Maya Stark

Chapter 67: Dead dad jokes make people uncomfortable

The four of us walk quickly on the streets of Madripoor. We didn't get very far before the first gunshot went off. Zemo ran off one way and I stuck with Bucky and Sam. We start running down the street and Sam trips a little.

'Shit!'

'Come on!' Bucky said.

'I can't run in these heels!'

'You're one to talk!' I scream back at him.

We turn a corner onto a darker street, being chased by two people on motorcycles, when we almost run into another guy who's also trying to kill us. Great. Before anybody can do anything, a gunshot rings out and the guy in front of us falls to the ground. The same thing happens to the motorcycle guys.

'You seem to have a guardian angel,' Zemo said, showing up out of nowhere. Sam Bucky, and I scan our surroundings to try and find the person and to make sure nobody else was coming.

'Well, this is too perfect,' said someone from behind Zemo. All of us turn in the same direction as a girl, who I recognized as Sharon Carter, took off the hood of her jacket. She had a gun pointed at Zemo. 'Drop it, Zemo.'

Bucky walked forward as Zemo put down the gun and backed up. 'Sharon?' Bucky said, shock clear in his voice.

Sharon kicked the gun away. 'You cost me everything.'

I stepped in front of Zemo, making a ball of energy between my two hands as Sam puts a hand up.

'Sharon, wait. Someone recreated the Super Soldier serum and Zemo had a lead,' Sam said.

'That explains why you guys are here,' Sharon said. 'And Selby's dead. Still surprised you're a part of this, Stark.'

'Yeah, I'm so full of surprises,' I mumbled, rolling my eyes. 'So, you're the Sharon Carter. God, I heard way too much about you. Kind of disappointed actually. What are you doing here anyway?'

'I stole Steve's shield, remember? I also took your wings for your ass, so that you could save his ass,' she motioned the gun at Bucky, 'from his ass.' He motioned the gun at Zemo. 'Unlike you, I didn't have daddy or the Avengers to back me up.' I locked my jaw. 'So, I'm off the grid in Madripoor.'

'Hey, don't blow that smoke at me,' Sam said. 'I was on the run, too.'

'Was. Is. Big difference,' said Sharon. 'I don't speak to my family anymore. I can't. My own father doesn't know where I am.'

'Yeah, well, my own father's dead, so he doesn't exactly know where I am either. We all got issues, get over it. Now, can we speed this up? I'm freezing, uncomfortable, irritated, and I just drank something with black bread in it.'

It got very, very quiet after I said that. I saw Bucky and Sam share the same surprised look. My face had gone pale again. I didn't mean to say that out loud. It came out before I could stop it. The boys were avoiding looking at me and Sharon seemed quite uncomfortable.

'Standing here is not speeding this up,' I mumbled.

'Okay, Sharon, we need your help,' Bucky said, breaking the silence. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding at hearing someone else's voice. Sharon chuckles. 'Please.'

She sighs. 'This isn't over. I have a place in High Town. You'll be safe there for a while.'