#it's OOC for him not to see that bucky is innocent (as he does in the films)

[amarriageoftrueminds]

you added your tags after i wrote the ask. i agree with the fact that sam's writing is inconsistent at times (although you could also say that about many characters), but what i mean is that sam is under no obligation to be a shoulder for bucky to cry on or to give him advice or anything of the sort. he is/was a counsellor, but thats not all there is to him. in civil war tony came to him "as a friend" and sam trusted him because tony had admitted he was wrong about zemo and said he wanted to help steve. sam maybe feels guilty about leading tony to siberia, but its not his fault in any way. if we consider fatws, we could also say that bucky has been rude af to sam about the whole shield thing, had been ignoring sam's attempts at communicating with him, and has been a real bad friend during those 6 months. so why should sam be the "bigger person" and extend that empathy towards bucky? sam's hurting too and has his own trauma and his own problems to deal with. this isnt to start a fight or anything and i know most of this can be attributed to bad writing, but i still think that that "criticism on bad writing" can just be unfair interpretation. anyway take care have a good night.

Yeah I guess the tags were prophetic huh. 😅

Those points about Bucky's standoffishness are sound, and certainly more ticks to put in the 'why these guys aren't actually friends, as they've been written' column.

(Except the points about resisting communication; I haven't rewatched the show but if that's based on the phone thing then Bucky's flip phone, he showed the therapist, with unanswered texts from Sam, was a fake, because he had another smartphone he didn't show her. I can't remember where any other mentions of communication came up.🤔 Ugh. It’s too late at night for me to think.)

It's bad writing of Bucky, too; to have him be hostile, do a random volte-face as soon as Sam has a mission, and then that makes his (let's be honest, Seb Stan's breaking-character) heart-eyes look even more out of left field at the end.

And the bad writing angle on Sam, then (Sam as a counselor of vets, I mean, someone with a natural inclination to help people heal; because why else did he become a medic?) Becomes: 'we've got this character with a really specific skill set, volunteering to help find a character, who really needs someone with that specific skill set in their life, but then we're not going to do anything with that.'

It's Chekhov's Gun never being fired. Like putting an artist character together with a character who models for artists and then never having either of them paint or model. 

Yeah, of course, there's more to the artist than just painting models, and they’re not obligated to paint them just because they’re a model, but then why put them with a model at all? What was the point? 

Just for them to be like ‘oh, I need X?’ ‘I do X...’ and then stare at the camera like they’re on the office.

If they'd just said Sam was an airman, or a test pilot alone; not a counsellor of vets of any kind (and especially not that he had lost a friend in a fall, the way Bucky was lost) they wouldn't be setting up that expectation of one leading naturally onto the other; and he and Bucky could be as horrible to each other as they liked without it making one look like they’re not good at what we’re told is their job!

(It’s like if Wanda said ‘I can tell people are good with my mind-reading power’ but then was immediately irrationally unfriendly to someone we knew was good. We’d be like ‘but wait, didn’t she say telling people are good is her specific power??’)  

Bad storytelling/writing...

[honeypiehotchner]

Lost in a Crowd -- part thirty-three

Because I know it would be cruel of me to make y’all wait until tomorrow for this, here’s the next part. Warnings for some...general not good things being said. Bucky is an asshole. A huge one. Anywho, enjoy!

The door to Bucky’s room is wide open when I reach it. He’s standing in the room, facing the window, hands in his pockets.

I knock on the doorframe out of anxiety and as a courtesy to let him know I’m coming in, even though I’m sure he heard me walking down the hall. He barely turns his head to the side when I knock.

“Hey,” I call out, walking in and shutting the door.

“Hey,” he replies, barely audible.

“I need to tell you something,” I say, taking a deep breath. MJ, Peter, and I agreed the best plan of action is to tell him the truth right away. The full truth. (Oh, Peter wasn’t the least bit surprised when he found out.)

Here goes nothing. “I’m—”

But Bucky beats me to it. “Do you run the anonymous advice account on Twitter?”

I blink slowly. “How did you know?”

“I figured it out.”

I can’t gather a damn thing from his tone, especially when he’s got his back facing me. He doesn’t sound happy at all about figuring it out, though, that’s for sure.

“How long have you known?” I ask.

“Doesn’t matter,” he shrugs his shoulders.

“Bucky,” I whisper. “Please look at me.”

Slowly, he does. And immediately, I wish I didn’t ask him to.

His eyes are stormy. But this is a storm that even I can’t help him escape. This is the kind of storm that drowns sailors out at sea. The kind that breaks hearts and makes widows out of innocent women. The kind that you can’t control or stop. The kind that shows no mercy.

“Bucky, I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head. “Don’t.”

For a moment, I almost think it’s my Bucky. That he’s going to tell me I have nothing to be sorry for because I have such a bad habit of apologizing for existing. But he doesn’t.

“You lied to me,” he mutters, voice even and lethal. “You knew when I was asking for advice that it was about you and you never bothered to tell me. Were you ever going to tell me?”

“I didn’t know how to say it—”

“Please. Don’t.”

“Fine,” I whisper, done with being interrupted. “My turn. You lied to me this morning.”

He stills.

“I didn’t want to be alone and you probably knew that and what did you do? You lied to me. I had to find out from Tony,” I gesture randomly, knowing he’s somewhere in the Tower, “that there are no fucking missions right now. That you just didn’t want to see me so badly that you made up some stupid lie.” Saying it all out loud to him hurts more than I expected it to. The burning in my lungs refuses to cease.

“Yeah? Well I had to find out from your mother that you ran that account!”

My eyes widen. “You were eavesdropping on us?”

“I was listening. Yes.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yell, anger taking the reins. “I told you that conversation was to be private! I told you to give us a moment alone!”

“After the things I heard her say to you? You really thought I was gonna let you be alone with her?”

“I can handle whatever comes out of her mouth, Bucky.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I have all my life. If you didn’t want me to be alone with her, you should’ve just told me.”

“Like how you should’ve told me you run the advice account?”

“Yes,” I nod. If he thinks he can guilt me into saying I was right not to tell him so he can have something else to yell at me for, he’s mistaken. “Exactly like that. I should’ve told you, and I didn’t. And I’m sorry that I didn’t. I didn’t know how to bring it up and although I don’t agree with you eavesdropping, I’m sorry you had to find out that way. It wasn’t how I wanted you to find out about it.”

“How did you want me to find out, then?”

“I wanted to fucking tell you, Bucky. Myself. To your face. That’s what I was going to do today. Because when I got your message about us needing to talk, I thought— I knew it was time. I was going to confess, but you beat me to it.”

“So it’s my fault now?”

“No, goddamn— The world doesn’t fucking revolve around you, Bucky!” As soon as I say the words, I regret it. His jaw clenches and his fists do, too. I know he’d never hurt me, but damn if I’m not backing away from him.

“You know what?” Bucky says lowly. “It doesn’t matter.”

Another moment of hope. Is this where we both apologize for yelling and talk this through like adults?

“I was a puppet for HYDRA for long enough. I won’t be one again. I can’t do this,” Bucky says, shattering my heart and my hope and leaving it all a bloody mess at my feet.

I want to say, “Did you seriously just fucking compare me to the Nazi regime that kidnapped and brainwashed you?” But that’s too big of an issue to get into right now when he’s obviously made up his mind, so I stay quiet. I wait for him to finish.

“I need a break, Lily,” he finally says, and his use of my name instead of ‘doll’ stings much more than it should. “From this. From us.”

I should’ve seen this coming. It’s textbook, isn’t it? The beginning is the “We need to talk” text message. The middle is the argument we just had. And the bitter end is this moment. This exact moment.

“You need a break, or you want to break up?” I ask quietly. Too many times I agreed to ‘it’s just a break’ with Tyler. I can’t do that to myself again. And I won’t. “I don’t do breaks, Bucky. You either want this or you don’t.”

Bucky’s face crumples at my statement. “I don’t know.”

“Well,” I say. “I’m not going to stick around and go on ‘breaks’ while you figure yourself out. So, since you don’t know, I think that gives us our answer.”

Bucky nods. He doesn’t try fighting or denying it. “I guess it does.”

That’s it?

I feel the beginnings of tears pricking my eyes, the overwhelming weight of it all finally registering within my mind. I’ve got two minutes tops before the waves start crashing.

“Okay then,” I murmur, trying to keep everything under control while I’m still facing him. “That’s that, then.”

I turn on my heel and yank his door open. Something deep inside of me wishes for this to be different — to be like the movies. I walk slowly down the hallway, waiting for that moment where he flies out of his room, calling my name. I wait for him to pull me into his arms and kiss me and tell me he’s sorry and that he wants to talk. I wait for him to take me back into his room, sit me down on the couch, and start it all over again, right from scratch. I wait for his forgiveness and for the storm to disappear from his eyes and his heart.

I press the elevator button and I wait.

I wait and I wait and I wait.

The elevator doors close. And I drown in the storm.

Yikes Peter kind of went off. I can’t tell if that’s wildly ooc for him, but honestly he thinks of Lily as a sister, so I think it makes sense for his protective little brother instincts to take over and drag Bucky’s ass through the dirt 😂😭

[cantsaythetword]

Fic MasterPost

~A/N here are my tword fics! 

If there’s a fandom/pairing/scenario you’d like to see here, send me an ask/anon and I’d be happy to write it! If it’s not one of my main fandoms, you may need to add a character description to make sure I’m not writing it too OOC.

Anyways, here’s the links! ~

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CHRISTMAS IN JULY 2023 MASTERPOST

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SQUEALING SANTA:

2K18: SHENANIGANS - Marvel, Tony and Steve and Bucky

2K19: NEVER RUN OFF ALONE - (Old) Doctor Who, Nyssa and 5

2K22 (Part 1): THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS - Lucifer, Lucifer x Chloe

2K22 (Part 2): COSQUILLAS NAVIDAD - Moon Knight, Jake and Marc and Steven

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TICKLETOBER 2022 MASTERPOST

TICKLETOBER 2023 MASTERPOST

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BROOKLYN 99:

FINDING A MOTIVE: 

Jake is struggling with getting paperwork done, and it seems nobody can find a way to help. Luckily Gina remembers something from their childhood that works wonders, and the team jump straight into action.

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DAREDEVIL:

GOOD VIBRATIONS:

After a particularly nasty fight as the Daredevil, Matt needs to rest up. Thankfully, Foggy is there to make sure he does.

BLIND MAN’S BLUFF: Prompt Fic, Mini Fic

Matt is convinced he doesn’t giggle. Foggy is here to prove otherwise.

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DC:

NEW DISCOVERIES: (wonder woman 1984)

With Steve’s new body, there’s bound to be some new discoveries for him and Diana.

WHEN BATS HUM: (Superbat) Prompt Fic, Mini Fic

Superman tries to get Batman to relax...

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Heartstopper:

GIGGLES IN THE DARK:

Charlie's 17th birthday takes on an interesting twist when Tao adds a new rule to Laser Tag

LET'S PLAY A GAME: Prompt Fic

There was nothing Nick loved more than teasing his boyfriend. And what better way than a game he could never win.

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR: Prompt Fic

A sleepover-turned-pillowfight-turned-ticklefight filled with love, betrayal, and lots of giggles.

A GOOD TURN NEVER GOES UNPUNISHED: Prompt Fic

Nick tries to give his hoodie to Charlie, but gets stuck taking it off...

RUGBY LAD'S REVENGE: Prompt Fic

After Charlie's been teasing him the whole day, Nick decides to exact his revenge the moment they get home.

INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY: Prompt Fic

Charlie oh-so-rudely interrupts a cuddle sesh with his laughter, and Nick definitely has absolutely nothing to do with it...

RUN BOY RUN: Prompt Fic

Despite knowing Charlie is a fantastic runner, Nick still provokes his boyfriend into a chase.

FROM JOCK TO JELLY: Prompt Fic

Nick is nearly impossible for Charlie to pin, unless tickling is involved...

PROVING A POINT: Prompt Fic

Nick and Tao wreck Charlie to prove who is his best tickler.

DETHRONING THE KING: Prompt Fic

Nick gets a little too cocky during a rugby practice session, so the boys show Charlie the best way to take him down a notch.

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Marvel:

YOU GOTTA SMILE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY:

Steve and Bucky are playing cards, when Bucky realises tonight is a very special night…

LABRADOR:

Turns out that, although Cap can’t get drunk, HYDRA weren’t so thoughtful to Bucky.

DISTRACTIONS:

Steve takes school very seriously. A little too seriously, in Bucky’s opinion.

(Kinda Highschool AU but also kinda just young Stucky?)

SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!: Rewritten After Accidental Deletion

When a sparring match between Spiderman and Mysterio goes awry, a very sensitive secret is revealed about our favourite web-slinging superhero…

MONOPOLY MADNESS: Reader Fic

You can’t help calling the Avengers by their super names, so Steve decides to take matters into his own hands and helps jog your memory. 

HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED:

Steve realises that, now that he’s all superhuman, he can overpower Bucky quite easily. Unfortunately for Buck, Steve’s keen on some revenge from when they were kids. 

SUMMER LOVIN’: Prompt Fic

Steve’s grumpy, and Bucky is tired of it. Pity they can’t keep the noise down… 

CLASH OF THE (TICKLISH) TITANS: Prompt Fic

Bucky and Steve can’t decide who the stronger superhuman is, so Sam helps them out by testing out one of their biggest weaknesses.

A SMALL PRICE TO PAY: Prompt Fic, Reader Fic

You’ve been ‘borrowing’ things from Thor and Tony for quite some time now, but they’ve found your little stash. You’d better run!

THE CYCLONE: Prompt Fic

When Bucky forces Steve to line up for The Cyclone at Coney Island, Steve is scared shitless. Thankfully, his best friend is there to distract him. 

COMING FULL CIRCLE: Sequel Fic

Now that Bucky is superhuman too, Steve doesn’t stand a chance. 

THERE'S THAT SMILE: Reader Fic

Exams are terrifying... Thankfully you've got some lovely superpeople to help you out.

STRESSED OUT: Prompt Fic, Reader Fic

You’ve been studying relentlessly for an upcoming maths test, and you’re really starting to feel the stress. Thankfully, Tony is here to help. 

YOU CAN RUN: Prompt Fic, Reader Fic

After teasing Thor, Steve, and Bucky for days, you finally get them to crack and give you exactly what you deserve. 

DON’T STOP BELIEVING:

Steve is being an absolute little shit to Thor and Bucky, so they give him exactly what he deserved. 

GIGGLES: Sequel Fic

Steve tells Bucky he likes being tickled, and gets absolutely wrecked as a result. Just good old Stucky tickle fluff!

YOU REALLY WANNA DO THAT?: Reader Fic

You decide it’s a great idea to tease two of your favourite superheroes… I think you know what happens next. 

I KNOW YOU LIKE THIS: Prompt Fic, Mini Fic

Peter pushes Bucky's buttons a little too far, so he decides to wreck the friendly neighbourhood superhero in the best way possible.

SQUEALS, SPARKS, AND SPIDERMAN: Prompt Fic

After Peter messes with Doctor Strange's spell, he discovers a very interesting piece of information about his resident Wizard.

I'M NOT TICKLISH: Prompt Fic, Mini Fic

Steve isn't ticklish. Not at all. Of course, Bucky disagrees.

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Christmas Fic

Peter loves decorating the compound for the festive season, but when he ends up tangled in the lights some of the others decide to have some fun.

EVERY HERO HAS AN ACHILLES HEEL: Prompt Fic

Peter enlists Bucky's help to fix a grumpy Steve, and he has a rather entertaining way of doing it

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Merlin:

NEVER TEASE A TIRED KING:

Merlin refuses to get off an exhausted Arthur’s bed… Bad Idea.

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Moon Knight

OUT OF CONTROL:

Marc is sick of being stuck on the other side, and wants control. Luckily, he discovers a pretty interesting way to get it.

ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, I CAN DO BETTER: Reader Fic

Never get between Marc and Steven's competitions, you never know what the consequences could be.

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Sanders Sides:

COLD HANDS, WARM HEART:

When Virgil decides to steal Logan’s blanket, it certainly doesn’t go unpunished…

HEY, YOU OK?: 

It’s the middle of the night, and Virgil’s mind is tormenting him with some seriously scary thoughts. Thankfully, Roman is there to calm him down and help him get some much needed sleep.

(TW: INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS, SU*C*DE, AND GENERAL BAD TIMES)

IN THE AIR TONIGHT:

Roman and Patton have a cruel way to tease Virgil.

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Supernatural:

A CURE FOR A NIGHTMARE: Reader Fic

You’ve been having nightmares for days, ever since you were captured and tortured for information on the whereabouts of the Winchesters. Thankfully, the Brothers in question have a pretty good remedy for bad dreams.

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Torchwood:

YOU’RE ADORABLE:

Ianto’s been acting a little strange recently, and it doesn’t take long for Jack to figure out why.

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[holylulusworld]

Unwilling Spy

Request: Au, where hydra & avengers are a kingdom. The reader is married off to Steve. He's not very keen about it. The reader is Brock's adoptive sister, he raised her only so to get in avengers' secrets. The reader is oblivious to all this, she's just an innocent girl. When avengers find this out they to torture her in telling the plans & secrets. Amongst this torture, she loses her baby. Brock seeing all this surrenders. Readers fate in your hands. 

I set this AU in modern times. 

Pairing: Steve x Reader, Bruce x Reader (platonic), Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff, Brock Rumlow, Pietro Maximoff

Trigger Warnings: angst, language, torture, injured reader, violence,  blood, miscarriage (nothing too graphic), angry Bruce, fluff, comforting, OOC Natasha & Pietro

Please be aware of the trigger warnings for this fic.

You spend your days alone, just like most of your nights. Steve is a nice man, but silent and distant toward you. 

The only friend you made in your new home is Dr. Banner, a smart and kind man. When you get bored with wandering around the huge castle or reading the same book for the fifth time he allows you to help him in his laboratory or tells you things about the universe and his research.

You know Steve agreed to your marriage to seal the pact between Hydra and the Avengers, but his heart is not in it and you know it. Daily you must watch him exchanging friendly words and even jokes with all the other people in the castle, all other people but you.

“Do you want to learn more about the universe. We could have a look at the start tonight. The constellation is perfect.” Bruce smiles as you nod eagerly, knowing you feel lost in this new life you got pressed in.

“With pleasure, Bruce. I got no books left to read and Steve is…well…” Trying to find another excuse why your husband is absent you shrug. “I don’t know where he is and honestly I don’t care any longer. I…uh…” Before you can stop it you vomit right onto his feet.

“Y/N…are you okay?” Sniffling you wipe your mouth, ashamed you ruined your only friend's shoes.

“I’m so sorry, Bruce…so sorry.” Bruce ignores his shoes as he slings an arm around your shoulders to bring you into his lab. “Forget my shoes, let me check on you.”

----

Around one month later…

“What do you mean her phone is sending data to Brock’s network? Do you want me to tell Steve’s wife is a spy?” Natasha exhales as Sam points at the data traffic of your phone.

“I don’t know if she’s involved, Nat. All I can tell is that her phone is connected to Steve’s and sent information to Brock. I don’t know what to do or how to tell Steve.” Sam slams his hand onto the table, clenching his jaw.

“I’ll get the punk and we discuss everything later. Steve is away with Wanda. Let Sam and I handle this, Natasha. I know you never trusted Brock or his adopted sister, but I don’t think Y/N would do such a thing. She barely spends time in Steve’s office or with her husband. Let us outsmart Brock.” Sam and Bucky give Natasha one last warning look before they leave the office.

“Outsmart Brock…” Chuckling Natasha plays with her phone. “I’ll find a way to get the needed information out of that girl. She’s not as smart as she thinks.”

----

“Why am I here?” Sniffling you tug at the handcuffs holding your wrists to the armrests as your feet are bound to the legs of the chair. Natasha is circling you with a knife in her hand, not saying a word. “Did I do something wrong? Is Steve mad at me?”

Fear let a cold shiver run down your spine as Clint places more things onto a table. More knives, a scalpel, even a hammer. He’s silent, looks at you with pity but Natasha is the one in charge while Bucky and Sam are away, so he’s got no chance but looking away as his friend slaps your face.

Your lip splits open and tears start running down your cheeks. “Tell me about your brother's plans, slut! Now!”

Eyes wide, lips quivering you look up at Natasha, not knowing what she’s talking about. “Plans? Brock said I shall marry Steve to seal our pact. I don’t know anything about plans…I swear. Please…”

Natasha slaps your face again, harder this time and the skin breaks. Now you start whimpering as your body trembles in pain. “Shut up and stop whining. I want to know about your brother's plans. Why did he use your phone to get information? Why does he always know about Steve’s plans-huh?”

Balling her fist Natasha hits your left eye and you scream in pain, not knowing what to tell her, you start panting as the fear is overwhelming.

“I don’t know. He asks me how I’m doing every two weeks and then he asks where Steve is. I only told him that my husband is away or something. I don’t know anything about the Avengers, Steve or his plans. How could I give my brother information I do not have?”

Natasha ignores Clint’s try to stop her. Believing you are telling the truth he tries to make Natasha see you are not a spy, but she pushes him away before slapping your face once again.

Clint can’t watch your torture any longer so he runs out of the room to call Sam, Bucky or anyone he can reach to stop his commanding officer from making another mistake.

----

Half an hour later you are barely conscious. Natasha broke two fingers, hit you several more times as she yelled and cursed. 

You tried anything to make her see you don’t know about your brother's plans but she and Pietro don’t believe a single word. When Clint tried to reenter the room, he found it locked.

“Pietro, I think it’s time to show Brock what happens to people trying to trick us.” Pietro nods, starting the camera he calls Brock to send him a live stream of your martyrdom.

It takes several minutes before Brock takes the call only to gasp at the sight of your broken form in the chair.

“She’s a tough little spy, Brock. But I’m harder and ready to kill her if needed. Now tell me about your plans and how you involved this slut.” Natasha balls her fist once again as you protest.

“Nooo! Please, my ba…” You can’t end the line as this time she slams it with full force into your stomach and you feel like a car hit you. 

The last thing you hear before you feel blood running down your legs is your brother calling your name and then the world turns black.

----

When Bruce enters the room, he needs to take a deep breath at the sight of your broken body, still handcuffed to the chair. Natasha didn’t even try to help you, not even after Brock begged her to stop.

“Oh my god…what did you do, Natasha?” Clint opens the restrains to let Bruce check on you. “I think she lost the baby. Steve will kill you.” Bruce whispers your name, trying to feel your pulse.

“Baby?” Gasping Pietro remembers you wanted to say something before Natasha hit your stomach. “She wanted to tell you. Oh, fuck…she’s not only innocent, but you also killed Steve’s baby.” Sinking to the floor Pietro sniffles. “He will kill us all…”

“Clint, help me or she will be dead in a few moments. She’s bleeding heavily.” Shaking his head Bruce needs to calm to keep his powers under control. “I never want to see you again, Natasha. You’re a monster…”

----

“You did what?” Bucky slams his metal hand into the wall behind Natasha as she tries to excuse her behavior. 

“I made Brock admit he tried to infiltrate the Avengers. He manipulated Y/N’s phone and used her…” Natasha explains as Sam paces around the room, glancing at the bloody chair and the floor. 

“That’s…” Pointing at all the blood Sam sniffles. “You killed her baby and still you want us to praise you? We got the exact information thanks to Tony and his technology. There was no reason to do such a thing…”

“I told you to leave this to us. Didn’t I?” Bucky wraps his hand around Natasha’s throat, pressing her into the wall. “You ignored my direct order, this means …” Bucky’s words die in his throat seeing Bruce enter the room with hanging shoulders.

“How is she? Did Y/N make it? What about the baby?” Sam stammers looking at his friend as Bruce wipes away a few tears.

“I could stop the bleeding, but Y/N lost the baby and I don’t know if she will make it. Waiting half an hour before calling me didn’t help for sure…” 

Glaring at Natasha Bruce shakes his head. “You know, Y/N didn’t have anyone here. Only I knew about the baby as she was too afraid to tell Steve. Now he got to know about the baby only to grieve as his child is dead…”

“What about Brock?” Natasha tries to change the topic, but Bruce won’t listen and leaves the room. “He agreed to give up and accept his punishment thanks to me.”

While Natasha still tries to excuse her behavior Clint and Pietro sit onto the floor, holding their head in shaking hands. “Just shut up, Nat! We killed Steve’s baby!” Clint finally screams. “Steve will kill us, if not he will ban us.”

----

“Punk, you should sleep a bit.” Bucky tries to get Steve out of the hospital room, but he won’t budge. Holding your hand, he silently sniffles as he glances at your belly.

“I was about to become a father and she took it away from me! My friend killed my baby and I don’t know what to do now. Help me, Buck.” Steve sits on the bed next to you, touching your swollen face with trembling fingers.

“I swear I told her to wait for us to return. My blood ran cold when I got the call from Clint. I never heard so much fear in his voice, Stevie. He tried to stop her then, but Natasha locked the room and he couldn’t open it from outside.

“I’ll leave it to you, Bucky. You have full responsibility while I take care of my wife. Whatever you will decide, I’ll agree.” Bucky nods silently. He never saw his best friend that broken.

“Y/N will make it, Steve. She’s a strong young woman. Her brother is an asshole and she turned into a great girl.” Bucky places one hand onto his friends’ shoulder, sighing at the sight of your swollen face. “We should’ve treated her better…”

“I know. Only as I never liked Brock I treated this wonderful girl like she’s invisible. When I was with her I forgot about everything for a while. Her hands were so soft on my skin and her lips taste like heaven, Bucky.” Sniffling Steve softly kisses your knuckles as his friend silently leaves the room.

----

“You can’t do this! I want to speak to Steve!” Natasha screams, trying to fight Tony’s grip on her wrist.

“Steve said I’m in charge while he takes care of his injured or rather broken wife. I decided to suspend Clint for three months and he will not leave the castle till I tell him otherwise. Pietro will go to a nice cold cell for a few months as he helped you hurting an innocent girl, but he was not an active part.”

Bucky’s face is hard as Pietro nods, thanking Bucky for the mild punishment. “I’m ready to pay for my sins, James. I will be a better man when I’m back.” Silently following Sam, Pietro nods at his sister as she tries to hold back her tears.

“Maybe he’ll get out sooner, depends on his behavior, Wanda.” Sam tries to soothe his friend, but she shakes her head, knowing her brother deserves punishment for what he did to you.

“Everyone can stay but you ban me. You want me to leave the country and never come back?” Natasha still fights against Tony’s strength but he’s way stronger than her.

“Be thankful, Romanoff,” Tony mutters. “I would’ve killed you for what you did. If you would’ve done this to my Pepper, you would be dead by now.”

“I wanted to punish you with death, but I thought a permanent ban is way more…” Bucky chuckles. “Entertaining to you. Get her out of here within an hour, Tony. No one wants to see her ever again.”

----

Not leaving your room Steve rests his tired body next to yours. For over three weeks he refuses to leave your room for longer than a few minutes.

“Steve, you need to eat something…anything.” Bruce tries to reason with his friend but the grief about his lost child and your condition won’t let Steve think straight.

“I can’t leave her side, Bruce. While I was away last time Natasha almost killed her and we lost our baby. I will stay here till Y/N wakes up.” Sniffling Steve rests his head against your shoulder as he places one large palm onto your folded hands. 

“You should…” Sighing Bruce nods. “I’ll bring you some food and water. Maybe clothes to change. She’s doing better, Steve. We just need to wait for her to wake up.”

“When will she wake up.” Eyes filled with tears Steve looks at his friend who can’t answer his question.

“We have to be patient, Steven. Let’s pray it will be soon.” Glancing at your sleeping form Steve nods before he snuggles into your side once again.

----

“Steve, you need to leave her bed. I need to check her reflexes.” Bruce is scolding your husband as he won’t leave your bed once again.

“How is she?” Glancing at you slowly following Bruce’s orders Steve bites his lower lip, clumsily standing next to your bed.

“Y/N, do you want to tell Steve how you feel?” Coughing you look at Steve for a moment but your eyes are too heavy so you blink a few times to mumble a silent ‘fine’.

“Does she know…?” Steve’s hands start shaking as you silently sob, nodding at his question. Not caring about Bruce’s protest Steve lies next to you to wrap his arms around your trembling body. You hide your face into his wide chest as you cry bitterly about the loss of your baby.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N. No one knew she would do such a thing. Clint called Bucky but it was…” Choking on his words Steve kisses your hair softly as you snuggle closer to his side.

“What about my brother? Why did he do this?” Voice trembling you look up at Steve as he cups your cheek, not caring about Brock or any other thing right now. Only you are important.

“He gave up and got arrested. Brock admitted he only raised you to bring you into my kingdom as a spy. Knowing you are too kind he had to change his plans and used you as a spy while you had no clue.” Steve is moving his hands up and down your back as you cry into his chest.

“My brother used me…”

“Shhh…I’m here, doll. No one will ever hurt you again and if you want to…I mean when we are ready…” Steve tries to find the right words as you nod against his chest. “We’ll try to have a baby again. Now we will concentrate on you. I promise to be a better husband.”

“Maybe I should just go back home, Steve. You don’t want me here…” Your soft voice makes Steve’s heart ache as he hears the fear behind your words.

“I want you to stay with me, Y/N. Please don’t leave me. I had to lose you to see I want to be with you. Please forgive me.” Steve’s lips brush gently against yours as you breathe against his lips, telling him you want to stay.

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[thesharondefenseleague]

ok not technically about sharon but like does it seem like the team cap vs team Ironman stuff is worse now? Like I remember before it came out and even sometime after the team stuff was just which set of characters you liked more. Not so much the actual issues. And after it came out it seemed like most agreed that the situation was contrived a bit to make these guys fight. Which ...you know makes sense considering the comics its based on had the same problem ( though the comics are worse) 1/2

But now I see alot more salt ( especially at Cap) for the events of Civil War. Like not in like a this was ooc and I hate the direction they went , it was more no this makes sense for Cap and Tony actually, also Tony is right and Caps being a dick. I haven't noticed as much for cap stans @ Tony they don't really talk about CW much. Like was I just unaware of that drama right after CW? Or did people actually get saltier? 2/2

It’s (for lack of a better word) upsetting that this movie gets this much level of discourse over sides. This movie isn’t worth the debate of who was right/wrong.

Straight-up, I was always leaning Team Tony in the comics, and the movie made it stronger, because of how the story treated Wanda, Clint, and Scott. I hate the “I drop my life because Steve told me to” crap every movie writes, when two of those characters have families that they sacrificed for this?? No they wouldn’t the last movies they appeared in established that they wouldn’t?????

Listen, because I’m gonna rant and put it under the read more, but TL;DR: Civil War was already a bad story, and the movie was much worse, because it missed the most important part of the battle: the middle ground.

Civil War needs a strong knowledge of Marvel to go into comic-wise. Everyone is and isn’t a player, and you need to read it all to know where every single person stands, both hero and villain. It’s icon status would not exist if it didn’t have 1) the official public unmasking of Peter, and 2) the immediate death of Steve after. But there are so many other important people tied in that you can try to read the comic, but you won’t know seventy-five percent of the characters without doing research first. It doesn’t help that this is a story with seven official issues and a hundred tie-ins.

Comic Lesson:

The Sokovia Accords? Fuck that. It was the Superhero Registration Act, and this issue was set solely in the US. Why? A group of D-List heroes on a scuzzy reality show started a fight with a group of D-List villains, and one blew himself up right next to an elementary school. Many people died, majority being young children. At a funeral service that Tony attended (don’t think many others did, if any, that were heroes), a grieving mother spat in his face, hence why he backed the SHRA from the start. When it was presented to everyone, Sam said fuck that, and officially, Falcon is the first to vocally go against it. Then Steve did it on a SHIELD aircraft to Maria Hill’s face (she was relatively new when this began). Because Steve and Tony were the most public figures on each side, they were the faces, but they were not the showrunners. SHIELD and Maria Hill ran Team Iron Man with Reed Richard’s tech. Nick Fury from an undisclosed location used his many secret hideouts and funds to run Team Captain America in secret, with Steve and Sam being the ones running as the face of the fight.

Major players include but are not limited to: Hank, the FF (mostly Reed and Sue), Hulkling, Tigra, Daredevil, Goliath (who dies in battle), clone Thor (who kills Goliath), Punisher, etc.

The one thing that was present throughout the whole story was side-switching. Every issue had someone switching sides. It was a major ordeal every time, and everyone had reasons. Peter because SHIELD was shady. Cassie Lang and YA Vision because they wanted safety and Scott had recently died (not because of CW, but Wanda was killing people). Sharon was threatened into staying with SHIELD by Maria but was a liaison to assisting Steve. Half of the heroes in the movie weren’t even in the actual book event. Wanda was in hiding. Clint was looking for her (and then banging her, because comic book Clint gets around). Scott, as mentioned, was dead. T’Challa just got married and didn’t want to be involved. This Vision was a different version using the body of Iron Lad, and his name was Jonas (adult Vision is named Victor Shade). Bucky was running missions for Fury in other countries. I’m still miffed that they got to be involved but the movie didn’t have room to include Fury and Maria, the two people actually in charge in this game.

I’ve read this comic several times. I took a class where we had to read the book, watch the film, and discuss sides. And here’s the conclusion: no matter whose side you take, you can agree with the other side, and you’re actually in the middle ground of it, but if you had to pick, this one was slightly more persuasive. It’s a very complex issue that the story went into. Tony saw unchecked heroes as a risk and didn’t want to have another incident that would cost hundreds of innocent lives. Steve saw government control as the potential unchecked risk and didn’t want heroes to be controlled by a single power. But they saw the other side as right too: Tony tried to stop SHIELD from apprehending Peter when he defected, and Steve realized that their fighting was proving the point of how dangerous heroes could be when civilians physically had to stop him from killing Tony. Because that was the point: they were both right and wrong. Superheroes could be dangerous, but government registration and control could abuse them and manipulate heroes. Didn’t help that the Negative Zone was the fucking worst thing ever, thanks Reed, Tony, and Maria.

The movie took out the middle ground, and moved this into international territory. It wasn’t one country, but 117. It wasn’t a group of unchecked heroes who caused the major conflict, but one specifically. It wasn’t dozens of heroes, but just a dozen. It wasn’t children dying, it was rulers of countries. And it wasn’t one major storyline that the movie was focused on, but several (the Winter Soldiers, Bucky, Zemo). It liked two things about the comic: two groups of heroes fighting, and Steve beating the shit out of Tony. And this story was adapted by a pair of writers and a pair of directors who don’t care about following the canon of other movies, including their own, so they just did whatever the hell they wanted and bastardized a story that was already a mess and a half to begin with. And it took a story that made you think every character’s decision and motive through and decided nah, fuck that. We’re gonna make major decisions, and you have to pick one to agree with, because the other was designed for you to hate them. Civil War was a debate, not a literal war, Russos, thank you very much.

The movie took a shit approach to the question of whether or not heroes need checks and balances, because it wasn’t interested in answering that question, it liked battle scenes because you like the paintball episodes they directed for TV. If you’re in 2020 and wanna still fight about who was right and who was wrong in the movie, the answer is: the movie is wrong, go read the comic. Cap 3 is the worst Marvel adaptation, and a strong contender for worst movie. I could rip this shit apart all day.

~Mod R

[avengerscompound]

A Tale of Three Soldiers

A Tale of Three Soldiers: A Marvel Fanfic

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x Wade Wilson x F!Reader

Word Count:  2265

Warnings:  Smut (MMMF Bisexual foursome, oral, anal and vaginal sex)

Synopsis:   Clint told me that Wade told him that he, had an orgy with you Steve and Bucky. This is what he said. Could you please confirm or deny?

A/N:  This may seem like my most crack ooc fic ever, it’s actually the most in character fic of all.

A Tale of Three Soldiers

“Look I know what you’re thinking.  There is no way straight-laced Captain Tight Pants would be seen dead with someone like me.  And first of all, how dare you?  Have you seen this ass?  I worked really hard on making it look this good in a red leather onesie.  Second of all, yeah, okay, Steve Rogers is a little anal.

“A little into anal too, if you know what I mean.

“The thing is, it wasn’t even his idea.  It wasn’t my idea either, though I was definitely much more enthusiastic about it.  Have you seen Steve Rogers?  How that guy came out of the super soldier program looking like he was chiseled out of marble by an extra gay Greek sculptor and I came out looking like that same Greek sculptor’s left nutsack I’ll never know.

“No, no I know what you’re thinking.  It wasn’t the Winter Soldier either.  He’s a timid little thing when it comes to sex really.  Rogers agreed well before he did.

“It was her.

“What?  You’re doubting me?  Look, she might look all innocent and sweet and just in love with two broken hotties, but that chick gets the D from two super soldiers daily and that still wasn’t enough to satiate her.  So just shut up for a second and let me tell you how it went down.

“It all started on a Tuesday.”

You sat on the couch between Steve and Bucky watching Wade move through the kitchen.  He had the cowl of his mask up and was rummaging around everything, eating random items he came across.

“How long is Wade here again?”  Bucky asked.

“Hey, I can hear you, tall dark and scary,”  Wade called looking over at the three of you.  “I was an invited here by Tony Stark.  How about you?”

Bucky scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

“That’s what I thought.”  He said going back to what he was doing.

“Hopefully only a few more weeks.  The information he had is checking out.”  Steve said patting Bucky’s back.

“I have feelings you know?”  Wade called.

“I’m not rushing you out of here, Wilson.”  Steve sighed.

“I know that tone though.  That’s the ‘Wade has overstayed his welcome’ tone.”  Wade countered.

“Maybe if you didn’t overstay your welcome, you wouldn’t hear it so often,”  Bucky said with a shrug.

Wade skipped over to the coffee table, pulling his cowl back down.  He sat down in front of Bucky and put his hands on Bucky’s knees.  It made Bucky flinch and Wade immediately took his hands back again.  “Oh come on now, grumpy.  You know that tone.  Don’t you?”

Bucky scowled at him.

“Don’t you?”  Wade teased.

“Yes,”  Bucky grumbled.

“That’s what I thought.  You and me, not so different.”  Wade said.

Bucky sat back with a huff.

“I like you here, Wade.”  You said with a smile.  It was true too.  He was weird and his moral compass was completely off the hinge, but he was funny and you liked how he shook things up.

“I bet you do you, dirty girl.  Two genetically enhanced soldiers not enough for you is it?”  He teased.

You shrugged.  “I find when it comes to genetically enhanced soldiers there is never too many.”

“Saucy.  I love it.” He said patting your legs and getting up.  “Well, you know where my room is.  I’ll probably be there taking care of my own business.”

He skipped back out of the room and you could feel Bucky and Steve’s eyes boring holes into you.  “What was that?”  Steve asked.

“What was what?”  You replied.

“You were just flirting with Wade Wilson,”  Bucky said, his tone accusatory.

“So what if I was?  I can’t flirt with people?”  You asked.

They looked at each other furrowing their brows, not sure what the right answer to this was.  “I … uh… no, flirting is okay.”  Steve stuttered.

“But Wade fucking Wilson?  Doll, come on.”  Bucky said.

You shrugged.  “I don’t know.  He’s funny.  I like him.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes at you.  “You want to.”

“Want to what?”  You asked innocently.

“You want to screw Deadpool,”  Bucky said.

“She said yes, obviously.  She’s only human after all.  Now, I’m not totally sure what happened next because I wasn’t there.  But I’m fairly sure there was a little bit of a montage that played.  Some killer soundtrack.  You know something by Beyonce or Celine Dion.  My heart will go on.  Crazy in love.  You get the idea.

“Steve was all ‘I know that Wade is 99% sexual magnetism, but are you sure you can handle that, babe.’  And Bucky is like ‘Steve.  Stevie boy.  Stever.  We can handle it.  Can you handle it?’  Which of course the Captain then felt like he had something to prove.  Blah blah blah.  Yada yada.  There was a knock on my door.”

“Oh, you came.  I knew you would.”  Wade said opening the door to see you, Steve and Bucky standing there.  He was wearing a bathrobe over his costume and held what looked like a plastic novelty pipe that blew bubbles.  Steve and Bucky shifted awkwardly behind you.

“Did you mean it?”  You asked.

“Do they mean it?”  He said gesturing behind you.

You ran your finger down his chest.  “They’re here aren’t they.”

Wade pulled his door open to reveal a large heart shaped bed with satin sheets scattered with rose petals, candles decorating every available surface and a champagne bucket with a bottle of Dom Perignon chilling in it.

Steve stepped in through the door after you followed by Bucky.  “Wade, where did you get all this?”  He asked.

“Now, now.  A magician never reveals his secrets.”  He turned his head to face the wall and added.  “You won’t believe what having Tony Stark’s credit card will get you.”

“Who are you talking to, Wade?”  Bucky asked, looking at the spot where Wade had looked.

Wade put his arms around Bucky and Steve.  “Don’t worry your pretty little heads.  Shall we get this show on the road?”

You approached Wade, lifting his cowl just enough to expose his mouth and pulled him into a kiss.  He submitted to you quickly and let you push him back towards the bed.  Bucky and Steve just watched on frozen in place.  You broke the kiss as Wade fell back onto the bed and he pulled you against him kissing your stomach and running his hands up under your skirt.

“As Deadpool put his mouth to good use Bucky and Steve started undressing each other,” Wade said, looking around you at the two super soldiers who were frozen in place.

Steve blinked at him.  “What?”

Wade had already pulled your panties down and was kissing the insides of your thighs as you stood in front of him.  You put a leg up on the bed beside him and ran your hands down the back of his neck.

“I think he’s narrating,”  Bucky said.

“He’s what?”  Steve asked looking at Bucky and then at you and Wade.  You gasped suddenly as Wade placed a large open-mouthed kiss on your pussy sucking hard on your clit.  His fingers dug into your ass and with a quick movement, he lifted you and lay back so you were sitting on his face.

“Narrating,”  Bucky repeated turning on Steve and starting to unbutton his shirt.  “You know, saying what’s happening.”  He kissed Steve’s neck slowly.

Steve tilted his head back, keeping his eye on you and Wade.  “But who’s he narrating for?”

Bucky shrugged.  “It’s Wade.  Does it matter?”  He pushed Steve’s shirt off and began working on his pants.

“I guess not,”  Steve said and started ridding Bucky of his clothes too.

You had braced yourself against the wall and started to rock against Wade’s face.  He sucked and bit at your clit as his tongue swirled around your pussy.  He added his fingers, pushing them, still gloved into your cunt.  He slowly fucked you with them, stretching you and sliding them in and out as he sucked on your clit.  As you began to pant he curled them inside you, seeking out your g-spot.  You started to moan and when his fingers pressed down on it, you gasped and made a primal groan, as your legs seized up.

He continued to expertly work your g-spot.  Your skin buzzed and pressure built in your core.  He corkscrewed his hand inside you, dragging his knuckles over your g-spot and you came, gushing onto his face.  He groaned and drank it up. “Oh yeah, come to papa.”  He sighed under you.

You climbed off his face and sat back against the headboard breathing heavily.  Wade got to his hands and knees and looked back at Bucky and Steve.  “That’s 1 to me.  I’m winning.  Anyone want to try and even the score?”  He asked wiggling his ass.

Bucky and Steve looked at each other and shrugged.  Bucky climbed up onto the bed, stroking his cock and moved between Wade’s legs.  He yanked Wade’s pants down and lined his cock up against Wade’s asshole.

“You sure you’re ready, Wade?”  Bucky asked.

“I was born ready.  Give it to me.”  Wade answered.

Bucky shrugged again and eased himself into Wade’s ass.  Wade groaned.  “Oh yeah, that is some good Super Assassin dick.”  He groaned.  “You should put a patent out on it.”

Bucky furrowed his brow and looked over at you, looking slightly bewildered.  “Thank you, Wade.”  He said as he started to thrust.

“No, thank you, soldier.”  Wade groaned.  “Are you gonna get in on the action, Stever?”

Steve shook his head like he was trying to clear it and climbed up on the bed.  “Stever?”  He muttered and you started giggling.

Wade patted the bed in front of him.  “You put yourself right here.”

Steve sighed and moved into position, lying in front of Wade so his legs were bent on either side of him.  Wade ran his tongue up the length of Steve’s cock and sucked on the head.  You toyed with your now very sensitive clit as you watched the three of them, letting out a soft moan that mingled with the sounds the three of them made together.

Wade offered you his hand and guided you over so you were straddling Steve.  He held his cock in place for you as you sunk down on it, letting it fill you completely.  You moaned and leaned forward bracing yourself on Wade’s back and kissing Bucky as you started to bounce.

As you moved, Steve held onto your hips and Wade started to lick from Steve’s balls to your clit and back again.

The noise in the room rapidly rose in volume and became completely incoherent.  You felt like someone had replaced your blood with molten metal.  You sweated as you moved and it pooled heavy in your stomach.  Every movement sent electricity coursing through you and you couldn’t hold it together.  You came once and then quickly again.  Steve was breathing heavily and making whimpering sounds.  His fingers dug into you hard enough to bruise.  Bucky’s face was set in concentration and he wrapped a hand around Wade and began stroking his cock as he fucked him.

You came again this time bringing Steve along with you with a snap of his hips.  He let out a guttural moan which was matched by the one Wade made as he lapped up the mixture of fluids as they leaked from you.

You collapsed down next to Steve and watched as Bucky kept fucking into Wade.  I think that as another four for me.  Wade groaned as he bunched up the sheets in his fists.

“You can’t claim all of those.  Some of those were mine too.”  Steve argued.

“Okay, you can have 1 and a half, and I’ll take 2,”  Wade said.

Bucky let out a groan and his hips jerked forward as he came with a grunt.  “Oh fuck yeah, Buckaroo, fill me.”  Wade moaned.

Bucky slipped out and sat back as Wade collapsed onto his back panting.  “Jesus.  That was something.”  Wade sighed.

You moved over next to him and ran your hand up along his bulge.  “Did you come?  Need a little help?”

“Oh, no, darlin’.  I was finished when you came in the door.  Don’t worry about me.”  Wade replied.

“And then, they told me I was the best they ever had.  We had a shower and Stever made pancakes.”  Wade finished.

Clint blinked at him staring blankly at him.  “I asked you to pass the salt.”

“Oh, sorry.  I thought you asked me to spill the tea.”  Wade said pushing the salt over.

“You didn’t use protection?”  Clint asked, still just sitting frozen.

“Well, you know.  Healing factors.”  Wade said with a shrug.

“Or lube?”  Clint added.

“Super soldiers.”

Clint shook his head.  “Stever?  Cap let you call him Stever?”

“Yeah.  That’s our own special group pet name for him.  I made it up.”  Wade replied.

Clint got up and started backing out of the room.  “I’m just gonna…”  He pointed over his shoulder with his thumbs.

As he backed out of the room he collided with Steve who was coming in.  He jumped startled and looked up at him.

“You okay, Clint?”  Steve asked.

Clint shook his head.

“Stever?”  Bucky called as he jogged up.  “Oh hey, Barton.”

Clint looked from Bucky to Steve to Wade and then back to Steve.  “You disgust me.”  He said and marched off down the hall.

Steve watched him leave and looked back at Bucky.  “What the hell was that about?”

[cutiepasta-thewriter]

DnD: Why we don't play with Peter

Tony knows how much Peter loves his nerdy tabletop RPGs. Every other week he'd sits down with his group to play a campaign but not recently.

His group was disbanded and while Peter was a little bummed he decided to find a new group.

Seeing this as an opportunity for some father son bonding he gets the other avengers to play a few games with him.

It was actually effective team building since the game requires the players to have patience and work together.

To everyone's surprise the GM was Dr.Strange who actually had experience with DnD when he was young and nerdy.

They decided on playing a Star Wars game with everyone split into Jedi and Sith teams.

Jedi: Steve, Clint, Peter, Thor, Bruce, Wanda and Bucky

Sith: Tony, Natasha, Loki, and Carol

The Jedis' job was to track down and defeat the Sith players.

The Siths' job was to gain political power, military power, influence, information and moral power.

The works was split up among the dark side agents which caused the Jedi to plan for each take down of the lords. Fortunately, they were all endgame battles.

Most of the Jedi were in training with Steve getting one of the master roles with Wanda.

During a training exercise Clint hit Peter in the back causing a random effect of dark energy lashing out and blasting the other character clear across the room.

Steve immediately took Peter aside to talk about power and using the right kind of power. Afterwards the other Jedi kept a close eye on Peter and rarely left him alone and never let him off the ship if they could help it.

Peter didn't object in the beginning but it was a headache in late game.

All the while the Sith players started spending their time gaining power. Carol had her own private army, Loki was rubbing shoulders with dignitaries that owe him a lot of favors, Tony gained control of his own citadel with control of his own trading port, Natasha kept her role quiet. To be honest the Jedi players were worried when they heard this because their most strategic allies were the enemy. Even Peter said he couldn't face his father.

As the game went on a few of the Jedi became that guy. You know the one, once he gets to high renown and is high leveled they begin changing alignment and becoming a dick. Those players can often ruin the game for others. Clint even told the Stephen to shut up, a cardinal sin in this game.

For Steve, his character began to believe his word should be law and micromanaged everyone. Peter who s task was to manage cargo and maintenance often got annoyed with him. Clint on the other had had the spirit of a murder hobo with the standard dubious morality. His reckless behavior got the team into many unwanted battles. This is how Thor ended up dead when Bruce wasn't there to heal him.

Bruce's character never forgave Clint since they were in a relationship with Thor's.

Later it was Wanda who died in a stupid battle and Steve got worse without the other master to stop him.

Each time the Jedi faced down the Sith the battle ended in a stalemate and the Sith getting away.

However during the invasion of the Citadel they managed to capture Tony. When Steve tried to kill Tony it was Peter who stepped in, in story Tony was the father of Peter's character and if Steve killed him it would end Peter's storyline since he wanted to turn his father back to the light.

Steve still did it since this was their only chance. He stabbed Tony through the chest as Peter screamed. The rest of the group OOC began yelling at Steve because that wasn't cool. Stephen said it was fine since the death was fair.

Peter immediately demanded he be given the body to deal with and later had it delivered to his homeworld. He wasn't the same after for a while but later said he accepted that this was because of his father's life choices and that he made made his own.

During the final showdown the two groups faced down. Steve delivered his self righteous monologue and in the middle of it he felt a saber at his back.

It was Peter holding it and smiling.

"Finally, do you know how old those speeches get after awhile. Dear god, you never shut up about the Jedi way! Do you know what it's like listening to you people with your self righteous bull. You think your so noble but your just as bad, you guys are constantly killing innocents and claim it to be the price of helping the greater good" Peter's character screamed as if he was in agony.

Steve turned his back to see not just Peter but Bruce and Bucky had also turned on him.

"I told you already. I can't go against my father." He said softly.

"Bucky? You too?" Steve asked.

"Sorry, but he has a point. We've done some fucked up stuff in the name of the light and I'd rather just not participate in any of this at all. I'm leaving." Bucky turned his back and left being spared from the onslaught by not choosing a side in what he sees as a pointless battle.

This was a pretty big deal since a player not participating in the last battle is unheard of.

Sure enough Bucky IRL was sitting back to enjoy the show.

That be said from behind the other Sith players came Tony who was very much alive. Where Steve had stabbed him in the heart was this universes equivalent of the the arch reactor.

Hearing Stephen describe this made the entire table break out in laughter and shock.

Apparently Peter had Bruce help revive Tony and had the sith shipped of to a private hospital he owned.

After Peter stabbed Steve in the back and Bruce made short work of Clint who was furiously trying to fight his way out, the game was announced over.

Stephen cleared up the confusion and stated at there were actually five Sith in the game one of which had the role of information (natasha) gathering the other moral influence. Natasha didn't say hers so the Jedi wouldn't be tipped off. Peter was there to gather what he could on the light and send it to Nat secretly and to turn their allies against them. They had failed to notice him the entire time. Every battle against one of the lords were sabotaged since Peter had already told them the plan.

In fact after Tony's "death" Peter made a shadow government to take over the citadel to make it look like the jedi had won.

All went according to plan and the Sith remained victorious.

You see when Steve and Clint got too out of hand Peter pulled Stephen aside. Since they were new to the game and hadn't yet curbed their impulses yet they had to be taught a lesson. The other party members agreed and allowed Peter his due.

One thing no one told the entire group was the reason Peter lost his previous group was because of his role. You see some groups may get out of hand with terrible party members who ruin the fun for everyone so instead of just kicking them put the DM will call in Peter who is well known for what he does by the DM community. Peter was known as a hobo killer. He won't just kill them though he would destroy them in an ironic twist he'd pull right before the end. He'd rob them of a satisfactory story line just so they couldn't reroll a character.

He had done this with the permission of his DM and caused all the toxic players to leave the group in anger. The DM was thankful knowing the players wouldn't be back after Peter released a terask apon the mortal realm and revealed that his character was a god and the end times were here.

That being said no one played DnD with Peter without being on his side and not being a dickish player.

[sunflowerspectre]

The Backwaters | Commission Piece

The Backwaters | Commission Piece

This is part of a long commission piece for an anon, who commissioned for a long-length, full fanfiction.

Commission Info | Also on A03

Title: The Backwaters Summary: As an agent of SHIELD, Shuri’s assignment is to find and rescue Wanda Maximoff who disappeared in the backwaters of West Virginia. But her training is put to the test when the town’s mechanic Bucky takes a liking to her. Aged up! Shuri Warnings: Omega!Verse, Beta/Omega/Alpha Dynamics, OOC

<< Previous Chapter | Start From The First Chapter >>

The Backwaters | Chapter Ten Word Count: 3704

Bucky still can’t wrap his head around what’s happening, nothing processing as his ears continue to ring and his body starts to go numb. His neck is throbbing from Shuri’s hold - small, delicate, lovely, Shuri holding him down like he weighs nothing, as if she’s in control, as if she has more power over him than he does. She gets off of him and he almost lunges for her again - to hold her or to strangle her? He doesn’t get the chance to get his hands on her to find out. Two strong men immediately grab him from behind, starting to drag him away despite the way that his heels try to dig into the floor.

Shuri watches, not afraid to meet his gaze with a calm superiority. Her heart beat starts to slow, the adrenaline leaving her system as she starts to process that this all really is over now. Bucky looks to her in desperation and confusion, his brows furrowed deeply as tears bristle in the corners of his eyes.

She’s not sure why he’s the one crying or if he’s crying because he got caught or is frustrated at her. She almost hopes for the later. She wants him to be frustrated at her - she wants him to know that she is the one who got him caught, that she is the one who has really been behind this the entire time. She wants him to live with that as he rots.

“Shuri, darling,” he pleads out to her, like a cow going to slaughter - or a monster begging for their life. “Don’t do this, doll. You know that I love you, sweetheart. I wouldn’t do any of this if I didn’t.”

Shuri snorts and Couslon, who stands beside her in silent support, takes a step forward. She stops him and he listens, taking a step back for her to take the lead.

“Love?” She scrunches her nose in a bit of disgust, “You’re too focused on the belief that any of this is love that you never even asked if it was returned because that didn’t matter to you, did it?”

He’s on his knees, knocked down by the men trying to drag him away. She gets close to him, close enough to breathe down his neck. Each breath that hits his skin makes his blood run cold, a rabbit feeling the breath of a wolf before they bite into the neck and go in for the kill. 

“You’re nothing but a monster,” Shuri whispers softly, not out of fear or shame, but out of spite. Her words are for him, not for the agents surrounding them. “The real shame is that if you had been a decent bloke, one that didn’t have these delusions of control and abuse… I could see us having a shot should you’ve courted me like a real lad.”

She blows on his ear and resists the urge to punch him, but she pulls away with a dangerous smile, teeth gleaming in the dim light of the setting sun that beats down in through the windows.

He just watches her, not speaking up again, her words echoing in his ears, as he gets taken away without a fight. Shuri waves a chipper goodbye, Coulson watching her with a raised brow from the corner of his eyes. As Bucky gets tossed into a waiting van, cuffed and ready for court, she glances toward the expression on Coulson’s face.

“What?”

Coulson’s lips thin as he shakes his head with a mix of disbelief and amusement, “I didn’t say anything.”

Shuri’s eyes squint, but she can’t quite place his expression. When he doesn’t offer any explanation, she decides to let it go - for now.

__________________________________________

The town’s in chaos - utter, complete chaos that makes it hard to decipher any one thing.  Shuri expected it to be bad, honestly, but just because you’re expecting to see something, doesn’t mean it’s any easier to actually watch. Like a soldier knowing that there will be innocent victims, actually seeing the aftermath of war on a village. This is her aftermath. 

But it’s hard to look at the big picture - the hysterical wives and children, the cries of babies, the smell of gunfire of the ones that fought back, the sound of blaring sirens. She decides it’s easier to take in one bit at time, looking at one scene, processing it, then moving on to the next. Each scene still makes her heart ache, makes her want to help even more. 

She spots more than one woman or child fighting against the agents or medics, some chasing after their husbands in cuffs. One tries to hit one of the agents, but he dodges her and restrains her instead, holding her tightly until she gives up, falling to her knees with hysteric sobs.

She winces when someone, whose young and bruised, punches one of the medics, who takes it in stride as the victim immediately apologizes through sobs. She imagines that having someone actually trying to help you is a big shock to their system. She knows what it's like to react on instinct. 

One woman that she spots is beaten pretty badly - she’s older than Shuri, but is younger than most of the women, with a face that could’ve been pretty if it wasn’t swollen and purple. The wounds are fresh, deep cuts on her arms and wrists, bruises lacing her neck that look too much like hand prints. The woman is silent, not responding to the medics that speak softly to her. Shuri loses her breath when she realizes that the baby the woman holds has blue-tipped skin - not moving, not breathing. She wonders if they didn’t get to her fast enough - if the husband caught word of it and took it out on her - or if this happened before the agents arrived. She wonders if it would’ve happened at all if she didn’t hesitate as long as she did.  

Coulson has to gently lead her through the sea of people, ushering her to continue walking. Even as a hardened agent himself, Shuri can see how much seeing all of this is affecting him too. From the looks of it, it’s affecting everyone.

There’s more people than Shuri expected though, when she starts to really notice how many women and children are there. She still sees a few faces that she saw in church, but there are more unknown faces than known. She glances toward Coulson, who walks beside her silently and solemnly. He catches her questionable look and sighs.

“Some of the houses had more than expected, there’s no way you would have known unless you went to each of their houses personally,” Coulson explains, “Five women were in a basement of one home alone. Multiple wives, we think, but -”

“-But to keep up appearances, only one would’ve been allowed out at a time,” Shuri finishes. It explains why some of the men she saw in town seemed to have a different wife each time she spotted them. “Was there something else going on here that we didn’t expect? Something bigger? This is -”

She doesn’t have to finish her sentence - she couldn’t, really. There isn’t a single word that could describe exactly what is happening around them. But she doesn’t have to finish her thought for Coulson to understand exactly what she means.

“I know.” Coulson’s voice is heavy, “We didn’t expect any of this, we have enough agents, thankfully, but I don’t think we have as many medics and therapists as we really need. There’s talk of setting up a camp for everyone in the meantime, don’t know if it will be in town or out, but I think a lot of these women would benefit from a different environment while we have our people look them over so no one has to go back to the houses that kept them for so long. It’ll be awhile, getting more people out here to help, getting all these families settled down, we don’t even know where we’ll be relocating all of them yet since it’s more than what we planned for. ”

Coulson stops walking, pausing to look toward Shuri, “As for something bigger going on, we don’t know. At least not officially, but Fury suspects that someone somewhere along the line is involved with all the omega human trafficking rings since there’s no way so many of these hicks actually went out of town themselves to find the perfect victim.”

Coulson notices the look in Shuri’s eyes as she frowns - regret, shame, I wasn’t good enough, I should’ve done better, I should’ve helped more. He puts a hand on her shoulder, “You did more than enough Shuri. There’s casualties in every war, but a lot of these victims wouldn’t know freedom at all if not for you.”

She gives him a wry smile that’s faded, not quite genuine, her heart weighing heavy in her chest. “Yes, I suppose you’re right this time.”

As the dust of the chaos settles, she looks him over a bit more carefully, eying the grease of his hair and dirt on his skin, ruffled clothes that have yet to be replaced with the standard suit. She sniffs his shoulder and gags. 

“I think I saved more than just those victims - how long has it been since you’ve had a bloody shower, Coulson?”

“Longer than I’d like to admit,” he answers honestly, “I’m definitely glad that I don’t have to pretend like I’m some crazy lunatic in the woods, that’s for sure. I’m pretty sure that some of the hunting guys were starting to get onto me.”

The lighthearted conversation eases some of the tension on her shoulders before she spots the furious eyes of the Sheriff. The agents guiding him are just loading him into a van, his hands cuffed behind his back but his arms are flexing, wanting to lunge or run. She can see it in the frantic look in his eyes - not fear, like Bucky’s, but that desperate need for survival. He shoves the agents around some, trying to break their hold for a chance to get away, but the agents don’t move an inch, unflinching at his escape attempts.

He spots her and scowls, spewing venom at her with curses and insults that make a few of the surrounding victims flinch and shudder, but it rolls off Shuri’s back as his voice gets muffled by the doors of the van closing him in. She imagines that, in order to keep things quiet, that they had to hold him in his own office until the vans could get into town safely. 

She spots Peggy not too far behind, sobbing on one of the benches with her children. Her makeup is smudged as it begins to run down her face, but she tries her best to hide it in the palms of her hands as she hangs her head down, her shoulders shuddering and hunched over. She struggles to hold her infant son in her lap, torn between holding him and wanting to bury her face away into her hands. Her three-year-old son is cowering beneath her, holding on her legs as he hides under the bench with his eyes clenched tight.

She takes a step forward, wanting to comfort her, but she’s not sure if she’s the person Peggy really wants to see right now. She’s unsure if Peggy is upset over Steve or relieved. It’s a risky shot to go forward, to cause a scene in the middle of the chaos, or to make a grieving wife even more upset.

She takes a deep breath and against the odds, takes one step after another until she’s sitting beside Peggy. She takes the baby that Peggy is struggling to manage on top of the other kids amidst the confusion. She can’t remember the baby’s name, but she coos at him and bounces him on her knees, watching him laugh and grin, blowing happy bubbles with his mouth. 

Peggy jerks up at the sound of his laughter, snapping toward Shuri so suddenly that it’s nearly inhuman. She doesn’t speak for a moment, eyes bristling as she watches her son happily giggle on Shuri’s lap. She glances at Shuri, to her son, back to Shuri, and finally relaxes, the tension leaving her shoulders. 

“Thank you,” Peggy finally speaks up, “Nat got word to me that you were planning on getting some of us out. I thought maybe you were staging a rebellion, hoping we could out number them, or sneak us out a few at a time through the night. I didn’t expect all of this -”

She gestures toward the chaos in the streets that’s starting to calm down as some of the last of the men are taken away. There’s a melancholic peace settling in the air, washing over all of them in an eerie silence that’s only broken by hushed whispers and sirens. Peggy reaches underneath, whispering a few words to her son that seems to calm him down, and picks him up to bring him onto her lap, hugging him close to her chest. He eagerly buries his face into her neck, clunching to her tightly. 

“I - I didn’t know there was so many women hidden away,” Shuri admits, adjusting her grasp on the baby, “So I -”

“-You didn’t know there were so many,” Peggy offers, her voice soft and understanding, “That’s fair. I didn’t catch onto how many of us there were until I was about… six months in, maybe? Caught Steve talking about it with some of ‘em other bastards. It was about the same time that I realized that I would never get to see my family back home again.”

Peggy glances at Shuri, a small but genuine smile on her lips, “You changed that, you know? For a lot of us. The others will take some time, I’m sure, but in the long run, I think we will all be a lot happier.”

Shuri returns the smile, the conversation leaving her feeling more concrete that she did the right thing. I saved them - some will just take a bit longer to realize that.

_____________________________

It takes a while for her to finally catch sight of the two faces that she wants to see the most. Nat looks out of place - calm and collected in the midst of crying women around her - sitting down on the curb as she smokes. Shuri can tell immediately that it’s not a cigarette and as more people catch on, the more a few joints get passed around through some of the women who are too tired to be crying anymore. This time, Wanda accepts one of the joints and is leaning against Nat’s shoulder as she blows out the smoke. 

Shuri can see the bruises on Wanda, but her injuries are from the worst among some of the girls that are being loaded into ambulances and being treated by the medics. Still, Shuri is glad to see that Wanda is in better shape than she was when they first met, noting the bruised and irritated red line along her neck in the absence of a collar.

She sits down on the other side of Nat. As Nat holds out a blunt between two fingers, Shuri accepts it, and takes Wanda’s lead, leaning on Nat’s other shoulder. When she doesn’t object, they sit there for a moment in a somewhat peaceful silence, smelling like smoke and herbs, and watching the sirens die out as ambulances leave. 

There’s still agents, Shuri can see, just not nearly as many. There’s scattered throughout the town, talking to a few of the more calmer women and trying to either calm down or restrain some of the more hysterical (yet uninjured) ones. Shuri spots Bucky’s mom waving her finger at one of the agents, who roll their eyes as they try to explain the situation. 

She sees a few more beaten and bruised ones, minor injuries and small cuts that are getting patched up by one of the two medics left on scene. She recognizes one of SHIELD’s top therapists already talking to some of the girls, starting with the more beaten and young ones. When she gets to the fifteen year old child that’s sitting by herself in a corner, holding a baby that can’t be more than seven months old, Shuri has to look away.

“You know,” Wanda’s voice brings Shuri back to her, “I thought I recognized you, but I just didn’t want to believe it. I thought everyone back home had moved on, forgot about me, or had more important things to do. I didn’t think I was at the top of anyone’s priority list.”

Wanda takes a long drag from the blunt and leans back on her hands, giving Nat a break as she looks at the colors of the setting sky - the bright, almost cheerful colors are ironic considering the town that it hovers over.

“Your parents didn’t forget,” Shuri’s lips are in a thin, tight smile, “I just got back from my mission when they put me on your case.”

“Heh,” Wanda snorts, “Glad they waited for you, I don’t think anyone else could’ve pulled it off.”

“Now that I can agree with,” Nat speaks up, “I wasn’t even sure if you could, to be honest. But I didn’t know you were apart of SHIELD. You’re a better liar than I expected.”

Nat seems to second-guess her choice of words, looking at Shuri cautiously, “I - I didn’t mean that as an insult.”

Shuri grins, “Good. I didn’t take it as one. Being a good actor is what makes a good agent. But a good liar is what makes a great agent.”

Nat takes a drag, blowing the smoke up toward the sky and away from their faces. Shuri lays down on the cold concrete behind them, smoke from her lips blowing toward the sky in swirls. Wanda is close by on her elbows, leaning back with a content expression on her face. With a shrug, Nat joins them, blowing a bit of smoke over Shuri as she settles with her head in Shuri’s lap, her legs draped across Wanda.

“How does one become that, anyway,” Nat asks, “An agent I mean. Pays decently, I imagine, and I’m going to be needing something to pay for my college tuition once we get done here.”

“You’d have to kill people,” Wanda points out, though she doesn’t sound as concerned, stating it simply and honestly. Nat shrugs at the question, not quite answering it aloud, but making it clear that that aspect of the job doesn’t really bother her anyway.

“It’d be the bad guys you kill,” Shuri corrects, “Save the good ones, get the bad. I don’t really focus on anything else during a mission.”

Nat snorts, “Yeah right, I thought Bucky’s vein was going to pop from all of the petty, passive aggressive shit you did at dinner. But I have to commend you for manipulating him like that at church. It’d be nice to get them to really work for you for once. Have that sort of power again.”

A few ashes from the blunt hit her knee as her hands wave as she talks. She doesn’t seem to notice, or care. 

“It would be nice to get that control for once,” Wanda admits, her voice softer than Nat’s abrasive comments, “Not over them, not necessarily, but just have that control for you. The confidence knowing that no one can tell you what to do.”

Shuri grins wildly, “And the best part is you get to punch the ones that do. But if you’re serious about thinking about it, I can talk to Fury. See what he thinks about putting you through training.”

“-Me too,” Wanda adds suddenly, flushing when she realizes just how desperate it sounds. “I mean - can you talk to Fury for me about it? If he says no, I don’t think I can take that rejection in person.”

Shuri hums for a moment, agreeing that she’d do all the talking for them. As the subject dwindles down and stars start to appear in the sky, Shuri wonders just how she can make Fury say yes.

______________________________________

She trains them, despite the fact that their presence at SHIELD is unofficial. They lack the titles that give the access to everything, not being agents themselves, but Fury allows it with the sworn promise to Shuri that she will be completely responsible for them, come high or hell water. 

She has the pleasure of being their handler, their bodyguard and trained. Their unofficial leader. She took the title and responsibility with grace, easing into the role of as naturally as Fury expected her to.

Nat is a surprise, Shuri has to admit. She knew that Nat could handle the mental aspects, the patience and calmness under the enemy, knowing what to say and when to say it to get out of sticky situations. But the physical prowess, the strength behind her blows, is an unexpected, pleasant surprise. Shuri isn’t sure if the strength behind her fists comes from a form of anger management or if Bruce was such a big guy to warren such strength to get him off.

Wanda takes some more time, with more positive reinforcement. It takes weeks before Wanda stops flinching at every punch thrown her away. A few more to get her to throw one back instead of just dodging. But she’s improving, Shuri notes, and once they got her to throw a few punches, something in Wanda opened up as she started to improve even faster, putting her all into each session.

It’s just a matter of getting Fury to see their potential, to get let them officially become an agent.  It isn't as hard as Shuri thought it would be to get Fury to see things her way. Coulson even backed her up. It took a bit of prodding and with a few explanations - Nat’s natural ability to stay calm under pressure and that the power of knowing how to fight back is therapeutic on Wanda’s behalf - Fury eventually caved in. 

She didn’t even have to get Coulson to use his puppy dog eyes on him. 

[sunflowerspectre]

The Backwaters | Commission Piece

This is part of a long commission piece for an anon, who commissioned for a long-length, full fanfiction.

Commission Info | Also on A03

Title: The Backwaters Summary: As an agent of SHIELD, Shuri’s assignment is to find and rescue Wanda Maximoff who disappeared in the backwaters of West Virginia. But her training is put to the test when the town’s mechanic Bucky takes a liking to her. Aged up! Shuri Warnings: Omega!Verse, Beta/Omega/Alpha Dynamics, OOC

<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>

The Backwaters | Chapter Eight Word Count: 3605

Shuri watches as Bucky wakes up from his spot on the couch, early the next morning. She could have taken the chance to call in the strike now, maybe go ahead and leave, save the others, but she knows that if she plays her cards right, then she could still get to go to the planned dinner. Get to see Wanda for herself first. Make sure she’s still alive and have a pinpoint on her location. Make sure that her chances for success are as high as it possibly can be.  But mission or not, she’ll be damned if he lays a hand on her like that again. She’s already updated Coulson that they will be getting their location for Wanda soon and when she does, then the strike won’t be too far behind.

She’s already staged the scene. She’s dressed, fresh and ready for the day. Did a bit of her makeup just for that extra touch of I couldn’t hurt a fly. Wore the dress he picked out yesterday. Did some of the minor cleaning - aside from what she’s staged around him. She emptied out quite a few of the beer cans and bottles, placing them on the kitchen table and around him on the couch. He’ll wake up groggy, confused, and easily suggestible if she does this right. If she doesn’t, then maybe she’ll have to beat Wanda’s location out of him.

His eyes aren’t even fully open as he starts to stretch, slowly moving as he rubs at the aching spots behind his neck. Shuri stands close by, enough to make it look like she’s ready to help him, but not close enough for him to grab her. She plasters on the best oh you poor baby face she can manage, brows furrowing with a small frown.

“Bucky? You had quite a lot to drink last night when we got home, I think you got too excited about our dinner party tonight with that - oh what was his name, Paul? - and got a head start.”

She gives a gentle laugh as he begins to sit up, blinking himself back to consciousness as he starts to take in the scattered bottles. His eyes scan each bottle. She gestures toward the waiting seltzer water and he takes it with furrowed brows.

“I - Was I really drinking last night? I thought that you -”

“-That I what?”

Bucky pauses, looking over her with squinted eyes. His mind feels fuzzy, uncertain, but he could have sworn - but Shuri blinks at him innocently, with wide eyes and long lashes that brush against her cheeks. The dress she wears highlights her smaller frame and lean, long legs. She looks anything but intimidating. She looks like the very image of southern beauty and grace, an angel that couldn’t hurt a fly.

Uncertain, but not really believing what he thought happened - and if he did drink last night, then he could be misunderstanding what he thought happened. Maybe she was helping a drunk who thought she was attacking him or he got handsy while being too drunk and she led him to the couch instead.  

Something about any of those more logical explanations just does not settle right with him, but he can’t exactly place why, especially since the idea of her actually taking him down like he was a little kid is much more ridiculous. 

He downs the seltzer water.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.”

_____________________________________

Paul’s place isn’t too far from Bucky’s own cabin, just a bit further up the mountain on the beaten path. He ends up being a lot closer than Shuri expected him to be, but blames that partly on the way that everyone talked about him at church as if he was miles away or gone for decades. The fact that his cabin isn’t too far off from the gravel road and while secluded, lacks the same amount of tree coverage that Bucky’s own cabin down, makes her mission a lot easier. 

Like Bucky’s, the cabin is fairly bare. Clean, form the looks of it, but a bit too clean and pristine. As if every rotten board is replaced the moment that it goes bad or that it gets repainted too often to cover up the dirt. She only counts two windows - one beating into the kitchen and the other is high up and too small for anyone to crawl through. The most old and beaten-looking thing in the entire area is an old cellar door just beside the cabin, looking out of place with a few holes setting in the wooden door. She spots the chains that are knocked just behind the raised door and the hooks on the side of the cellar. She swallows thickly.

When she gets out of the truck, taking Bucky’s offered hand, she gazes up at the opened skies that seem to highlight the cabin. Something about the open sun being so close by to the cabin that already feels and looks more like a prison is unsettling. But she imagines that bad weather, the cabin takes a hard hit. The holes in the cellar would most likely cause it to flood too. 

She rolls her shoulders, reminds herself why she’s here, and takes a step forward toward where Nat is waiting on the porch with a lit cigarette. The bruises Nat harbored the other day are turning yellow and seem to be healing nicely, but Shuri frowns at the new ones that had appeared. 

Nat drops the cigarette and outs with her heel when she spots Bucky, giving him an impish grin, almost as if she’s apologizing for something that she’s not really sorry for. Shuri can see the unapologetic gleam in her eyes. But Bucky just smiles, greeting her as he pulls her into a hug, squeezing her a bit too tightly and whispering something in her ear. Shuri can’t make it all out, but she got the gist that he wasn’t the biggest fan of Nat smoking old cigars.

“Dinner’s already out on the table,” Nat informs them as she goes directly to Shuri’s side the moment that Bucky steps away. She walks Shuri into the house as Bucky holds the door open for them. “Bruce and Paul are already talking about playin’ a hand of poker or two over drinks after dinner.”

“Sounds like a good time,” Bucky nods approvingly, “Is Wanda out and about? You can take Shuri over to meet her.”

Nat nods and Shuri is pulled along through a hallway as soon as they’re inside as Bucky walks the opposite way, heading toward a dimly lit kitchen table where she can hear Bruce and another man speaking. 

“I should warn you,” Nat whispers into Shuri’s ear, the hand on her arm that’s pulling her along squeezes her muscle tightly, “Wanda’s not so fine and dandy as the others think she is. She went to the restroom pretty soon after I got here and I don’t think she’s come out yet. I don’t know what shape she will be in for dinner.”

There’s an honesty to Nat’s words, a sadness seeping from them as Nat drops her facade to be open about Wanda’s state of mind and appearance. From the sounds of it, Nat doesn’t know how bad of shape Wanda will be in since she didn’t get a good look at her before she disappeared. The fact that Nat seems to expect her to be in rough shape makes Shuri’s mouth go dry.

Nat stops them at a door in the narrow hallway. Shuri counts three bedrooms and two additional doors. The one they stopped at must be the bathroom that Nat mentioned, Shuri can see light coming from the bottom door. Far enough from the commotion in the kitchen, Shuri can hear soft sobs coming from inside and her heart tightens. 

Nat knocks on the door lightly with the edges of her knuckles, “Wanda. It’s me. There’s someone here I want you to meet.”

There’s a pause. A moment of hesitation before the door creaks open slowly and a soft, broken face peers at them through a crack in the door before opening up, allowing them to come into the bathroom with her. 

The shaking light bulb in the bathroom does little to hide Wanda’s beaten appearance. A leather collar digs into her neck, being at least one notch too tight. A lock dangles from the belt of the collar, locking it in place, but Shuri can see the scratch marks in the leather where Wanda tried to rip it off. Shuri doesn’t have the heart to read the tag attached to the hoop of the collar, instead focusing on the other aspects of Wanda’s beaten appearance.

Shuri’s jaw locks, tensing as Wanda rubs at the bruises on her arms. The worst one is on her cheek, despite it starting to turn yellow, the edges of it are such a dark shade of purple, it almost looks black. She can see the edges of whip marks on the exposed skin of Wanda’s hip as her shirt rides up, likely from it looking like it’s a size too small. She doesn’t know what injuries the rest of her clothes hide, but Shuri feels her stomach turn as rage begins to boil in her veins.

Wanda looks up at Shuri, with hollow eyes that lack an inner light. She doesn’t even give any outward indication that she recognizes Shuri, or knows who she is. Or she doesn’t have the energy to care. Shuri remembers the bright young eyes of Wanda from months ago, comparing it to what she sees of Wanda now makes her want to walk into that kitchen and take care of it now. Her hands twitch at her sides, fingers tapping against her leg as her breathing becomes harbored. 

“This is Shuri, Bucky picked her out.” Nat’s choice of words are careful, but speak volumes of just how much of an apparent choice that Shuri had. “We’ll get you taken care of before dinner, just a bit of the right makeup can do wonders.”

_________________________________________

Shuri sits through dinner with the same silent, calm fury that she had while she helped Nat cover up Wanda’s injuries; Shuri suspects that she knows exactly why Nat carries so much makeup in her small purse. She sits between Wanda and Paul with a forced smile and calm insistence that she wants to get to know her new friend better; a move that doesn’t go unnoticed by Nat, who gives her a small smile as she places herself on the other side of Wanda for added measure with the argument that it’s ‘good for the girls to get to talk some.’

Shuri barely touches her dinner with the same insistence that what she did taste was delicious, but she simply lost her appetite. Bucky watches her with curious concern, while Paul mumbles something under his breath that she doesn’t catch. But she can tell how his mumbled words cause Wanda to tense in anticipation beside her. 

The moment that dinner is finished and the women are all but kicked out of the kitchen as the ‘men are going to play a good hand of poker over some good beer.’ Shuri resists commenting on the fact that she knows that their beer tastes like piss and if they want good beer, they’d actually cough up the few extra bucks for it.

Either way, Nat ushers both her and Wanda out of the kitchen with whispered, hushed excitement that makeup is not the only thing she’s snuck into her purse. Shuri isn’t sure what to expect from Nat, almost expecting her to pull a six pack from her too small purse. But then she finds herself in the cramped bathroom with the two girls holding a hastily rolled up blunt that she, honestly, could really use.

Shuri sits on the floor, her legs crossed in a ‘not-so-ladylike’ way while Nat sits on the edge of the bathtub, almost falling in from her body seems to sway from her long, drawn hit from her own blunt. Wanda sits on the closed lid of the pot, quiet, and politely refusing the blunt, but not ratting them out either. Shuri can’t even be happy with how clean the bathroom is knowing the conditions it was forced under.

“This is all bullshit,” Shuri finally speaks up, her cap on her frustration loosening by her second blunt. Despite the drug helping ease the actual fire in her veins, it can’t drown out her sense of wanting to right these wrongs, wanting to help, and wanting to put the bastards in jail for what they’ve been doing in - or killing them herself.

Nat raises a neatly trimmed brow, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees as she releases the smoke in her mouth. Wanda is the one who is smart enough to open the small vent in the small bathroom along with the all-too-small window that she has to stand on top of the toilet to reach. Shuri notes that the size of it makes it an impossible escape route, but wonders if Wanda had tried to fit through it at one point anyway. She takes another, careful to blow the smoke away from Wanda’s face.

“What’s bullshit,” Nat asks curiously, her voice more firm and at a lower pitch than Shuri is used to hearing, likely from Nat relaxing and dropping a bit of the wall she’s built up. Or the blunts are starting to hit her. But hearing the curse word a second time makes Wanda flinch. 

“Can we all just please stop cursing and hurry this up,” Wanda’s voice has the quiet, rough tone that comes when you haven’t used your voice in a while or you’ve worn it out from screaming, “I don’t want them finding us in here like this.”

It’s the first time Shuri sees some sort of emotion from Wanda, the desperate fear in her voice and the dilated pupils of her eyes. It just proves Shuri’s point.

“See, that’s exactly what I mean,” Shuri insists, lowering her voice at the reminder that they’re not the only ones in the house. Despite starting to feel the high, she had chosen to sit on the floor so that she was the closest to the door for a reason. 

Nat nods in understanding, while Wanda glances between them with a bit of fear and confusion. Shuri places a hand on Wanda’s knee and squeezes it, a sign of comfort, but Wanda flinches and closes her eyes, tensing as she waits for something that isn’t coming. After a moment, she opens her eyes. Shuri’s hand is still on her knee and Shuri is watching her, waiting for that moment of realization that finally comes as Wanda looks into calm, supporting eyes. Nat holds out her hand, a blunt between her fingers, and this time, Wanda accepts it.

“Tell me, honestly,” Shuri’s voice is low, “Do you really love Bruce, Nat?”

The way Nat sits there, eyes toward the ground, her elbows on her knees as she lights a blunt between her legs makes her look older. The creases in her eyes are more defined as she drops her smile. When she looks closely, Shuri can see the beginning of tears in the corner of Nat’s eyes. 

“I don’t know. Everyone was telling me that I loved him, so I think I did. But he used to be so different in high school and you should have seen how he was when he came from med school, it was like being out of this town did something to him - something good. Like he forgot how things are supposed to be, but fuck did he remember pretty quick.”

She took a long drag from the freshly lit joint, taking her time with it as she blows the smoke up toward the ceiling. When she finally looks up toward the light, Shuri can see the streaks of dried tears down her cheeks.

“I think I still love him sometimes, on the good days that we all get.”

An image of Bucky’s face between her thighs flashes in her mind and Shuri lets out a shuddering breath of smoke before taking another one, wanting to get rid of that image. 

“But I hate that I didn’t get to choose. I know that none of us get to choose this. Some of the girls are happy with that, but they were raised to. I’m reminded of that every time some new dame comes in and has to be taught the rules. But it goes beyond that -”

Nat’s voice becomes a bit harsher, more angered as the words just start to flow out of her mouth before she can think. For the first time in a long time, she feels like she actually talk - really talk, say what’s on her mind - and now that she can, she doesn’t want to stop.

“- When Bruce left for med school, I wanted to go too. I wanted to try to get into the same university and everything. Fucking hell, I did the work for it. I passed every damn test that they put in front of me and the better I did in school, the more I realized that I wanted to go to the university. Not just for Bruce. Everyone kept telling me I shouldn’t go and I listened. Looking back, I realized that they wouldn’t have let me anyway. That they just gave me the illusion of choice.”

She flicks her joint and watches the ashes hit the tiled floor with an angry snarl. Shuri wonders just how long she’s kept all that in, close to her chest, just to avoid the trouble. Wanda watches them, taking shaky, uncertain blows from her joint, her foot tapping against the floor with anxious energy. Shuri glances toward her and looks closely at the collar that’s still attached to her neck. Wanda notices the look and places her free hand on it, rubbing against the skin of her neck as if it would suddenly come off.

“I - I shouldn’t say anything bad about Paul,” Wanda insists.

“But do you want to say bad things about him,” Shuri presses gently, “If you could, would you do whatever you wanted? Would you leave, either of you?”

Wanda’s tapping against the floor gets more rapid, impatient, uncertain. Nat grows oddly silent.

“I - I tried,” Wanda’s eyes swell as tears start to build up in her eyes, “I tried, but I couldn’t - and nothing works, I’ve tried everything.”

Nat watches Wanda with a morbid sense of understanding, Shuri realizes that like Wanda, Nat must’ve at least tried to get out at one point too. Her nails dig into her joint as she realizes just how many of the girls must’ve tried - and failed - and given up because they thought that they couldn’t, that there just wasn’t a point in fighting anymore.

When Nat glances toward Shuri, turning her attention away from Wanda’s nervous tapping, she sees the fire in Shuri’s eyes. Its warmth reaches her in a way that she hasn’t felt before, igniting a flame in her chest as she realizes that wherever Shuri is going with all of this, she is serious, and that if came down to it, Nat would do whatever it took to help.

“Sheriff Rodgers has eyes everywhere,” Nat piques up, gaining Shuri’s rapt attention, “He placed cameras on the welcome signs on each side of town to watch for incoming, unfamiliar cars. He’ll pull over the ones that he can, or put up roadblocks every so often to get people to go around the town.”

Nat continues, despite the way that Wanda is trying to warn her not to, “The church bell is the warning bell. He tells the preacher when to pull it and when it rings, we all dive for the nearest hiding spot. Lots of the boys hide their wives or lock them up if they’re in the cabins. If we don’t hide, we get in serious trouble. Trying to get attention for help don’t work any either, Sheriff watches us all, really carefully and there’s a lot by his station for the girls who try to get help from any of the cars coming in. The bell rings again for the all clear. Bucky’s one of the few that don’t hide, he didn’t have a reason to since he didn’t have any wife yet, and he runs the gas station so he could use any money he can get from lost travelers.”

Shuri takes the information in, processing it with a predatory grin that unnerves Wanda. Even Nat looks a bit uncomfortable by the grin, knowing that grin. The grin of someone planning something very devious. Someone who knows that they will succeed. 

“Listen, very carefully,” Shuri whispers, coughing when the smoke hits her wrong in the throat, “I want you both to get ready. Don’t act any different, don’t say anything. Just be sure to have anything you’d want to have with you on hand, or all together in the same place. Get word out to any other girl you can trust to keep their mouth shut, but I am going to get you all out of here.”

The confidence in her voice is unmatched and unquestionable. Nat isn’t sure what she’s planning or why she’s so adamant that it will work, but she can’t help but find herself believing in Shuri and from the look on Wanda’s face, she’s not the only one soaking in the one bit of ray of hope that they’ve had in a long time.