to die for winter | bucky barnes

act 2 | 14

☆☆

Chapter Fourteen

the battle

IT was a mess. No, it's far worse than that, so much worse that it's hard even to fathom what was going on as screams and destructive sounds echoed around. 

Glancing at my right, just as I was done blowing out the head of another robot, I found Clint trying his best to keep up with a dozen or so robots surrounding him. Growing worried for one of my closest friends, I immediately ran towards him but was put to a stop when a door busted open to reveal Wanda. 

In a swift motion, Wanda threw red flares at the bunch of robots surrounding Clit and broke them apart like they were nothing. "That's crazy," I muttered, walking closer to the two, amusement clear in my eyes as I glanced at Wanda. Her fierce eyes from earlier were immediately replaced by a kind glint like she was flattered by the small compliment she received. 

"You okay?" Clint suddenly asked, his eyes focusing on my injuries that were slowly but noticeably increasing the more time we spent fighting. I shrugged my shoulders, acting as if it wasn't a big deal, cause honestly, it really wasn't. It wasn't compared to the amount of loss and devastation that a bunch of civilians are experiencing right now. My injuries amount to nothing compared to the deaths that are currently glooming the entire country of Sokovia. 

"Nothing to be worried about, old man," I replied, patting his back while he adjusted his gear. "You call yourself that, you ancient being."

I chuckled at his childish reply. I'm glad that neither Clint nor Nat cared much about the revelation of my identity, well more on Clint than Nat but still, it's something I appreciate especially with how the others still feel unease around me. 

"Alright guys, we're all clear here," I informed everyone through our comms. Not even a second pass and we all heard Steve from on the other end grunting, obviously still in the midst of fighting a flock of robots. "We are not clear, we are very not clear!"

Clint and I glanced at each other with our silly grins, shaking our heads. "Alright, coming to you," Clint announced as he began walking towards wherever Cap was. 

Wanda and I were about to follow Clint when were suddenly stopped a smirking Pietro zoomed right passed us. The young man stopped and picked up his sister and swiftly left a kiss on my cheek and winking. "Keep up, old man!" he then teased before zooming off. Pressing a hand on my cheek that was given a kiss by the young Maximoff, I shook my head in both wonder and amusement. 

"He was definitely referring to you, you know," Clint then commented, rolling his eyes. "Sure, whatever makes you sleep at night," I retaliated, obviously knowing who Pietro meant when he said old man. Clint grunted, confirming that he knew the same. "You know I can just...," he trailed off, taking out an arrow and sliding it against his bow aiming towards the already far Pietro. "Nobody would know," he then muttered, "Nobody." I chuckled at his childishness, patting his shoulder as I continued our trail to Steve. "Easy there, we don't want another vengeful villain against us now do we?"

"What? No. But you see I can always say that the last I saw him was with Ultron sitting on him. Uh... yeah, he'll be missed, that quick little bastard. I miss him already," he mumbled as he followed me closely as I chuckled at my friend's antics. "You know his sister can easily obliterate you to pieces, right?" I reminded him jokingly. 

—


Another hour had passed, and the fighting just seemed to continue on and on like there would be no ending. If we don't die from getting hit by one of Ultron's minions, it will surely be from exhaustion. 

"The next wave's gonna hit any minute. What you have you got, Stark?" Steve asked, standing beside me who was panting as I finally finished the last round of robots who attacked us just a few minutes ago. The city is already way up high, the air is starting to get thinner and it makes me worry that it will only get worse the more time we spend on just finishing the rest of the Iron Legions. 

"Well, nothing great. Maybe a way to blow up the city. That'll keep it from impacting the surface if you guys can get clear," Tony replied through comms. 

I frowned, not liking the only possible solution we had. I understand the idea behind Tony's plan but there will be too much at risk with that plan, it feels more like an escape plan than anything else.