Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

THE FIRST AVENGER: CHAPTER NINETEEN

"I am just saying, next time don't look at the sniper," Rhiley suggested to Steve as the three found themselves in the training room. "And you --" She points at James, "Don't encourage it." They had just gotten back from their Poland mission.

"Nothing happened." James added, "I took the guys out before they even caught a glimpse of me."

Rhiley rolled her eyes, "You two are ridiculous."

"Don't worry, Rhiley." Steve jumped into the conversation, "It won't happen again."

"Are you two gonna fight or not?" James asked, he had been sitting down on the floor just outside the matt.

Rhiley looked at Steve, "Punch me."

"I'm not gonna just punch you."

"Don't worry." Rhiley nudges him, "It's not like you'll make contact."

"I could hurt you."

"Yes" She agreed, "That is the point."

"I thought the point was to not get hurt?" James questioned. "Steve just hit her."

"Listen to your boyfriend," Rhiley agreed. "Hit me."

"Fine." Steve rounded up his fist and aimed. The moment his fist passed Rhiley's face she was behind him.

"Missed." Rhiley voiced loudly. "You didn't even try, Steve."

Steve aimed again only for Rhiley to deflect his punch with her forearm. It hurt, she couldn't deny that. Her powers weren't strength -- Steve had a bunch of that. So it didn't shock her when she winced at the contact made.

"There we go." She laughed, shaking her arm out.

"Are you hurt?" Steve asked.

"You wish." Rhiley eyed James, "How about we make this more interesting? Both of you come at me."

"Okay."

"No." Steve looked at James who hadn't even hesitated to get up, "Don't encourage her."

"I've taken multiple at once." Rhiley smirked, "In combat, of course."

"Thanks." It was at that moment Howard had decided to walk into the room, "That's great."

Rhiley, not embarrassed, doesn't miss a beat in her response to her brother, "That's what I'm putting on your tombstone."

"Did you need something, Howard?" Steve asked grabbing water.

"Just checking up on my sister and regretting it." He sighed, "I made some upgrades to your uniform after what happened in Poland."

Steve and James looked at Rhiley, "Did something happen?"

"No."

"Yes," Howard spoke over Rhiley's no and ignored the expression of annoyance on her face. "You guys didn't notice she was shot?"

"I wasn't shot," Rhiley rolled her eyes turning to the other two, "Just grazed."

POLAND - DAY

The Hydra Gunman that had aimed at Steve was taken down in seconds. She could even sense the cocky smile on James's face. Steve had turned and given him a thumbs up.

That's when she heard the click of a gun behind her. The noise of a bullet. Rhiley's not one to panic when using her powers. But the gunman hadn't been aiming at her when he pulled that trigger. So, she had been surprised when she pulled it away from James, and at her.

It grazed her neck.

"You told me it was from a branch," James exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I did." Rhiley shrugged, "I told Steve not to give away your position by giving you a thumbs up."

Howard chuckled, "He did what?"

"But you didn't tell us that you got hurt because of it."

"You believed the branch lie?" Howard questioned, eyebrow raised, "It clearly looked like a bullet grazed her neck."

"I'm sorry, Rhiley." Steve apologized, repeatedly.

"See, I didn't tell either of you because now you're just going to worry even more so." Rhiley glared at her brother, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Howard smiled. "I'm gonna go now."

If it hadn't been for Howard, Rhiley would have gotten away with that little white lie and now the cat was out of the bag. She now had two men looking at her like she lied to them. Of course, she did. "I'm sorry." Rhiley gave in to their looks, "I won't lie again. Next time I get shot, I'll let you two know."

"But you didn't get shot at." James pointed out, that Rhiley was hoping he wouldn't, "I got shot at and you protected me." He then physically pointed his finger at her, "See, you do like me."

"I'm leaving." Rhiley pointed back, "And next time you're taking the bullet."

Steve sighed in the middle of their little argument, "How about none of us take a bullet?"

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

The woods stand white and silent. Until six white figures rise out of the snow like ghosts. They shake it off and creep forward. That's when a seventh figure rises; Steven in full red, white, and blue.

A rifle cracks and a bullet pinks off his shield. Steve then spun and hurled his shield at one of the snipers who fell from a far tree a second later.

Rhiley hadn't been with them this time. It had been her job to take down the factory while they distracted the ones outside. It had been a simple job. The building wouldn't have passed any sort of safety inspection. She easily snuck in and found her way to the engine room before Steve had to take out the first sniper.

"Boom." She whispered, cracking her knuckles.

"Stop." A Hydra Agent aimed a gun at the back of Rhiley's head. She had been squatted on the ground next to one of the three generators. She was just gonna overload them so they would explode. "Put your hands up."

Rhiley looked at her hands, she didn't have a gun. "Change of plans." She sighed, turning around to knock the gun out of the man's hand and slammed him into the generator itself. "Boom." She lifted her arms up, the red on her suit lighting up before flames burst from the palms of her hands.

The Hydra Agent backed right back up to the generator. Rhiley smirked again, "Boom."

The others heard the boom from their location. "I guess that's what she meant by the signal." Steve sighed, looking at James who had a large smile on his face. She had told them they'd know the signal and left before explaining what she meant.

"Wouldn't exploding a building with her inside hurt her?" One of the men who was crouched near a tree asked."

"I mean." James thought for a moment, "She's fireproof."

'But not debry proof." Clover commented, "She could have easily taken the explosive we had and did it the easy way. She just wanted to show off."

"At least I have something to show off." Rhiley headed towards them. Her hair was up in a bun and the skin on her face was covered in ash. "Why does Cap get to have all of the fun?" She winked at Steve.

"Peggy said Howard and her had a beat about how long it would take for her to set a building on fire," Steve told them.

"I need to stop telling Peggy stuff." Rhiley sighed.

"Howard wasn't aware you were gonna use yourself as an explosion, did he?"

"I mean." Rhiley shrugged, arms across her chest, "I didn't tell him but he should have guessed."

Clover cut in, "What was the beat?"

"We loved with a love that was more than love."

~ Edgar Allen Poe