Friday the thirteenth is not that bad after all.

Laura couldn't stop smiling as she observed her own reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were still flushed and her lips were slightly puffy as a result of the kiss she'd shared with Bucky moments ago. Even after minutes had passed, she could still taste his minty breath in her mouth, feel how his lips molded perfectly to her own, and shiver at the memory of his touch.

Her first kiss was everything she'd ever dreamed of—if not so much more.

She knew it was highly unusual to have her first kiss at age 28, but she never had the chance to experience it in her youth. Right now, she was somehow thankful for her dark past, for it allowed Bucky to be her first, and to think that she was his first kiss in decades—she knew from his expression even though he'd been too proud to admit it—made that moment even more perfect in her mind.

Her smile grew as she stepped out of the restroom and spotted him leaning on a lamp post not far from her. His eyes were fixated on his new phone. It irritated her how he could never get used to modern technologies, yet she found it adorable how hard he tried.

The sound of her footsteps alerted him and he turned around. With a smile, he held out his flesh hand for her to take. "Come on. Let's go home."

Laura noticed Bucky's gloved metal hand was tucked inside his jacket's pocket, hidden away from the world, and she knew exactly the reason why. No matter how many times she tried to convince him, he still saw his metal hand as a curse.

He was still ashamed of it.

She tilted her head down slightly and looked at him through her lashes, hiding the playful smile hanging on her lips. It was the perfect chance to show him that he'd been wrong.

She went over to his left side and a look of disappointment crossed Bucky's face. Just as he drew his flesh hand back to his side, she slipped her hands into his left pocket and gently pulled his hand out of it. He stared at her with surprise and hesitation, but she gave a warm smile in return.

Wrapping her hand in his metal one, she murmured, "I like this one better."

Laura struggled to contain her ever-growing smile as they strolled hand-in-hand through the streets and headed towards the parking lot. Even with the glove on, his metal hand felt cold; yet she loved the feeling of their fingers intertwining and the warmth it brought to her heart. The night couldn't be more perfect and nothing could ruin it—almost nothing.

Right before they were about to step out of the carnival's gate, a loud scream broke the peaceful silence of the night.

They turned their attention towards the origin of the voice and saw thick, black smoke rising from the house of mirrors. Curious, they approached it. The temporary building was now ablaze. A wall of orange and bright red flames surrounded the premises, making it hard for those inside the building to get out. While people were having a hard time evacuating the building, others tried to put out the fire with the help of the fire hydrant and water hoses.

Laura raised her gaze to look at Bucky. His jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth, his fingers clenched to a fist. She could see it in his eyes that he wanted to help; yet, he stood still. After a quick moment, she saw the concern in his blue eyes and was reminded of his odd behavior these past few days. She didn't know why he'd been acting so strange—he'd been avoiding the question whenever she asked—yet, she knew it had something to do with her safety and well-being.

She nudged his elbow. "Go."

He shifted his gaze to her; the worry in his eyes was crystal clear.

"Go be a hero, tough guy. I'll be fine."

He huffed a chuckle and shook his head lightly. "Are you sure?"

She gave a firm nod. "I can take care of myself. Now, go!"

"Stay here, okay? I'll be right back!" Bucky dashed into the burning building and within seconds, he was out of her sight.

Laura looked for a way to help, and her attention was drawn to the people who had been injured. She was about to approach them when a tall, bulky man suddenly stood in her way. She attempted to walk around him, but he continued to sidestep and block her. With a loud grunt, she raised her gaze to meet his, intending to protest. But her words were stuck in her throat when she recognized the man standing before her.

The man stood at least six-feet-three tall; the top of Laura's head barely reached his shoulder. He had his blonde hair slicked back like he always did while his sharp chin and large jaw were covered by a slightly thinner beard than usual. She noticed a wide burn scar across his left cheek that stopped right above his full lips, one that didn't exist the last time she'd seen him.

"Long time no see, little girl," the man replied with his thick British accent.

"Brixton. How nice to see you," she replied sarcastically through gritted teeth. She glared into his hazel eyes while carefully stepping backward. "Does he send you?"

He scoffed. "I don't work for your father anymore."

Well, that's bad news. Laura knew her father would never send someone to kill her—she was more useful to him alive than dead. But, if this guy was here on his own terms, then all bets were off.

"Ahh... I see he gave you that," she replied, referencing to his scar, and passed off a winning smirk to mask her agitation.

His jaw clenched slightly, and Laura knew she was right. He was probably holding a grudge against her for the punishment her father gave to him, and now he wants her head.

The corners of Laura's mouth twitched a little as she scanned the area for a way out or a weapon to help her fight. Screaming for help would be useless since a man like him would kill anyone standing in his way, and she didn't want to drag innocent lives to her problem.

After a while, she decided to stall the conversation while continuing to lead him into a spot where there were fewer people. "What happened? Did he punish you for not being able to catch me?"

"Something like that," he replied, his voice husky as usual.

"Well, I'm surprised you're still alive, considering how he usually treats his incompetent henchmen." Her remarks seemed to strike a nerve with him as his round brows lowered for a quick second. While his gaze was fixated on her face, she used the chance to yank one of her Troll key chains off her bag and drop it to the ground, a bread crumb intended for Bucky.

"He was getting sloppy."

She gave a mocking chuckle. "So, tell me, did you spend nine—or was it four—years searching for me?"

His looks barely changed from nine years ago, and it made her thought he'd been turned into dust when Thanos eradicated half of the universe.

"You flatter yourself too much, little girl. Believe it or not, I really thought you were dead. Blame it on your boyfriend over there for leading me to you." His head gestured to the burning building behind him and the side of his lips tugged upwards into his usual smug smirk.

Laura used the chance to subtly drop another one of her Trolls behind her back. "Ahh... So, you're the one who's after him. Let me guess, someone is paying you to kill him?"

His nostrils flared as he inhaled and she knew she was right again. "Who is it? One of those HYDRA relics?"

This time, his expression stilled, prompting Laura to doubt her hypothesis. "Well... let's just say he messed with the wrong person."

"So, what's the plan, now? Use me as a bait to lure him out?" His brows twitched at her words, and she knew her guess was correct. She figured the fire wasn't an accident; it was a ploy to get him to leave her alone. "Well, if that's the case then you are in bad luck, old man. Because I'm telling you, he won't do that for me. He's a cold-blooded murderer. Just like you, remember?"

"You give yourself too few credits, little girl. If anyone could melt the Winter Soldier's heart, it's you. After all..." A wicked smirk grew on his lips, taunting her. "You both are monsters."

That last word sent a sharp, stabbing pain to Laura's heart. She clenched her fist as she was quickly reminded of the gruesome crime she'd done, and her guilt slowly suffocated her from the inside out. Not wanting him to see her weakness, she inhaled and lifted her chin. "Even if that's the plan, I think you'd find it easier to just send my decapitated head to my father."

He threw his head back in guttural laughter, and Laura used the chance to leave another bread crumb for Bucky. "As much as I'd like that, my new employer has another plan for you."

"Hmm?" Laura's brows were knitted together, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She had a feeling this was about something bigger than just his personal vendetta.

"Remember Project X, little girl?"

Laura's eyes went wide as her face tensed into hard lines.

"It's halfway done and you're going to perfect it for us."

"No." Laura shook her head. "You can't possibly get your hands on the formula. I got rid of it."

"Oh, did you, now?"

"You're bluffing."

While she continued walking backward, she realized she had reached the Carousel area. By now, everyone was already converging around the house of mirrors, which was quite far from here, leaving this place almost empty. She sensed three shadows lurking in the dark, and she had a feeling Brixton didn't come here alone.

"Well..." Brixton took out a syringe filled with thick black liquid that had tiny, golden particles in it. Laura gasped, knowing exactly what the liquid was and what it could do—after all, she'd created it. He threw away the red plastic cap covering its needle and grinned, revealing his crooked, yellow teeth. "You'll soon find out."

He let out a loud, painful groan as he injected it to his own arm. Laura used this chance to try to escape. But, when she turned around, three strong men had already surrounded her, blocking her path. Gritting her teeth, she knew there was no way to escape but fight.

Winning against these men seemed impossible, but there was no way she'd go down without a fight.

As the men were about to grab her, she used all her strength to kick one of the men in the crotch, eliciting a loud scream from the latter. She then ducked when she sensed the other men trying to throw a punch at her. Quickly, she grabbed the knife strapped in the wailing man's boots. With a swift rotation of her body, she sliced the men right on their Achilles' tendons before rolling on the ground, distancing herself from them.

She took a breath and glanced at the fresh blood dripping on her knife. The cuts were deep enough to send the men to the ground with painful cries, and normal people wouldn't recover from that attack.

But, she knew they were not normal.

With a rather raspy voice, Brixton said, "I see you haven't forgotten my lessons."

She glanced at the three unfamiliar men in front of her before looking over her shoulder. "I see you have new minions."

"I have to," Brixton replied, still panting. "Your father burned all my old ones."

The bulging veins on his neck were slowly turning to black while his eyes were bloodshot, signs that the formula was starting to work. When the lights from the lamp posts fell on one of the men's neck, she saw the same symptoms. One by one, they started to get back up on their feet, their wounds had slowly recovered.

Laura glanced at her watch. 12 minutes. They only have 12 minutes, and maybe after that, I'll have a shot in beating them. She knew the chances were slim, but she had to try either way.

She flashed a wide grin, trying to stall them. "Come on now, old man. Are you really going to gang up on a helpless girl like me?"

"You're many things, little girl," Brixton growled as he stomped towards her, his minions mirroring his action. "But you're far from being helpless."

Bracing herself against their attack, she assumed a fighting stance. She used her small stature and agility to evade their strong punches while moving backward. Throwing the knives between her left and right hand, she managed to land a few stabs and slits on Brixton's minions, but not Brixton himself. She tried several times to stab him, but he could easily read her every movement, blocking them with his bare fist.

Still, that didn't stop her from putting up a fight.

Her punches and kicks sent the mercenaries a few steps back. But fighting in high-heeled boots slowed down her movements, and it wasn't long before Brixton gained the upper hand.

"Come on, Laura! I taught you better than that!"

His words provoked her and she tried to stab his chest, but he caught her arm instead. Pain was shooting through her wrist as she desperately flung a punch right under his chin and threw kicks onto his body.

Yet, he didn't even budge.

Lowering himself slightly, he gripped Laura's body and lifted her up to the air. She gasped and her eyes were shut instinctively when he threw her across the room. A loud thump was heard as her back hit the metal fences surrounding the Carousel. Waves of sharp pain shot all across her body, especially through the back of her neck. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold the pain, yet a muffled cry still escaped her lips.

When she opened her eyes, her vision was fuzzy. She deduced she might've had a concussion, considering how hard her head hit the cold metal. Her breathing was heavy and she found it difficult to focus her thoughts.

I'm not going back there. I won't let anyone force me down that road again.

With that in mind, she used all the strength she had left to search for her knife. She spotted the shiny metal not far from her and dragged her aching body towards it.

"Trying to kill yourself again?" Brixton's voice sounded like an echo in her head. "Not this time, little girl."

He kicked the knife away right when it was in her arm's reach. Effortlessly, he grabbed hold of her and slung her limp body over his shoulders.

"No..." She tried to punch his back with all her might, but her punches were too weak. She could feel her eyes burning with tears as the thought of being brought back to the lab and forced to continue the inhuman experiment hit her mind. "No..."

Just as she was about to give up, she heard a familiar voice saying, "Let her go."

Even though her vision was still blurry, she recognized his voice anywhere, and it sparked that tiny bit of hope inside her. "Bucky?"

Brixton stopped and turned around to face Bucky. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the infamous Winter Soldier. Here to save the damsel-in-distress?"

"I said..." Bucky said through gritted teeth. "Let. Her. Go."

Laura could almost hear him smirk, when Brixton continued, "Looks like I can kill two birds with one stone after all."

She let out a hoarse cry as Brixton threw her body to the ground harshly.

It wasn't long before the sounds of punches and kicks filled the air. Laura struggled to turn her body over as sharp pain was still surrounding her. With great effort, she propped her elbows against the ground and raised her upper body.

As her sight gradually returned, her eyes were drawn to the fight. One of Brixton's henchmen was already down on the ground, while Brixton and his two other henchmen fought like mad bulls. Bucky's movements, on the other hand, were somewhat restraint; it was his guilt, she reckoned.

Suddenly, Laura noticed a movement on her peripheral vision. The man on the ground had already gotten back up to his feet, albeit still stumbling around. Laura's eyes went wide when she saw him took out the gun from its holster around his waist.

Gathering every remaining ounce of energy inside her, she stood up and charged against him. She used both hands to grip the man's wrist, pushing his arm up while launching several kicks to his stomach. A loud bang echoed through the night as the man accidentally pulled the trigger.

"Laura!" Bucky exclaimed.

Lucky for her, the bullet barely grazed her left temple. Still, a sharp, throbbing pain caused her to wince. She could feel blood seeping from the small slit and slowly running down her face. Yet, it didn't put out that fighting flame inside her.

She swiveled around and pressed her back to the man's chest, jabbing her elbow backward to his stomach. The powerful thrust sent the man a few steps back and she used it to her advantage. Spinning on her heels to face the man, she pushed him down to the ground. She tried to suffocate him by pressing her knees on his chest while struggling to gain control of the gun.

Meanwhile, Bucky growled loudly and Brixton's henchmen were sent flying through the air milliseconds later. Something about seeing her hurt must've triggered Bucky to use his true strength, she presumed, because it wasn't long before Brixton was sent to the ground too. Right before Bucky approached her, one of the henchmen took out his guns and aimed it at him.

"Bucky, watch out!" Laura warned.

Bucky easily dodged and blocked the bullets by using his metal arm as a shield. With a loud grunt, he charged towards the man and knocked him out—this time for good.

Bucky was about to approach her when Brixton got up and launched another attack against him.

As Bucky fought face-to-face with Brixton, Laura was slowly losing her grip on the man before her. The situation took a turn for the worse and she found herself laying on the ground with her back against the rocky pavement. The man hovered above her and she felt the gun barrel inching away against her stomach. Desperately, she hooked her finger around his, trying to prevent him from pulling the trigger while at the same time fighting for the control of the gun.

She didn't know what to think nor do. All she had in mind was that she wanted to live.

The next thing she knew, another loud bang reverberated through the night.

Author's Note:

Ta-da! What do you think of this chapter?

Did Laura's fighting ability surprise you? I don't want her to be just another helpless damsel-in-distress, so there ya go. I hope that doesn't upset anyone lol

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you do, please don't forget to vote! :)

Thanks for reading!