#electriclove

“Very good my darling,” Melina smiled, tracking the pig through the maze.  She frowned when the tablet went off, letting her know that someone was on her land.  Her eyes went wide, and she started towards her rifle, “Get inside.”

The pigs scurried off towards the house, alerting the two young women inside.  Hannah looked at Ellie, “what’s going on?”

“Mom’s got it covered, Hannah…we’re safe,” She noticed the woman who was a little older than her start to glow, “Hannah…”

The woman looked beyond nervous, “I-I should go.”

But Ellie took her hand, “You can’t leave…”

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Melina smiled, kicking the door open, “make yourself at home!”

“Nat!” The older woman smiled at Hannah, and she rushed her, wrapping her arms around her waist, “I-tell me that Steve found Bucky…tell me Steve is okay…”

“We’ll talk later.”

Hannah felt her anxiety rise, “Nat….is Steve okay?”

“He’s on the run, Han…”

She took a shuddering breath in, “he-he’s gone?”

“He’s in the wind…but he told me to give you this.”

Her breath caught in her throat as Nat handed her an envelope.  She was quick to disappear into the spare room, the envelope in her hand.  She had hardly realized that she was staring as long as she had until she noticed that it was dark outside. 

Slowly, she opened it, and was hit with his naturally calming scent.  Slightly musky, but crisp and fresh.  She wondered how long that it had been since he penned it. 

“Oh Steve…” she sighed to herself, stroking the paper. Looking at the letter, she felt like she could practically hear his voice as she read it. 

“Hannah…your dad told me why you ran…promptly before he tried to kill me.  I guess we both have a lot of explaining to do when we see one another again.  Hopefully we find one another before our child is born…hopefully, you want to keep our child.  After Dot, I never thought anyone else would ever be the potential mother of my child…I put it out of my mind, telling myself that it was just one of those things I’d never be able to have.  But you were always the dame to break that mold…always the one that was sweet on me, telling me that I deserved it.  Telling me that I deserved to have love, and a family, just like everyone else did.  And I’m beyond grateful for that…we all need family.  And while you have your father…you and the baby are mine.  We’ve talked about it before, and we agreed when we started to date, that you saw me as part of your family…your future.  I wasn’t joking when I said that you were mine.  You know I’d been alone since I was 18.  Since my mom passed.  Aside from having Dot and Buck, I never really fit in anywhere.  Not even in the army.  But despite that, I put my faith in everyone and anyone.  And for the most part, it hasn’t led me astray.  That’s how you and I came to be.  I trusted you.  I still do.”

She sniffled, wiping away the tears from her face as she looked away from his letter.  She knew that she had to run, and she had fought every instinct to stay with Steve.  But she couldn’t let the baby suffer for her choices, “It’s why I believe that you are right.  I haven’t signed the accords.  Instead, I started following in your path.  I found Bucky.  Together we found the bunker in Siberia.  It’s where your dad almost killed me…I went on the run.  I needed to make sure I could get to the raft.  The rest of them are locked up.  Nat told me that you are safe.  And for that, I have to trust you, yet again.  I have to trust that we’ll find one another.  Have to put my faith in the fact that one day I’ll see you again…and our child…that I’ll get to be with you, lay with you, kiss you.  It’s the little things that we too often take advantage of, that makes us forget what we really need in our life.  And I need you, Hannah…even if you won’t come to my physically, I pray every night that when I fall asleep I will see you.  I pray that it isn’t just a fantasy that my mind made up to satiate itself…I pray that I get to feel you again.  Please come back to me…I miss you bunny.  Take care of our little super soldier.  Until I see you again, Love Steve.”

Hannah bawled, until she felt the static in the air change.  She recognized it quickly.  It was the same kind of technology from the hela-carriers.  With worry in her heart, she opened a portal as lights surrounded the house.  She opened it to the safehouse that she and Steve had set up when they first started to date.  She sighed to herself knowing that the two of them had joked about it one day being their endgame; their home where they would raise their children. 

She was quiet in the way she padded through the hall of the lonely Brooklyn brownstone.  Her fingers grazed the photographs that the two of them had accumulated, and she paused on one from Christmas.  Her and Steve were wearing matching ‘ugly Christmas sweaters,’ with big grins on their faces.  Another one was from Steve’s birthday, where she’d forced him to wear one of those horrible paper cone hats that read ‘happy birthday’ and she was blowing a noise maker at his face.  She could tell that he was annoyed with the birthday party, but the camera had managed to catch him giving her the sweetest, most loving look. 

Padding up the stairs, she made her way to the master bedroom, and began to take the cover sheets off the bed and dresser.  She frowned when she saw one of Steve’s shirts still on the bed.   Lifting it, she felt tears slip down her cheeks as it still vaguely smelled like him.  With a heavy heart, she slipped out of her clothes and into the large shirt, before tucking herself into the bed. 

His side still smelled like him. 

She thought about his letter and tried to focus her attention to see if Steve was awake or not. 

A young, clean-cut Bucky clapped a pre-serum Steve on the shoulder, “we looked for you after…my folks wanted to give you a ride home, punk.”

Steve frowned, standing on the steps of the familiar brownstone, “I know…I just kind of wanted to be alone.”

“How was it?”

Steve nodded, not entirely wanting to talk about it, “its okay…she’s next to dad.”

“I was gonna say-“

“I know what you’re gonna say Buck.”

“We can put the couch cushions on the floor, like when we were kids,” Bucky offered, “it’ll be fun.  All you gotta do is shine my shoes…take out the trash…”

“You’re a piece of work, Buck.” Steve laughed.

Bucky kicked the brick and grabbed the spare key, handing it to Steve, “come on, Steve.”

“Thank you, Buck,” Steve sighed, “but I can get by on my own.”

“The thing is, you don’t have to,” Bucky frowned, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder once more, “I’m here with you til the end of the line pal.”

“You always play the sad memories…”

The Bucky from his former days, as well as the pre-serum version of himself faded until it was Steve standing on the porch of the brownstone.  He gave a sad smile.

“That really you?” he asked, “or is my mind messing with me again?  I feel like I’ve seen you in my dreams since you ran out on me…”

“I had to, Steve…they would have locked us up.”

Steve frowned, his eyes turning down towards her stomach, “y-you’re really…”

“Yeah…turns out I’m fourteen weeks…out of the first trimester…you’re a daddy, Steve…”

Steve’s breath hitched in his throat, and she let him see her as she was.  Tears welled up in his eyes, “your home…aren’t you?”

“Only place that felt right,” she admitted with a frown.  Steve gave a heavy sigh, and she bit her lip, “I-I wanted to spend the night here…I-I miss you so much, Steve.”

“I love you, baby…” Steve cried, letting himself break down ever so slightly.  He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, “god…I know it’s not the same…but I feel like I’m holding you…I-I can hear it’s heartbeat…”

She froze, “Y-You can?”

“It’s quick…”

“A baby’s heartbeat usually is.”

“It’s strong…”

“Like it’s daddy.”

“I’m not strong enough to be without you,” he admitted, his face buried in her hair.  He sobbed into the crown of her head as he held her, “god…I miss you so much, Hannah…I jus-“

“I can’t come back, Steve…I can’t let them take me…” she muttered, “I can’t let them know about our baby.”

“Come to Wakanda…” Steve begged, “I-Nat’s meeting up with me in a few days…you were right…they locked up Wanda…and Clint.  And Sam and Scott…anyone that didn’t agree with the accords…you were right to run, baby…but Wakanda will offer us asylum…meet me there.”

“C-can we trust them not to hurt us, Steve?”

“I trust them, Hannah…and I trust you,” he said nervously, “but I need you to trust me...I need to know that your safe…I need to know that our child is safe.  I need you to be in my arms again.”

"And I need to know our child is safe," you whispered, pressing a kiss firmly to his lips, "If you want to see me, you're going to have to come find us, Steve..."

“What’s going to happen with all of your friends?” Bucky asked Steve.  He watched his friend’s reactions, but he could tell that Steve didn’t have a plan.

“Whatever it is, I’ll deal with it.”

Bucky shook his head, suddenly nervous as he began to doubt all of the help he’d received, “I-I don’t know if I’m worth it, Steve.  What we just di-.”

“Hannah helped you for a reason before she disappeared Buck,” Steve replied, cutting his friend off.  But Bucky caught how his voice was laced with anxiety, “what you did all those years…it wasn’t you.  You didn’t have a choice.  I saw that.  She saw that.  Everyone that helped you today trusts me on that.  You aren’t a bad person, punk.”

“I know,” he acknowledged sadly, “but I still did it.  I may have been under the command of someone else, but I still did it.”

“Well, now you have to do something else.”

The two men stood in silence for a while, while the jet ran it’s course.  Bucky’s mind wandered to his partner; the one woman who’d undergone the same torture that he had.

“I-I have to find her, Steve,” he admitted softly.  Steve nodded knowing that his friend would want to find Lynx.  He’d always gone back for Dot when they were separated, and he understood what they meant to one another, “they took her away when we ran.  S-she couldn’t get out of her own head long enough, an-“

“We’ll find her, Buck,” Steve reassured his best friend, clapping him on the shoulder, “we’ll find your girl…then we’ll find mine.”

“Hey, do you remember the time that we had to ride home from Rockaway beach in the back of a freezer truck?”

Bucky smiled halfheartedly as a half a dozen memories came up, all of them shattered, and slightly off.  He knew that they all had to have been different trips, so he picked the one that stuck out to him, “Was that the time you used our train money to buy hot dogs?”

“Yeah.  But hey, you blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead,” Steve chuckled, “that may have been a good choice on your part, consid-“

“What was her name again?” Bucky asked with a smile, cutting Steve off.  The memory came full force in his mind and he saw a brilliant redhead on his arm, smiling at him sweetly.  More memories of her popped up.  One where she was kissing him.  Another where they slow-danced together and she was wearing a nurse’s uniform.  Steve frowned, his heart instantly hurting that Bucky didn’t remember Dot.

“D-Delores, Buck,” Steve reminded him, his brows furrowing, “you used to call her Dot…sh-she’s your wife, Buck.”

Bucky frowned, only able to remember a beautiful redhead smiling at him adoringly, a cherry lip that had the perfect pout as he insisted, they weren’t leaving the game until he had that bear for her.

“She’s gotta be a hundred years old right now,” he frowned, suddenly saddened that he had missed so much with her, “i-I married her?”

Steve put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and patted it.  Bucky didn’t remember his own wife, but at the same time knew he was looking for someone that meant something to him.  To him, Lynx wasn’t the same person as Dot.  His mind had fractured so much that they were two entirely different people.  

“You know,” Steve said in a gentle reminder, “so are we, pal.  We’re around a hundred as well.”

“Yeah…but we’re super soldiers, Steve,” Bucky reminded his friend as the two of them started towards the base, “if I’m married…and she’s my wife…how does that work?  Sh-she might be gone already.”

“Buck…”

“Steve!”

His eyes trailed away from his friend’s, towards what he was looking at.  The door had been slightly opened.

“He couldn’t have been here more than a few hours.”

“That’s long enough to wake them up,” Bucky said nervously.  Steve shuddered, thinking about how bad it must be if it was enough to make his friend nervous, “Steve…you have to be prepared to kill them…they’re monsters.”

Steve nodded, and they went to the elevator.  It was eerily quiet, and the two of them made it to the basement level, far beneath the surface.  Going down a set of stairs, they heard a noise.  Just as they were about to turn the corner, Tony stepped out and both super soldiers went on the defensive.

“You seem a little defensive,” Tony pointed out, “something got you stressed, cap?”

“It’s been a long day.”

“At ease soldier,” Tony said firmly, “I’m not currently after you.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Could be that your stories not so crazy…maybe,” Tony shrugged, “or it could have something to do with Hannah and the fact that they told us we have to hunt my own daughter down and lock her up in the raft because she didn’t sign…you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, now would you?  After all, they’re locking up Wanda for siding with you.”

“I’m looking for Hannah too, Tony.”

“She’s safe,” Tony nodded, “Ross has no idea that I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way.  Otherwise, I’ll have to arrest myself.”

“Well that sounds like a lot of paperwork,” Steve agreed, “It’s good to see you’re on our side, Tony.”

“I’m on my daughter’s side, Cap.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Yes, and she’s asked me to make sure I don’t tell anyone,” he said firmly, “any reason why you don’t know, Cap?  Playing poke Ironman’s daughter again?”

Steve frowned, “it’s not like that, Tony.”

“yeah…sure…of course not,” Tony shrugged indifferently, “Manchurian candidate, your killing me…we have a truce here.  You can drop it!  He’s screwing my daughter.”

Bucky’s eyes shifted nervously to Steve, “H-Hannah is-“

“Wait, how do you know her name?”

“She-she helped Buck, Tony,” Steve said nervously, “she knew he didn’t cause the explosion and she gave him a getaway.”

Tony’s jaw clenched, “well then…let’s figure out what she wanted us to see…come on senior citizens.”

Both super soldiers frowned at Tony but followed him regardless.  Bucky directed them until they were in the cryo chamber.

“We got heat signatures.”

“How many?”

“Uhh…one…”

The lights came on, a harsh thunk; the circuit breakers having not been used in a while causing there to be a steady buzzing that came along with the artificial light. 

“None of them are awake?”

Bucky sounded confused.  Surprised even. 

“If it’s any comfort they died in their sleep,” a voice said across an intercom.  The men noticed that there were five tubes that had holes going through them, and bullet holes through the soldier’s skulls, “Did you really think I wanted more of you?”

“The sixth?” Tony asked, “one must have been woken up before he was here.”

“It’s her,” Bucky said slowly, “S-she’s the missing one.”

“Lynx?” Steve asked.  Bucky nodded. 

“I’m grateful to them though,” the man’s voice continued, “they brought you here.”

The lights in a chamber came on, and Cap threw his shield seeing the man behind the glass, but it quickly bounced right off.

“Please, captain,” The man chuckled, “the soviets built this chamber to survive the launch blast of UR 100 rockets.”

“I’m betting I could beat that!” Tony smirked.

“Oh, I’m sure that you could, Mr. Stark,” the man grinned, “Given time.  But then you’d never figure out why you came.”

“You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here,” Steve growled, “you framed Bucky!”

“I thought about nothing else, for over a year!”  The man smiled, “I studied you.  I followed you.   But now that you’re standing here, I’ve realized…there’s a bit of green in your blue eyes.  How nice to find a flaw…maybe it’ll carry over with Hannah.”

Steve tensed as soon as she was mentioned, “What are you talking about?”

“Do you know what it’s like yet to be a father, Captain?  Or did she disappear before you got the chance to experience that joy?” the man asked.

“You’re Sokovian!” Steve noted, “is that what this is about to you?  Did you lose a child?”

“Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell…” the man growled, “no, I’m here because I made a promise.”

“You lost someone.”

“I lost everyone!” The man all but yelled, “and so will you.  An empire that’s toppled by its enemies can rise again, but one that crumbles from within…that’s dead forever.”

A small screen came on, and the date popped up.  Tony’s breath got caught in his throat.

“What is this?” Tony asked nervously. 

But his questions were answered when the screen showed it all. 

The car crash.

Bucky dragging Howard out of the car while he begged for help for his wife. 

Maria calling for Howard as Bucky beat his face in.

Bucky choking the life out of Maria Stark. 

Then the screen going black as Bucky shot it out. 

Tony turned to rush Bucky, but Steve stopped him.

“TONY!  TONY!”

“Did you know?”

“I didn’t know it was him!”

“Don’t bullshit me Rogers,” Tony screamed, “my daughter is in hiding.  TERRIFIED THAT THEY’RE GOING TO LOCK HER AND HER CHILD UP, THE CHILD THAT YOU PUT IN HER, AND YOU’RE DEFENDING THE MAN THAT KILLED HER FAMILY!”

Steve felt like someone knocked the air out of his lungs, “H-Hannah’s pregnant?”

Tony wasn’t even phased by the question, “DID.  YOU.  KNOW?”

“Yes.”

Tony’s tears streamed down his cheeks and he backhanded Steve, “you’ll never see your fucking child, Rogers.  You’ll never see it, or Hannah ever again.”

Chapter 21, The End

For the second time in just a few days, Steve felt like his whole world had come grinding to a stop.  First, he’d woken up to Hannah leaving, after a night of them making love.  Then, the following afternoon when the Avengers went to discuss the accords, he’d found out why Hannah was so upset. 

At the event a mother had approached Tony and Hannah and blamed the boys death on them.  Hannah couldn’t handle it, especially when the mother told her that any ‘mutant’ that didn’t sign was going to be locked away, and that she hoped and had discussed with other people who had started a petition that people like Thor, Hulk, Wanda, and herself would be locked away regardless.  

The day had only gotten worse, however, when Steve received a message that Peggy had finally passed. 

So, while everyone was getting ready for the ratification of the Sokovia Accords, Steve found himself heading to England, to Peggy’s funeral.  He was shocked to see Sharon and had found out that she was her niece.  He’d been a pallbearer, making sure to see her through to the end of the line, just as he would have for anyone else.  Sam had been there for moral support and offered to stand outside after the ceremony so that Steve could have a moment alone. 

Only for Nat to show up.  She gave him a sad smile, “hey…”

“When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone that I knew was gone,” Steve said softly, his hand grazing a pew, “when I found out that I still had her, I felt lucky…H-Hannah helped me track her down when I got out of the ice.  Helped me keep in contact with her…”

“She was lucky to have you, Steve.”

“I didn’t just lose Peggy…”

“I know, Steve,” Nat said with a frown, “that’s why I came.”

Steve nodded, not wanting to think too much on the woman in his life that had just passed, nor the one that had walked out on him, “who all signed?”

“Tony…Rhodey…vision.”

“Clint?”

“He’s retired!”

“Wanda?” Steve asked sadly, remembering the conversation that he’d had with Hannah.

“T.B.D,” she sighed, “I’m off to Vienna for the signing of the accords.  There’s plenty of room on the jet.”

“I don’t know, Nat.”

“Just because it’s the path of least resistance doesn’t mean that it’s the wrong path,” she sighed, “staying together is more important than figuring out how we stay together.”

“And what are we giving up doing it?”

“Now you’re sounding like Hannah…”

“I’m sorry Nat,” Steve sighed, shaking his head, “I-I just can’t sign it…not after what Hannah told me…she’s still in the wind.”

“I know.”

“Well then what are you doing here?”

“I guess I didn’t want you to be alone,” she sighed, “you know…Hannah would be here if she could.  She developed a friendship with Peggy, regardless of the relationship you shared with her.”

“Do you know where she is Nat?”

She didn’t answer.  Steve sighed as she pulled him into her arms, “she’s safe, Steve…she just…she’s afraid.  That’s all I can tell you.”

“You’re being framed…”

The super soldier jumped, turning around to see a woman, glowing ever so slightly.  He went into a defensive pose, eyes immediately scanning the room “who are you?  What do you want with me?”

“I don’t want anything from you, Bucky,” she said softly, “I’m doing this as a courtesy to the man I love…and because I know that there’s more to what you need to find than just hiding in Romania purchasing plums at a stand.  I can’t clear your name, but I can warn you…a bomb went off in Vienna.  They’re using you as a scapegoat.”

“Who?”

“That’s all I know.  Good luck, Sergeant Barnes…” she sighed sadly.  A portal opened up behind her and Bucky looked at her, confusion lacing his features.  She reached in and tossed a small duffel onto the floor, opening up another small portal so that he could see it just beneath the floorboards, “there’s some cash…a few good fake ID’s, and a safe place if you need it.  I’ve got to get to my own safety.”

She stepped through, and Bucky watched her nervously, his eyes shifting back to the floor, “wait?  Who are you?  Why are you-“

“Steve would want you to be safe, Bucky…I know you remember him…deep, deep down.” She said quickly as the portal shut behind her, “you need to find yourself again.”

“Do you know me?”

Bucky nodded, suddenly thinking about the conversation he’d had less than a day ago with the brunette who vanished into thin air, “you’re Steve…I’ve read about you in a museum.”

Both super soldiers looked to the door.  They could hear a soldier making commands about setting the perimeter over a comm setup, “I know you’re nervous…you’ve got plenty of reason to be.”

“I wasn’t there,” Bucky said firmly, his Henley stretching tight across his chest, “s-she said that someone was trying to set me up…”

Steve’s brow furrowed, “She?  Who?”

“Some glowing chick…she came into my room then disappeared into thin air.”

Steve’s breath caught in his throat, “Hannah…she-she was here?”

“I don’t know her name.”

“You’re lying.”

“I wasn’t in Vienna,” Bucky said quickly, trying to convince the man, “I don’t do that anymore.  I know that you can tell that I’m being truthful.”  

“Well people who think that you did are coming here now,” Steve replied, agreeing with Bucky, “I know you can hear them.  They’re not planning on taking you alive.”

“That’s smart,” Bucky nodded, “Good strategy.  Glad I had some help on my side then.  She helped me with a getaway plan.”

Steve and Bucky started circling one another, as Steve tried to talk him down, “you keep saying ‘she’ as in the girl that glowed…her name is Hannah…Buck, they’re after her for something…I need you to tell me where she went.  I can help you.  This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Buck.”

“It always ends in a fight, Steve,” Bucky nodded, “but she’s helping me…she knows that I didn’t do it.”

“You pulled me from the river…why?”

Bucky ripped off his glove, revealing the metal of his bionic arm, “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do, Buck.”

“All I know is that she’s been helping me,” Bucky said, thinking to the familiar glowing woman, “she’s been in my dreams…and then she came here…she trusts you…so I pulled you out.”

Steve froze.  Hannah hadn’t told him that she’d made contact with Bucky before.  She’d never told him about being in his friend’s dreams.  She’d told Steve that he was a ghost in the wind.  But if he was somehow telling the truth that meant that she had found him before Shield fell…she knew about him but didn’t say anything.

Suddenly the betrayal in his heart came back full force, just as a smoke grenade shattered the glass, coming through the window.  Steve was quick to hit it with his shield, sending it back out.  The second one that came through was covered by his shield when Bucky kicked it into Steve’s reach. 

The soldiers breached the door. 

Bucky turned his attention to the window, using the mattress as a shield and he flipped the table, kicking it into the door to buy themselves a little bit of time.  Steve ripped the rug out from under a soldier who came through the window, ceasing his movement.  

Bucky attacked the second one.

“BUCK!” Steve called, “stop.  You’re going to kill someone.”

Bucky grabbed Steve and threw him to the floor, then punched the hardwood next to his head where Hannah had placed his getaway bag. 

“I’m not going to kill anyone!” Bucky reminded his friend.  He grabbed Steve and threw him towards one of the men, then blocked another two’s attacks, “I told you.  She’s helping me…I’m not that guy that you think I am, Steve.  She’s going to help me…I just have to leave.”

“Tell me, Bucky.  You have seen a great deal, haven’t you?”

Bucky’s jaw clenched as he looked away from the man, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You fear that if you open your mouth the horrors might never stop?” The man taunted.  Bucky’s jaw set firmly in place as he glared at the man, “don’t worry.  We only have to talk about one.”

The lights went out, the horrible red hue of the emergency lights coming on.  Bucky’s gaze shot to the man as he sat restrained in his cube, “what the hell is this?”

“Why don’t we discuss your home!” the man smiled, “Not Romania.  Certainly not Brooklyn…no…”

Bucky’s eyes widened as he watched the man pull out the book.  The book that he’d recognized from so many decades.  Past missions came rushing to the surface.  The torture.  The manipulation.  His breathing got heavy as his throat felt tight.  Suddenly his mind was racing as he had a million little images launching themselves at him like shattered slivers of glass.  None of them fit together and they each sliced at him as he tried to focus.  He shook his head, “No.”

“No,” the man laughed, “I mean your real home…”

The man flipped open the pages until he stopped on the one for Bucky. 

“Longing…”

Bucky’s heart raced as he heard the words in Russian.  He looked terrified, “no.”

“rusted….”

“STOP!”

furnace,” he began.  His arm twitched, recognizing the beginning of his training. He screamed, fighting the instincts to become compliant and obey.  He burst through the restraints and began to slam his hands on the glass, hoping to break through before the last word, “daybreak.”

The man began walking around the room, calling the words aloud as he held the flashlight up to the pages.  Bucky furiously fought, trying to break through his containment cube.  It was starting to crack, but not nearly fast enough.  HE felt the beginnings of his training taking over the further and his fist hit the glass with more fervor, “Seventeen.  Benign.  Nine.  Homecoming.  One.  Freight car!”

The cube’s door gave way with the last word, and Bucky spilled from it as the door went flying.  He landed on his knees, hair covering his face.  The man looked nervous as he stepped around to the super soldier who stood emotionless in front of him, raising to his full height.

“Soldat?”

“Ready to comply!” he replied huskily.  The man smiled.

“Mission report.  December 16, 1991.”

Chapter 20

“It’s about time you showed up here.”

Wanda and Pietro looked nervously at the glowing figure.  Wanda’s hands lit up momentarily and she frowned, “I saw you…in his mind.”

Blue’s jaw ticked as she went back to her human form, “what are your intentions here?”

Pietro rushed at her, and she went back into her glowing form, momentarily blinding Pietro, sending him into a portal, only to be dropped back out beside Wanda.  Blue held out her hands, electricity buzzing between them.  Wanda held out her own hands.

“We don’t want any trouble.”

“Do you want to tell your brother that?”

“You two, stay here…protect the city by guarding the detonator!”

“Steve-“

“HANNAH!” Steve yelled, snapping at his ex-girlfriend, “NOT HERE!”

She shrank back from him as Thor glared at Steve, “she can feel the energy, just as I…Captain Rogers…the air is going to get thin soon.  We have to help rescue the citizens and get them to the carriers.”

Hannah gave her boyfriend an appreciative look and he took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.  Steve held back a snarl as he looked at the couple. 

“Pietro, Clint, Natasha, you’re with me,” Steve called out, “Hulk, smash.  Tony, Thor, get to work below this thing while Wanda and Hannah watch after the detonator.”

“Wh-what happened?”

Thor looked at his girlfriend, “you don’t remember?”

She shook her head, “di-did something happen?”

“A lot of somethings happened…but most importantly everyone is safe.  When Wanda abandoned her post and one of the legionnaires reached the key, you fried the core and it allowed the city to break apart.  There was damage, but it was a lot less than if it’d hit midgard’s surface. ”

She sighed, her hand reaching up to him, “Ultron is gone?”

He nodded softly, “yes.”

“I know what that means,” she sighed softly, “I saw your fears when Wanda was in your head.  You have to go back to Asgard, don’t you?”

He frowned, nodding his head, “it is my duty to protect the realms, my love.  And while I have been protecting Midgard, I feel I have slipped on my duties to my own country.”

“Then I want to go with you…to help.”

“I cannot ask tha-“

“I want to, Thor!”  she sighed, “we still need to have our conversation about Mjolnir.”

“That we do.”

“Well, what if we had that conversation while we protected the realms together?”

He smiled, his hand stroking her cheek once more, “I will simplify my words to you so that you know where I stand, my love.  I feel you are a noble woman, young Lady Stark…and one day, I wish to call you my wife.  But for right now, we must protect our lands.  I must search deep within myself, and figure out why I have these fears.  And I must check in with Ember and my son, and Asgard, for I fear there is something that I am missing…but I will be back.”

She frowned, but nodded, “I understand, Thor.”

“I do love you, Hannah.”

“I love you too, Thor.”

“And you are able to lift Mjolnir…I do not take that lightly.”

“So wait…doesn’t this mean I rule Asgard now?” she asked with a giggle.  Thor gave a soft, sad sigh, and looked at her, “what?  I mean, that’s the rules, right?”

“It simply means that you are worthy to.”

“All I need is that gorgeous blonde god by my side….”

“One day my love,” he smiled softly, “one day and you shall have that.”

Wanda sat at the café, her coffee nearly forgotten as she looked around.  Hannah sighed, “hey…focus on me, Wanda…relax and breathe…but stay alert and focused…it’s all about multi-tasking.”

“She’s right!” Nat said over the comms, “you’re with her so it’s less suspicious!  Have a conversation.”

“So you and Thor?” Wanda giggled, trying to get her attention away from her nerves. 

“Maybe something less-“ Cap had begun, but Hannah cut him off.

“He broke up with me!” Hannah admitted, “after he said he had to go back to Asgard…he said he felt it best if neither of us were tied down…”

Steve swallowed his words as he listened to Hannah talk about it.  Anxiety rose in his chest.  Hannah had been at the compound more, giving up her apartment and moving into it so that she was able to train Wanda, Vision, Falcon, and War Machine with him and Natasha, but he hadn’t put two and two together.  After Sokovia he had decided that he was going to put all of his focus into the Avengers. 

“Back to work, girls,” Steve commented slowly, “Wanda…what do you see?”  

She tugged on the cap of her hat, “Standard beat cops….small station.  Quiet street.  It’s a good target.”

“There’s an ATM in the corner!” Hannah pointed out.

“Which means?” Steve led, hoping that Wanda would understand.

“Cameras.”

“Both cross streets are one way!”

“So compromised escape routes!” Wanda realized.  Her gaze shifted to Hannah who nodded in front of her.  She gave her a soft smile and touched her hand.  Wanda released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in.

“It means our guy isn’t afraid to be seen!” Steve told her, “Isn’t afraid to make a mess on the way out.  You see that range rover half-way up the block?”

Wanda nodded, “the red one?”

“Yes.”

“It’s cute!”

“It’s also bullet-proof!” Nat pointed out, “which means private security.  Which means more guns.  Which means more headaches for somebody else.  Probably us.”

“You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?” Wanda asked with a smirk.

“And Hannah could shut down the city’s power grid without lifting a finger and fry them where they stand…but it’s not about what you can do!” Steve pointed out.

“Steve.”

“Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature,” Nat pointed out, trying to stop the bickering pair before they even started, “but Steve is right.  Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you utilize it.”

“Anybody ever tell you you’re a little paranoid?” Sam asked across the comms. 

“Nat laughed, “Not to my face…why?  Did you hear something?”

A few chuckles came across the comms.  But it was Steve that pulled everyone back, “eyes on target folks.  This is the best lead we’ve had on Rumlow in six months and I don’t want to lose him.”

“If he sees us coming that won’t be a problem,” Sam pointed out, “he kind of hates us.”

“Speak for yourself,” Hannah laughed, “you don’t get cryptic messages and roses from him.”

“You think you dropping a building on him would have been enough of a hint.”

“That was unintentional,” Hannah groaned, “you just love pointing out that I dropped a building on him, don’t you, Steve?”

“Never dropped a building on me.”

“Wanna test your luck, cap?”

“If this is some kind of freaky foreplay can y’all leave us out of it?” Sam asked with a laugh.

“Sam!” Steve said quickly, totally okay with changing the topic as he had begun getting hot under the collar from his ex-girlfriend’s teasing, “see that garbage truck?  Tag it!”

“Give me x-ray!” Sam said, “that truck’s loaded for max weight.  And the guys are armed!”

Hannah’s eyes went to Nats as they both realized it, “it’s a battering ram!”

“GO! NOW!”

“What?” Wanda asked.

“He’s not hitting the police,” Hannah pointed out as her attention turned towards the infectious diseases building, “it’s a terrorist attack using biochemical warfare!”

The team split, automatically all making their way to the building.  The group had smashed through the barrier and was already making their way through the building in a tactical setup.

“Steve, the way they’re working…they’re ex-military.”

“Rogues?”

Hannah nodded, “can sense their calm heartbeats…no nervousness.”

“Body armor AR 15s,” Steve observed as he was first on the scene, “I make seven hostiles on the exterior!”

Sam landed on the roof, taking out two, “I make five, cap!”

Wanda showed up next with Hannah and they took another one out. 

“Four!” Sam called, “Rumlow’s on the fourth floor!”

“Wanda!” Steve called, looking to the youngest of the group, “Just like we practiced!”

“What about the gas?”

“Get it out!”

She nodded, using her powers to launch him to the fourth floor where he started to make his way through the building.  Then, while Hannah engaged the other hostiles, she removed the gas, dissipating it into the air above them.

“Shit,” Steve cursed across the comms, “Rumlow has the biological weapon.  I repeat, Rumlow has the biological weapon!”

“I’m on it!” Nat said, last to join the scene.  She started towards the armored truck, knowing that was going to be the getaway vehicle and attacked the men who had been coming out to prepare to leave.  Brock met her, and they fought until they were on top of the truck.  Nat pulled out her electrical impulse stick and jabbed him in the neck.  He chuckled, “What the hell?”

“I don’t work like that no more!” he replied, sweeping her legs out from under her and pushing her through the hole in the top of the truck.  She fell through and into  the back.  He dropped a grenade in, “fire in the hole!” 

“STEVE!” Hannah called over the comms, “SAM! He’s made it past Nat…me and Wanda are a little busy!”

“Sam he’s in an AFV heading North!” Steve called from the window.  He jumped down onto the ground floor and looked at Hannah, “he didn’t see you, did he?”

“I’m fine, Steve!” she called, “let’s take care of him once and for all.”

Chapter 18

“We should talk about what you just did, you know?” Thor asked his girlfriend after they were alone in his room together, “what happened earlier…”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Thor,” she smiled as she leaned against the back of the door.  He gave her a knowing look as her smile widened, “maybe you should enlighten me.”

His own smirk grew as she made a spark appear between two fingers that she held up. 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Lady Hannah,” he answered, pressing his firm body against her own.  His large hands reached up and cupped her face, her small features seeming that much more delicate in his grasp, “you held Mjolnir.”

“Technically I threw Mjolnir.”

“None of the others could lift my hammer.”

“I’m not any of the others.”

He chuckled, knowing that it was better than to fight with her.  She always managed to win their little arguments. 

“I know you are not,” he smirked, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead.  She smiled when he took a step back, but she pulled him back to herself by his button up, “what is it that you require of me, Lady Stark?”

“Maybe I require you,” she said sweetly, pulling him back so that their lips could meet once again.  Thor smiled into the kiss, allowing himself to get lost in the moment as his eyes fluttered shut.  He groaned.  He hadn’t felt this type of closeness, of companionship, since Jane and he had first parted ways.  Sure, he’d told the partygoers that she was off doing her thing, and for the most part that was true…but she was off doing her thing without him as a partner, “is that something I can get?  Or is that off limits?”

“Nothing is off limits with you, Lady Hannah.  You know that.”

She smiled, their lips brushing one another’s again.  He rested his forehead against hers and she sighed, “I’ve missed you, you know…being away from you isn’t so much fun.”

He watched as her hands slid up his chest and to the buttons of his shirt.  He smiled, “is that so?”

“Mhmm,” she nodded softly.  Thor continued to watch her hands as they neared the buttons, slowly, teasingly popping them open one by one.  He gave a soft growl, rolling his hips against hers.  Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his erection against her stomach.  The couple’s breathing got heavy as their lips met again and Thor lifted her as though she were weightless.  Their kiss continued as he carried her to his bed and laid her down on it, both of them pawing the other’s clothing off hungrily, “T-Thor.  Need you.”

“You shall have me, my queen,” he purred, his erection springing free from the confines of his jeans, “I shall sho-“

“THOR!   PACK U-WHAT THE HELL!”

Thor jumped away from Hannah nervously at the sound of being interrupted.  He was quick to throw a blanket over himself and his lover as they were both face to face with none other than Steve Rogers.  Hannah paled, instantly looking away from her ex-boyfriend. 

“Ahh, Captain Rogers!” Thor said jovially, “Lady Stark and I were just-“

“I don’t care what the two of you were doing,” Steve growled out, cutting the god off with is lie, “get ready.  We have a location on Ultron…”

“We’ll be ready in-“

“Not you, Hannah,” Steve growled, finally sparing his ex-girlfriend a glance, “Just Thor for the ground.  We’ll need you to track him in case he escapes.  But you can do that from here.  We don’t need you in the field.”

She sat up and glared at her ex, “Steve, I-“

“I know what you’re capable of, Hannah.  And I’m telling you to stay back,” he growled, returning his attention to Thor, “Thor, get ready.  Be in the jet in ten.”

“You did not need to speak to Lady Stark like that.  It was rude to speak to her in such a manner.”

Tony’s attention turned towards the two men who were arguing once he heard his daughter being mentioned, “like what?  Who talked to Hannah, how?”

Steve smirked, crossing his arms, “yeah, Thor…tell Tony...how I disrespected his daughter.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, catching the underlying tone in Steve’s words, “tell Tony what?”

“Oh nothing,” Steve smirked, a shit-eating grin on his face, “only, when I found them together, they were about to go at it.”

“Excuse me?”

Thor held his arms out defensively, looking between Steve and Tony, “what Lady Stark and I were doing was not ‘going at it’!” Thor said quickly. 

“Oh?” Tony said, instantly relaxing, “well then what were you two-“

“We were about to have intercourse, Captain Rogers…I don’t know what this going at it nonsense you speak of is, but I planned on plowing Lady Stark like a fresh field that needed oats sown into it,” Thor said proudly, “Man of Iron, I am seeing your daughter.  I believe around this time we should talk of dowries…do you midgardians do such a thing?”

“We do not!” Tony said firmly, narrowing his eyes at the god who just admitted that he was trying to plow his daughter like a field, and then promptly asked in his own rudimentary ways about marrying her. 

“Even better,” Thor grinned, “I know this may be an inappropriate t-“

“Then don’t ask it!” Clint said in a sing-song voice, knowing where Thor was going. Nat and Bruce giggled beside him, and he shrugged them off.

“Tony, I would like to marry the young Lady Hannah,” Thor said definitively, “she is beautiful, and smart, and she can lift Mjolnir, and the-“

Everyone looked up in shock as Tony cut Thor off, “I’m sorry.  Did you just say that my daughter lifted the hammer that none of us could lift?”

“I am complimenting your gorgeous daughter and all you can think of is my hammer?” Thor asked, confused by the line of questioning. 

“Yes!” Tony answered honestly, “I know Hannah is a catch.  God she’s smarter than any of you idiots, and she manages to constantly keep me in line while being on the other side of the country.  I know she’s beautiful.  But did she really lift that thing?  When?”

“During the battle,” Thor replied, still confused by Tony’s requests, “did none of you see when she came in through her portal and handed me Mjolnir?”

“You mean she opened a portal beneath it and then one above you so that it could drop to you?” Bruce offered.

“No.  Hannah picked up Mjolnir and handed it to me!” Thor corrected.  He turned to look at the rest of the Avengers who were all still very clearly confused, “why are any of you surprised?  I would think that you all should understand that Hannah would be worthy of Mjolnir.  Of Asgard.  She is perfect in-“

“So you want to marry my daughter,” Tony said, cutting the god off once more.  Thor looked to Tony who was leaning against part of the jet, his elbow resting on a pipe as he crossed one arm over his chest and held the other under his chin, “is it because she can lift meow moew the hammer?”

“Mjolnir!” Thor corrected, turning his full rage on Tony as he pointed the hammer at him, “and I’ll have you know th-“

“Careful where you point that thing buddy,” Tony smirked, “Father of the bride.  You wanna have a shot at Hannah?  She’s still pissed at spangles over there from fucking up their relationship…”

“Language,” Steve growled, looking at the older man, “hey…I did not…mess up my relation-“

“You told my daughter you wanted a future with her then called her by another woman’s name!”

The chorus from within the quinjet sounded like they all got simultaneously punched in the gut as they released a gasp. 

“Sh-she told you that?”

“She told Pepper that,” Tony said, crossing his arms, “and well, Pepper told me…because, hello, together.  You know, it’s sad when the most stable idea of a relationship comes from me, spangles, not you and her…”

“Tony, I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about this right now,” Steve reminded him, “can we talk about this, I don’t know…say when we’re not about to fight some robot you built that wants to destroy the world?”

“Yeah, that sounds fair,” Tony shrugged, looking at how the auto pilot was setting them down on the ship, “it’ll be kind of hard to yell at you over the gunfire that’s no doubt about to happen, as well as a murderous robot.”

“Hey…you created that murderous robot.”

“Pointing fingers, cap,” Tony tsked, shaking his head, “not nice…you know, I’m starting to see the reasons she broke up with you.”

“Can it, Stark.”

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?” Tony teased as he suited up.

Chapter 16