Delacroix, Louisiana

Four days after the Emergence

"I'm still asking myself how did you find him."

"You have your mind control, I have my emotion control. Trust me, he's not that hard to find. And Phastos owed me a favor." I smirked and linked arms with him. "Besides, if memory serves me right, you used to get along with James and Steve."

"Whatever you say, my starlight." Druig teased and I rolled my eyes walking up to a man and tapped his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"You're the Falcon, right? We're looking for Bucky Barnes. Is he here by any chance?" I asked and Sam crossed his arms.

"How do you know Buck?" He asked and I pursed my lips.

"Umm... long story... I kinda was his, his sister, and Steve's babysitter when they were about six. Last I saw them, Bucky was about fifteen chasing a fourteen year old Steve."

"What the-"

"Steve could run!?" Druig interrupted and I nodded. "He had asthma! He could barely walk down the block without getting an asthma attack! Remember Coney Island!?"

"Hence why Bucky was chasing him down the streets of Brooklyn." I said patting Druig's back and turned back to Sam. "Meet my husband, Druig. Or as I call him, the little shit."

"Irish?"

"Yeah, let's go with that." I shrugged.

"No way... Vena? Druig?"

"Hey, Bucky." I smiled turning around. "It's good to see you again."

"Vena, no offense, but you're supposed to be dead." Bucky chuckled hiding his left hand.

"So are you, honey. And yet here we are." I smiled taking a step forward and he took one back. "James, I know. And it's okay, trust me."

"How much do you know?"

"All of it. The fall, the Accords, you name it... I was always keeping tabs on my two boys." I whispered and held his hand. "I tried searching for you when Becca wrote to me. But I didn't even know where to look."

"Becks wrote to you? I thought you-"

"Moved to Australia? I gave you boys the address and when I moved back to Peru, I sent it to both of you. Steve sent me letters during the War, but you only wrote like twice."

"Didn't want you to worry." He shrugged sheepishly and I scoffed.

"I was your babysitter and took Steve to the hospital various times. Worrying about my sweet boys is my job!" I smiled and he smiled back. "I think we have a lot to talk about, but first, I want you to meet my family."

"Are they like Druig who always stares?" He chuckled and Sam widened his eyes.

"So that's where you got the staring thing!? Oh my God!" Sam exclaimed and Druig rolled his eyes.

"Anyways!" I scolded and gestured for the rest to walk over. "This is my older sister Sersi and Makkari, my older brother Phastos, my baby sister Sprite, my Momma Thena, and you all met the little shit, Druig."

"What the-"

"Like I said, we have a lot to talk about."

...

"An Eternal? I was babysat by an Eternal!?"

"Yeah, and you also helped kill one, thanks for that."

"Thanos was an Eternal!? But he's... and you're... What the fuck!?" Bucky exclaimed and I laughed handing him another beer.

"Genetic defect, I suppose. I think he got Mahd Wy'ry and did what he did. He was doing us a favor, but you guys payed the price." I shrugged and took off my heels. "We were told not to interfere, but apparently he couldn't help himself."

"You knew Thanos?"

"No, but I've been doing a lot of reading these past few days trying to trigger a memory of my past life. So far, no luck."

"Yeah, I know how it feels." Bucky sighed leaning back on a pillar. "So that massive earthquake four days ago, that was you?"

"A Celestial named Tiamut. Our mission was to make sure he emerged, but this planet would be destroyed. So, we stopped the Emergence. He's currently in marble in the Caiman Islands in case you have that on your bucket list." I teased.

"I guess you never stopped taking care of me and Steve, huh? I just have one question."

"Yes?"

"If by some miracle you found me, what then?"

"Well... Either I took you back to Brooklyn to your sister, or I took you to Druig's village in Peru where you would be at peace." I shrugged and he nodded.

"So Druig's mind control? That's... something." He mumbled.

"I know how you feel, sweetheart. But, we don't choose our powers, they're given to us."

"How would he use it?"

"Well, he was always in charge of steering the people away from the Deviants and make sure they didn't get hurt. He also can block triggering thoughts which is why after each fight, he would help the children forget the Deviants so they could sleep easier at night."

"And you? What's your gift then?"

"I have complete control over the elements and I can manipulate emotions." I hesitated and Bucky tensed slightly. "I don't use it often, James. It's not something I'm actually proud of having."

"But you use it." He pointed out.

"A handful of times. Last time I used it, it actually ended up saving my life." I shrugged.

"When?"

"Four days ago when Ikaris almost killed me?"

"Icarus? The boy who flew too close to the sun? He actually existed!? So, all those bedtime stories you told me and Steve-"

"Were actually true. Aphrodite and Adonis, Icarus, the tales of the mighty Gilgamesh, among others." I laughed and Bucky widened his eyes. "I'm surprised you never saw the resemblance of me and Aphrodite."

"Trust me, Vena, I saw the resemblance when I took art in high school and had to do a report on the birth of Venus."

"Botticelli did a decent job. And I hate Druig for saying that she was born out of sea foam." I scoffed.

"Could've been worse. It could've been-"

"The ballsack of a Titan? Thank Kingo for that one. He hid from me for five days and when I found him... Well, let's just say that there's a reason Thena is called protector of Athens."

"That was you!?" Bucky exclaimed and I nodded. "Any other historical events you were a part of?"

"Well... Druig and Phastos invented wedding rings, I created papyrus which eventually turned into paper, Sprite and I talked Homer into writing the Iliad and the Odyssey a few years after I told the story of Achilles and Patroclus... Sersi created various historical artifacts, Thena is a well known warrior in various legends, so is Gil. Makkari bargained her life for an Emerald Tablet that I have yet to know the purpose of. And other stories that I can't say because I don't want to traumatize you." I smirked and Bucky looked at me mouth agape. "We've practically been here since the dawn of history, sweetheart. 7000 years living amongst all of you."

"My old babysitter is a badass!"

"Trust me Bucky, that's all you."

...

"So, all those terrible things throughout history... You could've ended it all. Why didn't you?"

"We were told not to interfere, Sam. It was our mission and someone made sure that it was completed. Until now of course."

"We don't talk about Ikaris." I hissed and Sersi raised her hands in surrender.

"The boy who flew to the sun!? You're kidding!" Sam exclaimed and we all nodded. "Any other Greek mythology characters that we should know about?"

"Thena is Athena, Vena is Aphrodite, Persephone, and Venus; Druig is Mars, Adonis, Hades and Ares. We inspired a lot of Greek gods and people related to Mythology. I mean Achilles and Patroclus is basically a story that Vena came up with in two days." Sprite answered.

"Is it true that Aphrodite's beauty could start and end wars, Vena?" Sam asked and I laughed looking at Druig and Makkari who was stifling a laughter.

"You're talking about the apple of Discord, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"It is true. Vena was the most beautiful and powerful person in all of Greece by the time we lived there. That and her powers may have something to do with it." Druig snickered and I flicked a piece of bread at him.

"Vena could just look at you and you'd stop whatever you were doing. She was terrifying when she wanted." Makkari laughed and I flipped her off.

"She's right! I remember one time, you sat Steve down and lectured him for twenty minutes about why he shouldn't keep picking fights when in the middle of an asthma attack." Bucky butted and laughed. "It was thanks to her that I started chasing Steve around whenever he was picking fights."

"Do you remember the time me and Druig took you both to Coney Island-"

"And Steve had an asthma attack after riding the Ferris Wheel? I specifically remember Druig having fifteen heart attacks in five seconds." Bucky teased and Druig groaned. "You were pushing people outta the way while Vena carried Steve on her back!"

"And you didn't want to leave at first because we promised both of you that we would go on all the rides." I pointed out and he shrugged sheepishly. "Don't get cocky, Buchanan. I still remember when Becca said that-"

"SHH!" Bucky screeched placing a hand over my mouth. "I'll never hear the end of it with this one!"

"Hear what!? Tell me!" Sam smiled and I looked at Bucky who groaned sitting back down and removed his hand.

"I may or may not have had the biggest crush on Vena when I was a kid and it may have rekindled when I saw her again at fifteen." Bucky grumbled and Makkari widened her eyes before bursting out laughing. "Shut up, Makkari!"

"Oh my god." Phastos choked out before joining Makkari. "Why isn't Kingo here!? Druig, text him and tell him what just happened!"

"Behave you two." Thena scolded with a smirk. "Nothing to be ashamed of James. I remember Druig pining for two thousand years before finally growing some courage and asked her."

"Thanks, Mum. Appreciate it." Druig rolled his eyes.

"Buck... you just filled every single cliche in the book! You fell for your babysitter!? That's like... The most cliché thing I've ever heard!" Sam exclaimed and Bucky groaned banging his head on the table.

"Thanks, Sam."

"And two thousand years, Druig? Really!?" Sam turned to him and Makkari and I smirked turning to him as well.

"I gotta hear this."

"I had my reasons! Vena wasn't the easiest person to confess to, y'know!? She was always fighting and-"

"Bullshit! Whenever she wasn't breaking my walls throwing Voldemort around or talking shit about all of us with Makkari and Kingo, she'd be with you who knows where doing who knows what! You were a bitch who didn't have the guts until you almost lost her." Phastos interrupted and Sam looked at the two mouth agape.

"How!?"

"Got really mad causing me to lose control of one of my powers for a second resulting in Ikaris getting mad because I didn't tell him, picked a fight to settle the score once and for all and-"

"If Ikaris won, Vena had to forget about her feelings for Druig and focus on the mission which was killing Deviants." Sprite finished and I nodded. "She obviously won and left the Domo a crying mess resulting Druig to go after her because Thena and Gilgamesh practically pushed him out the door. The rest is history."

"Why did you leave like that, Vena?" Sersi asked and I shrugged.

"I didn't want any of you to know about that power because I was still learning to control it. And he struck a nerve." I sighed picking at my food. "I guess him saying that I had to forget about me feelings got me to come to the realization that I was falling hard for Druig. It was just a bad day all around until around midday."

"What power, Vena?" Bucky asked and I pursed my lips.

"Blood manipulation. I can control the water in the blood and you're pretty much defenseless. That day, I made about eight Deviants explode at once just because Ikaris pissed me off by telling me I wasn't quick enough."

"That's... interesting." Sam mumbled with wide eyes and I shrugged. "But he probably deserved it."

"She almost killed him four days ago too!" Sprite smiled. "You see, Ikaris almost killed Druig and-"

"We don't talk about Ikaris!" We all screamed in unison.

"Mm, Sam! Found the problem with the boat. Hope you don't mind, but I changed the pipes and the motor with something I made. All she needs is a good paint job and you're good to go, those pipes won't rust, trust me." Phastos said and Thena rolled her eyes smiling.

"Can't help yourself, can't you Phastos?" She teased.

"It's cool, man. I told you it was the pipes! I told you!" Sam told Bucky and smacked his left arm wincing. "Vibranium! The vibranium!"

"Serves you right." He smirked and Phastos perked up.

"V, vibranium!"

"Yes, Phastos, I heard him." I smiled and turned to a confused Sam and Bucky. "We found that some metals were weak as hell. So Phastos, with my help, created vibranium when we lived in Wakanda way before it was Wakanda."

"You... You wanna see it, Phastos? I don't mind." Bucky asked and Phastos immediately stood up and almost pushed Sam from his seat.

Bucky shrugged off his jacket and rolled up his sleeve revealing his vibranium arm and I couldn't help but frown a bit.

"I've made my peace with it, Vena. The other one was worse, believe me." Bucky smiled and held my hand assuringly. "You don't have to take care of me anymore. I'm all grown now."

"You're still my boy, Buck. You could be on your deathbed and I'll still be taking care of you."

"So we killed a grape Eternal and you guys froze a Celestial. What now?" Sam asked us and Sersi shrugged.

"Finish fixing the Domo and then we find the other Eternals."

"There's more of you!?"

"You guys aren't the only planet infested with Deviants and a fetus Celestial in its core." Druig pointed out and Makkari snickered. "What!? It's true!"

"Fetus Celestial. That's golden." She laughed and Thena shook her head laughing also.

"And you Vena?" Bucky asked. "You're going or staying?"

"I'm going. But do me a favor and actually do the thing I told you boys before I left Brooklyn. Please?" I smiled and Bucky laughed squeezing my hand.

"To not do anything stupid until you get back? Apparently, you took all the stupid with you." He teased and I rolled my eyes. "Besides, how much more stupid could I get? I have a metal arm for God's sake!"

"Knowing you, you'll probably do something stupid the moment I leave."

"Maybe."

MEMES: