devil's backbone ☆ bucky barnes

[5]

Washington, D.C., 2014

Dolores stared down at the photo of Alexander Pierce with disgust. This was the man that kept her fiancé captive, turning him into the monster he is now.

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues," Nick Fury mumbled, causing Dolores to snap her head to him.

She couldn't believe he was still alive. She had watched him die before her eyes; a man who took her in and made her crazy life seem almost okay.

"Oh c'mon Nicky, so cynical," she muttered jokingly, but with a dark undertone. She also hated this man.

"We have to stop the launch," Natasha finally stated what everyone was thinking.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore," Nick said sarcastically, opening a case in front of Dolores causing her to perk up and peer down at the metal chips in front of her.

"What's that?" Sam asked from his position behind Dolores' chair. He and Steve had taken to being protective of the girl, despite her being just as enhanced as Steve was.

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized," Maria explained.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own," Nick continued. Dolores felt her head spin with all this new information.

"One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work because if even one of those ships remains operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die," that was enough to snap Dolores out of it. People were in danger, and that's what needed to be changed.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get past them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..." Nick trailed off, but Steve interrupted quickly.

"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD," he stated firmly, standing closer to the table beside where Natasha and Dolores sat.

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it," Nick shot back with a blank face.

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed," Steve snapped, placing his hand on Dolores' shoulder as comfort. He noticed his best friend has stiffened at the mention of HYDRA.

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed," Nick raised his voice slightly, becoming irritated with the Captain.

"And how many paid the price before you did?" Dolores couldn't hold her tongue anymore; she was hurt that HYDRA was able to get away with so much without the world (especially SHIELD) noticing.

Nick's eyes softened as he watched tears form in the girl's eyes at the loss of her family. HYDRA took them from her, and he understood how that felt.

"Look Dottie, I didn't know about Barnes," Nick said softly, letting out a shaky breath.

"Even if you did, would you have told us? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes," Steve interjected again, getting ready to argue his point further, but Maria stopped him.

"He's right."

Nick gave them both a look, then turned towards Sam and Natasha.

"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower," Sam smirked, causing Dolores to smile slightly.

"Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."

———————————————————

Dolores sat on a bridge nearby, reminiscing about the day Bucky proposed to her.

"Dot, c'mon! The sun will set soon!" Bucky called back to the girl, pulling her along by her hand. He felt himself sweating with nerves, but he knew this was what he had to do. He couldn't wait any longer. He'd already waited too many years.

"James! Slow down!" She giggled, stumbling around in her heels. She felt him come to an abrupt stop on the hill they were on, causing her to run into his back.

"James Buchanan Barnes! My nose hurts, you wet sock!" She groaned, holding her nose and closing her eyes in pain. When she opened them, she gasped at the view.

New York was on display for her to see, all the buildings glowing in the setting sun.

"Jam-"

Dolores cut herself off, turning to see the man she'd loved for years, kneeling in front of her.

"Dolores Mae Goodwin. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. My life has changed because of you, in the best way possible. You're it for me, Dot. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry a mess like me?" He gave her one of his signature Bucky-smirks, which caused tears and a huge smile to appear on Dolores' face.

She smiled at the memory, recalling how she screamed yes a hundred times and tackled the love of her life to the ground.

She remembered how she ranted to Steve for an hour about how in love she was with Bucky, and how he assured her that he was just as in love with Dolores.

She glanced down at her left hand, watching the ring sparkle.

Natasha approached the fellow ginger with caution, slowly placing a hand on her back.

"He's gonna be there, you know?" She mumbled quietly. Dolores nodded silently.

"I know," she finally whispered.

"I know he used to be the love of your life. I'm sure he was an amazing guy, but the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop," Natasha finally got out, knowing how much those words must have hurt Dolores, but they had to be said.

"I don't know if I can do that," Dolores' voice cracked. She didn't think she could hurt the man she had spent years falling in love with again and again.

But then again, he isn't James. Not my James.

"He might not give you a choice. He doesn't know you, Dottie," Natasha said sadly. Dolores knew her friend was right, but that just meant she had to fight all the more to make sure she got her family back.

"He will." She said determinedly.

YAS BB SO FIERCE ILY DOTTIE