Winter's Soul (Part 2) 18+ Canon

Chapter 13

Outside the prison walls, the cold winter wind raged over the parking lot. Liv pulled her scarf tighter, hugging her body.

"We need to talk to Sharon," Liv said, trying to keep up with James's fast strides. "Her selling me a cold lead, then this ominous footage of Sam, something is very wrong here. Hey, are you even..."

She stopped midsentence, nearly running into his back as James suddenly stopped walking. Liv peaked from behind him to see what caused him to stop. Standing around their parked car was a group of six men.

Five of them wore tactile gear, and in their midst stood John Walker. Liv gave him a once-over. His suit reminded her of Steve's, but it was black, and he still kept the star on his shoulder and the red stripes.

"Bucky," he said, walking a few steps towards them. The other men followed, backing him up.

"Are you naturally this much of a pain in the ass or are you trying?" James responded. He spread out his right arm to shield Liv and keep her behind him.

"Just here to make sure you won't do something stupid again," John said, with a smug smile on his face. strutting towards them as if he owned the parking lot. "Like, let's say, busting out Wilson."

When James didn't say anything, John kept speaking. "Look, we just want to help," John said, smoothing the waves.

"Remember when I asked for your help? Me neither," James replied. He turned, placed his hand on Liv's shoulder, and tried to stir her towards their car.

"And who is your lovely friend?" John asked.

When they walked past him, he had locked eyes with Liv, who peaked from under her baseball cap and grabbed her arm.

James turned to step between John and Liv, causing him to let her go. His face was only inches away from John's.

"Touch her again and I will kill you," James snarled.

The men around them pointed their guns at James. A wide grin spread on John's face as he held up his hands, palms towards James. John's gaze shifted to Liv again, who glared at him.

"So threatening. Is he holding you hostage?" John asked Liv.

"Watch your step," James said.

"Come on, Bucky," he emphasized, his nickname. "You have to admit, it feels good to be bad."

"That's enough," Liv said, ready to activate her bracelets.

"Feisty, I like that in a woman," John said. "But she is right. That's enough. You are coming with us."

James let out a huffed laugh, shaking his head and turning his back on John to walk to their car. The moment James turned, John extended his hand to grab his shoulder. At the same time, Liv activated her suit and stopped John from touching James.

John's gaze fell on Liv's suit under her coat, before he looked up again, curiosity in his eyes. When James lunged at him, John tore his arm from her grip. A fight broke out between the two men.

The other five men surrounded Liv, pointing their guns at her, ready to shoot. She felt the barrel of the gun hit the back of her head. Half of them would easily bring her down. She was a good fighter, but she wasn't enhanced by the super soldier serum. The only chance she had was to take them all out at once.

She dipped into the pit of constant darkness inside of her and engulfed it. When the concentrated pull of her power forced her to fall to her knees, a salve was shot at her. Liv only briefly noticed the sting grazing her side. She instantly knew a bullet had connected with her suit and that it would leave a pretty bruise.

The suit on her hands retreated, leaving her dark grey skin exposed. Black plumes of smoke spread from her hands, crawling around their feet. Her vision darkened, immersing everything in a gray veil. By now, a black and grey mist surrounded the men around her, swallowing their outcries.

Liv was still on her knees, sizing the rush of her power. She felt their increasing fear, and it fueled her own excitement. Her hands turned towards the sky, forming claws. She felt them, all of them, inside the mist. They were screaming, begging for her to stop, begging for their lives. Liv braced herself, taking in a sharp breath before forming fists with her hands. The bodies inside her mist stilled, their minds died down.

James watched Liv kneeling on all fours in the center of the dead bodies. A swarm of black mist crawled into her hands.When she lifted her head and her eyes landed on him, his breath hitched. Black eyes stared back at him, a cruel smile on her face.

John had pinned James to the ground, holding the collar of his jacket. She tilted her head at their shocked expressions. She knew exactly what they saw. A monster.

"We could use someone like you on our team," John said, concealing his surprise faster than James did.

"You couldn't afford me," Liv said, her voice distorted.