NOSTALGIA
“Pearse? Pearse!”
I could hear a distant voice,though I was...too damned tired.
“Persephone! What's going on over there?“
I opened my eyes,my ears buzzing and my forehead feeling..wet,somehow. I groaned,trying to turn on my side as I clicked my earbud.
“I...”,i huffed. I could feel my head aching like crazy. “It's Bucky...he's here. Probably...ugh..”,i touched my forehead,and all I saw was blood dripping down my fingers. “He's probably over at Steve”
“We don't have much time here Persephone.. You good to go?”,Maria asked me in all seriousness. I got that already. I know there's a lot at stake here.
“Yup. On it”,i huffed,standing up. “How's Sam?”
“He's heading to Romanoff. Bravo is locked,yours is the only one left Pers”,she answered and I cursed under my breath.
“Got it boss”
I ran,trying to ignore the piercing pain in my head,and in a few moments I reached the place in question; Steve and Bucky were at it,fighting each other.
Bucky threw Steve's shield on him,as he was running to catch something. This was bad; time wasn't on our side,clock was ticking.
I really,really shouldn't mess up the thing keeping us up,nor should I cause it to lose any altitude. But..desperate times..
A metallic rod pierced Bucky's right shoulder,my left hand laid in front of me,one knee bent,the other leg stretched back.
Bucky aggressively pulled it out from his shoulder,eyeing me with clenched jaw.
“You and I ain't done yet,pretty boy”,i hummed,going down his way. “Steve,honey,not to be pushy,but please get off your ass already”,i said,my eyes stuck on Bucky's.
Steve ran upwards,jumping at the path leading to the core,chip in hand. Bucky tried to follow him,though a metallic rod landing in front of him caused him to stop; he turned to look at me,now only a few feet away from him.
“I don't appreciate being ignored”,i said slowly to him.
He came with a punch though I duck,then kicked him in the stomach. Then once again on the same spot,once more,then headbutted him.
“You”,i spelled,hitting him with my elbow on the face, “really-love”,i continued,Bucky now pushing me back; I slid my right leg on the ground,the metal embracing his torso as I got on top again,punching once more. “to-press-my-fucking-buttons”
His metallic arm broke free,punching me until I fell on my back,Bucky now the one on top; he punched me though I moved my head,his metallic fist breaking through the ground as my eyes grew big. Fuck me. This was close.
I kneed his crotch and Bucky's body crouched back,his lips pursed tight as he groaned from the pain,his hands on the place I hit him. I turned my body over,my breathing heavy as I saw Steve putting the chip in.
“You..”,Bucky grunted,looking straight at me as I tried standing up, “fight good...”,he spat out,his face stiff.
“Hm”,i nodded,my lips pursed as I didn't see that one coming. “Well..thank you. No hard feelings though,right?”,i tried smiling at him,my hands in my pockets.
“Charlie is locket!”,Steve shouted. “Pers- you alright?”
“Yeah,you know..had to kick your buddy in the balls. He said I fight good”,i said,feeling rather proud of myself and Steve sighed; he jumped down to us.
After a few steps in though,his eyes grew bigger. My brows were knitted together as I tried to grasp the situation; Steve pushed me aside,two shots echoed throughout the carrier.
I hit my back on a metallic surface,gasped as a felt my entire spine aching. I lifted my gaze,seeing Steve on his knees,Bucky now in front of him,pointing a gun his way. Steve was bleeding. Big time.
“No!”,i yelled out,shooting fire form my fist.
Bucky fell back to dodge; I coughed up some blood and crouched my body. I was really beaten up at this point. Be it since the Jersey thing,up to now I just kept getting shit thrown to me.
“Pearse- you need to leave. Now”,i heard Maria's voice,hoarse and steady as she spoke.
“Kinda busy here Maria”,i hummed,lumbering over to Steve,my hand trying to cauterize the almost opened wound on my stomach,the one I previously got while in Jersey.
“Fire them”,Steve ordered and I froze.
“The fuck you say?”,i shouted at him,my eyes big.
“Fire them!”
He jumped on Bucky trying to hold him down; I huffed,doing my best to run their way. Bucky threw him over,punching him maniacally.
Just then,the first round of shootings came in. The entire aircraft moving up and down,the turbulence throwing us all over the place.
I was face down on the glass,Steve running behind me,though not to help me.
“Pers- you alright?”,he shouted and I waved an okay.
I turned around,even more blood coming down my face as I groaned,biting my lips,trying to stand on my feet.
Steve was trying to lift a huge metallic chunk,one that was over Bucky,keeping him down.
I sighed,cursing myself under my breath.
I went his way,putting both fists up as I tried to lift it; though,i was not in my best condition. I still required Steve's assistance lifting it with his arms.
“A little more Pers,just a little,come on!”,he grunted.
“I'm one punch away from passing out here Rogers. Give me a fucking break”,i snapped,feeling my muscles sore and tight as I lifted my hands even more.
Bucky eyed us both,then managed to slid under,getting free.
I sighed,falling on my ass as I let my head get down. My chest hurt,my stomach hurt,everything fucking hurt.
I gulped down,trying to regulate my breathing. More explosions came in,the Helicarrier gradually losing altitude. We were...done for.
“You know me!”,i heard Steve's hoarse voice and turned my head to see them.
“I don't!”,Bucky screamed at him,punching him down.
“And now they're punching each other”,i hummed quietly,irony filling my mouth.
“I am not gonna fight you Bucky”,Steve suddenly said and my body twitched as I almost jumped back up.
“The fuck you mean you're not gonna fight him?”,i yelled,now standing up.
He dropped his shield down,it fell off the Heli. I was still kinda crouched; Bucky punched him,Steve now under him,still mumbling something to him. Bucky just kept on punching,and punching,and punching.
I took in one big breath,straightening my body as I let out a muffled scream.
I walked their way,as fast as I could. This is not the end. Not for him at least- not yet.
A big chunk of metal fell their way,breaking the floor apart; Steve fell down.
“No- fuck!”,i screamed from the top of my lungs.
I ran there,not minding the pain anymore. Bucky was hanging from his hand,his body floating.
“Don't. Don't Persephone,don't”,i mumbled to myself,seeing Bucky watching me. “Oh fuck me”
I spread out an arm; Bucky eyes me confused,suspicious even.
“Come on pretty boy. We don't got all day”
He took it; blood came out my mouth as It took all my strength to pull him back up.
I stood on m feet,my eyes fixed on the river bellow. I sighed.
“Why did you help me?”,he asked me in a whisper.
“Because he would”,i whispered back at him,and h turned his head,eyes fixed on me.
“Look,i don't know what your deal is..”,i stretched my arms and neck as I spoke, “but that little voice inside your head? The one screaming right now?”,i raised both eyebrows,Bucky's eyes growing bigger. “Yup- that one. Better listen to it dude. Now,i'm almost out of fuel but..that's my bestboy down there. And i'll be dead before letting him down”
He eyed me,studying me for a second before grabbing my arm; I turned my head to look at him,brows knitted together,head pressed back.
“What's your name?”,he asked and I looked at him,stunned for a second. Then,i laughed.
“I'm Persephone. I'm a...a friend”,i said,though it came out before I could think about it. “Now,if you'll excuse me”
Bucky's brows were furrowed,only raised when he saw me jumping down.
I tried creating flames around me,though as I said..i'm out of fuel here. My vision became somewhat blurry;
I couldn't stop my fall. I wouldn't be able to help Steve. So that's where it ends,huh?
Just then I felt a weight on me- someone pulling me closer; I opened my eyes,saw Bucky holding me.
He put his arms under my legs,around my back as I grabbed his neck,my face deep in his neck as we weren't slowing down.
The landing was far from smooth; he fell on his back,only turning around last minute. He grazed the ground,groaning under his teeth as he held me even tighter,making sure I wouldn't leave his grasp.
“Hey- hey!”,i shouted at him until he opened his eyes. “Dude..”,i shook my head, “are you crazy?”
“You jumped first”,he noted and I snorted,falling on my back.
There was blood coming out of his mouth; he was hurt alright. I wondered how the fuck he was even alive at this point..
Just then,i opened my eyes,trying to stand up,though I almost fell down. Bucky held me,moments before I hit the ground. I was weak. Too weak.
“Steve...”,i mumbled,my eyes fixed on the river.
Bucky's eyes followed mine on the water. He gently put me down,now standing up,marching forward.
“Stay here”,he said in a low voice.
Should I though?
For some reason,i did.
A few minutes later he came back,his hair drenched in water as he was pulling Steve's body with him. He had his shield on his one hand; Bucky put Steve next to me,dropping the shield down a few inches away.
“Steve! Fuck..”,i gasped,my hands cupping his face.
He was breathing,i - he..- he was breathing.
I hugged him,so tightly I thought my heart stopped pumping blood. My breathing was out of control.
I turned back,seeing Bucky walking away; I stood up,trying my best to go his way,grabbing his arm.
“I- thank you”,i huffed out. He tried to smile.
I grabbed his shirt,pulling him close to a short kiss.
“I..really.. Really,thank you”,i said.
Bucky's brows were both raised up. I took one step back,Bucky's hand keeping me in place before falling down.
“Why..why did you do that?”,he spelled out,more confused than ever.
“I..i mean,i..”,i stuttered a bit, “I sometimes...do that,when i'm excited. S-sorry”,i tried smiling,though it was too awkward to last.
Bucky coughed,his lips pursed downwards as his gaze was now lowered.
“You fight good”
“Um,yeah you,you said that”,i nodded,my mouth opened as I eyed him. “You don't have to go you know. You can stay”
Bucky lifted his gaze,his eyes almost watery.
“I can't. I have done..many things. Bad things”,he said,his voice hoarse.
“Yeah. We all have”,i whispered looking straight into his eyes.
“I..”,he huffed,hesitant for a second. “I keep getting all these..these flashes.. I don't know what's real and what's not..”,he admitted,his fist tightened.
“Hey- dude. Dude”,i looked up at him,putting one hand on his arm. “We're all just a little fucked up here. Maybe more than just a little”,i chuckled awkwardly and he tried to pull off a smile.
“I'm not from around here you know..Steve isn't either,in a way..much,much different than mine,yet..i get it”,i said and his gaze fell on my eyes. “Having a friend around...one from a time when you weren't as you are now..”,i was looking down,my words floating as I felt a knot deep in my chest. “One you never thought you'd be seeing ever again..it's..comforting. It should be. For both of you”
“I am not a comfort. I'm a machine”
“And i'm a soldier from another planet,shooting fires from my hands”,i laughed and he chuckled as well,a short one though. His face..his eyes,they were..bitter.
“Stay. He'll find comfort in you being here,and I believe you will too”
“You care for him”,he suddenly said and I froze.
I gulped down,biting my lips.
“I..i do,yes. Very much so”
“Then you should let me go”,he whispered.
He suddenly picked me up in his arms and I almost gasped. I watched him,being quiet,his eyes small and tired.
He gently let me down,right next to Steve as he turned back.
“You can come to us- whenever you need to. Whenever you need ...a friend”,i said and he stopped for a second.
I couldn't see his face,but for a second I thought he smiled.
After that he marched away,vanished into the woods.
I sighed,grimacing as the pain came back rushing in,piercing every wound. I let my head fall on Steve's chest. He was drenched; I feared he'd catch a cold.
I snorted,despite it causing me to ache even more; how simple life would be,if all we had to fear living in it was just catching a mere cold.
“Pearse? Pearse do you copy?”,Maria's muffled voice came into my ear and I opened my eyes again,trying to lift my body a bit.
“Yeah...I..i copy”
“Where are you? Is Steve with you?”,Tasha spoke now.
“Yes..we're..well,we're not fine,but at least we're alive”,i huffed.
“Where are you?”
“How the fuck should I now Tasha...fuck..there's a river...trees,i don't know..”,i sighed.
“There are people coming Pers- we'll find you”,she said,trying to sound reassuring.
“Yeah..you do that. Ima take a nap...”
I closed my eyes slowly,falling back on Steve's chest,his breathing moving my head. It was soothing- so much that I couldn't bother myself with Tasha and Maria's voices.