Timeless

04

BUCHAREST

Bucky and Mattie were in civvies at a fruit store. He bought some plums, she looked at some raspberries, and spoke in Romanian.

(assumed translation: How are they? Are they good? Give me six, thank you.)

In a black cap and casual jacket and black cap and dark red shirt, Bucky and Mattie walked along, scanning around. Across the street, they spotted a twenty-something vender at a news-stand watching them. Bucky and Mattie glanced away, then looked back at the vender who was still watching them. The vender ran from his kiosk. Bucky went over, followed by Mattie, and picked up a paper. On the front page there was surveillance-photos of a woman and the headline: 'Winter Soldier cautat pentru Bombardmentul din Viena'. Bucky and Mattie glanced around tensely.

The two exchanged a worried look.

"I didn't do this, Bucky," Mattie said.

Bucky nodded. "I know, doll."

Her eyes widened. "Alpine. I need to check on her."

"Let's go."

---

In his dark blue armored suit with his shield on his arm, Steve was in a small apartment. He looked around. There was a mattress with disheveled covers and various bits of cheap looking furniture. The kitchen and bedroom were in the same room. Steve found a notebook on top of the fridge. He picked it up and opened it. There were tabs of varying colors sticking out from amongst the pages.

Sam over the radio said, "Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south."

"Understood," Steve replied. Bucky and Mattie were standing behind him. Steve slowly turned to face them, focusing on Mattie. "Do you know me?"

Mattie stared at him as she replied, "You're Steve. I read about you in a museum."

"They've set the perimeter," Sam warned.

"I know you're nervous," Steve said. "And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying. Buck, you should've told me you found her."

"I wasn't in Vienna," Mattie told him. "I don't do that anymore. I told him not to tell you where I was."

"They're entering the building," Sam informed.

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now," Steve stated. "And they're not planning on taking you alive."

"That's smart," Mattie noted. "Good strategy."

Bucky glanced at Mattie worriedly.

"They're on the roof," Sam said. "I'm compromised."

Armed cops ran upstairs.

Steve shook his head and said, "This doesn't have end in a fight, Mattie."

Outside the door, a cop readied a battering ram.

"It always ends in a fight," Mattie replied in a tired tone.

"Five seconds," Sam warned.

"You pulled us from the river. Why?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Mattie answered.

"Three seconds!" Sam cried.

"Yes, you do," Steve said.

Bucky glanced at Mattie and asked gently, "Why did you pull us from the river, doll? You never answered."

"Breach! Breach! Breach!"

A grenade crashed through the window. Bucky grabbed Mattie and kicked it to Steve who smothered it with his shield.

A GSG-9 Soldier yelled, "Schieß die Tür auf!"