against time.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE || partners

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE, partners

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

THEY TOUCHED DOWN in Baltimore, where Ivanna finally got a hold of her phone. She had messages from Steve, and missed calls as well. The texts were him apologizing for snapping at her a few nights prior, she dismissed his apology by explaining that she understood and that she should be back soon. He agreed though the message gave away that he was reluctant.

They walked through streets, rounding a turn. Ivanna studied the murals that were on buildings or signs, the trio in a common silence with one another as they walked. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a kid shouting.

"Hey, it's Black Falcon. What's up?" He was smiling and pointing at Sam, who sighed.

"It's just Falcon, kid," Sam corrected, Bucky paid no mind to the interaction while they grew closer to the kids. Ivanna smiled in their direction, hoping to make up for the menacing scowl on Bucky's face.

"No, no," The boy shook his finger in the air, "My dad told me it's Black Falcon."

Sam stopped in front of the boys, Ivanna faltering beside him while Bucky kept walking. She glanced at Sam but then moved to walk beside Bucky.

"Where are we going?" She muttered.

"Somewhere," Bucky concluded while Sam's laughter filled their ears. Ivanna glared at Bucky but opted not to mess with his head as he had already been through that enough. Instead, Ivanna glanced back to see him walking toward them, his signature grin on his face as he did so.

Bucky led them up a flight of stairs to home, once Sam had joined them Bucky watched him warily. Then looked to Ivanna, a cold realization settling on her features. Bucky knew that she'd given up on being respectful then, staring at him in almost a form of resentment as he knocked on the door.

Bucky looked guilty, Ivanna's gaze dropping to the ground while Sam folded his arms. The door was pulled open to reveal a boy in his teens to the looks of it. There was a beat of silence as he took in the people on the doorstep.

"We're here to see Isaiah," Bucky suddenly spoke.

"Nobody named Isaiah lives here," the boy tried lying. Ivanna could see through the lie for multiple reasons, and Bucky sighed.

"Look, we just want to talk to him,"

"You must not head what I just said," the boy countered, still unmoving and refusing to open the screen that separated the trio from him and the other man in the home, "you ain't getting in this house. Y'all can leave now."

Guilt further went across Bucky's face and he glanced at the porch before sighing and looking back up, "Tell him the guy from the bar in Goyang is here. He's gonna know what that means."

The teen considered his options, but eventually gave in, "All right, wait here."

The door was pushed shut again, leaving the trio alone on the porch. Ivanna hugged herself, watching Bucky once more as Sam began a conversation.

"Nice kid," he looked around at the street in front of them, "how do you know this guy?"

"I used to," Bucky corrected, "We had a skirmish during the Korean War."

After a while, the door was opened once more. The boy stood there, moving to unlock the screen, "Today is your lucky day. He said he wanna see for himself."