The Avengers Tower was bustling with life, just as it was during all of Tony's spectacular parties. Various genres of music echoed loudly, so loudly the party goers were sure it could be heard in upper Manhattan; guests sipped at their drinks, and some even had to be escorted out because of too much alcoholic intake.

The party had started roughly half an hour earlier, yet guests were still arriving. Marlena just so happened to be one of those guests.

As Marlena worked her way around the room, Tony was the first to spot her small figure pushing through the crowd of people in costumes—none of whom Marlena knew. His lips formed a huge grin as he walked towards her, his eyes scanning over her costume to make sure all was in place.

"Woah there, kiddo, you look even better than I thought you would," Tony exclaimed, chuckling as he approached her.

"Thanks. . .I think?" Marlena replied with a hint of a smile. "Who are you supposed to be again? Nothing looks different."

"Dr. Bruce Banner, can't you tell?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Marlena narrowed her eyes at him, obviously not seeing the difference.

"The glasses, Sergeant." Tony rolled his eyes, pointing to his glasses and then taking a sip from the wine glass in his left hand.

"I thought you were gonna paint yourself green or something, honestly," Marlena chuckled, as his right hand rested on Marlena's back.

He began walking over to someone, Marlena walking along with him.

"God, no. I would never mutilate myself with such a horrible thing," he explained.

"Gamma radiation?"

"No. . .body paint. It's a bitch to get off, you know," Tony stated as he stopped in front of a man whose back was facing them.

"Rhodey," Tony spoke up, causing the man to turn around. "I'd like you to meet my new gal pal."

"Woah, Stark, what happened to Pepper?" Rhodey replied, facing the two.

"Um, ew. This is not a Pepper replacement, do you really think I'd go for someone so young? Besides, she's a little too butch for me anyways," Tony chuckled, glancing sideways at Marlena.

It took her a few seconds to realize that he was referring to her costume.

"I'll kick your ass, Stark," Marlena smirked.

"You wish, princess. Anyways, Rhodey, this is Marlena. Marlena, this is Rhodey."

Marlena smiled politely, though she knew her expression was a bit puzzled as she was trying to figure out Rhodey's costume. He was decked out in black leather from neck to toe, gold tassel accents around his shoulders and the bottoms of his pants. Finally, it clicked once she realized he was wearing a wig.

"What? Never seen a black Elvis before?" Rhodey must have noticed her confusion, because he was already picking on her.

Marlena's eyes widened and before she could say anything, Tony was already bursting into a fit of laughter, Rhodey also cracking a smile.

"I'm just teasing you. It's lovely to meet you, Marlena." Rhodey held out a hand for her to shake.

"Nice to meet you, too." Marlena smiled politely.

It didn't take long for Tony and Rhodey to strike up a conversation about where Pepper was and before long, Marlena was standing off to the side, glancing around for a familiar face. There were a lot of people that she had never even seen before, and apparently they all worked for Tony.

She couldn't help but wonder where exactly Bucky, Steve, and the rest of the gang was because as far as she could see, none of them were near her. However, she did feel as if someone was staring at her, and she turned around to see if it was merely a meaningless feeling.

Only it wasn't. There stood Bucky Barnes, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor as he took in Marlena's petite figure. A memory was immediately triggered within his mind—back to his days as a Sergeant—more specifically, the outfit he had worn the day he fell off the train. Only this outfit looked like it was specifically made for Marlena—the way the cargo pants were fitted to hug her curves, the brown utility belt wrapped around her waist, and the way the dark blue of her petticoat jacket brought out the brightness of her eyes.

Sam stood beside him, dressed up in his Hawkeye costume, looking confused by who exactly she was supposed to be. The whole concept of the costume, in Tony's exact words, was to "remind Bucky of the good ole days." Of course, Sam, along with everyone other than Steve, wouldn't understand this concept.

"Holy shit, help me, Wilson," Bucky muttered under his breath to Sam, though Marlena was an excellent lip reader.

Her cheeks flushed pink though there was the hint of a smirk on her face as she walked towards them.

"Hello, boys," Marlena chuckled as Bucky's face was now the one turning red; he knew she had figured out what he said.

"Okay, I give up. Who the hell are you supposed to be dressed as?" Sam cocked an eyebrow, his eyes raking her appearance up and down.

"Sergeant Marlena Barnes, reporting for duty," Bucky smirked, glancing her over one more time before his eyes met her's.

"Marlena Barnes?" She chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe one day," Bucky winked, tugging on her arm so that she came closer to him.

Marlena's cheeks flamed pink again as she processed what exactly he had just suggested.

"I'm still lost." Sam rolled his eyes, fiddling with a fake arrow that came with his costume.

"How about you get lost, Wilson," Bucky teased, pushing Sam with his metal arm, sending him stumbling away as he rubbed his arm.

"That wasn't very nice, Captain." Marlena smiled, looking up at him with adoration.

She gave him a once-over, taking in Bucky in the Captain America suit. If she stared any longer, she knew she'd pass out from heat stroke.

"You're right. I guess that's why Steve's the better Captain America," Bucky sighed, pulling Marlena into his arms.

"Hm, that's too bad. That suit looks like it was made for you." Marlena grinned as Bucky's hand tilted her chin upwards.

He only let out a small laugh before leaning down, catching her in a deep kiss. Marlena was never one for extreme public displays of affection, but she just couldn't pull herself away from him. It was insane how much they loved each other—how much they craved each other's touch.

"God, I am so in love with you, sweetheart." Bucky smiled as he pulled away, his baby blue eyes looking at her with such fondness.

By now, the whole room was clapping while staring at the two lovebirds, causing Marlena and Bucky both to blush.

"Okay, okay, keep it PG, Bucklena. Rogers isn't used to being exposed to this kind of thing," Tony called out from the bar area, getting a laugh out of Bruce.

"What the shit is a Bucklena?" Clint asked, but was ignored as usual.

"Stark, if you make one more comment—" Steve's voice could be heard from the opposite end of the room, but Tony wouldn't even let him finish.

"Shut it, Mother Theresa. It's my party and I'll say what I want to." Tony smirked, taking another sip from his wine glass.

"Ouch, Steve, he's throwing some real punches here. Wanna tell him to go 'fondue' himself?" Natasha asked, trying desperately not to burst into laughter.

Steve's face turned the brightest shade of red and he furrowed his eyebrows at Natasha, "You swore you wouldn't say anything about that!"

Before anyone else could conjure up an insult, in walked the two people Marlena had been dreading to see—Dylan and Hallie. She took a deep breath, and tightened her grip on Bucky to keep herself from punching someone in the face.

Bucky noticed her tense and he followed her hazel eyes all the way across the room until his gaze landed on the two. As soon as his eyes met Dylan's, Bucky felt the desire to crack him upside the jaw; however, he promised Steve he wouldn't cause any problems at the party. As long as neither of them tried to speak to Marlena, they were in the clear. . .that was, unless Natasha decided to have a talk with them.

Everyone else had returned to their small talk, meanwhile Marlena was still glaring at her ex-friend and ex-boyfriend from across the room. She really didn't understand why they even came, because she'd made it more than clear that the situation was far past being fixable. She simply wanted them out of her life forever, yet the universe just couldn't allow Marlena the pleasure.

As if on cue, Natasha stood up from her seat on one of Tony's lavish, leather couches and she made her way across the room towards Hallie and Dylan.

"Welcome to the party. Want me to show you where the drinks are. . .possibly the door, too?" Nat sneered at them.

Before Hallie or Dylan could muster up a response, Tony was strolling through the crowd, his hand resting on Natasha's shoulder, "Now, Miss Romanoff, is that any way to treat our guests?"

"Your guests, Stark. I'm with Marlena on this one." The red head rolled her eyes before walking off, her hips swaying as she walked.

Soon, she was heading towards Marlena and Bucky, somewhat lifting Marlena's spirits.

"Hey, Mar, you look amazing." Natasha smiled, glancing over at Bucky and giving him an approving nod as well. "You're gonna have to keep an eye on her tonight, Buck, I don't see how the boys could stay away."

"I don't see how I could keep my eyes off of her, Romanoff," Bucky replied, shooting a grin at a blushing Marlena; she never quite could get used to the compliments she received from him.

"Nat, you look even better in that suit than I do," Marlena smiled, admiring her friend's beauty.

It hadn't been until befriending Natasha that Marlena had realized what a true friend was like. Marlena knew she would never be able repay Nat for all of the hours she put into training her and being a friend to her.

"Ladies," a familiar voice caused the three of them to turn, their eyes landing on Thor, "I believe an agreement can be made that I am clothed in the finest of all costumes here."

Natasha, Bucky, and Marlena all nearly fell to the floor laughing at their friend, who was—somewhat unsurprisingly—a Pop-Tart. Literally. He was wearing a rectangular costume with only a hole for his face, arms, and legs, yet for some reason he was still holding his hammer.

"Oh my gosh," Marlena choked out, doubling over in attempt to compose herself.

Steve had joined the three, clutching his chest as he laughed while Natasha's laugh was barely audible; her face gave away how hilarious she thought it was, though. Bucky had no words, only deep laughter.

Thor smirked, eliciting yet another fit of laughter from the group.

"Damn, his obsession has gone too far," Clint added in as he walked over to them, obviously unable to ignore the fact that the most serious Avenger of them all was dressed as a giant breakfast pastry.

Just as the laughter died down, Rhodey walked over, Dylan and Hallie following behind him, "I found your friends, Marlena. They couldn't find you through this crowd," he chuckled, only to stop once realizing no one was smiling back.

"Okay, I know I'm not an Avenger, but seriously, you guys can still engage in conversation with me," he sighed.

"We'll let you guys talk alone," Steve spoke up, walking off with Thor, Rhodey, and begrudgingly, Natasha.

"Hell I will," Clint stated, standing beside Marlena and Bucky. "I'm not leaving you alone with these sacks of shit."

"And who the hell are you exactly? You don't look like an Avenger; you look like their dad," Dylan snapped back.

"Hey, don't smart mouth me, buddy. I may be old, but I'll still fuck you up," Clint warned, taking a dangerously close step toward Dylan.

"I'd like to see you try," Dylan snarled, slightly leaning away from Clint.

"I ain't afraid to hit a guy who hasn't grown into his balls yet," Clint said seriously, causing Bucky to smirk.

Dylan had no response, meanwhile Hallie stood there quite shocked by Clint's bluntness.

"Well, I suppose word's gotten around then that Marlena isn't on good terms with us anymore," Hallie finally spoke up, shooting a glance at Marlena.

"Actually," Marlena butted in, "we aren't on any terms. You of all people should know that I have no tolerance whatsoever for those who feel it's okay to betray my trust in them. Aside from obvious reasons, why do you think I don't like Dylan? Oh, and by the way, once a cheater always a cheater," she smirked.

This caused Hallie's face to redden, meanwhile Marlena narrowed her eyes in concentration as she scanned the mind of the arrogant male standing in front of her; among all the things she could have imagined Dylan to be thinking about, she was surprised to see that he was actually terrified of Clint, and it was even more of a surprise to her that Dylan, in fact, did know who Clint was.

"Quite a show you're putting on here, Dylan," Marlena said nonchalantly, "if only they knew how hard you're trying not to piss yourself right now."

"What?" Dylan stuttered, scowling at her.

"You're scared," Marlena stated simply.

"Of what? You?" Dylan scoffed.

"Of getting your ass kicked in front of your girlfriend. That's why you're showing off the way you are. There's no need to lie, especially when you're standing in front of someone who can read your every thought." Marlena smirked as Bucky chuckled behind her.

"Alright, that's enough, Mar. We were invited to this party, so you can stop with your pathetic attempts to embarrass us now just to show off for you new friends," Hallie snapped, a smug look on her face.

"First off, don't call me that. Secondly, you getting invited here was a mistake—just like our friendship was." Marlena frowned, narrowing her eyes at her. "And I'm not showing off; you would know that this is just me now if you hadn't ruined the friendship we had."

Hallie couldn't find the words to reply to Marlena, but she didn't have to because Marlena had more than enough to say to make up for the both of them.

"I'm not that broken little girl that used to hide in your shadow. I'm my own person now, and I have people in my life who support me instead of shooting me down to make them feel better about themselves," Marlena said through gritted teeth, not realizing that her hands were balled up into fists at her sides, her hidden ability beginning to channel into a faint, silver aura around her hands. In other words, her psionics had finally decided to make an unexpected appearance.

No one else seemed to notice this, though, other than Bucky. His demeanor changed as he grew concerned, realizing that she didn't understand just quite the extent of how her abilities had been manifesting without her knowledge. He took a step closer to her, reaching out with his metal arm and taking hold of her wrist firmly, but not so much as to hurt her.

"You need to calm down, Mar," he said, glancing down at her hands.

She looked down and saw nothing, slightly confused as to why he was worried. "What's wrong?"

He hummed, searching the room for Tony, who was now standing with Steve at the other end of the room engaged in conversation.

"I think you may need to go talk to Tony," he suggested. "I would go with you, but there's something I need to take care of," he said to her, letting out a sigh as he looked to Clint and Dylan, who were now both engaging in a rather heated argument.

Marlena frowned before removing her hand from his hold. "Whatever you say."

He placed a kiss to her head before moving towards the two men, and Marlena simply walked off towards Tony and Steve.

"Hey, Bucky said I needed to come talk to you, but he never clarified as to why," Marlena started as she approached the men.

They both stopped their conversation immediately and looked at Marlena, serious expressions etched onto their faces. Marlena narrowed her eyes in confusion, as she could not figure out exactly what was wrong with them. She could delve into their minds to do so, but that required a certain amount of work she wasn't necessarily up for.

"What's wrong?" Marlena asked. "You two were just happy-go-monkey five minutes ago."

Tony glanced around the room to see if anyone else was listening, and when he found that the coast was clear, he grabbed Marlena by the arm and pulled her closer.

"Something's wrong," he practically whispered. "Somebody tried to make an unauthorized entry into the tower, but before they could, JARVIS shut it down."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone has been trying to get into the tower, Marlena, and that someone is not a friend of mine or anyone else at this party," Tony sighed.

"He thinks the culprit could be from Hydra," Steve said. "And he also thinks that the culprit is after you and Bucky. It's the only thing that makes sense at the moment."

Marlena's eyes widened slightly. "Hydra?"

"Yeah, they're—"

Tony was cut off by the sound of loud beeping from inside his pocket. He pulled the small device out and examined the screen, his eyes widening in shock and slight fear. He shut off the beeping and shoved the device back into his pocket.

"There's been a security breach—I can't counteract it," Tony exclaimed. "Twenty-plus intruders, all armed. We need to get everyone out of here as quickly as possible."

Marlena opened her mouth to speak, but before she could do so a loud explosion could be heard. Steve acted quickly and grabbed the petite girl. He wrapped his arms protectively around her and pulled her to the floor, covering her head and the rest of her body from the now-falling debris.

It would appear that having bad luck on Halloween was no longer just an old wise tale, but an inevitable certainty.