Hello all! I'm back! Sorry for the delay; I have no good excuses. Please review and let me know what you think! Also, considering a Peter/OC story; lemme know what you think! I might've laid the seeds for it in this chapter hehehehe. We finally see Bucky in this chapter - yayyy! - but I feel like the middle is a bit of a filler. :/
Chapter Six
"Well, I know you two have been looking for him forever," I noted, laughing as he shoved me good-naturedly, "I want to help. Steve deserves to have the one remaining person from his past back in his life. And Bucky deserves more than a life on the run. Even after all he's done, he's still just a man with half a memory. He needs help. And reconciling with Steve, that's gonna be good for him. And good for Steve. It's a win-win. And I think I'll be able to help if Bucky's, ya know, less than cooperative."
"Pretty sure he will be," Sam snorted, "he almost killed Steve last time he saw him."
"But he saved him, too," I replied, "there's still a chance for Bucky to redeem himself. And I think we can help him take it."
"When will you be back, though? Cuz I, well, I thought, uh, maybe we could hang out. I mean, not like, hang out, like that- but-"
"Petey," I laughed, rolling my eyes to the ceiling fondly, imagining the young, awkward boy fidgeting as he spoke, blushing wildly in anticipation of my lighthearted teasing that always came after his sheepish babbling, "calm down, dude. Of course we'll hang out, but only if we hang out like that."
"Gaaahh, Aury," he whined, "why do you- you're always teasing me! Ned says you're-," his voice dropped to a whisper, "flirting with me."
"I do what I must," I snorted, eyes flitting to Steve and Sharon, a slight grin on my face; Peter wasn't the only one uncomfortable around women, "but you need about, oh, fifteen more years before I start really flirting with you, Pete. And you better be prepared."
He stuttered something unintelligible, so I saved him from anymore discomfort, "I'll probably be back tomorrow morning, though. Steve wants to meet with Peggy's family."
"I still can't believe you know him," Peter sighed wistfully, all embarrassment disappearing from his tone, "could you maybe, um, introduce me or something? Sometime? If he, you know, has the time; if not that's totally cool."
"I'm sure he can squeeze it into his busy schedule," I chuckled, lifting a shoulder and turning away from the pair of blonds to give them some privacy. Didn't need unwelcome eyes on them if they locked lips, did they? "Maybe when he drops me off; you'll have to come over to my place, though. Can't have May getting suspicious, now can we?"
"You're the best, Aury," Peter breathed, "seriously, the best. And you can give me some pointers? Like, for crime fighting? And history, cuz I've got this test on Russian czars on Friday."
"You got it." His tone was hopeful and, honestly, I could never deny him anything, anyway. Adopting a knowing, jeering tone, I queried, "So how's Robin?"
"She, uh, well, I mean, I don't really know," he stuttered, "she's not- we're not friend-friends or anything, but she… I think she's good."
"You should…"
Trailing off, I stared, wide-eyed, at the flat screen monitor above the bar. Jaw dropped, I watched the smoking, blazing building, the headline scrolling quickly across the bottom, the words reading DOZENS DEAD AT SOKOVIA ACCORD SIGNING - WINTER SOLDIER RESPONSIBLE.
"Oh, fuck me."
"Aury!"
Dazed, I blinked, squinting at the granular, black and white still of the perpetrator of the attack. There was a strong resemblance to Steve's former best friend, but why on God's green earth would he do such a thing? And Natasha…
"Fuck, sorry, Petey, I- shit, I gotta go," I muttered, distracted, waving wildly at Sam to catch his attention. Gesturing sharply at the television, I eased Peter's fears on the other end, assuring him, "I'm okay, but something's come up. I gotta go."
"Something Avenger-y? Oh, man, did you see what just- does this have to do with the Accords? Are you going after the Winter Soldier?"
"Yes," I answered before wincing immediately at his high-pitched, panicked whispers, "don't worry, Petey, I'm a professional. I'll be alright. Just… I'll keep you posted, yeah?"
I didn't give him time to respond, tucking the phone into my purse as Steve, Sharon, and Sam converged at my seat at the bar, their expressions grim. Steve's bright blue eyes were glued to the screen over my head, his brow furrowed low, his gaze sad.
Touching his arm, I forced him to look at me, "Hey, we'll figure this out. We'll find him before they do."
They including the CIA, the FBI, Interpol… the Avengers. Had the Accords officially been signed? Were they, were we, under someone else's control? They would want us to take Bucky in, obviously, but that, I knew, would be done over Steve's dead body.
Which was why we needed to find him first.
"I'll find out what I can," Sharon noted, her eyes lingering on my hand on Steve's muscular arm. She watched me give him another squeeze before removing my hand and raking it through my hair in frustration. "I'm sure we'll be getting loads of tips coming in. Gimme a few hours and I'll do what I can."
Steve offered her a warm smile and thanked her as I turned to Sam. He followed, his back to the two, and dipped his head, "If this was him, this is bad, Aury. Really bad. Steve's not gonna let us take him in, but-"
"I know," I exhaled heavily through my nose, scrolling through my contacts and drawing up Nat's picture, "let's just hope it wasn't. I'm gonna call Nat; I need to make sure she's alright."
The phone rang once, twice, three times before it went to voicemail. Of course Nat wouldn't leave a long, personal message; in fact, she didn't even leave her name. Her harsh tone simply ordered, 'go' and a long beep followed.
Sighing, I lowered my voice, eyeing the news and worrying my lip, "Nat, call me back as soon as you get this. Let us know you're alright."
Sam leaned close and added solemnly, "You better not be dead."
"We'll kill you if you are," I agreed, ending the call and hastily bringing up Tony's number.
He answered on the second ring, his tone lacking any of its typical flirtatious nature, "Seen the news, GG?"
"Yep," I popped the 'p' and queried hopefully, "heard from Nat?"
"No, but she can handle herself. How's the Cap holding up?"
"He's holding," I replied, following slowly behind the trio to the elevator, keeping my voice low to keep from drawing Cap's attention. When they entered, I waved them away, leaning against the wall and watching KING OF WAKANDA DEAD AT WINTER SOLDIER'S HANDS run beneath the footage of the still smoking building. "Ross order us out yet?"
"Not yet," Tony answered with a sigh, "but I'm expecting a call any second. You thinkin' about going to find him?"
A humorless laugh escaped my lips. "Of course. Steve wouldn't be Steve if he didn't still believe in him, Tony."
"Would you stay behind if I asked you not to get involved?"
"Never," I assured him, "you know that. I'll be careful, and I'll keep an eye on Cap. I won't let his heart get the best of him. If Bucky did do this, I'll stop him."
I wouldn't even have to lay a finger on him. One look and he'd be under my control. Not that I wanted to do that to a man who had been brainwashed for over fifty years, but if he really was the threat the media was making him out to be, I would do what I had to.
"I know you will, GG," the billionaire replied, a slow breath escaping him, "let me know if you need me out there. I'm gonna start coordinating relief efforts, send some suits out for evac and recon."
"Good, good," I jabbed the up button beside the elevator, "you keep me posted, too. If you need me for search and rescue-"
"Thanks, babe, I'll let you know."
The ride up to our floor was quiet outwardly, but my mind raced and I wished my vision stretched far enough to search the massive, sprawling skyscraper where the Accords were being ratified. Lifting my glasses from my face, I tried, but Vienna was far too distant; my head began to pound before I had even made it beyond the borders of France. There were too many people, too much pressure, and I had to lower the glasses over my eyes once more.
"Damn it," I breathed. Rubbing at my temple, I checked my phone once more, hoping from a text or a call from anyone, whether it was Nat herself or someone notifying me of her safety. Finding only Peter's anxious texts, I responded quickly before tucking it away. The elevator doors opened and I exited, almost running smack dab into Sam's sturdy chest.
He reached out a steadying hand and queried, "You hear anything?"
"Nope," I sighed, "Steve ready and raring to go?"
"As soon as we get a good lead," he replied, guiding me back to our room and led me inside, "you better change; we gotta be ready to go any second."
Nodding, I crossed the room, silently gathering my bag and kicking off my heels, watching Steve stare pensively at the reports flashing by on the massive television. I didn't comment, didn't reach out to him; I knew the captain well enough to know that his heart was breaking at the accusations lobbed at his former friend. I didn't need to read his gaze to know that.
It took minutes to change and, when I emerged in jeans and a loose, vibrant purple tunic, Steve had turned, waiting for me to reappear. He tossed my sneakers to me, noting seriously, "Sharon's got some intel; she's down at the bar. You don't have to come with us, Aurelie."
"Are you kidding me?" I snorted, shaking my head adamantly. Dropping my shoes to the ground, I toed them on and led him to the door, "you need me now more than ever. Let's go find him, Cap."
/
Sharon's lead would take us to Bucharest, but first, we wanted to stop in Vienna to search for Nat. No matter how desperately Steve wanted to find Bucky, he would never leave the redheaded spy behind in a heap of rubble. I still hadn't heard from her, despite Sam, Steve, and I trying to contact her. If she was alright, which we hoped she was, she was likely helping out where she could.
It didn't take as long as I'd expected to get there, and the minute we did, we were shooed from the crime scene impatiently. Steve had his phone to his ear for at least the seventh time as I lifted my glasses and let out a soft whistle. The nearest guard turned, his eyes glazing over as I caught his gaze. He didn't say a word, but he lifted the caution tape and allowed us entry, before turning away and wandering off to aid more of the injured.
Sam gave me a fist bump, commenting laughingly about the advantages of my Jedi mind tricks. Peter had been the one to christen them that after I had introduced him to Star Wars, and, when I told the others, it caught on immediately. Of course, I didn't have to do any hand-waving, or say the words, but it was close enough.
Anyone who happened to catch sight of us and begin to send us on our way was turned right around, our presence completely swept from their minds. We moved quickly through the crowd, Cap's broad shoulders parting the sea of frantic onlookers and wounded civilians.
"Natasha."
We halted quickly and I pushed my glasses up into my hair, searching for any sign of her. Keeping my ear on Steve, who breathed a sigh of relief, I scoured the crowd for her, hoping to find her among the hundreds of wandering bodies.
"There," I muttered, despite the others' inability to see her through the five trees, two ambulances, and brick wall between us, "she's alright. A few cuts and bruises, but she seems okay."
Steve nodded, though his mouth was set in a firm, displeased line as he continued to listen to her. Finally, he announced determinedly, "We're going, Nat. We're gonna find him. I know what you have to do, and I know what the others have to do, but I'm going to find Bucky."
He exhaled heavily as he drew the phone away from his ear, turning to me and inquiring, "Can she see us?"
"Nope," I confirmed, looping my arm through his and Sam's. My eyes drifted skyward at the sound of incoming drones, and I watched as nearly two dozen of Tony's suits jettisoned into view. Most were empty, except for the lead suit, gold and red glinting in the sun, his chocolate eyes searching for any sign of survivors. "But we better go before Tony tries to talk us out of it."
/
Sharon had gotten us within a two mile radius of the Winter Soldier's hideout. It wasn't hard to find him; the walls weren't thick and, even without facing me, that vibranium arm was visible through his lightweight, navy jacket. He was moving swiftly down a tight alleyway, leaping easily over garbage cans and empty boxes. A bag of plums swung, forgotten, in one clenched fist as he ran. Taking a running jump, he bounced off of the closed lid on a dumpster, catching onto the fire escape with his metal hand and hauling himself up.
"Sixth floor," I announced to the others, screwing my eyes shut and digging my fingers into them. Dropping my glasses, I blinked away the pain and glanced skyward. Sam circled the complex high overhead, far enough out of range that Bucky would never get suspicious. "Corner complex, west side of the building. Exits on floors one, three, and five. He's got two exits in his apartment alone. He catches sight of you, he's outta there."
"Yeah, well that's where I come in," Sam replied, a grin in his tone as he glided in a wide, arcing oval above us, "sure you don't want a lift up here?"
"I'm good for now," I laughed, slipping into the alley Bucky had travelled down, watching for any sign of the soldier should he try to escape the way he had come."
A flash of black and silver leapt across the rooftops overhead and I stared, surprised. It wasn't anyone from the number of agencies that could have come for Bucky, so I shoved my glasses upright and squinted through steel and concrete at a man in a skin-tight cat suit. Carefully peering past his clothing only, I stared at his face, a brief flash of recognition sparking in me as I realized his face had been plastered across the news alongside his now-deceased father's.
"Shit."
Though I wasn't a super soldier, I was more than capable of clambering up a fire escape; mimicking Bucky's moves on the building opposite, I moved quickly. Curiously enough, he wasn't moving, crouching low behind a large metal fan on the roof whenever Sam got too close for comfort.
But he still hadn't seen me.
My earbud was going crazy, voices and gunshots blurring together, but I couldn't focus on that, hauling myself onto the concrete roof and sneaking toward T'Challa. I knew Cap and Sam had it handled; I only hoped that neither of them - or Bucky - were hurt in the process.
I was more concerned about the new king of Wakanda. I knew why he was here; with Bucky's guilt bandied about from station to station, there was no doubt that he believed the Winter Soldier to be responsible for his father's death. And, while I hadn't expected him to have any sort of… cat-like alter-ego, I couldn't blame a man for wanting his father's supposed murderer killed.
But if I could get to him before he got to Bucky, I could hopefully meet his gaze, reign him in, prevent him from launching an attack fueled by grief and hatred.
"'Scuse me, Your Highness?" I called out, stuffing my hands in my pockets and strolling toward the ventilation system he lurked behind, "mind if I-"
He moved far quicker than I expected, leaping over it, his knees to my chest as he pinned me to the ground. Letting out a loud 'oof!' I lay, breathlessly, under his weight, staring wide-eyed at a raised hand with razor sharp claws extending from the glove.
"Shit, man, I-"
Immediately realizing I wasn't much of a threat, he stood, retracting his claws, hesitating between helping me up and making for Bucky's apartment. Growling, he queried angrily, his tone deep, accented, "Who are you?"
"Nobody," I replied, waving an impatient hand and propping myself upright, intent on rising to my feet, "pseudo-Avenger. I-"
Sam called out my name in warning, and I ducked instinctively, hands flailing over my head as a large body and a backpack went rolling quickly past me. Bucky hauled himself to his feet and grabbed his bug-out bag, quickly doing a double-take over his shoulder at me.
His brilliant blue eyes burned with curiosity, but he didn't get a chance to question me - or run, which was the likelier of the two - when T'Challa tackled him to the ground. He righted himself easily, extending his claws once again as the pair squared off. Bucky regarded him warily, dropping his bag and easing himself into a fighting stance across the burning stretch of concrete.
"Guys, guys!" I leapt to my feet, dashing toward them and pushing my glasses atop my head, feeling entirely too unprepared to be approaching such powerful men. Still, I darted between them, hands outstretched even as Sam warned me to keep my distance in my ear. "You don't need to do this, T'Challa!"
"Yes, I do," he replied immediately, running at the pair of us and pouncing into the air.
A hard shove knocked me out of the way and I hit the ground hard as Bucky took the brunt of the black-clad Wakandan's assault. He fought him off valiantly, his arm deflecting T'Challa's blows easily.
Shaking my head, I hauled myself to my feet, ignoring Steve's voice screaming in my ear to watch for incoming bogies. When Bucky knocked his opponent back, I positioned myself between them again, praying T'Challa would catch my eye.
He obviously did, his arm poised uselessly overhead, claws still bared. His body appeared frozen, his muscles coiled and his voice grunting from the strain beneath his mask, "What… are you doing to me?"
"Sorry, Your Highness, but I need you to not murder Bucky, thanks," I replied, lifting a shoulder apologetically.
"Buck," I called over my shoulder, though I didn't dare look away from my target. I didn't know if he'd fled from the roof yet, but I hoped he was still there. We'd come too far to find him, to help him, for us to lose him again. I also preferred not to look like a dumbass in front of royalty. "You really need to talk to Steve. He doesn't want to take you in, believe me. We've been-"
Gunfire exploded through the sky and I tore my gaze from T'Challa, releasing him from my hold. Crouching low to avoid the spray of bullets, I was surprised to find a black figure curl over my body, shielding me from the assault raining down on us from the three helicopters overhead.
Grateful that he didn't leave me to die, I still couldn't help but wait impatiently for him to move so I could chase after the Winter Soldier.
With a frown I watched him dash across the rooftop, head bent and arm overhead to deflect the bullets, he leapt over the ledge and out of sight. A blur of red, white, and blue followed him closely, disappearing from sight and ignoring all orders to cease from whichever organization had gotten to us first.
When the bullets ceased, T'Challa uncoiled himself and stood tall; glasses still askew in my hair, I saw his glower behind his mask, his lip curled and his gaze burning as he warned, "Do not attempt something like that again. I will gladly prevent you from doing so in the future."
My eyes flitted to his claws, curled in warning, and I tipped my head to one side. "Noted."
He huffed out an unamused laugh and tore off after the two super soldiers. The gunshots followed him, obviously assuming I was little more than a civilian, and I fell back against the cement, wondering how on earth I could be of use to Cap and Bucky in a high-speed foot chase.
Shit, man, I grumbled, calling for Sam, time to steal a car.
/
Please review everyone!
Food Lover 1: I'm sorry you had to wait again for this chapter! I'm so glad you like the story, though, and I hope you still tune in for this story!
13teen: Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter too!
Jayjay05: sorry for the delay!
RoxanneRay: Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! I love Peter's dorkiness lol, I can't help but love writing him. I'm thinking of doing a Spiderman-centric story, but haven't decided yet lol. The airport scene is gonna be epic, though, and super intense between Peter and Aury!
Wickedgrl123: oh my gosh thank you for the amazing review! I haven't started one, but I'm considering it. I'm very tempted. I placed a different girl in there at Peter's potential love interest; may start another story and tie them together lol. I pronounce it as Aw-ree if that makes sense lol. That's the best spelling I could think of. Thank you! I'm so glad you like her interactions with everyone. I know, if I didn't pair her with Bucky, I would've gone with Steve haha. Or Tony. Tony's flirtiness is so easy to write. Yeah, there will be more about how Pietro made it out, but you're right. It does have to do with her and that's why he's attracted to her. I would love to add Deadpool; I'm sure I could work him in at some point. It would be excellent comic-relief haha. I can't wait for them to officially meet; it should be the next chapter! I actually don't have a face claim for her. I usually don't for my main characters lol. Other than giving them a hair/eye color combo, I like the readers to picture who they want. I hope you liked the other stories!
Olivia0707: Sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoy the chapter!
TheUltimateBibliophile: Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!
