till the end of the line

11 On The Run Rules

I groaned as I punched the vending machine, just before I saw the reflection of Natasha behind me, blowing gum.

I gave Steve a glance, to which he grabbed Natasha and pushed her into a vacant room, holding her against the wall.

"Where is it?"

"Safe."

"Do better."

She looked up at him and raised her brow, "Where did you get it?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Fury gave it to you. Why?"

"What's on it?"

She shrugged as he glanced at me, "I don't know."

"Stop lying."

"I only act like I know everything, Rogers."

I looked over her before sighing, "She's telling the truth, Steve."

There was then a noise as I turned and walked to the door, closing it as Steve continued to question Natasha, "I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?"

"Makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so did you."

Steve growled as he pushed her against the wall harder, "I'm not going to ask you again-"

"I know who killed Fury."

Steve glanced at me before letting her go, waiting for her next explanation.

She stood up straight and glanced between us, "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in that last fifty years."

Steve crossed his arm and shook his head, "So he's a ghost story."

"Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer..."

She lifted her shirt to reveal a bullet scar as she met my eyes, "So he shot him, straight through me. Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye-bye, bikinis."

I rolled my eyes as Steve looked her in the eye, "Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now."

There was a silence before she looked between us again, "Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried," she lifted her hand, holding the stick, "As you said, he's a ghost story."

Steve handed me the stick and I made it disappear before Steve sighed, "Well, let's go see what the ghost wants."

Starting the move once more, we began the journey of finding the Winter Soldier, whoever he was.

We made out way to the nearest mall and they found some more comfortable disguises as I simply waved my hand.

We walked past a fountain as Steve began looking around, paranoid. Natasha met my eye as I raised my brow, causing her to crack a small smile.

"The first rule of going on the run is don't run, walk."

Steve looked at me and grabbed my hand, "If I run in these shoes, they're going to fall off.

I handed them the stick and waited outside as Natasha and Steve walked into the device store to gather information. I peered around as I looked over my shoulder back at Nat and Steve as a guy approached them.

Then the sound of heavy footsteps and cocking weapons sounded as I closed my eyes, locating the source.

I located the group of agents, waiting until they were too close before I walked in and grabbed their arms, pulling them out of the store.

"Let's go. Now. We have company."

Steve looked over his shoulder and around before nodding and grabbing my arm, "Standard tac team. Two behind, two across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you two hit the south escalator to the metro."

I elbowed him and shook my head, "Steve, cram it. Put your arm around Nat and both of you start laughing."

"What?"

"Do it, Rogers. I see where she's going."

Natasha walked closer to him and Steve did as I said while I let go of his arm, walking behind them as I pulled my hood up, placing earphones I picked up in my ears, keeping my head down.

Listening to nothing, I continued to follow the two as we passed the agents successfully. We got on an escalator and I stood behind them as I noticed another agent going up as we went down.

I thought for a moment before I groaned as Natasha saw what I saw. She gave me a nod over her shoulder before looking to Steve, "Kiss me."

"What?"

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable."

"Yes, they do."

I rolled my eyes and shoved him into her as I kept my head down. Once the agent passed they let go of each other as I took the lead.

Leaving the building, I walked up to a truck and grabbed the man getting in, "Give me the keys."

He met my eyes and then his own became an icy blue before he simply nodded handing me the keys before walking away.

I smirked and tossed Steve the keys as I climbed into the back seat as Natasha took the passenger seat all while Steve started the truck.

I leaned back into the seat as Natasha looked at me before turning to Steve, "When did Captain America learn how to steal a car?"

"Well, Nazi Germany, but that wasn't me."

He looked in the mirror and met my eyes, "Kat, what was that? When- how?"

I sighed and shook my head, "Just a couple of things I picked up after being imprisoned for... a long time. It's called mind manipulation."

"Neat trick."

"Thanks, I guess."

Steve sighed before turning to Natasha, shaking his head, "Besides, we're borrowing. Take your feet off the dash."