Chapter Text
The reunion room was heavy with exhaustion. The New Avengers had barely dragged themselves back from their last mission, they’d had less than ten hours of rest. Some were slouched in their chairs, others just staring blankly at the table.
Then the door opened. The sound of heels.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine stepped in like she owned the place, followed by Mel. “Rise and shine, kiddies. No naps today. We’ve got work.”
Groans rippled around the table.
Alexei muttered under his breath, “Devil woman—” earning a small snort from Yelena.
Val ignored them, dropping a folder onto the table. “Your next mission is called Project Morgana. Straight from our friends in government. They’d like you to handle this one quietly.”
Bucky’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the project?”
Val’s smile was sharp, like she enjoyed dragging out the tension. “Some brilliant minds found themselves a little— creatures. A faerie, supposedly. Not just any faerie, a water manipulator one. Very rare, very unstable, and very dangerous. And—” she leaned in, savoring the words, “—they’re trying to turn her into a knock-off Winter Soldier.”
The room shifted. Bucky sat forward instantly, his jaw tight. “Are you sure?” His voice carried an edge of ice.
Val didn’t flinch. “Oh, I’m more than sure. Think Winter Soldier: Aquatic Edition. A weapon on a leash, if they can manage it.”
“Fucking idiots,” Ava muttered.
“Exactly,” Val said sweetly. “Which is why you’re going in. Shut it down before it goes any further.”
Bucky exhaled, sharp and frustrated. “Send us the intel Mel.”
“You’ll have it in a few seconds.” Responded Mel tapping on her tablet.
“And you have thirty to be in the air.” Concluded Val with an annoying smile on her face.
Yelena, arms crossed, glared at Val. “And what exactly are we supposed to do with this faerie, if she’s real? Kill her?”
Val tilted her head. “Absolutely not. Avoid that if possible. We don’t know what she is or where she came from, which makes her very inconvenient. Best case, hand her to the CIA or even SHIELD even, I don’t care, they will deal with that. Or, if you’re lucky, push her back where she belongs.” She gave a little shrug.
“Either way, not my problem. I don’t do daycare. I don’t want to have that thing on my hands.”
Her eyes flicked across the table, landing on the team with a sly glint. “Besides, I already have a handful of unstable cases to wrangle. And one of them’s far more dangerous and unstable than the rest.”
The jab landed like a blade.
John straightened, glaring at her. “Tell me you didn’t just talk about Bob right now ?!”
Val didn’t answer. She only smirked, a low chuckle slipping past her lips as she turned toward the door.
Bob froze, staring at his hands, his shoulders folding inward.
Bucky’s hand shot out, bracing against John’s arm before he could rise from his chair. “Walker. Don’t. She’s not worth it.”
Val’s heels clicked as she left, tossing one last dagger over her shoulder: “Thirty minutes. Don’t be late.”
The door shut.
John was still staring at it, fists clenched so hard his knuckles went white. “Fucking bitch.”
Silence lingered. Then one by one, the team pushed out of their chairs and filed toward the hangar, muttering curses under their breath. When the room finally emptied, John stayed behind. He glanced at Bob, who was still hunched over, silent and small.
John sighed, running a hand over his face. “Don’t listen to that evil witch, Bob. She doesn’t know shit.”
Bob let out a small sigh, shoulders slumping. “It’s fine. She’s not wrong. I know I’m— unstable.”
John leaned back, shaking his head. “Bob, c’mon. We’re all unstable. Alexei talks to his costume like it’s his wife. I swear the man whispers sweet things to his helmet. Yelena puts hot sauce on everything, she puts it in cereal once and I’m not over it. Ava’s hobby is acting like she’s fucking Casper. And scaring people for fun.” He waved a hand vaguely. “We’re basically a support group with weapons.”
Bob’s laugh came out sharp and bright before he could stop it.
John grinned and kept going, warmed up now. “Bucky’s a walking grumpy cat. Mention Sam in front of him and he turns into this ten-minute sermon about how great Sam is, like he’s quoting the Bible. While Sam hasn’t spoken to him properly in months. So yeah, that’s us.”
He jabbed a thumb at his own chest, suddenly self-mocking. “And me? I’m the actual disaster. I managed to be Captain America for like a month and spectacularly failed at that. So congratulations — we’re all perfectly unstable.”
Bob hiccupped another laugh, quieter, softer. The tension in his shoulders eased. He met John’s eyes, suddenly small with worry. “Please. Be careful out there.”
John’s face softened. He tried to play it off with a smirk. “Don’t worry. Someone’s gotta keep this circus from burning down.” He rose, shoved his hands in his pockets.
Bob’s response was a half-smile, the one that reached his eyes. “Go. Don’t be late US Agent.”
John gave him a crooked grin and left, but Bob’s laugh, light and surprised — threaded after him down the corridor.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎
The New Avengers barreled into the building like a storm. Enemies barely had a chance to raise their weapons before Alexei and Bucky cut through them, fists and blades moving faster than the eye could follow. Yelena danced through the chaos, each strike precise and brutal, while Ava closed in behind her, relentless.
John’s task was simple in theory—get inside and find the so-called faerie. In practice, it was chaos incarnate. He pivoted on one foot, landing a spinning reverse kick that sent an enemy flying, then slammed into another with a body shot so forceful it knocked the wind out of him. Capoeira flows carried him from one enemy to the next, every movement a blend of rhythm and lethal intent. He was a storm of muscle and skill, unstoppable, relentless.
And then the bullets came. Whizzing, snapping through the air, a deadly curtain of lead. John’s eyes snapped upward on the mezzanine, a man crouched with a machine gun, hosing down everything below. He slammed himself against a crumbling wall, breath sharp in his chest, and grabbed the comms.
“Guys! Machine gun, three o’clock! Cover me!” His voice cut through the roar of battle, sharp and urgent, every word punctuated by the echoing ricochet of bullets around him.
Ava phased through the wall like she was part of it, her hands gripping the man with the machine gun before he even knew what hit him. He went down with a grunt, the weapon clattering across the floor. “Clear!” she called into her comm, voice sharp but steady. “All handled. Go!”
John didn’t hesitate. He vaulted over a crate, spinning into a flurry of blows that sent two guards sprawling. His fists and feet moved so quickly, brutal and precise, leaving anyone who dared face him reeling.
Then he caught sight of movement, a man clutching a stack of papers, slipping through a side corridor. “Got one, trying to get away!” John barked into the comms, eyes narrowing. Without waiting, he sprinted after him, muscles coiling and releasing in perfect, deadly rhythm.
“Walker! Wait!” Bucky’s voice came through, sharp and frustrated.
Alexei’s voice is just behind, Bucky “Captain wait ! He’s already gone. Do we follow ?”
Bucky’s jaw tightened. “Yes ! Damn it. That dumbass never waits.”
John was already gone, a blur of motion as he barreled down the corridor, dodging debris and swinging at anyone foolish enough to stand in his path. The chase was on.
The man with the papers glanced over his shoulder, panic flickering across his face. John’s eyes locked on him. “Stop right fucking there!” he roared, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
John swung his shield with precision, the metal edge glinting as it barreled toward the fleeing man. But with a swift, desperate roll, the man dodged, just barely slipping past. John’s eyes widened in surprise—he hadn’t expected that.
The man scrambled into a room filled with humming computers and blinking lights, slamming his hands across the keyboard like a man possessed. John’s heart raced. “Motherfucker!” he barked, charging forward. Sparks from the panels reflected in his eyes as he lunged.
But it was too late. The massive tank in the center of the room hissed and groaned, water surging inside as the controls whirred to life. A loud, ominous gurgle filled the air.
The man turned, a manic grin spreading across his face. “You think you can stop us, US Agent?! You’re going to regret this!”
John didn’t hesitate. With a tight, controlled motion, he punched the man square in the jaw, sending him crumpling to the floor unconscious. But even as the man fell, the tank erupted. Water exploded upward and outward, crashing through the room with the force of a tidal wave.
John barely managed to dive behind a console, his shield clattering in front of him as a barrier against the torrent. The unconscious man was ripped from the floor, swept away by the sudden flood.
“Bucky! Alexei!” John shouted over the roar, hearing them scramble. Both took cover as best they could, hunkered down behind tables and racks of equipment.
But then it happened. The water seemed to twist, coiling and compressing around him. John’s breath caught as the flood became a living, writhing mass, constricting and lifting him off his feet. He thrashed, fists pounding, but the water wouldn’t relent.
“Get off me!” he yelled, the room spinning as he was trapped in the relentless current, struggling against an impossible force. Suddenly, he was fully submerged, unable to breathe.
Alexei lunged forward, hands trying to grip the writhing mass of water around John. “Nyet— it is impossible!” he shouted, panic in his voice. “Like— like jelly! I cannot move it!”
Panic filled John's eyes. Alexei tried again and again to pull the soldier out. But nothing worked, and the man could no longer breathe. His movements slowed, John was drowning, and Alexei couldn't do anything.
Bucky took aim with his gun, firing at the swirling water, but the shots barely made a dent.
“What the fuck is that shit !?” he cursed, eyes wide.
Then Yelena appeared, swift and fierce. “What is going on ?!” she barked, charging forward trying to help her dad save John.
"He's drowning!!” scream Bucky giving up on his gun, he too trying to help John, who was drowning in front of them. Ava finally arrived and also tried to help, but even with her capacities she couldn’t catch the soldier. Growing desesperate, Yelena unleashed a shock from her Widow’s Bite, electricity arcing through the water.
The water convulsed violently, writhing like a living creature. John’s limbs flailed, chest heaving, water choking him as he fought to stay conscious. The mass shuddered violently as Yelena’s electricity surged through it. Blue sparks danced along the water’s surface, illuminating the room in harsh staccato flashes. The force slammed John onto Alexei, who stumbled backward but managed to keep his footing. John coughed, spitting out the water that had flooded his lungs. He was completely soaked, his tears mixing with the water. A few seconds less, and he would clearly have died.
“John, are you ok ?” asked Yelena trying to help him breathe.
The man couldn’t answer just nodding while trying to breathe. Quickly Bucky and Ava were on guard.
The water recoiled slightly, splashing onto the floor, and then— it began to shrink, condensing. Slowly, impossibly, it took shape. The rippling liquid solidified into the trembling form of a child's small, soaked, black hair with violet streaks plastered to her face, green eyes wide and terrified.
For a long, suspended moment, no one moved. The room was drenched in chaos and crackling electricity, but all that mattered was the small, shivering child standing or rather wobbling—in the puddles at their feet.
Bucky’s mouth opened, then closed, utterly speechless. His eyes darted between John and the child, as if waiting for one of them to explain what the hell had just happened. “What the—”
Alexei’s jaw dropped. “Nyet, impossible she— she is a child?” His hands froze midair, disbelief.
Ava’s eyes went wide. “She’s tiny. Maybe four years old? She can’t be older, right?” She hesitated, unsure whether to step closer or stay put.
Yelena’s hands twitched, her voice sharp. “I do not believe this! Tell me this is a joke?! A child? Are you kidding me?! The ‘fairy’ is a child?!” She glared at everyone, incredulous.
The little girl shrank back on herself, terrified of the circle of towering adults surrounding her. No one moved. John, finally catching his breath, stepped forward cautiously.
“Hey— we’re not bad people,” he said, coughing through the water still in his lungs. “We came to save you. I promise— we’ll get you somewhere safe.”
The girl stayed frozen, her wide green eyes flicking nervously between each of them. John could see the hesitation, the battle of trust playing out in her gaze. He slowly lowered his stance, arms open slightly, voice soft but firm.
He set his shield aside, pushing it away from him with a gentle clatter. “I swear— on my life. All I want is to keep you safe, little apple. We’ll get you to your family. Or somewhere you’ll be protected.”
The child’s trembling eased just a fraction, but she still didn’t move. The tension in the room was thick, everyone holding their breath, knowing the smallest motion could either make her run or finally let her trust them.
With Alexei steadying him, John slowly got to his feet, every movement cautious. He approached the little girl carefully, remembering how his own son had always sought comfort in being held when afraid.
He crouched down to her level, arms open in a gentle, inviting gesture. “Hey— it’s okay,” he murmured softly. “I’ll help you. I’ll take you somewhere safe. We’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
The girl hesitated for a heartbeat, trembling violently, before finally stepping into his arms. Her small body shook, clinging to him, and John held her close, careful not to startle her, whispering reassurance as she calmed—just slightly—against him.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎
The return trip had been silent. Bucky had contacted Valentina, carefully framing the “fairy” story as an exaggeration, nothing real, just overblown government talk.
Inside the jet, John and the little girl huddled together under a thick blanket, both shivering from the cold. Her tiny hands gripped his suit, still trembling slightly, while he kept one arm wrapped around her, murmuring soft reassurances.
No one spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward—it was heavy, filled with the weight of what had just happened. Words felt inadequate.
When the jet finally touched down and they stepped into the elevator, the quiet persisted. The little girl clung to John’s side, and even Alexei, Bucky, and Yelena were subdued, exchanging only brief glances.
The elevator doors slid open. Standing there, Bob’s expression softened immediately, a relieved smile breaking across his face.
“You’re okay!” he exclaimed, stepping forward.
Yelena gave a small nod, reassured Bob with a brief glance, careful not to jostle the girl. “We’re— okay,” she said quietly.
The little girl remained nestled in John’s arms, and he carefully pulled back the blanket just enough to show Bob a glimpse of her scared but tiny figure.
“Oh—” Bob breathed out softly. “Hey little one.”
His voice was calm, warm, and full of reassurance, and Morgan blinked up at him, her tears glimmering in the light.
“John, you can go. I’ll help her get cleaned up,” Ava said, stepping forward.
Morgan’s small body stiffened, and she shook her head violently, burying her face deeper into John’s chest, whimpering softly. Her fingers clenched his shirt as though to anchor herself, refusing to let him go.
“I’ve got this, Ava. Just find me some clothes for her,” John said softly, heading toward his room.
“Well, everyone, go take a shower. We’ll talk later,” Bucky said, turning toward his own room, clearly exhausted.
One by one, the others left, leaving Bob standing in the hallway, watching John carry the little girl. Bob still didn’t fully understand what had just happened.
TBC