June 2014
Sam would have never imagined that him going on his daily runs would result in him meeting Captain America. Better yet seemingly making a good enough impression with the man that he felt he could trust him enough to seek refuge in his home with Natasha Romanoff – Black Widow – while Hydra set out the hit on them.
Furthermore, he didn't expect to actually join Captain America in the fight to finally take down Hydra.
But even with all that excitement, since that fight in the middle of DC, when Steve realized Bucky – his best friend – that was presumed dead wasn't dead, but was somehow working for the enemy, a change had happened within Steve that was noticeable to him. With Natasha's help, they knew Hydra had brainwashed Bucky into working for them.
Sam could admit he was wary of the assassin since he did shoot at him from the roof of his car and ripped out his steering and ripped one of his wings of his suit off like plastic.
But when he took a step back from the situation, this man was Captain America's best friend. He along with Steve worked to disable Hydra bases. The man probably hated Hydra more than Steve considering he was taken captive by Hydra once before. So without all the technicalities, someone would suspect something was fishy if Captain America's best friend didn't recognize him and tried to kill him.
But this man was Hydra's machine for a long time even if Steve somehow broke through Hydra's programming; the man was what they made him into longer than the man Steve knew. Sam didn't think that man wasn't there, from what he gathered the memory implantation they used on Sergeant Barnes didn't seem permanent. But they didn't know what memories he did recall and his memory was already impaired probably when he fell from that train. On top of that, this man was a prisoner of war and was no doubt suffering from a severe case of PTSD. Never mind, Bucky was probably beside himself that he was ordered and almost killed his best friend.
But Sam wouldn't feel right with himself in letting Steve look for his friend on his own. Even though he had come to see Steve had some blinders when it was coming to searching for Bucky, he could understand Steve.
If this was Riley, he would be doing the same thing as Steve.
That was why Sam would tag along with Steve so he wouldn't burn himself out and just to make sure the man was alright. In following the leads on Barnes they were finding some things that weren't exactly humane when it came to how they forced their will with Bucky.
It had been almost two weeks since he and Steve went to the Alps where Bucky fell. It wasn't exactly a bust as they did find the initial base they kept Bucky in and with some high tech things, provided by Stark, it revealed that someone was there recently. Steve had automatically assumed Bucky might have been there trying to find his past. Sam didn't agree or disagree. But whoever was there had a lot of rage considering the place was torn to shreds and Sam knew someone with a metal limb was more than capable of what they discovered at the base.
So as he drank some orange juice, he was startled when Steve dropped a newspaper on his countertop declaring they were going back to Brooklyn.
"You found a new lead?" Sam asked neutrally.
Steve pointed at an article detailing about a college student being missing since April – since everything happened at SHIELD.
Karina Orlov, who in his opinion was very beautiful, was a college student at George Washington University for Biomedical Engineering.
The article gave conflicting reports that she was with a Marcus Peterson, who was actually a sleeper agent for Hydra, people reported they were together at the time, but close sources said that Karina didn't seem happy with him and would frequently avoid any conversations about Marcus for a few months prior to her disappearance. The article further suggested that Karina was a Hydra agent herself after documenting timed absences with missions reportedly when they had activated The Winter Soldier.
However, Karina's guardian, Anya, was essentially claiming bullshit that Karina was a Hydra agent. Sam did zone in that Anya mentioned that all what was happening to Karina was because of the sins of her father. That's why Karina's birth mother fled from Russia.
When Sam was done he didn't even get to speak as Steve spoke, "She worked on his arm."
"I gathered that much, but is this lead for Bucky or to potentially save this girl, Steve."
Guilt flickered across the Captain's face briefly before he responded, "I want to find Bucky, but no matter what she is in danger if they haven't already killed her for her skills. And I think if Hydra didn't take her, Bucky probably did to keep maintenance on his arm."
"With all the mind alterations, do you think he would even remember her?"
"He remembered me and I didn't see him for 70 years."
"Steve..."
Sam watched a wistful smile take over his friend's lips before his face fell even more. "Bucky is still in there and I know it. And if she was coerced into working for them he wouldn't leave her there. I feel it in my gut. You don't have to come, but I am going to talk to Anya already called."
Steve had blind faith and blinders the size of the Atlantic when it came to Bucky.
"When are we leaving?"
_________________
In the three months since Karina moved in with James, she concluded, although she already known, he led a very dull life when she wasn't with him, and that they always ended up sleeping in odd arrangements.
They both still hadn't discussed what happened on their birthdays and it seemed neither were going to make any effort to clear that air. So she wasn't surprised when after his decision that she should stay with him, he never actual disclosed if it was supposed to be temporary, there was some awkward tension in the air regarding where she should sleep.
Even with her concussion and screaming ribs, she was not about to take his whole bed when she could sleep on a couch that he didn't even fit like she could. It would have been like sleeping on a twin size bed all you had to do was shave off a few inches. But James being the man he was refused to have the lady sleep on the couch with or without her injuries. Regarding the sleeping arrangements, it was a short impasse considering all her adrenaline was depleting when she just comprised that they were both adults and could sleep in the bed. First, he immediately and vehemently refused to share sleeping space with her as he felt he could lash out during a nightmare. Thankfully, he didn't lash out anymore in his nightmares usually the dreams paralyzed him or he would wake up and be up for the rest of the night. He reinforced over and over for her to not try to intervene or wake him up during a nightmare.
However, on their first night of sharing the same bed, she could admit she tried to sneak on the couch during the middle of the night, as when she felt him lay down in the bed after he tried to sleep on the couch, she was thwarted after the man wasn't even sleeping.
The first few days were awkward. Both would lay stiffly next to one another the uncomfortable tension palpable about what was unspoken between them. In hindsight she knew both of them were blowing it out of proportion acting like two adolescent teenagers. Now it didn't seem to be a problem. As her wounds healed, the awkwardness disappeared when they slept apparently. They seemed to be an evolving door of sleeping positions from them switching being the little or big spoon. Arms wrapped around another while legs were tangled together. She would found herself practically laying on top of him on his bare chest listening to the melody of his heart beating, or further proving her theory of him being a breast man she would feel his breath on her chest, the only thing he didn't do was grope the ample flesh being the respectable man he was.
The only comical thing that happened once was her hair accidently choked him once out of his sleep.
Today she found herself laying across his back face down while his face was buried in his pillow. She was thankful she didn't drool while she slept considering the man went to bed shirtless. Karina removed her face from his muscular back that was running extra warm when she heard him mumbling into his pillow.
She knew it was only a matter of time before he woke up as he was usually a very lite sleeper only on a few occasions he would sleep a little late in the morning. She crept off the mattress and went about her morning routine in the bathroom in washing her face and brushing her teeth. Opening the door, she found James sitting on the side of the mattress rubbing his tired eyes.
There was no point in denying that she was attracted to him, but he was really appealing on the eyes when he just woke up with his bed hair and usually he looked relaxed as he waited for her to finish in the bathroom.
"Morning," he croaked as he gave her a sleepy smile and stretched as he stood up. Watching him flex, she knew he did it on purpose. Living him with had brought out a more teasing side to him which she believed was his old personality shining through. She realized she didn't respond to his salutation as he lightly chuckled and lightly squeezed her waist.
Karina shook her head and quickly got dressed while James did his morning routine which consisted of a shower and considering it was the weekend he didn't have to work and she usually made him breakfast.
But as she twirled the end of her plaited hair, she realized they had nothing to eat and needed to do some serious grocery shopping and she internally groaned. She hated grocery shopping and would have preferred to assign a task like that onto James as he didn't mind shopping at all, despite him looking at labels seemingly memorizing them. He was still appalled that people didn't want items with sugar. But now since an incident in Lagos with The Avengers, the public's general opinion of enhanced individuals were changing, James had been getting wary. He didn't like to venture out much like before considering now a lot of countries were trying to ratify something that limited The Avengers activities and all enhanced beings. She was following the events closely in the papers, since they didn't have a TV anymore, compared to James who was following loosely. Even though James didn't do vigilante work, while she had her suspicions he did indeed tracked down the other man who robbed her place considering there was a missing sign for his coworker, and seemed to hide his prosthetic very well, he was still an enhanced individual and someone who was wanted by the US government. James had just mention a couple days of go he thought leaving Romania might be a good idea after all.
"We need to go shopping," she announced as she heard James exited the bathroom.
...
She knew she was hanging around James too much as she could not explain why she had on a zip up hoodie in the middle of June. Despite the sweater being lightweight camo gray print that fit her frame nicely, she was questioning her clothing choice as it was not exactly chilly. But she walked past the fruit stands and ignored the feeling that she wouldn't label as annoyance or jealousy as the woman at the stands unabashedly flirted with James. After the first two visits to the stands where James was known as a regular, she watched with at first a furrow brow and then a clenched jaw as the woman was practically all but opening her legs for him. But Karina knew she couldn't exactly do anything as James wasn't her man or anything, but that didn't mean she didn't have to watch it even if it gave him discounted fruit.
So every other Saturday she found herself walking towards Emilio's paper stand. She would purchase the paper or some magazines to read to keep herself from glaring daggers at the woman or wanting to gauge her eyes out while waiting for James to work his charm.
With her hands in the pocket of her jacket she greeted Emilio who tipped his hat at her and being prepared already had her paper ready.
"Can you believe it that guy one of the most deadly assassins gets caught by a rookie mistake? This is supposed to be Captain America's best friend."
Karina looked at him confused as she paid for her paper, but her stomach plummeted and she had the urge to throw up. She wouldn't have been surprised if her mouth was open like a fish gaping out of water. Her hands were definitely shaking as the paper accused James – The Winter Soldier – of bombing the conference in Vienna where they were ratifying the Accords.
Karina wasn't even aware of what Emilio was saying to her as she walked away. At any moment she felt she was going to collapse from shock – fear. The government already had a full day lead on them if anyone gave them a useful tip that James was here.
James had just paid for the fruit when she reached him the panic clearly on her face which immediately caused him to frown in concern. She didn't give him the chance to speak as she dragged him away from prying eyes – that insufferable woman – and shoved the paper in his arms almost causing him to drop his bag of plums.
He looked confused, but she watched as disbelief crossed his features swiftly as his face hardens. He clenched his jaw and looked around at the people passing before he tossed the paper in the trash and grabbed her by her arm practically dragging her.
She knew she was going to be thrown to the neighboring roof. She just knew it.
______________________
Despite the backpack to cushion the throw from the roof, she knew she bruised something, most likely her whole right side of her body that took the brunt of the fall. But she couldn't really stop and focus on the pain that was shooting up in her side. As she quickly stripped her hoodie off and hastily undid her braid in her hair, all she knew was that she needed to find some sort of shelter and lay low and find a way to the motel at the edge of town. She needed to follow the plan that her and James made in case of a disaster like this.
People in the city were already panicking from the German Task Force converging on the city for the target and the gunshots that separated her and James. Her heart clenched at the realization they were separated and for who knew how long. She trusted James' ability to somehow escape considering it seemed Captain America was in their apartment trying to help his friend. Her mind was still reeling from seeing the first super soldier in person, but anything she might have felt was squashed when tear gas and men started shooting at them. Then after being thrown on the roof of the neighboring building and much to James' displeasure for her not leaving the roof when he finally made it over, a flying cat came out of the sky bearing claws tried to rip James' throat out. Luckily, she found a metal pipe and was able to distract the feline predator enough with a blow to the head that didn't seem to hinder him. However it was enough for James to get the leverage he needed to get off the roof while more guns went off.
Karina was wondering what happened to due process or really it seemed they didn't even want to arrest James; they were trying to kill him on site. He was being treated as a terrorist. But as they ran in the street and she quickly realized she was a liability considering she would not be able to keep up with James. He had enhanced speed even with him carrying her it would make her a burden. But since the government favored guns, bullets rained out of the sky separating them as he jumped down into the tunnels and she ran into the crowd that was trying to get away from the activity. Now she was trying to make cover with the markets as she stealthily grabbed sunglasses and a hat. She could still hear the sirens blaring in the distance no doubt still chasing James.
But she couldn't focus on that. She needed to focus on her mission which was getting to the edge of town before the night. She would stay there for two days, but pay for three with an alias and then leave even if he didn't come by then. If he wasn't there by then she would leave the coordinates to where she was heading in a note rolled up and taped to the other side of an outlet that could easily be unscrewed. Most likely if James was caught it would be on the news and she knew at least he would be in Germany. So she could ignore that particular step. And by bus it would take a day at least to reach Berlin.
All the plans she was making were quickly interrupted when she felt something latch on her ankles that caused her to fall down and she went to break the fall with her hands when like her ankles her wrists were bound together. Pain quickly erupted in her face as her chin collided harshly with the cement and she didn't know if she bit through her tongue or lip, but she tasted blood, and her nose was burning like her chin.
She could hear gasps run through the crowd before the ground slightly rumbled and a voice saying she was secured. She felt herself being roughly grabbed causing her to scream out in pain as now her side was smarting and their grips were bruising. At first she thought it was Iron Man, but it was his friend that eyed her before flying away before the task force roughly shoved her in the car. She wasn't read her rights or even told what she was arrested for; she guessed she should have been glad they didn't shoot her.
...
Her tongue swept her bottom lip where she instantly she tasted copper, she didn't bite it through but the lip was split and nicked from the inside. Where the hell was the medical treatment?
As she sat in the reinforced cage, her head lolling on the window, she had the overwhelming urge to cry. And she was pissed because she couldn't speak German.
She and the remaining officers, who were no doubt talking about her, in German, sat in the parked van for a good ten minutes before they moved with a fleet of officers. By then her palms were sweating as she tried to ignore the throbbing in various parts of her body by thinking – praying – James got away. But then she felt it only added onto her pain as if he did get away she got caught which she would be ecstatic, but she was afraid he would do something reckless. If he was indeed caught, then she was worried about the ramifications because the government only cared about accountability and she highly doubted they would believe he was framed as they would look at what Hydra did and make him the scapegoat for the sins Hydra committed. It was a double edged sword all around. And to make matters worse she was still bound by her wrists and ankles which she thought was highly unnecessary it wasn't like she exactly was resisting arrest.
"Excuse me." She said in an even voice as they had been parked near the police station for another ten minutes and of course they ignored her. "Excuse me." She repeated a little louder and she was tempted to kick the seat like a petulant child. Even though she felt like a caged animal with the bars she wasn't even a terrorist or a fugitive. She might have been aiding and abetting, but James was innocent anyways. She was listing everything she was going to sue the German Task Force for when she thought the officers were going to address her when they only stood outside the doors of the truck. She glared at the men and followed their line of site until her mouth dropped when she saw Captain America and Sam Wilson being escorted to the car along with another man she didn't recognized but there was no James. Her staring was stopped when the men began shouting in English for her to get back which only hardened her glare as they opened the door to presumably let the men in.
"You get in the back!" One ordered.
"Um, I can't walk with these." She muttered as she kicked out her legs. "I'm not even an enhanced individual."
"There is no reason for her to be restrained like that?"
"Has she received any medical treatment?"
Steve and Sam spoke at the same time as they eyed the task force aghast by the state of her appearance.
"You two aren't in any position to ask questions or give orders." The officers barked.
She watched as Steve clenched his jaw before he stepped forward and broke the metal with his bare hands on her ankles. "Ms. Orlov."
"You know my name?" Karin muttered dumbfounded considering he seemed to not know her at James' apartment and that Captain America was defying orders and was being treated like a criminal.
"I know a lot more than you think," he replied with a soft smile before he turned around to address the officers. "I'm removing the cuffs on her wrists and I would appreciate a first aid kit."
"No, I'm fine. I don't need the kit." Karina didn't want any more unnecessary attention drawn to herself.
He looked up and went to respond and she noticed his gaze turned sad. She followed his eyes and found him staring at James' dog tags. For some reason she felt remorseful and sad for Steve himself as his best friend was with her recovering while Steve no doubt was looking for him.
"Is he...alive?" She asked cautiously.
Steve blinked before nodding his head. "Yeah, he is in that transportation vehicle."
Karina looked over and his description of the vehicle was being very generous. It was army green and looked like a garbage truck in all honestly. But she suspected there had to be some type of reinforcement in the cage.
"He didn't do it," she blurted out and she winced as her original plan was to not say anything until she got legal representation.
Steve looked at desolately. He didn't agree or disagree which she admit angered her as much as hurt her, but she knew his instincts were telling him something wasn't right.
Sam appeared with a first aid kit and Steve stepped aside to let Sam handle cleaning her face.
"You want to tell me what happened?" His voice was calm and welcoming. She could tell the man was friendly in general, but she didn't expect Captain America to hang out with jerks.
"I was...walking and the next thing I know those were wrapped around me and I took a pretty hard fall."
Sam nodded although he looked skeptical if she was telling truth before he warned her that her wounds were about to sting. The cleaning took a good three minutes and the officers patience seemed to have run out as they were ordered back in the truck.
....
Sam sat next to her in the back, Steve was in the second row, and the third man who she learned was T'Challa and the Prince of Wakanda and a grieving son. She could admit he was slightly intimidating. Sam had informed her they would be going to an airplane to go to Germany and then would be escorted by vehicles to the CIA headquarters in Berlin. The ride after that was quiet. Everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Karina was in too much pain to think of anything but how she would give to be laying on James' mattress in ignorance. He warned her that this could happen. As she got deeper in her thoughts she didn't care what they did to her. She was petrified of what they were going to do to James.
Steve surprisingly was the first one to break the silence after they were transported to the airplane, "Were you with him since Washington?"
Karina looked at him like a deer caught in headlights before she lamely shook her head, "No, I was taken...and escaped. We met in Bucharest 4 months later."
"And you been with him ever since?" Sam asked from next to her.
"Basically," she said softly. She knew Steve wanted to ask her more, but he remained silent for the car ride and she believed his lack of questions had to do with the third man in the vehicle.
Karina ignored the dark brown eyes that were staring at her in the front seat and come to find later when they arrived in Berlin due to Sam finally breaking the ice with him, he was the flying cat. He was set on killing James.
_________________
June 2014
Brighton Beach
As he and Sam walked under the bridge and down into the busy streets lined with multiple home owned shops with signs painted in Russian, Steve was surprised how despite the place being way more packed, it didn't seem all that different from the 30s. He liked to attribute that fact due to the Russian culture of this neighborhood in Brooklyn was still as vibrant as it was when he was younger. And the buildings he remembered passing as a kid with Bucky were still standing.
And just like then and now, he was at a disadvantage when he came to this area, he didn't speak any Russian.
But the language barrier was solved when a young man with brown hair came bustling to them with a welcoming smile, "Dobroye utro! dobro pozhalovat'! Good morning! Welcome to Brighton Beach Captain Rogers and Sergeant Wilson. Thank you both for your service to our country. I'm Mischa, Anya's youngest son."
"Thank you and nice to meet you, Mischa, and please call me Steve," Steve greeted with a firm shake of the hand.
Mischa turned to Sam offering him a handshake, "Just call me Sam."
"Okay, my mama is at the shop. She would have greeted you both in person, but my mama is quite popular around here and she believes you wouldn't want the extra attention." Mischa informed them as he began leading them to his family's shop. "Now, I'm warning you my mama can be a bit abrasive and now with Karina missing, she is easily worked up."
"We understand." Steve said politely and he noticed that Mischa walked with a slight limp and favored his right leg. "Were you and Karina close?"
"Yes, she was a sister to me and all my older brothers." Steve noticed the pained look that came over the man's features as his eyes became glossy. "Now, let me show you the neighborhood my mama would be displeased if I didn't show you around. I'm sure some things have changed since the 40s. Sam, have you been here before?"
"No, I haven't."
"Well welcome to Little Odessa!"
Mischa gave them a very abridged tour of the neighborhood as to not keep Anya waiting. They stopped at a butcher shop that was surprisingly closed on such a busy day. Mischa gave them a smile before entering the shop where Anya was there waiting for them with a smile.
Steve and Sam watched as Mischa gave his mother a kiss in greeting before Anya approached them.
Anya was short and curvy and had short blonde hair and was wearing a white chef coat and ruby red lipstick. She didn't look a day over 30, "Ahh, Captain America and Tweety Bird. I'm Anya."
Steve smirked at name bestowed upon Sam as he tried hard not to be insulted but Anya snickered, "I'm kidding, but you have interesting costume." Anya's grey eyes turned to him. "Captain, your costume during the New York invasion wasn't much better. That was a hideous thing, I'm surprise the aliens weren't distracted how atrocious it was. Stick to the classics sweetheart." Steve heard Sam chuckle from besides him. "But thank you both for your service and for reaching out as it seems no one else is taking the search for my malen'kiy uchenyy." She officially greeted with a handshake.
"Thank you, ma'am." Both veterans replied.
"Ugh, just call me Anya. Please have a seat, you want anything to drink? Water, pop, coffee, tea, vodka anything you want on me." She asked as she directed them to a table to sit at.
"No thank you, Anya."
"I'll actually have water, please," Sam said.
Anya nodded her head and quickly went to her cooler and produced a water bottle for Sam.
"I can't thank you enough for coming here." She began as she sat down, "For a while, I was worried whatever was left from those parasites would find me. I'm surprised the press even is still printing the story about Karina."
"I don't mean to insult you, Anya, but how do you know Karina wasn't working for Hydra." Steve said delicately. Steve wasn't taking chances as since the fall of SHIELD and realizing that people he considered friends were secretly working for Hydra, he soon realized why Nick Fury had trust issues.
Anya didn't seem insulted as she leaned back in her chair. "Back in the Cold War, I was known for helping people get settled in America. It was well known back in my former motherland. It was what my family was known for. In 1992 after the fall, someone arrived on my doorstep that didn't use the proper protocols so to speak when asking and receiving my help. I almost dismissed them as I smelt trouble on them. But then I heard a baby crying and the woman even begged that I take her child. For a mother to do that, I knew something was up and you seen pictures of Karina. She had the most magnificent green eyes, so memorizing even as a child. I'll admit I was still considering turning her away, but I knew my Petro, my husband, wouldn't be proud of me for turning away a mother who was seeking shelter. Plus, she came to me for a reason. She could easily have gone to a shelter or anywhere else, but I knew she was running and she knew I could provide a new life for her.
I took her into this very shop back into the office. I gave her a warm cup of coffee and milk for the little one. Karina's mother, Yelena Noskov, was a frighten little thing that night. Jumpy, easily could have been mistaken for a junkie as she was covered in filth, but the baby was properly cared for. We sat in silence for a while before I told her she needed to tell me the truth. I believed she must have done something pertaining to the government and she didn't want to be sent to a gulag or what was left of them. But she was wearing a wedding ring and I didn't realize I ignored the obvious, where's the father? Maybe she was running from the father."
Anya clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and her eyes became dazed as if she was reliving the moment right then. She sat up straighter as she waved her finger at them. " I come to realize Yelena was a shit liar that she unfortunately passed that down to her daughter. But finally I broke her into telling her the truth. Her husband worked for a secret faction of the Soviet and US government, Hydra, luckily for me living in this area and knowing your story Captain Rogers I knew who they were which left me confused because you died taking them down. Abram Noskov was her husband's name and was an engineer – cybernetics." Anya looked at Steve with a knowing face and he felt his stomach tighten.
"She told me her husband was in charge of an important Asset for them. She said she didn't know what had exactly happened but all she knew this Asset was dangerous and a person made into a weapon with a bionic arm, but she believed her husband was trying to compromise the Asset. She said Abram came home and told her she needed to leave and settle somewhere, but Hydra was everywhere and to protect their daughter. She believed they sent the Asset out to kill him and probably her. And then she came to America and found me.
She lived a good life here and I helped raise Karina after Yelena passed when the child was 8. Raised her like my own and it was a nice change considering I gave birth to five boys. The only thing I regret is I didn't listen to Yelena about Karina's interest in science. Yelena would always say Karina had her looks, but her father's brain. It was foolish of me thinking that Hydra would forget about the family, but I practically primed Karina for them. Encouraging her to pursue her dreams in science when I knew Yelena didn't want it, but Karina is so bright and when Mischa had his accident with his leg and she made a limb for him, how could I deny the child's dreams to her." Anya was getting visibly choked up as she dug in her pocket for a cigarette and took a long drag. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to –"
"It's okay," Steve said giving a comforting smile.
"But I encouraged her dreams and she went off to college and met that Ublyudok, Marcus. My other mistake, I sheltered Karina a little and having five protective older brothers dating was near impossible. She had boys before but she didn't love them like Marcus. God, I remember when I met him, he was a bad seed. That smile he had plastered on his face and the way he carried himself something was off. As a mother I know these things and her brothers weren't all that impressed either, but she liked him and he had a decent career, we thought. I of course told Karina about my feelings towards the boy and like I expected she listened, but didn't take my words seriously. But sometime after the holidays, after January, we spoke on the phone I could tell something was off and every phone call after that. But then turn on the news in April and I see you fighting a cyborg and warrants out for Marcus Peterson's arrest. My Karina gone. I know my Karina would never work for Neo-Nazi's."
"Anya, what happened wasn't your fault. Hydra was very good at almost getting what they wanted. I believe Karina may still be under Hydra's watch or with –"
"The Winter Soldier," Anya finished softly for him.
Steve, Sam, and Anya talked a little more and Anya revealed more things she thought would be helpful in the search for Karina and more about Karina herself. Steve felt angry at Hydra how they ruined this woman's life who had so many dreams she wanted to accomplish.
They stayed at the shop close to two hours and now Anya was offering them Russian delicacies to try.
Steve watched as Sam sampled practically every dish at the butcher shop from Blini, Knish, Khinkali, Pelmeni, Shashlik, Pirozhki, and the Tula Gingerbread.
Steve himself took a small sample of some Shashlik and Zharkoye, a soup he hadn't had since he lived in Brooklyn before the war.
"You know this shop was here when I was younger," Steve revealed as he finished his soup. He paused deep in thought as he tried to recall the owner of this shop then, "Anatoly."
Anya smiled, "That was my Uncle, if it wasn't for him none of my family would be here."
"You know Miss. Anya these are so delicious." Sam added in
"I'll wrap some up for you and when you find Karina she knows how to make all these. I'm sure she wouldn't mind creating a Russian feast for you."
____________________________________________________________________________
If my research was right, Sam, I believe, would be a Technical Sergeant. Military jargon slightly baffles me so if anyone has a correction let me know.
Ublyudok – bastard
malen'kiy uchenyy – little scientist