Agapetos~ Helmut Zemo

3

It was time for the two to go to the HYDRA base that resided in Berlin. They knew it was abandoned; the Avengers made sure HYDRA either went into hiding or was destroyed. Knowing people like HYDRA, they always find a way to survive. It made Katerina angry just thinking of those types of humans. Humans that think they better than everyone else. Supremacists. 

Katerina, dressed in all black, pulled her long hair into a  tight ponytail, some stray hairs falling out to frame her face. Helmut wore his typical fur coat and slicked-back hair. Katerina smiled at him as they drove down the highway in his classic car. 

When they reached the outpost, everything was deathly quiet. The snow crunched beneath their boots, and their breath fogged the earth when they breathed. It was cold on the hill, and Helmut and Katerina shared a glance of uncertainty before it morphed into determination with a nod. 

"Do you have your gun ready?" He asked. Katerina nodded and took it out of the duffle bag she held on her shoulder. Turning the safety off, she pointed the gun to the ground and walked carefully to the entrance. Helmut had the failsafe code in his notebook, which he took out and started to type in the pin. He took out his own gun when it opened, clicking it on and holding a flashlight to Katerina. She nodded in thanks and took it, looking around the abandoned facility. 

Their footsteps were silent amongst the ground; Helmut had taught her how to walk as silently as him. His days in the forces meant he knew a lot about sneaking around, and he used that knowledge to train her. 

They reached an area that held many files and computers. The secret building looked untouched like they left in a hurry. That meant only good things for them. They must not have cleaned the whole place. 

Walking into the room, Katerina held her weapon high and searched the area before turning to Helmut and lowering her pistol. 

"It is clear," She said. He walked inside with her, and they placed their guns in the waistband of their trousers. The two separated with a nod and began to scan the shelves for anything about the super-soldier serum. 

"I think I found something," Helmut called out. Katerina walked over to him and looked over his shoulder at the folder in his hands. It was pictures and files about the Winter Soldier, how he was created, and what his purpose was.

"Bastards. All they want are puppets. They want to destroy the world. We can't let more of those creatures live." Katerina told him. Helmut nodded and turned to her, grabbing her bag and stuffing it inside. She knew only as much as Helmut did when it came to the Winter Soldier, and now that they had the large file, they could know more. 

Katerina walked to the computers and began her search, typing up code words to figure out more. They had flash drives they could use to collect the data.

"Wait, Helmut, they... they're trying to make more." She said, going into a file that spoke about how they were trying to recreate the serum. It spoke about who the scientists were and where they were doing their work. It was a jackpot.

"We need to destroy every serum," Helmut said. Katerina got the flash drive and hooked it onto the computer. She never had a computer when she lived in Sokovia, but Helmut showed her how to use one.

Suddenly, there was a noise of an engine outside. Their eyes widened, and they got their weapons ready as they made their way back to the entrance. When they got outside, there was a police car coming up the road. Katerina hid her gun and closed the door before the policemen could see them. She nudged Helmut to do the same, and he complied. When the policemen saw them, panic seeped into Katerina's bones, and she grabbed Helmut by his coat and kissed him. 

Helmut pushed against her, and her back hit the wall. The kiss was harsh yet passionate. They got lost in each other, forgetting the dangers around them. Katerina lifted her leg to his hip, and he caught it, pushing further into her until he was as close as possible.

"Hey! You can't be here- oh," The policeman said, stopping in his tracks when he saw what they were doing. Katerina pulled away reluctantly, smiled at the police officer, and licked her lips. She could still taste the cherry blossom tea from earlier this morning on his tongue. 

"Sorry, officer." She smirked. Katerina breathed in and let her leg fall back down from its place on Helmut's hip. The man buried his head into her shoulder as he panted, not yet able to collect himself. The thought made Katerina smile with pride.

"I uh... It's no problem. Just... this area is dangerous. I suggest you leave. Have a good day."

"Thank you. Have a good day!" She called out with a  large smile and a wave. When the policeman walked into his car and drove off, Katerina sighed and looked toward Helmut, who was still panting into her hair. 

"Are you okay?" She asked cheekily. She didn't know she had this effect on him. 

"You minx." He hissed as he pulled away. Katerina chuckled, pulled away, and walked backwards towards the car. Helmut practically growled and stalked over to her, making her laughter heighten as she ran to the car. Helmut followed after her before he too began to run. She made it first, collapsing into the car in a fit of giggles. Helmut fell into the car and turned to her with a scowl. 

"What?" She asked innocently. Helmut chuckled darkly and shook his finger at her. 

"Was the leg thing necessary?" he huffed. Katerina chuckled with a nod and pointed her finger at him as well.

"It was completely necessary. I had to sell the story of us being two lovers that couldn't keep our hands off of each other." She said like it was obvious. 

"Plus, you said we had to do anything to destroy the Avengers. And I think I'm pretty good at acting." Acting. She wasn't acting at all. She wanted to kiss him since the day she met him!

Helmut chuckled again, put the car into drive, and set out away from the HYDRA base and back to his apartment.

~~~

"This is perfect. Before we go to the Avengers, we... we have to stop the scientists." Helmut spoke, leaning over the table he stood before. Katerina was sitting in a chair across from him, looking through the Winter Soldiers' file. He was a victim, a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that didn't stop her from wanting to follow through with the plan. He was a means to an end.

"I agree. What will we do with them?" She asked, tilting her head as she looked at him. He was already looking at her when she did, making her avert her gaze from his intense ones. 

"We kill them." He said, his face serious when she looked back at him. She knew it was going to be his answer. But she's never killed anyone before. A dark side of her wondered what it felt like. To take someone's life. To have their life in her hands. But the good side of her was scared. What if she chokes? What if she messes up and compromises them? No. She could do this. If not for herself, then for Helmut. She would do anything for this mission.

Katerina nodded her head and breathed in deeply before letting out a long exhale. 

"You are scared," Helmut observed. Katerina blinked at how easily he could read her. 

"I am. What if I mess up?" She confessed, her brows bunching together. 

"You can do this. I know it. Remember, the Avengers will get the karma they deserve." he said as he rounded the table and cradled her face in his warm hands. The woman closed her eyes briefly at the sensation before opening them up to see his eyes searching her face.

"What are you thinking about, darling?" She asked, leaning into one of his hands. Helmut seemed to snap out of his thoughts at her voice, almost startled by it.

"I just... I know we can do this." He said firmly, taking his hand away from her heated face and turning towards the pictures mounted on the wall. 

"I know it. We will destroy the monsters who took our families away."