Tied

Three

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Steve shook hands with T'Challa. She recognized him from the news, which seemed to be a common occurrence these days.

Dahlia's eyes trailed away from the figures before her, her ears leaving the conversation quickly.

She only reentered when they began walking. Something about an assault?

"Uh, sir, I think you can expect quite a big assault." Bruce said.
"How are we looking?" Steve questioned.

"You will have my Kings Guard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and. . ."
"A semi-stable 100-year-old man." Dahlia watched as the familiar man walked forward with a smile, embracing Steve.

She hadn't seen that face in a while - James 'Bucky' Barnes. . . The last time she had seen him, he was trying to kill her with his metal arm and a PVC pipe. He had almost been successful, but the swan dive into the Potomac saved her, while also nearly killing her.

"How have you been, Buck?" Steve asked.
"Uh, not bad, for the end of the world." Bucky replied.

"Well I'll be damned. . ." Dahlia muttered, trailing off. She could almost feel the pain of the bones in her arm snapping, followed quickly by the cold river water enveloping her.

He looked over to her, looking guilty.
She smiled as a sign of forgiveness. Dahlia knew it wasn't really him who nearly turned her into a human kebab.

“Long time no see.” She said, adjusting the sleeve of her suit, with her bow and quiver of arrows secured on her back. 

“I'm sorry for trying to kill you, it wasn't me.” Bucky said, falling back to walk beside Dahlia. 
“I forgave you a long time ago. . . And I'm sorry for trying to kill you because you were trying to kill me. It was my survival instincts, you know? Fight or flight.”

“If you were smart, you would've ran. You're easily faster than me, you could've escaped unharmed.” He sighed. 

“Who said I was smart?” Dahlia smirked, nudging his right arm. 

Bucky chuckled, shaking his head. 

𓆩♡𓆪

“How did you do it?” Pietro asked.

Dahlia turned to the man with silvery-white hair and blue eyes. 
“Do what?” She questioned, leaning against a wall outside of the lab

“How did you escape and start to live a normal life? From where I was, your home seemed very cozy.”

Dahlia stared at him for a long moment, contemplating what her answer could be. Leaving after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't as easy as walking out the shattered lower level doors.

No. She almost died. She should've died, but she didn't, and now here she was about to put her life on the line once again. 

Eventually, she came to a decision. 

“Right now isn't a good time to share the story. . . But just know I worked for everything I have now. . .” Dahlia trailed off as something outside grabbed her attention.

Whatever it was, it was fucking huge. 

“It's time.” Pietro said grimly. 
Dahlia nodded.