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bvckybanres · 2 years

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no one told me - bucky x darcy

part one: pay attention in american history

Disclaimer: gifs not mine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is Bucky," he sighs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still, it’ll be fun to tease him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But -”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“JARVIS look into that for me.”

“Right away, sir,” JARVIS responds robotically.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She regretted it almost instantly.

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

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

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

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

She frowns at the lack of space and furniture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And, ok, yeah maybe he had a point.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bucky simply blinks back at her.

Darcy remains unphased.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bucky doesn’t respond.

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

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

He still doesn’t say anything.

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

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

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

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

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sycamorelibrary754 · 27 days

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Guardian Angel

Chapter 10: MacGyver

Summary: Wanda and Monica hurry to Rome to save the team from San Castillo's catacombs while you anxiously wait for news about Wanda and your newfound family.

Warnings: Mentions of injury, asthma, anxiety

Word Count: 8k

A/N: The latest chapter of Guardian Angel is the longest yet. Thanks to everyone who's reading! I'm excited about where the story is headed, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Guardian Angel Masterlist

Tony slowly opened his eyes, but all he could see was darkness. The faceplate of his Iron Man helmet slid open, and he heard the dripping sound of condensation. The only indication that he was still alive.

Steve stirred next, feeling the damp air and touching the hard stone floor. He started crawling on all fours and ripped off his oxygen mask, coughing as small pebbles from the drop scraped against his skin.

“Buck, come on. There you go.” Steve tapped his friend's cheek as he started to come around. “Wow,” Barnes gasped as he looked back up at the height of the drop.

Yelena crawled towards Natasha, her face and arms stained with dirt and blood. Despite the pain in her wrist, she began moving the small pile of rubble that had buried her older sister's lower body.

“Are you okay, sestra?” Her voice was muffled under the oxygen mask, but she managed to ask.

Nat slowly sat up and let out a hiss as the pain in her right leg began to hit her. Looking down, she noticed a gash spanning the length of her lower leg, visible through her suit. Although the cut wasn't deep, it was enough to cause her discomfort.

All around them, there was an eerie silence that sent shivers down their spines. The darkness was so thick they could barely see anything beyond a few feet.

Carol quickly sprang into action, helping Peter and Kate to their feet, while Sam and Clint sputtered and coughed as they crawled out from behind a chunk of stone slab covered in a cracked fresco painting that had fallen along with them. The sound of the debris crashing against each other had been deafening, and it had taken them a few moments to get their bearings.

Thor was the last to appear, tossing rubble and rocks aside like Legos. His strength and determination were evident as he worked to clear the wreckage.

“Is everyone alright?” Steve asked the team.

A smattering of grunts and mumbles floated out of the team in response. Everyone was nursing a modicum of injuries, but somehow, all were alive.

"FRIDAY, can you give me an IR scan of the space?" Tony's voice echoed through the underground catacombs.

FRIDAY's response was unexpected. "This is not part of the previously mapped subterranean pathway, boss."

Tony's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean? Are there any air currents?"

"This catacomb is not accessible to the general public. Therefore, no air currents were constructed at this depth," FRIDAY replied.

Steve had a sudden realization, "How much oxygen is left in the masks?"

"Undeterminable, Captain,” FRIDAY said.

Panic set in as the realization hit them - they were running out of oxygen. "Maria, can you hear me?" Nat urgently called out through her comms, hoping for a response. But all she got was static. "Is comms working for anyone?" she asked, looking around for a glimmer of hope, but no one could get through.

Not waiting for further instruction, Carol swiftly flew up the shaft. The team could hear the distant sound of energy blasts as scattered debris and water droplets fell from above. She returned shortly after, displaying an air of calm anxiety similar to Natasha's.

"We fell at least one hundred feet," Carol reported, removing her oxygen mask. "The top of the shaft narrows, and the passage is blocked by rubble from the fall."

Thor looked around in frustration, "This is ridiculous," he lamented. "I'm getting us the hell out of here," he declared as he started to spin Mjölnir.

But Bruce quickly stopped him. "No, don't you remember what Friday said before the fall?" he said, grabbing Thor's forearm. A core reactor holds the tunnel together. We have no idea what is behind the energy surges. Introducing thunder into the mix could collapse the entire catacomb."

Thor's face contorted in exasperation, "So what do we do now?" he asked, the tension rising.

*^~^*

“How far out are we?" Wanda inquired.

The low and gentle hum emanating from the Quinjet reverberated through the atmosphere as it soared through the endless expanse of the bright blue sky.

"Just a few minutes. Their trackers are still active, but I can't say how long they'll stay online," Monica replied, glancing down at the GPS display.

Wanda wasn't sure what to say. This was the first time she and Monica had been alone together since the events in Westview. Despite the hug they had shared on the loading dock, Wanda wasn't sure where they stood. However, she couldn't bear to dwell on what they might find when they arrived in Rome. She needed a distraction.

"So... how have you been since, well, since..." Wanda began.

"Since you trapped Westview, New Jersey in an idyllic suburban illusion of your grief and turned me into a photon," Monica finished for her, raising an eyebrow.

Wanda buried her face in her hands, feeling embarrassed. "In a manner of speaking, yes," she mumbled.

"I've been okay. After the Hex was dismantled, Fury sent for me. I was recruited into S.A.B.E.R. I've been shuttling back and forth between Earth and the space station for the last year," Monica explained.

Wanda nodded in understanding, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions as she absorbed Monica's words. After a moment, she turned to face her. "Listen, I-"

"You don't need to say anything, Wanda. You already apologized, and I meant what I said that day. I understood how you felt, and given the circumstances and your powers, I would have tried to bring my mom back, too," Monica said, her voice filled with empathy.

Wanda nodded in recognition and gratitude, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders.

"Now, I have a question for you," Monica said. "What's the deal with you and Y/N?"

"Our meeting was pure luck, and now... now I can't imagine my life without Y/N. Losing Vis was a turning point in my life. The world around me crumbled, leaving me and my boys vulnerable and exposed. But I had to be strong and protect them, even if it meant building a fortress around my heart. But Y/N, she shattered the fortress the moment our eyes met. It's weird; sometimes it feels like Vision sent Y/N to me, you know? Like she's my guardian angel."

"That's amazing, Wanda. I'm so happy for you,” Monica declared.

"Approaching target landing zone. Cloaking technology initiated," FRIDAY announced.

*^~^*

Darcy seemed to have an unmatched familiarity with the Overwatch system��she navigated through it with precision and ease, almost as if she had designed and constructed it. You couldn't help but notice how meticulously she calibrated her equipment, making every adjustment with utmost care and attention to detail.

“What kind of data were you seeing before the fall?” Darcy asked.

“Mostly thermostats,” Maria said. “A core reactor holds together the stabilization of the tunnel structure.”

At this point, they could have been speaking a foreign language. You were having difficulty washing off the shock of the last few hours. You were also worried about Wanda putting herself in danger to rescue everyone.

“Why were they all on this mission, anyway?” Darcy continued. “Jack Sparrow doesn't usually push all his Poker chips into the middle of the table for surveillance.”

Maria pulled up the mission file on the screen, "In the city of Rome, there are more than sixty catacombs composed of miles of underground tunnels in which thousands of tombs are found. Currently, only 5 of them are open to the public. For the last month, we have received some unusual readings from the Catacombs of San Callisto. It spans five floors and more than 12 miles in length,” Maria continued. “Despite our best intelligence, we were unsure about what we were walking into because it wasn't publicly accessible. Fury wanted us to be prepared for any contingency."

Darcy caught sight of your zoned-out expression. “Hey, Y/N, you okay over there?”

“Yeah, I just,” you trailed off. “I mean, I make candy for a living. The most dangerous thing I encounter in my day is Harper forgetting to turn off the stove,” you said, starting to get worked up.”

“Y/N,” Maria said, seeing your anxiety rising.

“I just watched the Avengers fall to God knows where, and my girlfriend just left to try and rescue them with her magical powers…. What the hell is my life?”

“Y/N, it’s going to be okay,” Maria repeated as she and Darcy approached you.

“How can you possibly know that? This is fucking terrifying!” You shouted. “What if we never see any of them again?”

As you were spiraling into a state of panic, Darcy's hand came down hard and made contact with your cheek, jolting you back into the present moment.

“You were spiraling,” Darcy said, patting you on the back with a smile. “All good now.”

Y/N," Maria said as she placed her hands on your shoulders and looked you in the eyes while you rubbed your cheek. "Everything will be alright. Their trackers are still sending signals, and I just received an update on everyone's vital signs. They're in distress, but they're still stable. Wanda and Monica will find them.”

After a deep breath, you said, "I'm sorry, Maria. I don't know how you guys do this every day,” wiping your hand across your face. “With Natasha down there, I don't know how you're holding it together."

“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Nat doesn’t give up. If anything, this entire ordeal has pissed her off, and she’s even more of a fighter when she’s angry,” Maria said.

You glanced at your watch. "Shoot,” you sighed. It's almost 3 p.m. I have to go pick up Billy and Tommy from school. Please call me as soon as you know anything.”

*^~^*

As you arrived at the boys' school, a sense of nervousness washed over you. You had only met Billy and Tommy once before, and you weren't quite sure what to say to them. You remembered Wanda’s request not to go into detail about the reason for her unplanned departure, so you were hesitant about how to approach the conversation.

Within just a few minutes of your arrival, the sixth-grade class began to come out of the building. It didn't take long for you to spot the twins, carrying their backpacks and books, scanning their surroundings for you.

You called out, "Boys, over here!" Billy and Tommy ran towards you.

“Hi, Y/N, how come you’re picking us up today?” Tommy asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Yeah, where’s our mom?” Billy added, looking a bit confused.

“Your mom had to go on a last-minute mission with the rest of the team,” you said, trying not to go into too much detail. “So, she asked me to look after you boys until she gets back. Is that okay with you?”

Billy and Tommy looked at each other, seemingly communicating a message without words, and then turned back to you with a nod. You couldn't help but wonder if they had some secret twin language that only they knew. Either way, you were relieved they seemed alright with you taking care of them.

It felt odd stepping foot in Wanda’s home without her. It was your first time there, and the absence of her presence made the atmosphere feel eerie. However, you took a deep breath and tried to shake off the feeling, reminding yourself to focus on Billy and Tommy.

Once settled, you asked, “Okay, so what do you guys usually do first when you get home from school?”

Tommy and Billy stood in the kitchen, looking up at you with hopeful eyes. "Well," Tommy began tentatively, "Mom usually lets us play video games after school."

Billy nodded eagerly, adding, "And then we have ice cream. It's our favorite snack."

You couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm. "I see," you said, playing along with their little routine. "And after video games and ice cream, you'll probably get started on your homework, right?"

At this, Tommy's face fell. "We don't have any homework," he admitted sheepishly.

You chuckled, leaning back against the counter. "Listen, boys," you said, adopting a more earnest tone. I know we don't know each other very well yet, and you're probably thinking this is a free-for-all. But you should know I invented the 'I don't have any homework' line," you said, placing your hand on your chest. "I was a kid once, too, you know."

“It was worth a shot,” Billy said.

Why don't you two bring your homework out here, and I’ll fix us a snack in the meantime?” You suggested.

“Okay,” they said in unison before clambering down the hall.

You shook your head at their cheekiness and set about preparing a snack. You sliced up some crisp apples, added a dollop of creamy peanut butter, and poured some refreshing lemonade.

After spending some time helping the boys with their homework, which turned out to be more challenging than you remembered, you decided to tidy up around the house. As you walked into the living room, your attention was immediately drawn to the family photo on the wall. Vision stood tall and robust, with Wanda's arm around him, while Billy and Tommy grinned from ear to ear. The image was a gentle reminder of her life before you. Rather than jealousy, you felt a deep empathy and sorrow for all the hardships and heartbreaks she had endured.

You couldn't help but wonder if Wanda was okay right now. If they were all okay.

*^~^*

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, a soft glow began to spread across the ancient cobblestones of the Appian Way. The air was still and quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the distant chirping of birds. The surrounding landscape was bathed in a golden light, casting long shadows stretching across the fields and trees. Amidst this stillness, the Quinjet lay concealed in a nearby field. Wanda and Monica walked down the cobblestone path and made their way through the Arch of Dursus, their footsteps echoing in the quietness of the night. The entrance of the San Callisto catacombs suddenly materialized, rising from the ground like an ominous apparition.

The iron gate had been meticulously re-welded shut—Tony’s standard attempt at not drawing suspicion after they entered. Wanda’s hand began to swirl in red.

“I got it,” Monica said, breaking the lock with electrifying blue energy.

The two women donned oxygen masks and walked down the stone stairs into the catacombs, their communications and body cameras crackling to life.

As they descended the steps, their feet moved steadily, one after the other. The count of each step eluded them as they were fully immersed in descending. As they reached the end of the stairs, the first of the tombs revealed itself, emerging from the darkness before them.

Do you feel anything?” Monica asked, “Anyone?”

Wanda shook her head, “Not yet.”

“We’re looking at 90 acres of catacombs to search, ladies,” Maria said over the comms.

“So, you know, it may take a minute,” Darcy added.

*^~^*

Yelena frustratingly turned to Tony, "Can't you fly us out of here? I thought Iron Man could do anything?"

Tony snapped, "Oh gee, I hadn't thought of that blondie. Thank God you finally mentioned it after five hours!"

Natasha intervened, "Take it down a notch, Tony."

Tony sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Don't you think if I could have flown us out of here, I would have done it by now? The energy surges compromised the calibration of the thrusters. FRIDAY is down, too.”

Sam nodded in agreement, "Same here. It's a complete multisystem failure."

Suddenly, Kate's voice echoed off the stone, "Help!!"

Peter dropped from the wall onto the floor, webbing still hanging loosely from the rocks. "I couldn't find any other openings."

Bucky added with a hint of sarcasm, "Terrific. Well, Steve, we died once; looks like it's going to stick this time," he lamented, as he pulled a small flask from inside his leather jacket and removed his oxygen mask.

“Bucky, stop,” Steve sighed.

Clint chimed in, "Hey, give me some of that," as he took a swig out of the flask.

The archer passed the flask to Thor, who reluctantly sipped,” Your human alcohol is so weak.”

Natasha stood and hobbled over to Bruce, the cut on her leg now causing her more significant discomfort.

“Do you want me to look at your leg?” Bruce cautiously asked.

“No,” Nat said, ripping off her oxygen mask. “I want you to get your green ass off that rock and go MacGyver something with Stark to get us the fuck out of here!”

“What’s a MacGyver?” Peter asked.

“It's not a what, it's a who,” Kate responded.

“I've never heard of him,” Peter continued.

“MacGyver is amazing!" exclaimed Kate, her excitement bubbling over. "He’s a super resourceful secret agent who uses his vast scientific knowledge to escape dangerous situations. He uses everyday items like matchsticks, paper clips, and rubber bands to complete his missions.”

Nat's voice echoed through the cramped quarters as she shouted, "Knock it off!" The two young Avengers quieted down immediately, their eyes fixed on her.

Steve took a deep breath and scanned the room, his eyes settling on each of his teammates in turn. "Look," he said, getting everyone's attention. "We don't know how long Wanda and Maria will take to find us, but we must assume they're close. That means we need to stay calm and do everything we can to conserve oxygen in this tiny space and our masks. We don't know what will happen next, but we're in this together, and we're going to make it through."

*^~^*

It had been an hour since the boys had gone to bed. Now that you were finally alone with your thoughts, you couldn't hold back the tears. Your mind was consumed with worry and fear, and you had not received any updates from Maria and Darcy. The silence was deafening, and the longer it persisted, the more scared and anxious you became.

You gazed at your phone, considering calling them, but decided against it. Instead, you wiped your eyes and scrolled through your camera roll, looking at pictures of you and Wanda that reminded youof your favorite memories together.

You suddenly felt like someone was watching you. You looked up and saw Billy poking his head around the corner.

"Hey, Billy. You okay?" you asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Are you?" the young boy asked in return, his voice barely above a whisper. "Your thoughts are really loud."

It took you a moment to realize what he meant, but then it hit you. Of course, like his mom, Billy could hear other people's thoughts. You wondered how often he had to deal with that and how overwhelming it must be.

"I'm sorry, Billy," you said, trying to keep your thoughts in check. "I didn't mean to be so loud."

"It's okay," he said with a shrug as he joined you on the couch. "I'm used to it.”

You sat in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say next. Then, you remembered why you were there in the first place.

"I'm just excited for your mom to come home," you said, trying to inject some positivity into the conversation.

"Same," he said, his face lighting up a little. He scooted closer to you on the couch. It was a small gesture, but it made you feel like maybe you were doing something right.

"You and Tommy love your mom a lot, don't you?" you asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, she's amazing. She's always there for us," he explained with a smile.

"I can tell," you said, pulling a soft blanket off the back of the couch and placing it over Billy. "She talks about you and Tommy all the time. She's so proud of both of you."

"Really? What does she say?" Billy asked curiously, his eyes widening with interest.

"Well," you began, "she says you're both brilliant, funny, and sweet young men. She admires your sense of humor and your kindness towards others. Tommy is a great athlete, and you like to draw. She thinks you're a very talented artist."

"Mom told you that?" he said, surprised. "I didn't know she talked about us so much."

"Yes, she does. She loves you two very much," you replied, smiling at him warmly.

You followed Billy’s eyes as he stared at the family photograph you admired earlier. "I miss Dad," he said. "Tommy does, too."

"I know you do," you replied. “I’m sorry.”

"We were happy in Westview," Billy said, fidgeting with his hands just like Wanda. "Then, one day, we woke up, and Dad was gone and Mom said we had to go."

"That must have been difficult," you said softly.

"Yeah, at first it was tough," Billy continued, "but then we came here. Mom got Uncle Tony to build us this cool house, and we have a lot of fun.”

You couldn't help but smile as he talked about Wanda. "Your mom is the coolest person I know," you said, and Billy beamed with pride.

"You miss her too, don't you?" he asked, and you felt a pang of longing in your heart.

"You're good, kid," you said with a smirk as you ruffled his hair. "Yes, I miss your mom very much."

“She talks about you too, you know,” Billy mentioned.

Your surprise showed on your face. "Really?" you asked.

"Yeah," he said matter-of-factly. "She says you make her happy, and you make the best chocolate in the world."

You giggled at the compliment, but then you noticed the time. It was almost 2 a.m. "I think we both could use some shut-eye, Billy. We want to be well-rested when your mom gets home."

"Okay," he agreed, climbing off the couch.

But before he left, you had an idea. "Hey, what do you say you and I and Tommy make brownies tomorrow as a treat for everyone when they get home?"

Billy's eyes lit up. "That would be awesome!"

"I think so, too," you said with a smile. "Okay, now, bedtime. Off you go."

Unexpectedly, the young boy hugged you goodnight, and you felt a warmth in your heart. "Thank you, Y/N. Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight, Billy," you said.

*^~^*

Meanwhile, half a world away, Wanda and Monica ventured through the dark and musty catacombs. The eerie silence was only broken by the echo of their footsteps. They had been walking for hours with no sign of anyone. Suddenly, Maria's voice broke through their comms, sending chills down their spine.

“Our last point of contact was down this secondary tunnel just ahead,” she said.

Wanda's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the area. "Watch your step," she warned. "If this is near where they dropped, we're on unstable ground."

As they continued, the walls around them became adorned with ancient symbols and paintings, marking Papal tombs. But their peaceful exploration was abruptly interrupted when Monica came to a sudden halt. "Stop," she said, sensing a change in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Wanda spun around to face her. "What is it?" She asked, her anxiety rising.

Before Monica could answer, the ground began to shake violently, throwing both women to the ground.

As the ceiling crumbled, debris rained down onthe two women. Acting quickly, Wanda summoned her powers to redirect the falling fragments away from them.

“Are you two okay?” Maria asked nervously.

“Yeah, we're okay,” Wanda said as she helped Monica to her feet. “What was that?”

Take a look around," Darcy pointed out. "Do you see those fissures along the walls? Someone is utilizing the catacombs as a natural storage space for geothermal energy. But there is something wrong with the core reactor. It's causing the structure to become destabilized.

Monica's voice trailed off as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "So, in other words, we're..." she hesitated, unsure.

Darcy picked up on Monica's hesitation and completed her thought. "Walking on eggshells. You need to find them, and soon.”

*^~^*

Clint, feeling a tad bit drunk from sipping from Bucky’s flask for the last few hours, began singing to himself, “Nobody knows the troubles I've seen.”

“No, we need to find some physical conductor for the thrusters! We can't use Thor or Danvers down here,” Bruce exasperated.

Clint, not paying attention to the conversation, continued his solo performance, “Nobody knows my sorrows.”

Tony suggested, “We could use Barnes’s arm,” side-eying the super soldier sitting against the wall.

Bruce momentarily thought about it and responded, “That could work. We could use the vibranium and cybernetic implant to hot wire the thrusters”.

“Nobody knows the troubles I've seen,” Clint shamelessly continued.

Bucky, who had been quietly listening, pulled down his oxygen mask so that only his eyes were visible and said, “Come try to take it; I dare you.”

“No one at all!” Clint finally finished singing. Natasha gently coaxed her best friend back into a sitting position beside her and Carol.

Nearby, Yelena, Peter, and Kate sat on the ground. Kate’s head rested in Yelena’s lap, doing her best to clean the cut on the young archer’s forehead.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Kate, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

Yelena had attended to Nat's leg gash and now turned to the cut on Kate's forehead. She took out a disinfectant wipe from her vest pocket and dabbed the wound gently.

“Stop moving, and it won't hurt so much, Kate Bishop,” Yelena said, trying to hold her still.

Suddenly, the sound of Peter wheezing broke the blonde's concentration away from Kate's forehead.

"Woah, are you okay, spider?" Her voice was filled with concern as the boy tore off his oxygen mask.

Peter gasped between every word and said, "I don't know, I can't,” he sputtered. “Catch my breath."

Kate sat up nervously, "Hey, what's happening? Where is your inhaler, Peter?"

Peter's voice strained, and his breaths became shorter as he said, "On the jet."

Bruce took charge of the situation, moving Peter into a sitting position against the wall. He placed an ear to his chest and frowned at the raspy, short breaths.

"Peter, look at me," Bruce said gently as he held the boy's face. "Are you certain that you don't have a rescue inhaler with you?"

He shook his head, his eyes filled with fear as each breath became more labored.

Tony quickly turned to Steve and said, "Help me out of the suit."

Steve was confused and asked, "What?"

"FRIDAY is down. I need you to get it off me, do it!" Tony's voice exclaimed anxiously.

Steve found the central seam of the Iron Man suit and tried to pull the chest plate apart, but it wouldn't budge.

"Buck, Thor, help me!" Steve shouted.

The sound of Peter's shallow breaths was drowned out by the metal bending as Bucky and Thor worked to free Tony from his suit.

"It's going to be okay, Peter. Stay with us," Sam said, as he and Carol did their best to keep him calm.

Peter's vision began to blur as his breathing was reduced to a squeak.

"Shit!" Bruce exclaimed, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Tony quickly stepped out of the broken pieces of his suit just as Peter was about to lose consciousness. He reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a rescue inhaler. He shook it several times before removing the cap as Nat lowered Peter’s head into her lap. Tony tilted the puffer slightly, angling it down his throat as he gave two puffs into his mouth.

"Slowly breathe in, kid," Tony instructed. "One, two, three, four, five."

Tony administered two more puffs of the inhaler before Bruce listened to Peter's chest and confirmed his breathing had improved.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter whispered as his lungs began to open up. "Where did you get that inhaler?"

From Aunt Mae. It was one of her conditions for you to join the team. I always have it on me," Tony explained.

"You broke your suit," Peter realized.

"It's an easy fix, kid. You're not," Tony smirked.

Peter continued to use the inhaler as Tony kissed his forehead and walked away, his hands trembling.

Kate and Yelena comforted Peter while Bruce examined him.

"You're okay, Peter," Bruce said. "Continue using the inhaler, and when you feel up to it, put your oxygen mask back on." He picked up Peter’s mask, but his eyes widened with anxiety. The gauge was empty, and the light had turned red.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked.

"The mask is out of oxygen," Bruce whispered.

"I'll give you mine," Carol offered, taking off her mask and giving it to Peter.

"Thanks, Carol," Peter said as he continued to use the inhaler.

Steve pulled Bruce to one side. “Be honest with me, Bruce. How much time do we have left?”

"It's hard to say. With Peter's preexisting medical condition, he may have been using more oxygen than the rest of us. I'll check the other masks, but with so many people in this small space—”

“Bruce,” Steve said solemnly.

“An hour. Maybe,” Banner conceded.

*^~^*

Instantly, an avalanche of disordered thoughts rushed into Wanda's mind, emanating from Peter. The intensity of his anxiety was so profound that Wanda had to cling to the wall of the tunnel to steady herself. Overwhelmed with relief and anguish, she burst into tears. It was as if Peter's distress was contagious, and his emotions threatened to engulf Wanda's consciousness. His mind was a chaotic maze of thoughts, all leading to the same inescapable conclusion: they were all going to die.

Monica's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Wanda, what is it?"

Wanda had to grab the side of the wall for support. "Peter. I can feel him; he's close."

It was as if Peter’s thoughts broke the dam, and one by one, the desperation and fear of her teammates came through. But soon, it was replaced with something else entirely: acceptance. They seemed resigned to their fate, and Wanda couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

“This way,” Wanda said as the two women doubled back.

A dark tunnel forced the two women to duck as they crawled through it. As they forced their way through the ancient passage, they were relieved when it opened into a larger space—rubble scattered everywhere and the feeling of uneven ground underneath their feet.

Maria's voice echoed through the comms, "What do see?"

Monica took a deep breath and replied, "It's much cooler in here." The air around them was refreshing, starkly contrasting the humid air in the rest of the catacomb.

Wanda knelt and placed her hand on the ground, feeling the dampness seeping through her fingers. "The ground is damp, too," she added.

Darcy's ears perked up at their report, and her eyes widened. “This is it! If the water sinks into the ground, it's coming out somewhere.”

Monica took notice of the uneven gravel. “Don’t move,” she said as she phased through the ground, leaving Wanda alone with the team’s thoughts in her head.

*^~^*

Bruce, true to his word, carefully examined all the oxygen in the ten remaining masks. Unfortunately, five more had depleted, leaving the group with only five masks to share. They sat in a circle and passed the masks around, agreeing on five-minute turns, but the adults made sure Yelena, Kate, and Peter had the masks on for a bit longer without saying anything.

As they breathed heavily and coughed occasionally, it became apparent that the air was running out. Suddenly, a low rumbling sound made everyone scramble to the walls. Yelena instinctively reached out for Natasha, who was struggling to stand on what was now most likely an infected cut in her leg.

"Cover your head!" Steve shouted, not sure if it was another energy surge or if the catacombs were finally caving in.

Suddenly, Monica dropped through the stone ceiling and landed on Carol, causing her to grunt in pain. Monica quickly stood up, dusting herself off and helping Carol to her feet.

Kate screamed in relief, "Oh my God, it's Monica!!" and hugged her. Yelena tried to pry Kate off Monica while everyone else watched in surprise.

"You found us," Carol said, hugging her next.

"Actually, Wanda found you,” Monica said as she held Carol. “She heard Peter's thoughts," turning to the young Avenger.

"Thank you for having asthma, you wonderful little arachnid!" Clint said, kissing Peter on the cheek.

"Umm, you're welcome," Peter replied.

"Wanda is here?" Steve asked.

"I knew she could do it," Natasha said under her breath, recalling the day Wanda returned to the compound.

"Wanda," Monica said, pressing her comms closer to her ear. "You were right, they're down here."

"Are they alright?" Wanda asked, her voice a mix of anxiety and relief.

"More or less," Monica responded, looking around at the sweaty, exhausted, and dirt-covered group. "When I give the word, you do your thing."

"Got it," Wanda replied.

"Everyone move away from the center," she instructed.

After ensuring that everyone was safe, she issued the command, "Alright, Wanda. Now.”

The redhead stood still, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Her hands and eyes began to emit a bright red glow, almost like they were on fire. As she closed her eyes, your words echoed in her mind.

“The magic that courses through you is the true measure of who you are, Wanda. Don't let a single mistake define you or your legacy."

She focused her energy and channeled her magic to lift the endless amount of heavy rubble that blocked the narrow shaft. As she lifted the debris, the sound of rocks and debris tumbling down from above echoed through the small space. The team looked up as they saw a faint ray of light piercing through the small opening over a hundred feet above them.

Wanda's heart pounded as she floated down, eager to reunite with her family. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Natasha enveloped her in a warm embrace. "No arm tied behind your back anymore," she whispered, her words full of relief.

Tears filled Wanda's eyes as she nodded, overwhelmed with emotion. Then, Tony stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "I can't even tell you how happy I am to see you, Red," he said, his voice filled with genuine joy.

"Same here, Tony," Wanda replied, a smile spreading across her face.

But their reunion was cut short by Maria's voice crackling over the comms. "You can all exchange pleasantries on the way home; time to rejoin the above-ground dwellers," she said briskly.

Wanda quickly wiped away her tears and, with a wave of her hand, conjured a ladder leading out of the shaft.

After Wanda and Monica checked the stability of the ladder, Bucky, Clint, Sam, Thor, and Carol led the way up. Monica offered her assistance to anyone who needed it.

"Does anyone need a lift?" Monica asked, glancing around at the group.

Tony immediately pointed to Peter, who quickly protested, "What? No, not necessary, Mr. Stark. I'm fine."

However, Tony was quick to dismiss Peter's objections. "Nice try, kid. Your asthma almost killed you. Let the Photon carry you. That's an order," he said, picking up the broken chest plate of his suit and ascending the ladder.

Peter reluctantly acquiesced. "Fine," he grumbled, "but no one tells MJ.”

Monica picked Peter up bridal-style and flew up the shaft, ensuring that he made it to the top safely.

Natasha leaned on Yelena and Kate for support as she hobbled toward the ladder.

"May I offer you a lift?" Wanda asked with a smirk, knowing that Nat would be hesitant to accept help from anyone.

"Do I look like Peter?" Nat replied sarcastically, trying to shrug off the offer.

Wanda's smirk turned into a concerned expression as she noticed the pain she was in. "No, but your leg looks pretty bad, and I have someone on the line who wants to speak with you," she explained, handing Nat her comms earpiece.

Nat begrudgingly grabbed it, knowing precisely who would be on the other end. She put it on and said, "Hi, Maria.”

Maria's voice echoed through the earpiece. "Natalia Alianovna Romanoff! I can see your leg on their body cameras. Let Wanda help you, or I swear to God, you are sleeping on the couch until it heals," she shouted in a stern tone.

Natasha let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that Maria was right. She reluctantly handed her earpiece back to Wanda and nodded in agreement.

"Have a nice conversation, did you?" Wanda teased, noticing the annoyed expression on Natasha's face.

"Shut up, and get me out of here," the Black Widow grumbled.

"Good choice," the redhead said with a smile as she used her magic to lift Natasha out of the shaft. She then turned her attention to Yelena and Kate and gestured for them to follow. "After you."

The last one to leave, Steve smiled broadly at Wanda, his dirt and blood-covered face unable to conceal his immense pride in her.

“Are you going to give me some big hero speech, Cap?” Wanda asked, half-joking.

"Maybe later," Steve replied with a sigh. "But for now, all I want to do is this." He wrapped his arms around Wanda, pulling her close. "Welcome back, Wanda," he said, his voice filled with warmth.

Night had descended upon Rome by the time the team finally boarded the Quinjet. Monica took control of the jet and put it on autopilot, allowing her and Wanda to attend to everyone's injuries. The mood was somber as they tended to the team.

"No more underground missions!" Sam declared loudly, wincing in pain as Wanda wrapped his shoulder. "I mean it. If we need to go underground, Fury can send in the incredible shrinking Scott or use Red Wing. I was chasing ghosts down there, and we still don't know what the hell was going on."

Monica tried to reassure him. "You were probably just hallucinating from a lack of oxygen," she said.

Ha! Probably!" Sam responded, his tone skeptical. "See, that's not exactly comforting. Steve, I need you to make sure this is included in the mission report. We can't afford to overlook any potential threats."

Looking around at the team, Steve agreed with Sam. "I think we could all use some rest first though," he suggested. "We can reconvene in the morning and go over everything in more detail.”

*^~^*

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of your phone ringing on the coffee table. You had decided to sleep on the couch after Billy went back to bed, in case either of the boys woke up again. As you picked up the phone and saw Maria's name on the screen, your heart skipped a beat.

Anxious and nervous, you answered the call, "Maria? Have you heard anything?”

Maria's response brought tears to your eyes, "They're all safe. A bit bruised and battered, but alive. ETA is about 2 hours."

Relieved and grateful, you could feel a weight lifted off your chest. "Oh, thank God… and Wanda?"

"She was amazing, Y/N. You would’ve been so proud," Maria's voice was filled with admiration.

You couldn't help the tears that fell down your cheeks. You asked, "So, what happens now?" while looking around the corner to make sure Billy and Tommy were still asleep.

"Well, they'll have a short debrief when they get back and presumably a visit to the med bay. But I know Wanda will want to see you and the boys ASAP," Maria explained.

You nodded, even though she couldn't see you, "Okay," you said while running your hand through your hair and looking at the clock. "We'll be there."

"Good, see you in a bit, Y/N," Maria said.

"Bye, Maria," you replied before hanging up the phone.

As you were putting the couch back together, Billy and Tommy, still in their pajamas, walked into the kitchen. You greeted them with a warm smile and said, "Good morning, boys! I have some good news for you - your mom is on her way home."

Tommy's face lit up with delight as he exclaimed, "Yes!"

Billy looked at you with curiosity and asked, "When will she be here?"

You checked your watch and replied, "In a couple of hours. I was thinking we could all meet her at the compound. What do you think?"

Both boys nodded eagerly, thrilled at the prospect of seeing their mother again.

Then, you added, "Cool! So, I was thinking, would you like to help me make some brownies to bring as a welcome-home treat for everyone? It's a very special recipe from The Candy Bar."

You raised an eyebrow, waiting for their response. The boys looked at each other, then back at you, with wide grins on their faces. "Yes, please!" they exclaimed in unison.

As you stepped into the kitchen, you were struck by the state-of-the-art sound system that Tony had built into the house. You paired your phone with it and turned on your “Baking playlist” to set the mood for your baking session. Billy and Tommy sat at the kitchen island, eagerly awaiting their tasks. You laid out all the ingredients for your fudgy chocolate brownies on the sleek granite countertop, admiring how they gleamed under the overhead lights.

“Okay,” you said, clapping your hands together. “Tommy, you mix the dry ingredients, and Billy, you mix the wet ingredients.”

You couldn't help but grin as the boys rolled up their sleeves and got to work, their eyes fixed on the recipe book as they measured each ingredient with utmost care.

While the brownies were baking to perfection, you whipped up a decadent chocolate frosting that would add an extra layer of sweetness to the treat. The smooth, velvety texture of the frosting was the perfect complement to the chewy, chocolatey goodness of the brownies.

Once you finished frosting the brownies and placing them in the refrigerator, you checked the clock and said, "Okay, why don't you guys get showered and dressed? You want to look your best for your mom."

In perfect unison, they responded, "Okay." That's when Tommy suddenly zipped away and returned in a split second, ready to go.

"Whoa! That was fast," you said, impressed.

"I know, right? I have super speed, just like our Uncle Pietro!" Tommy proudly announced.

"Ah, your mom has told me a bit about him," you replied, nodding in understanding.

"Well, that's why I'm so awesome at sports!" Tommy exclaimed with a huge grin.

"Actually, that's not true," Billy interjected. "Mom doesn't want him to use his powers while playing."

"Ugh, don't listen to him. Sometimes I use them when she isn't looking," Tommy said, a mischievous look creeping across his face.

"What?! I'm going to tell Mom!" Billy shouted, looking outraged.

"You will not!" Tommy said, pushing his brother playfully.

"Hey, hey, hey!" You stepped between them, breaking up their squabble. "Billy, you can go get ready, and Tommy, how about you help me pack the brownies?"

"Fine," Billy grumbled.

"Okay," Tommy said with a nod.

*^~^*

As you entered the compound, you were informed that the team had already finished their debriefing and were receiving post-mission examinations and oxygen treatments in the med bay, as per Fury's orders. You and the boys patiently waited outside the medical facility, observing as doctors and nurses went in and out.

After what felt like an eternity, you finally caught a glimpse of Wanda. The sight of her filled you with joy, and you couldn't help but smile. Wanda was scanning the room before her eyes landed on you and the boys. The twins' excitement was palpable as they ran towards Wanda with unbridled enthusiasm.

Wanda hugged Billy and Tommy tightly, kissing the tops of their heads. You hung back, holding the Tupperware full of brownies, not wanting to impose on their family reunion.

“I missed you boys so much!” Wanda said, kneeling to hug them.

“We missed you too,” Tommy replied.

“Yeah,” Billy agreed, “but we had a great time with Y/N. She's so much fun, and we made brownies for everyone, see?” pointing back at you.

Wanda glanced back at you, and her eyes lit up with joy upon seeing you standing there. “Hello, my love. I missed you too," she said, pulling you into a warm embrace, and giving you a soft kiss on the lips, which made you blush.

“You brought everyone home,” you said, repeating the words you spoke to her before she left. “I knew you could do it,” you said, as you both tried to hold back tears in the middle of the med bay.

Lost in the moment, Tony's voice brought you back to reality. "Aww! Look at the lovebirds," he exclaimed. You saw Stark walking towards you, holding Pepper’s and Morgan’s hands. He looked a bit worse for wear than the last time you saw him, with a limp, butterfly stitches above his eyebrow, and a cut on his cheek.

You hugged all three of them. "Mmmm, what do we have here?" Tony asked. "Very nice! I don't remember you making brownies for me when I came home from a mission,” turning to his wife.

Pepper shot back, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a little busy running your entire company. If you want brownies, make them yourself."

Natasha appeared next, being pushed in a wheelchair by Maria, followed by Yelena and Kate. Natasha's lower right leg was heavily bandaged, "Oh, Nat, are you okay?" you asked.

"I'm fine," she said, reassuringly smiling as you leaned down to embrace her. "This is all just precautionary."

Maria chimed in, "Right, that’s why Dr. Cho also gave us precautionary antibiotics," doing air quotes, and you couldn't help but laugh at her comment.

"My sister has always been stubborn," Yelena said as she and Kate joined the group. The blonde adjusted the brace on her wrist before hugging you and grabbing two brownies.

"Yeah, you should have seen her down there," Kate added. "It was like the Black Widow on steroids," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around you.

"What was that, Bishop?" Nat asked, giving Kate a suspicious look.

"Nothing," Kate responded nervously. "Would you like a brownie?"

"Mmhm, that's what I thought you said," Nat smirked as she took the brownie.

*^~^*

You joined the team for dinner but retired early to your room, wanting to give the group some space to decompress after a traumatic mission. While resting on your bed, a knock on your door caught your attention, and Wanda poked her head inside.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Were you sleeping?” she asked.

“No, just resting my eyes,” you replied as you sat up with a yawn.

Wanda joined you on the bed, giggling. “Yeah, that's how I usually feel at the end of the day with the boys, too.”

You wrapped your arms around her and kissed her cheek. “The boys were great. It was nice to spend more time with them.”

“They feel the same way, love. To quote them, Y/N is super cool,” Wanda smirked.

“Super cool. I should put that on my business card,” you joked.

“Seriously, Y/N. Thank you. I know two 11-year-old boys are a handful, and I put you in a challenging position, but it means so much to me that I can trust you.”

As soon as the word "trust" was uttered, memories of your parents' dubious actions over the remains of Sokovia and your conversation with Tony flooded your mind. The weight of the past seemed to take its toll on you, and your anxiety was on full display, which the redhead must have picked up on.

Wanda glanced at you with concern etched on her face. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked, her voice laced with tenderness and care.

You tried your best to put on a reassuring smile and push the nagging thoughts out of your mind. "I am now that you're home," you replied softly.

Taglist: @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @bibliophilicbi @darkstar225

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