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turtle-steverogers · 4 years ago

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I Watched TWS for the Millionth Time So Let’s Over-Analyze This Shit

-TFA theme at the beginning 🥰 (that theme is so fuckin good)

-Sam’s lil jogging route around the Tidal Basin/Mall

-Steve being sassy , just as a general

-Steve’s sadness errands

-Sam relating to Steve on the soldier front and making him feel seen

-Just. Sam Wilson

-The way that Steve’s to-do list in the movie varies from country to country (For instance, the UK list has Sherlock instead of I Love Lucy and The Beatles)

-Also I wanna know Steve’s thai order

-The fact that this whole exchange is happening at 6:39 am

-Natasha drives with all the recklessness of a 16 year old that just got their license

-Stealth Suit Stealth Suit

-Steve deflecting Nat’s date suggestions

-Steve’s aversion for parachutes...reckless endangerment ✨

-Steve speaking/understanding at least a little french

-Tony having designed the Helicarriers to have arc reactor power instead of turbines because “he got a close up look at the turbines” in The Avengers 2012 when he got caught in them

-“This isnt freedom, this is fear” aka the embodiment of Steve’s character

-Steve’s exhibit being in the Air and Space museum even tho he flew a plane once and crashed it

-Bucky’s display having two different birth years (1916 and 1917. the correct one is 1917)

-In the little video of Steve and Bucky, Sebastian Stan was saying “We *are* friends” after the director told them to “act like friends” for that shot

-Steve acknowledging Peggy’s family and therefore acknowledging that their relationship with each other, while still close and special, is not romantic anymore and Peggy telling Steve to move on and start over wtf endgame

-The parallel of Peggy losing her memory as Bucky regains his

-Sam Wilson willing to show vulnerability and not being ashamed of his PTSD and treating Steve like any other attendee and hoping Steve will open up too if he sees that it’s okay to

-Steve’s face after “it was like I was up there just to watch” cuz he gets it and both sam and him had to watch their other half fall

-“What makes you happy?” “I don’t know”

-The Winter Soldier theme is just Bucky’s scream pitched different and made to sound mechanical because Henry Jackman wanted it to sound like a man trapped in a machine

-Why is Steve a lucky bastard that has his own laundry machine

-Steve leaving his apartment building after Sharon points out the music and then SCALING THE SIDE OF HIS OWN BUILDING AND CLIMBING IN THROUGH HIS WINDOW LIKE CAN YOU IMAGINE SEEING CAPTAIN AMERICA JUST CLIMBING INTO HIS APARTMENT THROUGH HIS WINDOW ONE NIGHT

-STEVE’s APARTMENT I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS (i might make a separate post on that)

-The fact that “A Long, Long Time” is playing when he sees Bucky for the first time in the future and the song is about lovers reuniting after the war i’m not saying it’s gay but i am

-He calls Fury “Nick” which really indicates theyre not close in the slightest

-Steve is excellent in adapting under pressure (him immediately catching on and using Fury’s code story: “who else knows about your wife?”)

-Steve is Awful at lying but hes also Excellent at lying

-How tf did Steve get the flash drive in the vending machine without the vending machine dude noticing i-

-“Captain Rogers” “Neighbor >:(“ petty little shit

-Steve’s observation skills are A+++++ as we can see in the elevator scene

-More reckless endangerment like imagine just going through your work day and captain america falls through the ceiling

-Steve stole someones gym clothes after escaping SHIELD. let that sink in

-Natasha has about a billion masks on at all times (“I only act like i know everything, rogers” “the person that programmed this was slightly smarter than me. slightly” “the truth isn’t all things to all people all of the time”) also she’s quite insecure, especially when it comes to being perceived as a good, trustable person

-Meanwhile, Steve’s consistently himself even if it costs him

-Bucky trained Natasha in the Red Room (at least in the comics) so theres a good chance she made the connection between him and Steve and withheld that information

-The honeymoon in New Jersey😭��

-Steve and Nat both have very different, but entirely valid approaches to situations: Steve’s is that of a tactiction, Nat’s is that of a spy’s. We see this in the scene at Pentagon City Mall

-Steve’s looking for someone with shared life experience and bucky has that

-Bucky killed JFK

-When Zola tells him that his death and life both amount to that of a zero sum, he punches the screen with his bare fist, not his shield, indicating just how much that upset him

-Pierce offers Bucky milk cuz he knows “the asset” can’t refuse or accept offers. He’s taunting him

-Sam drinks orange juice straight from the bottle and also doesnt refrigerate his mustard. There’s also a baseball trophy in his apartment so,,,,, baseball player sam anyone?

-Sam is also a gem who immediately helps out Steve and Nat with no judgement in his tone so they don’t feel ashamed

-Nat straightened her hair somewhere in Sam’s house

-“Cuz thats really not your style, Rogers” “you’re right, it’s not” *rubs sitwell’s arm* “it’s hers”

-Steve and Nat banter Steve and Nat banter

-Sam is just *clenches fist* so cool

-Nat immediately knows where Bucky’s gonna shoot when he lands on the Sam’s car and later she knows how to affectively fight him best because he trained her so she knows his fighting style

-Steve alone saying “Bucky?” was enough to break Bucky’s conditioning the slightest bit

-Sam met Steve like 36 hours ago and he’s already being arrested and made into a government fugitive with him and it won’t be the last time

-Steve is the only one entirely restrained

-“Even when I had nothing I had Bucky”

-Everyone meets Sam and is just like “aight let’s trust him with the highest clearance security information”

-Steve looks super nauseous all through the scene where Rumlow is handcuffing him and later when he says, “he looked right at me, like he didn’t even know me” he sounds sick and choked up

-Steve carries a lot of weight on his shoulders

-Steve’s “Bucky?” after the highway battle and Steve’s “Bucky?” in Bucky’s memory in the Vault Scene being different (in Bucky’s memory, he looks more heartbroken)

-Sebastian’s acting. Just all of it. And the way Bucky just opens his mouth for the mouth guard before he gets wiped....heartbreaking

-Steve realizes an organization that was meant to protect the people has become its own antithesis so hes like “aight. get rid of it” damn that’s the right mindset right there

-In the memory scene after Sarah’s funeral, Steve is so out of it and distressed, that he can’t find his key but Bucky immediately knows exactly where it is and what he’s lookin for

-Bucky was vain as shit and also had money: tailored suit, hair w shit ton of brylcreem in it

-The big breakfast Steve had was at Sam’s house

-The whole scene on the helicarrier between Steve and Bucky is incredible here are some highlights: Steve never backing down from a fight until it’s Bucky he’s fighting, Steve dropping the shield for him, Steve being ready to die if living means he’s living in a world where Bucky’s alive and doesnt remember him

-Their acting in that scene is so genuine and heartbreaking i can’t- i can’t-

-Steve’s got a comm i’m so chances are Nat, Sam and Maria can hear a portion of what’s going down on the helicarriers

-“I’m with ya to the end of the line” is basically “til death do us part” so the equivalent of wedding vows between Bucky and Steve is what ultimately broke Bucky’s conditioning

-When bucky fell, steve didn’t jump after him but when Steve fell, bucky went after him even tho he’s brainwashed. don’t think about steve’s guilt surrounding that. youll only get sad

-Bucky waited until Steve took a breath to leave him

-Sam waited by Steve’s side in the hospital

-In the end credit scene, Bucky and Steve originally were supposed to make eye contact, but the writers didn’t want it established that Bucky remembered Steve until CW

----

Every time I watch it from here on out, I’m gonna add a lil more as I notice hehehe

#ca:tws #captain america #the winter soldier #Steve Rogers #stucky #natasha romanov #Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #marvel #marvel shit

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anneapocalypse · 5 years ago

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Anne watches MCU: Civil War

Civil War is the logical culmination of the Avengers series thus far and effectively presents the Avengers Initiative as a catastrophic failure.

I like this movie. I like it a lot. I think it does a surprisingly good job with continuity, both logistical and emotional.

I also think that what I took from it is perhaps not what the filmmakers intended, that in fact I probably like it for reasons that were accidental, and that were I deeply invested in these characters and their relationships, I would probably hate it.

I think at this point it works best to look at the Captain America series as a subseries of the Avengers. Both Winter Soldier and Civil War are unavoidably Avengers films as well as Captain America films; they balance an ensemble cast with Steve as the emotional core of the story.

I can see why Thor and Hulk were written out for this film, because the cast is already bursting at the seams and the movie is really long. I do miss Bruce getting to weigh in on the Accords, but Thor didn’t need to be here. Thor is not a citizen of Earth, and this really isn’t his story.

Finally, Bucky Barnes gets some character development. I have wanted to like Bucky up until now but there just hasn’t been much to hold onto; The Winter Soldier is Steve’s story, not Bucky’s, and we get precious little of Steve’s old friend coming through in the present day.

I still hate mind control plots, because you can make a character do absolutely anything and while the character might hold themselves responsible for it, the audience won’t, which makes it great woobie fuel: you get to have the character wrestling with all the guilt and horror of having technically committed terrible acts, but it’s not really their fault, so the audience can feel sorry for them and indulge in all the angst without any of the uncomfortable culpability. Nevertheless, I am happy that Civil War established some parameters around Bucky’s brainwashing and allowed his real self to come through. He’s certainly a more interesting character to me now than he was in Winter Soldier. Had I seen Bucky re-frozen at the end of Winter Soldier, I wouldn’t have felt much about it. Now, I actually kind of care.

But Wanda’s situation, by contrast, is much more grounded and compelling to me than Bucky’s: she actually did do something terrible while trying to do good. Wanda saves Steve, accidentally kills a bunch of civilians in the process… and reacts to that like a normal human being. There is a direct contrast to the way Tony Stark behaves in the first Iron Man movie, and the complete disregard for civilian casualties not just in the character but in the films themselves. This is Marvel’s meta-commentary on its own cinematic history as much as it is establishing continuity for the characters. Wanda reacts with immediate horror and regret, and she doesn’t have to say a word to convey that to us. That is good writing, good acting, and good direction. Now Wanda has to live with what she’s done, and decide who she’s going to be in the world after that, when she can’t change the past or the public’s opinion of her.

Tony and Pepper’s relationship is on the rocks, giving real consequences to the tension we’ve seen in their relationship in the Iron Man trilogy. Whether or not those consequences will stick beyond this movie remains to be seen (assuming I watch further), but it is nonetheless a breath of fresh air to me.

We already know from Iron Man 3 that Tony suffers from PTSD, and in this movie we see him confronted face to face with his responsibility for the events of Ultron. What makes Tony sympathetic in this movie is his very real remorse, and his desire to make amends, expressed in his supporting the Sokovia Accords.

And there are moments when I sympathize with Tony’s perspective, when I don’t find Steve to be in the right. When Steve says that Wanda is “just a kid”—yes, that may technically be true, but you can’t have her fighting in the streets, using her tremendous powers in real battle, and then turn around and say she’s just a kid. You can’t have it both ways. Of course Steve wants to defend Wanda; what happened in Nigeria was an accident. But calling her a kid doesn’t cut it.

Steve is still sympathetic, of course, even when I don’t fully agree with him. This is a Captain America movie and Steve is its emotional core. That he is preoccupied by even the mention of his old friend shows his humanity, as does Peggy Carter’s funeral, which gives an external voice to his convictions—even if it is a bit on the nose.

Who supports the Accords and who refuses makes sense for the most part, though I think this story would be better served by a clearer definition of what constitutes an “enhanced individual.” Steve, Wanda, Bruce, for sure, are enhanced individuals. There’s no question that they possess abilities impossible for most humans. But what about Tony? His powers come from the Iron Man suit—without it, he’s just a guy. Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist—but not superpowered. Then there’s someone like T’Challa, who can be enhanced when he has the powers of the Black Panther, but can also have those powers removed. Clint is just a guy who’s a really good shot—is he an “enhanced individual?” What about Natasha? She’s a highly skilled spy and assassin, sure, but she doesn’t have superpowers. Do the Accords include people with highly specialized training? Do they include anyone who might qualify as a vigilante, powers or no powers?

These questions are never clearly answered in the film. But if we read between the lines, it kind of makes sense that Tony and Rhodey and Natasha would feel less personally threatened by the Accords than Wanda or Steve.

Tony especially feels the least put upon by the Accords, for a few reasons. First, Tony is already a public figure by nature of being a billionaire. He is accustomed to living a very public life, and doesn’t view the Accords as a breach of his privacy. Most importantly, Tony’s wealth has always served as a kind of “do whatever the fuck I want and get away with it badge” (to borrow a line from Transformers). Even with the Accords in place, we still see Tony calling the shots, and when Cap goes rogue, Tony sees it as a “PR nightmare,” an inconvenience, but still a problem he can make go away.

A lot of character beats in this movie really work for me. I love Natasha’s assessment that “We played this wrong,” not necessarily changing her position but admitting to a tactical and interpersonal failure. I love her calling Tony out for putting his ego before everything—and the fact that it actually gets through to him for a bit is gratifying. I even enjoyed T’Challa trying to avenge his father, though I think I appreciated that a lot more for having seen Black Panther first.

There are a couple of character decisions that don’t track for me. I don’t think the film does a good enough job (or like… a job) of establishing why Clint would side against Natasha when she is his closest friend in the Avengers. I also think it’s strange that Natasha thinks Bruce would side against them if he were there. Bruce hates himself. He thinks of himself as a dangerous monster; that’s the whole reason he ran. He would absolutely be on the side of the Accords.

I have no opinions on the way Vision sides because Vision doesn’t feel like a character to me or like he really serves any purpose in these movies beyond being a walking plot device. I know he’s got an Infinity stone powering his brain and that’s going to matter in the next movie, but as a character everything about him smacks of “He’s here because he’s in the comics.”

The scene in which Spider-man is introduced was so out of the blue that I literally checked my phone to make sure I hadn’t accidentally started casting a different movie. I guess he’s mostly here to provide Tony some perspective on being an actually enhanced human: “When you can do the things I do, and you don’t, and the bad things happen, it’s your fault.” Peter Parker is the most innocent vigilante! And now both sides have a teenager. He does have some great dialogue with Tony and I can’t really be unhappy he’s here because he’s just too damn likable.

But nothing tops the Steve/Sharon kiss for being out of the blue. Came from nowhere and went back there fast. I have no idea why that was here, except that Steve is the hero and The Formula demands that he kiss a girl at some point. Peggy’s dead so her niece will do I guess. Anyway, it was bad, but brief enough to ignore.

And nothing drives home that this movie is not in any way a standalone like the appearance of Ant-Man. I actually laughed out loud when he appeared because I was imagining what this random cameo would look like if I hadn’t just watched his origin story and it was hilarious.

The big full-team battle was clearly the scene that was supposed to be the most fun to watch—which in itself is a bit strange. Clint and Natasha, in particular, seem not even to take the fight seriously. And in a story all about the fallout caused by superhero vigilantes, one would think those superheroes fighting each other in a huge group would cause even more damage. But it doesn’t, because they just super conveniently have their big battle on an empty airport tarmac, which was so funny. I assume we’re meant to think the place was evacuated but a part of me just really wants to say there were people in that air traffic control tower they knocked over.

Avengers 2.75: The Avengers vs. Delta Airlines.

The most truly stupid part was the ending. I had to go ask red where the fuck Steve knowing about Tony’s parents was set up, and apparently it was a blink-and-you’ll miss it moment in Winter Soldier. I sure didn’t remember it, so that came way out of left field for me and seemed purely contrived to make sure Tony’s change of heart would be short-lived.

But goofiness aside, there was a lot about this movie that worked for me. The focus on relationships surprised me, frankly. I was expecting a stupid, contrived battle of egos between Tony and Steve, and what i got was actually a fairly nuanced (for Marvel) story that gives real consequences to the actions of the Avengers thus far, brings to a head the tension that has been building between Tony and Steve from the minute go, and very effectively conveys the Avengers Initiative as a failed experiment.

The moral of Civil War, intentional or not, is superheroes can’t work together.

Because the Avengers are not a team. Not really. They're a bunch of lone superheroes trying to work together, succeeding for brief moments, but overall failing to build a team dynamic and Civil War is where it all falls apart.

It really put into perspective a lot of what was bugging me about Age of Ultron, which I couldn’t really put my finger on until I ran across this post and it all fell into place for me. I never bought that they were all friends or had built any deep bonds. Tony going rogue wasn't a betrayal of trust so much as it was just the clearest indicator that there wasn't any to begin with.

This movie raises questions about loyalty... and when it comes to Steve Rogers, the answers are pretty unambiguous. Steve Rogers is a powerfully loyal person who sticks by his people no matter what, and never was it more clear that the Avengers are not his people. Bucky is his people. Sam is his people. Peggy is his people. These are Steve’s friends. Steve Rogers is the first Avenger. He is also the first to jump ship when the Avengers fail to align with his principles. That’s who Steve is, and this movie also serves as a very effective character study. Despite its proximity to Ultron, there’s a reason this is a Captain America movie first.

If we’re supposed to see Civil War as a family torn apart, it fails, because this series never sold us on that family dynamic in the first place. From the start, every Avengers film has been about driving conflict between the characters, especially Steve and Tony. You cannot destroy what was never there, and if Civil War is meant to be that kind of tragedy, it does not succeed.

If I was a real fan of the Marvel cinematic universe, one deeply invested in these characters and in the idea of the Avengers becoming a found family, Civil War would’ve been a massive letdown and I’d probably hate it.

But coming in as a casual tourist in this franchise, a story about the tragic inability of superheroes to work as a team is fascinating to me.

And intentionally or not, that’s what Civil War is.

#anne watches mcu

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imagine-loki · 7 years ago

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Long And Lost

TITLE: Long And Lost

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 9

AUTHOR: FadingCoast

PROMT/ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine being Loki’s old friend/Lover in Asgard, but you left for Earth a long time ago. For all he knows, you might be dead, but you’re still alive and you’ve been working with SHIELD and/or the Avengers.

PAIRING: Loki/Sigyn RATING: Mature.

NOTES/WARNINGS: Sexual innuendos (no explicit sex) / mentions of torture and brainwashing. The prologue is set right before Avengers. The first chapters are set after Civil War. Chapter 4 and on, are all during Ragnarok.

Also on Ao3 Tumblr masterlist

Ch. 9: And then the sea swept in and left us all speechless

Loki, PLEASE, don’t make this worse!

If he doesn’t take his hand off you right now, I’m going to–

Going to what? You’re a universe away! You know I can take care of myself!

I can still scare him.

I don’t need you to scare him. Please, just– don’t do anything stupid.

Loki was less than pleased by his current situation. He could see Steve Rogers pinning Sigyn to the wall by her neck. He knew she could take care of it in a blink, but his instincts were to protect her. And knowing there was nothing he could do right now, except watch, he felt absolutely helpless and frustrated.

If I’m ever back on Midgard, I’m going to kill him.

“You lied to us!” Steve repeated, tightening his grip on her neck.

Sigyn just stared at him. Little did he know she had already put a force field around her neck the moment she saw him barreling towards her.

“You know I can knock you unconscious, right?” She said. Steve looked at her confused, he was squeezing her windpipe tight, how did she not feel any effect?

“Steve! Let her go!” Bucky shouted, rushing to help her.

Sigyn didn’t wait for Bucky to get close, though. The last Steve saw where her eyes glowing golden. In a flash, she wasn’t there and Steve tripped forward. Another flash and Sigyn was behind him, a little push and he was face first on the wall.

“Ow!” Steve growled. “What–? Let me go!”

Sigyn’s hand was less than an inch away from Steve’s back. The was something pushing him to the wall, something he couldn’t overcome. Bucky just stood there in shock.

“Are you gonna calm down?” She said in a low tone.

Steve nodded stiffly. Sigyn let him go of the spell, and he gasped.

“Do me a favor and don’t attack me again. I hate teleporting. Makes me dizzy.” She said before he could even move. Bucky glared at Steve and got close to Sigyn.

“Are you alright?” He asked her, trying to look at her neck for any bruising. There was none.

“I’m fine.” She deadpanned and went to get her abandoned tea. Then she sat on a table and looked at both men.

Steve was breathing hard, still fuming. “You lied to us.” He said again. Sigyn rolled her eyes.

“I thought we went through that already.” She said, sipping her tea. “YES, I lied to you. I’ve been lying to a lot of people about that. But, would you have let me help if I’d told you the truth?”

Bucky and Steve shared a glance. She was right, Steve wouldn’t have let her anywhere near Bucky if he had known. She still helped him, them. Bucky was willing to overlook it, but Steve wasn’t inclined to do so.

“Are you seriously going to throw the whole team on me?” She said, interrupting their wordless moment. “I mean, I expected Sharon, but Wanda? Do you know the danger you’re putting her in?”

“How did you–” Steve was now borderline terrified. As on cue, Sharon entered the cafeteria followed by Wanda.

“Don’t even try, little witch, you might not like what you see.” Sigyn said, side-eyeing Wanda. No one said anything, as Wanda kept staring at her. “Fine, suit yourself.” Sigyn shrugged.

Why are you letting the hag read you?

Wait for it.

Sigyn just stared at the table in front of her. It wasn’t long before Wanda started panting. Her eyes flooded with tears as she started sobbing uncontrollably. Everyone got a little nervous, but they were paralyzed. Wanda clutched her chest tight, as her sobs turned into an effort to keep breathing. She fell to the floor.

“What are you doing to her?!” Steve ran to Wanda’s side. “Stop that!”

“I am not doing anything. I told her to stay away from my head.” Sigyn said plainly.

“So much pain…” Wanda muttered, shaking her head.

“What did you see?” Steve asked Wanda, holding her close as he helped her up. Wanda didn’t answer, just looked at Sigyn.

“She saw my children being slaughtered.” Sigyn was the one to answer. “She saw my husband being tortured. She saw me being executed.”

“Wait, you had children?” Bucky asked. Sigyn just looked at him and nodded. “With that guy? How?”

She rolled her eyes. “Midgardians and Asgardians means of reproduction are basically the same.” Bucky‘s expression was right in between confused and disgusted.

“Did he slaughter your children?” Steve asked with more than a hint of malice.

“Of course you lot would think that!” Everyone turned to see Loki standing against the wall with a scowl on his face.

“How is this not making things worse, Loki?” Sigyn snapped. Bucky and Steve were ready to fight, while Wanda, still recovering from Sigyn’s memories, tried to blast Loki with magic, but the spell went right through and burned the wall. “It’s just an illusion! Sit the fuck down!”

“What a waste of a witch you are if you cannot tell the difference.” Loki snarled at Wanda.

“Loki, please, shut up and leave!”

“I am not leaving.” Loki said as his illusion made believe he was leaning on the wall. “I am going to be here, while you tell them everything.”

Sigyn swallowed hard. Bucky was the first to calm down, and sat in front of her. Steve just couldn’t be calm with Loki in the room, illusion or not. Sharon was the one to break the uncomfortable silence, sitting next to Sigyn.

“Bucky said your real name is Sigyn.” She nodded. “I read about you. How Loki tricked you into marrying him.” Sigyn smiled and Loki rolled his eyes. “And about– your children.”

“Narfi and Vàli.” Sigyn said, smile dropping from her face. “They were the most beautiful boys in the universe. But–”

“They were murdered.” Loki said somberly.

“The myth says something about Baldr?” Sharon tried.

“His wife, Nanna. She thought Loki had killed Baldr.”

“Did he?” Steve said coldly, getting a more than a few hard glares.

“No, I didn’t.” Loki spat.

“But she wouldn’t listen. She–” Sigyn stopped, after all this time, the memories were still too painful.

“Nanna mind-controlled one of our sons to kill the other. When Vàli saw what he had done–”

“He killed himself.”

Sigyn couldn’t help the flow of emotions. It had been a long time since she had spoken about the death of her children. But it still hurt like the first day. It was a shadow that would never leave her heart. Illusions flashed around the room: two little kids chasing each other, a tiny wolf pup with white and golden fur, a raven haired boy hiding underneath the bed. A horse race, an archery contest. One boy studying, while the other threw balls of static at him.

Sigyn…

I’m sorry.

She shook her head and the illusions were gone. “In retaliation, Loki killed her son. And he was tortured for it.” Sigyn kept going. Loki was silent.

“I read about the cave and the poison. Was that real?” Sharon asked. Sigyn nodded.

“What cave?” Bucky asked, Loki just glared at him.

“The cave where I was bound to the bedrock and drained of my magic while a serpent endlessly dripped poison on me, melting my flesh away.” Loki snarled. “Want to know what it felt like?”

Wanda shuddered visibly: that was one of the things she had felt in Sigyn’s mind. Steve noticed.

“You made Wanda see that?” Steve said.

“She was inside my head cause you asked her to, Rogers.” Sigyn looked at him with contempt. “But, really. Do you want to know what it felt like?” She repeated Loki’s words to him. “Want to see what Wanda saw? What it was that destroyed our family and our lives?” Sigyn stood up in front of Steve defiantly.

“What are you going to do? Torture me?”

“I don’t have to.” She looked at Loki, who nodded curtly.

Sigyn put a hand on Steve chest. Immediately, he doubled down in pain. His skin felt like molten lava slowly peeling off his body. He fought for breath, but the tiniest movements were ripping his ribcage open. He couldn’t see, as he was surrounded in darkness. He wanted to scream, but he had no air left to make any sound. He was drowning, and he was going to pass out any second now.

“Sigyn, stop!” Steve heard Bucky’s voice like a distant murmur. The pain slowly subsided, and he was able to breathe again. When the world came back to focus, he was kneeling on the floor, drenched in sweat.

“And that was a tiny glimpse of what Skadi’s snake venom will do to you.” Loki said.

“Remember how I told you my banishment was my sacrifice?” Sigyn said to Steve. “I offered my life to get Loki out of that cave. Odin accepted it. I was going to be executed.” She sat back on her spot.

“Frigga was the one to save her. They tricked Odin, and me, into thinking she was dead.”

“But instead I was banished here.”

“And I didn’t know she was alive until very recently.”

Everyone stayed silent for a moment. Steve was still breathing hard. Not only he could feel the physical pain of Loki’s punishment. He also felt the loss, the despair that made Sigyn sacrifice her own life to salvage the only thing she had left. Steve had lost his family too, and he knew it was a grief that would never go away. He slowly regained his composure.

I think it’s time for you to leave. Sigyn looked at Loki. He looked back, rolling his eyes before disappearing.

“Well, that was the flash version of our story.” She said. “It doesn’t justify anything, but now at least you know a little more.”

Steve was still on edge, but he sat besides Bucky and stared at Sigyn.

“Still doesn’t explain why you helped us.” He said.

“You’re not going to find any reason other than you need my help, I provide it.” She explained. “I am a healer, Steve, by profession and by calling. It’s what I’ve been doing my whole life.”

“And she did.” Steve and Sigyn looked at Bucky. “Steve, she said she was going to help me and she delivered. Blaming her for whatever that- Loki- did is like blaming me for what I did for Hydra.”

“Bucky is right, Steve.” Sharon agreed.

Steve looked at Wanda, silently asking for her opinion. “I have to agree with them. Everything I saw…” She sighed. “I can tell she’s not lying about this.”

Steve looked at everybody, feeling extremely uncomfortable. “Even if Loki was not in the picture, what happened today–”

“You’re scared of me. You’ve always been…” Sigyn said with a sigh. “Well, I already did what I set up to do.” She added, looking briefly at Bucky. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“What? No, you can’t leave!” Bucky said, visibly shaken.

“You don’t need me anymore, Bucky. I already fixed what I could fix. Everything else is on you.”

Bucky shook his head. “I do need you…” He said almost pleading, before turning to Steve. “I’m holding you responsible for that. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you.”

Bucky stood up, looking as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t, and walked out. Steve groaned loudly.

“Your boyfriend, your problem.” Sharon said, making Wanda giggle. Steve just glared at them and followed Bucky.

Wanda sighed and sat on Bucky’s empty chair. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Yeah, me too…” Sigyn said. “But at least is all out now. I felt really bad lying to you all. Especially you, Sharon. You’ve been nothing but nice to me when you didn’t have to.”

“Being me, I do understand the value of secrecy.” Sharon said with a smile. “And you were right when you told Steve that he didn’t need to know. Look where it got us!”

“It was bound to come out at some point. And I knew he would react that way.” Sigyn looked at Wanda. “I’m sorry about what you saw, it was really mean of me to show you all that.”

“I blame Steve for it too.” Wanda said, crossing her arms on her chest. “He knows I’m still learning.”

Sigyn made her half empty cup disappear. “With proper training you could be very good. I know they have trained you in basic combat, but there’s so much more you can do.”

“Could you train me?”

“If you’re ever allowed back in New York…” Sigyn smiled.

The three women kept silent for a while. Out of the blue, Sharon chuckled.

“I’m sorry.” She said shaking her head. “I was just thinking about how adorable you were finishing each other’s sentences!”

Sigyn laughed loudly. “We basically live inside each other’s head.”

“Could you tell us more?” Wanda said. “Not the bad side, though, it was enough for one day.”

“It’s a really long story.” Sigyn warned, but still giggled at the eager look on their faces. “You guys are ridiculous, but fine.”

I hope you tell them all the good stuff about me.

I’ll think about it.

Come on! I wasn’t so bad, was I?

Only sometimes.

But you still loved me.

I still love you, you idiot.

Feedback is always appreciated!! <3

#Loki #Lover #Angst #Submitted fic #submission #long and lost #chapter 9 #FadingCoast #firend #love #asgard #earth #dead #alive #S.H.I.E.L.D.#avengers #relationship #ecstatic #midgardian

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tahlreth · 7 years ago

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Are you still doing prompt requests? If so, post CW prompt for you: Steve learns that Bucky got transferred to Tony's care [willingly to get help] and when Steve returns after signing the accords Steve thinks that his and Tony's relationship is just going to pick up again, but Tony and Bucky are in a relationship now and Bucky is not too fond of the old Avengers and the bull they used to put Tony through and he's not having it happen again on his watch. And the Winter Soldier is very protective

AN: Only took me for fucking ever, but I finally did the thing. I’ve started about six different versions, and this one was sitting on my computer, half done, for like three months. ^.^; But I’m reasonably happy with how it came out, so there’s that. XD It got pretty long, so do beware the cut!

They hadn’t been anything - not officially, not really. There’d been looks, touches, smiles… all kinds of little things that meant they’d been on the same page. They’d never talked about it, hadn’t kissed or declared their feelings openly, but there’d been something there. Steve had known it since he’d felt relief, hot and bright and real burning inside of him after that first fight in New York, when (thank God thank God thank God) Tony wasn’t dead after all. The smile that had crawled over Steve’s face when he saw Tony jolt awake after the Hulk’s roar felt like he first smile that had been on his face since… since Bucky fell. Tony was loud and flashy, all the worst bits of this ‘modern’ time combined into one in-your-face package. On him though, Steve liked the look. He’d thought about trying to get to know Tony right away, had almost been brave enough to just ask him out for dinner or coffee or something, but then…

Then Tony had smiled at him, and the expression was so soft. It was warm and patient, and Steve had just known that Tony would wait for him. He could go see this new America to try and wrap his head around it, and Tony would be in New York City when he got back. When they shook goodbye, both their hands lingered far longer than they’d needed to. The air between them had been charged, and he’d almost changed his mind again until Tony had quietly said 'enjoy yourself, Cap - come tell me all about your road trip when it’s done’. Tony would be waiting for him so he knew he really could go.

He didn’t blame Tony for leaving for Malibu after Steve agreed to temporarily move to DC when Fury asked. Tony’s company was important - they were both working hard, but they still saw each other when they could. Those not-quite-dates were some of the things Steve cherished most about the brave new world he found himself in. At the end of them, Tony would always make a mention of how he’d be waiting for Steve. Nothing explicit, nothing that specifically said they were going to end up together, but they’d both had known what it meant. It was almost better than a kiss to say goodbye before they had the time to really be something to each other.

Yeah, maybe he’d flirted a little with the blonde who turned out to be part of SHIELD. And maybe Tony had seemed genuinely hurt by the way Steve hadn’t asked for his assistance, but none of it meant anything. He was glad Tony was alright after his brush with the Mandarin… and he was also glad Tony hadn’t tried to call him in. Steve would have dropped everything to go help out - he was sure he would have - but having to decide between the man who was waiting for him and the Strike team that he’d thought needed him would have been uncomfortable.

Tony was so good at making sure Steve was comfortable.

Having to choose Bucky over Tony had cut like a knife to the heart, but he’d done it. He’d known that once Tony cooled down, he’d realize that Steve still cared. It was just that Tony would wait and Bucky couldn’t. Once he got his best friend’s head on straight, Steve vowed to himself that he’d go to the guy who he’d left standing in the wings for so long. Lingering looks and hands that slid down his arm in subtle caresses weren’t enough any more. Almost losing Tony had forced him to resort his priorities - SHIELD was gone and Bucky was safe. Sharon was swell and all, but he’d kissed her more because he’d been hurting over Peggy than anything.

Peggy had waited for him too, though maybe not as long as Tony had. She’d known he wasn’t coming back, after all, and Tony knew (surely he knew) that Steve would always return. Sharon had just been there, available and willing, and Steve had just needed someone. His guy wouldn’t begrudge him that. Not when they’d been so close to being something, not when Steve was finally able to take that final step to turn 'waiting’ into 'having’.

The way Tony sent for Bucky so he could help Steve’s best friend only proved that. He was willing to help a man who’d been brainwashed into killing his parents because it was important to Steve. It was an admission that he’d been wrong to get so upset in Siberia. He was letting Steve know that he’d taken his letter to heart, had realized that Steve was right, and was ready to take steps towards getting back together. Or getting together for the first time, really, at least in a romantic sense.

As soon as he got to go home, Steve was going to claim his guy. Tony had waited for him long enough.

~.~.~

“-might come straight here, James. We really should stop–”

“C'mon, Tony. We don’t have anything to hide. We don’t gotta stop being us just because they’re back.”

Steve had stopped cold at the sound of Bucky’s voice, mostly because it was coming from inside Tony’s workshop. FRIDAY had refused to tell him that’s where Tony was, but he hadn’t really needed the AI to tell him. When he hadn’t been there to greet the returning Avengers (a woman named Danvers had instead, looking grim and serious and like she packed a whallop), Steve had assumed he’d been busy. Maybe it wasn’t the best choice he could have made, but Tony had always had a way of getting lost in his inventions at the worst times. So while Steve was a bit irritated, he was also feeling kind of fond of the genius. He’d even been thinking that maybe he really should have gotten flowers to bring. Nat had sounded more scathing than serious when she’d given the suggestion, but maybe he still should have followed it.

So he hadn’t been surprised to hear Tony in his workshop; what he had been surprised by was the presence of some guy named 'James’. He didn’t even connect that to Bucky until he’d heard his best friend speak - hearing him talking to Tony was extremely jarring and kind of upsetting. Steve hadn’t been upset at all not to see Tony when he stepped back onto the compound’s soil - he’d just figured that Buck wasn’t ready to be around so many people. But now… now it seemed like they’d been together and had maybe intentionally skipped his homecoming. He felt his stomach sink and a cold ball of hurt curl up in his chest - his best friend and his guy hadn’t been there to welcome him back.

But maybe they’d been working on Bucky’s arm, he tried to tell himself - not that it was really working. Maybe some kind of maintenance had been needed, and they’d had to do it just then. Tony and Buck were working together on his arm or Buck’s mental state - that’s why they were an 'us’.

Steve needed that to be why they were an 'us’.

“Listen, Cold Snap,” Tony sounded amused despite the command in his words, and something in Steve was aching even if he didn’t know exactly why. “I’m not saying we have to go into hiding or pretend we’re just friends or anything like that.” 'Just friends’… that could mean anything. Anything at all. Maybe they were… were best friends, which would hurt but be bearable. He could understand that even if he didn’t like it. Or maybe they were bitter enemies? It didn’t sound like it, but… but they could be. They weren’t… Tony had been waiting for him. “What I am saying is that maybe we don’t rub it in anyone’s face before they’ve settled in.”

“'N I’m vetoing that, so.”

“You don’t just get to veto things, my darling snow bunny. That’s not how this works.”

“Prove it,” his best friend countered, making Steve’s heart sink to about the level of his shoes. That was Bucky’s playful, flirty tone of voice - he wouldn’t use that on a bitter enemy or a new best friend. He oughta turn the last corner and let them know he was there. He should barge in and demand they explain themselves. Steve should go and ask Tony why he’d stopped waiting, why he’d started ignoring the 'something’ that was between them, and why the fuck he’d dragged Bucky into the middle of it. “When it comes to dumb decisions you’re about ta make, I get veto power. You get veto power when I’m bein’ dumb. ’S fair.”

“Ugh. If you say so, Cold Snap. Veto powers all around. So… to clarify. We’re gonna just–”

“Keep cuddling on the couch for movies, keep bitching fondly at each other when we’re in charge of cooking dinner, and go right on kissing whenever the hell we feel like it.”

Steve hadn’t fainted for anything other than injury-related reasons since the serum, but he still recognized the warning signs when they hit him. His vision tunneled as tingles cold enough to hurt shot through his limbs. Everything sounded distant, the world falling away and leaving him reeling. He didn’t realize that last bit was literal until he slammed into the wall and went down hard, didn’t realize he was gasping for air until he was dangerously close to passing out. He fought his lungs and emotions, doing his best to take deep, even breaths - he was not going to faint. This had to be… it was a misunderstanding. Maybe… maybe FRIDAY had told them he was coming and they were playing a prank. Maybe his world wasn’t really crumbling under his feet.

The fact that neither of them had come running when he’d fallen undermined that theory though. And why hadn’t they? If Steve could hear them, then they had to have heard him. Unless… FRIDAY had been incredibly curt with him, bordering on rude. Maybe she’d piped the conversation from the closed workshop to where Steve was, just to hurt him. He shouldn’t be so surprised that another of Tony’s AIs was kind of evil.

“-go up for dinner,” he heard when he managed to zone back in to the conversation. “I think it’s Rhodey’s turn to cook, so it’s going to be amazing. Especially if Hope helps, since she’s a lot better with vegetables and other junk like that. My sour patch can make a mean piece of meat - stop giggling, fuck, are you twelve? - and he’s great with baking, but vegetables defeat him. To the point where it’s embarrassing. He cried over some zucchini once. I mean, it was right before this girl that he looooooved was coming over for dinner and it was finals week - which was a lot of fun at MIT in the engineering department, let me tell you. A lot of people cried. I never did, but that was mostly because I was drunk or high pretty much twenty-four-seven. Finals are pretty much a non-issue when you’re that fucked up. Still aced all of them though, because I am a genius. Anyway, Rhodey wasn’t as blissfully transcended from this mortal coil as I was, so he was freaking the fuck out about passing his finals. So I guess it was more than the zucchini that made him cry, but still. Ever since then he’s pretty much avoided vegetables like the plague. Is zucchini even a vegetable though? I think I remember that it’s like tomatoes and cucumbers - I knew the tomatoes one, but finding out cucumbers are technically a fruit blew my mind, let me tell you.”

Tony babbling had always been equal parts annoying and endearing for Steve; listening to it just then sent pain lancing through his heart. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it, or the sound of tinkering and electronics that so often provided background 'music’ for the man’s happy tumbling of words. He wondered if Bucky really listened, or if he tuned in and out like Steve had always done. He wondered if Bucky appreciated it, or if he only found it annoying.

He needed to see them.

“So I think zucchini might fall into that same 'why the fuck isn’t this a vegetable’ territory,” he probably should be tuning Tony out as he tried to stand, but he couldn’t quite make himself. “Probably botanists all through history have been conspiring to drive us all crazy with their nonsensical classifications.”

“Not all of us,” Buck interjected as Steve regained his feet, still using that playful tone of voice that he hadn’t heard in over seventy years. “Just you. Even at the dawn of science, people were lookin’ for ways ta piss you off. You specifically.”

“Whatever, Evergreen. Just for that you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“Even if ya do make me, you’ll just join me a few hours later anyway. Better not - you’re old enough that your back won’t be happy about it.”

They kept teasing each other while Steve made his wobbly way to the workshop. Once he turned that last corner, the conversation suddenly cut out - FRIDAY had been letting him hear it. Like it had been in the tower, the workshop was surrounded by what looked like clear glass. It was actually something else, something stronger… but Steve couldn’t remember what it was called. It had been one of the babbling sessions that he’d tuned out. So he couldn’t hear them anymore, but what he was seeing more than made up for it. Tony wasn’t quite facing him, sitting at an angle with one of his hologram… things in front of him. He was working diligently even as his mouth moved, because he was good enough at what he did that he didn’t always have to focus his full attention on it. That was normal and what he was used to seeing - if that had been all he was seeing, Steve would have finally known that he was home and ready to make Tony his.

Instead, he was sitting in Bucky’s lap, so clearly at ease that it had to be something he did often. Both Bucky’s flesh arm and a metal one were wrapped snugly around Tony’s waist, and Buck had his chin hooked on Tony’s left shoulder. He was looking at whatever Tony was working on with both interest and some understanding, like maybe he’d really listened when Tony had explained what he was doing. The scene would have been heartwarming and beautifully domestic if it hadn’t been between Steve’s best friend and the guy he’d maybe left waiting for just a little too long.

Tony never noticed he was there… but Bucky was another story. His eyes suddenly cut to Steve’s, the look in them hard and cold - they were the eyes of the Winter Soldier, and for just a moment he was terrified for Tony. What if the efforts to counter decades of brainwashing hadn’t been as successful as they’d thought? What if Bucky wasn’t really Bucky? What if he hurt Tony? The thought didn’t last long, however, because the expression melted into one that was pure Bucky Barnes. It was sly, shit eating and full of smug victory - he had to know how much Steve wished he was sitting where Bucky was. He kept eye contact as he pressed his mouth to the side of Tony’s neck; it made the genius’s eyes flutter, but it wasn’t enough to stop his hands. Bucky tried again and then again, until Tony - still not looking up from his work, so he still didn’t know Steve was there - lightly swatted at him.

Bucky still had his eyes locked on Steve’s as he ignored the swat and ran one hand possessively up Tony’s chest. The other started to skim downward, but Steve resolutely refused to think about that. He had to watch as Bucky bit down on Tony’s neck, probably sucking hard enough to leave a mark, one that wouldn’t let anyone forget that Tony was Bucky’s. Steve wanted to taste the gasp the gesture drew from Tony’s lips, and he felt something in him crack when he realized that he wouldn’t ever get to. He wanted to feel the way Tony had arched, then melted back against Bucky’s chest. He wanted to be the one gently taking Tony’s throat in his hand, wanted to be the one using his hold to turn Tony’s head and draw him into a hot, messy, demanding kiss.

Steve wouldn’t ever get to have any of those things, because he’d left Tony waiting for too long, and Bucky had swooped in to steal it all away.

Once he’d stumbled almost blindly to his room, he stayed there for the rest of the night. He didn’t need to see the pair of them at dinner, or watch them cuddle up to each other during the movie the whole team planned on watching after. Steve didn’t want the constant reminder that he’d lost out, again, because he’d assumed he would have the time later to savor it. He just wanted time to process this latest lost, come to terms with it as best he could, before he had to interact with them. Steve wanted a night to himself before he had to deal with the pitying looks from his teammates. He wanted one last night before he had to admit to the world how badly he’d fucked up when it came to Tony Stark.

~.~.~

It didn’t take long for Steve’s team to realize they’d all fucked up when it came to Tony… at least in the eyes of his new team. They were all unnecessarily protective, throwing off glares and putting themselves bodily between Steve’s team and Tony. Wanda wasn’t allowed within a few feet of the genius… which she wouldn’t have minded at all if it wasn’t for the fact that Vision stuck almost as close to him as Bucky did. If they thought they detected even a hint of 'old behavior’ (they felt the original Avengers hadn’t treated Tony well and wouldn’t let Steve explain that that wasn’t true), they were quick to point it out and demand they change. Sam was adjusting alright, but Clint had left after a week of it and Wanda only stayed because of Steve. Nat had abandoned them too, but only to return to the new incarnation of SHIELD; when her job had her interacting with the Avengers she was cautious and careful in a way that she hadn’t been before. Steve just felt lost and defensive, and he didn’t understand why they all thought Tony had been treated so badly.

Tony seemed oblivious to most of it, and he wasn’t sure if he was thankful for that or not. He didn’t often have two words to spare for Steve, and they all had to do with the Avengers. Gone were the lingering looks and the sweet smiles. They didn’t touch anymore, didn’t share intimate dinners that were just for the two of them, dinners where they spoke softly and easily with their feet intertwined. Tony was done waiting for him - Steve got the feeling he’d stopped waiting a while ago and he’d just been too willfully blind to see it. There wasn’t that spark of something between them anymore, and they weren’t even friends. They weren’t anything.

He wasn’t anything to Bucky anymore either. Steve had been too bewildered by his best friend’s relationship with Tony to reach out right away, and when he’d started trying he’d been rebuffed at every turn. Bucky didn’t even want to be called 'Bucky’ anymore - anyone that wasn’t Tony or Spider-Man had to call him 'James’. Tony had a slew of nicknames for him, most of them relating to winter, while Spider-Man (a kid named Peter Parker who got mad if anyone talked about that even when he was out of the mask) pretty persistently called him 'Cold Snap’. He’d tell anyone who would listen that he’d been the one to come up with the name and that Tony had stolen it. James would just smile and ruffle his hair whenever he was around to hear the story.

Whatever he was called now, Bucky had made it pretty goddamned clear that he didn’t feel like they were best friends anymore. He didn’t seem to like Steve at all, actually, though they still worked well enough together in the field. Every once in a while, Steve would catch a glimmer of the Bucky he’d known in the curve of his smile or the sparkle in his eyes; sometimes those little things would even last a day or two. But then Steve would accidentally say something or do something that would make Tony give a pained smile and withdraw, which would put him right back to square one. Because no matter how protective the rest of the Avengers were, even Colonel Rhodes had nothing on Bucky.

At first Bucky had stuck to Tony like a burr, and even four months later he was only a little better. Wherever Tony was, 'James’ was right behind him, being sweet and tender with his partner while looming like a thundercloud over almost everyone else. Well, he seemed to have decent relationships with the newer Avengers, especially Spider-Man and Hope van Dyne. So the new Avengers got smiles and sly comments, received the occasional clasp of the shoulder or other casual touch, and they were allowed to be near Tony without Bucky’s constant and oppressive presence. Steve actually suspected Bucky of enlisting the other new Avengers to watch after Tony whenever he was absent, because he couldn’t think of a single instance where any member of his team had been left alone with the genius.

Bucky was watching them, and if they overstepped whatever lines he’d drawn, he was not shy about kicking their asses.

He’d broken Clint’s arm during a sparring session, which was a large part of why the archer had decided he was done. Steve found out later that Clint had been ranting at Tony and when Tony had tried to leave, Clint had grabbed his arm hard enough to leave a bruise. While Bucky had only growled and physically removed him then, he’d exacted retribution the next time he’d faced Clint in the ring. That same week, during a team training exercise, he’d jumped onto Sam’s back and torn his wings to shreds; they’d dropped a good ten feet to the ground together, scrapping the whole way. Neither of them had broken anything, and a grim Sam had apologized the next day for talking shit about how long it was taking Tony to upgrade his equipment.

Wanda refused to spar with him or participate in training scenarios that he was a part of. From the intense, threatening way he looked at her and his tendency to play with knives in her presence, Steve didn’t really blame her.

Steve hadn’t escaped unscathed either. He was allowed to disagree with Tony and challenge his plans, but only if he had a point, a real reason for doing it. He learned quickly that yelling got him punches that were a little more vicious than usual, and if he got in Tony’s face during the heat of the moment he was likely to end up with a few cracked ribs the next time he faced off against Bucky. Once - just once - he’d tried to talk to Tony about everything that had happened alone. With some deft maneuvering he managed to corner Tony without anyone else around. He hadn’t wanted to frighten or hurt the genius… he’d just wanted them to clear the air. He’d wanted to know why and when Tony had stopped waiting. Steve hadn’t realized that Tony was shaking like a leaf and flinching away from him, hadn’t seen the panic in his eyes or registered that his breathing was too hard and too fast. It wasn’t until Bucky came storming up to them, expression dark and furious, that he’d realized that he was scaring the shit out of Tony. He’d backed off fast, but it hadn’t saved him from Bucky the next time they sparred - he’d ended up in medical, nursing a couple of broken bones and needing some stitches despite his healing factor.

All in all, Bucky was making his position incredibly clear. He wasn’t putting up with any 'bullshit’ being directed toward Tony, and he wasn’t afraid to take their blood as payment for every bit of suffering he thought his partner went through.

That’s what Steve had thought for a long time, anyway. He’d been sure it was Bucky, because Bucky loved Tony and wanted him happy and safe. Maybe he wouldn’t have gone to such extremes, but if Tony had been his Steve would have tried to secure exactly those things for him. And Bucky’d been through hell since his fall - it wasn’t surprising, not really, that he’d resort to methods that bordered on brutal to make a lesson stick.

Three months after arriving though, Steve realized it wasn’t Bucky at all.

Fighting - even while training - brought out what was left of the Winter Soldier. So where Bucky was quick to help Tony escape from uncomfortable situations, the Winter Soldier was intent on making them pay for causing them. Bucky might snap and snarl and verbally confront them, but the Winter Soldier was happy to make them bleed instead. Tony wasn’t just dating Bucky. After everything that had happened in Siberia, despite the way the Winter Soldier had killed his parents, Tony had accepted the Winter Soldier’s presence in his life.

More than accepted, actually. Tony never avoided his partner when he was more Winter Soldier than Bucky. In battle situations, once the fighting was over, he always went right to the Winter Soldier, touching and talking until they were both reassured that the other was alright. Tony never shied away from Bucky’s more violent half, and Steve wondered how and why that had happened. He wished he knew why Tony could be so willing to let the Winter Soldier touch him, kiss him, but shut Steve out so completely. It was like he thought Steve was somehow worse than a brainwashed assassin, and it was bewildering and infuriating. He hated watching Tony cuddle the Winter Soldier until what was left of Hydra’s monster felt the situation was safe enough that he could retreat. He hated hearing Tony babble joyfully at the creation that had murdered his parents, hated the way the Winter Soldier would almost smile as he indulged Tony’s every whim. He hated how jealous it all made him, and he hated that even the worst part of his former best friend got more of Tony than he could ever hope to have even on his best day.

Steve had taken for granted that Tony would wait for him forever. He’d thought the unnamed, unspoken thing between them would last through whatever life threw at them. He had genuinely believed that the way they looked at each other, the way they both knew they could have something, would be enough to keep Tony happy to wait until Steve finally managed to get around to paying Tony actual attention. He’d been grateful that Tony hadn’t done anything that would take his attention away from more immediate, more 'important’ things.

He’d been such a fucking idiot.

Maybe he didn’t know the details of how they’d gotten together. Maybe he didn’t know exactly how hostility had turned to acceptance and then love. He had no idea what had taken them away from being enemies and put them into a relationship that seemed to make them both flourish. What he did know was that it had happened because Bucky had been there. He hadn’t shunted Tony off to the side or chosen to make his priorities elsewhere. Bucky had been right there, giving Tony his time and attention instead of offering only a nebulous 'someday, maybe’ while so many of his actions had caused Tony pain. Bucky had offered Tony something real, something concrete, and Steve couldn’t blame him for taking it. Even when jealousy raged inside of him, threatening to turn him bitter, Steve finally understood why Tony had stopped waiting for him.

Good things were supposed to come to those who waited, but those 'good things’ had to actually appear at some point. Tony had waited for him for years, and Steve would have been content to make him wait even longer. Hell, the only reason he’d even thought about trying for something more was because he’d lost everything again. That had scared him into wanting something real with Tony - if their stupid 'civil war’ hadn’t happened, he’d probably have made Tony wait until the day one of them died in battle.

Tony had waited enough, and Steve had lost another good thing to time.

#prompt fill #prompt fic #my writing #my fic #WinterIron #Steve Rogers #Tony Stark #James 'Bucky' Barnes #Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes #POV Steve Rogers #regret #protective bucky #team iron man

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cxptisanarchive · 7 years ago

Note

tacenda ( n) things better left unsaid; matters to be passed over in silence (ur welcome figure out a drabble on that one)

@warpromised

We have no choice. So wefight – and we win. There are no other options.

That had been the goal whenhe'd fought against Stark and that damn registration act. In thewrong hands that list would cost the lives of far too many innocentcivilians, and Sin had proved that to them time and time again.Unfortunately, it hadn't stopped Stark, it hadn't put an end to theircivil war and had he not decided to give up, Steve was certain theywould've destroyed New York and the people's trust. Now?

They'd given him a statue,they'd memorialised him in a way he hadn't expected. As nice as allthat ways, he was certain no one had done the same for Stark, forCarter, or anyone else who'd endured the hell that he was certaincame with his death. He hadn't gotten in touch with Stark and he'dasked Wilson for an update on Carter. If anyone could understand theguilt she carried with her he would. And yet Steve knew he couldn'tfind it in himself to visit her. He didn't blame her, he wouldn'tever blame her for firing the shot that 'killed' him but he knew thatshe would blame herself. Guilt was funny that way; it tended to eatat a person up from the inside until there was nothing left of them.

Guilt was also something hewas familiar with. So many good people had been lost during the war,his best friend had been killed thanks to Zemo and his drone, andthrough it all he'd managed to survive. He wouldn't forget waking upon that sub, surrounded by Stark, Janet, and Thor. To his mind it hadbeen mere moments since he'd landed in the ice and he never wanted tobelieve it had been as long as it had. How could he? Even when hefound his footing, even when he saw the sign that told him he wasback in New York he refused to believe the war was no longer goingon. Not even getting shot had stopped him from trying to find thetruth. All he could think about was finding his way back, returningto the war and helping secure the Allied victory.

It had been a fools errand, anaïve dream and in time he accepted the fact that he couldn't justwalk away from the mantle, from the job the government had given tohim. Of course, no one really knew Captain America and Steve Rogerswere one in the same until he unmasked himself on television. It wastime to show the world who heroes were, it was time to show the worldthat the soldier who first appeared during the second world war wasthe man who worked on taking down all he villains in the world. Andyet no one talked about the consequences, about what came from warand the marks left on men.

Sharon knew. She'd been therefor those nights he woke up covered in sweat from the nightmares thatplagued his sleep. Even though she may not have understood him backthen, he was certain she understood now. Sharon Carter had beendragged into their war and she would know the guilt that came withbeing a soldier. It may not have been exactly the same but guilt veryrarely differentiated between people. Steve knew he couldn't protecther but one day he'd have to reach out and talk with her, remind herthat she wasn't responsible for what had happened. They'd told himwhat had happened, that she'd been brainwashed to do it thanks toFaustus, and that she'd left SHIELD thanks to all the guilt. Itactually reminded him of someone else he knew.

He'dassumed that Bucky had died that day. Even though they'd gone afterZemo's drone, he honestly thought Bucky had died that day when itexploded. It was hard for him to tell since he'd fallen off and thenthe explosion forced him into the water. He yelled for Bucky to letgo and it was the last thing he remembered before the explosion threwhim into the water. Steve was still calling Bucky's name when he wokeup surrounded by Stark, Janet and Thor. In all honesty he neverexpected to see his friend again. He was supposed to be dead.Somehow he'd survived, somehow he'd survived and of course HYDRAturned him into their own weapon. Forcing him to remember after theirfight, forcing him to remember everything that had been his lifeafter he'd tried to come to terms with what he'd seen had beenpainful. But not nearly as painful as the cat and mouse game thatfollowed.

Guilt had to have plagued hisfriend after that and while he wanted to find him, he also knew thatsometimes the best remedy was to leave someone alone. The letter he'dleft for Stark was the only thing he could think of. Bucky would hatehimself, he would most likely fall back into old habits and he knewhe couldn't let his friend do that. Taking on the mantle of CaptainAmerica was supposed to have been a way of saving him. Combining withhaving Stark watching over him he felt like Bucky would've been ingood hands should it come down to it. Never did he expect a timewould come should he die and the mantle would be passed onto someoneelse.

Then again, neither did hethink that the heroes, those he called friends would end up fightingagainst each other but the world was a strange place and would alwaysfind ways of surprising him. Bucky had been given the chance and fromwhat he'd found out had done a damn good job at being CaptainAmerica. Not that he was surprised; if anyone could handle thepressure that came with the suit it would be his friend. Bucky haddone a lot of things that people would never know during the war andthe shield was something he could handle.

Or he thought he could. Guiltwas a weight that no one would ever be able to understand. Not unlessthey'd been through the same thing. And even then they wouldn'tunderstand just what someone had been through. It was why no onereally talked about it, why it was always left unsaid because no onewanted the brutal honest truth about what guilt really did to aperson.

#warpromised #the captain answers #v; the world we live in (616)#[welp #have some more of #whatever the hell this is]

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aion-rsa · 8 years ago

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Captain America: Hydra Cap’s Cabinet of Supervillains Explained

When “Captain America: Steve Rogers” #1 debuted, fans across the world were shocked to learn the beloved superhero is actually an undercover agent for the terrorist group Hydra. But while the audience is now aware of Steve Rogers’ nefarious scheme, his friends and teammates remain in the dark regarding his brainwashing at the hands of the sentient cosmic cube Kobik and the mysterious Elisa Sinclair.

Wait – who?

As revealed in the pages of writer Nick Spencer’s ongoing saga, Hydra agent Sinclair is the person who brought a young Rogers to the evil organization, enrolling him in a school that reinforced their beliefs and ideals. While Sinclair’s background remained a mystery throughout a series of flashback sequence appearances, we finally discovered her real identity in the present as the new Madame Hydra in “Captain America: Steve Rogers” #12.

PREVIEW: Secret Empire #0 Sets Up Captain America’s Big Hydra Turn

Having revealed herself to Taskmaster and Black Ant after the supervillains stumbled across Cap’s double-agent status, Sinclair has since recruited the duo to serve as her personal bodyguards while she assembles a new High Council of Hydra. This group, which came together in the pages of “Captain America: Steve Rogers” #14, includes some familiar faces to fans of the “Secret Warriors” series that ran from 2009 to 2011.

What follows is a rundown of Madame Hydra’s cabinet members, a quote she uses to entice them to join her cause, and what their membership could mean for the summer’s “Secret Empire” event.

Hive

“I offer you violence.”

On their first stop, Sinclair takes Taskmaster and Black Ant to what she calls the “ends of the Earth” in search of Hive, a Hydra-loyal, genetically-engineered parasite. Hive is comprised of a group of individual parasites that combine to form a humanoid body — with a head in the shape of the Hydra symbol.

The entity, which debuted in 2008’s “Secret Warriors” #2, has taken many lifeforms as a host in its day, including a previously deceased Viper who the creature resurrected into a new Madame Hydra. The offer of violence is a tease from Sinclair that she plans to use Hive’s dedication to the Hydra cause as a weapon against her enemies.

Viper

“I offer you belonging.”

Ophelia Sarkissian first appeared in “Captain America” #110, the former leader of Hydra operating under the moniker Madame Hydra. In the mood for a change, she switched to the codename Viper, and was once (incorrectly) believed to be the mother of Spider-Woman, Merriem Drew.

“Secret Warriors” saw another version of Madame Hydra — former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine — join Viper among Hydra’s restructured leadership team. After Viper is captured by the rival organization Leviathan, Madame Hydra/Contessa de Fontaine shows her true colors by killing her predecessor.

This would not be the end for Viper, however, as she is resurrected by the Hive, and gains long, flowing tentacles from her head. Following Viper’s revival, she adopts the name Madame Hydra again, until her new monstrous look is removed by Norman Osborn’s S.H.I.E.L.D. replacement H.A.M.M.E.R. during “Dark Reign.” The Green Queen was also romantically linked to Wolverine, with the two actually getting married at one point. She was last seen taking out a contract on her former husband in the “Death of Wolverine” miniseries.

In “Captain America: Steve Rogers” #14, Elisa Sinclair finds Viper distributing drugs in her old stomping grounds of Madripoor. Sinclair has decided that Viper has strayed too far from her Hydra roots, and thus offers the chance to rejoin the organization. After how Hydra treated Viper in the past, you couldn’t blame her for staying as far away from the group as possible, but that’s not how the villain sees things. Perhaps the former Madame Hydra views Sinclair’s invitation as an opportunity to reclaim her name and position? Whatever the case, Viper is now a part of Steve Rogers’ new inner circle.

Doctor Faustus

“I offer you influence.”

Johann Fennhoff, aka Doctor Faustus, is most famously known to modern comic fans as one of the masterminds behind the death of Captain America in 2007, using his mind manipulation powers to force Sharon Carter to deliver the killing shot. He was also a member of a subsidiary Hydra group called the Secret Empire, which coincidentally is the name of the Marvel event this new cabinet will be participating in. Faustus also ports closer than ever ties to Steve Rogers; when Kobik reset reality, Faustus’ father, Sebastian Fenhoff, ran the boarding school Rogers attended as a budding Hydra agent.

When Elisa Sinclair finds Faustus, he is posing as a psychiatrist to a wealthy debutante in order to fleece her fortune. As someone who makes his living off of controling others, Sinclair’s offer of influence will allow Faustus to return to his roots as a master manipulator on a much larger scale.

Gorgon

“I offer you vengeance.”

Tomi Shishido’s loyalties have bounced around between the Hand and Hydra since his appearance in “Wolverine” Vol. 3 #20. Born with the mutant power to turn anyone into stone upon making eye contact, he was killed in a battle against Wolverine; upon seeing his own reflection in the X-Man’s adamantium claws, he turned himself turned to stone and was then shattered. Gorgon would later be resurrected by the Hand at the behest of Hydra, where he served as the Wolverine stand-in for Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers.

Called the “spear in the East” by Elisa Sinclair, the Gorgon is enticed by the chance to inflict vengeance upon those who have wronged him. Whether that vengeance comes against rival Hydra cells, the Hand or an unknown third party remains to be seen.

Arnim Zola

“I offer you discovery.”

The mad scientist has been a thorn in Captain America’s side since they first clashed with one another in World War II. Zola’s consciousness was able to survive the many decades since, having been transferred to a robotic body. In the first iteration of “Marvel NOW!,” Zola trapped Cap in Dimension Z, where time moves faster than normal. Rogers spent years fighting Zola and his bioengineered army, eventually even convincing the biochemist’s genetically-engineered son Ian to fight evil at his side as the new Nomad.

Just a week before his recruitment here, Zola made a guest-appearance in a back-up story for “Amazing Spider-Man” #25 where he himself recruited Otto Octavius – in a newly cloned body – to join Hydra as the Superior Octopus. When we see Elisa Sinclair makes her own offer to Zola, she conjures an image of a cosmic cube, a powerful artifact the mad scientist has manipulated on many occasions, and thus an item of particular interest to him — certainly of enough interest for Zola to align himself with the rest of Hydra’s new High council… for now, at least.

Kraken

“I offer you meaning.”

The most interesting of Elisa Sinclair’s recruits is the new Kraken. In “Secret Warriors,” we learned two people previously wore the Kraken helmet and armor: Daniel Whitehall and Nick Fury, Sr.’s brother, Jake Fury. Whitehall was the original Kraken, a puppet master who remained behind the scenes, helping to train and lead some of Hydra’s finest operatives, including Viper. Kraken was involved in the creation of the Hive, and gave a young Gorgon his Godkiller Sword.

After Jake Fury became aware that Whitehall was the Kraken, the younger Fury killed Whitehall and took his place in order to infiltrate Hydra. He would appear again as one of the Hydra officials in Steve Rogers’ remastered history.

There appears to be a new person taking on the role of the Kraken when Sinclair meets him in Scotland. She drops some clues as to his true identity, saying “the man this suit belonged to — he meant a great deal to me,” along with calling him “family.” Whoever is playing this role is believed to be dead; could it be a resurrected Whitehall, or is it someone else with close ties to Sinclair? Time — and “Secret Empire” — will tell.

The post Captain America: Hydra Cap’s Cabinet of Supervillains Explained appeared first on CBR.

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