"SAM!"

Sam sat up quickly at the sound of Rue's voice, bumping her head against a beam of some sort.

"What is it?" she grumbled, annoyed at Rue for startling her.

"Do you know where Felix is?"

"Probably just having some alone time," she replied with a groan, "is that what you woke me up for?"

Rue shrugged.

"It just doesn't seem like something he'd do."

"What?"

"Leaving without telling us."

"How long have you known Felix, Rue?"

"You're right," Rue sighed, "it sounds exactly like something he'd do."

Sam smiled reassuringly.

"He probably just needed some time by himself. I bet he's enjoying himself somewhere all alone."

Well, she was partly right.

-

Felix blocked the first three attacks of the lightning-fast elf, but the fourth caught him slightly off-guard. He backed into the shadows, figuring that she'd hold back if she couldn't see him well.

It didn't help.

"I give you one warning," the elf, who still hadn't introduced herself, smiled sweetly, "if you surrender now you may stand in front of King Thranduil unscathed."

Felix ignored her, and instead went a step further — he turned himself invisible.

It cost a lot of effort, and so he dropped the stick's illusion as well as neglecting to block sound or other senses. He figured that if she couldn't see him that would be enough.

"You never did tell me your name," he tried to distract her.

Felix dashed backwards, moving around with leaps and hoping that his footsteps weren't too obvious. If he was invisible it wouldn't help if his footsteps were everywhere. But just the fact that she couldn't see him should put her off, right?

That was his mistake.

The she-elf moved on completely unfazed, picking up a stick of her own and attacking him with exactly the same amount of precision and force as before he'd turned invisible.

"How are you seeing me?" he asked in between several of her attacks.

"I'm not," she replied casually, and Felix could tell by her eyes that she was indeed looking right through him.

"But..."

A large knock on his head from her stick prevented him from finishing his sentence.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," the elf advised as Felix sank to the ground.

Felix groaned.

"I warned you," she smiled.

The illusion flickered off, and the last thing Felix saw before he closed his eyes was her satisfied grin.

"Oh and by the way," her voice echoed through his mind, "my name is Valóra, daughter of Kilóríon."

-

"BECCA!"

Veronique Rebecca Barnes turned around at her father's voice.

"Dad," she spoke evenly, without any enthusiasm, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to help," Bucky explained, and she raised an eyebrow.

"How many times have I told you that I don't need any help?"

"Plenty," Bucky answered, approaching his daughter cautiously, as if she was an animal that could run away at the slightest move on his behalf.

"Then why have you come?"

"Because... Because you're my daughter. And I... I don't want to lose you."

"I'm eighteen, dad. I am perfectly able to take care of myself."

"So was your mother."

The words were whispered so softly that a normal person wouldn't have heard it. But neither James Buchanan Barnes nor Veronique Rebecca Barnes were completely normal. The super-soldier-serum that coursed through both their veins enhanced more than just strength.

Rebecca took a deep breath, refusing to meet her father's gaze.

"Well, it's not going to help to have a super-soldier clanking along behind me on a stealth mission."

"Hey!" Bucky protested, "I used to be the world's best assassin!"

"Used to be," Becca pointed out, "not anymore."

 It was Bucky's turn to sigh.

"Please Becca... I just... Give me a chance. I'll do whatever you say. Maybe I can help. You can't do everything alone."

"Actually I can," Becca replied coldly, "but because you used the magic word I think I'll let you tag along a little."

They both paused for a moment, remembering how Alain, Becca's mother and Bucky's wife, always referred to the word 'please' as 'the magic word'.

"Thanks Becca. It means a lot to me."

Becca raised a finger in warning.

"Don't make me regret this. If you annoy me, betray me, give me away or even make a sound on one of my stealth missions, you can crawl back to your little Avengers Tower without your metal arm."

Bucky grinned.

"That sounds like the Becca I know."

-

"What do you mean he's gone?" Steve asked, storming towards the door as if he could still stop Bucky from leaving.

"Exactly what I said," Loki repeated passively, "he's gone after his daughter."

Wanda's eyes flashed with a sadness only Loki understood, and then she stepped forwards and grabbed Steve's arm.

"Steve," she spoke just loud enough for him to hear, "he needs to do this."

"Be fair, Rogers," Loki added, "he's the Winter Soldier."

"WAS the Winter Soldier," Steve growled.

"Is was whatever," Loki shrugged, "my point is — has he ever failed you?"

Steve seemed to calm down for a moment as he considered the question. He didn't need to think long.

"No."

"Exactly," Wanda joined in, "but he feels like he's failed Becca."

"But it's not his fault that..."

"We know, but the point is that he can't stand by passively. It's not like him. That seems more like something Loki would do."

Loki shrugged, accepting the facts for what they were.

"See?" Wanda pointed out, "passive."

"Would stabbing someone count as impassive?" Loki enquired, shooting a glare at Wanda, "because then I could demonstrate some impassivity."

"You're getting off the subject," Wanda dismissed his threat, "what we're trying to say, Steve,—"

"What she's trying to say," Loki corrected, "I cannot guarantee that I agree with any of her words."

"Shut up Loki," Wanda ordered monotonously, and Loki smirked.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that maybe you should just let Bucky go. He'll come back as soon as he can."

"Of course he will!" Steve muttered, "I'm not worried about his loyalty. He's the last person I'd worry about on that subject."

"Even though he tried to kill you multiple times?" Loki observed, "that's... interesting."

"I'm just worried about his safety. Bucky can be... reckless."

"Reckless?" Loki snorted, "we're talking about the guy with a metal arm who killed millions of people, right?"

"LOKI!" Wanda and Steve hollered, and Loki raised his arms in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay, I'll keep quiet."

Wanda turned back to Steve.

"I know what you're concerned about, but Loki has a point. The Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes are one and the same, just like Bruce and the Hulk are."

"Except for that Bruce,—" Loki began, but he wisely stopped when Wanda glared sideways at him again.

"What the Winter Soldier can do Bucky can too," Wanda went on, "he can take care of himself. Besides..."

She put a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"...he has Becca."

"That's reassuring," Loki muttered, "if he does things wrong that'll only be another person who wants him dead."

The red mist came out of nowhere, banging Loki against the wall.

Steve raised an eyebrow, and Wanda smiled.

"He really needs to learn that there's such a thing as going too far."