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bvckybanres · 2 years

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no one told me - bucky x darcy

part one: pay attention in american history

Disclaimer: gifs not mine

All Darcy Lewis had wanted was to just get her six credit points and finally graduate with her Political Science major.

No one had told her she'd somehow end up in New Mexico following around an astrophysicist who didn't give a fuck that the rest of the world thought she was nuts, and that she'd taze the Norse God of Thunder as a result. No one had told her she'd promptly be named his 'Lightning Sister', or that her iPod would be stolen by The iPod Thief and his Robin Hood friend. Most of all, no one had told her that she'd move to New York and meet Tony Stark and his Merry Group of Friends (read: The Avengers).

Maybe if someone had told her, she wouldn't have said yes to the internship, dropped out of her useless degree and become a PA instead. Maybe she wouldn't have been running around Stark Tower playing Nerf Tag with Hawkeye. Maybe she'd have actually googled who Bucky Barnes was - maybe.

But no one had told her. And now here she was. Pushed up against a wall after shooting The Winter Soldier with a foam dart. God dammit.

The one where Darcy meets The Winter Soldier and finds out that Bucky Barnes isn't a puppy.

The Winter Soldier they called him, not that Darcy had any idea who that was until she’d googled him - which, ok, after reading about him she really should have already known since Steve never really stopped yapping on about him. Though, in her defence, he never specifically called him The Winter Soldier. It was always ‘Bucky this’ and ‘Bucky that’ and Darcy was confident enough in herself to admit that for the longest time she’d thought he was talking about a puppy he’d had back in the 40s and decided a pet dog wasn’t worth looking into.

She might have, eventually. If she finally managed to bring herself to listen to some of the stories Steve would blab on about and realise that Bucky wasn’t a puppy but a person.

(She really should have paid more attention to her American History professor in high school.)

But then she’d gone and started some nerf war with Barton before she had the chance to rub some brain cells together. And she knew it was dumb and stupid and that she was going to lose since he was the greatest marksman in the world, but Darcy was nothing if not determined. So by the time she finally realised that Bucky was a person and that he was Steve’s best friend from ‘back in the days’, well, it was too late for google to save her because she’d just accidentally shot him with a nerf gun... and then proceeded to make matters worse by running straight into him - because apparently Darcy was trying to claim the title of Dumbest Smart Person In The World.

“Shit,” she curses, right before she’s shoved up against the wall, a firm forearm resting against her throat for a solid thirty seconds before Steve and Sam manage to pull him away from her. She rubs at her neck, more out of instinct than pain. He hadn’t really been hurting her, not yet anyway. “Who’s the homeless guy?” she asks, tilting her head and focusing her gaze on Steve for an answer. He shoots her a pained look that tells her she should apparently already know this.

“Seriously?” Sam raises an eyebrow, more exasperated than Darcy has ever seen him - which is impressive, the guy always looked exasperated.

“What?” she demands, hands on her hips in the way Tasha had taught her. She doesn’t think it gives off the same power as Black Widow, no matter how much she wills it to.

They couldn't seriously expect her to know what everyone who came and went around here looked like. Although, she sneaks another glance at the homeless person, the long unkempt hair and dangerously attractive scowl on his face really shouldn't have been something she'd forget - if she'd seen him before, which she doesn't think she has. “Correction: who’s the hot homeless person?” she grins as Steve’s frown deepens.

“This is Bucky," he sighs.

This time it was Darcy’s turn to frown, hands dropping from her hips. “Wait, Bucky’s a person?” is the first thing that comes past her lips before she could bite back the question.

Steve’s pained expression only seems to worsen at that and the homeless person - Bucky, she corrects herself - twitches a little like he was suddenly interested in the conversation. Which is sort of a relief since Darcy was starting to think that maybe something was wrong with him because of how still he was standing. “What do you mean?” Steve asks in that ‘Captain America Is Disappointed In You’ voice he only ever uses on her.

Except, as her eyes slant back to Bucky and the way he bristles a little, before the barely discernible parts of his face turn down into a frown, she thinks maybe she’s not the only one who’s been on the end of that voice before.

“I just…” she trails off, glancing back at Steve. “I thought Bucky was your puppy,” she explains. “You know, back in the forties,” she waves her hand around, as though that would explain everything.

“A puppy that took girls to dance’s with me?” he quirks a brow, a little bit of amusement filtering into his expression.

“Hey, I don’t judge. I just assumed that was how you met girls,” she shrugs.

“I told you about how I went to live with him,” he says, growing more and more agitated.

“You can’t expect me to listen to everything you say, do you?” she tries to defend herself.

“You made me talk to you when you first got here. Went on a whole spiel about how it was basically your job,” Steve emphasises.

“Well, you talk a lot,” she could have sworn she heard a small snort pass through Bucky’s lips at that. “And I’m always just off Jane or Science Bender hours when you drone on about the good old days,” she glances over at Bucky’s left arm as she says this, wondering how exactly it works. The inner mechanic that used to help her dad put cars - and just about everything else - together itches to pull it apart.

Steve wants to say something else, she knows he does with the way he purses his lips and glances towards Bucky before letting out a sigh. “I expect this kind of behaviour from Barton,” he says instead, his Captain America voice back again. “But you? Really? You're meant to be a scientist. You're meant to be smarter about these things,” his eyes flicker towards Bucky again and Darcy knows Bucky sees it with the way his body tenses up while Steve rubs tiredly at his face.

She tries to feel sorry for him, and she manages it for a couple of seconds, she really does. But then she remembers the envelope filled with glitter he’d sent her last week and instead all she does is shrug, “it’s my day off.”

“Come on, Rogers,” Sam tugs at his arm before he can say anything else, nudging him in the direction where all the science labs were kept.

“Where are you guys heading?” she asks, frowning a little.

“To get Bucky settled,” Steve replies evasively, which only serves to annoy Darcy.

“Where?” but no response comes, and instead she finds them all resolutely avoiding her gaze. “Fine, don't tell me. I'll find out eventually,” she promises. “Not even Tony can hide things from me.”

Sam snorts in agreement before they tuck tail and continue on down the hall. She considers following after them but she knows she wouldn't get very far. Even if Steve wasn't a super soldier and Sam wasn't a stealthy war vet, Darcy wasn't really a quiet person so to speak.

She's completely forgotten about Barton at this stage, which is why when he jumps down from the rafters above her and shoots her with a foam dart she screams out loud and jumps a little too high. “Dammit, Clint,” she glares at him.

“I win,” he grins with a shrug. “Wanna make a bet about how long it'll take for The Winter Soldier to come out and play?”

“No,” Darcy scowls at him. “That's mean and Steve will kill us when he finds out, because he will find out. Go bug Tony about it,” she pauses. “If he hasn't already started his own wager, that is,” she corrects herself.

Barton’s off within a couple of seconds, demanding JARVIS tell him where exactly Tony was (‘working on the Iron Man suit in his lab, sir’). She rolls her eyes, heading towards her own room in the Tower to do some much needed - and arguably far too late - googling.

The Winter Soldier. Darcy hadn’t understood the name at first - but then again, she’d thought he was a homeless person when she’d first seen him - so that wasn’t really saying much.

Scrolling through google - and little bits of information that she’d hacked her way into - however, was giving her a better idea on the whole matter.

She knows the name was developed partly because he’d fallen off a train in the mountains of Russia into never ending snow, and partly because he’d been frozen in ice on and off for seventy-five years, but Darcy sees it differently.

She keeps finding her eyes trailing off towards his metal arm in the videos and pictures - of which there are thousands - on the internet and she can’t stop the fascination building within her.

He’s definitely The Winter Soldier, she thinks to herself, watching as he brings his arm up and blocks a barrage of bullets that were heading his way. Though her attention isn’t on the bullets bouncing away from him, but on the way the sun hits the metal, spots of white glittering a little as though they were snowflakes. And Darcy thinks she can another reason why he’s known as The Winter Soldier, what with his long hair and metal arm and eyes as empty and cold as a city street in the middle of a snowstorm.

He also kinda reminds her of Snow White - except she doesn’t think true loves kiss will fix him this time. Although? Steve did talk about Bucky quite a bit and he was very secretive about how he’d talked Bucky into coming back - she’d hacked into the communication server and read back through the coms between him and Sam - and he never did go on any real dates...she snorted a little at the idea, she’d caught him staring at her chest more than a couple of times.

Still, it’ll be fun to tease him.

She turns back to the information pileup in front of her and presses play on the next video she’d come across. It was one of him on the bridge and she thinks that maybe she sees a second of recognition flicker in his eyes when he looks at Steve, and he’s suddenly not as cold as he was before. And if she hadn’t been interested in Bucky Barnes before, she certainly was now.

She doesn’t know how long she spent combing her way through various videos of Bucky - it seemed the internet was littered with them if you knew what to search (or hack, in her case), from scenes of him fighting a bunch of Hydra agents, to innocent shots of him picking out some plums from a street corner fruit stall. But she knows it’s been awhile when JARVIS interrupts her long overdue research to call her into a meeting.

Darcy knows it’s about Bucky because she’s usually never invited to these sorts of things - what with not being a super person - unless there’s some sort of huge change that will affect everyone in the building. That includes her now since Tony had basically insisted she move in after the whole Ultron Ultimatum. And the Mexican Mess. And the Dark Elves Fiasco. And The New York Meltdown... basically just after a lot of Bad Shit… and she’d eventually caved. Free rent? Yes please.

But right now, the only significant change she could think of was that Steve’s best friend who’d died back in the forties, hadn’t actually died and was in fact back after being brainwashed into trying to kill him (and anyone who got in the way).

He’s probably suffering from some major PTSD, Darcy thinks to herself as she waits for the lift to take her down to the meeting room.

She wonders briefly if Bucky will be there when she arrives, but she immediately snorts at the idea. If there's one thing she knows about Steve it's that he's very particular about how things are done, and she has this strange sensation that he's not really ready to share Bucky with anyone yet.

Darcy doesn't really blame him. She doesn't know what she'd do if she'd been separated from Janie for seventy five years and then found out she was alive but tortured the entire time.

And she's only really known her for a couple of years now - ever since Thor decided he'd drop down to earth...with his brother causing major havoc that she’d somehow ended up in the middle of. (All she’d wanted was to get those damn science credits and maybe visit New Mexico, but noooo - at least she’d met Janie).

She can already hear everyone arguing when she's halfway down the hall, and rolls her eyes. She assumes from the random exclamations and angry huffing that not everyone had taken the news of Bucky’s arrival well.

She pauses before the door wondering whether she should knock or just enter when it's swung open for her. Darcy’s eyes widen in surprise and she's almost run over by a worried Clint - which is not a good sign, she decides.

“Oh, good,” he says. “I was just about to come looking for you,” he tries to force a smile as he moves aside to let her in.

“That bad?” Darcy raises a brow as she follows him into the room.

“You've no idea,” he lets out a breath, dropping down into a seat and pulling her down into the one beside him. “I almost want to turn my hearing aids off so I don’t have to deal with Mum and Dad fighting,” he tells her referring to Steve and Tony.

Tony is sitting towards her right and with one glance at him she knows that he's not happy.

“Uh,” she looks over at Steve. “Is everything alright?” she asks nervously.

“No,” Tony cuts her a side glance, eyes all fire. But, because she's spent so much time with him ever since he’d forced her to move into the tower, she was able to see the panic and pain behind his eyes. She looks away from him and over to Steve who seems to be having the same reaction.

Darcy lets out a sigh, the only conclusion she can come to is that Tony is Not Happy about Bucky. “What's wrong?” she asks in her best Talk To Me Like Adults Or Else voice. So much for a day off.

“He can't stay here,” is all Tony will say.

“Where else is he meant to go?” Steve demands back fiercely, and from everyone else's reactions she knows this isn't the first time they've had this conversation today.

Clint drops his head onto the table while Sam pulls out his phone - probably trying to look up some of the notes he's been given on how to deal with stubborn war vets, and Natasha just stares neutrally between the two, leaving Darcy to try and diffuse the situation. It was probably why she'd been called in the first place, now that she thinks about it.

As unqualified as she was, somehow everyone seemed to listen to her. They’d all started gravitating around her within weeks of her arrival, and somehow she’d become the official unofficial fixer of all things Avengers.

She wishes Jane and Thor were here instead of doing who knows what on Asgard, they’d at least be able to help her. Or Wanda and Vision, though she guesses that teaching Wanda to control her powers would be more important than sorting out an argument between two friends. Bruce was who knows where, but she thinks that’s probably for the best given the situation, and everyone else had day jobs they had to be at - or school in Peter’s case.

“He should be in prison,” Tony hisses angrily, bringing her attention back to the problem at hand. “After everything he’s-”

“It wasn't him!” Steve slams his hands on the table, making her jump. She doesn't think she's ever seen him so worked up before.

“Alright, can we start from the beginning?” she asks as calmly as she can, there were parts of the story she was missing, she was sure of it.

The two men turn to look at her simultaneously and it kind of scares her how similar they are to one another.

“He killed my parents,” Tony says in explanation, the fight suddenly disappearing from his body as his shoulders slump and the angry mask on his face gives way to torment. She notices Steve flinch in response from the corner of her eyes. “I didn't even get to say goodbye,” Tony murmurs just loud enough for her to hear.

Well.

She hadn’t been expecting that. Maybe she should have dug a little deeper in her hacking - uh, googling - earlier.

“And you blame Bucky?” she asks carefully, looking for confirmation that that was what they were speaking about.

“He killed them,” Tony nods, while Steve sits in silence, biting his lip to keep from saying anything he might regret.

“Bucky killed them or The Winter Soldier did?” she asks, wording her question purposefully. She’d spent enough time with a shrink after Mexico and the Dark Elves, and everything in between, to have picked up a few tricks.

“Does it matter?” Tony shot back sharply. “They’re the same person.”

“Are they though?” Darcy asks softly. “He wasn’t in control of himself at the time. According to all the files online, he was being used, tortured into complying.”

“But it doesn’t make it ok,” Tony insists.

Darcy nods back in agreement. “No, it doesn’t,” she pauses, glancing around the room in contemplation and wondering if she would be overstepping with her next statement. But she ploughs through anyway.

“Technically you’ve all done things that aren’t ‘okay’. You and Bruce accidentally made a robot that went all murder-y,” she says to Tony. “You broke about a hundred different laws and put people in danger while trying to protect them,” she says to Steve. “The two of you are super assassins and I think that speaks for itself,” she nods to Clint and Tasha. “Bruce turns into the fucking Hulk when he’s angry and practically tore apart a country the last time you took him out. My point is,” she says. “You’ve all done some pretty stupid shit and gotten a lot of people hurt as a result - there’s no sugar coating that, or pretending it didn’t happen. It’s a fact and there’s hundreds of videos online of you guys almost destroying the world while trying to save it.”

“But -”

“And I get it,” she ignores Clint’s attempt of interrupting. “They were your parents and it still hurts, but Tony, you can’t blame Bucky for it. You can’t say he deserves to be locked up for following orders after having his goddamn brain thrown in the blender for seventy five years. I get it when you say you don’t want him here, I do, but where else is he supposed to go?”

“We should also consider what will happen if we set him loose. The world is filled with easy triggers,” Natasha adds - whether helpfully or unhelpfully Darcy wasn’t too sure, but she ran with it anyway.

“If he’s here at least you lot can keep an eye on him and keep him in check, but out there...well,” she shrugs. “Don’t you want a clear conscious?” She asks them all sweetly.

“My conscious is never clear,” Tony mutters, though Darcy can see the iciness in his posture melting away as he took her words in.

“No one’s ever is,” she shrugs, squeezing his leg under the table as a show of solidarity. She makes a mental note to bully him into seeing a shrink again later.

“He stays locked up,” Tony gives in. “And he’s not to be let out until a full evaluation is completed and we’re all completely sure that he’s no longer A Murderbot. Or until I say so,” he shrugs and Darcy knows that that’s the best possible outcome they were going to get.

“Where are you going to keep him?” she asks a little too casually.

“Nice try, Darce,” Steve cracks a little smile. “But that’s classified.”

“Sorry, Shortcake,” Tony agrees, shooting Steve a quick but unmistakable nod - she watches as Steve’s shoulders relax that little bit more. “Need to know only. It’s for your own safety.”

“Boo,” she pouts, crossing her arms across her chest and watching as every male’s eyes flick down quickly before shooting back up to her face again. Including Steve’s. She smirks to herself, yeah, probably no True Love’s Kiss for Bucky. “I’ll find out the hard way, I guess.”

Sam snorts from across the table. “Don’t think any of us are doubting that, Darcy.”

“Wanna start a pool on how long it’ll take me?” She grins wickedly, wagging her eyebrows suggestively.

“I’m not a betting man, but if I were, it wouldn’t be against you,” Sam quips back with his own grin.

“I can't wait to meet him, I have loads of questions for him when he’s no longer all hobo-like and his brain is less mush-like,” she claps her hands together excitedly. “Do you think it’ll be long?”

“I’m not sure I want you spending time with him,” Steve mutters.

“Why? I’ll be perfectly safe, you guys are the Avengers!”

Steve only frowns back at her. “Believe it or not I’m more worried about him than I am you?” he poses it as a question, probably trying not to offend her. But it only serves to make Darcy preen at the not really a compliment-compliment.

“Oh, we believe it,” Tony snorts, but his words aren’t spoken maliciously and he continues it with, “I’m still not convinced there was only friendship between the two of you.”

“That’s what I said!” Darcy nods furiously.

“JARVIS look into that for me.”

“Right away, sir,” JARVIS responds robotically.

It's Monday afternoon when Darcy finally decides to visit Bucky.

She’d hacked into the SI database the day after Bucky had arrived and found out immediately where he was staying. And ever since she's been telling herself that he needed time to adjust before she sprung herself on him, but that was only half of the reason why she’s waited two days to see him.

After the meeting they'd had on Friday, Steve had basically cornered her on her way to the lab to explain a few things - ‘since you thought Bucky was a puppy this entire time,’ he’d said, disbelieving expression still all over his face. And really, Darcy has felt a small bubble of anxiety growing in her chest ever since.

It isn't that she’s scared of Bucky or worried about her own safety - Darcy doesn't seem to have much of a fight or flight reflex, which is somewhat worrying.

She’s anxious because, well, she’s a mother hen and she really wants to help him but she's not too sure how successful she's going to be. And after everything Steve had explained to her, she doesn't want to make things any worse.

But, she knows that at this point she has no real impulse control and it was really only a matter of time before she snuck into the cordoned off area of Stark Tower.

Besides, she’s an all or nothing kind of girl and she’s already decided that Bucky will be one of Her People, and something tells her that he probably wouldn't appreciate people coddling him - or, this Bucky wouldn't. She's not too sure how 1940s Bucky would've felt about it, but from what Steve has told her, she thinks maybe he'd have savoured the attention.

She wonders if she could hack her way into slipping her name into the database to allow her access through her Stark Industries ID card but thinks this might be a good time to try some of the tricks Clint had been teaching her.

She regretted it almost instantly.

Crawling through vents was not as fun as Clint made it out to be and Darcy instantly decides that she’s never doing this again; not willingly anyway. At least she had the foresight to wear leggings instead of a skirt.

She doesn’t have to crawl very far - thank god - but it takes her longer than she’d like to pull aside one of the panels and slip out of the way too tight space. She doesn’t know how Clint does this every day.

By the time she manages to find her feet back on solid ground, Bucky is already watching her closely.

She blinks back at him owlishly before slipping her eyes off him and looking around the space that seems way too small for someone his size - which is ironic considering the cage was built to hold the Hulk.

She frowns at the lack of space and furniture.

She’d wondered what kind of changes Tony had made to the place to make it more livable, but she frowns at how little work has actually been done.

She can see there's a bed and a bathroom and a tiny desk in the corner, but she thinks there should probably be more for it to be less prison-like and more comfortable.

“Miss Lewis, you don’t have access to this area,” JARVIS spoke, startling her from her musings.

“Keep this between us please, JARVIS?” she shoots the computer a sweet smile, fluttering her eyelashes up at him. She’s not too sure how intelligent Tony has made his toys, but she’s found that JARVIS likes her well enough to keep her secrets most of the time - even when he sometimes didn’t approve.

“Mr Stark thought you’d try and sneak down here, so he’s has some safety protocols in place,” JARVIS warns her and before she can do anything a bunch of self manned Iron Man suits fly up and situate themselves in every corner of the room.

“Honestly, Tony,” she mutters, eyeing the red and gold suits in exasperation.

“They’re for your own protection, Miss,” JARVIS replies, making her jump. She forgets sometimes that JARVIS is everywhere and she really hates it when the computer replies to her when she wasn’t look for a response.

“Of course they are,” Darcy rolls her eyes. “Even if they aren’t necessary,” she mumbles under her breath, hoping JARVIS wouldn’t pick up on it; or respond when he inevitably did.

Darcy makes her way over to the smaller room within the room - she refuses to call it the Hulk Cage now that someone is actually living in it - and pauses in front of it. One of the walls is completely glass, allowing her to see directly into the room, and for Bucky to see directly out of it.

When she glances back inside she notices that he’s still staring at her - and hadn’t moved at all from where he’d been standing when she’d entered the room. And if he’s anything like Steve, then he’s probably heard every word she’s said and every step she’s taken with his freakishly good hearing.

She wonders briefly if all his senses have been heightened - wonders if Steve’s have been as well, and makes a mental reminder to ask him. She considers asking Bucky but doesn’t think that’s the best first impression she can make - or second impression really.

She supposes as far as first impressions go, neither one of them has gotten off to a good start. He did try to strangle her after all, and she did shoot him with a nerf gun.

She doesn’t realise she’s staring at him in complete silence until he shifts a little under her gaze, shaking her out of her musings. She’s ready to say something when he speaks first.

“Steve says I need to apologise,” he speaks slowly, his voice gruff, as if he’s not quite sure of his words. “For trying to kill you,” he correctly guesses from the confusion on Darcy’s face.

“Oh,” she says, eyes widening. This certainly hadn’t been what she was expecting. “It was more my fault,” she waves him off and Bucky doesn’t look like he was going argue with her, like he thinks it was her fault too.

And, ok, yeah maybe he had a point.

Darcy’s lips twitch as she tries not to smile. Bucky didn’t miss the reaction, his eyes flicking down to her mouth and back up again suspiciously. “I always thought you were a puppy,” she blurts, all of her professionalism flying out the window. She knows Tony and Steve and everyone else will probably watch this at some point and she subconsciously glares at Bucky as she imagines them laughing at her.

“Are you disappointed that I’m not a puppy?” Bucky asks, sounding a little confused. As though it has been a while since he’s spoken so many words all at once, like he wasn’t sure of what he was saying or whether he should be saying anything at all.

“What? Oh, sorry,” she apologises quickly, realising she’d been basically trying to burn a hole through him. “I was thinking about something else,” she admits. “I’m not much of a dog person anyway,” she waves him off, taking a couple of steps forward before pausing.

She pulls a bag of candy from under her sweater and pulled it open. “I’m glad I didn’t lose this in the vents,” she points above at the roof. “Would you like some? I googled you, and wikipedia said you had - have? - a sweet tooth,” she babbles.

Bucky doesn’t respond. Not that she minds, Darcy can talk enough for the both of them.

“Is there anything you wanna try? I can probably sneak you some snacks before Tony and Steve figure out I’ve found out where they’re keeping you.”

Bucky simply blinks back at her.

Darcy remains unphased.

“How long do you think they’re going to make you live in there?” she asks, eyes lighting up when he merely shrugs at her. She hadn’t been expecting much of a response.

“Sounds shit,” she furrows her brow. “I’ll bring you some pillows, and maybe some books. Ohhh, I bet I can sneak in a StarkPad,” she continues, not really paying much attention to Bucky anymore as she planned. “Tony might take it away when he finds out you have one though, which will totally suck, dude, those things are great. But I’m still gonna bring you some stuff to make this place less sad. Maybe even a shaving kit so you’re less hobo-like. That way people won’t think you’re a homeless person who broke in when they come to visit you.”

“Mr. Stark won’t be very happy with you if you come back, Miss Lewis,” JARVIS interrupts before Bucky even has a chance to react. “Neither will Captain Rogers. They have asked you to stay away,” JARVIS reminds her, voice reprimanding - for a robot anyway.

“Well you can tell Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark that they can shove-”

She’s cut off by an alarm sounding loudly around the room. The sudden sound had caused her to jump in surprise and Bucky had leapt forwards, hands poised to attempt to break through the glass in an effort to do what, she wasn’t sure. Maybe to escape.

“Fucking dammit,” Darcy curses, hand held up to her chest as she glares up into free space. “Not again. JARVIS do I have to go to a panic room?” she quizzes, wondering what was going on outside this time.

“No Miss Lewis, you should be fine in here,” came the robotic voice.

“Thanks, J-Man,” she blows him a kiss and then turns back to Bucky. “Can you believe the nerve of these guys?” she snorts rhetorically, rolling her eyes at Bucky who simply stares back at her uncomprehendingly. “There’s an attack on the building at least once a month. And each time the bad guys just get dumber and dumber.” Darcy clears her throat. “So anyway, since we didn’t really get off to the best of starts. My name’s Darcy, I’m the unofficial Ruler Of The Labs and Secret Scientist Herder.”

Bucky doesn’t respond.

“But between you and me,” she lowers her voice even though she knows there’s no one around to really hear her. “Tony pays me the big bucks to basically just feed and water Janie, Bruce and himself. Sometimes though, when I’m bored and The Heroes are desperate, Tony lets me hack into government agencies to stop the world from ending. I mean, you should have seen what the last alien invasion did to New York. The black suits were ready to level the city, sent a missile and everything. Honestly,” she shakes her head. “Men and their toys.”

She continues to babble on, munching on the bag of candy in her hand. “Are you sure you don’t want any?” she offers Bucky again.

He still doesn’t say anything.

Darcy sits down on the floor in front of Bucky’s glass wall and continues to chatter away, not really caring that he wasn’t saying anything at all, she could talk enough for the both of them.

Hello, I started writing this yeaaaaars ago and have ~4 parts typed and ready to go. I plan on writing maybe another 2 parts to wrap it up nicely with a little bowtie on top. I’ve prev posted it on AO3 so you might have come across it on there at some point as well.

ANyway, I would love to hear your thoughts if you’re interested in sharing them thank you

#bucky x darcy #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x darcy lewis #bucky barnes imagine #mcu imagine #mcu fic #MCU #james bucky barnes #james bucky barnes x darcy lewis #writing #My writing

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sycamorelibrary754 · 2 months

Text

Guardian Angel

Chapter 9: When in Rome

Summary: I have no idea how to summarize this chapter besides saying buckle up. 🫣

Warnings: Danger, angst, claustrophobia.

Word Count: 6.3k

A/N: My apologies for how long it took to get this chapter posted. I wanted to take my time on it because it’s essential to the rest of the story. I hope you enjoy it!

Guardian Angel Masterlist

You walked into your room, anxiously shutting the door behind you. Your mind races as you pace back and forth. Running your fingers through your hair, you struggle to comprehend why Onyx Petroleum would be interested in Sokovian land. Your mental spiral is interrupted by a knock on your door, followed by Tony's voice asking if you're okay. You open the door, and the billionaire walks in, quickly shutting the door behind him.

"I can't believe I didn't clock it before," Tony said, holding up the newspaper. "Those con artists from Onyx Petroleum are your parents - sorry."

You force a smile and respond, "It's okay. They deserve the title, trust me."

"I know firsthand," Tony muttered.

“You know my parents?”

“Your father was a regular visitor of the Stark Expo in the old days.” You're taken aback, wondering how you never knew that. “Dear old dad rarely spoke to me growing up, but I remember he once said that Y/F/N Y/L/N was the only person who made him believe that humanity was doomed to extinction.”

“Sounds about right,” you said.

“Oh, and then," he recounted, "A few years ago at a September Foundation grant presentation at Cal Tech. Your mother, as usual, was doing her thing - schmoozing with everyone. She cornered Pepper and started rambling about how a partnership between Onyx Petroleum and Stark Industries could transform the global oil exploration and production industry. Pepper kindly reminded her that Stark Industries no longer partners with companies or individuals that harm the environment or the population. So your mother called Pepper a fraud and threw her drink in her face! Can you believe that?"

You sigh as you sit down on the edge of the bed, “Unfortunately, yes.”

"Any idea what this is about?" Tony asked, holding up the paper again.

You shake your head, saying, "No clue. They've never shown any interest in foreign oil.”

"Do you have access to anything that would give us insights into their business dealings?" Tony inquired.

You shake your head again, feeling helpless. "Not anymore. My parents removed me from all of their bank accounts and company mainframes when they kicked me out," you say with a huff, throwing yourself back onto the bed. “I don’t get it. Sokovia was destroyed. What’s left for them to find.”

“Vibranium.”

“What?” You said as you sat up. “That doesn't make sense. Sokovia was a war zone.”

“What do you think they were fighting over?” the billionaire asked rhetorically.

“How do you know this, Tony?”

“After Ultron's attack on Sokovia and the subsequent sinking of Navi Grad, FRIDAY performed an extensive deep-sea mapping of the ocean—every square centimeter. Seven hundred thousand images were captured at a depth of almost 4,000 meters,” Tony explained, tapping the screen on his watch. “The mapping exercise was aimed at locating the submerged remnants of the destroyed city and ensuring the safety of any underwater vehicles or divers exploring the area. Doing so would provide insights into the underwater topography of the region and assist in the reconstruction efforts.”

You rise to your feet as a hologram of the 3D map materializes before your eyes.

“Instead, FRIDAY found something else,” Tony explained, shifting pieces back and forth through the air. “Outside of Wakanda, Sokovia has the largest natural vein of Vibranium anywhere in the world, but no one has been able to mine it yet because…,” zooming in on the composite. “It’s underwater.”

You studied the 3D image carefully, trying to comprehend how Onyx Petroleum would go about mining the most potent substance on Earth.

“This much Vibranium in anyone’s hands is frightening,” Tony said. “In the hands of a company notorious for unethical business practices, it’s perilous.”

“Does Wanda know?” Your mind was racing with concern for your girlfriend.

“No, and I don’t think we should tell her,” closing the hologram.

“What? Why not? She has a right to know! It was her home. We can’t just—“

"Easy, Willy Wonka," Tony said. "I know she needs to know, but we need more information before we can act. I need to do some more research and figure out the next steps. In the meantime, tell the rest of the team what we know. Wanda is running point on a full-team, large-scale mission the day after tomorrow, and it benefits no one for her to be distracted, right?"

You nod hesitantly in agreement, still processing everything. "Trust me, Y/N. If we take our eyes off the ball, bad things happen. We need to be strategic and focused if we're going to keep everyone safe."

After a moment of silence, you let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, you're right," you concede, looking down at your hands. "I just don't feel good about keeping this from Wanda. We've always been honest with each other, and I don't want to ruin that."

Tony places a reassuring hand on your back. "You're not lying to her. You're just postponing the truth to protect her," he explains calmly.

You slowly nod, taking in his words. It made sense, in a way. But the guilt still lingered in your mind, gnawing at you. You knew that, eventually, you'd have to come clean.

*^~^*

You stirred from your sleep two days later, but the uneasy feeling in your stomach lingered. Your conversation with Tony was still vivid in your mind. You peered outside and saw SHIELD agents hustling and bustling around the grounds. You felt lost, unsure of what to do or where to be, so you did your best to keep a low profile and stay out of everyone's way. This was your first time seeing a mission play out before you. Sure, team members had come and gone before in the three months you had been living at the Avengers Compound, but being so focused on your recovery, you hadn’t paid that close attention.

FRIDAY interrupted your train of thought as you stood by the window. “Ms. Y/L/N,” she said, “Ms. Maximoff requests your presence in The Overwatch.”

You were confused. “The Overwatch? Where’s that, FRIDAY?”

“I’ll escort you there, Ms. Y/L/N,” FRIDAY said, opening the elevator doors.

As you stepped into the elevator, you noticed it was going down. The compartment sprang to life, and you counted at least three floors before it finally stopped. The door opened, revealing a futuristic virtual command center. Wanda stood with her back to you, looking up at a wall of monitors.

You couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!"

Wanda turned at the sound of your voice, and her smile was enough to melt you into a puddle. "Impressive, isn't it?" she said.

You nodded, still in awe of the sight. "What is this place?"

"This is The Overwatch," Wanda explained. "It's a command center that allows Fury or other Avengers who aren't on a mission to provide support in real-time."

You walked over to where Wanda was standing. "It's only used when everyone gets called away or on big-scale operations," she added.

You looked up at the bank of monitors, each displaying a name in the corner. Your eyes quickly found Natasha's, labeled N. Romanoff. Next to her, you spotted T. Stark, S. Rogers, B. Banner, T. Odinson, C. Barton, B. Barnes, S. Wilson, K. Bishop, Y. Belova, P. Parker, and C. Danvers.

"Am I even allowed to be in here?” You asked.

"Technically, no," Wanda replied with a smirk, "but this is my first time running point on a mission, and I could use the company."

Curiosity getting the better of you, you asked, "Who are they after?"

"Unfortunately, that information is classified," Wanda replied, typing away on the keyboard and pulling up a map, "but I can tell you they are in Europe."

"Well, that narrows it down," you joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Wanda sighed and sat before the command module, motioning for you to join her. "I wish I could tell you more," she said, "it's so much more stressful sitting in here than being out in the field with the team."

You tried encouraging her, saying, "Hey, at least you're safe here."

“Yes, but I feel so helpless," Wanda admitted while monitoring the team's vital signs. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to Fury for agreeing to let me ease back into the swing of things, but the loss of control scares me.”

The tense atmosphere was palpable in the comms as Steve's voice cut through, "Wanda, we're on our final approach. ETA, 30 seconds."

Natasha's raspy voice chimed in, "How are we looking?"

"The approach is clear—five guards in the courtyard outside the building.

"I got it," Tony interjected. You heard muffled groans on the other end of the comms as Tony dismantled the threat in a matter of seconds. "We're clear outside."

Everyone, turn on your body cameras," Wanda commanded as the monitors rose to life, giving you a first-person point of view of what everyone on the team was seeing.

"Nat, the security office is two doors down on your left," Wanda directed.

"Noted, I'm on my way," Natasha confirmed.

"When do I go in?" Peter's voice sounded eager on the comms.

"Hold your position, Spider-Boy," Yelena said. "Patience is key."

"Yeah, Peter. You're too eager. Just slow your roll and wait for the signal," Kate Bishop said.

"So is being quiet, Kate Bishop." Yelena cut in again.

I can't believe this is happening," you said involuntarily.

"Shh," Wanda whispers.

"Who is that?" Thor asks as he catches his hammer flying towards his monitor screen.

"Is that Y/N?" Carol asked between shots.

"No, it's not," Wanda lied to protect you.

"It is Y/N! What are you doing in The Overwatch, Willy Wonka?" Tony asked.

“Aww, they’re having a date night,” Clint joked sarcastically as you watched an arrow fly away from his camera and out of sight.

"Everyone, please be quiet. You're clogging the comms," Bucky demands irritably.

"Let's all be civil," Sam adds.

“I concur,” Bruce agreed.

"How are we doing, Nat?" Steve asked as he knocked out another security guard.

"I'm bypassing the firewall, Natahsa replied, typing away on the keyboard. “There. The Iris Detectors are down.”

"On my signal," Wanda spoke calmly. "Disabling the dome cameras in 3, 2, 1. Go.”

Sitting in front of the bank of monitors, you found yourself momentarily bewildered. You weren't sure which of the screens to focus on as the team moved in unison. Each one displayed a different angle of the action, and you didn't want to miss a single moment of what was unfolding before you. You watched with bated breath as they efficiently made their way through the building, their movements purposeful and precise. It was a sight to behold - you had never seen such determination and skill in your entire life.

Despite seeing footage of the Avengers on the news over the years, watching them firsthand was an entirely different experience. You felt incredibly fortunate to be able to call them your friends. As they worked towards the second level, you couldn't help but feel a sense of awe wash over you. These were some of the most powerful beings on the planet, and yet they were risking their lives to protect others. It was a humbling and inspiring sight to behold.

As the team entered the building, you watched Bucky effortlessly kick in a door. "I'm in the lab," he announced, his voice calm and collected.

Tony's voice crackled through the comms, "Do you see the mainframe?"

"There's two, which one is it?" Bucky replied, scanning the room.

"Open the silver panel," Tony instructed.

With a few hard pulls, Bucky managed to pry off the front of the mainframe. Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass filled the air as Carol crashed through a nearby window with a guard's arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

Without hesitation, Bucky turned to assist her. "Keep going! I got this," Carol shouted, her voice slightly strained.

Tony's voice cut through the chaos, "You should see the mainframe HiperSockets that provide high-speed TCP/IP connectivity within the central processor complex."

"For fuck's sake, in English, Tony!" Bucky shouted, his frustration palpable.

"Language,” Steve reprimanded.

An alarm began to blare as red lights flashed, signaling the imminent arrival of more guards.

"Bucky and Carol, eight more guards are heading your way," Wanda's voice sounded over the comms. "Thor, you're the closest."

"I'll be right there," Thor answered.

You watched as The God of Thunder bounded down the stairs and into the lab. In a thunderous flash, he took out all eight guards, leaving the room eerily silent.

"Cut the blue cable!" Tony finally shouted.

Bucky pulled out a pocket knife and quickly sliced through the blue cable.

The rest of the team arrived on the scene, and the lights inside the mainframe went out, plunging the room into darkness.

"How do we know for sure it's down?" Kate asked, her voice laced with concern.

Natasha fired three gunshots into the mainframe, causing the container to smoke.

"That ought to do it," she said, lowering her gun.

"Well done, everyone," Wanda praised. "I'm no longer seeing a heat signature from your location, which means the building is offline."

"Thanks, Wanda. Nice job on the point," Steve said. "We'll reconvene at 1800 hours to go over Phase Two."

Wanda looked exhausted as she removed her earpiece. The monitors had gone dark again; she leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to calm herself down. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked at you.

"Wow, sweetheart. That was amazing! I've never seen anything like that in my life. You were great,” you said, touching her shoulder.

Wanda smiled weakly, feeling a sense of satisfaction mixed with exhaustion. "Thanks," she said, "it was touch and go. But I'm glad they were able to get the job done."

You nodded in agreement. "Are all the missions that intense?"

Wanda thought for a moment before answering. "Not all of them," she said, "but this is one of the most challenging ones we've had in a while. But that's what we're trained for, right?"

“Do you miss it? Being out there, I mean,” you asked hesitantly.

Wanda’s expression was pensive as she spoke, her gaze fixed on the ground. "It's a complicated situation," she began slowly. "On the one hand, I don't want to leave my boys. After we lost their father, I made a promise to Billy and Tommy that I would always be there for them, no matter what." She paused for a moment as if lost in thought. "But on the other hand," she continued, her voice growing softer, "sometimes I feel like I'm denying who I am. Like my magic knows, I’m turning away from that part of myself.”

As you sat beside Wanda, you suddenly realized something that had never occurred to you before – you had never seen her use her powers. You searched your memory for any instance where you had witnessed her abilities in action, but you drew a blank. The only thing you could recall was being in her arms after the accident before you passed out, but even then, you couldn't remember if she had used her magic to keep you safe.

You took a deep breath and reached out to hold her hand. "I know we've never talked about this, but is there a reason you've never used your magic in front of me?" you asked, your voice gentle and curious. You hoped she wouldn't take offense to your question, but you couldn't help feeling a little curious about this aspect of her life that she had kept hidden from you.

"I was wondering when you would finally ask me about this,” Wanda sighed softly. “Since Westview, I have had difficulty trusting myself to use my powers safely. I lost control in a way that I never have before, Y/N, and the thought of putting anyone through that again is unbearable." Her voice was tinged with remorse and sadness as she continued, "I don't want to be a danger to those around me or myself. I’m afraid to use my magic again, and I don't know how to overcome that fear."

As you stroked her hand, you spoke reassuringly to Wanda. "I know you're feeling guilty about what happened in Westview, but that was only one aspect of your powers. You've done so much more good in the world than bad, and the magic that courses through you is a testament to that. Remember all the times you used your abilities to save lives, protect innocent people, and bring hope to those in need. That is the true measure of who you are, Wanda. Don't let a single mistake define you or your legacy."

Wanda nodded as she looked at you. “Thank you, Y/N,” wiping the tears away that threatened to fall. “I know I can’t avoid using them forever,” she looked around the room, “I also know I can’t hide down here for the rest of my life.”

“Why don’t you show me?”

“What?”

“Show me your powers. Come on, let’s see what you got, sweetheart. It’s just us, and we’re three floors underground. Nothing can go wrong, I promise.”

She looked at you hesitantly before she finally agreed, “Okay.”

Wanda rose from her seat and walked to the middle of the room. She took a deep, cleansing breath, held out her left palm, and began slowly circling it with her right hand. You watched as an orb of red energy materialized in her palm. Pointing her hand in your direction, you felt the chair you were sitting in move underneath you as you quickly rolled across the room and stopped on a dime in front of the redhead.

“Woah,” you said in amazement.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” she smirked.

Slowly but surely, she rose above you, her body glowing with a vibrant, otherworldly red magic that seemed to envelop you completely. Despite your shock, you felt a sense of calm wash over you as you basked in the warmth and comfort of the magic surrounding you. It was as if Wanda had wrapped you in a cocoon of pure energy, and you felt safe and protected in her presence. Her eyes were fixed on you, glowing like twin stars in the night sky. For the first time, you knew without a doubt that you were in the presence of a powerful being beyond your understanding. Yet, despite her immense power, she was your Wanda—gentle and kind.

The redhead reached down and gently touched your cheek. For a moment, you closed your eyes and basked in the warmth of her touch. You couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same sense of warmth and safety with you that you felt with her.

I do, Y/N," Wanda said with nothing but adoration in her eyes.

You were confused and asked, "Do what?"

"Feel the same warmth and safety you feel with me," she replied.

You wondered, "I, did I - I don't think I said that out loud, did I?"

"I heard your thoughts, love," she answered.

You repeated, "You heard me - you can hear my thoughts? Oh, God."

Wanda reassured you, "Oh no, no, Y/N. It's okay. This was the first time I've ever listened to your thoughts. Outside of work, I never invade anyone's privacy that way and never would with you without your permission or unless it was an emergency."

The redhead reached for you as she floated down. The red magic swirling around your joined hands.

"That was incredible, sweetheart. I know it will take some time, but don't hide this part of yourself away. It's wonderful.”

The sudden sound of the elevator whirring through the walls startled Wanda, breaking her concentration and causing her to dismiss her red magic hastily. "Shit! Quick, hide in that storage cabinet," she urgently whispered, pushing you towards the stainless steel structure.

"What?! Why?" You asked, confused and alarmed.

"I told you, you're not technically supposed to be here. The security clearance is off the charts," Wanda explained as she urged you towards the cabinet.

You sprinted towards the cabinet and quickly shut the door just as Maria exited the elevator. "Hey, Wanda. Great job on Phase One. Everything looks good on our end," she said, scrolling through her tablet.

“Thanks,” Wanda said, nervously tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear as Maria continued.

"I'm going to go brief Fury, but I'll be back for the check-in call at 6 pm to discuss Phase Two."

"Okay, see you in a bit," Wanda replied, relieved she hadn't noticed you.

As Maria stepped back into the elevator, she teasingly called, "Oh, and Wanda? If Y/N is going to be down here with you, at least give her a key card."

Wanda blushed at being caught. "I don't know what you're talking about," she fibbed.

"Of course, you don't," The Deputy Director chuckled. "Ask her to bring some Candy Bar chocolate for us later when she comes out from the storage cabinet," she added with a giggle as the doors closed.

You cautiously opened the door to the cabinet and stepped out, your cheeks reddening as you met Wanda's embarrassed gaze. She fished a blank white key card out of her pocket and handed it to you. "Here, now you can legally be down here with me."

You took the card and turned it over in your hands.

"Thanks," you said softly. “Tell Maria I'll bring some chocolate truffles later," you winked.

"Hmm, sounds good," Wanda smiled, leaning in to give you a gentle peck on the lips.

*^~^*

You arrived back at The Overwatch a few hours later, your white key card and a bag of truffles in hand. Maria was sitting next to Wanda in front of the wall of monitors. You sat down next to the redhead, passing the bag of chocolates to Maria.

"Aww, Y/N. How did you know? This is exactly what I wanted."

"Shut up,” you smirked. “So, what's happening here?" As you pointed toward the dark screens.

"We had the check-in call about forty-five minutes ago, and Steve should be reporting in any minute to confirm they've reached the target,” Wanda explained.

As if on cue, Steve's camera turned on, followed by the rest of the team. "Speak of the devil!” Maria exclaimed.

You could tell immediately that the team was in an underground passage, evidenced by the rough stone masonry surrounding them. Their footsteps echoed through the tunnel, adding an eerie quality to the tense atmosphere.

"Hey, Cap, you ready to go?" Maria asked, glancing up at the screen.

"Affirmative," Steve replied. “Although some of us are feeling a bit claustrophobic."

"Speak for yourself,” Clint chimed in.

"Tony, you want to take that one?" Wanda asked, typing away on her keyboard.

"Sure thing, Red," Tony replied. "Everyone, reach inside your suit pockets. You should find an object the size of one of Morgan's Legos."

Yelena, ever the skeptic, held up the miniature object Tony had referred to. "What the fuck is this?" she asked, her voice laced with annoyance.

"Language," Steve admonished.

"Oh, tell it to someone who cares," Yelena retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Sestra," Nat scolded, her voice echoing through the tunnels.

"It's a bit of technology I borrowed from our friendly neighborhood ant, and subsequently made even better,” Tony smirked. "Press the button on the top."

As one, the team pressed the button, and a small oxygen mask grew to fit in their hands.

"And we couldn't have worn these on the walk down here because?" Sam asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Because they only have a 24-hour oxygen supply," Tony explained. "We need to conserve as much as possible."

"Do I have to wear this?" Carol asked. "I can breathe in space. I'm pretty sure I'm fine down here."

"The vacuum of space is very different from underground," Maria said. "We don't want to take any chances. Put it on, please, Danvers."

“Why doesn’t the billionaire genius have to wear an oxygen mask?” She asked.

“There’s an oxygen supply built into the suit,” Tony smirked.

With a resigned sigh, Carol donned the mask, and the rest of the team followed suit. Wanda went over the topography of the catacomb, identifying key landmarks and intricacies that could help them navigate the maze-like structure safely.

In a hushed tone, you turned to Maria and asked, "Have they ever had an underground mission before?"

Maria shook her head and replied, "No, not like this. This is completely uncharted territory for them.”

"Okay, as we discussed," Steve said, pointing to the left. "Group one with me down the left tunnel; group two with Tony down the right tunnel."

As you observed intently, you saw each group setting off towards their designated directions, down the ancient corridors. The walls were adorned with intricate archways, illuminated by sporadic pockets of light that added to the mystique of the surroundings.

“Mr. Stark, this is amazing! Have you looked at these carvings and art? Easily third century—” Peter started.

“This isn’t a history field trip,” Natasha interrupted. “Pay attention to your surroundings.”

The group had been walking through a tunnel for some time when, without warning, felt the ground beneath their feet shake. A low and ominous grumbling noise echoed through the air, and everyone was thrown into the tunnel walls.

"FRIDAY, what's happening?" Tony asked urgently.

"Accessing the wave radar and enhancing the thermogenic signature," FRIDAY responded.

“Do you feel that too, Steve?” Wanda asked

Steve grunted as he struggled to regain his balance. "Yeah, is it an earthquake?" he asked.

"It's an energy surge, Boss," FRIDAY replied to Tony. "A core reactor holds together the primary stabilization of the tunnel structure."

"That's not first-century tech," Peter mumbled, face down on the ground.

Kate helped him up. "Yeah, no kidding, Sherlock."

Just as the group was getting back on their feet, Sam's voice cut through the tense silence.

"Hey! Hold it!" he shouted.

"What is it, Wilson?" Tony asked.

"Someone is watching us at the end of this tunnel," Sam exclaimed as he ran ahead of the group.

"Sam, wait!” Steve shouted.

"Lock onto Wilson," Maria said, standing up.

Wanda quickly shifted to Sam's primary camera and enlarged the visual. The mystery figure took two quick turns to the left as if they knew exactly where they were going. A third turn to the right, and Sam lost sight of the man for a split second. Looking around quickly, but to no avail, he said, "I lost them."

"How will he get back to the rest of the group?" You asked.

"Good question, Y/N," Sam replied.

Maria glared over at you. "Sorry, I keep forgetting they can hear me too."

"Sam, you're closer to Tony than Steve," Wanda said. "I'm pinging his tracker right now. Two lefts and a right should do it. And Steve and company, follow your tunnel about a half a mile down and then take a right, and you should meet up with everyone else."

The team wandered through the catacomb tunnel in silence, only the sound of their breathing and the stone under their feet breaking the stillness. When they were finally reunited, Tony broke the silence, "Okay, new plan. We're staying together."

Peter quickly agreed, "I'm with Tony on this one."

Yelena, standing nearby, murmured to Kate, "Color me surprised."

“Oxygen masks stay on, Nat,” Maria said pointedly.

"Yes, detka,” Natasha replied.

Yelena couldn't resist mocking her sister, "Yes, detka," she repeated sarcastically. But before she could carry on, Natasha pinched her arm, causing her to yelp in pain.

Thor shouted, "Knock it off, Lady Widows!"

Wanda added, "Thor is right. The catacomb can be disorienting, but you need to keep moving. Tony, I'm reviewing the National Geophysical Data Center records to assess your declination value and sending them to FRIDAY. Keep true north."

You turned to Maria, puzzled, "What did she say?" Having no clue what your girlfriend was talking about.

"They should turn right," Maria whispered.

You watched as everyone walked in a single-file line to the right, trying their best to keep their footing on the uneven stone. Suddenly, a second energy surge echoed loudly through the comms, causing everyone to turn their cameras downwards. Your heart raced as you gasped at the sight of cracks quickly forming between everyone's legs. Before anyone could react, the ground gave way beneath them, accompanied by screams and the sound of broken gravel.

Maria gasped, and Wanda put her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Oh my God!" You exclaimed. "What the hell just happened?"

Wanda asked urgently, "Steve? Tony? Can you hear me?"

Maria followed with a shaky voice, "Natasha? Come in! Anyone?"

"Shit," she said anxiously, picking up the phone in front of her. "All SHIELD agents, Romeo, Echo, Delta."

"FRIDAY, Code Red. Initiate Emergency Protocol 3000," Wanda ordered, running back towards the elevator and flipping a red switch under a glass cover.

"Compound shutdown initiated. Director Fury and Mrs. Stark have been notified and are en route to The Overwatch," FRIDAY responded.

You stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do with yourself. The shock of what you had just witnessed was so intense that your vision started to blur, and you felt as though you were about to pass out. Suddenly, you felt someone's arms on your shoulders, and you jumped slightly.

"Y/N? Y/N, love, stay with me, okay?" Wanda said, her voice soothing.

You looked up at her and then back at the monitors, pointing at them with a shaking hand. "They... it..." you stammered, struggling to form coherent sentences.

Wanda nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know," she said, rubbing her hands up and down your arms in a gesture of comfort.

She slowly led you back to your seat, still holding onto your shoulders, and conjured a glass of water out of thin air. Taking it in your hand, you felt the coolness of the glass against your skin, which helped ground you and bring you back to the present moment.

*^~^*

Fury furrowed his brows and asked Maria, "When was your last point of contact?"

"Five minutes ago."

"Maximoff was running point?"

You didn't appreciate the way Director Fury was speaking about Wanda as if she wasn't in the room, but as an outsider, you chose to hold your tongue.

Wanda stepped forward before Maria could respond, "Yes, sir."

"What happened?"

“Two energy surges of unknown origin, but we didn’t have time to assess the cause before-." Wanda’s voice trailed off as she struggled to continue.

“Before you lost them,” Fury finished the sentence for her. Wanda nodded silently, unable to look the Director in the eyes.

“She didn’t lose them! It was an accident,” You suddenly heard yourself shout.

Pepper placed a hand on your shoulder as Fury’s gaze shifted over to you.

“Who is this?” Fury asked, pointing at you.

“I'm Y/N Y/L/N, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you,” you said, slowly reaching out your hand to shake his, but the gesture went unreciprocated.

"The car accident victim," looking you up and down. "She looks fine, why is she still here?"

You wondered why you were still here yourself, but Maria jumped in before you could respond, "She’s still recovering, Sir."

"Do you have clearance to be down here?"

You fumbled in your pocket for the white card Wanda had given you earlier. Fury looked at the card but gave you no response before turning back to Wanda.

“Are we still picking up pings from their trackers?”

“Yes, faintly,” Wanda said.

"Do we know how deep the catacomb goes?" He continued.

“Roughly 65 feet, but the fall could have taken them another 50 feet at least," Wanda stated.

“They were wearing oxygen masks?” Fury asked.

“Yes, but they only have a 24-hour oxygen supply if they haven’t been damaged,” Wanda explained.

Fury turned back to Maria, “How fast can we have a team of agents on the ground in Rome?”

Your ears perked up at finally knowing where everyone was.

“Four hours,” Maria responded.

“Make it three,” The Director said.

“Yes, sir,” Maria replied as she started to walk away.

Wanda interrupted calmly, "No. I’m going."

“Out of the question, Maximoff. You haven’t been back in the field since your return, save for her accident," Fury pointed at you. "I’m not sending you out there by yourself in the most dire moment in the history of SHIELD. You don’t know what you’ll find down there, and you’re still too unreliable."

“Unreliable,” Wanda repeated. “With all due respect, Director Fury, no one is more reliable than me. There is no one more powerful than me, and you and I both know that it will take someone who can move heaven and Earth, literally, to bring everyone home!”

Fury looked over at Pepper, who had yet to say a word—doing her best to keep her calm.

"Wanda can do it," Pepper declared, fidgeting with her wedding ring. "I have faith in her."

"You leave in 20 minutes,” Fury said, turning to Wanda. “But you're not going alone.”

“I’ll get changed right away, sir,” Maria assumed.

“No, you’re staying here, Hill. You’re too close to the situation with Romanoff.”

“Nick, I-“

“No, you’ll run co-point from here. That is final."

“Co-point? Who is-“

“I need to make a couple of phone calls. In the meantime, Maximoff, you get suited up. We’ll meet you in the hangar,” Fury ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Wanda acknowledged.

You followed Wanda out of the elevator and into the locker room, feeling nervous and determined. Wanda suited up with a look of solemn determination on her face. You didn't want to show your nervousness; Wanda had enough on her plate. She took out her phone, frowned at the screen, and then turned to you with a serious look.

“I need you to do something for me,” the redhead said.

“Of course, anything,” you replied, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

“I need you to pick up Billy and Tommy and stay with them at my house. I know you have only met them once, but they liked you,” she started to ramble, her voice tinged with anxiety. “Pepper offered to take them, but I just can’t let her do that while Tony is…” she paused, her voice breaking with sadness.

You nodded understandingly, realizing the gravity of the situation. “I’ll do it,” you said, grabbing both sides of her face. “The boys will be okay, I promise. You bring everyone home.”

“Thank you so much, Y/N. I I already called the school to let them know you’ll be picking them up. I know I can trust you,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. Your lips met in a kiss—one of comfort and reassurance.

The word trust was all it took for Onyx Petroleum and Sokovia to rush back to the front of your mind. But then you remembered Tony’s words. “If we take our eyes off the ball, bad things happen.” Wanda needed to focus. But God, it was killing you to keep this from her, even under the most dire circumstances.

You walked with Wanda to the hangar, an area of the compound you had yet to visit. The mood was a stark contrast from this morning. SHIELD Agents moved about the space with the same purpose and direction, but the energy differed. It was anxious.

You caught sight of Director Fury standing next to one of the Quinjets with two women you didn’t recognize, but it was clear Wanda knew both of them. She ran a few steps ahead of you and wrapped her arms around both of them in an emotional embrace.

“Y/N, this is Dr. Darcy Lewis and Captain Monica Rambeau,” Wanda said, motioning to each woman. “This Y/N Y/L/N, she said, touching your back.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you both,” you said as you shook their hands, trying to keep your composure.

“Hi, nice to meet you too, Y/N,” Darcy replied warmly.

“It’s a pleasure,” Monica said, giving you a small smile.

"Captain Rambeau will be accompanying Ms. Maximoff to Rome, and Dr. Lewis will be running point with Deputy Director Hill from The Overwatch," Fury explained before glancing at his watch. "It's time to go."

Wanda looked at you with a mixture of anxiety and determination in her eyes. You tried to hide your nervousness, not wanting to add to her stress.

After a deep breath, Wanda spoke, "Billy and Tommy will be off from school in a couple of hours," she said, handing you her house keys. "Let them know that I'm working with the rest of the team, but don't give them any details. I’ll try to check in if I can.”

"Okay, sweetheart," you replied, taking the keys and putting them in your pocket. "Just make sure everyone comes home safe."

"I will," Wanda said with a nod, her eyes shining with determination.

As you leaned in to kiss the beautiful redhead, you felt a rush of emotion wash over you. Her soft lips met yours, and for a moment, everything else seemed to fade away. When you pulled away, you wrapped her in a tight embrace, holding her close to your chest. You watched as she walked towards the Quinjet, accompanied by Monica. Darcy and Fury were waiting by the side of the hangar, their faces solemn. You couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as the jet's engines came to life and slowly lifted off the ground. You stood there, watching as it climbed higher and higher into the sky until it was nothing more than a speck in the distance. As it disappeared from view, you felt a pang in your chest, as if a piece of your heart was flying away with it.

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