Bucharest
A breath in, another breath out. That was all Allie seemed to be able to do as she stood on the roof of a Romanian apartment building. Out of all the places to hide, why had he chosen Romania? She had no particular feelings against the country at that moment, but he was in a terribly shabby apartment complex. Then again, was she one to judge when her flat hadn't been a palace either?
She waited, somewhat impatiently for any signal from Steve. After they had watched the news in Sharon's hotel room, they'd all set to work to track down Bucky as quickly as they could. Sharon was the one to give them the location, and they'd left for it at once: Bucharest.
"Hey Cap," Sam said over the comms, his tone warning in its nature. "They're surrounding the building, so you don't have much time. I can see German Special Forces coming from the South."
"Copy," Steve's voice sounded. It almost sounded as if he was making small noises while searching the apartment. Allie's heart was beating violently against her chest as she waited.
Looking around from her vantage point, Allie realized how right Sam was. Every direction she looked, she could see officers and soldiers ready with their weapons. It was a lot of officers for her, Steve, Sam, and hopefully Bucky to go against.
Shaking her hands out, she took a breath. Steve had intended for Allie to stay behind, asking her to find a way to go to Nat. She had told him exactly where to go as she herself suited up. Steve had, however, convinced her that it was best if he went to confront Bucky alone. When she had gone to protest, he reminded her that it was possible that Bucky didn't remember her, and it wasn't worth finding out while inside the apartment.
"You know, I can tell you don't live here with him," Steve cracked a joke. "You'd hate the way he's been leaving this place."
Allie gave a shake of her head, letting out a small laugh that Steve could hear. She continued to look around the area realizing that it was becoming more and more targeted by the minute. She gasped as she realized that officers were beginning to drop onto the same roof as her. Hiding quickly, she found a small nook she fit into.
Inside of the apartment, Steve was looking around the place. A mattress laid on the ground, sheets barely tucked into it. Newspapers and clippings covered the windows and the door to a small balcony. It was a shabby hideout, but it had seemed to be an effective place to be. After all, he had never found Bucky until now, had he?
Steve scrunched his nose at the thought of Allie being in the apartment, and the possible expletives she may have dropped as she noticed the state of the kitchen. There were pots and pans strewn about, and he could have sworn the top of the fridge was splattered with dust and debris.
Along with the surface that needed a good scrubbing, he noticed that Bucky had had notebooks scattered on top of it. Taking one and flipping through the pages, Steve felt a twinge of hope.
He had, of course, come across a flyer from the Captain America exhibit in the Smithsonian. Bucky had been there. Flipping through the pages of the notebook themselves, he noticed notes upon notes with small details that only Bucky would have known.
There were small drawings here and there, almost as if he were distracted after a time of taking notes. They weren't anything special, or so he thought until he flipped to a page filled with a drawing of a familiar face. Allie stared back at him from the paper, a smile on her face and her eyes shining despite only being a pencil drawing.
In his surprise, he continued to flip through the pages of the book. Drawing after drawing of Allie were there, her eyes bright, her nose crinkled, the soft freckles across her nose present in each picture. He couldn't believe it. Bucky had to have remembered something about her, even if he was just being haunted by the memory of her face.
Before he could do anything more, however, he felt as if he were being watched. Slowly turning around, he was face-to-face with Bucky for the first time since the Potomac. His hair was a bit shaggier, his face was a bit scruffier, but the difference that struck Steve the most was the look in his eyes. They no longer had a vacant expression. He was completely present.
"Do you know me?" Steve asked him, barely listening to Sam's voice through his earpiece as he warned him that they were about to be attacked.
Allie sucked in a breath as she realized was happening. She felt her lip trembling, her eyes brimming with tears as she realized that they really had found him. Her husband was in the apartment with her brother. She gasped as she heard his voice through Steve's comm.
"You're Steve," she could hear him saying. "I read about you in that museum."
Relief washed over her as she heard his voice. Even if the peace she felt was only going to last for a moment, she at least had heard his voice. Taking a breath, she peeked out from her nook, listening to the sounds of footsteps down on the sidewalks. Peering over the ledge of the rooftop, she could see a number of officers and soldiers in tactical gear as they flooded the lower levels of the complex.
"You know her," Steve said. He held up a picture in the notebook. He studied the slight change in Bucky's face as he looked at his drawing of Allie.
"She's Allie," Bucky said, and in her spot, Allie took in a sharp breath. He had said her name. "I read about her in the museum, too."
"No, these are memories," Steve argued, flipping through more of the pictures. "France, her ring, that November. You remember it. Besides, the museum only calls her Allison, not Allie. Now I know that you're lying."
Bucky stayed silent for a moment. His eyes dropped to the ground, and he took a breath before looking Steve back in the eye. He knew what Steve had to be there about.
"I wasn't in Vienna," Bucky said, his lips a thin line. "I don't do that anymore."
On the rooftop, Allie leaned back against the cement she sat next to. She felt as if she could breathe as she heard his voice. She didn't care what other people would say. She believed him. She could hear Steve's warnings about the officers coming to the building, and he told him about the fact that there was a good chance they didn't plan on taking him in alive.
"That would make them smart," Bucky's voice sounded broken. "It'd be a smart strategy."
"Steve, tell him I'm here," she pleaded on the comms. "Tell him he's going to be safe."
Steve didn't do that. Instead, he focused on telling Bucky that they needed to get out of there. She could hear her brother pleading that they didn't need to be in a fight. Thudding steps sounded on the rooftop, and Allie shut her mouth tightly. She was careful not to breathe too loudly.
"They're on the roof," Sam warned. "Allie, we're compromised."
A moment passed before all hell broke loose. Allie waited for only a moment before she braved hopping out of her hiding spot. The officers that had been on the roof seemed to have repelled down into the building itself. Taking a breath of relief, she walked along the rooftop and surveyed the scene below.
She could hear grunting through the comms, knowing that it was on Steve's side of the fight they were now in. She hoped to see any sign of Steve or Bucky, but for a moment, it seemed as if she were out of luck. Soldiers upon soldiers invaded the area, and nearby she could hear the echoing of Sam's yelling.
"Damn it," she muttered, holding her hands up as she prepared herself for the worst.
Looking back down, she watched as a backpack flew off of a balcony and onto a neighboring rooftop. She studied it for a moment, waiting to see if it would explode or if someone was chasing it. Not noticing anyone or anything special about it, she quickly looked over and onto the streets.
She could see more and more cars flooding onto the scene. Instinctively, she swiped her hands up, forming walls of flames in front of the building. A few of the cars swerved to the side to avoid her creation. Walking back over to where she had been, she noticed a figure jumping between the apartment and the other rooftop. Sucking in a breath, she realized it wasn't just anyone; it was Bucky.
She was distracted for just a moment, her eyes only following him. She snapped out of it the moment a second figure landed on the rooftop, jumping at him. For a moment, she was convinced that she was going to get herself killed. But it was Bucky.
"Alright," she took a breath and looked down at the gap between the buildings. Looking back across, she swallowed harshly. "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this."
She walked back a bit, crouching slightly, she took a running start and jumped. Placing her hands in front of her, she created a slide of ice that she tumbled down onto, rolling onto the roof of the building with an uncomfortable thud. Raising her hand behind herself again, she melted the slide.
Groaning as she pushed herself back onto her feet, she could just make out Bucky being tackled by the figure clad in black. Scrambling to stand correctly, she watched as metal tips seemed to come from the person's gloves. Bucky's back was still facing her, but she could make out the person's mask.
"You've got to be shitting me," she muttered. Their suit was in the likeness of a cat.
Bucky began to fight the masked person hand-to-hand, ducking and dodging the metal claws. The moment it appeared that this masked person had the upper hand, Allie quickly swiped her hand in the air, hitting the person backwards with a force of ice. The tumbled away from him, looking at her.
Bucky looked over as well. His eyes widened as he looked at her. Her hair was pulled from her face, and her face was etched with determination. She walked up, fire flickering at her fingertips.
"Paws off," she yelled at the mystery person. She watched as they stood to face her, and she quickly stepped in front of Bucky. Knowing he would need to be bought time, she held her hands together and didn't hold back with the flames that came from them. Glancing down at him, she met his eye. "Go!"
But he didn't. Instead, Bucky stayed beside her. He wasn't about to leave her by herself, not when it came to what was on the other side of that wall of fire. She had already turned to face the person in black once more, yelping as they surprised her by jumping through the flames and tackled her to the ground.
She stared up in horror, knocking her hand into the side of their face, making her best efforts to push them off of her. Hearing the thud of Allie hitting the ground, groaning in pain as she put her hands between herself and the other person, Bucky launched himself in their direction. He was quick to kick them off of her. Reaching out to give her a hand, Allie's eyes widened.
"Allie, helicopter incoming," Sam warned.
"What do you mean a helicopter?" her eyes widened in bewilderment, and Bucky noticed the comm in her ear. "Damn it!"
The two looked at one another as Allie scanned the sky. He followed her movement, listening for the aircraft that the growing sound was coming from. Pursing her lips, she looked up at him.
"That bag," Allie glanced in the direction she had seen him throw it. "Does it have any weapons? Any bombs? Anything electric?"
"No," he shook his head, his eyes still trained on her.
She gave a small nod, before giving him a puzzled look. "What does it have in it then?"
"Some of my belongings," he shrugged, his eyes widening as he saw the helicopter coming at them.
Allie's eyes followed his, and without a second thought her hands rose. Despite her best efforts to form a thickened sheet of ice in front of them both, she wasn't able to do so fast enough. While she kept her eye on where the aircraft flew, Bucky kept an eye on the weapons now pointed at them. He didn't spare a moment in pushing her to the ground and covering her body with his.
Grunting, she looked at him with a frown. His eyes were widened, casting glances to the side. A spray of bullets began, and he raised his arm to deflect them. Without thinking for a moment more, Allie found herself pressing closer to him.
Across the rooftop, the figure that had attacked them was shielding themself from the bullet sprays as well. Allie let out a low sigh, looking Bucky in the eye.
"You know, I told you to go," she frowned.
"Oh, I heard you," he said simply, holding the metallic arm in the path of the bullets.
"Then why didn't you go?" Allie huffed.
"Ha," he let out a small husk of a laugh. "As if you've ever listened when you were given instructions."
Normally, she would have been ready to let him have an earful or even throw her shoe at him for a comment like that. In that moment, however, she couldn't help the warmth she felt as she felt a glimmer of hope. Was he admitting that he remembered her? She wasn't able to ask much more about it as she noticed Sam flying onto the scene, kicking the tail of the helicopter and sending it crashing down.
"Who the hell is the other guy?" Sam's voice came through, partly annoyed, partly confused, and partly worried.
"It's a fucking cat, Sam," Allie glared up at him over Bucky's shoulder.
At the disappearance of the helicopter, Bucky looked over his shoulder for only a moment. He took advantage of the momentary escape route and fled. Allie's mouth fell open in shock.
"Well gee, thanks for leaving me behind," she spat out in Bucky's direction.
He had scooped up his bag, leaping from the rooftop as the mystery opponent followed him. Grimacing, Allie pushed herself up to stand just as Steve had landed on the rooftop, rushing past her and leaping off to follow the others.
"Seriously?" she groaned. Shaking her hands out, she made her own way to the side of the roof. Looking down, she created yet another slide made of ice.
She slid down the smooth surface much more gracefully than she had before. She was grateful for the daylight, catching sight of her brother's shield glinting as he ran. A spray of bullets continued to chase them. Allie raised her hand behind herself, protecting herself with sheets of ice that the bullets could hit before both ice and metal fell to the ground.
She had a stitch in her side as she continued to run, but she continued to push forward. She wasn't about to lose sight on what was happening. She was able to get closer as the three men ahead of her jumped down, but she was ready to curse Bucky out when she realized she was following and jumping down onto a freeway.
Sirens began to wail, and as she landed, Allie realized that they were being chased by police. Looking behind her, watching the police speeding down in her direction, she waved her hand. A large wall of flames resulted in screeching tires and what she assumed were expletives in other languages. She didn't stop to pay attention to the faces around her as she made her best attempt to catch up.
It proved fruitless to do so while on foot. Bucky was far faster than she was. The mysterious masked person was far faster than her. Her brother was far faster than her. She thought as quickly as she could, deciding that her best bet was to use her abilities.
Taking a breath, she created paths of ice that she could slide on. Holding one hand in front of her and the other behind her, she created enough of slide to push herself off of. In front of her, she continued to form the path of ice, more than one car spinning out when they attempted to hit their brakes.
She caught sight of her brother who had stopped long enough to jump onto the hood of a police car. Catching up to him, she watched as he reached into the car, pulling the driver from their seat. Punching out the windshield, Steve quickly glanced over to her.
"Get in!" he shouted as she stumbled off of her icy trail.
She didn't waste a moment in rushing up to the car and quickly getting into the passenger's seat. She didn't even bother buckling herself into the seat as she found herself able to breathe for the first time. Her throat was painful and raw with her rough breaths, and she desperately wanted a drink of water.
"Thank you," she huffed as she swallowed harshly. "Do you know who this is?"
"No," Steve shook his head. "Are you okay? I saw the two of you up there with them."
"I'm fine," Allie nodded. "Maybe a little traumatized, but I'm fine."
Steve shook his head with a small grin. He glanced to his sister for just a brief second. She was staring forward at the road, her lips pulled into a thin line as she kept her sights on Bucky.
At the back of the car, a sharp and painful noise of metal against metal sounded. Looking back, she saw the catlike figure clinging to the back of the car. Steve noticed, jerking the car to try and lose them. He grimaced, frustrated as the person stayed put.
Allie pursed her lips, quickly freezing and shattering her door's window. Reaching onto the outside of the car, she placed her hand on the surface of the vehicle. Ice began to crystalize on the metal, reaching and creeping closer and closer to the person. Through his mirror, Steve could see the ice climbing onto the gloves of the person.
Behind them, they couldn't make out much more than grunting and the pulling of their hands out of the ice and clinging back onto the metal. Allie huffed in frustration before turning back to face forward.
"Sam, I can't shake them," Steve sighed and looked forward as well.
"And don't worry, I tried too," Allie groaned and crossed her arms.
"I'm on my way," Sam's voice was firm. Behind them, they could hear the whizzing of Sam's wings, and they watched as he ducked in and out of cars.
In front of them Bucky was weaving through cars. Allie was surprised that he hadn't been hit by anyone as he ran down the road. He ducked into the other lanes, squeezing past barrels filled with sand or dirt, she wasn't sure which. Steve told her to hang on tight, which caused her to grip onto the seat and door for dear life as Steve plowed forward between the two columns holding up the road above. Dust and dirt flew up around them, causing her to cough as some made it into the front seats.
Bucky made it back into the light, stopping in front of someone on a motorcycle. He took hold of it, and Allie wasn't exactly sure how he had managed to get himself onto the bike as swiftly and smoothly as he did, but she did know her lips had parted before she let out a small laugh.
"Alright," she breathed, a small pound against her chest and her cheeks flushing. "I'll admit it. That was sexy."
"Gross," Steve's nose scrunched in disgust, his eyes flicking over to her for a moment before he looked back to the road. "I am right here."
"I'd like to remind you that I can hear you too," Sam sounded equally as disgusted.
"My point still stands," she shifted in her seat. Noticing that her brother still looked disgusted, she pursed her lips. "Well, I'm sorry, but can you blame me? My husband is right there, and I haven't seen him in seventy years!"
On top of the car, there were footsteps. Allie gasped as she realized what was happening. The person had moved to walk along the car's roof before leaping forward. She watched in horror as the person leapt towards her husband.
"Bucky!" she screeched, and she could have sworn he sat a little taller at the echoing sound of her voice. "Watch out!"
He looked back in time to catch the person, attempting to shake them off of him. He threw them back towards the car, causing Allie to scream as she saw the metallic tips of the person's gloves seemingly coming straight for her. Holding her arms in front of herself, she was able to breathe a singular breath as realized they hadn't reached her.
Her eyes went back to Bucky, just in time to watch him throw an explosive up onto the top of the tunnel. Her eyes dropping down to her husband as he continued to drive through it, she narrowed her eyes and listened to the time tick down.
"You asshole!" she shouted at him.
The whizzing of Sam's wings could be heard again as he flew by the car. The person clad in black had grabbed onto him. Sam grunted as he made the attempt to kick them off of himself. He wasn't successful until the explosion had gone off. The person had flown through the explosion and Steve quickly braked and swerved the car before he jumped out, running in the direction of Bucky.
Not being buckled in, Allie was thrown from the car and rolled quickly along the ground after being hit by debris. She almost felt as if she were going to throw up from the pain she was feeling.
As the mystery opponent had gotten ready to attack Bucky, hovering over his best friend, Steve made it in time to tackle them. Allie rolled to a halt beside her husband. He had stood up, reaching down and taking her hand and arm.
"Are you okay?" Bucky's voice almost seemed gentle as he helped her up.
"I'm fine," Allie pursed her lips, dusting herself off.
"You're bleeding," he looked at her face.
"I said I'm fine," she insisted, finally looking him in the eye.
Both Steve and Bucky seemed to take a step closer to her as the person in black went to step near them. Siren's blaring began to deafen them once more. This time, however, they were surrounded. There was no place they could run. She watched as a familiar armed suit landed in front of them. Rhodey had made it to Romania, and even after a week, Allie was still furious at him. Still, she listened and complied when he told them to stand down.
"Well, congratulations you two," he said, looking between Steve and Allie. "You're criminals."
Looking at Bucky and Steve, she followed Steve's lead in raising her hands above her head. She waited for police to handcuff her, but her attention whipped to Bucky as he began to dissociate.
"No!" she cried as she watched Bucky being pushed to the ground. "Let go of him! Please!"
"Allie," Steve warned. "Don't make it worse."
She looked from her brother to Bucky who sat on his knees. His eyes were trained on the ground in front of him, almost as if he truly was no longer mentally with them. It was painful for her to see. Looking to the ground as her own hands were taken and placed behind her back, she felt the cuffs being locked into place.
Across from them, the masked figure stood tall. Reaching for the mask of their suit, the group went silent as their face was revealed. They stood face-to-face with the Prince of Wakanda, and he was angry.
It was that moment that told Allie just how deep of shit they were in.