#yes they didn’t make Steve rogers black but even the Captain America mantle being passed on was a lot for some

[lilhawkeye3]

Annabeth 🫱🏽‍🫲🏾 Captain America

educating white fans on how the same situations for them (for the white character) can have much more severe implications for non-white people (for the Black character)

[moonstruckbucky]

Always Been Yours [one-shot]

Summary: In which Steve knows more than he lets on.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader, former Steve Rogers x fem!Reader

Warnings: Light smut 18+, some post-Endgame angst, sadness, heartbreak, fluff

Notes: I’ve been wanting to write something post-Endgame, and I know there’s a lot of these out there, but who cares? We all have feelings after Endgame. Enjoy, kiddos. There’s some light smut in the beginning, and some more further down the line, but this is not PWP. But still you should be 18+.

You’d known what he was going to do before he’d even uttered the words, “Can we talk?” Steve Rogers is nothing if not totally predictable in the most selfless of ways, and even as he sits you down, takes your hands with that resigned, contemplative look on his face, you figure he deserves a little selfishness after so many years of self-sacrifice.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” you begin before he can choke out the words he knows will break your heart. There’s no crack in your voice, no sign that you’re a breath away from breaking, but there is an ache deep in your chest. Your smile is sad but wistful when he nods, ducking his head to avoid your eyes. “That trip through the Quantum Realm really did a number on you, didn’t it?”

Steve sighs, keeps your fingers locked between his as he sits back against the couch of the living room.

“I’ve never felt like I belonged in this time, you know that.” You nod. His eyes glaze over a bit, lost as he is in his memories. “I thought when Peggy…died, eight years ago, that was it. It was easy to…move on, so to speak, and then I met you, and you only made it easier, and I’ll always be grateful for that, for you.

But…seeing her, when we went back to 1970, knowing there was a chance I…I can’t lose her again.”

But you can lose me, your mind fills in, embittered by the statement even though you’ve seen this coming. You brush it away; you’ll have time to mourn your relationship later. For now, you can’t be selfish.

“Then you need to do what’s going to make you happy.” Your voice cracks this time, pressure building fast behind your eyes as your heart seems to finally get with the program. Steve looks at you, and his own eyes brim with tears.

His fingers are warm and soft over the backs of your hands and they skim up your arms to your neck, pull you close so you can press your foreheads together and breathe the same air, one more time. He squeezes his eyes closed and a glistening drop slips free, trailing down his face in a slow river, and another one quickly follows.

“Come on now, Cap,” you murmur, thumbs brushing the wetness away even as you swallow back a sob. His jaw wobbles with the effort of holding himself back, eyes pinching even more tightly closed.

His mouth is firm, demanding against yours when he pushes forward that extra inch. He tastes of his tears, salty sweet, and his weight is welcome when it presses you back into the couch. It’s a slow race to lose your clothing, hands inching slow across naked torsos to memorize every last detail. His hair is soft where it glides through your fingers as he pulls you apart with his mouth, his fingers, and finally the heavy heat of his cock as he slides into you in one deep, slow roll of his narrow hips.

The entire coupling is slow, torturous because you know it’s the end, but no less earth-shattering when he drops his entire weight, tucks his arms under your legs and angles his hips just there. White light flashes behind your eyes, your sobbing moan swallowed by his mouth as he kisses you, open-mouthed, hot, wet, all-consuming. It’s always like this between you and Steve, electric like a rogue powerline, stagnant static electricity threatening to black out the whole city. 

You just click.

Sweaty and sated, you lay tangled together against the plush couch, Steve’s head on your chest. There are no words between you, no need for them in the stillness of the room. Under Steve’s ear your heart is racing; you know he hears it, super serum or not, but he says nothing.

There’s nothing to say to calm it down. It’s a resignation between you, a knowledge that while you’ll love each other always, you’re just not meant to be.

You go with him to the quantum platform. Sam and Bucky give the two of you a minute, and it’s hard to keep yourself together. You thought you’d done all of your crying the week prior, but it seems you still have tears to cry for your Captain. Dr. Banner stands behind the controls, waiting patiently while Steve gathers his gear.

He finally turns to you, a quiet sadness about him, but there’s peace as well. Excitement even, to reunite with his soulmate. And how could you possibly fault him for that? You discreetly wipe under your eyes when he closes the distance between you, tucking an arm around your back to pull you to his broad chest. Your fingers curl into the folds of his suit and you sigh shakily. Pinch your eyes shut when his lips touch your forehead softly, lovingly.

Again, no words are needed, as a million pass between your gazes.

You step back, shuffle your feet while Steve converses briefly with Sam, even more briefly with Bucky. He embraces his old friend, and you lock eyes with Bucky over Steve’s shoulder. Your heart thuds heavily; this is just as painful for Bucky as it is for you.

He’s solid beside you, his flesh hand clasped tightly with yours when Steve steps onto the platform. The QR materializes, stark white in the sunshine. Mjolnir in his grasp, he nods to the three of you watching, Bucky and you sporting similar wet, sad smiles.

When he’s gone, you turn to press your face into Bucky’s shoulder, hiccuping as his arm curls around yours. Sam and Dr. Banner bicker behind you, trying to figure out how to get him back when the machine only hisses, and Bucky turns to lead you away, still smiling sadly.

You stumble when he stops suddenly, his mouth next to your ear as he says, “Hey, look.”

Lifting your eyes, they find a lone figure sitting beside the lake.

“Sam,” you croak.

Your throat closes, chest tightens when Steve, a much older, more wrinkly version, passes the shield to Sam. He takes it, reluctantly at first, looking to Bucky and you for support. You smile softly as Bucky nods; Steve had informed you of his desire to pass the shield on. At first, he’d chosen Bucky, but after speaking to the former Winter Soldier, realized the shield would be better suited to Sam. He made you promise to support Sam as you had supported him, keep him in line but not let him buckle under the Captain America mantle.

It’d been all too easy to say yes.

Weeks later, the three of you have established a balance between one another. Bucky and Sam continue to bicker, but there’s a deeper respect and understanding between them.

The renovated Avengers compound is quiet now, despite the presence of the three of you, plus Wanda, Dr. Banner, Rhodey, and occasionally Peter. Tony’s absence is felt heavily every day, the lack of classic rock a sore reminder of the price paid for freedom, for life. Nat’s room hasn’t been touched by anyone, but sometimes you sit on her bed, talk as if she’s still there with you. The pillows have lost her fresh, spicy scent, but being in her space is comfort enough.

Sam has taken on the Captain America name well. He isn’t as bossy as Steve, but he keeps the rest of you in top shape. He’s reformulated your training routines, improved simulations, and insists upon Team Building Night once a week to keep morale up. It works, kind of. Wanda occasionally dips out and you hardly ever see Clint, not that you blame him. Everything about the compound reflects on the losses you’ve suffered, the people missing from your lives, the holes they’ve left behind.

You struggle to cope some days, the pain of missing Nat’s snark, Tony’s insight, egotistical and brash but no less welcoming, Steve’s arms around you, too sharp to ignore. He and Peggy live upstate, and though you’ve been invited, it’s been hard to go visit. It’s still fresh, and you know he doesn’t take offense to your reluctance to see him. You still need time. 

But not too much, considering it seems to have caught up with Steve.

Bucky and Sam visit him regularly, taking monthly trips out to catch up with him. They always bring your regards with them when they do.

Despite his best efforts, Bucky struggles with Steve’s absence too. Having been gone for five years, only to lose his best friend to their long-lost former lifetime, hasn’t been easy for him. You hear him sometimes at night, wailing and sobbing in his sleep, when you yourself can’t seem to find any rest. Most nights you will yourself to go to him, but you can’t bring yourself to move.

The two of you have navigated the road to recovery together, having lost in ways different from the others. Bucky is still weak under the weight of not having apologized to Tony before he… You know it haunts him still, despite your and Sam’s best efforts to alleviate it. But Bucky’s nothing if not incredibly stubborn, just like Steve, and he still holds himself accountable for the falling out between Tony and Steve, the rift that was never completely repaired.

The connection between you and Bucky has grown stronger, deeper, but still you can’t let yourself get too close. Not again. Least of all to Steve’s best friend. It feels like a betrayal, even though Steve had…left you. It sounds too harsh in your mind, insinuating you hadn’t had a choice in the matter. You suppose, if you flipped it, you hadn’t. Steve had his mind made up before having the respect to talk to you, and there would be no talking him out of it. 

God, you miss him. Had he been here, you wouldn’t be playing this balancing act of ‘should-I-shouldn’t-I’ with his best friend. The lingering touches under the guise of comfort, the furtive glances when the other isn’t looking. It’s there, you both know it is, but neither of you is brave enough to reach out and take it.

You don’t know if either of you ever will be.

Is this where you were bound to end up? Longing for your ex-lover’s best friend while the memory of said ex is still so fresh? The pain of his leaving still able to steal the breath from your lungs? More than once, these thoughts have triggered anxiety attacks, crippling bouts of rapid breathing, a racing heart, blood rushing in your ears, and white noise in your head. The others have found you in such states before, but you’ve kept quiet about the triggers. What would they think?

You set aside your Stark pad with a relieved sigh; finally, you’ve finished your latest mission report to hand in to Sam. It’s only ...six hours late. Oh well. You submit it, lock the pad, and crack your knuckles. Your back pops when you arch in the chair, groaning at the relief from sitting for so long. You could have been done earlier, but your mind had wandered, as it tends to when you’re feeling particularly fragile.

It’s three months today since Steve left. Left only to return having lived an entirely new life with a woman who wasn’t you. You run a hand through your hair. You’ve been seeing a therapist, at the advisory of Sam who claims it would be unprofessional to be both your counselor and your Captain. You’d feel more comfortable with him, but, Captain’s orders.

Your therapist, anyway, has told you it’s healthy to go back and forth between anger, hurt, grief, and denial of feelings. You’re still struggling heavily with that last one, but according to Dr. Hamlin, you’ve made progress. It doesn’t quite feel like it yet, but you guess that’s your denial talking.

It’s close to dinner time, and it’s you, Bucky, and Wanda in the compound. Sam has taken Rhodey and Peter off on a mission, strictly intel, leaving the three of you to wander about. You’ve barely seen Wanda; she hasn’t been doing so well with her coping as she lets on. Bypassing her room even now, you hear her quiet sniffles and you frown, heart hurting for your friend and her seemingly unending grief.

You knock lightly, and moments later you hear the lock slide into place. You don’t take offense; Wanda’s far less open with reaching out to people, though as of late you haven’t been feeling very personable either. You move on.

Bucky’s door is cracked open, and without thought you push it open, saying, “Hey Buck, you hungry?”

Your voice dies in your throat when you take in Bucky, standing with his bare, broad back to you. Your throat goes dry when he turns his head to glance at you over his shoulder, his chestnut hair falling in his face. His vibranium arm gleams under the lighting of his room, gunmetal grey streaked with shimmering gold. Where it joins with his shoulder is smooth skin. Still scarred, but no longer angry and red. His time in Wakanda had taught him of salves from plants that could, more or less, heal his scarring.

He’s a sight, and you wonder just why it’s taken you so long to realize it.

But he’s off-limits, or so you’ve convinced yourself.

Your face flames when he turns fully to face you, the sight of his bared, sculpted torso setting your blood on fire. You clear your throat quietly, avert your eyes in some semblance of dignity.

“Sorry, the door was open,” you mutter, praying he can’t detect the slight tremor in your voice.

“‘S’ok, doll.” You swallow, stomach clenching at the pet name. “What were you saying?”

There’s a rustle, and his pale, beautiful skin is hidden behind a dark t-shirt. Thank god. He’s dressed in dark jeans, feet bare, and there’s something so comfortingly domestic about it that it makes your heart melt. You know Bucky’s had a hard time adapting to life in the compound, in the building Tony built, but you’re glad he seems to be making headway in at least that regard.

“Was gonna ask if you were hungry,” you offer. As if it can hear you, Bucky’s stomach grumbles, and the tension that had just suffocated the room is gone. The two of you share small laughs.

“You cooking?” he questions, sliding his feet into a pair of slippers. It makes you grin, the notion of the once-feared Winter Soldier in slippers too ridiculous.

“Sure. What are you in the mood for?”

Dinner consists of all the Sunday fixings, at Bucky’s request. Roasted chicken, potatoes, green beans, gravy, and fresh biscuits over glasses of red. All the tension from earlier is gone, and if you let the wine get to your head, the closeness and intimacy of cooking and eating together almost feels like a date.

The way Bucky’s eyes glitter in the low lighting of the kitchen takes your breath away, and you have to busy your hands with pouring two more glasses before they do something stupid. But your fingers brush when you hand him his glass, and your eyes lock again. It’s back, that god awful tension that leaves you teetering on the edge of ‘do-I-don’t-I’. You can’t look away from him, the storm blue-grey of his eyes pulling you in like an undertow, threatening to drown you. 

Bucky’s movements are slow as he sets down his glass and rises from the island, stepping around it to press in close to you. He towers over you, but it makes you feel…safe, secure. Your heart is a wild horse in your chest, galloping a beat so fast it threatens to make you pass out. But then Bucky’s hands are on you, flesh on your waist and gunmetal grey gingerly cupping your jaw, and it grounds you again long enough to see his pupils dilate just a fraction.

His scent and warmth surround you as he leans in, movement still slow to give you the chance to back out, but you’re cemented in place. You’re tired of denying your feelings, so tired of it, but when Bucky’s lips are just a whisper away, you picture Steve in your mind’s eye, and whatever spell has fallen over the two of you is broken.

You know Bucky can see the minute he loses you, the wall that seems to go up behind your eyes as you clear your throat and force yourself out of his arms and out of reach. In return, his posture straightens, body going rigid as he attempts to ice you out too. It hurts more than you expect, but you’re the one at fault, putting distance between you when it’s obvious there should be none.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper quietly in the tense silence. “I-I can’t.”

Bucky barely manages a nod before he’s sweeping out of the kitchen in a dark flurry. You hear the sound of the elevator, and once you’re alone, your heart sinks to your stomach. The wine is tart as you gulp it down, cursing your stupid head and stupid heart for confusing you so all the time.

You get wine-drunk by yourself, making a split decision to spend the night in Nat’s room. More than ever, you miss coming to her when you can’t make sense of yourself. You sit against the headboard, cheeks shining with tears you’re tired of holding back. You hug her pillow to your lap, talking quietly into the empty room. The windows are open, ruffling her curtains and it almost feels like a weight settles beside you on the bed. She’s here in spirit, you know, but it makes you cry harder.

“I miss you so much, Natasha,” you sob, face buried in the pillow as your bottle of red sits forgotten on the nightstand.

You seek out Sam when he’s back from his mission. Bucky and you have spent the past two days awkwardly dancing around one another, never able to hold eye contact before one of you looks away. It’s painful, tearing into your heart like a blade and twisting until you’re gasping for breath.

Sam is in his office, and he waves you in with a grin, though it falters a bit when he takes in your expression.

“I need you, Sam,” you tell him honestly. “Sam the VA counselor, though, not Cap.”

He must see the toll whatever is on your mind is taking on you because any protest he might’ve had dies on his tongue. You tell him everything, your guilt, your feelings for Bucky but the betrayal you feel towards Steve. It sounds like nonsense when you blurt it all out, but Sam seems to make sense of it. Must be the counselor in him.

He understands, he tells you, has seen this coming a mile away and you’re confused. 

“It was bound to happen. The two of you share a loss that means a great deal to both of you. It’s natural for you to grow closer over it, to develop feelings. I know you think you’re betraying Steve by loving Bucky, but I assure you, you aren’t. Steve knew what he was doing, and even though he hurt you, he knew you were meant for someone else. Steve wants you to be happy, Y/N, so you need to let yourself be happy. You’ll always have your love for Steve, but you can keep him in your heart and make room for someone else.”

You eye him warily when he pauses. “Why are you all the sudden Bucky’s number one cheerleader?”

Sam huffs. “Look, Tin Man and I might not always get along, but we trust and respect each other. The two of you are my best friends, and I want both of you to be happy. If that’s with each other, I’m all for it. Y’all gonna have to keep the moon eyes on the low, though.”

You laugh wetly, your eyes having brimmed on their own accord with tears of both happiness and sadness. Sadness for letting go of Steve, or starting to, and happiness for having the support of your best friend. He hugs you tightly to him, kisses your temple softly, and wishes you luck.

Bucky’s in the gym, or so FRIDAY tells you, and you make your way there immediately. He’s wailing on a punching bag, hair tied back, and shirtless. Great. As if it wasn’t difficult enough admitting your feelings, you now have to face his Greek-god physique to do it.

He pauses mid-swing when he sees you enter the gym, slows the bag for a moment before his jaw clenches and he resumes his routine. You walk over to him slowly, shyly, feeling nausea bubbling in your stomach. He still doesn’t look at you even as you step up beside the bag.

“Bucky?” you question softly, but still he refuses to look at you. Gritting your teeth, you stop the bag and he just manages to stop his fist mid-jab. He glares hard at you, but you stand firm against the heat of the Winter Soldier. “Bucky.”

“What?” he snaps, whirling away from you to wipe nonexistent sweat from his forehead. He’s nervous, pacing back and forth because he can’t stand still.

“I’m sorry. The other night, I’m sorry,” you plead. Bucky’s pacing pauses and then resumes. You growl quietly. “God, will you stop pacing and listen to me?!”

“Why?” He rounds on you, voice rising in anger, in hurt you realize, and his eyes are blazing. “So you can reject me to my face? No need. I got the picture. Loud and clear.”

He spins away from you, vibranium hand diving into his hair to muss up the bun he’s tied it in.

“That’s not why I’m here,” you tell him thickly. God, you really need to stop crying all the damn time. “I shouldn’t have walked away, Bucky. Not from you. I was scared and confused of what I was feeling for you, what I feel for you.”

Bucky looks at you, finally, and any other words you may have wanted to say die on your tongue. The blue in his eyes is so rich, so bright, it pulls you in as if it has its own orbit. Of their own accord your hands reach up to lay on his bare chest, tiny coarse hairs tickling your palms. Beneath, his heart races, but he doesn’t look away.

Surprisingly, you feel no fear when you whisper, “I love you Bucky. I’m in love with you.”

There’s a moment where you worry, just for a second, but then Bucky’s kissing you and the world seems to right itself. He’s all-encompassing warmth, arms winding tightly around you to haul you up against his chest. You sigh into his mouth and the warm wet of his tongue slides along the seam of your lips. Willingly, you open underneath him, whimper in the back of your throat when he presses harder against you.

Your hands dive into his hair, winding the strands around your fingers and tug gently. He rumbles into your mouth and it brings goosebumps to your skin. His chest is hot against yours, and the longer he kisses you, the more you long to be pressed skin to skin. Your lungs burn, but you can’t bring yourself to pull away just yet. He’s far too addicting, and now that you’ve started, you’re not sure you’ll ever stop.

But he does, pulls away just enough so you can both pull in deep lungfuls of air. A silent conversation passes between you, and then you’re moving, taking the elevator to his floor, and he crowds you into his room. He kisses you softly but deeply, tilting your head back to fully devour you. It leaves your knees weak and you sag against him, brace against his chest to keep yourself upright. 

His hands come up to frame your face and he breaks away just an inch.

“Tell me you’re sure, doll,” he whispers hoarsely, eyes wide and shining and so full of need it shakes you. 

“I’ve never been more sure,” you reply honestly. You groan when he slams his mouth to yours again, heady and demanding and urging you to bend. You become pliant in his hands, allowing him to strip you away until you’re bare in front of him.

He can’t take his eyes off you, trailing them up and down in slow repetition, as if he can’t believe you’re real. A flush breaks out across your neck and down your chest, and you reach for him. Bucky hisses when your fingers dip into the band of his sweats, jerk down to pool them at his feet. He’s bare underneath, and by god, does he take your breath away.

Your heart pounds as you trace the lines of his body, relishing in his shuddering inhale when you circle his nipples with your nails. Eyes fluttering up to his, you lean forward and trace the same path with your lips, tongue, and teeth. At his sides his fists clench with restraint. He lets you explore his body, knowing he’ll have the chance to do the same.

He chokes on a breath when you lower yourself to your knees, eyes widening at his stiff cock nestled between those sinful thighs. He’s velvet over steel, hot and heavy in your hand when you wrap your fingers around him. He groans, hips jutting forward just a bit, and he thinks he’s going to come when your tongue swipes at his sensitive head, laps at the bead of precum at the tip.

“My my, Bucky,” you taunt, peering up at him from under your lashes. His jaw muscles work as he grits his teeth. “I’ve barely touched you and look at you.”

He nearly chokes on his spit. The mouth on you. A long, low moan rips from his throat when you take him into the heat of your mouth. He thinks he might’ve died and gone to heaven with how perfect you feel around him, taking him inch by inch. White-hot pleasure races through his system, sets his heart to pounding as you take him to the back of your throat and swallow.

“Christ.” His hands fly to your hair, stilling you momentarily, and he thinks you look so goddamn beautiful like this. Mouth stretched around his cock and eyes glistening.

Slowly he guides you back and forth along his length, his hips thrusting into your mouth. Your hands brace on his thighs, nails scraping along the skin, and when you moan around him, he has to pull you off before this is over before it’s even started.

You moan again when he kisses you, relishes in the tang of himself on your tongue. He hoists you into his arms and carries you to his bed. You flop against the pillows and sigh when he cages you in with his massive body. You’re warm, safe, secure, and so utterly in love you think you might cry. Especially when he stares down at you with a loving adoration that makes your heart stutter in your chest.

“Tell me again,” he murmurs, closing his eyes as he lowers his forehead to yours. “Tell me.”

“I love you,” you sigh, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I love you so much, Bucky.”

He kisses you hard but so full of love it threatens to burst your heart. His metal hand supports his weight as his flesh hand drifts down your body, plies your legs open to find you hot, wet, and ready for him.

“Jesus, doll,” he curses, dipping a finger just inside your opening. You sigh, drop your head back onto the pillow as he learns your body, figures out how to play you like a fiddle. It’s beautiful torture, the slide of his fingers inside you.

When he curls them, you keen at the jolt of pleasure that zings up your spine. “Bucky!”

With a new kind of vigor he brings you to the edge embarrassingly fast, stroking your inner walls until you’re clenching around his digits and seeing stars. He laps at the skin of your neck, finds your pulse point and bites down. Shivers when you moan lowly and reach for him.

“Please, Bucky,” you beg in a broken whisper. Your eyes are hooded in pleasure, a sight he’s not sure he’ll ever forget. “I need you.”

It’s all the reassurance he needs as he grips himself, slides his head through your wet and quivering folds. You shakily inhale and meet Bucky’s eyes when he looks up from where you’re about to be joined.

“I love you,” he declares and sinks inside you in one long thrust. Your mouth drops open and he drops his neck to your neck, gasping at the tight velvet of your cunt as he bottoms out. He has to take a minute to adjust both himself and you, and then he moves.

Bucky’s a softer lover than Steve, but it’s no less all-consuming. He surrounds you, laces his fingers with yours and hikes your legs up around his waist as he pumps a slow but hard rhythm. He could listen to your moans for the rest of his life, taste the salty slick of your skin where your neck meets your shoulder, feel you fluttering around him as you near your peak.

He thrusts harder when the heels of your feet dig into his ass, feeling that burning at the base of his spine. He’s close, but he wants you there with him. He shifts suddenly, sits back on his calves and pulls you into his lap so that you’re pressed chest to chest. You’re breathing the same air as he moves you over his length.

“Look at me, doll,” he moans, leaning forward when you do to kiss you deeply. He arches your hips to grind your clit against his pelvis, and you’re nearly there.

“Bucky, god, please!” you whimper, crying out when his metal hand cups your breast, thumbing over your nipple before it’s engulfed in the heat of his mouth. He laps at it with his tongue, and it sends you reeling, spiraling into oblivion with your mouth open in a silent scream.

He comes right behind you, a long groan of your name as he stutters his hips and spills inside you. It’s a long come down for the both of you. He lowers you gently to your back, drawing a hiss from you as he slips out of you. Immediately he pulls you into him, tucking your head under his chin and tightening his arms around you.

It’s quiet between you for a while, basking in the glow of your lovemaking.

“You think he knew?” you ask sometime later. Bucky’s trailing fingers on your spine pause and then continue. “When he was leaving, what would happen between us?”

Bucky sighs through his nose before nuzzling it against your hair. “I feel like that punk knew a lot he didn’t let everyone in on.”

You giggle. “He was wise in his old age, wasn’t he?”

“Careful, doll, you’re talking to a fossil, here,” he chides playfully. You lean back to look up at him.

“My fossil,” you murmur, pushing forward to press your lips to his. He hums contently.

“Always been yours, doll.”

[basicallybing]

yes, Sam Wilson is Captain America.

and yes, it makes sense.

hi i love bucky as much as the next guy but like?? idk why everyone thinks he shoulda gotten the shield?

Points 1 and 2 are null because I didn’t realize that when Shuri had “another broken white man” to “fix,” that it was specifically referring to Bucky’s trigger words and not just his arm. Thanks @morningespeon for pointing this out. :))

1. he’s literally brainwashed, if anyone says his trigger words he will not be himself

2. if someone were to say these trigger words, then “captain america” would go rogue and would have the potential to become a terrorist symbol to his own country, completely undoing all of the work steve had done to make that shield a symbol of hope and safety

Oh, also! I’m pretty sure there’s a ton of people who still think he’s a terrorist, right? Like, he killed King T’Chaka and all that stuff. Not sure if the public eye could handle this man taking over the mantle of Cap.

3. even bucky himself doesn’t feel secure in his own mind

4. he’s tired of fighting! he just wants some rest and some peace!

5. to those saying that it’s nothing against sam or against black people, sorry, but captain america passing his shield on to a black man is wildly important in terms of the symbolic canon to which the shield has contributed over the years

6. sam is determined and witty and a good man and would make a goddamn incredible captain america and anyone who tells me otherwise is wrong

7. bucky already knew he wasn’t getting the shield! if you’re saying that he deserved it and you’re mad steve handed off to a different man right in front of him, then you need to rewatch CATFA and learn what it means to take all the stupid with you

8. hhhhhhhhhhhhhh Sam is Captain America and deserves to be Captain America and Bucky deserves to be happy and this choice is a win-win because if Steve gave Buck the shield then Sam wouldn’t be Cap and Bucky wouldn’t be happy

TLDR; if you have a problem with Sam Wilson being Captain America, then you don’t fully understand what Steve Rogers always wanted Captain America to represent

[burnouts3s3]

Avengers: Endgame, a spoiler review

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously. Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Ticket Price: Will Vary Theater to Theater How much I paid: Nothing. A friend took me to a screening. Rated: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action and some language Running time: 181 minutes (3 Hours and 1 Minute) 3-D: Yes, but I didn't see it in 3-D. Post-Credits Sequences: None at my screening. (Rumor there are Post-credits sequences in other screenings). My Personal Biases: I like Superheroes. I like superhero movies. I like the DCEU and I have a disposable amount of income that means going to see an overpriced movie means nothing to me. Sorry if you were looking for someone harsher. Wait, is Brie Larson as Captain Marvel in this: Yes, but she’s barely in the movie. If you want a metric, Ant-man has more screentime than she does. My Verdict: Go see it already. Even if you hate the Marvel Cinematic Universe and hate giant plot holes, the fact that there’s this large of a cast and this scope of a story told at all is an accomplishment in of itself. Besides, don’t you want to know what to talk about when you do your Youtube video on why the movie sucks? A/N: I am going to SPOIL Avengers: Endgame. Unless you don’t want to get SPOILED, do not proceed below. Avengers: Endgame, a spoiler review

It seems like a lifetime ago when the first Iron Man hit theaters and started off the phenomenon that would be known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Say what you will about the light-hearted tone and constant joking the MCU does, every studio has been attempting to ape the formula and replicate it (to varying degrees of success). Now, we come to the end of Phase 3 and might say goodbye to the original team of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. Let’s finish it off with this review of “Avengers: Endgame”.   I am going to spoil the movie just so I can discuss what I liked and what I didn’t like. This is your last chance.

-The Avengers go and try to reverse the damage but find the Infinity Stones were destroyed by Thanos after the snap. Outraged, Thor beheads Thanos. -5 years pass and the Avengers changed. Steve becomes a counselor, Tony and Pepper have a daughter, Morgan, Hulk merges with his psyche and becomes Professor Hulk and Thor gets fat (Thorlax). Ant-man comes, stating that 5 hours for him in the quantum realm has been 5 years. The Avengers come up with a plan to go back to the past and take the Infinity Stones and make their own Infinity Gauntlet. However, they need to use Pym Particles, of which there are a limited supply. This is called "Operation Time Heist”. -Thor goes back to the timeline of “The Dark World” and meets his mother. She knows she will die but chooses to go to her death and tells Thor she’s proud of him. Thor grabs Mjolnir that was has yet to be destroyed in “Thor: Ragnorok” and takes it back with him. -Black Widow sacrifices herself so they can obtain the Soul Gem, much to Hawkeye’s remorse. She dies. -Hulk uses the Snap to bring people back. They are not retroactively brought back but come back as if they’ve been missing for 5 years. -Past Thanos finds out about the plan and destroys Avengers headquarters and attacks Earth. Thor, Captain America and Iron Man fight him but are quickly overwhelmed. -Captain America Wields Mjolnir (And it’s FUCKING awesome!) and beats the crap out of Thanos before he calls his giant army to attack Earth. -Doctor Strange comes in and summons all of the Avengers from the previous movies and they gather for a massive army battle. (But none from the Netflix series, and no Deadpool and no X-men). -Thanos takes the Infinity Gauntlet made by Iron Man and snaps. He looks to find the Infinity Stones are gone. Tony has the stones and does the Snap. Thanos’ army and Thanos all turn to dust. -Gamora isn’t Gamora but is instead a version of Gamora from 5 years ago and is confused that she fell in love with Peter Quill. -Tony Stark dies from using the Snap. There is a funeral held in his name with all the Avengers gathered. -Thor chooses to give up the throne and let Valkyrie rule Asgard. He chooses to hang out with the Guardians of the Galaxy. (Heh. The ‘Asgardians of the Galaxy’). -To keep the Timeline stable, Captain America has to go back to the past and return the Stones and Mjilonir to their original places. When they try to bring Captain America back, they cannot but see someone sitting on a log. It’s an old Steve Rogers, stating he chose to stay in the past and live out the rest of his life with Peggy Carter. He gives the shield to Falcon. -The film’s final shot is Steve dancing with Peggy in a house they own. Obviously, this is going to cause a SHIT TON of controversy because when you’re dealing with time travel in a comic book movie, expect plotholes the size of Giant Ant-man. For example, a lot of fans decried the ending in which Steve chooses to stay behind in the past and have that dance with Peggy Carter because it creates an inconsistency in The Winter Soldier and the Agent Carter spin-off TV show. I think even the producers are aware of this. Very early on, one of the characters says “That’s not how quantum physics work”. Clearly, the traveling back to the past mechanic is used so that each of the Avengers has some type of closure. Tony talks with Howard Stark, now having the ability to relate to him as a father (though, Howard says jokingly, “Nothing that can’t be fixed with a belt”), Steve sees Peggy through a window and Thor talks with his mother. It wouldn’t surprise me if Marvel were to pursue the diversity route by having Riri Williams (or possibly even Morgan Stark) take on the Iron Man / Iron Heart mantle and America Chavez take on the Captain America mantle after Falcon. (I believe Kevin Feige already announced a Ms. Marvel project with Kamala Khan would be in the works). I actually heard a fan theory that Shuri might take on the mantle of Iron Man since it’s established she’s the tech expert of Wakanda. For the most part, I enjoyed the movie and I enjoyed watching this group of actors work together. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Marvel Cinematic Universe were to divert focus towards the upcoming Disney Plus streaming service since several characters from the MCU, such as the Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Vision and Loki already have TV shows announced. For now, let’s just relax and enjoy the ride. CAVEAT: Avengers: Endgame is sure to stir up the classic “fans vs critics” debate because of the plot inconsistencies and, to a large degree of the fanbase, mischaracterization of various individuals. But, the fact we’re getting a film on the scope of something like Endgame is an accomplishment of itself. And while that final battle is something comic book fans dream of, the highlights of the film were watching as subtle and intimate as watching Thor talk with his mother or Tony chatting with Howard about being a father. Just go see it already. If nothing else, you’ll have plenty of ammunition to use when you make your Youtube review. Verdict: Full Price!

[helathegoddess-blog]

The Babysitter’s Club - Loki x Reader (Part 1)

| PART 2 |

Summary: “After a few seconds the cloud dissolved in the air and she descended slowly from the camper. Two men were watching the vehicle. One was a kind of blond Viking with blue eyes. He had a strange uniform and clutched a hammer in his right hand. The other was not very muscular, had black hair like the mantle of crows and two eyes that could freeze with just one look”

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1,542

Warnings: Sorry for any grammatical errors, English is not my native language

Y/n’s POV That day was really hot. Y/n was sitting on a kind of chair in the shade of the porch of her motorhome. She was reading the file of a new case of the S.H.I.E.L.D. And she thought she was on vacation! She threw the file on the table in front of her and got up to get a Coke. At that moment a bluish light was lit on the phone’s display. An incoming call. “Yes?” she answered distractedly. “Y/n? I’m Fury, "said the voice on the other end. Ho, ho. The big Boss. "Tell me, sir.” Why did he calls her personally? “Did you read the file that was sent to you?” said the other. Y/n looked at the file thrown on the table and bit a lip. “Er, yes…” “Well. Can you give me the coordinates of where you are right now?” “Yes, wait a minute.” Y/n put down her cell phone and went to get the map, then said the coordinates to her interlocutor. “In about sixty-six seconds a dusty cloud will wraps it up. Don’t worry, they’re just coming in. Stay there and wait for a team to arrive.” Fury closed the phone call. Well, not even time to ask for more. She shot the file for a moment and saw a name that made her start laughing. “How can you call someone like that…?” She did not finish the sentence because she realized that black clouds were piling up in the sky above her. It seemed like the arrival of a hurricane. She slipped into the motorhome. At some point a cloud of dust enveloped the vehicle. Y/n could not see anything. After a few seconds the cloud dissolved in the air and she descended slowly from the camper. Two men were watching the vehicle. One was a kind of blond Viking with blue eyes. He had a strange uniform and clutched a hammer in his right hand. The other was not very muscular, he had black hair like the cloak of crows and two eyes that could freeze you with just one look. After observing better the second, Y/n ran to take the file of Fury. “Thor…” she said reading “and… Loki! ” she could not restrain a laugh. That name sounded too funny. “Shall I make you laugh, human?” he said at some point. She stopped and looked at him from head to toe. His gaze frightened her. “Not you, your name,” she answered, mocking him. She didn’t like that guy. Y/n shot the file once more and quickly saw the part about him. He was really a bad guy! “May I know your name? So I can laugh too, ” said Loki smiling. A very malignant but charming smile. “My name is Y/n,” she replied. He laughed for about two seconds. “What a joker!” sighed Y/n, raising her eyes to the sky. Suddenly she heard the noise of a car in the distance and relaxed. The rescues were coming. They would have taken those two away and she would have continue her life without seeing Loki and his monstrous smile. “Agent Y/n” said a voice behind her. She turned around and saw that unsympathetic Turner who smiled at her. “Turneeeeer, old boy!” she answered with a false smile. “We take them away. I hope they weren’t disturbed you during your…vacation, "Turner said. She smiled at him and went on the camper. He saw the two men getting into the car. Thor greeted her, while Loki merely smiled at her maliciously. A shiver ran down her back. It was as if he wanted to say ‘we will meet again’, and she didn’t like it at all.

Loki’s POV They brought him to some kind of barracks. It had to be the basis of S.H.I.E.L.D. Loki looked round as if it had been the first time he was passing by. It wasn’t like that. He remembered well of when he had returned to Earth and appeared in that place. His brother was next to him. How he hated him. He knew very well that there was his paw in what was going on. Odin, his father, had condemned him to live as a human on Earth. Thor was certainly complicit in that punishment. Maybe he even decided to. It seemed to him a selfish gesture, he did not understand why he had not let him die. They entered a room, where they were waiting for the Avengers, the ’ superheroes ’ who had defeated him a few months earlier. As soon as they saw him they exchanged looks of disgust. But now Loki was accustomed to these things. Nobody, for a long time now, considered him worthy of attention. Only Thor could still speak to him and show him benevolence. "Oh, the little Prince!” exclaimed a fellow whose name Loki could not remember. Yes, he was that tin superhero who always had the joke ready. One of those he hated the most. “Thor, can you tell the Avengers what you said to us?” said one with an eye patch. Thor took to talk about the condemnation of his brother by Odin, the father of the gods. “Loki was condemned to live as a human, without any power, among those he wanted to destroy.” “Shall we be his ’ moms ’?” said Iron Man with a grimace. “Who tells us he won’t try to take us out in some way or…” “It’s completely harmless,” replied Thor. At some point a strange idea occurred to Loki. An idea he hardly himself to believe. “I can be good if I want to. At one condition” the words came out of his mouth without him being able to stop them. What was he doing? “Let’s hear it, Princess” was Iron Man. Obvious. “The human one, the one that was there when we arrived. I want her "ended, and a smile stamped on her face. "Y/n? Forget it, she’d never be with someone like you, "growled a muscular guy. Captain America. "If we accept this condition, you will have to promise to be good and not touch agent Y/n even with a finger. Clear? ” “Sure…”.

Y/n’s POV She was sitting there reading that file again. For sure it was an important mission, something of the utmost secrecy. And of course she had nothing to do with it. A beep from her cell phone. -Hi, baby. I’m coming to get you, important mission. C. A- A.C. Captain America. Steve! At that moment the noise of a machine made her jump. “Hey!” the boy greeted her. “No more abs, big boy!” she answered. “Get in, you’ve been called by Fury” “Something important?” “Very important”. Y/n didn’t believe in Rogers’ words. At last the big boss had given her something big! She knew that sooner or later her time would come. “Listen… is your house small?” asked Steve at some point. “Hmm, why, you want to move in with me?” she asked maliciously. “You and I? No, you wouldn’t last more than an hour without jumping on me! ” “Of couuurse” The two laughed. “Rather, are we going to the base?” she asked after she calmed down. “Not exactly” “Come on, don’t be mysterious! Come on, spit it Out! ” “Let’s say you have to move to a cottage of about five hundred square meters for some time” The girl looked at him astonished. “Did you say five hundred?” he exclaimed gaping. “The great chief will explain it all. We’re almost there. ” They turned into a little hidden alley and in front of them there was a view of a wonderful house. Y/n came down from the car and immediately saw Fury. “Hello” said in a referential tone. “Agent Y/n, glad to see you again,” smiled Fury. Had he smiled? They went into the house. It was huge, really great. The big chief took them to a kind of living room. A cat went near her. “Eddie!” she smiled. “I told him to bring him here,” whispered Steve, and she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. Then she noticed that they were not alone. On the sofa were seated two kinds turned of shoulders. She did not have time to realize who they were that they turned and a damn disturbing smile welcomed her like little time before. Loki. “Agent Y/n, you’ve been chosen for a very important assignment,” suddenly said Fury. He looked like a president. “Yes?” she barely said, continuing to look at the snake in human form. “This being, as you already know because you read his file” began Fury pointing to Loki, “is very dangerous. The assignment you’ve been given is to supervise and take care of him. Of course you will not be alone…” “Let me understand, sir… Do I have to babysit him? ” “In a few words, yes.” Great. “And who will accompany me on this fantastic mission?” “Me” said the Viking Thor. It was the first time she heard him speak, and he gave her an immense calm. “So, agent Y/n, do you accept this assignment?” pronounced Fury as if it were a solemn thing. “Uhm, okay, I’m in.”

[thorne93]

No Matter What (Part 6)

Prompt: Imagine you’re an Avenger and you meet Bucky for the first time during Civil War

Word Count: 1970

Warning: Language, fighting, violence, angst

Notes: This will follow Cap America: Civil War…. I envisioned a younger reader who’s like 19-24 years old, btw. Thanks to my beta @like-a-bag-of-potatoes

Forever Tags: @amarvelouswritings @cocosierra94 @essie1876 @magpiegirl80 @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @harleyquinnandscarletwitch @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @myparadise1982sand @missinstantgratification @thejulesworld @rda1989 @marvelloushamilton @munlis  @bubblyanarocks3 @thefridgeismybestie @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @hardcollectionworldtrash @igiveupicantthinkofausername @kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr

Sebastian Stan Tag: @nedthegay @lostinspace33 @alwayshave-faith @elleatrixlestrange @buenostardissherlock  @lenawiinchester @the-red-world-of-jess-chibi @memory-of-a-goldfish @mellsstark

Bucky Barnes: @nedthegay @lostinspace33 @alwayshave-faith @elleatrixlestrange @ultrarebelheart @lenawiinchester

No Matter What: @void-imaginations @devil-may-cry-11-blog @james-heaven-barnes @mrs-lancelot

~~~~~~~~~

“So you like cats?” Sam suddenly said about half an hour before you arrived to the compound. You wanted to laugh at the remark, but you were scared out of your wits. You were facing jail and possibly something worse for Bucky.

“Sam,” Steve chided.

“What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don’t wanna know more?”

“Your suit...It’s vibranium?” Steve asked.

“The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So, I ask you... as both warrior and king... how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe he was being framed?” you snapped.

“An assassin, being framed? Captain Rogers, did you just pick this one up yesterday?” T’Challa asked.

You narrowed your eyes and an inhuman noise rattled in your chest from the anger.

“Y/N, calm down,” Steve ordered quietly. “If you don’t cool it, you’re going to make this a lot worse for all of us,” he informed with authority. You clamped your mouth shut, knowing he was right.

You finally arrived to some base where they uncuffed you all and your eyes immediately scanned the area for Bucky. An iota of relief washed through you when your eyes landed on him. He was okay. He was near you. But he was still locked inside that pod, like some wild animal, and so your heart broke for him. He looked up and met your eyes briefly then they were cast down to the floor again.

“Y/N,” Steve called, gaining your attention again. “What's gonna happen to him?” Steve asked, a slight thrust of his head went toward Bucky’s direction.

“Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition,” a man answered. At his words, you felt insulted and belittled. What did everyone miss about this? He was framed, and you were helping him. Simple as that.

“This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander,” Sharon introduced.

“What about our lawyer?” Steve asked as you kept your eyes mostly cast at the floor.

Ross scoffed. “Lawyer. That's funny. See their weapons are placed in lockup. Oh, we'll write you a receipt.”

They took all of the guys’ gear and walked past you.

“I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that,” Sam warned angrily.

“You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favor, stay in it?” Ross requested sternly. This gave you a bit of relief but not a lot. You were still so terrified they were going to send you to jail, hurt Bucky, or separate you. The only reason you weren’t completely losing your shit right now was because Steve and Sam were right next to you. If you were separated, you’d probably fall to pieces.

“For the record, this is what making things worse looks like,” Natasha said as she slid up beside Steve.

“He's alive,” Steve remarked confidently.

When you walked into what looked like a control room, you saw Tony on the phone. “No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup.”

“Try not to break anything while we fix this,” Nat warned as she stepped away.

“Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir.” Tony hung up and stepped towards you all.

“Consequences?” Steve repeated incredulously.

“Secretary Ross wants all three of you prosecuted. Had to give him something,” Tony informed. At this your breathing hitched and you started to shake. You were sure you were having a panic attack.

“Steve,” you choked out as you trembled beside him. He wrapped an arm around you and soothed you. You could attack soldiers, military, highly trained assassins all the live long day - because you could get away. What if they put you in some maximum security prison? Then what would happen to you?

“I'm not getting that shield back, am I?” Steve called after Tony and Nat’s retreating forms as he continued to grip you to keep you level.

“Technically, it's the government's property. Wings, too,” Nat informed.

“That's cold,” Sam retorted.

“Warmer than jail,” Tony remarked over his shoulder.

Man you hated how cocky they were being. Had you signed the Accords would this have been okay? No. The UN would’ve made the same call as the Terrorist Task Force. So what gave them the right to act high and mighty?

Sam was sitting outside with the others while you and Steve went in the conference room for you to decompress. You sat down but your legs were bouncing up and down while your hands still shook.

“Hey, kid, you okay?” Steve asked from across the room.

You shook your head before a few tears fell to the table, the dam on your nerves finally breaking.

“Hey, shh, shh,” he soothed as he made his way over to sit next to you. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“How do you know that?” you asked through a sob as you turned to face him.

He sighed as he peered at you. “I should’ve never let you come along. I knew this would happen. Even if we got Bucky without all the gunfire, it would’ve still been a problem…”

“I chose to come, Steve,” you reminded, the crying and sobbing slowing down. “I don’t regret what we did. Your friend needed help and we gave him that. I just...don’t want to go to prison.”

“They won’t let that happen,” Steve vowed.

“Are you sure?” you asked.

Steve gave you a small, sad smile. “I don’t know, but I hope they do.”

Suddenly, Tony stepped inside the conference room. Your eyes cast up to him warily. Tony was no longer the fun, lovable, sarcastic genius you’d known. This was the Tony that was rubbing it in your faces that you didn’t sign the Accords. This was the pias Tony.

“Hey, you wanna see something cool? I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely,” Tony stated as he opened a box containing two pens. “FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most.”

Steve mentioned how some felt it brought them closer to war, and they started to ramble about not seeing Pepper and why she wasn’t there but all you could do was try to steady your breathing and your hands. Eventually they turned to talking about Tony’s dad and you half tuned them out to keep an eye on Bucky on the screen.

God, you wanted to be down there, keeping him company. Why? You had no clue. Just something about him made you want to protect him. Ironic, that a girl with your body would need to protect someone like him, with a body to take down a tank. But it was true. You wanted to be down there to comfort him, to make sure he was okay, to keep him calm, to protect him from their prying eyes and questions…

For some reason, you were brought back to the present as Tony was talking.

“Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. You too, Y/N. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if both of you sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center... instead of a Wakandan prison…” he offered.

Bucky? In Wankandan prison? No. No. There had to be some other offer. This was unacceptable. Your already tense body got even more rigid at his words.

“I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards,” Steve said as he picked up a pen and started to walk around the room.

“Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you, Y/N, and Wanda reinstated…”

“Wait, what’s wrong with Wanda?” you asked suddenly. You were surprised you were able to speak.

“She’s confined to the compound,” Tony informed.

“What?” Steve demanded. “Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you see things the right way…”

“What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people,” Tony retorted.

“How is it protection if you won’t let her leave?” you quietly asked.

“Kid, you’re young. You don’t know what I know. You haven’t seen the world like I have.”

“Don’t patronize her, Tony,” Steve commanded, gesturing to you before he put his hands on his hips.

“Look, both of you don’t realize that this is necessary,” he barked.

“Necessary? This is internment,” Steve argued.

“She's not a US citizen and they don’t grant visas to weapons of mass destruction!” Tony stated with ferocity.

“Does that go the same for me?” you asked quietly, your eyes on your hands on the table.

“Y/N, I didn’t mean it like that--”

“But you did, Tony,” you remarked, looking up at him with tear rimmed eyes. “I’m not a US Citizen and I can conjure weapons and all sorts of things.”

“Her and Wanda are just kids,” Steve said quietly.

“Give me a break, here!” he exasperated. “I’m trying to do what’s best to stave off something worse. So that they don’t come for Wanda or you,” he said, pointing to you.

Steve shook his head as he returned the pen and told Tony to keep telling himself whatever he needed to believe. Leaving you alone with the billionaire philanthropist.

“Kid, you gotta know I don’t want this,” he said, looking at you.

“I know, Tony. I don’t either,” you admitted. “I know where you’re coming from. I know you’re pulling every string right now to keep all of us out of jail. I know you’re trying to keep it so Wanda isn’t attacked and the same for me.”

“And you aren’t making it any easier on yourself by running around with Capscicle and aiding a wanted criminal,” he noted as he stood and shoved his hands in his suit pants pockets while he stared down at you.

“We had to help him,” you said.

“He killed people, Y/N!” he shouted, leaning down and looking at you, gesturing vaguely to the space behind him. “And you want to help him?”

“So have we!” you barked back. He took a step back and looked at you in shock. “All of us. We’ve done it. Maybe not intentionally. But it happened. Wanda? What? Should she be arrested too?”

Tony stared at you with his signature bitch face.

“Not everything is black and white,” you quietly remarked, sitting back in your chair.

“Will you just sign them now? We could make this all disappear…” Tony offered after a moment, trying to bite his tongue.

You shook your head gently. “I still can’t, not if Steve won’t.”

“For Christ’s sakes,” he muttered angrily. “Fine. When this all goes belly up, and it will, don’t expect any help from me. None. Expect your buddy Steve to bail you out, because I won’t.” He stormed out and you felt even worse than before, more tears threatening at the edges of your eyes.

You felt so torn. You knew Tony was right, that the government would eventually come for you all, but then it would show the world that you all weren’t the dangerous ones. You couldn’t help but feel like Steve was right, signing away your right to choose was a way of saying, “Yes, we are dangerous and need someone to control us.” And that was something you couldn’t agree with.

[z-exie]

There are people who just don’t get what the hype is about with superhero movies and it’s simple: they tell a good story.

Except for the first Hulk movie. Wtf with that one.

In context of the Ironman, Captain America, Thor, Spiderman, Antman, and upcoming Black Panther, Captain Marvel franchises, all of storylines were strong enough to stand alone while coming together to tell a wonderful action and heartfelt tale about camaraderie and choosing between what’s truly right and wrong at any cost. This is the basic storyline you’ll find in elementary literature like, oh I don’t know, comic books!

Side note: Is Dr. Strange going to be a franchise?

What Marvel has done here is complicated this storyline a bit so that it’s better suited for adult audiences while keeping the imagery and action colorful enough to keep the attention span of a kid. Albeit, Endgame was a little PG13, but whatever.

Promo Poster

While this storyline that Marvel calls “Phase I” is riddled with superheroes like War Machine, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and The Winter Soldier, the story as a whole seems to revolve around Ironman, Captain America, and Thor.

Promo Poster

Tony Stark – Ironman

This dude sets it off, but not on purpose. Ironman, played by Robert Downey Jr., was created as a means of escape when he got kidnapped by some dudes so they can get access to his warheads—the commodity that made him a billionaire. Tony’s character took on the persona of a narcissistic “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” who, according to Captain America, “wouldn’t make the sacrifice play” when it came down to it.

Rogers was right, but then he was wrong. So wrong!

Damn! Damn! Damn!

The Ironman franchise goes on to introduce Black Widow, War Machine, and Pepper Potts. As this particular storyline progressed it became more about how tortured Tony Stark was becoming about his unknown destiny. Ever since The Avengers (2012), the monkey of Thano’s army led by Loki (Tom Hiddleson) had been on Stark’s back which was why he created an army of centurions (Ironman 3 and Age of Ultron). Tony was also torn by the carnage that The Avengers left behind (Spiderman Homecoming offers a great perspective of this) and sided with the Sokovia Accords (Captain America Civil War) that required all superheroes to register their superpowers so that the government can regulate them. In other words, Tony was starting to give a damn. So throughout this 11-year period, Tony Stark went from a narcissistic billionaire playboy who made his fortune from warheads to a family man who made the ultimate sacrifice play to save the world.

Before biting the big one, Tony Stark went back in time on a time heist mission with the remaining Avengers and was able to reconcile with his father. This gave him a final peace within himself for a proper ending to his character. It was sad, but it was also beautiful.

Promo Poster

Steve Rogers – Captain America

Played by Chris Evans, Captain America went from being a puny little dude who the army didn’t even want to an enhanced soldier who became as symbolic as the American Flag. So when he went against the Sokovia Accords, he was committing the ultimate treason against his country. But even then, it seemed righteous. His beard was supposed to reveal his “dark” side I guess, but it was like “woo-hoo!” Still, Steve Rogers seems to be the compass for leadership here, so the pendulum of his character’s evolvement doesn’t swing too far to the left or right but it swings, believe that!

Seriously, it’s like Captain America can do no wrong. Throughout the 11 years, his character’s transformation basically went from good to honorable to worthy enough to wield Thor’s hammer. I mean…

In the Captain America franchise, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Spiderman (Tom Holland), Antman (Paul Rudd), and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) is introduced to the team. The Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) was introduced in Age of Ultron.

In the Endgame, Steve Rogers also had to fight himself. He knew what his own strengths and his weaknesses were: his best friend and the love of his life—and used one of them against himself. It wasn’t brawn. It was wit that won himself over.

Rogers goes back in time only to realize his life is really…back in time when he crashed into the ice. He’s been trying to convince everyone to move on from the whole Thanos (Josh Brolin) apocalypse when he never moved on from his own personal apocalypse where he was the one who disappeared from the world. After returning the Infinity Stones to their rightful timeline, he then returned himself to his own rightful timeline. After living a full life, he came back as an old man to pass the Captain America mantle on to his boy, Sam Wilson (Falcon).

He’s back and he’s black!

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Sam Wilson – Falcon – Captain America

Wait a minute: A Black Captain America?

Yes! The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) is now Captain America, folks! There should’ve been a roar of applause in all of the black theaters because just think about it… Captain America…of the United States…is black. If Marvel does a fraction of what they did with Black Panther’s storyline in terms of embracing black culture and society…ya’ll don’t hear me!

Black. Captain America.

It’s like being able to tell some fictitious stories of what might happen in a world where the leader of a free world that was built on racism and bigotry was led by a black man.

I’m here for it, baby! Cut the check and take my money!

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Thor Odinson, Ruler of Asgard

Oh my god, Chris Hemsworth’s character is the most colorful of them all in Endgame and I enjoyed every scene he was in! Talk about character development.

Screenwriting 101 teaches us that every character should start one way and end the total opposite, more or less. Marvel totally did that with Thor. I mean, he was the sexiest, most confident, and strongest Avenger. By all purposes of this fictional story, he’s a god! So to end Phase I with him being overweight, drunken, and insecure is hilarious! Although, you can’t blame the dude. It seems that he of all the Avengers lost the most. His entire family got murdered, but not before getting his butt kicked by his sister who gauged his eye out, his entire planet was annihilated, and anyone who was left was handled by Thanos—or so we thought until Endgame. Apparently, some Asgardians were left. Plothole, but whatev’s.

In the Thor franchise, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and a new kind of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is introduced.

In Endgame, Thor goes back in time, retrieves his hammer and accidentally receives much needed counsel from his mother. Who doesn’t want their mommy when they’re down and out? I mean, if you can’t confide in your mother when you’re fat and travel back in time, who can you talk to?

It’s clear that Thor’s storyline isn’t over since he’s boarded the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship. However, the arc of his storyline in Phase I is satisfying nonetheless. We all want to see more of Fat Thor so this is going to be great!

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Natasha Romanoff – Black Widow

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). I just don’t really think she’s gone. Probably because I know there’s a Black Widow movie in the works. Here’s the thing though: There’s been so many Black Widowish movies out like Red Sparrow and Peppermint, one wonders how Marvel is going to make her standalone movie…stand out. For one, Marvel fans already know this character, but not really. I’m thinking this could be a prequel for us to find out what actually may have happened in Budapest with her and Hawkeye. We’ll no doubt get more insight to Nat “having red in her ledger” (Avengers) and her flashback in Age of Ultron. There could also be a flashback/time jump in her movie too, I’m speculating. Just as sure as War Machine could be in Black Panther movies, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) could also make an appearance in her new Ironman suit in the Black Widow movie. Tony Stark will live on in the Marvel for sure! Also, am I tripping or…

Is Black Widow in the New Spiderman Movie?

What Does it All Mean?

So what have we learned here? Ironman had to see his daddy. Thor had to see his mother, and Captain American had to face himself. Even superheroes have to get right with who they are and where they come from before winning the game. Did it take 11 years to say that? Perhaps. Sometimes, it take people an entire lifetime to get it.

What’s the Fate of the Other Avengers after Endgame?

There’s so many more sub storylines to dissect like Nebula’s (Karen Gillan) daddy, sister, and self-issues—all which played a crucial part in the Endgame plot. There’s Hawkeye’s (Jeremy Renner) whole rouge ninja gig and him adopting an Asian kid. What’s up with that? Bucky’s a.k.a. The Winter Soldier’s (James Buchanan) relationship with Wakanda as The White Wolf (Infinity War), and what happened with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to make her cut her hair? Last, but never least, Mr. Bruce Banner finally embracing all of who he is, the good, the bad, and the green, but really, who’s willing to read much more of this? I totally get appealing to people’s attention spans and I thank you guys for skimming through this article. I hope I offered a new perspective in terms of storytelling.

The Mystery Kid at the Funeral

I found out that’s the kid in Iron Man 3 who he gifted with all that stuff in the garage, if you didn’t know that already. Ok. That’s it for now.

Guess I’ll see you after Spiderman Far From Home if it’s good enough!

Written by Zorina Frey

Written by Zorina Frey

Avengers Endgame: What Does it All Meannn? What did we just spend 11 years of our money on? There are people who just don’t get what the hype is about with superhero movies and it’s simple: they tell a good story.