Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

THE FIRST AVENGER: CHAPTER EIGHT

Dusk settled over the war-torn town, the air heavy with the weight of silence. No voices, no movements—just the occasional rustle of wild animals or the distant chirping of crickets. From a distance, the town looked like something out of a forgotten memory, a ghost of what it once was before the war had ravaged everything in its path.

Rhiley lay on her back, staring up at the fading sky. The deepening blues of twilight mixed with the last traces of pink and orange. She let the silence settle over her, listening to the peaceful sounds of the night.

"Still nothing," James muttered, lowering the binoculars from his eyes. He lay beside her on the roof of one of the few remaining buildings, its structure barely holding together. "Maybe they gave us false coordinates to make us look like fools."

"Maybe," Rhiley replied, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her shirt. Her knuckles ached from the bruises forming around them, but she kept her focus on the sky. "Maybe not."

James shifted, glancing at her with a curious look. "How do you stay so calm? Doesn't all of this freak you out?"

Rhiley didn't look at him at first. She let the weight of his question hang in the air before answering. "What else am I supposed to do?" she asked, turning her gaze to the sky. "Panic? Run around like a chicken with its head cut off? That won't help anyone." She looked over at him briefly. "There's nothing to do but wait."

James seemed to contemplate her words for a moment before he spoke again, his voice quieter this time. "Aren't you even a little scared?"

"I'm fucking terrified," Rhiley admitted without hesitation. She turned her head to meet his eyes, something raw in her gaze. "Just because I don't wear it on my sleeve doesn't mean it's not there." She paused, her voice lowering as she looked away. "Someone I knew once told me it's normal to be scared. It's how you react when you're facing your fears that counts."

"They sound brave," James said, glancing at her.

"She was," Rhiley replied, her voice soft, but it was clear she wasn't ready to go deeper.

Silence stretched between them once more, broken only by the distant sounds of nature. Then James pointed up at the sky, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Look, first star of the night. You should make a wish."

Rhiley couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. "What?" she asked, her tone amused.

James smiled. "Don't believe in wishing on stars?"

"I don't believe a star can make wishes come true," Rhiley replied, though there was a flicker of humor in her eyes. "It's unrealistic."

James shrugged nonchalantly, still staring at the sky. "Okay, I'll make a wish anyway."

"Well?" Rhiley asked after a beat, her curiosity piqued as more stars began to twinkle above.

James glanced at her, his expression light but secretive. "Can't tell you. It's the rules."

Rhiley raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Before she could say more, a sound ripped through the air, shattering their moment. It wasn't the usual silence of the night; this was the unmistakable roar of planes overhead. The ground seemed to shake beneath them as the sky filled with the sound of missiles, tearing through the air with terrifying speed.

"Shit," James cursed, his eyes widening. Before Rhiley could even react, he threw himself over her, pushing her toward the stairwell. "Go!" he shouted, his voice urgent.

They didn't need to exchange another word. Together, they sprinted down the stairs and burst into the open doorway, slamming against the crumbling frame to shield themselves from the chaos.