We walked into an old courtyard full of people, many sat doing different things. Several children were in a group running around together.
"I used to come here as a child, it was beautiful even with all the politics going on," Zemo said admiring the world before us. Sam pulled me out of my thoughts,
"Lina you're with me, let's have a look upstairs."
I looked back at Bucky, his face set in a serious way. He was surveying the courtyard, looking for anything he thought pointed to Donya Madani. I turned my attention back to Sam as we moved up the stairs.
Once we came to spot, Sam pointed to the left and I nodded moving to the right. I moved down a hallway, moving through different rooms. As soon as kids or people saw me they turned away. Every person I saw I tried to ask about Donya but then there was nobody.
I turned a corner, and was about to head down a flight of stairs, when I heard a few footsteps behind me. I turned around at the sound, and saw a pair of boots and a flash of red, curly hair.
"Karli?" I called out moving away from the stairs, trying to follow her.
I turned down the corner I saw her disappear in and again only caught a glimpse of her hair.
"Karli, I'm not here to fight I just want to talk.." I called out to her again, trying to catch up to her but I turned several corners before I realized she was running me around, trying to get me lost.
I retraced my steps, finding my way back to the stairs Sam and I first walked up. Sam met me at the top and we walked down, meeting Bucky who stood standing under the arch of the balcony.
"Where's Zemo?" I asked Buck and he nodded to the center of the courtyard. Zemo sat on a bench talking to a group of children, pouring out a bag of turkish delight.
"What is he doing?" Sam asked taking a step forward but stopping when a little girl whispered into Zemo's ear. I stood beside Buck my arms at my side.
"I saw Karli," I whispered to Buck, Sam came back to stand beside me.
"Where'd you see her?" Sam asked. Bucky kept his eyes fixed on Zemo.
"Upstairs, I tried to follow her but I lost her," I explained. Sam nodded, and Zemo finished up walking towards us, then he walked right past the three of us. We shared a look before following Zemo.
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We came back from the courtyard, Sam and I plopped on opposite sides of the couch.
"I got nothing, no ones talking about Donya," Bucky said sitting down beside me.
"That's because she's connected to Karli and Karli is the only one fighting for them," Sam explained turning to look at Bucky and me. Zemo was in the kitchen, grabbing a tea pot. Bucky scoffed beside me, and I turned glaring at him.
"What?" He asked with a shrug.
"For 5 years the world was falling apart. People all around were helping each other," I explained to Bucky.
"It wasn't just one community coming together, it was the whole world," Sam added on. I nodded to Sam. Bucky sat up, scooting to the end of the couch so he could look me in the eye.
"You really think her ends justify her means," Bucky asked looking from Sam to me.
"She's different," I tried to clarify with Bucky. He shook his head as Zemo walked over to the three of us, setting a teapot down.
Bucky's attention turned looking up at Zemo. I felt Bucky tense beside me, I reached out putting a hand on his back.
"That little girl, what'd she say to you in the courtyard," Bucky demanded, I scooted to the end of the couch, looking up at Zemo wandering the same thing. Zemo paused, his eyes moving between the three of us.
"The funeral is this afternoon," Zemo spoke quietly, pouring a cup of tea. He held it in his hand looking down at Bucky.
"Where?" Sam asked.
"And lose my leverage, I don't think so," Zemo shook his head. I didn't like the sound of that, and apparently neither did Bucky, he moved faster than I could blink. Zemo took a step back as Bucky stood up taking the teacup out of his hand, throwing it against the pillar behind him.
"You wanna see what someone can do with leverage?" Bucky threatened.
"Bucky don't, we need him," Sam and I stood up behind Zemo.
"He's just gonna do that stupid head tilt, and extort you," Sam said putting a hand between the two of them.
"You know the Dora is coming for you," Bucky pointed at him. Sam swatted Buck's arm, before telling him to follow him.
"Gotta make a call," Sam said, before him and Bucky disappeared into a room leaving me with Zemo and a pot of tea.
"Cherry Blossom tea?" Zemo offered as I turned and sat down on the couch. I shook my head.
Zemo slowly poured another cup of tea before sitting on the couch opposite me. He brought the tea carefully to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine.
"What?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.
"Helina..." he said, leaning forward, placing the teacup on the coffee table. I raised an eyebrow at him, watching him closely.
"Do you know what your name means, in Russian?" Zemo asked as he sat back in the couch, stretching his arm across the back out of it.
"Light, I think," I said shaking my head, unsure.
"More specifically, light of the sun," Zemo explained an ominous tone to his voice.
"Okay...so what?" I asked confused as to what he was doing.
"In Sokovia, where I'm from, there was a Russian mob that moved contraband for me and many other terrible people," Zemo said waving his hands as he spoke. I gave him a quizzical look, leaning back in my seat.
"The mob's nickname was the Bask, it was meant to be a play on words for-"
"Basking in the light," I finished for Zemo, and he nodded holding a hand out towards me.
"In the light of the sun," Zemo smiled.
As if on cue, a memory flashed before my eyes.
I was sitting strapped to a chair there were two men and lab coats, but I was focused on one man in particular who stood tall his hand on my leg. He was in an all black suit, and had kind eyes, I could smell the cigarette smoke wafting off of him as he smiled.
"This is going to hurt Helina, but you are strong, you are the light, my child," he cooed with a smile on his face, I could sense the worry behind his eyes.
My focus changed moving to the pain in my arm. It burned for a half second before stopping. I thought I was done, but then all I could feel was burning, like my veins were on fire. I let out a scream, the pain almost unbearable.
"Lina," Bucky's hand on my shoulder made me gasp pulling me from my thoughts, bringing me back to reality. I looked up at Bucky, then turned to Zemo who was getting up walking away to the kitchen.
"You okay?" Bucky asked, a look of worry on his face. I had a look of shock etched into my features that I could tell was making Bucky nervous.
"Lina," Buck whispered again, but I was frozen in my seat. He slipped his hand under my shoulder, pulling me up from the couch. Buck draped my arm over his shoulders as I was still processing the flash of memory I had.
Together we walked, or Bucky dragged me into a room. He set me down on the foot of the bed before turning around to shut the door. It was as if we were in the airplane all over again, but this time I was in shock, not crying.
"What is it doll?" Bucky asked concerned molded into his voice. I took a deep breath, my lips quivering as I continued staring straight in front of me. Bucky was sat beside me, his hand rested on top of mine.
"I think I know what my dad looks like..."
YOU ARE READING
The Serum || b. barnes
Fanfiction"I don't understand how you could keep this from me Buck, from Mr. Nakajima! He loved you like a second son!" "For the first time in my life I had a family! I had you! I wasn't going to risk losing you.." "It's to late for that now.." "Please Heli...
