Hearts of Steel || A Bucky Barnes Love Story

♥♥♥ Chapter 4 - The Major's Revelation ♥♥♥

The night sky was a deep shade of indigo as the quinjet cut through the darkness, its engines humming softly. Bucky was piloting, his hands steady on the controls, while Diana sat beside him in the co-pilot seat, her eyes focused ahead. They'd just wrapped up a mission rescuing Steve and the others, cutting their countryside vacation short. As they flew through the air, the clock crept past midnight, exhaustion setting in.

Diana took a deep breath and glanced at the radar. "We're close," she said, reaching over to adjust the coordinates on the screen. "Nearest military base is our best bet."

Suddenly, a voice crackled over the radio, stern and unyielding. "Unidentified aircraft, you're in unauthorized airspace. State your identification and purpose, or we will scramble jets to escort you out."

Diana rolled her eyes and leaned toward the microphone, an amused smirk curling on her lips. "Well, look who's awake. I was worried we'd disturb your nap, Colonel," she quipped, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

There was a brief silence on the other end before the man's voice returned, tinged with surprise. "Diana? What in the—what are you doing flying around when you're supposed to be on vacation? And Sergeant Barnes... I thought you were supposed to be the one keeping her out of trouble."

Bucky burst out laughing, unable to contain himself. "Oh, trust me, Colonel," he replied, still chuckling, "keeping her out of trouble is a full-time job."

The voice over the radio belonged to none other than Colonel William Lennox—Diana's father and the commanding officer of the base. Diana smirked and shook her head. "You've got some nerve taking the night shift, Dad. What happened, couldn't find anyone else to handle comms?"

A weary sigh came over the line. "Not like I had much choice. Some of my technicians are out, and someone had to take over. Now, why don't you two explain why you're joyriding in restricted airspace?"

"Not our fault, sir," Diana answered, her voice adopting a more formal tone with a hint of playfulness. "We got called in for a rescue mission. We have wounded team members on board."

"Fair enough," her dad responded, then added in a dry tone, "Just make sure Sergeant Barnes doesn't crash that quinjet. I'd hate to have to explain it to Fury."

Bucky's laugh echoed through the cockpit again, shaking his head as he glanced at Diana. "I swear, sir, I'm doing my best to keep the bird in one piece."

Diana's father let out a chuckle, followed by a playful reprimand. "Better be. And, Diana... you and I are going to have a word when you get here." His tone shifted to a teasing edge. "You too, Barnes."

Diana facepalmed, knowing full well where this banter would go if left unchecked. Bucky, of course, was having too much fun to stop. "Can't wait, Colonel," he said with a grin, earning an exasperated sigh from Diana.

Just as they approached the airfield, Colonel Lennox's voice took on a more authoritative tone. "Alright, Major Lennox, you're cleared to land. Touchdown on the northeast tarmac."

At the sound of "Major Lennox," a stunned silence fell over the rest of the Avengers, who had been listening to the entire exchange from the quinjet's rear compartment. Steve, seated next to Sam, felt his eyes widen as he turned to glance at Bucky in disbelief.

"Major?" Sam echoed, his brow furrowing in surprise. "Diana's a Major?"

Diana glanced over her shoulder, noticing their bewilderment. "Yes," she confirmed with a hint of pride. "Major Diana Lennox, Air Force Alpha Commander. This is our family's base, and my commanding officer... is my dad, Colonel William Lennox."

Clint looked genuinely dumbfounded. "Wait, so... you outrank Barnes? And Steve?"

"Yep," she said casually, as though it were the most normal thing in the world. "Don't worry, I don't pull rank on friends." Her tone turned slightly mischievous as she glanced at Steve. "Unless you really give me a reason to."

Bucky just grinned, not at all fazed by the revelation. "I've known for a while," he admitted. "Didn't bother me. She's still my girl."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "And no one thought to mention that Diana was military royalty?" Her voice had a teasing note to it, but there was genuine curiosity behind it.

Diana shrugged, unbuckling her harness as the quinjet touched down. "I'm used to dealing with threats a lot bigger than Hydra." Her tone grew quieter, a shadow passing over her eyes as she thought back to the Decepticons she and her father had encountered years ago.

As the quinjet's engines powered down and the landing ramp extended, Colonel Lennox's voice came through one last time. "I'm heading down to see you two," he said, sounding a bit more energetic than before. "Stay put."

The Avengers exchanged glances as they gathered their gear, each processing the surprise of Diana's military background. Bucky, meanwhile, stepped beside Diana and slipped his arm around her waist, his fingers tracing small circles on her side. "Guess the cat's out of the bag, sweetheart," he murmured, his tone affectionate.

Diana smirked and leaned into him. "It was bound to happen sooner or later, Jamie," she whispered back, her voice carrying a blend of fondness and excitement.

As they prepared to meet Colonel Lennox, the Avengers couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Diana Lennox than any of them had realized.