Chasing Light
The days that followed Arthur’s encounter with Peter were different. Lighter. There was something about the younger man’s relentless optimism that had managed to crack through the walls Arthur had built around himself. It wasn’t an instant fix—nothing ever was—but it felt like a shift. He wasn’t so consumed by the heavy weight of his past anymore. He had moments, brief but meaningful, where he could just be.
Even the simplest things started to feel less suffocating. He found himself laughing at Clint’s sarcastic remarks in the training room, nodding along with Wanda’s stories in the common area, and feeling, for the first time in a long while, that he belonged here. Not just as an asset or a soldier. But as Arthur.
Still, there were moments when the past crept up on him—quiet, persistent, like an old friend who just wouldn’t leave. Those moments were harder to manage, but they were fewer and farther between.
It was late one afternoon when everything changed again. The team had gathered for a mission briefing. This time, it was something bigger—a hostage situation in a foreign country where the stakes were high. The intel was scarce, the enemy unknown, but the Avengers were ready.
Arthur stood beside Bucky in the briefing room, his hands clasped behind his back, trying not to focus on the familiar weight of anxiety creeping in. Despite the progress, there were still days when his nerves took hold. But today was different. Today, there was a feeling of anticipation running through him—not fear, but something else. Something almost exciting.
Peter was there too, sitting at the table with his usual wide-eyed expression. He had a way of looking at everything like it was an adventure, even if the situation was anything but. Arthur caught Peter’s eye across the room, and the kid gave him a quick thumbs-up.
Arthur gave a small smile in return. Maybe he hadn’t fully shaken the past yet, but today, he felt lighter. And that, for now, was enough.
As the briefing began, Steve laid out the details. A building in the middle of a heavily guarded city, an underground facility that had been used for illegal arms trading, and civilians being held inside as human shields. The mission was straightforward, but it would require precision and timing.
“We’re going in, fast and clean,” Steve said, looking over the room. “We hit the ground, clear the building, and extract the hostages. Everyone’s on the clock—get in, get out.”
Arthur’s focus was sharp, but he couldn’t help but notice how everyone else was reacting. Sam, Clint, Natasha—all were ready for the task, but it was Peter’s eagerness that caught his attention. The kid’s eyes sparkled with excitement, his hands bouncing lightly against the table as he leaned forward.
Arthur felt a tug of something in his chest. It was strange, seeing someone with so much hope in their eyes. But for once, instead of feeling like a weight, it felt like an anchor. Something to hold onto when the world felt like it might slip away.
The mission was set in motion. They geared up, the familiar hum of preparation filling the compound. The tension was palpable, but it wasn’t the suffocating kind of tension Arthur was used to. This was something different—a camaraderie, a shared purpose. They weren’t just soldiers. They were a team.
As the Quinjet soared through the sky toward their destination, Arthur sat quietly, his hands steady on his lap. Bucky sat next to him, giving him a sideways glance every so often, like he was making sure Arthur was still with them. Steve stood at the front, his expression calm but determined.
“We’ll be there soon,” Steve said, his voice a quiet reassurance.
Arthur nodded. He could do this. This wasn’t about running from his past anymore. This was about the here and now. About being part of something bigger than himself.
The Quinjet touched down with barely a sound. The team was out the door in seconds, moving swiftly through the shadows as they approached the building. Arthur’s pulse quickened, but it wasn’t fear—it was focus. This was what he was made for. This was where he belonged.
They infiltrated the facility in near silence, taking down guards with the precision and skill only the Avengers could manage. Arthur moved fluidly, his body responding to years of training and muscle memory, but there was something else now. A sense of purpose. A sense of peace.
When they reached the hostages, Arthur’s heart did a quick, anxious flip. They were held in a large, dimly lit room, scared and bound, but unharmed for the most part. As the team moved in to free them, Arthur’s attention shifted to one of the guards who seemed to be making a run for it.
Without thinking, Arthur was after him, the chase instinct kicking in. The guard ducked into a side hallway, but Arthur was faster. He cornered the man, slamming him into the wall with a force that left the air crackling.
“Not so fast,” Arthur muttered, his grip firm on the guard’s arm as he twisted it behind his back. He didn’t need to say more. The guard quickly surrendered, his eyes wide with fear.
The rest of the mission played out smoothly after that. The hostages were evacuated, the building cleared, and the team was back at the extraction point in record time. As they made their way back to the Quinjet, Arthur couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride—this was what it felt like to fight for the right reasons. To be part of something that mattered.
On the flight back, as the team settled into their seats, Peter turned to Arthur, grinning. “That was awesome! You were like, boom and the guy was on the ground.”
Arthur chuckled, feeling something warm spread in his chest. “You weren’t so bad yourself, kid.”
Peter’s grin widened. “Well, when you’ve got the moves, you’ve got the moves!”
Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. It felt good, truly good, to let go of the heaviness. For the first time in a long while, he wasn’t just surviving—he was living. The mission, the team, the laughter—it was all a reminder that there was more to this life than the past that had haunted him for so long.
As they returned to the compound, Arthur realized something—he was not who he had been before. He was not Death. He was not the soldier HYDRA had created, ‘The Reaper’. He was Arthur, with a team, with a future. And that was enough.
To be continued...