iiii. 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 - 𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐰𝐬

𝟎𝟏𝟐

"You called my sister? That's how we're gonna play this?"

Karli turned towards Sam and spoke softly. "Sam, I would never hurt her. I just wanted to understand you better."

Karli pushes herself off the railing and walks closer to Sam. Everett goes to take a step forward, but Kashim wraps his hand around her wrist and pulls her back. She glances at him, and sees his eyes locked onto Karli.

He's terrified.

"I see you, um, didn't come alone." There's a smirk on Karli's face, and it bleeds through her voice.

"Yeah, because he's not fucking stupid, Karli. Threatening his family? Are you crazy? Those are kids, for Christ's sake. They have nothing to do with this." Kashim's words fire out before he could stop himself. His chest heaves for breath as Everett wraps her hand around his arm.

Karli looks at Kashim, eyes narrowing. "Hello, Kashim. It's good to see you. Have you thought about what I said?"

Everett's eyes dart to Kashim as his entire body stiffens. She can feel the anger bleeding out of him as he takes a step forward. "No. Because it's mental. There's no way I'm putting her in danger. Not now, not ever. She is everything to me, and I would rather die than lose her again."

Everett felt her breath get caught in her throat. Who was he talking about? What had Karli said to him? She looked at Karli, who was staring directly at her. Everett's eyes narrowed.

Sam looked between them and sighed. "You have to end this now."

"I don't wanna hurt you. You're just a tool in the regimes I want to destroy. You're not hiding behind a shield. If I were to kill you, it'd be meaningless."

Everett felt Karli's words hit the floor like bricks. She sounded exactly like Zemo, and that might have been the scariest part of all of this.

"I was gonna ask you to join me. Or do the world a favor and let me go."

Static sounded through their comm links as a woman's voice filled their ears. "Hey, Sam, new Cap is moving. Looks like he's found them, or maybe they found him."

Sam's eyes dart to Bucky.

"It's Walker."

Bucky moved to leap off the balcony, and Karli slammed him into the concrete wall behind him. He hit the floor with a sickening crack, and Everett couldn't hide the scream that left her mouth. Kashim grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the stairs, but Everett tugged away and ran to the edge. Sam and Karli were fighting, and Bucky was back on his feet. The fear drained from her, but it was replaced by dread.

This would not end well.

"Ev! We have to go. Walker's on his way, shit's about to get real." Kashim tugged her arm again, and they darted down the stairs and after Bucky.

Everett shuffled through the possibilities in her head as her and Kashim ran through the streets, but there was no version of this that ended well.

They arrived at the location that Sharon had shared, and Bucky nodded to his left. "You two go that way, try to meet us on the other side. I'm gonna go right."

Everett nodded, trying to stop her heart from beating out of her chest. As soon as Bucky disappeared inside the building, Everett's legs started to give out. A haze swam over her vision as she gripped Kashim's arms.