DIVINE RETRIBUTION │barnes ²

twenty six

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐊𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐀

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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗝𝗘𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗦 𝗜𝗧𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗, gliding smoothly upwards into the air until the people below are nothing more than little ants and the planes are the size of her palm. 

Evgenia leans into the back of her chair, the slight tear in her pants allowing the cool air of the air conditioning to brush past. She brushes a braid off her sticky forehead and pulls the fingerless gloves off her hands. 

Sitting by the controls were Bucky and Steve - the latter piloting the jet, fingers tapping over touch screens and the former with his shoulders hunched as he fiddled with the frayed edge of his trousers. He must have sensed Evgenia staring at him because he looks up and smiles at her wearily before plonking himself on the seat next to her and resting an arm around her small shoulders. Neither father or daughter speak. Both are too preoccupied with their recollection of the past hour.

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Cement rains down, forming a curtain between them and the jet. 

Perfect, Zhenya mutters to herself grimly, just as red mist blankets the debris, momentarily pausing the shower. The three of them surge forward, not willing to wait for Wanda's magic to weaken and for the rocks to continue falling. Evgenia - the tail of their line, barely makes it past before there's a pained scream and the crashing of broken concrete behind her billows dust everywhere. 

She lets out a dry cough, rubs her teared up eyes and when she re-opens them again, the dust has cleared up and a short red-headed woman stands before the three, arms crossed and an unreadable expression decorating her face.

'You're not gonna stop this,' Natasha states.

'You know I can't,' Steve confirms.

'I'm gonna regret this.'

Natasha inhales slowly and raises her arm, sending an electric shock towards a target behind them. All three of them gape at the Black Panther standing just a few feet away. 

The redhead locks eyes with her daughter and cocks her head. 'Go,' she whispers.

Steve and Bucky waste no time in running towards the jet, but Zhenya pauses for a brief exchange with her mother.

'Chto yesli ya bol'she nikogda tebya ne uvizhu?' What if I never see you again?

'I'll come looking for you. But if you stay, they'll lock you up,'  she says, brushing her free hand across her daughter's face affectionately. 'Now go!'

'A minute out,' comes Steve's voice, breaking the silence for the first time in four hours. 'Buck, you come with me. Zheni, stay in the jet as backup.'

'Backup?' She glares indignantly at the back of her uncle's head. 'I know this facility better than you do, I'm coming.'

'It's dangerous,' Bucky intervenes. 'You're staying here.'

'But-'

'Evgenia Yakovevna.' She recognises the firm tone of his voice and closes her mouth wisely, sheepishly twirling a braid in her hand.

The jet begins it's soft descent through the clouds, revealing the snow capped landscape below them and the miniature pine trees. There's a speck of grey among the white but the closer they get, the larger the speck becomes until it's no longer a spot, but a stretched out and abandoned facility. Steve swings the jet around and nestles it on the edge a hill, just metres away from the warehouse.

There's a sudden uneasy feeling, replacing her former indignance as the jet doors swing open, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise and the contents in her stomach to churn. She hated this place. 

Bucky lifts his arm off her shoulders and walks over a compartment by the entrance, pulling the doors open to reveal a variety of guns. He grabs two and tosses one towards Zhenya, who catches it with ease. Then he trods back over to his daughter and kneels down so that they're eye to eye.

'Vse budet khorosho.' He pulls her head towards his chest and hugs her shoulders. 

She pastes a fake smile on her face and nods. Satisfied, Bucky releases her from his grip and inclines his head towards the blonde. But as they turn on their heels to leave, Evgenia blurts out in panic, 'What are we going to do after this? Where will we go? We'll be wanted everywhere.'

'I'll figure it out,' Steve reassures. 'I'll find us somewhere to go.'

Zhenya chews on her bottom lip. When she speaks, her voice is uncharacteristic small and timid.  'What about Wanda, Clint and Scott and Uncle Sam?'

'We'll find them. Just as Natasha will find you.'

And with that, the two men march towards the gates of hell.

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hi! i'm back. 

this fic is just about finished (one or two more chapters to go) and i'm thinking of writing a third which will follow the falcon and the winter soldier, but i'm not too sure yet as the show won't be out for some time. lemme know what you think and if you want a third.

don't forget to vote and comment!