Chapter 52
[Rolling Silver Gacha Ticket]
[Crystal Spear]
|Common Item|
Elden Ring — A spear fashioned from pure crystal. Thanks to its unique material, it is tougher than steel and can be used as a catalyst for casting magic, much like a wand.
A long spear nearly as tall as I was appeared in my hand. Its azure-blue crystal blended with streaks of silver, making it look like a work of art.
It wasn’t the strongest weapon I’d ever received, but I couldn’t complain.
“An interesting piece,” the Ancient One remarked. “May I have a look?”
I passed the spear to her. She inspected it for a moment before gripping it with both hands. Orange light flared around the weapon as she pushed magic into it.
The Ancient One gave a thoughtful hum before handing it back to me.
“Your power grows stranger by the day.” She shook her head. “A finely crafted weapon capable of rivaling many of our own, summoned out of thin air. Does this ability of yours have any limits?”
I chuckled as I slipped the spear into my bag of holding. “Who knows?”
Frankly, that was something I’d been wondering about as well. I was growing stronger, which meant my chances of obtaining higher-ranked tickets were only increasing.
Just how powerful would the rank above Epic be?
It would be nice if I could simply become some cosmic being and wave away all this Marvel bullshit with a flick of my hand. Unfortunately…
I glanced toward the closed door.
The world was never going to be that simple.
Bucky was understandably uncomfortable with… well, everything. He had quietly listened to my explanation before asking for some time alone.
As much as I wanted to give him time to adjust, letting Hydra continue operating for even a few more days was something I would rather avoid. With his memories intact, I’d hoped we could hit them hard. Although, looking back, I might have dumped a little too much on the poor guy at once.
“Mr. Barnes is a strong-willed individual,” the Ancient One said, apparently guessing my thoughts. “You need not worry so much.”
“Yeah, but it would be nice if someone could maybe, you know… lend a hand.”
“Unfortunately, that someone is rather busy.” The Ancient One gave me a pointed look before sighing. “Things have become increasingly hectic of late.”
“Everything all right?” I frowned.
“On the surface.” The Ancient One’s brow furrowed slightly. “But you and I both know how little that means.”
I snorted. “Yeah. Well, if you need help with anything, give me a call.”
“Of course.” She inclined her head before walking away.
Please, God, no Dormammu or other magical bullshittery.
Marvel’s magical side was completely fucking insane even in the weaker universes, and there honestly weren’t that many heroes around to deal with it. Kamar-Taj seemed to have a lid on things here, so hopefully that would continue for a long, long time.
The door clicked open.
Bucky stepped out, looking exhausted, but there was a new steel in his gaze.
“You said you could help me find Steve?”
I grinned. “Yeah. Let me go make a call.”
—
Steve rubbed a hand over his face as he leaned back against the couch. You would think spending a week in what was essentially a deluxe suite would be relaxing. Hell, back during the war, he would have bet any of the boys would have killed for the chance to stay somewhere like this.
Now, he would have killed to leave.
“You look like you’re about to have a stroke,” Sharon Carter smirked as she pushed a mug toward him. “Do you hate my interior decorating that much?”
Steve chuckled as he accepted the drink. “No, it’s perfect.”
Despite technically being a safehouse, Sharon had managed to make the place feel like a proper home. Dark wooden furniture, patterned curtains, and warm brass lamps gave the room a comfortable, lived-in atmosphere. It was a welcome change from the cold, soulless look so many modern places seemed to favor.
Still, as nostalgic as the place felt, no amount of decorating could change one simple fact.
A prison was still a prison.
“Anything from Fury yet?” Steve asked, gently swirling the mug in his hand.
“Plans are still in the works.” Sharon shook her head. “Our numbers are growing by the day.” She stepped closer and squeezed his shoulder. “We just need to wait a little longer.”
Wait. Wait. Wait.
He was beginning to hate that word.
Steve sighed as Sharon disappeared into the kitchen. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand their reasoning. When half your damn organization turned out to be Nazis in disguise, things tended to go sideways.
Finding out Hydra was still alive and thriving had already been a bitter pill to swallow. Steve might have been able to soldier through that if it had ended there, but apparently that wasn’t enough.
No, they also had to co-opt Peggy’s legacy and mind control Bucky.
Because that was apparently a thing now!
Steve sighed for what felt like the billionth time and took a sip from his mug.
Finding out that nearly everything he had fought for had amounted to almost nothing was hard to accept. Steve liked to think he was a fairly even-tempered guy, but even he had his limits. He would’ve stormed S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters the first chance he’d gotten if Fury and Coulson hadn’t managed to talk him down.
As much as he would have loved to beat the Nazis black and blue, their reasoning had been... sound, even if he hated admitting it.
Too many people would die if he acted recklessly, and Steve couldn’t let that happen.
Which had led to all this cloak-and-dagger nonsense.
Steve wasn’t above a bit of lying if it got the job done, especially if that meant putting an end to Red Skull’s legacy. But keeping up the lie twenty-four hours a day in front of God knew how many people?
Yeah... that wasn’t for him.
There was also the option of going out on missions, but like hell was he going to risk taking orders from Hydra.
So, on paper, Captain America was taking his first official “vacation.”
Aside from occasionally meeting with a shaken agent who needed a pep talk after learning the truth about Hydra, Steve had basically done nothing.
He understood the reasoning. He really did.
But if he stayed cooped up in this place much longer, he was going to lose his mind.
A sudden buzz came from the door.
Steve frowned and looked toward Sharon. “Are we expecting someone?”
“No.” Sharon’s expression tightened as she pulled out her gun. “No, we are not.”
“Delivery guy, maybe?”
“Not in this crummy old building.”
Steve silently set his mug down and stood, grabbing his shield from where it rested nearby. The two of them moved into position without another word, Sharon taking up a spot just beside the door while Steve stayed farther back.
“Who is it?” Sharon called.
A familiar voice answered from the other side. “Brooklyn gets cold in December.”
Sharon blinked before her grip tightened around the pistol.
“What does the river carry?”
“Everything except the stones.”
She let out a breath before finally lowering the gun and unlocking the door.
Coulson stepped inside.
“Sorry for dropping by unannounced.”
Steve lowered his shield slightly. “Something happen?”
Coulson’s lips thinned. “You could say that.” He glanced between them. “We’ve had a rather important guest arrive, so please don’t let the surprise—”
Steve looked around. “What surprise—”
“SURPRISE!”
Two people suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Steve reacted on instinct and hurled his shield.
A metal arm snapped up and caught it.
Steve froze.
That couldn’t be...
“Hell of a way to welcome me, Steve,” said a voice he never thought he’d hear again.
“And back from the evil clutches of Hydra, I present to you James Buchanan Barnes!” the younger guy announced, throwing a handful of confetti into the air. “Hooray!”
Behind him, Coulson sighed and covered his face with one hand.
“Bucky?” Steve asked in disbelief.
“...The one and only, pal.” Bucky gave him a dry chuckle. “You really haven’t changed—”
Steve didn’t wait for him to finish. He crossed the room and pulled his best friend into a tight hug.
“...How?”
“It’s a long, long story.” Bucky chuckled as he returned the embrace. “You ready to beat some Nazi ass again, Steve?”
Steve pulled back with a grin.
“Always.”
***
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