CHASING GHOSTS | BUCKY BARNES

04

"Incerteza (portuguese): uncertainty."

NADINE

No one calmed down until the plane was up in the air.

Nadine stood in front of the bathroom mirror, studying the purple-ish bruise that's formed on her side. She'd removed the purple wig and fake piercings the moment she figured it was safe (which, in all honesty, she should've ditched long ago), and was now analyzing the aftermath of what she'd escaped from. She only seemed to have the one bruise, which was good in her opinion, but she'd still have to get herself checked out just in case she had fractured a rib. After washing her face to clear it of makeup, she placed a camisole over herself to cover up, immediately reaching for her jacket because of the cold of the plane. Her midnight colored hair was still braided in two and in a bun at the nape of her neck, but she decided to just keep it that way until they reached the safe house. When she finally opened the door, all eyes were on her, any conversations they had ceasing to exist.

Well, this is awkward.

"Er, I guess, proper introductions are due?" Dante said, but it sounded more like an uncertain question than anything else.

"Right." Natasha agreed, but Nadine wished she hadn't.

She didn't want to deal with this. All she wanted right now was to sleep for the rest of the ride, really. Nevertheless, she relented. "Fine, okay." She set herself across from Dante, and rubbed her eyes in a tired state, a clear sign that her body was asking her to sleep. "My name's Nadine Madaki, and whatever Natasha has told you guys about me is most likely a lie."

"Hilarious," Natasha drawled, rolling her eyes in playful annoyance.

Nadine grinned. "In all seriousness, I don't know what she's told you, but I used to be a SHIELD agent, you know, before it went to shit. Now I work on my own."

"Excuse me? On your own?" Dante scoffed, grabbing a pillow and throwing at her, which landed on her face.

"Dante!"

"Well deserved," Taj retorted, shaking his head in mock disapproval as he made his way to them. "Anyway, I'm Taj Naudé, not a SHIELD agent, never interested in being one, currently have the plane on autopilot so we could talk."

"And I'm Dante Villanueva Toledo, assassin for hire." Dante saluted everyone, especially at Captain America. "It's an honor to meet you especially, Captain America."

"Thank you, but I'm no longer Captain America." He seemed dejected, which was something to behold in itself, and actually kind of heartbreaking, really. Nadine couldn't help slightly pity him, because it was a part of who he was. Well, that's what it seemed.

"That's so fucking depressing," Dante muttered, and you could hear the disappointment in his words as he said them.

"Okay." Natasha waved a dismissive hand, which clearly meant she wanted to change the subject from Captain America's figurative demise. "You've clearly read up on them."

Nadine tried not to be too smug. "Hard not to when you're on the news how many times?"

"Well, for your infor-"

"-I have a question. What are you?" Bucky asked, gaze pointed straight at Nadine, but there was no malice in his words, just curiosity. "I mean, are you an organization, or?"

"Not officially." Nadine stood to check the plane's fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and some aspirin, while trying to ignore his constant gaze on her form. "We're a team, but we're not affiliated with anyone."