jwuv

[starshipsofstarlord]

A Stark Contrast | Bucky Barnes

Summary; living in the shadow of Tony, your brother, always was the way, and you accepted it. That was until he expected you to sign the accords, that was one thing that you couldn’t do.

Warnings; Angst, mentions of death, mentions of being controlled, funeral, mourning, anger

The form, bound in a weighty book laid on the table, making the room fill with utmost tension. Tony was hellbent on signing the thing, and handing away any freedom that all of you had.

No matter how long you had supported him, this was not one subject that you could agree with him on. Whilst you understood his perspective, it would only end up with you in a hamster wheel, running around and following the orders of executives.

They wanted less destruction. To put boundaries around their country’s heroes, and limit them to the lengths they could go to in order to save lives.

That was also wrong, the entire ordeal had you bent backwards with a conflict of interests. On one hand, it would be ordinary to sign for such a cause, whether you trusted their backgrounds or not, simply because your elder sibling had.

There was nobody that you trusted more than Tony, he had half raised you after your parents were killed, you felt indebted to him. But being an avenger, on a team where your personal opinion had been valued, it opened your eyes to a whole range of possibilities.

Whilst you were loyal to Tony, you had also became in tune with your own gut. It grumbled at the prospect of giving in to a contract, which decided what you were permitted to do. It was like a child’s parent permission slip, but on a much grander scale.

“People died!” He reminded the lot of you again, which inclined you to look down. There was blood on all of your hands, and he was making it as red as it could possibly be seen. “At least y/n agrees with me.” He reprimanded Steve, whom was still far on the fence regarding the entire ordeal.

Once he said that, all eyes had shifted towards you. Nat had already basically given in to your brother’s convictions, and Steve suspected that you would do the same. You were always one step behind Tony, you were far too loyal to your sibling for your own good.

“I have yet to make up my mind.” You spoke, standing, no longer wishing to be in the room where there was far too much tension. How you wished Banner and Thor were here, they would make an equal divide. The God of Thunder would not scribble his signature upon the paper, you thought to yourself, if he knew their reasons and affects.

However, your words were taken as an assumption that you would join your sibling in providing a peaceful surrender. It is what he and the public would assume of you, and to be truthful, you were tired of sticking to the stereotypes that were made of you.

“I’m surprised that you came.” Steve spoke, as you opened the boot of your car, and revealed the shield that he was so often adorned with, as well as Sam’s wings. He, like most others, had suspected that you would join your brother in his guilt ridden cause, however, thinking for yourself gave you a sense of freedom.

“Don’t be so quick to prevail into what everyone else thinks of me.” You smirked at the captain, your eyes drifting over to the other super soldier, whom had temporarily been imprisoned by the government.

But he had escaped, and if luck was not often a Stark trait, Tony would have died. You had watched from the cameras, but you could boil no bad blood in between the pair of you, Barnes was not in his right mind. He was controlled, and put into a incomprehensible mode of himself. That was, unless, he had managed to kill Tony.

Then you would have changed your own deciding mind, and stuck to what the eldest Stark believed in. “I won’t, ever again.” Sam smiled, picking up redwing from the composed pile, and kissing the machine.

“Bucky.” You reiterated his name, the one that he had chosen to correct the unknown and deceiving man on. The nod you earnt was brief, but it gave you a sense of hope that whirled in your middle. 

It was clear that he was an attractive man, and alike his righteous friend, he was frozen through time to be in this current moment. As Sam and Steve began to get their things together, you walked over to the historical stranger, a smile upon your face. “I’m y/n Stark, I don’t believe we have had the fortune of meeting before.”

“You sure do speak like a Stark.” He softly spoke, a matching smile on his brawn face. “And you seem to have other things in common, like that necklace.” At his words, you looked down at it, a hint of anguish within your gaze.

“It belonged to my mother.” It was nice to reminisce about her for a moment, you knew that she would have made her own decisions too. In some retrospect, you were following in her footsteps.

A feeling grew in the back of Bucky’s throat, but he said nothing. If he were to spill, or reveal his dark secret, it would mean nothing more than the loss of a powerful asset, they could not afford that right now.

“Do you ever think about what would have happened if you got to return home?” It had been a stressful day, fighting your friends, and your last living family member. Bucky turned at your words, you had saved him from being killed, he felt indebted.

“Probably do what every other soldier did; find a woman to marry and have kids. But that’s far out of the picture in this modern age.” Steve was flying the aircraft as you and Bucky spoke in the back. It gave the two of you a moment alone, and you were truly knowing as though you knew the soldier.

He was a good man, misinterpreted by the deeds that he was controlled to do. No one chose to have pity on Barnes, they instead viewed him as a country danger, and wanted to lock him up in a cage, which was how he had come so far in the first place.

“I wouldn’t say that.” For a moment, you looked into his deep blue eyes, feeling as though he were freezing you with them. He didn’t want to look away, but you were inclined to, for you could feel the contrasts of hot and cold heat working its way up your neck, and onto your face. “There’s definitely a woman that would want all that and more with you.”

If things were simpler, you would be convinced that you could share such an intimate bond with him, but alas, everything had to be complicated. And if things could work out, they surely couldn’t last.

“We’re here.” Steve informed the both of you, as he slid out of his front seat, and you prepared to finish this for once and for all.

“How could you?!” You couldn’t defend him as Tony blasted him away, Bucky had played you, and done so well. He and Steve knew of the blood on his hands, and yet they hadn’t thought once to inform you of the one true treachery regrading you.

Bucky had killed your mother, from the intake of information alone, you felt sick. Physically sick. But you choked it down, and as Steve unsurely came towards you, you ran at him, angered by his lies.

From the start, the patriot of America, someone you had considered a friend had deceived you. You had helped him, stood with him, fought your friends for him, and not to mention Tony, and he had known all along.

“Y/n-”

“Save your apologies Rogers.” You stared him down, as he had Bucky held up by one arm, seeing as Barnes had lost one of his own again. “And you, you’re right, there’s no perfect picture, you’re nothing but a monster.”

“Listen.” Steve commanded, but you couldn’t. He was no longer considered your captain, he was a sick liar who had helped to break you. This was the last time that you made your own decisions. Tony was always right.

“You don’t deserve that shield, my father made that. It’s government property-” swiftly he dropped said item, an exhausted and tiresome expression upon Steve’s helmet wearing face.

As soon as they trudged by, you instantly went to Tony, checking his wounds. “You were right brother, I should have listened to you.”

“Your dad loved cheeseburgers too.” You laughed lightly to Morgan, blinking back the tears. It was Tony’s funeral, there were so many people here, even Fury, but there was someone else, who was walking towards you. “Why don’t you go and ask Happy, I have some business that I have to tend to quickly.”

“Okay auntie y/n.” She ran off. She was so innocent, she didn’t deserve to be going to her father’s funeral at five years old, it was truly cruel. But that was just the way the world worked, and Tony was a hero.

“Hi.” Bucky spoke, adorned in all black, same as you. It had been a long time since you had seen him, not since he was being carried away by Steve. You hadn’t fought in Wakanda, instead you had ended up on Titan with your brother, and you would have surely died without him.

“Hey Barnes.” You greeted him with a forced smile, but nevertheless allowed him to step closer.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” He said, the guilt still burning behind his eyes. It seemed that his time in Wakanda had changed him, for the better.

“Which one?” You quipped back, instantaneously. 

“All of them.” He gulped, he was going to give you one truth before you found out after. It was his attempt at redemption, and a sorrowful one at that. “Steve’s returning the stones later.”

“I know.” You responded, the captain had already informed you about that part of his plan.

“And he’s not coming back.”

“Anthony Howard and Steven Nathan Barnes, the two of you better get back here this instant!” Your voice hollered through the house, as well as the duo’s endless giggles.

The front door opened, no other than Bucky walking through. He was quick to recognise the flash of motherly anger upon your face, and quickly dropped his serene smile.

“What have they done?” Bucky asked, watching as you crossed your arms in an unimpressed manner.

“Why don’t you ask your sons?” Your husband sighed, but despite that, he was a happy man. He had returned from a war, and found a lovely wife, of which he had two troublesome boys with. For the first time in a long time, y/n Stark and Bucky Barnes were happy.

[9worldstales]

MCU What if Ep 1-2-3: My two cents

So, I’ve been watching the “What if” series. I won’t beat it around the bush, I’m enjoying it but at the same time I get the feeling this series is aimed at younger audience, younger audience which isn’t deeply familiar with the movies and needs to be feed a simpler storyline.

In fact from the way they present it in each episode 1 single change should be the one which gives life to a parallel universe in a sort of domino effect… only, from what I could see in those 3 episodes, there are actually multiple unconnected changes, 1 presented more markedly as if it were the one starting everything and the others… just there for unknown reasons but they aren’t remarked and might easily be missed by who doesn’t remember well the movies.

Characterizations are also simplified, with heroes more black and white than grey, and a general toning down of the drama. This isn’t necessarily tied to the short time, 30 minutes in the hand of a good storyteller are plenty of time to construct a complicate, adult, emotionally engaging story… but a complicate story requires an audience willing to put its mind to understand it, or capable to handle a more morally nuanced plot or that wouldn’t be too distressed by a more emotionally engaging one.

This kind of audience is clearly not what those stories are aiming at.

This isn’t meant to say they’re bad, they’re perfect for young audience, passing on a good message, being overall funny and giving them the chance to enjoy the heroes they love in a different setting.

Dialogues are nice, their voice actors so far delivered good performance, the art isn’t bad and the stories can feel still intriguing enough.

However, if you think too hard at them, especially in comparison to the original movie, the story tends to crumble or feel morally poor or mess up the characterization or some other thing.

Overall I think the “What if” so far are more enjoyable if you don’t really remember well the movies and, anyway, judge them as stand-alone more than “What if” based on how a single divergence from the plot could create a new timeline.

Some examples?

Pick “What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?”

The divergence supposedly happens when Peggy decides to stay in the room.

Erskine: Agent Carter, wouldn't you be more comfortable in the booth? Peggy: No, I'd prefer to stay. Watcher: There. That's the moment that created a new universe. When asked to leave the room, Margaret "Peggy" Carter chose to stay. But soon it would be her venturing into the unknown and creating a new world.

Only, in truth, it’s not just Peggy who was meant to go to the booth and didn’t.

EVERYONE was meant to go to the booth… only they all stay and Kruger, the spy from Hydra, who was seated in the booth BEHIND Peggy in “Captain America”, in the “What if” episode attacks the lab during Erskine’s explanation and not, as he did in “Captain America”, after the experiment took place, using as a distraction a bomb he left in the booth, and not on the floor of near to where the experiment was taking place so that it can kill Erskine.

And, to be really accurate, Erskine, in “Captain America”, asked Peggy to move to the booth when Steve was already lying down for the experiment, while here we see him asking her so while the two are standing next to each other and he hadn’t started undressing yet.

And there’s a reason why in the movie things were done like that.

Of course in the movie everyone was in the booth, it was safer should something go wrong with the experiment.

Of course Kruger waited for the experiment to be carried on, if it didn’t work there was no point in stealing a vial of a serum that didn’t work.

Of course Kruger left the bomb in the booth and made it explode when he was outside of it, so that he was sure it would create distraction but not harm him.

Overall, it’s not just Peggy that acts differently, it’s Erskine, who asked her to move in advance, it’s all the people there, who didn’t move to the booth, it’s ESPECIALLY, Kruger, who originally aimed to see if the serum worked and, in this case, steal it and kill Erskine so he couldn’t produce more and instead he now doesn’t check if the serum works and kills, for unknown reasons Chester Phillips, who didn’t even have a weapon in his hand and so didn’t pose a threat.

Even the placing of the bomb is poor because, since there was plenty of mechanisms in the lab, it could have triggered a series of explosions that were to destroy the whole place, himself and all the serum included.

But how many young viewers noticed all this or worry for the risk of everything exploding or realize that causing an explosion outside of the room in which the serum was worked as a diversion so as to take people away from that place, while if the bomb were to explode there, everyone would converge in that place, with hydrants possibly as no one worries about fire spreading but they should… even if there’s magically not as much as there should be.

And tragic scenes get tamed down, we don’t see Erskine die, we might not even realize he died in the explosion, young viewers might not remember or not like Chester Phillips so when he’s shoot he doesn’t leave an impression and Kruger’s shape gets shoot down by Peggy so we don’t have him committing suicide.

It’s not a complain, it’s a logic choice to make the series more palatable to a younger target by toning down the violence and the drama in it.

And so we reach the big event of the episode.

John Flynn would want Stark to get the serum injected in himself (forgetting there were men of the MP around him who shouldn’t be all dead) but starts to complain when Peggy volunteers to take the serum herself. Peggy does anyway and again things are tamed down, as Steve ended up screaming so loud in “Captain America” Peggy feared they were killing him and they considered stopping the experiment but Peggy doesn’t scream at all.

Sure, in had been scientifically proved women are built to handle pain better, but very likely Peggy’s lack of scream isn’t because she’s tougher, it’s again to not upset young audience.

So, while Steve lies on the ground and no one comes to help him, Peggy comes out of the experiment enhanced. But here we’ve the real core of the episode, John Flynn decides the experiment is an absolute failure. Why?

Flynn: Sixty million dollars and all the hope in the world down the drain. I was promised an army. I was promised peace and salvation. Instead, I get a girl.

Basically the real core of the episode, the real theme is that Captain Carter will have to fight discrimination based on sexism.

Peggy: You have a Super Soldier. Flynn: Women aren't soldiers, and they sure as hell don't fight on the front lines. They might break a nail.

Undoubtedly this is an important matter, it’s a good topic to make an episode about, to give young girls an heroine, to show to them and to the boys what an absolute moron Flynn was in discriminating Peggy, also presenting boys being supportive of Peggy and trusting her. Howard Stark, Steve Rogers, and then Bucky and everyone else, all the men who see Peggy fighting are ultimately supportive and admiring of her. This is important. But Flynn’s sexism is better remarked if we don’t remember what happened in “Captain America”.

Steve Rogers: Sir, if you’re going after Schmidt, I want in. Col. Chester Phillips: You’re an experiment. You’re going to Alamogordo. Steve Rogers: The serum worked. Col. Chester Phillips: I asked for an army and all I got was you. You are not enough. Senator Brandt: [to Steve] With all due respect to the Colonel, I think we may be missing the point. I’ve seen you in action, Steve. More importantly, the country’s seen it. [to his aide] Paper.[the aide shows them the news paper (‘The New York Examiner’ Vol. XCVII No. 33.634, Wednesday, June 23, 1943), headlines: "Nazis in New York - mystery man saves child"] The enlistment lines have been around the block since your picture hit the newsstands. You don’t take a soldier, a symbol like that, and hide him in a lab. Son, do you want to serve your country on the most important battlefield of the war? Steve Rogers: Sir, that’s all I want. Senator Brandt: Then, congratulations. You just got promoted.

I mean, Rogers was a male and he too was judged ‘not enough’. Brandt has him tour the nation in a colorful costume as “Captain America” to promote war bonds, while scientists study him and attempt to reverse-engineer the formula.

Chester Phillips was likely killed because otherwise they would have no reason to deal with Peggy the same way he dealt with Steve ‘one is not enough’, only it wouldn’t have been a sexist problem, just math (though it could be argued Phillips never trusted Steve to begin with). This causes the message ‘sexism is dumb’ ends up feeling forced because it’s basically pasted over a previous narrative of ‘not being enough’. If you want, you can read it as always discrimination and discrimination it’s always bad, but it still cheapens the message.

All this not to say that the episode isn’t awesome if seen as a stand-alone… it’s just that when you compare it with “Captain America” it feels weaker.

And then there are the other discrepancies, like the Hydra bringing the Tesseract to Berlin and not to Azzano (a sign somehow Schmidt and Hitler didn’t have a fall out) with Stark using it to power up an “Hydra Stomper” suit that proves if he had had the right power sources and technologies he could have built “Iron Man” too.

They’re not bad points (actually I loved the “Hydra Stomper” suit and how Peggy rode it the way Tekkaman from “Uchu no Kishi Tekkaman” used to ride Pegas in my childhood memories) but again they’re divergences without a clear reason. Schmidt and Hitler shouldn’t get along better solely because Peggy got the serum.

And that’s the first episode.

“What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?” is also clearly aimed to a younger audience but with a goal different from “What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?”

Watcher: What you call destiny is just an equation, a product of variables. Right place, right time, or in some instances, the wrong place at the wrong time. As fate would have it, at that very moment, a Ravager spacecraft was arriving on Earth to abduct the spawn of the Celestial, Ego. But in this universe, Yondu outsourced the assignment to his subordinates. Yondu: You morons grabbed the wrong kid!

For start this episode doesn’t try to rewrite a single movie, but by taking pieces of assorted movies “Thor: The Dark World” (for Tivan) “Guardians of the Galaxy” (for the idea of the setting), “Black Panther” (for T’Challa), “Avengers: Infinity War” (for the Black Order), “Captain America” (Tivan has his shielf), “Thor: Ragnarok” (TIvan has and uses Hela’s headpiece, talking of her as if he knew her and we can see he also has Thor’s hammer), “Thor: The Dark World” (Tivan has Malekith’s dagger) creates a completely different timeline by changing something that happened in 1988 and then jumping straight in… 2014, I presume, where a lot is different but we aren’t meant to see the process due to which things were changed, just to accept how T’Challa, kidnapped as a kid by the Ravagers, managed to make the difference.

In fact the whole theme of this episode is that T’Challa is a hero and a role model that gets success and admiration by TALKING TO PEOPLE AND PERSUADING THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING. He’s meant not to have a character arc but to create a world that’s the best possible for people.

In fact we’re told just by talking with Thanos he persuaded him to stop his whole plan without using violence.

Korath: How exactly did you stop Thanos, the Mad Titan, from decimating half of the universe? Oh, no. Thanos: I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong. T'Challa here showed me there was more than one way to reallocate the universe's resources. T’Challa: Sometimes the best weapon in your arsenal is just a good argument.

I mean, he doesn’t just turn the Ravagers into Robin Hood’s “merry men”, he talks with Thanos and Thanos decides to change his ways.

This is great, a wonderful message, a message against violence, a message about the power of the words and it makes T’Challa a real hero who, just by talking, saves the universe from Thanos but… but T’Challa from the movies was maybe not so good at persuading people from not doing wrong but he still had something amazing that made him very human and, at the same time a role model.

T’Challa wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes… but then he would admit them and correct them.

In “Captain America: Civil War” he wants to kill Bucky in retaliation for what happened to his father…

Natasha Romanoff: T'Challa. Task force will decide who brings in Barnes. T'Challa: [He clenches his fist.] Don't bother, Miss Romanoff. I'll kill him myself.

…but then he understands killing his father’s murder would be wrong and even stops Zemo from committing suicide.

T'Challa: Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them. [He blinks ruefully and retracts the claws in his gloves.] I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough. Helmut Zemo: [Holding a gun Zemo smiles thinly.] Tell that to the dead. [He tries to shoot himself but T'Challa grabs him just as he fires.] T'Challa: The living are not done with you yet.

And the same goes in “Black Panther”. At first he doesn’t want to ask Killmonger his name because he knows he is his uncle’s son and this would give him the right to compete for the throne as well as expose what his father did…

Killmonger: Oh, I ain't requesting nothing! Ask who I am? Shuri: You are Eric Steves. An American black operative. A mercenary nicknamed Killmonger. That's who you are. Killmonger: (LAUGHING) That's not my name, Princess. Ask me, King? T'Challa: No. Killmonger: Ask me. T'Challa: Take him away.

…but then he’ll acknowledges they had wronged him, will show him Wakanda’s beauty and will change things in Wakanda. T’Challa in the movies isn’t as perfect as T’Challa in the “What if” episode. He can’t solve everything and make the world perfect. He isn’t always right. He gets angry, vengeful, afraid of the truth. But then he rises above this and does the right thing.

“What if” T’Challa is a model of perfection that’s admirable… but that sits simply too high above the original T’Challa who also had to deal with Thanos but didn’t even think he could change his mind just by giving him a talk… and with good reason.

Younger kids might not realize because they might have not fully grasped how Thanos was a genocidal maniac, who massacred millions even prior to the snap, tortured his daughters and even removed body parts from Nebula. They might swallow it was just that easy to talk him into not doing the snap, and Thanos only needed someone to tell him it was wrong… and that in truth he loved Nebula… but for older viewers while beautiful, this is simply unbelievable.

And what about Yondu and the Ravagers? Just because they had T’Challa they became good and righteous. This is how Peter Quill described Yondu in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” which still gives a sympathetic portrayal of Yondu:

Quill: He wasn't my father. Yondu was the guy who abducted me. He'd beat the crap out of me so I'd learn how to fight and he kept me in terror threatening to eat me.

But T’Challa doesn’t seem to have such complains against Yondu.

Now… In Quill’s case Yondu kept Quill so as to protect him from Ego…

Yondu: Once I figured out what happened to the other kids, I wasn't gonna just hand you over.

…yet he kidnap him and tells him his home was destroyed so as to manipulate him into staying… but this is so easily forgotten by T’Challa to the point children might not even realize it was there. Yondu was a good dad for him, he kidnapped him because T’Challa was basically wasted at home.

Yondu: Sometimes you need to hear a lie to see the truth. You're just like me, T'Challa. T’Challa: I am nothing like you. Yondu: You're an explorer, Star-Lord. And for people like you, like us, the past ain't nothing but a prison. You don't belong down there with them. You belong up here with us, with your family.

Although T’Challa doesn’t seem to agree at first… in the end all is forgotten.

Yondu: Look, T'Challa, I just wanted to say... T’Challa: There's no need. I was the one who told you I wanted to see the world. All you did was show me the universe.

and

T’Chaka: (Voice shaking) My son, my son. I knew you would find your way home to us. T’Challa: I'm sorry it took me so long. Let me introduce you to the family I made along the way.

All this is to basically excuse the premise, something horrible like kidnapping a child is passed as not really something terrible so that kids wouldn’t deal with its emotional implications and can even think that it was a pity that, in the normal universe, it was Peter Quill that was kidnapped… without realizing that kidnapping is bad and that in T’Challa’s case Yondu wasn’t even doing it because he wanted to protect him. Actually it’s unexplained why, all of sudden, Yondu felt the need to keep T’Challa and completely forgot about Quill, didn’t even care about making sure Ego wouldn’t find Quill despite, thanks to T’Challa, becoming a better person. It’s another change, one that people knowing the movies is bound to notice but not kids.

So again, for who knows the movie well, the story ends up being weak and this is also because, while T’Challa could persuade Thanos off screen not to commit genocide… all of sudden his persuasive power isn’t even really tested out with Tivan. Tivan is the big evil… yet he’s somehow less fearsome than Thanos because we clearly don’t want to scare the kids.

So again, wonderful for young audience who doesn’t remember well the movies… not so solid for who’s older.

And so we move to “What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” which is absolutely my favourite so far. This one at a first glance seems to be a “What if” of a comic named “The Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week”.

The awesome thing of this story is we don’t know what changed the universe, we only discover that someone is killing off the Avengers before they could become the Avengers, starting with Tony Stark.

The mystery is, at a first glance, cool, the idea original, Natasha gets a big role as she investigates and even fights things along with Fury and, again, children will likely not really realize how the “What if” is actually changing the settings even when they’re supposedly not related to the change that caused this parallel reality, the death of Hope van Dyne. I mean, we can start our list of changes with the random funny things that has no reason to happen because Hope’s death shouldn’t have made Coulson and Barton to be so appreciative of Thor’s hair, something they never bring up in the movie…

Coulson: Whoa. I got visual on the intruder. He's a Caucasian male, mid-twenties with... really great hair. Fury: Excuse me? Coulson: It's an accurate description. Sir, he's gorgeous. Fury: I need eyes in the sky. Barton. Barton: Already on it. He's making a move on the hammer. One shot, one kill, sir. Just say the word. Fury: Hold your fire. I wanna see this. Barton: Whoa. Coulson wasn't lying about the hair. That's nice.

…to continue with more plot related matters like how Betty should have known Banner had intruded in her lab dressed up as a delivery boy and was now hiding in a wardrobe… but if we want we can forgive them. Maybe Hope’s death really changed some things in weird ways we couldn’t predict… but the place with the biggest revolution seems to be Asgard… which actually shouldn’t have been affected by by Hope’s death AT ALL and instead the situation is completely different from how it were in “Thor” to the point I could write a 20 pages meta on the changes. But, if we assume this episode is aimed at children, it works because the “Thor” situation was complicate and here instead they show solely some random and confuse elements that children might have picked up from talks about the movies… but that weren’t like that in “Thor”.

And again we have messages that can be good for children, how a father will love his little girl, how Nick Fury will save the day even without the Avengers, how:

Fury: S.H.I.E.L.D. is people, people willing to give their lives for something greater than themselves to save the world from men like you.

…and how in the darkest time new heroes will always come to save Earth as when Loki take over because it seems there are no more Avengers, Fury can still count on Carol Danvers and Steve Rogers.

Coulson: The Avengers fell before they had a chance to rise. May they rest in peace. Fury: They can, but we won't. The Avengers were always meant to be more than a team. They were an idea, the affirmation of humanity's need to believe that in our darkest hour, we will find our heroes. Watcher: I believe that in this universe, as in every other, hope never dies. As long as someone keeps their good eye on the bigger picture.

It’s a good message about hope… but again, it’s something for children. We’re meant to believe Earth could be conquered in one day time without struggle whatsoever… and that only the heroes could save it. Children might not remember it but in “The Avengers” humans tried to nuke New York to stop Loki… the idea they would just sit and say ‘whatever’ to Loki’s domination makes it look as if they actually agree with him to an adult… but, of course, the battle of New York is something we might not want to show to a little child.

And now… something else that’s relevant.

I said the “What ifs” are good stories for children… but we’re talking of young children here because if the child is a little older they can end up passing a completely wrong message.

Remember "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" and how it tackled sexism as an absurd behavior to keep? How Captain Carter overcomes it? By using her supersoldier powers to beat the Nazi. She shows as a supersoldier she works.

Does she turns over the concept that ‘Women aren't soldiers, and they sure as hell don't fight on the front lines. They might break a nail’?

At most she proves she can be a soldier. She doesn’t fight using the fact she’s a woman as her strongest point, she fights using her super strength as her strongest point… where Steve Roger’s strongest point wasn’t his enhanced strength but his moral values. Peggy proves as a super soldier she’s equal to Steve… but Steve as a super soldier proved he was better than Red Skull. Peggy’s actions in the story doesn’t cause people to revalue women in general, just her. People either aren’t sexist and accept her regardless of her genre (Howard, Steve) or they’re sexist but accept her because she is strong.

It’s meaningful that when she thinks Steve is dead Flynn goes back to his old mindset…

Flynn: She should never have been in the field in the first place.

… because the truth is he never changed it. Peggy had only yelled at them to stop calling Steve “Hydra Stomper” as his name was “Steve Roger” and Flynn decides she, not Steve who actually died, should have never been in the field.

They don’t show how Peggy got information from Zola, which seems to imply all she did to get them was to beat him up. Chester Phillips in “Captain America” manipulated him into talking with his intelligence only.

Do you know which were Peggy’s abilities in the universe in which she isn’t a super soldier? She’s a Master Martial Artist, an Expert Marksman, a Master Spy, an Expert Tactician, a Thief and can speak and read English, Russian and German fluently as well as use a convincing American accent.

This is hardly noticeable though in her own story.

Howard: Should we not have a plan? Peggy: Who needs a plan? I have a shield. Howard: A shield is not a plan. Oh, Carter...

She was a tactician!

Now… she has a shield. But whatever girl wants to be like her won’t have a shield, nor a super serum. To be a real role model for girls who aren’t anymore children Peggy needed to have qualities they too could have that would empower her. The only good moment is when she understands what Howard plans to do:

Howard: If I can get to the controls, I can transpose the ingress and do science stuff. Peggy: You mean transpose the polarity and reverse the suction? Howard: Being the genius is my thing.

But again, the irony here is that this is no genius plan, middle school students had probably seen him being done in movies and cartoons already. It might seem genius idea to kids, but when you’re older it hardly sounds like one… and when Howard complains all in the machine is written in German they don’t have Peggy show her knowledge of it, and translate the words as she fight, she just fight and he’s supposed to figure things out.

“Captain America” is a role model for what he has inside. I’m sure Peggy Carter has plenty of things inside her as well… but “What if” makes it more about the super strength she has gained.

Where Steve gains Phillips’ respect, Flynn’s respect is more a façade due to her successes thanks to her super strength, and that respect gets pulled back as soon as she gets upset by his behavior. Sure, Flynn is a worse person than Phillips in this black and white world but this too is part of the narrative. If Peggy can’t permanently win over sexism in one person, it’s not real victory at all. If what’s remarkable about her is how she fights (due to the serum) then who didn’t have it, will never have a hope. Peggy Carter was more of a female model when she wasn’t supersoldier, she felt more of a role model in “Captain America”, when she got to do this with her own strength:

Peggy Carter: Put your right foot forward. Gilmore Hodge: Mmm… We gonna wrassle? Cause I got a few moves I know you’ll like. [suddenly Peggy punches him hard in the face. Col.Phillips drives up] Col. Chester Phillips: Agent Carter. Peggy Carter: Colonel Phillips. Col. Chester Phillips: I see you’re breaking in the candidates. That’s good!

…than when she punched Nazis thanks to being a super soldier. Peggy has never been a fragile Fräulein, but this episode seems to remark she’s not one merely because she has taken the serum.

As a result… she sets an impossible role model for girls. If the key to be (partially) respected and accepted by males is to get the super soldier serum and/or the shiled… well, that serum doesn’t exist, not does the shield.

And a similar problem exists in “What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?”

Teaching a small child he can solve problems by talking and not by hitting is important… but passing the message that you can stop bullies or worse just by talking to them is again setting an impossible role model. People like Thanos can’t be stopped with just words. People like Yondu and the Ravagers wouldn’t become Robin Hood and his merry men merely because they have with themselves a young boy who tells them the right things… and what Yondu does to T’Challa is worse than what he did to Quill and having been kidnapped as a child shouldn’t be waved off so easily. We’re not talking of Yondu finding an orphaned T’Challa and raising him, if he had picked up N’Jadaka after he lost his father it would have been different, but here, he just ripped a child from a loving family, a family he loved back. And it’s almost presented as a good thing because this causes the universe to be saved by Thanos, Yondu’s lie giving T’Challa the motivation to try to to make the universe a better place.

Nebula: You lost your home, and now you save everyone else's.

And problems continue with “What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” because there, the solution, the hope, is presented solely by the superheroes. No one opposes to Loki, the whole Earth is expected to be saved by Captain America and Carol Danvers. The one who refuses to kneel to Loki is Fury, who’s considered special. We don’t have in this story a lone old man who’s standing stubbornly despite the threat.

LOKI: Kneel before me. [The crowd ignores him. Three more Loki's appear, surrounding and blocking the crowd from escaping.] I said KNEEL! [While the crowd quietly kneels, Loki embraces out his arms with a wide smile] Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel. ELDER GERMAN MAN: [As the words resonate to the kneeling crowd, an elder German man refuses to kneel and stands, heroic.] Not to men like you. LOKI: There are no men like me. ELDER GERMAN MAN: There are always men like you. LOKI: Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example. [As Loki is about to execute the man with his scepter as the light glows blue. Right as the energy beam shoots out, Captain America arrives, diving in just in time to block the blast with his shield, and knocking down Loki]

So basically in this series heroes set impossible standards… and are the only ones who can save the day. It can be fun for an adult, as he doesn’t need role models… but for a boy who’s no more a small child but not yet old enough to do without viewing heroes are role models, the heroes presents a standard that is something unattainable. And this is bad because he too might enjoy watching the show, but the show gives him no hope… where ironically, Marvel movies were about giving positive role models in which you could identify.

Overall I stay my case, the “What if” series is definitely enjoyable… but the bar for the target audience is set to a very young age, they don’t really follow the idea that one small change can realistically change everything because they actually intrude plenty of small changes for their setting to work, and might end up not giving the right message if you’re in between a age between a small child and an adult. Of course future “What if” episodes might change, and I will probably still love them because I adore what if… but I would love them even more if they had aimed to a target audience a little older… making their heroes, more realistic role models which can be emulated and if they had respected their own premise, that ONE SINGLE CHANGE can create a completely different new reality.

What changed in the Peggy episode wasn’t just Peggy not sitting on the booth. What changed in the T’Challa episode wasn’t just Yondu sending his subordinates to pick up a kid. What changed in the mightiest heroes episode wasn’t just Hope dying.

The fact you need more changes in order to make the difference makes the initial point that one change can make the difference void. You destroy your own premise… and this is not really a great idea.

But whatever, I guess if the idea is that the audience is really young, they didn’t expect the audience to pick this up but just to swallow their idea that ‘a moment created a new universe’.

MEDIA MENTIONED:

Movies: “Iron Man 2” (2010), “The Incredible Hulk" (2008), “Thor” (2011), “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011), “The Avengers” (2012), “Thor: The Dark World” (2013), “Captain America: The Civil War” (2016), “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017), “Thor – Ragnark” (2017), “Black Panther” (2018), "Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), “Captain Marvel” (2019)

Comics: “The Avengers Prelude Fury's Big Week” (2012)

[distractionactivated]

Ashary and Hezan, the Titanlings Returned of Shaicuso. Ashary, the Medicant, popular yet reluctant; Hezan, the Marshal, the soldier, accused heretic.

[labrats-and-clonetroopers]

“Ghosts” Steve Rogers & Captain Atomic Drabble, Mighty Med & Marvel Crossover

Masterlist 

Request Guidelines 

Warning: Mentions of violence, death (including the display of corpses), and injuries

____________________________________

There are moments one never forgets.

Three boys scampering down a Brooklyn alleyway. A blond boy in the lead, easily the tallest of the three, sporting a mischevious glint in his eyes. Bucky follows, neither going so fast as to leave little Steve far behind.

Summers of boyhood spent in the quiet streets on early Sunday mornings before their parents would hustle them off to church. Sacred afternoons in the park swinging bats and pitching baseballs, more preoccupied with reenacting the plays of their idols than actually practicing the game. Rays of sunshine admist the many days spent in hospitals, Steve in a bed with needles in his arms and his two friends wearing permanent holes in the floor of the waiting room. 

There are few bonds stronger than those of unconditional friendship born in the cradle of childhood. The anchors between Caleb, Bucky, and Steve never broke loose. They were dubbed the “Three Muskateers” throughout high school, despite running with different crowds. Caleb, a crowned jock, tall, athletic, with an incredibly corny charm that almost everyone fell for. Bucky was never seen without at least one girl on his arm, a sophisticated class clown that still flew by with top grades. Steve, attendance rocky due to his health, immersed himself in art, though was ever restless, wanting to escape the confines of his broken body.

When the war broke out, Caleb was the first sign up. Although the youngest of the three, he was an ideal candidate, impressive physique and a fiery patriotic zeal. His deployment seemed to come in a blink of an eye, and Bucky and Steve were there to salute him off, waiting for day he’d come back home and they would toast to his victories in their favorite bar.

Instead, they received a letter. 

The two friends did go drinking that night, and it was the first time Steve ever truly got drunk. Despite the blazing hangover, it was a decision he didn’t regret.

Nothing was the same after that day. Steve’s desire to join the military escalated to an obsession, something Bucky desparately tried to discourage, not wanting to lose yet another friend. Even when the draft came and Bucky was conscripted, the man was determined, no matter the circumstances, that one of them would survive this. And despite everything the doctor’s said, that person had to be Steve.

Steve remembers stalking the streets one night soon after, seething. He had tried again to enlist, but was turned down, was refused from his basic right to fight for the people he cared so much for. He found himself wandering into a convenience store, and something caught his attention briefly. It was the cover of a new comic book introducing the character “Captain Atomic”. Steve chuckled to himself at the name, but the face was so eerily familar, as if it were drawn from a picture of his old friend. The hair, eyes, angle of the jaw, came together to form the cartoon ghost now staring back at him. He picked up the book, flipping through the first few pages of this soldier turned superhero who’s life was saved with an experimental battery after being hit with a radioactive bullet.

The bullet that had hit Caleb hard torn him to pieces. 

Steve abrubtly shoved the comic back onto its stand, bile rising in his throat. 

Years later, there were many times Steve would look into the mirror, dressed in his suit, and remember that goofy cartoon hero with Caleb’s face. It was no longer a painful memory, but part of the reason he’d grown so attatched to it in the first place. It was the sort of thing his friend would have worn without the coercion of a skilled politician. Now on him, a melancholy reminder of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

It had been more on his mind lately, ever since two years ago when he discovered Bucky to be alive. Brainwashed and mutilated, but alive.

He needed to find him, but tracking down the Winter Soldier discreetly enough to evade Nick Fury and the other Avengers was no easy task, even with Sam Wilson by his side.

The world had not ceased turning for his quest. Disaster was striking with increasing regularity, as evidenced by his presence here, on ruined streets sunk into pitch black.

One month ago, Centuim City had been a bustling hub giving New York City a run for its money. Within the span of a day, the entire city plunged into darkness and chaos. No one new why; every law enforcement officer and Shield agent sent it so far were dead or missing. A third of the buildings had been reduced to rubble, and the number of casualities seemed to be rising. Most unusual though, were the bodies being strung up on display, dressed in strange, almost comic-book attire. 

The Avengers were scoping out the northwest part of the city, which had been largely abandonned by the surviving citizens. Some corpses dotted the streets, but overall everything was mild compared to the reports coming from closer downtown. 

Natasha strides several yards ahead of him, her gaze wandering over to a hunched figure slumped in a narrow alleyway. She taps the side of her slim night vision goggles, also equiped with a thermal scanner. “This one’s alive,” she announces flatly as she jogs over.

Steve catches up, bending down to survey the man. He is stressed strangely, like the bodies strung up on display, his suit a mix of royal blue and red. Blood is so matted in his hair Steve can’t tell the color. After checking his weak pulse as Natasha comms Stark, he lifts the up the man’s head.

His heart drops as he looks into the face of Caleb Denman. 

[annebaneriddle]

I’ve wrote a twins!AU on a post (Here is what I wrote. It is just a quick resume of how it could have been, but I liked it) and I found the idea really interesting, so I thought “I think I will write what would happen on CW if Steve had a twin, especially one with a personality similar to Ransom’s one. Dude, Ross would be so fucked up. The Accords would SURELLY be put down as soon as he bring it up”.

(Some dialogues are the same as in the movie)

(Also, Steve holds the title of Captain America and Andy holds the title of American Agent)

(And yes, the name “Andy” is because of Andy Barber)

(This is anti-sokovia accords. If you don’t like, just don’t read)

(I really loved writting it)

“Five years ago, I had a heart attack.” Ross positioned himself as if he was going to hit a golf ball  “I dropped right in the middle of my backswing.

Steve and Andy looked at each other, asking without words if the other knew why the hell Ross was talking about it.

“Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after 13 hours of surgery and the triple bypass I found somethig forty years in the army never taught me: perspective.”

Steve heard Andy take a deep breath, trying to control himself to don’t say anything. He was really surprised that his brother hasn’t talked anything yet. Since Sharon took him out of cryo and he was allowed to fight too, instead of staying os a lab as the Army’s lab rat, following orders and being submissive, Andy has developed the tendency of being the most insubordinate and sassy between the two of them (what was a lot, since Steve was pretty much insubordinate himself), so he staying shut just wasn’t like him.

“The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives, but while many people see you as heros, there are some who would prefer the word ‘vigilant’.”

“And what word would you use, mr.Secretary?” Natasha asked with a false courtesy.

“What about ‘dangerous’?” Ross answered.

“Wait a minute!” Andy finally snapped “Are you, from all the people, calling us dangerous? Was this supposed to be a joke? Now, who was the one that spent years trying to catch Bruce? Wasn’t you the responsible for the creation of the Abomination and the destruction of half Harlem? Don’t you dare to call us dangerous, Secretary.” Andy said the title with sarcasm dripping from his voice “If you would use ‘dangerous’ to describe us, I would use ‘egocentrical and hypocritical’ to describe you.”

Andy’s voice was controlled and he was clearly holding back his temper, but yet Steve could see the anger burning on his eyes. 

“Don’t you raise you voice to me, Agent.” Ross warned.

“Does the truth upsets you, mr.Secretary?” Steve asked calmly “My brother didn’t raise his voice at any moment. Eveything he did was tell you the truth.”

Ross frowned while looking Steve right in his eyes.

“I thought you was the most sensible from the two of you, Captain.” He said between his teeths.

“You don’t know neither me nor him enough to make assumptions like that.” Steve shrugged “But for that matter, both me and him are pretty sensible. That’s exactly why he called you out.

The other Avengers were looking surprised to Steve. Usually Andy was the more openly sassy one, but the yonger twin was clearly able to bring to the light the worse of Steve.

“You are a group of US based enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who frankly seem unconcerned about what you leave behind.” He stepped aside so the Avengers could see the holographic screen where scenes from their battles were playing “New York, Washington DC, Sokovia, Lagos.”

Steve saw that Wanda was getting anxious. She has looked away from the screen looking really disturbed and he could hear her breath getting sharp.

“Okay, that’s enough.” He interrupted before more scenes could be played.

Andy made a disdain sound, what attracted everyone’s attention.

“Really, mr.Secretary?” Andy leaned fowards on his chair “Are you really saying that you haven't done the very same thing on Brazil?” Andy’s face showed the most pure kind of innocence, but his words were almost dripping poison “Did you already forgot that you sent a special forces team to get Bruce inside the Rocinha? It’s so convenient that you forgot that your men followed Bruce, trying to get him by any way while he run between innocent people, isn’t it?”

Ross stood there, without knowing how to answer that. The other Avengers watched amazed and unbelieving that Andy and Steve were facing Ross like this. Andy was questioning him without any fear while Steve was by his side supporting him just as always. Now they were truly starting to understand what the Barnes family meant on their interviews back on the 40s when they said that Andy and Steve were like the same being on two different bodies. 

“That was completely different, Agent.” Ross answered “People were in danger.”

“And they were in danger because of you.” Steve controverted “Your hunger for power made you try to catch Bruce by any way you could and that made him have to run away to keep himself and other people safe from you. That’s not advanced math, mr. Secretary. You were the reason he had to run away and you were the one who sent the special forces. That’s the exactly same thing you’re accusing us.”

For the second time in less than two minutes, the Rogers twins managed to let Ross speechless.

“Wow, mr. Secretary.” Andy smilled “Nothing to say about it?”

Ross took a deep breath and ignored the twins, continuing to speak.

“You’ve been working with an arragement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate, but I think we have a solution.” Ross reached the document a  close agent handed him.

Ross handed it over to Wanda. Andy immediately held out his hand in a silent ask for her to give the document to him. Steve reading at least some articles while he distracted Ross would be way more useful and helpful than the others just looking at it’s cover and passing on.

Just one look between them was enough for Steve understand what his brother wanted him to do, so he opened the document and started reading as much articles as he could. He mentally thanked Erskine for the serum enhancing his memory and learning.

“The Sokovia Accords.” Ross explained “Approved by 117 countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they will operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel only when and if that panel deems it necessary.”

“So, if we find out a terrorist will explod a bomb somewhere we will have to wait the United Nations panel decide if we will or not fight them?” Andy asked almost laughing.

By his side, Steve was ignoring the argument while reading what he could until Ross and Andy stopped arguing and the Secretary would have to leave. He wasn’t even on the fifth page yet and what he was reading was already really worrisome. 

“Precisely.” Ross clearly was annoyed by the youngest Rogers.

“Do they know that time is a crucial thing when it comes to save someone?” Andy raised an eyebrow “What will they do if the members have divergent opinions about if we should go help or not and stay there arguing for a middle hour? Will we just watch as people die?”

“That’s not about it, Agent. That’s about compromisse, reassurance. That’s how the world works.”

The smile that appeared on Andy’s face was basically screaming “Got you. I won”.

“So are you admitting that the accords aren’t about saving people’s life, but about the most powerful governments having control upon us?”

“That’s not what I said.” Ross growled.

“Yep, Secretary.” The smile never let Andy’s face “That’s exactly what you just said.”

Ross’ face was red of anger. The man clearly wasn’t expecting that kind of argument, particularly not from the Rogers twins. He head stories about Captain America, the man was supposed to want to follow laws. He didn’t know this much about the yonger twin, since everyone used to believe he died when he got the serum, but everyone that have ever met them said their personalities were almost the same.

And, again, he decided to just ignore the American Agent.

“Three days from now the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords.” Ross informed.

“We have three days to read a document that will rule our lives?” Andy questioned “Are you kidding us?”

“It’s time enogh, Agent.” Ross countered.

“Of course.” Andy said sarcastically “Let me gess: you or other member from the UN will find something to keep us busy those three days so we won’t have time to read it and just sign blindly. The next thing we know we will be arrested without the right to a trial.”

“You gessed right. That’s exactly what would happen.” Steve handed the document to his brother “Page 12, last article on that page.”

Andy grabbed the document, opening on the page his brother said and reading out loud.

“ If an enhanced individual violates the Accords, or obstructs the actions of those enforcing the Accords, they may likewise be arrested and detained indefinitely without trial.” Andy’s eyes widened and he stared ar Ross “What the fuck is that?”

“Let me see if I got it right.” Sam said “If we do anything that goes against the Accords we will be arrested without a trial?”

Before Ross could even answer, Steve talked again.

“I just had time to read 20 pages, but I can guarantee it gets worse.” He said “Page 19, third article on that page.”

Andy passed the pages and stopped at page 19.

“ Any enhanced individuals who agree to sign must register with the United Nations and provide biometric data such as fingerprints and DNA samples.” Andy took a deep breath and if  gazes could kill, Ross would be dead right there at that moment.

“Are you expecting that we will give samples of our DNA to people like you?” His face showed pure disbelief.

“Why do you want samples of our DNA?” Steve asked Ross, who was looking nervous.

He didn’t expect to discuss it now. The plan was to don’t give them time enough to read it.

“It will be discussed three days from now in Viena.” He answered hoping there was no more questions.

Ross started moving towards the door to leave, but of couse the excuse didn’t work.

“He don’t want to admit that the reason they want our DNA samples is so he can make the same thing he did with the Hulk.” Ross could feel Steve’s glare burning a hole on his back.

As Steve planned, the trap worked and Ross turned back to them.

“It’s a serious accusation, Captain.” Ross scolded “All we want is to stop you from disrespecting sovereign borders.”

“So why the Accords includes all the enhanced individuals, not just the Avengers?” Steve raised an eyebrow.

Ross had enough.

“It will be discussed in Viena.” He repeated, leaving the room.

After he left, the room was silent from some seconds before Tony talked:

“What the hell was that?” Tony questioned.

“That was me and Steve taking off the mask of fake concern from a hypocrite.” Andy answered “I thought you would know better than trust Ross. Governments, specially the most powerful ones which are in charge of UN, have agendas, Tony. They won’t think about what’s better for their citizens, they will think about what’s better for the ones in charge. Do you know how many people can die while they lose time arguing about where we can go and if we can go?” Andy put the document upon the table, pulling his chair closer to Steve’s “Steve and I will be here trying to read this before they find some excuse to keep us busy until the meet in Vienna. The ones who want to laugh and at the same time get horrified about what’s written there, stay.”

[marvelrus-exe]

Fic Rec List

A collection of fics I really like.

If you don’t see your favorite fic on this list, send it to me! I’m always down to read a good fanfic :) 

Started: 3/26/2020

Updated: 3/26/2020

Avengers

You Took A Polaroid Of Us by @ptersparkers 

The avengers can’t seem to understand why you’re so obsessed with taking polaroids until they come across your scrapbook.

Bucky Barnes

Series

Long Black by @evanstarff

After a disastrous HYDRA coup goes wrong, Bucky Barnes is forced to go under witness protection at a coffee shop – with you as his highly trained ‘bodyguard’. Is something brewing between you or is he just tall, dark, and bitter?

Execution of Future Technologies by @valkyriesryde

Bucky meets the girl of his dreams the day before he ships out again and she holds a mystery about her that he can’t resist.

Love Isn’t Always On Time by @youvebeenlivingfictional

A S.H.I.E.L.D assignment that’s deeper than deep cover leads to an agent being lost. It’s only fair for a woman whose days are numbered to be obsessed with time. 

Relationship Tutor by @samingtonwilson

College AU. Bucky, a relationship novice, asks for your help in dating your friend. Unable to say no to him, you agree despite everyone and everything telling you not to.

Just One Kiss by @sarahwroteathing

Bucky Barnes has been chasing after you since he was ten years old, but you’re determined not to give in. How long can you hold out when all he’s asking for is just one kiss?

Dichotomous by @jalapenobarnes

As a pharmacist in one of new york city’s busiest hospitals, you’re tasked with establishing your place and your value amongst your medical peers who constantly undermine you and your intelligence. or so you think. 

The Fallout by @whitewolfbumble

You had been a ghost for years, taking down the bad guys from the shadows that had once enslaved you. That is until the Avengers finally caught up with you and yet again your life changed. But your past won’t stay dead and everything starts to shift when a familiar face joins the ranks: Bucky Barnes. He may not remember you, but you certainly remember him.

Wild Horses by @whitewolfbumble

Kicked out of school and exiling yourself in a town time forgot, one little incident lands the sights of the locally infamous Avengers biker gang square on you. Wild horses run faster and there was no chance to turn back now. 

Astrophile by @all1e23

Orion Rebecca Barnes’s favorite thing in the whole world (besides her daddy of course) is spending hours after school in the bookstore by her house and the owner GIVES her any book she wants; she’s the coolest girl Orion has ever met.  

It doesn’t take long for Bucky to notice his daughter’s sudden interest in constellations and the large stack of astrology related books piling up in her room. He’s spent her entire life trying to teach her about the stars and where her name came from with little interest from his little comet and all of sudden she’s in love.

A Lesson in Love by @buckyywiththegoodhair

In which you’re assigned to write a story about romance, a subject you know nothing about, and Bucky, a hopeless romantic, offers you his assistance. 

Bucky Barnes Vs the Crime Novelist by @kentuckybarnes

A mysterious stranger you meet in a library turns out to be your dream come true. Apart from your life suddenly being in danger, that is.

One-Shots

Five Times Y/N Comforts Bucky and One Time He Comforts Her by @spideysrogers

Basically just comfort porn

Sergeant Boinky by @valkyriesryde

Bucky’s got a new interest and Sam and Y/N are taking full advantage of it.

Birthday Kisses by @sarahwroteathing

Sam starts a birthday kiss tradition to make up for your missed birthday and hopefully nudge a certain grumpy ex-assassin in the right direction.

Crazy Stupid Love by @justkending

Stress leaves everyone a little crazy. Good thing there are attractive men at bars who can help you take your mind off of things. tr45

Steve Rogers

Series

Call sign: Renaissance by @captain-kelli

After a rescue mission gone wrong, you retire as a pararescue airwoman. When an old friend of yours comes calling, asking you to spearhead a disaster response team for the Avengers, you have to decide if you can let go of the past in order to save lives. Will you move on and possibly fall in love? Or will the demons of your past come back to haunt you? 

Solace by @marvelcapsicle

Five years ago, after the loss of a loved one, Steve isolated himself from everyone. He desperately tried to find solace in solitude, unable to realize how lonely he became in the process. Until he meets you—another lonely soul, alone in the middle of nowhere. You were both seeking solitude but found something else along the way.

The Lonely Tree by @sarahwroteathing

You have a favorite tree which you make sure to pass every day on your way to class, but one day you find you’ll have to get used to sharing it with a friendly art student.

Love Isn’t Always On Time by @youvebeenlivingfictional

A S.H.I.E.L.D assignment that’s deeper than deep cover leads to an agent being lost. It’s only fair for a woman whose days are numbered to be obsessed with time. 

Courage and Kindness by @softhairbarnes

After your parents died you were left an orphan with only your stepmother to look after you. When a tournament is announced in honor of Prince Steven, you think you’ve finally found a way to make your dreams come true.

Love and War by @kayteewritessteve

In a harsh medieval world, you set out on a perilous quest that will lead you onto a forbidden land. A land ruled and controlled by a ruthless Warlord King, one who does not look favourably upon trespassers of any kind, and punishes all with an iron fist. You may not know exactly where this quest will end, but what you do know is you will forever be altered by it. And that knowledge alone is what truly terrifies you the most.

Secrets and sins by @kayteewritessteve

You flee from an abusive situation and find yourself on the other side of the country, creating new friends and possibly finding new love. But will you be able to escape your past? To truly move on with your life? Or will everything come crashing down around you in the blink of an eye.

One-Shots

The End Of The War by @redgillan

Everyone knows you and Steve can’t stand each other, but after he runs into you after one of his fights, he starts to see you in a different light.

Peter Parker

Series

Far From Him by @ptersparkers

Mj seems to think the summer trip to Europe is exactly what you need to forget the events of the snap and the death of tony stark. only, peter parker doesn’t seem to know your real identity and trying to tell him you know he’s spider-man becomes a mess and a half. 

One-shots

Wait, You’re Spiderman? by @ptersparkers

Midtown high’s applied science class visits the stark tower, leaving y/n and peter in a compromising position.

What a Suprise by @ptersparkers

You and Peter both go to Midtown High and he’s got the biggest crush on you. What Peter doesn’t know is that you harbour the same feelings and Tony Stark is your not-so-related uncle.

Starbursts by @srsly-stilinski

Spiderman takes a break from patrol to see the world through someone else’s eyes. 

Local Dumbass by @thinkoutsidethebex

Peter keeps trying to tell you he’s in love with you, and it’s not going so well. Or is it?

[star-spangled-steve]

His New Partner

Chapter 23: The Simple Life

Series Masterlist

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Words: 2245

Warnings: Some fluff, some angst, a nightmare with blood and death, mentions of an injury, cussing.

A/N: This might be one of my favourite chapters so far! The italicized words are Steve’s Age Of Ultron dream, by the way.

Champagne bottles were popped and people were laughing merrily as Steve entered the old 1940s ballroom. The jazz music was loud and blaring, accompanying the many pairs that decided to swing, and twist, and turn upon the large dance floor.

The man looked around and saw couples eating together, taking pictures with flashes way too bright for his liking. There were two men pushing each other, looking like they were about to get in a brawl; both wearing their Army Service Uniforms, similar to the one that Steve was wearing right now.

The Captain looked to the left and saw a man with wine spilled down the front of his shirt, another man helping him clean it up, laughs coming from their whole table. The stain reminded Steve way too much of blood.

Off to the side there was a real rumble; men that should be off celebrating with their girls were fighting each other instead, loud grunts escaping their lips.

Steve looked around the scene and a certain sadness came over him, seeing all of the men and woman dressed like the era in which he was from, smiling like there was no tomorrow.

He was surprised by a gentle hand running it’s way down his left arm, a smooth British going along with it. “Are you ready for our dance?” The woman, who he turned and saw was Peggy, asked him.

The man faced back to the rest of the people, seeing how content that they seemed to be with each other, now that the world’s biggest fight was finally behind them.

“The war is over, Steve. We can go home” Peggy continued as his frown just seemed to deepen. “Imagine it.”

One last time Steve turned his head towards the dance floor, only to see the hundreds of people in the room disappear right in front of his eyes, leaving him completely alone with the thought of what once could have been.

That was until the large ballroom doors burst open with a bang, revealing a quite beautiful Y/N who was dressed like she was straight out of the 40s.

“Steve.” She smiled before running towards him, the bottom of her knee-length red dress flowing behind her. “I’m so happy to see you!”

The man held out his arms, ready to hold her as a form of comfort. But the exact moment that Y/N jumped up and Steve’s fingertips had brushed her waist, she was instantly laying on the ground, blood gushing out of her sides in the same place that he had just touched.

“Doll?” Steve yelped, horrified. “O-Oh my god. Don’t worry. I-I’ll get you fixed up.” He leaned down to try and help her, only to be stopped by her arms against his firm chest.

“D-Don’t.” Y/N choked out with some tears, blood continuing to leak out of her sides and onto the tile floor. “You’ve done enough.”

The man furrowed his eyebrows as he kneeled down, getting as close to his injured fiancée as he possibly could. “Huh? Come on, let me help-”

“All you do is fight; try to save people.” She continued, scarlet liquid coming out of her nose and mouth by now. “When are you going to save yourself, Steve?”

He was taken back by her words. “W-What?”

Y/N started to cough and sob at the same time, her breaths becoming more and more laboured by the second as she slowly began to run out of life. “You couldn’t even save me.”

“Sw-Sweetie,” Steve cried, looking into her E/C orbs that were beginning to have trouble focusing, “l-let me apply pressure or d-do something. I-”

“Y-You killed me, Steve.” Y/N stated with what would be one of her last living breaths. “I’m like this because of you.”

Flashes of the nightmare, even now, after Ultron was gone for good, still haunted Steve’s mind. He could still hear the cries and whimpers of his dear Y/N as she lost her life right in front of him, could still see the tears and blood the streamed down her face.

He knew that he was going to see her soon, get a chance to apologize for the way that he had talked to her several nights ago. Steve knew that it was wrong to force Y/N to stay up on their floor, basically lock her away from the outside world and any of its disturbances. He knew that she was a big girl who could make her own decisions. And now he felt incredibly guilty, even though the whole entire reason that he did it was to protect her. Steve was always protecting her.

“Approaching home base.” Tony stated, breaking the Captain out of his thoughts. Though the tone of Stark’s was not cheery, as they were still mourning the loss of two team members. Pietro, the young man who could almost run faster than the speed of light, had sacrificed his life for Clint and a small child who needed to be rescued. Their beloved Dr. Bruce Banner was who knows where, flying around in one of Tony’s quintets. Unfortunately, it was on stealth mode, so there was no surefire way to track him.

After the many inhabitants of Sokovia, or what used to be Sokovia, we’re dropped off in a safe landing spot, the remaining Avengers had taken a jet back to the Tower. Stark had informed them that they would soon be moving to some new facility in Upstate New York, but there was still plenty of time until that would be happening.

Steve had sprinted off the jet the exact moment that it hit the landing pad, giving his pleasantries to the numerous upstairs workers. He quickly got on the elevator and pressed the button to his and Y/N’s shared level, tapping his foot nervously as it descended.

What would he say to her? How would he apologize? Should he have gone out and bought flowers first? Would she even be on their floor like he had instructed her to be?

The man’s worries were cut off by the elevator doors opening, revealing the living room part of their floor. Steve, not seeing her there, slowly continued his walk inside and knocked on their closed bedroom door.

Not even a second later, it was opened to expose a very distressed looking Y/N, hair all over the place and makeup underneath her eyes. Though, the man’s vision immediately settled on the black sling that was over her left shoulder, having flashbacks of watching her try it on for the first time.

“Steve, thank god you’re okay.” She whimpered with relief before plummeting into his chest, squeezing him in the tightest hug that she could give with just one arm. Her hand found his fit waist, not travelling any farther north due to the hard shield placed on his back.

The Captain ran his fingerless glove-clad hands down her spine, sighing in relief that she was at least happy to see him.

“I’m still not happy with you, you idiot.” She exclaimed with a frown, giving him a light hit to the arm.

Spoke too soon, Steve thought to himself.

“I know, doll.” He said before leading them farther into the bedroom. “C’mon.”

It was at this moment that he took notice of what she was wearing. The blue dress shirt that he had worn to the party several nights ago was wrapped around her body, only the top half of the buttons done up, revealing her pair of hot pink nylon panties.

Steve himself was still in his Captain America suit, the thing all worn and filthy from the previous battle.

“Sweetheart,” he began, watching Y/N settle herself on their bed, “I am so, so sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way, especially in front of our friends.”

The girl nodded her head, sitting criss-cross applesauce over their covers. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have.”

Steve still stood near the doorway with his hands neatly placed on his belt buckle, not wanting to get their room all dirty. “I just worry about you so much, baby.” He stated, removing the shield from his back and leaning it against the wall. “And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Y/N puffed out a breath. “I know that, Steve. But don’t you think that I worry about you too?” She used her right hand to point to their bedroom television, which was playing the news. “I’ve been sitting here for days just watching updates on whatever the heck was happening with Ultron. That damn country was flying, Steve! Flying! And you were on it!”

“I know, darling. I know how hard all of this is for you.” He spoke as he got on his knees in front of Y/N and took her smaller hands in his much bigger ones, still being mindful of the sling. Steve’s large combat boots were getting the carpet dirty, and he knew that she would be mad about it later. But, he would happily clean it up if he could just get her to accept his apology.

“I know that you’re sorry. You don’t lose your cool on me a lot, so I can’t be too mad about it this time.” Y/N told him, stroking the back of his knuckles with her thumb. “But may I ask, what was it exactly that set you off? Did I do something?”

Steve firmly shook his head, looking up into her sad eyes. “You did nothing, babydoll. I was just mad at myself and mistakenly took it out on you.”

“Mad at yourself?” The girl furrowed her eyebrows. “For what?”

“You got injured.” Steve stated. “It was because of me. I’m the one that told you to go to the elevator, I should have known better, and it was you who had to pay the price for my stupidity.”

“Oh, Stevie-”

“I had a nightmare.” He interrupted her. “The witch girl, Wanda, gave us all these spells; showed us our deepest fears.” The man let out a shaky breath, beginning to cry at the memory of what he was shown. “I-I saw you die, sweetie. I saw you pass away, just like everybody else I’ve ever loved, and I got so scared, doll. S-So scared.”

Y/N began to tear up as well, moving her fingers to wipe the water from underneath his gorgeous blue eyes.

“I’m not supposed to get scared.” Steve continued. “I-I’m Captain America, I don’t get scared.” He sniffled, rubbing her bare thighs with his leather-clad hands. “So instead, I yelled. And I’m so sorry, princess.”

“Oh, goodness, Stevie.” Y/N shook her head. “You can get scared all you want, honey. It’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of emotion.”

“Doll,” he cleared his throat, wanting to get to the point of all of this, “my job is very dangerous. And I’d hate to be the reason that you get hurt.”

“Oh, sweetie.” She lightly chuckled through the tears, sinking to her knees in front of him. Y/N wrapped her uninjured arm around his shoulders, and Steve wrapped both of his own around her waist in return. “You won’t be.”

“But how can you know?” The man asked into the crook of her neck.

“Because,” Y/N laid a small kiss to the area behind Steve’s ear, smiling against his still dusty skin, “your love for me is the greatest shield of them all.”

*****

Thor gave Tony and Steve a small nod of his head before raising his hammer into the air, blasting off into space.

“That man has no regard for lawn maintenance.” Stark pointed out as he stared at the steaming grass. There was now a huge print that the Bifrost had made, right in the middle of the lawn at the new Avengers Compound.

He and the Captain began to walk away from it, though, heading towards the driving track.

“I’m ‘gonna miss him, though. And you’re ‘gonna miss me.” The billionaire added. “There’s gonna be a lot of manful tears.” He pressed the fancy button on his car keys, and it made a little beeping noise as the men continued to walk.

“I will miss you, Tony.” Steve stated.

“Yeah?” The brunette cocked his head with a shrug. “Well, you’ll see me soon enough for the rest of those wedding shenanigans. But for now, it’s time for me to tap out.”

The sleek orange Audi had just pulled up, and the two Avengers settled beside it.

“Maybe I should take a page out of Barton’s book. Build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up.”

Steve nodded his head at Tony’s statement. “The simple life.”

“You’ll get there one day.” Stark told him. “Hell, you’re probably closer than I am, with that huge ceremony coming up soon.”

The blonde gave him a small grin. “Family, stability... when I got out of the ice, I thought that all of it was just some lost dream. But now, here I am. I couldn’t feel more lucky.”

Tony smiled, seeing how sappy the usually stern Captain was being. “You all right?” He asked, slightly opening the driver’s-side door of his vehicle.

Steve took a look over the large premises, seeing that Y/N was outside as well and making greetings with the new girl, Wanda. Watching how welcoming that she was being with the other woman, helping out every single other person that passed her by, Steve took a certain pride in calling her his soon-to-be wife. “I’m home.”

Next Chapter

Feedback is always welcome!❤️

[captainjimothycarter]

wip: 6 & 10?

WIP Meme

6. Werewolf Fic

Whose surprised I have another werewolf fic?

Steve Rogers is cursed by the Rogers' curse, a curse that befalls every few males born to the Rogers name. The curse of being born a lycan.

Sarah immediately moved her and her son out to the country side where she raises Steve by herself and homeschools him, knowing the poor boy can barely control when he turns into a wolf. It only worsens as the full moon rises on them and she can't risk her son being hunted down for sport.

He's 14 when he's nearly killed by a parent for being a werewolf but he's saved by Peggy and her brother. Normally, when he turns based on emotions, he can't calm down so easily and Sarah expects to find herself a raging wolf but instead, finds him terrified but okay. From there on, Peggy becomes his best friend and protector.

From then on, she's by his side, day in and day out, and doesn't ever blame him for his conditions on being a wolf or any scratches she might get. Steve wants to go into the city but with his condition, even as he grows older, it's dangerous but Peggy promises to one day take him and make his dreams come true.

There's SO much more to this story that's basically a werewolf but make it soulmates and add a dash of angst.

10. Time Travel Angel

This one is just another WIP that I couldn't stop thinking about.

Peggy is in the future and gets the ability to time travel. She chooses to go back to points in Steve's like to see him what makes him the man that he is today. (There's a whole another list of reasons but Plot)

She's a spy, afterall, and easily disguises herself. She's a nurse at one point, helping him survive his hospital stays as a young kid in the early 1900's. She befriends Sarah whose an absolute delight and understands why Steve is the man he is with her around. Peggy attempted to even save Sarah's life, even if that breaks 101 thousand rules, seeing Sarah Rogers dies kills some part of her.

Peggy gives Steve that push through his childhood as a neighbor or random civilian that kept Steve going, even after Sarah had died. That made him smile and see hope for another day.

Beyond his stubbornness and the slight doubt, she was the one that encouraged him to attempt one more time at signing up and was the one to 'slip' Erksine Steve's information.

In the future, she's there too. For the fighting, for the wars that he shouldn't had fought but he will. His PTSD, so he wouldn't be alone, even if he closed himself off. Even her own funeral. She see's his struggle, his pain, and all the guilt and weight on his shoulders that he still carries to this day.

I doubt it's much that's going to come to life now but its a fun thought.

Ask Me

[dramaqueeenamby]

Family Counseling (8)

Family Counseling (8) - Drabble

MASTERLIST

A/N: It’s literally 3am here, and I’m so exhausted, but I said Wednesday and damnit you guys are gonna get a chapter on Wednesday!

So, this one is strictly backstory because I figured it’s time to partially answer the question as to why T was out here being a F Boi for all those years. I say partially because it is my belief that people can make their own decisions and take control of their own lives. But that’s all I’ll say on that. (: 

This one skips around a bit, but it’s all in the past, goes in chronological order and ends with the events that occur in CACW. Also, if T seems too OOC, remember, my interpretation of him is a hypid of Comics and MCU.

No lines from the comics in this one ( I don’t think. Again, it’s mad late. Literally typing with droopy eyes). However, I like aesthetics and visuals so here are some pictures to words for this chapter. I.e. how I imagine ‘her’ looking and her outfit for this chapter.

Hope I didn’t miss anyone in the tagging! If I did, I apologize! Let me know! I’ll be sure to get you next time!!

Seeing all the love really makes my day! <3

@janellemonaenae | @ruminationsofaraven | @dreamer7black | @hutchj | @onyour-right  | @iamimanim | @groovybbyyy

Words: 3106

They didn’t fight that often, but when they did, things got ugly.

Partially because both of them were so strong-minded and neither were willing to back down.

Especially when it came to the Sokovia Accords.

“How could you agree to this? It is wrong! It is a violation of basic, human rights, T’Challa, and you know it!”

“You are missing the point, Y/N. How many more innocent lives must be lost before these people are finally reigned in?”

“These people? You mean people like myself?”

“You know that that is not what I mean. The Avengers-“

“The Avengers save lives, but I suppose they only need to be reigned in when it is Wakandan lives that are lost, hmmm?”

Up until that volatile exchange, they’d had an interesting relationship, one not even she could explain. They were friends, but they were also lovers.  She would visit him in England while he finished getting his Ph.D at Oxford during her breaks throughout her own graduate school experience at NYU. Sometimes he would come visit her, it all just depended on who could make it work.

She knew when he and Nakia were on because boundaries were kept with the war dog sometimes being there when she arrived, T’Challa sometimes not even bothering to inform her prior to her arrival.

Then there were the times that the prince of Wakanda and the spy were off; those were her favorite and the easiest to decipher. They’d barely make it halfway into his loft before he had her up against the door, thrusting so forcefully into her, the pictures up on the wall often falling and shattering.

And she hated that. She hated that uncertainty that accompanied their arrangement, that “alternative” that always floated above her head because no matter how much she tried to convince herself that T’Challa lover her the way she loved him, she knew that wasn’t the case.

He would have permanently ended things with Nakia and made her his girlfriend, but he didn’t, she was simply kept on the back burner, called for when he needed council and a set of legs to go in between.

At least, that’s what it felt like for her.

Nevertheless, she accepted it because she loved him, and love is truly blind.

+++++++++

“What troubles you, my son?”

T’Challa looked over at his father.

“Nothing, Baba.”

King T’Chaka laughed and looked out the limo’s bulletproof window. “Surely, you do not expect to engage in diplomatic relations with a troubled spirit?”

T’Challa revealed a small smile, almost embarrassed to think that he could hide anything from his father. “It is…It is y/n.”

The older man stilled. “I figured it was.” He took a deep breath. “I gather she is not in agreement with your acquiescence to the Accords.”

T’Challa exhaled deeply and ran his hands over the pants leg of his suit. “She believes them to be invasive.”

“And what of you? What do you think?”

He paused and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

“I have a duty to my country, to my people, to always put their safety first,” T’Challa spoke with the utmost conviction, but he was unsure as to who he was trying to convince.

T’Chaka nodded slowly. “Being King…it requires difficult decisions, sacrifices, and certain situations arise that not everyone who is not of our culture will understand.”

“Y/N is Wakandan, Baba.”

“Hodari is of Wakanda, but her mother was not. My son, you must understand that the trace and influence of the mother can never nor should ever be erased from a child.” T’Chaka advised. “Y/n cannot help who or what she is; however, it is vital that we, that you, also take heed to these moments to remember why she can never be your queen.” A beat. “Wakanda must never allow an outsider to sit on the throne.”

The words cut deep, a reminder of his father’s closeted view on their ways of life. A reminder as to why he could never give the woman he loved more than what he currently did because, in the long run, he would end up hurting her.

But he already was, toying with her emotions, with her heart. It wasn’t fair, not to her. But he couldn’t give her up, and he knew that was selfish of him, one of the few times in his entire life that he was selfish, but he wasn’t ready to accept the fact that he could never be with Y/n in the way that he truly wanted.

If only he could find the strength to tell her that.

+++++++++

She’d just finished up Maladaptive Behavior & Psychopathology when she noticed the other students whispering among themselves, sharing their cell phone screens with one another. She’d learn that could only mean one thing.

Something had happened whether in the terms of actual importance domestic, foreign, or in the entertainment field.

Knowing the students in her class, she tended to believe it was some superficial news revolving around a family who was famous for Bast knew what considering they had absolutely no talent.

However, as she passed the lounge, she happened to glance up at the television where she overheard the last bit of the correspondent’s statement.

“…..and among the dead, King T’Chaka of Wakanda.”

“What?” She whispered.

Or so she thought.

“Yeah.” A student came up behind her and shook his head, a sad look in her eyes. “Terrorist attack. Bombing in Sokovia. Representatives for 117 nations were there for the signing of the-“

“Accords.“ She breathed, eyes still glued to the television as she clutched her phone.

The brunette nodded. “They’re still conducting a search for possible survivors, but the king is the latest to be confirmed dead.”

“What of the others?” Y/n snapped her head to turn to look at the young woman. “The other Wakandans. Prince T’Challa and the other representatives?”

He mouth opened, but nothing came out but stutters. “I didn’t realize that there were others. Like I said, this literally just came out within the past hour or so.”

“Thank you.” She spoke abruptly and practically sprinted to the nearest restroom, locking herself in the largest handicap stall. She grabbed her phone and hit the third favorite in her contact list. “Come on, Baba.” She started to pray to Bast, as each ring made it harder for her to breathe.

“Y/n!” Her father finally appeared as the call switched over to FaceTime, a few cuts and such on his face but other than that he appeared to be fine.

“Glory to Bast.” She released a shaky breath and shut her eyes. “Baba, I just heard….King T’Chaka…”

“I know…” His head dropped, and her heart sank. The nation had just lost its leader, but her father had just lost one his dearest friends.

“I am so sorry.” She whispered, and when he said nothing, she finally garnered the courage to ask. “Baba…where is T’Challa?”

“He is safe.” He confirmed, and she leaned her head back against the wall. “But he is not holding up well.”

“He just lost his father, Baba.” She reminded with a grimace. “This is not something-“

“You do not understand, daughter.” He interrupted with a newfound sense of urgency to his voice. “The pr-the king has made a vow to kill the man responsible for T’Chaka’s death.”

“What?”

“He was….he was right there when the blast occurred…I fear that seeing it happen has had opposite effect on him.”

Y/n grew quiet. Her mother’s murder struck absolute grief into her….

“He is blinded by rage….” She spoke lowly before shaking her head. “You must speak with him.”

“I have tried. He is beyond reason. At least, with me….”

She diverted her eyes. “We…we are not on good terms right now, Baba.” She chewed on the inside of her cheek.

“He listens to you.” She sighed. “Please. If he kills this man-“

“Wait, he already knows who it is?”

He paused. “I will start the preparations for your travel arrangements. It is not safe for me to share such sensitive information over the airway.”

“Baba-“

With that, he disconnected the call.

+++++++++

Along the ridiculously long flight to Sokovia, Y/n learned that not only had T’Challa gone after the culprit, an alleged Bucky Barnes in Romania, but had been apprehended for interfering with an international case and was being detained in Berlin along with Captain America and Falcon.

Being redirected twice allotted her a lot of time to get caught up on everything.

She felt the eyes on her, most judgmental, as her father argued away with a certain Agent Ross who continued to grill her father on “what the hell she was doing there.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Wait in there, please.” Agent Ross instructed as he lazily motioned to a room that contained Steve Rogers and an African American man.

She was momentarily starstruck by Captain America but soon recalled that not too long ago a certain lover of hers was involved in a battle with America’s favorite superhero not too long ago.

She turned to look at her father.

“Baba?”

“I will handle this. Do not worry.” He spoke in Xhosa as the two disappeared down the hall.

She took a deep breath and entered the room.

“Well hello,” The black man with a charming smile and suave voice was the first to talk. “How you doing? Perhaps detainment ain’t so bad, after all?”

Y/n squinted her eyes in recognition. “You must be the Falcon?”

His smile faltered as Steve chuckled. “Okay. What happened to secret identities? Break a couple international laws and all of a sudden due process is thrown out of the damn window.”

She smiled. “Relax. No one told me anything. It just makes sense. You being in here with…” She turned around to face Steve who was sitting down at the edge of the table. “Captain.”

“Please.” He gave a slow nod. “Call me Steve.”

“And I’m Sam.”

“It is an honor.” She extended her arm and shook their hands. “I wish the circumstances were a little different.” A beat. “I am Y/n.”

“So, Y/n,” Sam took on a flirtatious tone when he said her name. “What they got you in for?”

“I am here of my own volition.” She said vaguely, not wanting to reveal that she was specifically there for T’Challa.

She was enjoying the conversation and had a feeling that letting them know her true intentions would ruin that.

Steve gave her a strange look. “Your accent…”

She withheld a frown. So much for reminding incognito.

“I am Wakandan-American.”

“Ah,” Sam muttered, a disappointed expression on his face. “You’re here for the cat.”

“Sam.” Steve scolded, before turning his gaze back to Y/n. “Are you his…

“I am here to try and reason with him. T’Challa is….the man you see now is only a shadow of who he truly is.” Again, she was careful with her words, unsure of how much she should reveal. At the end of the day, they were still on opposite sides of the battle.

“Sounds like you two are pretty close,” Sam noted.

A small smile crept on her face. “He-“

“Y/n?”

She looked over at the door to see him standing there, a surprised look on his face. She didn’t know what came over her, but she suddenly forgot where she was, forgot about their last shouting match, forgot everything.

She pushed herself out of her seat, moved across the room, and threw herself at him. He immediately latched his arms around hers. She mumbled into his chest I’m so sorry in Xhosa, hating how she felt him tense from her words of consolation.

They stayed as they were for a few more seconds before pushing her back and cupping her face.

“What are you doing here?” His eyes kept darting from her eyes to her lips and she could tell that he was fighting the urge to kiss her.

She placed her hands on his wrists and looked at him. “What are you doing, T’Challa?”

He sighed and kissed her forehead, lightly trailing his hands down her sides. “Come with me.”

She took his hand as he led her out the room. She didn’t realize until they were halfway toward his private room that she didn’t say goodbye to Sam and Steve but that seemed trivial in the grand scheme of things.

“You should not have come here,” T’Challa warned as he closed the door to his private room. “It is not safe.”

“My father is worried about you.” She slid her bag off her back. “I am worried about you.”

He avoided her eyes. “All will be well soon enough.”

“No.” She shook her head and marched up to him, forcing his face into her hands as she made him look at her. “You do not get to do that with me. Fool these Americans with this aloofness, but do not think for a second that your charades work on me.” A beat. “He would not want this, T’Challa.”

She saw it for a moment. A spark of the old T that she knew return at the mention of his father, but it was gone just as quickly as it came.

“The dead have no wants.”

He gently pulled her hands from his face and walked past her.

She pushed her lips together and looked down. “Killing Barnes will not alleviate your pain, T’Challa. It will only plant a seed of rage that will eventually consume you.”

“Do not pretend for a second that you understand-“

“Of course I understand!” She spun around and matched his loud tone of voice. “You know that if anyone should know that it’s me!” They stared at each other before she asked him a question. “Why do I feel like you’re pushing me away?”

He furrowed his brows. “What?”

“There once was a time where I could get through to you, where you would at least contemplate my advice, but it seems as though as of lately you continue to put up this wall between us.” A beat. “I suppose I am only of use when you need your sexual appetite appeased.”

“Y/n-“

“No-“ She put up her hand and grabbed her backpack. “I love you, T’Challa, and it is because I love you that I cannot stand here and watch you do this.” She turned to walk out the door, hand on the knob. “I will not stand by and watch you lose yourself to hate.” She shut her eyes. “Bast be with you.”

+++++++++

Y/n didn’t like tears. She just didn’t. She thought them healthy, but a waste of time. She much preferred to talk about the cause of tears rather than actual crying.

That’s why she tended to hop in the shower when she felt a good cry coming on.

So after her not so pleasant exchange with T’Challa and after asking her dad to book her a ticket back home, she headed straight to her hotel and went straight to the shower.

She was currently on her third shower. At that point, her skin was so red and warm, she hadn’t bothered to put clothes on, just settling on a towel.

Each shower was accompanied by a good sob.

She cried for the loss of her king, she cried for T’Challa, and she cried for herself.

She hated that she wasn’t more patient with T’Challa, knowing how stubborn he was. Then she hated how she always seemed to give him chance after chance. It was as if nothing he did was terrible enough for her to cut him off, for her to finally let him go, and move on with her life.

Would this be enough?

Would killing a man be enough?

She had a sick feeling in her stomach that the answer was no?

That made her cry even harder.

She had exited the bathroom and was tightening the towel and looked up to find him sitting on the edge of her bed. “What the-“ She grabbed her heaving chest. “For Bast sake, how did you-“

“How did you do it?”

She sighed. “Do what, T’Challa?”

“He was…there…alive….and then he was just…gone..”

She licked her lips and slowly approached him. “The first thing is you cannot blame yourself.”

“I was right there.” He said more to himself than her. “I should have noticed sooner. I should have-“

“And I should have killed my mother’s murderer’s with just the thought,” she interrupted and placed a hand on his chance. “The only thing that contemplating hypothetical scenarios do are create cognitive dissonance. You will destroy yourself if you do not forgive yourself.”

He looked down at her, a vulnerability and passion that she’d never seen before burning in his brown eyes. “I can only do that in the event of his demise.”

“His death will not fill that void, T’Challa. Nothing will because it never goes away. It just gradually gets better over time, and with the love and support of family, friends, and the people that you love.” She spoke with honesty while tugging on the sides of his shirt.

He gave her a questioning gaze but pulled the shirt over his head and allowed her to lead them to the bed. “What are you-“

“You need an outlet.” Was all she said.

He grabbed her wrists as she started to unbuckle his jeans.

“No.” He shook his head. “I won’t take advantage of you. Not after you have made your feelings clear-“

“T’Challa-“ She sighed and shut her eyes. “It is not taking advantage of me if we both want it. You need an outlet, and I need…I don’t know. I just know you well enough to know when your mind is made up, and you have already decided that you’re going to kill that man, and I don’t know where that will leave us.” She allowed the words to flow freely and without a filter. “So tonight is just about….release.”

And release he did, he’d always been an attentive and adaptive lover, giving her whatever she wanted.

But that night was different, he was aggressive, forceful, not so much as to cause her pain, but as to where she could feel his pain.

It was almost lovemaking on an empathetic nature, and it scared the shit out of her.

But when she woke up that morning and saw that he was gone, empathetic mattered not, she realized that something had to change, she had to change.

She couldn’t do it anymore.

She had some decisions to make.

She just hoped that he could live with them.

She just hoped that she could live with them.

[aion-rsa]

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4: Marvel and MCU Easter Eggs Guide

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spoilers for episode 4, and potentially future episodes and the wider MCU.

That sure was a grisly ending to an otherwise slow boil of an episode, wasn’t it? The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 4 is heavy on the philosophizing and mostly light on the action…until the end. And while there aren’t as many in-your-face Marvel Comics and MCU references as we’ve come to expect from these Disney+ shows, the events and the weighty dialogue are all steeped in Marvel history.

Here’s what we found…

The Whole World is Watching

The title of episode 4, “The Whole World Is Watching”, is a phrase thought to have originated at Civil Rights events in the 50s, but that came to prominence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention when anti-Vietnam War demonstrators were beaten and arrested by cops outside the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago, a point in US history recently depicted in Aaron Sorkin’s Netflix film, The Trial of the Chicago 7. “The whole world is watching” has been publicly chanted by other groups of activists since. 

In the closing moments of this episode, we see John Walker savagely murder one of the Flag-Smasher activists while being filmed by a crowd of onlookers. The whole world has been watching the Flag-Smashers escalate their cause, and now the world is watching Walker go postal. 

John Walker

Walker finally takes the Super Soldier Serum, which he has been destined to do since he first arrived in the MCU. He got superhuman abilities from the Power Broker in the comics, too, but in a much more direct way than we witness in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. There, he was already augmented BEFORE becoming Captain America, as opposed to here where his insecurities help drive him to the formula.

Lemar (RIP) posits that the Super Soldier Serum just makes people “more of themselves” – sometimes you get Karli, sometimes you get Steve. This echoes comments made by its creator, Doctor Abraham Erskine, in Captain America: The First Avenger. “The serum amplifies everything that is inside,” he said. “Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse.”

Walker, while a decorated soldier, considers the time he spent serving his country to be morally murky at best. Despite Lemar’s warning in episode 2 that he can’t just punch his way out of situations now that he’s Captain America, Walker has proceeded to do just that, and in episode 4 we see that he and Karli are now on very similar – but opposing – paths. 

Walker also talks about his past in the military, referencing “the worst day of his life”. Lemar says a lot of lives were lost that day. Presumably, we’ll get to see some flashbacks of exactly what happened in the last two episodes of the series, and how those events led to the MCU’s version of John. All of this feels more nuanced than the version of John from the comics, who was literally known as the Super Patriot before becoming Captain America, and was an unquestioning lover of all things American.

It’s pretty awkward seeing Captain America brandishing a gun with his shield, and that’s a deliberate bit of dissonance the show is playing into. But there was a live action version of Captain America who DID wield a pistol, but it was instead of a shield. The 1944 Republic Pictures Captain America movie serial starred Dick Purcell as not Steve Rogers but district attorney Grant Gardner, who wore the famous costume but otherwise had very little in common with his comics namesake. We don’t necessarily recommend watching this, although it does feature some terrific fights and stuntwork for the era.

Walker smashing through a window when he’s in pursuit instead of taking the stairs is probably the most Steve Rogers thing he’s done yet, to be fair. 

Walker murdering a Flag-Smasher in public view is disturbing, but this is a subtle callback to a Captain America story from the 1980s. In Captain America #321, Steve Rogers had no choice but to kill an ULTIMATUM (the comics equivalent of the Flag-Smashers team) agent who was about to gun down a group of hostages. At the time, the official position in Marvel Comics was that Cap didn’t kill, and this high profile event weighed heavily on Steve’s conscience and brought him a ton of bad publicity. It’s a faint echo here with Walker, but an echo nonetheless.

We wrote about this moment and it significance in more detail here.

The final shot of John Walker standing in public with the bloodied Captain America shield is reminiscent of the iconic cover to Civil War #1, where Steve Rogers Cap is also holding a bloodied shield for metaphorical reasons.

The way Walker slays Nico is much like how Rogers defeated Iron Man during the climax of Captain America: Civil War. It’s more interesting due to the contrast of the events. Cap was trying to disable Iron Man in order to protect his best friend and sidekick. Cap 2.0 was slaughtering a man in the name of vengeance due to the death of his best friend and sidekick.

Bucky Barnes

We get to go back six years and see Bucky finish his HYDRA deprogramming journey in Wakanda. We had previously seen only a sliver of what happened between Bucky being put on ice at the end of Captain America: Civil War and his full reemergence during Avengers: Infinity War. Ayo recites his trigger words as that distinctive Winter Soldier score returns, and Bucky gets emotional when nothing happens. We’re not crying, you’re crying.

Bucky stays quiet about Isaiah Bradley when Zemo thinks he’s won the Cap argument. “But there never has been another Steve Rogers, has there?” That you know of, Helmut, no.

Sam Wilson

Despite Zemo’s eternal Machiavellian chuntering about Super Soldiers, Sam manages to give him pause when he warns about Zemo playing God, and makes an example of Bucky’s redemption. He also talks Karli around a little bit when he gets a moment alone with her. Seems like this Sam Wilson guy would make a pretty good Captain America, no?

Walker, Zemo and Karli have now all appealed to Sam’s beliefs and background to get him on side. Bucky remains the primary cheerleader of Sam stepping up to be his own man.

Zemo

Zemo compares the Avengers to Ultron and the Nazis. When Sam admonishes him for speaking that way about their friends, Bucky jumps in a little too quickly to clarify that Sam meant the Avengers and not the Nazis. Probably not the best time to unpack all the ways Bucky and Zemo are connected to the Nazis.

Our man in the fetching fur-collared coat also begins to chat about his childhood to Sam and Bucky in this episode, potentially opening the door for some flashbacks with his father, Heinrich Zemo – another man you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of.

Zemo sings “Baa Baa Black Sheep” as he approaches the children playing outside in the most sinister way possible. Not Marvel-related trivia, but the nursery rhyme was the first of two songs to ever be digitally saved and played on a computer. 

Speaking of super old things, the other person to trick a child into betraying their family with a piece of Turkish Delight was the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. In case anyone was wondering if Zemo was turning antihero or not.

Zemo squarely catching a thrown shield to the face is almost funny in its timing, but it’s also remarkable how something that basically happens once an issue in Captain America comics doesn’t seem to have happened all that often in live action.

Battlestar

We say goodbye to Lemar Hoskins aka “Battlestar” in episode 4 when Karli punches him into a stone pillar. Heroes and villains alike are regularly blasted into pillars in the MCU, but this episode acknowledges the realistic effects at long last.

Much like Walker, in the pages of Marvel Comics Lemar received superhuman abilities from the Power Broker, but sadly in the MCU he became the reason Walker snapped instead.

The Dora Milaje

Once again we have Florence Kasumba here as Ayo, and she’s joined by Nomble (Janeshia Adams-Ginyard) and Yama (Zola Williams). As far as we can tell, Nomble and Yama don’t have comics counterparts, but if anyone would like to correct us, just let us know!

A member of the Dora Milaje stamps on the edge of the shield and flips it up in a nice nod to Steve’s Winter Soldier elevator sign-off.

Miscellaneous Stuff

Nico, who admits with some embarrassment that he used to be a Captain America fan, ends up getting brutally killed by Captain America. A firmly ironic yikes. But he’s not the first Cap fan to die for some much-needed plot momentum in the MCU – Clark Gregg’s Cap enthusiast Agent Coulson also took one for the team in The Avengers.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4: Marvel and MCU Easter Eggs Guide appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3dT8KUq

[meek-boy-rogers]

You’re My Soulmate

Fandom: Marvel Words: 6,675 Summary: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are soulmates. Steven and James written delicately on the others wrist. This is how they lost each other and found each other.

Warnings: Okay, so basically this is just Captain America: TFA, TWS, and a hint of CW with like an alternate ending and a little bit of lines are changed and its gayer than the originals. Also, soulmate AU. 

This took me so long to write and I wanted to give up so many times but finished it! Enjoy. Thank you xxx Bambi

 Steve knew exactly who his soulmate was, they both knew. It took the two a long time to come to terms with the fact. It was the 40s, after all. Two men being together was practically forbidden, if you were outed, you were shunned. They spent countless nights talking about it, talking about the fact that their wrists hold the others name, yet no one else can see that. It was thrilling, almost. That they knew they belonged together but no one else dare know the secret they hold on their skin. They loved each other, no doubt. They shared unspoken kisses and soft touches, they held each other late at night, knowing that this was only for them.

 When Bucky joined the 107th, Steve had to come to terms that he had to let his soulmate go into a war that he might not return from. They kept telling Steve he was too weak, too small to go to war. But, Steve never gave up. Even when Bucky told him not to do anything stupid till he got back, which Steve took as ‘don’t you go lying on your enlistment papers again’. Which he didn’t listen too, but fortunately he met Dr. Abraham Erskine, who gave him the chance. He trained to the best of his abilities, which wasn’t much seeing as he was as healthy as anything but a horse. He wanted nothing more than to protect and fight for his country.

 It was a surprise he’d survived the super serum, no one would have foreseen it. Peggy was worried for him, they’d gotten close when he told her about Bucky. She didn’t see the problem; a soulmate is a soulmate. If it is meant to be, how could it ever be wrong? She assured him that she would keep it to herself, she told him that Bucky would be okay, he seemed like an able soldier. Steve couldn’t help but agree, he really looked up to Bucky. Much to Steve’s excitement, no longer would that be a literal statement. But, with every good thing, came the downside. Steve wasn’t made into this super soldier to protect his country, he was nothing more than a showgirl. He was kind of glad that Bucky couldn’t see him then, he thinks he would be disappointed in him.

 He travelled the world doing shows, same thing over and over. He thought this was what it would take to get him into the field, so he did it. In Italy he was met with Peggy, he was quite relieved to see a familiar face, that was until she informed him that many men from the 107th were killed or taken by Schmidt.

 “Well, if it isn’t the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. And what is your plan today?” Colonel Phillips asked, sarcasm laced in his voice.

 “I need the casualty list from Azzano.” Steve ordered, clear panic in his voice.

 “You don’t get to give me orders, son.”

 “I just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th.”

 Colonel Phillips pointed to Peggy, “You and I are going to have a conversation later that you won't enjoy.”

 “Please tell me if he’s alive, sir. B-A-R…” Steve pleaded.

 “I can spell.  I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry.” Phillips didn’t even look at Steve when he said it, he was faced the other way.

 He didn’t even plan a rescue mission, he just stated that winning the war is what would resolve the issue. When Steve observed the map, Peggy knew immediately what was going through his head and she knew that she had no choice but to help him, because damnit, that was his soulmate out there. She could see him looking down at his wrist, drawing a finger across it. She called up Stark as soon as she came to the conclusion that she would help him, no matter what. As soon as they made it onto enemy territory, he got ready to jump out, telling them as soon as he was out, for them to turn around and get out of there.

 It only took him knocking out 4 guards to make it to the prisoners. Once he let them out, he made his way to the isolation ward that one of the prisoners told him about. He wondered around, taking out all the guards he came across before he went down a corridor where he saw a shorter man running, a bag in his hand. He hesitated to go after him when he heard murmuring, whispers.

 “Sergeant. 32557…” He trailed off. Steve entered the room, seeing Bucky strapped down to chair.

 “Bucky? Oh my God.” He started to work on the straps, taking them off his wrists and ankles. He could see the dazed look in his eyes, “It’s me. It’s Steve.”

 “Steve.” Bucky had a smile on his face, teeth showing through. He was still a little confused.

 “I thought you were dead.” Steve spoke softly, looking over his love.

 “I thought you were smaller.” Bucky looked down over Steve’s body, noticing the height difference that was on Steve’s side now. “What happened to you?” Bucky asked, holding onto Steve for support.

 Bucky continued to ask questions, while Steve was pushing forward, trying to find Schmidt. They heard an explosion, causing Steve to look down, seeing the factory was going up in flames. Steve and Bucky made their way up higher, only to be greeted with Schmidt, “Captain America! I'm a great fan of your films. So, Dr. Erskine managed it after all. Not exactly an improvement, but still impressive.”

 Steve punched him in the face, causing them to fight before Zola pulled a lever, causing the bridge to separate. Schmidt kept talking, talking about how he was Erskine’s best creation before he peeled back his face to reveal the Red Skull. He entered the elevator, leaving Steve and Bucky in the doomed building. They made their way up further, Steve sent Bucky across the makeshift bridge first. The shaking of the building causing it to start giving out under his weight, but he made to the other side before it fell.

 “There’s got to be a rope or something!” He yelled across to Steve.

 “Just go! Get out of here!” Steve yelled, waving his arms for emphasis.

 “No! Not without you!” Bucky retorted.

 Steve looked around for a second, weighing his options before moving the piece of metal on the barricade that was in his way. He walked back a couple of steps. He looked at the distance, took a breath out, then ran. He jumped, behind him the building going up into flames, before he landed.

 It took them days to get back to the field, but it was worth it. When they finally got there, him and Bucky leading the way, they were met with soldiers clapping, hollering.

 Steve saluted to the Colonel, “Some of these men need medical attention.” He stated, before speaking again, “I’d like to surrender myself for disciplinary action.”

 “That won’t be necessary.” He says before turning to Peggy, “Faith, huh?”

 “You’re late.” Peggy said, before Steve held up the transponder.

 “Hey! Let’s give it up for Captain America!” Bucky yells, looking at Steve with proud written across his features.

 They put together a team, hundreds of men pulled together to take out Hydra bases, with Captain America leading them. They took down dozens of the bases together, going in guns blazing. Till, one day they caught up to Zola. He was on a train, heading somewhere, and fast. They sent men down on a zip line to the train, but Steve and Bucky were the ones who went inside. There for each other till the end of line, right? When they got in, Steve up front, leading the way, the door shut right after he entered another section of the train. The guards kept coming, when they would take one or two out, more would pursue them. This caused a guard to rip a hole right in the side of the train, Bucky had no choice but to jump out as the guard raised his gun again. Steve took the guard out.

 “Bucky, hang on!” Steve made his way out of the train, holding onto the railings. “Grab my hand!” He said, seeing the railing Bucky was holding onto was giving out. But, Bucky couldn’t reach. He fell. “No!” Steve yelled.

 He’d promised himself, his country, Peggy, and most importantly, Bucky, that he would take down Hydra. He would make sure that every single person was captured or dead, he did just that. He took down Red Skull, more likely that he took down himself. But, he found himself in a situation where he had to put his life to an end, to save his country. He signed up for that, though. He knew that if he didn’t force the plane down it would hit New York. Peggy tried her best to talk him out of it, but it was his choice. And she knew he was doing it for the greater good.

 Now, here he is. In the 21st century, working along side Natasha Romanoff, or more formally, Black Widow. He didn’t miss the fact that usually all she did was suggest him to woman for him to ask out, he always swept it off, telling her was too busy or making a half assed excuse. Sometimes, he’d catch himself looking down at his wrist with the faded name; James. He’d remember when the name used to be written with bold, dark lettering. Now, it seemed nearly gone. He couldn’t help it when sometimes he would trace his fingers over it, thinking about him and how he would love the world in 2014. The future. Natasha didn’t need to know much about him, she knew of him, everyone did. Steve Rogers best friend, sidekick. If only they knew the full story, if they only knew the love the two men shared. It would be a completely different story.

 When Fury showed up at his apartment telling him that S.H.I.E.L.D was compromised, telling him to trust no one, he was worried. He looked over to his window, seeing the man who shot him and pursued him. When he made it to the roof with the man, he threw his shield, only for the man to catch it with his metal arm, before he threw it back and nearly knocked Steve off his feet. He looked over the city, seeing the man was gone and sighed. When Nick died, he took it into consideration that he shouldn’t trust anyone and hid the flash drive that he gave him. The last thing he thought would happen was the S.T.R.I.K.E team circling him, along with the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. When he made back to the hospital to retreat it, he was met with Natasha.

 He pulled her into a room, before pushing her up into the wall. “Where is it?”

 “Safe.” She retorted.

 “Do better.” He said, still not letting her go.

 “Where did you get it?” She asked, he shot back his own question, asking why would he tell her. “Fury gave it to you. Why?”

 He asked her more questions like what was on the flash drive, asking if she knew that Fury was the one who ordered the pirates onto the ship. When she kept dragging it on, he held her arm tighter, telling her he wasn’t going to ask her again.

 “I know who killed Fury.” She stated. He loosened the grip on her. “Most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists. The ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He’s credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years.”

 “So, he’s a ghost story.” Steve said.

 “Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight through me.” She lifts her shirt to show a scar on her hip. “Soviet slug, no rifling. Bye-bye bikinis.”

 She tells Steve about when she went after him, but he’s a ghost story. She surrendered the flash drive to him, letting him take it. He went on to say, “Well, let’s find out what the ghost wants.”

 They disguised themselves, hoodies up, hats on, fake glasses. They made their way to a public mall, using a laptop in an Apple store. Natasha was running through the flash drive while Steve looked around, anxiously. He tried to hurry her along after an employee came up to them, just in the last minute she got the location. Wheaton, New Jersey. They made their way out of the store, keeping their heads low. Natasha told him to put his arm around her shoulder and to laugh, before they made their way to the escalators.

“Kiss me.” Nat said, after spotting Rumlow coming up, causing a confused look from Steve. “Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”

 “Yes, they do.” He said before she leaned up, grabbing the back of his neck and placed her lips onto his. Once they made it out of the mall without being caught, Steve stole a truck and they made their way to New Jersey.

 “Alright, I have a question for you, which you do not have to answer. I feel like if you don't answer it though, you're kind of answering it, you know?” Natasha went on, causing Steve to let out an impatient ‘what’. “Was that your first kiss since 1945?” She asked, a small smirk playing on her lips.

 “That bad, huh?” He jokingly questioned, which she stammers and says she didn’t say that.

 “I’ve just wondered how much practice you’ve had?” She asked.

 “You don’t need practice.”

 “Everybody needs practice.” He informed her afterward that it wasn’t his first kiss since then. “Nobody special, though? You’re soulmate?” She asked, looking down at his wrists.

 “It’s kind of hard to have a soulmate when they aren’t exactly alive anymore.” He stated, giving a small, sad smile. He decided to change the subject. “You know, it’s kind of hard to trust someone when you don’t know who that someone really is.”

 “Yeah.” She said, looking out the window for a moment. “Who do you want me to be?” She asked.

 “How about a friend?” He asks, causing Nat to let out a small laugh.

 “Well, there's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers.” She said, just as they pulled up to an abandoned military base.

 They walked around the base for a moment, Steve couldn’t help but think of the horrible memories it held from when he was being trained and no one believed in him but Peggy and Dr. Erskine. He spotted a building that wasn’t meant to be there, telling Natasha that Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within 500 yards of the barracks. They walked up to it, Steve breaking the locks with his shield before walking into the office type space. Concluding that this was most likely where S.H.I.E.L.D started. They came across a shelf, Steve noticing the movement of the spiderwebs, seeming that there is air flow through the small space between the shelves.

 “If you’re already working in a secret office…” He spoke, pushing the shelves out of the way, revealing an elevator. “Why do you need to hide the elevator?” He questioned.

 Natasha used her phone to find out the passcode to open the elevator up, pressing the numbers in, causing the doors to open with a ding. They looked at each other before stepping in and going down. The room they came upon held old computers and technology. Natasha looked around, confusion written across her face.

 “This can’t be the data-point, this technology is ancient.” She looked over to Steve, before he eyes travelled down to a port. She made her way over to it, placing the flash drive into one of the slots. The computers started whirring, coming to life. The computer spoke, the words ‘initiate system’ coming across the screen.

 “Y-E-S, spells yes. Shall we play a game?” She spoke while typing into the keyboard. “It was from a movie that was really...” She trailed off when Steve interrupted.

 “I know, I saw it.”

 The computer started to static, a green outline of what looked like a face came into view before it started to speak, “Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984.”

 “It must be some kind of recording.” Natasha concluded, confused.

 “I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am.” The computer spoke, before a picture of Arnim Zola was projected onto another small computer screen.

 “You know this thing?” Nat asked, pointing her head to the computer.

 “Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years.” Steve walked around the computer, examining it and the room as the robotic version of Zola spoke.

 “First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.”

 Zola went onto to show them and walk them through how it got to this point. Showing them that he was recruited by someone in S.H.I.E.L.D, or how he explained it, a beautiful parasite inside of S.H.I.E.L.D. He showed photos of the chaos that was caused over 70 years, a picture of the Winter Soldier flashing across the screen briefly. Steve could feel his anger building on as the robotic man went on, he couldn’t help but punch the screen with all his willpower. Only for him to come back onto the smaller screen.

 “What's on this drive?” Steve asked, hurriedly.

  “Project Insight requires insight. So, I wrote an algorithm.”

 Natasha stepped up next to Steve before speaking, “What kind of algorithm? What does it do?”

 “The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.” Zola said just as the metal doors began to close, Steve threw his shield, but it was too late, the doors closed.

 There were 30 seconds tops before the bogey was to hit, Zola still kept talking. Steve noticed a metal grate, flinging it open before pulling Natasha and himself into the hole, holding his shield over their heads to protect them from the debris. He managed to get the heavy pieces of the roof off them, picking up a loopy Natasha. Just before S.T.R.I.K.E agents arrive and start to roam the area for them. Only one person came to mind when he thought of somewhere trustworthy.

 He showed up to Sam Wilson’s house, told him he needed a place to lay low, that everyone they know is trying to kill them. He welcomed them in, ensuring that not everyone is out to harm them. They informed him of what was happening, how S.H.I.E.L.D was after them, about Hydra. He showed them what he would call a ‘resume’.

 “I can’t ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason.” Steve spoke, looking up from the file.

 “Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in.”

 He went on to tell them where they could find his jet-pack suit. They found Jasper Sitwell, pressured him for answers about the algorithm. It was to kill off people by the millions, anyone who is a threat to Hydra. Now or in the future. He told them that the 21st century is like a digital book, Zola taught them how to read it, to see everyone’s information. The algorithm goes through people’s pasts to predict their futures. Sam was driving, making their way to Triskelion, they were talking over the plan to stop the Helicarriers.

 “What? Are you crazy? This is a terrible, terrible idea!” Sitwell spoke urgently, right before there was a thud on the roof and he was yanked out of the car and thrown into oncoming traffic by the Winter Soldier. The Soldier started to shoot through the roof, Natasha jumped to the front of the car onto Steve’s lap, moving him forward. Steve reached for the emergency brake, pulling it, causing the man to tumble off into the road. He swiftly landed before standing back up and looking at them, eyes covered with a pair of goggles and a mask covering his lower face.

 Just as another car slams into the back of them, pushing them along the road toward the Winter Soldier. He jumps back onto the car, smashing through the windshield and yanking the steering wheel out of the car. The other vehicle keeps pushing them, causing the car to almost flip. Before it could, Steve pulled Sam and Natasha close to him, against the car door, and fell out, shield protecting them along with the car door. They slid along, Sam falling off, rolling onto the pavement. The Soldier shot at them, Steve pushing Nat out of the way and using his shield as protection. He was pushed back, landing into a bus. The other agents and the Winter Soldier began shooting at Nat and Sam, Nat shooting at them before taking off, hiding behind a truck and shooting up at the bridge at the man.

 Once Steve got out of the bus, him and Sam took out the men with the machine guns. Steve ran to find the Soldier, seeing him standing on top of a car, gun up getting ready to shoot. Steve runs toward him, the man seeing him and punching his shield, breaking out into a fight. The man kicks Steve back, pulling out his gun and shooting at Steve. Steve used his shield to ward off the hits, before going toward the man, shield in front of him. The man took hold of it, flipping Steve, only for Steve to go along and land back on his feet, leaving the man with the shield. They fought for a few moments before the Soldier threw Steve’s shield. Steve leaning out of the way of being hit, before pursuing the man again. They battled, Steve trying to avoid the knife. The man grabbed him by his throat, throwing him into a van, raising his knife. Steve held the mans wrist away from him, causing them to cut a long, jagged cut along the side of the van. Steve got the man away from him, pulling his shield out of the back of the vehicle before getting back into fight mode. He shoved his shield in the mans robotic arm, hit him in the face with it to catch him off guard before grabbing his face, flipping him onto the pavement.

 The man rolled along the ground, swiftly as usual, mask falling off in the process. He stood faced away for a moment before turning to face Steve. Steve looked at the man, confusion and heartbreak battling in his heart and mind, he stood up straighter.

 “Bucky?” He asked, the name rolling off his tongue like a breathy sigh.

 “Who the hell is Bucky?” The man spoke with anger, confusion laced in his voice. He raised his gun up, not getting the chance to shoot as Sam flew in, kicking the man away. He stood back up, he looked toward Steve, he hesitated for a moment before raising it again and shooting the grenade behind Steve.

 There was barely anytime to think before the S.T.R.I.K.E agents rolled in, yelling at the trio, arresting them. Steve didn’t even have the energy to fight. Only one thought was able to slip into his mind, one name. Bucky. Bucky. Bucky. When they finally made it into the van, being escorted to presumably S.H.I.E.L.D.

 “It was him. He looked right at me like he didn’t even know me.” Steve spoke as if he was on autopilot.

 “How's that even possible? It was like seventy years ago.”

 “Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and...” Steve explained, before Natasha cut him off. Telling him it wasn’t his fault. “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.” Steve said, sadness showing through his voice.

 Sam notices that Natasha is bleeding, looking toward the guards and ordering a doctor. He moved back a bit when the guard pulled out an electric rod, before they flipped it and jammed it onto the other guard, knocking them out by kicking them. The guard took of the helmet, to reveal Agent Hill, “That thing was squeezing my brain. Who’s this guy?” She asked, referring to Sam.

 The following went by almost like a blur. Agent Hill took them to a secret facility where they were met with Fury, still alive. He spoke to them about his injuries, why he faked his death. That he didn’t know who to trust. Just while they were doing that, Bucky was getting his arm fixed, going through his scrambled brain to past memories. He saw Zola, he saw Steve, the man, hanging off a train yelling. Bucky no! The pictures, the memories went by like a film on a projector. He felt himself get angry, losing control. When the man came in, the bad man, asking for a mission report. He couldn’t speak, he didn’t speak. The man slapped him.

 “The man on the bridge… Who was he?” Bucky asked, going back to the blonde-haired man who said a name, a name that itched the back of his brain because he knew it, he could see it, but he couldn’t grasp it, hold onto the memory of the man who looked at him with so much distress but with a lost love glinting in his blue irises. The man insisted he’d met him on another assignment. “But, I knew him.”

 He couldn’t focus on the words the man was saying, he could only replay memories of this man. He looked down at his wrist, that held a name. It was bold, dark. Steven. The name went through filters in his mind. Steve. Steve. Steve. The men kept talking, pushed him back into the chair, restraints holding his arms back, a mouth guard tucked securely in his mouth. As soon as the electricity was running from his head, he couldn’t help but yell out the name, before he didn’t even know what name he was yelling anymore.

 Steve looked over the trees and the water, a memory of him and Bucky playing in his head. I’m with you till the end of the line, pal. It was a sad memory, but it was also a happy one. Knowing that Steve and Bucky were going to be there for each other, no matter what. It was reassuring.

 “He's going to be there, you know?” Sam interrupted Steve’s thoughts. Steve gave a quiet ‘I know’. “Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop.”

 “I don’t know if I can do that.” Steve spoke, not going into detail as to why. But, the name that took over his wrist, that was his soulmate. James, Bucky, that was his soulmate, the love of his life and he was going to fight to keep him, to save him.

 They suited up, Steve wearing his suit from WWII that he stole from the Smithsonian, Sam with his jet-pack wings, Agent Hill in her usual. They had Natasha using a digital face that was made to look like one of the Counselman. Steve took over the intercom, telling the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D of the hijacking done by Hydra, telling them that the S.T.R.I.K.E and Insight team were Hydra agents as well. He gave them a speech, hoping they’d do the right thing. Once Steve and Sam made it into the Helicarrier and placed the two cards in the rightful spots, it wasn’t long before Bucky, the Winter Soldier, showed up. He tackled Steve, sending him off the Helicarrier, Sam going after him only for the Soldier to grab one of his wings and flip him back. Soon enough, Sam was grounded, leaving Steve to his lonesome on the ship.

 When Steve found the last port for the card, Bucky was waiting for him. Eyebrows scrunched, a solid, straight face. Almost as if he had no emotion.

 “People are going to die, Buck. I can’t let that happen.” Steve said, getting no response, no facial movement at all from the other man. He pleaded, “Please don’t make me do this.”

 He knew that he wasn’t going to stand down so, he threw his shield at him. Only for Bucky to block with his arm and the battling to begin. For a moment while Bucky was down, Steve opens the targeting blade system. Bucky continued to fight him, causing the card to fall from Steve’s hand. Bucky fell off the platform onto the windowed floor below, Steve following to grab the chip before the fight broke lose again. As Steve was pulling out the knife that Bucky jammed into his shoulder, Bucky reached for the card, as he grabbed it Steve goes to grab him by the throat, slams him down and locks the arm that is holding the card. When he wouldn’t drop it, Steve snapped his arm. The crack and scream that came from Bucky left an unpleasant shiver down his spine. He rolled them over, arm around Bucky’s neck, leg securely holding down his metal arm.

 He waited for him to pass out before grabbing the card that fell from his hand and running to the targeting system, pulling himself onto the platform. Once he got on, Bucky became conscious and shot Steve in the thigh. Steve pushed on, climbing up to the system, only for Bucky to shoot him once more in the shoulder. Just as he was about to put the card into the slot, Bucky shot him once more in the back. Steve dropped, holding his stomach. But, in the last minute, he slid the card into the slot, causing all the targets to be wiped and for it to reset, making the carriers the targets. Hill told him to get out, but he knew it was no use.

 As the carrier was being taken down, he got up, noticing that Bucky was pinned by a heavy piece of the ship. He jumped down onto it, still gripping his stomach before making his way over to where Bucky was. The unsteadiness of the Helicarrier causing him to fall back. But, he got back up, using all his strength he could muster to get the debris off Bucky. He took a couple shallow breaths.

 “You know me.” He stated, looking over to Bucky who was just standing up.

 “No, I don’t!” Bucky yelled, punching the shield causing Steve to fly back.

 “Bucky, you've known me your whole life.” Steve tried to stay on his feet, the ship moving under him making him unstable. Bucky hesitated for a second before raising his fist and hitting Steve again. Steve didn’t fight, he chose not to. “You’re name is James Buchanan Barnes.”

 “Shut up!” Bucky screamed, punching Steve once more, causing him to fall onto the grown. Steve only got up again, took off his Captain America helmet, and stood his ground.

 “I’m not going to fight you.” Steve says, dropping his shield through a hole, letting it fall into the water below them. “You’re my soulmate.”

 Bucky looked at Steve for a few heartbeats before running after him, pushing him to the ground, hovering over him, “You’re my mission.”

 He punched Steve once, twice, three times, four times. Repeating the words over again, before stopping. He looked at the beaten-up Steve, eye swollen, blood trickling down his face. The twist in his heart confusing him further. He raised his hand once more, held it there.

 “Then finish it.” Steve spoke, voice gruff and laced with pain. “Cause, I’m with you till the end of the line.”

 Bucky examined the mans face. He knew the phrase, he knew this man. But, his mind was still fuzzy. He was still unsure exactly who this man was, but he could feel a tugging in his heart, a pull in his chest. He felt love, compassion, confusion. But only for a brief moment because now he was looking at the man falling. His mind raced. This man was only a mission, would say one part of his brain. Another repeating, Steve, Steve, Steve. He let go of the bar he was holding, falling in after the man. He swam a few feet before reaching a hand out to the mans shoulder, holding him above water while he swam to shore. Thoughts swimming in his mind the same as he swam through the ocean.

 When he reached the shore, setting the man down out of the water, he couldn’t help but study his unconscious form. The man was moving his head, water seeping out of his mouth. He had to look, he had to. Even if it would wake the man. He bent down, raising the mans right wrist, looking over the area of skin. James. That’s what it read. James Buchanan Barnes, the name that the unconscious man kept saying, Bucky. It was him. He sighed and looked around before standing back up and leaving the man, knowing he was alive, so it didn’t hurt as much.

 After his recovery, Steve set to find Bucky. To go after him. Natasha gave him his file, telling him to be careful. Sam agreed to help him, like he said; he does everything Steve does, only slower. He went over the file hundreds of times, he followed every trace that would lead to where Bucky was. With help from Sharon, he was able to locate him in Bucharest, Romania after nearly two years of searching. It wasn’t ideal to have to mourn the loss of Peggy and then set off to find Bucky, but it was as if losing someone was meant to happen to regain another. He didn’t know whether to trust that Bucky wasn’t the same, hostile as he was back in Washington, he made sure to suit up, bring his shield as protection.

 When he showed up to the small apartment, the bedroom and kitchen connected, he walked around, examining the room. A mattress lay on the ground, there wasn’t much furniture besides a table or two and a couch. He noticed a small notebook underneath two candy bars, he flipped through it. It seemed to hold memories, words, names. Things he remembered during his time away from Hydra, the world. But most importantly, a picture of Steve in his Captain America uniform.  It was almost an hour before Bucky returned, Steve could sense another person in the room before he turned to see Bucky, he had his guard up it seemed.

 “Do you know me?” Steve asked, setting the book down. Bucky stared at him, face showing no emotions, but if you looked closely enough you could see the pain hidden deep in his eyes.

 “You’re Steve. I read about you in a museum.” Bucky stated, looking away for a moment.

 “I know you’re nervous. And you have plenty reason to be, but you’re lying.” Steve took a step closer, but only one, in fear that he’ll scare away Bucky.

 “I haven’t done anything wrong, not since Washington. I don’t do that anymore.” Bucky said, changing the subject.

 “No one said you did.” Steve retorted, taking another small step forward. Bucky walked over to a table, placing his bag of plums onto it. He removed a glove from his metal hand. “You pulled me from the river. Why?” Steve asked, voice soft yet urgent.

 “I don’t know.” Bucky looked up at Steve, his eyes holding turmoil and just hint of a glint that looked a lot like a hidden love.

 “Yes, you do.” Steve said, giving him a stern look, holding his ground.

 Bucky sighed, walking over toward Steve before going to the couch that was placed next to him, sitting down. He placed his hands over his face, leaning forward. He let out a muffled groan before sitting back up. He heard Steve’s footsteps coming toward him, and he couldn’t help but watch him. Steve took off his helmet, running his hands through his hair before kneeling in front of Bucky. He was a little claustrophobic in that moment, his lungs feeling like the air was slowly leaving him to just be soaked up by Steve. He couldn’t remove his eyes from Steve’s though, even when Steve moved his eyes toward Bucky’s covered wrist. When he lifted the sleeve up to show the name written delicately on his wrist.

 “Steven.” Bucky said, voice softer than it has been in a while. He liked the way the name danced on his tongue, it tasted sweet, loving. “Stevie.”

 Steve lifted up the sleeve of his Cap suit, showing Bucky’s birth name on it. He placed his next to Bucky’s that was laying on his lap. The names, the wrists and the men, they fit together so perfectly, so delicately. Bucky couldn’t stop his heart from racing, from the panic that set in, the tears that decided to leave without permission. He came to the realization that he hurt this man, his Stevie. He hurt him in more ways than he thought possible.

 “What’s wrong?” Steve asked, seeing the tears spilling from his loves eyes, the expression that took over his features.

 “I hurt you. And I didn’t mean to, I know I probably didn’t have much of a choice, but why couldn’t I stop them from doing this to me? If I could take out dozens of innocent people and even people who had abilities near to mine. How come I couldn’t stop average men with guns?” Bucky questioned, searching Steve’s eyes for answers.

 “It isn’t your fault, you know? It’s theirs, they took over your brain, your thoughts and memories. Wiped you clean of all of them. You had no power over them.” Steve tried to reassure him. He thought it best to change the subject, “Now, do you know why you saved me from the river?”

 “Because, I love you. Even when I barely had control of my own actions, I knew I loved you. You’re my soulmate.” Bucky answered, a small smile playing on his lips when he finished.

 Steve couldn’t hold back much longer, he’s waited over 70 years to feel Bucky again, to feel the softness, the warmth that was him. He placed his hands gently onto the sides of Bucky’s face, rubbing small strokes on his cheeks. He looked over his face once more, eyebrows scrunched, fear of losing him again setting in causing his grip on Bucky to strengthen by a little. He shut his eyes for a single moment, relishing in the moment till he felt a cold finger run along the side of his face, knowing it only to be Bucky’s metal arm. In a moment, he was leaning in, lips pressed softly onto the rougher ones of the other man. He knew this kiss was different than any others they have shared. Their older ones weren’t scared, they weren’t fearing the loss of them like they were now. They’ve felt the loss and coldness of not having the other with them, they don’t plan on feeling that again. So, they held each other tightly as their lips moved together urgently trying to make up for 70 years of lost touches, kisses and presence of their soulmate.

[marvelousbirthdays]

Happy Birthday, kittyinaz!

January 13 - Steve/Quake/Bucky. I would love fluffy sexy, maybe a start of a fic that involves soul mates if possible? for @kittyinaz

Written by @ladywinterlight

Note: I’m sorry that I didn’t get to smut with this. The soulmate idea got into my head, but I really did have to set it all up. This story is nearly 5k, and is the most I’ve written in months. It may eventually end up a longer story, but we will wait and see.

For now, happy birthday to kittyinaz!

 Marks Of Healing

When Daisy found out that The Winter Soldier was actually Bucky Barnes, she couldn’t help but be both happy and sad at the same time. Sad for Bucky, who’d been tortured for so long, but happy that he was still alive and got a second chance at life. She was too busy dealing with the aftermath of Insight to give it any further thought, so she sent Bucky good thoughts, that maybe he could get some well-deserved peace. The idea that her patron saint and her childhood hero, the original duo of the Howlies, were still fighting gave her hope to get through the rough months ahead.

It wasn’t until Coulson had her in isolation again after her encounter with HIVE that she really got a chance to think about the fact that both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were alive. Even when she was locked up after San Juan, she’d been too busy grieving for Trip and thinking about the implications that particular event meant for herself to think about her soulmates. But now, isolated because Jemma was worried about the others infecting her due to her lowered immune system, she had nothing but time to think about her soulmates.

Ever since she had been old enough to understand what a soulmark was, she wondered who her two mates might be. After she’d learned to hack, she checked written records from all over the US and had been both shocked and dismayed when the only matches that came back were for two dead heroes from World War II.

It didn’t make any sense. She researched handwriting manipulation and knew that the handwriting was an exact match - it was impossible to replicate handwriting to that degree if it was another person. Her soulmates were dead men. Eventually, she had resigned herself to the idea that even Fate believed she didn’t deserve a family and moved on.

Even when Steve Rogers had been uncovered from the Arctic and was determined to be alive, she doubted she’d ever get a chance to meet him. She’d already been on her way out of New York when the Chitauri Invasion happened, and driven by sheer terror she had kept going until she was more than halfway across the country.

But while stuck in isolation after HIVE, Coulson was nice enough to let her have a tablet so she could catch up on the news. The first thing she read about, of course, were the Sokovia Accords. Which, in turn, led her to reading about the split among the Avengers over signing the Accords. A little judicious hacking got her more info about the major issues between Rogers, Barnes and Stark. And some information about Black Panther and Zemo, the guy behind framing Barnes for the UN explosion.

A little more research on Black Panther led her to information on Wakanda, and she began to wonder. The Avengers accused of violating the Accords had basically fallen off the map, but Wakanda had some of the best security of any nation in the world as well as very strict immigration and emigration policies.

So she did a little more hacking and sent an email to Steve Rogers’ official Avengers account and his lesser known personal one. She considered copying the Wakandan government or royal family, but she decided that it could cause problems if the Captain wasn’t where she thought he was.

               Captain Rogers,

I know you don’t know me, but my name is Daisy. I did a search on the writing of my soulmarks a long time ago, and your writing came up as the match for one of them. I’m writing you now in the hopes that you may be interested in meeting me. I suspect that wherever you are, security is quite tight. Otherwise I might have just tried to come find you.

I have attached photos of my soulmarks. If, as I suspect, the writing is familiar to you, please do let me know. I will find a way to get to you if need be.

Respectfully,

Daisy Johnson

It took less than a day for Daisy to get a response, and from the tags on the message she knew even she would take quite a while to trace the route back to its origin. The message itself was short but made her smile.

Daisy,

Going to be out and about tomorrow. If you can make it somewhere on the US Atlantic coast, we can pick you up.

Steve

She quickly sent back a response.

Can do. Have a phone, number 612-555-5173. Text me when you’re around and I’ll tell you where I end up.

Daisy

The phone was an old burner from her trip to Milwaukee with Cal, but that was fine. She’d be ditching it after she met up with Steve anyway and no one else knew the number.

Getting out of the SHIELD containment unit wasn’t any more difficult than it had been the first time. She wrote the security on the things, after all. Her first stop was a bank, the second it opened, where she withdrew all her savings into cash. After that, she went to a salon and had her hair cut and dyed, knowing that Coulson would come after her. Since the Accords had recently been signed, she knew that he’d have to, especially with how Talbot looked at her.

She was able to make her way to Virginia Beach, which had a large enough tourist population that she was able to hide more or less. The changed appearance helped some, and half the people on the street were wearing sunglasses so hers definitely didn’t stand out. She settled herself in at a busy cafe and ordered herself some food; not that she was really all that hungry, but it gave her a reason to hang in one spot for a bit and fiddle with her phone while she waited for a message.

She was halfway through her salad when the phone beeped.

Heading to the coast. Where are you? -SR

               Virginia Beach. Little cafe. -DJ

               I’m told we can land on the beach very briefly. Can you get there?

Daisy glanced at the street signs on a nearby intersection and consulted the map on her phone quickly for a landmark.

Yes. I’ll wait on the beach side of the Navy Seal Monument. Wearing cutoff jean shorts, a dark blue tank top, and I have straight black hair.

She didn’t wait for an answer before shoveling her things into her backpack and leaving a tip on the table with her unfinished salad. She’d paid for the meal at the counter, so she didn’t have to worry about waiting for a check. She let herself out of the patio seating area and headed briskly towards the beach.

Though no one could really see a quinjet in stealth mode, Daisy felt it coming as the jet zipped down the coast. The vibrations shifted as it oriented on the monument and slowly dropped to just above the sand. She stepped tentatively forward just as she saw a slash of black appear when the ramp started to open.

Steve stuck his head out when he had enough room to do so, and Daisy didn’t wait for the ramp to finish opening. She ran forward and jumped, using just enough of her power to give her a boost so she could land on the half open ramp. She slid down it and ended up at Steve’s feet. He gave her an appraising glance, then called over his shoulder, “I think we’re set, close the ramp!”

“But it’s not even fully open yet!” she heard a voice yell from the cockpit.

“Just close it!” Steve called back. Then he returned his attention to Daisy. “You would be my soulmate, I presume?” She nodded and let him help her up off the floor. As she regained her feet, she turned her arm so he could see his words written on the inside of her wrist.

“Sorry if I startled you,” Daisy apologized. “I just didn’t want any of us seen out here.”

Steve smiled as she spoke and turned slightly to show her the words she’d just spoken on the small of his back.

With their bond confirmed and knowing she might finally be safe, Daisy put her back to the wall of the quinjet and just… slumped. Eyes closing almost of their own accord. She felt a pair of strong, warm arms catch her before she could slide down the wall, and for the first time since Mack had held her and listened to her babbled apologies, she felt safe.

“What’s wrong, Daisy?” Steve asked in a low voice as he held her mostly upright.

“I’m sorry,” she answered softly. “I… wasn’t… I know you’re my soulmate, and I think Bucky Barnes is too. And I didn’t know who else to reach out to. I’m… I’m not okay. And I’m sorry to put my problems on you too.”

Gentle fingers lifted her chin and when he didn’t say anything at first she slowly opened her eyes. Dark brown met blue, and she saw only tenderness and concern in his gaze. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll get through it all together.” He studied her a moment longer. “You look tired. We should sit so you can rest.”

Daisy found herself nodding agreeably. She hadn’t felt really sleepy like this in days, despite her general fatigue and inability to sleep. So she let Steve guide her into a jump seat and help her strap in. He took the seat right beside her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder after he settled.

Sleep took her quickly.

Steve took advantage of the opportunity to look her over. His soulmate was thin; too thin, really. Like she hadn’t eaten well in a while. She had dark shadows beneath deeply sunken eyes, masked somewhat by makeup but he was close enough to see past it. She did have a lovely golden cast to her skin and the slant of her eyes hinted at some sort of Asian ancestry, but even so she was paler than she ought to be.

Steve wondered just what had happened to her, but knew he would have to wait until they could talk privately to ask. He had so many questions, but he didn’t want to pressure her.

Daisy woke, hours later, to the sound of laughter and the sudden absence of vibration from the engines. She blinked her eyes open and saw a collection of figures that she recognized but never really thought she’d meet. Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff supported each other down the ramp, their voices low enough that only the occasional murmur reached Daisy. Behind them, Sam Wilson and Scott Lang were apparently trying to one-up each other with prison stories, but the strain around their eyes belied their lighthearted tones.

Daisy was well familiar with that state of being, after all.

She felt hands at her waist and jerked around, then went still as she recognized Steve. He was undoing her safety harness for her. He looked up at met her eyes with a reassuring smile. “C’mon, doll. Let’s get you inside, yeah?”

She tried to smile for him, but she knew it was strained. So she just nodded and reached down for her backpack. A moment later, Natasha Romanov emerged from the cockpit and joined them. She gave Daisy an appraising look.

“So you’re Cap’s soulmate, hmm?” she asked smoothly.

“Yeah,” Daisy replied. “I’m Daisy.”

Natasha nodded. “Welcome to the insanity that is the Avengers. Or what’s left of us, anyway.”

“Um, thanks, I think.” Daisy looked around as they emerged from the jet. Lush, verdant jungle growth contrasted against the cityscape ahead of surprisingly modern buildings. “Where are we?”

“Birnin Zana, capital of Wakanda,” an accented voice responded in a polite tone.

Daisy spun around abruptly to face the voice. It came from a regal looking man with dark skin. His escort, women with equally dark skin and smoothly shaved heads, stood on either side and just behind him. She immediately recognized Prince - no, now King - T’Challa from footage of the UN bombing and afterwards. “Your Majesty,” she said, bowing awkwardly.

He accepted her attempt with a small smile and a brief nod. “I’m afraid your guest is unknown to me, Captain.”

Steve stepped forward, guiding Daisy with a gentle hand on her lower back. “King T’Challa, may I introduce my other soulmate, Daisy Johnson.”

A true smile spread across the king’s face. “Ah, yes, the one who will complete your triad. You are most welcome to Wakanda, Miss Johnson. Soulmates are held in high regard among my people.”

Daisy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It took all her concentration to display the manners the nuns had drilled into her at St. Agnes, but she managed. “Thank you for your welcome, Majesty. I feel I should inform you, though, that my circumstances are not dissimilar from my soulmates. I have also refused to sign the Sokovia Accords.”

T’Challa shrugged. “One more such person changes nothing. You are welcome here regardless.” He noted the strain around her eyes and waved off any need for a response. “I will not detain you further. Your friends and teammates all need rest and medical care. Please, feel free to see to them. I will check in with you all in a few days.”

“Thanks, T’Challa,” Steve said warmly. “If you need us, you know where we’ll be.”

“Of course.”

Daisy really only wanted to go back to sleep, but she followed Steve’s guidance with slightly stumbling steps. After the third time she almost tripped on a crack in the pavement, Steve swept her up into his arms and carried her. She murmured a protest, but the fact that she snuggled against his chest convinced Steve that she didn’t really mean it. They followed after the group, whom Natasha was leading towards the nearby medical center. Everyone held at the Raft needed to be checked out; Steve didn’t put it past Ross to have hurt his friends while they were in custody.

Daisy roused slightly when the sounds and smells of a hospital caught her attention. “No, Steve, we don’t need this. I’m fine. I just need some rest,” she protested.

Steve looked down at her with big, worried eyes. “If that’s true, I’ll be happy to let you sleep as much as you like when we’re done here. But really, doll, you look like you’ve been through the ringer. Please, just let them check you out? To ease my mind?”

The wounded puppy look, combined with his plea for the sake of his peace of mind made Daisy cave. She sighed. “Fine. But just… don’t leave me alone?” she asked in a near whisper. “I really don’t like hospitals.”

“I promise. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Daisy’s next protest came when the doctors wanted to do a full set of scans on her - blood work, MRI, EEG, CT… the whole works. “No, I can’t. I mean, sure, draw blood, whatever,” Daisy said to the doctor. “But MRIs and CTs… they hurt my head. Like, badly.”

The doctor looked puzzled. “Can you tell me why?”

Daisy blinked as it took a moment to realize that no one knew her here. She had no medical history with these people, and they had no idea she was Inhuman. So she supposed she’d better tell them. “My powers are to sense and manipulate vibrations. I’m Inhuman.”

The doctor actually looked sympathetic. “I can see why that would cause some problems with our scanners. Would it help for us to sedate you? So you’re not aware of the sensations?”

“I…” Daisy hesitated. She knew the answer was yes; she had experienced it after all. But she didn’t know these people, wasn’t sure she trusted them.

Steve spoke up. “I’m her soulmate. Could I be allowed to stay with her through as much of the testing as possible?”

After considering the question for a moment, the doctor nodded. “During the scans you would have to remain in the shielded area with the technician. But she would be visible to you at all times. Would that be acceptable?”

Daisy let out the breath she’d been holding and nodded. “Yeah. That would be okay.”

Steve sat by Daisy’s bedside in a private room, holding her hand lightly, after all the tests were run. The doctor told him that they’d given her a slightly larger dose of sedative than usual, both to make sure she was completely under and because her initial exam showed signs of severe exhaustion. They didn’t know for sure how long she’d sleep.

Half an hour later, Natasha joined them. “How is she?”

“Still waiting for the test results,” Steve answered with a shrug. “How are the others?”

“Relatively unharmed, all things considered. I suspect Ross was too busy chasing you and Barnes to focus on them right away.” She sat herself down in a chair at the foot of Daisy’s bed, between the younger woman and the door. “You know your soulmate has a BOLO on her by Ross and Talbot?”

“She does? Why?”

“She’s Inhuman, and apparently extremely dangerous according to the military. She’d been working with SHIELD until recently.” Natasha shrugged slightly. “What do you really know about her, Steve?”

“Not much. Just that she’s clearly been through a lot, and that she has soulmarks for both me and Bucky. What more do I need to know?”

“Why she’d be classified as extremely dangerous by the US Military, perhaps?” Natasha arched an eyebrow pointedly.

“She told the doctor that her power allows her to sense and manipulate vibration,” Steve admitted. “They had to sedate her to run the tests they wanted.” Natasha hissed a breath between her teeth. “What?”

“That would explain it. Elementary physics, Steve. Everything vibrates, at the atomic level if nothing else.” Steve opened his mouth but Natasha waved him quiet. “Ask Bruce about it sometime, if you want to know more. Or your soulmate, when she wakes up. I know the basics, but not well enough to explain it.”

Steve nodded. “So, you’re suspicious of her?”

With a shrug, Natasha sighed. “Well, soulbonds can’t be faked so she has that on her side. I won’t really be comfortable until we know more about her.”

“If she was SHIELD, could you call Maria?”

“I will, but that needs to happen quietly. We don’t need her compromised with Stark.”

Steve nodded his agreement. Before he could respond further, a doctor came into the room. “Mr. Rogers?”

“That’s me,” Steve answered immediately.

The doctor glanced at Natasha, but when Steve shook his head he nodded and spoke again. “We have you on record as Miss Johnson’s soulmate. That means that while she’s asleep, we can fill you in on her condition. Is this acceptable?”

“Please,” Steve agreed. The doctor proceeded to recite a long list of puzzling data, both about her test results and her blood work. Steve held up his hand at one point and said, “Can you simplify it for me, please, doctor?”

“Basically, she has all the brain chemical evidence of Acute and Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome but no evidence that she has ever used any kinds of drugs that would cause addiction,” the doctor replied. “Essentially, her brain chemistry is all over the place. She’s too thin for her height and build. She’s clearly not sleeping. She’s likely to have mood swings, nightmares, and otherwise be generally unstable.”

“Is there any way to help her? Or at least ease the symptoms?”

The doctor studied Steve for a long moment, then hesitantly nodded. “There are one or two drugs we might try, but they could complicate her body’s natural healing process. Or… you could try completing the soulbond.”

Steve blushed but continued to meet the doctor’s eyes. “What difference would the soulbond make?”

“In layman’s terms, the creation and continued presence of the bond will stimulate her body’s production of the chemicals she’s deficient in.”

“Evidence suggests that the soul bonded are more emotionally stable and physically healthier,” Natasha added. “A soul bond makes you feel good. If she’s feeling horrible, the influx of the opposite could help her balance.”

“That would require waking Bucky, wouldn’t it?” Steve asked slowly. “We’d need all three of us for the full bonding effect.”

“It would,” the doctor agreed. “But I think it’s her best chance. The drugs are iffy at best, since we don’t know what caused her condition.”

“If it’s what she needs… then I think Bucky would agree,” Steve said decisively. “We should wake him. So we can all talk about the situation together, and we’ll all be on the same page if she agrees to a quick bonding.”

“I’ll see to waking Mr. Barnes, then,” the doctor agreed.

Natasha eyed Steve and Daisy speculatively. “I’ll go with. Barnes should have a friendly face, if not an overly familiar one, when he comes to.”

“Thanks, Nat,” Steve replied with a genuine smile. “I promised Daisy I’d stay with her until she woke up.”

Daisy was still fast asleep when Natasha brought Bucky to her room. She hadn’t even woken when the nurses came to move her to a bigger bed; Steve sat beside her, holding onto both of her hands and her cheek resting against his side. The doctor had said that until they bonded, contact with him still might help her. Steve hesitated, conscience conflicted between wanting to help her and feeling like he was taking advantage in her sleep. So he compromised, positioning them more or less they way they’d been on the quinjet.

Bucky paused in the doorway to appraise the situation. “Stevie?” he asked, his voice low and rough from extended sleep.

“Come on over, Buck,” Steve replied in a low voice, trying not to disturb Daisy. He watched as Bucky stepped up to the side of the bed, looking down at the girl in his arms. “This is Daisy, our third. I’ll introduce you properly when she wakes up.”

“Natalia says she’s why you woke me?” Bucky reached out but halted himself before he touched her hair. It looked so soft.

“Yeah. She should hopefully wake soon; we have a lot to discuss, but she needs to hear it too. But… she’s sick. The kind of sick that needs the soulbond to help her get better.”

Bucky nodded and sat down in a chair on the other side of the bed. “Not sure I can really help. But, if that’s what she needs…” he trailed off.

Steve released one of Daisy’s hands, the one on Bucky’s side of the bed, and indicated that Bucky should take it instead. A faint line of unease faded from Daisy’s forehead, and Bucky watched in surprise as she unconsciously tightened her fingers on his.

“She ain’t at all like Peggy,” Bucky observed after a moment. “That dame had presence.”

Steve chuckled softly. “So does Daisy, just not while she’s asleep. She approached me, you know. Sent pictures of her soulmarks and asked if we’d meet her.”

Bucky grinned. “Good to know she’s got some spine. She’ll need it, the way you get into trouble.”

Steve scoffed. “I’m not the only one, Jerk. Besides, I think she’ll hold her own. Nat says the military thinks she’s dangerous.”

“Ain’t we all?” Bucky asked, lifting one eyebrow.

Daisy began to stir, and the two men fell quiet. Steve stroked her cheek gently, hoping to soothe her back to sleep. But apparently something had caught her attention and her eyes fluttered open. “Wha..?” she asked sleepily.

“Still in the hospital, doll,” Steve told her. “But I’m here, and so’s Bucky.”

“Super soldier buzzing feels weird,” she murmured as she turned her attention to the third presence in the room. “Hi. You were always my favorite, you know.” Her tone indicated that she was still not fully awake, but she blinked when she realized what she’d said.

Bucky chuckled as she said his soulmate words. “Happy to be the favorite of a beautiful gal like you.”

“You mean you didn’t like Captain America best?” Steve asked in a teasing tone.

Daisy shook her head slightly. “The Cap portrayals all had him as this perfect guy. Nobody can really be that perfect. I liked Bucky on TV because he made mistakes but owned up to them.”

Bucky laughed outright as Steve blinked in surprise. “Guess that tells you, Punk.”

“Jerk,” Steve responded automatically. Then he shook his head slightly. “How are you doing, doll? Need something to drink?”

“Water would be great,” she agreed. Bucky reached for the cup on the side table and held it where she could reach the straw without moving. When she released the straw, Bucky set the cup aside again. “I did actually always wish history would teach us more about the real guys, you know. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, not Captain America and the Howling Commandos.”

“We’ll tell you anything you wanna know, doll,” Bucky promised. “We wanna hear about you, too.”

Daisy nodded. “Now that I’m awake, can we get outta here?”

Bucky looked at Steve, who sighed. “We have to talk first, I’m afraid. The doctor came in with your results while you were asleep. I hope you don’t mind that he gave them to me; soulmates count as immediate family here.”

Daisy shrugged. “It’s fine. I’d have probably told you anyway, or let you be here when they told me. So what’s going on?”

As clearly as possible, Steve explained what the doctor had told him. He emphasized that they were extremely hesitant to try more drugs when they didn’t know what had caused her problems in the first place. But that if her best chance was the soulbond, he and Bucky were happy to provide for her if that was what she wanted.

Daisy was quiet for several minutes. Then slowly, in a halting voice, she began to tell them about her experiences with HIVE. She didn’t spare herself at all, freely admitting that under its control she had done things she regretted and gotten several people killed. And that even when her friend had given his life to free her, she had tried to go back only to discover that it was impossible.

“I think,” Bucky began after Daisy fell silent, “that you an’ I have a lot in common. Both made to do things against people we loved by others controlling our minds.” He squeezed her hand gently with his remaining one.”

“And if these parasites messed with your mind, that’s probably the reason for the strange results in your brain scan,” Steve added thoughtfully.

Daisy sighed. “I don’t want you to bond with me because I need help getting over him. I want us to bond because it’s what we all want.”

“Trust me, darlin’, there’s nothing we’d rather do than make you part of our Bond,” Bucky said honestly, a light in his eyes as he held her gaze.

“What God has joined together, let no man break apart,” Steve said. Daisy recognized the phrase as one commonly used in Catholic marriages. “The bond exists, and we have to believe it’s for a reason. Maybe this will help all of us heal. Fully and completely.”

“Steve, too,” Bucky agreed. “Punk was never good at dealing with loss, gettin’ over the past. But I think we can help him with that, yeah?”

Daisy’s expression turned thoughtful and she slowly nodded.

Steve made a derisive sound. “I’m not holding onto the past. I’m enjoying familiar things. Not that noise Tony listens to all the time.”

Daisy chuckled. “Oh, Steve. I think I can change your mind on that front.” Steve looked skeptical. “Think about it. Music trends build upon prior styles. Of course you can’t jump from big band and swing to hip hop and heavy metal. But if we get you there incrementally, I think you might be surprised.”

Steve blinked. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“I think I do. Trust me?”

“Absolutely, doll. Always,” Steve agreed without hesitating.

“Me too,” Bucky agreed. “You can bring us both up to date.”

Daisy smiled. “I will. I promise. So, now, about getting out of here...”

It wasn’t easy to convince the doctors to release Daisy from their care, but she finally put her foot down and insisted that she was not bonding in a hospital room. So she was finally allowed to leave, provided her soulmates stayed with her for the next 48 hours. She was not to be left alone and they should come back immediately if problems arose.

The Avengers were all being provided with guest housing in King T’Challa’s royal compound until a more permanent solution was found. Steve led the way to his temporary home, where they firmly closed and locked the door.

“You gonna make it through this, doll?” Bucky asked solicitously as he steadied Daisy. She leaned against him, but it actually made her feel more stable and not less.

“Yeah. Just being able to touch you helps some,” she admitted.

“Then why don’t we move this to the bedroom?” Steve suggested in a husky tone. “Get you some full skin-to-skin contact.”

Daisy smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

[krzdragon]

Sokovia Accords

Look I have been browsing Tumblr after re-watching Civil War on Netflix and I need to say some things about all things I have been seeing.

- The Sokovia Accords were not ratified. As far as the movie shows us the Accords were not yet ratified when the bomb went off. So unless they ratified them later off screen without telling us or only telling us in a movie and only in one of the spin offs which I don’t religiously watch and only know the basics of then they are not in action nor actual law.

- Steve did not want to be a soldier being a soldier was the only way for him to give as much as the others did in stopping something wrong and horrid. He is still a man who wants to do what needs to be done to save the people being hurt and recognizes that a government overseer will not work. Remember when the government decided to make him a performing monkey because he was their only super solider?

- The Avengers would be controlled by a congress of people who all have agendas. And like he said ‘Agendas Change’ people in power are usually the ones who kicked others down in order to climb up and putting them in charge of the Avengers is a horrible idea.

- The Avengers DO NEED ACCOUNTABILITY, Tony is absolutely right about righting the wrongs someone makes. Which means that Bruce is as responsible for Ultron as Tony. When the team goes on a mission and cause collateral damage because they were not suspecting it to be as dangerous as it really was then they must be held accountable, and acting in another country without permission or telling the government or anything like that is wrong

- More than likely Steve and Natasha had Wanda with them as a training mission. There is a post, wish I could find it if you do please tell me, that spoke about how the words used are similar to what yo would say when training someone, meaning they were not expecting things to go anywhere as bad as they did.

- It was and accident that Wanda blew up that building. They were trying to get Bones out of the market place and he knew exactly how to throw off Steve, use Bucky, and then he used the bomb. Wanda acted on instinct to protect the people around them and so on instinct shoved him upwards but her control lost to the explosion she was trying to contain not stop because it already happened and it hurt more people and the moment she lost control she broke. You watch her face as she breaks.

- Steve blames himself for not stopping Crossbones and allowing it happen so in his mind it is not Wanda’s fault. And no matter what job you have; police, firefighter, paramedic, soldier, yes even hero you try to save everyone but you don’t. IF YOU STOP EVERYONE DIES. He is right about that, you cannot stop or next time there will be no one to save anyone.

- The fact that they allowed Ross, who calls Thor and Bruce nuclear bombs and almost immediately removes any autonomy and humanity in them, to present them three days before the ratification is a move that governments really do, another post that I need help finding please.

- Peggy Dies! Steve has no one but Peggy and Bucky left but Bucky remembering is a long shot as far as he knows. He is wrecked and emotional.

- Bucky is being hunted and Sharon tells us there is a shoot on sight on him. Which means they are not even trying to pretend to give him a trial.

- Once Bucky is involved it stops being about the Accords to Steve. It is about the last person he has of Steve Rogers, and not Captain America, being broken and no one wanting to help.

- Steve agrees with Tony about going through and amending certain parts until he finds out that Tony removed Wanda’s freedom. Tony took her freedom, she was not there of free will.

- Tony would turn them in before listening, and he brought in Peter. Remember whether they were ratified or not Tony was wanting to sign them and he brought in Peter without telling him why.

- Team Cap new exactly what was going on, remember we are even told why they are called. Cap does not assemble because of the accords or to fight Tony. He calls for help to stop a group of winter soldiers. Tony brings a group to fight, and both Steve and Tony refuse to listen to the other!

- Everyone has their own reason for the side they chose, beyond Peter and T’Challa one who even admits in Homecoming that he doesn’t know whats going on and the other who just wants to kill Bucky. any posts helping to explain their choices please tell me

- Tony recognizes that he should have listened to Steve about the soldiers. So he goes to help. He is going through guilt for a variety of things, not least of them is still Sokovia, not speaking to Pepper, his family the Avengers is broken straight down the middle with half of them in a prison that is cruel and probably unknown by the entire population, his best friend may be crippled for the rest of his life, And he just found out that the man that his friend, how much of that friend is Cap or is Steve IDK, literally got arrested for Killed his parents, KILLED HIS MOM!!!! I don’t know about you but I would lose it finding out that the accident I thought that I lost them to was actually this man who killed them.

- Steve kept it a secret because it was Bucky. Because Bucky was his world for years, romantic or not, and because we say we would help bury the body so wouldn’t we keep it a secret? Especially if we know they didn’t choose to do the killing, and if we don’t know if the killer knows and know that the killer knowing would destroy what little they had.  Remember that Howard may have been Tony’s dad but he was Bucky and Steve’s friend.

- Xemo decided to use the Accords but that would have happened anyways. It spiraled out of control because of his actions involving Bucky so he could destroy them. T’Challa is the only one who realized that the situation only occurred because vengeance consumed Xemo. 

- That letter solved nothing. Steve doesn’t know how to do apologies apparently. Seriously that is the worst way to try to mend a rift. Steve may not have a problem but he defiantly owes Tony and the others an apology.

- Steve and Tony are human. Wanda, Clint, Scott, Sam, Natasha, Rhodey, Peter, T’Challa are all HUMAN!!!! Vision is vision and still growing and learning and fairly human himself in a weird sentient AI turned synthetic organic body.

[stark3000forever]

I'd like to clarify something

I love Tony Stark, adore him even. I don't like Steve Rogers. At all. But I don't have to HATE Steve to like Tony. To me, Steve Rogers is a man who isn't in the right place. I don't think he should lead the Avengers because, let's face it, the man is literally out of his own time. He doesn't know how the world has changed, he hasn't seen how the politics of being an icon work. Mentally the man is only 26 (I think?) and so he's pretty young himself, especially compared to most of the other Avengers. People put Captain America on a pedestal and made him seem perfect despite him being just a man and so he's held to a higher standard; he's America's Golden Boy. He had just lost his best friend and figured he was going to die saving his country only to wake up and realize all his friends were gone and that the woman he loved was an old woman he wouldn't have for long. Steve Rogers had a lot of shit on his plate and now he has to navigate a brand new century with aliens and technology he never imagined so he's going to make a few mistakes and bad calls. Tony Stark has been in the spotlight all his life, from a naive child, to an ungrateful, spoiled rotten teenager, to a narcissistic weapons dealer who knows he's smart and handsome and uses it to however he can, to what he is now; a man trying to redeem himself. If Afghanistan and Obadiah had never happened do I think Tony would've stopped dealing? Honestly I don't. If he'd never had to face what his weapons had caused I don't believe Tony would've become a better man. But he did see what his weapons did, he saw his weapons being sold to terrorists and he was tortured. When he came back Tony had obvious PTSD, gee I wonder why! You get Cap and Tony's first meeting and it's already going south. Tony heard all about Steve Rogers all his life. Howard told Tony stories about how great he was, about how perfect, Tony was neglected by Howard while Steve was so important to Howard. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why Tony resents Steve and he is petty when he calls Steve those names and acts like he does. Steve on the other hand, can't figure out how Tony is related to someone like Howard because the Howard he knew was so different to the one Tony knew. He thinks Tony is this narcissistic bastard (which to be fair...yeah he kinda is) and he is pretty much repulsed by the guy because there's no way his friend's kid should've ended up like that. Then we get into Tony hacking SHIELD because he's Tony and knows something isn't being explained. Steve is a military man, he follows orders, you don't go hacking the higher ranks because you don't like what you hear. Tony is being smug because he knows Fury needs him and Banner to track the Tesseract while Steve is basically useless. Steve can't believe that Tony is blatantly doing stuff like this but once he hears how Fury is the top spy and his secrets have secrets he gets suspicious. Because they work together (to spite each other so does it count as working together??) they figure out why Fury is so desperate to get the Cube back; that's Steve's first big slap in the face that humans haven't changed and that people are still trying to do whatever it takes to get ahead. Then come Ultron. To be honest I don't think Tony and Steve ever got away from those first impressions because they never really trust each other. When they get Loki's staff, and after Wanda has played with Tony's head, he asks Thor's permission to do tests and research on the staff to which Thor says yes. When Tony and Bruce realize the stone is, essentially, a very advanced AI Tony realizes that these specs could be the key to unlocking Ultron, a world wide defense. Bruce says it sounds like cold world but agrees to help him research. Bruce was there people! As they go to the party they say they are nowhere close to an interface. The gem, which is an alien artifact with intelligence, is what creates Ultron; Tony didn't set up the program, he wasn't even close to it. But Ultron comes to life and kicks the Avengers' collective asses. This is where my first major problem comes from. So Steve and team grill Tony (but not Bruce at all who cowers and hides back while Tony takes all the heat) and get in his face about SECRETS and how they're dangerous. Tony tried to explain how they weren't even close and he doesn't know how this happened but then Thor, a GOD, attacks Tony who is OUT OF HIS SUIT, but no one makes a move to help him. Cap doesn't say a word to intervene he just lets Thor hold Tony by the throat. Okayyy but he's the team leader right?? Aren't leaders supposed to, I don't know, step in at this point? I get it I'm Tony biased, but Tony is a civilian and not trained like most of the other people in the room. SOMEONE should have stepped in, it didn't have to be Steve but as the leader one would expect him to wouldn't they? Then Tony is blamed for Ultron the entire time and, yes the program was his idea, but he didn't create Ultron, the gem did and that's explained even. By the end of the movie Steve takes in Wanda, who he sees as just a kid, and brings her in without a word to anyone else. This girl invaded their minds, including Steve's!, and unleashed the Hulk on civilians and let herself be turned into a weapon but Steve willingly takes her into TONY'S home and she never, that we saw, apologizes for her actions. That's my first big problem. Civil War was a cluster fuck, there's no way around that. With the grief of Peggy and his mind constantly on Bucky yeah, his judgement is gonna be a bit clouded. He's grieving the love of his life and his last tie to his time; I don't blame him. Tony is trying to lay low after Ultron because he blames himself and others blame him as well. When the Accords come up he's trying to stay on the law's side on this one because he's already on thin ice. But look at it this way. The Avengers burst into countries, take out the bad guy and half the city, and then leave. Tony takes care of the damages, not them. In the beginning scene they were in that country trying to stop Hydra agents and Wanda lost control her powers. She didn't mean to buy the resent is the same; people, innocent civilians, were killed. Countries probably feel a bit...annoyed that the superheroes cause so much damage while saving them. Yes they get saved but look at the aftermath of it most of the time. 117 countries say they want to be able to bring in the Avengers, not let the Avengers just waltz in. These aren't just rules to tie them down people are actually voting this way! They want the Avengers to back off. Steve says no because it ties their hands and they can't help everyone despite telling Wanda earlier that 'sometimes people die and you just have to keep going' and I get the sentiment but I still think that was the wrong thing to say, it made him, to me, sound so self-righteous. Steve wants to help and doesn't trust the government because look at how deep Hydra was!! Ross is bad news and everyone knows it. Tony knows this, he understands. But he also knows you can't make change if you don't compromise. He's been in this game all his life and he knows how to play it; Steve doesn't. He just will not listen and thinks Tony is just trying to save his own ass. And maybe he is but 117 countries are telling the Avengers that they have a major problem with them. Then comes Bucky and that's Steve's blind spot. Okay no one knew Bucky was innocent. All we saw was a tape and it showed the Winter Soldier, or at least a look alike. Steve rushed in because they wanted to take him out but Steve wouldn't allow that. Look at all the damage he caused trying to get to Bucky. He's his friend and he wants to help him but look at all the damage he caused! That only brought more trouble in. When they bring him in Tony almost got Steve to sign and Bucky would've gotten help but once he hears about Wanda the deal is off and I'm sorry but being confined to basically a mansion with the man I'm in love with after accidentally killing people? I can think of worse! Steve was idiotic to shut down that offer because of something like that. Tony should've explained yes but Steve should've thought it through, it was a miscommunication. Then Bucky breaks free and hell breaks loose. We have the battle and Spider-Man and no Tony shouldn't have brought in a kid to fight but Steve dropped a fucking tanker said kid so sorry boys but you both lost points with me there! Only later did they find the proof needed to show that Bucky was innocent but Steve never told anyone! He kept it to himself even when it could've helped! Steve what are you doing? Then Tony shows up in Siberia willing to help only to find out that Cap knew his parents had not only been murdered but by the hand of his best friend he'd jeopardized everything to save. Tony should not have gone off like that because it wasn't Bucky, it was the brainwashing!! But this all caught Tony by surprise, he'd never known any of this!! And Steve had kept this whole thing SECRET. This could've been if Steve had told him. A lot of people say 'well why was it Steve's job!?' okay but didn't Steve get in Tony's face about secrets and how they can damage things? If Tony had already known these things Siberia would never have happened. (And let's not go into TWO SUPER SOLDIERS VS A CIVILIAN because that'll get ugly so no) My point is; yes I'm Tony biased but I don't think he's perfect. Tony Stark made a lot of mistakes! Steve Rogers made a lot of mistakes! I just happen to agree more with Tony's decisions than Steve's.

[threshie]

Top 5 favorite characters?

From anything ever? I’m not good at narrowing it down that precisely, but here are some of my absolute favorites. This is basically an essay…sorry, I really, really love these particular characters, and wanna share some reasons why.

1. Castiel from Supernatural (if the amount of him on my blog didn’t make that obvious…) Cas is that lovely type of character who contradicts himself; he’s ages-old, but still such a newbie about anything on a basic life level that he seems young. That cute head tilt and confused squint, though.He’s basically an eldritch murder machine who can (and has) leveled hundreds of enemies on battlefields, yet is also capable of being soft and gentle and is considered by the other angels to have “too much heart.” The sarcastic and deadpan sides of him are often hilarious. It’s interesting watching him learn to have his own free will, and how that basically makes him fall from Heaven. 

2. Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) from Marvel. I love seeing a hero who struggles with his own demons, but still manages to save others even though he doesn’t know how to save himself. Tony has PTSD, he covers up his damage with armor and snark, and most people think he’s a rich jerk who laughs off problems because of this. His Arc reactor and health issues are outside signs of just how important technology is to his survival (not to mention technically he’s disabled with the need for the Arc reactor to keep him alive), and he’s a genius who invented his armor and weapons, etc. Tony struggles with alcoholism, which is one of the more realistic demons to fight in a comic book. Add in his “complicated” relationship with Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and you have have one of my favorite ships. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Tony is my favorite incarnation of him.

3. Sarah Harding from The Lost World (book, NOT movie.) Book Sarah is a badass. She kicks one of the baddies out from under a Jeep and feeds him to a T-rex. They try to kill her by throwing her overboard, and she freaking swims ashore and survives just fine on a dinosaur-filled island. She’s buff and has short hair and has a motorcycle chase scene where she’s shooting at a velociraptor - movie Sarah is basically another character with the same name.)

4. Percival Endicott Whyborne from Widdershins (and the rest of the Whyborne & Griffin book series.) Has self-worth issues, closeted gay virgin in a steampunky Victorian world that is very homophobic, extremely smart, teaches himself how to use magic, and handles the death cult trying to summon a Cthulhu-like doomsday monster from another dimension surprisingly well. Also works in a museum, is a scholar who studies dead languages, and is tall and socially awkward. What a sweetheart.

5. Bruce Banner (aka the Incredible Hulk) from Marvel. Bruce is another example of a super smart, very tormented hero who remains a hero despite all of his own suffering. The world is not kind to Bruce. He spends half of his time hiding from the government and people hunting him, the other half trying to contain his emotions that will boil over into a literal monster if he doesn’t. He’s not your typical hero type - he’s skinny and unkempt, doesn’t dress fancy, isn’t a smooth talker, and sure as hell isn’t a people person. He’s depressed and guarded and has been suicidal. He was horribly abused as a child, and saw his alcoholic father murder his mother. In the comics he has DID that turns into literal different people - the green Hulk is just one of them. Despite all of this, Bruce dedicates what time he does have to either doctoring people (while hiding out in foreign countries) or to science. He’s one of the smartest people in the Marvel universe, and he could easily have become one of the most terrifying super villains they’ve ever seen. Instead, even though the world hasn’t done him many favors, he still chooses to be a hero and help people.

[erenevune]

Okay. So I’ve been stiring on this for a while so I finally decided to take a really good look at what’s actually happening.

I’d like to start off by saying that Steve was pretty much a dick the entire film. I mean I get that he didn’t want to sign the accords but the way he went about it was just so completely wrong. Thing is I completely agree with Tony because he had it right because he knew what was going on. I mean, out of the two of them who actually knows the politics of the 21st century and has worked these sorts of things for decades? Tony.

Tony knew, as soon as the Sokovia Accords were made that he had to sign on. It wasn’t about guilt, although that was part of it. It was about the fact that if they didn’t do it now, it would be much worse later and or done to them and he knew that. (He actually says this in the film.) He also knew that the only way to have ammendments was to prove he was willing to cooperate. As with any new law and it’s affected parties.

Tony knew they needed oversight. Everything has some sort of chain of command. Military. Police. Business. Etc. And Tony knew the value of having that chain.

Steve Rogers on the other hand, doesn’t seem to understand the necessity. Need I remind you that he repeatedly went against that chain and was rewarded for it? Sure, he saved a bunch of people when he went to get Bucky, but that’s not the point. He ignored the chain and there could have been dire consequences (as we see in the future after S.H.I.E.L.D fell)

Another thing. He went after Bucky. Only Bucky. Noone else. It was pure chance that he let those guys out first, but they were used as a distraction so he could get to his main goal. Bucky. We see time and time again that Steve gets tunnel vision when it comes to Bucky.

And in Civil War it escalates to the point where he’s injuring and getting innocent people killed for Bucky. Only Bucky. When it comes to Bucky, everyone and everything else is inconsequential and unimportant as long as Bucky is fine.

Steve did not read the Accords. Fact. He left for Peggy’s funeral while he was skimming. Even if he did read it all, there is no possible way (and Tony Stark would bet his fortune on it) that he understood all of it enough to make an informed opinion. Laws use a lot of big words. Big words that would have been invented in the 70 years Cap was gone. So no, Steve didn’t actually know what the Accords were about.

He probably had no idea what the UN was either. Did you see his notebook in CAWS? Pop culture. 7 decades worth of world history? No, Moon landing, that’s it. Politics? Nope. New laws or government organizations (like the UN)? Nada. I think it’s safe to say that Steve wasn’t really caught up if pop culture is the sort of thing he’s catching up on.

Steve had made his mind up already. And he can’t use the Bucky excuse because by then Bucky wasn’t in the picture yet. Steve never gave a thought to the Accords and then Bucky fueled that fire and made him stubborn to a point beyond stupidity.

So, to sum up here. Tony knew that the Accords were going to happen no matter what and was willing to help make ammendments to suit everyone affected by the law. Steve went “Fuck you, I know better that 117 countries” and got a lot of people hurt and or killed.

Here’s another kicker. Tony convinced Steve to sign the Accords. He was literally about to and then Wanda was brought up, which is another thing.

Okay, a) why the fuck is she an Avenger? She was a HYDRA agent. A willing one, might I add. She and her brother volunteered to be experimented on and then work for them. She was the cause of Ultron.

She did mess with his head, and arguably, because it probably was, it was worse for him. He was alone. He didn’t know she was there, then suddenly he’s shown his worst fears mingled with a shit tonn of major PTSD triggers. He probably didn’t even know Wanda gave him the vision. He has PTSD, he’s probably used to attacks where he sees things.

I mean seriously, Tony has made AI’S before and none of them went bad. (DUM-E, U, JARVIS, then FRIDAY) They (Bruce & Tony) even say in AOU “We’re not even close to an interface yet” which means something jumped the mind stone to hijack the incomplete program.

Then you’ve got to think, an AI is made, with incomplete programming and whatever the mind stone did, and then was instantly thrust into the Internet. No wonder he wanted to kill everything. Information overload much, then attempting to make something of it all.

She had(/has) an illogical and unreasonable hatred for Tony Stark. Sure, the bomb thing was probably traumatizing, but she’s like ~23 now. That’s over a decade since it happened and you’ve got to think, why didn’t the bomb go off?

Stark weapons were brilliant. Top of the line never failing basically. So. Two bombs are dropped, and from the sounds of it, there was no explosion or if there was it was really small. Otherwise how could they be so close to her parents without dying too?

So, this leaves two possibilities. First, was the bomb actually Stark tech? Her home was war torn at the time. I’m sure some sides would like to intimidate their enemies with the idea they have Stark weapons. OR, the bomb was never armed. Again, war torn country. It’s entirely possible the plane carrying it was shot down.

So, unreasonable and illogical. If someone stabs you, who do you blame? The knife, the manufacturer/designer of the knife, or the person who stabbed you? The third one, obviously. So why was Tony Stark to blame? We’ve also got to remember Obadiah was dealing under the table.

b) She is NOT a kid, and I don’t understand why pretty much everyone thinks she is. She’s ~23. She can drink. She can vote. She can drive. She’s killed people. She became HYDRA. In what way is she a child? The way I see it she hadn’t been one in a very long time.

c) back to CW. Steve got all pissy because Tony kept Wanda in the compound (the lap of luxury need I remind you) for her own safety and the safety of those around her. It wasn’t a matter of her starting a fight. If she’d gone out and been attacked and defended herself, the situation would be made so much worse for her. Especially if someone got hurt or dead when she did so.

Now we get to the airport. Tony tries to talk. Steve is dismissive and unwilling to listen. Steve refuses to share vital information that would have helped the situation and the threat they had every reason to believe exists.

Steve starts the fight. His team doesn’t hold back like Tony’s does. They destroy a lot of property and nearly killed T'Challa and Spiderman several times. I mean, fuck you Steve, who just drops a huge heavy walkway create thing on someone who is obviously a teen? And then WALK AWAY while they struggle to hold it up. What if you had overestimated Spiderman’s strength? Congrats, you just killed a kid because once again you show no regard for anyone else besides Bucky.

He leaves his team. They probably knew even less about the situation than he did, because he knew fuck all about the Accords so I can’t imagine the bullshit Scott and Clint were told.

Then fucking Natasha. Ffs, she could have easily either disabled/sabotaged the quinjet or delayed them from leaving. But she didn’t. Then she has the nerve to tell Tony to watch his back after she betrayed him.

Also, Rhodey. Oh my god. Everyone gives Tony shit for point blank shooting Sam, but think about it. If Sam had taken the hit and turned into a glider, Rhodey would be fine. It doesn’t completely make sense, but there was a long moment where Tony was watching Rhodey fall to his death. Sam was a quick way to lash out. He also didn’t hit him that hard, just enough to knock him down.

Zoom ahead, Tony gets evidence that prove Bucky is innocent and admits he was wrong. (About what though I’m not sure, because all he wanted to do was give Bucky mental help and a fair trial but whatever. It’s not like Steve told him about the threat or anything. Because that would have been helpful.)

Clint makes a crack at Rhodey’s condition which is such a dick move. Sam then tells Tony the information he should have been given from the beginning by Mr ‘I-Dont-like-my-team-keeping-things-from-me’ Rogers. Tony heads to Siberia as a friend.

Steve gets a little arrogant cause he’s got this attitude of 'I knew I was right the whole time and I’m glad you’ve finally seen sense’.

Then the video. This pissed me off the most I think.

You’ve just witnessed your parents brutally murdered by the person standing not 10 feet away from you. This reopens unprocessed greif and causes emotional backlash. Then you find out someone you thought of as a friend had known. Known for years. Since CAWS. And never said a thing in an environment where it would have been okay, instead of watching the murder and then being told someone close to you knew the whole time who had done it. (Again because it was Bucky. Bucky is more important than the world, remember?)

And his face. It’s so broken and betrayed. (I’d add a picture of Tumblr would let me) and he attacks, because who wouldn’t?

And then Steve does the worst possible thing he could in that situation. Fight back. When someone is having an emotional breakdown like that, you hold them until they calm down and Steve was well within his power to do so. If he’d tried he probably could have talked Tony down.

Fighting more fighting. Steve starts disabling the suit. To you can no longer fly properly. Then he proceeds to continue to be violent and make it worse and acts like it’s not a justifiable or reasonable reaction for a human to have (especially one with PTSD and a past of horrible things happening when he’s betrayed by someone close to him)

They gang up on him. Then Bucky had him pinned and is trying to rip out the Arc Reactor. Once again, PTSD. Also, need I remind you that he’s only recently had it removed from his chest. That was the only thing keeping him alive for a long time. In the state of mind he was in, he wouldn’t have remembered he no longer needed it to survive, hence blasting off his metal arm.

By this point he seems to have calmed down a bit and isn’t actively going for the kill, he’s just defending himself at this point.

He tells Cap to stay down, because he doesn’t want to fight him, and when he’s momentarily distracted Cap jumps on him and slams him to the ground. Tony barely does anything and then Steve is punching the faceplate. Then he’s smashing it with the sheild.

There’s this moment, you can kinda see it in the 3 secs of gif tumblr would let me use. There’s this moment where Steve is seriously considering decapitation. Tony sees this, is terrified and emotionally unbalanced and covers his face.

Steve slams the sheild into the reactor and leaves it there. Tony goes wide eyed with terror and let’s out a very not good sounding breath. He’s looking at Cap with such fear because he saw what Steve was about to do. Saw him stab him in the back and literally break his heart. (Kept him alive for years, remember?)

There is so much fear and Steve looks at him with no regret for what he just did and twists the sheild out of Tony’s chest and walks away.

When he drops it, his expression is like indulging a child in something stupid.

Then he leaves him there to die basically. Tony can’t fly, the suit is dead. Can’t contact anyone. The suit is dead. Noone knows where he is and T'Challa took Steve and Bucky with him when he left.

Steve Rogers beat Tony to a pulp after he witnessed something truly traumatizing and then left him to die in the middle of nowhere in an old HYDRA base.

They act like it was Tony’s fault for the Raft as well. I mean, they’re powered and dangerous and also criminals. The Raft was a bit much though, I’ll admit. But Tony didn’t put them there. He brought them in because he was following the law like everyone else on the planet should. Because he didn’t think himself above the law the Steve did. (Aka flipping the bird at 117 countries whose people say they’re scared and what someone to oversee the Avengers) and the jacket and collar on Wanda was unethical. I think the collar on its own would have been fine but wearing a straitjacket for too long is really bad for your health.

And then just to put the icing on the cake. The letter. The damn fucking letter. It’s mocking. It’s arrogant. Not once is there an apology or true regret. Other than regretting that they’re now criminals who hurt so many people that is. But mostly just the fact they have to hide when 'they did nothing wrong’. No remorse for anything. Not for Tony, defiantly not. That would be decent. Not for anyone else either.

“I know I hurt you”. That’s not an apology. There was no mention of the destruction he left behind in his quest for saving a single man, who has killed people. A lot of people. By choice or not, it was still his body. His life was not worth the loss of so many innocent lives. There was no acknowledgement of how deeply you hurt Tony. How much you damaged him.

Steve basically says. “I forgive you for being wrong and because I’m such a nice and just person when you see I’m right I’ll be here for you and all will be forgiven. Because we’re still friends/family. Even if you fucked up.”

Argh. Angry ranting at 2am. I’ve probably missed points I wanted to make but my wrists are cramping and I’m tired.

I just… I used to like Steve, but Tony a little more because he always seemed more relatable to me. (And had a more interesting backstory.) And then this movie just made me hate Cap so much. He was such a dick in it and it annoys me that the movie was obviously trying to get you to side with him. Feel free to add anything to this.