CHASING GHOSTS | BUCKY BARNES

09

Dedicated to lucidhalos for not only creating such a beautiful cover, but also making my day with your wonderful comments. Also, if you liked wetsuit Bucky... :)

Enjoy!

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"Trusting you was the last thing I expected to do."

NADINE

If Nadine'd had a chance at a normal life, she probably would've become an architect. Anywhere she went, one of the first things she'd look at was the architecture. The colors, the pavements, the arches, everything. She was obsessed with the landscape. No matter the place, she'd find beauty in anything.

Unfortunately, Nadine was never destined to live a normal life. At 25 years old, she wasn't prepared in anything but combat, weaponry, and other things someone in the intelligence world would know. The young woman didn't even have a permanent home; she only had Maricota, where she would rest after missions. And because of how she'd been forced into bloodshed at just 8 years old, she'd have to conform with admiring the architecture from afar.

Of course, when you visit a city like Bordeaux, it's incredibly difficult to do. She needed to focus. To help Kaia, they needed to be prepared.

She was now putting the finishing touches on her cover for the night. Emilia, with the help of a contact they'd be using for the night, told Nadine that she'd take care of everything about their identities, and she did. That's how Nadine ended up dressed in a gown that looked like the embodiment of wine. Well, it was more of a comfortable jumpsuit (she did request for something that gave her enough mobility to move, if necessary) but the tulle skirt gave it the illusion of a dress. It had lace detailing on the bodice, was backless, and had enough tulle for her to hide a handgun in a thigh holster without looking like a bloody cotton puff. Emilia was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Dark hair braided back, wine colored lipstick lining her lips, intricate eyeliner that made her eyes look fierce, she silently thanked the celestial powers for Emilia. The woman could transform anyone into any type of person that a mission needed. All she needed were shapeshifting powers and her abilities would be complete.

"How's the bruise?" Emilia questioned, grabbing a golden colored ear cuff and placing it on Nadine's ear. "Built-in earpiece."

She touched the delicate rhinestones on it, eyes drifting towards her covered wrist for a second. "The one I had on my ribs hurt a lot more, trust me."

"Guess it looks worse than it seems. Thank God for long sleeves." Emilia clapped her hands together in pride, her eyes glinting with excitement. "It's official, I'm a miracle worker."

"I'd pinch you if it wasn't for the fact that I love this dress." Motioning for her to turn, Nadine zipped up the side of her teal gown, watching as the simple movement made it compliment her petite frame. Emilia's dress was long as well, but that's where the similarities stopped. It was like teal colored silk, and while the off the shoulder bodice was tight, the skirt cascaded down her legs like an elegant curtain. It also had a slit, so her leg was exposed if she stood a certain way. With her slicked back hair and makeup that made her cheekbones pop, the look had every bit of the glamorous sex appeal Emilia relished to portray.

She was a chameleon, after all.

"Emmi, how do you expect to hide a gun in that dress?"

"I don't," she said simply, giving her friend a shrug. The movement made the dimple on her shoulder visible.

"That's impractical." Nadine pointed out.