Steve felt his stomach drop. The green eyes that were filled with deep anger from the woman in front of him lulled to the back of her head as she fell unconscious. Her body went limp, completely giving in to the pavement below. Steve couldn't bring himself to remove his hand lodged into the convenience store brick wall. He felt another metal hand clench into his shoulder, shaking violently.
His group had been on the run for the past couple months, avoiding the eyes of the Avengers. They were carefully meticulous to not leave behind any trace of their existence, seemingly lurking in the shadows of the common public. Everything had been going according to plan thus far. Wanda had come in contact with an old acquaintance who was going to help transport them into the countryside quietly for the time being. The group was to seek refuge in the valley towns of the Appalachian mountains so that they remained close enough to the capital if Tony had wanted to contact them. It was all a temporary cover until new plans were drawn. They were so close to reaching the Blue Ridge before everything went to hell.
The car had one last stop that night at the had station to fill up the tank for the home stretch. Wanda and Clint walked out to grab some grub from the convenience store while Sam and Steve stood watch. Bucky remained in the van, concealed from any view as Scott was in charge of filling up the vehicle. The summer breeze was crisp that night, still damp from the day's humidity. Rain was threatening to break out in the following hours. It was then that she showed up.
Coming up from the bottom of the hill with no vehicle, the young woman glanced from underneath her hood to catch sight of Steve's glare. Her green eyes shimmered in the night as she proceeded to walk across the gas station parking lot. She had a quick pace and knuckles that clenched at the straps of her backpack. Her hiking boots barely made noise as she glided across the pavement. Steve kept his stare intent.
The woman turned towards the store, averting the van. She reached out to grab hold of the door handle before her breath hitched. Her eyes made direct contact with Wanda's from across the store. Before she could make another move, Wanda opened her mouth to exclaim a warning as her shoulders tensed. It felt as if time had slowed in that moment. The dancing flares lit up at Wanda's fingertips as Clint pulled his hand behind his back. In the same second Sam had begun his dash forward with Steve right on his heels. He could make out from the corner of his eye that Scott was closing the pump and springing into action as well. Everything felt like a blur in that instant.
A flash of blue suddenly caught his attention as Steve felt something sharp hit his chest. It was as if an invisible wave of water washed over, picking him up and forcefully pushing back. The air in his lungs escaped his lips instantly. Time had ceased to tick as his head came in contact with the side of the van. Sam was right behind him.
They both had been flung back to the vehicle, harshly denting the side. Steve struggled to find his balance as he forced himself to his feet. The ringing in his ears was sharp. His neck snapped in the direction of the young woman, his vision swimming. Time was now striking quickly as a high pitched shrill filled his ears to replace the ring.
Both Wanda and Clint had also been flung backwards toward the store wall. Clint was on his feet first, shielding her with his hand. His face was twisted in horror as they both watched the scene unfold in front of them. The hooded girl collapsed to her knees, her hands planted firmly at her temples as she screamed into the ground. The noise ceased all thoughts in Steve's mind, unable to move a muscle. He could feel the hairs stand on the back of his neck. When her voice finally gave way, the lot was filled with a deafening silence.
Sam stood up slowly, looking over his shoulder to scan the situation. He gave Steve a quick nod before the two of them leaped forward once more. Clint was on the move as well with Wanda right behind him. They weren't going to fall for the same trick twice, they had to reach the girl before she could unleash another wave.
It was then that Steve caught sight of her gaze. The fear in her eyes magnified as something stronger took over. Anger.
Sam ran up first to give a full-fisted swing. His hand was met with a force field that lit up in the same bright blue as before. He toppled back onto Steve who barely caught him. Before he could respond, a flash of black bounced off the force field causing a loud spark to ignite. The young woman turned her attention to the store to spot Clint's arrow in line with her head. Another spark send it flying in a different direction. Just as he was about to send a third arrow, a flash of red rammed into the blue shield. The contact of two energies caused a thundering howl to resonate into the night sky. Wanda cast her waves to clash with the woman's force field. She ran past Clint as the glass door in front of her flung in the direction of the hooded woman before shattering into broken pieces upon impact of the field.
Responding quickly, the woman shot up to her feet, momentarily tearing down her shield before concentrating all of her power into her fist. The blow connected with Wanda's face as the blue of her knuckles exploded. The girl flew back right into Clint, sending them down on the ground.
Another scream resonated from her throat as the young woman sunk back down to the pavement on her knees. The force field was down with her hands back at her head. Steve took the initiative to rush forward in the diversion. He could sense the fear and adrenaline rush to his brain. It was his only chance to strike.
"Stop it!"
Steve jolted suddenly at the sound of his friend's voice from behind. Before he could process what had happened, his own punch flung straight forward, barely missing the girl's head. The sharp grip on his shoulder was agonizing as Steve fell to his knees in front of her. The girl barely glanced up before shuddering backwards. her head smacked into the store wall as her consciousness left her instantly.
The grip on his shoulder loosened but not before he met a low kick to his side. Steve coughed harshly, gripping his stomach at the impact.
"The fuck is wrong with all of you?!" Bucky yelled out. He glared up at Clint and Wanda.
Wanda rushed to her feet in defense, "She was going to attack us first!"
"Buck..." Steve breathed out, "Wait."
Bucky turned his attention back to him.
"She's a fucking kid, Steve!"
"Please," Steve croaked out, "We all panicked. I'm sorry... we're just all paranoid after everything that has happened, Buck."
"The bigger problem is figuring out what to do with her now." Sam cut in. The group shot a stare in his direction.
"He's right," Wanda spoke up, "I placed the cashier to sleep and took out the cameras before this all started but we can't leave her here."
Steve rose up, eye level to Bucky to meet the vile glare. "We'll take her in for the moment. Wait out until she is conscious again and then figure out the situation. She could be an agent."
Sam chucked low, "Or simply a hiker with unusual powers."
"Either way we need to move quickly before we get any more unexpected visitors at the gas station." Scott called out from the van's driver seat, "Stop bickering and move it already!"
Reaching out, Steve bent down to lift the girl's back from the ground. He tucked in her legs before raising her in his arms. Steve felt a sudden tingling at his palms. The warmth from her body radiated as small blue sparks shocked his skin gently.
Wanda rushed to his side. "Is this lightning? Is that her power?"
Steve shook his head, "I don't think so. The shocks aren't numbing me. It's something coming from within her. Much like your gift."
He glanced back up to meet Bucky's eyes. His expression remained sour. "My guess is that it's all raw energy. Don't give her a reason to feel threatened and you won't have to guess what her powers are. Just get her inside already so we can deal with the problem."
Steve gave a low nod as he continued towards the van. The group quickly followed to gather everything they needed. Sunrise was less than four hours away.
The sound of a mourning dove hooted low as it caught in her ears. He was then accompanied by a Blue Jay that seemed to be calling for attention. Anemone kept her eyes shut to take in all of the outdoor noise. The morning tune was calming. Her arm reached up to touch the bridge of her nose. It was then that she noticed a dull pain creeping its way around her head.
"Does it hurt?" A smooth, gentle voice spoke up from her left.
Anemone's eyes shot open instantly, regretting it altogether. The pain quickly sharpened and started to concentrate at the right temple. Regardless, she willed her senses to focus on the source of the voice as her vision slowly focused on her foreign surroundings.
The room was small, the walls mainly covered in picture frames. The only source of light was a high risen window that invited the sunlight to inch across the wooden floor. Aside from the bed she lay in and the chair next to it, Anemone could not spot any other furniture. The only thing out of the norm was the man who sat in it. His shaggy brown hair was hovering over his face slightly but the eyes still kept all attention on her. Anemone noticed the metallic glint from underneath the jacket of his left sleeve. Her heart nearly blew out of her chest.
"Wait, wait, wait!" The man called out as he sprung forward. His right hand held onto her back as he revealed his left one, pressing lightly at her chest to keep her from rising up. "You collapsed last night. If you get up too quickly, your head might start hurting worse."
It was then that all of the memories from the night before came rushing in. Anemone clenched her jaw to suppress any reaction. She was in an unknown place with a stranger who might be armed. She focused on sitting up as the man assisted to keep her upright. He finally slid his arm from behind her once she found her balance. His eyes never left hers in the process.
Anemone took in a sharp breath, "What is your name?"
The sudden question caused the man to pause for a second, "I was just about to ask you the same. My name is James Barnes. But people here seem to refer to me as Bucky. How about yourself?"
"Where am I?" Anemone abruptly cut him off with another question.
Bucky twitched, "We are at a small motel off of route 81 in the Shenandoah valley. You hit your head pretty hard on the wall so we took you here to get you into a bed."
"I need to go," Anemone braced herself to a leap. She was quickly met with the man's weight as he blocked her way with his own body. His hands shot to her arms to hold her down. "L-let go of me!"
"You are injured!" Bucky replied with a growl, "Stop it with the escape act and just calm down for a minute! No one is going to hurt you!"
Anger began to seep into her mind as Anemone recalled the previous night. The pain in her head started to amplify. Her voice came out in hiss, "You mean the way your buddies didn't hurt me last night?"
Bucky glanced down to notice the blue sparks starting to manifest at her fingertips. His heart raced as he braced himself for whatever to come. He attempted one last time with reason. "My friends were confused last night. We had been on the run for so long that they mistook you for an agent or a spy that was sent for us. Please..."
The woman did not release her power but remained silent, taking in every word. Her body tensed, as if she was holding in everything from exploding.
"My name is Bucky but the world knows me as the Winter Soldier." He began noticing the pale horror wash over her face, "My friends, they too have their public media titles. Last night, the woman and the man in the store you saw were Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye. The other two men were Captain America and Falcon. They're all Avengers."
"Former Avengers, according to the news." Anemone spoke between her teeth. "I don't care what you are or who you claim to be. I just want to get out of here."
"From what I saw, it doesn't seem like you're all that different from us," His eyes darkened as his grip on her arms tightened daringly, "You have a special gift that you're hiding from the rest of the world. You are on the run as well, lurking in the shadows. I recognize a runaway when I see one... and you've been running for a while now."
The momentary silence filled the room. Anemone focused on her ragged breathing to calm the nerves. The anger was slowly dissipating.
Bucky took in a small breath himself before continuing, releasing her arms in the process, "Who are you?"
Her hands dropped to her sides Anemone spoke up, "My name is Anemone. I am a local of the state. I sometimes go on night hikes in the Appalachians for fun."
The reply was rehearsed, blunt. Bucky leaned forward slightly, his face inches away. "And your real story?"
Anemone swallowed hard. "I... I avoid people because of my powers. The mountains don't judge you out here when you're alone with nature. I don't wander out of the area normally."
"And your gift..." He paused to choose his words carefully, "Have you always had it?"
His hand slid down to hers where the sparks were dying down. The softness of her fingertips gave him an unexpected jolt. It had been too long since he felt something this gentle under his grip.
"I wasn't born with it." Anemone pressed herself against the wall, "I-!"
"Is everything alright?"
Steve's voice echoed against the room as the two of them shot a glance in his direction. He stood at the door frame, his posture guarded, unsure of how to follow up.
"Y-yeah," Bucky replied, "Anemone was just introducing herself."
He paused to turn his attention back to her.
"I believe you already met, Anemone this is my friend Steve Rogers, Captain America."
He could sense her knuckles beneath his palm harden. Her chest shook as she took in a breath. "Can I please go? I won't say anything, just please let me go."
Steve furrowed his brow. "Anemone, was it? You're welcome to stay for breakfast. I insist on it. You need the food and energy if you want to continue on your journey."
Anemone pursed her lips at the statement. The hand next to her gave a small squeeze. She turned her attention back to Bucky who was now standing upright from his seat. The warmth of his fleshed hand slid away.
She gave a small nod before attempting to rise. Her feet wobbled at the wooden floor, gripping onto the bed frame for support. Anemone felt a hand slither at her side, looking up to catch sight of a pair of grey eyes. Again, this man had decided to overstep boundaries with her. Anemone stifled a gasp from escaping. She pushed herself off of the bed frame to spring forward, striding past Bucky and stopping at the door.
"Alright." She began, "I'm ready."