Steve sends word once they’re out of HYDRA’s clutches and somewhere safe, and Barry transports both Laurel and Connor to that location. That location turns out to be a secret bunker in the middle of nowhere, and when they skid to a stop, they find themselves face to face with Colonel Nicholas J. Fury, who’s looking very confused.
“I thought this was supposed to be a secret bunker.”
“Some secrets are worth sharing,” Steve replies pointedly before making his way across the room and pulling both Laurel and Connor into a hug. It’s not bone-crushing, the way she knew he could if he wanted to, but it’s still tight enough for her to see that he’s been worried.
“Hey,” she says, looking up at him with a soft smile. “We’re okay.”
“You almost weren’t,” he replies firmly, before looking down at her again. “But I’m really glad you are.”
It takes them a minute to catch the new arrivals up on the rest of what they know now – Bucky Barnes being alive, how the HYDRA intends to use Project Insight. It’s all terrible, and Laurel shakes her head as she puts Connor down and turns back to the rest of them.
“But you have a plan, right? To stop it?”
“We do,” Steve nods, before looking over to the slim man standing next to her. “We could use your help, Barry. There are going to be a lot of civilians in the blast zone.”
“I can get them out,” Barry replies. “Whoever I can.”
“Good. While Barry’s doing that, Sam, Hill, and I will handle the targeting swaps while Fury and Natasha take care of Pierce.” Steve takes a breath before looking over at the rest of them. “We move out in an hour. Take care of what you need to take care of and meet back here.”
As the rest of the team disperses to begin their preparations, Steve glances over to Laurel. “Can we talk?”
Laurel glances at Barry, and he nods before taking Connor’s hand and leading him away. “Hey, Connor. Let’s go see if we can find something to eat.”
Laurel then turns back to Steve with a nod. “Let’s go.”
He leads them over to a quiet corner and takes her hand with a squeeze. “About Bucky …”
“Are you sure it’s him?”
“It has to be.” Steve sounds so confident she doesn’t want to doubt him, but she also knows that life can be complicated, and this situation seems doubly so. Still, she knows that he’s not going to be able to let this rest. “I have to find a way to fix this, Laurel.”
“I know.” She reaches up, brushing a hand against the side of his face. “But don’t let him kill you in the process, okay? You can’t save him if you’re dead.”
Steve nods, before taking a deep breath. “What if it’s him or me?”
“It’s not.” Laurel shakes her head, making that definitive the most straightforward way she knows how. “Sometimes you don’t solve a problem by going at it head-on. Sometimes, you have to retreat and regroup. But you’ll figure it out, Steve. I know you will.”
“Just don’t die.”
She smirks. “That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll do my best.” He pauses, leaning in to kiss her softly. “See you on the other side?”
She nods as he pulls away to get started. “I’ll be here.”
- - - - - -
In the end, Steve got very close to being unable to honor that request. Barry finds him on the banks of the river, shot, unconscious, and very, very injured, but somehow alive. Laurel’s not sure how, but part of her thinks that maybe, Bucky Barnes is to blame for that. He’s out for a few days as he recovers, and in the interim, Laurel sends Connor back to Central City with Barry, where Oliver would be waiting for him, wanting to see that his son unharmed for himself.
Laurel knows that Oliver is going to have words for her when he gets home, but that’s a problem for Future Laurel to handle.
Right now, Present Laurel elects to enjoy this beach walk with Steve before they part ways again – Laurel to return to her life in Central City, and Steve to go in search of his friend. As they reach the edge of the water, she lets the sand curl between her toes, as he turns to her.
“I’m sorry our visit got complicated.”
“It’s okay,” she shrugs. “It comes with the territory.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish it could have been better.”
“Maybe next time. If you and Sam get some downtime, you could swing through Central City. Cisco could make some upgrades to Sam’s flight suit.”
Steve laughs. “Are you sure Sam would be okay with that?”
“I don’t know,” Laurel shakes her head. “But it would free up some time for the two of us to spend some time together.”
“That is true,” Steve nods. “We have been unfairly interrupted a lot lately.”
“Yes, we have,” she agrees, before pausing to wrap her arms around his waist. “But are you going to be okay in the meantime?”
He nods again as he leans down to kiss her, cupping the side of her face with one hand gently. “I will be. I don’t want the lead to go cold.”
“I get it. I want to make sure you make it to Central City in one piece.”
“I will. I promise.” He leans in to kiss her again, before tugging her gently away from the water. “C’mon. If we don’t get going, we’re going to miss your flight.”
She pouts, before letting him pull her away from the water. “If you insist.”
set 7 | they left no instructions, just a legacy to protect [5/5] ~ dctv/mcu ~ 962
Steve sends word once they’re out of HYDRA’s clutches and somewhere safe, and Barry transports both Laurel and Connor to that location. That location turns out to be a secret bunker in the middle of nowhere, and when they skid to a stop, they find themselves face to face with Colonel Nicholas J. Fury, who’s looking very confused.
“I thought this was supposed to be a secret bunker.”
“Some secrets are worth sharing,” Steve replies pointedly before making his way across the room and pulling both Laurel and Connor into a hug. It’s not bone-crushing, the way she knew he could if he wanted to, but it’s still tight enough for her to see that he’s been worried.
“Hey,” she says, looking up at him with a soft smile. “We’re okay.”
“You almost weren’t,” he replies firmly, before looking down at her again. “But I’m really glad you are.”
It takes them a minute to catch the new arrivals up on the rest of what they know now – Bucky Barnes being alive, how the HYDRA intends to use Project Insight. It’s all terrible, and Laurel shakes her head as she puts Connor down and turns back to the rest of them.
“But you have a plan, right? To stop it?”
“We do,” Steve nods, before looking over to the slim man standing next to her. “We could use your help, Barry. There are going to be a lot of civilians in the blast zone.”
“I can get them out,” Barry replies. “Whoever I can.”
“Good. While Barry’s doing that, Sam, Hill, and I will handle the targeting swaps while Fury and Natasha take care of Pierce.” Steve takes a breath before looking over at the rest of them. “We move out in an hour. Take care of what you need to take care of and meet back here.”
As the rest of the team disperses to begin their preparations, Steve glances over to Laurel. “Can we talk?”
Laurel glances at Barry, and he nods before taking Connor’s hand and leading him away. “Hey, Connor. Let’s go see if we can find something to eat.”
Laurel then turns back to Steve with a nod. “Let’s go.”
He leads them over to a quiet corner and takes her hand with a squeeze. “About Bucky …”
“Are you sure it’s him?”
“It has to be.” Steve sounds so confident she doesn’t want to doubt him, but she also knows that life can be complicated, and this situation seems doubly so. Still, she knows that he’s not going to be able to let this rest. “I have to find a way to fix this, Laurel.”
“I know.” She reaches up, brushing a hand against the side of his face. “But don’t let him kill you in the process, okay? You can’t save him if you’re dead.”
Steve nods, before taking a deep breath. “What if it’s him or me?”
“It’s not.” Laurel shakes her head, making that definitive the most straightforward way she knows how. “Sometimes you don’t solve a problem by going at it head-on. Sometimes, you have to retreat and regroup. But you’ll figure it out, Steve. I know you will.”
“Just don’t die.”
She smirks. “That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll do my best.” He pauses, leaning in to kiss her softly. “See you on the other side?”
She nods as he pulls away to get started. “I’ll be here.”
In the end, Steve got very close to being unable to honor that request. Barry finds him on the banks of the river, shot, unconscious, and very, very injured, but somehow alive. Laurel’s not sure how, but part of her thinks that maybe, Bucky Barnes is to blame for that. He’s out for a few days as he recovers, and in the interim, Laurel sends Connor back to Central City with Barry, where Oliver would be waiting for him, wanting to see that his son unharmed for himself.
Laurel knows that Oliver is going to have words for her when he gets home, but that’s a problem for Future Laurel to handle.
Right now, Present Laurel elects to enjoy this beach walk with Steve before they part ways again – Laurel to return to her life in Central City, and Steve to go in search of his friend. As they reach the edge of the water, she lets the sand curl between her toes, as he turns to her.
“I’m sorry our visit got complicated.”
“It’s okay,” she shrugs. “It comes with the territory.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish it could have been better.”
“Maybe next time. If you and Sam get some downtime, you could swing through Central City. Cisco could make some upgrades to Sam’s flight suit.”
Steve laughs. “Are you sure Sam would be okay with that?”
“I don’t know,” Laurel shakes her head. “But it would free up some time for the two of us to spend some time together.”
“That is true,” Steve nods. “We have been unfairly interrupted a lot lately.”
“Yes, we have,” she agrees, before pausing to wrap her arms around his waist. “But are you going to be okay in the meantime?”
He nods again as he leans down to kiss her, cupping the side of her face with one hand gently. “I will be. I don’t want the lead to go cold.”
“I get it. I want to make sure you make it to Central City in one piece.”
“I will. I promise.” He leans in to kiss her again, before tugging her gently away from the water. “C’mon. If we don’t get going, we’re going to miss your flight.”
She pouts, before letting him pull her away from the water. “If you insist.”