Pairing: Klaus Hargreeves x Female!Reader(Purely platonic), Number Five x Female!Reader(Purely platonic), Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Warnings: Cursing(obviously), Minor panic attack? Klaus is saucy as always

A/N: Hey! Y’all finally get more Bucky in this chapter! Albeit, it’s merely a flashback, but hey - it’s still Bucky, right?

“Keep trying.”

“I am.”

“Try harder.”

At his fixed persistence, you breathed out infuriatingly and glared at him. “Why don’t I just knock you on your ass instead?” It fluttered past your lips in a biting vigor. 

He swallowed thickly, eyes widening a fraction. But what you hadn’t realized was that your venomous words weren’t the reason for his sudden silence - and it most certainly wasn’t the reason for the foreign astonishment upon his face. 

“What?” You snarled, inhaling deeply. Was it hot in here? You don’t remember it being hotter than a sauna - you felt lightheaded, nauseous. 

From beside you, there was a gasp - over-dramatic and obnoxious. Your eyes shifted over to Klaus, who had previously sat on the paid hotel bed - and was now standing up and holding his hand to his mouth. “Purple suits you.” And it left his parted lips in a praise. 

Your face pinched, features twisted into confusion. 

Klaus simply continued, “Your eyes. They’re glowing purple - well, it’s more of a violet, but-” 

“Exactly what are you capable of, Outsider?” Five’s intriguing voice conjured up your wavering thoughts and dragged your focus back to him. 

“She’s a miracle that’s for sure.” Klaus quipped, unable to contain the smile that stretched across his face. 

You were anything but a miracle. You were capable of taking down city blocks, a whole state - a planet. The abnormality that withered around inside of you was the equivalent to the goddamn apocalypse, the end of the world as you knew it. You were just lucky enough to have it contained, and even if it did get out of hand, the power you possessed would drain you before you could do anything to prevent the outcome.

You were merely a human; enhanced - sure - but human nonetheless. 

“Wrong.” You stated, voice unusually hoarse. Klaus’ brows furled at your objection. “I don’t know what I can do because I’ve never been strong enough to access that much of my power.” 

“You just need to keep trying-”

You whirled back around to face the boy, face hardening. “You don’t get it,” his eyes begged you to continue. “I come from a world that has been plagued by demons and monsters and just about everything you could think of. I have seen what something like my ability can do to an entire planet. I have fought battles while sitting among the sidelines because there’s that chance that I could lose control and I-” your sentence died out, voice cracking beneath the heavy weight of your grief.

Images flashed, flickered, swayed through your mind. You shuddered.

“Come on, Doll. You can do it. Focus on my voice.” 

Daylight rained down through the windows, basking the expanse of the room in an ethereal glow. If you stood on your tiptoes, you’d be able to see perfectly into the stretching meadows that surrounded Wakanda - a beautiful, beautiful country made for evolving. Made for people like you. 

A special kind of entity.

Bucky’s voice pulled you back to reality and when your gaze shifted back to him all that you could see was the utter bolstering confidence he held for you. If there were anyone that believed in you, believed in what you were capable of, it was him. 

He nodded slowly, eyes flickering back and forth between your hands and your eyes. “You can do it. Just breathe.” 

And so you did. 

“Focus on the movement around you; the swaying of the trees, the rays of the sun,” he said. “Just like we practiced.” 

It didn’t take long to understand the gentleness behind his eyes, in the fraying edge of his voice. His presence alone was able to urge your power along your veins, through the path of your blood, and finally out of the very tips of your fingers. 

Before, there had been no crackling, no quake in the core of the earth. All that there had been was your complete submission - not an ounce of resistance. 

“Breathe. Steady. You don’t want to hurt me - you don’t want to hurt anyone.” 

Back then you had a more controlled environment; you weren’t infected with the remnants of the war, your innocence wasn’t singed from that of the fire that raged upon your lungs. At least, not from what you could remember - the Red Room and its memories were long forgotten about. 

You had Bucky to thank for that. 

You gave him a comprehensive nodded and inhaled with resolute curving though the deepest parts of your mind. The origin of your power soothed through you and you watched with patience as it came alive right before your very eyes; snaking around your fingers, your wrists - it felt like tiny little worms meandering across your skin. Soon enough, the violet haze of your power mirrored and mingled in with the gentle awe in your eyes. 

It tingled, forcing a breathless laugh from you. 

And Bucky was proud. 

“I can’t risk hurting anyone else.”

Utter silence repleted the space between you; your eyes obscured, your mind muddled and roaming with murky, unprocessed thoughts. The heavy staunch of Klaus’ odor blended in with the archaic reek of the hotel. And the despite the fact, you were oddly used it. Besides, nothing could beat Tony Stark’s bottle cabinet. 

Not that you were complaining - he did have the best liquor any woman would only dream of having. 

“Alright, no need to get crummy about it.” Klaus snickered, taking a callous puff from his lit cigarette. The smell of tobacco wafted through the air and the translucent color of the smoke evaporated afterwards.

Turning to Klaus, you said, “Why are you here again?”

“Moral support.” He shrugged with a mellifluous grin while he leaned back on the bed.

You rolled your eyes and faced away from him, staring down at your hands as they shook and gyrated. To stop the tremble, you closed them into tight-knuckled fists and screwed your eyes shut, taking calculated breaths to calm your nerves.

Opening your eyes, you eased your dejection to a minimum and prompted another go at it - or attempted to at least. What started as a slow process, blossomed into something quick and elementary; your eyes flashed a deep violet on command and you reveled in it with a hidden triumph.

Five remained reserved, and even though his eyes were on you, he seemed in a faraway place. Somewhere deep inside his mind.

Even still, as you watched him watch you, there was nothing that could subside that brimming hesitance that continued to grow and grow and- “I’ll try again, but if something happens, you need to take me out.” 

“Not gonna be a problem.” Five answered immediately, prepared for the inevitable.

You tried to be casual about the abruptness, but the offense was clear and justified upon your face. And as you got into a readied stance, you let the acrimony bleed through your words. “Maybe try saying that a little faster next time.” 

He shrugged, lips thinning, “Just precautionary.” 

Underneath his piercing gaze, you felt disarmed and vulnerable all the while you wished for the bittersweet release of death.

As soon as you closed your eyes, Klaus’ usual goading became background noise - and now all you could hear was the vibration of your celestial vim. The artificial hum of your power rumbled beneath your skin, and like so many other times before, it dominated you just enough to keep you alert.

A purple haze slithered carefully and diligently around your fingers, your knuckles. With the help of your mind, you shaped it - steadying it within the palm of your hand, navigating it with your fingers.

“Give it a little push. Use the resources around you to your advantage.” Five spoke, watching you closely, carefully.

You conjured up more, using your other hand to stretch the energy. It levitated in the spaces between your hands; steady and mellow. It was when you decided to expand it further that a violet beam - which was new - shot out from your fist. 

Five ducked out of the way just in time, the beam barely missing his head. However, the beam cut straight through the wall as if it were a butter knife slicing into a cake. 

Your hand flew up to your mouth, skin still tingling and warm from the vestige of your overheated energy surge. “Holy fuck.” The scene before you compelled a gasp from your already burning lungs and your eyes went round in disbelief.

Five and Klaus were staring right at the damaged wall, just as unbelievably stunned as you were. And as a moment of utter silence phased through the room, Klaus jumped up from his spot and began clapping manically. 

He looked at you as if you were treasure. “There is truly nothing more horrifying than a miracle.”  

“Did you know you could do that?” Five questioned, turning to face you with expectant, doe-like eyes. Your response was a slow shake of your head as if you were on auto-pilot. He regained his composure and cleared his throat. “Well, that’ll certainly come in handy.” 

“In handy? For what?” You muttered, still rooted in your place, barely able to pull your focus from the burning hole in the wall. 

“For whatever comes next.” 

You breathed out, your vision hazy. 

“Whatever it takes, Outsider,” Five crossed his arms over his chest, “Are you ready for it?” 

Oh, fuck no. 

Nervous energy bubbled within the center of your chest, and you laughed. In reciprocation, he narrowed his eyes because he could sense the hesitance radiating off of you - and since when did it become twenty times hotter in here?

Sweat bedded at the temples of your forehead, you swiped at the precipitation that dragged along your - now - dull skin with heavy movements. The lights - were they always this bright? 

“Outsider?” Five took one step closer, arms unfolding from his chest. He regarded himself apprehensively, watching as you swayed on your feet before regaining composure. 

“I’m - why is it so hot in here?” A whine clawed up your throat, straining against your better judgment. You squinted your eyes, barely able to see the figures advancing slowly toward you. Their concern was evident and your unwillingness wasn’t belaying any of their caution. 

“I think I might’ve -” you doubled over, hands pressing to your kneecaps as you desperately sucked in what little oxygen was given to you. You panted and groaned and tried to keep your mind from fluctuating, but you realized - too late - that it was because of Five’s energy signatures were near overpowering. 

As soon as you sensed Five’s subconscious step to aid you, you palmed his chest and shoved him out of the way, promptly stumbling over your feet. “Get… away!” Before you could even fall completely, you landed against Klaus’ chest, and his reaction was to lift you up into his arms. Call it second nature. 

Klaus hissed as your head dropped to his chest, “Christ, she’s hot!” 

Five deadpanned; Klaus sighed and rolled his eyes. “Not what I meant. Look - touch her skin. It’s burning!” 

When Five’s hand outstretched in curiosity, an animalistic sound tore past your lips and you sunk away cowardly. “Don’t touch me - you - your energy signatures are -” you held back a whimper, biting the insides of your cheeks. “They must be intermingling with mine - goddammit, ow.” 

“Five, be a dear and give us a minute.” 

He lingered. Klaus pressed, gesturing to the door of the hotel room. “Now, please.” 

As you continued to pant and writhe around in his arms, Five gave in and left the room quietly - reluctantly, but quietly nonetheless. 

The results were immediate; your skin attained all its color, your mind wasn’t as chaotic as it had been when Five was near, and you didn’t feel so nauseous anymore. Healing was a marvelous ilk of life, and if there was one good thing that came out of being experimented on, it had to be the accelerated process of healing. 

When you were pulled back from the short crashing of reality, you glanced up and met the ever persistent eyes of Klaus. 

“This is the start to a bizarre friendship. I can just feel it.”

In this moment, you wished for the ground to swallow you whole.