Winter's Soul (Part 2) 18+ Canon

Chapter 3

Two days had passed since her deal with Belikov. It wasn't easy to get a hold of her CIA contact. But they had agreed to a meetup in the evening. Gripping the handle of the suitcase harder, Liv checked the bracelet on her free hand. A filigree black band that hugged her wrist.

The bing of the elevator announced her arrival on the right floor. She entered the hallway and took in her surroundings. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Natashas words popped into her head: "Looking over your shoulder becomes second nature." And boy was she right about that.

Liv reached the door and protruded a device to hack into the electronic lock on the door. Her contact hated it when she did that. Who wouldn't? Liv opened the door but paused when she heard a murmured conversation coming from the living room.

As silently as she could, Liv sneaked up to the end of the entryway that she knew led to the living room. When she peaked around the corner, she nearly let out a scream of surprise. The blood rushed into her ears, nearly making it impossible to hear the conversation that was still going on.

Sharon sat on the round sofa, her elbow resting on the backrest, her legs crossed. But her CIA contact wasn't the presence that shocked her. Next to her sat James. His head hung low, resting his elbows on his knees, shoulders hunched.

Why? Why was he here? Why didn't Sharon warn her? For a brief moment, Liv considered just walking away and coming back later. She wasn't ready to see him. But her legs stayed rooted. She needed to make this deal and lay low until she could continue to execute her plans with Zemo.

"Sam needs our help, Sharon," James said.

Her stomach fluttered hearing his voice. The longing for him nearly ate her up. She wasn't even able to comprehend how much she wanted to run up to him and let him hug her. Let him whisper soothing lies about how everything would change, how everything would be okay. It didn't matter how much she wanted to do that, she knew she couldn't do this to him.

"My hands are tied, Bucky," Sharon sighed. "Just wait for the interrogation. I'm sure everything will clear up and they'll let him out soon."

"I don't know about that," James said. "There is footage of him that can be interpreted the wrong way."

Sharon looked at James for a long moment. "Well, then we should hope that they won't make the wrong decision."

James's head shot up when he noticed a movement at the entrance, and that's when he saw Liv standing in the entryway. At first, he thought he was seeing a ghost. His heart skipped a bit the second he realized it was really her. Liv. His Liv. He didn't even notice that he stood up.

"Hi James," Liv said, her face a blank mask, free of all emotions.

The words had stuck in James's throat. How was she even alive? Steve had searched everywhere. And here she was, standing before him, living and breathing. Her hair was longer and plaited into a braid. After over five years, she swapped her leggings and cardigan for a blouse and slacks. All business woman.

For a brief second, a mixture of relief and longing he didn't know was still there flooded him, until he met her stare. It showed no trace of the once-soft features. He was staring into the face of a stranger.

Liv saw the spiral of emotion on his face. He didn't expect to see her. Well, that made two of them. Her gaze switched to Sharon. She had a job to do, and her time was running out. This wasn't the time for a reunion. And dragging him into her mess wasn't part of the plan. She couldn't do this to him.

"I didn't know you had company," Liv said, holding up the suitcase. "I need the information and I'll be on my way."

Sharon stood up and walked over to the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen. Liv followed her to where Sharon was standing and placed the suitcase next to a tablet.

Sharon sighed. "I'm as surprised as you are by his visit."

Sharon didn't know any details about Liv and James's past. She had a guess, but had never enquired Liv about it.

"I doubt that," Liv murmured, reaching for the device.

James was rooted to the spot, not sure what he should make of the exchange between Sharon and Liv. As soon as Liv pocketed the device, she turned, ready to leave. That was the exact moment when James's body came into motion.

He crossed the distance between them and wrapped his hands around her upper arms, pulling her close towards him like a puppet. Liv stayed calm, titling her head and just watching him work himself up further.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he finally said, frustration sipping into his words.

"Tell you what?" She said, playing clueless.

"I've searched for you everywhere!" he pressed.

"Clearly not thoroughly enough," Liv threw him a warning look. It broke everything inside her to push him away, when all she wanted was to wrap her arms around him.

The sound of cracking glass pulled their attention to the window front behind the couch. James's gaze followed the path of the projectile, whose bullet hole was emblazoned on the wall next to them. followed by three further shots, cracking the remaining windows.

Sharon dug behind the counter. James pulled Liv with him out into the foyer to seek shelter behind a wall ledge. He let go of her and peaked around the corner.

Liv took off her coat and let it slide to the ground together with her purse. She tapped the bracelet on her wrist. As soon as she activated them, a dark substance spread over her body, covering her in a black and dark blue suit. She was the one who developed and built it. It was one of her last projects as a bioengineer.

James did a double take.

"You've got an upgrade," he said, ripping off the left sleeve of his jacket.

"So did you," she stated. Her voice was muffled by the mask she was wearing. Taking in his black and yellow arm. Liv frowned at his cybernetic arm. "Vibranium?"

She had seen images of James on the internet. His actions in Madripoor didn't go unnoticed. Conspiracy theory had made the rounds, stating that the Winter Soldier was active again. But the footage was bad at best. It was impossible to see the difference in his arm in the videos and countless pictures.

Several men sailed down the building and jumped through the broken window into the interior of the apartment. Liv took a look around the corner, counting five men, dressed in special forces gear. An emblem on their left shoulder, three yellow honeycombs. They had found her!

Liv crouched down to retrieve a handgun from her purse. In a swift move, she stood up, left her cover, aimed at her opponent and shot him straight between the eyes. When she went into cover again, she caught James staring at her, as if she had grown a second head.

One of the men grabbed a grenade, lit it, and tossed it into the foyer, right next to Liv's feet. She didn't have the time to take cover. Instead, she crouched down and activated her bracelets, seeking protection behind an appearing shield consisting of several comb-shaped energy fields composited into a barrier.

It protected her from the explosion but not from the blast. Liv was shoved back against a wall in the foyer, hitting the back of her head. She fell to the ground, coughing. Her vision blurred, losing focus, accompanied by darkness that threatened to swallow her. The last thing she saw was James bringing down two men, shouting incomprehensible words at her. And then everything turned black.