#otherwise my PA will intercept it

[atamh]

I've baked some cake. Would you like some, Mr. Holmes ?

You are all feeders.

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch32: The Impossible Choice. Part 1: So Was I

Summary: Tony catches up with Steve, Katie and Bucky in Siberia and as the events unfold he learns the truth about how his parents were killed.

Warnings: Bad language, angst!

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: Wonderful edit again from @angrybirdcr​

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 31

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

The jet wasn’t fully fuelled so they couldn’t fly at full speed, meaning it took them a few hours to reach the wide, flat, snow-covered landscape of Siberia. Once they touched down, Steve cut the power and Katie stood up and moved to the back of the jet, opening the closet that held the Avenger’s weapons. Bucky stepped over and started examining the rack of guns labelled ‘Romanoff’ before he selected a light machine gun.

Katie reached over to grab two 9mms and twirled them in her hands before she slotted them into the holders on her thighs. Bucky watched her through the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow as she reached over to select another larger rifle.

“Sure you can handle that thing, Sweetheart?” He asked, his tone was gently teasing and Katie snorted, whilst behind her Steve gave a chuckle.

“Stop flirting with my wife, Buck, and I’ll have you know she’s a trained sniper, give you a run for your money.” He spoke, almost proudly, as he slung his shield onto his back.

“That so?” Bucky’s mouth twisting into a grin. Katie simply smiled in response and cocked the larger gun, looking down the sight to check it was all clear.

The three of them stood together, Katie in the middle of the two super soldiers, waiting for the exit ramp to descend as Steve tossed his helmet in his hand. 

“You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?” Steve asked suddenly, looking over at Bucky as the cold air hit them. 

“Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?”  Bucky frowned

“You blew three bucks trying to win a stuffed bear for a redhead” Steve smirked.

“Right, what was her name again?” Bucky asked, a tone of amusement on his voice

“Dolores.” Steve answered instantly, smirk still on his face “You called her Dot.” 

“She’s gotta be a hundred years old right now.” Bucky said.

“So are we pal” Steve said, clamping his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. The ramp was now almost completely down. Steve placed his helmet on, fastened the strap under his chin and the three of them descended.

“Well it aint quite a freezer truck.” Katie mused. 

“I hate the cold.” Bucky sighed as they trudged through the snow.

“Yeah Stevie isn’t exactly a fan either. Although he still runs the Air Con at like minus twenty.”

“No, I don’t.” Steve sighed, and Bucky gave a bark of a laugh as the two of them began to playfully bicker.

“Our bedroom is freezing.”

“Look, I run at a higher temperature than you.” “Yeah yeah.” Katie rolled her eyes, gun still raised as she looked around.

“Our place was always cold in the winter.” Bucky mused, and then he laughed again “Hey Katie, once when we were kids, we built a fire using all this spare and wood we found in the outhouse.” “Yeah, your dad gave us a whack each round the back of the head as he’d been saving it to build a table.” Steve grinned again. “My ears were ringing for days.”

Katie smiled as the two men shared a laugh, it was nice to see them caught up in memories. But their reminiscing was short lived as they had reached the entrance to the bunker. Bucky turned round, just to make sure no one was behind them as Katie looked at the large, steel door set into the rock. It was open.

Bucky and Katie both raised their guns towards the gap.

“He can’t have been here more than a few hours” Steve shook his head as they stopped just outside, 

“Long enough to wake them up.” Bucky sighed. 

Steve looked at him, before his attention went back to the door and he stepped forward, into the cast iron bunker. Katie followed him in, Bucky taking up the rear and a couple of meters in front of them was a caged elevator. The three of them climbed in, Steve pressing the button hanging from the top and they descended into the depths of the bunker in silence until it reached its destination with a soft thud. 

Steve nodded to Bucky and then heaved up the cage door, Bucky readying his gun as they walked slowly down a corridor, keeping close to the wall. This time Bucky went first, Katie second, Steve following. Katie kept her gun raised, eyes sharp as she looked round into an alcove full of junk, the place seemed to be nothing but a dumping ground. They continued to move down the corridor before a loud thud rang around, causing them to spin around. Bucky aimed his gun back down the corridor, as did Katie, whilst Steve pulled his shield in front of him.

“You ready?” Steve asked, looking at Katie, then over at his friend as he took a slight step forward so he was almost shielding them both taking a step down the flight of stairs in front of them.

Katie nodded as Bucky replied “Yeah.”  

The double doors at the bottom began to open, but it wasn’t another super soldier that greeted the trio. It was Tony in his full Iron Man suit.

Katie stared in surprise as her brother retracted his helmet. 

“You seem a little defensive.” Tony quipped as Steve strode down the steps towards him, shield covering his body. Katie followed a yard or so behind, her gun now by her side. 

“Well, it’s been a long day.”  Steve replied, shield still raised, not quite sure what Stark was doing there. Bucky shifted slightly and Tony turned his head to look at him.

“At ease, Soldier. I’m not currently after you.”

“Then why are you here?” Katie asked. 

“Could be your story aint so crazy.” Tony shrugged, not quite meeting her eyes. 

“Sorry, is that you admitting you’re wrong?” She raised her eyebrow slightly at her brother.

“Maybe.”

“Ross?” Steve looked at him.

“Ross has no idea I’m here. I’d like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself” 

“Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork” Steve quipped as he lowered his shield “It’s good to see you, Tony.”

“You too Cap.” his brother-in-law smiled softly before he looked over at Bucky who still had the gun raised “Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you’re killing me. There’s a truce here. You can drop…”

Steve motioned at Bucky to lower the gun and he did. 

“So how did you find us?” Katie asked.

“I went to the prison. Spoke to Sam.”

“How are they?” Steve asked.

Tony hesitated “Angry, mostly at me. Clint especially but, they’re, ok.” 

Katie looked at him, she had the feeling he was holding something back but now wasn’t the time.

“What made you change your mind?” Bucky asked Tony. He may have lowered his gun but because his Captain had asked him to, but he was still unsure. 

“I got an update from the Berlin police.” Tony turned to face the man. “The Task Force called for a psychiatrist as soon as you were captured. They dispatched a Dr Broussard from Geneva but he was intercepted by the man who questioned you.”

“You got a name?” Katie asked her brother. 

“Yeah, Colonel Helmut Zemo, Sokovian Intelligence. He ran Echo Skorpion, a Sokovian covert kill squad”

“Sokovia.” Katie sighed as Steve groaned. “Is that place set to follow us around for the rest of our days?” 

“You think that’s what he wants with these Super Soldiers?” Steve asked. “Some form of army to get revenge?”

Tony made a face, shrugging. “Your guess is as good as mine Cap, but I reckon so, yeah.”

Tony re-engaged his helmet and the four of them set off to continue the search. Katie felt bolstered by her brother’s appearance, and Steve also felt hopeful that they could sort this out then go home, together, and work through the whole unholy mess that had been left in the wake of the Accords.

They moved cautiously and silently through the bunker until Tony, who was at the front, turned right into a smaller corridor at the end of which was a vast chamber.  

“I got heat signatures.” He said gently.

“How many?” Steve asked.

“Uh…one.”

“One?” Katie frowned. She looked at Steve and then the two of them turned to Bucky who shrugged, equally as puzzled.

As they all walked up the three small steps into the chamber, Katie could just about make out several huge pillars when the lights in each of them snapped on. It was then that the all saw they weren’t pillars, they were capsules. Each containing an enhanced soldier surrounded by some form of hazy, yellow mist. 

The four of them looked around, bewildered when the PA system crackled into life, causing Katie to jump.

“If it’s any comfort, they died in their sleep”. The voice spoke as Bucky looked up at the solider in the capsule nearest to him whilst Katie continued to the next, her gun still raised. It was then that she noticed there was a bullet hole in the glass and a shot buried right between the female soldiers eyes. 

He’d killed them. 

“Did you really think I wanted more of you?” 

There was another pause as Katie turned to look at Steve and Tony who were walking slowly through the middle of the chamber to her right, towards the machine that was used to wipe the soldiers’ minds. Bucky and Katie exchanged a puzzled glance. None of this added up. Why had he killed them? What had he come all this way for if he didn’t want to activate them? 

“I’m grateful to them, though. They brought you here” the voice said, and then a window lit up to their right. Zemo was in there. Steve hurled his shield at the window but it simply bounced off the glass and returned to him where he was stood by Katie’s side. 

“Please, Captain.” Zumo spoke with amusement. “The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets” 

“I’m betting I could beat that.” Tony shot,  as he and Steve rounded the chair to the right, Bucky and Katie to the left.  

“Oh, I’m sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time. But then you’d never know why you came.”

“You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?” Steve stepped forward so there was just the glass separating his face from Zemo’s as he glared at him. 

“I thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you’re standing here, I just realized, there’s a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw.”

Steve drew back slightly, frowning as Katie reached his side.

“You’re Sokovian.” She stated, watching the man, his brown eyes flickering to hers. “Is that what this is about?”

“Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell.” Zemo shook his head. “No. I’m here because I made a promise.” 

Steve studied Zemo as he asked “You lost someone?”

Zemo bowed his head and clicked his tongue. “I lost everyone. And so will you.”

Steve watched as Zemo pressed something and then a screen just behind them, to the right clicked on. He shot another look at Zemo before he made my way over to it, Katie following.

“An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again, but one which crumples from within?” Zemo spoke and Katie glanced back at him, Steve doing the same “That’s dead forever.”

Katie looked at the screen, the still image that was portrayed was somewhere very familiar. Her eyes flicked to the date on the freeze frame. December 16 1991. And in that split second she understood.

One which crumbles from within…

This was about splitting the Avengers up, pitting them against one another.

“I know that road.” Tony jerked her out of her thoughts from where he stood to her right, “What is this?” he spoke louder, aimed at Zemo who didn’t answer.

Tony glanced back at the screen and Katie felt herself grow cold as the footage began to play. The Stark siblings watched as their parent’s car entered the frame and crashed into a tree.  And then the Winter Soldier rode up and got of his motorbike. 

“Shit.” Katie mumbled, as besides her Steve shifted a little and she glanced at Tony, who’s unease was increasing, his brow furrowing as he watched the driver of the car, their dad, laying on the ground. Tony inhaled deeply as the footage progressed and the Winter Soldier walked over to their dad who had struggled out of the car and hoisted him up by his hair and stared down at him.

Tony wasn’t watching the screen anymore. He was stood, eyes fixed on Bucky who had his head bowed. The soldier took a deep breath and glanced at Tony, his eyes locking with the man’s. Tony looked away and back to the screen as the tears began to freely fall from Katie’s eyes. On the footage the Winter Soldier reined blow upon blow upon her father before dragging him by his collar and shoving him back into the driver’s seat. She felt Tony take her hand, his Iron Man Gauntlet tightening painfully around her fingers as The Winter Soldier rounded the car and reached in through the window.

At that point she couldn’t take it anymore and she turned away, supressing the sob that was rising in her throat and pressed her face into Steve’s chest were he stood beside her side on, watching Tony carefully. He gently placed a hand at the back of his wife’s head before he glanced back at the screen to see the Winter Solder aiming a gun at the surveillance camera, shooting it. 

There was a moment’s pause and Katie moved and looked over to where Bucky was stood a few paces behind them, his head bowed, shoulders slumped in disgrace. He looked up, his own tears clouding his eyes and then Tony lunged, and Bucky’s face contorted into panic, his rifle flying up as Steve hastily moving to stop Tony grabbing his arm.

“Tony, Tony.” he conciliated.

Tony looked down at the screen again, before he looked up at Steve, the tears glistening in his eyes as Katie wiped away her own with the back of her hands.

“Did you know?” Tony asked his voice barely audible.

“I didn’t know it was him.”  Steve began, his voice pleading as he looked at Tony. 

“Don’t bullshit me, Rogers!” Tony cut him off before Steve could continue, his voice full of fury. “Did you know?” 

There was a pause, before Steve sighed and dropped his head slightly. “Yes”.

Tony pushed Steve away before he glanced back at the screen. 

“Tony.”  Katie pleaded as he turned to look at her. “He didn’t know for sure, not until we-”

“You knew as well?” Tony asked, his voice cracking as he looked at his sister and her face crumpled.

“I knew they’d been murdered, but not by him. Not until yesterday, I swear.”

At that Tony’s chest tightened with betrayal and heartbreak and he stepped back, his chin jutting upwards twitchily before he re-engaged the Iron man helmet. He pushed Katie out of the way and as she tumbled left, he punched Steve hard, sending him to the floor. Bucky started to fire, bullets easily deflecting off Tony’s Iron Man suit and Tony shot a beam at Bucky, disarming him and then flew across the chamber, slamming him into the floor. “Tony, please!” Katie shouted, as Tony jumped on Bucky’s chest. Steve stood up, threw his shield which hit Tony, distracting him momentarily before he tackled him from the front, barging him backwards. Then Steve was on the floor, then Bucky was there, it was getting really out of hand and Katie was powerless to stop any of it.

“You need to go.” Steve instructed as he cut the restraints that Tony had fired at him off his legs.

“I can’t! He’s my brother, Steve!”

“That wasn’t a request.” Steve repeated firmly “Go, get Zumo. If we don’t apprehend him, then all this is for nothing.”

She hesitated for a second. 

“Katie!” He yelled, as he jumped up, shield raised, his voice full of authority. “Just do as I fucking tell you!”

With a shuddering breath, she looked at him.

“Steve, please…”

“GO, NOW!”

With a final, shuddering breath, she turned and ran. Back the way they had come, the sounds of blasts and yells and metal on metal growing fainter and fainter as she sprinted down the corridors, the tears in her eyes hindering her view and sense of direction.

Every so often snippets of the footage flashed across her mind. Her mom and dad, pleading for their lives before Bucky, no, the Winter Soldier coldly executed them. This entire situation was a mess, and she had no idea how any of them were going to come back from this.

Whether they could ever come back from this. 

Eventually she made it outside. The snow had been falling, almost completely eradicating any sign of the three sets of footprints that were hers, Steve and Bucky’s, leading into the bunker, but there was one set leading away. 

She took out one of her pistols, having lost her rifle in the chamber somewhere, and began to follow them, eventually coming to a thicket of trees. As she approached she could hear the sounds of voices, it sounded like one of them was talking via a phone. 

“You should’ve seen his little face. Just try, okay? I’m going to bed. I love you.” 

It was a woman’s voice and then Katie spotted Zumo, he was sat by a rock, looking at the phone in his hand. As she approached someone else emerged from the corner of her eyesight and she spun, raising her gun. It was T’Challa, Black Panther suit fully engaged.  He gestured at her, palms up, before he retracted his helmet and spoke to Zumo.

“I almost killed the wrong man.” 

“Hardly an innocent one.” Zumo shot back, no sign of surprise in his voice at them two of them being there.

“This is all you wanted.” Katie shook her head sadly, the cold snowy wind whipped her hair about her face and it stung her cheeks which were wet with tears. He looked up at her, eyeing the gun which she still had trained on him. “To see us rip each other apart?”

“My father lived outside the city.” Zemo began to explain “I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, “Don’t worry. They are fighting in the city. We’re miles from harm.” When the dust cleared and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father, still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers?” He looked up at Katie and she saw the hatred in his eyes as he glared back. “You went home”

“None of us wanted any of it.” Katie shook her head, eyes welling up again “There isn’t a day goes by where I don’t wish things could have turned out differently. We tried, but we couldn’t save everybody.”

“I knew I couldn’t kill you.” Zumo ignored her. “More powerful men than me have tried. But, if I could get you to kill each other…”

Kill each other. 

Katie swallowed, her thoughts returning to Steve and Tony back in the bunker. 

“I’m sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son” Zumo looked up at T’Challa.

“Vengeance has consumed you. It’s consuming them.” T’Challa blinked ruefully and retracted the claws in his gloves. “I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough”

Zumo smiled thinly, and for the first time Katie saw that he had a gun in his hand. “Tell that to the dead” 

As he raised the gun to shoot himself, T’Challa grabbed the shaft of it, absorbing the bullet and shot in his hand before he rolled round behind Zumo, getting him into a headlock.

“The living are not done with you yet.”

All three of them fell silent and Katie slumped onto a rock, her head in her hands. Whatever happened now, it didn’t matter. Zumo had gotten what he wanted. The Avengers were split, right down the middle, Tony and Steve were pitted against each other. Her brother and Husband. 

And she had no idea what she was going to do.

*******

The fight went too far. Tony blasted Bucky’s metal arm off of his body which sent Steve off into a frenzy but he lost his shield in the fracas that had ensued. And now, he stood in between Tony and that final blast that the billionaire knew would end his parents’ killer once and for all. And Tony was going through him if he had to.

“He’s my friend.” Steve pleaded breathing heavily and he looked at Tony hoping to get through to him. Surely he understood it wasn’t Bucky that had done it, it was HYRDA, it was always fucking HYDRA!

“So was I.” Tony answered flatly before punching Steve in the face once, twice then throwing him into the opposite wall. Steve coughed, spitting out blood, then began to unsteadily work his way back up to his feet. “Stay down,” Tony warned aiming his repulsor beam at him “Final warning.”

Steve lifted both his hands in a fighting stance shrugging slightly as he said, “I can do this all day.”

I can do this all day… those words roused Bucky and, for a moment he was in an alley, bailing the little blonde punk out of a fight. Well, why break the habit of a lifetime? He grabbed Tony’s ankle with his remaining hand, distracting him and Tony turned kicking him in the face rendering him unconscious again. Seizing his chance, Steve leapt up and grabbed Tony from behind and, with a monumental heave he lifted him over his head, Tony tried to fly away but with his failing jets it was no use and he landed hard when Steve threw him down onto the concrete.

And then Steve was on top of him throwing punch after punch, grabbing his previously discarded shield bringing that down onto the mask until it broke and fell apart revealing Tony’s frighten gaze to Steve.

Steve raised his shield one more time and Tony brought his hands up to cover his face but that wasn’t Steve’s intention, he couldn’t and wouldn’t ever hurt him like that. Instead, he brought it down hard onto the arc reactor. Tony lowered his arms and stared up at Steve with a mixture of surprise, betrayal and resentment and the soldier looked back at him, his own face contorted with remorse as he rolled off to the side of the now useless suit.

Both men took a moment to catch their breath as fatigue and exhaustion begin to set in, Steve was the first to move as he pulled the shield from the chest of the suit and hooked it back onto his arm. He glanced back at Tony one last before time, wishing it could be different before making his way over to his best friend and pulling the barely conscious man to his feet.

“That shield doesn’t belong to you,” Tony spat turning over on his side. “You don’t deserve it. My father made that shield!” he shouted angrily.

Steve paused. Howard had made that shield, yes. And he had betrayed the man’s memory by keeping the true nature of his death a secret. Taking a deep breath, he realised Tony was right, he didn’t deserve it after all. Captain America was a righteous man, fighting the good fight, a moral man…and Steve Rogers had been selfish and arrogant thinking he could act as he had without consequence. With an immense air of sadness he shrugged the shield from his arm and let it clang to the floor. Then he proceeded to carry Bucky up the exit and out into the snow.

The sound his shield made as it hit the concrete was a noise that Steve knew would be forever ingrained in his mind.

The sound of him leaving Captain America in a bunker in Siberia.

**** Chapter 32 Part 2

[psychopersonified]

Keep Calm, Dance On

Part of the prequel series to "Are we ever going to talk about this?".

I'll post little snippets of their 'not dating' days in this series. Little events that draw them together and the intimacy they share in plain sight.

This particular snippet is an excuse to write a dancing Q and the effect it has on 007.

--------

“Is that Nish’s mix of Vodka, Redbull and Ribena?” Q surprises him by reaching for the glass, fingers curling around Bond’s to pull it close and takes a sip from it.

The gesture is scandalously intimate considering they are still in HQ among colleagues - if anyone was watching, it would seem as if Bond was feeding him the drink.

---------

Notes: Inspired by Tom Hiddleston’s dance moves. If you haven't watched it, you have to! ENJOY!

———————————----------------------------------------------------

SIS HQ - Q-Branch Lower Ground Level 1

They have rigged the lights to strobe and change colours like in a club. Electronic dance music blares from the PA system. The office space on Lower Ground level 1 has been cleared, equipment moved to the edges and covered with black cloth. 

Bond is nursing a violently sweet concoction that included a large percentage of Redbull, Ribena and Vodka that Nish handed to him at the door. 

He sidles up to Eve catching her attention by touching her on the arm with the hand holding the drink. 

“What is this?” Bond has hardly been to any social gatherings organised internally. Except formal affairs where attendance was compulsory, he’s eschewed getting too chummy with his colleagues. 

Eve smiles at him a little disbelieving, “James, haven’t you ever been to one of these? Oh you’re in for a treat.”

It does not look like much is going on at the moment. A large section of the central floor is outlined and gridded with hazard tape in what looks like a potential dance floor. However, no one is dancing despite the music, preferring to keep to the edges. 

“What a smashing party,” his voice dipping with sarcasm.

“Oh James, don’t be so quick to judge. Just wait—…”

And just then, the lights dim as if on cue. The outer glass doors swish open and white smoke floating low on the ground rolls into the main space. A tall slim male figure is silhouetted in the doorway. The crowd quiets down immediately. 

“What’s happening?” 

“Hush!” Eve bids him, pulling them into a better position. 

The music picks up. The figure descends the short flight of stairs, feet quick and lithe, then comes sauntering towards the dance floor in long easy strides. The crowd parts for him.  

He stops right in the centre of the dance floor and the lights brighten just enough to reveal of all people, the Quartermaster dressed in an impeccable black suit - this one for once tailored perfectly to his lanky figure. The jacket and trousers are tight accentuating the slim waist and long slender legs. The hair is still a floppy artful mess, but the back is clipped short and neat, making him look much younger than he really is - he could still effortlessly pass as a university student.

Bond chokes badly on his drink, hiding it quickly with a cough. Not quick enough. Eve’s eyes slide to the left to regard him with with a look and a smirk. 

On the dance floor, Q strikes a nonchalant pose. A hand comes up to undo the single button on the dinner jacket. His hips start moving to the rising beat. The air is thick with anticipation. 

Then it happens - the beat drops and Q is a sudden blur of movement. His long legs ripping up the dance floor in time with the music and with practiced ease. His movements are precise and controlled but infused with fluid grace. 

There is no trace of the cloistered, sometimes hesitant and  flailing chief boffin that calls this concrete cave his lair. These, my god, these are the confident movements of a young man that has done more than his fair share of clubbing in the trendy nightclubs of London. 

Bond is rendered speechless. He is aware that the intense scowl forming on his face is an over compensation - to keep his jaw from hang open otherwise.

The crowd of semi inebriated colleagues ROAR, wildly appreciative. They start to close in on the dance floor. 

Around the edges of the crowd, movement catches Bond’s trained eyes. He’s not the only Double-0 invited to party. He can see 003 and 006 emerge from their lurking places behind thick brick columns. Their quartermaster’s sudden display of sexuality has piqued their interest - like predators catching the movement of prey, it is almost as if they can’t help themselves. 

This will NOT do. Something that has been smouldering for sometime inside Bond ignites - something deeply possessive and steeped with arousal. 

The music builds to a crescendo and the whole thing is over in less than three minutes. Q’s choreography finishing in time with it. He is panting a little, but otherwise unruffled. 

There is a brilliant smile on his face as his hands finds the edges of his jacket to straighten it with a dramatic flourish before doing up the buttons again. When he’s done, he spreads his arms, palms up in welcome - and he tips his head to the crowd. 

The Quartermaster officiates the party by calling to everyone, “Please, carry on!” 

With that the music starts again and the party begins in earnest. People clapping, cheering and pouring onto the dance floor. The place is transformed in an instant. 

The melee of moving bodies helps Q melt into the crowd and Bond looses sight of him for a moment. He sees 003 dart out from her position to slice into the crowd. Her red hair and outfit light making her more easy to see. 

Shit. Bond scans the crowd for Q. When he finds the quartermaster, he launches himself into the crowd - completely forgetting to take leave of Eve who was still standing next to him. 

How rude! Eve doesn’t really take offence. In fact, she’s surprised he’s lasted this long. She barks out a laugh and shakes her head. 007 likes to think he’s an international man of mystery - but he can be so obvious at times. 

Conveniently for Bond, Q was making his way in his direction - or more likely towards Eve. They’d probably agreed to meet somewhere near the drinks table. 

Bond intercepts smoothy, he passes Q on the man’s right and swings around behind him to end up on the left. This allows Bond to hook his right arm around Q’s waist briefly before resting his palm on the small of his back. 

The move catches Q off guard who was about to say hello to Bond. For a moment, he felt a twinge of embarrassment when thought the agent was going to walk straight past him - only to be startled when 007 ends up nearly pressed to his side on the left. 

“Have you been holding out on me quartermaster?” the loud music an excuse for Bond to lean in close, lips nearly touching Q’s ear. 

He takes the opportunity to glance back to where he last saw 003. She was just ten feet shy of catching up to them. He sends her a wink and she stops in her tracks. She smiles back with a shake of her head conceding defeat. 

“Ah, 007. I see you’ve decided to grace us with your presence after all.” Q smiles up at him. He is still panting slightly from the exertion of the dance - his lips are dark pink and there is beautiful colour in his cheeks which just further highlights the smooth curve of his cheekbones. 

The effect hits Bond like a punch to the gut. Fuck. He wants so badly to devour those lips. To bury his hands in that ridiculous hair. To make him pant prettily in his arms. ..

“…Bond? Are you alright?” Q’s concern snap him out of his thoughts. 

“Ah yes. Sorry where are my manners. Let’s get you a drink.” Bond holds up his half empty glass in his left hand and gestures towards the drinks table.

“Is that Nish’s mix of Vodka, Redbull and Ribena?” Q surprises him by reaching for the glass, fingers curling around Bond’s to pull it close and takes a sip from it. 

The gesture is scandalously intimate considering they are still in HQ among colleagues - if anyone was watching, it would seem as if Bond was feeding him the drink. 

The thought of it results in a flaring heat of arousal that nearly causes him to trip - and he has to violently push it back into its cage. Bond is pretty sure he is starting to show in his trousers. 

“Ugh! Every bit as vile as imagined,” Q passes verdict on the drink. The sip leaves a layer of shiny sweet liquid on his lips and Bond wonders how it would taste if he were to lick it off. 

Stop it. Behave! Bond is blindsided by the intensity of his own reactions. At this rate he is not sure how he will survive the night.

“Come. I know what you’ll like..” Q veers off before they reach the drinks table. Bond’s imagination is going to overdrive and his mouth dry. He follows closely because that is all he can do at the moment. He would have followed Q right off a cliff if it meant he could remain within touching distance. 

They peel away from the crowd of revellers and make their way to the back of the cavernous space. There is a recessed area in the back, off to the side that serves as Q’s unofficial office. It is dark, but there is just enough light from the party to illuminate the area dimly. 

 Q ducks into a corner and switches on one of the worklamps, angling the shade upwards so it throws light onto the ceiling instead. The effect is to softly illuminate the recess - almost romantic. 

Then Q goes to the filing cabinet behind his desk and pulls out from the bottom drawer a bottle of 12 year old Macallan Whisky; three quarters full. He looks around the workspace for something. 

“…I don’t have a clean glass.” Q explains. 

Bond looks around, he sees the penholder on Q’s desk. It is an old mug with a broken handle. He removes the contents and then tips the remains of the Vodka-Redbull-Ribena into the receptacle. 

Q hands him the bottle of scotch; then moves to sit on the edge of his desk facing the party. His long legs extend out in front of him. 

Bond rinses out the glass with the tiniest amount of scotch he can bear to waste, then pours enough for both of them to share. He passes the glass back to Q before settling himself on the edge of the table as well - shoulder brushing Q’s.

“Ah, much better.” Q says after a sip.  

“Never guessed you to be a scotch drinker. Then again, never pegged you for a dancer either…” Bond says as he reaches for the glass in Q’s right hand. Instead of taking it from him, Bond returns the gesture Q made earlier - his larger hand wrapping around the smaller one to pull the glass towards himself.

“Did I meet your expectations?” Q asks, eyes not leaving his as he watches Bond take a sip. 

“Oh, I’d dare say you’ve exceed it—“ he replies after he swallows. Then right into Q’s ear, “—by a wide margin.” 

Q shoots him a fond look that tells him how ridiculous he is being, but makes no move to put any distance between them. It is a brief look, but tenderness blooms in his chest and he has to look away before he does something stupid. 

His eyes end up following the stretch of long slim legs clad in tight trousers; which was a poor move. He knows he is going to end up with the worst case of blue balls by the end of the night. 

They stay that way for the next half hour. Watching the party, gossiping a little and sharing the drink. Not once did he remove the glass from Q’s hand, preferring to repeat what he did earlier each time he takes a sip - drinking right out of the quartermaster’s hand. 

——The End——

Note: If you liked this fic, there’s more like it on the blog. Including my take on a kidnapped Q. Enjoy!

[treya-barton]

souyo, 28: as a lie. bonus if not angst!

I didn’t quite fulfill your request for it not to have any angst, but I hope you enjoy this anyway ^^

Yosuke’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to read the message.  “Here,” it simply stated, and Yosuke checked at the time on top of his phone and shook his head.  Yu was yet again on time for their meet up while he was still minutes away. He had to admit, being only a few minutes late and not having to rush like he did in his youth was an improvement, but it still figured Yu would be exactly on time.

Yosuke let out a little chuckle as he slid his phone into his pocket and picked up his pace anyway. He and his partner may be roommates, but it didn’t stop Yosuke from feeling excited every time they met up.  They hadn’t seen each other all day due to being in completely opposite tracks in college and Yosuke was looking forward to the movie they were going to together.  As he approached the movie theater, Yosuke slowed down his pace as he spotted his partner up ahead.  Yu was being approached by a very attractive looking woman who had two friends obviously watching the interaction and whispering to each other nearby.  She had a slim figure and long, sleek looking hair and had flashed him a warm, confident smile upon her approach.

Yosuke felt an odd thrum in his chest at the sight, but he was honestly pretty used to it by now.  Back in high school Yu had also been popular, and in college things hadn’t changed at all.  Yosuke wanted to give him a chance in case he was interested, although after watching for several minutes Yosuke began to pick up on a few things which indicated otherwise.  Yu had the polite, reserved half smile on his face that he used when trying to placate people, and he had subtly moved away from her in order to give them a little bit of distance.  His body was also stiff, indicating he didn’t really like the attention.  Yosuke took that as his cue to come to the rescue, and he headed over to intercept them.

In the process of walking up to the two of them, an idea suddenly popped into his head, and instead of slinging his arm over his shoulder and asking for an introduction as he normally would have, he instead swooped in to plant a kiss on Yu’s cheek.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman’s eyes widen, and he heard audible gasps from the two onlookers.  Yu also looked surprised for a moment, although he quickly masked it in order to play along.  “Hey, sorry I kept you waiting,” he said, before turning his head and pretending to notice the young woman.  “Oh, was I interrupting something?” he asked, looking between both of them.

“N-no, I was just asking for directions,” she quickly replied, obviously flustered, and she gave a quick bow.  “Sorry to trouble you.”  She then rushed over to her friends and the three of them not so subtly glanced back at them before rushing back into the theater.

Once they were out of earshot, Yosuke burst into a fit of laughter.  “That was such a lame lie, huh partner?” he asked, looking over at Yu and upon seeing his expression his laughter died out.  “Everything ok?” he asked.  Yu’s jaw was clenched and he obviously looked uncomfortable; since that girl had left, it was obvious it could only be because of him.

“I don’t like it when kisses are lies,” Yu replied slowly, and Yosuke could tell by the way Yu refused to meet his eyes how much it upset him.

“Oh I…I’m sorry I didn’t mean…” Yosuke stammered, feeling an embarrassed blush cross his face.  He really hadn’t thought something like a playful kiss to the cheek would upset his partner so much, and it had been awhile since he had made such an ass of himself.

Yu let out a sigh.  “Yeah, I know,” he flatly replied.  “You didn’t mean it.”

Yosuke felt like there was some hidden meaning behind Yu’s word choice, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. Before things could get too awkward, though, Yosuke quickly reached out and placed a hand on his partner’s arm. Yu finally looked at him, eyes a turmoil of emotion although Yosuke could tell he was trying to get himself back under control.  “You know I wouldn’t intentionally do anything to hurt you, right?” Yosuke asked, and some of the tension seemed to drain out of Yu’s shoulders.  He nodded his head.  “I totally get it and will respect those boundaries going forward,” Yosuke replied sincerely.  He then gave Yu a small grin.  “Also, you have permission to hit me if you need to.”  

Yu let out a light laugh at that, and he patted Yosuke’s hand where it rested on his arm before shaking his head.  “It wasn’t that dire,” he replied, and Yosuke breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Good, because that hurt last time,” he complained, pulling his hand away.  He didn’t sling his arm around Yu’s shoulder like usual, deciding it better to give him space, but he did excitedly begin talking about the movie that he had been looking forward to.  Yu listened intently, as he always did, and Yosuke felt like they could put whatever had just happened behind them.

Not long afterward, they both end up at a party hosted by the outdoors club that Yu was a part of. Yu had mainly joined since it gave him an excuse to go fishing, but the club did go on some pretty neat trips and they were always allowed to bring a guest along which suited him just fine; he enjoyed getting to bring Yosuke to see the outdoors.  Both of them ended up splitting up – Yu had been dragged off by a few of the club members who seemed really excited about something, which had left Yosuke by himself.  They were both a little tipsy by this point, and without Yu Yosuke couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely.  “It’s rare to see you without your roommate,” a voice interrupted him, and Yosuke looked up in surprise to see one of the upperclassmen in the club eying him, red cup in hand.

“Oh, yeah, I guess you guys are used to seeing us together,” Yosuke said with a small laugh.  Mayumi was aptly named and was definitely beautiful, although she almost seemed unaware of her attractiveness and the effect it had on people.  She was friendly enough and had talked to him a few times on various trips, but she always had a cool vibe to her that caused her to feel unapproachable.  Yosuke was honestly surprised she was taking the time to speak to him right now; she usually stuck to the other members her age.

“Are you planning on going on the ski trip later this month?” she asked, taking a sip of her drink and carefully adjusting her hair so it all fell over one shoulder.  Yosuke felt his eyes trained on the movement, and it took a moment for his inebriated brain to realize he had been asked a question.

“Oh, I’m not sure yet. I have something going on with the radio club about that time,” he replied.

Her eyes lit up.  “Oh, yes.  I do enjoy hearing your segments on the radio,” she said, leaning forward a little. “I love hearing your band recommendations especially – it’s really broadened my horizons when it comes to music.”

Yosuke was surprised by the compliment; he knew that people listened to his radio shows and he occasionally got letters from listeners, but he had never had someone outside of the club talk to him about it in person before.  “Really?” he asked, feeling flattered.

“Yes.  Why don’t we go somewhere a bit more private so I can hear more?” she suggested, placing a hand on his arm.

Yosuke wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly felt uncomfortable and he pulled away.  “Ah, sorry, but I don’t want to go too far in case my pa…I mean, Yu comes back.”  Yosuke had caught some odd stares and misunderstandings due to his pet name for Yu, so he had grown more careful about saying it on campus in order to avoid causing confusion.  Sometimes he wondered if not using it upset his roommate, although he honestly mainly had stopped because he didn’t want his partner to have it affect him at school. Yosuke took another sip of his drink, feeling uneasy and even more lightheaded.

She pursed her lips for a moment, before her body relaxed and she gave him an encouraging smile.  “We don’t have to go too far and he can always message you if he’s looking for you, right?” she asked, leaning in a bit closer and looking at him with a wide, unassuming gaze.  She was leaning in uncomfortably close, and Yosuke felt himself taking a step back while unsure at what to say.  He didn’t quite get what was going on and wasn’t used to getting this kind of attention.

Before Yosuke could say anything, he was overcome by a familiar, comforting scent, and seconds later his partner was leaning in front of him and pressing their lips together. Yosuke took in a sharp breath in surprise, causing the kiss to turn open mouthed which also seemed to shock Yu for a moment, although he quickly recovered by lightly sucking the bottom of Yosuke’s lip before pulling away.  Yu’s eyes bore into Yosuke’s for a moment, and Yosuke felt his heart hammering in his chest over how intent his gaze was, before Yu reached down to grab his hand and began pulling him away.  “Partner?” Yosuke asked in surprise, feeling relief as Yu took him farther away from his upperclassman.  

Yu didn’t say anything, although the tense set of his shoulders and tight grip of his hand told Yosuke more than words would.  Once they had melted into the crowd and were no longer visible by Mayumi, Yu abruptly dropped Yosuke’s hand and kept his back to him.  “Yu?” Yosuke asked, reaching forward for him, but before he could touch him Yu flinched away.  

“I’m sorry,” he simply replied before melting into the crowd and disappearing.

Yosuke felt himself sobering up in his panic, and he quickly pushed through the crowd of students after him. Yu somehow managed to slip away, however, and after Yosuke had checked the whole house where the party was being held, only carefully avoiding the area where he spotted Mayumi, he pulled out his phone to call his partner.  The phone went straight to voicemail so Yosuke began to send him a frantic series of text messages as he rushed out of the house.  It was a student house that was right outside campus, and Yu and Yosuke’s apartment was on the other side.  Yosuke picked up his pace and began sprinting back to the dorm, heart pounding in his chest as confused thoughts washed over him.  He figured Yu had kissed him to get him out of the situation, just like Yosuke had a few weeks ago to him, but something about the kiss felt different and hadn’t Yu mentioned that he didn’t like kisses that were lies?

Although Yosuke was out of breath, he didn’t let himself slow down his pace, pushing even though his lungs were burning and not letting up even when he saw their apartment in the distance.  He dashed up the stairs two at a time before making his way to their door.  Yosuke panted for breath as his shaky hands pulled out the keys to their apartment, and he had to fiddle with them for several long minutes until his hands finally steadied enough for him to unlock the door. Yosuke opened it up and stepped inside, eyes darting around for any sign of his partner.  “Yu?” he called, feeling unsettled by how quiet it was inside.  He rushed through the apartment, legs shaky from his nerves and the mad dash across campus; he honestly hadn’t run like that since his second year in high school and wasn’t conditioned for it anymore. Once he confirmed the apartment was indeed devoid of his roommate, Yosuke sank to the floor, worry flooding him. Yu had only cut himself off from him once before, back during that dark November, and he didn’t like it.

Yosuke began texting him again, feeling frustrated when he got no response, before texting their friends to see if any of them knew of his whereabouts.  Finally, he got a response from Rise letting him know that Yu was at her apartment and would be staying the night.  She advised him to swing by in the morning to pick him up.  Yosuke felt his phone tumble out of his hands, and he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed, although it was mixed with relief that Yu was ok and in good hands.  Why would Yu go to Rise instead of talking to him about it though?  Weren’t they partners?  Yosuke tried his best to keep his temper in check, suddenly remembering Yu’s intense gaze when he had pulled away, causing his breath to suddenly catch in his chest.  Maybe it was better they both cooled off first before discussing whatever had just happened.  Yosuke again remembered Yu’s words, “I don’t like it when kisses are lies,” and he brought his fingers up to his bottom lip which tingled slightly as Yosuke remembered what it felt like to have Yu’s lips lightly sucking on it.  Yosuke’s face flushed and he came to a sudden realization.

“I hope…that wasn’t a lie,” he whispered, feeling uncomfortable as he suddenly began to realize the possible reason for Yu’s reaction when he had done the same.  “God, I really am an idiot,” he choked out, before hanging his head. He began to get other texts back, asking if anything was going on with Yu, and Yosuke quickly messaged back that he had found him and everything was fine.  He didn’t want the others getting involved in their business until they talked it out face to face.  Yosuke ran a hand over his face before getting up, deciding he may as well try to sleep so he could have some energy to face Yu in the morning.

Yosuke managed to get a few restless hours in before waking up much earlier than usual, sending a quick text to Rise to make sure they would both be up before making his way over. She, due to her idol schedule, was always up early, and let him know that it would be ok and that she was looking forward to seeing him.  Yosuke couldn’t help but feel uneasy as he got ready; while he was usually happy to see Rise, a small part of him was still jealous Yu had gone to her instead of facing him.  He also didn’t know what to expect when he faced Yu, and his feelings were still a jumbled mess.  On the train ride to Rise’s high-rise apartment, Yosuke was full of nervous energy and kept jiggling his leg as he stared out the window with his arms crossed. He had his headphones on in order to disconnect himself from the others on the train, but was unable to bring himself to listen to anything in his agitated state.  He kept playing the interaction from last night over and over again in his brain and what Yu’s intentions could be.

Finally, the train came to a stop, and Yosuke got up before getting off.  It was early in the morning on a Sunday, so the train was pretty quiet compared to what he was used to.  He appreciated not being squeezed in between people and having a bit of time to breathe on his way over though.  He soon reached Rise’s apartment, using the code to ender the lobby area before pulling out the card key she had given him to use the elevator that would take him to her floor.  Yosuke shoved his hands in his pockets as it brought him up, the elevator ride far too short and leaving him unprepared for when the door slid open and he stepped into the hallway.  Within a few steps, he was at Rise’s door, and he lightly knocked to let them know he had arrived.  He technically had the code on his phone since Yu and Yosuke often would house site while Rise was touring, but he didn’t want to barge inside in light of the current circumstances.  Yosuke only had to wait nervously for a few seconds before the door opened to reveal Rise who was giving him an encouraging smile.  Yosuke felt some of his earlier annoyance melt away.  “Hey Yosuke-sempai, how are you feeling?” she asked, stepping aside so he could come in.  He stepped in before slipping out of his shoes.  “You look a little rough – almost as bad as Yu-sempai.”

“I’ve been better,” Yosuke agreed with a small laugh.  “Where is he?”

“Cowering in the guest room,” she said with a click of her tongue.  “Wait in the dining room – I ordered something for our breakfast this morning. I’ll go grab him, ok?”

Yosuke nodded, before making his way to the dining room area, his stomach notably growling when he saw the spread of breakfast pastries on the table.  He realized he hadn’t eaten dinner last night due to everything that had happened and was starved.  He also saw a drink from his favorite coffee place with his name unmistakably written on it and he couldn’t help but let out a small smile as he picked it up and took a sip.  It was prepared exactly the way he liked it, and he shook his head before feeling guilty about being jealous earlier.  Rise really was a sweetheart and a good friend.

Yosuke’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of house slippers sliding on the floor, and he turned his head to see Yu walk into the room, head bowed down.  Rise was staying back in the living room to give them some space, although Yosuke was well aware of the fact she would be able to overhear their conversation from there.  He had a feeling she already had talked it over with Yu though and probably had a better grasp of what was going on than either of them.  “How are you feeling?” Yosuke asked, noticing the dark bags under Yu’s eyes.  It looked like he had even more trouble sleeping than Yosuke had.

“I’ve been better,” he replied, causing Yosuke to snort before letting out a small laugh.  Yu gave him a disgruntled look before Yosuke explained.

“I said the same exact thing when Rise asked me a moment ago,” he saiid, before handing Yu his drink and a plain croissant.  Yu hesitated before taking them, looking Yosuke in the eyes as he did so.

“I’m sorry,” he started, and Yosuke let out a sigh before motioning for him to sit down.  

“That’s what you said yesterday too,” he replied, taking the seat at the end of the table next to Yu so they would be cattycorner to each other. He grabbed a chocolate croissant and took a bite before looking at Yu again.  “What exactly are you sorry about?” he asked pointedly.

Yu opened and closed his mouth for a moment before closing his eyes.  When he reopened them, they looked clear and resolved, and Yosuke felt his heart warm at the sight.  He always felt like he could follow Yu anywhere when he got that expression in his eyes. “I am sorry I kissed you without making sure it’s something you wanted first,” he said honestly.  “And that I ran away afterward instead of facing you.” He sounded truly regretful over his actions, and Yosuke felt all the tension he had been feeling since last night melt away.

“So…that kiss.  It wasn’t a lie?” he asked hopefully.

Yu shook his head.  “I wouldn’t kiss you if I didn’t mean it,” he replied truthfully, and a wide grin broke out on Yosuke’s face.

“Thank God,” he said, relief flooding through him.  Yu stared at him in confusion while Yosuke gave him a wide grin.  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“You mean…” Yu asked slowly, disbelief crossing his face.

“Ugh, you both are such idiots!” Rise complained from the other room, and Yu and Yosuke couldn’t help but laugh at the sudden interruption.  

“You don’t have to wait out there anymore,” Yosuke called, and Rise quickly rushed into the room, a wide smile on her face.

“So, you’re both finally facing your feelings, are you?” she asked as she sat down across from Yu on Yosuke’s other side.  She leaned forward excitedly with a twinkle in her eye.

“Yeah, I do believe we are,” Yosuke said.  “Although to be honest for me this came a little more suddenly than it must have for partner…”

Yu then buried his head in his arms on the table, seeming to lose his strength.  “Am I dreaming?” his muffled voice asked, and Rise shook her head while Yosuke reached out to place a gentle hand on his head.  It wasn’t the first time he had touched him like that, but it certainly didn’t happen often and Yosuke marveled at how silky Yu’s hair was.

“You’re not dreaming,” he said, voice fond, and Yu turned his head to look up at him.  

“I was jealous,” he admitted.  “I knew that Mayumi-san had a crush on you – she was always seeking you out and trying to flirt with you on other trips,” he confessed.  Yosuke was shocked by the admission, for until she approached him last night he had been completely unaware.  “When the others pulled me away, they admitted Mayumi-san had asked them to because she wanted a chance to speak to you alone.  And…” Yu trailed off.  “I couldn’t help but go back to watch.  I didn’t want to interfere in case you ended up liking her but…you looked so uncomfortable.  Before I knew it I was stepping in.”

“I think it was the same with me,” Yosuke admitted.  “Just…I was way less aware.  I saw the girl talking to you and I think I did feel jealous for a moment but I was so used to that kind of thing happening I didn’t think anything of it?  Then you looked so uncomfortable that I was stepping in and kissing your cheek before I could think about it.”

“That’s what happened?” Rise asked with a gasp, before turning to look at Yu.  “You didn’t include that part when you spoke to me! I could have told you Yosuke-sempai liked you, jeeze, you can be so dense sempai…”

Yu blushed.  “I thought Yosuke would be embarrassed if I said anything…” he admitted.

“You know Yosuke-sempai isn’t the type of person to do something like that unless he likes them,” Rise said with an eyeroll.  “Even if he doesn’t realize it because he’s a dense idiot too.”

“Hey!” Yosuke protested, and Rise gave him a pointed look.  Yosuke shut his mouth and looked sheepishly at her.

“Well, now that you two have made up, let’s enjoy breakfast,” she said, reaching for a bagel and some cream cheese before giving them both a pleased smile.  Yu and Yosuke gratefully smiled back, before Yosuke reached over and casually placed his hand over Yu’s, threading their fingers together as he returned his attention to his coffee and chocolate croissant.  Yu looked over at him, a light blush on his cheeks and eyes full of open adoration before he pulled up their clasped hands, pressing a warm kiss on Yosuke’s knuckle and causing the brunet to turn a bright, fiery red out of embarrassment.  He didn’t let go or protest, even under the amused scrutiny of their idol friend, and instead tried to pretend he was cool and casual about it.

Yu looked happy as he took a sip of his tea and picked up his croissant, his heart finally at ease.  He no longer had to fret about someone taking his partner away from him, and he could finally be open and honest about his feelings.  Today was truly the happiest in his life.

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Stark Spangled Banner Ch32: The Impossible Choice

Summary: Tony catches up with Steve, Katie and Bucky in Siberia and as the events unfold he learns the truth about how his parents were killed. A dramatic show down ensues and Katie finds herself forced with an impossible choice: her brother or her husband.

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist 

Please don’t hate me for this one... it’s a tearjerker

The jet wasn’t fully fuelled so they couldn’t fly at full speed, meaning it took them a few hours to reach the wide, flat, snow-covered landscape of Siberia. Once they touched down Steve cut the power and Katie stood up and moved to the back of the jet, opening the closet that held the Avenger’s weapons. Bucky stepped over and started examining the rack of guns labelled 'Romanoff' before he selected a light machine gun.

Katie reached over to grab 2 9mms and twirled them in her hands before she slotted them into the holders on her thighs. Bucky watched her through the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow as she reached over to select another larger rifle.

“Sure you can handle that thing, sweetheart?” he asked, his tone was gently teasing and Katie snorted, whilst behind her Steve gave a chuckle.

“Stop flirting with my wife, Buck and I’ll have you know she’s a trained sniper, give you a run for your money.” he said, almost proudly as he slung his shield onto his back.

“That so?” Bucky asked, his mouth twisting into a grin. Katie simply smiled in response and cocked the gun, looking down the sight to check it was all clear.

The 3 of them stood together, Katie in the middle of the 2 super soldiers, waiting for the exit ramp to descend as Steve tossed his helmet in his hand. 

“You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?” Steve said suddenly, looking over at Bucky as the cold air hit them. 

“Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?”  Bucky frowned

“You blew three bucks trying to win a stuffed bear for a redhead” Steve smirked.

“Right, what was her name again?” Bucky asked, a tone of amusement on his voice

“Dolores” Steve answered instantly, smirk still on his face “You called her Dot.” 

“She's gotta be a hundred years old right now.” Bucky said.

“So are we pal” Steve said, clamping his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. The ramp was now almost completely down. Steve placed his helmet on, fastened the strap under his chin and the three of them descended.

“Well it aint quite a freezer truck.” Katie mused. 

“I hate the cold.” Bucky sighed as they trudged through the snow.

“Yeah Stevie isn’t exactly a fan either.” Katie said “Although he still runs the Air Con at like minus 20”

“No, I don’t.” Steve sighed, as Bucky gave a bark of a laugh as the two of them began to playfully bicker.

“Our bedroom is freezing.”

“Look, I run at a higher temperature than you.” Steve shot back, looking at her “Yeah yeah.” Katie rolled her eyes, gun still raised as she looked around.

“Our place was always cold in the winter.” Bucky mused, and then he laughed again “Hey Katie, once when we were kids  we built a fire using all this spare and wood we found in the outhouse.” “Yeah, your dad gave us a whack each round the back of the head as he’d been saving it to build a table.” Steve grinned again. “My ears were ringing for days.”

Katie smiled as the two men shared a laugh, it was nice to see them caught up in memories. But their reminiscing was short lived as they had reached the entrance to the bunker. Bucky turned round, just to make sure no one was behind them as Katie looked at the large, steel door set into the rock. It was open.

Bucky and Katie both raised their guns towards the gap.

“He can't have been here more than a few hours” Steve said as they stopped just outside, 

“Long enough to wake them up.” Bucky sighed. 

Steve looked at him, before his attention went back to the door and he stepped forward, into the cast iron bunker. Katie followed him in, Bucky taking up the rear and a couple of meters in front of them was a caged elevator. The three of them climbed in, Steve pressing the button hanging from the top and they descended into the depths of the bunker in silence until it reached its destination with a soft thud. 

Steve nodded to Bucky and then heaved up the cage door, Bucky readying his gun as they walked slowly down a corridor, keeping close to the wall. This time Bucky went first, Katie second, Steve following. Katie kept her gun raised, eyes sharp as she looked round into an alcove full of junk, the place seemed to be nothing but a dumping ground. They continued to move down the corridor before a loud thud rang around, causing them to spin around. Bucky aimed his gun back down the corridor, as did Katie, whilst Steve pulled his shield in front of him.

“You ready?” Steve asked, looking at Katie, then over at his friend as he took a slight step forward so he was almost shielding them both taking a step down the flight of stairs in front of them.

Katie nodded as Bucky replied “Yeah.”  

The double doors at the bottom began to open, but it wasn’t another super soldier that greeted the trio. It was Tony in his full Iron Man suit.

Katie stared in surprise as her brother retracted his helmet. 

“You seem a little defensive.” Tony said as Steve strode down the steps towards him, shield covering his body. Katie followed a yard or so behind, her gun now by her side. 

“It's been a long day.”  Steve replied, shield still raised, not quite sure what Stark was doing there. Bucky shifted slightly and Tony turned his head to look at him.

“At ease, Soldier. I'm not currently after you.”

“Then why are you here?” Katie asked. 

“Could be your story aint so crazy.” Tony said, shrugging. 

“Sorry, is that you admitting you’re wrong?” she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly at her brother.

“Maybe.” Tony shrugged.

“Ross?” Steve looked at him.

“Ross has no idea I'm here. I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself” 

“Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork” Steve quipped as he lowered his shield “It's good to see you, Tony.”

“You too Cap.” his brother-in-law smiled softly before he looked over at Bucky who still had the gun raised

“Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you're killing me. There's a truce here. You can drop…”

Steve motioned at Bucky to lower the gun and he did. 

“So how did you find us?” Katie asked

“I went to the prison.” He sighed, “Spoke to Sam.”

“How are they?” Steve asked.

Tony hesitated “Angry, mostly at me. Clint especially but… they’re, ok.” 

Katie looked at him, she had the feeling he was holding something back but now wasn’t the time.

“What made you change your mind?” Bucky asked Tony. He may have lowered his gun but because his Captain had asked him to, but he was still unsure. 

“I got an update from the Berlin police…” he said, turning to face the man. “The Task Force called for a psychiatrist as soon as you were captured. They dispatched a Dr Broussard from Geneva but he was intercepted by the man who questioned you.”

“You got a name?” Katie asked her brother. 

“Yeah, Colonel Helmut Zemo, Sokovian Intelligence. He ran Echo Skorpion, a Sokovian covert kill squad”

“Sokovia…” Katie sighed as Steve groaned, “Is that place set to follow us around for the rest of our days?” 

“You think that’s what he wants with these Super Soldiers?” Steve asked. “Some form of army to get revenge?”

Tony made a face, shrugging.

“Your guess is as good as mine Cap, but I reckon so, yeah.”

Tony re-engaged his helmet and the 4 of them set off to continue the search. Katie felt bolstered by her brother’s appearance, and Steve also felt hopeful. Hopeful that they could sort this out then go home, together, and work through the whole unholy mess that had been left in the wake of the Accords. Still, they moved cautiously and silently until Tony, who was at the front, turned to his right, into a smaller corridor at the end of which was a vast chamber.  

“I got heat signatures.” He said gently.

“How many?” Steve asked.

“Uh…one.” Tony said as he walked into the chamber.

“One?” Katie frowned. She looked at Steve and then the two of them turned to Bucky who shrugged, equally as puzzled.

As they all walked up the 3 small steps into the chamber Katie could just about make out several huge pillars when the lights in each of them snapped on. It was then that the all saw they weren’t pillars, they were capsules. Each containing an enhanced soldier surrounded by some form of hazy, yellow mist. 

The four of them looked around, bewildered when the PA system crackled into life, causing Katie to jump.

“If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep”. The voice spoke as Bucky looked up at the solider in the capsule nearest to him whilst Katie continued to the next, her gun still raised. It was then that she noticed there was a bullet hole in the glass and a shot buried right between the female soldiers eyes. 

He’d killed them. 

“Did you really think I wanted more of you?” 

There was another pause as Katie turned to look at Steve and Tony who were walking slowly through the middle of the chamber to her right, towards the machine that was used to wipe the soldiers’ minds. Bucky and Katie exchanged a puzzled glance. None of this added up. Why had he killed them? What had he come all this way for if he didn’t want to activate them? 

“I’m grateful to them, though. They brought you here” the voice said, and then a window lit up to their right. Zemo was in there. Steve hurled his shield at the window but it simply bounced off the glass and returned to him where he was stood by my side. 

“Please, Captain.” Zumo spoke with amusement “ The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets” 

“I'm betting I could beat that.” Tony said, as he and Steve rounded the chair to the right, Bucky and Katie to the left.  

“Oh, I'm sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time. But then you'd never know why you came.”

“You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?” Steve stepped forward so there was just the glass separating his face from Zemo’s as he glared at him. 

“I thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you're standing here, I just realized… there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw.”

Steve drew back slightly, frowning as Katie reached his side.

“You're Sokovian.” she said, watching the man, his brown eyes flickering to hers “ Is that what this is about?”

“Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell.” Zemo shook his head “ No. I'm here because I made a promise.” 

Steve studied Zemo as he asked “you lost someone? 

Zemo bowed his head and clicked his tongue. “I lost everyone. And so will you.”

Steve watched as Zemo pressed something and then a screen just behind them, to the right clicked on. He shot another look at Zemo before he made my way over to it, as Katie followed.

“An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again…but one which crumples from within?” Zemo spoke and Katie glanced back at him, Steve doing the same “That's dead… forever.”

Katie looked at the screen, the still image that was portrayed was somewhere very familiar. Her eyes flicked to the date on the freeze frame. December 16 1991. And in that split second she understood.

One which crumbles from within…

This was about splitting the Avengers up, pitting them against one another.

“I know that road.” Tony jerked her out of her thoughts from where he stood to her right, “What is this?” he spoke louder, aimed at Zemo who didn’t answer.

Tony glanced back at the screen and Katie felt herself grow cold as the footage began to play. The Stark siblings watched as their parent’s car entered the frame and crashed into a tree.  And then the Winter Soldier rode up and got of his motorbike. 

Katie glanced at Tony and could see his unease was increasing, his brow furrowing as he watched the driver of the car, their dad, laying on the ground. Tony inhaled deeply as the footage progressed and the Winter Soldier walked over to their dad who had struggled out of the car and hoisted him up by his hair and stared down at him.

Tony wasn’t watching the screen anymore. He was stood, eyes fixed on Bucky who had his head bowed. The soldier took a deep breath and glanced over at Tony, his eyes locking with the man’s. Tony looked away and back to the screen as the tears began to freely fall from Katie’s eyes. On the footage the Winter Soldier reined blow upon blow upon her father before dragging him by his collar and shoving him back into the driver’s seat. She felt Tony take her hand, his Iron Man Gauntlet tightening painfully around her fingers as The Winter Soldier rounded the car and reached in through the window. At that point she couldn’t take it anymore and she turned away, supressing the sob that was rising in her throat and pressed her face into Steve’s chest were he stood besides her side on, watching Tony carefully. He gently placed a hand at the back of his wife’s head before he glanced back at the screen to see the Winter Solder aiming a gun at the surveillance camera, shooting it. 

There was a moment’s pause and Katie moved and looked over to where Bucky was stood a few paces behind them, his head bowed, shoulders slumped in disgrace. He looked up, his own tears clouding his eyes and then Tony lunged, and  Bucky’s face contorted into panic, his rifle flying up as Steve hastily moving to stop Tony grabbing his arm.

“Tony, Tony.” he conciliated.

Tony looked down at the screen again, before he looked up at Steve, the tears glistening in his eyes as Katie wiped away her own with the back of her hands.

“Did you know?” Tony asked his voice barely audible.

“I didn’t know it was him.”  Steve began, his voice pleading as he looked at Tony. 

“Don’t bullshit Rogers!” Tony cut him off before Steve could continue, his voice full of fury. “Did you know?” 

There was a pause, before Steve sighed and dropped his head slightly. “Yes”.

Tony pushed Steve away before he glanced back at the screen. 

“Tony.”  Katie said as he turned to look at her. “We didn’t know for sure, not until…”

“You knew as well?” Tony asked, his voice cracking as he looked at his sister and she began to cry again as she nodded, and Tony’s chest tightened with betrayal and heartbreak.  

He stepped back, his chin jutting upwards twitchily before he re-engaged the Iron man helmet. He pushed Katie out of the way and as she tumbled left he punched Steve hard, sending him to the floor. Bucky started to fire, bullets easily deflecting off Tony’s Iron Man suit and he shot a beam at Bucky, disarming him and then flew across the chamber, slamming him into the floor. “Tony, please!” Katie shouted, as Tony jumped on Bucky’s chest. Steve stood up, threw his shield which hit Tony, distracting him momentarily before he tackled him from the front, barging him backwards. Then Steve was on the floor, then Bucky was there, it was getting really out of hand and Katie was powerless to stop any of it.

“You need to go.” Steve instructed as he cut the restraints that Tony had fired at him off his legs.

“I can’t!” she said stubbornly, “he’s my brother, Steve!”

“That wasn’t a request.” Steve repeated firmly “Go, get Zumo. If we don’t apprehend him, then all this is for nothing.”

She hesitated for a second. 

“Katie!” he said, voice full of authority.

“Alright.” she swallowed “but please...don’t…”

She trailed off as Steve gently touched her face before he leapt up, shield raised. Then she turned and ran. Back the way they had come, the sounds of blasts and yells and metal on metal growing fainter and fainter as she sprinted down the corridors, the tears in her eyes hindering her view and sense of direction.

Every so often snippets of the footage flashed across her mind. Her mom and dad, pleading for their lives before Bucky, no, the Winter Soldier coldly executed them. This entire situation was a mess, and she had no idea how any of them were going to come back from this. Whether they could ever come back from this. 

Eventually she made it outside. The snow had been falling, almost completely eradicating any sign of the three sets of footprints that were hers, Steve and Bucky’s, leading into the bunker, but there was one set leading away. 

She took out one of her pistols, having lost her rifle in the chamber somewhere, and began to follow them, eventually coming to a thicket of trees. As she approached she could hear the sounds of voices, it sounded like one of them was talking via a phone. 

“You should've seen his little face. Just try, okay? I'm going to bed. I love you.” 

It was a woman’s voice and then Katie spotted Zumo, he was sat by a rock, looking at the phone in his hand. As she approached someone else emerged from the corner of her eyesight and she spun, raising her gun. It was T’Challa, Black Panther suit fully engaged.  He gestured at her, palms up, before he retracted his helmet and spoke to Zumo.

“I almost killed the wrong man.” 

“Hardly an innocent one.” Zumo shot back, no sign of surprise in his voice at them two of them being there.

“This is all you wanted.” Katie shook her head sadly, the cold snowy wind whipped her hair about her face and it stung her cheeks which were wet with tears. He looked up at her, eyeing the gun which she still had trained on him. “To see us rip each other apart?”

“My father lived outside the city.” Zemo began to explain “I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, "Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm." When the dust cleared… and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father… still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? “

He looked up at Katie and she saw the hatred in his eyes as he glared back. “You went home”

“None of us wanted any of it.” she shook her head, eyes welling up again “There isn’t a day goes by where I don’t wish things could have turned out differently. We tried, but we couldn’t save everybody…”

“I knew I couldn't kill you.” Zumo ignored her. “More powerful men than me have tried. But, if I could get you to kill each other…”

Kill each other. 

Katie swallowed, her thoughts returning to Steve and Tony back in the bunker. 

“I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son” Zumo looked up at T’Challa.

“Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them.” T’Challa blinked ruefully and retracted the claws in his gloves. “I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough”

Zumo smiled thinly, and for the first time Katie saw that he had a gun in his hand. “Tell that to the dead” 

As he raised the gun to shoot himself T’Challa grabbed the shaft of it, absorbing the bullet and shot in his hand before he rolled round behind Zumo, getting him into a headlock.

“The living are not done with you yet.”

All 3 of them fell silent and Katie slumped onto a rock, her head in her hands. Whatever happened now, it didn’t matter. Zumo had gotten what he wanted. The Avengers were split, right down the middle, Tony and Steve were pitted against each other. Her brother and Husband. 

And she had no idea what she was going to do.

*******

The fight went too far. Tony blasted Bucky's metal arm off of his body which sent Steve off into a frenzy but he lost his shield in the fracas that had ensued. And now, he stood in between Tony and that final blast that the billionaire knew would end his parents' killer once and for all. And Tony was going through him if he had to.

"He's my friend." Steve pleaded breathing heavily and he looked at Tony hoping to get through to him. Surely he understood it wasn’t Bucky that had done it, it was Hydra, it was always fucking Hydra.

"So was I." Tony answered flatly before punching Steve in the face once, twice then threw him into the opposite wall. Steve coughed, spitting out blood, then began to unsteadily work his way back up to his feet. "Stay down," Tony warned aiming his repulsor beam at him "Final warning."

Steve lifted both his hands in a fighting stance shrugging slightly as he said, "I can do this all day."

I can do this all day… those words roused Bucky and for a moment he was in an alley, bailing the little blonde punk out of a fight. Well, why break the habit of a lifetime? He grabbed Tony's ankle with his remaining hand, distracting him and Tony turned kicking him in the face rendering him unconscious again. Before he could react Steve grabbed him from behind and with a monumental heave he lifted him over his head, Tony tried to fly away but with his failing jets it was no use and he landed hard when Steve threw him down onto the concrete.

And then Steve was on top of him throwing punch after punch, grabbing his previously discarded shield bringing that down onto the mask until it broke and fell apart revealing Tony's frighten gaze to Steve.

Steve raised his shield one more time and Tony brought his hands up to cover his face but that wasn’t Steve’s intention, he couldn’t and wouldn’t ever hurt him like that. Instead, he brought it down hard onto the arc reactor. Tony lowered his arms and stared up at Steve with a mixture of surprise, betrayal and resentment and the soldier looked back at him, his own face contorted with remorse as he rolled off to the side of the now useless suit.

Both men took a moment to catch their breath as fatigue and exhaustion begin to set in, Steve was the first to move as he pulled the shield from the chest of the suit and hooked it back onto his arm. He glanced back at Tony one last before time, wishing it could be different before making his way over to his best friend and pulling the barely conscious man to his feet.

"That shield doesn't belong to you," Tony spat turning over on his side. "You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!" he shouted angrily.

Steve paused. Howard had made that shield, yes. And he had betrayed the man’s memory by keeping the true nature of his death a secret. Taking a deep breath, he realised Tony was right, he didn’t deserve it after all. Captain America was a righteous man, fighting the good fight, a moral man…and Steve Rogers had been selfish and arrogant thinking he could act as he had without consequence. With an immense air of sadness he shrugged the shield from his arm and let it clang to the floor. Then he proceeded to carry Bucky up the exit and out into the snow.

The sound his shield made as it hit the concrete was a noise that he knew would be forever ingrained in his mind. The sound of him leaving Captain America in a bunker in Siberia.

*****

Katie had no idea how long she sat waiting, lost in her thoughts and worries but eventually she heard a shuffling noise and spun round to see Steve supporting Bucky who was missing his metal arm. Both men were bloodied, battered, but alive. 

“Where’s Tony?” she said standing up, looking at Steve.

Steve took a deep breath, “In there. It got out of hand but he’s ok.” Katie immediately headed to the door of the bunker.

“Katie, he won’t listen.” Steve shook his head sadly as he called after her “This…it’s too far gone to fix.

“I have to try Steve, he’s my brother.”

She left the sentence hanging, not looking back as she moved back into the bunker. She had to try and talk him round, make him understand this was what Zemo wanted…  it was the last chance to try and sort all of this out. If she couldn’t then there was no way Steve could go back. No way he would go back.

And she was going to lose one of them.

“Tony.” she said gently, walking towards where he was sat, back against a wall in the depth of the concrete building.

“You know, when Rogers asked for your hand in marriage I couldn’t have been happier. Finally you’d met someone that treat you well, looked after you…now, I wish he’d never come out of that fucking iceberg.” He snarled up at her.

Katie took a deep breath. “You’re upset, I get that.”

“Really? You do?” he said, sarcasm dripping off every word “Oh that’s good because I thought for a moment you were missing the point.”

“What is the point, Tony?” she asked, softly “Do you think for one minute that I like what happened to our Parents?”

“How long have you known?” he looked at her.

“Since we took SHIELD and Hydra down.” she bowed her head.

“2 years?!” his voice rang round the cavern. “You knew for 2 fucking years?” “I didn’t know for certain it was him until yesterday, I swear.” she took a deep breath “But Steve is right. It wasn’t Bucky that did it. It was the Winter Soldier.”

“Oh god, he’s brainwashed you as well.” Tony groaned, banging his head against the wall “That man murdered our parents!!” 

“No one is brainwashed, it’s simply a fact. Hydra murdered our parents.” she sniffed slightly  

“BUT HE DID IT!” Tony yelled, “And whilst that mind control is in there he’s a danger and he needs to be dealt with.”

“He needs help.”

Tony laughed, scornfully “Frankly if you believe that, you’re the one that needs help.”

"We both know what it’s like to be tortured, to have your dignity stripped from you in a way people cannot possibly imagine.” she turned to her brother “And for us it was weeks Tony, fucking weeks. He endured it for 70 damned years." "He killed our mom!" "And he saved my life!" Katie said, her voice cracking "The Winter Soldier did those things, not Bucky Barnes.Tone, this is tearing me in two. I can’t choose between you, I can’t do it!" "You already chose." "No, I didn’t. I did what I thought was right. Not just the Accords but coming here. And you know it was right too, deep down or you wouldn’t be here either. You saw those soldiers in there, it could have been so much different." Tony snorted. "For once in your life just admit you'd follow Rogers anywhere..." Katie shook her head, sniffing slightly as her eyes misted over "Look, You're my brother, my father even, and I love you so much, but he is my husband and I love him, with everything I have.” Tony looked at her, and turned away. He felt betrayed, by them both. But as much as he hated what she had done, he loved his sister beyond belief and he knew no matter what happened here there would be no winners. If she stayed her heart would break at losing Steve and she would probably end up inside that shit hole pokey until some agreement or deal was done. And if she left, she might be free, but then he would lose her. 

But above all Tony knew the thing that would break her the most was having to make that choice, a choice between a life of freedom on the run with Rogers, or a choice between being locked up or with him. He couldn't see her go through that, he couldn't see her locked up and miserable and without the man she loved, and who clearly loved her. Tony knew, there was nothing else to do, he had to make the choice for her. And moreover he knew he had to be the one to lose.

"I don’t even wanna look at you right now." His voice cracked and he turned away "Get lost, go on." "And go where?” her voice was strained. "Wherever your precious Captain is running to. And you best run fast. Because if Ross gets hold of you, you're both gonna be in that pokey with the rest of them and I'll make sure Rogers never sees the light of day again." "And me?" She said, her eyes wet as she looked at him. "You went against the accords." He shrugged, unable to meet her eye "Maybe they could get you a double cell" Katie felt her heart breaking. Her brother, the man who had been there all her life, was actively pushing her away. This is what it had come to. But just as she was about to argue, try and see they could get a way through this, he delivered the final blow. "You know, I'm glad mom and dad ain't here to see this, because they'd be so ashamed of you...” he took a deep breath before he delivered the blow he knew would kill her, and he was going to hate himself for it. “You disgust me." That. That there. Was the moment Katie felt her heartbreak. "Tony." her voice cracked "Tell me you don’t mean that." "I mean every word." he lied. Because he didn’t. He didn’t mean any of it. He was beyond proud of her, how strong she was. But he knew, this was the only way she could be spared the agony of a shitty choice. 

With a shaking sob Katie stood up and began to walk across the cavern slowly, giving Tony a chance to stop her but he didn't. As she reached the start of the corridor she stopped, taking a deep breath and turned back to look at him through her tears.

“Me not telling you about mom and dad was a mistake. But I did it to save you from all this, save you from hurting because I figured you’d seen enough over the past goodness knows how long.” she shrugged, wiping her face “I’m so sorry Tony.”

He looked away, not meeting her eyes because he couldn’t.  “Just go.” he said softly.

She walked from the cavern as calmly as she could. Once she was out of site she began to sprint, wanting nothing more than the comfort of Steve. She was that wrapped up in her thoughts, twice she took a wrong turn and hit a dead end, screaming in frustration, before eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime she burst out into the snow before collapsing onto the floor, a loud agonising wail erupting from her chest.

“Katie?” Steve saw his girl fall to her knees, the noise she made chilled him to the bones. He sprinted straight towards her, ignoring the aching all over his body from the blows he had taken over the past 3 days or so. He dropped besides her “Honey?”

Katie took a deep breath before she looked up at Steve unable to voice her emotions or explain what happened. She simply bowed her head again and shook it. Steve sighed and placed an arm round her shoulder “Come on.”

With his help she rose to her feet, looking round. There was no sign of T’Challa. Zemo or Bucky.

“Where is everyone?” she asked, sliding her arm around Steve’s waist, more for support than anything else.

“T’Challa left about 2 minutes ago. He’s taken Zemo to the United Nations.” Steve said as they trudged through the snow.

“Least Bucky’s in the clear.” she sniffed, always searching for the positive.

“He’s not.” Steve sighed “Even if he’s proven not guilty they’ll want to lock him up, especially whilst Hydra are in his mind.”

They stopped at the bottom of the ramp to the jet.

“T’Challa has offered to help.” Steve turned to Katie, taking a deep breath as he knew this was it. The point at which she was going to have to make a decision on what she did next, and his heart was breaking for her. “He’s given me the coordinates to Wakanda and says he has someone there who could assist in fixing whatever it is Hydra did to Buck’s mind.”

“If the UN catch on he’s harbouring him it’ll cause even more trouble.” Katie sighed. “I know, which is why they can’t find out.” Steve said looking at her “T’Challa is going to tell the UN that me, you, Bucky and Tony are here, so they can send a craft out to pick everyone up. Then the cover story is that in the meantime Bucky and I escaped, and no one knows where we have gone.”

“Think they’ll buy it?” she asked, ignoring for a moment the fact that he had said Bucky and I, not Bucky and us.

“They’ve no reason not to.” Steve said after a moment.

“And he really thinks he can help him?”

Steve nodded. “So that’s the plan. Take Bucky and lay low for a while, at least until I can figure out what to do next”

He paused for a moment and then looked up the ramp before taking a deep breath and looking at her.

“I didn’t want any of this to happen” he sighed, “and if you don’t want to come I’ll understand.” he took a deep breath, as he grabbed both of her hands, the tears swimming in his eyes “I don’t ever want to force you to make a choice so whatever you do decide, I’ll understand, I just want you to know that I love you, I’ll always love you.”

Katie looked up at him, his last words were barely audible above his choked back sob. She knew Steve wasn’t ever going to go back, he couldn’t go back. He wouldn’t settle being behind bars but he was offering her a way out, a chance to stay with Tony. Her husband had never, not once through this entire situation pressured her to take his side. And she hadn’t taken his side, she had done what she believed was the right thing. But now, when it came down to it, there was simply no choice for her to make. Tony hated her, the Accords had finished the Avengers, Ross would make sure she was locked away…and the thought of Steve not being with her broke her more than anything.

There was nothing else left for her to do but go.

Her eyes misted over as she looked up at the man who was her world, her everything. “I can’t stay.” she whispered “Not without you. Please don’t leave me.”

“Leave you?” his voice cracked and he pulled her into his chest, hard, hands pressed at the base of her back and her head as she fisted her hands into the dirty material of his uniform. “Never, Doll.”

“Then get me out of here.” she pulled back to look up at him, gently using her thumbs to wipe away the tears on his face that had run down below the line of his helmet.

“Are you sure?” he had to ask again. “Because if we do this, there’s no going back. You might be able to sort things with Tony if you stay.” “When I’m locked up in prison?” she shook her head “What’s the point in that. Besides, we both know that you wouldn’t stand for it. You’d break me out in a week.”

He gave her a soft smile, she was right. He would. She leaned up to place a soft kiss on his lips before she turned and strode up the ramp into the jet, wiping her eyes and putting her weapons away silently. Steve followed her in and she turned to look at him when she spotted Bucky who was looking significantly worse for wear sat on one of the seats.

“You ok?” she said gently. He looked up and gave her a small smile.

“Yeah, look, I’m sorry, I really am.” his voice cracked and his head hung again.

“I know.” she said sadly as she touched his shoulder and headed over to the co-pilots seat.

Steve settled in the pilot seat just in front of her, removing his helmet and punching in some co-ordinates. Moments later the jet was airborne.

“Auto-pilot locked. ETA 4.5 hours” Katie muttered, reading the computer before she stood up and dropped her hand on Steve’s shoulder “Think it’s about time I patched you boys up.”

“Start with Buck.” he said gently, standing up “He’s worse than I am.”

She moved to the back of the jet and began rummaging in the first aid boxes gathering various things before she told Bucky to sit on the gurney in the medi-bay area of the jet.

“This is probably gonna sting a little.” she said, biting her lip as she began to wipe gently at the various cuts and bruises on Bucky’s face. If it hurt he didn’t give any outward signs that it did. She then moved to the back of his head, clearing up a nasty gash from where he had taken a hit and once that was done she checked his arm, there was no new wound, but his metal arm had been removed just below the shoulder blade, leaving the metal socket intact.

“Does it hurt?” she asked him gently.

“No.”

She looked at Steve, shrugging as if to say that she had done the best she could and he nodded, looking at Bucky.

“Why don’t you rest?” He said, nodding over to the seats. “We’ve got a while before we arrive and I doubt any of us had much sleep last night.”

“You guys certainly didn’t…” Bucky said slyly. Katie shared a look with Steve who she was amused to see had flushed from the neck upwards, the patches of his face that weren’t dirty were now a bright crimson.

“Walls in hotel rooms are thin…” Bucky continued, grunting slightly as he dropped into one of the seats, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Katie bit her lip as Steve sat down on the stretcher, same place Bucky had sat before. She studied his weary face and noticed that there was a huge bruise forming on his right cheek and a smaller abrasion on his left. His nose had at some point been bleeding and there was a split in his lip, but all in all his helmet had saved him for the most, as he was nowhere near as bad as Bucky. She gently wiped at his face, as tenderly as she could to avoid hurting him. She cleaned off the dirt, dried blood and then the cut above his eye, before moving to the one on his lip. As she touched it with the antiseptic wipe he hissed slightly.

“Stop being a baby…” she said, teasingly as she continued. He opened his eyes and simply watched his wife’s face intensely. Her eyes were red rimmed from her crying and he couldn’t help but wonder what Tony had said to her when she had gone back in.  But he knew she would tell him when she was ready. Eventually she finished and dropped the wipe she had been using into the dish to my right, and he placed both his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him, so that she was stood in between his legs.  

“I love you so much.” He said gently. She brought her hand up to brush across his now clean but bruised face and sighed. 

“I know.” she said gently, placing a soft kiss onto his lips, careful not to aggravate any cuts further. He would heal fast, he always did. In a few days there would be no evidence of any of these.  

From over in the corner of the jet there came a soft groan “Get a room…preferably not next to mine.”

*****

It was 3 hours into the journey when she told Steve everything. What Tony had said, how he had told her to leave, and that he was disgusted with her, and Steve’s heart broke for her as she cried again, her tears falling to his shoulder as he sat and simply held her before insisting she also took some rest. He knew what Tony had said was bullshit, the man was ridiculously proud of his sister, and he found himself understanding why he had done it. To save her from an impossible choice. Tony was as selfless as the next person where his sister was involved.

About 45 minutes or so later, when Katie was fast asleep, Bucky woke up and he noticed Steve was sat in the seat at the front, simply staring out of the window.

“Got anything to drink?” he asked, and Steve’s head snapped round.

“Should be some water in the fridge, hang on…” “I lost my arm Punk, not my legs.” Bucky grumbled, heading over to where Steve was directing.

“Glad to see your attitude is still as bad as ever.” Steve raised an eyebrow as Bucky threw a bottle to him which he caught in his right hand.

“Yeah well, there are somethings even being brainwashed can’t get rid of.” he sighed as he headed over to the seat by Steve. Clasping the bottle in his knees he worked the top off with his right hand and took a deep swig.

“Do you really think they can do it? You know, get whatever Hydra put in my head out?” he asked.

“T’Challa seems to think so.” Steve nodded, looking at his friend.

“Well, perhaps when he has we can catch up properly…” Bucky’s voice was wistful.

”Like old times huh?” Steve said with a twinkle in his eye.

Bucky smiled before he grew serious again. “You know I did think about finding you, but…” 

Steve looked at him for a moment and then leaned forward slightly. “How much do you remember?” he asked.

Bucky sighed, “I remember most things, about my life that is, but at first it was just a big jumble. That’s why I wrote it all down...”

The two men fell silent again, Steve full of his own guilt again for not going back for him that day he fell from the train. He could have spared him all of this.

“How did you do it?” Bucky asked suddenly, making Steve look back at him “Wake up 70 years in the future and just carry on?” “Katie.” Steve said instantly “I came out of the ice, I’d lost everyone I knew, had no idea what to do…but then I found her…almost like it was meant to be.”

“I thought Steve Rogers didn’t believe in fate?” Bucky teased “What was it you used to say? You make your own luck?” Steve chuckled “I didn’t, I mean I don’t really, but whatever it was be it fate, luck, circumstance…I’m just glad it happened.” he trailed off, smiling, before he carried on “You know, I loved Peggy but that was nothing to what I feel for Katie. I can’t imagine being without her.”

Bucky looked at his friend, smiling. He had always known that when Steve found the right dame he would fall hard and fast, and it was clear he had. After all of his bad luck before the war it was nice to see the man so happy and loved. But Bucky wasn’t going to let it lie without the chance to tease his friend. He grinned and looked at him, a cheeky smile spreading across his weary face.

“Yeah she’s pretty hot too. How did a punk like you manage to pull a gal like that?” “Buck!” Steve said exasperatedly as Bucky laughed.

“I’m just playing with you Stevie. I’m glad you found someone.” Bucky said gently. “Just gutted I wasn’t at the wedding, well properly anyway. You looked happy though when you came out of the church.”

“I was. And I wish you could have been there properly too pal.” Steve said, his voice taking on a teasing tone “But Sam made a pretty good substitute best man.”

“Wait, you had Seagull as your best man?” Bucky’s tone was indignant.

“He’s a good friend.” Steve said.

There was another pause.

“You know I haven’t thanked you yet.” Steve said gently “For saving her life.” he nodded over to where Katie was curled up in a seat under a blanket “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.” “Right time right place.” Bucky shrugged “You know, I didn’t recognise her at first, just heard all this screaming and…well she was in a bad way.” “I know.” Steve said, softly “They…they hurt her.” Bucky didn’t need to ask what they had done to her. He could imagine.

“She’s ok now though, right?”

“Physically yeah..” Steve nodded “mentally…she still has nightmares sometimes but don’t we all? She’s strong though, way stronger than me…”

“I dunno from the noises I heard last night you seemed to be pretty strong.” Bucky quipped and Steve groaned

“Sorry, our walls at the compound are soundproof so…” he offered an explanation, blushing again.

“Yeah, well the first time we just kinda ignored it but then when you started again an hour later, then again, well…frankly it was a little gross.”

“Guess we just got a bit carried away.” Steve felt the heat spread up his neck.

“Sam said you were showing off.” Bucky smirked causing Steve to snort. “You got some stamina, bud, I’ll give you that.”

“Something we both thank Dr Erskine for on a regular basis.” Steve shot back cheekily and Bucky barked out a laugh.

Then the alert on the cockpit started to go and Katie sat up, rubbing her eyes as the noise roused her. Steve shot her a smile, pretty sure he was still blushing, and then turned to look at the dials on the cockpit

“Hey.” she said, approaching the front, dropping her hand to Bucky’s shoulder as she pressed a soft kiss to Steve’s head “We here?”

“I think so.” Steve frowned, “The co-ords are telling me to drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0…only...”

Katie looked ahead, it was nothing but a thicket of what looked like jungle.

“You trust T’Challa?” she asked, settling in a seat behind him.

“Yeah.”

“Then do it.” she said simply, looking at him like he was an idiot.

Bucky smirked slightly and Steve rolled his eyes, but obeyed all the same. They passed through the trees as they simply disappeared, like a computer image and they were left with the skyline of a beautiful city. Katie let out the breath I hadn’t even realised she had been holding.

"What the fuck?" Bucky whispered, and Steve laughed in agreement.

*****

They were welcomed by T’Challa’s Mother, younger Sister Suri and a few members of his King’s Guard. T’Challa was on his way back from the UN and wouldn’t be back for an hour or so, so in the mean time they were given something to eat and a place to clean up, Katie taking her time in the scalding hot shower in their luxurious suite. Steve had stayed with Bucky and she was glad, as she broke down once more thinking about Tony, wondering where he was. Once she had cried all the tears she had left to cry, she dried off and crawled into the bed passing out almost immediately. She didn’t feel Steve climb in besides her later on that night. He stayed awake for a lot longer than she did, having spent the evening with T’Challa who had filled him in on what the UN had said. Tony was home ok, he knew that much, and the authorities had accepted T’CHalla’s explanation, essentially meaning he, Katie and Bucky were outlaws. For once in his life he had no idea what to do next, and the guilt at dragging her into this was eating him up. With a sigh he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The next day felt slightly more positive. After breakfast Suri took Bucky into her lab for a scan on his brain. Bucky had worried that going into a scanner would remind him of the machine Hydra used and could bring out the Winter Soldier again, but Suri had simply smiled and shook her head, before using what looked like a beaded bracelet to perform the scan.

Now she stood over a tablet looking at the image.

"Your mind has been fighting this the whole time." she said tapping a few places on the tablet and bringing up a hologram image of Bucky’s brain for them all to see. She pointed to a bright, pink line which snaked all over the image “That's what they put in there but it hasn’t melded properly, which I suspect is why you required constant…how to put this…recalibration I suppose.” she pondered something before she turned to look at the soldier and smiled. “I can fix this.”

"Really?"  Bucky said, his head jerking up as he looked at her, his eyes shining.

"I may have to engineer something new equipment wise, and it could take me a few months to do it- but it is reversible." She nodded, voice oozing with confidence as she looked at the scans of Bucky’s brain on the screen

"How?"  Bucky frowned, hardly daring to believe what she was saying. He would be free…

“I can cut it out.” she said, like it was something she did every day. “Like I say, it has not melded to your brain. Think of it as foreign object, not a part of you, and all foreign objects can be removed."

Katie squeezed Steve’s hand as Steve let out a loud breath as he looked up at the ceiling. Bucky was going to be ok. He glanced down at his wife who smiled at him, as they both turned to see Bucky’s eyes were wet as he wiped tears off his face. Suri dropped a hand to his shoulder.

“You won't have to live with this anymore, Sergeant Barnes." she said to him.

Bucky looked at her, then to Steve before his face crumpled and in a stride Steve had closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his friend in a brotherly hug as Bucky sat on the bench, unable to believe that he was going to be free, finally free from Hydra. Katie watched the two of them as T’Challa gently squeezed her shoulder as he and Suri made to leave the room. She followed them, pausing in the doorway to turn to look at the two men, Steve stepping back from Bucky to look down at him as he wiped at his face, a teary smile crossing his features.

It had cost them everything, but at least there was something good going to come out of it all.

 Tags

@the-omni-princess

@momobaby227

@geekofmanythings16​

@angelofhell-666

@thewackywriter

@marvelfansworld

@cobalt-gear

[theartoflovingthomashunt]

Long Distance: Part Four - Trying

Long Distance 

Part One – Something New

Part Two – Choices

Part Three - Departure

Part Three (and a half) - Halex

* * * The Art of Loving Thomas Hunt Fan Fiction Masterlist * * *

– – –

Characters: Alex (MC), Thomas Hunt

Setting: This takes place between Red Carpet Diaries Book 2 and 3 (Red Carpet Diaries 2.5). Alex and Thomas have been dating for a few months. Alex is in New York filming The Diagnosis. Thomas is in California working on his own project. 

Rating: PG-13

– – –

A few days after Part Three…

After a long day of filming, Alex returned to her apartment outside New Paltz, NY. Her bedroom window overlooked the Shawangunk mountain. The sun was starting to settle on the horizon and the sky was painted with warm colors. Alex took out her phone and took a picture to capture the end of a great day filming. She was in the middle of uploading the picture to her Instagram when Thomas’s name appeared across the screen. She let it ring twice before picking up. 

“Welcome to the Guilty Pleasures hotline, to speak with one of our voluptuous representatives and let us cater to your fantasies, please press 1,” Alex said sultrily. “To set up a reoccurring call time, please press 2. To update your billing information please press 3. Your patronage is very important to us.”

Thomas sighed deeply. “Alex!”

“I’m sorry, your response of ‘Alex’ is invalid, please try again.” Alex bit her lower lip trying not to laugh. She could imagine the lines forming across Thomas’s forehead.

“I would like to speak with a supervisor,” Thomas complained.

“One moment please,” Alex began. “Hello, how can I be of service today?”

“I’m not feeling very appreciated by your services right now. I’m trying to get a hold of my girlfriend but she seems determined to ignore me. Do you have someone who can help with that?” Thomas protested. “Otherwise I will be forced to give you a bad review.”

“Oh, sir, I do apologize for your dissatisfaction with our hotline. Perhaps, I can transfer you to our ‘girlfriend’ extension. They specialize in listening to and solving problems. Let me transfer your call. Please stay on the line,” Alex directed.

Alex hummed the Final Jeopardy theme music because it was the first thing that came to mind. “Thank you for holding. How can I help you relax today?”

“I have this girlfriend who is the most trying person I have ever met,” Thomas explained. “What do you suggest I do with her?”

“I hear that people can be less trying when being kissed. It makes talking difficult,” Alex suggested.

“If only that were an option,” Thomas breathed. “I suppose I do enjoy the quiet though without her here...It’s kind of peaceful. Maybe I don’t need to talk to her after all.”

“Hey!” Alex interjected. 

“Oh, is my girlfriend, finally available?” Thomas retorted.

“I can transfer you back,” Alex teased. 

“No, I’ll take my trying Alex any day,” Thomas admitted.

“Are you done filming for the day?” Alex asked.

“Not yet. We are going back to do some on-location night shooting in a couple of hours,” Thomas answered. “How’s your filming going?”

“It’s really wonderful,” Alex exclaimed. “We are filming at a few different locations. One of them is this beautiful, old gothic mental hospital built in the mid-1800s. It’s amazing, even though it has been abandoned for years and suffered a major fire. We’re going to use the disheveled interior for the backdrop for a lot of the scenes when my character is really starting to question reality and is not sure what’s real and not. I’m really excited to see how it turns out. Obviously, we have a long way to go, but the first few days have been great.”

“I’m glad you are enjoying yourself,” Thomas replied. 

Alex smiled. “I wish you were here right now. The sunsets are phenomenal. I couldn’t think of a better person to share them with.

“Me too,” Thomas agreed. 

Alex and Thomas continued talking. As the sky turned dark and the stars came out, Alex knew Thomas was going to need to get back to work. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Alex said.

“Hopefully you get through, I hear these 1-800 numbers are intercepting our calls,” Thomas joked. 

“I’ll take my chances,” Alex smiled. “I love you, Thomas.”

“I love you too, Alex,” Thomas breathed. “Oh, wait. I meant to ask you, do you know where my tweed jacket is.”

“You have too many tweed jackets to count, you will need to be more specific,” Alex replied. 

“The gray one,” Thomas added.

“That limits it down to about a dozen,” Alex teased.

“Exactly, I can only find 11,” Thomas explained. “I thought the dry cleaner had 4, but when I picked them up there were only 3.”

“Oh,” Alex expressed. “That one.”

“Alex….” Thomas interrupted. “What did you do with it?”

Alex looked down at her outfit and smirked at the tweed jacket on her shoulders. “I may have taken it with me…”

“Why? What use is it to you?” Thomas questioned.

“You really don’t know.” Alex shook her head and smiled. “It smells like you and I miss you.” 

“You could have just asked,” Thomas answered.

“What’s the fun in that?” Alex added playfully. “Plus, it looks much better on me. ”

“I have no doubt about that,” Thomas admitted.

Alex took a selfie. The jacket was big on her but, she maneuvered herself to a position and angle to capture the jacket and made sure her black underwear were still visible. She texted the photo to Thomas. She knew he wouldn’t know how to check his texts while talking on the phone, so it would be a nice little present for after. 

“I’ve got to go,” Thomas interrupted Alex’s thinking

“Goodnight, my love,” Alex whispered.

“Goodnight Alex,” Thomas responded. “I love you.”

- - - -

>Long Distance

Part One: Something New (PG)

Part Two: Choices (PG)

Part Three: Departure (PG)

Part Three (and a half): Halex (photo edit) (PG)

Part Four: Trying (PG13)

Part Four (and a half): Who wore it best? (photo edit) (PG13)

Part Five: Faux Pas (PG)

Part Six: Dear Thomas, aka Love Letters (PG)

Part Seven: Sleeping Together (PG)

Part Eight: A Taste of Things to Come (PG)

Part Nine: Fall Fun (PG13)

Part Ten: Pumpkin Date (PG13)

Part Eleven: Tricks & Treat Drabble (PG13)

Part Twelve: Candy (PG13)

Part Thirteen: The Diagnosis (PG13)

Thomas Tags:

 @hopelessromantic1352   ;  @alleksa16   ;  @mfackenthal  ;   @alj4890 ;   @the-soot-sprite ; @twin-skltns   ;   @pb-boeboe ;  @flyawayboo  ;  @lilyofchoices  ;    ;

Thank you for reading, let me know if you would like to be added to the tags<3

[thejokersenigma]

Christmas Fanfiction Advent Calendar 2017 - Day 4 - Strictly Business Part 6

Ok, so I know quite a few people have been asking for the next part of this series, so I decided to the next part of it for the advent calendar - its hardly ‘Chrtistmasy’ but, oh well! haha

Hope you Enjoy!

MASTERLIST

The cold air whipped past my window, I could hear it hollowing against the panes of glass, and I thought - though it was hard to tell through the murky glass and the dark streets - that a snow flurry had begun. I hugged myself tightly. It wasn’t cold in the room, but just the sound of the weather outside made me shiver.

I had been left in the room now for probably at least 6 hours – though I had no way to tell. My stomach was empty and pulling at me sharp and painfully, and I was bored out of my mind. I had explored my room a bit, but found very little of interest – the contents of the wardrobes and dressers only entertaining me for the short time it took to empty them.

I had managed to fall asleep for a few hours, but something unknown had awoken me, and now I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the grimy window, unable to sleep thanks to my protesting stomach.

I had even tried knocking at the door in the hope of getting an answer, but received nothing back. I don’t think the joker had even bothered to post guards on the other side of the door – there wasn’t like there was anyway I get out of this room.

It was definitely snowing, I thought to myself as I watched something white float past the window, then another, and another, the white smudges dancing and twirling around each other, catching the light just enough to let me see them before they dashed back into the darkness. First snow of the year. That was nice. And where was I? Trapped in a dressed-up warehouse cell, I thought bitterly to myself. The view would have been much nicer from the top floor of the office block, at my desk with a cup of coffee and a bagel or pastry.

The idea of food made my stomach pang again and I tried to block the idea from my mind. “So much for being a bloody guest,” I grumbled to myself, “doesn’t even bother to offer any food service.” Maybe I was going to go loopy in this room. Maybe that was his plan.

And so, I continued to watch the window, focusing on the gradual layer of white that built up on the ledge outside, wishing I could open the window somehow and touch it. I settled instead on placing my hand against the cold glass, imaging what it would feel like and leaning my forehead against the window pane as I tried to think about anything other than being stuck in this room, or how hungry I was.

I sighed loudly, my breath hitting the cold glass and spreading outwards, obscuring a large circle with fog. I moved my hand, now placing in directly in the centre of the fog, then removing it, smiling childishly at the hand print left behind.

I exhaled another large rush of air and began to doodle randomly. Some were just simple swirls or shapes, but soon joking with myself by writing help backwards even though I knew no one could see it. I felt like an idiot, taking such fun from such a trivial thing, but at least it was taking my mind off everything else.

 I don’t know how long I had banged around in that room when I eventually heard someone. I practically jumped out of my skin when I finally heard the sound of footsteps - not having heard anything for over 8 hours. I had been lying on my bed, praying that I could take a nap to let the time pass quicker and must have dozed off because I now shot bolt upright, slightly disorientated and gripping the covers and sheets under me tightly. It flooded back quickly enough though, but my heart remained in my throat, pounding wildly as listened with strained ears to the footsteps in the corridor outside.

The sound was at my door now. Then the noise of metal on metal. The lock clicking. Then the door opened.

The man in the doorway was unknown to me, and he barely acknowledged my presence, simply stepping one foot into the room, saying, “This is yours.” And then throwing a small, but heavy satchel at me that thunked on the floor by my feet ominously.

Then, in the short time it took me to glance down at the bag and back up to the guy to ask him what it was and what he meant  – having never seen the bag in my life – he was gone. The door snapping sharply shut behind him and there was the distinct sound of the door mechanism locking behind him once more.

Alone. Again. Great.

I peered into the bag only to find it full of wads of money, each held together tightly with an elastic band. I threw the bag to the foot of my bed in disgust. Fat lot that would do me, I thought bitterly. Not that I would keep it - I could guess where that money came from – the heist I had ‘helped with’ – but even if it wasn’t, this was the Joker we were talking about. All his money way stolen.

It didn’t matter anyway. I had no need for it whilst I was locked in here.

He could give me all the money in the world – right now all I wanted was something to eat.

 Eventually food was delivered to me, though it wasn’t until after a long painful night of hunger. Now it was a regular thing. Though I remained locked in my room, I had access to water from my ensuite bathroom and food delivered morning, midday and evening by large burly men that unlocked the door, handed me and tray and disappear, the door being locked after them.

I never tried to sneak out or attempt to get pas them, there was no point – they alone could probably deal with me judging by the amount of muscle on them. I soon began instead to offer them the previous trays in return as otherwise they never bothered to collect them and I would have ended up with a large pile of crumbs slowly decaying away.

 So, I was fine. I was surviving. And I wasn’t tortured. But I was trapped and felt like a prisoner, despite the luxurious accommodation. What I couldn’t comprehend was why the Joker hadn’t spoken to me in over a week now, and I was confused why he bothered to keep me alive at all, let alone keep me here like this.

After wondering this every day, I was then very surprised when the door sounded out of the usual hours of my meal deliveries. I had been lounging on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, entertaining myself with daydreams, when the knock sounded, and my gaze now immediately snapped to the door. I didn’t move, watching the door warily, but the knocking only became louder and more persistent.

Eventually I opened the door, revealing the Joker stood looking rather unimpressed at the delay, in the doorway. I raised an eyebrow, in question, equally unimpressed with his sudden appearance after all this time. “What?” I asked shortly. I was getting use to treating this room like my own, with no one else around, and took my recent apparent safety for granted.

“Is that a way to greet your host, doll?” Ask J in mock outrage, though I could hear the warning in his words. I rolled my eyes at him nonetheless.

“Do come in.” I said, overly politely, opening the door wider to him and flourishing my hand in a mocking gesture.

“As witty as ever, doll.” He observed dryly, striding past me into the room. For a brief moment I looked out the door and into the empty concrete hallway beyond. He hadn’t ensured the door was closed after him, and now I had a view of my freedom before me. But was I fast enough to outpace the Joker? And what were the chances of getting out of this warehouse, or managing to hide, before I was intercepted by one of the henchmen that I knew must patrol around.

“I wouldn’t, doll.” Came the Joker’s voice behind me, easily reading my thoughts. I knew he was right and I begrudgingly let the door fall shut, turning, instead, to face my captor instead.

“In that case, I’ll ask again.  what do you want?” I demanded, annoyed that once again I was still stuck here against my will. Not that It was a bad room, no. Now I was being fed I was even slightly content, but I hated the idea I was stuck here – plus I was bored out of my mind.

“So hostile.” Tutted J, looking offended. “I’m just here to give you some entertainment.” He grinned with a knowing smile, holding out his hands to either side, palms towards me in a welcoming gesture.

I eyed him suspiciously. “No thanks.” I muttered.

“Aw, come on, doll.” J persisted. “You don’t even know what it is yet.”

“If it’s you, then no thank you.”

“Whilst that is tempting, kitten.” The Joker teased with a sinful grin and glint in his eye, “I’m afraid not.” Stuck in his hand into his smart jacket – the action making me flinch, immediately jumping to the idea of him drawing a gun and finishing me – grinned at my reaction, and instead pulled out a folded piece of paper. He seemed to consider the document for a moment, before passing it over to me.

I hesitated slightly before taking it from him. “What is this?” I asked without opening it, only looking at the blank folded side.

“A present.” J said simply.

“Why?”

“Because its Christmas, doll. That’s what people do.” He said slowly like he thought I was slow in the mind. I raised an eyebrow at him and he let out one of his haunting laughs. “Well, close enough!” He amended. “Come on, doll, just accept it and get on with it.” He told me impatiently, waving his hand at the paper in my grip. “A thank you wouldn’t go amiss either.”

I wasn’t about to go thanking him until I knew what I was holding, so I opened up the piece of paper to find several sheets, all full of details and plans for another heist. I frowned at the documents in confusion.

“I’m still waiting, kitten….” J whined.

“I don’t understand…” I said, confused.

“Has all this time away from the office numbed you’re mind?” He demanded, irritated by my slow uptake. “They’re the documents for the next heist” He explained, jabbing his hand at them “ – seeing as you seem to enjoy the last one so much.”

I continued to frown down at the documents, yes, I had enjoyed the planning of the last heist – problem solving all the little kinks and flaws - but I couldn’t do another one. I had aided in a robbery – and a pretty lucrative one at that judging by the amount of money that had been in that bag delivered to me!

That bag now sat at the bottom of my wardrobe. I had tried to return it, attempting numerous times to give it over to the men that brought me food, but they just completely ignored it. So, in the end, I had moved it out of sight to the wardrobe. I didn’t want anything to do with it and keeping it out of sight helped to keep it off my mind.

“I can’t.” I said finally, handing it back to him. But the Joker didn’t reach for it.

“Sorry, doll, no returns.” He sneered and made towards the door. “Keep it. Maybe you’ll change your mind whilst your stuck in here with nothing else to do.” He teased with an evil grin. I scowled at him.

He was halfway out the door now, “Oh, by the way doll, if you don’t help, you’ll probably just be contributing to a whole lot more death.” He pointed out with a manipulating smile, before slamming the door closed and I heard the lock go.

I let out a cry of frustration, throwing the paper, though it hardly got far before it fluttered limply to the floor.

I was trapped again.

And he was right. If I helped I was aiding a crime, but I would also be able to edit it enough to minimise the amount of damage was done – property and people wise.

I sighed heavily as I looked over at the papers now sprawled on the floor, tossing back and form on what to do till my mind ran itself round in circle and I threw myself face down on the bed, screaming my frustrations into the pillows.

 I did.

I gave in.

I was felt quite ashamed by my choice, but in the end, I couldn’t help it. Or maybe I could. But either way, I didn’t. I had sat on my bed for ages, the boredom - and knowledge that I didn’t have to be bored - was like torture. The lure of the papers and my curiosity for the plans eventually overpowered me however, and soon my brain was listing excuses as to why it was ok to help.

And so I did it.

I sat at the armoire, rubbing out and pencilling in my edits as the snow flurried past my window. The plan this time was for the hijacking and stealing of a lorry of chemicals. I wondered what the Joker was up to, but soon decided that I’d rather not know – it made helping easier.

When I had done all I could do – and reread it at least 5 times – I knew I now needed to get the plans back to the Joker. So I waited, until my meal arrived that evening, and – as the large henchman handed over the food I in turn handed over the papers.

The man looked at it, but refused to take it, instead he gave a single nod and then closed the door in my face. I scowled in annoyance at the door. Why couldn’t he just take it from me?

I spent the rest of the evening alone until I thought about finally trying to get some sleep, when I heard a familiar loud and persistent knock at the door. This time I didn’t hesitate and opened the door to the Joker on the other side, the papers already in my hand. I handed it out to him, but he ignored it as well, pushing his way into the room.

“Evening, doll, I see you’ve been busy.” He grinned triumphantly as he turned back to face me, his eyes on the paper. I hadn’t even bothered to consider making a bid for freedom this time, automatically shutting the door behind him.

“Yes.” I answered. “Now just take it and leave me alone – or better yet – let me go.” I said, thrusting the paper at him. He didn’t grab, instead he grabbed me, his large pale hands easily wrapping all the way around my wrist and stopping me in my tracks.

“Why thank you, doll.” He said, plucking the paper from my fingers, but not releasing his grip on me. He tugged at my wrist and I was forced to step closer to him to keep my balance. “As for letting you go, doll, no can do – you’re quite a lucrative investment.”

I scowled darkly at him. “I am a person. Not a money-making scheme.” I snarled.

“Oh, I know, doll…” He sneered, “Which is why I have a little proposal for you…” I watched him suspiciously, I hadn’t been this close to him since the kiss and I could feel his breath on my face, the distinct smell of whisky and man. I could feel my body becoming aware of his and my temperature rose a few degrees.

“I am not sleeping with you.” I said firmly, though my voice didn’t sound as strong as I wanted it to.

The Joker grinned wickedly, “Ah, princess, that wasn’t what I had in mind, though I wouldn’t say it hadn’t crossed it…” He said, his eyes roaming my body sinfully. I should have felt disgusted, but I just felt every inch of her body burn under his gaze and I desperately tried to resist the urge to squirm under his scrutiny.

“What then?” I snarled.

He ‘Oooo’ed silently at me snapping at him before his face went neutral. “I want you to work for me, doll.” He stated simply.

I felt my eyes widen in shock. I hadn’t been expecting that. “I-I can’t.” I stuttered in surprise.

“And why not?” He enquired politely, his invisible eyebrows raised in question.

“Well…” I sought for my reasoning, but found my brain wasn’t quite working, “Because you’re a criminal! And I’m – I’m not…” I finished lamely.

He laughed at my pathetic attempt of justification. “Doll, you don’t have to be a criminal to work for me – besides you’re practically doing good.” He said slyly – “think of all the people you’re saving by helping me – and you’re not even losing me any money, so I don’t care.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

I desperately searched my mind. I couldn’t have this job, I knew that, but he was speaking sense - I was kind of helping people by working for the criminal, in a mixed up twisted way. There had to be a comeback to that, but my mind was mush.

“I – I already have a job!” I pointed out.

“I’ll pay you more.” J said, simply.

I sighed, “It’s not for the money – that is my own company, it’s worth more than any amount of money.”

“Last time I checked, doll, it was your husband’s business – at least that’s what everyone been saying.” He said slyly, knowing that would make me react, but I’m not sure he realised how much of a stab in my chest that was. Something snapped in me at that and, taking J completely by surprise, I violently wrenched my hand free from his grip and stormed out of the room to the only other place I had access to - The bathroom.

I slammed the door behind me and sat with my back against the door – as it had no lock – and felt the boiling rage quickly subside into a hot flood of tears and I was soon sobbing into my hands.

It had been a fear of mine that when the merger between my company and Mathew’s had taken place I would lose my company to the man, but the contract had seemed so clear - that though the companies had merged, there was still two distinct sides – his and mine. The two companies still existed separately but we took the same losses and gains together – a close knit team like I thought our marriage was supposed to be. But I also thought our marriage would mean that much to Mathew, that he would value me more as a person than a business partner – and that he would notice – and care – about my feelings towards my company, the struggles to build it and make it thrive, and exactly the reason why I hadn’t wanted a complete merger of the two businesses.

Clearly not if he was now actively encouraging people to believe it was all his company. Especially people who still seemed to be believe that women were no more than pretty trinkets on a man’s sleeve.

Eventually the tears subsided, though I still felt raw and my temper didn’t feel far from the surface. I wasn’t just mad at Mathew now – though he was the person I was most fuming at – but I was mad at the whole of society for thinking they could do this to me and get away with it. They had known me before I was Mathews wife, they knew me to be the powerful business woman I had been before the rings and ‘I dos’, they knew, as well as Mathew did, what that company meant to me, yet they’d happily call it his the minute we were an item. Like I was suddenly inconsequential.

I clenched my hands into fists, gritting my teeth together. I wished they were in this room with me right now, I would like to punch their smug, painted faces. I growled at myself, trying to find another outlet for the rage.

I hadn’t heard J move on the other side of the door for a while and I wondered if he’d left - yet I wasn’t sure I had heard the bedroom door go either – but I might have drowned it out under all of my sobbing.

I got to my feet, catching a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror, grimacing in disgust and splashing water on my face in a poor attempt to make myself slightly more presentable before I went back out.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I found J staring out my window at the snow that seemed to constantly fall at the moment.

“Not much of a view, is it doll?” He observed, his eyes not leaving the grimy glass. I didn’t say anything in return, stood awkwardly and still sniffling slightly, whilst J was on the other side of the large bed to me. We stood silently together for a moment, me watching him, whilst he kept his eyes on the window.

“I’ll pay you double.” J said eventually, repeating the offer from earlier.

“No.” I said, walking over to the wardrobe and pulling out the bag of money. I moved back to my original position and threw it on the bed between us. “You’ll that that back” I negotiated, “and I’ll take the money you’re making off those people from my ‘kidnapping’.”

His eyes snapped to money when it landed on the bed, but they moved to my face. His face was deadly serious and seemed to be surveying my face, running through my demands. He moved slowly and deliberately around the bed until he stood in front of me. “Deal.” He said with a wide grin, holding out a hand for me to shake.

I eyed his pale, muscular hand warily, my eyes lingering on the ink painting his skin. My eyes flicked up to his icy blue ones. “Strictly Business?” I asked firmly, think back to the kiss and his teasing, let alone the eyes that were now piercing mine.

“Strictly business.” Agreed the Joker with a sinister grin. But I trusted him. And I gripped his hand.

tags: @carouselcurls @aqswdefrgthzjukilop @toxic-ink @viraldragonrider @6fish6 @arkhamsurviour @theartistdetective @white-chocolate-mocha-fan @blondieinthecity

[princess--cynthia]

DANCING || THREAD ARCHIVE

Participant(s): Cynthia, @deintegro​ / Robin

Words: 6,325

Type: S-Support

Summary: At Lissa’s debutante ball, Cynthia grows tired of keeping her relationship with Robin a secret, as well as the constant racism her boyfriend is plagued by.

Content Warning: Self-Harm, Negative Thoughts

Cynthia groaned and resisted the urge to kick off her shoes when she settled against the wall, taking a glass from the table with fairly bad temper. At least there was good food - but gods above, she wished that she could at least have a chance to interact with her family. Instead, she’d been intercepted by minor noble after minor noble - all trying to worm their way into the royal family, most likely. One had even had the gall to attempt a bond with her by insulting Robin, which had almost resulted in her slapping him.

She wished that they’d been allowed to enter together, be announced together, and so on - but they hadn’t told anyone yet, and after today’s reception of Robin and the other Plegian guests was any indication that may have been a good idea. She’d just need to swallow it for now, they could bring it up a year later or so.

Still…he was a guest of honor. He was a friend of the family. And if Cynthia didn’t dance with somebody eventually, she’d start to be drawing suspicious looks. Forcing the smile off of her face - she was doing this out of duty, after all - she wrapped her shawl back around her arms and sighed as she stepped into the crowd and made her way towards the tactician in his red-and-brown outfit (what was that anyway? A suit with a heavily decorated cape?), deflecting the various guests intercepting her with smiles and cheap excuses before she finally found herself next to her secret boyfriend. An audible sigh would get his attention, and a tug on his sleeve guaranteed it.

“You look nice.” She smiled once he turned, tilting her head and shifting her shawl further up her arms. The damn thing was getting tangled all the time, which was irritating - even if it did tie the outfit together.

“Are you going to ask me to dance?”

The whole experience was proving to be quite overwhelming. He had read extensively on the accepted etiquette and social graces, and committed a long list of Ylissean social faux-pas to memory, and while Robin was by all definitions a quick learner (especially under the threat of another crack of Maribelle’s parasol across his knuckles), even he found the sheer amount of information to be staggering.

He learned, almost immediately, how to plaster on and maintain that distant smile that the peerage seemed all too accustomed to wearing. The tactician managed to keep up with his façade, even before those who felt it necessary to toss back-handed insults his way. Sadly, despite the nature of the event, Robin found himself on the receiving end of many scornful comments that evening. As painful as some of those comments were, Robin grit his teeth an bore it, this evening was one to commemorate Lissa’s début after all.  

A gentle tugging at his sleeve broke the man out of his thoughts. “You look nice.” the comment came from no other but Cynthia, who Robin thought was far more deserving of the compliment than he was.

Clumsily throwing a gloved hand over his reddening face, Robin mumbled a compliment in return. He had to admit, it wasn’t very often that he had the opportunity to see Cynthia dressed quite so extravagantly - it was nice actually, very nice. “You, really do look lovely,” he repeated, just in case his word wound up getting caught between his fingers the first time around.

He wanted to say more, but he feared that if he was overheard, that his statements may cause a few eyebrows to rise.  “Are you going to ask me to dance?”

Cynthia’s prompt coaxed a smile from Robin, who immediately dipped into a deep bow and gently pressed the back of her hand against his lips. As he did so, he could imagine Maribelle’s fingerings curling to grip at her deadly weapon parasol as she coolly reminded him that perfect politeness concealed preference, and to do otherwise would be highly disagreeable. However, it was difficult for Robin to maintain a proper distance between himself and his lover, and so, if he could manage it, he would bend the rules at any opportunity that presented itself to him. “May I have this dance?”

“You may.” Cynthia grinned, curtsying slightly and mumbling a muffled curse under her breath when she almost dropped her shawl as a result. It felt strange, being treated almost like a stranger by him - but it was nice, too. If only because being treated so formally by someone she actually liked was a refreshing change of pace from everyone else. She took his hand and stepped into pace with him, letting herself be led onto the dance floor and ignoring the whispers from the crowd.

“That filth…”

“I didn’t realize the standards of the alleged ‘hero’ were so low.”

“As if they actually like each other. This is surely just army protocol, nothing more.”

Her nails dug into Robin’s wrist for a second, before she forced herself to relax and shook her head again with a quiet apology. A deep breath was taken, stopping herself from staring over his shoulder and looking at his face instead.

“You’re still blushing, you know. It’s cute.” Cynthia giggled, stumbling over the end of her dress for a moment but catching herself anyway. She sighed when another group of whispering noblewomen passed her peripheral vision, shaking her head.

“…have they been treating you okay?” She whispered under her breath, concern in her eyes as a thumb traced over the back of his hand. “You can tell me if they haven’t.”

Robin was more than aware of the whispered insults when he lead Cynthia onto the dance floor. Venomous words spoken in a hushed that flew  from the lips of offended nobles to the itching ears of those in the Ylissean court who made drama and gossip their life’s bread and butter. Even if the shape of their words lay hidden behind a strategically placed fan, the look in their eyes was crystal clear. Robin was not welcome and they intended to make sure in their own subtle way that he knew it. He shook his head mournfully and tried returning his focus to the dance as he scrambled to move in time to the music.

“You’re still blushing, you know. It’s cute.”

Cynthia’s comment caught Robin off guard, causing him to trip over his own feet. It was only by the grace of Naga that he managed to catch his footing and maintain his composure. The woman’s cheeks reddened slightly as she laughed, a pleasant sound that complimented the lively tune that played in the background. How was he supposed to reply? He certainly didn’t feel “cute” what with his clumsy feet and skin that crawled under painfully foreign clothing. “I-I don’t know. I’m really not used to wearing this sort of th–,”

“…have they been treating you okay?” she whispered, looking up at him with a disquieted expression, “You can tell me if they haven’t.”

Cynthia’s lips barely moved, but her eyes spoke volumes. She didn’t need to elaborate further on who “they” were. Robin knew perfectly well of whom she spoke. Through the material of his gloves, he could feel Cynthia tracing circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. From the way her hand shook, he could tell that it bothered her and that even if he had chosen not to answer, she already knew that the tactician was not being well-received. Robin sighed and lead his partner away from the ring of guests who hovered about the group of dancers - a safe distance was best in case the princess were to suddenly have a conniption.

“I really wouldn’t concern myself with them. My being what I am…this sort of thing really can’t be helped. Besides, ” he said, adding in an awkward laugh in hopes of minimizing the issue all together, “tonight’s comments are really tame compared to the rumours that have been spread about me in the past.”

Cynthia couldn’t help but giggle when he tripped, even if she grew serious again immediately afterwards. It was obvious that this was getting to him, even if he assured her that that wasn’t the case. She hated this - hated the fact that he felt the need to hide his feelings from her in such a manner, trying to make light of the situation. He was getting better about it, that was for sure, but…it was upsetting.

Not to mention angering. The mere idea of him being used to it shook her to her core, made her back stiffen and breath quicken with anger as she thought more and more about it. It just wasn’t fair - she’d found someone she was willing to spend the rest of her life with, and he was alienated and pushed to the side by almost everyone she encountered. The fact that they kept their relationship secret hurt her, even as she understood the necessity - even beyond the fact that her father would murder them (or have a heart attack, the odds were pretty even), the political ramifications were…unbearable.

“You’re not a what, Robin. You’re a person.” She insisted, pulling him slightly closer to her. A plan was starting to form in her head, one that was likely a poor idea - it was impulsive, and stupid, and a thousand other things. Maybe she should cut it off, be satisfied with the idea of getting them in the middle of the dance floor and force everyone to see them together. A small part of her made her feel guilty for planning to potentially ruin her Aunt Lissa’s big day.

It wasn’t enough to stop her.

“Fuck politics.” Cynthia mumbled under her breath, realizing that the room had started to fall deathly quiet as everyone stared at them. She stood up on the tip of her toes, enough to make her overcome their height difference and stand taller for a moment as she smiled and spoke clearly. “I love you.”

Cynthia kissed Robin on the lips, the clear initiator to anyone watching, and in the back of her mind she could have sworn she heard a shriek or two mixed in with the gasps. She didn’t care - this was more important to her.

In retrospect, he should have noted the subtle changes in Cynthia’s demeanour - the way her posture suddenly adopted a more rigid quality and the barely perceptible flaring of her nostrils as her breath quickened. Robin should have taken note of these changes and interpreted them as what they really were: signs that Cynthia was seething and was about to lose her battle against the torrential force of her raging emotions.

From the tactician’s experience with the young woman, he observed that Cynthia was many things, and among those things, was a dangerous tendency toward impulsivity.

He should have heeded those warning signs.

Robin failed to catch whatever it was the princess muttered as the song reached its conclusion and the noise in the lavish ballroom tapered off into still hush. Apart from the occasional clicking of heels against the floor and murmurs exchanged between dancers, onlookers, and those milling  about at the far ends of the hall - an uncanny silence had fallen over the room. It was so strange in fact, that  Robin couldn’t help but crane his neck to look around  to see if anything was the matter.

At the same time, Cynthia rose up on the balls of her feet, temporarily closing their difference in height and regarded Robin with an expression of pure yearning and admiration. The corners of the princess’ lips curled up into a sweet smile, her eyes lighting up to match before speaking in a loud and clear voice, “I love you.”

He wanted to warn her, to tell her that she should speak more quietly in case someone near them would overhear - but he couldn’t get a single word off his tongue. It was not a question of being shy or having a his tongue all wound up in knots, for at the moment his lips were occupied with something else…or rather someone else. Robin could feel his heart plunging into the pit of his stomach and his body freeze as the reality of what was transpiring finally made itself known to him.

She was kissing him!

Before all those in attendance, Cynthia, princess and daughter to the crown prince, was kissing him, the filthy Plegian interloper.

Against his better judgement, Robin allowed his gaze to travel along the great wall of horrified faces and felt his face grow hot. The way some of the nobles looked upon them - upon her - made him feel ill beyond description. After what seemed like an eternity, Robin finally regained command of his body and frantically moved to sever their embrace.

Wide-eyed and pale faced, Robin held Cynthia away from him at arm’s length. He could feel his legs trembling beneath him as a flurry of worst-case scenarios flooded his mind and dominated his thoughts. The youth stumbled back a few paces and brought his hands to his mouth. He was completely at a loss for words.

How would he explain this? How could he explain this?

Cynthia knew she was making a mistake, and she felt her heart drop to her stomach when Robin froze up. Gods, she’d been so foolish, hoping that he’d at least try to act along with her. It’d been stupid, and rash, and such a childish decision - all things that she’d been trying to avoid since coming back, trying desperately to move away from the girl she used to be and become someone her family could be proud of.

Not only had she ruined that ideal, she may have just cost herself the man she loved. Robin pulling away, at first still holding onto her, she could deal with that - but as he stumbled back a few paces, she felt like her skin was on fire and she was breathing ice, eyes widening and threatening to fill with tears. She’d been an idiot, there wasn’t any doubt about that.

Gods, she hoped she could fix it.

“I’m sorry.” Cynthia said in a quiet, strangled voice that was trying to hold back a sob as she stared at her trembling lover, starting to shake as well. She felt like her world was falling apart all over again, and tucked one hand under her right shoulder as she glanced at the ground. “I was - I was just so sick of hiding us. We shouldn’t need to.”

It was a feeble defense, one that echoed through the stunned and silent hall. Cynthia wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take, and finally her spirit broke and she did the one thing she could - she gathered her shawl up in her hands, and fled, hunting for somewhere quiet and isolated, where she could reflect on her mistakes.

She shouldn’t have done this. She’d ruined the dance. She’d ruined everything.

Cynthia’s heart rending apology, delivered with voice that threatened to break as she fought back against a fit of violent sobs, terrified him. Gone was the light that once adorned the princess’ smiling eyes. In mere moments, the usually resilient woman had been replaced by a visibly shaken girl who was forced to relive the memory of having had everything ruthlessly torn away from her.

All of the precautions, the forced illusions of indifference, the lies, and the secrets - all of it was to protect her, to shield her from harm and ridicule. Yet with the woman Robin loved standing encircled by a ring of beasts ready to pounce on a wounded animal, with her shoulders curled inward and her spirit on the verge of collapsing in on itself, it was painfully obvious that despite his intentions, his choice of tactics had failed.

It had seemed that Cynthia had finally taken all of the shame that she could bear before breaking, and in an instant, she gathered up her shawl into a crumpled mess into her arms and bolted for the nearest exit. Robin had been taken aback by her sudden flight but immediately took off into a run to bridge the distance between himself and Cynthia’s retreating form.  

There wasn’t time to apologize to those that the tactician had carelessly knocked as he passed in pursuit of his now ’not-so-secret-lover’. In truth, trivial things like politesse and proper decorum had not even crossed his mind. She didn’t have to face the maelstrom by herself. He wouldn’t allow it.

“Cynthia! Please don’t!”

An arm shot out, desperately grabbing at the princess. When his fingers closed in tightly around her forearm Robin yanked and pulled the woman in toward him. He held Cynthia against his chest, his arms tightly wound about her slight form. Robin didn’t have to see her face to know that she was distraught. Her ears burned in a deep shade of red and he could feel her heart galloping madly from within the lattice that formed her rib cage. Even as he held her like this, he wondered how far Cynthia slipped away.

Robin gulped, the lump occupying his throat making the action of  swallowing almost painful. “Cynthia,” he repeated the woman’s name, his voice cracking beneath the weight of his guilt, “we’ll take our leave for the evening but we can talk about this if you want. Alright?”

It was not at all advisable for either of them to stay any longer. As the next song played, it had seemed as though the organizers had moved quickly to sweep the drama under the rug, yet with all of the residual confusion and emotional tension, Robin thought that it was best to leave properly confronting Chrom and Sumia until morning. At the moment, his priority was taking care of Cynthia and together, picking up the pieces and arranging them into something that made sense.

Cynthia let out a sob as she rested her head against his chest, shoulders shuddering as she did so. Gods, she was so lucky that he’d been the kind of person to follow her - she almost felt disgusted with herself that she thought he’d break up with her over this.

“Alright.” She said quietly when he said they’d leave, still standing still. Her hands were latched onto his shoulders like a vice, not wanting to let him pull away from her yet. She didn’t think she’d be able to stand the sensation of him leaving her, not in the condition she was in right now. “…I’m sorry, Robin. I’m so sorry.”

Eventually - it must have only been a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity - as she let go of him, taking a pace away as her hands strayed down his sleeves to grip his hands with a forced giggle. “I think I ruined your nice shirt with tears and stuff, Robin. Sorry.”

Even the moment of forced levity couldn’t bring her out of her mood for long, though, as she sniffed and looked around desperately for a handkerchief or something she could use other than the ends of her shawl. “…I think I need to sit down for a bit. Can I use the armchair in your office?”

Robin had never known Cynthia to be one to sob openly. She always managed to  reel-in her ugly emotions and soldiered on, choosing to invest her energy in doing whatever needed to be done for a better future - ‘just as a hero would’. It was not to say that crying made her any less of a hero - not in Robin’s eyes - but to witness the woman in his arms so broken and distraught was heart-breaking.

“It’s alright,” he murmured softly in response to her muffled apology, “It will be okay, I assure you.”

Slowly, very slowly, Cynthia released Robin’s shoulders and with a hollow laugh, she took a step back from the tactician.  “I think I ruined your nice shirt with tears and stuff, Robin. Sorry.”

Confused at what she was talking about, the youth looked down to the damage in question. Cynthia’s tears had caused her eye makeup to run, as evidenced by the dark splotches dotting his shirt and the streaks that stained the princess’s pale face. “Oh this?” Robin smiled warmly while gesturing to the small mess, “ I’m sure that this can be washed out, but I was never particularly fond of this outfit and I don’t foresee having to wear it again anytime soon. Please don’t worry about it.”

“…I think I need to sit down for a bit. Can I use the armchair in your office?”

While, the tactician could easily dismiss the accident, his reassurance seemed to offer little comfort to Cynthia, whose glistening eyes seemed to suggest another round of tears about to come on. As the woman fumbled about her person for something to blot her tear-stained cheeks, Robin conducted a quick search of his own. When his pockets came up empty, the tactician slipped his gloves off his hands and gently swiped a stray tear away from Cynthia’s eyelid with the pad of his thumb. Smiling warmly, with one hand, he unfastened his cravat  and pulled the length of fabric from his neck before offering it to Cynthia. “Of course you can. The study they’ve assigned me here isn’t too far off and here, use this,” Robin said, pressing the white silk into her hands, “don’t worry about messing it up, it will have to do for now.”

On the way to his temporary office, while the two traversed the summer palace’s corridors in silence, Robin made a point of giving Cynthia’s hand a small squeeze on occasion - if only to remind her that he was still there. It was not too long before the couple arrived at a set of doors hidden away at the end of a wing. The tactician pushed the doors to his office open and waited for Cynthia to step in before him. With the setting of the sun long past, the narrow room hand been bathed in darkness. Robin raised his arm and reached into the dark with his left hand. Not a moment later, small fire-like orbs burst into life at his finger tips and then flew off the light the candles and lamps that lay about the study.

With the area now adequately lit, Robin shut the office door behind him and then lead Cynthia to the winged armchair behind his desk. He shrugged off his coat and draped it about the now seated Cynthia’s shoulders before making his way to the table at the far end of the room to pour them some wine from a crystal decantour.

With his own glass in hand, Robin placed Cynthia’s down on his desk  in front of her. What had happened that night had left Robin feeling awful. It wasn’t only a matter of a simple misunderstanding, but rather his disregard for Cynthia’s means to cope and his own hypocrisy. After taking a sip of his wine, the tactician regarded his princess with a mournful expression and swallowed, “I-I only wanted to protect you from the scorn of others - I had never meant to hurt you like this. This was really my fault, I shouldn’t have decided for you…I’m just…I’m really sorry Cynthia.”

“Hey. I liked the shirt.” Cynthia pouted slightly as he dismissed it, running one finger along a seam. “I thought it made you look kind of dashing, but…”

She shrugged and let him guide her towards the office, her shoulders slumping in relief when she realized that he wasn’t planning to leave her alone again. It had been a foolish thought, but it had crossed her mind for a second - that he’d think she’d want to be alone right now, or something like that. It just wasn’t the kind of thing she’d be able to face right now, gods above she didn’t even want to think about anything right now. Being left alone with her thoughts had always been something Cynthia hated, and if she was left with these ones she wasn’t sure what she’d do with them.

“I liked the other office better.” She grumbled, continuing to try and put some levity into her voice, even though she couldn’t quite hide the bitter sadness she really felt. She shuddered slightly when he lit the lamps, letting him guide her to the chair and pausing to wrap his cloak around her tighter, closing her eyes for a moment as she breathed his lingering scent in.

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine.” Cynthia said after a moment, staring at the glass on the table with a conflicted look in her eyes. “…you were just trying to make sure I didn’t get hurt. Me? I was just being selfish again. I didn’t want to hide us, I wanted people to know…I didn’t ask you.”

She giggled, but it was a dark and bitter sound. She’d started this day looking so beautiful, feeling that way properly for once even with Lucina there to overshadow her. Now she could feel the makeup running, the shawl tangled and stretched, her dress stained with tears and spilled wine - it looked like a reminder, that whoever she’d tried to be tonight wasn’t really her. She wasn’t beautiful, she wasn’t special and she sure as hell wasn’t mature. The emotions spilled over into her actions, and before she could stop herself she’d slammed the glass into the table with the back of her hand, shattering it and spilling the wine everywhere. A few cuts trailed blood down her wrist as she tucked herself up on the chair, knees tight against her chest and hands covering her eyes.

“I’m such a child.”

Cynthia’s laughter rang out in the dead silence of the study, the sombre tone leaving Robin paralyzed and his tongue frozen behind his lips. By the golden light cast by the flickering candle flames,  Robin saw a defeated woman teetering on the edge of collapse,  and although Cynthia sat only a few paces away, she seemed so far away. The contrast between the wild, and  desperate look in her eyes and the ornaments of high society that enrobed her quivering form was difficult to take in. He could only watch as Cynthia mentally grappled with her feelings, with the pain, vulnerability, and the fear. There had to be something that he could do - that he could say. “Cynthia, that isn’t–”

The sudden crash of shattering glass caused Robin to wince - his eyes clamping shut as dictated by his reflexes. After the tinkling of scattering shards passed, an uncomfortable silence followed. A part of him wished that Cynthia would suddenly burst into tears and start sobbing violently - evening yelling would have sat with the tactician better than this suffocating quiet.

“I’m such a child.” Robin heard her say at last, the venomous tone her voice temporarily donned when she spat out that last word causing him to flinch.

The sight that greeted him when he finally opened his eyes had his blood run cold. Although Cynthia had taken to curling up like one desperately praying to disappear on his chair, the smattering of fresh blood dotting her dress and snaking along her forearms was heart-breaking. Biting back a curse, Robin rushed over to the young woman’s side and gently pried her arm out from her self-spun cocoon. With his other hand he reached for his cravat that lay discarded on his desk and carefully dabbed away the blood that had pooled at the site of her injuries.

The cuts themselves, to Robin’s relief, were rather superficial, but it wasn’t the first time that he found himself wishing for a gift for the healing arts. With a sigh, he passed the silk over Cynthia’s hand a couple of times before finishing the make-shift bandage with a secure knot.

“…And what really separates an adult from a child?”

The question was something that Robin had struggled to understand on several occasions. Sometimes he would conclude that the two were really no different, that the thing that truly marked the difference between a boy and a man was a heart made hard from the choice to grow insensitive - and was such a condition really to be considered an improvement?

“To be honest with you,” he began as he took the princess into his arms and shifted her onto his lap as he slipped into the winged chair, “you were not the only one who wanted to be close. Why do you think that I was so eager to dance with you…it was the closest I could get after all. Had I the courage, I may have ended up doing exactly what you did.”

Robin took Cynthia’s hands in his and rested his chin on her shoulder. The situation was indeed trying but he had to admit that his approach complicated matters much more than necessary. “But really Cynthia, I must apologize. Of all the times I’ve spoken of working together, as a team, and I’ve gone ahead and acted without so much as consulting you. Even worse, my motivations were driven by the thing you resent the most about those of us from your past. I thought that I should protect you, because I assumed that you couldn’t endure the potential fallout…and for that, I am so sorry.”

Cynthia sniffled, moving from her own hands to Robin’s shoulder. She couldn’t stand this, any of the lies and secrecy. It wasn’t who she was, and she was just sick of it.The fact that Robin was insisting the situation was his fault - she wasn’t sure how to take it. She could see how he could see it that way, but in her emotional state right now she just wasn’t sure how to handle that idea. It was her fault, her actions that drove them to this - like she said, Robin was just trying to keep them both safe.

“I’m sorry too.” She clutched her hand to her stomach, thankful for the bandage if nothing else. It wasn’t really sore, more of a persistent sting than anything else. It was a reminder that she could just be too impulsive for her own good, too rash.

“I love you.” Cynthia said, her voice muffled by Robin’s shoulder. Her fingers gripped onto his arm like a vice, as if her world would just fall apart again if she let go. “…I…I really don’t want to be alone tonight, Robin.”

The strangled ‘I love you’ against Robin’s shoulder came with a set of slender fingers that wrapped themselves tightly about his arm. With her face nestled against his shoulder, Cynthia clung onto the tactician much like a poor soul struggling to keep their head above water would a floating piece of driftwood when lost at sea. She held onto him as though he were her one and only life line, at a time in which the rolling waves of her emotions were simply too much. “I love you too,” Robin murmured with a gentle squeeze, “so much.”

Never before had he heard her sound so scared. When Cynthia spoke, her voice would waver and threatened to break between every couple of words. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin noticed that Cynthia’s knuckles had begun to blanche - the blood having been forced away by how tightly she had grasped his arm. “Cynthia,” he slid his fingers under the woman’s chin and left them to rest gently on the soft flesh of the v of her jaw, “it will be alright. We’ll make this work - I promise.”

In the silence that followed, Robin tilted Cynthia’s head back and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Her lips felt somewhat cold against his own - a startling symptom of the emotional and physical shock that she must have endured. If kisses could mend aching hearts and warm dampened spirits, Robin would kiss Cynthia everywhere and without hesitation. Of course, that sort of thing It was only magical thinking but Robin found his lips leaving sympathetic kisses upon Cynthia’s reddened nose and eyelids.

“You’re not alone you know,” he informed as he cupped the teary eyed princess’ face in his hands, “I’m with you and we’re going to figure this out together. We’ll meet with your parents tomorrow and I am going to need you by my side.”

Barely perceptible under the dim light offered by gradually shrinking candles was a grim smile. The tactician was noted for his genius, but surviving the inevitable confrontation with the man he called best friend and father to his lover unscathed required something akin to divine providence. Although he was hardly what one would call a pious man, Robin silently prayed that the Gods would be so generous as to tip the scales in their favour.

“Did you want us to retire to your room, or would you rather spend the evening here? Either way, I’ll be with you.”

“Thank you.” Cynthia said, her voice muffled. She didn’t sound upset anymore, so much as tired - even reflected in her body, as her hands loosened around his arms and her shoulders seemed to perk up slightly. “Oh, gods, my parents are going to KILL us.”

A moment to think, and Cynthia was sitting up straight, panic having driven the exhaustion out of her for now. “Oh, gods, LUCINA is going to kill ME. You she’s going to take her TIME with.”

Staring at the wall rather than her lover’s face, a series of increasingly complex and overdramatic demises for the two of them flew through her mind, causing her to slump back in the chair and glance at the ceiling.

“…they’ll look for me in my room. Can we barricade this office just in case? I’m not talking to them half-awake.”

Robin then came to realize that Cynthia finally slipped out of his grasp and became lost to him - just not in the way he had initially feared. Depression induced lethargy fizzled away in an instant, and the princess began listing one ridiculous - or so Robin desperately believed - scenario after another, her lips moving at speeds that didn’t seem to sync up with the words that rushed past them. First they would be killed, then her, and then finally Cynthia rambled on as to how Robin would end up suffering a slow death by the hands of her older sister.

Then there was nothing.

Robin, who was still very much taken aback by Cynthia’s abrupt switch in mood found himself just as much at a loss for words as she. The woman on his lap sat gazing blankly at the wall lying directly behind their chair, her hazel eyes clouding over as if the revelation that was beginning to dawn on her was somehow scrawled out onto that wall in an ink that only she could see.

‘Gods, the stress and the trauma had finally taken its toll on the poor woman.’

“…they’ll look for me in my room.“ she finally intoned, her voice, although distant carried a hint of urgency.

”‘They’? What are you talking about Cynthia?“ he placed his hands firmly on Cynthia’s slight shoulders he gave her a gentle shake, "Do you mean your parents?”  

“Can we barricade this office just in case? I’m not talking to them half-awake.”

Robin was no stranger to Cynthia’s sometimes far-fetched requests, and so, while he knew that she was being entirely serious about blocking off the entrance it wasn’t at all the most outlandish thing he heard her say. Another sigh, one that had his shoulders drooping in time with his breath. "I understand your concern…but I don’t think that will be necessary. I mean, if blocking off the doorway eases your mind then I suppose that we could…but I fear that doing so would only make things look worse than they have to.”

He took his coat that had since been forgotten and left to pool about Cynthia’s waist and draped the heavy fabric over her shoulders, “If anything, I think that you need to rest. This isn’t really the best place for sleeping but there is a fainting couch over there that you can curl up on if you like. I personally don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep, but I’ll be here with you.”

"Okay. Okay. Sleep, that sounds good.” Cynthia breathed, running a hand through her hair. Gods, she knew she’d overreacted, but…well, there wasn’t really an excuse. Whatever mental or emotional state she was in right now was clearly messing with her ability to stay balanced, and she kept swinging from one extreme to another on a dime. It must be exhaustion playing havoc with whatever kept her rational, so she could deal with that.

Standing up, she jarred the chair under the doorhandle before grabbing Robin by the shoulder and half-dragging him over to the fainting couch. Keeping a tight grip on his hand, she fell onto said couch, knees reflexively tucking up into her stomach as she rolled onto her side. There wasn’t room on it for the two of them, even if one slept on top of the other, so she slowly and reluctantly let go of his hand.

“Just promise me you’re not going to leave me alone.” Cynthia said miserably as the exhaustion of the day finally started to catch up to her, eyes blurring with tears as they started to close. “Not ever…”

With that, she passed into sleep, arm drooping off the side of the couch. She didn’t even seem to stop to dream, just completely shifting off the conscious coil minutes after lying down, and likely would stay that way until morning.

[kisaragizan]

Cardfight Anime Fights: Before and Now. [Vanguard Rant]

I guess this would be my first rant about something. Kinda weird that I’m even typing this now but it’s something that’s been on my mind for the last few days, partly because I’ve been re-watching old vanguard episodes from pre-G to G series, trying to understand the game’s evolution and nostalgia. I’m going to split this rant into two categories: Pre-G and G-Series for obvious reasons. I’m willing to include a potential top 3-5 favorite fights but this isn’t a top tens list. So here I go!

Pre-Generation Fights

So Pre-Generation will consist of Seasons 1-4. Yes I’m even including the Legion arc despite how negatively received it was by fans for subpar narrative story and the fights, even the format in real time just being undeveloped. When I think back to Pre-G Fights, I remember looking and watching all of the fights with a bit of involvement as a viewer. Each play is thoroughly shown and you can even hypothesize and theorize scenarios if any of the players did something differently, especially if they made errors in guarding or misplay (unless it was for narrative purpose like Tetsu not calling Amon R to rear and just defeating Ren). I feel as though this era of fights up until season 3 showed a level of skill and showed characters individually by their own play and deck styles. Kai overpowers and beats down his opponents during grade 3 ride while Ren minimizes their resources by killing off rears at the last second, so on and so forth. I enjoy watching these fights the most because it pulls me into the fight. Earlier in the day, I watched Ren vs Aichi at the Vanguard Highschool Championship Qualifier, and noticed that Aichi could’ve won on the same turn in two different ways:  >>One was protecting 9k Rear Guard with 2 10k Shields in hand, following his break ride and callling his 7k grade 1 booster behind something and done the same play: 16k Rear, 33k Vanguard, 19k rear (from break ride and critical trigger power), and Blaster Blade being 16k.  >>Alternatively, he could’ve called his trigger behind a rear guard and had another 24k rear guard which would’ve required 15k shield which Ren did not have.  Now I’m not mad at Aichi at all, but the animators did a good job animating the fight well enough for fighters to see potential missed plays or errors if they paid attention to fight beyond a narrative perspective. There are many more examples like this even in scenarios where it would appear someone cheated but if you follow the game and guarding, it still would’ve equated to the same result (aka when Leon made Tidal attack rear for fourth battle when Tetra-drive requires the 4th to be at the vanguard, Leon could’ve just boosted the 3rd attack and Koutei could’ve just intercepted, same value.) But my point in bringing it up is that these fights had a lot more to offer and take from if viewed from a fighters perspective. The little details put into the fight, showing how a fighter played, how they built their deck, what tactics they used, and most importantly how the fight ended. How a fight ends is equally important because outside of knowing from foreshadowing narration, I like not knowing who will win or seeing someone who is skilled at the game beat down their opponent in a fitting gap of ability (these matches you can look back when Kai just destroys anyone he fights in any of the tournaments). Normally we have the cliche moment of the “Situation Card has appeared!” or the “Top deck win”, however it was done in a way that didn’t just seem like the opponent was completely obliterated and had no chance to stop it. How the player took advantage of their “Situational Card” made the difference from it being a “lucky sack” to a “lucky pro play”. I’ll explain more on this in the G-series segment but a good example of this would be when Leon fought Asaka in episode 116. He was in a tough spot but made the most of his situation and won. A beautiful example of a good anime Vanguard fight. So, before I talk about the G-Series Fights, I’ll go ahead and list my top 5 fights in no particular order.

5. Leon vs Daigo 4. Kai vs Kyou (Season 1) 3. Leon vs Koutei (Most of Reverse Koutei’s fights to be honest) 2. Aichi vs Ren (Season 3 & 2 are tied) 1. Kai vs Ren (Season 3)

G-Series Fights

Cardfight Vanguard G anime fights are... a complete mess. I try to watch the fights from a fighters perspective but there are only a few fights where I am able to actively engage myself as a fighter rather than for story. I’ll say this hands down, G-Series has no good anime fights whatsoever with Chrono. Compared to Aichi where he loses but then in other fights you’re like “I don’t know if he’ll win”, that suspense doesn’t exist with Chrono. He wins every fight except gag fights or when they need to show off a new antagonist, which, I understand this is the trend for the protagonist to win as much as they can, which is why I didn’t watch Aichi a lot until about Season 2 where he’d lose a lot of the tournament matches and then improved and started taking wins (and even then he’d still lose from time to time: aka Kai and Ren in Season 3). Chrono takes it to a whole new level, mind you, Chrono is a beginner. Season 1 of G was okay because Chrono started off strong (despite being a beginner) and I gave him the benefit of the doubt of having a fighters sense to strive and improve, which was shown more ferociously than Aichi. However, it was shattered in G GIRS Crisis (season 2, pretty much) where his reign of terror beats even the best of Vanguard from Pre-G. I know the plot was that they needed to win every G-Quest to have Generation Master Titles. Which was dumb. (Well just now looking at the wiki, they needed 50 or more points for Generation Master however 6 Branches, 10 points each. Do math.) Ok, so they won every match, at least the fights were good right? Wrong. The fights themselves are short and rushed and only seem to matter after each players first stride. Sure each game starts the same of riding your grades 1/2/3, however, that’s 5 turns before the first stride appears, you mean that everyone is playing the same and not rushing their opponent down to 3-4 damage? Back in Pre-G, people would be beaten down to 4 or sometimes 5 before their grade 3 ride. Okay so early game is inaccurate or well non-existent, but surely the turns post-Stride/Generation Break are worth it? You’d be wrong again. The game usually ends by the protagonists 2nd/3rd stride, otherwise their opponents third stride will end the game for them. Plus there seems to be a lack of detail for effects unless a unit contributes to the winning turn or to make an emphasis on the opponents ability to defend (or lack of ability to defend: aka showing perfect guards in drive check before the next stride has a guard restrict ability). Plus the fights don’t really show much detail on the fighters own play style, you see their builds and their strides, but nothing on if they’re aggressive or defensive outside of the units they play. The biggest example I can think of is when Chrono fought Leon. For all intents and purposes, Chrono honestly should’ve lost that fight, 0 cards in hand, 1 G3 rear. He topped deck the ability to stride and drove check a critical in both attacks from Nextage and Chronojet. I... don’t see how this is possible granted Leon should’ve had more cards in hand due to abilities of previously activated units. Don’t get me wrong, I know Pre-G has a few fights that are par with how bad this one was (certain top deck Grade 3 w/ no field, 5 open damage for cb5 +10 followed by double critical triggers comes to mind), but this is how most if not all of Chrono’s fights end against high level players. Take a look at any of his fights with Ibuki from the end of CF-G and on (minus when he didn’t have Chronojet). To make matters worse, I believe I brought up the topic of “situational cards”, well, there really isn’t any. Most characters just stride into their secondary/Generation Break 2 strides to end the game as if nothing happened. There’s not much though-processing when watching the characters stride because they just activate their effects as they continue, as though they’re on autopilot mode. Note: I’m not calling the strides or decks autopilot, I’m calling their fighters autopilot, Chrono the biggest one. It’s basically telling the other opponent, “Hey that was cool what you did and all, I might lose, but I’m not so time to win.” Before I wrap this up, I suppose I should mention my favorite fights and I’m gonna be honest, I don’t like much of them, they’ve gotten better in terms of Vanguard G-Next which I do give them credit for but it doesn’t have the same feel of watching it just for the cardfight, it’s just really to show off new units or for the narrative/plot. So... which fights or rather fighters do I like watching? Well in the intended order... 5. Shion Kiba 4. Mamoru Anjou 3. Kouji Ibuki 2. Tokoha Anjou 1. Jaime Alcaraz

Conclusion

For those who didn’t watch Yu-Gi-Oh! GX in the english dubbed, a quote from Zane Truesdale always sticks in my head in any card game. “Knowing how to use a card is different from playing a card.” It speaks a lot to me and shows who really knows what they’re doing and who is just being autonomous when it comes to playing the game. Watching Pre-G fights gives me an understanding that the characters knew how to use their cards properly and make the most of them in order to improve, rather than just playing it and hope it does a lot of damage. I believe that is the difference that makes the fights in the anime more interesting and more engaging in both a fighters perspective and narratives perspective as opposed to just jobbing everyone and only focus on what the fights mean for the plot. Like I said before, G-Series has stepped up in G-NEXT with their fights but it’s still not very detailed and very autonomous, even more so when characters don’t use the abilities of their units (certain Gold Paladin players come to mind when they don’t use their Generation Break 2 to guard.)  So that is my first ever rant about Vanguard. Again, this has been on my mind since I’ve been talking to a few friends about the game’s evolution and ended up talking about the anime, nostalgia was calling and sat down to watch some old episodes.

[rhinaespaillats]

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