Chapter Thirty-Four~ Vienna, Austria
Everything was still chaos from the bomb explosion; dozens of different agencies where on the scene with even more working on their own agenda. Those with non-life threating injuries were being seen at the level of injuries sustained. Sitting on a bench, Natasha Romanoff watches Prince—now King—T'Challa storm off vowing to kill James Buchanan Barnes. A moment or so later her cell phone rings with an unknown number so that answering she hears Steve Rogers voice asking,
"Are you alright?"
"Well yeah thanks I got lucky." she replies not surprised to hear his voice considering his best friends been wanted for blowing up a UN meeting. Standing up looking every which way Natasha says carefully,
"I know how much Barnes means to you I really do. Stay home, you'll only make things worse. For all of us, please."
"Are you saying you'll arrest me?" Steve's voice says with only a tiny trace of humor in it, and that alone is forced. Giving up on trying to find Steve in the crowd, hoping foolishly that he's not anywhere near Vienna Natasha shakes her head.
"No, but someone will if you interfere that's how things work now." she says hoping—again foolishly—that he listens to her for once. Not too far away however tucked away from all the madness but still able to see her, Steve looks at her knowing she can't see him.
"If he's this far gone Nat it should be me to turn him in." he tells her honestly not wanting to even think for a moment about anyone else trying to find Bucky. It was bad enough that once again he was on the front page of the world, but Steve didn't need any more problems.
"Why?" Natasha finally asks so that simply Steve told her,
"Because I'm the least likely to die trying."
"What about Hannah? Please tell me she's with you." Natasha's voice says now with an undertone of begging so that shaking his head and sighing Steve tells her,
"No—she was gone before I could even step out of the elevator."
"You have to stop her Steve she shouldn't even go two feet near Barnes." Natasha's voice has worry and even fear lacing her words, if Hannah was found with Barnes—neither of them would ever see daylight again.
"So I can stop Hannah but not Bucky? Isn't that playing both sides Nat?" Steve snaps so that she groans saying,
"That's not what I meant."
"It damn well sounded like it. Don't you dare tell me to choose which friend to save, don't you dare tell me to pick a side. And don't you dare tell me that I have to." Steve says before hanging up leaving Natasha to look around one last time before giving up. She knows this isn't in any way, shape or form going to end well. Steve however walks back into a small café with purpose in his step as he sits next to a man eating. Glancing over from his seat, Sam Wilson asks simply,
"She tell you to stay out of it?" when Steve doesn't reply Sam shakes his head muttering that she might be right.
"He'd do it for me." Steve just said watching everyone out of the corner of his eye as Sam tells him,
"Maybe in '45 he would, I just want to know we've considered all our options. The people who shoot at you usually end up shooting at me." Steve just looks over at Sam knowing full well that the man doesn't have to go with him anywhere. But Sam chooses too because they're friends—that's what friends do. A figure appears on the other side of Steve who turns out to be Sharon, she might have seen Steve here earlier but she isn't about to say that.
"Tips have been pouring in since the footage hit the public. Everyone thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym." she says as a waitress comes over to take her order. As the three stay by the bar Sam keeps an eye out as Sharon slips Steve over a folder telling him,
"Most of its noise, except for this," so that as Steve takes it she continues on sighing heavily,
"My boss expects a debriefing right about now so that's all you're going to get." Steve can't even begin to thank Sharon enough since only one 'thank you' hardly seems appropriate.
"You're going to have to hurry, they have orders to shoot on sight. And Ace she isn't—" Sharon starts to ask only Steve's already leaving the two behind with Sam having to explain,
"It's a bit of a rough subject." and quickly Sam drops some money on the counter of the bar before walking off to follow Steve. As the two walk as far as they can from the area Sam asks,
"So what's our target location?"
"Somewhere Hannah said she's been before." Steve replies so that Sam nearly trips over his own two feet while Steve continues,
"She talked about it only once but it was clear she was hiding more than just the name of the place."
"That's where she's going—to find Barnes." Sam adds catching up to the game as the two take a moment to stop and for Steve to open up the folder. While Sam keeps an eye open for any single person taking far too much interests in the two of them he asks,
"So let me get his straight, Hannah's off to find Barnes somewhere she's already been before. That means she has the upper hand which means she could have found him. Hell she could even be talking to him as we speak." shaking his head, Steve just starts walking again with Sam following behind.