BLUE [BUCKY BARNES]

VORMIR

Pietro Maximoff set his sister down at the top of the mountain on Vormir. The planets weird atmosphere casting a purple glow on everything they saw. Wanda patted her brother's back as they both stood side by side.

The two of them took slow and careful steps toward the large mess of rocks and pillars that stood before them. Snow lightly dusted most of the ground they walked on, crunching under their shoes softly.

"Welcome," a deep voice said, startling both of them.

Wanda and Pietro both had adjusted their stances into a steady one with both their fists raised. From behind a large and tall rock, a cloaked figure made its way toward them slowly. Making no noise as it moved, a result of it floating inches above the ground.

The figure moved closer to them but the twins didn't move an inch. "Wanda, daughter of Oleg," the cloaked figure said and Wanda saw its head move to face her ever so slightly before turning to her brother. "And Pietro, son of Iryna. Consider me a guide to you, and to all who seek the soul stone."

As the floating figure stepped into the light the twins saw that instead of a face under the hood, they were greeted with a human skull that looked like it had been painted red. Pietro made a move to take a step forward as he spoke, lowering his hands in the process.

"Perfect," he said sarcastically as he tried not to stare too long at what was under the dark hood. "Lead the way," he said as he and his sister followed after the Red Skull.

Cautiously, Pietro and Wanda walked side by side until they stood by the edge of a cliff. A small semi circle in the center of the ground they stood on. Carved with jagged lines around it as if it was made by hand. They looked down with their eyes squinted, trying to see the bottom only to see nothing but clouds and darkness.

Taking a small step back, Pietro grabbed Wanda's arm gently. He lead her back with him until he felt confident enough that if they were to lose their footing they wouldn't fall to their immediate death.

Wanda breathed in deeply before turning her head to the side to look at the Red Skull. "What is this?" Wanda asked with a clenched jaw.

"In order to take the soul stone, you must lose that which you love." He answered calmly, as if he's said those words before. "An everlasting exchange, a soul for a soul."

Wanda and Pietro both looked at each other at the same moment, both of them paling at the words. There was no sound from either of them, all they could hear was the whistling of the wind that rustled their hair.

Wanda averted her eyes from her brother's before turning her back on him, walking away until she found a large rock for her to sit on. She brought her knees up and rested her elbows on them as she placed her head in her hands.

Pietro stood silently as he watched his sister shut her eyes tightly as she muttered to herself. "This was not supposed to happen," he heard her mutter into her hands. "They wouldn't let us come here if they knew this was going to happen."

Clenching his fists by his side, Pietro turned away and walked towards the man on the other side of the cliff. "There has to be another way," Pietro stated confidently. "You said you're our guide, so guide us. Show us another way," he pleaded.

"It requires a sacrifice," the Red Skull simply said, unwavering. "Only one will leave with the stone."

This was it, Pietro thought in disbelief. It was set in stone and they could either follow the rules or go back empty handed. And he knew the last one wasn't an option. The real choice they had to make was who was going to go back with the stone. And who was going to stay here, forever. Luckily for the two of them, Pietro was always good at making decisions.