Bruja

⠀↳⠀2.6

( T w e l v e )

It was momentarily quiet between the three as they kept to themselves in the aircraft, letting the events of earlier sink in.

Sam and Bucky were out of uniform while the sugar skull on Maria's face was gone. Her jacket was removed and used as a pillow, allowing her to lay back against the seats.

Across from her, Sam was doing the same with crossed arms. "You know, you're a lot heavier than you look."

The brunette turned her head to him, seeing the comment was directed to her. Instead of being offended, she found it amusing. The corner of her lips lifted. "I had a big breakfast."

He scoffed, a smile breaking for the first time. "I've heard that one before." He looked at Bucky next, noticing the man staring at a random spot and hardly blinking.

The ex-assassin sat on a crate, completely deep in thought. The events from earlier rolled in like a film to a projector—the shield and the person who had no business using it sticking out the most.

"You all right?" Sam asked.

He didn't respond. He had an idea—a dangerous idea—one that made him go over the pros and cons repeatedly. It was like he was trying to persuade himself to settle on an answer... an answer he emotionally knew was the right one but wasn't physically going to be easy.

Looking down at his hands, Bucky interlocked his fingers and played with his thumbs. "Let's take the shield, Sam."

Maria's eyes opened. She wasn't sleeping—it was more like she was resting them—but she needed them to remain open for this.

"Let's take the shield and do this ourselves." He couldn't tell if he was repeating it more for himself or for Sam.

The Avenger knew it wasn't a simple task; it could not be done in one, two, three. "We can't just run up on the man, beat him up, and take it." He sat up and faced him. "Do you remember what happened the last time we stole it?"

Bucky casually shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe."

"I'll help you in case you forgot." He glanced at Maria to see that she was listening. "Maybe Maria would like to know."

She exhaled through her nose. "Sure, why not?" She sat up, placing her foot on the seat and her arm resting on her knee. "Entertain me."

"Sharon was branded enemy of the state, and Steve and I were on the run for two years." He turned to Bucky. "I don't know about you, but I don't wanna live the rest of my life la vida loca—"

"Living la vida loca," Maria corrected him. "'La vida loca' literally means 'the crazy life.' Add living and you're living the crazy life. It's also a good Ricky Martin song."

"Okay, I don't wanna live the rest of my life living la vida loca," he corrected with exaggeration. "We just got our asses handed to us by super soldiers, and we got nothing."

Bucky shook his head. "Not entirely true."

Maria glanced down at her jacket. "You know," she changed her seating position to plant both feet on the floor, "he's not wrong."

That caught the attention of the two. "Who?"

"Both." She lifted a shoulder. "It's not entirely true that 'we got nothing,' but you can't run up on the man, beat him up, and take the shield because you don't need to."

Bucky rapidly blinked a few times before tilting his head, knitting his brows in confusion. "I don't understand. Where are you going with this?"

"Don't tell me you have more tricks up your sleeve." Sam scoffed. "You really know how to give an audition, huh?"