Written in the Stars: Bucky Barnes

28. Battle of New York Part 2

"What is it, Lady Stella?" Thor asks formally.

"Stella is enough, please, I wanted to talk to you about Loki I was hoping you might have some answers for me."

"Ask away."

"Seventy years ago, your brother came to earth he found me while I was looking for Steve. I had known about both of you from legends I think he could sense my desperation. He offered me the power to bring back both my friend and the love of my life."

"That doesn't make any sense he wouldn't be able to do that."

"Yeah, I figured that out a little too late he presented me with a strange purple stone. After I had come into contact with it I had gained these abilities. I can manipulate, summon, and control the elements."

"I'm sorry he did that to you Lady Stella," Thor said causing Stella to roll her eyes at the formality "It sounds like my brother was meddling with cosmic powers, I assure you my father and I were not aware and he will pay for his misdeeds."

"You need to know, once we get the tesseract back, I will not hesitate to make him pay myself."

Nat called over her earpiece for Thor and Stella to go to the lab and when they got there she tried convincing Bruce to leave telling him Loki was manipulating him.

"A past time of his apparently," Stella said moving to stand by Steve when Bruce asked why S.H.I.E.L.D. was planning on using the Tesseract to build weapons. "What the hell Fury, you didn't tell me that."

"It wasn't for you to know Stella, It's because of him," Nick said pointing to Thor.

"Me?"

"Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet."

Stella could feel the tension building in the room and she subconsciously moved closer to Steve. "I didn't know about this Steve I swear," she whispered as Fury continued his speech on their plans.

"I know you didn't Stella." Everyone continued to go around arguing throw verbal punches at each other until it became impossible to make out one conversation from the other. Stella was currently trying to diffuse the fight between Steve and Tony.

"Boys, that's enough."

"That's enough? Ella that's the best you can do I think this is a little above your caliber here."

"Don't talk to her that way Stark."

"I'm sorry which Stark are you talking to you realize she's one as well now or would you like to continue to bad mouth our family."

"I only knew her as a Turner, you know, her real family."

"Seriously Steve you know Howard and Maria became my family they took me in when I had nothing and no one."

Once Tony and Steve had started in on each other again Stella walked to the far end of the lab trying her best to keep a reign on her powers not wanting to explode. She had so much control all these years and couldn't figure out why now it felt like she was losing it. She noticed how quiet it had gotten and saw Bruce holding the scepter she moved back over next to Tony defensively when the computer made an alert that the Tesseract had been located. Tony and Steve got in each other's face once again and all of a sudden an explosion sent everyone flying back Stella landed next to Tony and Steve not having enough time to stop the blast from hitting them.

"Put on the suit," Steve said to Tony.

"Yeah."

Tony was ordered to repair the engine and Steve and Stella went as well. Tony asked Steve to get to the control panel.

"It seems to run on some on some form of electricity."

"Well you're not wrong, Ella mind helping him out?" Tony asked.

"On it," Stella said manipulating the air beneath her to fly up next to Steve. "The relays are intact."

"What's our next move," Steve asked.

Tony ran Steve through everything and Stella looked at Steve seeing he wasn't getting it.

"Get to that red lever," she said point it out and Steve braced himself before jumping to it. "Tony, what do you need me to do?"

"Watch Caps back."

"As if I'd do anything else," Stella said before seeing a grenade thrown knocking it out of the way. She engaged with their attackers and started taking gunfire when Steve joined in. "Steve I got this go!"

"I'm not letting you fight by yourself!"

Steve and Stella fought side by side expertly. Steve took more gunfire and was knocked back nearly falling off the craft. "No! Steve!" Stella screamed before using her powers to fling the man to the earth below.

"Cap hit the lever," Tony's voice said.

"We need a minute here," Stella called back reaching out for Steve's arm pulling him back onto the ship. Steve reached up flipping the lever and another round of gunfire came Stella was unable to see where it was coming from when all of a sudden it stopped. She looked down seeing Tony had taken care of him.

Nick's voice came over the comms letting them know Coulson had been killed and Stella leaned into Steve's side him comforting her. "Dammit no."

A short time later Steve, Tony, and her were sitting around the large table again as Nick threw Coulson's trading cards toward Steve.

"I guess he never got you to sign them. We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner, Thor, I got nothing for you."

Stella hung her head holding back her tears forcing herself not to look at the blood-stained cards.

"I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming. Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put my chips all on that number though, cause I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, the two Stark's know this,"

"The Avengers Initiative," Stella chimed in.

"Yes, the idea, was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died, still believing in that idea. In heroes." Nick finished. Tony stood and walked away "Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

"Steve, what do we do?"

"Even if it's just you and me, we fight."

"I have a feeling I can recruit at least one or two more people," Stella said with a smirk "possibly three, but think he'd rather hear it from you."

"You go talk to them, I'll talk to Tony," Steve said with a nod and small smile. "And Stells,"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for saving my ass out there."

"Can't get out of this friendship that easily Stevie, till the end of the line remember?"