Nazarov

[5 - Knight In Shining Metal]

"i'll stand with you."
"till the last breath."

Bucky had been looking for her for two weeks. He had been confronting HYDRA bases for two weeks trying to find the girl that was seared into his mind. He had dreamt about her. After the fall of HYDRA, Bucky had vanished. He knew that the man he saved, Steve Rogers, would be looking for him, but all he did for two weeks was dream about the woman he had come to love. After two weeks, he found the base they were keeping her in, a remote facility just outside the border of Germany. He slaughtered every living thing in his way as he made his way down to the disgusting cell they were keeping her in. As he ran down the spiral stairwell, he was faced with a man standing in the hallway, like he was waiting for him. He held no weapon, and didn't make any moves towards the angry soldier.
"Get out of my way." Bucky growled. The man didn't move.
"I need you to listen to me first." The man said calmly.
"I don't need to do anything but get her and if you don't get the hell out of my way then I will kill you like I did all your other friends." He threatened.
"I'm not with HYDRA. I never was." Bucky didn't move. He just waited for the man to continue with what he had to say.
"I was tasked with keeping Ms Nazarov alive because I'm the only one capable of doing it. I also don't have a choice. If I didn't comply, then HYDRA would kill my sister. She's only 16, I couldn't let her die because of me, so I did what they asked." Bucky felt himself sympathising for the man he had only just met. But he refocused when he realised Morana was still in danger.
"Give me Morana." The man nodded and stepped aside. Bucky rushed towards the gate and flung it open to find Morana staring at the ceiling, mumbling and shaking. He knelt down next to her and ripped off the restraints binding her.
"Morana.......2...7..7...4..9...3.......Anastasiya.......Nazarov.......Lynx..." Bucky could hear her saying the same words over and over again, her eyes glassy as she didn't blink.
"Morana. Hey Morana. You need to wake up, we have to get out of here." Bucky whispered shaking her slightly.
""Morana.......2...7..7...4..9...3.......Anastasiya.......Bucky?" Her attention turned to the man kneeling next to her. She stared at him, her skin pale and her eyes bloodshot and she was covered in sweat. Bucky stared into her eyes. The once bright emerald spark had been dulled to a dark and sad leaf green, and she had bruises all over her skin.
"Hey Ana. C'mon, let's get out of here." He put her arm around his shoulders and lifted her up by the waist. Her feet dragged along the ground as she tried to step, and she put all her weight onto Bucky. As the exited the gate, the man still stood there.
"Justin.." Morana whispered. Justin looked at her.
"You're free. Go get your sister." The woman smiled weakly.
"Stay safe Morana, and if you ever need anything, I'm only a call away." Justin smiled down at her as Morana touched his shoulder comfortingly. The pair left after that, making their way out into the daylight, Morana squinted at the bright light. They began their long walk back to civilisation. Morana came to stop after about ten minutes.
"I can...I can get us out of here.." She muttered. Bucky shook his head.
"No. You are in no way, shape or form healthy enough to use your powers." He refused.
"I can do it, I can get us to a safe house in Berlin." She pushed.
"No Morana."
"Bucky. I can do this." Knowing she wasn't going to let up, Bucky nodded. She unwrapped her arm from Bucky's neck and stood up straight. Her fingers began glowing green as she concentrated on her house in Berlin. She moved her hands and green sparks began to appear in the air. She closed her eyes and concentrated harder, the portal opening to reveal a street full of town houses.
"Go. I'm right behind you." Bucky looked at her before jumping through, Morana following suit and dropped to her knees, all her energy drained from her body.
    "Morana!" Bucky exclaimed as he knelt down next to her. She breathed slowly and calmly.
    "I'm fine. I just need you to..." She trailed off.
    "Need me to what Ana?" He asked.
    "You aren't gonna like it." She warned.
    "I don't care, I'll do it, for you." Morana smiled up at him then put a hand on his shoulder.
    "I need you to stitch me up." She said. Bucky just stared at her.
    "You want me to what?" He asked incredulously. Morana laughed.
    "I was stabbed remember? I never got a chance to fix it and I think that I'll pass out long before I can heal it properly now. So...I need you to stitch me up." Bucky stared at her with wide eyes but nodded at her anyway. Bucky helped her off her feet and they hobbled their way up the steps to the front door. Morana pointed to the brick on the ground next to Bucky and his vision moved over to it. He kicked it with his foot revealing a silver key. He picked it up and stuck it in the lock. He pushed the door open to reveal a dark hallway, covered in dust and cobwebs. as they entered, Morana flicked on the lights and the room illuminated. The pair stared at the place. It wasn't much, it only had one bedroom, a small living room, a kitchen and a bathroom, but it would keep them safe. Bucky dropped Morana carefully onto the couch, earning a small groan from her.
    "First aid kit's in the kitchen." She said. Bucky found the kitchen and searched all the cupboards until he found what he was looking for. A small red bag with a white medical cross on it and the words 'FIRST AID' printed below it. He brought it back in to Morana who opened it in search of needles and medical thread. When she found what she was looking for, she pulled them out, along with some athletic tape to protect her stitches. She handed them to Bucky, who reluctantly took them.
    "You know I've never done this before right." She turned away from him, she peeled her suit off her torso to reveal a large hole where the knife had been plunged into her back, covered in red and black blood, some dry and some fresh.
    "It's fine. Just like riding a bike." She reassured him.
    "I don't know how to ride a bike." He said. Morana laughed out loud and then winced, her shoulders tensing.
    "You'll be fine. I can't reach it so you have to do it or I'm going to bleed out before I can even make a joke." Bucky mentally prepared himself. He stuck the needle into her flesh, Morana jolting slightly before breathing. He continued to weave the needle and thread through her wounded skin, pulling it tight and bringing the skin back together again. Morana seemed to be coping alright, she had been focusing on her breathing. He tied the thread in a knot as he finished his handiwork and covered the stitches in athletic tape.
    "All done." Bucky said. Morana breathed a sigh of relief, tasting the blood on the inside of her cheek where she had been biting.
    "See? That wasn't so hard. I promise you'll never have to do anything like tta again." Bucky laughed lightheartedly.
    "C'mon. Let's go get you cleaned up." Bucky helped her off the couch and led her to the bathroom, getting her in the bathtub. He ordered her to take her boots and suit off while he went and put the first aid kit away. She complied and she was left sitting in her sports bra and shorts. Bucky walked back in and grabbed the shower head from the wall. He turned on the water, making sure it was the right temperature before letting it run over the assassin's back. She winced at first, tensing up but she quickly relaxed as all the dirt and blood washed out of her wound and down the drain. Morana sat hunched over, rubbing her wrists where bruises had formed from the restraints. Bucky turned off the water and the pair sat in silence for a moment. Morana turned to face him.
    "We're gonna be okay Buck." He gave the girl a half hearted smile in return.
    "I know. I've got you, that's all I need." Morana smiled at him. She got up from the tub and Bucky passed her a towel to dry off with. She threw her hair in a ponytail and walked down the hall to the bedroom where a chest of drawers sat. She opened the top one and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of trackies. She threw them on the bed and proceeded to open the next drawer, pulling out a shirt and some pants for Bucky. She threw them at him, pointing at the bathroom to get cleaned up and changed. When the bathroom door clicked closed, Morana pulled on the fresh clothes, careful to not pull out her stitches. Once she was dressed, she made her way back down the hall to the kitchen where pain killers were sitting on the bench. She popped them out of the packet and swallowed them dry. She took a seat on the stool and held her head in her hands and stared at the inside of her eyelids. Morana was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realise Bucky had entered the kitchen until he bumped her leg as he sat on the stool next to her. She pulled her head from her hands and stared into the blue eyed lost soul. He had washed up, hair pulled behind his ears and his face clean. The long sleeved shirt covered his metal arm and as they sat there in the tiny kitchen wearing t-shirts and trackies, the pair almost looked normal.
    "Whatever you want to do, we'll stand together." Bucky's gruff voice rang through the silent room.
    "I'll stand with you." Morana smiled.
    "Till the last breath." And in that moment, a silent deal was made, a promise between two friends, between two broken souls, between two humans.