Early update! This is mainly for me though cause I've been on such a writing streak amid this shitty country's fucked up government and lovely (daily) 13-hour power cuts. haha hahaha... If any of you own a company that needs a graphic designer from abroad let me know! I'm a slut for a secure living in a better more prosperous country thanks.

By the way, the LKR Rupee is now the worst currency, so if you wanna donate like 5 dollars, it will go a long way for me T_T (I'm kidding I don't want your money but I'm just showing you how I make jokes to avoid dealing with my shit, let me live)

Writing about Bucky and Jo's adventures is literally the only thing keeping me sane right now. That and my husband, my cat,( I love you my babies), and the occasional Doja indulgence (artist or plant, you decide).

I can't wait to hear about what you guys think of this chapter, I'm trying to hurry it along to get to the happier stuff, and believe me there will be. We are entering into Pre Civil War after all ;)

I'll reply to reviews on the next chapter, enjoy! and also please review thanks

(if I can handle a daily 13-hour power cut and still write the story, y'all can take the time to review :))

xx

-SSC


Dear Lord, when I get to Heaven
Please let me bring my man
When he comes, tell me that you'll let him in
Father, tell me if you can
All that grace, all that body
All that face makes me wanna party
He's my sun, he makes me shine, like diamonds

- Young & Beautiful, Lana Del Rey


"Tony!" Steve screamed out, witnessing his descent from the sky. His suit was falling headfirst into the ground at an alarming speed, weighed down by its mass of alloy that had no will of its own. Steve's heart was pounding, staring in stark horror, finding the situation eerily similar to the Battle of New York. Except, there was no Hulk to catch him.

Suddenly, as if God heard his prayer, a blur of black whizzed towards Tony from his right. Steve looked to find Storm, with her thundering clouds and bolts of lightning swooping down reaching dexterously for the falling Iron Man. The Captain sighed in relief when she managed to catch him in time.

"Got him, Cap," Ororo announced in a heavily distorted response through his earpiece. The Captain smiled in wary respite.

"Great job Storm, get Tony to safety and report when you are back in the air."

"Yes, Captain." She responded breathlessly, no doubt struggling to take and carry away a weight-iron suit with an eccentric billionaire inside.

"Cap, is everything okay there?" Sam's voice spoke out through the coms, having most likely seen the scenario and increasingly worried. Steve needed him to stay back, if Joanna/Clara was strong enough to take down Tony, with his entire high-tech prowess, then Sam stood no chance with his wings, but he could keep the civilians safe till they passed the outskirts.

"Set a perimeter we need to contain this as much as possible, is everyone out of range?" the Captain asked quickly.

"The town is still evacuating; we need another fifteen—" He was abruptly cut off. Steve clicked on the receiver several times but was only greeted with white noise.

"The coms are down Cap," Natasha announced vindicating his theory. "I think something bad is about to happen."

He spotted the way she was staring through the windshield, her clear eyes wide and afraid. Steve immediately looked as well. An odd liquid-like metal was moving up, in a spiraling cadence towards Joanna.

The alien liquid seemed almost solid and spineless at the same time and began to spread around her in a slow, globe-like shape, masking over some visible, round force field. He spotted Joanna within. She was still floating in the air, her inky tresses a whipping frenzy around her. Steve saw Tony's arc reactor, cupped in her hands like it was a small delicate heart. Then abruptly, there was a burst of translucent blue that reflected in her dark eyes that was obstructed by the molten metal that cocooned her completely till she was trapped within.


"We need to move now!" Bianca insisted, pulling at the designer's wrist. Olivia frowned and shook off her touch, her lips pursing desiring to say something when Deadpool suddenly gasped beside them, earning their regard.

"What is that?" Deadpool demanded gaping up at something through the wide crack and up in the heavens. Olivia reluctantly straightened up and turned to face what Wade gawked at.

Her jaw dropped at the sight of a weird globe-like object that seemed to have magically formed without her knowledge. It was rather enchanting, how much the silver glistened in the sunlight, practically eclipsing them, casting a large, dark shadow over the castle.

Olivia's attention shot down to the floor, where she felt an odd throb through the soles of her sneakers, like a short tremor, rippling through the earth beneath, in the direction of the globe, like a magnetic wave. She glanced through the arch window to her left, where she saw a row of pine trees bordering the fortress, opposing the cliffside. She noticed how the tops of the swaying trees seemed to bend towards the globe as if the very field of energy around them, bending the tops to submission.

A loud blaring echoed in the air, snapping Olivia's attention back to the spherical object levitating in the sky. An extraordinary shimmering blue glow twinkled from within the globe before abruptly emitting thin, pulsing beams of lights. Deadpool was positively amazed, Olivia could tell from the way he pressed the flat palms of his hands to the sides of his face, his jaw-dropping in blatant awe.

"Oh look, it's like a disco ball." He whispered in a longing sigh. Then abruptly, the thin streams of lights stopped before an abrupt thick, long beam of blue energy escaped through the metal from several points in the globe, one facing them, like an intense spotlight, directly onto Deadpool's chest.

Everything seemed to speed up at that moment because the beam was almost like a flash of light that hit Deadpool in the chest and then abruptly vanished. Olivia's amber gaze fell to his torso and she paled at the sight of a perfectly carved hole, exposing the inner bloody flesh of his body, through his organs.

"WADE!" She screamed instinctively as he collapsed back onto the floor, blinking in shock but not bleeding out.

"Oh my God!" Bianca gasped, quickly terrified to have witnessed the attack.

"Ah shit." Deadpool sighed, alarmingly calm as Olivia approached him on shaky legs. She stared, horrified as he sat up and stared into his chest that was already caving in with newly formed pockets of flesh. He was healing rapidly and masking over the clear view of the cobbled floor she had through his torso.

"You guys go ahead." He insisted causally, leaning back into his arms and staring up at the metal globe, still awed by it as more beams of light began to twinkle within, signaling another attack.

"I'll catch up when I grow back my organs."

Olivia gaped, stepping side to side in place, mildly in shock, unsure of whether to help him or run the other way. Bianca didn't wait for permission and grabbed Olivia by the wrist and began to run again. Olivia made no complaints this time and allowed Bianca to drag her clumsy from down the corridor as the massive orb of death behind them, began to charge up again, while lowering closer to the ground, hanging ominously behind them.

Olivia was unable to contain her squeals and screams as beams of energy shot at them, hitting the stone walls, causing the towering walls to begin collapsing onto them. Bianca tried to run as fast as she could, ignoring the pulse of her heart and burning lungs. They had to get out of reach; far from the stronghold.

Suddenly a ray of light volleyed past them, hitting one of the concrete pillars ten feet above. Bianca skidded to a halt and Olivia practically slammed into her. They stared as the beam fell before them, crashing through the floor and diving down into the foundations, leaving a canyon of an obstacle in their path. Olivia stared down in horror at the depths beneath. She spotted a short metal beam that the streak of energy had managed to cut through, just like it did to Deadpool. What was left of the material was tipped with melting pumice.

The image of his bloody organs, through such a perfect circle of a wound, continued to haunt her. She glanced back at the male; he was still seated on the floor, unharmed by descending rubble and waving at them encouragingly. Olivia knew she would attempt to process what she saw with a bottle of vodka if she managed to survive.

"We have to jump," Bianca announced. Olivia eyed the large fissure, guessing it to be at least a staggering, twenty feet in width.

"No way, I don't do heights, there is no way I am doing that." Olivia countered immediately, taking several steps back from the edge and planting her feet firmly on the cobbled stone beneath.

"Fine." Bianca acquiesced and Olivia sighed in relief as the child backed up, thinking they will find another way around. Olivia was about to voice her suggestion when she was abruptly pushed headfirst. Olivia lost her footing and fell forward. She felt the breath leave her lungs, and lodge in her throat as she wide-eyed, into the abyss.

Olivia screamed, her legs failing in a phantom need for the ground. Bianca jumped onto her back mid-fall, embracing her tightly with her legs and arms while willing her tentacles out. The red limbs of muscle sprang up and wrapped around an overhanging, chandelier on the ceiling, before swinging them forward, into the air, and over the crater.

She cupped her hands over her eyes, unable to subject herself to the horror of witnessing herself, catapulting through the air with the use of tentacles like she was Jane in Tarzan.

"OH MY GOD, I'M GOING TO DIE!" Olivia continued to shriek as Bianca winced achingly. As much as she unwillingly enjoyed the closeness and scent of lavender the woman seemed to naturally emit. Her shrill screams were hard to listen and Bianca had half the mind to wrap one tentacle over the short woman's mouth.


The Captain stared in abject horror. The strange metal-like globe that had consumed Joanna was now shooting out beams. He watched as they branched out, sometimes in one singular beam that caused destruction. The energy seemed to have no real target, aimlessly firing into the neighboring outskirts of the town, cutting through its towering buildings and short homes as the citizens screamed from a distance, watching their homes be destroyed in a display of immense power. He spotted several local helicopters hovering in a distance, afraid to venture further, or simply unable to with all the interference.

"We need to buy them more time." Steve voiced out gravely, trying his best not to panic. He observed that the beams had a limited reach that thankfully most of the civilians had managed to be escorted past, however, their households could not be spared. Another terrifying fear settled into his already knotted stomach, his girlfriend was in the middle of it all, in the very castle one beam sliced through, leaving rubble and dust in its wake.

"and get Olivia out." He added fretfully, his blue eyes searching through the castle, hoping to spot her.

"The jet isn't responding," Natasha announced again, realizing its standstill was coming to a slow fault as if the very energy within was being absorbed out. Sparks of electricity whipped up from the dashboard towards her. The former spy instantly recoiled her hands from the gears and pressed back into the chair and out of reach. The plane continued to hover in the sky in a phantom command.

"Is that a child?" Logan suddenly asked, distracting her from her shock. The jet was slowly passing over the castle and Natasha saw what the Captain and Logan were staring so raptly at. There was a very obvious crack in the roof of the castle, revealing the floors within. A sudden blur of lilac passed from inside.

It was Olivia, Natasha recognized her instantly from the sight of her purple dress that seemed to stand out against the grey canvas of a stone castle. She was running, rather hastily from within the corridors of the castle, preceded by Bianca.

"You didn't notice the tentacles?" The spy joked with a smirk pinched at the corner of her mouth, looking at Logan, seeing how he was more concerned by the appearance of an adolescent.

"Hey, I work in a school for mutants, that does not faze me, her age does." The Wolverine snapped back with a grim frown directed at the redhead. She smirked and glanced at Steve. He was oddly quiet, his jaw muscles clenching in troubled thought.

The Captain tracked his girlfriend's movements. It was a difficult task considering how limited his view from above was. Another beam of light burst through beneath them, causing more cracks. His chest tightened at the sight of more mortar collapsing inwards, but then, his eyes widened in pure gratified relief.

He saw the top of Olivia's head running hurriedly towards the garden side of the castle. Considering she was aided by Bianca he guessed the child knew the safest place. However, he didn't want to leave Olivia alone with her for much longer.

"Nat, try and land somewhere safe and meet me at the Northern outskirts of the castle." He ordered, reached over her to the Jet-door switch, and pushed down hard. Natasha had no objections, considering she would have done the same. Steve marched past a bewildered Logan, picked up his shield along the way, and locked it into his back. The moment the doors opened he jumped out and Logan gaped in shock.

"Did Wonder Boy just jump out without a parachute?" He demanded, reeling around to Natasha.

"Get over here and help me!" She yelled out, deciding if two people were working the reins, then maybe they can get control long enough to land and avoid being hit by a death-inducing laser.


"That thing is cutting through stone like its butter!" Olivia cried out while running fast, her legs pumping from the exertions, following Bianca's lead out the West wing that seemed endless. Her heart elated with relief when she spotted the end of the hall that opened up into a field of woodland. She hurried her pace, eager to meet Bianca's stride.

"Obviously it's focused energy, you idiot." Bianca bit back over her shoulder as they raced past an archway and out into the open air. Olivia's sneakers hit the fresh, dewy grass as she jumped down the last step. However, the relief over exiting the castle, with rocks that could possibly crush them, left her mind as she was filled with a thwarted annoyance over the child's tone.

"Don't call me an idiot, you are the reason I'm in this mess!" Olivia yelled back, enraged by the child's audacity over patronizing her in her state of panic.

"I'M SORRY!" Bianca cried out, startling Olivia with her outburst. The designer paused in her run to see Bianca stalled back. Her small chest was rising and falling rapidly, her clear blue eyes brimming with unshed tears as she stared remorsefully up at Olivia.

"I'm sorry okay?" She repeated again, meeting her stare warily.

"I really am."

Olivia found herself, unwillingly believing the child. She knew not to trust Bianca, but in a way, she pitied the child. She seemed lost, helpless but trying to fix her mistakes, by helping her. Olivia knew she couldn't help resenting her. Her lips parted with something she wished to say, but then a sudden glint of light from the corner of her eye snapped her into attention.

Another beam of energy struck. Hit over them directly into the stone wall of the arch exit, in a slicing cut. Olivia gasped as several stone bricks began to crash down, with Bianca closest to the impact.

"Bianca, watch out!" Olivia cried out and reached out, gripped the child's arm, and yanked her to herself. The boulders crashed around them and they were pressured to the ground. Olivia shut her eyes in pure dread. Her eyes squinted open, behind the frames of her smeared glass, relieved to realize that she was unharmed.

A cloud of dust engulfed her, she coughed and squatted at the air but then she heard a whimper beneath her. Shocked into attention Olivia looked to find Bianca. She had fallen on the grass, struggling to free her foot from beneath a crack of toppled over rocks.

"I-I can't move." The child gasped out lying on her belly, clawing at the grass, desperate to escape. Olivia was immediately at her side, inspecting the impact area. She spotted several smears of dirt and blood, but there was no heavy bleeding. Bianca luckily only managed to get her foot lodged when Olivia pulled her out of the way.

A sudden pulse trembled through the ground, like the ripples of an earthquake, beneath her fingertips. Olivia glanced fearfully over her shoulder to see that globe-like object shimmering again, preparing for another wave of destruction.

Bianca saw this as well and when Olivia turned her attention back to the child, she was staring at her. Olivia was snagged under the clear, shimmering turbulence the child expressed, her lower lip trembling.

"You need to run." Bianca insisted, Olivia, ignored her and planted her hands off the grass and onto the jagged edges of the rock. Olivia pulled at the loose edge of the stone, with all the might she could muster and failed miserably.

"Olli you need to go!" Bianca screamed.

"I-I can't," Olivia uttered unwilling to meet the child's shivering stare as she eyed the metal sphere anxiously, pending its inevitable attack. Olivia had to admit, it would be easy to run, leave villainous Bianca to fend for herself as she had done to her. But Olivia couldn't. As much as she hated to admit it, Bianca's childlike form and mannerisms reminded her of Norah, which paired with the cowardice idea of abandoning another life to save her own, didn't sit well with her conscious.

"I can't do that." Olivia sighed. The fatigue of the day seemed to suddenly hit her as her arms slackened against the stone. Olivia fell to her knees beside Bianca's stubby legs, exhausted, deciding maybe it was time to stop running. The soft grass with its bed of earth felt comfortable.

That same ominous hum rang in the air again and Olivia knew another attack was about to begin. She turned to face the globe and watched as a twinkling light winked in her direction before getting brighter, drawing closer. Her resounding thought was Steve, wishing she had the chance to see him one last time and saddened over how miserable he would be over her death. He had lost so many people already, Olivia didn't expect to be another one.

Her heart clenched in longing, despaired ache, tears stinging her eyes. She didn't want to start crying at the thought of abandoning her boyfriend. She wished she had more time.

Olivia felt Bianca's small fingers wrap around her hand and she squeezed back, being strangely comforted by her minuscule hold. Olivia turned stiffly to meet the child's gibbous gaze, only to be surprised by the sight of an odd wavering moment of maturity on Bianca's cherubic face. Olivia could have sworn, she seemed her actual age for a moment.

Dismissing the thought bluntly, Olivia lowered her stare to their joint hands and squeezed back. They waited tensely for the impact of the lethal energy. Olivia pinched her eyes shut, expecting pain, or a quick death.

However, she felt nothing but an abnormal heat near her and the familiar scent of honeycomb.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she was startled to find herself staring at the infamous colors of red white and blue. Her gaze dragged up to meet Steve's broad back, kneeling before her, his shield out, tucked safely within it and protecting them from the full blast of the beam.

Olivia gaped in pure wonder as the energy seemed to pass over them in brilliant rays of light. The shield kept them effortlessly protected through a blockade of extraordinary metal. The energy was gone as soon as it arrived, and Olivia gazed over Steve's shoulder and at the armor; there was not a scratch or burn, just the star, and its infamous rings adorning it.

She blinked out of her stupor and found herself meeting the Captain's dreamy blue eyes, stormy in worry and glistening in palpable relief.

"Steve…" She whispered, thinking her boyfriend looked like the very vision of a flaxen-haired angel, greeting her in heaven. Steve managed the smallest of smiles, his hand reaching out and cupping the side of her face as if to make sure she was real. At the sensation of his warm familiar touch, Olivia felt her dazed shock disappear and filled her with new energy and purpose.

The moment that passed between the two lovers was brief when Steve realized he had an audience. Bianca was gaping up at the Captain, shocked by the sight of him appearing like the very heroes she used to scoff over.

Steve reluctantly released Olivia to aid Bianca. Olivia watched, still kneeling beside the child as Steve gripped the bottom of the largest rock. He lifted the boulder with ease and Bianca eagerly wriggled her foot out. Olivia saw the swelling near the child's ankle and realized she couldn't be expected to run.

The Captain noticed this too and passed the shield to Olivia. She accepted it wordlessly as Steve helped Bianca climb onto his back. Olivia quickly rose onto her legs, dusting off the blades of grass that stuck to her kneecaps.

"Hold on tight, kid." He instructed. Bianca was scowling, clearly feeling mortified and humiliated by the manhandling and seething quietly, and knowing she was in no place to object. She wrapped her scrawny arms around Steve's broad shoulders and clung tightly.

Steve turned to Olivia and she felt her heart race under the glow of his sky-blue eyes. He retrieved the shield from her into one hand and used the other to interlock their fingers. She watched as he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a doting kiss to the ridge of her knuckles, his eyes steady on her all the while.

"Stay close to me, okay?" He murmured softly, trying his best not to sound bossy, despite his current occupation. Olivia grinned finding him utterly delectable, even in the face of danger.

"Yes, Captain."


Bucky was livid.

He was level-headed when he first managed to climb all the way to the top of the battlement. Despite the injurious fall that could occur if he missed one step, the path allowed him to have a better view, to see what was happening.

He almost regretted his desperate curiosity.

Above him, several feet away on the East Wing of the castle, Joanna was levitating in the air. The sight of her jarred him at first; unable to comprehend what exactly he was spectating. Her dark hair was defying gravity, along with the rest of her. His blue eyes narrowed in on her face, the lengthy distance made it impossible for him to access her expression, it was a distance blur.

He called out for her, several times, as his stride to reach her lengthened with each pounding jumping he took across the stone wall. She continued to slumber, unaware of him, drawing further and further out of his reach.

Bucky's pulse vied in fear, he had to save her, and he had to get to her. He raced through the battlement, jumping over various crenels of the outer wall. Lyuuba had placed guards in place as if anticipating retaliation.

I'll be right here I said, but did she care to stick around? Hell no, so fucking typical. Bucky ranted mentally, with great exasperation as he cut through the moderately trained men with ease, however it took him longer than necessary.

Mutant abilities my ass, this is some other world bullshit. His legs pumped, and his lungs burned. However, his continued scathing regard for his current predicament did help. He kept pushing while keeping a watchful eye on Joanna's floating form in the air, as he began to near her. The top of the castle seemed to stretch on endlessly, the closer he got the further away he still felt.

He skidded to a stop to stare when a strange liquid metal began to cave around her, consuming her completely in a spherical shape and masking her out of his view. Panic coursed through his veins like shards of glass, piercing his heart as he feared the possibility of being too late, but then it got worse.

Sharp beams of lethal energy began to shoot out of the hardened metal ball. They seemed to target him, cutting into each path he stepped to in an almost drunken gamble, slicing through the castle stone as if it was made of cake. He jumped and ducked out of the way, avoiding pitfalls, jumping over collapsing bricks, and running ahead straight at the globe, determined to save Joanna. He ignored the pulsing ache that seemed to beat against the inside of his skull, he couldn't be weakened by his mind, not now.

Bucky was determined to keep a level head. In his run, he was studying the bursts of light that left the globe. There was a pattern, from what he could digress. It would always be streaks of two first followed by a stronger one. He didn't understand the delay, but he planned to take it to his full advantage.

As strategic as he was so far, he didn't know if he could even penetrate the bizarre metal.


It can't cut through Vibranium.

Was the only thought that seemed to race through Olivia's mind as her body seemed to work automatically, racing through the trees, past the castle, to get as far away as possible. She glanced back at the town, taking no interest in the seaside behind the stronghold.

"Cap!" Olivia turned ahead and spotted Tony and another female she didn't recognize. The woman was clad in a black suit; her dark hair was glowing in a youthful radiance despite her hair being as white as snow. She gazed past them and grinned at the sight of Natasha and another, grim-looking man she didn't recognize. Natasha smiled, noticing her as well, her emerald gaze shining in great relief.

"Tony." Steve breathed out in relief, reaching them in huffy pants. Bianca climbed off his back and Olivia helped her onto the grass floor. Olivia then turned to Natasha who greeted her with open arms and hugged her tightly. Unaware of the Captain that briefly glanced at the embracing two females, his blue eyes glittering in longing at the sight of Olivia's beaming smile, directed up at the redhead.

"Glad you are okay." The captain expressed instead turning to Tony and heartily gripping him by the shoulder.

"I don't think any of us will be for long if this keeps going." The man uttered gravely, surprising Olivia who overheard. He was usually more optimistic and annoyingly sarcastic during troubled moments. The fact that even the great Tony Stark felt helpless, was never a good sign.

"Steve, she has the arc reactor, I think that whatever Kevin and his sister are, is making this possible," Stark said, alarming the captain.

That explains a lot. Olivia mused, seeing how Tony wasn't wearing his suit and it was a pile of parts behind him, to the left.

"How do we stop it?" Natasha chimed in, looking to the two for suggestions.

"I have no way of trying, Storms tried, hell Sam even used Red Wing to shoot missiles at the shell, that thing got only two shots in before frizzing and falling off the cliff."

"She just absorbs my energy." Ororo expressed recalling her several attempts at striking the metal globe with lightning that only seemed to breathe more rippling life into its silver skin.

"Nothing is working how do we get it to stop?" Logan demanded feeling physically frustrated and helpless. He thought he would do way more action other than steering a plane. He wondered if he should try his claws out on the globe.

"I saw it cut through a truck, those beams can penetrate anything." Storm exclaimed as if sensing his reckless plotting.

"Not Vibranium," Olivia whispered meekly from beside Steve, earning his interest.

"Who is that?" Natasha demanded, seeing something at a great distance from them and on top of the castle. Olivia turned to Natasha, watching as she canopied her hand over her eyes, trying to see past the glare of the sun.

"Is that the Winter Soldier?" Tony gasped out in alarm. Steve's eyes widened at the sight of his best friend, running as if the Satan's hell hounds were at his heels. His gaze focused on Bucky's grim expression, marred with determination, and focused ahead as if the destruction around him was a second thought. He looked in the direction Bucky stared at, realizing he was heading straight for the twinkling rondure that continued to fire beams of light that he managed to narrowly avoid.

He is going to try to breakthrough. Steve realized in paling panic. The man was on a suicide mission, determined to save Joanna. Steve stared, his mind buzzing at possible ways he could help his friend, even though each moment passed with abundant alacrity. He watched as Bucky pushed off with the power off his legs and leaped into the air at a great, propelled lunge. Steve watched him soar up, in between two beams of light and directly into a budding one. His metal arm rose up, glinting blindingly, catching the light of the sun.

At the very last moment, Steve realized what he could do.

"Bucky!" He screamed out at the top of his voice, hoping the man would hear. His words had reached him and Bucky's head turned towards him at the last second. Their eyes met and Steve saw the flash of recognition in his eyes.

Steve stepped several feet forward, cocked his elbow all the way behind him, lengthened his arm, and focused on his best friend.

"Catch!" He yelled and threw the shield into the air, with all the might he could muster. The silver disk, painted in streaks of red and white, curved through the air, slicing across the sky and right into Bucky's range. Steve felt his pulse jump as Bucky managed to catch the shield in time with his outstretched, metal arm. He brought it before him and accepted the full force of the beam. There was a great explosion of light that momentarily blinded the onlookers. Steve blinked furiously past the daze and looked to see Bucky had vanished.


Bucky grunted from impacting something hard beneath him, with edges that cut into his arms. He opened his eyes and realized had his arm through the straps of Steve's shield and the weight of him pressing into the inner shield, his body curled up over his appendage, causing his arm to numb. Bucky clambered up onto his legs and stood tall. He was surprised he wasn't dead. He turned over the shield, which emitted a soft cutting whistle mid-rotation. He was amazed that the alloy managed to withstand the blast of energy without a scratch on its gleaming surface.

His attention immediately snapped up, realizing if he wasn't dead, did he manage to reach Joanna.

Bucky was shocked to find that the inner part of the metal globe was translucent. He could see the vague blur of the ocean beneath his boots. He glanced up, he could see the downy clouds but they had a thin layer of gossamer silver. He was amazed and then turned his attention to the front and center.

Joanna.

His heart ached at the sight of her.

She was suspended within the center of the sphere. Her dark mane was swept up and floating with opposing gravitational pull. He noticed strange strands of focused energy that softly pulsed off her, hitting the concave walls within, illuminating the space in bursts of soft, glowing light.

Bucky gripped the straps of the shield a little tighter for strength and advanced to her.

"Jo?" He called softly. His response was the crackling energy that seemed to encase the very air around them. He rounded her front and gazed upon her serene expression. Bucky spotted the smallest slivers of focused energy that seemed to spark at her skin. He recalled fondly having seen it before when he caressed her when she was simply excited by his touch, and not this weapon she was forced to be.

He saw the destruction that Lyuuba's plans for Joanna had entailed. He felt pity wrap around his heart, for her, and knowing his sweet Joanna would be most plagued by the turmoil she didn't mean to cause.

"Jo…" He whispered again, his crystal blue gaze softening in adoration as he reached for her.

He recoiled from the unexpected burn that scorched his human hand. He stared at the tips of his fingers before warily eyeing dim bolts that appeared erratically, preventing him from touching her.

He knew he had to snap her out of it, and then maybe this could all stop. He glanced down at his left, his bionic arm hung beside him. He flexed his fingers and then reluctantly extended his touch.

Bucky stared, amazed by the lack of pain, but pure electrifying jolts that he felt seep through his skin like cooling waters. He reached for her more confidently, nearing her face and gently cupping the side of her face.

"Jo." He whispered, drawing her towards him by her head, being as tentative as possible. But then, he was forced to stop, feeling resistance as if the energy that encased her from the neck below, refused to let her go.

Bucky sighed, holding her face between his hands, relieved that his human skin no longer burned against her flesh. He was frustrated by their continued obstacles. He just wanted her, was it such a horrible thing to ask for? Bucky knew he would never ever feel truly deserving of happiness, but he wanted to be selfish, just this once.

He pushed past his anguish and gazed upon her face. He was startled to find her eyes open and hauntingly black, end to end. However, despite the abnormal sight, he felt no fear, only sadness.

"Joanna." He murmured leaning closer, elated by her attention, holding her tenderly in his hands as his lips brushed tentatively over hers. Her skin felt cold against his, but there was an undeniable tingling sensation that followed.

"Come back to me." He wished with every trembling bone in his body before pressing his lips against hers, firmly, hoping, praying, with all of him, that the act would revert her back to her senses.


Joanna always had a vivid imagination. It got her in trouble with her nanny when she performed her latest clever prank on her twin. It got her a lecture from her father when he claimed she was always in her daydreams. But Joanna didn't care for anyone else opinion on her mind, it was her own personal playground and whatever she wanted, she got.

However, after she was sent into HYDRA's care, and the painful experiments began to take a toll on her sanity, she would use her escape to hide, somewhere she couldn't feel the constant agony of their tests she was subjugated to. Most would assume she felt no pain, but that wasn't entirely true, her tolerance for it was rather extreme, tapping into a moment of bliss that distanced her mind from her body came easily, but she was aware her ability was a creation of agony.

But of course, she built her fantasies off real-life events too, in fleeting pockets of happiness she managed to find in her many missions. She would revisit these moments from time to time when she was bored or baked or both.

She liked replaying the moments she felt most herself, in the prime of her youth, enjoying all of what the world had to offer.

But then, after Winters. Drifting into her fantasies was suddenly a nightmare, every corner she escaped to would be plagued by him. His warm, deft hands caressed her body. His soft, loving kisses seemed to mark every part of her. His gentle eyes, which were sometimes sad and lonely but always hers to gaze upon.

She remembered the dark times she went through, trying to find any drug that could sedate her from a constant pain that seemed to stem from within. No matter how deep she clawed, she could never find the source to crush it. She was in love and that seemed worse than death.

However, before Winters ruined her life—as Joanna liked to call it— she had one real-life incident, that she had heavily exaggerated to fulfill the narcissist within her.

It was her night with Tony at the Magnet.

She didn't know how she ended up in that particular memory in her mind. It felt more real than usual. She couldn't for the life of her remember what she was doing before; all she felt was this overwhelming sense of exhilaration.

Joanna remembered how positively thrilled she was to attend the event. It was her first real ball. She was initially not meant to be an attendee, but Madam Crabbe had commended her for her proactive nature, in fewer words than most. Of course, back then, no one knew of her relation to Tony, and Madam Crabbe didn't even question how she managed to land a date with one of the most sought-after Bachelors in New York.

She was replaying the moment she entered the building through the glass doors that opened from within. Joanna loved glamour as much as she loved being the center of attention and that night, checked all her boxes of her dream ball.

She was greeted by a red carpet that ran down an opulent staircase made of gleaming marble and golden twin banisters. The bifurcated stairs lead out into an open dance floor beneath a lavish crystal chandelier. She saw the guests, clad in the instructed, black, formal, evening wear. Their figures move on the dance floor, in a synchronized dance just like in her Madonna videos.

She caught the sight of her reflection in the mirrored walls that caved the entire space, bouncing the glowing lights off the sparkling chandelier. She admired the sight of her in the velveteen black dress that hugged her curves to perfection and displayed the length of her curvaceous, golden thigh in a naughty, open slit.

Her gaze dragged up to the draping V of her collar, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage between two thin straps over her exposed shoulders and arms. She smiled at the sight of herself and lifted her chin up confidently and flicked back a thick lock of her glossy hair that draped over her chest.

"Well look who finally decided to show up." She heard a familiar droll voice, dripping in playful sarcasm that dragged her attention back to the stairs. She remembered this part of the reenactment perfectly and always replayed it to perfection.

Tony was smiling at her from a few steps below. His chestnut dark hair was brushed back, exposing his high forehead, dark brows, and debonair smile. He stood with his hands stuffed into his tailored, black pants. Her gaze tracked up to his chest, over the lapels of his luxurious jacket, the white shirt beneath before finally meeting his glittering gaze. Joanna did not miss the way his chocolate brown eyes tracked down her body, admiring her in the dress with blatant lust.

"Art takes time, Superstar." Joanna teased with a haughty lift of her chin, her dark eyes gleaming in sensual focus. Tony grinned, flashing her rows of his perfect, white teeth.

"As a collector of fine art, I can tell you it's worth the wait." He murmured, climbing up the steps languidly, holding her stare the entire while. Her eyes gleamed in glee, positively thrilled by the suave compliment.

"I hope the music is upbeat enough for you, this time." He mused, stopping at the step below her and gazing up at her expectantly.

"Meh, satisfactory." She uttered with a casual shrug causing his smile to lengthen, amused by her continued need to seem so jaded when she was feeling the complete opposite. He held out an open palm for her, the silver band of his Rolex winking at her from beneath the edge of his sleeve. She stared down at his waiting hand, feeling an odd reluctance pass through her.

"Shall we?" He suggested.

Joanna never remembered hesitating when she relieved this particular fantasy. In fact, now that she thought about it, she hadn't reminisced over Tony for a while, not really inclined to and she struggled to remember why.

She felt troubled, like accepting the man's hand was somehow wrong, unfaithful, which didn't make any sense. This particular fantasy was her haven, a place for her to silently imagine herself in a better life, an escape from reality. But somehow, emotions had managed to plague their way in, and usually, she would be awake by now, but she wasn't.

"Clara, you okay sweetheart?" Tony's soft voice spoke, dripping in deep concern that snapped her out of her thoughts. She gazed into his glittering eyes, seeing the façade of deep admiration she had constructed in her mind, reflected back at her, reminding her this was her play, she controlled what happened.

"Perfect." She smiled forcefully and slipped her fingers into his palm confidently. The young Stark grinned, indubitably elated over her acceptance, like he always was, and began to guide her down the marble steps.

Joanna gazed ahead, admiring the crowd of dancing guests, all moving in a coordinated routine that she had invented in her mind. Nothing can hurt her here, there was only joy, wonder, and great music.

The moment the pointy tips of her black stilettoes touched the dance floor, Tony reeled her into his arms. Joanna allowed the movement with elated grace, and tittering laughter, twirling into his arms where he caught her with practiced ease, every time. His hands settled comfortably on her waist as she turned to face him, posing her arms around his shoulders, standing close, noses inches apart as they began to sway to the lively beat.

Tony was smiling at her while caressing the expanse of her golden arms as they guided her across the gleaming floor, uncaring and blissful. Joanna always loved this part of her fantasy, it had changed over time. When she was younger, she remembered the colors being a lot pinker and the interior despite being large, being rather vague.

Then after the Magnet, she used every detail within the ballroom as her blueprint.

Her dancing partner never had a distinguishable face, but then Tony replaced him. Joanna knew it was a little dangerous dwelling in such a fantasy, over a man that could never really be hers. She struggled to remember when she was heartbroken over leaving him. It used to hurt, the thought of Tony, but now, she couldn't remember the pain.

Joanna shook away the lingering sentiment again, wondering why her mind continued to drift there, like some voice calling for her. She felt irritated, this was her place of sanctuary, dance all night as My Fair Lady demands it. She could be herself unapologetically.

Joanna forced herself to focus on her footing, shimmying her hips just right while being the very picture of a sleek, confident dancer. This was her element, the rhythm of life.

Tony rolled her out of his arm as she twirled with ease, stretching out before he pulled her back into his arms in a fierce, passionate movement. Joanna grasped his waiting hand with ease as they continued to glide through across the floor, crowded by several other couples clad in black, just blurry shapes as Joanna only focused on the moment.

Just as she hoped, the lights around them began to dim, illuminating them in a single, gossamer spotlight, shunning the onlookers into the darkness. Joanna smiled up at Tony's handsome face, thinking she could stay in that moment forev—

A glint of blue caught her eye, through the swaying silhouettes. Her keen eyes focused and locked on to a pair of familiar, stormy blue eyes.

"Did I lose your interest already?"

Tony's amused inquiry snapped her out of her blunt staring. She blinked and the face was gone.

"N-no of course not," Joanna uttered hastily, turning her attention back to the eccentric billionaire, shaken by the odd glitch. Every time she replayed this moment, there was never anyone staring at her from the crowd. Just what the hell was that?

Tony beamed as they pirouetted and Joanna tried to slip back into the energetic rhythm that seemed to pulse loudly around her, but she struggled to keep her focus.

Something was wrong.

"Clara, I have to ask you something."

Joanna tensed at the scripted line she had taken from reality, Tony's question that she had left unanswered. She turned her attention stiffly to the man, no longer concerned with the oddly familiar man she saw in the crowd.

"It's not about my occupation again is it?" Joanna countered with a coy tilt of her head.

"No, more like what you are doing tomorrow." One dark brow perked up at his direct statement. Tony was always subtly coy like everything was a game, but this was different. She studied him raptly and he lowered his gaze, almost like he was intimidated by her stare, which she also found to be odd at the time.

"I want us to keep seeing each other, not just in the bedroom."

"We didn't technically stick to just the bedroom."

"I was using it as a metaphor." He grumbled with a wide roll of his eyes, Joanna grinned and met his stare evenly, shining like rare gemstones.

"Well then slap my ass and call me simile."

A wide grin broke out on his handsome face, pure laughter escaping his lips, reluctantly charmed by her. Joanna loved watching him express amusement, she felt a little more understood, like her wit wasn't wasted as it was on her brainwashed HYDRA comrades.

"Alright, well, then I'm just going to say it." He added hastily, in a nervous manner she was not expecting that night. Joanna couldn't turn away from the raw vulnerability the usually suave man expressed. His hands that were wrapped around her waist, moved up to gather her slender fingers in his grip as if they brought him strength. His inky lashes swept up and warily met her intrigued gaze.

"I like you." He stated like it was an obvious fact. Joanna smiled, she had convinced herself at the time that he was just flirting, nothing more, even though the alarms on the back of her head were warning her.

"Like me where?" She whispered leaning closer, being tactfully seductive as she pressed her lips to the side of his face. Tony always smelt wonderful, smoky with a subtle spice that made her stomach erupt with butterflies every time, except at that moment.

The scent wasn't the same, it didn't have any sentiment behind it, it was just another aroma that was pleasant, not overwhelmingly dizzying. Joanna formed an inch of distance from him, her gaze downcast, forlorn by the oddities.

"With me," He said in one swift breath that snagged her attention.

"If you want." He quickly added in nervous haste she was definitely not expecting. Tony was a lot of things, charming being the best one, but he had never seemed emotionally vulnerable when most of the time women questioned his availability.

Joanna leaned back, amazed by the proposition but also, heavily moved. She knew Tony cared for her, the earphones he gifted her were a sweet enough proclamation, but to hear him bravely admit it, forced her to listen. Joanna cherished him too, more than she would ever admit, which was why she was saddened by his unawareness.

He didn't really know her, he didn't know all the baggage that came with her occupation. She never had a choice on where she could be, what she could be doing, even with all her rebellion fire.

"Bold of you to assume I get everything I want." Joanna had mused, allowing herself to be exposed, just this once.

"I don't see how anyone could deny you anything."

She smiled, elated by his high regard, and gazed up at him, thinking maybe, he did know her a little. On an actual night, she remembered how they were interrupted by a tycoon that wished to speak with Tony on business matters before she could answer him. Stark, however, refused to leave her side which stupefied her even more and insisted she joins them at the bar as he talked to a fellow industrialist, practically dragging her along.

But in the playground of her mind, time was none existent, they never parted and continued to sway lazily on the dance floor. Joanna remembered her cue, she would accept his agreement, allowing herself that one moment of reckless sentimentality, even if it was a lie.

Then, she heard it. That familiar thrum, like the glow of hot limelight on the center of her temple, filled her with a sense of deep longing she had only felt for one person in her life. It was coming from directly in front of her. She raised her head, and gazed over Tony's shoulders, through the crowd and that's when their eyes met.

Winters.

Her brooding soldier stood out with his alabaster skin, steel blue eyes, and handsome face, sculpted by the shadows, hauntingly beautiful. He was staring at her like he always did, chewing at the inside of his cheek, brooding over something new that irked him, but his eyes. They were like cool, blue flames, tracking her movements as Tony continued to sway her across the dancefloor.

Joanna's head was reeling at each twist and turn, unwavering from the man that chose to remain hidden in the crowd. Her pulse was elevated and she suddenly found Tony's grip on her wrists rather domineering.

Joanna slipped out of his grasp that hung in the air, pining for her. She faced the space where she saw him and panicked at the sight of him no longer there.

"Winters!" She called pushing through the crowd, bumping into many dancing bodies that swerved in her way. She saw a flash of silver and grinned, thinking she was close when she was abruptly pulled back, into the circling sea of moving bodies.

Joanna found herself unwillingly pulled into that familiar dance routine where she was passed from one man to the next in a carousel of movements. They seemed to carry her further and further away from him and each time she attempted to dislodge from a hold, another figure would come sweeping in. She was lifted up into the air and she took the chance to scan the tops of the crowd, along the sheeted round tables, hoping to find him.

Joanna felt dizzy, she didn't know if it was from all the spinning or trying to make sense of her current predicament. She wanted to run away, hide, be anywhere but here, finding the shadows omniscient and claustrophobic.

This is my fantasy. She reminded herself determined to regain control.

Mine.

Then suddenly, the blaring noise around her was sucked out into a phantom void and everything went quiet.

The space was dark, eerie and then abruptly, the spotlight was on her again. She stepped forward hesitantly, the points of her heels meeting the tile, echoed within the hollow room.

Her heart pounded, fearing she did not know what or who was she searching for. This wasn't how things played out. She never left this dream wrought and tormented. Joanna's frantic gaze tracked the hall, searching for an exit, only dark corners greeted her. She spun around and collided with something hard and warm.

Joanna's head tilted up, meeting those blue eyes she knew so well.

"Winters." She whispered through trembling lips, amazed by the sight of him towering over her.

Joanna considered herself to be very detail orientated when it came to her mental state. She demanded perfection and even though Winter's stood out like a mystical blue light in her fantasies, his attire didn't reflect his known occupation.

His usually wild mane of dark hair was brushed back and trimmed to textured layers that reached the base of his neck, kind of like Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, but a lot sleeker.

A few tousled strands of chestnut fell over his high, exposed forehead, baring his handsome, clean-shaven face, for her indulgence. Her stare fell helplessly to his chest, admiring how well fitted the suit was against his impressive form. Her hands were flattened over his torso, awed by the softness of the suit and how warm he felt beneath her touch. Her belly quivered with want, never being able to resist a man in a tuxedo and Winters was dangerous enough on the regular with his raw sexuality.

In her mind, he was dressed to match the room, and even though she knew she had made him up to her liking, she was still floored by how much she ached at the sight of him.

"Jo." He whispered in that deep cadence that always soothed her down to her knees. She beamed up at him, slipping her hands down his arms while simultaneously stepping back to appreciate his garb properly.

"Winters, you look good." She mused in deep admiration, her wanton gaze tracking up his polished shoes, black-gloved left hand, to meet his gaze. He lowered his scrutiny to the floor, chagrined by her high regard. Her gaze softened, her heartwarming over his bashful reaction.

She felt his fingers grip her tightly, snapping her out of her dreamy esteem of him. He reeled her into his body and she moved in languidly. She leveled a besotted smile up at him, her hands gliding up his chest, over his shoulders, and clinging to him with a wistful smile.

He stared at her with those crystal blue eyes. She found herself lost in the swirling depths of azure, so warm and loving, eager to be near her. She watched, feeling faint at the sight of the pure, radiant smile that he directed down at her, crinkling the corners of his eyes, making him more handsome than he already was.

"Joanna." The way he said her name, sent her cells ablaze. She held his lustrous stare, feeling a trifle faint as his face neared.

"Yes?" She responded entranced by him, realizing she hadn't spoken for a great long time. It was strange, how his presence seemed to lull her into quiet observations, she always lived her life out loud but around him, she felt calm, centered.

The thin space of skin between his brows creased, his expression softening as his lips curled down into a frown full of despair. She wasn't expecting it, there was no sadness allowed here, why did he have to be so sad all the time?

His hands left hers to frame the sides of her face. Joanna was forced to hold his glittering gaze, brimming in woe, unable to turn away.

"Come back to me." He pleaded, alarming her.

"What do you mean?" She countered unsurely, enfolding her arms more firmly around his shoulders and pulling him close. Her gaze fell helplessly to the mesmerizing shape of his sculpted mouth.

"I am right here, hun. We are perfectly safe here." She insisted lovingly. No one could harm them here, she made the rules, and she would never allow anyone to hurt him. However, her confidence didn't seem to ease him as she expected.

A shiver of dread passed through her.

In this realm, everything happened the way she wanted, she was always happy here, why was everything different?

"Come back to me." He begged again, hoarsely, before pressing his mouth against hers.

It was like a bolt of lightning, not just the kiss but the memories that jolted her consciousness, the realization of where she was and how this was not a dream of her making. Joanna remembered why she had abandoned this particular theatrical play like a dusty toy under the bed. The ballroom, with all its opulence, was just a façade, a mirage, hiding what Joanna really craved.

Acceptance.

But she was fooling herself, even in this made-up reality, she was Clara, an alias crafted by HYDRA.

No one really knew her, not as her Winters did.

He was the striking force that made her realize that reality could in fact be better than her fantasies if you could overcome animosity. He was her mentor, her lover, and her best friend. The dream worlds she could conjure failed in comparison to the safety he brought her. He was her home in the middle of a tornado and she was the idiot that would charge into it as Jude said.

Because she knew now, with great, soulful clarity. That he would make the same impossible feat, for her.


Lyuuba winced, feeling an odd pulsing sting against her wrist. She turned her attention away from the town she was nearly done destroying and to Kevin. The man was lost, his face was bland of emotion as the air around him shimmered with light.

She was unconcerned about Ray, who stood maskless and staring at the lifeless body of the small, red-haired woman. The sight of her wide, dead eyes resounded deep within her. She was still reeling over Lyuuba's unexpected attack on the helpless woman. Her gut twisted in pained annoyance that she forced back.

Her emotions did not control her.

The pain that stung Lyuuba's wrist returned with an intensity she wasn't expecting. Cursing in pain, under her breath, she circled to Kevin's rear side and focused on the microbat that clung to the skin of his neck.

Through her keen, pale eyes she spotted sparks of electricity as if the chip was malfunctioning. She willed Kevin to turn the beam's strength and looked towards the town. The fractured light was no longer present. She looked up at the globe, realizing in paling fear, that it was no longer twinkling.

"Something's wrong," Lyuuba whispered fearfully, taking several steps back. "He isn't listening to my instruction."

"Seems like everything isn't as foolproof as you thought." Ray mused, dully turning her attention from the fallen civilian to Lyuuba. The woman was sneering at her, the usual calm she expressed was replaced by a volatile female with an unrelenting need for justice. Ray placed her mask firmly over her face, veiling her heavy grimace.

How did she not predict Lyuuba's deceit sooner? Ray supposed it stemmed from her weakness for the woman from long ago. She used to consider the Lyuuba family once, and as her laws state family could not be turned away.

But mindless murder of an innocent? Ray could not let that pass.

"I refuse to fail after coming this far." Lyuuba snapped as if sensing Ray's distancing self.

"You have gone too far Lyuuba." The woman bit back coolly, turning to face the female clad in purple. "You must know that I cannot allow this to pass."

Lyuuba blinked, stunned by the subtly threat. Ray watched as she inched closer to the motionlessly standing Kevin as if his powers would protect her.

"You wouldn't dare hurt me now." Lyuuba groused confidently.

"I have all the power I need."

"Plagued with irresponsibility," Ray spoke, the disdain in her voice muffled beneath the mask's ceramic. Lyuuba stared in tense expectance. Ray spotted the way the woman's fingers, that hung by her sides, twitched, secretly attempting to summon a portal.

"For your former allegiance to the Elnus, I will walk away," Ray announced, tucking her arms behind her back and then turning away.

Lyuuba visibly relaxed but then tensed once more when Ray paused in her departure towards the steps.

"But as the friend you lied to, I will not help you."

Lyuuba's arch brows furrowed, uncomprehending of what help Ray adhered to. But Lyuuba understood the moment she felt a sharp, relentless pain stab into her stomach, entering through her back like hot steel. She slowly reclined her head to her torso, shocked and shaking at the sight of a twelve-inch blade, dripping in blood, her blood.

"I don't really have to explain what that was for." She heard Frankie's raspy voice whisper against her ear, brushing against her skin. Lyuuba fell to her knees, the blade being the only thing that kept her from bleeding out and losing consciousness faster.

In her shock, she looked up at Frankie. The woman was glowering down at her, a satisfied smirk pinched at her lips, as if she purposefully left her in such a purgatory state, between life and death on a line of immense agony.

Her stare moved higher, to the metal globe, her heart's rhythm rising in panic at the sight of her greatest hope, thawing before her eyes.


Bucky didn't know if his efforts would actually will Joanna out of her mutant state. He wasn't the wistful type, hope was for children, but he didn't know what else to do.

She was unresponsive and he felt forceful and foolish, thinking a kiss would change anything. Then, unexpectedly, she began to kiss back.

His heart pounded like cannon fire as he felt the resistance that held her at bay, melt away. She collapsed into his arms and he held her steadfast, mouth pressed together, embracing her possessively.

They were unaware of the once hard shell that encased them, beginning to slowly melt from the top in liquid metal. His focus was only on holding her, tasting her lips that moved meekly against his. His pulse galloped in sated relief as his body burned for with renowned energy, embracing her deeply against his body.

Simultaneously, a gentle pull of gravity began to reel them down to the earth as the sphere collapsed around them. They were bathed in the glow of the morning sun, prominent and bright against the blue sky with downy clouds.

His lungs burned, desiring oxygen in spite of how sweet her kiss was. His sable lashes swept up, staring down at her weary expression. Bucky sighed in utter relief, her eyes were back to their normal-sized pupils of jet black.

"Winters." She whispered, struggling to stay upright. He watched her knees quake before her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her cranium tilted back, unconscious. Bucky pressed his fingers to her throat and checked her pulse in her haste. Her skin felt slick with exertion but she was alive and sleeping.

He gathered her body into his arms, the shield still strapped to his arm as he raised his stare. Bucky was shocked to find he was back on the cliff, standing over the familiar grassy field.


Steve and the rest of them gathered several feet away from the destruction, and stared with rapt interest as a colossal beam of pure, blue energy escaped the top of the sphere and into the heavens, moments after Bucky disappeared into it. Then immediately after, the solid shape began to soften like butter, starting from the top and melting down while simultaneously lowering its mass, towards the cliff.

The captain was unaware of Loga and Storm that exchanged silent looks that carried a deep seriousness. She nodded as if to some phantom agreement and focused up at the sky as her eyes began to turn white, like brewing clouds.

Storm immediately summoned her powers to glide her into the air, the capes of her fluttering behind her in her ascend. She hovered high above them, floating towards the top of the castle.

"What do you see?" Steve asked, spotting Storm hovering towards the fortress. He voiced his question through the communication device.

"I see a man looks kind of like Joanna." Storm expressed.

"That's Kevin." Sam butted in, having heard the exchange on his commute to them.

"I'll get him." He announced. Seconds later, Steve spotted Sam approaching them from the town, soaring above them, curving through the air with his colossal wings and descending down, into the tallest point of the tower, disappearing out of the Captain's sight.

"Is he okay?" Steve asked hastily. Olivia shuffled closer to his side, nervously intrigued.

"Physically." Steve heard Sam murmur gravely, the Captain's heart fell at the soft, gravelly sobbing he could hear in the background.

"Steve…she killed his girl."

Olivia gasped from beside Steve, her hands cupping over her mouth as her amber eyes began to brim, shocked into tears. Steve was equally forlorn, his chest tightening, unsure of how to respond. A deep mournful sigh escaped his lips as he reluctantly turned his attention back to the dissolving sphere.

The closer the thawing shell drew, the more Steve managed to make out. Bucky was holding Joanna in her arms and seemingly unbothered by the metal surface that guided them down to the dewy grass blades before melting away. Steve saw a blur of silver race through the blades of grass, towards the tower. He ignored the pressing matter for the moment and focused his attention on Bucky.

The man's entire focus was on the unconscious woman in his arms that seemed small and frail, nothing like the formidable mutant that nearly killed everyone. Steve was floored by the tender worry on his best friend's face, having never seen such a look of reverence from him, directed at a woman.

Then abruptly he raised his head. Steve saw as his blue eyes scanned his surroundings, as if suddenly aware of them. He was eyeing the grey smoke from the neighboring town that Joanna had transformed into a deserted land of destruction. His attention skittered to the castle, down at Joanna, and then finally landed on Steve.

Their gazes locked and the Captain saw the obvious torment in the man's eyes as he calculated the events that transpired and what it would ensue. Before Steve could voice the objection that lodged in his throat, Bucky dropped his shield, cradled Joanna in his arm tightly, and ran.

Steve watched his retreat, wordlessly, unmotivated to pursue him knowing Bucky made the choice to run away out of a protective instinct, not fear or shame.

The captain was rooted to his position on the damp grass as the rest of his team raced past him, towards the castle. He struggled to advance, his mind racing at the revelation he saw, unaware of his girlfriend watching him solemnly.


Poor Valerie :( RIP my little red stoner, loved writing about you since my Johnny Storm FanFic.

Will Kevin be able to deal with the grief of her death? Will Bucky and Joanna find happiness or be captured and punished for their crimes? Find out soon on El Mañana!