SPEECH
❝Captain America, man you're looking good.❞
Bucky's arms wrapped around Odessa's shoulders as Sam slowly flew down with Karli in his arms. Odessa tensed up once she realised the girl was dead. Her hands flew up to Bucky's wrists and she tilted her head back to look up at him.
The man placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, silently telling her that he wasn't going to be going anywhere. That she would always have him.
A gurney and two paramedics rushed up to Sam, so that he could placed Karli's lifeless body down. Everyone stood around and watched, a few even recorded Sam.
"What happened to the flag smashers?" A reporter questioned Sam curiously. "When did the government make you Captain America?"
"Sam, thank you so much, from all of us." Ayla, a member of the GRC spoke.
"Sincerely." The senator nodded in agreement. "You did your part in dealing with those terrorists, now we'll do ours."
"Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?" Sam asked curiously, his eyes flickering over to Odessa and Bucky.
Odessa attempted to offer the man a reassuring smile, but she knew it wasn't enough. Sam needed to be around people who cared about him right now, he needed to be around family. And being surrounded by members of the GRC and news's reporters wasn't going to be good for him.
"Our peacekeeping troops will begin relocating people soon. The terrorists only set us back a bit."
Sam clenched his jaw, shaking his head as he did so before he said, "You have to stop calling
them terrorists."
"What else would we call them?" The senator questioned, almost disgusted at the idea that they were anything other than terrorists.
"Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions of people into settlements around the world, right?" Sam paused, but he didn't give anyone a chance to answer. "What do you think those people are gonna call you?"
There was a silence that washed over everyone. Bucky pulled his dog tags from around his neck and placed them around Odessa's. He noticed the way she smiled once the metal connected with her skin and made a small clinking sound.
"These labels, 'terrorists', 'refugee', 'thug.' They're often used to get around the question, why?" Sam continued.
"Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?" Lacont spoke slowly, almost as if Sam wouldn't understand it otherwise.
"Yes." Sam answered without any hesitation.
"And the people who reappeared only to find someone else living in their family home, they just end up homeless?" The senator questioned. "Look, I get it. But you have no idea how complicated this situation is."
Odessa looked around at everyone, wondering which of them were apart of the blip. She wondered how different it would have been if she and Bucky were ever blipped.
"You know what? You're right. And that's a good thing. We finally have a common struggle now. Think about that. For once, all the people who've been begging, and I mean, literally begging for you to feel how hard any given day is now you know." Sam spoke up.
Bucky watched the man talk, his grip around Odessa tightened as he rested his head on her shoulder, instantly being engulfed by the familiar sweet scent.
"How did it feel to be helpless?" Sam continued. Now, i'd you could remember what it was like to be helpless, and face a force so powerful it could erase half the planet, you would know that you're about to have the exact same impact."
Odessa turned her head ever so slightly and pressed her soft lips against the stubble on Bucky's jaw. She noticed the way his lips curled up ever so slightly, which made her smile in return.
"This isn't about easy decisions, Senator." Sam snapped.
"You just don't understand." The senator responded angrily.
Sam scoffed, "I'm a black man carrying the stars and stripes. What don't I understand? Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people who are gonna hate me for it. Even know, here I feel it. The stare." He paused. "The judgement."
Odessa watched Sam carefully, proud that he had decided to speak up. This was the reason that Steve believed he would be a good Captain America. This was why he deserved the shield.
"And there's nothing I can do to change it. Yet, I'm still here. No super serum, no blonde hair or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better." Sam spoke directly to the Senator. "We can't demand that people step up if we don't
meet them half way. Look, you control the banks. Shit, you can move borders. You can knock down a forest with an email."
Odessa didn't mean too, but she let go of a small laugh. Bucky smiled at the man, he was doing a good job. He understood why Steve liked him so much.
"You can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who's in the room with you when you making those decisions? Is it the people you're gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you?"
Sam looked up and out at the crowd that was recording him. His eyes landed on Odessa who gave him a small nodded and reassuring smile.
"I mean. this girl died trying to stop you. And no one has supper for one second to ask why. You've gotta do better, Senator. You've gotta step up. Because if you don't, the next Karli will. And you don't wanna see 2.0."
Odessa wondered why Karli 2.0 would be like, she wondered if Sam would stand by her, fight for her cause.
"People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is?" Sam shouted. "Look you people have just as much power as an insane God or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is, how are you going to use it?"
With that, Sam walked away over to Odessa and Bucky. Odessa broke away from Bucky and went to give Sam a hug. She buried her head in the crook of his head and allowed a proud smile to form on her face.
"Look at you." Odessa pulled away, a huge smile on her face as she looked at Sam. "Captain America, man you're looking good."
Bucky's brows furrowed, he grabbed Odessa's waist and pulled her back into him, making her and Sam chuckle at the man.
"Mine." Bucky whispered in her ear, making the girl nod in response, he then turned his attention to Sam. "Sorry I was, uh, texting and so all I heard was 'a black guy in stars and stripes.'"
Both Sam and Odessa chuckled. Bucky grabbed the girls hand as they began to walk away from the crowd. He looked over to Sam and smiled,
"Nice job, Cap." Bucky lightly tapped the shield as they walked over to Sharon.
"Blocking my light." She complained as she attempted to clean her wound.
"We gotta get you to a hospital." Sam spoke up, looking at the woman who was bleeding through all her clothes.
Bucky leant against the car pulling Odessa into him. They were chest to chest, she tilted her head up to look at him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as his snaked around her waist.
"She won't listen." Odessa whispered.
"It's not the worst thing that's happened to me all week." Shrugged Sharon. She didn't want to go to a hospital because technically she was still a fugitive in the US.
"Told you." Odessa responded in a gentle tone. She was almost mocking Sam, so she turned her head back and stuck her tongue out at the man, making him chuckle.
"Uh, Cap?" The senator spoke.
"I think he's talking to you." Sharon informed Sam, who just nodded in response. "Look, I'm sorry for how things ended down there. For what it's worth, suit looks good on you."
Sam chuckled at the woman and Bucky tensed up, so many people were around and if they were found with Sharon, they'd all be in a lot of trouble.
"Alright, look, can we get out of here, please?" Bucky asked as they began waking away.
"I didn't forget my promise." Sam shouted to Sharon, allowing her to know that he was still going to try and get her allowed back home legally.