soaking tub would not be the easiest thing to do in your condition.
You closed your eyes and leaned your head back against the bath pillow one of the concierges brought you from the hotel spa.
"It's been a long day..."
Just this morning, you and the team had been in DC for Sam and Wanda's pardon hearings. It seemed like an entire week's of emotions and energy had been compounded into just 18 measly hours. The day had started out on such a positive note. With the first of the hearings under your belt, everyone wasn't as anxious as the first go around. Sam and Wanda's had gone off without a hitch, despite Vision's absence.
"Vis..."
You weren't particularly close with the android, but he was Wanda's person. You, Bucky, Wanda and Vision had been out on a few double dates since moving back to the States. You liked him well enough, and he made Wanda glow incandescently with such contented happiness. But you hadn't really gotten the chance to know him on the level the others had over the years.
A lump formed in your throat, and you squeezed your eyes shut at the memory of Wanda's grief overtaking her. The sounds she had made – ones you knew intimately. You felt your chest constrict.
If Bucky were ever ripped from you in such a brutal and sudden way, you wouldn't be able to survive.
A heart can be broken only so many times before it became impossible to repair.
With a determined huff, you switched into problem-solving mode to quell your rising melancholy.
"Something...or someone... forcibly removed the Mind Stone from Vision's head." You repeated T'Challa's words to Wanda, forming a list of suspects in your head.
Obviously, Thanos was a suspect, if not the prime suspect. He knew the stone's rough location and harbored the most animosity toward your team. But from what you could gather, he and his followers were still hiding out somewhere in deep space, nursing their wounds. And there had been no information passed down from Fury or Carol's intergalactic colleagues in regards to his movements.
Which left Earth-bound enemies, of which there were plenty.
HYDRA was your second thought, but you and your team had all but driven them to extinction...well, for now. You had the sneaking suspicion that HYDRA would be a thorn in your side from now until the end of time. "Cut off one head; two more shall take its place" or some bullshit. But they, like Thanos, were regrouping, albeit from prison or exile, so it would take a bit of time before they were strong enough to accomplish something of this magnitude.
There was The Ten Rings, the terrorist group that had kidnapped Tony all those years ago. Or Secretary Ross – but, according to Natasha, he had undergone his second triple by-pass right after the incident at the Leipzig Airport and had since stepped down from his position. Or Batroc – but he had been in prison since the CIA picked him up in Tokyo according to Coulson.
And then there was the fact that none of these people or entities had the strength, manpower, or, let's face it, the intelligence to actually take Vision head on in a fight. Which means...
"We're dealing with something new," Bucky's voice came from the doorway. You whipped around, sloshing soapy water over the side of the tub, jolted out of your thoughts.
He leaned against the doorframe; arms crossed across his broad chest as he stared at you with an adoring smile. "You were thinking out loud again," he said as he walked further into the bathroom and propped himself against the counter across from the bathtub.
You shook your head, "I probably sound like a crazy person."
"It's cute."
A laugh bubbled through your nose as you motioned him over. "Help me out?"
Bucky gently took your outstretched hands, keeping a secure grip, he helped you stand up and step out of the bathtub. After you dried off and secured a plush robe around your body, Bucky followed as you padded into the bedroom.
You sat down heavily on the pillowy bed; Alpine gave a perturbed meow as he was jostled from his doze. "Îmi pare rău, îngerasule," you whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of the cat's head. ("I'm sorry, little angel.") Alpine trilled contentedly at you before falling back to sleep.
You ran both hands through your hair and sighed, staring out the window, the city lights blurred as your vision became unfocused. Thoughts bounced around inside your head like pinballs – worries, possible solutions, fears, doubts.
After a moment, Bucky's blurred frame knelt in front of you, placing his hands on your knees. You drew your gaze back to him.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his worried eyes searched your face.
You sighed, placing your hands over his. "I just didn't think things would go bad this soon." Bucky gently squeezed your knees. "Like we can't catch a damn break."
"We don't know everything yet," Bucky soothed. "We can't assume the worst."
You stared at him. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband? I thought I was supposed to be the optimist." The corner of Bucky's mouth ticked upward in a small smile. The pair of you chuckled.
A strong insistent knock came from the hotel room door.
Bucky's and your smiles faded as another knock sounded. Slowly, Bucky stood from his crouched position and motioned for you to stay put. You watched him as he made his way toward the door, slowly, carefully. Bucky leaned into the door to look through the peep hole, his hand reaching for the gun in the waistband of his pants as he did so. And your hand hovered over your oath ring, ready to activate your suit should you need it. Honestly, some habits never die. And now that Vision had been attacked and killed, you could never be too careful.
After a moment, he sighed and unlatched the door, opening it.
"Danvers," he greeted stiffly.
"Barnes," she replied.
You breathed an annoyed huff before reluctantly hoisting yourself off the bed and walked into the living room, Alpine close at your heels.
A loud confident meow sounded from Carol's feet, and you watched as a large ginger cat trotted into the living room, winding its way around your sofa. Its large green eyes locked on Alpine. At the sight of it, Alpine arched his back, his fur stood on end. He hissed once at the newcomer and then darted under the bed. The ginger cat seemed unbothered and hopped onto the sofa as if it owned the place and began to bathe.
A slight smile flashed across Carol's face. "They always know you're different," she cooed, scratching the cat between the ears. The feline began to purr loudly.
"Different?" Bucky said, standing next to you. He eyed the cat curiously but maneuvered his body in front of yours ever so slightly.
Carol shrugged nonchalantly and crossed her arms across her chest. "Goose is a Flerken."
"A what?" you asked, eyeing the ginger ball of fur as it hiked its leg up to lick its belly.
"A Flerken," Carol repeated.
"Yeah, you said that," you retorted, trying not to roll your eyes, "but what is a Flerken exactly?"
Carol shrugged again and gazed at Goose fondly. "Flerkens are one of the most dangerous alien species in our universe."
Both you and Bucky looked from Carol then to the alien that looked like a cuddly kitty and backed up just a smidge.
"And you just let it...wander around?" Bucky said.
"She's harmless for the most part," Carol said casually, "...a bit temperamental." She strode over to the wet bar and poured herself a glass of scotch, making herself at home. You struggled not to let her impudence irk you. "Just don't let her scratch you..." she took a large sip of the caramel liquor, "That's how Fury lost his eye." She drained the glass, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then poured herself another.
A vexed huff came from Bucky, causing his nostrils to flair. "Did you need something, or did you just come by to rack up charges on overpriced drinks at our mini-bar?"
"Please," Carol chuffed with a roll of her eyes, "Stark has more money than God." Taking another swig of her drink, she didn't break eye contact with Bucky.
"Either get to the point or get out, Danvers," you snapped. Letting your irritation edge your voice as your eyes narrowed in annoyance. After everything that happened today, all you wanted to do was order that big slice of New York Cheesecake you had spied on the room service menu then sink into the cloud-like bed and sleep for 12 hours.
Carol heaved an annoyed sighed before draining the glass once more then placed it back on the bar with a clatter. "Stark wants to see everyone up in the penthouse."
"What about?" Bucky asked.
"Finding that magic stone someone just plucked out of the android's head," she deadpanned.
"Android or not," you spat, stepping out from behind Bucky who caught you gently by the forearm before you could go any further. "Vision was more human than your emotionless ass." You pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. "So, show the dead some respect or keep your fucking mouth shut."
Carol stared at you, unfazed. "You done?"
You shot her a murderous glare as your face heated with anger. Orange eldritch energy crackled around your clenched fists at your sides. The audacity of this bitch.
"You motherfu—"
Bucky stepped in between the pair of you. "Enough," he said firmly, meeting your eyes, his expression incensed. You narrowed your eyes at him, and he gave a slight shake of his head, imploring you to let it go.
You blew out a heavy breath, loosening your tense muscles. The energy around your hands dissipated.
Rolling his shoulders back, Bucky turned to Carol with a scowl; his steel blue eyes fixed her in an icy stare. "If you don't want a repeat of this afternoon's incident at the Tower, I highly suggest keeping your thoughts to yourself."
A dismissive laugh bubbled through Carol's nose, "Yeah, sure..." She moved past you toward the elevator. Goose jumped down from the sofa with a mip and padded after her.
You and Bucky watched as the elevator doors slid shut with a soft click.
"God, she has such a punchable face," you stated.
Bucky ran a hand down his face, "Doll..." he exasperated weakly.
"Yeah, I know," you retorted, retreating back to the bedroom to get dressed. "I know."
~*~*~*~
The ostentatious gilt of the Ty Warner Penthouse favored those with tastes such as Tony Stark. The tall glass windows offered unparalleled views of the bustling metropolis. The city lights reflected off the hand-lacquered walls; the Mother of Pearl inlay sparkled with a subtle iridescence. Cast bronze baseboards, a massive hand-cut glass chandelier, and several pieces of immaculate furniture covered in rich silks only added to the luxury.
The sheer perfection of it all made you wary to move any further into the living room. A room that would normally be full of people. Instead, it remained silent save for the faint sound of trickling water from an unseen source. Surely, this place didn't have a water feature inside on top of everything else.
You and Bucky glanced around for your teammates, confused.
"Hello?" you called out.
"In the library, Nightingale," Clint's voice beckoned from down a hallway off to the side.
"There's a library?" Bucky said, eyes widening in incredulity.
You only shook your head. "Rich people, man."
The pair of you followed the echoing sounds of voices and technology down the hall to an open door. Numerous floor-to-ceiling shelves, packed full of books, stood sentry around a large yet cozy wood-panel room. You noted all the plush armchairs and loveseats had been pushed up haphazardly against them, blocking access to the baby grand piano nestled in an alcove of windows. Two massive worktables covered in transparent screens and various whirring machines dominated the newly vacated space. Fury and Carol stood off to the side of the room while everyone else crowded around the tables.
Clint looked up as he spied your arrival and made his way over. "Howya feelin'?" he asked, wrapping you in a hug.
You sighed in his embrace, taking in the comfort only a father could provide and gave him a light squeeze. "I'm fine, Dad," you reassured him as you pulled away. "Tony called Dr. Montgomery and she gave me a once over. She said everything looked great."
Clint smiled down at you. "That's good to hear."
"Nice of you to join us," Tony said as his fingers tapped various icons on the screen.
"Had I known you were gonna call a team meeting, I would've waited to take advantage of the swimming pool that is a bathtub in our bathroom," you retorted, moving further into the room.
"Welp, now that the gang's all here, we can finally get started," Tony said, he tapped the screen a few more times, closing various programs.
You looked around the room. "Wait, where are Wanda and Sam?" You turned to Pietro for an answer.
"She wasn't ready to face everyone yet," he replied softly. His usual expression of joy had been replaced by one of helplessness and grief. His eyes shone with a desperation to help his twin in any way he could, but had no idea how. Silently you reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll fill Sam in later," Steve said gently. He then turned to Tony with a nod. "You have a plan to find the stone?"
"Oh, for once this isn't my plan," Tony said. The billionaire then gestured to Bruce who seemed preoccupied with cleaning his glasses. "Doc?"
Bruce looked up slightly startled and hurriedly shoved the frames back on his face. "Oh, right." He cleared his throat nervously and then pulled up a schematic of a weapon.
You heard Clint suck in a quiet breath. "Loki's scepter," he said. Residual resentment of the pain and suffering caused by the offending staff laced his voice.
Bruce nodded. "Six years ago, we unknowingly came into contact with the Mind Stone during the Battle of New York. At that time, we were tracking the Tesseract as it put off a unique but weak gamma signature, using an algorithm Tony and I created."
"You think you can find the Mind Stone the same way?" you asked.
Bruce nodded again, pulling up another data report regarding the weapon. "When J.A.R.V.I.S. first analyzed the scepter, he gathered all sorts of readings and data, including its energy signature. If we modify the algorithm, we can pinpoint the stone's location within a half mile anywhere around the globe."
"But last time, you needed access to multiple labs and their spectrometers to do that," Natasha pointed out.
Fury pulled a cellphone out of his jacket pocket. "I'll make some calls." Lifting the phone to his ear, he walked out of the room.
"Okay, but finding the stone is just one part of the problem," Bucky said. "Do we know anything more about the attack on Vision?"
Steve shook his head somberly. "No, T'Challa spoke with his border patrol and sentries. No one saw anything."
"It's possible whoever attacked him did so in another location and then placed Vis' body outside the city for us to find," Clint poised.
"You're saying they dumped his body there to send a message?" you asked.
Clint shrugged. "It's possible."
"The location of Vision as well as the rest of the team hasn't been that much of a secret," Tony mused. "The news coverage of the pardon hearings has been running on every network for the past month nonstop. Everyone knows you all are back stateside."
"And wearing those damned tracking bracelets," Steve murmured bitterly.
"But that doesn't explain how they knew where to leave his body," Natasha remarked.
"Only a handful of people know where Birnin Zana is," Steve replied. "But most of the people are in this room and were present at the Department of Justice Building today."
"It has to be someone who was either present for the Battle of Wakanda or someone who already knew of its existence prior to that," Bruce poised.
"But who is to say that it is even a person that took it?" Bucky questioned.
"We have to start somewhere," Steve said with a sigh. "I'll talk with T'Challa and see if he can have someone go through a list of everyone outside of Wakanda who knows where the barrier is and rule them out."
"That'll take time," Clint warned. "Even with all their tech."
"How long will it take for the algorithm to find the stone?" you asked, turning to Bruce and Tony.
"Last time, it took about a day," Tony offered.
"But there's really no way to tell for sure," Bruce replied. "It's a completely different signature."
"All the Scooby-Doo shit aside," Carol voiced from her position in the corner of the room, drawing everyone's attention. "You're forgetting that the attackers had to have known that the jewel embedded in Vision's head was a fucking Infinity Stone. No Average Joe would know that, much less have the ability to overpower him."
"That's not necessarily true," you countered. "So many people had access to reports regarding Vision's makeup."
Carol shook her head. "You guys go on a wild goose chase all you want," she exasperated, throwing open one of the balcony doors. "I'm going to go find some leads myself."
"We're all on the same team here, Danvers," Steve said firmly.
"Oh no, I'm not part of your team, remember?" Carol condescended. "You made that perfectly clear this afternoon." She leapt on top of the concrete barrier separating the terrace from the empty space beyond. "I work better alone anyways...I'll let you know what I find." And with that, she dived off the railing and took flight.
"Seriously?" you muttered to yourself, shaking your head in frustration. Why Fury thought Blondie would be an asset to your team was beyond you. Your team had managed just fine this far.
""She's...tenacious..." Pietro observed.
"I believe obdurate is the word you are looking for," Natasha quipped.
"Cruel, but good word use," Clint praised with a sly smile.
You and Natasha chuckled halfheartedly. As your laughter faded to silence, the weight of the day's events settled over the group once more.
Determined footsteps sounded on the hardwood as Fury entered the library. "Done," he announced. "Coulson is working on getting those spectrometers for you, Doc." He nodded to Bruce. "They just need the signature."
"I'll send it to Coulson now," Bruce replied. He placed his glasses on the tip of his nose and began furiously typing at the holographic console.
Fury then scanned the room. He frowned. "Where's Danvers?"
"Twinkle Fists decided we weren't worth her time," Pietro mocked as he gestured to the balcony with his thumb. "Probably halfway to the moon right now."
Fury sighed heavily. "She never was the best team player."
"No shit," Clint snorted.
"Where'd you find her, boss?" Natasha asked.
"A Blockbuster in the 90s," Fury said. "She's the reason we got the Tesseract back."
"Wait, wait, you're telling me that wasn't the first time you had that damned thing stolen from you?" Steve balked.
"Not stolen per say..." Fury mused. "More like lost..."
Steve scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. "Sometimes I wonder why the hell I crashed that plane at all."
"'Cause you took all the stupid with you," Bucky teased. Steve shot Bucky his infamous eyebrows of disappointment.
"Boys," Natasha chastised, mirth dancing behind her green eyes.
You shook your head, amused as you watched everyone in the room fall into a rhythm that came from years of working together. It was muscle memory, and it surprised you how easily you and Bucky fit in.
The amusement faded. You felt your smile drop as you were reminded of Wanda and Sam's absence. Catching Bucky's eye across the room, you tilted your head toward the door.
Seeing the concerned look on your face, Bucky nodded in understanding. "Go on," he mouthed.
"I love you," you mouthed back.
"I know," Bucky silently replied.
You smiled softly before turning toward the door to check on Sam and Wanda.
~*~*~*~
Author's Notes:
I know I always apologize for my absence whenever I post a chapter...but, I'm sorry.
Work is crazy like certifiably crazy. Splitting up 100 patients between 2 social workers should be illegal, but things are starting to calm down. I have moved to a different work schedule and should be able to write more. I enjoy it so much and I really want to share my works with you guys.
Another part of the delay is that my ideas for the plot have been all over the place and I needed to sit down a few times and work out logistics. I think I have done that, so hopefully the chapters come easier.
Apologies and excuses aside, what do we think of this chapter? I know, I know, how could I do that to our precious Wanda? For the plot. And yes, I made Carol a raging c-word. Don't get it twisted, I love Carol in the comics, but MCU Carol is so...flat. Maybe our dear reader and Captain Twinkle Fists will reach some sort of understanding by the end of this story, or maybe not. Who knows? Any ideas as to who took the stone?
As always, comment, leave votes, and share with your Marvel-inclined simps, if you are enjoying the story. I appreciate you immensely.
Thanks for reading!
Ginger
P.S. Epigraph is from Kacey Musgraves' song "star-crossed". You ever have a song that you just love so much that you wish it would go on forever? "star-crossed" is one of those songs for me.