Avengers: Legacies

Way Back Then

Rosalie stepped out of the elevator onto the second floor. She turned right towards the training room Bucky had designated for her and Bobby's use. The door was open, and the sounds of sparring could already be heard from inside. Rosalie slowed her steps and faltered in the doorway. In the center of the room, Barton danced around the mat with Bucky. The agent's hair was pulled back in a half-up ponytail. His tank top and sweatpants reminded her of lazy weekends at his house where he and the twins had watched old movies all day and eaten junk food their parents had never let them eat at home. His metal arm, however, ruined the illusion that her life was normal. Bobby managed to evade it well enough, but its impact against his sides and arms were sure to leave bruises for tomorrow.

Bobby's T-shirt was soaked through with sweat, and his brown hair clung to his forehead. How long has he been here? She thought. He was probably making up for missing their first training session that morning. Without fail, he sensed her presence, something he managed to do without seeing her enter. Bucky noticed a slip in his defenses. The soldier shoved Bobby backwards and kicked his legs out from under him. The boy fell onto the mat hard and groaned. Bucky squatted down next him, his triumphant smile wrinkling his face.

"Don't let your guard down, Barton. No matter what. It could mean life or death. But that was good. Your father taught you enough to survive." Bucky offered Bobby his metal arm and hauled him to his feet. The Winter Soldier directed his attention to his niece in the doorway.

"Rosalie, come in. Let's pick up where you and I left off from this morning. Assume your position," he said, gesturing to the mat. She nodded. She brushed past Bobby as he stepped away from their mentor. His fingers twitched and his jaw jumped at their shared proximity. Rosalie ignored this, of course. She didn't want to make the same mistake as him. Bucky, from the spark of amusement dancing in his eyes, smirked at her.

"Now, do you remember the sequence I showed you?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," she said, taking a fighting stance position. Impatience tensed her shoulders.

"Good. Let's begin."

His words had barely left his mouth when he threw his arm in a right hook. Rosalie ducked and jabbed his side, pushing herself away from him. He laughed, stumbling forward.

"Alright, I'll stop messing with you. I know you're not so delicate," he said, rolling his shoulders. He squared up with her again, and they assumed their positions. Bucky swung at her right, she blocked, ducked and threw out a left hook. He grabbed her wrist, spinning her around, and held her against him, pinning her arms to her sides. She drove her heel into his foot and elbowed his torso. His hold loosened. She slipped free. She waited for him to regain his balance.

When he did, they continued their back and forth sparring. It wasn't difficult yet. Bucky made sure that both his mentees understood the basics before he added on what came next in a sequence. Rosalie found herself catching on quickly. She had always been a fast learner, but she was surprised at how efficient her reflexes were in memorizing each maneuver. It was like she had done this before. In a way, she had. When she was in the second grade, she and her brother had taken karate lessons together. The lessons had lasted only a few months before they stopped. Rosalie couldn't remember why that had happened. But as she continued to progress through Bucky's training session, she began to understand the sudden stop in karate.

When the session was over, Rosalie felt like jelly. Her arms ached, and her legs were full of cement, anchoring them to the ground. But her mind was wired and buzzing. She took a long sip from her water bottle, eyeing Bucky out of the corner of her eye. He wiped a towel over his face, slinging it over the back of his neck afterwards.

"Uncle Buck?" she asked.

"Yes, Rosalie?" he countered, raising an eyebrow. She walked over to him and followed him out into the hallway. Bobby had already disappeared at the mentions of dinner. There was no doubt in Rosalie's mind that he was in the kitchen bothering Maria.