Sweet Like Arsenic (B. Barnes) ✔

10 | powers

"Welcome back, Donatella." Kelsey greeted as I walked through the atrium doors, seeing Steve and Bucky in intense hand-to-hand combat as Natasha watched on boredly.

"Hey," I replied nervously, "what do I do?"

Kelsey laughed, pulling her brown hair back into a high ponytail at the same time. "Wait 'till they're done, then go against the dummies over there-" She pointed to a row of mannequins on the side of the atrium. "And hit them with each of your powers."

"Got it," I replied, watching Cap use his shield to hit Bucky squarely in the chest, then punch him in the jaw. I wince as Bucky's back collided with the hard mat but still managed to bring his knee up to Cap's groin moments before he fell.

"Time's up, boys." Natasha's rich voice echoed through the atrium as she walked over to the two soldiers. "Donatella's here."

With the help of Steve, Bucky got up from the floor slowly, turning his head to look at me. He smiled thinly, and I replied his gesture, walking up to the mannequins.

Although I tried not to show my fear, I couldn't help but eye the mannequins and gulp at the sight of them, bringing back memories from Hydra.

"Do you know what to do?" Steve asked with a hint of nervousness, walking up to stand beside me.

"Uh, kinda," I replied, flexing my fingers. I remembered the training I had back at Hydra vaguely, but only vaguely.

"Show us what you've got, then." Kelsey pressed down on her phone, and a transparent panel slid down slowly between Cap and me.

I looked to my right to see Kelsey give me two thumbs up on the other side of the screen. Bucky stood beside her like a statue, staring at me.

Nodding at the three of them, I walked up to my first target, flicking my fingers instinctively to produce a sharp metal shard, just as I did countless times before.

Taking a small breath, I aimed my shot, then threw the metal piece at the mannequin's body. The shard was embedded deeply into the mannequin.

It felt good to be able to use my power again.

Cracking my fingers, I shot rows upon rows of metal into the mannequins that lined the training room, daring myself to shoot more and more at once as I familiarised myself with the feeling.

"That's enough, Donatella." Kelsey's voice came from the intercom and I stopped, exiting the room, my hands aching to continue what I was doing.

"Are you sure about this?" Kelsey asked quietly as we sat on a quinjet headed to a supposed Hydra base in my home city, Hong Kong, alongside several of the Avengers.

I frowned as I reached for my phone in the pocket of my blood red catsuit with flames designs on the sleeves. "No, not really."

"It's alright, you're paired with Bucky, and he's good." Kelsey chided, standing up and adjusting her leather jacket that might get stuffy once we landed.

"I know, but I don't think that I'm ready yet."

"Donatella," Kelsey sighed condescendingly, dragging me up to the storage-slash-changing room at the back of the quinjet. "you're well trained, everyone thinks so. Well, the whole team apart from Nat, but that's only because she thinks that nobody's as trained as her. You've got this."

"Thanks for the pep talk, I guess," I said, walking out of the room.

"Anytime."

I returned to my seat, Bucky walking over with an earpiece in his hand.

"Here, it's yours." He bent down, tucking my hair behind my ear to put it in, his cold fingers brushing my cheek.

"Thank you." I turned to smile at him, but he was already walking to the back of the jet.