Kroshka

Chapter 1

When Steve walks into the small apartment, he doesn't know what to expect. Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn't this. Candy wrappers litter the counter, a half eaten protein bar sitting in the trash. A mattress on the floor, a few blankets piled up on it. What Steve didn't expect most, however, was a small child to be curled up on the corner of the mattress. He stares at the child for a moment before turning around, continuing to search the flat. Steve finds a notebook and looks through it, finding jumbles of writing and random pictures. He senses a presence behind him and starts to talk.

"Do you know me?" He asks, slowly turning around to see his old pal standing there, the small child he had seen earlier cowering behind Bucky's legs.

"You're Steve. I read about you in a museum." Bucky whispers, holding his hand out as if to stop the child from stepping forwards.

"I know you're nervous. And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore."

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive." At those words, the little girl behind Bucky whimpers, looking up at him. Bucky whispers something to her and he bends down, allowing her to climb onto his back.

"That's smart. Good strategy."

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck."

"It always ends in a fight."

"You pulled me from the river, why?" Bucky shifts his backpack, making sure the pack secures the small girl to his back.

"I don't know."

"Yes you do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bucky lands on the roof of the adjacent building, the girl curled into his chest to keep her from getting hurt. He quickly places her behind an air conditioning system before handing her a small bear stuffie and blanket. He lightly kisses her forehead and smiles at her, making sure to catch her attention.

"Оставайся здесь. Я вернется за тобой. Не сотрудничайте с ними. (Stay here. I will be back for you. Do not cooperate with them.)" Bucky whispers, looking at her to make sure she understands. The little girl nods and he continues running, two men now on his tail. A few minutes later, a helicopter lands on the roof and an official looking man steps out. He almost immediately spots her, and he walks over to the little girl before picking her up. The small child almost immediately starts kicking and screaming and crying as the man takes her into the helicopter, tightly holding her as the helicopter flies away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pod containing Bucky is slowly forklifted out of the truck, the helicopter landing at almost the same time. The man steps out with the little girl and once they walk into Bucky's line of sight, he struggles against his restraints.

"Don't hurt her." He mumbles, being wheeled away. Steve, T'Challa and Sam are ushered out of their truck. Sharon walks towards them, accompanied by two men who are conversing, one of them still holding the little girl. The one holding her is dismissed and walks away, leaving the other man to stand beside Sharon.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asks.

"Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition."

"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander." Sharon explains.

"What's going to happen to the girl?" Sam asks, nodding his head towards the hallway the man and the little girl disappeared down.

"We'll look at filed missing child reports and see if anything matches up. If so, she'll be given back to her family. If not, she'll be transferred to a foster home and eventually adopted."

"How can you be so sure she was stolen?" Steve questions. Everett throws him a confused look and responds.

"The Winter Soldier doesn't have a kid."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The little girl sits in the corner of the meeting room, silently sucking on her thumb while holding her stuffie. Steve sighs and walks over to her, squatting down to her level and smiling.

"Hi, sweetie. Do you mind telling me your name?" He asks, hoping to get an answer out of her.

"Уходи! (Go away!)" She yells, her eyes brimming with tears as she glares at him. Steve sighs before standing back up and walking over to Sharon and Sam. They talk for a few moments before they hear the little girl singing quietly to herself. "Там, где течет мечтательная Волга, есть одинокая русская роза. Глядя нежно, Глядя осторожно на колени. Где карие глаза ребенка блестят, слушай. Каждую ночь вы будете слышать ее кроун, русская колыбельная. (Where the dreamy Volga flows, there is a lonely russian rose. Gazing tenderly, down upon her knee. Where baby's brown eyes glisten, listen. Every night you'll hear her croon, a russian lullaby.)"

"She told me to go away." Steve whispers, looking between Sharon and Sam. Everett walks in, a small frown on his face.

"She doesn't match any missing child reports. We can ask around, but that's about all we can do." At that moment, Bucky appears on the monitor and the little girl's eyes shoot up, widening as she views him. She jumps up, blanket and all, and runs over to the monitor, pointing at the man in restraints on the screen.

"Papa! Papa!" Steve gives the other three a look before walking over to her, kneeling beside her and resting his hand against her back. He points to the screen and asks her one simple question.

"Papa?" Steve questions, making sure to point at Bucky. The girl nods before looking at Steve once again, this time with tears in her eyes. In broken English, she whispers a single sentence.

"They have Papa."