Fire and Ice, Sugar and Spice

Chapter Nine-The Future

Chapter Nine

The Future

Steve and Victoria fighting, it's unlike anything I've ever seen. Soldiers on the ground have more solid footing, like earth. They move and shoot with their feet planted firmly on the ground, and are taught that's a good thing. Victoria moves like a liquid. She flips over Steve, slides under him, and seems to wrap around him at certain times. The way she fights...I can almost tell just from that that she's different. Steve has a little bit of that soldier fight in him. When his feet are on the floor he's firm, but dodges Victoria's jabs well. He doesn't stay still, though. He flips and spins just as much as Victoria. The way they fight is more like dancing, and holds far too much laughter for a real fight. Somehow, it's sweet. As Clint, Sam and Scott come over, I feel James brush his hand against mine once again. I cross my arms to avoid it happening again. I shouldn't encourage anything. Even so, I feel Bucky's gaze on me as I do so. I continue watching Steve and Victoria dance just in time to see Steve slip Victoria's right foot out from under her. She falls to the floor and Steve falls with her, pinning her under his body. They both grin and Steve opens his mouth to speak, but Victoria kisses him before he does. Then, she knees him in the stomach and rolls him over, pinning him down.

"Truce, sweetheart?" She asks, out of breath but still smiling. He grunts and flips her over, laying a leg over her waist.

"Truce." He agrees and they help each other up, then peck one another's lips before getting off the arena.

"Good one, Queen." Clint compliments Victoria as she and Steve come over to the group. She smirks and gives him a high five.

"So, Liya, what do you say to a little fight? Soldier to soldier?" Sam proposes, grinning like a fox. Laughing, I nod and approach the ring. Sam helps me up onto it like a gentleman.

"Ready, Falcon?" I ask, teasing. We go to separate corners of the ring and ready ourselves.

"Born ready, sweetheart." He teases back and we grin at each other. As soon as he takes a swing I hit the floor and somersault between his legs, darting my hands out to spread them out further. Once I'm behind him I crouch, turning to hit the back side of his knees. He falls onto his hands and knees. After that, I flip onto his back and he lays flat on the floor. After two quick jabs to his ribs I flip onto my feet and step away.

"I thought you said you were ready, bird-man?" I tease and get a groan, then a dry chuckle.

"Yeah, well, I mistakenly thought you were a nice person so..." He responds. I laugh lightly and help him up, although he gives me playful dirty looks. He returns to the group and gets a couple pats on his shoulders. I even catch Scott passing Clint a ten-dollar bill. I'm about to walk off the arena when Bucky steps up from the back, approaching the ring. My eyebrows pop up when he enters, Steve and Victoria cheering and whistling to egg us on.

"Do you mind?" He asks, always polite. I shake my head and walk to the far corner. "When you're ready." He tells me, his voice deep and soft. I nod and crouch down slightly, planning my moves out in my head before striking. He does have an unfair advantage though. He just watched me fight. I run forward and fake dive, choosing instead to jump up. I put my hands on his shoulders and flip over him, landing lithely on my feet and trying to land a good punch to where Bucky's kidneys are. As soon as I try, his hand whips back and grabs my wrist. He spins me back in front of him, but I use the momentum and some wind to get my feet off the ground. As he spins me back in front of him I wrap my legs around his waist, then drop upside down to let my hands touch the floor. Grunting with the effort, I flip him over on what should be his head. Bucky curls his head towards his body and lands on his back instead, putting me in the more than comfortable position of straddling his crotch. Quickly, I lean forward and press my knees against his hands on the floor and my arm against his neck as if I was choking him. My breathing is hard and my face is red as hell, but I've won the fight. James looks shocked, but is also grinning from ear to ear. Applause finally reaches my ears, but my eyes are stuck on Bucky's. I remove my knees from his hands and my arm from his throat. He sits up and I stand, offering my hand to him to assist him. He takes it and holds onto it, not letting go even to get out of the ring.