𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 | ʜᴇʟᴍᴜᴛ ᴢᴇᴍᴏ

𝟏𝟏 ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀꜱʜɪᴘ

riga, latvia

As the door to the small town home clicked shut, Kalina turned toward Bucky who had appeared in the entryway. She was seated on the couch clenching her hands closed and reopening them to gain the appropriate motion again. Her shoulder burned with a fire, but it had been subsided by a shot of morphine that she had desperately prompted upon arrival to the location. There were several vials of other narcotics and medications already in the home, and it appeared to have been used as some sort of safe house or business hub in the heart of Riga for the Zemo family's trade deals.

Now it was an empty shell of what once was, simply harboring the Avengers and the Sokovians as they moved toward their goal of pursuing Karli and the rest of the Flag Smashers. Kalina had never been to the location, as usually their time was spent on the Latvian countryside at the Zemo's private estate outside of the city. Helmut had always kept her shielded from his underground business, but now that would change.

As his boots clicked on the hardwoods, moving to the carpet, Bucky huffed a defeated breath. "The Wakandans are here. They want Zemo. Bought us some more time."

Kalina wasn't familiar with Wakanda, other than the fact that it was a country and had a political power. She turned to Helmut as he dried his hair from his shower, exiting the bathroom in a silken robe. He had allowed Kalina to shower first, all the while wishing they were alone so that he could share in the moment. The woman awkwardly denied the offer, noting the presence of the others in the room nearby. She had always been relatively modest with affection in public, but Helmut knew the kind of woman she was in private. Nevertheless, he respected her wishes and allowed her to freshen up in peace.

Sam sat at the bar facing the entrance, and cautiously watched Bucky move toward the group. "Were you followed?"

Shaking his head, the White Wolf responded that he wasn't. Kalina returned to gazing down at her hands, frustrated that the pain in her shoulder and arm were affecting the entire appendage. She had to toughen up, even though Helmut had reminded her that she was shot, the Sokovian woman would still remain resilient.

"How can you be so sure?" Quipped Helmut, nearing the stain glass window at the rear of the home, attempting to ensure there were no spies on the prowl outside. He had spent decades keeping this safe house a secret so that he could conduct his business, and Riga was always a strong hold in Eastern Europe: the perfect Baltic port that raised little suspicion in the small country. He knew the city and its people well, long ago anyway, and he would not let his leverage in the region be taken so easily.

"'Cause I know when I'm being followed." Bucky reached the bar and started to scroll his phone, as Helmut and Sam began to argue. The criminal was attempting to get cute with the Falcon, who was having none of it. The former Winter Soldier cut them off, staring at a news article that had lit up on his phone.

"Sam... Karli bombed a GRC supply depot." Sam instantly turned his attention to his partner, as Helmut made his way to the couch, reaching for Kalina's hands and holding them to calm her in the frustration. As the two Avengers discussed the damage, Bucky reported that Karli had a list of demands, threatening more attacks if they weren't met.