(Y/N) (L/N) woke with a pounding headache. He touched the left side of his head in an attempt to nurse it, only to find that the scars from a few days prior had reopened. Blood dripped between his fingers, 'fuck sake,' he cursed, getting to his feet steadily. There was a ringing in his ears and his feet hurt. After a deep breath he summoned the energy to float instead of walk. Looking around he saw the crumbled walls. In the corner lay Bucky Barnes's rifle. (Y/N) picked it up, noticing the magazine was still full. 'Bucky?' he called with a hoarse voice, 'Bucky?'
He could hear quiet grunts coming from the room below, and looked around, keeping his eyes peeled for an entry point. Every doorway was blocked with rubble. (Y/N) held the red in his hands, feeling it grow stronger as he kept it contained. When he couldn't hold it anymore, he fired it at the floor. A hole the size of a bathtub opened, and he descended.
Below him, Bucky and Steve were battling the metal man, Howard Stark's son. Dr (L/N) watched his friends fighting in sync as they took it in turns using Steve's shield against their attacker. The metal man fired a blast from his hand, incapacitating Steve, who bounced off the wall closest to (Y/N) before falling to the floor.
James Barnes was holding his own against him, delivering swift, hard, punches, and even diverting a blast away from him so that it hit the concrete ceiling above. Bucky began pulling at the glowing blue light in the centre of the man's chest, grunting slightly as he heaved. (Y/N) hovered forward, 'Just hold him!' he shouted at Barnes, who had the man pinned against the wall by his head, 'hold his arms!' Bucky stared at him, shocked. 'Hold them!' (Y/N) yelled, and Sergeant Barnes did as he was told.
'I'm sorry you're mother died,' (Y/N) (L/N) said, frowning, 'I'm sorry the Winter Soldier killed your parents...' Bucky grunted as he began to struggle holding Howard Stark's son at bay. 'But that wasn't Bucky. That wasn't James Barnes.' (Y/N) held out an arm, his hand outstretched as red sparks darted between his fingers. 'That wasn't the man you're trying to kill now.'
The glowing object from Tony Stark's chest piece dislodged itself, soaring into (Y/N)'s hand. Bucky rushed to him, letting go of Stark JR. 'Check on Steve,' Dr (L/N) ordered him, as metal man fell to his knees, his helmet falling from his head. (Y/N) (L/N) held the light in a glowing, crimson, fog for a few minutes before he closed his hand, causing the object to fold in on itself. 'I let grief run my life for longer than you've been alive,' (Y/N) spoke at him, shaking his head, 'please don't do the same.'
He dropped the crumpled piece of metal to the floor, returning to Bucky and Steve. Captain Rogers was conscious now, directing his friends up the ladder to the exit before picking up his shield. 'That shield doesn't belong to you, you don't deserve it,' yelled the son of Howard Stark, his voice strained, 'My father made that shield.'
'That shield's yours Steve,' (Y/N) said plainly, 'Howard made it for you.' Steve looked between Howard's son and (Y/N), ultimately dropping the shield, and focusing on his escape with Dr (L/N) and Bucky.
Perhaps Steve was too proud to keep the shield. Perhaps he was too focused on helping Bucky Barnes and (Y/N) (L/N) to dwell on petty quarrels.
The three of them found their way back to the peak of the mountain. (Y/N) levitated a few inches off of the ground, relishing in the cold air as snowflakes landed in his hair and on his face. He loved the snow, he'd quite fancied the idea of lying in it, but knew he needed to follow Bucky and Steve back into their plane. He also didn't want to soak the only clothes he had.
A man, the stranger who'd scarred him stood in there, his hands up and his helm removed. He had a man beside him, handcuffed and gagged. (Y/N) immediately became defensive, his hands glowing, whilst Bucky raised his fists. Steve Rogers walked forward. 'King T'Challa,' he greeted, nodding his head, 'Bucky, (Y/N), this is King T'Challa, the King of Wakanda.'
'He's the reason I got arrested,' Bucky Barnes remarked.
'He's the reason my face is fucked up,' contributed (Y/N).
'Captain Rogers,' the man responded, 'I am afraid I have been wrong about you and your friends.' He gestured to the man kneeling beside him, gagged and handcuffed. 'This is the man who killed my father, am I correct?' Steve nodded his head. It was him. The man who'd turned Bucky back into the soldier he used to be. 'Then I owe each of you an apology.' He walked towards (Y/N) and Bucky, holding his hands together as he bowed his head. 'Mr Barnes,' he said, 'my country has the best scientists in the world, I'd like to offer them to you, so that they may give you the life you once had.' He turned to (Y/N) now, looking into his eyes. (Y/N) (L/N) looked a little nervous, red sparks weaving between his fingers. 'Dr (L/N),' he bowed, 'I believe I've caused you the most grief.'
'You scarred me. I'd dreamt of a life for so long and just when I'd almost gotten it...' he swallowed, reflecting. 'You were there when it was taken away. I shouldn't blame you. You didn't take it away from me, you were just a bystander.'
T'Challa smiled slightly, 'I hurt you Doctor, and the hospitals in Wakanda have the ability to remove those scars. I offer you that.' (Y/N) rubbed his fingers across the scars on the left side of his face. He didn't mind them too much, at least now there was a different reflection staring back at him in the mirror, but it was an annoyance when they opened up again. 'After the arrest in Scotland, a number of my personal guard went and searched your house,' King T'Challa continued, 'the goats you care for, we had them moved to Wakanda. Currently a farmer is looking after them, the female recently delivered two healthy kids.'
(Y/N) let out a gasp of air, tears falling from his eyes as Bucky Barnes held him up, 'Belinda,' he mustered.
'A home has been set up for you, where you may settle with your goats as Sergeant Barnes heals.'
(Y/N) looked up into Bucky's eyes, a mad grin on his face, his eyes shimmering. 'What do you say Buck?' Bucky looked down at him, smiling.
'As long as I'm with you,' he replied, resting a kiss atop (Y/N)'s head. (Y/N) looked up, meeting Bucky's blue eyes. The sparkle in them had finally begun to return.
(A/N): Apologies for the short chapter, I thought it best to leave it sweet. Hope you're all enjoying it so far.
- Toby :-)
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The Red Soldier: Rise of the Red Soldier
Fanfiction(Y/N) (L/N) had finally found peace, away from the horrors civilisation held. He'd found a solace when surrounded by his own grief, but a jet plane parked outside his front door changed all of that seventy years after the death of his two friends.
