And after a slow start, we're jumping into the action of this brand new adventure. We've seen Bucky and Wanda head on to their respective missions, but now they're heading on a collision course, or maybe just a helpful coincidence? You be the judge.
And to respond my great follower The Timeless Writer: My girlfriend and I tend to do these Marvel shippings with characters we like and/or catch our attention, Bucky and Wanda fell into that pack LOL! They do have a strong point in common that can be used to bind them together, which is what I'll explore in this story, you just wait and see.
With that done, let's jump to our story!
Enjoy the reading!
SCARLET WINTER
Chapter 2: The Players Emerge
She just keeps running, dodging every tree she stumbles in front of, avoiding the angry mob that has been chasing her for hours. Her breathing becomes heavier as she advances, fighting with the cold weather due to the snow around her and the nighttime temperature not helping to bring warm any time soon. She could hear the voices at the background, getting closer in every second.
"She's near! Get her!" the voices of the people chasing her can be heard across the woods, getting closer and closer in spite of her running.
"Can't let them catch me…can't…let them…catch me…" Anna keeps muttering, trying to keep her focus as she goes on, marching through the woods until she notices how the hooded figures are approaching her from both sides.
"She's here!" another voice is heard, scaring Anna to the point of increasing her pace, but as she keeps going forwards, she starts to feel more and more exhausted, running non-stop until she stops once she sees the last hooded figure in front of her, the Grand Master.
"You took something that doesn't belong to you" the Grand Master speaks to her in an ominous tone of voice.
"Y-Y-You won't have it" Anna responds in a nervous tone, slowly stepping back, but when she turns around, she finds herself surrounded by all the hooded figures that were chasing her "You won't have it, you heard me? I won't let you" Anna warns him as she holds tightly the medallion she took from him.
"That's not up to you…we will have it back" the Grand Master once again threatens Anna, slowly stepping towards them while a glowing red aura appears around the hooded figures. Anna starts to breathe agitatedly, feeling more and more scared as the glow intensifies and the Grand Master's hands burn with red fire "We'll take it from your hands…ALONG WITH YOUR SOUL!" he then plunges towards her, trying to take the medallion from her as she feels her body burn.
"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOO!" Anna screams until she finally wakes up, no longer surrounded by snowy woods in the middle of the night. She breathes agitatedly as she starts to snap back to reality, looking around to find herself in the small improvised bedroom inside a trailer parked a few meters away from a diner.
After she escaped from the cult, she reached a small town where she wandered for hours until she found a diner, run by a married couple. She managed to convince them to allow her to work as a waitress temporarily, which they agreed, since they need the help and even allowed her to use the trailer at the end of the parking lot as the bedroom.
Another silver lining of her new whereabouts is that the public library is nearby, which is what allowed her to gain internet access and use the Tor Network to contact the Winter Soldier, hoping that he finds her and solve her trouble once and for all, yet she is still waiting for his arrival or at least to make contact with her again.
She wakes up, does her usual routine of freshen up and leaves the trailer, heading to the diner for another round of her work as waitress, greeting the owners as she steps in through the back entrance "Hey Pops, Henry"
"Hey Annie" Pops, the owner and short-order cook is the first one to salute "You're early"
"I just want to compensate for starting late yesterday" Anna replies while she puts on the apron.
"You can take your time darling, you know how much of a clientele we got around here" the cash attendant and main hostess Henrietta, or 'Henry' as she is called, replies to her comment.
"Still, I have to repay for letting me stay, and again, don't worry, is only temporary" Anna explains to them "At least until I get out of here" she thinks while she finishes getting ready and opens the door, letting in the first customers of the day.
MEANWHILE, ON THE ROAD
A trip from Indiana to Wisconsin is not precisely a long one, with good traffic one can reach the destination in five hours, but for Bucky Barnes every second counts to reach his destination and complete his work. After a couple of hours on the road, he stops at a fuel station to load the gas tank and buy a couple of snacks on the road, yet as he grabs the pack of Doritos and a couple of Twinkies, he gets a phone call; once he sees who is the caller is when he walks to the back of the convenience store and takes the call.
"Hey Sharon, found my info?" Bucky asks as soon as he hits the green icon.
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have called in the first place, don't you think?" the voice of Sharon Carter is heard on the speaker "Got the Intel, you ready?"
"Lay it on, Agent Carter" Bucky replies as he stands in the corner of an aisle.
"The IP address was connected to a public library near Fall Creek, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; there's where she made the call, but thanks to a hacker friend I managed to discover who used it thanks to the library records, time stamping security footage, arrivals and usage" Sharon explains, pointing out the details she has managed to find "Your caller is a girl named Anna Molly Duvall, and get this…she's barely 18"
"So wait, I got a call from a teenager?" Bucky asks her, sounding a bit surprised.
"Indeed you did, you think it could be a prank?" Sharon asks him, sounding a bit concerned.
"I don't think anyone could use the Tor Network for a prank, especially the line we set up…I'll investigate further" Bucky replies, deciding to remain focused on his task.
"Very well, also be careful, there's been news of missing people from several towns and villages over the past couple of months, some travelers, some locals, but what's alarming is the lack of evidence of the why and their whereabouts" Sharon explains to him the situation.
"I'll keep you posted if I find anything, but the girl mentioned something about a magic cult, maybe there's a connection, so I'll dig deeper, thanks for everything Sharon" Bucky comments, thanking his friend for the assistance.
"Anytime Bucky, we'll stay in touch" Sharon replies, ending the call, and with that, Bucky returns to his duty, buying his provisions as he heads back to the road and prepares to fulfill his mission.
AT SOME POINT OUTSIDE WISCONSIN
Three hooded figures reunite inside a windowless room, with only a red light bulb on illuminating the place. The three figures just stand there, waiting for something to occur, until finally an energy beam glows inside, showing a fourth hooded figure in a sort of astral presence. The three figures immediately kneel and bow their heads at his presence.
"Have you found the girl and the medallion?" the voice of the Grand Master echoes in the room.
"We're still searching for her, Grand Master" a male voice is heard, coming from the hooded figure in the middle of the three.
"You're wasting valuable time" the Grand Master scolds them "What's your excuse?"
"We're trying the best we can with the resources at hand, Grand Master" a second male voice is heard from the hooded figures.
"We followed the traces around the state, but we cannot determine where exactly is she found" a female voice is now heard amongst the hooded figures.
"Very well, if resources is what you need, resources you shall have" the Grand Master speaks and then he moves his hands, creating a strange aura that surrounds them "Vestana Hamaranta Palakta" his enchantment wraps the three hooded figures "Now you have the resources you need, now Find Her! Bring me the Medallion, but bring her to me alive" the Grand Master emphasizes his words as he speaks and then disappears, leaving the three hooded figures alone in the room.
The three stand up and slowly remove their hoods and robes, leaving them on a table until they leave the room. The door has the inscription 'ONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL' written on it, closing as soon as three people leave that room; a man in his mid-forties, bald with a brown beard, a man in his mid-thirties with short black hair and a mustache, and a woman in her mid-thirties with long curly blonde hair, all three wearing local police uniforms, revealing themselves to be cult members embedded in the law enforcement groups. The eyes of all three briefly glow in red, flickering for a few seconds until they return to their respective natural colors.
"Let's find that girl" the lead officer speaks, with the other two officers nodding in response, leaving the place to split and start their own search for the girl and the medallion.
SOME TIME LATER, SOMEWHERE IN FALL CREEK
The wind blows gently in the plaza, not a single person was around the place, which is odd considering the hours, but for this exact circumstance, is fit for what is about to happen. A red energy ball emerges out of nowhere, slowly showing a silhouette that starts to reveal itself as the energy fades out, showing the presence of Wanda Maximoff, the Avenger known as the Scarlet Witch.
"This must be the place" Wanda mutters as she looks around her, taking a deep breath in order to relax after spending a good amount of magic energy to teleport from New Orleans to Wisconsin "I can feel it…Stephen was right, there is some magic disturbance around this place" she closes her eyes, concentrating on the energy she is feeling channeling it in order to find a point to follow, but is too faint even for her own powers "Too faint…might as well start to explore" she decides to walk around and start searching for answers, and the best way to do it is to go low key, for that she uses her magic powers to transform her clothes, changing from her usual hero suit to a more appealing civilian look; a red long-sleeved blouse with a grey vest, black dress pants and red boots, complete with a red beret.
With her 'disguise' set, she starts to walk around the place, starting her own search of the magical energy disruptions that Doctor Strange have sensed and that she hopes can stop before it causes a major catastrophe.
BACK AT THE ROAD
After spending the remaining hours of the trip on the road, Bucky Barnes finally arrives to Wisconsin, using the coordinates Sharon sent him as reference, he managed to find a clear road to Fall Creek, where he could start searching for the information about who contacted him.
His first stop was the Public Library where the IP address came from, talking with the people in charge in order to cross-reference the data he has with the searches, trying to connect the dots about the identity of Anna Molly, the girl who called him for his help, although he tries to keep the relevant information to a minimum since he is well aware that when it comes to cults, even the most ordinary people can be found amongst its followers, meaning that anybody can be infiltrated anywhere, a lesson learned the hard way thanks to the Skrulls and their campaign from years ago.
After that search, he decided to take a break and consult other options, but not before he could grab a bite from a proper meal and not a bag of snacks and Twinkies, so he stops at a diner called 'Henry's Diner-Mobile' where he could grab a bite and regain some lost energies.
Once he parks his bike, he receives a text message from Sam Wilson asking him for updates on his mission, wondering if he can help him, but Bucky replies letting him know that he has things under control for the moment. He steps inside the place, noticing how simple and 'cozy' the place is, a typical 'Mom-n-Pops' type of joint, yet is does not count with a large clientele, just a man with a briefcase and a senior man eating a hamburger and having a cup of coffee respectively.
Bucky takes a seat nearby the window so he can keep an eye on his bike, but then he is called by the young girl who works as the waitress; black hair with red streaks tied up in a ponytail, wearing a pink shirt, jeans and vans shoes with the white apron.
"Hi, I'm Anna; can I take your order?" Anna asks him with a gentle demeanor, to which Bucky smiles at her kindly.
"Hi, what's the best you can recommend me?" Bucky asks her, since he does not have the menu at hand.
"We got some very good burgers with cheese and bacon, but if I have to take a good look at you, I'd say you want something stronger, maybe a plate of chicken wings with barbecue spicy sauce" she laughs a bit, trying to make a rapport with him and hopefully get a good tip.
"That does sounds good, so the chicken wings it is, with a large Coke, please" Bucky gives her his order, which she writes down and then heads to the counter.
"House Wings with large Coke, Pops" Anna calls the order to Pops, getting back to her work. After a few minutes, the wings come out, but just as Anna serves Bucky his plate, a police officer steps inside the diner.
"Officer Brady! It's been a long time since you've been here last!" Henrietta greets the arriving officer, who salutes in kind.
"Been very busy these last few weeks Henry" the officer, a man in his mid-thirties with short black hair and a mustache, smiles at Henry's comment while he takes a seat "But there's only one place here in Fall Creek with a good plate of food and that's here" he tells her, turning his eyes to look at the young waitress who is serving Bucky "Is she new?" he asks Henry.
"She came here yesterday, the poor girl's a drifter, so Pops and I gave her the job until she's back on her feet" Henry replies to the officer, who keeps his eyes on her with curiosity, sensing something odd in her.
"Interesting tale" Officer Brady replies "Hey!" he calls her out, catching her attention "You're new around here?" he asks her, who looks a bit startled after he called her.
"Y-Y-Yes, I'm new, mister Officer" Anna replies nervously, and that is something that Bucky notices, keeping his eyes on the conversation.
"Sorry if I scared you, just wondering about your presence, given how weird things have been happening around here" the officer replies, but he starts to notice something in her that resembles what he is looking for, sensing a strong aura around her "Have you heard of anything unusual around here?" he asks her, feigning curiosity.
"N-No that I know of, officer" Anna replies, still feeling nervous, and Bucky knows that something is wrong in the way she talks, she hints how she feels intimidated by the officer.
"You look like someone who's been on the road for a long time, am I right?" the officer asks her as he stands up from his seat, walking towards her slowly and with every step he takes, he senses how the aura around her gets stronger, and that can only mean one thing; he has found what he was looking for.
"I-I-I…" Anna feels even more nervous when she tries to speak, feeling more afraid when he gets closer.
"Is everything OK, Officer Bra…?" Henry asks her, but the officer cuts her off.
"This is official matter, stay out of it!" the officer rebuffs Henry, keeping his eyes on Anna "You seem like the kind of girl who runs away from somewhere right? Maybe…you're escaping someone" he tells her with a slightly more menacing tone of voice "Maybe you stole something that doesn't belong to you…am I right?" he asks her, and then his eyes flicker with red, scaring Anna even more.
"Oh God…" she whispers, fearing that she has been found by the people she was escaping from.
"You took something from the Grand Master" the officer threatens her as his hands start to glow in red energy "And you shall pay it with you li…" his words are then cut off when Bucky tackles him, bringing him down to the floor.
"GET OUT! NOW!" Bucky yells, warning the people inside to escape, which they all quickly do. The two men are the first to run, followed by Pops and Henry who prefer to hide behind in the kitchen, yet Anna only steps back, shocked in fear at what she is looking at.
Bucky grabs the officer by the collar of his shirt and punches him with his bionic arm, trying to inflict as much pain as possible, but the officer pushes him back and charges his energy, shooting a large burst of energy towards him. Bucky blocks it with his bionic arm, but the impact pushes him and Anna towards the wall, with the energy wave destroying the vehicles around them, including Bucky's bike.
Yet the energy aura was felt everywhere, with people wondering what is happening, ad amongst that people, a certain witch discovers just what she was looking for.
"That amount of energy…that's Chaos Magic!" Wanda thinks for herself "Stephen was definitively right, something is going on here, and it's my duty to stop it" she rushes to the place where she felt that outburst of magic, hoping is not too late to stop it and find more clues about what she has to do.
Here we go, folks! A brand new story has just started! Now here's where I'll add a few details about the characters:
Another chapter complete! Bucky has found Anna, but so did one of the Grand Master's Acolytes! Yet the Scarlet Witch is nearby, which means that the players are indeed set and ready to play, but this is only the beginning, because they still need to escape and figure out the rest of what's happening, so stay tuned for how they'll get out of this one!
NEXT CHAPTER: CHAOTIC MAGIC CLASHES!