Love and loss. Two very strong emotions that the world was feeling with the aftermath of the war. The world was healing, which was hard to do when so much happiness was flowing through their hearts. Those who had disappeared were home again, but the...
Although sleep was struggling to pull him in, Bucky did keep Wanda in his arms most of the night. If not for her comfort, mostly for him. Beside with Steve he had never felt fear for another person, never felt that the idea of losing someone would break him. As he looked down toward Wanda's soft and calm face he sighed, this was something that was new, but made him feel so good.
The next morning Sam and Rhodes took a few of the X-Men on a scouting trip around the last known whereabouts of Magneto's sidekick Mystique. The rest of them sat in on a meeting run by Pepper and Professor Xavier. Wanda was leaning back in her chair, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she listened to Pepper finish her call with Sam. Beside her Bucky watched as he picked at her fingers, he didn't really consider people in the room when he swiftly moved his hand to her lap to grab her hand in hopes to calm her. Not that anyone would see as it was under the table, so Wanda took in a deep breath and let him keep her calm. That was when her eye caught Professor X, he was staring right at her which filled her more with nerves. "Don't let him get into your mind child." Wanda sucked in air sharply, the man's voice was in her head. Bucky felt Wanda stiffen, his eyes searched her face curiously. "Magneto knows how to dig deep. But you are stronger than him and you know it. Don't let him light fire to your past. It will only destroy you."
Wanda starred at him even after his attention turned to Pepper who was addressing the room. Bucky squeezed her hand gently, but it wasn't of use. Wanda felt herself crumbling from within.
"Ok. We have to prepare ourselves for what is ahead." Pepper motioned toward Professor Xavier.
The man was kind in the face, yet there was a stillness he held so well as he let his eyes glide across the room. "Magneto will push, there will be a lot of strong mutants he will have collected. The goal is mutant. To Erik humans are weak." The man sat up in his chair, "We believe he will be attacking the White House."
Pepper looked over toward one of the screens where a video clicked on. "Security has been heightened at the White House. As well as the president being move to high security and placed in hiding. We're aren't a hundred percent sure what the threat is, but we need to be prepared for anything."
"I believe Erik will want control of the White House. His end goal will mutant power. If he cannot eliminate the human race, he wants to control them. To press them down until they fear him or worship him." Professor Xavier looked over toward Hank and nodded. The large blue man stepped forward, Bruce snarled lightly. The two men had been going at it in a professional manor since the new group arrived. Not that they hated one another, but they were so alike in more than a physical manor, they seemed to be going at the battle of who was smarter. It was amusing to everyone but them.
"We need to get to Magneto," Hank held up a syringe, "And inject him." It was a cure of sorts, though it had yet to permanently erase powers, it would be enough to get Magneto into a plastic cell. "This is our best weapon against them. Attack, sneak, whatever we need to do to get in contact with their anatomy in order to get them back to The Vault."
Pepper crossed her arms tightly and looked over to the soldier, "We have to go into this metal free. All weapons will be plastic, all of our armor will be metal free..." Bucky let of of Wanda's hand and sat up straight, his face stern as he knew Pepper was directing all of this toward him, "James..."
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"No." He spit out, trying to hold his composure, "I'm not sitting on the sidelines!"
"If you go, you'll be his best target." Professor Xavier tried to hold Bucky's eyes, "Beside his need to pull Wanda into his forces, you're the easiest target with your arm. I've learned there is no other option than..."
"I'm not staying behind!" Bucky finally stood and almost punched the table, but he kept his anger within.
"James..." Wanda spoke enough for him to hear her, she sat up to. Although she understood their reasoning, she also felt his point.
Pepper walked forward and pressed her hands against the table, her eyes narrowing on the soldier, "I'm sorry James. I really am, but you have to look at this realistically."
"You can't stop me." He breathed out.
"We can, and we will." Pepper stepped back and jumped slightly as Bucky punched the table causing it to crack before shoving his chair out of the way and exiting the room. Wanda sat in silence, she starred directly at the table with her lips pursed and her arms folded across her chest.
"We all have to understand the reason behind our choice." Bruce nodded, "Although we could produce another arm for him, the way his current one is wired into his nerves..." Bruce stopped as Pepper shook her head.
"He will understand in time." Pepper licked her lips slightly.
Wanda pushed her chair out causing everyone's attention to fly at her, "I'll make that time shorter." She looked up and locked eyes with Pepper waiting for permission to leave the room. Pepper took a moment, but nodded. Wanda pushed her chair in slowly, glanced at Professor, then left the room. Pepper watched after her with worry, then sucked it all back in to address the rest of them.
"I'll be contacting Peter Parker to join us. Scott please reach out to Hope and extend an invitation. T'Challa and Okoye will be here in the next couple days. Thor and the...Guardians have been unreachable in days, so I'm counting them out of this one. Clint Barton...is retired as far as he is concerned." Pepper looked around the room.
"We will all make a great team." Hank nodded in an attempt to calm the room since the tension left.
Pepper sighed, "I know..." She shrugged, "It's our first threat since..." Her eyes left the room, she was somewhere else and Professor Xavier felt a pinch of sorrow for her.
"Let's keep this world safe. Stark trusted all of this to you," Pepper looked over to the man, "And you're going to do great things with it." The sureness in his voice eased her nerves. Perhaps they would do great things.
