Heroine ϟ Marvel [3]

8.4

CHAPTER FOUR

Family Bonding

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TASKMASTER'S MANSION
BAGALIA

Bucky opened his eyes after the blinding light died down. He dropped his hand that shielded his gaze from Megaton's eruption, and waited for his vision to return to him fully. After a few seconds, the spots in his view disappeared. Bucky noticed the bands that kept him rooted on the spot weren't there anymore. He then grabbed his rifle and ran. It didn't take long for him to end up at the blast site. The rain had put out the ring of fire that was left behind by Megaton's explosion. Jules Carter was one with the subatomic atoms now. Bucky clenched his jaw when he saw the two bodies. Marcus had been propelled a few metres away from his daughter and he was lying flat on his back, eyes closed and chest slowly rising.

The Sentinel was alive, as expected.

Ana on the other hand didn't look so good.

Bucky blinked the blur from his vision and knelt next to Ana. He carefully eased her onto her back. His bionic prosthetic reached down to brush the hair from her face so he had a clear view of her features. He pressed his fingers against the base of her neck, waiting for a pulse to make itself known. He hovered his intertwined hands above her chest and started to perform compressions.

Pump, pump, pump. Bucky leaned down to breathe his air into her lungs. He moved his ear to her chest, waiting for a beat. He released a sound of defeat and tried again. More compressions. More breathing. More listening. After a few more failed attempts, he knew he couldn't keep it up. His eyes glossed over by the tears spilling down his cheeks. He carried her upper half to hold against him as he let his head drop to the crook of her neck.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He whispered, arms tightening around her torso.

Marcus rubbed at his bloodshot eyes, sitting up from the ground. He groaned, clutching his pounding head. He was positive it would burst any second. His senses were returning at lightning speed, overheating his brain. His ears perked up when he heard muffled crying and the creak of metal. His hands retracted from his head and his eyes enlarged when he saw his daughter in the arms of the Winter Soldier. He shuffled to his feet and in a blink, was standing above the two. He didn't say anything to James Barnes and inclined his head in Ana's direction, holding his breath until he saw it. Her fingers twitch. As the joint moved, an internal energy spark zipped up her arm before fading away.

Marcus furrowed his brows.

"Ease up on the metal arm there, pal. You're crushing my daughter." Marcus told Bucky, and patted his shoulders.

Bucky peered up at Marcus, frowning at the lively looking Sentinel. He found it strange how Marcus physically looked a few years older than his daughter. He then turned his focus to Ana when she started to cough. When her eyes opened, Bucky pulled away, shocked by what he saw inside them. A brilliant, cobalt blue burned within her irises — identical to the Sentinel's. Bucky was hypnotised by it. It took Marc having to remove him from Ana to bring him back to reality. Bucky went to protest, but he realised why Marcus did what he did. Ana started to groan, shutting her eyes and clutching at her stomach. She was brought to tears from the pain surging throughout her body. It felt like her insides were on fire. A familiar feeling. One she hadn't felt in years, when Loki shot at her with the sceptre that contained the Mind Stone — lots of times.

Bucky glanced at Marcus. "What's happening?" He gulped.

Marcus squinted. "When Megaton exploded, all that energy that was inside of him — my energy — was forced back into the atmosphere. I got back what was mine, but it seems like Katiana got some of it too. Her system is just trying to figure out whether she takes it or dies."