Sharp Edges

Chapter One

Bucharest was a great place to disappear. It was one of the largest cities in Europe and the largest in Romania, it had plenty of spaces to hide. The crowds were easy to blend into, especially if you were someone who knew how to hide in plain sight. Moving along with the herds of people, slipping in and out of buildings without having to worry about cameras in the poorer areas of the city. It was a good place for a fugitive to make a home, however temporary it might be.

Thieves, crooks, assassins for hire, they hid in the underbelly. Those who took up residence here knew who they walked the streets with. Blending in with the background could mean life or death and Yelena Belova was one of the best.

It was only a few months since her mind had been freed from the effects of Hydra's mind control and there was still so much, she was piecing together. Everything in her life had been a complete lie. The memories she had weren't real, they had been manufactured. Now they haunted her like nightmares. She didn't sleep much, though. She had to be vigilant; the Red Room woul Jim d know she defected. They would come looking for her. She'd managed to make it out of Budapest alive, but she couldn't help but feel like she was just counting the days before a bullet landed between her eyes.

She was able to find an abandoned apartment in a dilapidated building that still had power and running water. There weren't any niceties, but the young blonde woman was used to that. She had only ever seen luxury on honeypot missions with rich world leaders or important figures. She had gone to the market in the afternoon an no d went about stealing a new identity to manufacture before she walked back to the building.

Yelena was always aware of her surroundings. Every sound had an explanation. Her eyes moved back and forth down the alley. She knew she could defend herself if anyone was stupid enough to try and rob her, so she wasn't worried in that regard. As she was about to round a corner, a sound froze her steps in their tracks.

A groan, heavy breathing... an injured animal? Silently she moved closer to the corner, and heard what sounded like... dragging? A pained sound. Carefully she set her groceries down and pulled the gun from her waist. It could be a trap. Everything could be a trap.

Around the corner, James Buchanan Barnes sat himself up against a brick wall. He huffed as he looked down at the metal that was lodged beneath his ribs, making every breath overly difficult. "Fuck... fuck Hydra," he growled to himself. He knew he couldn't show himself at a hospital, but at this point, he was worried he would bleed to death.

Hydra. The word sent chills down Yelena's spine. Was this person here for her? Did she need to run? But the tone in the voice... they were speaking through gritted teeth. Fuck Hydra? Most people don't even know Hydra still exists. Who the hell is this? Carefully she held her gun with both hands and set her jaw, even almost snarling a little. She had to look unafraid, unphased.

In a quick, fluid movement she stepped out from behind the corner and trained her gun on the figure on the ground. "Don't move," she ordered, her voice low and raspy in her chest. Her green eyes took in the figure; it was a man, that much was clear, but it wasn't until she saw the silver metal fingers that she realized who was in front of her.

The red star emblazoned on his bicep told her everything. Instantly a streak of hot panic flushed her body, and knew that if he was here for her, she was in trouble. But why was he on the ground? "Who sent you?" she asked in Russian, gun still trained on him. "Dreykov? The Madame?" she questioned. The Winter Soldier was the Widow's version of the boogeyman. Growing up they'd been told that if they didn't listen, if they were bad that the Winter Soldier would be sent after them.

James looked up at the blonde that stood over him, his vision slightly blurry. He shook his head, not wanting to talk or cause himself anymore pain than he needed to. Go ahead... shoot. End the pain.