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@gracie-j. HEHE! I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYONE ELSE! SO…I’M GLAD YOU LIKE IT! 😀 AWW, THANK YE! <3 (maybe there will be other X-Men…we’ll just have to wait and see. *wink*)
I KNOWWWWW!!!!! *sobs* VERY HARD!!!! *cries and hugs Steve with you* Poor boy. Only 15 and already gone through so much…and he hasn’t even told Fury about all of it yet. *sobs* Can’t wait until he tells Fury where all his muscles actually came from…or when Bucky will tell Fury about his metal arm…or OOH, when Tony tells Fury about his arc reactor! Hehe. Can’t wait for that one… 😉
@freedomwriter76 ABSOLUTELY!!! (OOH YES!!! I want a baby Wolverine!!!)
*sobs* OOOOH!!! I can’t wait either!!!
the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
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@gracie-j. (Hehe. Now THAT would be fun to see. XD)
IKR!? *sobs*
@freedomwriter76 (It would!! XD)
the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
@gracie-j. (Yep. Now I might just need to do it. XP)
OH MY GAAAWSH PETER AND PIETRO 😭💖 They are ridiculously precious ahhh
I’m not even super into Marvel but now I’m hooked 🥺
that a northern wind
would cool my skin
and fill my lungs again@freedomwriter76 (You do. You just do.)
the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
@freedomwriter76 I HAVE IDEAS!! Feel free to use or not use any of them. I don’t know too much about Marvel but I’m trying to use the knowledge from the four or five movies I’ve seen and various comics I’ve read.
–Teenage Scott Lang totally beats up teenage Sam Wilson (either in a fight or as part of a class, take your pick). Then Steve’s like “we need another for our team!” and Sam’s like “well I know this kid…..”
–Peter Parker and Peter Quill are in the same class or grade or something, and people are always confusing them (which is really annoying).
–Tony Stark creates Ultron for a class project! Ohhh that’s going to be funny. Or not. I’m not sure.
–Thor and Loki’s older sister is a real bully. Yeah, she’s going to be a problem, a severe problem…..
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
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@gracie-j. (It’ll find it’s way into later chapters. 🤣)
@ava-blue. YESSSS!!! THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS!!!! 💗💗💗Hehe. I have successfully gotten you hooked on my story. Mwahahahaha. 🤣🤣🤣
@keilah-h. GIRL!!!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THOSE IDEAS!!!! 😍😍😍 Having Hella would be interesting. 🤔 And Tony creating Ultron would be perfect! 😁 Haha, my younger brother already gave the idea of Tony creating Vision, partially by accident…😅 I LOVE THOSE IDEAS!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH, GIRL!!!! 🤩🤩🤩- Rank: Chosen One
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@gracie-j. @keilah-h. @ava-blue. Two more chapters! 😉 I’m thinking after this doing Clint and Peter. Clint because he hasn’t gotten much time yet, and Peter because, same thing, but also, I wanna get inside his six-year-old head. XD Oops, my bad, six-and-a-half-year-old head. 😉 Then maybe Sam and Wanda. 😉
Chapter 8
The dart hit the dartboard with a thud.
Natasha reached for another dart. She was good at this.
Almost as good as she was at shooting a gun.
Natasha shook her head. “I don’t need to think about that.” She whispered.
Not that anyone was around.
But either way, she didn’t need to think about it.
It didn’t need to keep coming back.
She threw another dart.
It hit the bullseye.
Clint was normally even better than her.
Natasha turned around and headed out of the game room towards the gym.
The house was bigger than she had ever imagined. Not as big as the orphanage, but the orphanage hadn’t had anything enjoyable like a game room or gym.
Nor had it been enjoyable at all.
Natasha shook her head again.
School was fine.
‘Hey guys, look, Natasha’s wearing clothes for babies!’
Natasha shook her head, trying to clear it.
She wouldn’t think about all the things she hated.
All the things she’d been through.
All the things people had said.
Those girls…they didn’t bother her. Natasha was used to jerks.
Besides, all they did was talk about her clothes and make fun of them for being practical.
And didn’t talk to her.
And made sure no one else would talk to her either.
Natasha took her first swing at the boxing bag.
She knew how to fight.
How to punch and where to punch and just how hard.
She was a professional.
With her hands and weapons.
So, Natasha hit it.
Again.
And again.
Pent out her anger and fury on the inanimate object in front of her.
‘Not good enough, Natalia Romanova. You have failed. Again.’
With a yell, Natasha hit the bag again, hard.
Pain shot from her hand.
Her hand bled, and Natasha pulled it away with a hiss.
“Are you okay?”
She turned to meet Maria, who was rushing over to her.
“Yeah. I’m fine…”
“Here, let me see.” Maria offered, reaching over.
Natasha pulled away.
She didn’t know what Maria was going to do.
Maria gave her a small smile.
“It’s okay. I don’t have to see if you don’t want me to. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”
Natasha stared at her.
That didn’t make any sense.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Can I see your hand?”
Natasha watched her.
Adults were very unpredictable much of the time.
But Maria’s soft, caring smile told Natasha things would be different with her. At least this time.
Natasha slowly gave Maria her hand.
Maria looked at it, at the blood, before giving Natasha a small smile. “Can we patch this up a little bit?”
“…I guess.”
Maria smiled. “Come on, then.”
Natasha followed her out of the gym and down the hall. Her hand stung, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
Maria pointed at the kitchen.
“You can sit down in there. I’ll be with you in just a second.”
“Can? Why didn’t you just tell me where to sit?”
“Because I’m giving you a choice, not just telling you what to do every time.”
Natasha nodded slowly and headed over to the kitchen.
Maria…Nick…Phil…they were all so odd.
Nothing like any other adult Natasha had ever met.
She pulled a chair out and sat down.
Voices rose, teasing and laughing.
The back door opened, and Steve, Bucky, Tony, and Clint walked inside.
When they saw her, they stopped.
Clint rushed to her side. “You okay, Nat? What happened to your hand?”
“I was just punching the punching bag. I maybe hit it a little harder than I meant to. I’m okay Clint. Really.” She gave her best friend, brother, now, a reassuring smile.
Clint sighed quietly. “Okay. You sure?”
“Maria’s getting something right now. I’m fine, Clint. Honestly. I’m not lying.”
Clint nodded. “You’re not. I could tell if you were. I just…wanted to make sure you’re okay. But other than your hand, Nat, are you okay?”
“…I think so.”
At least she was being honest.
Clint gave her a small smile. “Sure about that?”
Natasha nodded. “I didn’t say I was certain of that. I think I’m okay. But then again, how many of us really know what feeling okay really feels like anymore? None of us, I’m sure.” Natasha asked quietly.
Bucky leaned against the doorframe of the back door. “You’re probably right,” He whispered.
“At least we’re together and no one separated us.”
Clint turned and grinned. “Always the optimistic one, aren’t you Steve?”
“Someone has to be.” Tony said, giving Steve a playful nudge in the side.
“Alright Natasha, I have a bandage and some medicine. Oh, hello kids.” Maria said, entering the kitchen. “Now, Natasha, can I see your hand? I’m going to make sure your hand gets all better.”
Maria smiled.
And Natasha, for the first time in a long time, felt something.
She felt safe.
Chapter 9
Life was continuing on.
School wasn’t bad, except for a few idiots that liked to cause trouble. Some of the girls were drama queens.
The math absolutely sucked.
But it was better than the orphanage had been.
He enjoyed their new home.
But when Nick, Phil, and Maria decided they all needed to go to the dentist on Friday, everything fell apart.
Bucky prided himself in the fact that he wasn’t scared of much…if anything. He was ready for the dentist, just like the others.
Everyone was fine with it, especially Peter, Wanda, and Pietro, who got excited about each getting a toy.
Bucky was ready. He wasn’t scared. He was the brave one. The strong one.
He patiently waited in the waiting room like all the others, and when it was his turn, he went in with his head held high.
He even laid down in the chair and let them lean him back.
But the moment the dentist came near his mouth with his metal tools, something flipped.
He panicked, and none of them had been able to calm Bucky down, so eventually Nick told Thor to take him outside.
It took a while, but the fresh air finally calmed Bucky down.
But now the dentist office likely didn’t want him back.
Bucky didn’t blame them.
And on Saturday they went to the doctor for a check-up.
They wanted to, and needed to, take Bucky’s blood.
It had been fine at first, everyone just talking about it.
But then the doctor had come close to him with the needle, and, yet again, something flipped.
Bucky had fought back, cried, panicked, even yelled at them to get away. It had taken Nick, Phil, and Thor just to hold him still enough for the doctor to draw blood.
Bucky had apologized for both incidents.
Nick had said it was fine, but if Bucky knew anything…he knew neither one of them had been “fine”. He had been an embarrassment. He messed up. And in the struggle, he knew he had punched Nick at least once. And with his metal fist, to top it off.
What he had done wasn’t fine in the least.
He even argued with Sam, ignored, and sassed Tony, and accidentally made Peter trip and cry.
Again, Bucky had apologized.
Three more times.
Steve, Clint, Natasha, Loki, Thor, Sam, Tony, everyone…kept asking if he was fine.
Of course, he was.
Bucky was always “fine”.
But never good.
After doing all those things, Bucky knew, it was probably better if he left everyone alone for a little while.
And that brought him to the present.
Alone.
Creviced in between the stairway up to the second floor and the closet beside it on the other side, Bucky pulled out his phone.
No messages or anything.
Good.
Maybe they didn’t realize he was missing yet.
He hoped they didn’t, at least.
Bucky put his phone away, and clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to ease his rapid breathing.
Not that he was afraid.
He wasn’t even afraid of the dentist or doctor, per say.
But the metal that they tried to put in his mouth…the needle they tried to draw blood with…Bucky had panicked.
Bucky closed his eyes, tight.
His fists clenched.
Doctors ran back and forth. Others forced Bucky down, while he fought back. “James, calm down. This will help you. It will make you stronger…”
But he didn’t want to calm down.
Bucky clawed, fought, bit, kicked, punched, screamed.
But the doctors were trained, skilled, and much stronger and faster than Bucky was. They forced him down.
Used straps to hold his legs, arm, and even his metal arm down.
But he still fought the best he could.
“Do you not have anything to get him to calm down?”
Pierce.
“Yessir, we do. Do you want us to sedate him?”
“Obviously. Why else would I be asking?”
Bucky tried to pull away from the needle that came closer with each minute and each breath he took.
“Please. Please. Don’t. Please…” He begged and pleaded.
But the needle went in, a bit of stinging followed, and with a whimper, his world faded to darkness.
Bucky jolted back into the present.
Sweat perspired from his forehead, and a beg was still fresh on his lips.
Footsteps sounded, and Bucky crouched and crawled deeper into the shadow of the stairway.
“Bucky? What are you doing in there? You barely fit. Are you okay? I heard you say something.”
Stupid mouth. “I’m fine. I just wanted to be alone for a little bit, that’s all.”
“You creviced yourself in between the stairs and closet. I don’t think you’re fine.” Phil insisted, and when Bucky turned back around, to argue that he was, in fact, fine, he saw that Phil was getting on his hands and knees, crawling inside the crevice.
“You don’t have to come in here.” Bucky insisted, just as Phil sat down beside him, his knees almost up to his chest.
“I don’t want you to be alone.”
“You could have just told me to come out.”
Phil gave him a small smile. “I’m not the kind of adult to just go around ordering a sixteen-year-old around. Besides, I wanted to see what it’s like in here.”
“Cramped…”
Phil chuckled. “Yes, cramped. Also, I want to sit beside you. Now, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Really. I’m sorry for everything I’ve been doing…really.”
“You’ve already apologized, Bucky. You don’t have to keep repeating yourself. Why did you freak out at the dentist and doctor’s office?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes. You do.” Phil responded, firm, but not…angry.
Odd.
“I don’t like metal being put in my mouth…or needles.”
“Care to explain why?”
“Not really…but I guess you want to figure out why.”
“Yes, I do. Because I care about you. All of you.”
Bucky sighed quietly.
That’s what they all said.
But care…compassion…love…how was Bucky supposed to know what those things even felt like?
“Yeah. I just…I don’t like thinking about it…but back at the orphanage…they gave me the same thing Steve had signed up to get.”
Phil nodded, listening, but also not saying anything, giving Bucky time to explain.
“They gave me something called the…super-soldier serum. It gave me muscles, it boosts my metabolism, enhances all my cells…but I…I didn’t sign up for it.”
Phil’s eyebrows raised. “They experimented on you?”
Bucky shrugged. “I guess if that’s what it’s called…then yeah. Steve signed up for it, he was so small then, to be able to stop bullies and get some money right after his mom died.” Bucky shrugged. “It did well for him. But he actually signed up for it.”
“And you didn’t. They just…did it to you?”
“Yeah.” Bucky replied with a small smile.
They did it more than once.
Sometimes, they called him something other than “Bucky”. Something about soldier, which didn’t make any sense.
Phil didn’t know about all the times Bucky had been forced into their lab.
Didn’t know that sometimes Bucky had forgotten where he was and even forgot his name once.
“Bucky, hey…why are you crying? What’s wrong?”
Bucky angrily wiped away the tears coursing down his cheeks.
He couldn’t cry.
Not here.
Not now.
“Bucky. Hey…I’m here for you. It’s okay.”
“I don’t…I don’t want to go back…” Bucky breathed, his breaths coming in heavy gasps.
“Hey. Bucky. You’re not going to. None of you are. You’re here now. You’re safe.”
“They experimented…experimented on…on me. I forgot where I was…I even…I even forgot my name. I don’t wanna go back there!” Bucky yelled, as memories floated before his eyes.
He didn’t want to go back.
He didn’t want to go back.
He wanted this place.
He wanted a home.
He wanted love.
Phil gripping his shoulders pulled Bucky away from the past and into the present.
“Hey, Bucky, you are not going back there, okay? You are staying here, where you’re safe, and where we’re going to take care of you, alright? You’re not going back to the orphanage. No one is going to experiment on or hurt you. Ever again, hear me?”
Bucky nodded, sniffing and hiccupping.
“You’re safe here. All of you are. No one is ever going to even lay a finger on any of you again, else they’ll mess with me, Nick, and Maria. And they don’t want to do that. You’re not going back there.” Phil let go of Bucky’s shoulders. “And kid, I’m here for you. Whatever you’re going through, kid, know this. You’re not going through it alone anymore. Alright?”
Phil smiled.
Bucky nodded.
He was safe.
He was safe.
Phil opened his arms, and without even thinking, Bucky fell into them, sobbing.
Phil’s strong, firm arms wrapped around him.
“That’s right kid. You’re safe here.”
Phil stroked his hair.
Kissed the top of Bucky’s head.
And, his sobs subsiding, safe in Phil’s strong arms, Bucky finally felt loved.
@freedomwriter76 AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW SWEET PRECIOUS BUCKYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLESS HIS HEART!!!!!!!!!!! And, augh, Phil is so sweet. I love him.
the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel
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@gracie-j. YESSSSSS!!!!! 😭💔
YES! PHIL IS AMAZING! 💖💖💖
@freedomwriter76 MOVE OVER PHIL I WANNA HUG BUCKY TOO!!!!! Ok, that is so sweet. I love it. The poor kid, whatever they did to him.
Oh and you’re welcome for the ideas! Yeah, Vision would be a….friendlier character to make. Maybe he builds both?
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
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@keilah-h. HAHA. ME TOO!!!! *pushes way in and hugs you, Phil, and Bucky* 😂 Aww, thank you! Yesss….I feel so bad for all of them. *sobs*
Haha. That would be PERFECT! 😆 Tony makes both of them…that’d be epic. 😉
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@keilah-h. @ava-blue. @gracie-j. Two more chapters for y’all. 😀
Chapter 10
Peter skipped through the hall.
He was ready to play with his friends.
He liked making new friends too.
His teacher, Miss May, was very nice.
She always smiled.
Peter always smiled back.
It was polite, Uncle Phil said.
Uncle Phil always played games with him, Auntie Maria always took care of his scrapes, and Nick always put him to bed.
Peter was happy. School and home were fun.
And he still had Tony, Clint, Pietro, and everyone else.
Peter was very happy.
He skipped into his class, and Miss May saw him. “Welcome back, Peter! Are you ready to learn?”
“Yes!”
Peter ran over to his friends. Played with and talked to them about stuff. They loved SpongeBob like he did!
Patrick was Peter’s favorite.
He was so funny.
Then…he did school.
Spelling and reading and history were fun, but he liked math and science.
He loved spiders.
They were his favorite animal.
No, they were bugs.
His favorite bug.
Peter smiled, proud he figured that out.
Uncle Phil would love to hear about how he figured out spiders were bugs, not animals.
Uncle Phil loved to hear Peter talk about anything.
Lunchtime came.
Peter grabbed his lunch box that Auntie Maria packed.
“Peter, come here a minute.”
“Yes, Miss May?” he asked, walking over to Miss May.
“The principle wants to see you.”
“…Why?” Peter asked. “I didn’t do anything.”
“I know Peter. I don’t know why he wants to see you. Just, come with me.”
He did so.
But he didn’t feel like it was fair.
He hadn’t done anything wrong.
Someone got him in trouble.
That wasn’t fair.
Chapter 11
“And…skip you, Tony.”
“Sam, hey!”
Sam winked. “That’s the game.”
Nick smiled.
They were all at the table, playing Uno. Using two decks, so there were enough cards for everyone.
They all laughed, teased, and poked fun while they played.
It was good to see them all happy.
Peter had evidently been mistaken for another young boy named Peter, same grade and same age.
They cleared it up though, and Peter had come home, eaten a snack, done homework, and watched SpongeBob, his usual after-school routine.
The others were good.
And Steve was…making progress.
Nick had him going to therapy two, sometimes three, times a week.
He was slowly opening up.
But it would take time.
Nick understood that.
“And I win!”
A loud groan sounded after Thor’s announcement, but it quickly turned to eagerness to play another round and maybe beat Thor.
Nick grinned and leaned back.
Yes.
This was wonderful.
Sure, there was still room for a lot of improvement, but everyone was doing better than Nick had expected.
“Another round!” Pietro cried, quickly dealing out cards.
Nick took his.
A loud knock sounded on the front door. Nick stood. “I’ll get it.”
Who would be bothering them in the evening…almost nighttime?
Nick opened the door.
He should have guessed.
“Hello Nick. Another week begins. I’m here to check on the kids. Are they still awake?”
“Yes. They’re playing Uno. You could have waited until tomorrow, Pierce.”
Pierce smiled. “That’s alright. Tonight works.”
Nick almost said something but bit his tongue.
He didn’t want to make Pierce angry. Not tonight, at least.
“Follow me.”
Pierce did so, following Nick into the kitchen.
Nick stopped. “Phil…Maria…where did all of the teenagers go?”
Maria shrugged. “They said they all had to go grab something.”
Nick sighed quietly. “You could still come tomorrow.”
Pierce slightly narrowed his eyes. “I won’t have time tomorrow. Just send them back down here. For now, I’ll talk to Pietro, Wanda, and Peter.”
“I’ll go get them then.” Nick replied curtly.
He walked upstairs, where most of the bedrooms were.
It wasn’t hard to find them.
They were all in Tony and Bruce’s bedroom.
“Hey Nick. What’s up?”
“I’m sure, Tony, you and everyone, for that matter, know “what’s up”. Why are all of you up here? Did you hear Pierce?”
Clint shrugged. “Yeah. So?”
“He wants all of you down there to make sure you’re doing fine.”
“He could come up here.” Natasha pointed out, crossing her arms.
Nick nodded. “He could. But he’s waiting downstairs. He wants to make sure all of you are doing fine. Wants to make sure you’re doing well here and at school and make sure you’re physically and mentally fine.”
“I find it hard to believe that he actually cares.” Bucky muttered.
“Either way, he wants to make sure you’re all doing well here.”
“…And if we’re not?” Steve asked softly. So quiet Nick barely heard him.
Nick sighed faintly. His phone dinged. He pulled it out.
“What’s taking so long!?”
Nick put his phone back in his pocket.
Pierce could be patient and wait.
Nick went over to and sat down on Tony’s bed, where they were all sitting except for Bruce, who sat on his bed, reading a book.
“You’re all doing better. Pierce just needs to see that. He wants to make sure you’re doing well here. If this home is good for all of you.”
“And what happens if he decides it’s not good for us?” Sam asked, and even Bruce was now paying attention to Nick.
Nick bit his lip. “I don’t know.”
“Yes. You do. You just don’t want to say it.” Tony countered.
“Okay. Tony, you’re right. I do know what would happen. But none of you have to be afraid of that.”
“You’re not the first one, you know.”
“Sam, what are you talking about?”
“You’re not the first one to take us into your house. There were plenty before.” Sam shrugged. “All of them decided they’d rather not have us around and sent us back.”“Were they kind to you at all?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Yeah. They were much nicer than you…of course they weren’t.”
“They weren’t any better than Pierce.” Steve whispered.
“Some of them were worse.” Natasha added.
“Worse than Pierce?” Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.
By the way many of them acted…the way Steve had PTSD…and plus, what Phil had told him about what Bucky confessed…Nick didn’t know of anyone that was worse than Pierce.
Bucky nodded. “Yeah. Worse than Pierce. Hard to believe.”
“The last person you were all with…how long ago was that?”
“Two years ago. Nobody came for us again until you did.” Clint grinned. “I guess news spreads fast.”
Nick raised an eyebrow.
Interesting way to put it.
“Did you all cause trouble? Is that the news that spread?”
They all lapsed into silence.
“Someone needs to answer me.”
“We did. After the way they treated us. We needed to escape somehow. Why not convince them we weren’t worth all their trouble?”
“I’m sure you got in trouble for every amount of trouble you got into, Tony.”
Tony shrugged. “Sure. But it was a small price to pay.”
“We wanted to make sure the young ones were safe.” Bruce replied quietly, pushing up on his glasses, as he set his book aside and came over.
“And fed and taken care of. Pierce may be a jerk, but at least the staff kept us fed a little bit and actually changed Peter’s diapers when he was a baby.” Clint noted with a shrug.
“The families didn’t?”
“Nope. We took care of Peter when he was that little. Me, Clint, Steve, and Bucky. The others hadn’t come yet.” Natasha said, then shrugged. “Not that we couldn’t do it. We learned how to make food too so we wouldn’t starve.”
“You learned how to cook?”
Clint nodded. “Sure did.”
“How old were all of you when Peter was a baby, and you were with a family that was like that?”
“Bucky was ten, me and Steve were nine, and Nat was eight.” Clint replied.
The door opened.
“Nick, sorry to bother all of you, but Pierce is getting impatient. Phil is stalling right now, but he can only keep that up for so long.” Maria said, poking her head in the door.
Tony stood up. “I guess we better get downstairs. Come on guys.”
They all stood.
Nick did as well. “All of you, how can you talk about that so…simply?”
Natasha turned around. “You get used to it after a while.”
Bucky turned around. Gave Nick a small smile devoid of any joy. “Besides, all of that is nothing compared to being a soldier.”
Peter is so cute. XD
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