Retnikopf: Widow Of Siberia (old Version)

Chapter 7 - It's Been A While

The room was dark. Metal floors and beams all around as Bucky made his way silently across the grates. It creaked with every step he took.

'Hydra always picked the creepiest places,' he thought, holding his gun close to his body as he took carful steps.

-----

Zemo stood directly in the center of a room, the only light hitting him perfectly. His purple mask clutched in his hands. He waited patiently for James Barnes, Zemo knew that he was coming this way. He had to admit he was quite excited to see the look on his face.

As he stood, Zemo heard the metal creak around him. He smirked. Bucky must be close.

"Sergeant Barnes," he announced, rocking on his heals as he stood, "it's been a while since we last saw each other."

"Come on Zemo," Bucky teased him as he came round the corner and into view of Zemo, "we know each other better than that."

"Sorry, James," Zemo smirked, opening his arms in a shrug.

There was a soft clang as someone landed just behind Zemo. The sight of them making Bucky pull a severely annoyed face.

"And Sam," Zemo smiled, not turning as he lowered his head, "it's been a while since we've all seen each other."

"It has," the voice of the person behind him was a surprise. He froze as he heard the soft Russian accent, feeling her breath on the edge of his collar as she came closer, "but you might want to try again with the name."

"Red skies," Zemo tried desperately to steady his voice, she was too close to get away from now. He turned to see a slight smile under dark eyes, her hair limp and in front of her face. "you look more deranged than usual, less blood though."

"We can change that," Vienna smirked, taking a step passed Zemo and towards Bucky.

"What are you doing here?" Bucky asked her, a stern frown on his brow as she passed him.

"Helping you catch evil America," Vienna smiled, giving him a pat on the shoulder as she all but skipped passed him.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" he frowned making her pause briefly.

"What?" she smiled, the knife she'd taken from him resting gently between her fingers, "you want me to go into a Hydra base without it?"

"I-- uh--" Bucky tried to say but he could see Zemo out of the corner of his eye, "you don't move. You're going back to prison. And you wait for me--"

Bucky turned back from Zemo to see an empty space. She was already gone.

-----

Once Bucky had found anyone, it was Sam, and he was standing, just about to open a door, as he turned to see Bucky holding Zemo by the elbow.

"Hey," Sam said, giving a small smile before turning back to the door.

Calmly, but cautiously, he opened the door. What layed behind it was something he'd never have expected.

The room was covered in blood and bodies. About three of them. Some entrails strewn about between them. Sam took a careful step forward as he looked across the room to see their short friend standing in front of a second door. Her hair was damp, red with blood, her hands dripping and her face splattered. She starred back at them as they watched her.

"Who gave her a knife?" Sam asked, turning around to look at Bucky who was a little wide eyed but not too shocked.

"It's mine," Bucky told him, "she didn't wanna go in without it, I guess she was scared or something."

"Well know I'm scared," Sam snapped, turning back and taking another step into the room.

"Do you want a knife?" Zemo asked calmly as he swayed a little.

A small droplet of blood splashed onto Sam's face from the ceiling, making him flail a little and stop him from retaliating against Zemo.

"Why--? How is it on the ceiling?" he exclaimed, frantically wiping the blood of his face, "and why is it so cold? How long have you been standing there?"

"Blood cools very quickly," Vienna told him, the deranged, goblin like look in her eye worse than usual, "it's a liquid."

Sam pulled the most confused and disturbed face he could muster as she stood seemingly unfazed.

"You know what? I got just the thing," Sam said, standing back up straight, "Vienna, why don't you take our good friend Zemo here outside while Bucky and I go grab Walker. You can get to know him a little."

"What? No. Please don't," Zemo begged as Vienna smiled and stepped carefully over the corpse she had created, "you can't. What if I escape? She's just a little girl."

"I think she can handle it," Sam said, gesturing around the room.

"It'll be fun Barron," Vienna smiled, placing the knife perfectly in place so that she could easily puncture a lung if more pressure was applied, "this way."