An MCU Fanfiction
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Summary
tbw....
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Tentative Titles: The Soldier' Ghost or Winter's Ghost
Okay, so I honestly can't believe I am even considering this, but I am. I'm working diligently away on new chapters for The Ghost and a throwaway line becomes a line of thought (both within and outside of the story) and that line of thought becomes a pervasive and tenacious little plunny that just won't let me be.
What is this plunny you might ask?
An AU for The Ghost starting when Nadine ran.....where Bucky runs with her.
Yup! You read that right. A Nadya/Bucky story where she reacts differently to him catching her the night that she ran from the Red Room that leads to him running with her. That simple, that complicated and that bloody tantalizing.
Beginning will likely be the same/reposts of the 1996/7 chapters of The Ghost (Part I, Chapters 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14 and 16) as the events in them will essentially be exactly the same as this new story given that the two stories will diverge during the events of Part I: Chapter 16. I might even just repost them as the first several chapters of this new story rather than outright writing new ones...maybe expand a bit. I don't know. I haven't gotten that far yet...
I must be insane....as if I don't have enough on my plate.... T.T Yet, dammit, I can't resist!!
AU to The Ghost so not exactly in the same series as my other MCU fics....
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Prologue
New York City, USA
Spring 2012
To say each and every member of the newly assembled Avengers was exhausted was probably the sorest understatement of the year. Easily. Even Tony had fallen silent. Only Thor seemed to have anything left, and he was putting that energy toward enthusiastically enjoying the shawarma Tony had recommended. If Clint had much of anything left himself, he might have been sincerely tempted to laugh at the sight they must have made.
Earth's supposed 'Mightiest Heroes', crammed into a nearly trashed, hole-in-the-wall—yet undeniably delicious—shawarma restaurant; their Captain nearly falling asleep with his cheek propped on his fist; their archer lounged back and taking up half of their assassin's chair in a makeshift footstool; their scientist/Hulk mechanically working on his fries, missing his mouth every other bite or so; their billionaire/genius staring into space as he absently wiped sauce from his fingers; and their Asgardian taking full advantage of the delicious meal, having eagerly polished off his first helping and was well on his way toward needing a third.
But Clint was just as exhausted as his newly minted teammates. Truthfully, it was all he could do to keep his eyes open. And he had two young kids at home that had given him lots of practice at pushing past levels of exhaustion even his career hadn't managed to put him to. But staving off an alien invasion by the skin of their teeth as something else altogether.
Really, Clint couldn't even process that yet.
He was too tired. He just wanted to go home, hug his kids, kiss his wife and fall into bed for a month.
Then he could figure out how he felt about just what had happened today.
And how close they'd all come to, well, losing.
But for now, it was enough just to sit in a peaceful, exhausted, companionable silence with his new team. Just slowly working their way through the mountain of shawarma and fries Tony had ordered them with the last dregs of his characteristic irreverence.
Only for the silence to snap at the insistent and impossibly loud buzz of a ringing phone.
At the head of the table, Rogers started so spectacularly he knocked his—thankfully—empty basket off the table while at the other end Banner jerked, suddenly wide awake and blinking blearily as he remembered where he was. Thor was the only one, really, who didn't jump in some way, merely looking mildly up from his meal, chewing away at his mouthful as he guilelessly looked around at each of his companions with mild curiosity.
Automatically preparing to stand, Clint's hand reached for the phone tucked away on his belt, relief at the idea of hearing Laura's voice flooding through him. Only for the feeling to fade and a frown to take over as his fingers brushed over the still, silent cell.
He looked up, taking in Natasha's wide, startled eyes as she realized it was her phone ringing. His frown deepened. Especially as her eyes widened further with understanding before she carefully schooled her expression.
With each and every one of her teammates' eyes fixed curiously on her, she answered.
And paled.
"Nadi, what—" she murmured hurriedly, meeting Clint's eye from force of habit alone, unconsciously searching for reassurance, "yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay. A little bumped and bruised, but—" Clint straightened as she was evidently cut off, his best friend shifting as though about to stand as her already pale features paled further still, her mask snapping abruptly into place. But not before mix of confusion, surprise and concern flashed in Natasha's green eyes. But as a trace of anticipation flickered into view before being carefully hidden away, suspicion was suddenly growing in the back of Clint's mind.
Especially as he caught the last thing Natasha's mystery caller said before hanging up.
"We're on the next flight out."