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Bucky was officially the sane one out of the whole group, which was shocking and infuriating. He was the one with memory issues, the questionable mood swings, and the one whose judgement should be questioned. He didn't know what could have possibly happened in the 6 hours he had been sleeping, but clearly everyone had lost their damn minds. What just came out Karina's and Steve's mouth supported his theory and they were looking at him like he was the crazy one.

At this point, he was deliberately ignoring Karina as she stood next to his best friend, as his steel blue eyes were sending daggers at Steve for going along with something so idiotic. Sam was sitting quietly on the couch, watching the scene, opting out on voicing what to Bucky would be his unwanted opinions.

"No, she isn't going."

He couldn't even comprehend how any of them would even think it was an acceptable idea for Karina to tag along. He would think with the bruises on her body that were a nasty shade of blue and purple or the scrapes on her face would reinforce that she was not equipped to handle this type of battle.

The self-defense he taught her were for men that didn't possess a variation of the serum that ran through his veins. She wasn't trained to be in the field.

He didn't care they promised that she would remain in the Quinjet that would be their HQ far away from the battle, giving the best assistance as she could. He didn't care because those soldiers were already lethal before he trained them and a part of him knew no matter how much backup Steve was bringing, they could fail this mission and Karina would be caught in the crossfire.

Plain and simple, she was a liability.

And he knew his mind would be distracted, worried, about her being so close to the battlefield. It would risk the whole team.

"James," his nostrils flared as Karina began to speak as he side eyed her. "I know you don't approve."

He scoffed. "Really?" He tried to ignore the sting of her flinching at his cold tone. "You have no background in this. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Buck –"

"No Steve," Bucky said shaking his head and he could hear his plates involuntary shifting of the plates in his arm from the anger that was swirling through him.

"James, I would prefer to be there on the sidelines like a sitting duck, but I can't. Besides worrying about that all of you guys are going to be alright, I would prefer to not be arrested here and I refuse for you to get in even more trouble for trying to figure out would could happen to me if I'm not where you try to stash me."

Bucky pointed his right pointer finger in her direction, "You're not helping your case."

Karina scowled at him and the action slightly took him back and he went to open his mouth, but Steve stepped in between them sensing the discussion was going to escalate.

"Bucky, let's talk about this in private."

Bucky clenched his jaw as he felt there wasn't anything to even talk about, but he stalked out the room anyways with Steve hot on his tail.

"You don't get it." Bucky said as soon as the door to the motel closed and before Steve could get a word in. "I've lost everything, Steve. I have nothing except you and her." Bucky hated how his voice cracked slightly before he swallowed the fear that was bubbling in him. "You are already risking everything for this – me. I know you're more than capable in handling this." And Bucky won't outright admit it, but he hated it. He hated that he was putting Steve in danger. He was the one that was supposed to protect Steve. He technically died doing that exact deed. He thought about how almost 20 years of protecting his virtuous stubborn friend was hard to erase despite Steve's enhanced physiology. Bucky lets his wall drop as he looked at his friend, "But she's…it's bad enough I'm already worrying about you, I don't need her in the mix as well."

Steve's whole body deflated and a pained smile etched his face, "Look, I know this isn't an ideal situation, but with every government that supports these Accords wherever we leave her, it would leave her unprotected."

Bucky groaned. He had been following the whole Accords situation loosely, but he knew the main thing was it applied to enhanced individuals. "Last time, I checked she wasn't an enhanced. They shouldn't apply to her."

"Yeah, but some of them can't see pass that she has been with you this whole time."

"I don't like this, Steve."

"I know, but we have a good team. They'll watch out for her."

Bucky nodded his head reluctantly as it seemed pointless to argue his opinion. He wanted to question him what happened afterwards. When hopefully they were able to liberate the threat the failed Winter Soldiers proposed and this doctor, what happened when the government would focus back on him for the crimes he did commit. What happened then? He could handle whatever they threw at him and considering what he did it was the least he could do to make atonements, but Karina, the last thing he wanted was for her to get dragged down with him.

"Do you think I should stay back?" Karina asked Sam as soon as the door to the motel room closed.

Sam looked at her thoughtfully before he responded, "There are Pros and Cons to both arguments. Yes, it would be easier to have visual of you and that we are all together and not separated, and with the Accords I'm sure Tony is running all our faces and behavior patterns to find us. Considering how they treated you its better you aren't a sitting duck for them, but you are in no way prepared to handle this from a fighting standpoint although you won't be fighting. But you are foremost a liability when it comes to Barnes and we need him focused considering he trained this other Soldiers, he's familiar with them, and his metal arm gives him an advantage between all of us."

Karina pursed her lips as Sam pointed out good points. Points she considered except the liability part. "Either way, I'm a screwed pooch."

Sam chuckled, "Literally or figuratively." Karina's jaw dropped as she pushed Sam on his shoulders. "Hey, all I'm saying is ya'll were looking extra cozy sleeping together."

Karina rolled her eyes and ignored his banter, "Anyways, what's up with the antagonism towards him?"

"Well I wouldn't label it as that, I'm just cautious. Mind you, most of my encounters with Bucky have been when he was The Winter Soldier and I'm sure you can imagine how fun those were. But it's not that I don't like him, it's just I don't know him except from what Steve as told me about him form the 30s and 40s and obviously he isn't that guy anymore. He's been through stuff, he was a Soldier during one of the great wars and then not only was he captured once, but twice, so as a counselor the trauma he has, I can't even imagine considering what he has been through for those 70 years in captivity, and until this is over and I can get a feel for him my defenses will slightly come down. But he even said all the stuff Hydra put in him was still there and it would be careless of us to not be aware and wary to that until he finds the professional and proper help he needs."

"Are you mad at me?" Karina asked James. Whatever had been said between him and his best friend didn't exactly lighten his mood especially as he seemed to reluctantly accept her coming along to deal with this Winter Soldier problem. He had lapsed in a contemplative silence something that reminded her of their earliest days. She could admit she didn't particularly like it.

His blue eyes glossed over to her taking his attention away from the passing scenery of Germany, "I'm not mad just worried."

Karina knew nothing she could say would ease his worries. Instead she wrapped her arm around his flesh arm and balanced her chin on his shoulder as he looked at her, "Anyone tell you that you worry too much."

James gave her a sour look and Sam interrupted his response, "You know not everybody in this car can speak Russian."

James rolled his eyes and Karina gave a shallow apology, but she didn't miss the troubled look in Steve's eyes from the rearview mirror.

They had arrived at a deserted parking garage as Steve had met up with the new additions of their team which included Wanda, who Karina knew they addressed as Scarlet Witch, Clint, and a man named Scott, who Sam referred to as Tic Tac and said he could make himself as small as an ant. Karina thought it was a strange ability, but she wasn't going to question the help.

She and James were left by the car while everyone got acquainted with one another before the other female in the group came over.

"Hi, I'm Wanda."

Karina smiled and extended her hand. From what she saw and read about Wanda this girl was capable of doing pretty amazing things, "Hi, I'm Karina, pleasure to meet you."

Wanda looked at her quizzically before her smile came back, "I'm sorry, your mind had a loud thought and I'm flattered before it shut it off completely. It was strange."

"Oh," Karina said taken back, "is that normal?"

She heard James snort and she side eyed him and he shrug unapologetically, "She can read minds and you're asking if she can't read yours is weird?"

"It's different. I don't read minds unless necessary or I have permission. I do get the occasional thought like now if it is a loud thought, but your mind seems like it is trying to resist." Wanda explained.

Karina's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open, "Oh, cool."

Wanda smiled before introduced herself to James, "It's an honor to finally meet you –" She paused unsure of what he would like to be addressed by.

"Just call me Bucky."

"Bucky, I've heard so much about you from Steve. I'm glad you guys are together again even if it isn't under the best circumstance."

"Thanks for coming; we need all the help we can get."

"Well, I had encouragement and Steve has done so much for me and it's what I do."

James gave her an appreciative smile before she became distracted by Clint's voice.

"So this is your friend that shot Nat twice."

Karina watched James tense slightly, his face a blank mask, but his eyes were apologetic. Steve looked taken back from the terse words and everyone else looked unsure of where this was heading.

Karina was the one who broke the silence, "So you and Natasha are really the true Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I think dinner is about to get more awkward when she realizes you're not home."

Sam and Scott both snorted while Steve, Bucky, and Wanda looked confused by the reference. Clint looked her up and down. Eventually he smiled, "I like you." He turned back to James and shrugged his shoulders, "I will admit I'm slightly pissed because those are the only two times that I've known that someone got the upper hand on her, but I know how brainwashing – mind control – is. I'm glad you were able to break free."

But the mood turned sour when James translating the German announced that they were evacuating the airport courtesy of Tony Stark and company.

Since they knew Tony and his team was going to intercept them in handling the mission to stop the real threat, she knew James was even more worried for her as she had no skill that would be beneficial to helping the team in anyway what so ever.

So after much debate, James handed over his tactical vest to her despite her protests that he was the one who needed it more than her, but after the sharp glare she received she kept her mouth shut. Besides the tactical vest, James had given her a knife and Clint was letting her borrow one of Natasha's taser bracelets. It was also decided that she would somewhat be stealth for them. They were being optimistic that everyone would forget she was somehow in the group as if they really had to fight she would make it safely to the Quinjet while everyone else was distracted.

So now she was sitting in front of a heater to hide her heat signature while Sam and James were out in the open sitting on a bench about 20 feet in front in the airport terminal where she was partially hidden by a one of the multiple glass encased bulletin boards. She wasn't supposed to move until Sam and James had caught the attention of Tony's team.

She knew it would be a bad time to announce she had to use the bathroom.

She waited patiently as Steve tried to explain to Tony through her ear piece what was really going on before he was seemingly cut off and her stomach coiled uncomfortably as Steve greeted T'Challa. Her eyes found the back of James and she was slightly worried with this man on the opposing team considering his sole mission seemed to be killing James, reason and the justice system be damned. Yet, she quickly brought her attention back to the present as Sam announced he found the Quinjet in Hangar Five in the North runway and she knew the clash of the Avengers had begun.

Sam and James hadn't been gone for even a minute before the glass was broken in by someone on Tony's side. She took that as her cue to begin running. The only good thing Karina had on her side was she at least was a decent runner giving her history of running track and field throughout her education career. She made it a point to ignore the battle that was going on a few feet from her between Sam, James, and some dude that sounded too young to be fighting amongst adult. As she was running hidden by various bulletin boards, she came to an abrupt halt and almost screamed when Bucky almost collided into her.

"You okay," he whispered as he turned his eyes back to the skirmish between Sam and the kid who seemed to have cornered Sam.

"Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know some red spider boy. He's shooting web. Shit, don't move yet."

Before Karina could get in another word she watched as James ran towards Sam breaking the glass gate dropping them a floor below. She watched from the sidelines as Sam used Redwing and threw the kid out the window.

Coming out of her hiding spot, she ran down the steps to the men trapped by some type of adhesive and one of James' combat knives he loaned her.

She tried not to laugh at the defeated and annoyed looks at their faces, "You boys okay?"

Sam's face set in a scowl and James merely grunted as she quickly sliced the offending material away from his metal hand. As she looked at the white substance when she went to cut Sam out from his cocoon, she scrunched her nose, "Is this jizz!"

She heard James choke or cough in the background while Sam whined, "Oh god, I hope not, this stuff was coming out of him."

"It was coming out of him alright."

Sam gagged while he quickly shed the string off him and she saw the men were quickly back to focusing on their mission.

"Hey," Karina looked up to find James staring down at her his eyes a deep ocean blue. Before she even had a chance to respond or for her mind to catch up to what was happening a deep burning kiss was placed on her lips. Just as quickly as it happened it ended and their lips separated with a loud smack as he looked down at her intensely, "Do not play a hero. You get to that Hangar and wait for one of us."

"Trust me, I'm not into roleplaying."

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