◌୭˚➶. ˚✧˖°
The three were back in Zemo's place, trying to come up with an another plan that could help them get to Karli, this time hopefully without running into John Walker and Lemar Hoskins.
Bucky had left the apartment for some reason, all he had told Y/N was that he needed some air. Zemo was lying down on the couch with a towel over his eyes to soothe is ache. Y/N was on the other couch, on her back with her right arm draped over her eyes.
"Were you ever offered it?" Zemo asked the room.
"What?" Sam turned away from the laptop near the kitchen island.
"The serum."
"No."
"If you had been, hypothetically, that is, would you have taken it?"
"No."
"No hesitation," Zemo's tone was appreciative, "That's impressive. What about you, Y/N? Would you take the serum if you had been given the chance?"
"I don't have need for it, so nope." she replied, popping the 'p'.
"Hmm," Zemo hummed at her statement and removed the towel from his eyes, "But you two can't hold out hope for Karli. No matter what you saw on her, she's gone. And we cannot allow that she and her acolytes become yet another faction of gods amongst real people. Super Soldiers cannot be allowed to exist."
"Isn't that how gods talk?" Sam questioned, making Y/N grin, "And if that's how you feel, what about Bucky?" Y/N removed her arm from her eyes and stared at Zemo, daring him to say something. But he didn't and had his eyes glued to the towel in hand. "Blood isn't always the solution."
"Something's not right about Walker," Bucky walked into the room towards the kitchen, shrugging his jacket off of his shoulders.
"You don't say," Sam stated.
"Well, I know a crazy when I see one," Bucky opened a cabinet and grabbed a liquor bottle for himself, "Because I am crazy."
"Now, that's a fact," Y/N sat up with crossed legs and leaned back on the couch.
"Can't argue with that one," Sam agreed.
"Shouldn't have given him the shield."
"Oh, not this again," Y/N groaned loudly and rolled her head about.
"I didn't give him the shield," Sam stood up from his chair.
"Well, Steve definitely didn't," Bucky took a sip from his glass.
The door burst open John and Lemar strode in with authority.
"All right. That's it. Let's go. I'm ordering you to turn him over," John commanded, marching into the room, holding the shield high.
Y/N stood up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen counter, shaking her head, "I'm too sober to deal with you."
"Hey, slow your roll," Sam took a step forward, "Let's be clear, shield or no shield, the only thing you're runnin' here is your mouth. Now I had Karli and you overstepped. He's actually proven himself useful today," he said pointing at Zemo, who was walking towards Y/N, "We'll need all hands on deck for whatever's comin' next."
"How do you want the rest of this conversation to go, Sam, huh?" John chuckled and set the shield on the floor, "Should I put down the shield? Make it fair?"
A steel spear hit the pillar next to Walker, barely missing his eye; thick silence covered the room, and everyone turned to see a member of the Dora Milaje standing next to the couch.
The rest of the Dora Milaje walked in and surrounded them. "Even if he is a means to your end," Ayo spoke in Wakandan, appearing from "Time's up. Release him to us now."
"Ayo!" Y/N waved at the Dora Milaje like a little child. Ayo gave her a small smile and nodded in greeting.
Y/N had spent ample time in Wakanda when she and Bucky dated, to eliminate the Winter Soldier programme from his mind. Y/N had grown close to Shuri, due to her interest and skill in advanced engineering and technology and they spent a lot of time in the lab together. Shuri and Y/N would taunt T'Challa and Bucky as they knew nothing about technology; much to their annoyance.
"Hi, John Walker. Captain America," John introduced and stretched out an arm to shake. But Ayo eyed him up and down and raised an eyebrow at him sceptically in a judgmental way.
"Oh, I could kiss her," Y/N grinned, jumping up to sit on the kitchen counter between Sam and Bucky.
John looked around, awkwardly letting his hand fall to his side, "Well, let's uh, put down the pointy sticks and we can talk this through, huh?"
"Hey, John, take it easy," Sam couldn't help but grin, "You might wanna piss off Y/N and fight Bucky before you tangle with the Dora Milaje."
"The Dora Milaje don't have jurisdiction here," John turned to Ayo.
"The Dora Milaje have jurisdiction wherever the Dora Milaje find themselves," Ayo remarked. Y/N silently cheered for her while Zemo slowly nodded with an unreadable expression.
"Okay," John huffed, "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot," he rested an arm on Ayo's shoulder.
Ayo rammed his shoulder with the spear, hit the back of his knee and his face, and kicked his chest, making him bounce back from the spear sticking through the wall.
Y/N let out a loud, impressed whistle and grabbed the bottle from the counter. Zemo held out a glass to her and she poured some for him, before taking a sip.
"We should do something," said Sam as Y/N handed Bucky the bottle and the Dora Milaje had Lemar in a headlock with their spears.
"You go ahead, if you want," Y/N told smugly, dangling her legs, clearly enjoying the scene of John getting bashed up by the Dora Milaje, "I don't want this to end."
"Looking strong, John," Bucky cheered as the spear hit the shield and then John's neck.
"Guys," Sam turned to Y/N and Bucky with meaningful looks.
Ayo tugged back the spear to stab John, but Bucky grabbed it in time, "Ayo! Ayo let's talk about this!"
Sam pulled back a spear to stop it from bashing Lemar. One of them tried to stab it through Sam's neck but was stopped by a green mist.
They turned around to see Y/N's hands glowing with green balls. A spear slipped away from one of the Dora Milaje's hands to Y/N's. She caught it and spun it in her right hand in a fluid motion, standing in position.
Two of the Dora Milajes yelled with raised spears and charged. Y/N held the spear in her hands in a horizontal position to block them and spun it, twisting their grip on theirs. One of them spun mid-air and aimed the spear at her chest; the two spears met, perpendicular to each other, creating a screeching sound as the two pushed their spears against each other.
Y/N swept her leg behind the knee, making her fall on her back, and held the spear right above her neck, panting.
"You've gotten better," the Dora Milaje on the floor approved, voice thick in her native accent.
"Thank you," she gave her a tired smile that didn't reach her eyes.
The Dora Milaje warrior twisted the spear, rolled over, and jumped back to her feet. She knocked out the spear from Y/N's hands with hers tried to jab it to her side which Y/N blocked with a ball of green mist.
She held the green mists in her hands like two shields and blocked every blow, walking backward to the counter. Y/N was pinned, back down against the counter; thick green mist stopping the spear from meeting her neck.
Ayo signalled the Dora Milaje warrior to stand down and the two helped Y/N up.
"I was hoping you would keep him in line, Y/N," Ayo's voice radiated nothing but disappointment, making her wince, "But I trust you that you will from now onwards?"
"I will," Y/N nodded, rubbing her sore wrists.
Patting her shoulder, Ayo walked away from her towards the bathroom door and opened it.
John was struggling to pull the shield from the table, a spear between him and shield. Y/N straightened up as the Dora Milaje walked towards Ayo.
Y/N turned to check on Sam and Bucky and saw Bucky holding his metal arm in his right hand, staring at it with a mixture of hurt, doubt, and surprise.
"What the hell?" Y/N rested her hands on her hips, joining the two, not knowing that the metal arm could be detached.
"Did you know they could do that?" Sam stood up from the floor.
"No," he replied, fixing his arm to his shoulder, and spun it to set it in place.
"And where'd you learn to fight like that?" Sam turned to Y/N, thoroughly impressed, who was out of breath.
Y/N smiled almost sadly, remembering the peaceful times she spent with Bucky in Wakanda, but quickly covered it up with a cheeky grin, "I spent time in Wakanda too, remember? Not just the Vibranium-Hybrid here."
Bucky playfully glared at her and Sam snickered, "Vibranium-Hybrid. I'm keeping that one." The three of them walked towards the ajar bathroom door and realized that Zemo had escaped through the sewer system, while they were occupied with the Wakandans.
"I can't believe he pulled an El Chapo," Sam commented as they stared at the open drain with a stunned expression.
"I can," Bucky contradicted.
"Shame," Y/N shook her head in disappointment, "He was starting to grow on me."
"Come on."
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