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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫: 𝐀𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞

Bucharest, Romania

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Tony Stark proved to be an enigma of a man, just as his father had been.

He had been so warm and embracing to Allie, prepared to get to know the real her that the files on Trickery never revealed. He welcomed her into his home, offering her the protection and aid she craved. He willingly opened up about his father, a topic that he heavily despised talking about. He even offered her a place to stay for the night, letting a mass murderer sleep on the same floor as him (she thought he must have had a death wish.)

And yet he so often contradicted himself.

Despite inquiring into Allie's life and talking about his father, he left his walls up when talking about himself. Making sure he maintained a barrier between them, not exposing her to the true catastrophe that was Tony Stark.

He also tried to disregard all of his kindness as an obligation, a duty to his father. That it was his responsibility to get to know Allie, not because he wanted to know her, but because he was obliged to. When deep down, they both knew he wanted that lasting connection, someone who could tie him to his father and be the parent he had lost for a while now.

But most of all, Tony Stark was lonely.

He was constantly surrounded by people, employees that served him, paparazzi that dangled off his every word, the public that worshipped at his feet. And yet she could tell he was lonely. Other than the few individuals that truly knew Tony, there weren't many people who bothered to even try. Nobody that really wanted to dig past the layers that Tony presented to see the glittering phoenix of a man that laid beneath.

But Allie wanted to get to know all of Tony. Because as much as she owed it to Howard, she owed it to herself and to Tony. So that maybe she could finally have a friend that was from this era.

Allie had spent the rest of the night at Avengers Tower getting to know Tony. She watched in amazement as he showed her the Iron Man suit and all the other astonishing inventions he had created himself. Gadgets that ranged from tiny, little irrelevant toys to large scale industrial machines.

He truly did have his father's intelligence and knack for creativity.

Just watching the way he lit up when he talked about his designs made a strange wave of joy flood through Allie, unable to tear her mind from how much he truly resembled Howard.

She even got to meet Pepper Potts, the lady who claimed Tony's heart. Pepper was a beautiful woman, both inside and out. She held this calm and considerate demeanor, treating Allie as any normal person despite finding out about her past alter ego. Allie held monumental respect for Pepper as she could tell that despite her absence of physical powers, strength bled in her veins. A type of fortitude that so many people lacked.

She could also tell that Pepper was the chilling ice to Tony's raging fire, balancing each other out. Keeping each other sane in a world that was completely insane. She adored watching the way the two interacted, how Tony was so different around Pepper, and treated her as if she was a Queen. His queen.

The trio had shared dinner in the Tower, conversing as if they were lifelong friends rather than acquaintances who had only met each other that very day. Tony talked about his business and how Pepper was now the CEO, brimming with pride at his obviously very intelligent girlfriend. And of course, Pepper had brushed it off and talked about Tony being apart of the Avengers, saving the world one city at a time. And all Allie could really contribute to the conversation was living in the 1940s, because everything after that probably wasn't appropriate talk for the dinner table.

That entire day gave Allie a serenity she had never known, a reprieve from all the darkness that consumed her inside. She felt blessed that she was able to meet Tony, to see the greatest creation that Howard had ever made. And she knew deep down, that the Howard that she had known would have been smiling down on her, proud that he finally one-upped her. Creating something that she would never be able to top.

But sadly, Allie had to return home.

Tony didn't show it but he was devastated that Allie was going back home. He had only just got to know the woman that he had grown up hearing about, the woman whose legacy he was told to meet. He wished he had more time with her, more time to truly get to know the person that she had become.

The only thing that soothed his affliction was that Allie had promised that she would come back, knowing that there was more that she wanted to learn from him as well.

Tony had handed her the pills that he had hoped would help suppress her night terrors and his number, telling her that he would never be too busy to answer her call. And then he gave her a bone-shattering hug. She struggled to breathe as he wrapped her up in his arms, but she found herself enjoying the comfort anyway. And the second she had let go, she found that her heart had broke a little, wishing that goodbyes didn't affect her as much as they always had.

She regretfully got into the cab, watching on sadly as Tony's face quickly disappeared from sight. Wishing that she had more time with him, that they had more of an opportunity to talk about everything. Praying that this wouldn't be the only chance she would have to meet with Tony.

But once again, leaving Tony meant she was going home to Bucky.

He was all she could think about for the entire 13-hour flight back to Bucharest, captivating her mind as easily as he captivated her heart. She couldn't wait to see him again, as sappy as it sounded. It was utterly lame how much she relied on him, but alas she wouldn't change it for the world.

When the plane finally landed in Bucharest, Allie practically sprinted out of the plane and into the bustling airport terminal. It was as if she was on a drug-induced euphoric high, her head swirling in a cloud of happiness at the mere thought of reuniting with Bucky. Because without him, it was as if her breaths weren't as full, her smile not as bright, her soul not complete.

Dashing past the security, using her illusions to remain undetected, Allie hurried to their usual meeting spot. She wasn't even out the door when she spotted Bucky's dark mane of hair blowing in the wind. The early morning sun shone onto his face, giving him a faint glow as he basked in the warm light. She watched as his azure eyes flickered between the passing people, quite obviously looking for her.

Without a second of hesitation, Allie rushed out of the airport and towards Bucky, trying not to look too desperate as she walked.

Not even seconds after she had exited through the glass doors, Bucky's eyes fell on Allie. Immediately prompting a warm smile to fall on his lips that left her insides burning in a molten pool of joy.

Dropping her backpack on the floor, Allie threw herself into Bucky's outstretched hands and enveloped him in a hug. She sunk into his body, instinctively nestling her head into the crook of his neck as if she had been neglected from his touch for an eternity. When in reality, it had only been a measly 24 hours.

And the second he had wrapped his arms around her, it was as if the two of them had been transported off the face of the earth, too engrossed in the warmth of each other to even notice. Their bodies hurtling through the galaxy like a shooting star, burning more gloriously than even the brightest supernova. Rendered a shining constellation in the infinite galactic sky.

"Welcome home, love." Bucky whispered into her ear, finally loosening his grip on her slight body.

"I missed you." She murmured, pulling away from him reluctantly before picking up her momentarily discarded backpack.

"And I missed you." Bucky grinned, throwing his arm over her shoulder and tugging her towards his side. "How was it?"

"It was great." She said excitedly. "Tony is so much like Howard."

"I'm glad." Bucky smiled down at her softly. "Did you get anything for the nightmares?"

"Yeah, he gave me these pills to try." Allie informed him.

"Good."

The two continued walking over to their car, Allie eagerly informing Bucky about everything that happened during her trip to New York, not sparing a single detail. Bucky couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiastic state, listening intently as she told him everything about Tony.

Bucky had never been close to Howard, but he knew that Allie had been. The two of them being the resident science nerds at the SSR back in the day. So he understood how much this trip had meant to her, how she needed that closure from her past at HYDRA, and a connection to the woman she had been back in the '40s.

For their entire walk back to the car, Allie had talked nonstop about Tony, not that Bucky had minded. Obviously still reeling from how well the encounter had gone, in awe that she had finally got herself another friend (thankfully one from this century).

But then a familiar ringtone echoed through the air, halting Allie in the middle of her story. The two frowned at each other, neither expecting a phone call from anyone. Reaching into her backpack, Allie pulled out her phone and felt a wave of surprise overcome her at the name that appeared on the screen. And without a second of hesitation, she answered the call.

"Steve?"

"Hey, Allie." Steve spoke."How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" She frowned quizzically, turning to Bucky who looked at her in equal confusion.

"Good, good..."

"Steve, is everything okay?" She asked, nervousness rattling in her bones.

"Look, I'm just going to get straight to the point." He sighed. "We think we have found Mikael's base."

"What?"

"What's left of S.H.I.E.L.D has located a base in Austria that they think is where Mikael has been hiding out." Steve informed her.

And just like that, she experienced a type of dread that she had never felt before eat away at her very being. It's razor-sharp teeth tearing irreparable holes into her soul. Crushing and shredding in her abdomen, a beast that she had never seen before. A monster with an insatiable need to strip the very oxygen from her lungs. Devilish hellfire consuming her skin, a raging inferno that burnt all in its path, turning all her composure into ash.

All because Steve spoke that one word, that name that she wished she would never hear again.

Ignoring the ferocious war of thoughts erupting in her head, she let out a deep sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as if that would stop the memories from roaring in her mind.

"Have you raided it?" She whispered, her strength immediately drained.

"No."

"So why did you tell me?" She muttered, rendered a walking corpse, unable to form a coherent thought.

"Because I want you to help us take it down."

At his words, it felt as if the entire cosmos was tipped on its head. The gravity that held Allie to the ground seemed to dissipate from existence, her limbs heavy like they were made from lead. That very same beast encircling around her heart, squeezing her much needed organ dry.

"Steve, I don't know—"

"Please, Allie. I know it is probably the last thing you want to do but it's a big base and we need some help taking it down. And considering you may have already lived there and are an ex-HYDRA agent, who better to help us do it than you?"

She resolutely shook her head at his words, an audible sigh falling from her rosy lips. Everything about this sounded like trouble, something that she was very keen on avoiding. But this was Steve, and she knew he would never put her in a situation that wasn't necessary. Aside from Bucky, he was the only person who would truly look out for her.

"Who's we?" She inquired softly, trying to hide the uncontrollable shudders that had overcome her.

"Me, and a team of other agents." Steve answered."And someone I would like you to meet."

"I don't know if I can do it, Steve." She exhaled shakily.

"How about you just come to Austria and hear the plan? If you still don't like then you don't have to do it." Steve pleaded.

Allie's mind stumbled through the very many excuses she could make, ways that she could get out of helping Steve. Not because she wanted to leave Steve alone, make him work all that much harder to take down the base. No, it was because it was her base. It was her Mikael they were hunting.

The Mikael that had enslaved her to a life of permanent solitude, made to carry out the greatest of sins. Her hands coated in crimson blood, victims that were of their choice. Bleeding her heart of all that goodness she owned and replacing it with the cruelest of darkness, molding her into a warrior that would have made the devil proud.

But it was also the Mikael that had protected her from the wandering hands of HYDRA soldiers. Shielded her from the treatment that she saw so many others suffer from. Extinguished the fire and blood that engulfed her world. Treated her as a slave worthy of respect.

But a slave nonetheless.

"Alright, send me the details." She conceded.

"Thank you, Allie." Steve sighed in relief."You won't regret this."

Forgetting that Steve couldn't see her, she nodded her head and swiftly ended the call. An icy chill fell over her body, freezing her arms that fell limply by her side, still clutching onto her phone like a lifeline. The chill creeping down her skin until she was almost frozen to the spot, rendered a concrete statue standing in the middle of an airport car park.

"Buck—"

"No, absolutely not." He cut her off, not even letting her get the words out. "You are not taking down that base."

"But Steve said he needed help." She pleaded softly.

"And he's got a team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents to help him." He said bitterly, a serpentine creature of anger slithering through his veins and engulfing his thoughts. Infuriated at the mere idea that Steve was going to send Allie on a mission again.

"Buck, you know Steve wouldn't ask for help if he didn't think he needed it." She implored.

"I don't care about that. I care about you and this is dangerous."

"Well then come along." She told him, eyes wide as she was hit over the head with realization.

"Allie, you know I can't do that." Bucky shook his head.

"No, come to Austria with me. You can sit out of sight and listen to the plan." She argued. "And that way you can hear it for yourself."

"Allie..." Bucky trailed off, enticed by the idea but stubbornly refusing to give in.

"Please Bucky, just give Steve the chance." She murmured softly, taking his metal hand within her own and squeezing it. "Give me a chance."

Bucky looked down at their conjoined hands, trying to ignore the spillage of warmth that seeped through his blood, the molten light that embraced him tightly. He felt all his arguments perish at the mere contact of their fingers, effectively reduced to insignificant embers in her presence. The burning passion he had to oppose her argument thawing under her incessant demand.

"I hate you." He muttered, rolling his eyes as he tugged her towards their car.

"No you don't." She smiled, blindly following after him.

"No, I don't."

. ☾ .

It was only the next day that Bucky and Allie found themselves flying over to Austria to meet with Steve. Bucky had taken some convincing, stubbornly insisting that this was a very bad idea. But as usual, Allie had worn him down. Obviously too in love with her to say no.

Steve's text had come that night, informing her of the address that they would meet up at. She did her research and found that it was a small diner on the outskirts of Vienna, not very well known or praised highly according to google. And of course, they were supposed to be there the very next day, which proved to be a bit of a struggle for the pair.

As soon as the two of them realized there were very few ways to get to Vienna in the timeframe they were given, they all but jumped into their stolen car and drove off into the night. Allie felt guilt ebb at her conscious when she had realized that Bucky would have to drive the entire 10 hour trip to Austria given that she didn't know how to drive. But Bucky either didn't care or refused to show that he did.

The engine of the car had roared down the dark country roads, only drowned out by the conversation spoken between the two. Not even the onyx midnight sky could dampen their moods as they drove, the entire trip resembling something from one of her dreams. The peace that she had felt at that moment was indescribable, entranced by a feeling that she had been devoid of for so long. A nighttime rendezvous, leaving her with starry-eyes and melodious laughter pouring from her lips, a sound that made Gods weep in adoration.

When they arrived in Austria, the only had half an hour before Steve and his crew were due to meet them. They had spotted no surveillance in or around the diner so they had both assumed it was safe for them to head inside, the beginning of what would prove to be a very tumultuous 48 hours.

Bucky had taken his place at the very end of the restaurant, facing away from the filthy windows and Allie, who had herself taken her place at the opposite end of the diner. It was quite a simple plan, almost lacking knowledge. But this would be the only way that Bucky would even consider letting Allie go on this mission, which meant that this was a risk she was willing to take.

The time trickled by slowly, leaving Allie's limbs stiff with frustration. Her nimble fingers twiddling incessantly in her lap as she waited in her seat. With each passing minute, she had begun to felt flapping wings engulf her abdomen, fluttering with nauseating enthusiasm. Her lip had unknowingly found itself trapped between her pearly canines, gnawing down on the flesh anxiously. It was an unusual nervousness that she was experiencing, unsure if she was more afraid of Steve finding out that Bucky only sat mere meters away from him or the prospect that she may be meeting Mikael again within only a few hours time.

But not before long, the very familiar mop of golden hair had flashed through the doors to the diner. He strode into the diner, broad-shouldered and proud, donning a plain black shirt and jeans. Immediately his sapphire irises met hers, glittering with charm and joy, a sight that reminded her of the good old times.

She swiftly left her seat, standing up in a way that obscured Steve's sight of Bucky, but also allowing her better view of the people who followed after Steve.

She instantly was able to deduce the man walking behind Steve as none other than the infamous Nick Fury. His ebony skin glistening under the blazing sunlight, but his chestnut eyes colder than frost, penetrating into her like a razor-sharp icicle.

But the woman who followed after Fury was someone that Allie had never seen before. She had an air of angelicness about her, resembling pure ethereality. Her obsidian hair was pulled up tightly into an extravagant braid, with half of her dark tresses falling down onto her shoulders. She too was wearing quite plain clothes, a simple plaid shirt and black jeans. But the charcoal bracelet that she wore on her wrist seemed to emit pure darkness, striking a wave of fear in Allie.

But she quickly tore her gaze away from the woman, turning to Steve who approached her with a joyous smile plastered on his lips.

"Steve." She grinned up at her friend.

"Allie." He responded before quickly embracing her in his arms, squeezing her body softly. Allie felt herself smile into his hold, forgetting what it felt like to be embraced by Steve.

But then the moment all too quickly came to an end.

Steve let go off Allie and turned to face his little troupe. "This is Nick Fury and Melaina."

Fury extended his hand towards Allie, watching her with complete apathy, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Trickery, it's nice to finally put a name to the face." He spoke, his voice icy cold.

"I could say the same to you, Director Fury." She responded, grasping his hand and shaking it firmly. "And I go by Alexandra now or Allie."

"Not Director any more thanks to HYDRA." He replied, his face stoic despite the tone of disdain dripping from his words.

"I would say I am sorry but I had nothing to do with that." She informed him calmly, trying to quell the anxiousness that coiled in her stomach. "At least not willingly."

"I know your situation, Alexandra. And I am not here to judge you on it." He commented, taking a seat in the booth she saved. "I am here for business."

Allie nodded at Fury, heat crawling in her cheeks. She could see the obvious distaste for her that lingered in his umber eyes. The way he eyed her up as a threat, a danger that needed to be stifled.

Forcefully tearing her eyes from the Director, Allie turned towards the woman who stood by Steve's side. She felt her brows furrow at the way the two stood together, indicating some form of relationship between them. She could sense the magnetic pull between their bodies, the way they forcibly stood apart from each other, albeit only managing a few inches of space.

"Hi, I'm Allie." She finally spoke, meeting the woman's emerald orbs as she extended her hand out for her to shake.

"Melaina." The woman replied cooly, grasping Allie's outstretched hand. The second that their hands had come into contact, Allie felt her body shake from the bitter cold that came from Melaina's own petite fingers.

Immediately her digits were rendered stiff, subject to a bitter cold that she hadn't felt for a very long time. Seeping the warmth from her blood like a parasite.

"I'm sorry but I've never heard of you before." Allie answered, letting go of Melaina's hand as she tried to ignore the urge to sigh at the return of heat that consumed her limb again.

"How interesting, you must not be familiar with the Greeks then." Melaina smirked, flashing her pearly white teeth facetiously. "It's no matter, I am only a Goddess anyway."

"I—I'm sorry, what?" Allie stuttered, the air knocked from her lungs at Melaina's very words.

"A Goddess, darling. You know the deities who are supreme beings with divine status and such." She grinned brazenly, watching in amusement as Allie's jaw fell slack at the news. "Yes, Steve was quite reluctant to tell you about that. Apparently having a Goddess for a girlfriend can be quite a dilemma. He said he wanted to tell you at the right time. But there is never a better time than a battle I personally believe."

"WHAT?"

"You truly don't know what a Goddess is, do you know young mortal?" Melaina teased.

"I—I... What? A Greek Goddess?" Allie finally managed to get out, still reeling from the fact she was standing before a Greek God. One that was dating her best friend. 

"Yes, the Goddess of Darkness. I'm the daughter of Nyx and Erebus." Melaina answered but the words passed over Allie's head, holding no meaning to her. "Making me a primordial deity technically."

"I'm sorry I don't understand."

"Don't worry, mortals never truly understand how this all works."

"I—I..." Allie stammered anxiously. "Well, it's nice to meet you."

"And you too." Melaina nodded, this time earnest in her response as she took her seat at the table.

"Look, Allie—"

"We will talk about this later, Steven." She hissed, resembling a fuming dragon as she slipped into the booth. Vexation dripping from her words like poison as she glared at him.

"Now that you have all played catch up and wasted some of our time," Fury started. "I think it's time for us to talk about the real reason we are here."

"This is the HYDRA base that we believe Mikael Baumann is holed up in." Fury said as he slid a photo of the base onto the table. Allie felt her bones turn to ice as she gazed at the all too familiar image, shivering violently inside her skin as the malevolent memories threatened to bubble to the surface.

"It's under 24/7 guard and we believe there is upwards of 50 men working at the base as well as military-level defenses on the perimeter." Fury continued, pointing to the specific areas on the photograph.

"Sounds like fun." Melaina purred, flipping little balls of darkness between her fingers aimlessly, leaving Allie to watch on wide-eyed at the action.

"Sounds dangerous to me." Steve replied, rolling his eyes unsurprisingly at Melaina's careless demeanor.

"Why isn't this a mission for the Avengers?" Allie piped up, threading her brows downwards in confusion.

"Because Mikael Baumann is not an Avengers level threat. He's not out for global domination, but he still is apart of HYDRA. Which means he needs to be taken down." Fury answered sternly.

"So how's this going to work?" She asked again.

"You and I are going to infiltrate the base from the west like the good old days." Steve said with a gentle smile. "We are going to take out the HYDRA soldiers and get inside to capture and arrest Baumann."

"Whilst I draw their attention to the East." Melaina piped up, letting the dark orbs that danced around her fingers dissipate into thin air.

"Alone?" Allie frowned.

"Darling, I'm a God. I could do this all by myself if I so desired." Melaina rebuked playfully.

"And then we will have another task force attacking from the south which will draw their forces outside and give you and Steve the best chance to slip inside undetected." Fury continued, not giving Allie any time to respond.

"Sounds well thought out." She commented, feeling Steve's azure eyes prickle against her alabaster skin. Watching for even the slightest wash of emotion to overcome her face, waiting to see her thoughts on the mission.

"It is, which means the only problem we will have is if you aren't prepared to see Baumann again." Fury stated, his onyx irises remaining cold as he eyed Allie up, watching as she bridled in fury.

"Excuse me?"

"Williams, you are an essential part of this plan. But after everything that HYDRA has done to you, it also makes you a liability." He continued lowly, reminiscent of a snake coiling ready to attack. "If you aren't prepared to see the person who stole everything from you then you may not be fit for this mission."

"Fury." Steve had growled, voice cracking like the first sheet of thunder, jaw rigid as he glared at his companion.

"I know what I can handle." Allie bit back, eyes flashing like knives.

"Good, then you will be hearing from me soon." Fury bowed his head and got up to leave the three alone.

Overcome with frustration, Allie stirred in her seat, feeling nausea seep up her throat as she watched Fury's retreating figure exit the small diner. A slight scowled decorated her face as she felt her hands involuntarily clench by her side, her fingernails digging deeply into the skin of her palm, deep enough to draw blood to the surface.

"Allie—"

"How the hell could you not tell me you had a girlfriend." She smoldered furiously, tension surging in her ivory bones.

"It's a bit hard to tell someone from the '40s that your girlfriend is a Goddess, Allie. She's supposed to be a myth. A millennia-old myth. She's older than us!" Steve exclaimed, gesturing to the woman in question who just rolled her eyes at Steve's exaggerated tone. "I can't even wrap my head around it sometimes."

The conviction that had burned in her mind slowly began to evanesce as she stared at Steve's face. The glacial ice that left her body rigid melting under his warm gaze. Unable to not give in to his puppy dog features and kind heart that she knew was just trying to do the right thing.

"Well is there anything else that I need to be told?" She sighed defeatedly, her previously clenched fingers unraveling as she let out a long, unsteady breath of air.

"Yes, I am with a child." Melaina piped up, smiling innocently as she rested a soft hand on her abdomen.

"What!"

"Fools, of course I'm not pregnant." She rolled her eyes at the two of them who's eyes had nearly bugged out of their heads in surprise.

"Jesus Christ, Mel." Steve muttered as he tried to stem the parasite of anxiety that had leeched in his veins

"What have I said about using his name!" Melaina growled, her emerald eyes darkening murderously. "Use the Greeks, love! He's a myth!"

"I thought you were one too." He grumbled, running a tense hand through his disheveled golden locks.

"I swear on the River Styx, Steve." She seethed, almost as if plumes of dark smoke were emitting from her body that was a raging flame of irritation.

"You definitely sound like a couple." Allie cocked a brow teasingly, unable to stop the slight chuckle that fell from her rosy lips.

Steve shook his head at Allie before he let out an exasperated sigh, turning towards Allie with a serious look on his face.

"Before you go, Allie." He started, eyes dipping low as he found the words he wanted to get out forming as stones in his throat. "I know what Fury said was harsh, but it was true. Nobody is going to blame you for not being ready to see Mikael again. After everything he has done to you, I understand if you don't want to see him ever again."

As he expected, within only a nanosecond, a glower had made its way onto Allie's face. Anger screaming beneath her glaring look. Shadows dancing across her skin, twisting into pure malice at the very thought that she couldn't take Mikael. That she couldn't deal with the very person who had sentenced her to a lifetime of torturous solitude.

"Because of everything he has done to me, I need to see him. I need to see him suffer for what he has done, the monster he has created. He needs to pay for all his crimes." She responded, fighting to withhold the venom that itched to coat her words. "And I will not rest until he has paid his dues."

"My sister Nemesis would be proud of you." Melaina spoke, turning to Allie with a look of admiration in her eyes, not bothering with her sarcastic comments for the first time that evening. "You are strong, Alexandra. As strong as Heracles and dedicated like Zelus. The world has made you a fighter and this is your opportunity for retribution. My sister will pay you favor for this injustice and I shall assist your quest to achieve it."

"Thank you, Melaina." Allie said gratefully, bowing her head in respect.

"Please, call me Mel." She shook her off, giving her a wry smile. "You have earned my respect and I look forward to fighting alongside you."

And with that, Melaina pushed herself from out of the booth, giving Allie a reverent nod before she too exited the diner. Leaving Steve and Allie sitting at the table alone.

"She's definitely an interesting one Steve." Allie smirked lightly, turning to her friend.

"She crept up on me like a shadow." He chided, watching his girlfriend's retreating frame with a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.

"Will you tell me about how you met?" Allie asked, happiness charging through her bones like a cavalry, beyond proud of Steve for finding someone that deserved his boundless love and affection.

"After we have caught Mikael. During our celebrations." Steve smiled, grasping Allie's hand within his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he got up and followed after his lover, leaving an overjoyed Allie sitting in the booth and a very confused Bucky reading the newspaper at the back of the restaurant for only the 4th time.

. ☾ .

Hello loves!

Wow, uploading this at 2am in the morning really reminds me of how fucked my sleep schedule is. Oh well, who needs sleep anyway.

So as you already know by now, the very beautiful Marie Avgeropoulos as Melaina (Mel-A-Na)! I know she is slightly overused but I wanted to use an actual Greek actress as the face claim for Mel and Octavia has MAJOR dark vibes in the 100!

The next chapter of Trickery may not be up Monday next week as it is the start of exam week at school, but it will definitely be up very soon! I'll aim to have it done before Friday so that I can pump out the entire book before the start of July hope given that I will be on holidays again (thank the Gods ;)  )

I don't really have much else to say this update so yeah, stay safe my loves! And once again, Happy Pride to every single one of you x

Now onto the questions!

1. What do you think of this chapter?

2. What would you like to see next?

3. What do you think of Melaina?

4. idk I'm too tired to think of a 4th question that will challenge someone existentially or fulfill my egotistical demands so just leave a comment here that might brighten someone's day or make someone laugh?

ANYWAY, until next time!

- Grace xx