Darkness: Collection of Short Stories and Companion to Shadows and Secrets

Short Story 1: Meeting

This fic is now available on ao3! The story is not changed, but the ao3 version is more edited and slightly better. Both versions will remain available and free to read, but I recommend the ao3 version. Please check it out! (If the link gives you trouble, there is also a link in my linktree in my bio.)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/53972818/chapters/136624513

AN: This first chapter of Darkness is the story of Marjorie and Bucky's first meeting. In the first book of Shadows and Secrets we jump right into the story when Marjorie and Bucky are already friends and interact in a normal way, but this was not always the case. Marjorie first sees Bucky as the Winter Soldier, and when he moves into the tower they are very shy and uncomfortable around each other. We saw this moment in chapter 9 of book 1 from Bucky's perspective, but I wanted to tell the story from Marjorie's POV as well.

trigger warning: language that may be offensive or upsetting to some readers

Marjorie's POV

    Marjorie stuck to the shadows while Steve tried to talk to the Winter Soldier. Barnes. Whatever.

    She had already tried an aggressive approach, and that had landed her with two new bullet holes in her jacket, a broken rib, and a throbbing headache. Easy to take care of—the bones popped back when she peeled herself from the wall—but still annoying.

    And all she had to show for her efforts was a nasty gash on the assassin's face and several bruises that most likely covered his torso. Marjorie hated to say it, but she was losing her touch. Hanging out with the Avengers had basically ruined her training routine.

    Of course, it didn't help that the easiest ways for Marjorie to take him down were the ways she wasn't willing to do in front of the Avengers. They were... human. At least not mutants. She had finally gotten comfortable being in the tower; Marjorie was petrified that they would see her doing something abnormal and start the witch hunt.

    So, anyway, after she screwed up with Hydra's pet assassin on the helicarrier, she called in Steve as backup to distract him while she snuck around him with the chip.

    Which worked perfectly. Marjorie got the chip in and was wondering why she didn't do it this way from the beginning, when the floor started to tilt. She whipped her head around to Steve and—

    Oh shit.

    He and the Winter Soldier were fighting. The assassin had forgotten any weapons and was brutally punching Steve, and... where was Steve's shield? He was barely fighting back.

    Dumbass.

    Marjorie ran towards them, but stopped halfway when she saw the cracked glass and the helicarrier swayed in the sky. The ship was going down. But the Winter Soldier was about to kill Steve.

    Marjorie teleported directly behind him and caught his raised right arm. He turned and his startling blue eyes glared in hers, and she could have sworn she felt hesitation and confusion in the Winter Soldier's shadow vapor—but that didn't stop him from shoving her away with enough force to dislocate her shoulder.

    "Don't hurt Marjo—" started Steve, like he was teaching the Hydra assassin manners. Her name was interrupted with a jerk to the side as the helicarrier tilted and plummeted into the water below.

    Her body was thrown forward, and then backward as she hit the water. Marjorie gasped and accidentally inhaled a mouthful of water. She couldn't breathe—she couldn't—oh, right, teleportation.