Song: Cautious Clay - erase
Your outfit;
SPOILERS!!!!!!
Spoilers!!!!!
SpOiLeRs!
A damn oil panting.
That's what your skin now looks like. Bruises and cuts and red spots littered all over your side and back. Not even to speak of the soreness in your body right now. At moments like these you wish you had the supersoldier serum because then you wouldn't be stuck with this for weeks.
You quickly cover it up with your clothes before stepping out of the bathroom. Your eyes meet Bucky's, his mouth opens to say something but you look away.
You're having one of those days, one of those days where everything ways too heavy on your mind. Or in other words, you're extremely grumpy this morning.
You again didn't get much sleep, flashbacks plague your mind, the torture you had to go through for weeks to no end, they won't leave your mind alone, especially at night.
You fill the kettle and put it on the fire, maybe some tea will take your mind off of things. You take out your phone.
You have couple messages from Wanda with some pictures attached to it. The corners of your mouth lift up just a tad, just enough for it to be considered a smile.
'Maybe you need something stronger than tea...' Zemo remarks and you look up from your phone giving him a stone cold glare.
'Zemo... I wouldn't if I were you...' Bucky tries to keep the peace.
You look back at your phone. You open Twitter, of course you're not on it with your real name, but you do want to follow what's going on in the world. Today? Karli Morgenthau blowing up a GRC supply depot, killing three people and injuring eleven more. You sigh at that, you really are on her side in this but you're not on board with the way she's handeling it.
'Anything about Donya yet? I knew you went out to get some info just now...' you finally speak up, now holding your cup of steaming tea.
'You would've known if you would've come out of bed earlier... are you even taking this serious?' Zemo stands up.
'Are you? Because so far you've been nothing but a pain in the ass, killing Nagel, using Bucky as bait-'
Zemo opens his mouth to cut you off but for a moment, you silence him by simply blocking his vocal cords from working.
'Don't think I don't know about that, you got the golden goose killed... you scare away Karli, who you're trying to kill anyway.. we have the Dora Milaje on our backs.. and you didn't do anything but get us into more trouble...'
'You could just make him stop talking all this time?' Sam frowns at you, you shrug, your mood improving already.
'Why are you so surprised Sam?' You smirk before taking another sip. 'Oh right forgot...' you lift your hand again, Zemo makes a weird noise before his voice gets back. He sits back down again without any more protest, he clearly learned his lesson.
'Donya's funeral is this afternoon... but Zemo won't tell us where because he wants to have leverage... so we don't give him up to Ayo or to John Walker..' Just the mention of his name gives you nausea.
'I'm coming with you... and we will talk to Karli not attack or threaten her... we talk..'
'You want to talk to a terrorist...great...' Zemo throws up his hands.
'I am doing it right now am I not?' You reply to Zemo. 'Last time I checked you bombed the UN and killed people... or was it all an illusion?'
'You would've known if it was one, right?' he smirks back thinking he is clever. You however are standing right next to the knives.
You grab one of the knives and throw it right into the wall, above his head, probably missing it by a millimetre. You take the mug bag in your hands and take a sip like you didn't just throw a knife at his head as a warning.
'Would be a shame if I had to throw it in your direction again now wouldn't it?'
'We have to go now... the girl will be waiting for us...' Zemo clears his throat before standing up and heading for the front door with Sam following him close behind.
Bucky comes up next to you 'think you can stop Walker from running his mouth all the time?'
'Don't tempt me Buck..' you smirk back.
You wish you would've shut him up like that last time. because once you're outside and walking uphill, Captain Egocentric walks down the steps followed by his Christmas Elf, Lemar.
Its true that Lemar has been growing on you, he's not giving the same vibe as John. He's more realistic, he holds Walker back from making horrible decisions, not that it works every time but hey, can't blame Lemar for Johns poor decision making. Maybe he does have one of Steve's qualities. But that would be the only thing he would have in common personality wise.
'Karli Morgenthau is too dangerous for you guys to be pulling this shit.' John walks down the steps, you groan audibly and Sam snorts at you. He finds your hatred for John quite amusing.
'Ah! How'd you find us now?'
'Come on. You think two Avengers and the most hated person in the world can walk around Latvia without drawing attention?' John asks. 'Oh I didn't know you were with us the entire time...' you smirk back at him.
'No more keeping us in the dark. You could start by telling us why you broke him out of prison.' John walks around like he owns the place, it just show you how much of him contradicts Steve's behaviour at this point. He's not even trying to hide it.
'He did that himself, technically.' Bucky answers.
Oh boy, here we go, the two most stubborn men on the planet verses Sam and a very quiet Lemar. 'Guys..' You try make them stop arguing by grabbing their attention. Which is nonexistent at the moment.
'Guys...' you repeat after they clearly didn't hear you.
'This better be an unbelievable explana...'
'Hey, take it easy before it gets weird.' Sam butts in.
'GUYS PUT YOUR DICKS BACK IN YOUR PANTS AND FOCUS!' You yell, making possibly everyone turn at your vulgarity and the volume.
'I know where Karli is.'
'Well, where?' John asks.
'All we know is, it's a memorial. So, we're gonna intercept her there.' Sam replies keeping his cool. He's a fast learner, unlike Bucky who is still fuming, but saying that you're not would be hypocrite.
'That means civilians. High risk of casualties.' John states. You almost burst into laughter right then and there. John actually caring about others, that's a new one.
'All right, good, we'll move in fast. Take her by surprise.'
'No, I wanna talk to her together with Sam. I'm not losing her again.' You hijack the conversation from Sam. 'Look, the person closest to her died, she's vulnerable. Now is the best time to reason with her.'
'What? No. Wait, no! No! Stop. Hold on. Stop, okay? I think we're way past reasoning with her, unless you forgot that she blew up a building with people still in it... but for monsters like yourself that's normal I guess...
'You want that percentage of sight to go down again because I can arrange that Walker.. 10/20 vision can still help you through the day...'
'Sam, you walk in there cold, she could kill you.' He ignores you and turns to Sam again.
'If I go in hot and the op goes wrong, more people will die.' Sam explains.
'You'll let him do this? Are you gonna let your partner walk into a room with a Super Soldier alone?' He now turns to Bucky.
'Oh my god Walker... knock it off already.. you're a real pussy you know that? What? Did the guy you interrogate leave a dent in your who or something? Let us handle this our way.
'Wait, John. If he can talk her down, it might be worth a try.' Lemar backs you up.
'Fine... but you get 10 minutes.. then I'll swoop in...'
'Oh yay...'
'Hey Y/n... I just wanted to say.. that idea about talking to her.. it's good..' Lemar walks up to you.
'Its Sams, not mine... he used to help veterans, he has his ways to talk to people... I know he can convince Karli to take another route..and I'll go in to give her some comfort for Donya... trust me when I say I understand her situation better than anybody else...'
'You were one of the few who remained right?'
'Yeah...so I know what the world looked like... the world came together... as one and I can understand that people would want that back...' You reply.
'I hope you can convince her.. it would make it a lot easier for us.. we wouldn't have to fight...I can save myself some bruises and broken ribs...'
'Wouldn't oppose to that either...'
•••
'I saw you back there.' Karli speaks up as she slowly turns around to face you. A wave of recognition washes over her eyes when she sees you.
'We came alone, just wanna talk.'
'Bold of you.'
'I'm sorry for your loss.' You apologise, 'I know this isn't the best timing for us to meet...'
'Don't condescend to me. I'm not a child.'
'I'm not. I know what it's like to lose someone. Believe me..' You reply back to her.
'No, you don't. Not like this.'
'Try me Karli...' your tone isn't firm or accusing, it's soft and gentle, something that she's clearly not expecting from you.
'It doesn't have to be a war, Karli.' Sam sighs.
'They started a war as soon as they kicked us out of our new homes and onto the street. People around the world need me. Millions of them.'
'Right, I can't speak for millions, but I understand you. I understand your frustration. I understand your helplessness.' Sam nods at her.
'So, you want me to stop because people are gettin' hurt, right? But, Sam, what if I'm making the world a better place?'
'No, it's not a better place if you're killin' people. It's just different.' He pleads.
'You're either brilliant or just hopelessly optimistic.'
'I agree with her in that one Sam...' you cross your arms with a small smile as Sam softly chuckles.
'Well, can't I be a little bit of both?'
'No.' Karli replies with a Tony smile.
'This guy I know, who knows more about Super Soldiers than anyone else on the planet, he says... you're a supremacist.'
'Me?'
'Yeah.' You hum back at her.
'That's ridiculous. Everything I do is to end supremacy. These corporations and the beasts who run them, they're the supremacists.
'So, let me ask you. You have more serum, right?'
'So?'
'Are you going to increase your army? You're killin' innocent people.'
'They're not innocent. They're roadblocks in my journey and I'd kill them again if I had to.'
'Wow.' Sam says and you let out a low whistle.
'No, no. I didn't mean it like that. You tricked me into sounding like...' She cuts you off.
'Like what?'
She draws out a long sigh. 'The people I'm fightin' are trying to take your home, Sam. Why are you here instead of stopping them?'
'You know, my sister's waiting for that exact same answer. I'm not your enemy. I agree with your fight. I just can't get with the way you're fightin' it. And I'm sure she wouldn't either.' He points at Donya.
'Listen... I know you want to change it and I've seen the way it was during the snap... screw the blip, I refuse to call it the blip... anyway..' Karli can't help but smile at you and it makes you feel warm inside to know that she's not afraid of you. 'I saw what the world was like... and I want that to be everyone's world too... but there is always another way... and I am willing to help you take that path... would you be willing to do the same?'
'Take that path with you?' She asks.
'Yeah...'
'Maybe-'
'Karli Morgenthau, you are under arrest..'
'God fucking damnit...' you curse. 'So this is what that was? Tricking me until help came?'
'No Karli wait!' You yell trying to reach out to her in time but the second you grab her, she yanks you across the room.
Your back hits the wall and it's just like Madripoor all over again, but this time, you're not crawling back up as easy as the first.