The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 129

The only real useful information the file contained was an address in a large apartment complex in a poorer part of Bucharest. We arrived early the next morning and landed the Quinjet–still in stealth mode–half a mile away and finished the journey on foot. I flew as a bird and Sam carried Steve to the roof. Bucky was apparently staying unofficially in a unit a few floors down. For one of the most accomplished assassins, his place was easy so to break into that I doubted the integrity of the intel. A skimpy matress lay on the floor, newspapers covered the windows, and some cheap junk food snacks were sitting out.

Steve picked a nondescript notebook up off the top of the fridge. It had a few colored tabs sticking out. As he paged through it, I suddenly became aware that we weren't alone.

"Heads up, guys." Sam was still on the roof, "German special forces approaching from the south."

"Understood." I was about to saw something to Steve, but he finally noticed the figure standing on the other side of the counter.

"Do you know me?"

"You're Steve. I read about you in a museum. I don't know her." After landing, I had once more taken the appearance of an Irish woman.

"It's been a long time, Sergeant Barnes." I brought back Peggy's voice, "And it seems time has altered my face more than yours."

"Agent Carter?"

"Yes. Although I go by Arista nowadays."

"They've set the perimeter."

"I know you're nervous," Steve took a cautious step towards him, "And you have plenty of reason to be, but you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore."

"They're entering the building."

"Well the people who think you did are coming here now, and they don't plan on taking you alive."

"That's smart. Good strategy."

"They're on the roof. I'm compromised." I could hear them now, in the stairwell and above us.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." But Bucky seemed resigned.

"It always ends in a fight."

"Five seconds."

"You pulled me from the river," He tried a different approach, "Why?" Was he talking about Washington DC? Bucky pulled his left glove off and I flinched involuntarily when I saw the glint of his mechanical hand. That went all the way up his arm?

"I don't know."

"Three seconds." Steve called his lie first.

"Yes you do."

"Breach! Breach! Breach!" A grenade crashed through the window closest to me. I hurled it right back outside. Another came right at Bucky, but he kicked it towards Steve, who used his shield to contain the blast.

Several things happened in the next few seconds. Someone began pounding on the door, Bucky used a mattress to block some gunshots and then sent a table into the entryway. Then, a pair of heavily-armed agents crashed through the windows. Steve and Bucky didn't hesitate to engage, but I hung back. I couldn't use my swords or pistols without the risk of killing them, so I landed blows where I could. Not that Steve and Bucky needed my help anyway, as they tag-teamed the last agent on the balcony.

"Buck, stop!" Steve grabbed him, "You're gonna kill someone! A moment later, Steve was on the ground.

"I'm not gonna kill anyone." He raised a fist.