Author's Note: new What-If scenario I've had various starts and stops with on the basic premise. This does make mention of Side-Story V but the divergence point is All World ending countless years before it was supposed to. The Triad Events are predicted future events but there's no set timeline to when they occur except that in canon, Phoenix theoretically would've been dead for untold years before they begin. I basically used this as an excuse to write some BuckyxNix romance.
What if: All World ended during Phoenix's lifetime?
New York City
Bucky was sitting on his couch, watching TV, or trying to. He had this very odd feeling all day that something somewhere was happening. His mind went to his chimera friend, Phoenix. He wondered if this odd feeling had something to do with her. It had been close to a year since she had last visited, something they had anticipated. The Road was a finicky dimension that chose whether or not to align their two dimensions. Bucky felt a smile tug at his lips as he thought of the beautiful creature. She had been there for him many times in his life and they had cultivated a strong bond as a result. Indeed, Bucky had come to the conclusion a while back that he was in love with the idea of her. He couldn't imagine a human woman accepting everything about him the way Phoenix had. She herself had also admitted that the small part of her that was human felt something for him in return. Bucky only acted on his feelings once, while he and Phoenix were holed up in a cabin last winter during a short trek along the Appalachian Trail.
His musings were interrupted by that niggling feeling again. This time was even stronger. "Why do I feel something is going really wrong?" the White Wolf mused, getting up to go to his bedroom. He was now sleeping in an actual bed, as opposed to on the floor in his living room. Amazing how things were turning out for the former Winter Soldier. But all that aside, he was feeling uncharacteristically anxious. He had no reason to be. Everything in his life was going fine at the moment. He got into some black sweatpants and a t-shirt before coming back out to his living room. Sitting back down on his couch, the White Wolf tried to focus on the program he was watching but that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was relentless.
Bucky was brought out of his thoughts when he heard several knocks on his door. He recognized that knock. Striding over to the door, he peered out through the peephole. Upon seeing who it was, Bucky unlocked and opened the door to see a disheveled Phoenix in human form. "Nix? What are you doing here?" he asked, looking down both ends of the hall to make sure no one else was around. Phoenix didn't respond but she slowly looked up at him. Bucky's jaw clenched when he saw a look of pure anguish on her face. Her violet eyes were staring past him but were slowly coming into focus on him.
"What happened?" he said in almost a growl. He had never seen her this distressed before. Phoenix raised her hands to take hold of his shirt as she looked up at him, biting her lower lip. "All World...Bucky...he's gone. They're all...gone," was all she got out before she broke down and collapsed at his feet, burying her face in her hands and sobbing. Bucky knelt down and took her by the shoulders. He had no idea what was going on but Phoenix's pain was on a level he never expected something like her to reach. She had been human enough to cry for ages but this...this was pure unadulterated sorrow. "Hey, hey, calm down. What happened?" he asked, easily getting her to her feet. Phoenix just shook her head, unable to speak through her tears. Bucky brought her inside and locked the door. He helped her to the couch and sat with her. He looked her over for any injuries but she looked physically fine.
Yet...something about Phoenix felt different. Bucky couldn't put his finger on why. He looked around his apartment and did a double-take when he saw their shadows being thrown by his lamp. Phoenix's shadow was all wrong. He knew from experience that humanshifters like herself could be outed by their own shadows, which somehow didn't change when they were in human form. Phoenix's shadow matched her current shape. Pure panic seized Bucky's heart as he looked at his companion. "Nix...what the hell happened?" he asked again.
Phoenix struggled to get herself under control to explain herself but she was having a hard time forming the words. She swiped at her eyes, trying to clear them. She was suddenly pinned to the couch on her back, startling her enough to go quiet. She stared up at Bucky who returned the stare with a look that commanded her to take a deep breath and talk to him. Swallowing hard, Phoenix obeyed the unspoken command. "Now, what happened, Nix?" Bucky asked.
"The...the Triad Events…," she stammered as more tears slid down her face. Bucky cocked an eyebrow. "Wait...didn't you say they marked the end of the world?" he asked. Phoenix slowly nodded. She didn't have to say anything more. Everything came together in Bucky's mind and his blood ran cold. "Oh my god...Nix...are you telling me that All World is gone?" he asked. She nodded a second time. Bucky fell back into a seated position while Phoenix slowly sat up and scooted back. The man was looking to the floor before his eyes snapped up to catch hers. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the wall where their shadows were. "Explain," he said, a slight shake to his voice. Phoenix broke eye contact to look at where he was pointing. Her face went white as a sheet and her jaw dropped. Staggering to her feet, she went to the wall and set her hands on it, as if seeking to touch her shadow. She then looked down at her hands.
"Bucky...something's wrong. I can't seem to shift back," she said, her voice rocky as she turned back to face him. The White Wolf saw that her face was getting even whiter and her pupils were wide enough that the violet of her eyes was almost lost. Her breaths started coming in fast and shallow. "Nix!" Bucky almost shouted as she passed out. He managed to catch her before she hit her head on the floor. "Nix? Nix? Come on," he uttered in a low tone, lightly tapping her face. It was no good. She was out for the count. Bucky felt helpless. He looked at Phoenix and brushed some hair aside. He needed answers about why she apparently lost her powers. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Bucky hoisted Phoenix's body into his arms and set her on the couch. He pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed. "Ayo? It's Bucky. I know I don't have the right to ask but I need help," he said.
The following day
Phoenix's eyes fluttered open. A ceiling met her gaze and she felt a plush bed under her. Bucky's scent washed over her and she slowly sat up. She looked around the room but her musings were cut short when the door cracked open. Bucky opened it when he saw her awake. "You okay?" he asked, coming over to sit on the edge. Phoenix was quiet for a moment before the waterworks started again. She hid her face in the comforter while Bucky shifted closer to hold her in his arms. "Hey, it's going to be okay," he said in a low tone. "No, it won't, Bucky! I lost my home and my powers," Phoenix heaved. She pulled back and brought her hands up. "This isn't me. I'm a chimera…," she trailed off. Bucky took her hands. "Look at me," he said. Her violet eyes met his blue-greys. "We're going to figure this out. Listen, I contacted Ayo. She's coming to get us in a few hours. We're going to Wakanda and see if they can help us," he explained.
Phoenix didn't think anyone could help her with this. By this world's reckoning, she and Bucky hadn't seen each other in a year but by All World's...it had been seven long years of endless fighting and destruction. A hand on her face made her meet Bucky's eyes again. "While we wait, can you tell me what happened?" he asked. Much like she had done in the past, Phoenix took his vibranium hand in hers, running her fingers over the smooth metal. For whatever reason, it had been a coping mechanism for her many times in the past. Bucky kept the mechanisms loose so she could bend the fingers. "The thing is...All World runs...or ran...on a different time scale. What was a year here was seven back home. The Triad Events came up suddenly, as was foretold. I went through seven years of hell, Bucky. So much death and destruction. Seiryu and I fought together across the Continent," she began.
Bucky listened quietly as she explained how the Tribulation War, the first Event, raged for those seven years. At the end of those years, the second Event began. The Battle of Armageddon was fought on the field that surrounded the sacred hill Golgotha for a full week. It wasn't until the eleventh hour of the seventh day that Phoenix suddenly found herself being flung out of All World into the Road. The last thing she saw as she was sent to Earth was the sight of her planet going dark and eventually breaking apart. She hadn't realized it until just now that she was the only survivor and witness to the Third Event, the Apocalypse. It was never meant to be witnessed by living eyes. Thanks to the Road existing outside the dimension of Time, she had seen a sped-up version of the planet's last forty days.
"Do you think Seiryu was behind this?" Bucky asked when she went quiet. Phoenix hadn't thought about that. When she found herself on Earth and recognized where she was, her first thought was getting to Bucky. He was her only means of safety in an otherwise hostile world. Closing her eyes and thinking back, she wondered if Seiryu had done or said anything before she found herself adrift on the Road. "Phoenix...my love...I won't let you die here. You have to live. Tell your human friend he is worthy," the memory swirled through her head. She remembered. The two had found themselves back to the Skull with the other four Masters and the last of the mortal survivors. She recalled Seiryu rearing up on his hind legs and his hands coming to grasp her sides. "Forgive me," was the last thing he ever said before Phoenix found herself displaced. "I think...I think he was. I just don't understand why I seem to have lost my abilities," she said, quietly. "That's why we're going to Wakanda. They might have a way to find out," Bucky said.
Silence permeated the room but Bucky had said what he needed to say. Phoenix allowed him to take care of her. He got her some salad from his fridge and let him run a brush through her hair. She broke down here and there as her ongoing crisis kept circling in her mind. Bucky was there, holding her tightly and reminding her she wasn't alone and he would always be there to help her. After a couple of hours, a knock on the door sent Bucky out of the room. Phoenix was propped up against his pillows and she felt anxious with him out of the room. He came in again, Ayo on his heels. "Greetings, Horned Beast. I heard about your situation from James. Wakanda will open its doors to you if you wish for our aid," she greeted. Phoenix felt a couple of tears slide down her face at the name the Wakandans had given her years ago when she went to that country looking for Bucky.
But to her credit, she mutely nodded a greeting. Ayo approached and, to their surprise, brushed some hair from her forehead. "Come," she said. With Bucky's help, Phoenix got out of bed and they left the apartment. They went to the roof where Ayo's transport was. They entered and the Dora Milaje went to sit down in the cockpit. Bucky had Phoenix lie out on the bench, head on his leg. He kept a hand on her temple as she closed her eyes.
A year later
Bucky came into the apartment and smiled when he saw Phoenix sitting at the window. It had been a tumultuous year. The trip to Wakanda yielded few answers but Shuri's tests had yielded some results that confirmed Phoenix's fears. Her genome had no evidence that she possessed animal DNA of any kind. It was as if her DNA had been completely rewritten. She was as fully human as Bucky himself was. The news broke her but over time, she slowly adapted to a life among the species that created her. Her eyes and hair had remained their customary violet and stripes so she still had something from her former life.
Setting the bags down on the table, the White Wolf walked over and knelt down by Phoenix. She slowly looked down at him. Giving her a gentle look, Bucky set a hand on her face. The past year hadn't been kind to her. Shuri had run some other tests and came to the conclusion that the ex-chimera had some PTSD from both the Triad Events and the discovery that she was now permanently human. She was unable to function in human society for that reason. They had come to the conclusion that the destruction of her homeworld had resulted in the loss of her magic and because she had been a humanshifter, her body was able to take on her human form permanently. T'Challa insisted that he financially help Bucky care for Phoenix as she recovered. So a monthly stipend had been in place to take care of her needs. At least she no longer cried. Phoenix had always been strong.
Bucky smiled before heading back to the table to put the groceries away. Phoenix was fully human but her diet remained unchanged. She just had a few more choices in green food now that she was human. "Here, Nix. I got some more supplies for you," he said, bringing some embroidery floss and fabric over. Phoenix had gained an interest in the art not long after she started living with him. She found it calming. Most pieces depicted places and beings in All World but it was more therapeutic than depressing. Keeping their memory alive was part of her healing process. "Thank you," she said, quietly. She started working on a new piece while Bucky finished putting things away. She paused and sighed. "What's up?" came the question. Phoenix looked over at him. "I'm sorry I'm of no real help. I wish I could do something to ease your burden. This wasn't what my life was meant to be," she said.
Bucky felt his heart clench. It had been growing for the past year but he finally admitted to himself that he had fallen in love with her. It wasn't the idea of her anymore. He had felt this way for a while now but never let it show. Phoenix was still grieving the immense losses she had endured and on some level or another, she was a widow. Bucky didn't think it was right to pursue her after all that. Instead, he smiled and walked over to kneel down again. "You're never a burden, Nix. I couldn't just leave you out there to drown. After everything you've been through, I could never blame you for anything. You're not the only one to have suffered this badly. There are a lot of people just like you in the world. Most of them don't have anyone to turn to." he assured her, setting a hand on her own.
Phoenix gave a small smile and leaned her forehead to his. Her heart thumped painfully but it was a good pain. She remembered what Seiryu had said before she was displaced. He said Bucky was worthy. She hadn't known what that meant at first but it hit her just then that Seiryu had given his blessing before he died for her to love another. It was getting harder to ignore how her inert feelings for Bucky had grown into an active force. She could admit to herself that she was in love with him. He had been so kind and good to her in all the time they had known each other. He was patient and caring. Phoenix knew her heart but she didn't know his and wasn't sure how to broach the subject. "Let's go to the park. You need some fresh air," Bucky said.
That night
Phoenix tossed and turned on the couch bed (which she insisted she take back when Bucky bought it). She couldn't take it anymore. She needed to get her feelings out. "Seiryu...please tell me it's okay…," she thought to herself. She sat up and tossed the covers back. She couldn't handle the wall between her and Bucky anymore. She needed to confess. Getting off the couch, Phoenix slowly padded down the hall to Bucky's room. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. Reaching the door, she froze for a moment. Her heart was racing now. Taking a breath to calm herself, Phoenix raised her hand to knock only for the door to open. Bucky stood in front of her, equally as surprised as she was. The city lights from his window made his expression easy to see. The two locked eyes and Phoenix swallowed.
Bucky wasn't sure what possessed him to confess but the moment he opened his door to see Phoenix standing there, he knew. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were on the same page. "Bucky, I…," Phoenix said. "Phoenix, I…," he said at the same time. A surprised silence filled the space. Bucky couldn't stop himself then. Reaching out, he grabbed Phoenix's arm and pulled her towards him. Before she could get a word out, Bucky kissed her hard. She didn't take long to respond, meeting his kiss as hard as he did. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Bucky held her tightly to him while her arms wound around his neck, her knees going weak.
Phoenix felt like she was in the Afterworld. Everything felt right. She had come to terms with the fact that her old life was long over but it had taken her a long time to give herself permission to start over. That it was okay if she did. She wanted to live life again at Bucky's side. She would forever be an outsider to human society because over 150 years of living as a chimera made starting over from scratch difficult, if not impossible. But with him beside her, she could learn from his own experiences. For now, though, she just wanted to shower this man with her love and affection, praying he felt the same as he implied.
Bucky's thoughts were on the fact this wasn't a dream. Phoenix had come to him when he decided to go to her. The fact she dove right into answering his kiss made him hope against hope they were on the same page. Bucky straightened up, not breaking the kiss. Phoenix jumped to wrap her legs around his waist and he went with his next thought. Turning around after shutting the door, the two ended up on the bed. Bucky's tongue dove into Phoenix's mouth and she sighed. He rested his full weight on her, his vibranium hand running through her hair. Her fingers left trails of fire on his bare back while her legs dropped from his waist to hook his own. He rolled his hips experimentally but didn't go any further when he felt her stiffen. He took it as a sign she wasn't ready for that and he conceded that it might not be something she'd consider. Phoenix was sterile, so that wasn't the reason she rejected the idea. If anything, her transformation probably left some instincts tattered. So instead, Bucky pumped the breaks a bit and kept showing his love in other ways.
Phoenix felt Bucky break the kiss and started breathing heavily. Her breath then hitched when he went for her neck, peppering it with kisses. She held onto him tightly, her nerves on fire. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Not since the last time she and Seiryu had been together. Bucky was different. Everything he did showed how human he was. Seiryu's courtship had always been in the way of the dragons and it was as special as he had been. Deep down, Phoenix could almost hear the High King's spirit telling her well done and that it was okay for her to live life again with someone else. The fact she felt no guilt at all was proof. Seiryu wouldn't have wanted her to waste what remained of her time away wishing for a life that was now gone forever. She was alive, she had a new home, and she had Bucky there to help her. Phoenix didn't know what she would've done without him.
Bucky knew nothing of her thoughts. He sat on his knees, pulling Phoenix up with him. With a small smirk to himself, he bit the juncture of her neck hard. He could hear her gasp in surprise before she clung to him, her nails dragging along his back. A small part of the White Wolf did it to spite a dead dragon but only a small part. After all, Bucky owed Seiryu more than he knew. He wanted Phoenix to get the picture that she was his girl now. He never thought in a million years that she'd ever cease being the chimera who found him in the ravine so many years ago. He never imagined that things would turn out the way they did and he never expected falling in love with her. Once he made his point, Bucky let go and pulled back, supporting Phoenix as she tried to catch her breath.
"You okay?" she heard him ask. Phoenix nodded, acutely aware of his presence and his scent washed over her senses. He smelled like sandalwood and the sea. "Whoa…," she sighed before bringing her head down to Bucky's shoulder. He held her gently, shifting so he sat crosslegged with her in his lap. He ran his hand up and down her back, laying gossamer kisses on her shoulder and neck. "I don't want to get my hopes up but...are we on the same page? This wasn't just a moment of weakness for both of us?" he asked. The implications of his words almost broke her heart but Phoenix kept it together. She didn't want this to stop. Phoenix mustered enough strength to sit back and look at him. The lights from outside fell across his face, lighting up his eyes while keeping the rest in shadow. "You should know me by now, Bucky. I never do meaningless things," she said.
Bucky's heart started to pound. "You mean…?" he trailed off. Phoenix nodded, taking his face in her hands. "My old life is over and I will never get that time back. I know now what Seiryu meant when he said you were worthy. He and I were in love but our very different realities formed a unique barrier. He was beyond anyone but the other Masters and the Weaver Himself. I know deep down he cast me out of All World before it died so I could have a second chance...with a man who is very much like me in circumstances and life experiences. We are, both of us, creations of Man. I was created just to see if the experiment would work. You were created to be the ultimate assassin HYDRA could use. We're both old, we both carry trauma few others could ever understand," she explained.
Taking his vibranium hand. Phoenix ran her fingers over the smooth metal. "I don't want tonight to be the end, Bucky. If you'll have me...I would want nothing more than to be your best girl. I can't function in human society. I've lived too long as a chimera and suffered too greatly from the Triad Events for that to ever happen. But I can make myself useful somehow. Just...I don't want to be alone," she said.
Bucky reached up with his flesh hand to stroke her face, surprised when he felt tears. He had no idea when she started shedding them. Her voice had been so steady. He swallowed her coming words with a kiss. "I love you, Phoenix," he confessed. Phoenix gave a choked laugh as her face lit up. "I love you, too, James Buchanan Barnes," she said before kissing him. They slow-kissed for a moment before breaking. Phoenix set a hand on his left pectoral where flesh met metal. "Bucky?" she ventured. "Yeah, doll," he responded. "Listen. I'm fully human now but a part of me will always be that chimera you once knew. There are...certain things and actions I can never partake in for that reason. I need to know right now if that's going to be a problem," she said. To make her point plainer, Phoenix dropped her hands to his hips.
Bucky just smiled, taking her hands and bringing them up to kiss them. "I will never do or ask anything of you that makes you uncomfortable. I've lived without that for a long time. I don't particularly mind or care if we never go there. I just want you with me, Nix," he said. "Are you sure?" Phoenix asked. "I'm sure. I have no desire to lie to you. We can build a life together on the foundation we've had for the past few decades. I want to learn everything about you and I want you to learn everything about me," he assured her. Brushing some multicolored strands away, Bucky gave her a kiss before pulling back. "Let's get some sleep, Nix. We'll talk more tomorrow," he said. Phoenix nodded and shifted off his lap. She was just about to get off the bed when Bucky's hand closed on her arm. "If you don't mind, sweetheart, I'd rather not sleep alone. Stay," he said.
Phoenix's face felt warm but she nodded mutely. Bucky shifted over to one side of the bed and she got in. She settled into Bucky's arms and took a deep breath. "We good?" he asked. "We're good. I just...didn't expect this to feel so...right," she admitted. "Same here. You and me, Nix, we're going to make Seiryu proud. I know he's watching from the Afterworld you've told me about and I know this was what he would've wanted for you," the White Wolf said. Phoenix smiled and silence fell, except for a small thank you. Her eyes slowly closed, listening to Bucky's heartbeat. What a difference there was between his and Seiryu's. The High King's heart had beat so laboriously from his six millennia of life, it always seemed to be on the constant brink of failing every day. Bucky's, on the other hand, gave no such sign to his own extended life. She no longer feared the future as much as she did a year ago. Bucky had a way of making her strong. Wrapping an arm around his waist and feeling his vibranium arm come down around her shoulders, Phoenix slowly fell asleep.
Bucky watched as she dropped off and once again marveled at how he got so lucky. Phoenix was truly the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out. She would forever struggle with survivor's guilt and PTSD from having her old life taken from her so utterly. But she was willing to trust him with both her life and her heart. That meant something to the White Wolf who sometimes didn't trust himself because of his past as the Winter Soldier. The fact that Seiryu, a dragon he had never once met face to face, entrusted Phoenix to his care did wonders to Bucky's self-esteem.
It was as Phoenix said. The two of them had such similar life experiences, they completed each other on a more intimate scale than normal people did. Sure, Bucky planted one hell of a love bite on Phoenix's neck earlier to spite Seiryu but deep down, he wouldn't be surprised to learn that was how dragons had operated. Their culture was mysterious to him so all he had were guesses. Either way, Phoenix was his and he was hers. They had the rest of their lives to learn and grow together. For now, he contented himself with falling asleep with Phoenix tucked into his side. Perhaps in the future and the stars aligned, he would ask her to marry him.