Phoenix, Bucky, and Sam followed after Walker, who had run off after he killed the unmasked Flag-Smasher. The chimera even shifted back to her true form, knowing full well things were going to end in a fight. The sense of danger she had gotten after Hoskins's death still resonated deep in her soul but she wasn't going to let her friends go in alone. She wasn't sure how much use she'd be. She had the means to fight but lacked any real experience despite her age. The Wilds of All World were alive with danger that any animal would face, especially for a herd animal without a herd of her own. Such was life. But the Wilds weren't a battlefield. Animals and other beasts didn't go out of their way to fight. Survival was the law of the Wilds. Phoenix had known since her return that she was going into uncharted territory and was just shy of being completely useless to her human companions, both of whom had fought in wars and battles.
Her train of thought was halted when they stopped outside the place where Walker had retreated. Bucky looked up at her and she looked at him. Wordlessly, he placed his hand on her long face and leaned his forehead into it. Phoenix took a deep breath as Sam set a hand on her neck in solidarity. "Whatever happens in there...only engage if he attacks you directly. Things are going to get messy real fast and your first priority is to protect yourself," the White Wolf instructed after a moment. "I understand. And I'm sorry I'm useless to you both. It seems all I've done was drag you down," Phoenix sighed. "Hey, you're not useless, Nix. You've been more of a help than you know. Fighting may not be your style but you've done well in the face of trouble. You've never dragged us down. Not even once," Sam assured her. Phoenix shifted her head to rub his arm. "Let's go," Bucky said, opening the door.
The trio walked into the warehouse to see Walker kneeling on the floor, leaning against the shield. Phoenix hung back a little, tail at half-mast. She kept her peace, knowing this was between the humans. Walker turned his eyes towards her and she stiffened a little. "You. Look at you. A monster fighting in battles that have nothing to do with her. Following Barnes like a starving dog, begging for love and acceptance. Where's your pride?" he asked. The chimera only spared her friends a glance before stepping into a shaft of life. "Pride is a sickness only humans suffer. I have no use for it. I've suffered too much and too long to ever take pride in my continued survival. I told Karli that humans are savages and you just proved me right. Yours is a violent species. All you do is cause harm. My earliest days were spent suffering at the hands of one of your own," she responded.
Walker gave her a harsh look but she wasn't cowed. "And yet you follow humans around. Hypocritical much?" he asked. "Not in the slightest. Humans as a whole regard chimeras very negatively and I have every right to return the opinion because of all the suffering I endured. But I'm not so lost in my own trauma that I could judge all humans for the actions of a few. I'm not that single-minded. I judge humans on an individual basis and I never hurt the innocent. I've helped humans before, openly and in secret," Phoenix countered, thinking back to a time where she watched over a pregnant traveler in secret to make sure she made it to her destination safely. She regarded Walker again. "You call me a dog for following Bucky and you make it sound like something shameful. But why should I feel shame for wanting to be with him?" Phoenix responded.
She slowly took a couple of steps towards the man. "In the time I've been here...I've grown to see Bucky and Sam as my friends and herdmates. I'm less than worthless in the eyes of my homeworld but as long as I have them, my pair-bond, and my mother...I'm home. They're my family. That's all that matters," she finished. She looked back at Bucky and Sam and gave them a smile. She turned her gaze to Walker again. For a brief moment, it was just the two of them. One, an abomination of science. Made with no regard to ethics or the Weaver's place as the true Creator. The other, a monster with blood on his hands because vengeance was a cruel mistress. A monster who showed the abomination the worst humanity had to offer in the current era. "Between the two of us, John Walker, who is the monster?" the question hung in the air.
Things then started moving. With a yell, Walker sprung at Phoenix who reared in defense of herself. When she came down, he grabbed her by the horns. With his new super-strength (she had smelled the serum in his veins back in the plaza building), he nearly took her off her hooves. Phoenix stumbled away, nearly losing her balance, as her companions engaged their enemy. Shaking her head, the chimera watched as the fight went down. Walker didn't try to engage her again, no doubt because she threatened the lethal cocktail she carried in her telson the last time. "Bucky!" she shouted when the madman threw her best friend into a steel beam. Bucky hit the ground and was still. His metal arm sparked. Sam had his hands full and Phoenix moved to cover the downed White Wolf. She stood over him, head down and tail full-mast.
The fight started winding down. Walker had Sam pinned and ripped his wings off. He was about to bring the shield down to cave his chest in when Bucky intervened. He pulled Walker off and Phoenix followed up by hitting him with her tail, dry of course. She swung her head and hit his face with her horns. He responded by hauling off and punching her in the face. Dazed, Phoenix staggered and slipped. She came down and stayed there, her head spinning. Once her vision cleared, the chimera saw red. She got to her hooves around the time Sam and Bucky broke Walker's arm and took the shield. Phoenix hit Walker with her stinger, still dry, and followed up with a body slam that sent him to the ground. He stayed down, staring up at a very aggressive thousand-pound animal who had her ears pinned back and tail still arched.
Bucky got to his feet, picking up the shield. He walked towards the chimera and set a hand on her neck. "Easy. You've made your point," he muttered in her ear. Only then did Phoenix come out of her aggressive stance and bring her tail back to rest position. She wordlessly shook her head, nickering a bit. Bucky looked down at the shield before setting it by Sam and turning on his heel. "You going after Zemo?" the Falcon asked, sitting up. Bucky looked back at him. He then turned and left. Phoenix looked from the door to Sam, confused about who to stay with. Sam slowly got to his knees, picking up the shield. He then looked at the chimera. "Go on, Phoenix. Your place is with him. I'll be fine," he assured her. The chimera turned her head to him. "Are you sure?" she asked. "No worries. He needs you more than I do," Sam responded. Phoenix slowly nodded before trotting out of the building.
"Bucky, wait!" she called, catching up to the White Wolf. He slowed to a stop and sighed before turning to face her. Unease sliced through her as she slowed to a stop. The two regarded each other in silence for a moment before she took a breath. "Do you...want me to leave?" Phoenix asked. Bucky stayed silent but he eventually moved and wrapped his arms around her neck, leaning against her. Blinking for a moment, Phoenix let her neck come to rest on his shoulder. "I saw what Walker did. The amount of power he put into that punch should've killed you," he said. Phoenix was quiet, deciding against talking about the time she took the full force of a winged dragon (which were much bigger than the serpentines like Seiryu) and walked away. She didn't have a serum in her veins but the nature of her creation made her pretty hardy by comparison.
She opted instead to ask the question again. "Do you want me to leave? Because I will if this was too close for comfort," she said. Bucky ran a hand along the plane of her neck before pulling back. "This is one of those times where I don't have any right telling you what to do. I know that now. Even if I told you to leave...you probably wouldn't. So I'm not going to try. But can you do me a favor?" he asked. "Anything, my friend," Phoenix said without hesitation. "Can you tell me the truth? What you said in there...about Sam and I becoming a part of your family...did you mean it?" he asked. The chimera blinked before giving a small smile. "Yes. Family was something I never had until recently. I have my mother, my pair-bond, and some of my own kind. You and Sam are the first humans I've come to see as my own. I will also tell you something else," she responded.
Bucky met her gaze, curious. Phoenix shifted into her human form and set a hand on his arm. "We've come through a lot together over the various times I've come to this world. Before now, it was always short bursts but each experience has been invaluable. I never dreamed I would bond with a human as tightly as I have with you. I've come to regard you as my best friend. You mean the world to me, Bucky, and that's saying something coming from an animal who is very old and carries just as much trauma as you do, if not more," she said before her face fell. The White Wolf's face screwed up in confusion as he noticed tears falling. "What's wrong?" he asked, taking her hands. Phoenix looked down, taking one of her hands from his to grip some of her hair but kept a firm grip on his bionic one.
"I'm sorry, Bucky. I think I was in your way more than I was a help this time around. Walker was right that I really had no business getting involved in your fight with the Flag-Smashers. This isn't my world. What right did I have to get involved?" she said, heaving a little. Bucky brought his flesh hand up to rest on her face. "Look at me," he said. When her violets met his blue-greys, the old soldier just gave her a smile. "You've been a big help to me and Sam, Nix. This may not have been your fight but just having you around helped me in ways you're not thinking about. Remember what I said six months ago before you left?" he asked.
At her confused head-tilt, Bucky brushed some of her hair aside. "Every time we've crossed paths, it was always because I needed you in some way. I could never see you as a bother. You've kept me grounded and you've protected me in many ways. You don't have to believe me right away but I promise I'm telling the truth. After Steve, I couldn't ask for a better friend than you. You say your world sees you as less than worthless. I'm going to repeat what you told me once. Your worth to me is beyond measure. Believe me, I never wanted you in any of our past fights and I'm glad you only engaged when necessary. You protected me so it was my turn to protect you," he said.
Phoenix took a deep breath, closing her eyes and setting a hand on his. "Thank you," she said. She stepped back and ran a hand through her hair. "So...Zemo. Do you know where he is?" she asked. "I have a feeling. Getting there, however, is the question. Sokovia's not far from Latvia but I don't know if he'll still be there by the time we arrive," Bucky said, pushing his hands into his pockets. He considered the shifter for a moment. "Can you take others along the Road?" he asked. Phoenix looked up at him, surprised. "I've...never tried. It's possible. I wouldn't try it, to be honest. The Road isn't what you'd call a conventional path. It's a dangerous dimension in its own right and if you don't know what you're doing, you could be lost in it forever," she explained.
"But if I'm with you and you do the leading, I should be fine. I trust you," Bucky said. Phoenix looked down and started to pace, thinking about his request. He wanted her to lead him along the Road and get to Sokovia that way. She had been traveling the Road for a while, visiting various worlds. She knew what to expect. She had never taken anyone else along for the ride. But on the one hand, it would be a short trip along it and that minimized the risk a bit. "Okay...I'll take you along the Road. However, I'd feel better if you sat on my back and let me do the walking. You'll be safest that way. Even a short journey can have things go wrong," she said. Bucky gave her a look of surprise. "You want me on your back?" he asked, making sure he heard right. The shifter nodded. "Are you okay with that?" Bucky then inquired. Phoenix took a deep breath before retaking her true form.
"We don't have much of a choice and I'm not risking your safety by having you walk the Road. I'm allowing this because you're my friend. It's no hardship for me," she responded. Bucky slowly approached and set his hands on her back. He caught her eye, silently asking if she was absolutely sure. She just buzzed her lips and looked forward. Taking that as his cue, he hoisted himself upwards. Standing at 16 hands high meant Phoenix was pretty tall but his enhanced abilities made mounting her a bit easier than it would've been for a normal person. Plus he didn't have the benefit of a saddle with stirrups. He settled on her scales and adjusted himself. "Good thing this is a quick jaunt through the Road. You're not a comfortable thing to sit on," he joked.
Phoenix chuckled and started walking so he got used to her gait. Bucky held onto her mane, another issue since it was naturally cropped. "You ready?" she asked. "As ready as I'll ever be," he responded. "Okay then. Listen carefully. Entering the Road is going to feel weird because, from an outsider's perspective, we'll be winking out of existence. Basically vanishing into thin air. But from our perspective, it will be like us stepping through a door of light. Now, a word of warning before I open the way. When I say I 'walk' the Road, it's more like the Road is flinging me from Point A to Point B. It might be better if you lean over my neck and hang onto my curled horns. I can handle the speed but I'm afraid of you getting thrown off. The entire process should take about thirty seconds since we're not going far but that's still enough time for something to go wrong," she explained.
She waited until she saw Bucky's hands come into her line of sight and grasp her horns. He took a nervous breath. "Do you trust me to protect you?" Phoenix asked. "I trust you with my life," he responded. "Very good. Hang on tight and don't worry if you accidentally yank my head back. I can handle it," she replied. Without another word, her horns started to glow and in seconds, the two were flung into the nebulous dimension Phoenix called the Road. Bucky slowly opened his eyes and stared around. They were moving very fast. The odd thing was there was no wind but it still felt like he was in a powerful storm. He wondered if this was how traveling in outer space felt. The Road even looked like space, with nebulas and other celestial bodies. "Look to your left! Far in the distance, you can see my planet!" Phoenix called, keeping her head forward as she watched for the gateway she needed.
Bucky looked and saw, hanging in the darkness, a blue planet with a single supercontinent. A large area off the east coast was hidden by dense clouds. The planet was too far away to make out too many details but he saw what appeared to be five mountain ranges, a large crater, and a huge desert. "That's All World?" he asked. "Yes! Beautiful isn't it!?" Phoenix responded.
Bucky was about to respond in the affirmative but he was prevented when a gate of light suddenly opened in front of them. "Hang on! The exit is coming fast!" Phoenix warned. Pressing his face to her neck the White Wolf braced for the end of the trip. The two suddenly appeared back on Earth and Phoenix slowed to a stop. Bucky slowly let go of her horns and sat up straight. "You okay?" the chimera asked, looking back at him. He was breathing hard as if he had the wind knocked out of him. "Yeah. Whew. No wonder you insisted I ride you for that trip," he said, slowly bringing his leg over her back and getting off. He almost lost his balance but stuck the landing. He leaned his hands on his knees. He then looked around. They had landed about a mile from the Sokovia Memorial that Zemo had mentioned when they first arrived at his Latvia estate.
Phoenix kept her silence. Bucky pulled a gun out, catching her attention. "You mean to kill him?" she asked. The old soldier looked her dead in the eye and took the magazine out. He emptied it of the bullets. "I'm going to prove that I'm not what he thinks I am. I'm one of those super-soldiers he despises but unlike Steve and Walker, it was never my choice. I didn't ask for HYDRA to turn me into this," he responded. Humming to herself, Phoenix turned her gaze to the direction they were going to head in. She followed Bucky when he started to walk. After a time, they reached the Memorial. Zemo stood there, looking at the carved stone honoring those lost in Ultron's attack. His back was to them but it was plain he knew they were there.
"So the princess and her knight have come together," the man said before turning to face them. Phoenix looked at Bucky who kept his eyes on the other man. She moved off to the side, her interest taken by the memorial. Her equine face settled into one of peace. The conversation between the humans faded into background noise as her eyes slid closed, horn complex beginning to softly glow. A good stretch of time had passed since then but Phoenix could still feel the residual emotions left in Ultron's wake, both from survivors and the dead. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Zemo. He wasn't showing it but she could sense his resignation and continued sorrow for the family he had lost. She would never like the man but she wasn't so heartless that his pain meant nothing to her.
Phoenix looked over to see Ayo and a couple of her fellow Dora Milaje. Bucky must've called them before she had caught up with him after taking down Walker. The women gave her respectful nods and she returned the gesture. Zemo greeted them as they flanked them. Phoenix joined Bucky's side. The Baron gave her a look, hands clasped in front of him. "You're giving up?" she asked. He chuckled, looking down. "This was a battle I could never win. I was fully prepared for James to shoot me. Finish what I started in 2016 after I tore the Avengers apart. My endgame was to join my family. But thanks to King T'Challa, I still draw breath and James refused to prove me right about enhanced individuals," he explained.
Zemo shifted a little as Phoenix got closer. She locked eyes with him, silence filling the space. Unseen to them, Bucky and the Dora Milaje watched with interest. A deep-chested breath was inhaled and exhaled as the large animal sighed. "I don't like you, Zemo. That goes without saying. But for what it's worth...I do feel sorrow on your behalf," she said. The man gave her a wan smile, looking down. "Thank you, princess. I accept your condolences with honor," he said before the Dora Milaje started escorting him to their plane. Ayo turned to look at Phoenix. "You are truly gracious, Horned Beast. And more forgiving than I assumed," she said. "Oh, make no mistake. I could never forgive him for what he did to Bucky. But I understand the why and I hope he finds peace someday," she said.
"Where will you take him?" the chimera then asked. "We'll take him to the Raft. He won't be escaping again," Ayo responded. Phoenix nodded in answer before turning her gaze to the memorial. Bucky was warned to stay away from Wakanda for the time being and he called in a favor before the Dora Milaje departed. Bucky joined her in looking at the memorial. "So you're my knight, huh?" she joked. The White Wolf just chuckled. "He was just being an ass," he said. "Well, he's technically not wrong. But I'm putting the matter to rest by saying I have no claim to any throne in my homeworld. My pair-bond always has and always will rule alone as High King. My mother is a minor Queen and I have the Royal Eyes but we're different species. No chimera will ever claim the throne of her Nation nor do I want it," she said. Bucky just pat her neck. A companionable silence fell between them, both knowing the fight wasn't over. In time, they departed for Louisiana via the Road to reunite with Sam.