IVANOV ~ yelena belova

𝟎𝟐𝟎

"Shit," Bucky said as he looked behind him, slightly covering his face. Karina looked up at him, her cap drooping a little lower on her head. She could sense the mallgoers' unease as they cast wary glances at the SHIELD agents. What had once been a serene outing for many families had turned into a matter of anxiety and fear.

"We need to leave, immediately," Karina said calmly as she continued to eat her food. Bucky looked at her, then at her food and rolled his eyes, as she went to get another fry.

"Follow me," Bucky said as he stood up from his chair, joining many others in the mall who had noticed the men dressed in black and armed with guns. He extended his hand to Karina, who quickly took it and hoisted herself up from her chair.

Karina and Bucky easily blended into the mass of people exiting the mall. The trained assassins expertly manoeuvred their way through the crowd until they reached the underground parking garage once more.

Karina breathed a sigh of relief as they approached the black car. She leaned against the door, arms crossed, as she observed two teenagers nervously conversing about the men inside. The sound of rushing footsteps and children whimpering reminded her that what Hydra were doing was causing nothing but grief to those around them.

Bucky's large body came into view, obstructing her vision of the two teenagers. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook it gently. "Hey, let's go, okay?" He spoke softly, afraid that if he frightened her out of her thoughts, she would react violently.

"Yeah," she said, clearing her throat before continuing, "we need to leave." She turned around quickly and climbed into the car before fastening her seat belt.

Bucky leaned against her door, watching Karina stare out the windshield, her eyes distant. He sighed heavily and opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again when he realised he had nothing to say. He was concerned about his friend, knowing that the only person she could turn to was him.

He closed her door before moving to the driver's side and swiftly pulling out of the parking lot.

ⴵ

The sun was hidden behind ashen clouds that loomed over the skyscrapers and concrete jungles on the horizon. The sky turned grey, contrary to its nature. As she watched the dark swirling mass of rain reach the pavement, Karina realised she was lucky to be sheltered by the warm car.

The first drops weren't drops, but a deluge of cascading water—the sky was an opened faucet. The cold window cooled her head, which was leaning against it, as she could hear the rain patter through the small gap at the top of the window. Her face was warm and the air was stiff, sticky and hot as Bucky refused to put the AC on.

"Where are we supposed to go? Again." Karina questioned, tilting her head to the side to look at Bucky. He shrugged as he drove aimlessly through the streets of Washington. That is, until the phone rang.

Pierce's voice filled the car after Karina pressed the 'answer' button. "I have a mission for you. 11 p.m. at my house." He said, before disconnecting, and the car was once again silent.

"That's only a couple of hours away, and the drive there is at least an hour," Karina said when neither of them spoke up. Yet none of them wanted to leave the normal lives they had for a few hours. Karina had only gotten a taste for it, and she yearned for more, for normalcy.

"You're right," he said before turning around and driving to Pierce's extravagant estate.

ⴵ