iiii. 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 - 𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐰𝐬

𝟎𝟏𝟎

"Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit." John Walker's grating voice echoed through the streets of Riga as him and Lemar walked down the city's steps. Everett resisted the urge to roll her eyes as their group walked towards them.

"Ah! How'd you find us now?" Bucky's sarcastic and cavalier attitude bled through his words. Everett suppressed a laugh.

Lemar rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. You really think two Avengers and their pet psychopath can walk around Latvia without drawing attention?"

Kashim's grip on Everett's hand tightened, and his jaw set.

"No more keeping us in the dark. You could start by telling us why you broke him out of prison, and why you think it's a good idea to keep dragging the ticking psychotic time bomb around on your stupid missions."

"Watch your fucking mouth, man." Kashim's voice was low, and Everett heard the anger drenching his words. She squeezed his hand again as she slightly shook her head.

Walker looked at Kashim in confusion. "Who's this?"

"None of your fucking business, Walker. What do you want?" Everett could no longer hold her tongue. The words snapped out of her faster than a whip.

"And, technically, he broke himself out of prison," Bucky interjected.

John Walker had apparently reached his limit. "Oh, this better be an unbelievable explana-"

Sam stepped in front of Everett and Kashim as he put his hand on Walker's chest. "Hey, take it easy before it gets weird."

Zemo took a step forward. "I know where Karli is."

Bucky and Zemo continued their journey around Walker and towards the area where the funeral was being held, but Walker put a hand on Zemo, forcing him to stop.

"Well, where?"

Everett couldn't hold back the scoff that flew past her lips. "Why do you think you're entitled to that information? None of this is official business, so you have no jurisdiction here. So, disrespectfully, fuck off."

Sam put a hand on her shoulder. "All we know is it's a memorial. So, we're gonna intercept her there."

Their group kept walking, Lemar and Walker coming after. "That means civilians. High risk of casualties." Lemar stated the facts as if they were brand new pieces of information.

"All right, good, we'll move in fast. Take her by surprise," Walker gave his two cents and Everett was about ready to shove the shield up his ass.

"No, I wanna talk to her alone."

"I'm not losing her again," Walker said.

"You never had her to begin with, Walker. Shut it." Everett's words were biting as Walker's eyes narrowed at her.

"Look, the person closest to her died, she's vulnerable. If there's any time to reason with her, it's now." Sam's voice had grown more agitated, and Everett could see his shoulders tense.

"What? No. Wait, no!" Walker's word tumbled over each other as he rounded to the front of their group and screeched them to a halt. "No! Stop. Hold on, stop, okay? I think we're way past reasoning with her, unless you forgot the fact that she blew up a building with people still in it."

Lemar leveled Sam with a look. "Sam, you walk in there cold, she could kill you."

"And if he goes in hot and the op goes wrong, more innocent people die," Everett snapped. "This isn't like a normal battlefield. This is different. You two know how to do the out-loud offensive kind of battle, which is good. But that's not what this is. We go in guns a'blazing, we scare her off and lose our only chance to reason with her." Everett's chest heaved. "Karli is not as murderous as you're making her out to be. She's trying to make a point, and she's going about it in the wrong way. Whatever you think you know about her, I can guarantee you're wrong."

Walker stared at her, confusion written on his face. "You know, you don't make sense to me. You come out of the woodwork, working with the Avengers, then disappear off the grid again, just to come back like nothing happened. What's up with that?"

Everett rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend to know anything about me, either."

Walker smirked. "I know more than you think. Kidnapped at six months old, brought to a HYDRA facility in Sokovia, put through a series of experiments, killed about 50 people in the span of three years. Then, you disappear from HYDRA's records and show up eight years later on a tarmac in Germany, right by Steve Roger's side. And guess what? Another disappearing act. Only for you to show up in Wakanda two years later. Then, vanish mode. Five years later, you bring back half the population and help the Avengers stop Thanos. So, what's your deal? Why the fighting, why the vanishing?"

Everett's fists had clenched throughout his speech. Kashim watched as her shoulders tensed and muscles in her body froze. She took a step closer to Walker, murder in her eyes.

"Fighting is all I've ever known. It was how I was raised. When you are told that fighting and violence are the only ways to live, it becomes written into who you are. Just be glad I'm fighting on the right side instead of against you, because that would not end well for anyone."

Kashim held back a laugh at the look of shock of Walker's face. His eyes then moved behind Everett to look at Bucky.

"You'll let them do this? Are you gonna let your partner, and this kid, walk into a room with a Super Soldier alone?"

"They've dealt with worse. And he's not my partner. Also, this 'kid' is a Super Soldier. She is stronger than all of us combined. I don't really have to worry about her too much."

A smile came over Everett's face at that. She had always appreciated Bucky's faith in her abilities.

"I used to counsel soldiers dealing with trauma, okay? This is right in my wheelhouse," Sam reminded them.

"I know. And I know those soldiers, which is why I know this is a bad idea.." Walker remained adamant and Everett's gaze drifted to Lemar. His dark eyes were focused on the ground.

"Wait, John," Lemar cut in. Everett watched him carefully. "If he can talk her down, it might be worth a try."

Walker scoffed, then looked at Zemo. "We'll deal with you later."

Zemo smirked. "I'm sure it will all come to an agreeable conclusion. My associate is just up ahead."

They all turned and saw a small blonde girl standing up ahead. They started walking towards her, but Walker grasped onto Everett's arm. She flinched at the contact and turned her green eyes to Walker's blue ones.

"I would be very careful in what you say to me. I have the power to send you straight back to the Raft, to never see the light of day again." His tone was murderous, and Everett could see in his eyes that he was very serious. She lowered her eyes to the floor and nodded. In her years of training, Everett knew the best thing to do was to just agree and stay silent. Don't make the person angrier.

Everett felt Walker's arm be ripped off of hers. Kashim stepped in front of her, holding her hand tightly. "Don't touch her." Kashim's voice was dark, but in a different way. Everett looked over his shoulder at Walker, who still had murder in his eyes. Kashim turned to Everett and gave her a smile.

"Time to catch a vigilante," Everett whispered softly.

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THIS EPISODE IS TAKING SO LONG TO WRITE

i forget how much stuff happens in this show it's wild

anywayssss

i live in wisconsin for college and we just dumped with a foot of snow, so all of my classes were cancelled today lol

OKAY LMK WHAT YOU THINK

LOVE YA