Saviours || Bucky Barnes [2]

The Hope of Life

There's only one chapter left and it'll be up either tomorrow or Thursday!

Avengers: Age of Ultron | Saviours | The Hope of Life

A strangled gasped rattled through Steve's body, a shark pain ricocheting through his veins, an almost dagger-like spike piercing his heart. He stumbled on his feet before falling on his knees. He didn't fully understand what was happening to him, but the moment Bucky's horror-filled yell hit his ears -something in his own mind clicked. A hole scarred his heart and it suddenly felt empty inside – it was like half of him had been ripped out by force.

Thor was next to him, stunned into what he was seeing in front of him, "Steve?" He questioned in a concerned tone, putting a hand on that man's shoulder, bending down to see what could have hurt his fellow teammate. But it was like Steve couldn't focus on just any one thing – the surroundings around him jut seemed to melt away from existence.

The only word that left Steve's mouth was, "Ava..." Choking out and his twin's name came out in anguish.

Many, many hours later; Ultron was completely vanquished from Earth, and the Avengers' were back at the tower to reconvene. The last of the people that had been stuck in the flying city of Sokovia had now been saved and Fury was currently setting up certain things so that those Sokovian's can get on with their lives. It wasn't going to be easy but the good thing right now was that they were alive.

Not much could be said for the Avengers', though, because there was one missing member - Avery Rogers. During the last fight, she sacrificed herself to save James Buchanan Barnes and a small boy from dying by terrible means. She had pushed a car to become a shield and it was moved with all her might, however, there hadn't been enough time to shade herself from the incoming blasts.

In Avery's room; her body laid on top of the bed, only a few drops of crimson blood leaking into the sheets as her blood had stopped pumping a long while ago. Her death had been quick – one shot had gone directly through her heart and with the amount of adrenaline that would have been running through her body, she probably never felt a thing as she passed away.

Sitting against the wall, his head staring numbly at her body was James, the man and lover she saved. There were tear stains practically drawn against his cheeks and he was still in his uniform, all covered in dirt and a good quantity of his own blood. He couldn't stop staring at her whitened face – almost praying that his mind was playing tricks on him, that somehow in a sick sense that this was all just a practical joke. But it wasn't ... she didn't move ... she didn't breathe ... and there had been no shine in those beautiful hazel eyes the moment he looked into them back on the battlefield.

James's heart was broken, knowing now that Ava wasn't missing like she used to be and presumed dead because this time ... she was just that. This isn't how it was supposed to be ... Steve needed her here with him ... he needed her with him. They had plans after the fight was over; he was going to take her travelling, finally, like they promised each other all those years ago. He wanted to show her the world, even though he was still learning a lot about this new one himself. But now, it would never happen and a big part of him was just refusing to believe it.

The pain was just too great.

Bucky slowly dropped the now unconscious boy to the ground gently but made sure his head didn't get hit. His vision never left the unblinking eyes of the woman he loved. Her body was laid front-first on the ground, her head twisted sidewards with it pointed towards him, like he had been her last living look before the spark left her eyes.

The reality started to hit him the moment he inched closer, his shaking hand grazing against her shoulder. "A-Ava." He breathed, his breath hitching with emotion. He carefully turned her body over so her back was now on the ground, her eyes gazing upwards towards the partially clouded covered sky. The seconds drew on as he picked up her upper half, curling her body up to his, beginning to pray that this wasn't happening. Not to her.