Disclaimer: As always, I do not own anything recognizable, just this story/prompt/idea
"Random Subject Prompts"
Chapter 076: James "Bucky" Barnes
Sequel to: Chapters 4, 21, 33, 61, and 73
Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
Prompt: none
Chapter Warning(s):
Author's Note: Important note at the bottom! Please check it out :) Enjoy!
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Last Time:
The text was short and to-the-point:
Steve Rogers: I could use your help. Meet me in Edinburgh.
Bucky gave Kagome a considering look. "How do you feel about Scotland?"
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Present Day
~Edinburgh, Scotland~
Casually walking down the street, both arms curled around one of Bucky's, Kagome hummed with curiosity and satisfaction. Amethyst orbs gazed at the tall buildings and the foreign sights surrounding the couple. While she and Bucky had traveled to many places during their time on the run, nothing compared to their current location.
"This is a beautiful place," she commented to her broodingly silent companion. "Not that everywhere else we've been to wasn't, but Scotland is certainly different. We should think about staying here for an extended holiday."
"Might be nice," Bucky responded, letting a small smile curve his lips. A vacation sounded like a luxury they could now afford. To make Kagome happy, he would figure out all of the logistics.
Kagome smiled happily at the thought. "I can see why Steve's friends would run away to this place," she further commented. "It's breathtaking even at night. I can only imagine how it is during the day."
"Busy, I would think. A lot of people. Too many eyes."
She teasingly poked his side. "You're thinking too much like a soldier again."
In response, he grunted under his breath.
Suddenly, Kagome stopped in her tracks, forcing Bucky to stop as well. His eyes narrowed, he was immediately on alert as he scanned their surroundings for any threats. One hand snuck to the small of his back, fingering the handgun he'd hidden there earlier.
"What is it?" he quietly questioned, keeping his voice low.
Her eyes briefly flickered with her priestess powers. A frown touched her features. "The battle has begun," was all she said.
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Wanda Maximoff did her best to keep the two attackers away from Vision, but they were being steadily overwhelmed, especially with the grievous wound Vision had been inflicted with during the initial ambush. She had never seen enemies like the two who pursued them before, and she knew she had to escape. But how?
Now, more than ever, she wished she had decided to let the others know their location. All Natasha Romanoff had asked was for Wanda and Vision to check in periodically. Because they had wanted some time alone, they hadn't followed protocol and were now fighting for their lives.
Or more specifically Vision's life. It didn't take a genius to realize who their true target was and what they wanted.
Blood dripping from her lip and from a small wound along her hairline, Wanda scrambled on her hands and knees to where Vision landed. Her expression painted with desperation and fear, she tried pushing her companion back onto his feet. "Viz," she encouraged, "come on. Come on, Viz, get up. We have to get out of here."
Vision winced, his hand cupping the stab wound he'd received from Corvus Glaive. His eyes were mainly focused on the two aliens quickly closing in on them. "Get out of here," he told her. "Run away while you still can."
"Hey," she said, her tone fierce. It caught Vision's attention, his gaze finally locked with hers. "You asked me to stay. I'm staying. I'm not going anywhere without you."
"How sweet," Proxima Midnight mockingly cooed, smirking darkly at the couple. "You'll die together then."
However, before Midnight and Glaive could reach Wanda and Vision, a rocket of pink lightning shot between them, creating a streak of light that acted as a deterrent. All four covered their eyes from the blinding glare, not noticing the raven haired beauty that now stood protectively in front of Wanda and Vision.
When the light died down, Midnight and Glaive were greeted with Kagome, another arrow notched to her bow. Amethyst eyes were narrowed in warning at the alien pair.
"I'm not going to let you lay another hand on them," she said.
Midnight stepped forward, an arrogant look crossing her features. "And who do you think you are, little girl? Step aside before you get hurt." She twirled her weapon expertly in a show of intimidation.
"Your insults are so uncalled for." Without further warning, she released her arrow. It streaked forward, her priestess powers engulfing the projectile like pink lightning. She didn't flinch when Midnight and Glaive swiftly dodged it. Instead, she shouldered her bow and unsheathed the katana she'd hidden along her side.
When she spoke next, it was clearly directed towards Wanda and Vision. "You two should get out of here as quickly as you can. We'll take care of these two."
"Who are you?" Wanda questioned, her voice tinted with gratitude and awe. She'd seen many things in her life, but nothing compared to the raven haired beauty's abilities. "And who is 'we'?"
"No time for explanations. Just run." With that, Kagome shot off on the ball of one foot, engaging in combat with Midnight, who blocked her strike.
Glaive ran forward, planning to swing his spear at Kagome's unprotected side. His attack, however, was stopped when a shadowy figure moved to intercept. The clash of metal against metal rang throughout the building, his spear stopped by the enhanced arm that Bucky sported.
The former Winter Soldier growled, "That wasn't very nice." Gripping the spear, he hauled Glaive away, watching as the other male landed hard and skidded over the tile for several feet. Throwing the weapon down with a hint of disgust, he waited to see what would happen next.
Seeing her partner on the ground, Midnight jumped backwards to stand closer to her fallen comrade. She glowered angrily at the two newcomers, hating that their plans were being interrupted.
Regrouping, Kagome and Bucky stood in front of Wanda and Vision. She stood with her katana steady and ready for any incoming attack. The latter pulled a handgun from the small of his back, cocking the weapon and aiming confidently.
Growling, Glaive rolled back onto his feet. Holding a hand out, he summoned his spear back into his hands as he and Midnight prepared their next assault.
Everyone seemed to freeze as the sound of an approaching train echoed within the deserted station. The two aliens seemed entranced as they watched the train swiftly come and go, their gazes fixed on a single figure that appeared out of seemingly nowhere.
Steve Rogers took a step forward, his stance and facial features set with determination.
And when Glaive threw his spear at the newest threat, the fight was on again, with Natasha and Sam Wilson joining in.
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Once Midnight and Glaive made their escape, with a promise to return for revenge, introductions were made between Kagome and Bucky with the members of Rogers' friends and allies who hadn't met them yet. Wanda and Vision seemed interested in her priestess abilities and past, while Natasha was intrigued with her choice of weapons. Although the infamous Black Widow had met the couple during previous encounters, this would be the first time they had met under friendly circumstances.
"Now what do we do?" Sam curiously asked, looking to Rogers for guidance.
Natasha offered, "We should look for shelter." Her gaze trailed to land accusingly on Wanda and Vision. "I thought we had a deal. Stay close. Check in."
"I'm sorry," Wanda said, guilt coloring her voice. "We just wanted some time…"
"Never mind that now," Rogers said, stepping forward. "We need to get out of here. And I know just where we need to go."
Kagome approached Vision. Bucky was not far behind, becoming a protective shadow. "We should also take a look at your injuries," she said, gesturing to the stab wound. "I have some medical experience. Let's get you patched up, ne?"
Vision tried to smile but it ended up being more of a grimace. "Thank you," he said, voice full of the gratitude he couldn't facially express. "I appreciate everything you're doing for me."
"For us," Wanda corrected, her eyes also including Bucky. "We appreciate everything you did for us."
The raven haired beauty softly smiled. "What are friends for?" she rhetorically replied.
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~The Avengers Compound~
During the flight to their destination, Kagome had been able to bandage Vision's wound and heal it enough that it no longer bothered him. She would've healed it completely but with the power she had already used during the fight, she was left a bit drained. Vision had been the one to stop her, stating that she would need whatever reserves she had left for the war that would be upon them at any moment. She had reluctantly agreed, comforted by the fact that Wanda would watch over him.
Now at the Avengers Compound, the group had gathered with James Rhodes to strategize their next move. Meeting Doctor Bruce Banner had been intriguing – if not a little awkward due to his past with Natasha – but Kagome could sense that 'the other guy' was curious about her presence. But it wasn't enough to encourage him to come out. After his defeat at the hands of Thanos, he was experiencing some personal issues that needed to be worked out. His human counterpart could feel Hulk's interest in the raven haired beauty, but decided not to question it. They had bigger things to deal with at the moment.
As the members exchanged rapid-fire comments about their fellow Avengers and their locations, Kagome couldn't help but cringe at the mention of Spider Man. She leaned back further into Bucky's chest, taking comfort in his presence and the way one arm wrapped around her waist instinctively.
"I don't think I'm looking forward to meeting another spider," she whispered, mostly speaking to herself. Memories of Naraku and the horror he had plagued the Sengoku Era with flashed within her mind.
Bucky kissed her temple. "I wouldn't judge a book by its cover." He vaguely remembered encountering Spider Man during the time they had been trying to clear Bucky's name and uncovering Zemo's plot to break up the Avengers. The kid had been impressive, and Bucky knew for a fact that Kagome would instantly adore his humorous, likeable personality.
She silently nodded in agreement. Despite her past experiences with the spider half-demon, she doubted Spider Man was anything like her old nemesis, especially if this group of heroes spoke fondly of him. It made her curious, instead.
"Look," Banner said, "Thanos has the biggest army in the universe. He's not going to stop until he…" he trailed off, his eyes connecting with Vision, "until he… gets the Mind Stone from Vision."
Natasha took a step forward. "Then we have to protect him."
"No, we have to destroy it," Vision cut in, his hand holding the wound Glaive had inflicted. Although Kagome had mostly healed it, it was still giving him trouble. His voice firming with his conviction, he continued, "I've been giving this… stone in my head a lot of thought. I think we could destroy it with enough power that is similar to its own." At the last, his gaze connected with Wanda's before also including Kagome. "Its molecular structure could fail."
Wanda gave him a stern look. "Yeah, and it would kill you." She took several steps away from her lover, disbelieving what she was hearing. "We're not having this conversation."
Banner caught everyone's attention again. As he spoke about Vision having so many parts of him, Tony Stark, and the Mind Stone making up Vision's genetic being, Banner theorized that removing the stone would still leave behind the best parts of Vision. The question was how?
Kagome stepped forward, coming up with a solution. "Why don't we just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?" Leaning closer to Vision, her eyes glowed with her priestess powers as she examined the stone, sensing what it was and what it could be. "The structure is polymorphic, so it's definitely possible. It looks as though you had to attach each neuron non-sequentially."
"How-How did you…?" Banner stuttered, surprised and caught off guard. Even Bucky appeared startled by Kagome's vast knowledge.
She smiled innocently. "When you've lived as long as I have, you learn a few things here and there," she said.
"Are you able to do it?" Natasha asked.
The raven haired beauty glanced around the compound. "Not here," she answered. "I don't have the necessary equipment for such a delicate procedure. There are over three trillion neurons. One misalignment could cause a cascade of circuit failures."
As hope began to glow within everyone's expression, Rogers said, "I know where we need to go."
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~Wakanda~
Arriving at the hidden civilization, Rogers shook hands with T'Challa. "It always seems like I'm thanking you for something," he said as a greeting.
When Banner bowed, and T'Challa gently corrected him, Kagome couldn't help but snicker at the scientist's embarrassment and Rhodes' amusement. It was clear the latter had set up the former for a small prank.
Entering the facility and having Shuri examine Vision, the brilliant young woman had come to the same conclusion as Kagome. As the two females talked and debated how best to extract the stone without losing Vision, Rogers caught their attention.
"How long?" he inquired.
Kagome and Shuri exchanged glances. The former answered, "As much time as you can give us."
At that moment, Okoye received a notification. Pulling up the alert, the group was informed by a mechanical voice that multiple heat signatures were detected and closing in fast.
Knowing war was upon them, T'Challa started issuing orders as a true King of Wakanda. As Kagome and Shuri moved to get Vision back onto the table, Rogers focused his attention onto Wanda.
"The moment that stone is out of Vision's head," he said, "you and Kagome blow it to Hell."
Wanda nodded once, her eyes hardening with determination. "Consider it done."
Bucky caught Kagome's wrist, bringing her close. "This is it," he said. "You stay here with Vision, and I'll go with Steve to hold off Thanos' army." His voice lowered, becoming tender with affection. "I won't let anything happen to you."
She placed her forehead against his, eyes shining with love. "Just don't let anything happen to you. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You're the one going into battle."
Letting a small smirk curve his lips, he pressed a kiss to her mouth for a quick second before pulling away to join the others.
The last thing Kagome heard was T'Challa order, "And get this man a shield."
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Kagome tirelessly worked on extracting the stone from Vision's forehead while, in the back of her mind, the sounds of battle bled through her concentration. Her hands moved as quickly as possible, knowing time was extremely limited. Shuri was talented and knew what she was doing, but it only felt like seconds had passed before things on the battlefield seemingly took a dire turn.
From her com-link, she heard T'Challa inquire about their progress. When Shuri replied, "We've barely just begun, brother," the raven haired beauty knew things weren't looking good below. It motivated her to move faster, though her gaze couldn't help traveling to Wanda, who anxiously stood near the window. The red-haired witch watched the fight, nibbling on her thumb nail. It was obvious she wanted to go down to help her friends and allies, but knew her place needed to be by Vision's side.
Kagome took a deep breath. She couldn't allow herself to worry about the others or Bucky. She had to focus on the task laid out before her, knowing that the entire universe was counting on her to succeed. Thanos couldn't take the Mind Stone. If he completed the Gauntlet, half of life's population would cease to exist.
Minutes later, her senses ringing with alarm, the raven haired beauty snapped her attention onto the battlefield. Wanda also straightened, having sensed the same thing.
Deep brown eyes connected with amethyst, and both young women nodded at each other, their shared conviction hardening on their faces.
When Kagome stepped away from the table, a startled Shuri asked, "What are you doing? We're not done yet!"
"Take care of him," Wanda responded, her eyes softening as she looked down at her lover. Those same eyes gleamed with determination as she turned to face the battle once more. "We'll buy you some more time. Get that stone out of him."
Shuri was unable to voice another protest as Wanda and Kagome briskly left. She breathed out a sigh of frustration before narrowing her eyes and focusing once more at the task she'd been assigned. Without Kagome's assistance, she knew she would have a lot of work to accomplish in a very short period of time.
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Natasha and Okoye ducked, both expecting the large, rolling machine to flatten them, but both were surprised when a familiar red glow encircled the entire thing and lifted it away from their position. When they looked up to their savior, they saw Wanda land and manipulate the machine to crash and take out the monsters that had attacked with mindless ferocity.
The two were further surprised when Kagome appeared a second later, firing her sacred arrows at the remaining beasts with deadly accuracy. The bolts exploded with pink lightning, turning the enemy into piles of dust. Wanda and Kagome looked around the battlefield, both satisfied that they had leveled the field a decent amount.
With an incredulous expression painted on her face, Okoye asked no one in particular, "And why were those two up there this entire time?"
Unseen by the four women, Midnight spoke into her communicator, "They're on the field. Take it."
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Bucky instantly recognized Kagome's power. For a second, his heart constricted with the knowledge that she was in the middle of danger and he was nowhere close enough to protect her efficiently. With a single-minded focus, he started cutting or shooting down enemies that got in his way to her side.
As he was being surrounded by the ferocious beasts, he noticed the raccoon creature with a gun, firing at the incoming swarm. An idea came to the former Winter Soldier, and he continuously fired his weapon as he picked up the small mammal and used him to create a circular wall of gunfire.
The plan worked, creating a path that brought him closer to his goal: Kagome.
Rocket glanced in Bucky's direction. "How much for the gun?" he casually asked, even as he continued to take down the monsters approaching them.
"Not for sale," Bucky grunted.
"How much for the arm, then?"
At that, Bucky gave Rocket a disapproving look before moving further away in order to reach Kagome's side. The last thing he heard was Rocket's chuckle and sneaky, "Oh, I'm getting that arm." Bucky couldn't help but roll his eyes.
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Rogers panted as he finished his latest brawl. His eyes caught sight of Thor, who used his new hammer – Stormbreaker – to cut down their enemies in one swoop. It gave him the time needed to catch his breath before he started his next fight.
"New haircut?" Rogers casually asked, gesturing with a hand to indicate his head.
Thor grinned, his own hand motioning towards his jaw. "Yes. And I see you have copied my beard," he commented with delight. Catching sight of Groot, the God of Thunder offhandedly said, "Oh, and this is my new companion, Tree."
"I am Groot," Groot exclaimed, using his roots to take down three aliens at once.
Rogers placed a hand on his chest. "I am Steve Rogers," he said with a perfectly straight face.
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"Hey guys," Sam's voice could be heard over their shared com-links, "we have a Vision situation."
Kagome and Bucky paused, both sharing a glance with each other.
"Someone get to Vision," Rogers ordered, but was soon cut off as he was attacked by another beast and harshly thrown to the ground.
Wanda quickly replied, "I'm on it," but she was also cut off as Midnight took that opportunity to attack.
"Shuri wasn't able to extract the stone in time," Kagome concluded, knowing this moment was inevitable. She gazed at Bucky with resignation. "I have to go. If Wanda can't get to Vision…"
"You'll have to be the one to destroy it," Bucky finished. His face darkened with determination. "I'll cover you. Let's go."
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While Banner dealt with Cull Obsidian, Vision was left with facing off with Glaive. In his weakened state, Glaive was able to gain the upper hand. Rogers interrupted the fight, tackling the male alien to the ground and quickly rolling back onto his feet.
"Go!" Rogers shouted at Vision, desperation starting to leak into his voice. He gestured wildly. "Go! Get out of here, Vision!"
As the fight continued between the former Captain and Glaive, the latter seemed to be the victor before Vision stabbed him from behind. A part of Vision rejoiced at the thought that Glaive would now understand what it felt like, seeing as he had done the same thing to Vision in Edinburgh. The only difference being that Glaive was dead.
Weakly, Vision threw the weapon down, his knees giving out. He was grateful when Rogers caught him, slinging an arm over his shoulder to help balance his unsteady gait.
"I thought I told you to leave?"
Vision let a small smile cross his features. "We don't trade lives, Captain."
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The air seemed to electrify, a feeling of foreboding shivering up and down Kagome's spine. Eyes narrowed, she carefully looked around to pinpoint the exact location she was sensing. Her entire body tensed, knowing the real fight was about to begin.
Bucky felt her tense, his own senses going into high alert. "What is it?" he quietly asked, readying his gun.
"He's here."
Out of nowhere, a portal opened and Thanos walked through like he owned the planet. His Gauntlet shined with the stones he carried, instantly putting the gathered group on edge.
Bravely, Rogers stepped forward. "Get ready. Stay sharp." Leading the attack, he let out a battle cry that signaled the others into action.
From his position, Vision resigned himself to his fate. "We're too late," he said, catching Wanda's attention. He smiled, a gesture of reassurance meant just for her. "You have to do it."
"No," the red-haired witch denied, teeth gritted as she fought off tears and the despair swarming her body. "It's not too late. We can do this."
Vision shook his head. Gently, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his forehead, covering the Mind Stone. "It has to be you, Wanda. It's not fair, but it has to be you." His eyes shined with the love he felt for her. "You could never hurt me. I just feel you."
His heart shattered at the way her face crumbled and tears slid down her cheeks. But he knew it must be done. They had run out of time. Above all else, Thanos could not gain possession of the Mind Stone. To do so would be the end of the world they knew.
"I love you."
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After being blasted by one of Thanos' attacks, Kagome shakily stood back up. She and Bucky had been tossed a good distance away, and she had no idea where her soldier went, but she couldn't stay down for long. Their first priority had to be protecting Vision and the final Infinity Stone.
She straightened just in time to see Wanda use her powers to shatter the stone, thus ending Vision's life. And ensuring that Thanos couldn't complete his Gauntlet. Her heart wept for the couple, and she could feel tears sting her eyes.
"I understand, my child," Thanos said, laying a comforting hand on Wanda's bowed head. "I too have lost much today."
Wanda shot a venomous look at the Titan. "You could never," she replied with hatred.
"Oh, but I do." Thanos walked past the fallen witch, his Gauntlet starting to glow green. "Your efforts, however, were wasted." He brought the Gauntlet forward, watching as the magic started working. "Time is no obstacle to me anymore."
Kagome watched in horror as Vision was slowly being brought back, his untimely demise being reversed. As much as it pained her, she knew she couldn't let Vision's sacrifice be for nothing. She had to do something.
Acting quickly, she jumped in front of Thanos, her hands glowing with her priestess powers. Grasping onto the Gauntlet, she poured everything she had into stopping its magic from completing its task.
"What?" Thanos exclaimed, shocked that a mere human could stop the stone's power. "What are you doing?"
The raven haired beauty gritted her teeth as she forced more power into the stone. She let her lips form a smug smirk, using the expression to taunt the larger male. "Sorry to disappoint you, Thanos, but I guess you should know: Time flows differently around me." Her eyes began to glow with the sheer amount of power she was using, knowing this would be the final attack. She would pour everything she was into a last ditch effort. To save the world. To save Bucky… Her eyes hardened, knowing what must be sacrificed.
When she spoke next, her voice was a whisper of a thousand secrets, a thousand sounds, rustling with an ancient, primordial power that crashed against Thanos' senses in a dizzying wave. "I'm the exception."
Thanos was being overwhelmed, his eyes widening with true fear as he could do nothing to stop Kagome and her immense powers. "What are you?" he wondered out loud, his voice being engulfed and swallowed into nothingness.
With one last war cry that echoed for miles, Kagome unleashed everything she had in a blinding display of light.
However, once the light disappeared and everyone could see again, they found no trace of Thanos or Kagome…
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and added this list of prompts to their favorites list! You know how to make a girl blush :)
**GOING FORWARD, THIS STORY WILL BE FOUND AT "RSP: JAMES "BUCKY" BARNES," SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT**
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XOXO,
Celestial Law