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emjayewrites · 10 months

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Pastry Passions (Luca x black!femoc) (1/?)

PAIRING: Luca x Symone (black!original character)

SUMMARY: When Symone secures a coveted position as the social media manager at Noma, the renowned Michelin-starred restaurant, she is thrilled to be part of a team that pushes boundaries and captures gastronomic excellence. As Symone immerses herself in the vibrant atmosphere of Noma, she catches the eye of Luca, a talented and career-focused pastry chef within the same establishment. Luca is captivated by her presence, however, with his desire to maintain a clear boundary between work and personal life, he resists the growing attraction he feels towards her. Despite their shared passion for the culinary world, Symone and Luca find themselves entangled in a delicate dance between friendship, ambition, and unspoken desires. As the duo collaborates on various projects, from showcasing exquisite pastries to capturing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the culinary artistry, they face numerous challenges that test their resolve. Amidst the intense pressures of Noma's demanding environment and the weight of their individual aspirations, Symone and Luca must navigate their relationship in a career-driven world, where the line between personal and professional blurs, and decisions made can shape not only one's heart but also their future in the industry.

WARNINGS: slow burn romance, drama, angst, grueling work conditions/not-so-glamorous life of the culinary world, cursing, slight age gap, sexual content. RATED M (18+)

TAGLIST: @cinewhore @stargirlfics @mauvecherie-writes @kdoxkeic @wakandamama @afro-hispwriter @nolita-fairytale @lovebittenbyevans @blowmymbackout @superhoeva @celestianstars

AUTHOR’S NOTE: So this is my first fic for FX’s The Bear. This contains spoilers from Season 2, so please don’t read if you haven’t watched. In “Honeydew”, Luca mentions that he’s been working as a pastry chef/chef for 14 years, so he has to be in his early/mid-30s (32-34-ish?) and there will be a small age gap between him and Symone. Also, Chapters 1-3 is set a month and a half before Marcus’ stage trip in January. Please send me a DM if you want to be added to the taglist. Enjoy reading! ;)

CHAPTER I: Emulsion

EMULSION: The process of combining two ingredients that are normally unmixable.

It’s not every day you have a beautiful woman squatting in between your legs while you emulsify a cream sauce, yet somehow this was Luca’s life.

Luca found himself in an unusual position, both literally and figuratively, as he stood in Noma’s kitchen. Symone was squatting in front of him, holding her Canon EOS M50 Mark II′s lens close as possible to the glass to capture every moment.

As Luca vigorously whisked ingredients in a clear bowl, he couldn't help but wonder about the unconventional setup. Symone had suggested this idea to capture an intriguing perspective for the pastry team’s social media campaign. While he didn't fully comprehend the concept of having her squat beneath a glass table while he worked, he understood the need to push boundaries and capture the attention of their audience.

The cream sauce emulsified under his skilled hand, the rhythmic motion of the whisk punctuating the air. Symone's focused gaze met his, her enthusiasm for the project evident in her eyes. Luca couldn't deny the chemistry that crackled between them, even in this peculiar situation.

He suppressed a smirk, realizing the lengths he was willing to go to support the campaign. Whatever it took to create captivating content and elevate Noma's online presence, he was prepared to play his part. If that meant having Symone in such close proximity, he would oblige, regardless of the strange dynamics it introduced.

“You better smirk,” she coaxed beneath him, earning her a lopsided grin that tugged at the corners of Luca’s mouth. “Yes...just like that.”

Luca’s mind swirled with lewd thoughts as Symone's words, dripping with praise and seductive vibrato, ignited a fire within him that he struggled to contain. The unspoken tension between them permeated the kitchen, electrifying the air with an intoxicating energy. A shiver ran down his spine at her tonality; it held so much sexual undertone and he wondered if she was like this all the time, especially in the bedroom. He couldn't help but envision Symone as a dominant force, dishing out instructions with confidence and prowess. The image of her taking charge, unapologetically owning her desires, entranced him.

The tantalizing notion of discovering if her dominant nature extended beyond the professional realm enticed him, igniting a curiosity that consumed his thoughts.

Symone's unwavering confidence and refusal to tolerate anyone's nonsense were qualities that both intimidated and intrigued Luca. Crazy as it seemed, Luca found himself drawn to the idea of unraveling the enigma that was Symone. He yearned to discover if the sexual undertones he sensed were more than mere imagination.

He abruptly cleared his throat, snapping out of his reverie and consciously ordering his dick to cease its stirring inside the secure restraints of his black jeans. As the whisking came to a halt and the sauce achieved the desired consistency, Luca slowed his pace and his eyes briefly connected with Symone’s.

"Nice," she said as she gracefully emerged from beneath the table, her movements deliberate and poised. “Good job.”

Fuck me sideways; her voice!

He liked it a bit too much for his liking, so much so that he wouldn’t — no, stop, don’t you dare go there. Not now, not ever.

He somehow willed himself to regain control, to push aside the fantasies that threatened to consume him. Luca forced himself to redirect his thoughts, to recommit to the boundaries he had set for himself.

With a nod of his head, Luca set the whisk aside, his gaze meeting Symone's once again. A comforting silence settled between them, the air thick with unspoken desires and lingering tension. As Luca meticulously cleaned his workstation, his eyes couldn't help but steal subtle glances at Symone, catching glimpses of her through his peripheral vision, as she watched the footage.

“It looks good, Luca,” she says from over her shoulder. “People are gonna become feral for that lil’ smirk of yours.”

A faint blush tinged Luca's cheeks as he absorbed her words, his ego momentarily stroked by her praise.

"Thanks, Symone," he replied, his voice laced with a mix of appreciation and a hint of restraint. "I'm glad you like it."

"I'll put this together and send you a copy once I'm finished," Symone declared.

"Sounds good to me," Luca replied quickly, his hands instinctively reaching for the towel hanging from his apron to wipe off his hands. However, the aggravated look that crossed Symone's face caught his attention, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Everything good?"

Symone's response was swift and direct, her arms crossing over her chest in a defensive stance. "I don't like your attitude," she proclaimed, her tone filled with frustration. "I mean, it's been two weeks since James told you about Japan and us working more closely together, but you've been an asshole more than usual."

Luca's eyes widened at her blunt honesty, and he took a moment to process her words. He had been aware of his change in demeanor, but he had hoped that he had managed to keep it under control. It seemed that Symone had seen through his facade, and the realization left him momentarily speechless. “Just trying to help as much as I can,” he says in a mock apologetic tone.

“Bullshit,” she adds sotto voce, moving closer to him. “You were supposed to talk to me about doing this behind-the-scenes series and I have yet to hear from you.”

“I’m busy, Symone,” he scoffs, rolling his blue eyes in annoyance as his anger heightened. “Besides, you can film me while I’m prepping and cooking. I don’t see why having another meeting for this series is necessary. I have a lot of shit to work on, Symone, and I don’t want to hear you complaining about some fuckin’ social media campaign.”

Symone's exasperated growl caused goosebumps to rise on Luca’s arms. For the second time that day, he found himself captivated by this newly revealed side of Symone, the fierce determination and raw authenticity that radiated from her.

"Fuck you. Hopefully, your attitude is better tomorrow," Symone retorted.

Luca's regret washed over him like a wave. He opened his mouth, ready to apologize and offer an explanation, but before he could utter a single word, Symone stormed out of the kitchen with a fiery intensity, leaving Luca standing there, momentarily stunned. Luca felt a pang of remorse for his part in their exchange. He had let his guard down, allowing his emotions and fears to cloud his judgment. He knew he needed to make amends, to set things right with Symone.

With a sigh, Luca gathered his thoughts and made a mental note to address the situation first thing in the morning. He vowed to himself that he would approach Symone with a genuine apology and a willingness to bridge the divide that had formed between them.

As he resumed his other work in the kitchen, Luca's mind remained fixed on Symone's departure. He couldn't deny the mix of emotions stirring within him — the regret for his words, the longing to find common ground, and the undeniable attraction that continued to pull him towards her. He was in a continuous battle within himself, constantly contradicting between being a professional and delving into his personal desires.

He had been harboring a crush on Symone for quite some time, however, he was acutely aware of the complications that could arise from mixing his personal desires with his professional life at Noma. He couldn't bear the thought of being an asshole to Symone, yet he feared that acknowledging his feelings would only complicate matters further.

Lost in his thoughts, Luca's concentration faltered, leading to a momentary lapse in focus. The knife in his hand slipped, resulting in an unintentional cut on his finger. A sharp pain jolted through him, causing his team members to notice his distress.

"Chef, are you okay?" Maria, ever attentive and caring, approached him with concern etched on her face.

Grimacing, Luca grunted out a curt, "Yes, I'm fine," though the pain lingered and matched the turmoil in his heart.

Maria, not one to be easily fooled, sensed his inner struggle and gently urged him toward the employee lounge. "Come on, Chef, let's get that cut cleaned and bandaged properly."

Reluctantly, Luca followed Maria's lead, allowing her to guide him away from the kitchen. In the privacy of the lounge, Maria attended to his wound, her touch both gentle and firm.

"Luca," Maria stated matter-of-factly, her voice tinged with concern, as she carefully tended to his wound. "You need to get your shit together."

The truth of her statement resonated within him, leaving him pondering just how transparent his internal struggle had become. Undeniably aware of his infatuation with Symone, Luca couldn't help but wonder if others had also noticed the subtle shifts in his demeanor. Had his attempts to keep his feelings hidden fallen short? Did his actions betray the turmoil he experienced within?

Maria's straightforwardness served as a wake-up call, forcing him to confront the reality he had been evading, yet despite this, ever the stubborn mule, Luca immediately dismissed it.

Luca let out a frustrated sigh, feeling the weight of Maria's words bearing down on him. "I'd rather cut myself again," he muttered under his breath, a mixture of self-pity and defiance in his voice.

Maria shook her head in disappointment and shrugged, understanding the complexity of his emotions. After wrapping the bandage, she left the lounge, leaving Luca alone to his own devices. As he sank into the couch, exhaustion and frustration intertwined within him.

His heart heavy with indecision, Luca knew he needed to confront his feelings and find a way to navigate this treacherous terrain.

With a deep breath, Luca closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment of rest before he decided to do something foolish and jeopardize his entire career. The conflicting desires within him battled for dominance, leaving him weary and drained.

His phone suddenly buzzed, spurring him out of his contemplation. With a sigh, he reached for it and saw the name "Carmen Berzatto" flashing on the screen. Carmen, a former colleague and friend, was calling him.

"Hey, mate," Luca answered, wearingly. "What's up?"

Carmen's voice emanated from the other end of the line. "Hey, Luca! How's everything going over there at Noma? Listen, I wanted to ask if it's cool if I send my pastry chef, Marcus, to stage with you guys in Copenhagen in January. It'll be a great opportunity for him to learn from your team."

Luca's brow furrowed, his mind still preoccupied with his own personal dilemma. He exhaled deeply before muttering, "Sure, Carm. That's fine."

Sensing Luca's somber tone, Carmen asked, "Hey, man, is everything okay? You sound a bit off."

Luca let out a halfhearted chuckle. "Just the usual shit, you know. Work and personal stuff."

Carmen's voice took on a mischievous tone. "Ah, I see. Well, you know what they say — sometimes all that tension disappears if you get laid."

Luca couldn't help but roll his eyes, despite the flicker of amusement that danced within him. "Maybe you should take your own advice, Carmy."

Both men erupted into laughter, a shared understanding passing between them. They were well aware of their intense and hyperfocused nature when it came to their careers. The accumulation of pent-up energy often found its release in the realm of physical intimacy. However, Luca couldn't help but reflect on the last conversation he had with Carmen, where he was grappling with the heartbreaking aftermath of his brother's suicide. It was clear that Carmen had been preoccupied with more important matters at the time, leaving little room for such indulgences. As for Luca, he reluctantly acknowledged that he had been foolishly neglecting his own needs and desires, all in the name of upholding a veil of professionalism.

He needed to get a grip and figure this shit out.

_______________________________________________

In the crispness of the wintry morning, Luca took a momentary break from his prepping and other kitchen duties. Leaning against the outside wall of the kitchen door, he found solace in the stillness of the early hours, his fingers tapping on his phone as he attempted to compose an apology email. The tendrils of smoke from his cigarette swirled gracefully in the air, intertwining with the cool breeze that brushed against his face. The soft rays of the morning sun cast a gentle glow on his features, highlighting the contemplative expression in his eyes. Time was slipping away, and the beginning rush of lunch service would commence in a few hours, but for now, Luca sought the tranquility of the moment.

For the entire night, Luca tossed and turned in his bed; he couldn't escape the relentless thoughts of Symone that consumed his every waking moment. In the depths of his slumber, his dreams became a vivid tapestry of possibilities, where he replayed scenarios of their encounter from apology to rejection, and even to the forbidden intimacy they shared in the confines of the kitchen.

How could he navigate this attraction to her while maintaining their professional relationship? He knew that an apology was necessary, a first step toward rectifying the tension between them, but he needed a plan to ensure that his feelings wouldn't interfere with their work.

Suddenly, his gaze lifted from his phone and fixed on a figure emerging from the direction of the farm. It was Symone, camera in hand and tote perched on her shoulder, bundled up in a parka and heeled boots. The sight of her stirred a mix of emotions within him. He watched as she noticed his presence and muttered a curse under her breath, quickly changing her course to avoid him by taking a detour to a side entrance.

"Really, Symone? You have to go out of your way to avoid me?" Luca's voice sliced through the wintry air, causing her footsteps to falter. She pivoted on her heels, facing him with guarded eyes.

"Are you still being a dick?" Symone shot back, her tone tinged with resistance and a flicker of amusement dancing in her gaze.

Luca chuckled, unable to resist the subtle humor in her words. Symone tried to ignore the way his laughter sent a pleasant shiver down her spine, mentally cursing his attractiveness, tall stature, deep accented voice, muscular build, and the tattoos adorning his forearms. It took every ounce of her willpower to resist the temptation of jumping his bones right then and there.

With a genuine tone, Luca looked directly into Symone's eyes and offered his heartfelt apology. "Symone, I'm truly sorry for my behavior. I understand that I've made things difficult for both of us, but I want to make amends."

Symone's expression softened slightly, and she nodded in acknowledgment. "Apology accepted," she replied cautiously, her voice holding a trace of relief. "But, I need your commitment. If we're going to work closely together on this campaign, I need you fully invested. I need your active participation in the behind-the-scenes series, and I need you to provide everything I need."

Luca's response was immediate, his determination shining through. "You have my word, Symone."

A glimmer of satisfaction appeared in Symone's eyes as she nodded in approval. "Good," she replied, her voice more relaxed now. "Glad you found some sense.”

"Thank goodness," Luca replied a mischievous glint in his eyes, causing Symone to burst into laughter. The tension between them seemed to dissipate, replaced by a lighthearted banter that felt refreshing and familiar. With a final pull from his cigarette, he stubbed it out against the concrete ground with the sole of his work boot, dispersing the smoke into the wintry air.

"I'll try my best not to be a dick," he continued, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "But no promises. It seems to be ingrained in my nature, you know, being a chef and all."

Symone raised an eyebrow, a mock look of astonishment appearing on her face. "Oh, how wonderful. Using your choice of career as a built-in personality trait. Not toxic at all."

Luca chuckled, nudging her shoulder gently. "Hey, I can't help it if the heat of the kitchen rubs off on me. But don't worry, I've got layers. More than just spices and sauces, you know? Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"Fucker," Symone playfully retorted. "Alright, Chef Layers, let's get inside before I turn into a human popsicle. And to answer your question, no, I haven't had breakfast yet."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Luca said, feigning concern. "I'll whip something up for you. Consider it my first step in the redemption process."

Symone smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Fine, but don't get too carried away. I know your idea of 'whipping something up' involves a dozen ingredients and three hours of preparation."

Luca grinned, his playful nature shining through. "You know me too well. But I'll keep it simple this time. Just for you."

Luca held the door open for Symone, his gaze momentarily fixated on her ass as she gracefully entered the warmth of the restaurant. He couldn't help but appreciate her curves and the silent reminder of the underlying desires that simmered between them.

“I’ll be right back, I’m going to set this stuff down in my office.”

"Sure thing," Luca replied, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. "Take your time. I'll be right here."

Symone nodded appreciatively and made her way toward her office, located on the other side of the restaurant. As she disappeared from his sight, he released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Moments later, she returned, her eyes drawn to Luca as he stood by the kitchen counter, sharpening his knives.

"Hey," Symone greeted, leaning against the counter. "I’m ready for that breakfast.”

Luca looked up, a smile playing on his lips as he laid his freshly sharpened knife down. His curiosity got the best of him and he couldn't resist learning more about Symone, about the little details that made her who she was. Leaning against the counter, he casually asked, "By the way, are you allergic to anything?"

Symone shook her head, a small smile forming. "No allergies here. I can eat pretty much anything."

"Good to know," Luca replied, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. He continued, "And what's your favorite breakfast meal?"

Without hesitation, Symone responded, "Chicken and waffles."

Luca nodded, taking in the information. "Chicken and waffles, huh? I can definitely whip up some waffles for you. As for the chicken, we might have to save that for another time, but I'll make sure the waffles are the best you've ever tasted."

Symone chuckled at his antics. "I'll hold you to that, Luca. Looking forward to it."

Luca skillfully mixed the batter for the blueberry bacon waffles and Symone stood by the counter, her gaze fixed on his every move. The aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air, mingling with the sweet scent of blueberries.

Symone couldn't help but be drawn to Luca's culinary prowess, and a playful smile danced on her lips. "Impressive, Chef. I didn't know you had waffle skills up your sleeve."

Luca flashed a grin, pouring the batter onto the hot waffle iron. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until you taste them."

Curiosity getting the better of her, Symone leaned in closer. "So, what made you decide on blueberry bacon waffles?"

Luca chuckled, flipping the sizzling bacon strips with precision. "Well, I thought, why not combine the sweet and the savory? Plus, blueberries and bacon are a match made in breakfast heaven and they’re my favorite."

As the waffles cooked to golden perfection, they continued their light banter, learning more about each other in the process. Luca couldn't help but be intrigued by Symone's family dynamics.

"So, you have a brother?" Luca asked, his attention briefly shifting from the sizzling bacon to Symone.

"I do. His name is Ishmael, and he's a military chef stationed in Germany."

"That's impressive. Must be quite the experience, working as a chef in the military,” Luca added as he took the bacon off the griddle to chop them into tiny pieces.

"It is, but it also means he's fiercely protective of me. He's been pushing me to find a job in Berlin so he can keep an eye on me."

Luca chuckled, understanding the sentiment all too well. "Ah, the overprotective older sibling. I can relate. But I'm sure he just wants the best for you."

Symone nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips. "He does. I appreciate his concern, even if it can be a bit overwhelming at times."

As the aroma of the freshly cooked waffles filled the kitchen, Luca carefully arranged them on a plate, garnishing them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and bacon.

He handed the plate to Symone, their fingers briefly brushing. The fleeting touch sent a shiver down Luca's spine, igniting a warmth that spread through his entire being. It was a simple gesture, but it held a world of unspoken possibilities.

Symone's eyes met Luca's, a subtle spark of something more lingering between them. At that moment, they both felt the undeniable connection growing stronger, a magnetic pull that neither of them could ignore.

"Thank you, Luca," Symone said softly with a hint of something deeper than gratitude.

Luca nodded, his gaze fixed on her, their eyes locked into each other. "You're welcome, Symone. It's my pleasure."

As Symone took her first bite, her eyes widened in delight. "Oh wow, Luca, these are amazing!"

Luca's face lit up with satisfaction, his heart swelling with pride. "I'm glad you like them. I aim to please."

The restaurant manager, James, sighed in relief as he entered the kitchen, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Luca. He patted his back with a grateful smile. "There you are, Luca. Thank goodness you're here."

Curiosity flickered in Luca's eyes as he turned to face James. "What's up, James?"

James took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I have an unexpected situation. My in-laws just informed me that they're coming over for dinner this weekend, and I won't be able to attend the opening of Rosio Sanchez's restaurant in Oslo. I was wondering if you could go in my place."

Luca’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He had plans to enjoy his weekend off, but a free getaway to his former boss’ restaurant sounded tempting. He shrugged, realizing it wouldn't hurt to change his plans. "Sure, why not? I can go in your place," Luca replied as he shrugged nonchalantly.

James's eyes shifted between Luca and Symone, lingering on the plate of waffles in front of her. "Oh, and bring Symone too. It'll be a great opportunity for her to take pictures for the Instagram and whatnot and to experience Rosio's culinary talents," James suggested.

Luca's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his gaze shifting to Symone, who stood there with a stunned expression, her half-eaten plate of waffles in hand.

James gave them a mischievous smile before making his exit. "Enjoy your breakfast, you two. And have a fantastic time in Oslo."

As James left them with puzzled expressions, Luca and Symone exchanged a bewildered glance.

What. The. Fuckin’. Hell.

#pastry passions #Hulu’s The Bear #the bear fx #luca x black!oc #luca x reader #luca the bear #marcus the bear #carmy berzatto #carmy x reader #carmy x syd #the bear fanfic #the bear fanfiction #luca the bear fanfic #fatws spoilers #the bear spoilers #the bear season 2 #emjayewrites

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applepiewinchesters · 1 year

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Don’t Blame Me (Helmut Zemo x Reader)

A/N: Hellooo friends. This is a fic I started a month or so ago and just now finished so I hope you like it!! This is based around the song “Don’t Blame Me” by Taylor Swift

Word Count: 4,200

Don’t blame me, love made me crazy. If it doesn’t you ain’t doin’ it right.

When you agreed to help Sam and Bucky investigate who was to blame for the recent string of super soldiers running around, you didn’t really think it would entail breaking a terrorist out of prison.

Helmut Zemo was crafty, dangerous, and overall, at least in your mind, a shit person. So, when he emerged from the dark in what apparently was his parking garage, you had to hold back from knocking his teeth in.

It wasn’t long after you were aboard a private jet flying to Madripoor to try and get to the bottom of everything. Bucky and Sam were bickering constantly, and the Baron wasn’t exactly welcome company, but he was quiet as he sat across from you, reading in his seat.

A question was nagging at you, one that was insensitive in some respects, but you were curious regardless.

“Did you really try to kill us all because a sentient robot decided to try and take over the world?” you’d asked suddenly.

Zemo’s eyes lifted from his book to you, raising an eyebrow as he did. He sighed slightly, marking his page before setting the book on the small tray beside him.

“To be truthful, you and your friends were easiest to blame,” Zemo told you casually.

You eyed him, waiting for some cruel comment, but none came.

“We saved everyone we could find in time, you do know that right?” you replied, crossing your arms.

“Yes, and I do applaud you and the others for that, but my family…” Zemo began but trailed off, a pained look in his eye.

You were both silent for a moment before he continued, “Love will make you crazy, perhaps you’ll find that out some day.”

A nasty remark caught in your throat, and you sat back, because he was right.

My name is whatever you decide, and I’m just gonna call you mine.

Of course, your job was being the arm candy. And not even the arm candy of whoever the hell Sam was pretending to be while you four slunk around Madripoor, Zemo’s arm candy.

The dress you had managed to find on such short notice glittered in every light you passed, the gold color of it apparently matching the gold in the Sokovian flag, according to Zemo. The high heels you wore were almost impossible to walk in, and you could hope you wouldn’t be doing any running.

Your hair was curled and pinned back, your makeup accentuating the best parts of your face.

When the car stopped on the bridge, Sam helped you out of the car, and Zemo appeared beside you, offering his arm, his gentleman ways stirring something up inside you.

The man was a murderer, but a classy murderer at that.

You took his arm, and he began leading you towards the city along with Bucky and Sam, who were ready to kill the man if he touched you the wrong way. Despite knowing the fact you wore a knife in the thigh holster barely hidden by your dress, they’d kill Zemo for you at your request.

By the time you finally got to the club, your feet were on fire, and you were ready to just get whatever information you needed and get the hell out of there.

Zemo led you all towards the bar, and once you all reached it his arm let go of yours, moving down to your waist and securing you to his side. Sam looked ready to punch him, and looks could kill, the glare he was getting from Bucky would have made him drop dead.

You tried your best to look happy, even leaning into Zemo to give everyone a show.

“Hello gentlemen, and lady, wasn’t expecting you Smiling Tiger,” the bartender greeted you all.

“His plans changed, we have business to do with Selby,” Zemo lied smoothly, easily and almost absentmindedly, pulling you closer to him when a drunk girl bumped into you.

So close you had to put a hand on his chest as to not look awkward and uncomfortable.

“The usual?” the bartender asked, making Sam only nod, trying to look intimidating.

You could feel Zemo’s heartbeat fast beneath your hand, it seemed his calm exterior may have been just an act.

The bartender set to work, making two normal shots of what you assumed was probably rum or tequila, before setting to work on Sam’s drink.

It was made with at least three different liquors, and you nearly jumped when the bartender pulled a cobra from a glass jar, tossing it on the counter and cutting it open from head to tail, easily pulling out its heart and plopping it in the drink.

You almost snorted, there was no way Sam was going to do it.

The bartender set the two normal shots in front of you and Zemo, and slid the more intricate drink in front of Sam.

“Ah, Smiling Tiger, your favorite!” Zemo exclaimed as Sam reluctantly picked up the glass, inspecting it.

Zemo handed you one of the other shots, taking the other in his hand not on your hip.

“Cheers Comrad,” Zemo told Sam, clinking his glass against the other man’s before turning to you, leaning down so his lips were by your ear, “and you, dorogoy.”

You had no idea what that meant as you weren’t exactly fluent in Russian, one of the main spoken languages of the Sokovians, but nonetheless gave your fake date a dazzling smile before tossing back the alcohol.

It burned your throat as it went down, almost making you feel dizzy, it seemed to be stronger than the average alcohol.

Sam was hyping himself up it seemed, the bartender was obviously getting suspicious. You managed to shoot a look that said “hurry the fuck up” to him and he finally tossed it back, obviously disgusted as he did so.

But at least the bartender seemed satisfied.

“I got word from on high, you ain’t welcome here,” the bartender said pointedly to Zemo, who had Bucky standing close behind him, rather good at keeping up the Winter Soldier persona.

“I have no business with the Power Broker,” Zemo began, “but if he insists, he can either came and talk to me, or bring Selby for a chat.”

“New haircut?” the bartender asked Bucky suddenly, who only gave him a deadpan look.

When the bartender looked away, Bucky leaned over to Zemo, “A power broker, really?”.

“Every kingdom needs its king,” Zemo replied, smiling a bit. “Let’s just pray we stay under his radar.”

“Do you know him?” Sam asked.

“Only by reputation. In Madripoor he is judge, jury, and executioner,” Zemo told him.

Suddenly a man saddled up beside Bucky, telling him something you didn’t understand in Russian.

That was all it took for Bucky to grab him, shoving you and Zemo out of the way as he slammed the man into the bar, bending his arm back and making the man groan in pain.

The sound of guns cocking around you filled the air, and Zemo moved in front of you as he leaned towards Bucky and whispered, “Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us.”

“Selby will see you now,” a man said as he appeared beside Bucky, who let the man go.

“Thank you,” Zemo said, wrapping an arm around your waist again as he led you away, Bucky and Sam trailing behind you both.

You were all led to a back room where the club’s music was quieter, making you wonder if the others inside would be able to hear if you all got shot.

The room looked to be an office of some sort, couches and a desk were the main staples of the room, along with the bodyguards stationed around the room.

Zemo sat down on one of the couches, easily pulling you down onto his lap so you sat sideways, legs hanging off one side and one arm going to rest behind him, the fur of his coat tickling you a bit.

You did your best to look like the bimbo arm candy you were playing, even going as far as leaning into Zemo’s chest, and placing a kiss on his cheek.

His arm wrapped tighter around you, hand gripping your waist.

“Don’t get any ideas,” you whispered to him as a woman with short white hair entered the room. This must be Selby.

“You should know Baron,” Selby began, taking her place on a couch across from you and Zemo, “people don’t just come into my bar and make demands.”

“Not a demand, an offer,” Zemo spoke as you fiddled with the fur on the back of his coat nervously.

"A lot has changed since you were last here,” Selby replied, “by the way, I thought you were rotting away in a German prison. How did you escape?”.

“People like us always find a way, don’t we?” Zemo answered, voice unwavering. “I’m sure you have already heard what I’m here for.”

“You’re taller than I’ve heard, Smiling Tiger,” Selby commented, half ignoring Zemo.

Sam gave Selby a convincing smile, so she turned back to Zemo, “What’s the offer?”.

Zemo smirked, “Tell us what you know about the super soldier serum and I give you him, along with the code words to control him of course,” Zemo spoke, nodding in Bucky’s direction, “he’ll do anything you want.”

Selby smiled, leaning back on the couch, “What about her?” she asked, motioning to you perched on the Baron’s lap, “She’s a pretty one Helmut.”

While your heart pounded in your chest, Zemo only gave you a small smile, his hand moving to cup your cheek, gloved thumb rubbing against the warm skin, “Isn’t she? But I’m afraid this little bird is mine.”

Your face got hot, but you managed a ditzy giggle, grabbing Zemo’s hand from your cheek and holding it in your lap, giving it a squeeze. Maybe a bit too hard.

“Too bad, I could think of plenty of people who would gladly take her to bed,” Selby commented, shrugging off the fact she essentially wanted to pimp you out.

Zemo must have felt you tense up because he gave your hand a light squeeze, leaning over to whisper to you as Selby moved to ‘inspect’ Bucky.

“I won’t let anything happen,” he reassured quietly, making you nod.

While you really tried to hate this man still, it was hard not too when he’d just promised to protect you from the psychopath you were doing business with.

“I’m glad I didn’t kill you immediately, you were right to come to me,” Selby suddenly spoke up, seemingly satisfied with the deal offered to her. “Arrogant, but right.”

Zemo nodded, motioning for her to go on.

“The serum is here in Madripoor, Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the man you want to thank…or condemn, depending on what side you’re on,” Selby explained. “The Power Broker had him working on the serum, but things didn’t go as planned.”

“Is Nagel still here in Madripoor?” Zemo asked.

“Oh,” Selby answered, almost mockingly, “the bread crumbs you can have for free, but the bakery is gonna cost you Baron. And before you get all cute, don’t think you can find Nagel without me.”

Zemo opened his mouth to reply but the vibration of a phone broke the silence, all eyes fell on Sam, who looked like he wanted the Earth to open up and swallow him whole.

Selby frowned, “Answer it, on speaker.”

Sam pulled his phone from his pocket, doing as told, “Hello?”.

“Hey, we need to talk about the situation, it’s been driving me nuts,” came the voice of Sam’s sister, Sarah.

“What situation are we talking about exactly?” Sam asked, trying to keep up the tough guy exterior.

“Are you high?” Sarah exclaimed on the other end, “You know exactly what situation, it’s the only situation you and I have!”.

“What situation Sarah? Say it!” Sam commanded, raising his voice.

You could feel yourself beginning to sweat, this was going downhill fast.

“The damn boat! And watch your tone okay? I let you slide at the bank.”

Sam scoffed, “The bank, yeah. Laundered so much…they’ll come around.”

“If that was the case, why did they dog you out, Big Time?” Sarah asked, obviously annoyed.

“Yeah, you damn right I’m big time, you’ll see when I have that banker killed,” Sam answered, trying to sound cocky.

“Cass! What’d I tell you about the Cheerios? I don’t have time for this! Sam, listen, I’ll have to call you back,” Sarah spoke, and with that, hung up.

Your heels were kicked off and you were ready to run.

“Sam? Who’s Sam?” Selby asked, your heart dropped, “Kill them!”.

You jumped, Zemo joining you shortly after, but before any of you could pull a gun, the sound of glass shattering filled the room, along with a sickening crack as a bullet pierced Selby’s skull from an unseen shooter, killing her instantly.

All of you ran, Zemo grabbing your hand and pulling you from the club, weaving you through sweaty bodies and out into the cool night air.

“They’re gonna pin this on us!” Sam spoke hurriedly as you all began power walking down the street, you stumble a bit as Zemo pulled you along.

“We have a real problem now, so leave your weapons and follow my lead,” Zemo reassured, continuing back the way you’d came.

Phones began pinging around you and it wasn’t long before the sound of gun shots filled the air, some whizzing right past you.

“Shit!” Sam yelled as you all scrambled, Bucky and Sam continued running forwards, while Zemo pulled you down an alleyway, both of you sprinting, breathing hard, his hand never leaving yours.

Your path was blocked suddenly by a rather larger man, and before he could react you ripped your hand away from Zemo’s, reaching for the knife in its holster on your thigh and tossing it, the blade sinking into the man’s chest.

“Come on!” you shouted, grabbing Zemo’s hand once again, as it was your turn to pull him away from danger.

You felt relieved when you spotted Bucky and Sam at the end of the alley you’d turned into, both staring in confusion at a dead man laying on the ground.

“Seems you have a guardian angel,” Sam was saying as you and Zemo stopped, catching your breath.

“You okay?” Bucky asked you, and you nodded, still trying to breathe normally.

“Well, isn’t this just perfect,” came a voice behind you.

You whipped around to find the last person you expected to be there. Sharon Carter.

For you, I would cross the line.

Music shook Sharon’s large home, you were almost afraid some of the priceless art would fall due to the loud bass.

People danced, sweaty bodies moving to the beat of the music, or they stood around talking about the art surrounding you.

You sat at a small table, sipping the drink you’d gotten from the bar. Bucky and Sam were “patrolling” at a party of all places, and you could see Zemo on the dancefloor. He danced like the whitest dad at the neighborhood block party, but either the alcohol, or the fact it was sort of cute, made you giggle.

Zemo happened to look over as you were laughing, and you quickly tried to hide it by taking a sip of your drink, but it was obvious he saw you.

In minutes he was sitting across from you at the table, drink in hand, a bemused look at his face.

“Did I catch you smiling at me?” he asked, taking a sip of the amber liquid in his glass.

“Laughing, actually,” you retorted, leaning back and crossing your arms.

Zemo smirked, “You expect me to believe that, dorogoy?”.

“You dance like an old man,” you replied, looking away from him and to the dancefloor.

Surprisingly, Zemo laughed, a genuine one, making you smile a bit.

“Ah,” Zemo pointed to you, “there it is again.”

“Oh, shut up,” you told him, taking a drink from your own glass.

Zemo obliged, but still smiled as he leaned back in his chair.

It was silent between you both, before you spoke again,

“Would you really have protected me from Selby?” you asked, eyeing the man across from you.

“Of course, you had no business with her,” Zemo replied without hesitation.

“Even with my…background?” you asked, referring to your alliance with the Avengers.

The man chuckled, “Like I said, of course, you’ve proven you are much more than what I believed you to be.”

“And that would be?” you questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I thought you’d be much like your friends, loyal to a fault, but you…you are much more. You know what you want, you know what you’re worth, I admire that,” Zemo told you, and you couldn’t help the blush that crept across your cheeks.

“Um…thank you,” you told him awkwardly.

“You are welcome,” Zemo told you, throwing back the rest of his drink, “now, you owe me a dance.”

You must have looked unsure, because Zemo smiled, standing and offering his hand to you, “I promise to not dance like an old man, as you put it. We must blend in, correct?”.

Sighing, you took his hand, and he led you to the dancefloor, more towards the edge, away from others. He took your hands, moving them so that they rested on his shoulders, and his moved to your waist, pulling you a bit closer.

While the song was fast and loud, you two moved slow, still to the beat, but nothing like the others jumping around you.

“Is this so bad?” Zemo asked, looking down at you.

“I suppose not, but you better be careful, one wrong move and Bucky will make you swallow your teeth,” you joked, making the Baron wince slightly.

“It will be hard not to cross that line with you, I must admit,” Zemo told you casually.

“You can’t fall for the first girl you meet out of prison,” you laughed, but the man in front of you looked serious.

He leaned down so that his face was closer to yours, his lips beside your ear, “How can I not when she is so beautiful?”.

A shiver went down your spine as one of his arms snaked around your waist, pulling you against him, his other hand sliding into yours.

You managed to get out a small laugh, “You’re smooth, I’ll give you that.”

I would fall from grace, just to touch your face.

After some help from Sharon in Madripoor and the imminent death of Dr. Nagel, who was shot by none other than Zemo himself, you were all hiding out in one of Zemo’s houses, this one located in Latvia, where the super soldiers were thought to be.

The sheets beneath you were cool and soft despite the heat radiating from your bare skin. You were laying on your side, watching the rise and fall of the Baron’s chest. He looked peaceful when sleeping, the seemingly permanent frown lines gone from his face.

If someone had told you a few days ago you would have slept with none other than Helmut Zemo, you probably would have punched them in the throat. But laying here beside him, the morning sun streaming through the window, you couldn’t help but smile.

Sam and Bucky had left you to “babysit” Zemo last night and hadn’t come back. If they found you like this, they’d surely kill Zemo, and then you, for “sleeping with the enemy”.

This would be your fall from grace for sure.

The Baron’s eyelids fluttered suddenly, slowly opening, blinking in the morning light. He sighed, blinking a few times before his eyes met yours.

A small smile broke across his face and he reached for you, easily pulling you on top of him, despite your slight protests.

“Shhh, just lay with me printsessa,” Zemo spoke, voice gravely from sleep.

You huffed, resting your head in the crook of his neck, his fingers trailed up and down your spine. He turned his head to plant a kiss on your forehead, making you giggle.

Zemo smiled in turn, resting his head back against the pillows.

It was silent besides the sound of you both breathing, both content to lay there forever, although you both knew it wouldn’t last. None of this would, but that wouldn’t stop you from pretending it would.

“They’re going to come for you, aren’t they?” you asked softly, tracing a scar on Zemo’s chest, more than likely from his years as a Colonel in the Sokovian army.

The Dora Milaje warned Bucky just yesterday they would come for Zemo, and that you would all have no choice but to hand him over.

Zemo sighed, arms wrapping around you, “I suppose…but that does not mean I will be gone forever.”

“You’re going to escape The Raft?” you scoffed, making Zemo chuckle.

“Did Sam not do so?” he asked you, “Do you not believe in me?”.

You smiled and shook your head, “Of course I do…it’s just, they’ll find you, again and again.”

Zemo kissed the top of your head, “I’ll find you lyubov’, every time.”

If you walked away, I’d beg you on my knees to stay.

You gripped onto Zemo’s coat tightly, sobbing.

“Y-You can’t, you can’t go,” you whimpered, tears streaming down your face.

Everyone knew this would happen, you, Zemo, Bucky. You knew the Dora Milaje would come for him, but it was too soon.

You’d ran with him when Bucky and Sam were distracted by John Walker and the Dora Milaje when they’d all arrived at Zemo’s home in Latvia. You two spent an amazing night at another one of his safe houses.

When he brought you to the Sokovia memorial, you knew he was saying goodbye before Bucky even showed.

“I have to,” Zemo told you calmly, gently prying your hands off his coat. You only wrapped your arms around his waist, wishing that if you held him tight enough, he wouldn’t leave.

“Please,” you choked out, “you don’t have to take him.”

You moved to look at the members of the Dora Milaje standing behind Zemo, but you were only met with a cold glare, “He will pay for his crimes,” one of them told you.

Turning your attention back to Zemo, you were met with a man who accepted his fate. You wanted him to fight, to run, but he wouldn’t, you knew that.

Zemo took your face in his hands, pressing a kiss to your lips, when he pulled away he kissed your forehead as well.

“Let me go, Moya lyubov’, I’ll find you,” Zemo told you softly.

You shook your head as Bucky grabbed you from behind, forcing you away from Zemo, holding you tightly against him as you thrashed, hitting his arms, kicking him.

Given he was at least 50 times stronger than yourself, it really wasn’t much of a fight on his end.

You watched helplessly as Zemo nodded to Bucky in thanks, giving you one last look before following the female warriors to their ship and boarding without a fight.

He only let you go when the ship disappeared from sight and you collapsed, the hard ground beneath you hurting your knees as you fell but you didn’t care.

You cried into your hands, your whole body shaking. The one good thing in your life in years and it was gone in seconds, he was gone in seconds.

“Come back,” you rasped out, “please.”

Bucky let you cry until your sobs had died and you’d stopped shaking. He carefully helped you up and away from the memorial.

“It’s better this way,” Bucky tried to reassure you, but you weren’t listening, you could only think of the phone number Zemo had put into your phone the night before. The number that with one call, could maybe get him back.

Oh lord save me, my drug is my baby, I’ll be using for the rest of my life.

Red lights flashed and sirens blared throughout the Raft, signaling a security breach. The lights inside went out and the emergency lights flashed on, illuminating everything in red.

Helmut Zemo sat up on his bed, raising an eyebrow.

Guards ran past the Baron’s cell, armed and ready for whatever, or whoever, had just breached one of the most top security prisons in the world.

The door of Helmut’s cell slid up moments later. Helmut stood, walking hesitantly towards to escape.

A shadow moved in the blinking red lights, walking towards him. Helmut had no weapons, but he’d go down fighting whatever the hell was coming towards him.

But the lights flashed again, illuminating a familiar face. Your hair was tied back, a gun in your grip.

“Dorogoy?” the Baron spoke.

When the lights flashed again you were smiling, running towards him now and when you slammed into him, wrapping your arms around him, Helmut felt his heart skip a beat.

Helmut’s fingers tangled into your hair as he held you tightly, afraid you’d disappear if he let go, still unsure if this was even real.

You buried your face into his shoulder, hugging him even tighter.

“I know what you mean now,” you told him, your voice muffled.

Helmut’s brow furrowed, pulling away from you.

“What?” he asked, making you smile.

“Love, it really does make you crazy,” you replied.

Helmut smiled, shaking his head slightly and pressing a kiss to your lips.

Don’t blame me, love made me crazy. If it doesn’t you ain’t doin’ it right.

#fatws #fatws spoilers #helmut zemo #baron helmut zemo #helmut zemo x you #helmut zemo x reader #daniel brühl #helmut zemo angst #marvel #Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #don't blame me

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butternuggets-blog · 2 years

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Zemo's team come to rescue him in Latvia; they've got inside jokes and special incidents and they call Zemo "Colonel Candy" behind his back because of his sweet tooth and Sam and Bucky end up really bonding with them in spite of themselves

#helmut zemo #bucky and sam #sam wilson #bucky barnes #fatws spoilers #fatws

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not-a-fever-dream · 2 years

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It still doesn't make sense to me that Sharon became a villain in FATWS. Like why is this the thing? Why???

#falcon and the winter soldier spoilers #the falcon and the winter soldier spoilers #fatws spoilers #falcon and the winter soldier #marvel #show

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justinewt · 2 years

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One World, One People - MARVEL REWRITE Chapter Nineteen

[MARVEL REWRITE-MASTERLIST] - [THE MULTIVERSE SAGA]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (??/??)

Summary: TBA

Words: 5.7k

Warnings: TFAWS spoilers (episode 6 specifically), Marvel phase 4 spoilers, angst, some violence, fighting, injuries, deaths, inspirational speech, FLUFF

“I’m almost there.” Sam told them over the radio as Bucky and Frainn walked towards the building, all geared up with their suits on.

“What’s the plan?” Bucky inquired, looking around them as if he was scanning the area and the people there. Frainn was really just staring ahead with a straight face, glancing over at Bucky every now and then.

“Karli’s gotta be close. Keep your eyes open.”

“Well, it could be anybody.” He retorted.

“Sergeant Barnes. Staff sergeant Lokadottir.” Soldiers positioned at a checkpoint in front of the building greeted the two former soldiers as they let them through. She almost never used her military title, so she wasn’t very used to it still, but she didn’t react at all, showing no emotions on her porcelain face while Bucky didn’t reply or say anything either, frowning as he kept observing their surroundings.

“And by the way, I called in some backups.” Sam added. Frainn felt movement behind them and looked from the corner of her eyes, not turning around until the person spoke up and she stopped in her tracks suddenly, leading to the man almost running into her.

“Excuse me, sir, ma’am—"

“You can address me as sir too.” She gave a tight smile, feeling something was off with the guy. The man held up his hand to his face and kind of tapped on his temple before taking off his beanie and pulling something from his face, revealing Sharon underneath.

“Relax. It’s just me.”

“Sharon, what the hell are you doing here?” Bucky asked, surprised to see her away from Madripoor.

“No one’s looking for me here.” She reassured, even though Frainn wasn’t really thinking of the agent’s safety. The goddess didn’t care much. Sharon led the two towards the building, so they wouldn’t just stand there.

“Is that Sharon?” Sam wondered.

“Unfortunately.” Frainn replied keeping a light tone of voice so as not to make it awkward if she came off as suddenly bitter and hateful towards Sharon. She just didn’t like the blonde woman, for some reason.

“Hey, Sal. I thought I’d get the band back together.”

“Thank you. You’re risking a lot coming here.” He said, expressing his gratitude to her over the radio.

“I hear pardons aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.”

“Depends on the therapist.” Bucky retorted with a straight face, looking around as Sam continued talking.

“They’ll move on the building soon. Be ready.” Frainn nodded, listening to their friend’s words, crossing her arms over her chest in a sigh. It was going to be a long night and she didn’t exactly look forward to it, but neither did Bucky, Sam, or even Sharon for that matter. Bucky and Sharon eventually entered the building and Frainn followed suit, sticking with her long-time partner while the former SHIELD agent went another way, to cover more grounds in finding where Karli was at the moment. “Sharon, Bucky, Frainn, what’s going on on your end?”

“Nothing. All quiet.” Bucky informed him.

“No one’s moving towards the building.” Sharon added.

“Karli’s not coming in. She’s trying to force everyone out.” Sam said and Frainn frowned a bit, watching their surroundings as they marched. “You guys are gonna have to do something. Don’t let ‘em out of the building.” They walked through a metal detector upon entering the building and Bucky and Frainn stopped in surprise when the latter beeped at Sharon’s passage. Bucky’s arm was made of vibranium, which wasn’t a metal that could be detected by those machines and Frainn’s spear was something that wasn’t even of this earth, so of course it was Sharon and the possible gun she had on her that made the machine go off.

“Oops.” She muttered. Bucky and Frainn were quick to change their focus and brush off this minor incident, as they had something more preoccupating and urgent to think about.

“Here’s one of them.” Bucky noted. “I’ll get the evac.”

“I can take them out.”

“I know. But be careful.” He sighed, seemingly not wanting to argue with her about engaging with the enemy right now. She was a bit surprised that he was willing to let her go after them without trying to make her change her mind and just stay with him as he tried to locate Karli but maybe he felt that she needed some action right now and in any case, she was clever and cunning, she wouldn’t cause a mess if there was no need and even if she did, she could cover it up with her magic and no one would notice until she lifted the trickery. Frainn nodded at Bucky, and they parted ways. She disguised herself as the man Bucky pointed at a second ago and walked to the area where they had seen him, because it meant there would be more nearby. She eventually found the man and came up to him from behind before before landing a powerful kick to his back, knocking him into a beam of the building. He hit his head hard and fell to the ground heavily as a crack appeared in the concrete or whatever the building was made off and she shrugged, recovering her original appearance. It was fun playing around with her powers, but it was even more entertaining to use her surhuman strength on mundane people.

She wasn’t pleased to inflict pain, suffering or humiliation on anyone she went after, she was only satisfied to see her power and maybe it was because of her father, but she sometimes liked to show off a little. Not necessarily to impress anyone because she didn’t care about people’s praises, not random people’s at least, and really just wanted to challenge herself whenever she had the opportunity to fight. Frainn sighed and in the blink of an eye, a green sparkling light passed over her tall body and she was wearing an outfit similar to her father’s, which she often favored over her own suit, to commemorate him and his memory she would say and it was partially true. But it was mainly because it made her feel greatly closer to him, since it was his signature clothes, and she liked his style a lot so it was with pleasure that she was doing so. It made her think of what Sam told her and Bucky, a few days ago when they left his home in Louisiana. She had to face her demons if she wanted things to get better for her and facing her demons surely meant working on her grief and the tragic and unfair death of her father and entire people. She couldn’t continue to hallucinate her father anytime she would be in front of a mirror and on her own, it was just not viable on the long term and she started to see that. She remembered her uncle, Thor, after he lost Loki and then her in the snap. He was in bad shape, burying himself in his self-loathing and drinking. She didn’t want to do that. For her own sake, but also for Bucky, and Sam.

She advanced in a hallway. The red lights all over the place gave a strange vibe to the building as she walked, which she didn’t like very much. She looked to her side as she passed a corner and a man jumped towards her. It wasn’t like fighting Thanos. She didn’t need the entirety of the Avengers and heroes from all over the galaxy to defeat one man, whether or not he was a supersoldier. She was stronger and more powerful, and those bad guys were no match for her godly self. She grunted as he kicked her chest and she went through a window, breaking the glass and falling on the floor. She stood up like nothing happened, frowning angrily and just tensed her fingers and used her power of telekinesis, throwing him away with force, letting out a growl. She heard the man’s spine crack as it broke while she shook her hair to take the pieces of glass out, annoyed. The glass cracked under her boots as she resumed her walk through the building, thinking of joining Bucky if she couldn't find anything here except uninteresting Flag Smashers jumping from behind the corners. They were maybe super soldiers but in front of her, they were as fragile as any human.

Frainn walked by a fully glazed wall and saw Bucky in the center of the building, a phone to his ear, speaking to someone. She figured it was Karli and teleported herself to him, obviously taking him by surprise as the conversation ended. He looked down at the phone in his hand and gritted his teeth.

“Damn it!” He groaned before he started running and without a question, Frainn followed him. She would ask him later about the call. They rushed down to the parking lot of the building and immediately got on motorbikes parked there.

“Seriously guys, you had one job.” Sharon sneered as she stood nearby, hidden behind a beam.

“You worry about your guy.” Bucky retorted, the two-wheeled engines whirring, and they drove off, exiting the scene. Gradually accelerating their course, the two drove through an alley and passed a guarded barricade, ignoring the calls of the people there. They had to be quick and catch up with wherever the senators were being evacuated to.

“Bucky! Frainn!” Sam called in, grunting loudly.

“We don’t fly, man. That’s your thing.” He replied, taking a turn and stopping the bike for a second, reving the engine before driving off again. Frainn could many things, among which was the ability to teleport herself but without knowing where to, this was a bit useless. This wasn’t a power she had really worked on in her life so she couldn’t use it to its full potential. She had prioritized powers like her godly ones and telekinesis rather than this one. After a minute, they reached another barricaded zone but this time they couldn’t pass through. Bucky leaned forward on his bike, throwing himself off of it and rolled on the ground while Frainn crouched on the seat of her bike and jumped, landing on her feet when Bucky dragged someone in his fall. It was a Flag Smasher. Around them were the two police trucks in which were trapped all the senators. Bucky and the Flag Smasher started throwing punches and kicks at each other and the goddess analized the surroundings at gods’ speed, figuring out what to do first in that moment. She tensed her fingers, slightly stretching her arms to her sides, bending and cracking the metal of the trucks’ doors so the senators could get out until a fire suddenly blew in her face and she fell and rolled on her side, gasping for air. This was her only weakness and somehow, the Flag Smasher figured that out. The senators screamed inside the vehicules while Frainn was leaning on the palm of her hand, she was suddenly helped up by Bucky who apparently managed to put an end to the fight he was in. When he turned her to face him, he widened his eyes and she didn’t understand but she pushed him away, urging him to help these people. She wasn’t feeling her best, and quite uncomfortable at that but it wasn’t time to worry about her. She would get over whatever seemed to worry the former soldier.

Bucky approached one vehicle and pulled on the damaged doors, forcing them open. Frainn swallowed harshly as a warm sensation starting rose around her face, but she ignored it and helped Bucky as he pulled on the door’s handle. A couple of seconds later, the door gave way and hti the concrete in a metal sound. Frainn generated a clone of herself and took a step back when she saw the fresh burn that ate half her porcelain face. She never saw an injury like this on herself because usually, it would be gone in a matter of seconds, but this was different. It was like a lick from Surtr himself, a burning stain to a Jotun.

“Thank you for saving us.” Frainn looked to Bucky and a man that was inside the truck shook his hand feverishly, thanking him as the others nodded at Frainn, running through the illusion of herself she casted and causing it to fade away and disappear. She was still a little set aback by this sight but regained her composure and let her body take the appearance of her ancestors, her skin going blue and eyes as red as blood, hoping that the burn would go away faster in this form.

“You’re welcome.” Bucky mumbled as the politicians fled the scene and he turned to Frainn, the same worry she saw on his face returning as he looked at her.

“I’ll be fine. Let’s go.” She declared and turning around, running down the road along with him. She was done playing now, and the Flag Smashers would wish they had never done this, but she saw it as somehow of a punishment for maybe going soft and not going full force against them, as they deserved. She wouldn’t let her guard down again. Bucky rushed at a Flag Smasher pulling a pole from the ground over Walker who was on the ground, holding up a shield and Frainn frowned and narrowed her eyes. The shield was a really shitty makeshift version of Steve’s, and she shook her head and watched the old soldier throw a punch at the Flag Smasher, sending him against a wire netting wall behind him. The man fell to the ground on his side and while Bucky walked towards him as he got back on his feet, Frainn approached, judging that he was fine, so she stayed put until she saw Karli join in on the fight with the pole her peer had pulled from the concrete. Karli repeatly tried to hit Bucky with the pole but the goddess made it fly from her hands, making lose her balance and Bucky grabbed some chains lying on a low wall nearby and hit her in the face. She grunts as she fell. The other Flag Smasher went to kick Bucky and sent him off the construction building. She ran after him as he jumped off in turn, holding a beam in his hands.

She pinned him down, holding the beam against his throat as he struggled against her. He hit her in the jaw with the beam and she groaned, spitting the blood that filled her mouth onto his mask. She cooled down her body, her skin turning blue and her eyes red as it they were completely bloodshot, right up to her pupil, her jaw clenched and frowned eyebrows. She tensed up her hands and got rid of the beam, sending it crashing into a wall, in a thud, raising a cloud of dust. She brought her hand to his neck and held him up in front of her as she got on her feet. His screams piercing through the night. She didn’t have to squeeze much to inflict such pain and when she saw his head tilt to the side, his eyes closed, she just threw him away like he was garbage. She sighed as her body came back to normal when suddenly they heard metal beams creak over them and looked up, only to see a vehicle dangerously hanging over the edge. They exchanged a look and Frainn channeled her telekinesis and wind control and kept the car from falling over until they saw it being very lightly pulled away from the edge for a few seconds so she let go but when Walker fell along with some Flag Smasher, she saw the car gradually plunge into the void when she let out a chuckle of relied upon seeing Sam arriving and helping the car not go down. With her powers, she brought him a little assistance to bring the car back to the top.

She only realized there were people watching when she heard cheering afterwards and she looked around and saw people gathered on the street, some of them holding up their phones and filming the moments, smile stretching their lips. The goddess finally took a second to look at Sam and who she saw wasn’t just their dear friend, it was Captain America. But the relief was quick to fade away when she turned around suddenly after Bucky caught something in his vibranium hand and the two looked at Karli. The moment the girl thought of making another move, the shield came flying around, knocking out the Flag Smasher, all in the blink of an eye. Karli faced Sam, taking off her mask to a disappointed face.

“You of all people bought into that bullshit.”

“I’m trying something different. Maybe you should do the same.” He retorted. Suddenly, a series of sounds of explosions echoed around them, releasing a thick cloud of grey smoke obstructing their vision. People started screaming as a gun was being fired from an upper floor of the worksite. Frainn looked around, unsettled until she, Bucky and Walker heard Sam voice. “This way.” With a clanking sound, Sam put the shield on his back, and the four of them ran in the said direction.

“Hey, Sharon. We’re underground.” Bucky told her over the comms. “We entered the tunnel on William. Heading South.”

“Looks like they’ve split up. Here.” Sam pointed to an adjacent corridor and Walker didn’t even stop in his tracks and just went that way.

“We got it.” Bucky said as he and Frainn followed the jerk with the blonde hair and the hero syndrome. They ran outside and found a few Flag Smashers, masks off, trying to sneak away.

“Mercy bears richer fruit than strict justice.” Walker declared as they walked in front of them. Frainn glanced at him, frowning in confusion. She had no clue if he was quoting someone, in which case she had no idea who it was, or if he had been cooking that one up just waiting to say it to look wise or something.

“It’s a great app.” Bucky added, showing them the phone screen in his hand, hinting as to how the three soldiers got to them. There was a second of silence before police officers arrived from the side and behind them, surrounding them. “Thank you.” He then said, leaving them in the hands of the police before walking away. For some reason, Walker thought it be a good idea to give a friendly pat in Frainn’s back and she just shot him a pissed gaze, pushing his arm away. “Lincoln, really?”

“Great man. Great quote.”

“Not when you say it.”

“Who the fuck is Lincoln?” Frainn asked, out of the blue. Only Walker seemed surprised to hear her ask such a question.

“How can you not know who Lincoln is?”

“I’m not from your realm, dumbass. I didn’t study Midgard’s history, all right?” She groaned.

“Midgard?”

“Ugh, Midgard is how my people named this fucking planet.”

“Lincoln was our 16th President.” Bucky informed her.

“Thank you.” She said in relief, shoting up her eyebrows.

The lights of ambulances and police cars flashed around them with a crowd gathering behind barriers, holding their phones in front of them, filming as Sam descended from the sky, carrying Karli's body in his arms. The rescued Senators watched as well, in silence. It was like no one dared to make a sound until their new Captain America landed softly on the ground and walked forward as a couple of firefighters in dark uniforms brought a stretcher on which he lied the late leader of the Flag Smasher. Bucky, Frainn and Walker took a few steps and Sam walked, ignoring the reporters suddenly trying to get his attention, asking questions after questions in hope of an answer. Bucky leaned against an ambulance and Frainn crossed her arms over her chest, watching Sam talk with a few Senators.

“Sam, thank you so much, from all of us.”

“Sincerely.” One of the senators added. “You did your part in dealing with those terrorists, now we’ll do ours.”

“Are you still going forward with resetting borders?” Sam inquired.

“Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon. The terrorists only set us back a bit."

"You have to stop calling them terrorists." He said, shaking his head.

“What else would we call them?”

“Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions into settlements around the world, right?” The man nodded and Sam continued. “What do you think those people are gonna call you? These labels, “terrorists”, “refugee”, “thug”, they’re often used to get around the question, why?”

“Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?”

“Yes.”

“And the people who reappeared only to find someone else living in their family home, they just end up homeless?” The senator wondered. “Look, I get it. But you have no idea how complicated this situation is.”

“You know what? You’re right. And that’s a good thing.” He turned to the politician as the latter walked past him. “We finally have a common struggle now. Think about that. For once, all the people who’ve been begging, and I mean, literally begging for you to feel how hard any given day is… now you know. How did it feel to be helpless? Now if you could remember what it was like to be helpless and face a force so powerful it could erase half the planet, you would know that you’re about to have the exact same impact. This isn’t about easy decisions, Senator.”

“You just don’t understand.” He insisted, dismissing the whole speech Sam was giving. He only scoffed and smirked at his reply.

“I’m a Black man carrying the stars and stripes. What don’t I understand? Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people who are gonna hate me for it. Even now, here… I feel it. The stares, the judgment.” He looked at the people standing around him. “And there’s nothin’ I can do to change it. Yet, I’m still here. No super serum, no blond hari, or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better. We can’t demand that people step up if we don’t meed them halfway. Look, you control the banks. Shit, you can move borders! You can knock down a forest with an email, you can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who’s in the room when you’re making those decisions? Hmm? Is it the people you’re gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you?” There was a heavy silence, as the senators had no answer to give to this. Frainn let out a silent sigh, squeezing her arms slightly. “I mean, this girl died trying to stop you, and no one has stopped for one second to ask why.” He rose his voice a bit and pointed at the senator to his side; just a bald old man that really needed to be knocked some sense into to get it, and Sam was brilliantly doing so. “You’ve gotta do better, Senator. You’ve gotta step up. Because if you don’t, the next Karli will. And you don’t wanna see 2.0. People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is? Look, you people have just as much power as an insane god,” Frainn felt some people glance over at her, but she knew better. She wasn’t targeted by Sam’s words. “or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is, “How are you going to use it?” On these words, Sam walked past the Senators, giving a formal nod at Walker on his way and he came to meet with his two pals. Bucky straightened up.

“Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting and so, all I heard was, um, “a Black guy in stars and stripes”.” He shrugged and the three of them chuckled as they walked away from the crowd behind them. “Nice job, Cap.” He then added softly.

“Thanks.” Frainn let her arms hanging to her side, a smile stretching her lips as they approached Sharon, leaning against a car, pressing gauze against her wound.

“Blocking my light.”

“We gotta get you to a hospital.” Sam exclaimed.

“She’s not gonna listen.” Bucky figured. Sharon glanced at him, panting, before looking down at her stomach.

“It’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me all week.”

“Told you.”

“Uh, Cap?” A man called.

“I think he’s talking to you.” Sharon said, breathing heavily and Sam silently chortled. “Look, I’m sorry for how things ended down there. For what it’s worth, suit looks good on you.”

“Thanks.” He chuckled at the compliment.

“All right, look, can we get out of here, please?” Bucky asked, giving looks to Frainn and Sharon. Frainn put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, and they nodded at Sam as they walked away with Sharon, living the new Captain America to do Captain America’s things.

“I didn’t forget my promise.” Sam reminded Sharon before they got too far.

“I really need to do this.” Bucky said heavily, as he put on his coat, standing near the door of their apartment. Frainn was slumped on the couch, her head resting on the back, face turned to the old super soldier.

“I know.” She nodded and he stared at her with an anxious and concerned gaze and he bent over to press a soft kiss on her lips and walked out of the apartment. She swallowed harshly, staring at the ceiling as she heard the lock clicks and his steps becoming more faded and muffled as he stepped away. She eventually stood up and picked up a golden rod sticking out of a bag lying on the floor. In the blink of an eye, it stretched to its full size, hitting the floor suddenly and she froze in silence, thinking the noise must have echoed in the apartment below. She put her spear against the wall and sighed. “Sucks you can’t summon the Bifrost. I wonder how Thor’s doing.”

She pursed her lips, thinking for a second and walked to the bedroom to take her phone lying on the nightstand. She sat on the mattress, facing the window and unlocked it. She looked up “Thor” and “New Asgard” on the search bar and read dozens of articles about this Midgardian Asgard where her people sought refuge after Asgard was no more than a memory. She learned that this New Asgard had become quite the sensation, with lots of tourists going there. She was a bit taken aback, not really knowing what to make of that, having trouble to think that this place was anything like Asgard. She would have to see it for herself someday but it would probably not feel like home. Yes, Asgard isn’t a place, it’s a people, thank you Heimdall, but she found her real home and it’s not among Asgardians or Jotuns. Her home was wherever Bucky was. Her longtime love. Frainn scrolled down the results when she typed “Thor” in the search bar and she found things talking about Jane Foster, and her death. She had been suffering from a cancer and found help in Mjolnir’s power and Frainn’s first thought was literally that it’s power should be too draining for a mortal to channel it and use it, and it was exactly what had happened. It accelerated her condition and she died, sooner than she would have. She looked at the dates of the articles and they all had been written in late 2023, less than 6 months ago.

She felt guilty, like she had let her uncle down, never even checking on him after the last battle against Thanos. She stood up, letting her phone fall and jump on the mattress and opened the windows. The buzzing sound of the cars passing by, honking and their tires screeching on the asphalt and the loud and indistinct chatter of the people walking down the street; it all came flooding in the apartment the moment she opened the window. New York was definitely a restless city and she had seen places more beautiful than this but this place, Brooklyn, was so meaningful to Bucky and her. It was the first sight she ever had of Midgard, where she met Steve and Bucky in the early 40s and where so much had happened. She had more memories of this city on Midgard than of the realm she spent hundreds of years in. She stepped away from the window and stared at her phone, resting on his screen, and bit the inside of her cheek. If Asgard had become such an attractive tourist destination, there must be a number to contact.

She had heard Valkyrie had become king of this place, but Frainn shook her head and walked out of the bedroom, deciding not to try and call anyone, at least for now. She was worried they despised her for ghosting them for so long, after everything that happened but she honestly had so much here already, she was with her family. She sighed at this thought. Thor was her family. He was her uncle, adoptive but her uncle in any case and she didn’t think of trying to reach out to him. She went to the kitchen and opened a drawer to get a bottle opened and she bent over to get a beer in the fridge. She must have been the worst family member to have, and she felt awful for it, but she knew her uncle, and how much he loved Loki, and her. He was probably sad and surely thinking of calling her or going where she was to see her but never did so, for whatever reasons -which were probably the same reasons why she never did so either. It was as if, as long as he wasn’t dead, she didn’t think much about it. It wasn’t that she didn’t care, she was just not worried about him, not like she was worried for Bucky’s wellbeing… or even hers. The ghost of her father still wouldn’t leave her alone and she was running out of ideas as to what to do about it. Maybe a little stay in New Asgard would help her slay her demons.

The warmth and friendliness of the people in Lousiana, was second to none. Sam's home had a beauty that was very different to anything Frainn had ever encountered. She had seen many palaces, covered in gold or made out of ice but nothing so welcoming and genuine. And the colorful and appetizing smells of barbecued sea food where something she had never experienced either; it was an absolute first. In this place, with these people, there was this feeling that she couldn’t do anything but fully enjoy the experience and it was somewhat of a relief after all this tension build-up of the past weeks. Frainn laughed as she watched Bucky try to dodge the blows thrown in the air by Sarah’s kids as he held the cake, they brought with them.

He took off his sunglasses and put the cake on a table he came across when Sam came to meet them. He gave a friendly hug to each of them before going back to taking pictures with his fellow neighbours. Frainn and Sarah chatted, amused by Bucky effortlessly lifting up kids with his metal arm while talking, standing one foot on the table and another on the bench along it in some heroic pose. As the day passed, the energy didn’t seem to tarnish and was just as lively and dashing as when Bucky and Frainn got there but now, they were watching the sun set over the ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see, in Sam’s company and Frainn’s smile couldn’t fade and she wondered what it was about this place but she figured that it was just this way, and it felt really nice. She shot a smile at Bucky and Sam as they went to see some people back at the party.

Frainn couldn’t take her eyes off the pretty colors of the sunset and looked up to the sky. She closed her eyes, breathing in softly and deeply, as she wished she had Heimdall’s vision, just to see the colors of the universe again, and to see how Thor was doing right now. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize Bucky had returned. She glanced to her side when she felt movement nearby and when she turned around, she found him, one knee to the ground.

“Why are you kneeling?” She asked, chuckling as she was genuinely confused and not understanding what he was doing, even when he held up a little box in his hand. Bucky was apparently having a lot of fun in this. It was when she saw the ring that it started hitting her, but she didn’t realize until he spoke.

“Will you marry me, darling?” His soft blue eyes twinkled as they looked up at her face, now very much surprised and speechless.

“Y-yes.” The moment this small and seemingly unsignificant word crossed her lips, everyone on the docks starting cheering, cheered, applauding them as Bucky stook back up and slipped the ring on her left hand. It was only then that her attention focused a little more on the ring; a golden ring with a flower shaped assortments of fine old mine cut diamonds shining to her eyes.

“It was my mother’s. I had a hard time getting my hands on it.” He confessed and she looked up at him.

“It’s absolutely beautiful. I love you, Bucky.” She then went in for a passionate kiss, Bucky wrapping his arms around the love of his life and everyone around them, cheering louder and louder to the bride and groom to be. Frainn had never felt so happy then in the moments she spent with Bucky throughout her life, and she never actually expected this to happen, but she welcomed it with an open heart and a huge smile. He made her full and she was over the moon, and he made it clear to her that he felt the same way. Now, next time she would see Thor, she would have some good news to bring to him, and not just apologies.

[To be continued…]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter (??/??)

Published (07/27/2022) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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enigmatist17 · 2 years

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So my little sister has finally begun getting me to watch all the MCU stuff that's come out since Endgame. I was always there at every release before, but this never ending Panini sapped a lot of my strength and desire :(

Now not all is lost, I've finally begun my journey (technically started on the 4th) and have watched all listed:

Wandavision: I kinda liked it, even though I'm not one for sitcoms I absolutely l o v e d how they used it to help tell Wanda's story. I'm still not the biggest fan of their pairing, but it's a tale of grief that was done extremely well and it's a good 8/10

The Falcon and the Winter Solider: I unfortunately didn't find this one as good as Wandavision :(

I liked it don't get me wrong, and I absolutely loved how they showed Bucky and his now freedom from the next fight/brainwashing over the last 70 years. Sam was absolutely crushing it, and his outfit at the end???

Fucking 👏 awesome 👏

It kind of lost steam in the middle, and the climax kind of felt a little overachieving for me, if that makes sense. Did love the dialogue between the two and Artem, absolutely hilarious and I like that even he gets a sort of arc/is able to explain his side of what he did to them. 7.5/10, will definitely watch it again without fireworks interrupting me lol.

Loki: 👀🤌👀🤌👀🤌

Definitely my favorite one so far 😍

If you know me that is 0% surprising, but I've missed my little shit of a Norse god so much and to see him again??? 🤌

The chewing of the scenery, the smarmy attitude, the way he grows after finding out what would have happened to him, and how he finally admits he wants to help people, I l o v e it so much.

I cannot wait to see season 2, I was 100% invested and that ending had me practically screaming at the screen AAAAAAAAAA

I will say, my only issue is the whole Sylvie thing, I am.....not sure what to think <:/

Overall 9.5/10, bring me more Gator!Loki 👏

Black Widow: Oh my girl needs a hug :(

This movie really needed to be shown before Endgame, the fact you see her find one family and go to fix her other one is just 🤌

I dont have much to really say, I liked it and the comedy is kind of what I want in MCU movies, there but not way the hell overwhelming like Ragnorok

Overall 9/10 🫂

What If?: I liked it :D

Not much to say, I liked most of the episodes despite some being dark as hell, and I laughed at Frat boy Thor more than I probably should have 🤣

Can't wait to see, or at least I think I will, see Strange Supreme, and Peggy was 🤌

9/10 :)

I'll go more in detail with each once I watch them a few times over, but so far I'm liking them all and can't wait to see Shang-Chi (?) next time :)

#mcu #loki #loki series #what if #black widow movie #mcu spoilers #fatws spoilers #fatws #wandavision #wandavison spoilers

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wenellyb · 2 years

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Scenes that turned average Marvel movies into masterpieces

3. Sam Wilson receiving the shield and being reveal to be the next Captain America

2. T’Challa getting ready to kill Zemo to avenge his father, but then changing his mind after hearing Zemo’s story and even keeping him from killing himself so he could face the consequences of his actions.

1. Stephen “it’s the only way” Strange figuring out that there might actually be another way and telling America to trust herself and her power, only for America to defeat Wanda in the most powerful way, by giving her what she always wanted and showing her how harmful he actions had been.

It doesn’t happen in all MCU movies, but sometimes we get a scene that is so great that it takes the movie to a whole other level. Marvel movies are usually mainstream movies, with a light plot, some actions scenes, some humor, and are manufactured in order to be liked by the largest audience. I think a lot of people get disappointed because they have expectations that are too high, when these movies are made to attract everyone even the casual watcher.

But there are scenes like these that change the tone of the movie, give depth and give a little something that makes the movie great in the end.

When I think about Avengers: Endgame, I don’t remember the messy plot, or the confusing timeline, I remember how the last scene was a pivotal moment for the MCU. I remember all the emotions I felt when I first saw Sam Wilson holding the shield.

When I think about Captain America:Civil War, I don’t remember the fights or the whole debate around the accords. I remember one of the most powerful and emotional scenes in the MCU, where T’Challa lets go of his desire of revenge because he saw what being consumed by vengeance could do to a man, when hearing Zemo talk about how he lost his father, his wife and his son in Sokovia.

And when I’ll think about Doctor Strange, I won’t remember a cute movie about a sorcerer adopting a teenager with superpowers and doing everything he can to protect her fro a Carrie/The Ring Crossover witch. I’ll remember America discovering her own strength and using it to defeat Wanda in the smartest way ever. That scene had everything, it had drama, plot twist, feelings, emotions, it was to perfect way to end the movie and it made me feel all kind of things.

#wanda maximoff #america chavez #avengers endgame #sam wilson #steve rogers #t'challa #helmut zemo #CACW #mom spoilers #doctor strange spoilers #doctor strange #doctor strange in the multiverse of madness #These scenes really made me pause and go: “oh wow”#I didn’t include it because the FATWS was not average and not a movie either but the scene where Isaiah Bradley talks about #what he went through contributed in making the show a masterpiece

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giveamadeuschohisownmovie · 1 year

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I forgot who it was but I remember someone replying to me about how MCU Valentina Allegra de Fontaine isn’t a bad person and that I was being too quick to judge her based on her interactions with John Walker and Yelena Belova. You know, as if recruiting an unstable war vet who committed war crimes into her shady team and ordering an assassination on an original Avenger wasn’t that bad.

After what Val said about dreaming about the day that America acquires vibranium weapons, even at the cost of what happens to nations like Wakanda, I stand by my early assessment of the character lol. That line was just pure evil.

As a side note, one of my favorite reactions to the character that I’ve seen on this site is that Val is the MCU’s Lauren Boebert. Maybe part of the reason why I thought it was hilarious was because my first thought was that she’s the MCU Sarah Palin.

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in-a-continuous-daydream · 2 years

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Yesterday I remembered the FatWS era, it was so good, and seeing bucky and sam having a personality was the best part

#falcon #The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spoilers #the falcon #bucky #James Buchanan Bucky Barnes #james bucky barnes #Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #sambucky #fatws #tfatws #marvel #marvel movies #marvel shows

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buckypascal · 1 year

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Someone please make an analysis of Bucky’s Infinity War arm and his FATWS arm because I need to know how they're different

#someone said in a post of rocket getting bucks arm that the arms werent the same ones so like how arent they the same #cause as far as we saw‚ buck got the one arm yknow. i mean obviously they never show us /everything/ but still i wanna know #guardians of the galaxy #guardians of the galaxy holiday special #marvel #bucky barnes #rocket #infinity war #tfatws #fatws #guardians of the galaxy spoilers #guardians of the galaxy holiday special spoilers #gotg #gotg holiday special #gotg holiday special spoilers #the guardians of the galaxy holiday special

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radioactivedadbod · 9 months

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But now that this reveal is out in the open, there are still bigger issues at hand including just how long Rhodey has been a Skrull?! That revelation will have to wait, as viewers come to “understand exactly how long he’s been a Skrull,” Feige adds. “We like the idea of fans going back and watching some of the other appearances of Rhodey and realizing that that wasn't him.”

I dare Feige to come out and say 'Rhodey during Tony's death scene? A Skrull actually.'

He doesn't have the bOSTON BALLS--

#;out of webs.#secret invasion spoilers #at MOST they will reveal that its been this way since FATWS #I cannot see them going any earlier than that #MAYBE tony's funeral but after the fight for sure #like. I know MCU's tricks lmfao. The projects are actually VERY self contained unless they are Purpose Built to Not be #and those projects you can tell #like the quantumania clearly being a glorified set up movie #or wandavision not being acknowledged at ALL in MoM #mcu REALLY isn't nearly as 'interconnected' as the fans think it is lmfao

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that-sokovian-bastard · 2 years

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My very quick she hulk review:

I did in fact stay up until 2:40 am watching all of she hulk. I enjoyed it! Definitely a little different. I understand the cgi complaints but it wasn’t bad enough for me to bitch. I also 110% understand why the incels hate it, but I think that’s kinda the point.

totally on board with matt and jen. I hope she’ll get a lil cameo in the daredevil show :D also I LOVE Renee Elise Goldsberry and I am so happy with how much she was in this. Her hair and outfits were killer.

my favorite line was “we’re hulks, we smash things. Bruce smashes buildings, I smash fourth walls and bad endings. And sometimes Matt Murdock 🤙🏻”

#here’s my review no one asked for #she hulk #she hulk spoilers #marvel tv #marvel spoilers #not my favorite d+ show but I did like it. wandavision is still 1. then probably ms marvel then FATWS #the rest are tied #disclaimer I have not seen moon knight yet #and now I will be watching all of daredevil #(I’ve seen the first season. just gotta finish it)

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falllpoutboy · 1 year

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still trying to figure out who exactly julia louis dreyfuss’ val is and what her significance is

#bc i refused to watch fatws LMAO #black panther spoilers #wakanda forever spoilers #she popped up in black widow and ??? is gonna lead the thunderbolts

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thecutestlittlebunbunfairy · 1 year

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John Walker is part of the reason why the Sokovia Accords were repealed

#she-hulk spoilers #she hulk #fatws

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justinewt · 2 years

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Power Broker - MARVEL REWRITE Chapter Sixteen

[MARVEL REWRITE-MASTERLIST] - [THE MULTIVERSE SAGA]

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: Things were speeding up in their search for Karli Morgenthau. The trio was off to Germany to see an old enemy of the Avengers in a high-security prison... allegedly high-security. But as always, the reunion wasn’t going to go as expected, especially by Sam.

Words: 11.3k

Warnings: Falcon & The Winter Soldier episode 3 “Power Broker” spoiler, Mcu phase 4 spoilers, angst, some violence, shootings, nostalgia, flashbacks (kind of) explosion, fights, stabbing, one slit throat and that’s about it I think

Berlin, Germany

Frainn walked down the hall of a prison facility along her two partners, Sam and Bucky, who made the three of them come here to see one of their inmates. The guard led them up to a certain point in the hallway and indicated a door a few feet away, leading on a smaller corridor.

“He’s just through that corridor.” He told them with a thick german accent, pointing ahead of them. Bucky nodded and as they stopped in their tracks, glanced at Frainn and Sam.

“All right, give us a sec.” The guard replied with a brief nod and walked away, leaving the three of them alone for a moment, as requested by the super soldier. “I’m gonna go in alone.”

“Oh, right.” Frainn scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn’t going to let him go in there on his own. She was coming along, just in case. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her lover, but she indeed didn’t trust Zemo very much and she had never seen his face before, so it was the occasion.

“Why?” Sam inquired; his hands stuffed into his jacket’s pocket.

“Cause you’re Avengers. You know how he feels about that.”

“It’s not like you two were known for frolickin’ in the sun together.” Sam argued.

“He was obsessed with HYDRA.” He retorted. “We have a history together. Trust me. I got it.”

“I’d like to meet this terrorist whom you share a “history” with, if you don’t mind.” She declared as he turned around, about to go through the corridor leading to his confined cell. He glanced at the stubborn goddess and as he rolled his eyes, she shot a smirk at Sam and followe him while the guard led them to the door of Zemo’s cell. He passed his badge and the door buzzed and opened to a narrower and quite darker corridor, plunged in a dim kind of dull light. Coming to the cell’s door, he made a call and spoke in german to the director of the facility for him to open the door of their prime inmate. The door buzzed and he opened it for them, closing it right after Frainn stepped in the room. She walked right behind Bucky as they walked in so Zemo was going to have a little surprise when she would step aside and reveal herself from the shadow, as he would as he sat on his bed on the other side of a thick glass in the miffle of the room, isolating him in his tiny cell. When Bucky stood near the glass, Zemo started reciting the russian words to activate the winter soldier. Frainn stood in the back and he if he did notice her, he didn’t acknowledge his presence for now as he tested the reactivity of Bucky to the words.

“Those days are over.” Bucky stated as Zemo stood up, emerging from the dark.

“I know.” He said softly, nodding, pursing his lips. He then slowly approached the glass to look at Bucky from upclose. “I just wanted to see how the new you reacts to the old words. Something is still in there. At least you were not conscious for most of your imprisonment.”

“That time wasn’t exactly a picnic.” He retorted bitterly, keeping on a straight face in front of the criminal. Frainn bit her lips, looking around. She thought about commenting on this, saying that she had went through centuries of emprisonment, far away from her people, her family, in a cold place, in an ice cell with her tyrannic grand father who abandoned her father, leaving him to die until he was found by Odin after the battle against Jotunheim. As much as she resented Odin for how he treated Loki, she was glad he lived, because he had Frainn to live through from now on.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. It was never personal.” He walked around his half of a cell and looked at Bucky. Frainn was fighting herself to stay silent and let them have this moment to talk, whatever Bucky wanted to talk to him about. It wasn’t her place to intervene unless one of the two addressed her. Right now, it wasn’t about her, as much as she wanted to say sarcastic things out loud. “You were simply a means to a necessary end. I also am sorry for not introducing myself properly to my other, very special guest of the day.”

“Oh, there’s no need. I know who you are, and I assume you know who I am as well.” She took a few steps and stood beside Bucky. The latter glanced at her as she came nearby.

“I indeed know who you are, Frainn. Norse Goddess of Ice and the Winter, daughter of Loki.”

“You want my résumé and complete family tree too?” She retorted, staring him down. He chuckled, glancing down for a second, his hand joined in his back.

“That would definitely be an interesting reading.” He answered and she shook her head, not stopping to look at him and he smirked, nodding as if he was observing her and trying to decipher the shades of very soft and cold green in her icey eyes. Bucky eventually spoke up again, getting on why they even came here in the first place.

“Someone recreated the super-soldier serum.” Zemo instantly looked at Bucky. “I need to find out who.”

“You are assuming HYDRA has something to do with this, which why you came to me, which means you are desperate. Even though you have a powerful and smart goddess under your arm. I do not doubt that she could get rid of this threat easily, but you know that just killing off the super-soldiers isn’t enough.” He declared as if he had everything figure out already. “Luckily for you, I know where to begin.”

“What are you talking about? You wanna break Zemo outta jail?” Sam asked, already expecting the worst of his dear partner in crimes. “Where the hell are we, Buck? Have you lost your mind?”

“Look we have no leads, no moves, nothing.”

“What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind the bars.”

“And we also have eight Super Soldier that are loose.” Bucky argued. Frainn walked with the two guys, looking around with the flashlight in her hand. The place they had stepped in was completely dark, but it looked like some sort of old hangar with stuff all over the place, which they couldn’t see because of the lack of light. Frainn suddenly bumped into something and looked down. She had accidentally kicked a chair’s leg and now it was lying on the floor, so she just pushed it aside carelessly, listening to the two.

“Zemo’s gonna mess with our minds. Especially yours. No offense.” Bucky stayed silent for a second as he turned on the light in the room and he glanced at Sam, turning his flashlight off.

“He can’t mess with mine.” Frainn mumbled to herself.

“Offense.” They looked around them. What Frainn thought was a sort of hangar or shed or whatever, was actually a messy garage, storage along the walls and a car sitting in the center of it all, its trunk opened. “Super Soldiers go against everything he believes in. He is crazy but he still has a code.”

“If we follow his logic, my kind is as much against what he allegedly believes in.” Frainn swinged her flashlight in her hand and caught it back as it fell, shoting up her eyebrows, following the motion of the object she played with for an instant. “May I remind you that he wanted to wipe out super-heroes, targeting the Avengers, a team I was and still is a part of, and any powerful non-human whatever being, which defines… me.”

“Yes. Exactly.” Sam pointed at the Goddess with his hand after he supported his point. Bucky gave a sidelong glance at Frainn and looked back at Sam. “And not to remind you that, I’ve been on the wrong side of that code and so have you. He blew up the UN, he killed king T’Chaka and framed you for it. Did you forget that? You think the Wakandans forgot about it? It’s a rhetorical question. They didn’t. I know why it matters to you, but it’s pushing you off the deep end.”

“We don’t know how they’re getting’ the serum.” Bucky kept arguing. “We don’t even know how many of them there are. Look, let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I?”

“What’d you do?” Sam asked softly and Frainn frowned, staring at her lover, trying to figure out what he was talking about.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, right.” Frainn chuckled, nodding, crossing her arms over her chest. He definitely did something, no matter how hard he tried to convince the both of them otherwise. She eventually shook her head and waved her hand around and he started.

“The weakest point in any system isn’t the software, the hardware, it’s the meatware. The human element. Now, in this lockup, it’s nine to one, prisoners to guards. And if two prisoners start fighting, then the protocol says four guards have to respond.”

“So why would prisoners randomly start fighting at that moment?” Sam inquired, shaking his head.

“Who knows? There could be any reasons… But the point is, these things escalate. Lockdown procedures would have to be initiated, and with all those bodies flying around left and right, wouldn’t be hard to slip down a hallway or two. And if the fire alarm got tripped while the prisoners were being separated… someone could use the chaos to their advantage.”

“I don’t like how casual you’re bein’ about this.” Sam smirked, feeling something was up. “That is unnatural. Are you— And where are we, man?” He then looked beyond the car as a door opened and a figure walked toward them, and there he was. Zemo pushed the plastic stripes hanging in the door frame, in a german guard’s uniform. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Hye, what are you—”

“No, listen.” Bucky stepped in front of Sam and blocked him.

“What are you doin’ here?” He yelled anyway.

“I didn’t tell ‘cause I knew you wouldn’t let this happen.” Bucky rose his voice.

“What did you do?” Sam insisted on asking. He turned his face to Frainn as she was being quiet, standing nearby, looking at Zemo with a slight hint of contempt in her stormy blue eyes. “Did you know? You’re a deceiver, that was all an act back there?”

“Sam.” He rose his eyes in disbelief, shaking his head upon realizing that she helped Bucky in his little “breaking Zemo out of prison” plan.

“We need him.” Bucky said.

“You’re going back to prison!” Sam pointed his index finger at the former terrorist.

“If I may…”

“No!” All three of them turned their heads to him, frowning and yelled simultaneously at him.

“When Steve refused to sign the Sokovia Accords, you backed him. You broke the law, and you stuck your neck out for me.” Bucky went on to tell him. “I’m asking you to do it again.”

“I really think I’m invaluable…”

“Shut up.” Sam cut him off in a low voice. He glanced at Bucky, let his head fall over and slowly shook it before raising his face to the centenary standing in front of him. “Okay.” He turned his head to Zemo. “If we do this, you don’t make a move without our permission, or we let Frainn confirm why you think superheroes are dangerous, and it’ll go beyond what you ever thought.”

“Fair.” He nodded, glancing at the Goddess, staring at him, dead in the eyes.

“Okay, Zemo.” Sam paused. “Where do we start?”

“So our first move is Grand Theft Auto?” Frainn glanced at Sam, confused as to what he was referencing saying this. She had no idea what this Grand Theft Auto thing was.

“These are mine.” Zemo replied casually. “Collected by family over generations.”

“Yeah, to me it’s just a bunch of junk on wheels. I don’t see whatever beauty you see in it.”

“To ordinary mortals devoid of the power of teleportation, they are very precious.” Zemo explained in a drawling tone like he was some philosopher before he went back to his explanation to the three of them while Sam and Bucky checked out the cars here and there and Frainn just stood in the middle, waiting as she had no intered in those things. “I spent years hunting people HYDRA recruited to recreate the serum. Because once it’s out there, someone can create an army people… like the Avengers.”

“Not all of us have serum running through our veins in order to grant us strength and powers, Zemo.” Frainn spat, pacing her finger against her arm in boredom.

“That was just a pure factual metaphor.” He smiled before benting over and grabbing some things in the backseat of one of the cars. “I ended the Winter Soldier program once before. I have no intention to leave my work unfinished. To do this, we’ll have to scale a ladder of lowlives.”

“Well, join the party. We’ve already started.” Sam retorted.

“First stop is a woman named Shelby.” He spoke as he walked away, holding his bag and coat. “Mid-level fence I still have a line on. From there, we climb.”

“So all this time, you’ve been rich?” Sam wondered as they walked along a private jet parked on the tarmac, the engines roaring in the back.

“I’m a Baron, Sam. My family was royalty until your friends destroyed my country.”

“I’m royalty too.” Frainn chimed in, looking around. “I was an Asgardian princess until my world was destroyed by a, uh, let’s say, a “end of the world” kind of prophecy and I should be queen of a realm of ice, but I can’t go back and it most likely went to ruins by now sooo....”

“Hearing these things coming to life when you spoke of it, is… fascinating.” He admitted. “Tell me more about it, any time.”

He then greeted the old butler standing by the stairs leading into the plane in russian and they exchanged a few words and kisses, and he then invited the three others to follow him inside. Frainn brought up the rear and she gave a smile to the man, greeting him in Russian as she spoke any Midgardian language. The old man was at first surprised, but he just smiled and climbed the steps after her as they all entered the jet. They sat down on four fancy beige leather seats in the aisle, facing each other. Sitting on the armchairs with his back to the cockpit, Bucky was seated facing Sam and Frainn facing Zemo. Arms and legs crossed, she was dangling her foot in boredom and looking out the porthole. She turned her head when she felt someone benting near her. It was the old man handing out a glass of champagne to Zemo.

“Apologies if that’s a little warm, the fridge is out. But I will see if there is some good food in the galley.”

“If it doesn’t pass the smell test… give it to them.” Zemo answered in Sokovian. Frainn stared him down while the butler chuckled at the comment and left.

“You’re decaying body won’t pass the smell test either, but I’ll be sure to feed it to the All-Father’s crows.” Frainn said in Sokovian, with a smirk on her face. He glanced at her and nodded as he took a sip of his drink like he understood why she would say this to him. Sam and Bucky were silently gazing at the both of them as the goddess death stared the Sokovian Baron.

“You don’t know what it’s like to be locked in a cell.” He then said, turning his head to Sam and Frainn frowned while Bucky looked away. “Oh. That’s right. You do.”

“Easy mistake.” Frainn retorted, giving him a fake reassuring smile. All four of them in this plane had known what it was like to be in a cell, some longer than others, in harsher conditions, but it all came down to the same memory of being in these four walls with no way to escape, except that they all did escape.

“Why don’t you tell us about where we’re going?” Sam inquired, annoyed.

“I��m sorry. I don’t know what to call it, but this part seems to be important. Who is Nakajima?.” His eyes down on a book he held in his hands, and he then revealed a smaller one he had hidden in the pages. When he pronounced the man’s name which Frainn recognized, Bucky jumped out of his seat and brought his gloved hand to Zemo’s throat and the latter let out a light gasp.

“You touch that again, I’ll kill you.” He threatened, grabbing the book and sitting back in his seat under Frainn gaze.

“I’m sorry. I understand that list of names. People you’ve wronged as the Winter Soldier.”

“Don’t push it.” He warned in a low voice, calm. He glanced over at Frainn when her spear’s blade suddenly came beneath Zemo’s chin. She knew about this little book of his. She knew it was important and what was important to Bucky would be protected with her life by Frainn.

“Next time, this spear won’t stop at your chin.” She spat, implying that the next time he tried to push Bucky around, she would let the spear pierce his throat and the blood would flow down his mortal body.

“I’ve seen that book.” Sam added as Frainn made her spear shrink back to the side of a mere pencil. No one would ever suspect this seemingly harmless object people saw everyday would hide a much more lethal weapon. He looked at Bucky as he spoke. “It was Steve’s when he came out of ice with Frainn. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book. Did you hear it? What’d you think?”

“I like 40’s music, so…”

“You didn’t like it?” Sam was almost offended.

“I liked it.” Bucky replied.

“Before you come for me, Sam, I just want to say I haven’t had much time on Midgard since 2012.” The Goddess raised her hands, palms turned to Sam, in defense.

“Well, you should listen to it now that you live on our planet.” He chuckled.

“It is a masterpiece. Complete. Comprehensive. It captures the African-American experience.” Zemo explained.

“He’s out of line, but he’s right.” Sam then declared. “It’s great. Everybody loves Marvin Gaye.”

“I like Marvin Gaye.” Bucky argued calmly.

“Steve adored Marvin Gaye.” Sam insisted.

“You must have really looked up to Steve. But I realized something when I met him. The danger with people like him,” He glanced at Frainn as he spoke before his eyes went on Bucky. “America’s Super Soldiers, is that we put them on pedestals.”

“Watch your step, Zemo.” Sam whispered but Zemo kept going, staring at Bucky.

“They become symbols. Icons. And then we start to forget their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought. You remember that, right?” Bucky was quick to look away after he glanced at the man with the glass of champagne. “As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?” He shook his head. “That is why we’re going to Madripoor.”

“What’s up with Madripoor? You talk about it like it’s Skull Island.” Sam wondered, looking at Zemo. Frainn was kind of confused. She didn’t know where was Madripoor or what was the deal about it and she didn’t know what was this Skull island thing Sam brought up but she hid her confusion behind a mask of ice.

“It’s an island nation in the Indonesian archipelago.” Bucky mumble an answer. “It was a pirate sanctuary back in the 1800s.”

“It’s kept its lawless ways.” Zemo added. “But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.”

Madripoor, Indonesian Archipelago

“We have to do something about this.” Sam complained, glancing at his red and gold suit. “I’m the only one who looks like a pimp.”

“Only an American would assume a fashion-forward Black man looks like a pimp.” Zemo countered as they walked down an impressive bridge toward the city they landed for. “You look exactly like the man you’re supposed to be playing. The sophisticated, charming African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger.”

“He even has a bad nickname.” Sam argued after taking a phone Zemo handed to him with a picture on it. He then looked down on the screen and rose his eyebrows. “Hell, he does look like me, though.” He glanced at Frainn, walking next to Bucky. “Why are you not dressed up too?”

“I could, but I don’t need to.”

“What do you mean?” He questioned, as if he wasn’t aware of the extent of her powers by now.

“You said it yourself, I’m a deceiver. No one will see me but you three. They won’t even be able to know unless I show myself.” She then explained.

“It is truly an art. An unpredictable and dangerous one.” Zemo philosophized before frowning slightly. “You smell this?”

“Yeah, what is that? Acid?” Sam wondered.

“Madripoor.” The Baron simply stated. “No matter what happens, we have to stay in character. Our lives depend on it. There's no more margin for error than Frainn can cover us for with her illusions.”

“You won’t even see or feel it when I do so.” They approached a black car stationed in the middle of the empty road, waiting for them.

“High Town’s that way. Not a bad place if you wanna visit, but Low Town’s the other way.” Frainn stood by Bucky as he opened the door and she slipped in between him and Sam on the back seat, already hidden from anyone’s sight but her three partners in crime, that included the driver on that fancy car they got in. The latter drove off and after a couple minutes tops, rain started pouring outside and thunder rumbled. Frainn looked at the sky when she heard it, thinking of her uncle, wondering how and what he was doing while she was in this mess, hunting Super Soldiers. As if they knew who was in this car, a bunch of armed men riding bikes came around the vehicle and escored them. They got out of the car and walked down a bunch of stairs, surrounded by artificial light and LED paneld hanging on the building, plunging them in a blueish atmosphere with some hints of pink and yellow, the night sky over their heads. The streets were crowded. Shady people holding guns over thei shoulders all over the place. It wasn’t so high class like back on Asgard. She wasn’t scared but it wasn’t somewhere she wanted to stay for long. It kind of made her miss the cosyness of their small not so furnished apartment in New York.

“Here we are.” Zemo then led them into a bar, a crow thronging the room. Frainn glanced around and winced at the sight of a wall filled with monkeys’ skulls painted in gold, just hanging there in decoration. She didn’t like this place very much and couldn’t wait to be out of here, but she could feel it was only the beginning of a long night. They made their way through the crowd and as seconds passed, people noticed them and in no time, all the eyes were on Bucky, walking behind Zemo as he spoke in Russian to the Super Soldier. “Ready to comply… Winter Soldier?”

“Hello, gentlemen.” The barman greeted the three. “Wasn’t expecting you, Smiling Tiger.”

“His plans changed. We have business to do with Shelby.” Zemo declared.

“The usual?” The man frowned behind his glasses and looked at Sam. The latter nodded, and he watched him grab a snake into a jar and cut it open on a black cutting board below the counter.

“Ah. Smiling Tiger, your favorite.” Zemo smiled, as the barman made the drink, plunging something from the snake into ther liquor. Frainn saw the look on Sam’s face, so she took care of it, like she discussed with Zemo. To the man behind the bar, Sam was looking pretty confident and eager to drink whatever this was.

“I love these.” He said, calmly, grabbing the glass and looking at Zemo.

“Cheers, Conrad.” Their glasses clinked as they cheered, and he drank. Only them could see the wince of disgust on his face. A man then walked up to the Baron from behind and the latter turned around.

“I get word from on high. You ain’t welcome here.”

“I have no business with the Power Broker,” Frainn frowned, wondering who this person Zemo mentioned was, but what she got from the way he said it, was that whoever this was they were kind of the big deal here in Madripoor. “but if he insists he can either come and talk to me…” He showed Bucky beside him, keeping on a straight face, silent. “Or bring Selby for a chat.”

“A power broker? Really?” Bucky inquired once the man walked away.

“It’s a pretty lame nickname.” Frainn added.

“Every kingdom needs its king.”

“Stop Zemo, I’m this close to find you funny.” She taunted, making a small space between her fingers. He glanced at her without moving his head to not make it suspicious. She wasn’t there to anyone else in the bar, he couldn’t act like he was talking to a ghost.

“Let’s just pray we stay under his radar.”

“Do you know him?” Sam wondered, leaning his back against the counter.

“Only by reputation.” He turned to Sam. “In Madripoor he is judge, jury, and executioner.”

“Seems like a lot of power for just a man if you ask me.” Frainn appeared beside Sam and crossed her fingers on her chest. He nodded at her comment. They looked at Zemo when he turned around and started speaking Russian to Bcuky when a man walked up to him.

“Winter Soldier, attack.” The second the man put his hand on Zemo’s shoulder, Bucky grabbed him with his metal arm and twisted his wrist, pushing him away forcefully. He punched him in the stomach and made him fall over on the floor while everyone stepped away, watching, their phones out to film the scene. Another man rushed at Bucky, but he threw a punch and a couple of kicks at him and threw him away, dragging someone else in his fall. But really, this fight scene was much more complex than people could see. Bucky fighting as the Winter Soldier in the middle of a crowded bar was just the work of Frainn’s power. The persons he fought of were very much getting hurt and kicked and punched around and that was the whole thing about her illusions. She could make them so real you would actually mistake them for the reality. She could conceal herself from the sight of others and project illusions that would go to such a realistic level that no one could see through it. No mere mortals could notice the trick. The real Bucky was still standing near the bar and Frainn was squeezing his shoulder lightly.

“I didn’t want to let you do this.” She whispered, watching the fake but real-looking fight taking place in the bar. The damages in the room were real as they were cause by Bucky’s opponents upon falling around.

“This is very impressive, Frainn.” Zemo remarked, knowing that her illusion would make it look like he didn’t even talk at all, and he nodded, watching as well. Illusion Bucky then stood right where Bucky was, pinning a man down onto the bar and in a fraction of second, Bucky found himself actually holding him down. When Sam put his hand on Bucky’s metal arm, Frainn made it look like he didn’t move so they wouldn’t be suspicious. “Stay in character, or the whole bar turns on us. You are lucky Frainn is covering us.” He then switched to Russian. “Well done, Soldier.”

“Selby will see you now.” The barman exclaimed as Bucky let the man slip down the bar, groaning in pain. They were then led through a back door. Cells along the walls, tables covered in bundles of cash. They eventually reached a private lounge. They walked to a woman casually sitting on a couch.

“You should know Baron.” She started, tapping her fingers on the top of the back of the sofa. “People don’t just come into my bar and make demands.”

“Not a demand. An offer.” He replied, sitting on the other sofa.

“A lot has changed since you were here last.” She went on to say, following Bucky with her eyes. Frainn stood beside him and stared at the one named Selby as he positioned himself near the wall. The white-haired woman turned her head back to Zemo, frowning slightly. “By the way, I though you were rotting away in q German prison. How did you escape?”

“People like us always find a way, don’t we?” He shrugged, sketching a smirk. “I’m sure you’ve already figured out what I’m here for.”

“You’re taller than I’d heard, Smiling Tiger.” She stated, still looking at Zemo and pointing at Sam with her index finger and slowly turned her head to him. He simply looked down at her and nodded silently, with a straight face. She then purred softly, moving her fingers in the air and glanced at Zemo with a thrilled smile. “What’s the offer?”

“Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum.” He stood up and walked over to Bucky, passing behind him like he was a prize and Frainn didn’t like that very much. She knew it was all part of the plan to get the information but knowing that Bucky must have been so uncomfortable in this position, she was upset. “And I give you him, along with the code words to control him, of course. He will do anything you want.”

“Now that’s the Zemo I remember. I’m glad I decided not to kill you immediately.” Her smile faded to a more serious facial expression, but one could see that she liked the idea of having the Winter Soldier under her thumb. As she continued, Zemo went back to the sofa. “Arrogant, but right. The Super-soldier serum is here in Madripoor. Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the man you wanna thank. Or… condemn, depending on what sied of this you’re on. The Power Broker had him working on the serum, but… things didn’t go as planned.”

“Is Nagel still in Madripoor?” Zemo asked. She slightly leaned forward, shaking her head.

“The bread crumbs you can have for free, but the bakery is gonna cost you, Baron.” She stood up. “And before you get all cute, don’t think you can find Nagel without me.” Suddenly Sam’s phone started to vibrate in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Frainn clenched her fist. Doing anything wouldn’t do them a favor because Selby had heard it and if there was magically no sound, it would be strange. He looked at the screen of his cellphone and glanced back at Selby who now stood right in front of him. “Answer it. On speaker.”

“Hello?” He eventually said, taking a deeper voice than usual, trying to keep it together for the act. A female voice rose.

“Hey, um, we need to talk about this situation. It’s been drivin” me nuts.”

“What situation exactly are you talking about?”

“Are you high?” The woman wondered, sensing something wasn’t right about the way Sam was talking to her over the phone which made Frainn think it was someone close to him, who would know his behavior was off. Whilst he was on the phone, Selby walked around the room. “You know what situation, it’s the only situation me and you have.”

“What situation, Sarah? Say it.” He sounded fakely bothered.

“The damn boat. And watch your tone. Okay? I let you slide at the bank.” Sam scoffed before replying.

“The bank. Yeah. Laundered so much…” He chuckled, shaking his head with a proud smile, trying to play this off. “Yeah, they’ll come around.”

“If that was the case, then why’d they dog you out, Big Time?”

“Yeah, you damn right I’m Big Time. You’ll see when I have that banker killed.”

“Cass! What’d I tell you about the Cheerios? I don’t have time for this!” She seemed to be addressing a kid, maybe hers even. Frainn grabbed the golden pen in her pocket and slowly extended it to its full size, her hand tightly holding onto the spear, feeling that it was about to go down rather quickly in the next seconds, and she sensed right, it did, the moment the woman articulated his real name for everyone to hear and the Goddess didn’t expect this so it wasn’t Conrad that Selby and her men heard. “Sam, I’m sorry. I’ll call you back.”

“Sam? Who’s Sam? Kill them!” Right after she gave the order, a bullet pierced her throat and her body fell heavily on the floor. Frainn revealed herself and helped to get rid of Selby’s men. Bucky and Sam took the guns of the guards they knocked out and Zemo and Frainn followed them to a door in the lounge.

“They’re gonna pin this on us.” Sam looked at Zemo and the Baron sighed.

“We have a real problem now, so leave your weapons and follow my lead.” He instructed the Bucky and Sam. The two men let go of the guns and they all walked out of the bar through the back of the building and out onto the crowded streets. They heard cell phones chimed and people chattering as they walked briskly to get away before anyone identified them and, in any case, before Frainn could even hide them, people had seen them. Some guy suddenly fired at them and Frainn deflected the bullets with a violent gust of wind, and they went right back at the shooter but it was only the first of many who wanted the bounty on their heads for the murder of Selby. They all sped up and started running and Frainn took care of the guys after them all while running along them.

“I can’t run in these heels!” Sam complained.

“Just fucking run, Sam!” Frainn groaned and she looked behind when she heard bikes coming after them. “Where the fuck is Zemo?”

“What?” Sam looked back as she threw discs of ice under the motorcicles’ wheels, and it froze the whole machine along with the people driving them and they fell with a crash and broke into pieces, as if they were only made of ice. She turned around and looked up. Seeing a window half opened and a sniper posted right there, she didn’t think twice and the moment the person was closing the window after shooting someone on the street, she gathered the wind around her hands and thew a gust of it, shattering the glass towards the inside, and right at the sniper, whoever that was. Zemo then reappeared, shooting another.

“You seem to have a guardian angel.” Bucky and Sam looked at Frainn at Zemo’s comment and all she was thinking of after hearing him say this was how Bucky called her Steve’s guardian angel the day they met in this back alley, and he saw it in her eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking in this instant.

“Well, this is too perfect.” A woman’s voice rose from the shadows behind Zemo, and he turned around as she approached. Frainn frowned when she recognized Sharon beneath that hood, holding the Baron at gun point. “Drop it, Zemo.”

“Sharon?” Bucky was as surprise to see her.

“You cost me everything.” She ignored the super soldier, walking toward Zemo and he stepped back between Bucky and Sam. The latter stretched his hand out, palm to Sharon.

“Sharon, wait.” Frainn walked around, observing the woman’s face. She noticed cuts on her face. “Someone recreated the super-soldier serum and Zemo had a lead.”

“That explains why you guys are here. And Selby’s dead.”

“So what are you doing here?” Bucky wondered.

‘I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass, so that you could save him from him.” She pointed Sam, Bucky and Zemo in order with her gun. “I didn’t have the Avengers to back me up. So, I’m off the grid in Madripoor.

“Had a little accident, Sharon?” Frainn asked in a softly threatening way, almost like hiss of a snake to the blond’s ear. She glanced at her but gave no response, shrugging it off.

“Don’t blow smoke. I was on the run, too.” Sam retorted.

“Was. Is. Big difference. I don’t speak to my family anymore. I can’t. My father doesn’t know where I am.”

“How sad, Sharon. I feel you.” Frainn overplayed being sad and nodded, then cracked a fake sympathetic smile. Her sarcasm was probably misplaced and a childish reaction in this moment, but she was bitter upon hearing her play the victim. Sure, she was. Unfair things happened to her, but the goddess could compete on who had it worse. “Mine doesn’t know where I am and I can’t talk to him or anyone of my family either,” She pressed heavily each of the words that followed, and it threw a cold. “because they’re all dead.”

“Hey. Listen…” Looking at Sharon, Bucky was the one to speak up, stepping beside the goddess, a hand on her shoulder. She swallowed harshly, maybe she needed to vent on someone, and she didn’t feel bad for it. Sharon wasn’t anyone to her. “Sharon, we need your help.” The blonde chuckled. “Please.”

“This isn’t over. I have a place in High Town. You’ll be safe there.” She then walked away, and Bucky motioned at the two others to follow as he placed his arm in Frainn’s back, leading her along with him. Sharon brought them to a car and they crossed Madripoor to the gate of a fancy building.

“Looks like breaking all those laws is treating you well.” Sam stated as they entered. It was a quite luxious indeed. Even with an Asgardian interpretation of the word luxury, she could see it was rather nice, but she preferred the gold and greatness of her homeworld’s architecture, which she could ever only see again in memories.

“I thought if I had to hustle, might as well enjoy the life of a real hustler. You know how much I’ll get for a real Monet?” Frainn frowned, not knowing who this Monet was and just listened to Sharon talking with Sam as they climbed a bunch of stairs.

“Deactivate your hustle mode. You sell fake Monets.”

“No.” Zemo spoke up and Sam turned to him. “She means real. This gallery is specialized in stolen artwork. Monet. Van Gogh. Classics.”

“It’s true.” Frainn nodded at Bucky’s affirmation, but she had no idea what and who they were talking about. She had only knowledge of the Nordic artworks, she wasn’t so informed about Midgardian’s art in general and those names meant nothing to her as she didn’t know the people. “You know, half the artwork in museums like the Louvre is fake. Real stuff sits in places like this.”

“I must admit, I’m lost.” Frainn whispered to Bucky as she looked at the painting of a lady in a white dress, holding an umbrella. He glanced at her and chuckled.

“Okay, guys, I see what you’re doing. You’re more wordly than good olf Sam.”

“Yeah. What’s Google say?” Bucky inquired as he and Frainn walked past Sam.

“Come on, you guys need to change.” Sharon called out to them. “I’m hosting clients in an hour.” She opened a double door and led them into a sitting room with a bar, a couple sofas and a rack full of nice clothing for the guys. She left them for a moment and came back after Bucky changed into a suit and Sam was going through the clothes on display, topless as she walked in, Zemo drinking at the bar. Frainn was sitting next to Bucky on the sofa, in a fancy green backless dress with a slit along her leg and a plunging neckline. She had her spear turned into a gold arm ring with Nodic runes associated with Loki engraved on it and her necklace with the wolf's head pendant that she had been given by Frigga centuries ago, and that her mother wanted to give her. Her dark hair were slicked back on her head, brought into a high ponytail, hair cascading down on her neck.

“What’s going on, Sharon? You don’t ever wanna come back home?” Sam wondered.

“They’ll lock me up if I step foot back in the States. Madripoor doesn’t allow extradition.”

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t call, but after The Blip and the chaos, I just…”

“Look, you know the whole hero thing is a joke, right?” They listened the two in silence, Frainn let her head fall on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling, fidgeting with the pendant of her necklace. “The way you gave up that shield, deep down, you must know that it’s all hypocrisy.”

“He knows. And not so deep down.” Zemo chimed in, a glass in his hand.

“By the way, how is the new Cap?” Frainn clenched her jaw and sighed at Sharon’s question. All the Goddess wanted was to see that jackass drop dead on the ground.

“Don’t get me started.” Bucky said in a low voice, hands joined on his laps. Sharon scoffed.

“Please. You buy into all that stars and stripes bullshit. Before you were his pet psychopath,” She walked around the sofa and sat down on Frainn’s right ands the latter straightened up her head and stared at her. “you were Mr. America! Cap’s best friend, and you, Frainn, you were Eagle, his sidekick.”

“I’m no one sidekick. I was his friend.” She spat, bitter.

“Wow. She’s kind of awful now.” Bucky stated and exchanged a glance with Frainn.

“Karli Morgenthau and at least seven others have taken the serum.” Sam approached, adjusting the high collar of his top.

“You guys really should steer clear of all this for your own safety.”

“We know it’s a risk, but we’re not gonna leave until we find the one who cracked the code.” Sam insisted and Sharon frowned, worried.

“We got a name. Wilfred Nagel.” Bucky added. Sharon then stood up and took a few steps away towards a plate with alcool bottles near which Zemo was seating.

“Nagel works for the Power Broker.”

“We need your help, Sharon. I can get your name cleared.” Sam tried to convince her.

“You haggling with my life?”

“Not like that.”

“I don’t buy that.” She retorted, a glass in her hand and sat down. “You pretending like you can clear my name.”

“Okay, maybe it is hypocrisy. Maybe you’re right. What happened to you.” He stood up and walked toward her. “But I’m willing to try if you are.” He motioned to Bucky and Frainn with his hand. “They cleared the bionic machine, and he killed almost everybody he’s met.”

“I heard that.” Bucky declared, staring at the floor.

“They even gave US and Norwegian citizenship to his alien— Goddess of a girlfriend, and she killed almost everybody she’s met too.”

“I heard that too.” Frainn sighed.

“I don’t trust charity.” Sharon shook her head.

“All right, a deal then. You help us out, and I get your name cleared.” Sam crossed his arms and then held out a hand to her, which she took before taking a sip of her drink with a sigh and stood up.

“Well, I sell to some pretty connected people. Lay low, blend in, enjoy the party.” She walked away towards some stairs. “Try to stay outta trouble. I’ll see what I can find.”

“Trouble.” Zemo looked at the three others in the room and shrugged, his glass in between his hand.

“I don’t like Midgardian parties.” Frainn stood up and walked toward one of the French windows opening onto the balcony, her heels making her even taller than she was already, slamming on the floor with every step she took. She went to the balustrade and looked down on the city, plunged in the dark of the night with blue LED panels all over the place, giving to the place that was Madripoor a peculiar aura. “I’d rather have an Asgardian feast.”

“What’s it like?” She turned her head upon hearing Bucky’s voice behind her as he came next to her to the balustrade. She turned her head to him before looking back down at the streets.

“I went to a few of them before I was cast out. It was always so cheerful. People were eating and drinking, seated at the longest table I had ever seen or chatting here and there, laughing. Oh, and the food. The food was divine.” She chuckled at the use of this word as she was herself pretty much a Goddess, and it felt a bit funny to use it. But in any case, her smile faded rather quickly as nostalgia got the upper hand and the joy that the memory brought her turned into sadness of never being able to relive this moment.

“It sounds fun. Care to show me, honey?” He put his hand over hers and she raised her eyes to him. Frainn knew he meant showing him by using her illusions casting power and she grabbed his other hand, turning to him and in the blink of an eye, their surroundings changed, and she saw wonders in Bucky’s eyes. The golden palace of Asgard, candles hanging on the walls, their flames dancing to the breeze, laughs and people eating and drinking everywhere. At first, he must have thought it was just some projection to show him but when they looked around, they saw her younger self, sitting next to Loki in a corner, swinging her leg in the air. “Is that you?”

“Yes. My father didn’t like these feasts much, but I managed to get him to come sometimes.” He held on to her hands as she walked to her and Loki and stood a couple feet away from them. They could hear the conversation the two were having.

“You’re so not fun, Loki.”

“Those celebrations are a waste of my time.”

“No, they’re not.” Young Frainn argued.

“Did you know he was your dad, at that time?” Bucky wondered, watching her and the God of Mischief chatting. Frainn glanced at the floor for a second.

“No. The moment I found out, I went berserk and caused a massacre.” The settings switched. They were in the mountains on the other side of the realm, far from the palace, their feet were sinking in the snow and there she was. She saw herself sitting in the snow, her skin blue and eyes red just staring ahead with this downcast look. There was also anger in her eyes. Bucky was probably silent because he didn’t know what to say upon seeing this. She was showing him things she never really talked about that much. She thought that he must have wondered if she told Steve or anyone else the whole story about her banishement. But even if she did talk about it, it wasn’t the same as letting people dive into her own memories. As the guards came and dragged her back to the palace, she shut down the illusion and they were back on the balcony, facing the balustrade, holding their hands.

“Hey,” They turned around and saw Sam holdig the French doors opened ajar. “What’s taking you so long to talk about?”

“We’re coming.” Bucky simply replied and Sam nodded and went back inside with Zemo. The latter was looking right at Frainn with this strange fascination he had when she spoke of her past, which were stories coming right from mythology books. He eventually got up and stopped looking so she turned to Bucky.

“Let’s go to that party.” Frainn declared but her words were met by Bucky’s lips softly connecting with hers. She kissed him back. His lips tasted sweet and the comforting kiss, as good as it was, ended when they went on their way to the party going on downstairs. A loud upbeat music was playing in the now crowded show room, arms up in the air, drinks in hands, everyone was dancing in rhythm to the music, cheering. Frainn found a party like this quite grotesque. The music and vibe of the party wasn’t to her liking, and she just followed, Zemo, Sam and Bucky to the bar with a straight face. A moment ago, she was opening her heart to Bucky, sharing a sweet moment with him and now she was here, already bored. As Zemo and Sam went their separate ways, Bucky brought his hand to Frainn’s waist, standing next to her.

“I know you don’t like it. Just stay at the bar and get yourself some drinks.”

“That sounds like a plan. I hold alcohol very well.” She joked, still stone-faced as she watched the people partying all around the room.

“Not everyone knows that.” He retorted with a smirk as he let his hand slip down her back and walked away, making his way through the crowd of people dancing, jumping on the spot. The Goddess sketched a slight smile and went to sit at one of the barstools along the bar, her side to it to keep an eye on the party going on, not turning her back to anyone. She ordered the strongest drink the barman had and casually drank it like there was no alcohol in it. She felt it, but it didn’t have effect on her body. It would take a lot more than whatever she was served to get drunk. After a moment that seemed awfully long and she was already at her fourth drink, she noticed Bucky motioning for her to come to him and Sam with his hand, so she just got up and walked over to them. “You’ll be happy.”

“Why is that?”

“Sharon found Nagel.” Sam told her.

It was very early in the morning when all four of them left the party and went with Sharon to the docks of Madripoor where were stacked hundreds of huge containers. It was apparently in the area that this Wilfred Nagel they were looking for, was hiding, working on the serum.

“Madripoor could give New York a run for its money.” Sam said as they walked after Sharon as she led them around the place.

“They know how to party.” Zemo retorted.

“I beg to differ.” Frainn argued, glancing at Zemo behind her. She always felt that her royal titles were just that, titles but the more she experienced new things, she saw that there was a gap between her and her upbringing and everyone else. That kid of party or gathering would never have had its place on Asgard, or Jotunheim for that matter. There wasn’t any party in that ice kingdom anyway but on Asgard, the parties were like she showed Bucky through her memories. Gold, drinks, good food, fruits, meat, laughs and chatter with a breath-taking view from the palace’s balcony. It was something else.

“With that bounty on your head, Zemo, the longer you’re in Madripoor, the less likely you’re ever leaving.” Sharon spoke up, glancing up and down at her phone. She then stopped in front of a containers’ double doors. “All right. He’s in there. Container four-two-six-one. I’ll keep an eye out while you guys talk to Nagel. But hurry. We’re on borrowed time.”

She handed them earpieces for each of them, before leaving them on their own. They walked to the container and Sam opened the door which creaked briefly. They glanced inside but it was empty.

“Hey, Sharon. You sure this is the right one?” He inquired. “It’s latelytely empty.”

“Positive. It has to be.” She replied and they stepped inside. Frainn looked around and went to the back of the container. Zemo came along with his flashlight, and he passed his gloved fingers on the sheet metal and they glanced at each other, thinking there was a door right there. She pushed the panel with both hand and it moved under the pressure so he and Frainn looked at Sam and Bucky. There was a flight of stairs with music coming from above. Bucky and Sam pulled out their guns and walked up the stairs first, Zemo bringing up the rear. Silently, they walked into a lab with music blasting from a record player. And there he was, Wilfred Nagel, oblivious to their intrusion, his back to them as they approached, focused on whatever he was doing. Frainn, Sam and Bucky exchanged a look and she pulled out her spear, concealing the noise Sam stopped the music. The scientist turned around, already on the defensive and stared at Sam.

“Dr Nagel?”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“We know you created the super-soldier serum.” Sam insisted.

“Get out my lab.” He walked past him and was met by two rather threatening people, Frainn and who he knew as the Winter Soldier. His confidence dropped very quickly when he saw the two and when he noticed the sharp blade of the spear she held in her hand.

“You know who he is, right?” Sam grabbed the scientist’s arm and showed him Frainn and Zemo in turn. “This is Frainn Lokadottir, the Avenger and this is Baron Zemo, I know you’ve heard of them too, right?” He pushed him toward Bucky, still holding his arm and cornered him. “You seem like a pretty smart guy. So you better become conversational real quick.

“How about a counter proposal? Make me a better offer and I’ll talk.”

“People on this planet have such an audacity.” She casually walked to him and put her hand to his neck. She wasn’t squeezing. She didn’t need to choke him to hurt him. Her hand slowly turned blue, and he started to wince, trying to repress and conceal the pain that he began to feel.

“Guys, we have company.” Sharon said over the coms. Frainn glanced at the others and brought the coldness to another level and the scientist breathed in and out rather loudly still trying to contain himself. She dragged him to a chair and forcefully sat him down as he started to groan in pain

“Here’s this “better offer” that you want.” She was crouched in front of him, her hand still holding onto his neck, looking at him dead in the eyes. “If you don’t want to die, you talk. If speak, I take off my hand and your neck will heal from this just fine but the longer you take to decide… you either get your throat slit or he shoots you in the head. Simple.” On that note, Bucky fired a warning shot behind him and brought the barrel of the gun to his temple.

“Okay. Okay.” He eventually gave in, and she nodded, letting go off him and standing back up. He took a deep breath in, bringing his hands up to his neck but not daring touching the burn she caused on his skin. Bucky then lowered his gun. “I was brought into HYDRA’s Winter Soldier program to pick up their work after the five failed test subjects in Siberia. When HYDRA fell, I was recruited by the CIA. They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god.” Frainn’s jaw clenched. “I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different. No clunky machines or jacked up bodies. Mine was going to be subtle, optimized, perfect.”

“How have we never heard about this?” Sam was in disbelief in front of how insane the man sounded.

“Because… Before I was able to complete my work, I turned to dust. Then when I returned, it was five years later, program had been abandoned, so I came here. The Power Broker was more than happy to fund the recreation of my work.”

“How many vials did you make?” Wilson asked.

“Twenty.” He looked away for a second. “Karli Morgenthay stole those, so… I can only imagine what the Power Broker has planned for that poor girl.”

“Where’s Karli now?” Sam went on with the questions.

“I don’t know where she is but a couple days ago, she called and asked if I could help someone named Donya Madani. Poor woman has tuberculosis. Typical of overpopulation in displacement camps like that.”

“Well, what happened to her?” The scientist shrugged.

“Not my pig. Not my farm.”

“Is there any serum in this lab?” Bucky inquired and as Nagel kept quiet, he brought his gun to his head once again.

“No.” He finally said.

“Now what?” Bucky turned his head to his peers and suddenly, Sharon bursted in the lab.

“Guys, we’re seriously outta time here.” Out of nowhere, Zemo pulled out a gun and shot Nagel in the chest. The latter fell over on the floor, dead, in a pool of his own blood. Sharon and Sam jumped at Zemo and blocked him against a wall, but they had no time doing anything, an explosion occured in the lab and they all were projected to the floor. Frainn was lying there, having a hard time breathing after the heat of the blast of fire that entered the lab upon the explosion. She gasped for air and winced as an alarm blared fluriously in the room, ringing her ears. The ringing was bearable. What was much harder to deal with for her was the heat that filled the whole room all of a sudden. She turned her head when she heard a muffled voice coming from her right and before she could understand what was happening, she felt Bucky’s hands grab her sides and help her on her feet, passing her arm around his shoulders.

“Frainn—” Bucky said her name but as they climbed down the stairs, another explosion sounded loud, causing the container above them collapse in front of the one they were in. Bucky ducked over Frainn to shield her just in case. Sam and Sharon were the first one to step outside while Bucky brought the palm of his hand to Frainn's forehead and he immidietaly took his hand off of her skin. “You’re burning up.”

“I gathered that.” She articulated, swallowing harshly. With the outside breeze entering the container, she regained her senses, but she still felt very weakened. “Leave me just a sec, join the others… I just need a minute.”

“All right, Frainn.” He was a little worried to leave her there but he reluctantly obliged, helping her to sit against a wall and he stepped outside. She breathed out and tensed her fingers. Her sking turned blue and she had some kind of relief. She didn’t know what skin-color she was born, she only ever saw herself with her white skin until she found out about her ancestry but then, she mostly kept this white skin and it felt effortless all the time until she got herself into situations like this one, which didn’t happen very often, and then she would feel a difference. It actually required some magic to keep her skin-color white but so little that it wasn’t a bother, she was more used to this one anyway. Less than a minute later, she stood up and walked outside. Shots rang out here and there, hitting the sheet metal containers around them. She stepped in the middle of the shooting, out in the open, her skin blue and her eyes red. It was definitely something to see given she was still in her dress because she had been too lazy to change into something else, and it wasn’t harder to move in it as it wasn’t really tight.

“Frainn.” She heard Bucky call out her name, but she didn’t look at him as bullets started hitting her in bursts and yet, she didn’t flinch. She wasn’t moving an inch as if the bullets weren’t doing anything to her, which was actually the case. As funny as it sounded, her skin was so thick due to her being Asgardian and Jotun. One shooter got confused and it gave an opening for Bucky to shoot him down. She generated an ice pick along her hand and threw it at another that was standing above the containers. He had no time to dodge it and it pierced through him, and he fell heavily on his back. A second later, a pipe exploded, and another fire briefly sprung from it. Frainn crouched and put her arms and hands in front of her face, swirling a wind around her which she then sent on the black smoke that succeeded the fire and cleared the area. She slowly stood up and watched a figure jumped off a container, figure that she recognized to be Zemo given the coat he wore was the exact same and she watched him take down the last opponents standing, and she shook her head, sighing.

“Great fucking show.” She groaned. Bucky came by her when he, Sam and Sharon took the opportunity to run, and she followed the three of them without a word. Sam suddenly opened a container’s door as someone shot at them and he snatched a bar from it and knocked down another coming from behind him and Frainn. He then threw it at the woman that fired at them, pining her against a container. Frainn stared at her as she groaned and winced in pain and threw a thin disc of glass to slit the side of her throat. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it and less than a second later, there was no life left in her eyes. Frainn was pulled into the container Sam opened by the man himself and the door locked itself behind her. Frainn was a little disturbed to see how easy it still was for her to take the life of others but what was she to do if they were attacking her? For once, she had a legitimate reason of attacking back and killing. The deaths she caused back on Asgard because of Odin’s lies was the only thing she had ever done that couldn’t be excused, even though the blood of these Asgardians was on Odin’s as well. Would he not have lied to her, this would have certainly not happened. They walked across the container and Bucky punched the double door to the other side with his metal arm and they stepped out to the sound of tires creeching on the ground and here was Zemo, in a vintage car, pulling up to them.

“Supercharged.” The Sokovian stated. Frainn stared at him as her skin turned back to her Asgardian light complexion and she sighed silently.

“You’re going back to jail.” Sam reminded him.

“Do you want to find Karli or not?”

“He’s right. We need him.” Bucky added before getting in the passenger seat beside Zemo, leaving the backseat to Sam and Frainn. As her lover spoke, the Goddess walked around the car to get to the other side and get in. “And there’s three of us, and at least 20 of them. Come on.”

“Fine. But if you try that shit again…” He threateningly pointed his finger at Zemo before getting in in turn.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Well, that was one hell of a reunion.” Sharon sighed in relief, shutting the door of Bucky and Sam’s side of the car.

“Come back to the States with us.” Sam insisted.

“I told you I can’t. Just get me that pardon you promised me.”

“Thanks for everything.” Sam told her as she walked away. He slipped in his seat and looked at Bucky with annoyance. “You’re not gonna move your seat up, are you?”

“No.” The former soldier simply replied and Frainn chuckled. It was the same setting as back in 2016 when all three of them were waiting for Steve as he talked with Sharon outside of the car. Their places were reversed this time around and it was to Sam to struggle with little space for his legs.

“Donya Madani. She’s a refugee, yeah.” Sitting on a couch behind the four chairs facing each other on which all four sat on the outward journey to Madripoor, Frainn watched Sam step around while on the phone with Torres. Next to her was Bucky, cleaning his metal hand with a small towel. “Okay. Call me if you get a hit. Thanks, Torres.”

“You okay?” Bucky asked him after he let himself fall in one seat with a sigh.

“Yeah.” He replied in a deep voice. “Just thinking about all the shit Sharon had to go through. And Nagel referring to the American test subject like Isaiah wasn’t even a real person.” He straightened up and turned the seat to face Bucky. “Just makes me wonder how many people have to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal.”

“Well, it depends on who you ask.” Bucky replied, looking down at his hand before switching his focus to Sam. Frainn had let her head fall on the back of the sofa and, her arms folded across her chest, she was staring into space listening to them. “That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives.”

“Yeah, I get that. All right. Maybe I made a mistake.”

“You did.”

“Yeah. Maybe I shouldn’t have put it in a museum. I should have destroyed it.” Frainn suddenly lifted her head and stared at Sam.

“Look, that shield represents a lotta things to a lotta people, including me, and Frainn.” He leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. “The world is upside down, and we need a new Cap, and it ain’t gonna be Walker. So before you go and destroy it, I’ll take it from him myself.”

“Yeah.” Sam’s phone vibrated and he picked it up. Zemo arrived at the same time, small dishes in his hands and handed it over to Bucky, Sam and Frainn so they could eat, and he then sat down on the seat with its back to Bucky on the sofa. “They found Madani… dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.”

“I have a place we can go.” Zemo spoke up. “I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli. Oeznik, we’re changing the course.”

Riga, Latvia

“I heard what become of Sokovia.” Zemo said as they walked down the street towards the place Zemo owned in the city. “Cannibalized by its neighbors before the land was cleared of rubble, erased from the map. I don’t suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial?” As his question was met by silence, he pursued. “Of course not. Why would you? We are here.”

“I’m gonna go on a walk.” Bucky then randomly declared, and everyone stopped in their tracks in front of the building and turned to him.

“You good?” Sam inquired.

“Yeah. See you guys in a bit.” He replied as he turned around and walked away. Frainn watched him going the other way, wondering what was going on but she didn’t say anything and followed Sam and Zemo inside. She needed some rest after all that happened in just the past couple days.

[To be continued…]

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Published (05/25/2022) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

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