𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 (𝐌𝐂𝐔 𝐎𝐂)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

It took Alejandra some time, but she made it to the dock where the ship would be leaving soon.

Harnessing the powers of the shadows, Alejandra slipped aboard the ship to Alaska undetected. Inside, she navigated through the labyrinth of cargo crates and machinery, her senses heightened to make sure no one was nearby.

She discovered a hiding spot and remained there until the ship docked on land.

Alejandra's eyes slowly opened as she felt the ship come to a stop. Groaning, she stood up, feeling the pain from hours of sitting deep into her back.

She peered around carefully, ensuring no one was nearby, then proceeded to search for the exit. It seemed like all the workers were occupied doing their duties. But still, Alejandra remained concealed to the shadows until she found someone who she could control and help her go into the nearest town.

Alejandra got out of a car and watched as the man drove off with a blank stare. She shivered as she looked around the city, cursing that her hoodie was too thin for this weather. But, she pulled through and soon found a library to head into. It would be a few hours until a ship to Vladivostok would arrive so she decided to camp out there until it was time.

After forcing herself to read a book to stay entertained, she glanced at the clock and jumped up, heading to the dock.

After arriving to Moscow, she went on the train after having to influence the minds of the train attendants so they wouldn't question why she didn't have a ticket and looked at the view from the window.

Finally, the last ship. Alejandra felt drained by the time she arrived in Romania. Despite the darkness, the city's streetlights allowed her to take on the sights. It was beautiful; but there was no time for sightseeing. She kept walking until she spotted a man next to some parked cars, smoking a cigarette.

"Hey, you! Is this your car?" Alejandra asked as she walked up to the man who was leaning against a red car.

The man raised a brow but nodded and went back to smoking his cigarette. Realizing the girl was still standing there starting at him, he sighed and looked back only to flinch as black mist clouded his vision.

"Take me to this town." The girl demanded.

The man grabbed the paper and without a word, entered his vehicle. Alejandra settled in the passenger side and watched as the man started the car and drove off.

Her thoughts drifted to her plan. She didn't really have one, she realized. And Alejandra couldn't just simply knock on Bucky's door and expect him to welcome her in. He was on the run and would be wary of anyone he came in contact with. Exhaustion waved heavily on her, as she struggled to stay awake.

Suddenly, the car came to a stop, making Alejandra groan. She was definitely not ready for this. She slightly regretted asking the man to park a mile away from the complex so as not to raise suspicion.

Could she make the walk?

She sighed. Maybe, she could wait until morning. The weight of fatigue threatened to pull her under as she sought refuge in the shadows of an empty alleyway.

Alone in the darkness, Alejandra struggled to keep her eyes open, the weariness seeping into every fiber of her being. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard multiple voices to her right.

She glanced over and seeing a couple of guys in a conversation. Her eyes widened as she made contact with one of them. She hoped they would keep going but then the guy looked back at his friends and said something Alejandra didn't have the energy to hear, but she knew it couldn't have been good.

The four men walked over and Alejandra shakily stood up ready to run. But, they quickly surrounded her in a circle.

"Go away." Alejandra said with a glare.

The men looked at each other and laughed, one of them said something but Alejandra ignored it. Instead, her eyes darkened, she barely had to energy to use her power, but the girl had no choice.

She was no use to the world if she died.

Just as one of the men stepped closer, a figure seemed to emerge from the shadows. The men didn't notice but Alejandra sure did.

Before any of the men realized what was happening, the figure with lighting speed, effortlessly dispatched the assailants.

Alejandra watched in astonishment, her eyes widening as she noticed the glint of metal peeking from the man's sleeve.

It was Bucky.

What are the odds of that?

The group of men now lay incapacitated on the ground. Bucky turned his attention to the girl, now that the threat was neutralized. "What are you doing here, kid?" He asked, his voice low and gruff.

Alejandra smiled awkwardly. "Um...sleeping?"

"You live around here?"

"Kind of..." Alejandra trailed off, fidgeting with her hands.

'Just leave.' The Winter Soldier repeated in his head. Everything in his body was telling himself that the girl was fine now and that he should leave, but he found himself unable to move.

"Well, uh thanks again for your help." Alejandra said, taking a step back.

Bucky huffed in annoyance as he glanced up to the sky. "What is up with scrawny kids in alleys?" He said quietly but Alejandra managed to hear it.

"Scrawny?!" She blurted out, quickly regretting as she realized she wasn't supposed to hear him.

But still, she knew she was short; which was just genetics! Her parents weren't the tallest people, but, scrawny?

Alejandra looked down at her arms for a quick second. Damn. She does look like someone who hasn't eaten anything in a while. Which might have been true...

She has a lot to remember, okay?

Alejandra narrowed her eyes at the man. "Well unless you're gonna offer me food, I don't want to hear your judgment."

His stare was intense as he stood silent for a minute as if contemplating something. Then with a sigh he spoke, "Follow me."

Bingo.

Alejandra suppressed a smile, feigning hesitation as she made her way towards him. "Okay. But, you don't have to help if-

"Just hurry up." He interrupted, already striding ahead, leaving Alejandra struggling to catch up. It's like all the adrenaline wore off and her exhaustion was back. She fought to stay conscious, but she collapsed to the ground.

With another heavy sigh, the Winter Soldier scooped the girl into his arms. He made his way to his sparse apartment, hidden from prying eyes.

Inside, he laid her down on his mattress tucking her in with the thin blanket he had. The Winter Soldier watched over her, his thoughts of uncertainty washed over him.

A/N: I know it looks like I skipped things too quickly, but I didn't think you guys wanted to read every detail of the entire journey.