SIX.

red hot fury!

❝  he is a weapon, a killer / do not forget it / you can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature ❞

⎯ madeline miller, the song of achilles

INSIDE THE JET, as the plane is flying over Munich, two men are having a staring contest. 

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, now in full gear, have been sitting across from one another for what feels like eternity. They watch each other's movements, barely lifting a finger, waiting for the other to make a move. The man with the metal arm is having his mind split in two. A part of him regrets leaving a certain tempered girl at the airbase, the other relieved to know she's safe.

Though he can't get her face out of his head; the disappointment, the pleading in her eyes. His left eye twitches, and he continues to glare menacingly at Sam. The Falcon looks back at him amusedly.

No one speaks. No one moves. Everything is silent.

CRASH!

"Oh shi-'' a small and squeaky voice erupts from near the floor panels on the other side of the room. Bucky jerks his head up, meeting Sam's eyes. The two suddenly have alarms going off inside their heads, and in his fury, Bucky doesn't even come to the conclusion that he knows this voice.

They both get up simultaneously, standing beside each other, then peer down to the floor. A flash of red makes Bucky's eyes widen. Sam is about to say something, probably along the lines of wait or let's be careful, but the puzzle has been solved, and Bucky's eyebrows knit together, his face growing dark.

Without another word, Bucky reaches his metal arm down to grip the floor, wrenching one of the panels out of place. Sam tries to stop him, but when Bucky reaches in again and pulls out a ball of bright crimson and grey, the other man frowns, snapping his mouth shut.

Reine squeals loudly as Bucky throws her into a seat. She lands hard on the cushion, and immediately looks back up, blowing a sweaty strand of hair out of her face.

"Reine!" Bucky yells, and Sam opens then closes his mouth like a fish, unable to comprehend that Reine Castell has somehow managed to sneak aboard their jet. "What. are. You. Doing?!" Neither Sam nor Reine has ever heard Bucky quite this angry, and it makes the girl, usually so quick to rebel, fall silent.

"I..." she starts, trying to gain footing again, her composure.

"I told you to stay at the base!" Bucky interjects. "How did you get on board?" Sam nods. This is something he would very much like to know.

Reine splutters on her words. "I... I..." then she sighs, clearly seeing she's not getting out of trouble, so plainly states. "I ran and grabbed onto the wheel." She stops, thinking this might be enough, but Bucky has started pacing up and down, his shoulders hunched and his head shaking. Sam has to step out of his warpath. He's still speechless.

"And then?" Bucky asks incredulously, while Reine shrinks back, rethinking her entire life's decisions.

"I..." she says. "I climbed through the jet and hid under the floor."

Now he can't contain it. Sam bursts out laughing, his piercing shrieks cutting through the tension like a dagger. Reine looks at him like he's crazy, and Bucky looks about ready to commit murder.

He can't help it, however, and Sam continues to giggle like a little child.

"She..." he starts, then guffaws again. "She ran... and she... the floor!" Bucky's shaking his head, while Reine is trying very hard not to show that Sam's giggles are contagious. She's failing. She's failing miserably.

It's the first time she's wanted to laugh in a long, long time.

Bucky turns to Sam, who's now doubled over with his hands on his knees. "Are you finished?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Sam utters, though it sounds more like he's choking than anything else. "I just can't believe she did that."

"It's not really surprising." Reine suggests, and when they look at her, she shrugs, large red hoodie bunching at the neck. "I was going to come with you anyway." Bucky sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He then turns to her, leaving a recovering Sam to sit back down.

Reine looks up at her step-father, her eyes wide and drooping. Bucky is not impressed.

"Reine..." he starts, and Reine groans.

"Alright, alright!" she says. "I'm sorry!" Bucky still doesn't move. "But did you really think I wasn't gonna come with you?" She looks behind Bucky to Sam. the man takes a deep breath. "You need our help, Sam." She looks back to bucky. "Mama always helped people." she adds in at the end, whispering.

Bucky pauses, and Reine looks at him coldly, a single eyebrow raised. You know it's true, her eyes seem to say, and this makes him grimace. Why is it that Reine is always right? Bucky grunts, head shaking, but his shoulders relax. Reine smirks. This was her plan all along, and it seems to have worked out. She stands, crossing her arms over her chest.

From where Sam sits watching them, he winks at Reine, still silently chuckling. Reine wants to smile, and her lip quivers, but it doesn't feel right, it doesn't feel normal, and she moves back to the numbness, the mask. Sam frowns, and Reine turns away.

"I'll need something to wear." she tells her stepfather. "I can't fight bad guys in this..." she gestures down to her sweatpants and hoodie, making sure to keep her throbbing hand hidden in the folds of her sleeve. Bucky clenches his jaw, still weary, his heart still racing. A part of him is as of yet unable to believe she's actually here.

Sam, it seems, is not. "Reine..." he starts, not unkindly, but not warmly either. Reine tenses, looking at him. "This is gonna be dangerous." she nods. "There will most likely be fighting, and definitely bad guys." She nods again. "You understand?"

Reine resists the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes."

Bucky still isn't convinced, and kneels down in front of her. Though she tries to fight him, the girl eventually puts her hands into his outstretched ones. They grip her tightly, as if the moment he lets go, she'll float away.

I'm not going to leave, Reine thinks, I'm not going to abandon you, like mama. Bucky's eyes meet hers, and it's startling to see the difference in their irises. Reine's dark brown ones, flecked with gold and tinged with fire, Bucky's bright blue ones, like sapphires in the depths of the sea. For a long time, it took barely anything to imagine the two were actually related, to look at Reine, Marina, and Bucky and think; yes, they are a true family, they are a happy family.

Not anymore.

Bucky is pulled harshly into reality, an iron fist wrapping tightly around his throat, forcing him to look, to finally see. He's not related to Reine. He's not her true father, no matter how hard he wants to be. He's cared for her, loved her. He's forced her to do homework, fallen victim to her harsh punches and delight in violence. He's endured it all, the good, the bad, made himself believe in a future he wants, a future that's perfect.

Losing his Marina has shattered that dream.

Broken into fragments, shattered, gone.

Reine isn't his daughter, she never has been, so technically, she isn't remotely his. She doesn't need to listen to him. She doesn't even need to live with him. The only reason she still does is because the government gave him a very rocky proposition. Go to therapy, stay out of trouble, and Reine Castell can continue to live with him.

Bucky moves back, releasing her hand and coming to stand in front of her. She has to strain her neck to watch him.

"It's gonna be dangerous out there, Reine." he tells her softly, reiterating what Sam said.

Reine peers up at him. He looks into her eyes, those unfamiliar, beautiful umber eyes, and says. "Sounds like me."

Sam laughs.

✧

Ten minutes later, Reine sits beside Bucky, looking across to Sam, who tries to hide a smile. She's pretty sure he's still laughing on the inside.

Sam's nice partner Joaquin Torres was able to find some other, more appropriate clothes she could wear. At first, when Sam asked him, he'd jerked back in surprise to see the young girl shifting from foot to foot behind him. Eventually, he was able to put two and two together, and didn't question anything after that.

Now, she's wearing a pair of dark military pants, rolled up several times at the waist. She has on a black zip up long-sleeve with a lot of pockets and a bullet-proof vest over top. Everything is one size too large, but she's made it work. She's done her short hair into two braids that look more like lopsided pigtails, and a pair of fingerless gloves keep her injured hand secure.

The boots are her favourite, however, dark black with metal toes and supple leather that go up to her ankles. There's a bit of a heel, which helps her short stature, and there's a hidden compartment where she can hide a dagger.

Bucky won't look at her, and she suspects he's still sore about her sneaking on board.

The real problem is, Bucky can't stand to see her in hero garb, in clothes used for combat. He's made sure to keep her away from the fights, to keep her safe and secure. Yes, Reine knows how to fight, but that doesn't mean she should have to. He doesn't want his step-daughter to be a fighter, he just wants her to be a child, like the one he used to pick up and spin around in the middle of the apartment, the girl who used to sneak cookies under her pillow to eat late at night. The girl who's smile lit up the world.

Not a warrior.

There's movement to the side, and Torres comes into view, walking across the middle of the room. He winks at Reine, and she winks back. He laughs, then turns to the man across from them.

"One minute to drop off, Sam." he says, then disappears into the other side of the jet. Reine shifts in her seat, clenching her uninjured hand to a fist. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady the quaking underneath her flesh, bouncing along the edges of her heart.

The plane shakes as a round of turbulence erupts in the sky. After another round of Sam and Bucky's strange staring contest, the Falcon gets up from his spot and walks over to the opening door to the side of the plane. Reine's glad she put her hair up, because the blast of wind is strong enough to push her back a step. Bucky and her steady themselves against each other, watching as Sam puts in an earpiece and hands one to the girl, then to the man.

"So what's the plan?" Bucky asks, breaking the tight silence. Sam doesn't respond, and simply continues to get himself ready. Reine feels it's best if she doesn't speak at all.

Sam turns back around, going closer to the door. Reine stays standing in the middle of the room, looking between the two, coming to the conclusion that this day might be a very long one. Bucky and Sam are actual children, she's decided.

"Great," Bucky states from where he's back in the seat. "So no plan."

"Thirty seconds!" Torres yells from the open door. Reine grits her teeth. Sam nods, then looks at her.

"Reine, you're with me." he says, stretching out his arm. Reine hesitates for only a moment, looking back to Bucky, who's gone stiff. He peers at her, and doesn't say anything, but she is able to discern the briefest of nods. That's all she needs, and bounds towards Sam.

"Enjoy your ride, Buck." Sam finishes, and together the two turn away.

"No, you can't call me that." Bucky argues, and Reine rolls her eyes.

"Why not? That's what Steve called you." Sam answers.

"Steve knew me longer," Bucky responds, and Reine snorts, once again raising a hand to smother her laughter. "And Steve had a plan."

"Bucky, come on!" Reine exclaims, but the man won't look at her. He can't. She's going to go on a mission, like a soldier, and he can't bear to watch. It's her choice, of course, but Bucky's allowed to have his opinions.

"I have a plan." Sam says.

"Oh, yeah?" Bucky persists, then raises his arms to either side. "What is it?!" Reine, despite not saying anything, is thinking the exact same thing. She knows Sam is good at his job, probably the best, and he's always had good intuition, but since coming back from the Snap, Reine's become incredibly paranoid, and would very much like to know at least a semblance of a plan before jumping out of a plane.

Of course, that doesn't happen.

Instead, Sam just goes closer to the door as Torres shouts. "15 seconds to drop!" Reine's throat is dry. Why did she decide to get on the plane?

For mama, her mind replies, you need to help Sam. she nods, then another thought pops into her head. You need to forget the past. Her eyebrows knit together. You need a distraction. Reine's fists clench, even her stitched one, and the wound seethes, fresh and raw and painful. She barely notices it.

"See you soon." Bucky mumbles, pulling her back, and Reine frowns, pursing her lips before turning to Sam.

"Why am I going with you?" Reine whispers as the other man takes her hand.

"Because I'm about to jump out of a plane, and we're too low for a parachute."

"So how is Bucky getting down?"

"I don't know," Sam replies honestly. "But I ain't letting you up to chance." Reine pauses, staring up at him. He smiles, and she finds herself wanting to grin back. The urge is so strong it catches her off guard, throwing her whole world off balance. She wants to laugh at his joke, to smile at his comment. Why? She hasn't felt like this since Wakanda, when uncle T'Challa taught her combat and Bucky played hide and seek with her in the fields. Since Mama would laugh and braid her hair and be a good sport when they played board games.

Reine hasn't wanted to smile since the world was light and she lived in paradise, where her family was complete.

She never thought she'd feel that way again, now that everything has broken. She is wrong. She is so very wrong.

"Do you trust me?" Sam asks, and Reine doesn't hesitate with this. She nods, of course she trusts him. Sam was the one to let Marina and Reine stay at his place after Bucky turned back into the Winter Soldier. Then, after Bucky went back into the ice, Sam and Steve stayed awhile. And Sam, who was once helping veterans returning from war, was able to calm Reine down.

She remembers the anger, the tears and the screams as Bucky left them, when he had promised to come back. She remembers wanting to lock herself away, storming into the halls of the Wakandan palace, ultimately getting lost, and ending up crying on the floor in the corridor.

Then Sam came. In a leather jacket and wearing a kind smile, he did nothing but sit beside her, hands on his knees, and wait until she spoke. He didn't need to say anything, nothing at all, because after a while Reine grew used to his presence, and just started talking.

She told him everything, everything that she'd hid away, the fury, the hate, the agony. She told him she missed Bucky, told him she'd seen Bucky like a father, and now he'd gone. She told him everything, and after that, she trusted him, she trusted him completely.

"Yes." she tells him. Sam nods.

"Good, then hold on." he tells her. Reine barely has time to obey, as Sam grabs onto her and then promptly flings them both out of the plane. The last thing she sees before flying out into the open air is Bucky getting up from his spot, an unreadable expression on his face as their eyes meet.

When Reine and Sam fall out of the jet, she can barely hear anything, but knows that she's screaming at the top of her lungs.

Sam holds onto her tightly, not letting her slip out of his grasp as his metal wings spread out on either side of them, slicing through the air, cutting a perfect path for them. When the numbness in her fingertips lessen, and she realizes Sam isn't about to drop her into oblivion, Reine dares to open her eyes fully.

A sky so blue and bright rises up to meet her.

Her eyes widen, mouth opening, and she watches as they soar down through clouds of pure, glistening white, staring at the ball of molten starlight, the sun, pierce through the atmosphere and envelope them in sheer gold.

And then Reine laughs, actually, truly, laughs as Sam brings them closer to the ground, closer to the old brick buildings jutting out in the center of a winding forest. Her sharp breaths shriek into the open space. Sam laughs along with her, and she whoops. Her braids fly about her face, and for a moment, for one aching second, she's free.

There is no burden. There is no past. There is no future.

It's just freedom. Something she hasn't felt in a very, very long time.

It ends as quickly as it began, because right as they land, Reine's stomach gives a terrible lurch. Sam makes sure to set them down gently, but Reine still stumbles, her legs as light as feathers, her lunch coming up to form a clump in her throat. The freedom that fell off her body merely seconds ago has disappeared, and sickness replaces it.

Reine freezes, the ill feeling worming it's way through her body. It comes to her stomach first. Reine kneels to the grassy floor. Her breath has left her, throat raw from the thrill of flying. Her screams, then filled with joy, now ring about her head like a ceaseless beating drum.

Sickness, like a fog rolling over dewy grass, clouding everything in misery. Reine almost expects to see nothing but dust when she peers down to her hands, tangled in the long emerald strands. She expects her vision to blur, and the illness that is death overtake her once more. It happened already, who's to say it won't happen again?

Reine shakes her head, opening and closing her eyes, determination withering away before it has even settled in.

"Firecracker?" a deep and concerned voice penetrates her flurried thoughts. "Hey, Reine, you alright?" the girl can't respond, she's too busy trying not to puke. The bile rises to her throat, bees fluttering inside her esophagus. When their stingers hit the walls of her throat, she winces. It's not real, it's not real, it's not real, Reine thinks, shaking. You're not about to die again. A hand reaches her back.

"I'm fine." she manages to choke out.

"Reine..." Sam says in that infuriatingly comforting tone of his. "Reine, what's wrong?"

Reine shakes her head, sick pooling in her mouth, coating her tongue in thick, icky tar. Her nose runs, her eyes widen, and she forces the nightmares to move away. Don't haunt me, she pleads to her own head, please don't haunt me. She doesn't want to see mama, not now, not after being free for one blissful moment.

She came on this mission to forget, to find a distraction. She needed solace, but all she got was a reminder.

"Hey, hey, kid." Sam offers, kneeling beside her. "Here." Reine shakes her head, but before she can do anything, Sam pushes the screen on his wrist into view, and she pauses.

On the screen, to Reine's amazement, is Bucky. Only, it's not really the Bucky she's come to know.

This Bucky isn't stoic and serious, nor is he smiling or hugging her close.

No, this Bucky is falling. He's falling down, through the trees of a forest (surprisingly hitting every branch on the way), and from the microphone on Sam's wrist, all that can be heard are soft grunts of pain. Finally, he reaches the ground, and lands splayed out on his back with a loud thump. Reine puts a hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.

(the Universe wishes she wouldn't)

Bucky lets out an annoyed, unsteady breath, and doesn't move to get up. Reine watches him, eyes wide, her nightmare pushed to a far corner in her mind. Sam always seems to have that effect on people.

"I have all of that on camera, you know that, right?" Sam speaks into the earpiece, and Reine smirks, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Redwing moves closer to video Bucky's face.

"Get out my face, Sam, or I'll break it." the reformed soldier murmurs.

"You looked great, Bucky." Reine chimes in. This makes the fallen man pause. They can all see it. Bucky feels it. His shoulders stiffen, his eyes widen, and he no longer looks like he wants to murder the electronic bord. Reine bites her bottom lip, knowing all too well what he's thinking. She shouldn't be here.

And, as always, the girl is right, but that's not the only reason. He paused because he can hear laughter in her voice. It's faint, muddled over by something darker and less enticing, but it's there. The raising of the voice at the end of the sentence, the fewer steady breathes pouring from her lips. He recognizes it all too well.

His wife was always laughing.

"Okay, head north." Sam decides to break the growing silence. "Come on."

"I'll meet you outside." Reine chirps, finding her voice again. Bucky doesn't respond, but she can see his jaw stiffen on the camera, and it almost makes her want to take back what she said. Sam doesn't let her, however, nodding for Bucky, then getting up from his spot, giving Reine a thumbs up, making his way into the brick building.

Reine unsteadily stands, her limbs creaking, the world spinning beneath her. She holds out both arms to the side, trying to balance herself, stomach lurching. Her vest is too tight, her boots scuffing the back of her heels. Everything comes rushing through her all at once. The ache in her hand, the sick in her stomach, the fracture of her mind.

She sucks in a breath.

"Hey!" Reine drops to the ground immediately at the sound of the voice. Her hands go to her boot, where the knife is concealed, not that she really knows how to use it. Her skill is in hand-to-hand combat, just like Bucky and T'Challa taught her.

"Wait! Wait!" the voice calls out again, and this time Reine is able to discern it more. "Reine, it's me." the girl grumbles, turning her neck to see one metal armed man heading towards her, his face grim. She grumbles and gets up from her spot, brushing the dirt and grass off her.

Then, she whirls on Bucky and punches his metal arm. "Why did you scare me like that?!" she exclaims, but Bucky is more concerned with why her punch to an arm that can't feel has his whole body shaking, a spasm running up his body.

"s-Sorry." he mumbles, then chooses to change the subject as fast as he can. "Let's go..." Reine pauses, trying to figure out why he isn't mad, or why he didn't respond like he normally does. When Bucky gestures to her, however, Reine shoves it to the back of her mind and follows after him.

Her hand is tingling.

They climb over the short brick wall and crouch down together. Reine's limbs ache. She hasn't been in proper shape since coming back, spending most of her time sitting in her bed or out in the living room watching TV. Midnight snacks have become a regular occurrence, and the only exercise she's gotten is from their daily walks with Yori (to go get more food, but that's besides the point).

In short, Reine is slightly out of shape, something she didn't think about when she snuck onto the plane, but what can she do about it now?

The two enter a dimly lit storage facility. Concrete walls with open entrances let sunlight pour in, bathing the girl and soldier in white light. They stalk past pillars, footsteps echoing loudly on the soiled floor. There's a whir beside them, and when Reine looks over Bucky's shoulder, Redwing flies close to them. Reine waves to Sam, and at first she thinks Bucky is doing the same, but he's actually just trying to swat the thing away from him.

"Bucky!" Reine says with a frown. He looks at her, clearly not amused.

"Oh-ho-ho. Don't hurt him." Sam's voice echoes in both their ears. As they move closer, they enter another large room, and across the way stands the man himself. Reine runs to him, and Bucky silently broods as they stand next to him. Reine looks to Sam, while Bucky peers out at nothing, his shoulders tense.

"You're both doing the staring thing again." Reine makes an offended face while Bucky just turns his neck to continue to stare at Sam. His arm hangs limply at his side, and Reine wonders if she should take it in her own, but she doesn't, no matter how much she wants to.

Sam finally looks up from her wrist, gesturing with her to the next room over. "They're in there." Reine sucks in a breath.

Redwing's camera shows several targets lifting boxes and carrying them outside to what Reine thinks is a truck. She shuffles closer while Bucky and Sam talk over her small head.

"Where's the guy?" Bucky asks.

"I don't know." Sam answers. "I think they're smuggling weapons, though." Bucky peers up, and Reine doesn't have time to say anything before he retorts back.

"Well, I think you could be right." he replies, and Sam cocks his head to the side in mock agreement. "But there's only one way to find out." Reine frowns and Bucky looks out around the corner, eyebrows furrowing.

She doesn't like that look. She doesn't like that look one bit.

"Bucky..." she starts, hesitation clear in her voice, but he doesn't seem to hear.

"I see a clear path, I say we take it.'' He then turns to Reine. "You staying here." she pouts and shakes her head. Bucky moves to start going, but Sam stops him.

"We're not assassins," he tells Bucky.

The soldier doesn't respond, and simply states. "I'll see you inside... or not."

"Oh my goodness." Reine mutters under her breath, then runs to follow after a fast-walking Bucky, giving Sam an apologetic look over her shoulder. When she catches up to her stepfather, she nudges his side.

"I told you to stay with Sam." Bucky grumbles, but doesn't make any moves to rend Reine away, which she takes as a good sign.

"I feel safer with you." she replies, then shuts her mouth closed with a snap, not meaning to speak her thoughts out loud. Bucky pauses as they turn into a dimly lit hall, the entrance to the separate room up ahead, and peers down at Reine, only to find the girl is nowhere in sight.

For a moment, his feet drop into nothing, and he's falling, throat closing, dust choking him. But then, there's a small clearing of the throat, and Bucky snaps his head up to see his daughter, booted feet tip-toeing on the floor, beckoning him to the entrance.

Bucky lets out a strangled breath, and follows. This is exactly why he did not want her to come on this mission. If she gets hurt again, he will be breaking his promise, and Bucky won't be able to function, not even be able to think.

He can't lose her, too. His Marina is already gone, and it's his duty to take care of their daughter.

Not yours, a voice in his head mocks, not your daughter. Bucky grimaces, shutting the apprehension away. Instead, Bucky walks forward, lining his back against the wall like Reine.

From their earpieces, the voice of Sam teases. "Look at you two, all stealthy." Reine beams as he chuckles, taking it as a compliment, while Bucky becomes even more restless. "A little time in Wakanda and you come out White Panther, and Little Panther." Despite the memories of the golden country flooding both their minds, wings tipped in poison, Reine doesn't frown.

Bucky moves past it easily, understanding Reine shouldn't think of that time for too long, or else she'll fall right back into the destructive phase of denial like so many months prior.

"It's actually White Wolf." Bucky corrects.

"Huh?" Is Sam's only reply.

"And I'm just a cub..." Reine remarks, then frowns and says. "Why didn't they give me a name, Bucky?"

"You're too young, Reine." Bucky answers. This does nothing to help the girl, and she makes a mental note to create a list of nicknames when they get back. Then, she goes with Bucky into the other room, where the men and women are lifting boxes, and hides with him behind a shelf.

Her heart is beating so fast Reine wonders if it's going to burst.

"Alright, we're inside." Bucky whispers. "Therefore, way ahead of you." he peers through a slit in the shelving. "It's not great, but very doable."

Suddenly, Reine feels movement behind her, and out of instinct, whirls around with her fist raised. It's too late, however, when she sees Sam, magically appearing out of the abyss, ducking to avoid her punch. Reine's eyes widen, and a string of apologies erupt from her mouth.

"Damn, Reine." is Sam's only reply. Bucky turns too, and when he sees Sam, he pauses.

"Hello," Bucky says incredulously. "How are you?"

"Good." Sam replies. "What did I miss? Nothing."

"All right, let's go."

"No, wait."

Bucky lifts up his arm with a frown. "I got a vibranium arm. I can take them."

"And I can fly. Reine can punch." the girl smirks down to her shoes. "Who gives a shit?" Sam continues. Her head snaps back up, taking offense. "Wait." Bucky relents, though Reine can tell he's not happy about it. "I want to see where they're going."

"There's two people." Bucky says.

"You only see two?" Sam questions.

"That's what I saw." Bucky answers. Sam shakes his head and looks down to his wrist.

"Let me see what Redwing sees."

"All right." Bucky says, not in the least impressed with this. Reine elbows him in the side and pushes over to look at the screen. After a moment, the heat signatures appear, and there are definitely more than 2. Reine snorts, and Bucky elbows her back.

"Oh, look at that." Sam says, clearly being smug. "How many people you see now?" he smiles. "One, two. Oh, here it comes again. Four,"

"Five." Bucky finishes, then looks out to the newly forming group of enemies.

Reine tugs on Sam's sleeve, and he looks down at her. "How are they carrying those heavy boxes?" she asks, and Bucky moves closer to see what she is talking about. Sure enough, the men and women are lifting boxes one-handed that probably should need a crane to carry them.

There's a beat of silence, and feeling Reine's unease pulse through where his hand touches her wrist, Bucky consoles. "So they're strong. Whatever." he then states. "All right, let's go."

"No, wait." Sam says, but at that moment, Bucky tugs Reine's arm back, and something clatters the floor from atop the shelves where she hit it. They all go still, Sam speaking a very drawn-out curse word that Reine would very much like to repeat.

From where she can see over the shelf, the people look over in their direction, but after a moment, turn back around and close up the truck. Reine sighs, giving an apologetic look to the two men staring down at her. That was close, almost too close.

The engine in the trucks start, and Sam begins to furiously tap at the screen. Reine looks over, and in the truck, another heat signature appears.

"There's an eighth person," he says. "I think they have a hostage."

For Bucky and Reine, this is all the confirmation they need, and the two grasp hands, bolting out from around the shelter. Bucky doesn't ask if he should carry Reine, knowing full well the girl is able to run as fast as him, despite his advanced speed. Reine pumps her arms, fire igniting along her bones, and they exit the building quickly, running up the street side by side, around the first truck and towards the one with the captive.

Bucky continues to hold Reine, and then flings her forward gently, with just enough force for the younger girl to grab onto the door to the truck. Bucky jumps after her, and he places a hand on her back, not taking any chances. She shrugs him away, giving him a disapproving look.

Bucky rips open the door without another beat of hesitation, and Reine follows after him into the darkness of the truck. Inside, crates upon crates plastered with warning signs and coolers attached meet them. The space is cramped, and Reine hides behind Bucky as he walks cautiously forward.

"They're stealing medicines." Bucky says out loud for Sam. "Vaccines."

Then out of the corner of her eye, Reine spots movement. She tugs on Bucky's arm, not daring to make a sound, keeping her eyes trained over Bucky's frame. A girl, probably no more than 20, with fiery red hair and ivory skin laced with freckles, peers out from around the crates. Her eyes are wide and slightly terrified, but nothing about her looks like a victim.

"Hi." Bucky calls out, practically yelling, and Reine winces.

"Bucky, hold on." Reine whispers. "Be gentle." She's talking from experience.

"Bucky, Reine, talk to me, what's going on?" Sam's voice comes through their earpieces.

"We found the hostage." Bucky calls out, and turns back to the girl. She looks at Reine, who smiles warmly, trying to show they're on her side. The girl doesn't smile back, and Reine's mouth thins to an imperceptible line.

Something's wrong. She can feel it in her heart, a burden pressing down on her from all sides. This isn't right.

"You okay?" Bucky asks, not being any gentler, and Reine wants to kick him, but stops as the girl's face changes. From innocent captive to malicious assailant, that girl's mouth curves upwards, a sinister smile piercing the air.

"Bucky!" Reine yells, but it's too late. The girl rushes forward, one arm hitting Reine in the shoulder, sending her flying against the side of the truck, her other foot slamming into the middle of Bucky's chest. Reine grunts as her back hits the crates, falling to the floor with a crash. Stars swim in her vision as she twists to see Bucky hanging on to the other truck with only one arm.

"Bucky!" Reine cries out, and his own eyes widen.

"Shit." she hears him say, and the girl walks forward, a black mask with an orange handprint brought over her striking features. The girl doesn't so much as look at Reine, and instead, turns her head.

"Alex!" she calls out, then jumps to the other truck. Reine watches helplessly, lung screaming, as Bucky is pulled up by two more attackers, all the while yelling her name.

Reine grunts, staggering onto her knees, holding her aching side. Her eyes narrow, and she prepares to jump, limbs groaning, but at the last minute, a force pulls her back by her hair. Reine screams, and she's flung again to the other side of the truck, rolling several times on the floor. She lands on her stomach, and looks up to the figure that is now blocking her path.

The first thing she sees are chocolate brown eyes.

Next, a thin and hard-edged face. Black hair trimmed neatly to his head, a beard growing dashingly against his high cheekbones. He's wearing a black sweater and pants, hands curled into tight fists.

Reine groans, pushing herself back.

"Not so fast, child." the man calls out, and he has a strange accent, not like the people from London who constantly visited Madrid, but not like Bucky or Sam either. His voice is crisp, clear and cutting.

Reine doesn't speak, gasping heavily as she moves to her feet, fists raised to eye level. The man stalks forward, a frown that looks like fire on his features. But there's a hint of a smile on his face, and a look of triumph in his eyes. Reine doesn't want to wait and find out what for.

She swings an arm out when the man get's close, and she's quick enough that she's able to skim his cheek before he dashes out of the way. It seems she's strong enough, too, that it knocks him back a step. Reine's eyes widen, and the man's do the same. He braces himself against the crates, staring at Reine with a newfound clarity that didn't grace him before.

Reine makes a run for it, she dashes to the other side of the truck, sprinting so fast her shoulder hits the other boxes, and heads for the truck behind them. She's almost to the threshold before a hand wraps around her arm, yanking her back. Reine shrieks as a weight lands on top of her, pinning her arms to ground. She lands breathless on the floor, injured hand throbbing.

The man watches her with a face tinged in malice, as if darkness has crept along the crevices of his face. His eyes blaze, not unlike Reine's in that moment. She twists, grunting and groaning as she tries to break free of him, but the man only holds on tighter.

"No, no." he tells her, spit flying from his mouth. "You're not going anywhere." Reine pauses at his tone, at the soft lilt of his final word, as if he too has become breathless, even a bit surprised. Reine looks into his eyes, breathing heavily.

The man moves, grabbing onto her shoulders and hoisting her up, spinning her around and wrapping an arm around her neck. Reine chokes, hands going up to try and pry him away. The sides of her vision go dark.

"Come on, come on." the man whispers, and Reine struggles more. The world turns blurry, tears sting her eyes. His hold grows tighter. Reine begins to shake, convulsing in his arms. Blood seeps down her injured hand, stitches come loose, and the crimson liquid drips onto his own pale skin.

"Come on, Reine." the man whispers, and the girl freezes at the sound of her name.

She goes so still, so perfectly straight, that the man allows himself to smile, releasing her just enough for her to stagger forward.

It's then he realizes his mistake. Reine looks back to him, smirking, and the man yells, starting forward, but it's too late, and Reine leaps off the truck, grabbing onto the top of the vehicle behind her, hoisting herself up. There's a creak behind her, and she turns to see the man also jumping forward. Reine turns and runs.

However, the sight before her is enough to make her pause. A man in a blue, red, and white suit with blonde hair takes back a familiar shield from Bucky, who turns to see Reine standing on the other truck that's now coming up beside the other. His eyes widen.

Sam is fighting with two assailants, and another man with dark hair and a vest similar to Reine's is helping out John Walker.

"Reine!" Bucky yells, voice hoarse. "Look out!" Reine turns to see the man she believes is Alex running towards her, a determined look on his face.

Reine spins around.

Who is this guy? She thinks as she goes forward towards Bucky and the rest. Her boots click on the metal roof, wind blowing her frail, small body around as she ducks beneath a man's punch. The world is spinning, and she isn't sure whether she is moving or just suspended in space.

Another man in a mask lunges at her, a different enemy who's broken away from the group. Reine ducks again and swings her leg out, hitting the man's calves. He grunts and falls, but manages to grasp Reine's wrist. The man wrenches her over his shoulder, and she stumbles, trying to keep the wind from blowing her off the side of the truck.

Someone is screaming her name. She doesn't know who.

Reine can barely see, pain exploding across her forehead as she glances up to see Alex walking towards her. His eyes are dark, his brows furrowed, and hunger burns across his pupils. She scuttles back on her hands, twisting to run towards Bucky, but he's not on the other truck.

She calls out his name, as she then spots him down below, grasping onto the bottom of the truck, another man kicking at his metal arm, trying to get him to fall against the fast moving floor.

"Get her!" Alex yells, and Reine tries to get to her feet. When she looks to Alex, two more men are running towards her. He stays still, and reaches up to run a hand through his hair. Her blood drips down his palm onto his face, but he doesn't seem to notice.

The men lunge at her. One goes to grab her feet, the other winding up to punch her in the stomach. Reine freezes. They're not trying to kill her, but they're not going to be forgiving either.

Her eyes narrow. The world anchors in on their movements, as if suddenly they've been drenched in water, and are now floating in a lake. Their attacks are slow, harried, and Reine knows exactly how to stop them. She reaches a hand up, as calm as the sea, and the man's fist collides with her own. He screams, and she wraps her hand tighter around his fist, crunching his bones, crumpling his hand in her iron grip, her strengthened grip.

She pushes him away, and the man falls back, over the side of the truck, still gripping his broken fingers, twisted and mangled and bloody.

Reine turns to the man near her feet. She glares, mouth opening to let air into her lungs. She steps forward, and she slides to the ground, one leg moving back, the heel of her boot coming to collide with the man's jaw, breaking it instantly. Red crimson splashes against her face. The man is knocked unconscious immediately, and Reine moves up gracefully.

She wants to kick him again, to lug his body over the side of the truck like the other guy. Her palms shake, blood dripping down her body, and she's gasping for air, red tinging the side of her vision.

There is a laugh. She looks up.

Alex stocks towards her, his fists clenched so tightly he probably has scabs from holding his fingers so tight together. He's smiling, and it's a smile that breaks the red hot fury growing inside her. She stumbles back, gasping as she looks down to see what she has just done.

The breaking of the man's hand makes her own shake uncontrollably, and she brings them up into view. Blood seeps from her bandages and others speckle her skin.

That blood is not her own.

What have I done? She thinks. What have I done, what have I done, what have I done?! Then; mama would be so disappointed.

"Reine." she looks up, and Alex stands before her, a twisted grin on his features.

"Who are you?" she manages to choke out, nearing the edge of the truck, the ground speeding past her as fast as her heartbeat. "What do you want?"

Alex's nostrils flare, his head going up, so that he's peering down at her. In this moment, he looks like a king watching the peasants from his high castle.

"You." is his only reply. Reine frowns, her eyes wide and her mouth quivering. Before she can say anything, another voice screams her name. Both Alex and Reine look to the side, and a streaking blur of red and white moves past her. Alex is sent flying back.

Sam stops on the roof of the truck, turning to Reine, worry lining his features. He looks at the blood, at the terrified look on Reine's face, but says nothing. Instead, he holds out a hand, and Reine runs towards him. Sam takes her into his arms, and he flies downwards, close to the ground. Reine stuffs her head into his shoulder.

"Hold on." Sam whispers into her ear, and then she's wrenched to the side, stomach rising to her throat. Another weight rolls on top of her, and she's flung forward.

Only when the soft ground rises up to meet her does Reine open her eyes. The soft green and mellow white of grass and grain assault her senses, and she rolls on the ground, head hitting the mud and hands crunching beneath her body. When she finally stops, she looks up, exhaustion filling her body like a glass of water.

Across from her, Bucky and Sam lay on top of each other, talking in hushed tones. Reine lays her head on the ground, vision swimming in and out of focus.

Bucky pushes himself off of Sam, laying on his back, then looks forward.

"Reine!" he calls. "Reine! Are you alright?" she can't respond, mind somewhere far away, in a place she'd rather not be. She doesn't feel when Bucky pulls her into his arms, nor when Sam kneels down beside them. She can barely see, a roaring in her ears and a racing in her heart too loud to focus fully.

Anger. It courses through her. She wants to punch something, to hit something. She wants to be back on that roof, feeling the crunch of the man's hand in her fist.

"Reine, baby, are you alright?" Bucky whispers, and she manages to nod.

"You did good, firecracker." Sam says, and he gives her a weak smile.

Bucky looks to the Falcon, his face grave. "Those were all super soldiers, Sam." Reine stiffens.

"I know." Sam answers gravely. Reine's lips shake, her whole body shakes. Bucky can feel it under his hands, and he looks down at her in alarm, helping his step-daughter sit up.

"Reine, Reine what's wrong?" he asks, a hand going to her cheek, where tears glisten on her tan skin. She shakes her head, peering down at her hands, her bloodied, broken hands. Sam sighs.

"She's in shock." he tells Bucky.

"No." Reine interrupts, and her voice is soft, like petals falling into a coursing river. "No." Then she turns to Bucky, looking into his eyes, so deathly afraid that he wants to hold her, to keep her close like he never has before. "I'm sorry." she says, voice cracking.

"Reine, hey, don't be sorry." Bucky says. "You've done nothing wrong. It's okay. I'm here." Reine shakes her head, a sob breaking loose from her lips. "What's wrong, hermosa? What's wrong?" Sam's frown cuts deep, his desire to keep the girl he'd come to think of as a niece from harm.

Reine freezes, taking a deep breath. She looks at Sam and Bucky, her eyes flashing with something none of them understand.

"I'm one of them." she finally speaks, looking up to her stepfather, trying to keep her head high.

"Bucky, I'm a super soldier." 

a/n: ugh sorry this chapter was so long, it was originally two but I thought it flowed better as one so...

dun dun duuunnnnn. well folks, there it is, one of the big plot twists for the story. Reine... is a super soldier. How, you may ask? well, that's what we'll still have to figure out. but it's true, she's a super soldier. some of you may have already guessed this as I made many hints to her strength, but if not, then SURPRISE! i'm really excited to explore this further, as it's a HUGE thing for this book. 

ANYWAYS, what did you guys think of this chapter? What do you think of  the new character, Alex? Well, his real name is Alexander, and you probably saw him in the intro to this book. He's gonna be Reine's big villain for this story, and trust me, he's a BIG character. Why do you think he wants Reine? Who do you think he is? And look I know he's the villain but Ben Barnes can I please have your hand in marriage? like... I love you. 

OKAY OKAY TWO BIG QUESTIONS HERE. How do you think reine became a super soldier?

&&&& give me some suggestions for Reine's superhero name. I was thinking something like Red Fox or one that is like Bucky's White Wolf, but I'm utterly brain dead right now and I can't think of any...

let me know your answers in the comments! 

As always, don't be afraid to comment, vote and follow me! 

Love, Mal (I changed my pen-name back pls ignore the last authors note).