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crashdevlin · 4 years

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Civil Warriors 7- Regrets (fin)

Civil Warriors Masterlist

Author’s Note: Originally posted to ao3 (This is an edited and improved version) Part Three of the Red Queen Chronicles!

Summary: An interaction in Africa reveals more of Cassie’s hidden past.

Word Count: 5063

Pairing(s): Clint Barton x OFC, Bucky Barnes x OFC

Chapter Warnings: mentions of torture, mentions of brainwashing, mentions of murder, actual murder, Bucky Barnes being suave, Cassie Campbell being suave,

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The sound of guns cocking woke the heroes. From the shadows being cast on their tent, they could tell they were surrounded. “Come out!” a deep voice with a thick accent called out. Cassie reached for her pistol, but the voices behind them caught her attention.

“They’re children,” she whispered.

The men sighed as she set her gun back down on her backpack. “We’re coming out,” Steve called as he unzipped the tent. There were a dozen young me with automatic weapons in their hands and a single actual man holding a large revolver. Steve and Bucky put their hands up as they stepped out of the tent and their arms were immediately grabbed by several of the child soldiers.

Cassie gave a defiant look as the man in charge stepped toward her, reaching his left arm out to grab her. “Do not touch me,” she warned.

He didn’t seem impressed in the least. Of course, who would be. A small blond white girl wasn’t exactly the epitome of piss-your-pants scary. The man continued to advance, grabbing her arm and yanking her forward. She stepped into the pull, putting a leg behind the large man’s legs and hip-checking his balance. She brought her elbow down on his head as he went down, then flipped, landing with her foot on his throat. The young soldiers looked at her in fear as their leader moaned beneath her boot. The old American soldiers looked just as wary of her actions. “Do any of you speak English?” she asked, her accent affixed to her words.

“I do,” a small boy of about twelve said, stepping away from Steve.

“Good,” she said as the man below her grabbed at her boot. “Tell your friends to let my friends go.”

“Why?” the boy asked, defiantly.

She smirked, a dark amusement coloring the green of her eyes. “Vell, zey do make zeir child soldiers fearless in Africa, don’t zey?” She put extra pressure on the throat of the soldier under her boot, stepping off as she heard the crunch and felt his bones give. She hummed as she pushed her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small, black pocket knife. “You see, child soldier, I feel your plight much more zen your...aferage vite voman. Zey took from your family...isolated you. Zey control you viz drugs and meaningless titles. Zey make you completely dependent on zem.” She licked her lips, chuckling as she flicked open the knife. “It’s not exactly how it happened to me, but...still. I understand. Do you like your bruzzers-in-arms, zough? I know you probably hated zis fathead muzzerfucker, but do you like your friends?” She nudged the dead man with her right heel.

The boy nodded slightly, obviously unsure of where Cassie was going with her line of questioning. “Good for you. I didn’t haf friends ven I vas your age. I vas all alone until I vas seventeen. It’s good to haf friends. Now, look into my eyes and know zee truz of my words.” Bucky could see a glimmer of hope in Steve’s eyes as Cassie bent down enough to be at the boy’s level. “If your friends do not release my friends, I vill kill you...but not before I haf made you vatch as I tear apart your bruzzers...viz my bare hands und zis dull pocket knife. I vill drown you in zeir blood vizout batting an eye. Do you zink it’s vorz it? Jus so you can go to the other side saying you didn’t give up?”

The boy looked into her eyes, shaking with terror, before turning to the others and speaking to them. They immediately let go of Bucky and Steve, stepping backwards. “Good choice. If I ver you, I’d take Fathead’s Jeep and go to some of zee refugee camps...see if you can find any family zey didn’t massacre ven zey took you. Don’t let me see you again, Child Soldier,” she said, bending down to pull the Jeep keys out of the dead man’s pocket and throw them at the boy. He picked the keys up and turned tail, his friends following behind him. Cassie turned to the tent, tossing their bags out on the ground before deftly pulling up the stakes and collapsing it.

Steve watched the kids pile into the Jeep, one of the older boys driving away. By the time he’d turned around to watch Cassie, she’d stuffed the tent back into the bag and attached it to her backpack. “Come on. Vee haf to go,” she said, not waiting before she started to walk away from the soldiers and the dead man.

“What the hell was that?” Steve asked, looking down at the body.

“Guten Tag, Junior,” Bucky said before grabbing his bag and following after her. “Hey. I know you don’t like letting that part of yourself out, but...thank you. Steve and I...we wouldn’t have wanted to…”

“It vas stupid. Vee nefer should haf gone to sleep vizout a lookout. Vee cannot ignore zee dangers just because vee are superhuman.”

“You’re right,” Bucky said, adjusting his bag. “We’ll start pulling shifts at night, okay?”

Cassie stopped and sighed heavily as she shook her head. “No. You are boz still healing from zee fight viz Stark. I vill do lookout.”

He scoffed loudly. “Sweetheart, you may not be a hundred years old and beaten up but you do need sleep.”

“No, I don’t. I took zis off zee fathead. I vill be able to continue vizout sleep,” Cassie said, present a baggy of pills to him. “Amphetamines. They use zem to control zee boys.”

“You’re not serious?” Cassie just stared at Bucky who shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said before pulling his arm back and punching her in her temple.

She came back up, her hand on her head. “What was that for?” she demanded.

Bucky shrugged. “Thought it would help. You were acting a little too Hydra for my liking. The accent, the ‘let’s throw pills at it’ attitude. I mean, we really don’t want a call-back to the Pervitan days.”

“I still think I’m the better choice for watch,” Cassie said, looking down at the bag of pills in her hand. “And if the best way to accomplish that is some...sketchy amphetamines, then maybe…”

“We’re gonna trade off responsibility on the night watch,” Bucky said, grabbing the bag and throwing it.

Realization seemed to come over her as Steve walked up. “Oh, my God,” she whispered, falling to her knees. She retched, her hands going to her stomach. “I killed that man.” She retched again, tears rolling down her face. “I told that kid I was going to drown him in his friends’ blood. What wa-” The remnants of her MRE dinner from the night before finally made their way up her esophagus and spilled on the ground in front of her.

Bucky was at her side immediately, running his hand soothingly between her shoulders. “It’s okay. Just get it all out.”

Her bag began to ring so Steve dug his hand into her backpack to pull out her phone and answer it. “Hello?”

“Give the phone to Miss Campbell, Steve,” Fury’s voice said.

“She’s a bit busy right now, Fury.”

“Puking her guts out all over the African landscape, I know. Give her the phone anyway,” Fury demanded.

“Nick Fury,” Steve said, placing the phone next to her head.

“I told you not to ask questions, Campbell. Why did you have to push it?”

Cassie grasped at the phone, pushing it into her ear so hard that it was painful. “You...should’ve told me...years ago,” she growled.

“What, so that you’d always hate what you see in the mirror? Or worse, like it? Aspire to be what Hydra wanted of you instead of fighting against it like you did? I found a confused little girl in the Alps, Campbell. A little girl with no name, no memory, who honestly didn’t know a damn thing about my missing agents. I hoped that the work we did on you would be enough and I think it would’ve been if you’d stayed out West with Coulson.”

“Loki would’ve found me anyway,” she cried. “Barton told him about me! About...my father, my past! He would have come for me. But...what’s...happening to me, Nick? I’m not just remembering her, I’m becoming her!”

“No. You aren’t. You won’t ever be her again,” he said, forcefully. “All of your experiences, that’s what makes you. The experiences that we hid from you when you got to the Fridge, they’re just starting to color your personality. And if you don’t freak out about it, woman, this may not be a bad thing.”

“May not be a bad thing?” She sat up straight, letting the pressure off of the phone. “I just killed a man.”

“Who was probably going to rape and kill you. Sometimes men need to die. You haven’t killed a good man since Agent Barker and you didn’t have any control of that.”

“Barker?” she squeaked. ‘Theodore Joseph Barker, SHIELD level five, 128-42-0724’ flashed through her head. “Oh, my God!” she breathed out.

“When you get done in Africa, Cassie, call me. There’s options here.”

“Options? There’s not...I’m exactly the opposite of the person I thought I was,” she said, dropping the phone and standing. She took off running, her bag and the tent thumping against her back as she ran.

Steve picked up the phone as Bucky took off after her. “She’s going to have to call you back, Nick.”

“You and Barnes need to keep a close eye on her, Rogers. She needs someone to pull her out of this or we might lose her. I can’t imagine how much of a boost it’d be for Hydra if she decided to give into her programming.”

Steve sighed. “It would be like her father coming back.”

“Exactly. The last thing we need is Hydra rallying around their legacy. You need to help her remember who she is. We don’t have Barton to do it this time.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t doubt that she is a good person, but...what just happened…” He ran his hand through his hair. “It was like watching Loki and...Natasha fight for control of her body. She killed a man, threatened a little boy...it was disturbing.”

“If you don’t think that you and Barnes can bring her back, let me know. I’ll have Phil swoop in and grab her. SHIELD can hook her up and get rid of those bad memories.”

“I feel like that’d be adding fuel to a fire.” Steve looked around to where he could see Bucky standing with Cassie, about a quarter mile away. “I’ll see what I can do.” Steve turned off the phone and looked down at it before starting over to join his companions. He wasn’t sure how to bring her back. Clint was the one who always knew her. Clint was the one who always pulled her back.

Bucky and Cassie’s voices carried easily to him as he approached. “This isn’t war, Sergeant, and I’m not supposed to be a soldier! I just wanted to be an Avenger, help people!” she shrieked.

“You do help people. You helped those kids. You sent them to go find their families!”

“After I killed their handler! I threatened to tear those kids apart and drown that boy in their blood!”

“You wouldn’t have done that, though. You-”

“You don’t know that! You don’t know me!” Steve watched from a couple hundred feet away as Cassie dropped her bag and pulled out a pistol, shoving it into Bucky’s hand. Steve ran forward as she looked up at Bucky, begging him. “You have to. I can’t be that. Please!”

“I can’t. You...I don’t want to kill-”

“Neither do I!” she cried. “The only way to keep me from killing anyone else is if you-”

Steve cut her off with a sharp slap across her left cheek. “Stop it!” he demanded as her eyes went wide. It wasn’t too extreme to slap her. He needed to pull her back. “You threatened the kid to avoid hurting him and his friends in a fight. It was graphic but it needed to be so he’d believe it. I know you wouldn’t have gone through with any of it.” He took a deep breath as she blinked at him dumbfounded. “The warlord you killed was an evil man who never would have let those boys go and is likely responsible for thousands of deaths. You can feel bad about the blood on your boots, Cass, but do not rid the world of one of the best women I’ve had the pleasure of knowing just because you scared yourself.”

Cassie gasped, closing her eyes and fell forward sobbing into Bucky’s chest. Steve sighed in relief as Bucky dropped the gun and held her close to him. “Hey, it’s okay. It’ll be okay,” he whispered soothingly as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

Steve felt a little lost as he tried to think of words to make things better. “You’re...a good woman. You really are. I wouldn’t be your friend if I thought you were-” Steve sighed deeply, afraid he wasn’t getting through to her. “Damnit, Cassie, I wanted to date you.”

“‘Wanted’. Key word.” She pulled back and wiped at her eyes. “I keep crying on you,” she whispered, looking up at Bucky.

Bucky gave her an earnest look. “I’d rather you cry on me than bleed on me,” he whispered.

Steve rolled his eyes as he kneeled down next to her. “It’s not ‘wanted’ because you’re bad or because you changed, Cass, it’s because you chose Clint and I...moved on. Why do you think it’s so hard for me to watch you flirting with Bucky? Because if you changed your mind about Barton, then I just wasted the last year pretending we could be just friends.”

“What about your CIA dame?” Bucky asked as Cassie rubbed her hands roughly over her eyes.

“Sharon...probably got fired for helping me, but she didn’t go to prison for it.” Steve set his hand on her knee and squeezed gently. “Sharon didn’t travel halfway around the world to help me when she knew it would pit her against her mentor...the man who helped her realize her potential as a hero and nurtures her as a scientist. Sharon didn’t...stand up to an alien prince and tell him that she wasn’t going to be his puppet anymore. She’s strong, like Peggy was, but...I don’t know. There’s a lot of good in you, Cassie, and I hate to think you might hurt yourself because of some-”

“Hate to think of you hurting yourself at all,” Bucky interrupted.

She shook her head and looked at her lap. “You...really don’t think it’s...I mean...I’m a killer.”

“So are we. We’re soldiers. Back in the war, before the train...we killed Hydra agents by the dozen...and after the train, I rampaged against the ones that took Buck from me. It’s...it never stops weighing on you, but it’s necessary.” He reached out and gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “You are not the one who killed those SHIELD agents. You aren’t her. You have grown and you’ve become something completely separate from what Hydra planned for ‘Project Kind number four fifty-two’. You aren’t her and if you’re remembering what she did, then...that is just going to help you avoid the mistakes you would have made if you were her.”

He swept his thumb across her jawline. “You are amazing and you are a good woman. Please, don’t do anything stupid. Just...don’t. I couldn’t deal with losing another…”

She blinked a few times before swallowing and nodding. “Cool,” she said, shortly. “Well, I’m...ready to get to Wakanda so let’s go,” she finished, hopping up and grabbing her pistol from the ground.

“Uh...what just-” Bucky looked at her from his spot on the ground, confusion filling him.

“I can��t do this again,” she explained, tucking her pistol into her bag. “So, I’m not gonna do this again. Let’s go.”

“Do what again?” Bucky asked, standing.

“The choosing. Steve’s still got a flame, you’ve got a flame. I’ve got...various fires. I just want to...not. Let’s go. We can make Wakanda in two days if we keep moving. No sleep ‘til Brooklyn,” she said, shaking her head and smiling tightly.

“What?” Steve asked.

“It’s a song? I think?” Bucky said, starting to walk away.

“Beastie Boys. Put ‘em on your list,” Cassie said, following Bucky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The border of Wakanda was heavily guarded. They’d barely crossed into Wakandan territory when they were approached by a group of farmers. “We were expecting two American men. Who is the American woman?”

“I’m actually German if we’re being accurate,” she corrected with a smile. “Cassandra Campbell. I-I wasn’t invited, but King T’Challa has met me. I…”

The soldiers spoke to each other in their native tongue before one pulled out a communicator. After a moment, there was a response then they were led to a palace, where T’Challa greeted them. Cassie bowed her head to the king. “Miss Campbell, I was not expecting you to be with Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes. It is good to see you.”

“It is good to officially meet you, your Highness. This is a much better setting than the battlefield,” she said with a tight smile.

“Your Secretary Ross told me that you were with child and that you were sent home after you signed the Accords.” T’Challa offered his hand, which she shook.

She looked down at his hand and bit her bottom lip. “I lost the baby,” she lied. It was easier than the truth. “And I don’t really have a home...just people. I have people that I care about and I wanted to protect them on their journey. Thank you for allowing me entrance. It really is as beautiful as I imagined it would be.”

“Natasha said you are a scientist, Miss Red Queen.” He shook his head. “Not ‘Doctor’?”

She smiled and shook her head. “No. I’ve actually just finished my undergrad degree. Haven’t even walked the stage for my graduation yet. Probably never will.”

“Well, allow me to take you on a tour of our labs.”

The tour ended with T’Challa asking one of his men to escort the guests to their rooms, a trio of large, ornate doors. Another servant appeared as she was settling and delivered a dress for her to wear to dinner. She took a long bath to scrub the dirt of the journey off of her and stared at herself in the mirror after she’d dressed. The dress fit her perfectly and it was the nicest she’d ever worn, a black sheath dress that dropped below her knees. The neckline was a deep V, showing most of her scars. She bit her bottom lip, running a comb through her hair and pulling the strands across her shoulders to minimize the exposure of her damage.

A knock came to her door and she checked the mirror again before opening it to reveal Bucky, who looked similarly uncomfortable in his clean, borrowed clothes. His clothing contrasted her, white pants and a tank top against her black dress. She smiled. “I knew there was a man under all that blood and dirt,” she teased, letting him into her room. “What are you doing in my room, Bucky? Steve will blow-”

“He’s busy with the king. Discussing my fate, I suppose.” He looked around the room. “I’m here ‘cause I needed to-”

“Say ‘goodbye’?” she finished for him. She leaned against a vanity with a large, antique mirror. “I saw how you were looking at the cryo tank...like it was your salvation. You’re gonna have them freeze you again.”

He licked his lips and ran his hand over his lips. “I think it’s the only way to be sure I won’t hurt anyone else. There’s no way I can do any damage if I’m asleep.”

“No way to do any good either,” she pointed out, quietly.

“I wanted to talk to you about it...since you-”

“I’d understand? Better than Steve anyway. Have you told him?” she asked, her voice squeaking. Bucky looked away. “I mean, I understand. I do. I understand wanting to shut everything off and...being afraid of what will happen if you don’t, ya know, freeze. I…” A tear escaped her eye and she let it roll down her face. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I’m going to tell him tonight...and you’re safe here, Cassie. You and Steve can get rested up and go save your archer...and your friends.” She looked away at the reminder of her fiance as Bucky sat on her bed and looked at his feet. “I’d like to, before I get into the cryo tank...I’d like to have a beautiful woman in my arms again.”

“No,” she whispered. “Because if I kiss you, if I...if I go further...if I do what I’ve wanted to do with you since I saw you in Leipzig, it’s over. You’re gonna get in that tank and I’m never-”

“I’m getting in that tank whether you kiss me or not,” he said, standing and crossing the distance between them in three long strides. Blue eyes pierced her green ones. “But am I going to have the taste of you on my lips when I go under?”

Her lips quivered as she fought her tears. “I should say ‘no’. I’m supposed to be a good woman. A good woman would say ‘no’.” She shook her head, but couldn’t look away from his eyes. “I have an archer waiting for me and he thinks I’m a good woman. He thinks I’m-” She stopped speaking abruptly and reached up, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his head down to smash their lips together. His arm wrapped around her, holding her close as her tongue slipped into his mouth. She pulled away, biting her lip as he licked his own.

“You taste like whiskey,” he whispered.

She smiled softly, pulling his arm off of her waist. “That’s weird. I haven’t had anything to drink.”

“Maybe it’s natural. Maybe you just remind me of whiskey because of how you make me feel.”

Cassie blushed deeply and went to her tiptoes to place a soft kiss to his lips. “Do you think...do you think I should go under too?” she whispered against his lips.

“The cryo?” Bucky asked, stepping back. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know. That’s up to you. I know it’s the best option for me.” He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. “Do you think we could-”

“Miss Campbell? It is dinner time,” came through the door.

“All right, I’ll be...I’ll be right there,” she called before looking at Bucky again. “Another time. You should go. She’ll be knocking your door soon.”

Bucky didn’t say a word, nodding as he slipped out of her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was nice, simple, and Shuri seemed very interested in how Hydra had created Cassie, but T’Challa cut that talk off when he saw how much she didn’t want to talk.

She was hoping that Bucky would come back after the meal, she was so preoccupied with their kisses that she couldn’t think of much else, but he never came back. The knock that woke her came as the sun began to crest the horizon. She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles as she padded softly across the floor to answer. Steve stood in her doorway, looking completely forlorn despite the fact that he was obviously trying to hold his emotions back.

“Steve?”

“Bucky wants T’Challa to freeze him.”

Cassie nodded and stepped out of the way, gesturing for him to come in. “He told you,” she said, quietly.

“You knew?” Steve asked, a tone of betrayal in his voice.

She nodded. “I was hoping he’d change his mind or that you might be able to talk him out of it. Something.”

“I couldn’t. I tried to convince him, but...forcing him to stay awake when he’s got that kill-switch in his head...it’d be cruel.” Steve shook his head sadly. “What if we never find a way to fix what Hydra put in his head? What if I lose him forever...again?”

Cassie sat on the edge of the bed and patted the comforter beside her. Steve took the seat she offered and sighed as his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. I know how...how much he means to you.” She put an arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I know you’d do anything for him, but...this is what he needs to feel...secure in himself.”

“He’s such a...good man. I just want him to…” Steve’s words trailed off as his hand dropped to her thigh.

“I hate to say it like this, but...it doesn’t matter what you want, Steve. This is about Bucky, who feels like a stranger in his own body.” She covered his hand with her own and sighed. “He can’t tell what pieces of him are him and what pieces Hydra added. He can’t tell you half of what he did over the last seventy years and it terrifies him to think that someone can come along with a handful of words in Russian and turn him back into that ruthless...machine.” She bit her bottom lip. “It’s hard enough being a superhuman, international fugitive assassin without adding the wildcard of ‘God help me, I might wake up with a whole new list of people I didn’t want to kill’.”

Steve leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes. “I guess...I don’t have to like it but I don’t have much say, do I?”

“No. No, you don’t,” she whispered. “You gonna be okay?”

Steve kissed the top of her head, moving his hand so that his fingers twisted between hers. “Yeah. I think I will be.”

She stood and pulled him to his feet. “You should go get some rest, Steve. You look exhausted.”

“You know…” Steve started, resisting her pull for a moment as he looked down at her. “You’re stronger than you think you are.”

She smirked. “I know exactly how strong I am, Steve. I did tests at StarkTech Olympia,” she responded.

“You know I don’t mean physically. I’m constantly impressed by what you can do...what you can survive and how you can thrive under conditions that would crush other women.”

“You’re gonna make me blush,” she dismissed. “Please, I’m not that impressive.”

“I’m losing my best friend in a few hours.” Steve shook his head. “I know you’ve gotten close to Bucky over the last couple weeks. I know you’re upset about Bucky going under, too...yet here you are, not letting yourself be sad so that you can comfort me. That’s impressive.”

“Go to bed, Steve. I’ll see you in a few hours.” She went to her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, just under the contusion and bruising, before walking over and opening the door. She gently pushed him out into the hall. She sighed deeply and walked to the vanity, pulling a piece of stationary in front of her and setting to the task of writing a very important letter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie didn’t have any time to say ‘goodbye’ to Bucky in solitude so she stepped out of the way as T’Challa’s lab tech prepped Bucky for the tank. She watched from her place near the window as Steve and Bucky said their goodbyes. T’Challa walked up to Steve as Bucky froze in the tank and Cassie cleared her throat as she joined them soon after. “King T’Challa, do you...do you have another...one?”

T’Challa stared at her for a minute before he nodded. “Another tank? Yes. Why?”

She looked down to avoid Steve’s gaze when he stepped in front of her. She swallowed heavily and focused on his shoes. “What are you doing, Cassie?”

“It’s better this way,” she whispered, barely audible. “We can’t hurt anyone if we’re frozen.”

Steve’s hands were shaking as he tipped her chin up to look into his eyes. “I’m losing you and Bucky. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“You’re gonna...gonna go save Clint, Sam, and Scott from the Raft,” she answered, reaching into her jacket pocket and producing an envelope without looking away from his eyes. “You’re gonna give this letter to Clint when you do.”

“How am I supposed to explain to Clint that I let you freeze yourself?”

“The letter’ll do that for you.” She shook her head, sadly. “You have nothing to explain.”

Steve scoffed. “You say that, but-”

“Steve, I wrote that letter four different times. I made sure to explain everything and I apologized profusely. The letter will do everything. You just have to get him out of jail so he can read it. Please, do this for me.” He nodded sadly as he tucked the letter into his own jacket, but she smiled, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before she reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck. She pulled his head down and pressed her lips to his. As she pulled away, breathing heavily and blushing furiously, she looked down at her feet. “I didn’t want to regret it if I came back and I had missed the opportunity to-”

Steve cut her off with another kiss, holding her head and kissing her fiercely. She moaned as they pulled away from each other. “You’re right. I would hate to have missed out on that,” he breathed out.

She sighed and turned to T’Challa. “What do I have to do to get frozen?”

“My aid will help you.” The king nodded to his aid, who came over and grabbed her arm, leading her away.

She didn’t close her eyes until the moment the hypothermia-inducing chemicals flooded the tank so the last image she saw was Steve Rogers in front of her, a look of regret in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Kitchen Sink - @emoryhemsworth @flamencodiva @wasabiwitteks @rainbowkisses31 @rissbennett @mariekoukie6661 @officiallyunofficialperson @dolphincliffs @mrs-meghan-winchester @gayspacenerd @foxyjwls007 @ilovefanfic86 @marvelfansworld @f-yeahfandoms @wonderlandfandomkingdom @hhiggs @sev3nruby @hobby27 @paintballkid711 @divadinag @thewhiterabbit42 @fantasymyth-1 @queenoftheunderdark @cosicas-cuquis @superfanficnatural @letsby @supernatural-bellawinchester @onethirstyunicorn @swinchester27 @chalicia @sunnyroadtrips @screechingartisancashbailiff @death-unbecomes-you @dayasvalkyrie Hero Tags - @atc74 @winchesterxfamilybusiness @holylulusworld

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latestnews2018-blog · 6 years

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I learnt from my mistakes to get better: De Villiers

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/i-learnt-from-my-mistakes-to-get-better-de-villiers/

I learnt from my mistakes to get better: De Villiers

South Africa’s legendary batsman talks on how be became one of the adored cricketers

South Africa’s legendary batsman AB De Villiers, who took over as ambassador of the UAE T20X, feels that is the big passion in him that drove him to excel in the sport that he loved the most.

Dubai: South Africa’s legendary batsman AB De Villiers has always entertained fans in all formats of the game through his delectable batting style. His unique approach to the game makes him an entertaining cricketer to talk to about various aspects of the game. The way he demolished bowling attacks and the strokes he produced have made people wonder whether he is superhuman.

Through an in depth interview with Gulf News, after taking charge as the brand ambassador of the Emirates Cricket Board’s UAE T20x — the first international T20 league — De Villiers explains on what made him one of the finest batsmen in world cricket.

GULF NEWS: How does it feel on an associate country like UAE staging T20 league and on you being named as the brand ambassador of the event?

De Villiers: It’s great. I think it is about time they did it. I think it’s going to be really good for the game locally. The Emirates Cricket Board wants to create legacy both locally and also internationally. What I really like about this tournament is that it is growth and development of the game which is at its heart. It’s going to be a tournament for the youngsters and emerging players. It will be a great opportunity for them to play alongside some of the best players in the world and that is why I decided to get involved. It has a got a really nice concept going and I can see this tournament grow from strength to strength.

Do you think T20 leagues have spread the game around the world?

T20 as a format has made a great impact on cricket as a sport. It has drawn a lot more fans to the game and has made more people aware of the game around the world. So T20 cricket has been great in creating love for the game.

Unlike you many players have struggled to adapt from instant cricket to the longer version. How can that be avoided?

It’s not difficult to do. I’ve always said that the basics of the game still stay the same and don’t change a lot. The only thing that changes in T20 is your energy and mindset. In T20, it is a little bit more in a hurry while Test cricket is more of a test of your endurance. But the basics and the fundamentals of the game remains the same. So if you can adjust your confidence and belief and you prepare well definitely it can be done.

Do you think what happened to Indian batsmen in England is their inability to adapt from limited over to Test cricket or was it due to their players inability to play in unfamiliar conditions?

I feel that in the first Test India played some really good cricket and it could have gone either way. What happened in the second Test has happened to even the best of teams around the world. When you lose a Test, you lose a bit of momentum. It can happen when the opposition plays as well as England did as they came out guns blazing and played a really good game. So I don’t think you should analyse it too much. India might bounce back in the next Test, but let us wait and see.

T20 wasn’t popular when you started off but what did you do specially to become adored player in T20 format?

I have always been a big fan of the format. I remember the first T20 I played. I was so excited because it gave the opportunity to just to free yourself and to play more shots and be aggressive. I have always loved this format. Once I was good at it then I set a game plan and adapted a bit to get the best out of my skills. Everything gets easier with experience as you learn from your mistakes. Yes that is what I did, I learnt from my mistake and I got better.

How did you produce those breathtaking strokes? Did you practice specially to produce it or did it come naturally?

More naturally, but I did practice a lot on it. I am a big believer in adapting to the basics. I did play the same kind of strokes in all three formats. I made sure that I have the basics in place. The thing I did from Test cricket to T20 is to try and adapt to the format. In T20 I try and find a way to expose the bowler and to hit the ball to definite areas and that’s why those shots came out.

How has been your experience of playing in UAE?

I have fun memories. My biggest Test score is in Abu Dhabi (278 not out against Pakistan in November 2010). I have great memories of touring Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and all are fantastic cities and I loved staying there. People in UAE are crazy about cricket and I’ve always found the stands intriguing as they love the game so much. I can’t see this tournament of being any different because I am sure the fans will get behind it. There will be greater attendance to the games and I am very excited to see how this tournament will go on.

How could you retire from international cricket when you were close to reaching 10,000-run marks in Tests and One Day Internationals?

I have never been a big fan of statistics and records. So I am very happy I retired before the 10,000 mark. I have never been a big believer in remaining in the limelight and having the spotlight on you. So I was very happy to walk away and am at peace in my heart that I made the right decision. I am looking forward to the next two to three years at the new challenges in my life.

How did you motivate yourself during playing days and what is your message to youngsters on how to enjoy cricket like you did?

I think anything in life, if it is your passion, it is easy to do. When you get up in the morning you need to practice hard at something that you love. I have always really enjoyed playing cricket. It is a big passion of mine and because of that I was always felt hungry to become better. If you have the passion in something you will never give up and will try and master it. So I had that passion from a very young age and I wanted to become one of the best players in the world and I was never going to give up until I tried and get close to that.

So what’s your plan for the future? Is it to keep on playing for Titans and in the Indian Premier League or are you likely to take up coaching or play a part in South African cricket administration?

I don’t see myself getting involved in administration or coaching. I think I do have the role to play to encourage some of the youngsters around the world and specifically in South Africa. I am happy to share my knowledge with everyone around the world, to whoever wants to learn on how to become a better player. I will still play a little bit over the next few years. The nice thing is that I can decide on how I will be involved.

Do you think more innovations are needed to keep the game exciting?

I think there should be great responsibility on the ICC to make sure they get the balance right between all the formats. I love Test cricket just the way it is and I don’t see any reason for it to be changed. If the four-day Test cricket and night games encourage people to watch the game more, then I am a big fan of it but other than that I would love the formats just to stay like it is now.

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