Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

IRON MAN: CHAPTER SIX

"The world is on fire."

Another sleepless night, another nightmare. Stuck beneath her blankets, sweat lined her skin. Her skin crawled with memories from her past. She felt sick to her stomach. Her heart rattled her chest cage and for a moment it worried her. Could the others hear this? As loud as it was to Rhiley, in her ears, she wouldn't be surprised.

Like many nights before, Rhiley allowed herself to just breathe. Though, most nights, she didn't know where the air would travel to. No matter how much she breathed, she felt deflated. She felt defeated.

Her bare feet touched the ground, cold, it sent a shiver up her spine and goosebumps up her spine. She paused for a moment as Olivia stirred on the bottom bunk but soon settled in a curled-up position. Her breathing was even, undisturbed.

With that, Rhiley slipped on a SHIELD jacket and made her way down to the gyms.

"What's the point," She thought, placing a hand on a punching bag that she had slid to the middle of the padded room. Rhiley gave the bag a gentle nudge before stepping away from it. "No matter how much you train-" She throws a punch and the bag sways. "Weak."

She throws a few more punches and just as her knuckles make contact with the material her muscles grow heavy and the result is a gentle tap and gentle sway of the punching bag. "Pathetic." The voice rang louder than the impact of the punch.

Each time, without fail, Rhiley felt as though she was trying to punch underwater. "You're nothing-" She lets out a roaring cry but even that came out as a mere whisper, faltering as it made its way to her lips as if she was scared.

"As I said before, it's a miracle that my father chose you in the first place."

Rhiley stiffened at the voice. It couldn't be. "Oh, but it is."

Like a leed statue, unable to pick her feet up from the ground, Rhiley turned the best she could just as the lights above flickered off leaving her in darkness. "This is who you truly are, Rhiley Lucia Stark."

She pierced her lips to the point of blood pooling around her teeth. Rhiley blinked, adjusting to the darkness that surrounded her. "At least I'm not a coward!" She found her voice, but it fell to just an echo against the gym walls.

The same nightmare. Night after night. 

-

-

-

It was now month three and by the look on Phil's face, Rhiley Lucia Stark knew exactly why he had requested for her to meet in his office. "I didn't make the cut did I?" She knew she wasn't gonna get recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D. She was a liability, her strength was gone, and her powers - well - they were either dormant or erased somehow.

"S.H.I.E.L.D is still gonna help you, Rhiley just-"

"Not as an Agent." Rhiley nodded her head, she bit her bottom lip, she wished she was still in that coma. Steve was one lucky bitch. "No."

"What?"

"I don't need S.H.I.E.L.D's help."

"Rhiley, don't be stubborn."

She chuckled, "You do sound like my brother, Coulson."

"What are you gonna do?" Phil asked.

Rhiley, for a moment, was silent, and then smiled softly, "I'll figure out something. I always do."

-

-

-

"Tough luck, Kid." 

"Oh fuck off, Daniel." Charlie snapped back. 

Rhiley wanted to disappear without a single trace, but somehow Charlie and Olivia had both found out what her plan had been and met her before she could leave the base. "There are a lot of organizations that need your talent, Rhiley." Olivia kept herself positive. 

Olivia had been selected. Along with Olivia. 

And fucking Danny. "What talents are that, Olive?" 

"Stop calling me that." Olivia glared at the man. "Idiot." 

"This is exactly what I didn't want." Rhiley lifted her duffle over her shoulders. 

"Were you really not gonna say anything?" Olivia asked. 

"I--" Rhiley dropped her duffle on the main hallway, she hated the way the others watched. Recruits she didn't even bother to get the names of. "I'm not good with goodbyes." 

"Add that to the list." 

"Why are you even here, Danny?" Charlie asked, glaring over at him. 

Rhiley tried to ignore his presence. He didn't deserve her attention. He was nothing but a loser, a prick. "I'm here to extend out a helping hand." He said with a hand over his heart, "Whatever you need, just let me know." 

"Oh, just fuck off already." Rhiley finally looked his way. 

"Or what? You'll kick my ass?" Danny shivered, "I'm scared." sarcasm drenched his words. 

Rhiley looked back at Olivia and Charlie. "I'm sorry." She breathed, catching Olivia's frown, "I just -- I need time to figure some stuff out." 

"You'll keep in touch, though?" Olivia smiled, hope sparked in her eyes. 

Rhiley returned that smile, "Of course, I will." at least one thing hadn't changed. She was still a hell of a liar. "I have your numbers." She'd throw that phone away the first chance she got. "We'll plan something." She just wanted to lie enough to leave without Olivia upset or sad. Even if that illusion was shattered months later after it was clear Rhiley ghosted them. 

But she would be long gone by then and it wouldn't matter. These people would forget about her. They'd become Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and do something with their lives. 

While she drowned. 

Again.