Hellfire & Brimstone

Releasing Hellfire

I was still staring at Bucky, taking in slow deep breaths as he continued to get ready. A suit was brought over to me and I changed my clothes. I felt the cool fabric against my skin, I hadn't missed the feel of the black cotton. The cargo pants had a weight to them I would never forget and the sound of my boots on the floor was too familiar. I shifted my purple tank top slightly and pulled a black cotton jacket on over it. I looked over to Bucky, he was pulling on a jacket with his metal arm exposed. 

We were battle ready, and I didn't like it. I followed him out onto the landing pad. King T'Challa was already there, talking to several people. I watched from a distance as one of them bowed and I let out a small chuckle. BUcky looked to me and I smiled at him, easing the tension of the moment. 

"Hey Buck," I spoke before we stepped out, he head turning toward me. "Remind me, when this is over, I got something I need to tell you." I smiled and kissed him gently.

"Sure thing, doll." He smiled at me and offered me an arm as we walked out onto the concrete.

I watched as the team walked in our direction. 

"How we looking?" I heard Natasha ask.

"You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje and..." King T'Challa looked in our direction. 

"A semi-stable 100 year old man," Bucky spoke up as we approached. I laughed at his response. His hair was hung loose and his beard was trimmed up. I made a mental note of how light his hair had gotten from working in the sun. He'd even managed to get a little bit of a tan, since last Steve would have seen us. 

Bucky and Steve quickly hugged and Natasha came over to hug me. I looked behind her to see Sam standing there and two people I did not recognize. 

"How you been Buck? Jesse?" Steve said as he released Bucky and looked to me. I smiled as I let go of Natasha and embraced Steve.

"Uh, not bad," Bucky paused and look in my direction, "for the end of the world." He turned back to Steve. Bucky told me briefly what was coming. After the news I had just received, I wasn't ready to enter into a battle. Knowing that my child's future depended on us winning, it was worth it for me to get in the game. 

I smiled at the group as they turned and headed back to Shuri's lab. Bucky and I stayed back on the pad, with Sam. I didn't need to be put in a position that might cause her or I to slip up on my current status. 

"So, how's married life?" Sam asked us, as the rest of them went inside.

"Treating me well." I smiled as I nestled into Bucky's side. He chuckled at my desire to be close to him.

"I see that, you're almost glowing." Sam said again and the three of us laughed. If only he knew what that glow really was.

"He's treating you right?" Sam glared at Bucky, then looked back to me.

"Better than any man ever could." I smiled at Sam and then back to Bucky. I looked up to kiss him, when something behind him caught my eye. "What's that?" In the clouds I could see something in the distance.

"Hey, Cap we got a situation here." Sam spoke out in the comms that we had all been set up with. 

Our eyes were scanning the sky as something hit the shield right above us, exploding in fire.

"God, I love this place." Bucky said as our eyes were on the sky.

"Yeah, don't start celebrating yet, guys." The one they introduced as Rhoades spoke into our comms, "We got more incoming, outside the dome."

The ground shook as the objects touched down. I looked to Bucky with concern and took a large deep breath. He gave me a nervous grin and nodded at me. I laid my left hand on his right hand, even though it held the hilt of his gun. I needed to feel him close to me, I needed to relax and keep control. I watched as the shield turned bright blue from the impact outside.