Aleks grunts as she lands inside the cell the guards threw her in. She turns to glare at them as they smirk at her and walk away. She rolls her eyes and slips out of the handcuffs before she checks for her weapons. She groans, finding that they were all taken when she was brought here.
She sighs and stands, tensing when she feels someone staring. She turns, spotting a man sitting on the bunk. He stares at her from the shadows, waiting for her to make the first move.
"Hello, James. My name is Aleksandra Belova and I'm here to help you." She tells him, ignoring her instructions to stay indifferent and impersonal.
"James?" He questions.
"Your name." She says. He stands, slowly approaching until he stands right in front of her. She doesn't back down, meeting his eyes as she looks up at him. He moves past her to the bars of the cell and slams his metal hand against them. The two guards quickly return, shocked they won't have to get rid of another widow.
"She stays." He demands. The guards nod and walk away to inform the bosses. Once they're gone, he goes back to sitting on the bunk. Aleks joins him, pulling out the deck of cards she usually keeps on her.
"How do you feel about card games?" She asks. He grunts in response, and she laughs, beginning to shuffle the deck. "How about this? For each game you win, you get to ask a question about yourself, and I'll answer to the best of my ability. For each game I win, I get to ask you something." He stays silent and she sighs. "Fine. If I win, I'll sneak you my desserts." He glances at her, and she smiles. "Deal?" She asks, dealing the cards.
He takes his pile, and she chuckles, taking it as a yes.
*A YEAR LATER*
Aleks stands behind the Winter Soldier as they wait for Fury to drive their way. As he approaches, the Winter Soldier fires, attaching the grenade to the bottom of the van. It explodes and they move out of the way as it slides along the ground.
The Winter Soldier leads the way to the car, taking his gun from Aleks as she unholsters her own. They reach the van, and he rips the door off, tossing it away. He pulls her behind him, then crouches next to the window and sees that Fury escaped. He stands and punches the other door of the van.
Aleks holsters her gun and places her hands on his shoulders. He relaxes at her touch, turning to face her.
"We'll find him." She assures, her mask muffling her words. He understands, nodding as another van pulls up next to them. They climb inside and the van drives away, taking them to the safe house to find what to do next.
When they arrive, the two wait for the team to find Fury. Aleks pulls out her deck of cards and the two sit, beginning to play. The others give them weird looks, shocked to see the Winter Soldier playing cards.
"What's your favorite color?" She asks, shuffling the cards so they can play again. After getting sick of the desserts, he'd agreed to let her ask any question she wants when she wins.
"Blue." He answers as she starts dealing the cards. She studies him and nods.
"Yeah. I bet you'll look great in blue. It'll match your eyes." She tells him. He rolls his eyes, but she can see him fighting a smile.
Later that night, Aleks waits at the rendezvous spot on the next roof. She hears the gunshots and a few moments later, the Winter Solider dives onto the roof she waits on. As he runs towards her, a man dives through the window of the other building, using a shield to protect himself from the glass.
The man throws his shield, and it flies towards Aleks. The Winter Soldier steps in front of her and catches the shield. He steps forward and throws it at the man, sending him skidding backwards. He wraps his arm around Aleks and jumps off the roof.
By the time the man reaches the edge of the roof, the two are gone.
***
Aleks sits at the table next to the Winter Soldier as they wait for Pierce. He finally enters the kitchen and spots them.
"I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?" Renata asks as she heads for the door.
"No...Uh, it's fine, Renata, you can go home." He tells her.
"Okay. Night-night." She replies.
"Good night." He says. "Want some milk?" He asks once he hears the door shut. The two stay silent as he grabs a glass. "The timetable has moved. Our window is limited." He tells them as he moves to join them at the table. "Two targets, Level Six. They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours." He turns to Aleks. "One of them is Natasha Romanoff. Is that going to be an issue?"
"No, sir." She answers, looking down at her lap.
"Sorry, Mr. Pierce, I..." Renata says as she walks into the room, pausing when she spots the Winter Solider and Aleks. "I forgot my phone."
"Oh, Renata, I wish you would have knocked." Pierce tells her. He grabs the gun off the table and shoots her, making Aleks clench her hand into a fist. The Winter Soldier covers her hand with his own, but she taps his hand twice, letting him know she's okay.
As they leave, she glances over at Renata's body, hating that an innocent was killed simply because she saw them.
***
"Who is Natasha Romanoff?" James asks as they sit at the table. She sighs, beginning to anxiously pick at her nails. He covers her hands with his and she looks at him.
"She's my sister." She tells him.
"You have a sister?" He asks. She chuckles and nods.
"Two actually. I'm also a twin." She replies. He shakes his head.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks.
"It's difficult to think about them, let alone talk about them. Nat escaped and didn't help us. Yelena and I have never been apart this long. I miss her. I miss Nat, too." Aleks explains. He moves around the table and pulls her into his arms.
"I'm sorry you're stuck here with me." He says. She pulls away and shakes her head, cupping his face in her hands.
"If I hadn't been brought here, I wouldn't have met you." She tells him. He smiles and leans down to rest his forehead to hers.
"Does it make me selfish if I'm glad you were separated from your sister?" He asks. She laughs and shakes her head.
"It would make you just as selfish as me." She replies.
YOU ARE READING
The Spring Soldier | Bucky Barnes
FanficThe Spring Solider was HYDRAs secret weapon. As the only person able to calm and keep the Winter Soldier under control, she was an important asset. That was until they found out that the two had gotten closer than what was expected or allowed. Alek...
