Cruel Fate | Bucky Barnes

FEARFUL PEACE

"Staring won't make it any better."

Anna glanced over at Bucky as he leaned against the far table. He readjusted his glove over his metal arm and avoided her gaze.

"Nothing is better," she muttered, "It's just a grand illusion."

He shrugged and she refocused. They spent the next few minutes in silence before more company came in.

"The GRC is conducting raids to try and find Karli, but so far they've only found her followers."

Anna scoffed and didn't turn to face Sam as he entered the room. She kept looking through the window to see local police and military handcuffing people and driving them away.

"Why are they getting arrested? All they did was stand up for what they believe in," she stated.

Sam sighed, "The government believes they're extremists and terrorists."

"What makes the Flag Smasher's causes any less important than everyone else's? They bomb a building and they're labeled terrorists. But the government sacrifices whole military units and people call them heroes."

Sam and Bucky sent her sympathetic looks. They weren't aiming to argue because part of them knew it was true. All three of them had been on the run before and they knew innocent people would inevitably get caught up in it.

"They've searched this camp and the last one but got nothing. She's gone and we'll never find her."

Sam tiredly slumped down in a chair. Anna came over to their side and hopped up on the table Bucky leaned against. She swung her legs off the edge like a little kid eager for news.

Another man approached them, seemingly upbeat. He grinned as he stopped in the middle, pointing to Bucky.

"Hey, you got your sleeve back."

Bucky unintentionally glared at the man, causing Anna to nudge him with her foot for being rude.

The man then came up to her and held out his hand, "I'm Torres."

She shook his hand politely, "Anna."

As the two introduced each other, Bucky rolled his eyes while Sam smiled. The former scoffed and pushed himself up to leave.

Anna let go of Torres' hand and watched as he got farther away.

"Are you off to take care of Zemo?" Sam called out.

Bucky didn't answer as he kept walking. But Anna and Sam scoffed and shook their heads as he disappeared around the corner.

"What about you?" Sam asked. He directed the question towards the woman, "You could go back home."

She laughed, "That shithole you found me in isn't my home. I haven't had one of those in awhile."

Sam grinned, "So where then?"

She shrugged and hopped off the table. She began to walk out the same path Bucky had taken.

"Maybe I'll find business elsewhere," she called out vaguely.

She simply waved without turning back around and left. She found the door that Bucky exited through and caught up.

He was walking down the street when she stopped next to his side.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I promised Ayo I'd help find Zemo. It's the least I could do after breaking him out of prison."