AN: At this point during this period, Tony and Cap are already in a disagreement, and Tony learned the truth about Bucky.
Personally, I believe they were both in the wrong. I feel like Cap should've been honest with Tony, and even though it's hard, I felt like Tony could've tried to understand that Bucky wasn't doing this on his own accord. Again, I know that's hard, but just my opinion. J
4 months into the solitude, everything changed.
Bella watched from live television as the King of Wakanda was murdered. The building crumbled, fire everywhere. People screaming. To her horror, Bucky was the main suspect. She knew that he'd never. Not anymore. Not now.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.
She couldn't sit and do nothing, so she started back her tracking of the Cullen's. She found that the smaller woman was Alice, this seer Edward had mentioned to her. She didn't see any others except the two of them. She trailed after them into the city, they were none the wiser. She wasn't sure how these guns worked, but if Fury had equipped her with them, she hoped they did the job. She couldn't determine if they were alone, though she never followed them after they'd take a turnoff.
For the next few weeks, she watched their every move. They did the same thing every day. They came into the city, somehow blending in with everyone, and would go to this place that looked like a detective agency. Who were they looking for? Was it her?
By the third week, Bella had to investigate. After Edward and Alice left, she waited an hour before entering. She was dressed in a blouse and black skirt, heels on her feet, her blonde hair pushed up in a bun. She even had another pair of glasses Fury supplied her with. With a pleasant smile, she went up to the desk, not sure of where to start.
The woman at the front desk smiled upon seeing her. "Bethany! It's so nice to finally meet you," Bella hides the surprise off her face. "Hi," She murmurs, holding out her hand for the woman to shake. The woman comes around the desk, taking her hand, and leads her down the hall. The woman pulls Bella close, and they round a corner. "I've been waiting for you Bella. Fury told me you'd make an appearance. Sharon Carter. I work for Fury," Bella eyes Sharon curiously. "Isn't SHIELD…." She trails off, and Sharon nods. "Yes. I work for Fury. Those two vampires you're trailing, why haven't you taken them out?"
Bella raises a brow. "First off, I don't know how well these weapons work. Second, why do I get the feeling that Fury sent me here for more than a new start? I'm not an agent Ms. Carter. I'm only here to protect my family," Sharon nods knowingly to what Bella is saying and leads her to an empty room. After closing the door, and shutting the blinds, Sharon sits Bella down. "Look, SHIELD has known about vampires for a very long time, and as long as they stayed in their world, we didn't move on them. It wasn't until you went off with the Winter Soldier was there a problem. One of these vampires killed a HYDRA agent. Sure, did us a favor, but it's got them curious, and since you're with us and these vampires seem to be looking for you, we can't have them snooping around too close. There are government secrets, secrets that they can't know about, especially that we know how to kill them. You're the only one able to get close enough to them where they won't be suspicious. You kill those two, and the others will come running. You kill the remaining 5. Your family will be safe, and we keep a war from starting,"
Bella purses her lips. She planned on killing them all anyway, but she didn't like the fact that she wasn't told this upfront. "How can 5 vampires start a war?" She asks, crossing her arms over her chest. Sharon just raised a brow. Pulling a folder from under her shirt, she hands it to Bella who opens it, seeing pictures of random, pale people. They had on black and red robes, red eyes. "They're called the Volturi. They rule over vampires. If they find out that we know how to kill them and they've been exposed, that is how a war breaks out. Those two are getting too close to you, and the man they've been seeing has a lot of fucking information on you and Barnes. Then with all this CIA murdering bullshit out here, doesn't help. It's only a matter of time before they connect certain pieces. They already know you're here, and it's only a matter of time before they find you,"
Bella licks her lips, letting out a sigh. "Fine. How do I bring them to me?" Sharon smiles. "I hear that you're that weirdos long lost wife who lost her memory and got a new identity. If you come calling, he'd run," Bella narrows her eyes, waiting for Sharon to elaborate.
"He's a 17-year-old boy and has been for 109 years. He's dramatic," She shrugs.
Bella can't help but snicker.
She sobers up quickly though. "Do you know where he is?" Bella didn't have to say his name for Sharon to know. Sharon shakes her head. "Most likely in DC. He was in Russia at one point. You can't say that he didn't do it," She murmurs. Bella looks away before meeting Sharon's haze. "I can. He didn't do it. I know him. Someone is setting him up," Sharon says nothing to agree or disagree.
"I hope for your sake, that's true. However, you need to come up with a plan. We don't have agents that can back you up. You remember the number on the phone? Call it and ask for Lombardo. He's skilled in marksmanship. I know you know that they're fast, and that those two have gifts. Don't underestimate them, okay?"
Bella nods. "Here, take this. If anything goes wrong, someone will contact you," Bella takes the earpiece, nodding in thanks. "Will my family be alright?" She asks, and Sharon's gaze softens for just a moment. "Yes. They know your family won't be of help, and if we get them off our backs, there's only one threat to worry about. Good luck,"
With that, Sharon leaves, but not before slipping her a phone number, the name Edward Cullen written on it.
Unknown Location
On a large computer was a picture of a satellite image. Zooming in, there was a rural area, a cabin in the middle. Next to this computer was a screen with a five second video of a woman walking into a building. "Sir, we have her location. Shall we send the team?" Baron Zemo rubs his chin, shaking his head. "No, I'm going in first,"
Bella picks up the phone and it rings a few times before another random voice comes on. "What do you need?" It asks, and Bella clears her throat. "Lombardo," She responds. "Hang up, you will receive a call in approximately two hours. If you do not answer on the first ring, all contact will cease, and the cabin will self-destruct in 30 seconds," Click. Bella blinks a few times and hangs up the phone. Hawk was at her feet, looking at her curiously. "Wanna go outside?" She asks, and he pants happily. Bella goes to grab one of the weapons she figured was some type of normal gun that shot out fire.
She was currently outside, eyeing the large weapon in hand, gathering a feel for it. She loaded the chamber with bullets she knew weren't normal. It was clearly meant to be used far away, and she notices that behind the trigger is a smaller release button. Upon pressing on it, her face is illuminated by the fire. "Woah," She whispers. On it, was a scope, and she looked through it to see how magnified it was. Behind the cabin, just a few yards past the property was a drop that led to the ocean below. The area Fury had set her up with was secluded on the 'emptier' side of the ocean, kind of like a cliff. It was a rare spot, clearly built there for a reason.
Bella starts to make her way towards that cliff, using the scope at the same time. Finding that the vision is damn near perfect, she nods in approval, looking down as Hawk sits down next to her, his eyes closed as the wind blew through his fur. "You're a good boy," She coos, bending down to pet him. He clearly loves the attention and decides that he wants to play. Bella chases him around the yard, a smile on her face. She let Hawk tackle her to the ground, laughing lightly. It was a distraction she needed.
After heading back to the cabin, Bella kept an eye on the clock. She loaded up every weapon she had at her disposal, setting them all out. She was too anxious to eat, and so she waited by the phone for another hour, anxiously waiting for it to ring.
When it finally did, Hawk was at her side, staring up at her almost determined. She picked it up before the first ring could finish. "Hello?" She answers. "Lombardo will be deployed in 12 hours. From there, you have a 24–48-hour window. Use it wisely," Click.
Bella just looks at her watch. It was 7pm.
The cabin is silent as Bella sleeps, Hawk at the bottom of the bed. Her sleep is restless, her mind plagued with many things. Bucky was at the main focus, her worry for his wellbeing, the worry about being set up, and her longing to see him again. Then, there was her family. She knew how to keep them safe from one threat, but not the other. The Cullen's were easy fixes if she did it correctly. She wished to lay eyes on both parents physically instead of just watching from a screen.
HYDRA agents were still a concern. Would they come after her? Was she as important as Bucky? She had no idea how important she was.
Despite her fitful sleep, Bella was awake before sunrise, jogging in the semi-lit area with Hawk. She had her breakfast and used the hour she had to work out the muscles she had been neglecting. Her place was literally secluded, and she could see everything coming and going. It truly was an ideal spot. She had to give the man his props, though she felt like she was doing his bidding.
She ignores it though, feeling one step closer to taking back control over her life.
Upon arriving home that morning, things were how she left it, and after showering, she made breakfast, got Hawk situated, and listened out for Lombardo. One thing she liked was timing. Whoever on the other end of the phone kept their word. As 7 am on the dot, she could hear someone approaching. Hawk had started to lightly growl, making his way towards the front door. Grabbing one of her silencers, she carefully walks to the front door, keeping the gun behind it. She pulls it open, barely to a crack, eyeing the large man that stood before her. He had dark hair, blue eyes, and a beard.
"Yeah?" She answers. The man narrows hie eyes, but speaks, "Lombardo," He had a rough voice, a British accent to accompany it. "I'm clear," He says, holding out his arms, and she rakes her eyes over him, before opening the door for him to enter. "Watch the wire," She says, and he does so, looking around before turning to her. "On the phone, you were given a time frame. 24-48 hours. In this time frame, you and I will come up with a plan. This place as I am sure you noticed, gives you the advantage of what's coming. We can use that. Cold One's are fast, almost like a blur, and you have to be ready. Do you know how everything works?" He asks, gesturing towards her guns. She nods.
"For the most part. When shooting a vampire, do I have to aim for the head or anything?" She asks, and he walks deeper into the cabin, finding the weapon with the flamethrower attached. "This is ideal. We can shoot them and nailing them in the head usually does the trick, but we must detach the head before the brain tissue can repair itself. That can get tricky. If you manage to shoot them enough, they bleed, and when they bleed, you can light them on fire. They'll burst into flames. However, if you don't have fire at your disposal, there are some guns that have detonating bullets. Messier and can be a bit more dangerous, but the key is some type of ignition. Make sense?"
Bella nods as she listens to what he was saying. "Yeah. One thing I'm unsure of. I know how to get them here, it's just a matter of if all of them will come," She leans against the door frame of the kitchen, and Lombardo, she's assuming that is his name, nods thoughtfully. "You'll be prepared for all of them. We can safely assume they don't expect you to try and kill them. You have a lot of trees back here, and it can provide a lot of coverage. If you want, luring them here and hiding in one of the trees may be better. It is up to you. So let's go over scenarios, shall we?"
For the whole day, Bella worked with Lombardo through various scenarios. He worked with her through situations that called for Edward and his family, Edward alone, two of them, or others that weren't him. He could tell though that Edward was her target. He advised that no matter how much you want someone, you can't let it get you killed. He worked with her on how to take him out painfully out quickly. Setting him on fire would be the best bet.
He even showed her how to use the much more intricate weapons, and he was mildly surprised she knew how to handle herself so well. After a few hours of that process, Bella finally made the call.
Lombardo stands a few feet away as Bella dials the number with a burner phone he had.
"Hello?"
Bella licks her dry lips, letting out a sigh. Could she do this? Would he believe it? She had to go along with the delusion.
"Edward? It's….It's Miss Swan, your teacher from Forks," She whispers. She can hear low murmuring before Edward starts to speak. "Isabella? I've been so worried about you. You just disappeared," Bella rolls her eyes but nods to herself. "I-I know. I should have listened to you Edward. I was scared and didn't know what was going on. I…I've done something horrible," She tries putting on her most desperate and helpless voice, looking to Lombardo who just raised a surprised brow.
Edward is quick to console her.
"It's okay. I shouldn't have put you under so much pressure so soon. I've seen the news. You're not who they make you out to be. Where are you? I can come get you," He asks, sounding hopeful. "I'm in Florida, off a little cove, it's secluded, like a hideout, oh, I don't know. Everything is so much Edward and…you're the only one that can help me. I'm in danger," She fake cries into the phone, listening to Edward try and console her.
"I'm in Florida! Alice and I. You remember her don't you love? We'll find you, I promise. I think I know where you're talking about. Tomorrow night, we'll get you out of that hellhole, okay?"
"Okay, tomorrow night? You promise?" She asks sweetly, practically gagging.
"I promise, I'll find you,"
Edward hangs up the phone, and Bella tosses the phone back to Lombardo, her expression dissipating from helpless to determined.
"He's so….whiney," Lombardo murmurs, crushing the phone in his hand. Seeing Bella's questioning gaze, he smiles. "They've already tracked this thing, I know it. Best to destroy it. Are you ready?" He asks, and Bella nods. "I'm upset I can't get all of them, but that's two. I can hunt down the rest later. I can't stay here anymore and do nothing,"
Lombardo left mid-day the following day, reminding her to use that earpiece if she needed it. She hadn't any idea who'd she be talking to, but she kept it in her pocket. She went around the cabin, taking all of her weapons from their hiding spaces. She was going to leave the moment she took care of Edward. She decided to put on a long coat, a black trench coat that she didn't remember having, but it was lined to the brim with pockets just for holding weapons. She was armed to the teeth, Hawk following her around all day. She set up certain triggers in the woods surrounding the area, more so for her benefit if there were more than just Edward or Alice. Whoever…she'd know.
As Twilight descended, Bella was alerted to a presence near the front door. Hawk was perked up, but didn't growl as of yet. Reaching for her handgun, she walks towards the door, opening it just a fraction to see a man she didn't recognize. He was clearly human, brown hair combed back and toward the side, brown eyes, and looked to be in his mid 30s. He was dressed in a brown coat, much too warm for the Florida weather, jeans, and black boots on his feet.
"Can I help you?" She asks, eyeing him warily. He purses his lips, giving her an easy smile. "I would sure hope so. You weren't very easy to find Miss Swan," Bella had the door open, gun pointed at the stranger's head before she could even blink. It was almost like second nature to her. "As much as I would like to chat, I have other matters to attend to," She murmurs, her eyes flickering behind the man. She pushes the stranger to the side, slipping the gun back in her coat. Before she could blink, there he was, the bane of her existence.
She had to hold back her shiver of disgust as he's in front of her, holding her face in both hands. She lets her hands rest over his, and she sends him a smile. "You came," She breathes, her eyes widening a bit, hoping to get Edward to believe her more than he probably already did.
The man watches the scene with confusion, wondering what the hell he just walked into. "Of course," Edward whispers, and he refrains himself from kissing her. He had just gotten her, and he didn't want to scare her. "Edward," A tinkling voice calls, and Bella peers around his shoulder to see the slim woman she now knew as Alice. "I'll be right back," Edward all but ignores common sense, zipping back to Alice as if there weren't someone watching him.
Bella looks back over to the man, eyeing him warily. "Who are you?" She whispers, stepping to the side to get herself aligned with her target. "I believe the Winter Soldier spoke of me," Bella's brows furrow, finally picking up on his accent. "You're Zemo, aren't you?" Zemo steps next to her, eyeing the two teenagers with curiosity. "Like I said, you were hard to find. I seem to be interrupting something, yes?"
Bella doesn't respond, reaching into her coat. "You can hunt me down later," She hisses, pulling out one of the guns. As she's about to make her shot, one of her traps in the woods suddenly go off, fire suddenly bursting from the dark. It causes Edward and Alice to turn to Bella. "What was that?" They ask, and she's looking over in that direction, eyes narrowed. "Who's with you?" Bella asks both parties, each looked significantly confused.
Bella figures she has time, and before either vampire could react, she shot Alice in the shoulder. At first, they looked to her in disbelief, and Edward started to chuckle. Bella walks slowly down the lawn, getting closer to them. "I know they've made you into a killer Bella, but guns don't hurt us," Bella flickers her eyes to Alice's shoulder, black oozing from the wound. "You sure about that?" Alice was suddenly clutching her shoulder, her eyes wide. "I didn't see this…" She murmurs out, turning to glare at Bella. "You fucking shot me. How the hell did you…." Bella cuts Alice off with a bullet between the eyes, without so much as a blink.
Alice staggers back, and Edward was too stupefied to move. Never in all his life had he seen something so…erotic. It was something about the way Bella looked in that moment, face fierce, unmoving, determined. He could…throw himself at her feet. The delusion to mold her was dissipating, and a new one was taking form. He had never felt this way before. For once in his long years of life, he was looking with new eyes.
Bella's pulling out the bigger gun with the flamethrower attached, and Edward jumps away as Alice's body is set on fire right before his very eyes. He's looking to Bella now, awe on his face. "You're amazing," This reaction wasn't one she expected, and as she's about to give him the same fate of his sister, a bullet wheezes by. Looking into the distance, her eyes widen at the slew of troops that were marching onto the property. She turns to look at Zemo accusingly, and his face was one of surprise and anger.
Bella goes for cover as HYDRA agents start shooting in their direction. Bella wasn't expecting this, not at all. She takes cover beside the house, realizing that the front was not her only problem. From the side, which she can clearly tell are vampires, emerge, looking at her with so much hatred, she'd be dead if looks could kill. They were coming at her, and fast. She pulls out the first weapon she can reach, shooting at them blindly, her shield coming out to deflect oncoming bullets. As her concentration is divided, her shield isn't as stable as she would have liked it to be, allowing one of the vampires to have access to her quicker than she could have blinked.
It was the blonde from the bridge those months ago, his locks swaying almost gently as he grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. She gasps for breath, looking towards her left. An agent had come to the side of the house and was aiming straight for her. She's able to shoot him in the foot. His grip tightens, and Bella isn't able to get a good shot anywhere with the position she was in.
A blur suddenly collides with the vampire, and Bella drops to the ground, gasping for breath. Edward is fighting with the vampire, insisting that they don't hurt her. The distraction was only good for the moment as a large blast erupted close by, sending not only her, but everyone flying in various directions. Bella's ears rang, and she looks around at the fighting confused.
She spotted Zemo arguing with someone who held a large gun, Hawk was running towards her, barking. He started to pull on her jacket, a clear indication that he was trying to get her up. Bella staggers to her feet, slipping her hand in her pocket, slipping the earpiece in her ear.
'Connecting' an automated voice stated, and Bella listens closely, shooting an agent that was barreling right towards her. He went down quickly, and Bella bends down to lift Hawk. She's suddenly knocked to the ground, by who she assumed was another member of Edward's family. She was also blonde, what was it with these vampires and blonde hair?
"Bella?" Bella is surprised to hear Steve's voice. "Just a second," She grunts out, kicking the vampire in the gut. While Bella wasn't human any longer, her kick had little effect on the vampire, but it got her off for the moment. "What's going on?" She jumps back to her feet, directing the question at Steve. She reaches for the gun with explosive bullets, shooting the vampire before she could move. The vampire erupts into flames, bursting into pieces, literal chunks of flesh and black oozing substance getting on anything and anymore within moderate distance. Bella's face scrunches up, ignoring the quiver in her stomach at the grotesque image.
"Talk to me, what's going on?" She bends down to pick up Hawk, looking around as HYDRA agents were trying to take on the few vampires. She goes to search for Edward as he was her main target.
You've got people everywhere. We're coming to you. Make a run for the cliff at the back of the property.
"There's nothing back there but water," She protests, her eyes still scanning the area. We know. You need to head there now. This place is about to be flooded with authorities, and we can't risk you being seen.
"How much time do I have?" She questions, her eyes landing on Zemo. 1 minute tops. Bella curses, and heads into the fray of bullets and blurs, grabbing Zemo by the jacket, jerking him backwards. "Let's go," She snaps, and Zemo doesn't protest, following behind her, dodging bullets along the way. "Might I ask where we are going?" He calls out. Bella doesn't respond, running towards the area she had made sure to avoid since being there. Thunder and lightning start to strike the night sky, illuminating the yard.
An agent whose gaze was out in the distance noticed the two fleeing. "Sie kommt davon!" He yells, pointing out into the open. Other agents hear and notice, their main priority back in place. Leaving the vampires alone, they start running for Bella and Zemo, shooting at them. A low hum is heard, and barely inches away from hitting them both, the ground is bursting, sending dirt everywhere. Bella and Zemo stumble but kept going. "Steve!" Bella calls as they were nearing the edge.
Hold tight.
Helicopters are heard in the distance; low planes were flying overhead as the sky opened up to a downpour of rain. As they near the edge, deflecting off bullets with her shield, Bella barely skids to a stop as the whirring of helicopter blades almost deafen her, the wind picking up and blowing her hair in her face. Rising to the top was a black helicopter, and her eyes immediately zero in on the figure shooting out behind them, taking out agents at a faster rate than she could have done alone.
Her attention is stolen as a familiar face is staring at her, holding out his hand. She takes Steve's hand, and he hoists her inside the helicopter, reaching out for balance. Another hand grabs hers, and she eyes a man in all black, brown spiked hair, a set of arrows strapped to his back. Bella turns back around as Zemo was attempting to get on. Steve reluctantly pulls Zemo up, who is immediately placed in a chair.
Bella rocks as the helicopter starts to veer away, but not before she pulls out the weapon with the flame thrower. She's able to load one of the explosive bullets in, and she gets on her knees, a hand grasping her coat to keep her from falling out. She quickly searches for Edward, finding him on the ground in a disarray. "Bella, we have to go," Steve warns. She looks through the scope again, aiming right for his head.
She waits a few seconds before pulling the trigger. The bullet slices through his marble skin, and like the woman, he bursts. She jumps slightly as a missile is released from the helicopter, hitting the cabin dead in the center, nothing but fire to be seen.
A small piece of victory is felt at that, and she lets out a sigh. The helicopter eventually levels out, leading them away. Bella is helped to a stand, and she doesn't have to wonder who is behind her. Her arms immediately wrap around his neck, his blue eyes regarding her with a strong emotion. "Oh, what a lovely reunion," Zemo murmurs out, holding up his hands as there were more than three weapons trained on him.
Bucky gently pulls her over into a little private corner, his hand brushing some dirt off her face. "That was badass," He murmurs with a grin, and Bella leans into his hand. "Learned from the best," She smiles, and he bends down to press a kiss against her forehead, holding her close to him.
Unknown destination
Bella takes the duffle Sharon hands her, looking into it. She eyes the passport with disdain. "I'm not going alone," Bella states, eyeing the figures walking from behind Sharon. Bucky was slightly smiling at Steve, taking a duffle as well. "You're not. T'Challa offered for the two of you to come to Wakanda. He may be able to help," Bella looks behind her at the large jet like plane. She had wondered what it was there for, and now she knew.
Steve and Bucky come to stand next to Sharon and Bella, and Bella's surprised when Steve draws her in for a hug. She gives him a gentle squeeze, steeping back into Bucky's embrace. "I'll come visit once in a while," Bella smiles, wrapping an arm around Bucky's waist. "What will you do?" She questions, and Steve just shrugs. "Not sure," Bella hides her smirk as Steve minutely glances at Sharon.
"Alright, you two need to get going," Steve urges, and Bella takes Bucky's hand as they walk towards the ship. A handsome man steps off dressed in what Bella would call royal African attire. His smile is friendly as he waves them on. As they enter, a young woman is standing beside some of the most advanced technology Bella had ever seen. The young woman looks up at the before eyeing Bucky. "Shuri, this is the one I was telling you about," Bella reaches over to shake Shuri's hand. Bucky does the same.
"Nice to meet you," Bella smiles. Shuri smiles in return, shaking her head, pointing at Bucky with a pen. "Another broken white boy to fix. That's all you're good for brother," She jokes, and Bucky eyes T'Challa in confusion. "Long story. Sit down, relax," He soothes, and the two do as told as they start the oddly comfortable journey to Wakanda.
AN: Bella and Bucky are finally reunited. The next chapter I'm debating on just their time in Wakanda, or getting to Infinity War. Two important things: I have decided that I am going to create a Bella Swan/OC story. I'm just trying to get my character right. I will be putting out a list of stories that I am working on, will continue or re-write, and probably do a vote, so be on the look out for that poll some time soon. It'll be created as a new 'story'
How did you guys feel about this one?
