The Break of Winter ▸B. Barnes

Chapter 16

A couple years later
Liv's POV

When I wake up, Bucky is still asleep with his arm draped lazily over me. I quietly slip out of the bed and step out onto the poarch. Unlike most mornings, when it was usually peaceful, I could see people rushing around the city. I cocked my head to the side, trying to think of what could possibly be going on.

"Miss Quinn?" I hear a familiar voice ask.

"T'Challa? What's going on?" I turn to face him. He pressed his lips into a thin line.

"I think it's best we wait until Mr. Barnes is awake as well. I'll come back within the hour," He sighs. I nod and he turns to leave. I walk back into the house and to the bed. I go to gently shake Bucky to wake him, but as soon as I touch him he jumps up and had his gun that he kept under his pillow pointed at my head. As soon as he realizes it's just me, he puts it down and mumbles an a apology.

"I'm the last person you should apologize to," I smile softly. "Get decent, T'Challa says we need to talk."

       He takes a quick shower, then slips on a simple white t-shirt and grey sweat pants. I shower after him, putting on black leggings and a black v-neck shirt. I blow dry my hair and pull it into a high ponytail with side pieces down framing my face. As soon as I walk out the bathroom, there's a knock on the door telling us T'challa was ready for us. I open the door and he gestures for us to follow him. He leads us to Shuri's lab, where she has two mannequins set up, each with a suit on it. He leads us first to the more masculine one where Shuri was already waiting. "Mr. Barnes, Ms. Quinn, nice to see you both," she greets. "I know you're both probably very confused right now-"

"Where's the fight?" I cut her off.

"On it's way," T'Challa sighs.

"Anyway," Shuri continues, dragging out the word. "I decided to make you both new suits considering what's coming, which you will get filled in on shortly." She then goes on to explain to Bucky the perks of his new suit. I block her out and move to look at the other mannequin which had my new suit. It was a black catsuit with blue accents. The left sleeve was long, but the right was cut off to expose my metal arm.

"It's made with vibranium," Shuri interrupts my thoughts. "I've been told you like to be prepared, so there's many spots for both guns and knives." I smile at her, nodding a thanks. I turn to look at Bucky, who had already changed. My jaw dropped at his new look. The outfit he wore very closely resembled the one he wore as a Howling Commando.

"Does that mean I look okay?"  He smirks.

"You look like the man I fell in love with in the forties," I smile. I take my suit from Shuri and go to change. Once I walk out, I move to the table of weapons that had been laid out. I slip knives into the spot on my wrist, thigh, and near my ankle. Then, I slip a gun into a holster around my waist and on my thigh. Finally, I grab a bow and a quiver, filling it with arrows, which Shuri had created to be exactly like the ones I had back in the forties, and sliding it across my shoulder. I join T'Challa and Bucky at a table to get briefed on our latest threat.
•••

"So let me get this straight," I say, waving my hand. "The purple version of Shrek is trying to steal a bunch of magical rocks in order to wipe out half the universe."

"Infinity stones, yes." T'Challa corrects. "I'm surprised you even know who Sherk is.

"I've had plenty of time to get up to date. So why can't we just stick them in a garbage disposal and be done with it?" I ask.

"These stones maintain balance in the universe. Without them, we wouldn't have our world as we know it." The king explains. I make an O with my mouth. Shortly after, we hear a jet approaching. The king excuses himself before exiting the room. Bucky and I exchange a glance before getting up to follow him. When we catch up, T'Challa is explaining the defenses he can provide. "And-" He starts, but Bucky cuts him off.

"Your semi-stable hundred year old best friends," We both smile. Steve pulls us in for a hug.

"How you guys been?" He asks once he pulls away.

"Not bad," Bucky shrugs.

"Especially for the end of the world," I add with a small laugh.

"Well, we've certainly stayed around longer than we were supposed to," Steve laughs as well.

"I hate to break up your little reunion," Natasha speaks up. "But we really have to get moving."

"Nice to see you, Nat," I smile at her. She nods back politely. We lead the group back to Shuri's lab, where she's already set up to remove the mind stone from Vision. She doesn't even get started before one of the Wakandan warriors gets an alert.

"Something has entered the atmosphere," She informs us.

"Let's get this show on the road ladies and gents," I smirk.
•••
Sam, Bucky, and I stood together by where their ship had landed only minutes ago, watching as a fiery object hurtled towards us.

"Hey, Cap. We got a situation here," Sam says through an ear piece as the object exploded against the force field of Wakanda.

"God, I love this place," Bucky and I say at the same time.

"Don't start celebrating yet, guys," Rhodey cut in. "We got more incoming outside the dome."