Winter's Son

Natasha was nice. Literally, all James would ever say about her and it spoke volumes because of how little he described people in his life. Not many had such nice adjectives associated with them. This is why he felt safe to seek her out when he wanted to in his world and probably while he did now. He was calm when he saw her last and he felt calm now to see her. It was easier than going to see his father right now. 

He’s playing with a knife but he doesn’t have anything proper to clean it with. he has a feeling that she will. It’s his excuse for the moment to seek her out without it sounding like he needs her right then. “I need to clean my knives.” Is all he says.

James had pretty much taken a nap on Gabriel’s bed after they had a talk and he felt like he deserved it. might not be his bed but here he was. Faintly awake and very aware that someone was close. He had this sort of sense back when he was young and growing up awaiting the next time someone would open the cell door. But instead of sinking back to where that mind space was taking him he lazily cracked an eye open to look at Gabriel for a moment or two.

“I’m not getting up. You shouldn’t have left your bed unguarded,” he says then rolls over showing Gabe his back.

Their first meet had been a bitter one, one that for a long time defined what their strained relationship would really be like for a long time. For some time, Nikolai speculated James’ true reason for his hatred towards him had to do with the fact that their father had, in a way, abandoned James over his family with Natasha. Then again, James would have come from a result of an affair, or something along those lines. Nikolai never questioned it and preferred not to stick his nose in the relationship of his parents, which had left him with many questions. Or perhaps it simply had to do with the fact that he could see their father’s resemblance in Nikolai each time they had an encounter.

 "An excellent observation.” Nikolai replied shortly after, followed with a crooked smile. A civil conversation with his half-brother always felt odd, though it always left him happy to know there was an attempt on James’ end. He tilted his head at his question, letting out a chuckle. “Good to see you survived. You look well.” He pointed out, scooting towards the edge of his bed. Ah, so that’s what he came for. Some form of closure to make him feel less alone. He didn’t blame him. “I saw her, too.” Nikolai’s words came out softer than before, gaze tearing away from his own. “Fortunately for you, I happened to run into our father, as well.” He paused, unsure of what to reveal next. “He seems eager to be of aid.”

Nikolai wasn’t always the first person or sibling James would turn to. Mainly because it always seemed better to avoid them as he was never confident of his position in the family. However, they are his father's son and there's some sort of connection between them that James was always told was a good thing, it didn’t have to be bad. Considering the situation they were in James felt like this was a good time enact on the supposed family ties he was said or supposed to have. He shrugged when it was noted that he was alive. James felt the looking well was a lie in some way but he wouldn’t comment or question it further than that though. 

“That just makes me want to punch him more,” James said when it was told to him that his father wanted to help them. James was close to their father, as close as he felt he could be, after all, he was the whole reason he was in his original world and now subsequently in this one. “I don’t want...whatever he’s offering,” James says. “I don’t really want anything right now, this whole place, to have as a home right now even pisses me off.” James can’t really help his first reaction is anger or annoyance. It just is. Always is. “It's pointless. We’re not they’re concern.”

something about the boy who approached her felt familiar. felt safe. she couldn’t immediately place it. - but she knew. giving him an unreadable expression, the former assassin briefly eased into a smile before nodding. ”Bы хорошо говорите на родном языке.” she noted - before realizing he looked a lot like james. “does anyone?” the transition to english was easy, effortless as she stepped closer. her guard remained up and alert, but she would not harm him.

hearing his name come from the mouth of the babe made her momentarily turn her gaze away. “yes.” she confirmed, though she left the details with the devil. ”we don’t talk. much. but he is here, somewhere.” she looked off and away from him, gesturing towards the grounds they were on. ”what’s your name?” she asked, hardening her resolve and staring over at him.

He can feel the muscles in his face twitch and a smirk, equal to a smile for him, wanting to form. He doesn’t let it get far though. Natasha has a special hold on James, as she was the first woman he had a connection with and he’s easily swayed when she compliments him. Its also easy for him to answer questions when she asks, the Natasha he grew up with knew so much about him. He looks down for a moment and thinks about how to answer her question but doesn’t think it’ll matter how he answers it, just that he’s honest. She’ll be able to tell. “James Barnes II, I assumed him naming me after himself was to seem... affectionate in some way. I didn’t really understand his meaning for it at the time. Still don’t.” He shrugs nonchalantly even though there’s some underlying sadness in him that wishes he asked why. “But I assume Bucky Barnes has no sons in this world...at least I don’t exist if you don’t know me here.”

“You like shit.” It is his first greeting because James doesn't have a filter and he also really doesn't care how insensitive he sounds half the time. His meaning behind is that he's glad, he's just overstressed and can’t be bothered to sound nicer and more concerned like how he feels. He pretty much walks his way into his brother's room not really caring about being welcomed in and just plots himself on the other person's bed. If he remembered correctly Gade was Nik’s roommate. Yeah, even more, okay with stealing the bed. 

“Good to see you survived. You are surviving not dying right?” He comments because he should say something nice and ask how he is. That's all he can really think of at the moment. However, what he really wants to talk about are two other major issues that only Nik can understand right now. “I saw the Natasha of this world...” He mentioned. He doesn’t think he should mention more beyond that unless prompted to. “I think if I find that Bucky of this world I might punch.... so I’m going to avoid that shit storm as much as possible.”

“ hey – , “ she’s ANGRY. “ don’t be that idiot and take out a gun. everyone’s scared already. “ nora wasn’t a hero, she didn’t save people. she got the job done and did what other people couldn’t. she was logical and tried not to base anything on emotions. “ you’ll only make things worse, “ she was prepared to take it away from him with a quick flick of her wrist that would disassemble it. “ WOW - you need someone to do something for you ? i’m going to have to decline. “ avengers and their kids only made more problems for the world. “ i’d suggest not shooting at someone and then asking them to do something for you. “

The gun is the only thing that feels real to him right now. And keeps him feeling somewhat grounded. “What is worse than this?” he snaps and there’s a bolt of lighting the flashes through the sky and you can feel the reverberations making it feel almost like an earthquake hit New York. He thinks there should be some humor in that happening. “It can be effective in most cases.” He says straightening up and holding his gun off to the side. He has been told and taught gun safety, so he knows what he’s doing is wrong. Though there’s a deep-seated part of him that doesn’t care he knows he supposed to be better by now. Or at least know better. While he doesn’t care about being careless he supposes he should do something remotely kind or understanding somehow. He looks them up and down for a moment then asks. “Sorry if the bullets got too close to you.” Its a little strained but that’s his anger still seeping through. “I’m told the polite thing to do in these situations is to ask if you’re okay. Are you?” 

“ебать“ natasha whispered under her breath as her gaze lingered towards the gaping hole in the sky. the widow clutched at her escrima sticks, charged and ready for what was coming when she turned her head to listen to the footsteps approaching her from behind.

a small smirk etched at her lips as she switched her language to english. “if you were sent to kill me, you would fail.” she spoke plainly, slowly turning to face the other with an assessing, but nearly bored expression. “what do you want?” she asked, raising a brow while gripping her sticks tighter, while remaining fully conscious of the decision that if need-be, she would grab her handgun - preparing for anything.

James smirked, as playfully as he could manage with the emotions currently raging inside him. “Я мог бы быть проблемой” He says mimicking the language she used earlier. But his smile fades and he looks down again. “Not you.” Is his answer to his question. “At this point, I’m not sure what I want, or if I’ll ever get what I eventually decide on it.”

“Is there a Bucky Barnes in this world?” He asks. Because he has to know for his own personal reason. “If you’re here... he should be here. Or at least I think you would know.” At least that what deduces now that his rage has died down and he’s allowed himself to accept some rational thought. but he doesn’t think that will last long.

Gabriel was still trying to get his bearings, figure out what the hell was going on when something caught his eyes. “Oh fuck.” He saw James hit the car and everything that followed that, so he rushed over there without a second thought. Upon reaching him, he opened his mouth to tell him to stop waving his gun around, but was cut off before he could get anything out. “I’m sorry, you want to go back to that!?” He didn’t know what was going on or how safe they were right now, but he did know going back meant dying. “Don’t be an idiot! There’s nothing we can do to reverse that! If you go back, you’re going to die along with the rest of the universe.” It was incredibly rare for Gabriel to be this serious about anything. “Even if I could help you get up there, I wouldn’t.” He stated bluntly. He knew it wasn’t what James wanted to hear right now, but he wasn’t going to just watch someone he grew up around sacrifice himself for nothing.

“Yes!! Of course, I want to go back! You think I’m going to let that bastard get away with this?!” And by that, he meant his father. He’s pointing the gun up to the portal in the sky and yelling at the top of his lungs. “No, he doesn’t have the right.” James isn’t used to feeling despair or sadness to anyone. It's still hard for him to work through those emotions so it's better they come out as anger. Its all he really knows. 

James can barely hold his frustration so he turns and shots the holster that’s still burning near them a few times. He’s huffing outbreathes upon breaths trying to lessen the tension in his chest that he doesn’t know how to deal with. “So what we just let them die?! We let them get away with abandoning us here?!” He asks turning back to Gabriel to yell his frustration more. “Isn’t that what we were all waiting for? To die? And now what?”

The next thing that happens is him hissing in pains as he throws off one of the holsters attached to him and watches as it sparks and catches on fire. He takes a shot at it then looks to someone beside him who's giving him a look. “What you have a problem? I’ve got one big one and it's in the sky. So unless you can fly me up there, we really don’t have much to talk about.”