Before we jump to our story, I want to take once again a moment to thank every single one of you who follow and mark Favorite to all of my stories, from the first to the current. This is the type of feedback that motivates to keep going, and I know that not every story is heading to be popular; I'm always learning about what works and what doesn't, but still I'm grateful for every review that comes and for every one of you who at least checks and reads it.
Now, we jump back to our story: Bucky and Wanda managed to escape from Mordo's Acolytes, but Mordo himself decided to take matters into his own hands, and that means that if they find a moment to take a break, they must make every second count before they get on moving. With that said, let's see how our heroes fare, shall we?
Enjoy the reading!
SCARLET WINTER
Chapter 6: Catching a Break in the Middle of Nowhere
It was a long road, but a necessary one so they could escape from the metaphorical inferno they just went through. After spending a couple of days on the road, taking breaks to rest and eat, Bucky and Wanda reached the border with Michigan, reaching the ground to start their search for Pops' allies, the ones called 'Lieutenant Salt and Sergeant Pepper', but they both know it will not be an easy search, not until they can get a hint of where to start. Yet, a good fortune fell upon them when Bucky's phone started to ring, prompting Bucky to stop on a side of the road in order to pick it up.
"Hey Sharon, everything OK?" Bucky asks just as soon as he picks up the call.
"I bring you good news, just found your Lieutenant Salt" Sharon's voice is heard through the call, bringing a sigh of relief out of Bucky's mouth.
"Is he in Michigan?" Bucky asks the pertinent question.
"Yes, Battle Creek, Michigan to be more accurate" Sharon replies "His name is Victor Salt, U.S. Army retired, he served in Vietnam and the Gulf War, his father Samuel Salt, was also a member of the Monte Cassino mission you boys executed back in the day" she adds, establishing the connection between Salt's and Pops' families and the mission back in World War II.
"That explains the link" Bucky comments "So, he lives in Battle Creek?"
"Yes, with his wife, that's all the information I gathered, but I suppose you can make it on your own with that" Sharon replies.
"Yes, this is very helpful Sharon, thank you for everything" Bucky replies, grateful for the information.
"You know it's not a problem for me, Buck and if anything happens, call me, alright?" Sharon adds, ending the call.
"Please say that call brought good news" Anna asks Bucky, concerned about the situation, but Bucky looks at her with a reassuring semblance on his face.
"I got the Intel we needed, we're heading straight to Battle Creek for Lieutenant Victor Salt" Bucky replies, prompting a loud sigh of relief from Anna.
"So there is a Lieutenant Salt?" Wanda asks a bit surprised, prompting a glare from Anna "Sorry, but as silly as it sounds, I thought it was a nickname or some sort of code" she comments, trying to avoid Anna's anger.
"The man is a retired member of the Army, while his father served alongside Pops' grandfather back in the war, my only hope is that he is as cooperative as Pops was" Bucky comments as he starts the car again, retaking their march.
MEANWHILE, IN A TOWN MILES AWAY…
While the heroes are away, Karl Mordo has been chasing the path they took, mostly thanks to the magical trace left by the medallion that Anna stole from him. However, he has just been aware of who is accompanying her on that path and for that, he must tread carefully.
"Is one thing to confront someone like Strange, but everybody knows the reputation of Wanda Maximoff, the woman who once warped the entire reality…what's stopping her from accomplishing that feat again?" Mordo starts to ponder as he ventures through the rural passages, avoiding anything connected to urban territory in order to avoid detection by local authorities "She is the biggest threat, therefore she must be eliminated quickly…and once I get a hold of that medallion, I can succeed in that" he muses, looking at the horizon has he sees his hands, making them glow with red energy "The trace changes as I move forward, sometimes it fades but sometimes it grows…that means is hungering, it needs souls, I guess is a fortune that none of them know how to control it…that buys me enough time to find them and eliminate them".
BACK IN MICHIGAN
"How long until we reach Battle Creek?" Anna asks Bucky, starting to sound a bit anxious about their arrival.
"We still have a few miles left on the road, but we'll make it before nightfall, that's for sure" Bucky replies, keeping his eyes on the road as the parks the car on a gas station in order to refuel.
"I'm hungry, want to raid the store for some 'very hazardous to our health' junk food?" Anna asks Wanda, looking that Bucky is filling up the gas tank, to which she shrugs her shoulders in response.
"Might as well join you" Wanda replies, leaving the truck to walk with her to the store. Once they get in, Anna starts to grab bags of chips and cookies while Wanda walks behind her, grabbing a bottle of juice to check it "None of this is natural fruit" she mutters while she puts it back.
"You've been checking Bucky for the last few miles" Anna comments, trying to make small talk but she makes Wanda blush in response "Are you curi…are you blushing?" Anna asks her as she turns to see her, stifling her laughter as she looks at her.
"I wasn't checking him" Wanda quickly replies "You can't look at anything else while you're travelling" she tries to come up with an excuse but she feels a little bit nervous.
"You've been sitting on the passenger's seat, there were lots of views right at the window" Anna points out, feeling giddy at the fact that she is teasing someone who could take her out in a snap "Sorry if I'm teasing you, is just that…I've always wanted to hang out with at least one Avenger, so I apologize if I'm acting like we're buddy-buddies, if I'm making you feel uncomfortable, I'll just stop" she comments, but to her surprise, Wanda shakes her head in denial and mildly laughs.
"It's alright, you're the one who should feel comfortable" Wanda kindly replies "Besides, we should be getting along since this is a long trip" she adds, walking with her as they walk to the cashier.
"Thanks for that" Anna replies "And hey, if you want to, I can take the passenger's seat and you take the middle, then you can give me one of those spells to make me sleep and you get to talk with Bucky" she adds, shrugging her shoulders, yet Wanda dismisses the idea, or at least she looks like she does.
"I accept the changing seats, but I won't force you into a spell, all three of us should be interacting" Wanda replies while she pays for the supplies, just as Bucky finishes his refueling, signaling the girls to come back and get back to the road.
SOMETIME LATER
Once they were done, the trip became a slow one due to heavy traffic, something they did not wanted to bump into, especially due to the risk of being caught by authorities, but fortunately, Wanda decides to make a move and cloak them with her magic, giving the group a slight moment of relief, but she looks surprised when she notices that Anna is asleep, which makes her wonder is she is truly asleep or is she faking it to force her to talk to Bucky.
"Did you give her another sleeping spell?" Bucky asks Wanda as he keeps driving.
"No, no I didn't" Wanda denies having given her a spell, but she also decides not to poke around and see if she is indeed faking it "Maybe she got tired"
"It is a long road" Bucky replies to her comment, bringing another moment of silence, but Wanda decides to make small talk.
"So…did you ever hold Steve's shield?" Wanda asks out of curiosity.
"I once held the shield and the mantle, if that's what you're wondering" Bucky replies, keeping his eyes on the road.
"You were Captain America?" Wanda asks with greater curiosity "I mean, I wasn't 'Active' for a while and aside from Steve, I only remember when Falcon held the shield" she explains, recalling that she was active during Sam Wilson's tenure as Captain America.
"I took the mantle after Steve's disappearance, when he was shot at the Court steps after the first Superhero Civil War" Bucky explains, remembering the moment he took the mantle "Tony Stark was looking for his own replacement, I stepped in and, as it turned out, Steve left him a request to give me the shield, I agreed on the condition that I wasn't gonna follow his orders"
"Totally reasonable" Wanda comments "I respect Tony's experience and legacy, but I've never consider him a great leader to follow, that ego of his is…"
"So big that it's a surprise that he hasn't given it its own armor" Bucky jokes, causing Wanda to chuckle after that.
"BWAAHAHAHAHAHA!" Wanda cannot help but laugh after that "That was a good one" she comments, noticing that Bucky is also laughing at that, looking at him smile, staying somewhat mesmerized with that picture, but the surprise came when they hear Anna choke a chortle, but that quickly changes to the sound of snoring, implying that she is still faking her sleep, but they choose to leave it be.
"So yeah, I had a brief stint as Captain America, but after the Serpent War, I faked my death with Steve, Natasha and Fury covering it up so I could go back to do my true work as a spy" Bucky comments, filling in the rest of the details.
"And this work of redemption is part of that 'True Work'?" Wanda asks, a bit nervous of overstepping, but Bucky remains calm.
"I spent years working to redeem myself from the things I've done" Bucky starts telling his story "The U.S. Government gave me a full pardon after I helped the heroes to dethrone HYDRA and their fake Steve Rogers" he reveals his role in bringing down HYDRA after their takeover, ending with a full presidential pardon.
"I don't remember much about the HYDRA Takeover" Wanda replies "I was aware of it when it started, but I was ambushed and before I knew it, I was possessed by Chthon" she reveals the situation she went through during the Takeover "I was like a passenger, forced to watch that entity use my body for HYDRA's deeds" she explains with a hint of seriousness in her voice.
"Chthon…is that the creature from literature?" Bucky asks, causing Wanda to look strangely at him "Sorry, I know you were serious but, I'm not an expert in magic things and I was just curious" he tries to excuse himself but fortunately for him, Wanda simply shakes her head.
"That's Cthulhu" she kindly replies "It's a reasonable confusion" she adds, remembering when she confused the 'Tor Network' with Thor.
"Alright, thanks for that" Bucky comments "And while I've never been in that position, I can understand the situation, that feeling of not being yourself and when you recover you discover some evil done with your face" he tells her, sympathizing with her, a gesture that Wanda silently appreciates.
"I guess I had it easy because of my status as an Avenger, besides…Stephen, Doctor Strange, he helped me through with it" Wanda replies, recalling the path to recovery she went through.
"You're working with Doctor Strange, right?" Bucky asks her, now starting to dig into her for information.
"Sort of" Wanda replies "I'm working with in at the Strange Academy in New Orleans, a school for young apprentices in the arts of magic" she comments about her new work at the magic academy.
"Wait; is that like that Harry Potter school thing?" Bucky asks, comparing the Academy with the famed Hogwarts.
"Yes, and believe me, everyone made that comparison" Wanda responds, laughing a little bit "But yes, I teach there, as well as other sorcerers like Shaman and Nico Minoru and others" she names some of the people she work with.
"And Doc Strange is the Headmaster, I suppose, the school's named after him" Bucky comments, but Wanda shakes her head in denial.
"He runs the school but he's not the actual Headmaster, he's more like the founder and owner, the Headmaster is…" she explains, but then she slowly sighs "Brother Voodoo" she reveals his name with a hint of sadness.
"Brother Voodoo? I met him once…he was Strange's replacement for the Sorcerer Supreme, if I'm not mistaken" Bucky recalls the moment he first met him, back during Osborn's 'Dark Reign' when he was part of Luke Cage's 'Renegade Avengers' and helped Doctor Strange with the search of his replacement as Sorcerer Supreme.
"He was…now he's the Headmaster, that's it" Wanda replies, trying to avoid going further due to their breakup, yet Bucky could tell that there was something else behind that comment, but he prefers not to dig yet, as it would be advisable to earn an enough degree of trust to do that.
"I as gonna ask if we could contact him or Strange for advice on the matter, since the contact I have still hasn't answered my calls and messages" Bucky replies, remembering that he still has not received an answer from Daimon Hellstrom.
"I can contact them, but I prefer to do it once we have laid low, just as I could sense their magic, they could sense mine every time I use it" Wanda comments, pointing out that magical detection works both ways, meaning that they could still be in danger.
"Good call" Bucky responds, taking a turn to the right and take advantage of the open road to rotate his shoulder a bit "Does it hurt?" she asks him "I know Anna asked you that question but…is it that bad of a pain?"
"No" Bucky replies "At first comes the 'Phantom Pain', that moment when you feel the pain even when you know the appendage is not there anymore, but then you work through the pain and just adapt to it, something that I needed to in my line of work" he explains, retaking the wheel with both hands as he talks.
"I can understand that…the constant fighting can give you very little time for yourself, and you end up living with nothing but pain" Wanda solemnly replies, catching Bucky's attention.
"It does…but like I said before, you get accustomed to" Bucky replies, lowering his voice, but suddenly, he feels Wanda's hand over his, holding it gently.
"I know that feeling, but no one should 'get accustomed' to it" Wanda gently comments "I know we barely know each other but, if you feel like you need to talk, I'd like to listen" she talks to him with a kind tone, a gesture that Bucky appreciates and to causes him to give her a smile.
"Thank you for that, I'll keep it in mind" Bucky replies, nodding with his head in response.
"Is good to know that you're not the 'Cold, Calculating, Methodical Man of Mystery' most people think about" Wanda comments, sparking Bucky's attention about how he is known.
"People think of me like that?" Bucky asks out of curiosity "I mean, I get that people compare me with, say, Natasha Romanoff, which makes sense given the years we spent together" he comments.
"You dated Black Widow!?" Anna asks, giving herself away and ending her façade as the 'sleeping girl', startling Bucky a bit but fortunately not enough to cause him to swerve.
"I thought you were asleep!" Bucky exclaims, while Wanda covers her mouth to avoid being caught stifling a laugh.
"I was resting my eyes" Anna replies "But seriously, you and the Black Widow? I mean, no offense but I never thought someone like the Black Widow could date anyone" she adds.
"You'd be surprised by the list of lovers she's had" Wanda replies to her comment, but Bucky simply frowns, since he does not like to gossip, especially about someone close to him like Natasha Romanoff.
"Hey, I'm not saying that she can't have a boyfriend, but with what the media says about her, I'm just surprised about it" Anna responds, looking at the window as they enter a small suburban area "Are we near the location?" she asks, looking towards Bucky.
"Yes, we're almost there" Bucky replies, looking at the GPS of his smartphone to determine the location thanks to the Intel he received from Sharon Carter, reaching the address and parking right at the front door "We're here" he tells the women, shutting off the engine and then he takes a deep breath "Anna, let Wanda and I do the talking, but stay close and don't step in unless it's necessary, understood?" he asks her, to which Anna nods in response "Good, let's do this" he tells them, stepping out of the truck so they could walk into the house and take shelter in order to plan a new strategy.
And here we have it, a much needed moment of calm for our heroes, and the Bucky/Wanda connection keeps on brewing, the sparks are flying and even Anna is factoring in! LOL! So with that said, stay tuned for next chapter when we get new allies, the connection grows and more of Anna's answers to how she got into this in the first place! Oh, and of course, Mordo keeps getting closer.
NEXT CHAPTER: ANNA FINALLY REVEALS HER CONNECTION TO THE KURIOS KLAN!