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“Shit! Bucky slow down!” Walker yelled as he dropped the knife for the hundredth time.
“What, you think bad guys will just slow down?” Bucky replied as he shoved him forward as he bent down to pick it up. Walker regained his footing while holding his middle finger in the air. “Didn’t think so. Again.”
During yesterday’s mission they all saw Bucky take down the main guy, finishing the job with an impressive knife flip. Alexei wouldn’t shut up about it, praising him to hell and back. “Winter Soldier’s moves are as impressive as his majestic hair,” he said as they rode the elevator to the Avengers Tower penthouse post-mission.
“Don’t touch the hair,” Bucky sniped as he swatted away Alexei’s hand.
“Why not it looks good, that new shampoo and routine gives good blowout look, nice work. I might do the same, no?”
Alexei had recently shaved the terrible beard that always had food and dried beer stuck in it, leaving just a stache. He also hadn't shaved his head in a while, and it was currently stuck in an awkward post buzz length.
The elevator reached the top and Bob turned around in his seat on the couch at the ding. Alexei immediately headed to the bar, still babbling.
“—all I say is that if Russia knew that trick it would have taken over world by now, Red Guardian would be unstoppable.”
“Hey good to see you all in one piece,” Bob remarked, pop tart crumbs spilling onto his shirt. “What trick are you talking about?”
“It’s just a simple move really, nothing too impressive,” Bucky exhaustedly said as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, clearly done with the conversation.
“He lies,” Alexei said dramatically. “Winter Solder was fearless, you should have seen him, Bob. Attacking and taking down bad guy, armed and dangerous with his best work yet: a knife flip mid air that he catches and delivers final blow.”
“Woah! You need to teach us,” Bob exclaimed, standing up and shoving the rest of the pop tart in his mouth.
“Okay hold up it wasn’t that cool,” Walker pressed, raising his hands in the air. He paused, looking conflicted for a moment. “But seriously…can you teach me?”
Bucky smirked hearing the praise, reveling in it.
“Oh, Walker admits he doesn’t know everything, that’s a first,” said Ava mockingly.
“It’s been known to happen,” he shot back.
Yelena collapsed onto a chair and grabbed the bottle that Alexei was holding, ignoring the hey thrown her way. “Okay I am beat. Bucky, you up for teaching us tomorrow, yes?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Which brings them to where they are now, the next day, sparring.
Walker isn’t getting the hang of it. He can flip it while standing completely still but in fighting he drops it every time. It's not that he's not capable, Yelena knows first hand he's a menace thanks to Val's attempt to get them all to kill each other. But she supposes he's trying too hard to be perfect too fast and it's messing him up.
“Come on you got it,” Yelena cheered from her cross legged position on the floor. Bucky charged Walker, landing blows in quick succession. Walker parried them to the best of his ability, gripping the knife in his sweaty hand.
He took in a deep breath, blocked a punch, and flipped the knife. It proved successful as Walker actually managed to catch it this time. Satisfied, he rushed to hold it against Bucky’s chest to end the spar, but before he could do that Bucky quickly jabbed his hand against his throat.
Walker’s air supply was cut off and he fell back, clutching his neck and spluttering. He took in large, gasping breaths. “W—what the h—hell?”
Bucky grinned and walked away. “Can’t take the heat John? Just making it realistic. Okay Ava, let’s practice.”
Ava caught on quickly, even phasing out as it flew in the air and popped back in the moment she caught it for dramatic effect. “Now that’s how it’s done,” she laughed.
Yelena accidentally grabbed the blade her first time. “Shit,” she cursed, applying pressure to the cut that wasn’t too big but was annoyingly bleeding steadily.
“Do not worry my доча!” Alexei yelled as he left sparring with Walker to grab emergency paper towels and a band aid box. He soon rushed back, carrying the supplies and swatted her other hand away from the wound. Cut, really. A scratch. She’s dealt with much worse. Alexei was making a big deal out of nothing, but Yelena supposed it came with the territory of being a dad, now that he’s making an effort to never leave her again. She tried to hold back a smile but Ava saw it and grinned herself, eyes twinkling with amusement.
“It will all be over very soon. Theeere we go. All better now,” he said as he slapped the bandage on and kissed it. “Be grateful I did not have to go toilet on your hand like my father for frostbite.”
Ava cringed, flinching back “Oh god,” she groaned. “Please tell me that’s a joke.”
“No, it is not! Da, da it was not pleasant but it saved my life. You my Yelena, you will be fine.” He grabbed her gloves lying on the floor and offered them to her. “Here put these on my доча, keep yourself safe. And that goes for everyone else too, even you Bob.”
Bob looked over from where he was lounging in the corner. “Hey why do I have to join?”
Walker scoffed. “Hey, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you're like, part of the Avengers so you need to learn too.”
“F’ne,” Bob mumbled around the pop tart in his mouth. The treat seems to be his favorite, he snacks on them often. Something about how they’re connected to one of the few good memories of his past. It was sad when he offhandedly mentioned it, eyes flickering around the room and maintaining eye contact for half a second before looking away and laughing nervously.
“What flavor is that?” Yelena asked as he walked closer.
“S’mores. It’s the best one.”
“Do they have a spicy kind?”
“I’m not sure.”
“If they don’t they need to make one. I would sponsor it.”
“Give the box here I want them,” Alexei demanded, making grabby hands.
“Nope,” Bob said, tossing it against the wall. “I’ll only share them with whoever wins our knife flip contest.”
Ava brightened next to her. “Oh so it’s a competition now, huh? Count me in.”
“Hey now, Bucky can’t join since he’s already mastered it.” Walker butted in.
Bucky tilted his head, shrugging his shoulders. “That’s fair I guess. I did first use it about 50 years ago.”
“Exactly my point old man.”
“Don’t push it.”
After everyone was trained and felt somewhat confident, Bucky stood in front of everyone, looking very confused at the ingredients on the pop tart box. “Xanthan gum? How is there gum in this?” He frowned and shook his head. “Things were much simpler in the Great Depression. Anyway, winner gets this box,” he said nonchalantly before setting it on the ground. “First two, go.”
It was Walker and Ava. They did a soft knife tap at the beginning before splitting into their starting positions, which Yelena thought was the nicest interaction she’d ever seen between the two of them.
Alexei yelled go, and they both launched themselves at each other. They began with normal punches, kicks, and knife jabs before going in for the kill. Walker threw his knife in the air but focused too much on it so Ava kicked him straight in the chest, grabbed his own knife as it came back down, and held it against his stomach. “Not so tough now, are ya?” she asked, over the shouts and cheers from Bob and Alexei.
Walker grimaced and ignored her offered hand as he stood up. “That was a smart move I guess.” He looked like he wanted to shoot her but thankfully held back.
It was Ava and Bob next, and Ava defeated him even faster than Walker. Bob simply stood there after dropping his knife, clapping his hands and smiling. “Damn you really know what you’re doing.”
Bucky announced Yelena next, and Alexei made sure her gloves were in fact, both on. “My two favorite girls out of everyone in this room. You can do this!” He chuckled, looking over at Bob and slapped his shoulder. “I kid, you are only girls in room, but are both still good. Yelena you are my favorite.”
“Thanks Dad,” Yelena said the same time Ava said “She better be.”
Once the fight started Ava was her usual quick self, phasing in and out and attacking aggressively. Yelena decided she’d had enough so she flipped her knife, but Ava smacked it away. Without missing a beat, Yelena swiped at Ava’s legs, rolled on the floor, caught her knife, flipped it again, and held it against her chest on the floor. “Game over.”
Ava raised an eyebrow and looked impressed. “Nicely done.”
Shit. Now she had to fight her dad. Yelena didn’t know what he’d do, if he’d go easy or even harder since he expected her to do well.
“One of Russia’s best assassins vs Russia’s best superhero. This will be interesting,” he declared with a bow. “Bob please record this.”
Bob scrambled to pull his phone out of his pocket. “Okay I’m ready, you can do it Yelena!”
She rolled her eyes and got in a fighting stance. Such a poser ran through her head, and this time, it hurt just a little less to think of her sister. It’s more sentimental than pure pain. Natasha is gone. Her sister is gone. Forever. She doesn’t think she’ll ever not feel an aching loneliness about that, and she doesn’t think she has to. But she’s currently surrounded by friends, and her father. She has other people in her life to turn to, like they did for Bob in the Void.
Yelena took in a deep breath, and lurched forward.
“Bob I must give big applause. This flavor is delicious,” Alexei commented from his seat at the bar, washing down the s’more pop tarts with alcohol. Bob chuckled from his seat and Alexei offered some to Yelena but she refused.
“Rules were the winner gets them and you won fair and square.”
“That is true. You did lose from big kick I gave you. I am sorry but also not, you know? I still love you.”
She waved away his unnecessary apology, and caught sight of Walker, Bucky, and Ava gathered together in the corner. They looked like they were plotting something.
Bucky actually laughed at something Walker said, which made her even more suspicious. Confused, she tuned out Bob and Alexei’s conversation as she watched them.
Ava suddenly phased out, and then Yelena heard some noises that appeared to be coming from the walls. The guy’s heads in tandem looked up, following the unseen path Ava was taking. After a bit the noise gathered at the vent above them, and her voice filtered down.
“Bucky how long?”
“One minute and seven seconds!” he shouted back.
“Wow you’ve really improved. At this rate you’ll be unstoppable,” Walked replied dryly.
“Shut it,” her muffled voice responded. “I’m coming back down.”
Again, Bucky and Walker’s heads followed her trail that was given away by the curses and bumps she made against the walls of the vents she crawled through. She soon reappeared, unclicking her helmet and motioning Bucky to tell her the time again.
“One minute and 15 seconds. You really are improving at phasing out longer.”
She pumped her fist in the air. “Don’t think I’ll ever be able to do a distance as great as the building with the incinerator but I can help out better than before. Gotta work on being quieter.”
Yelena smiled, taking in the sight of Bucky continually flipping his knife, even closing his eyes to spite Walker as Ava joined in. Her dad and Bob were laughing and biting the pop tarts into the shape of a gun. Their team isn't perfect, and she still doesn't know what to do about the public's reaction to them as the New Avengers.
But they have each other, and that's all that matters.
Bonus:
Photos of the Thunderbolts I love that I say are canon + the cast making the asterisk *
