‥※ ITS ALL IN THE GAME ※‥

"and someday I'll know that moment divine...."

"...when all things you are, are mine"

"Black plums? Mangoes? Mmm....uh, may I have three of each, please?"

The young woman gave the old man a smile as he handed her a paper bag. She carefully placed it in her backpack, snapped the straps across her chest and made her way through the busy street with the eyes of the old man following her curiously.

She was a foreigner to them, as strange and different as they come with skin as pale as the moon itself and hair the color of straw, always hidden away. Some would simply pass through the little village, but the residents had taken notice of her when she stayed longer than most would, especially when she traveled with her dark-haired companion. He was tall, lean and dangerous-looking with eyes that were piercing and restless as if he were always in wait. The people were wary of him. Where the girl was open and warm, he was stiff and cold. He never spoke unless he was talking directly to her, instead preferring to keep watch, hovering over the girl in a protective manner, and he always had an impassive expression on his face though some swore they saw him smile before.

Once or twice, here and there.

But, it was only ever for her, the girl of the moon.

Although she wasn't particularly fond of the bustling market, the sea of noisy shopkeepers and vendors were a good enough cover to get lost in as she zigzagged around vegetable carts and twine jewelry stands. Dust swirled up from the heels of the crowd and she pulled down the edge of her cap, slipping into a narrow alley before coming to a wooden ladder that lay against the side of the adobo building. The sun was just beginning to set as she scaled the ladder and reached the roof, a blazing red sunset on the edge of the horizon with the indigo night just beginning to bleed from above.

It was her favorite part of the day.

When everything would begin to slow down and come to an end before beginning all over again—a time in which it seemed the world would lag in a relaxing sort of manner like people going to their families after a hard day of work, children being called home by their mothers, the laughter of close friends wandering the streets as it fell into night.

Here was the place where she could come to be alone with her thoughts when her reality proved to be too much to handle.

She pulled out a small knife and one of the mangoes from her pack, peeling half of the skin back and cutting a piece to chew on as she sat on the ledge and watched the sky transform from a brilliant burst of colors into the deep and intimate brink of dusk in a silent reverie.

When the sun slowly began to dip below the horizon, the young woman carefully put her knife away. She took a bite out of her mango and held it in one hand as she climbed back down the ladder and walked into the streets where the scene was now completely different—carts were empty and stands were closed, stray dogs running around in search of scraps and people calling out their goodbyes to each other as their day came to an end.

She was quick to make her way home because even with such repetitive and mild surroundings, she was always on guard for anything that could unexpectedly happen. She only relaxed once she was in sight of her building, skipping the stairs two at a time until she reached the third floor. The knob rattled in protest as she stuck her key in the lock and kicked the door open, taking her pack to the little card table. It was a fairly sizable apartment with a small kitchen, but only one room which meant the weathered pull-out couch was possessed by the one and only—

"I thought I told you to be here before the sun went down."

Loki walked into the front room, his annoyance with her tardiness evident in his tone and on his face though his eyes sparkled with the relief that was familiar to both of them when the other would go out and come back safely in one piece.

He threw her a dark scowl and she rolled her eyes.

"The day I actually listen to you is the day that pigs fly," Willow mumbled, pausing from her task of unpacking the groceries she'd picked up in the market to unload the fruit.

Loki tilted his head in confusion as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to help her.

"What's a pig?"

"You are."

His face scrunched in the way it always did when she offended him and he suddenly snatched the mango out of her hand, the young woman protesting and lunging in vain as he held it up in the air.

"Apologize."

"Dont be such a baby."

"You insulted me."

"You insult me everyday!"

"It is my duty," he dodged her jab at his torso, "to fulfill my title as the god of mischief and in doing so, insulting you is a responsibility."

"Give...it...back."

Loki raised an eyebrow challengingly as he lifted his hand higher, out of reach from the young woman who was giving him the deadliest glare she could possibly make.

"If you want it so much," he began to walk backwards with a wicked smirk, "come and get it."

She rushed at him, missing the man by a mile as he disappeared and materialized right behind her. Loki grasped her by the shoulder to yank her against his chest with his arm still in the air.

"Is that the best you can do, darling?" He teased.

The young woman tried to swipe at him, but he vanished once more, leaving her alone for only a few seconds when she suddenly tensed and lunged forward just as Loki appeared, tackling him to the floor. They wrestled with each other before she yanked the fruit out of his hand and lifted it up triumphantly.

"Ha! I beat you!"

She punched him in the chest and climbed to her feet, taking a victory bite out of the mango before wincing as the juice dribbled down her chin.

"You caught me off-guard," he grumbled as he stood, brushing off his shirt, "there's a difference."

"Don't be a poor sport. Just admit that you lost."

"I didn't lose, you twit, I was just surprised."

"Said every loser ever...which you are," she shot back, washing her hands and mouth at the sink before moving to dry it on Loki's shirt.

"Disgusting creature," he muttered, though he made no move as she patted the back of her hands on his shoulders.

"I accept that with grace."

He shrugged her off and went to put away the last of the groceries.

"How was the sunset today?"

"Red."

"Your attempt at describing a natural wonder is devastatingly simple."

"So is your brain."

Willow collapsed on the couch, picking up the book that lay on the crooked coffee table as Loki finished in the kitchen.

"You're still reading that? I thought you'd be done with it by now."

He grabbed a book of his own as he sat down beside her.

"The Hobbit is a classic, I'm re-reading it. Besides, you haven't put Pride and Prejudice down for the past three days and I know you finished it the same day you started," she pointed out.

"It's a rather engrossing tale. A young woman, plagued by the faults of her prejudice—"

"And a pig-headed young man, tormented by the stubborn afflictions of his pride. Who knew?"

Loki watched her carefully settle into the couch cushions, intently focused on her book as she flipped a page, chewing on her thumbnail thoughtfully with her brows slightly wrinkled together.

"Yes," he turned back to his own book, "who knew."

"Well," Natasha slapped a few folders on the conference table, "the trail running East went cold."

"There has to be something else."

"That was our last lead, Rogers. There isn't anything else."

"We're just looking in all the wrong places."

Steve was doubtful about his own statement, but with their last lead gone, there was little they could do now.

HYDRA had been dealt with accordingly, but as Natasha predicted, it had gone down in a fight. S.H.I.E.L.D. prevailed amongst the circumstances and though most of the terrorist organization was taken into custody or killed, some fled underground, including Dr. List and the enhanced and a handful of the STRIKE team led by Rumlow. There hadn't been a single peep about Bucky, either, and Steve was anxious to find him before he got to Willow. He'd been keeping tabs on sightings for her and Loki as well, but after their showdown at the Tower and the incident on the expressway in D.C., there were no trails left to follow—nothing but silence for the last two weeks. The phone call he'd had with Willow was the last time he ever heard from her.

"Are you okay?" He had asked almost desperately, clutching the phone to his ear as if it could somehow transport him to where she was.

"I'm safe."

Her tone was stiff and although he knew she was still angry at him, he couldn't help but feel relieved to hear her voice.

"You're not coming back anytime soon, are you?"

"Our options are limited and to be honest, none of them look great. What choice do we have?"

Our. We. He could tell in the way she said these words that she was making it clear—they were a package deal now.

A team? He wasn't sure what to call it.

"You know...I hear a few places down South looks good around this time."

"Is it now?"

"It's best if you stay out of the States until I can figure out a way to bring you home. Until then, watch your back."

"Careful. Someone might think you're actually trying to help a criminal."

"You're not a criminal. You're my sister."

A pause.

"I needed you, Steve."

The sound of a slight break in her voice made a tower of guilt come crashing down on him and he lowered his head.

"I'm sorry, Willow. That I didn't listen. That I didn't trust you. But, I want to do that now."

"What changed your mind?"

"You'll never believe it."

"Try me."

"It's Bucky. He's alive."

Her lack of response was enough for Steve to understand her shock and he continued on urgently.

"He's been under HYDRA's control for 70 years. Willow, he's not the same Bucky that we knew back then. He's coming for you."

"Steve, I have to go."

"Wait—"

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Click!

He had stared at the phone in despair before Natasha's voice barking at him through the comms had interrupted his thoughts, urging him to exit the Triskelion.

Steve rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"When's the last time you slept?" The assassin asked, eyeing him strangely as she jotted down a few notes in her notepad.

"Can't sleep."

"The new building a little too much for you?"

He wouldn't admit it out loud, but it was in a way. Tony had purchased a compound in upstate New York immediately after the events of the terrestrial attack and had been busy overseeing the transportation of his equipment in the past week, meaning their official Avengers headquarters were reassigned to the compound, as was their living quarters. It was a spacious building plopped on a quite large piece of land and Steve found it to be almost too big, too quiet. Perhaps it was the simple fact that he was missing his little sister terribly, but most nights he was restless and shuffling around the compound like a zombie. Bruce and Natasha happened to be the only other occupants as Clint was seemingly satisfied with whatever his living situation was and Thor hadn't returned from Asgard yet.

"You two are still going at it, huh?"

Steve glanced over at the door where Tony was lounging with a box under his arms.

"I come bearing gifts," he laid the box of strawberries on Natasha's table and she peered into it curiously, "and to also offer my assistance wherever you need it."

"What about Happy?" She questioned.

"He's got it under control. Besides, I got bored. I need to do something."

"Well, there's not much to do. Hill's on her way up, she said she has a possible contact that could help us. Other than that, we've got nothing."

"Gee, I picked the wrong day to show up to work."

"You work?"

Hill walked in with a little smirk and the billionaire rolled his eyes as Steve sat up straight in his seat. She could see the eagerness on his face and she handed him a thick folder.

"What is this?"

"My contact's findings from the past month and up until two days ago. HYDRA may have been all dagger-and-cloak, but not all their movements flew under the radar. Including your friend's."

"And Willow?"

She shook her head.

"Isn't it cloak-and-dagger?" Tony interrupted.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it's dagger-and-cloak."

"No...no it's not."

Steve barely heard them as they began to argue about the term and he slowly flipped through the folder.

"Litchtague?" He asked, looking up at Hill.

"Island off North Africa. They don't allow extradition so it flourishes with crime. A perfect hiding place, really."

"So if he's there..,"

"That means he found them," Steve finished Natasha's sentence. "We need to—"

The super soldier broke off into silence when an older man in a black suit suddenly walked into the room with an air of stern command. He had graying hair that matched his mustache and what looked like a permanent frown on his face, wrinkles folded into the V of his brows as his eyes ran over them in barely disguised distaste.

Steve glanced at Tony who subtly shook his head.

"I see the whole team wasn't able to make it," he said gruffly.

"Secretary Ross, what an honor," Tony greeted, leaning back in his chair.

"Where's the rest of you?"

"To be honest, I voluntarily forgot you were coming today," the man scowled in response, "but Banner's busy, Thor's running around somewhere up there and Barton...wait, where the hell is Clint?"

"Doesn't matter. You have enough brain to relay the message, I'm sure."

"And what message would that be?" Natasha joined in, her gaze cold and unflinching.

"I'm the one they call when people like you mess up," he said sharply. "The incident in D.C. with S.H.I.E.L.D. was chaos, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here because you have a rogue Avenger on your hands who also happens to be presently connected with a major global threat. My job is to protect the United States from such menaces."

"And I'm guessing people like us aren't enough to handle the job?"

"Not when it's a conflict of interest for both parties involved. You see, you may be heroes to some, but to others, they would consider you as vigilantes. Dangerous. And the current situation we have on our hands proves as much. How can we trust the rest of you if you can't even control another member of your team?"

"We can handle it."

"I'd love to believe you, Captain, but as of today, I'm putting Special Ops on this."

"Are you sure wanna do that?" Hill said, folding her arms.

"If it means I get to sleep tonight knowing two criminals are gonna be brought to justice, I'm very sure."

"You're not gonna solve this with boys in bullets, Ross. You gotta let us do it."

"You're all lucky enough you haven't been arrested for D.C., Stark. This is me being nice. Don't push it."

"You won't find them," Natasha said flatly, "they're long gone."

"For now. But, the absolute second they step foot back in the United States—which they will—it's over."

"And what makes you so sure they'll come back?"

Secretary Ross nodded in Steve's direction, eyes blazing into the super soldier's with the determination of a man on a mission.

"Him."

——————-
☀︎ celine's corner ☀︎

i hope you all liked this chapter as much as i did.
i love you all and take care of yourselves.