Without You {𝟙𝟚} | Marvel √

chapter six

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA; The next day, at a small marketplace, Bucky Barnes stood before a fruit place, looking over blue fruit with a baseball cap and a casual jacket on. He picked a few fruits, handing them over to the cashier to bag up when he caught something at the corner of his eye. Police sirens. But he decided to ignore it.

After his purchase, Bucky began walking down the street when police cars zoomed by. He watched them go before spotting a twenty-something vender at a news-stand watching him across the way. He gazed at him conflicted before he headed across the street, right for the news-stand, and seeing him come his way, the vender ran off. Bucky watched him go confused before picking up the newspaper he was selling.

On the front page, there was surveillance-photos of hooded man in a parking lot, with the headline:

WINTER SOLDIER CAUTAT PENTRU
BOMBARDMENTUL DIN VIENA

Which translated into: Winter Soldier Wanted for Vienna Bombing.

A panicked look overcame Bucky before he glanced around at everyone around him.

———

The clattering of a doorknob of a very small and crappy apartment was heard through the space. Just a few seconds later, the door opened up, revealing Alexandria Romanoff Rodgers in the doorway, two daggers in her hands. Daggers she used to pick the lock on the apartment. She put the daggers back in her holsters wrapped around her blue jean thighs before picking up her shield that leaned against the hallway wall. She stepped inside the small apartment, glancing around a bit while adjusting the black and red plaid flannel jacket wrapped around her with the black camisole underneath. Her combat boots creaked against the floorboards, yet she tried to keep quiet.

The apartment was practically empty. No pictures. No magazines. Nothing. Allie pressed her comms, quietly saying, "Emma, are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yes, I am...Yes, I am sure. Are you trying to insult my intelligence?"

"You always say that," Allie mumbled, annoyed.

"You ask me to help you find this Barnes guy, I find him, and you don't trust my judgment—"

"No, I trust you plenty," Allie said before she heard the Stark sigh on the other end.

"Who is this guy anyway? This Winter Soldier?"

Allie walked around, spotting a mattress with disheveled covers and various bits of cheap-looking furniture. She also noticed the kitchen was in the same room as the bedroom. Perhaps she'd been living in luxury for too long because she thought it was a complete shithole.

"He's my uncle," Allie finally answered, crossing across the room.

"Oh. Oh. That uncle? You told me he was dead."

"Yeah, I thought so, too. Up until two years ago. I'm not the only person HYDRA has illegally experimented on," Allie said into comms, hearing Emma's determined breathing. She was listening intently. "Except he got turned into a mindless assassin, and I'm...cursed with memories."

She found a notebook on top of the fridge and picked it up. She began to look through the pages when;

"I'm not doing anything, Desmond. I'm just...playing a...video game. No, I'm— I gotta go— Be safe, please."

And right as Emma's comms disconnected, another one immediately connected and it was the lecturing stern voice of Her Father;

"Alexandria Natalia Romanoff Rodgers—!"