THIEF | BUCKY BARNES

NINETY EIGHT

DONYA
❝Then how do you protect them?❞

"Shame what's become of this place." Zemo spoke up. "When I was young, we used to come here for fabulous dinners and parties. I knew nothing of the politics of the time, of course, but I remember it being beautiful."

Odessa looked between Bucky and Sam, before allowing her eyes to flicker around the children who were playing in front of her. She let a small smile form on her face, remembering the way she used to look after her siblings, who could entertain themselves for hours with just their imagination.

"I'm gonna take a look around upstairs. See what you can find out here." Sam announced as he looked towards Bucky. "And keep an eye on him." He motioned towards Zemo, who plastered a fake smile onto his face.

"I'll go with him." Odessa announced, looking up at Bucky through her lashes as she spoke about Sam.

Bucky nodded in response, his hand cupping her cheek and pressing his lips against hers momentarily. He knew that Sam would keep her safe and simultaneously, she would keep Sam safe. Odessa gave Bucky one last reassuring smile before rushing off after Sam.

"Sammy, wait for me." Odessa whisper shouted as Sam walked at a ridiculously fast pace up the stairs. "I'm only human." She joked.

Sam looked back at the girl with a smug smile, he knew that she was used to keeping up with Super Soldiers, which made him chuckle a bit at the fact that she couldn't keep up with him. He raised his brows cockily before saying,

"A clearly unfit one. It's only a few stairs." He announced as he waited for her to reach him.

Odessa playfully gasped before slapping his bicep. She tutted at the man, before lightly pushing him and running up the stairs.

"I won." She grinned before Sam could even register what was going on. The man let out a small chuckle, shaking his head at the girl. "It was a race Sammy, didn't you know?"

"Hey, kid." Sam shouted, once he saw the little boy run away from him. He furrowed his brows and placed his hand on the small of Odessa's back, keeping her close. "Excuse me. You heard of Donya Madani?"

The girl looked between Sam and Odessa before slowly standing up, gathering a few of her things together saying,

"Um. No. Sorry, no."

Odessa's eyes flickered down to the craft box, nothing the red hand print on it. It was from The Flag Smashers. The brunette nodded and pulled away from Sam to go into a separate room.

"Hey." She smiled to a teen girl, who seemed to be struggling to calm a crying baby. "May I?" The girl seemed extremely hesitant a first, but nodded and handed the new born to Odessa. "When I was 15 my parents died, I was put into care with my younger siblings, one of them was only two, and I felt like I had to raise him all alone. My other two siblings were only 4 and 7, so they were just children themselves. I took on a lot of responsibility, which it seems you have too."

Odessa gently rocked the baby, her fingers tracing small patterns over his forehead. She hummed a soft tune and noticed the way the girl watched her so carefully.

"I used to hum my siblings to sleep, I promised that I would protect them from any harm." She whispered, looking up to the girl.

"Where are they now?" The girl questioned, she had a thick accent but her voice was shaky.

"They're with a different family now." Odessa admitted. "I don't get to see them as often as I would like."

"Then how do you protect them?" The girl questioned innocently, her eyes softening as she looked up to Odessa. She couldn't imagine being apart from her baby brother.

Odessa pondered upon the question for a moment. She pursed her lips and scrunched up her nose slightly. She took a quick glance down at the baby, who was now peacefully sleeping.

"I protect them from a far, from the dangers of the world that nobody ever really see's." Odessa responded.

"You're an Avenger aren't you?" The girl raised her brow. Odessa didn't miss the way her face lit up at the word 'Avengers', it was something that wasn't often seen.

The brunette nodded, causing the girls smile to grow. Odessa gently handed her back the baby boy, trying not to wake him as she did so.

"Do you know Donya Madani?" Odessa questioned curiously, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I do." The girl nodded. "She's just passed away, I'm sorry."

Odessa placed her hand on the girls shoulder, bending down to be at her height and asking,

"Do you know where her funeral will be?" The girl shook her head, although Odessa was almost 100% positive she was lying. She understood that she wouldn't trust her straight away, if at all. "Okay, thank you for your help."

With that Odessa walked away, offering the girl a small smile as she did so. She made her way over to Sam, who just shrugged in response.

"No luck?" Odessa questioned as she looked up to the man.

Sam just slung his arm over the girls shoulder and shook his head as they made their way out of the building and to the court yard where Bucky and Zemo were. 

Bucky smiled towards the girl, who almost instantly linked their hands together and rested her head on his bicep. He leant down and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"It's starting to feel like a dead end." Sam announced bluntly.

"The hell is he doing?" Bucky questioned, his eyes not leaving Zemo, who was surrounded by a bunch of children.

Odessa watched carefully as Zemo spoke to the kids. He pretended to lock his mouth shut and then walk back to the trio.

"Cute kids." Zemo smiled as he motioned back to the children, who were now all sharing Turkish delights.

"What the hell just happened?" Odessa questioned, still confused at the events that just unfolded in front of her very eyes.

"I have no idea, Cherry."