11 Chapter Eleven

In Carissa's eyes, Wakanda meant Bucky. Could she handle that? Does she tell him about Peter? No. Yes. Shit. Yes, of course she tells him.

The whole ride there all she thought about was telling him. But she couldn't. Not now. But does it really matter? No, not really. It was a meaningless kiss. No, it wasn't. The jet landed. They walked out, being met with T'Challa. Riss walked behind Steve. Carissa wasn't sure what to do. How about she just doesn't tell him now? There's a space war going on. Now wasn't the time. 

"Should we bow?" She heard Bruce ask.

"Yeah, he's a king." Rhodey said. Carissa bit her bottom lip. This was going to be great.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Steve said.

Bruce bowed. Carissa finally released her bottom lip, laughing at the man.

"What are you doing?" Rhodey asked.

Carissa smiled back at Rhodey, laughing at the expression on Bruce's face.

They started walking again. This time, she was on Steve's right.

"And a semi-stable 100-year-old man." Bucky's voice carried through to the girl. It was the end of whatever conversation was being held, but she didn't care. She watched as Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky as Natasha and Rhodey looked at the girl. She looked back at the two of them, but they both just continue to stare at me.

"What?" She squeaked out. Natasha bit back a smile. Bucky heard the sound of her voice, releasing his old best friend. 

When Steve let Bucky go, she was directly in his line of sight. Bucky smiled, taking in her appearance. Her old cat suit fit her differently now. She was taller, but still almost a foot shorter than him and her hair was longer. 

"Carissa." He said. He watched as her eyes lit up.

She sighed, relieved. He grabbed her hand, pulling her into him. She closed her eyes, burying her face in his chest. Nothing's changed. He let her go and they pull away from each other. His hand found its way under her chin, leading her to look up. Their eyes met and he smiled.

"I missed you." He admitted. He didn't know much about her, but he knew he'd missed her. There was a lot he had left to learn about the girl. 

She smiled. "I missed you, too." She replied. She was breathless. 

His hand fell from her chin and slide into hers. Sam raised his hand up to his earpiece.

"Hey, Cap, we got a situation here." Sam and Bucky both looked up. Carissa hadn't even noticed her dad walk away. 

A ball of fire hurled toward the force field. It hit, which made the small girl jump. Bucky placed a hand around her waist, holding her in place.

"God, I love this place." He said. She smiled. He released her waist, placing his hand back on his gun. Her smile faded as the cool air hit the warm spot created from his arm. 

"Is it time yet?" She asked Rhodey.

"Almost." He replied.

"Rhodey."

"Patience, little one." He said. She placed a hand on her hip and glared at him. Sam laughed.

"You look like your dad when you do that." Rhodey said.

Carissa faked a gasp. "I was going for Tony." She replied. Rhodey smiled at the girl.

"Your web shooters ready?" He asked her.

"Yeah. So are the psionics." She replied.

"You should see her." Sam said to Bucky. "Your little girlfriend got upgrades."

"Upgrades?" Bucky asked.

"Girlfriend?" Riss asked.

"Yeah, upgrades. Watch." Sam said. He picked up a rock lying next to him, throwing it at her. She lifted her hand, swatting it away. He pouted at the lack of her powers.

"I'm not a show dog, Sam." She told him. 

"It's time." Rhodey said.

"Watch this." She said. "Not a rock." 

Riss stood behind Steve, Bucky next to her as they all flew out. Down toward the edge of the barrier, they waited. Bucky looked down at the blonde.

"Be careful." He said.

She smiled. "Worried about me?" She asked.

He smiled back at her. "Of course."

"I'll be okay. Upgrades, remember? Just make it back to me." She whispered.

"I will." He promised.

"They surrender?" Bucky asked Steve as he was walking back from the barrier.

"Not exactly." Steve replied.

"You know, I could've sworn she was blue back in Scotland." Carissa told Steve. She wasn't really blue; she was like a sickly white color with blueish tinting. Odd. She wondered what color her blood was. Carissa would find out soon enough.

"I thought so, too." He replied.

"What the hell?" Bucky asked, in regards to what was happening outside the barrier. That was like his favorite saying.

"Looks like we pissed her off." Nat said.

"You think so?" Riss asked.

Bucky raised his gun, shooting at the alien creatures when they made it through the barrier.

"Then we better keep them in front of us." Steve replied upon being told they were all basically fucked if they got through the back.

"We open the barrier." T'Challa said.

Bucky turned to Riss. "Just make it back to me." He said.

She nodded in agreement. He tucked his finger under her chin for the second time. This time, their lips connected. His hand tangled itself in her hair, deepening the kiss.

Steve cleared his throat. "That's my daughter." He said.

Hesitantly, Bucky pulled away. Steve leaned around Bucky. "Be careful, Riss."

"I'll be fine, dad." She told him.

"Wakanda forever!" T'Challa yelled.

"Here we go." Riss mumbled.

Everyone ran forward. Riss faced her palms to the ground, shooting a wave of energy out. Her eyes were glowing along with the outline of her entire body, neck down. She lift ed one hand to flip the switch on her earpiece before hovering up.

"I told you she got upgrades!" Sam yelled.

"Holy shit." Bucky mumbled.

She levitated herself up over the crowd, Rhodey and Sam beside her in their suits. Landing, she aimed her hands toward the nearest set of alien dogs. They light up before exploding under the pressure of the psionics. She looked down at her hands with wide eyes. Her right hand continued to emit red energy as her left shot webs, entangling them together.

"Riss." Sam said through the earpiece.

She looked up. He hovered above her. She raised her hand, shooting a web to stick to his wings. He pulled her up, dropping her in the middle with Steve.

"There, blondie. That's where you belong." Sam told the girl.

"Front and center?" She asked.

She heard a grunt from Bucky from her right. She spun around to see him pinned down to the ground by the alien dogs. Her hands lit up, flinging the alien bastard up in the air before falling again. Before she can shoot at it, something came flying through the air at Rhodey. She dropped the alien, attempting to web him before he fell. She failed, causing the webs to only pull her with him. She pulled against it, but failed. Steve threw the shield at the webbing to cut her off.

"Riss!" She heard Steve yell. She turned around to see him getting ganged up on. He threw the shield, leaving him defenseless. He should've just let her hit into Rhodey.

"Shit." She whispered. She lit up the creatures, applying more pressure until they popped. "Gross." She mumbled to herself. Their blood was a deep purple.

"There's too many of them!" Bruce yelled.

"Oh, god. Guys?" She whimpered. She looked around. Everyone was fighting and unfair fight. They were bound to lose.

Feeling overwhelmed, the girl sank to her knees. The psionics radiated through her body, surging into the ground in a red wave. Everything went flying as the ground cracked.

"What the hell was that?" Sam asked.

"Sorry." She answered.

"That was you?" Steve asked.

Bucky watched the girl with concerned eyes. She was overwhelmed, tired. Every time she turned around someone was calling out for her.

A multicolored light source flowed through the sky. An axe came barreling down, taking out a handful of the aliens in one throw.

"Was that you, too, Carissa? What else can you do?" Sam asked.

"No fucking way." She mumbled.

"Language." Steve said. Literally fuck off, Steve.

The light went away, leaving Thor with a raccoon and a tree.

"What the hell?" She asked.

"Watch your mouth." Steve said again.

Bruce laughed. "You guys are screwed now!"

Carissa found the strength to pull herself up off her knees. The sky got darker as Thor pulled all the lighting from it. She looked around. Carissa felt less overwhelmed, but they were still losing.

"Well, that's helpful." She commented.

Need a bit more help? A voice asked.

She saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye.

"Wanda!" She yelled. Carissa rushed over to her. Bucky and Steve watched her make her way to Wanda. Both were confused about what had just happened. 

"You were great." Wanda told Riss.

"You're better." Riss replied. It wasn't true, according to Tony, but still. Riss was glad to have her.

"Guys, we got a Vision situation here." Sam said.

"Somebody get to Vision." Steve yelled through the earpiece.

"I got him!" Bruce replied.

"On my way." Wanda said. She moved to head to Vision, leaving Riss behind to fight.

The chick that Carissa and Steve had both originally thought to be blue hit her, sending Wanda back down into the ditch she had created earlier.

Carissa looked from their enemy to her. She jumped down, joining Wanda. She attempted to send the energy through her veins, but she couldn't. The big surge she'd sent on accident must've been too much.

"What the hell?" She asked.

Relax. Wanda told her.

"He'll die alone. As will you."

"She's not alone." Nat said. Nat looked up at Riss, joined by Okoye. 

The four girls ganged up on the alien chick. Riss webbed her hands, binding them together. It wasn't long before she broke the webbing, pulling Riss along with her. She pulled Carissa right into her as she drew back her newly-free hand, connecting it with the girl's nose. She heard a slight crack as her eyes watered and now, she was pissed as fuck. She could feel blood running from her nose. 

Proxima; 1 Little Blonde Girl; 0

"Carissa! Get to Vision." Dad yelled.

"I'm in the middle of something." She barked through gritted teeth into the earpiece.

"Someone's dead." Sam commented, taking note of her tone.

"Go, now." Steve replied in a sharp tone.

Riss forced a surge of energy through her hands. Nothing came out the other end.

"Damn it!" The girl yelled. "I'll be back for you, Proxima." Riss threatened.

"I'll be waiting, little one." She replied. 

Carissa took off in Vision's direction, not bothering to wipe the blood dripping from her nose.

Steve had already taken off the same way and she was hot on his trail, webbing her way along as best as she could. Steve beat her there, hitting the guy off of Vision.

"Get out of here!" He ordered Vision. "Go!"

Carissa watched as Steve got his ass kicked while she panicked trying to get the psionics back up. Her nose was still bleeding.

"A little help here, kid?" Steve asked.

"I'm fucking trying!" She yelled back. Finally, the red illuminated. "Fuck, finally."

She lifted the guy up off of Steve.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked.

"All I can fucking do is lift him." She replied harshly. Wanda's voice sounded in her head.

You're tired. All you can really do right now is lift him.

That's so damn helpful. Riss replied. I liked it better when all I had to do was lift my hands and he was dead.

Makes two of us. She said. I can't do that.

"Kill him!" Riss yelled. Vision came up behind her, stabbing him. She dropped the body. "Thank you." She told him, dropping her hands.

Vision hit the floor. Steve crawled over to him.

"I thought I told you to go." Steve said.

"We don't trade lives, Captain." Vision replied.

Steve looked at Riss. "Go." He said. "You're bleeding."

"Oh? Am I?" She asked sarcastically. She wiped her nose, smearing her blood, walking back in the direction of the fight, Steve right behind her. He stopped.

"Everyone, on my position. We have incoming." Steve said into the earpiece.

Carissa stopped dead in her tracks. "He's here." She said.

"Eyes up. Stay sharp." Steve said, advancing towards Thanos.

Purple illuminated Steve, sending him spiraling to the girl's right. He took down T'Challa followed by Sam. It was like dominos. Carissa and Wanda stayed planted.

Vision attempted to convince Wanda it was time. Riss finally moved from her position next to Wanda, rushing toward Thanos. She lit up her hands, but he stopped her. She levitated there, encased in purple.

"The Captain's daughter." He said. Then, he threw her up. Like her dad had, she went spiraling. Up over the trees, unable to stop herself. She panicked. If you go up, you have to back down.

"Sam!" She heard Steve yell through the ear piece.

"On it!" Sam replied. Bucky heard the commotion, heading in the same direction as everyone else.

"Wait!" Carissa yelled. She didn't have to fall anymore. The red started to engulf her hands. She stopped myself from going up, throwing her body back down. Part way through her fall, her psionics gave up on her. They were tired again. Thinking as fast as she could, she shot a web. It stuck to a tree branch, abruptly stopping her three feet from the ground right in front of Bucky, watching as he lit up purple before he was flung away. She panted hard, holding onto the web as tightly as she could before she lowered herself down to the ground, following after him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He nodded. "Are you?"

She nodded. "I'm fine." She was out of breath, blood smeared on her face from my nose and other tree branches scratching her face.

"I came back to you." He said, pulling leaves out of her hair. He dragged his thumb across the blood by her nose.

She smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, you did." She was still panting, her lips chapped.

She turned to see Steve struggling against Thanos. She stood, the red glow holding back the same hand Steve had. She helped him in pushing against Thanos, but it was no use. Her powers were weak. They only grew weaker as Thanos pushed against her, the red fading again. He raised his other fist before connecting it with Steve's face. She looked around.

"This is what it looks like to lose." She mumbled. Her eyes watered as she bit down on her bottom lip. She felt sick. Her heart and mind were racing, seeing who could be the fastest. She was overall terrified.

She noticed Wanda attempt to push him back, just like she had. One hand against Thanos, the other facing Vision. She raised her hands in one final attempt to help. Once again, he pushed against Riss. He pushed against Wanda. Finally, the stone burst. Wanda, Thanos and Riss all flying back. Thanos stood before the girls could. Carissa's body ached as did Wanda's. Wanda had been considerably closer to the blast. Closest.

Carissa forced herself halfway off the ground. Wanda and Riss held eye contact, both shaking. Their eyes were glossed over. Green illuminated Thanos's hand.

"No!" Riss yelled. "Wanda! The time stone."

Carissa forced herself onto her elbows, webbing his arm in place. Webbing from both of her wrists coated his hand. He pulled, dragging her across the ground as he put Vision back together, as he'd only been moments ago.

"Wanda!" She yelled again. Her voice was coated in sobs. All of Wanda's emotion filled her, as well as Vision's. She'd opened up a new component to her power. She was still being dragged, attempting to pull against him still. As tears ran down her pink cheeks. 

Wanda looked up.

"No!" She screamed, getting up. Thanos hit her back with the hand Carissa had webbed, sending both of the girls flying. She landed on the ground as Riss hit into a tree. She slid down, landing flat on her ass. Her right hand flew straight to her ribs on the left side, the ones Bucky had broken two years ago.

"Wanda!" Riss turned to face her. She wasn't moving. Nobody was. Thanos ripped the stone out of Vision, causing him to turn grey. She watched in horror as he hit the ground, lifeless. Thanos added the last stone to the gauntlet. Carissa stared at Vision with hallowed eyed. Her eyebrows furrowed as she gasped lightly. 

Blue lighting came crashing down.

Thor. A flicker of hope dared to enter body as she continued to stare down at Vision.

Thor's axe came barreling down, landing right in Thanos's chest.

"I told you you'd die for that." Thor said.

"You should have gone for the head." Thanos said.

"No, Thor." She called, but it barely came out a whisper.

"No!" Thor yelled as the snap rings out. Everything went white.

Carissa started rocking herself lightly, mumbling the old lullaby her mom would sing to her. It was her only coping mechanism.

"What'd you do? What'd you do?" Thor asked.

Thanos raised his hand, opening the same portal he came here in. Then he was gone.

Steve came out, holding his side.

"Carissa?" He asked, taking in the image in front of him. His daughter looked broken, like the shell of a person. She'd seen so much today he could never help her to unsee.

"Dad." She whispered, looking up at him. He lowered to her level, pulling his daughter into him. He held her tightly, running his hand through her hair. 

"Where'd he go?" Steve asked Thor from the ground. He didn't dare let that girl go. "Thor. Where'd he go?"

"Steve?" Bucky asked. His body was slowly becoming dust. Carissa unburied herself from Steve, moving to stand. "Riss." He smiled before hitting the ground, completely turning to dust, out of her sight. He was gone, just like that. He was gone all over again.

"Bucky!" She screamed. Steve stood, grabbing her by the waist before she hit the ground. He pulled her into him as tightly as he could, burying her face into his chest. "Bucky." She cried into him.

Steve couldn't even process what he'd just witnessed. He'd never seen his daughter in such a broken state. He released her slowly, passing her over to Thor. Thor assumed the position Steve had been in moments ago.

"Dad?" She asked in a broken whisper. Steve lowered his hands to the ashes that were once Bucky.

"Carissa." A voice whispered.

"No. No, Wanda." The girl said softly, scrambling down to her. She was gone before Riss even made it to her. Her dust flying away in the wind. Carissa let out a whimper. 

"Bucky. Wanda." She whispered to herself.  sudden sick feeling overcame the girl. "Peter."

Peter.

She pulled her phone out of her zipped pocket, surprised to see it in one piece. Her shaking hand typed in the number she knew by heart.

Dialing: Peter🕸❤️ 

Voicemail full.

"Please, Parker." She begged. "Please."

She watched Steve roll Vision over. Natasha came running.

"What is this? What the hell is happening?" Rhodey asked.

"He won." Riss whispered.

"Oh, God." Steve said.

"We lost." Riss continued.

They lost because they didn't have Tony. The world went to shit because it didn't have Tony.

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