Flickers | Bucky Barnes

Fast Food Coma

When Karina opened her green eyes, the building was still blinking red and black albeit her vision was blurry and white spots were making their presence known. She felt a knot swelling in the back of her head as pounding formed behind her eyes. Her mouth felt as if it was filled with cotton balls and as she swallowed sand, hot white pain flared from her throat. Her body felt as if she got ran over by a car – a very big car. She released out a loud pained groan which she regretted as her throat burned from the action. She knew it wasn't a bus that had her right shoulder which was probably black at this point like her throat. It was James. Somehow he had reverted back to his Winter Soldier personality.

She stood on her shaky legs and decided it was best to just find an exit or better yet a doctor as she thought her shoulder was dislocated from the pain that was assaulting her body. Using the wall as a clutch, she slowly began making her trek towards the exit as she initially planned.

Karina was slightly concerned as to what happened to James. The building was deathly quiet and she prayed he didn't cause too much damage to pile on the shit storm they both got sucked into. Plus, knowing that he had to be activated by trigger words someone who was connected to Hydra had to have been the one to set all this up but for what?

Reaching the stairs, excruciatingly, she had to limp down the steps one stair at a time. Her body had officially depleted any adrenaline it had stored because she was feeling everything. Even the air just touching her was painful.

As she traveled further down, she realized that the place had terrible security if she was able to roam around freely. Getting deeper in the building, she thought she might have made a mistake in trying to escape through a basement as she was out of breath and she didn't see an end in sight. Taking a deep breathe, she opened the door to the level she was on.

No workers were on the floor and the floor itself didn't look like much. She was going to just continue her tiresome journey down the stairs when above her, she heard heels slapping against the stairs. Karina quietly closed the door and did a pathetic run down the hallway trying not to trip over her feet from the headache that was blinding her when in the sparse hallway there was a door in the middle. Quickly opening it not caring what was on the other side, she went to lock the door, but cursed the building for relying on electricity which was completely idiotic of the place. Turning around, she was really questioning the blueprint of the place as she realized she had found the weapons locker.

Karina heard the door leading onto the floor close. She hoped the person would completely bypass the door as Karina was sure she couldn't make a good cover with racks of assault rifles. But her eyes widened as she got the glint of a round shield. Karina made her way over to Captain America's shield and noticed that Sam's wings and James' backpack were opportunely placed next to it.

Yet as if Loki himself was amused by her bad luck and nothing seemed to be going in her favor, she heard the handle to the door jiggle and seeing as she had nowhere to hide she dropped down to the floor placing the lite, but large shield in front of her. If Steve could curl his large muscular frame behind the Vibranium safeguard, this was partially a bed for her to sleep on or even a fancy sled to go down a hill.

The door opened and she heard the clicking of heels come near her. She held her breath and hoped maybe the person would see nothing was amiss and be on their merry way. The footsteps stopped in front of her and stood there.

Karina wondered if it was the Black Widow that had found her. A part of her hoped maybe it was her and not one of the assholes working with the CIA. Karina, in the 30 seconds she had as the person stood before her, covered by Captain America's shield had written her apology to the master spy for her behavior in the interrogation home. She wasn't going to take her belongings along with Steve's and Sam's. She was just looking for cover – a place to hide. Karina ignored that the Black Widow could possibly tell she was lying, but if Karina made herself believe it – it wasn't as if she was outright lying – there were truths mixed in with her fabrication.