The Russian and the American (Bucky 1940's)

Chapter 21

  After the battle of New York, Elizabeth has been helping Steve and catching him up. Elizabeth quit the mercenary life and is now helping out Fury. The two soldiers are sitting in Steve living room while Elizabeth catches him up on the history books.

  "So you're telling me that in those seventy years, that there were like, four wars?" He asks.

  Elizabeth nods her head. She's leaning forward in her chair with her hands clasped.

  "And you were fighting on both sides?" He asks.

  "Not necessarily. The Cold War wasn't really a war. It was more so a political war where the U.S. and Russia were saying that we were going to nuke the other," explains Elizabeth.

  "I see. And you're alive, how again?"

  "When the 107th and I were taken captive I was given a drug that increased my super soldier serum, along with another one that helps me heal from anything and regrow limbs."

  "And Bucky?"

  "He survived the fall with only the loss of his arm. He was murdered and that's why I went into the mercenary business."

  "To find his killer, right?" Asks Steve.

  "Yes."

  "I can't believe it. He was alive and we didn't look. We both just assumed that you were both dead."

  "We mine as well have been," Elizabeth says looking away with a sigh.

  "And then later on you met Natasha, right?" He asks.

  "Yes. SHIELD found her. Peggy called me in asking for help. She wasn't adapting very well so she came and lived with me. I taught her what I knew and how not everyone there is out to kill her. I then passed the title down to her. I've been Rusalka for a while at that point. Once Peggy left, so did I and I left my position to Natasha."

  "And then you went back to being a mercenary?"

  "Yes," she answers.

  Steve stays silent. In reality all of this happened to him in the matter of a month. The battle of New York was two weeks ago which meant in Steve time, it was only a mater of weeks since he's last fought Red Skull. Elizabeth on the other hand has been fighting for seventy years straight. She's had her own life, and she can tell that Steve doesn't like the change. Or maybe he just can't process it all right now.

  "She's a good person. She deserves the title," Elizabeth states.

  "I'm sure she does, but, why Rusalka? What does that even mean?" Asks Steve.

  "Rusalka is the Russian water spirit. So I guess you could say it's just a call back to my past," she says.

  "And what's that? Falling in the snow back in 'forty three?"

  "I didn't have a great life. My mother was the town whore and all seven of my siblings left, making it just me and my father. He was a drunk and a druggie. We lived in a little hut in a small town close to Siberia. It was surrounded by a forest and we weren't far from a lake. Rusulka is a Russian water spirit who supposedly lived in the lake. People even said to have seen sightings. My father trained me and would make me do these, tests. Well, one of them was he through me in the lake that was frozen over and I was trapped under the ice. I should have died but somehow I crawled my way out," she explains, picking at her hands.

  "I see. Why did you keep all this stuff hidden from Buck and I?"

  "I didn't know who to trust. I did what I had to do to survive."

  "So, what about the Avengers? You joining that?" He asks.

  "Fuck no," she chuckles.

  Steve looks at her with wide eyes and asks, "why not?"

  "Because, I work int the shadows. Remember here too who the good guy is."

  "You are a good guy," Steve says.

  Elizabeth looks down and softly smiles to her self as she shakes her head.

  "No, no I'm not. But that's ok," she says softly. "Besides, I don't fame or people to know who I am."

  "Images if Bucky could see us now," Steve says with a mellow voice.

  "Yeah, imagine," she chuckles. "He would love all of this. My little dork."

  The two stayed and talked for a little while before Elizabeth headed home.