Sigh...what on earth am I going to watch on TV tomorrow night?

I haven't posted in awhile, got depressed because no more Falcon and The Winter Soldier. But OMG for anyone whose seen it... OMG! For anyone who has seen the whole series... OMG why haven't you?

Anyway...

Thank you to AliceCullen3, WiseGirlDivergence46, 19irene96, tuckerjnp1 and steampinkcreates for reviews.

And welcome to Simone140089, simplexdreams, Moritaka1901, Lydia Grady, CourtneyNicole3, Writers Block 420, ellesmerej07, vmarslovahhh18, vishell12, Netiri Vi and kdragon57. I hope you're enjoying the adventures.

Enjoy

xo

Chapter 45

Whispers

Sam grimaced as he tried to straighten his suit jacket. He was being forced to wear a very outlandish, tailored suit in a traditional African style print. He was very uncomfortable. "We have to fix this. I'm the only one who looks like a pimp."

He looked to Zemo, who was currently sipping from a glass of expensive whiskey. "Only an American would assume a fashion-forward black man looks like a pimp. You look exactly like the man you're supposed to be playing." He typed on his laptop, turning it around for Sam to see a picture of a black man, of average height. The appearance was uncanny. "The sophisticated, charming African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger."

"He even has a bad nickname." Sam considered the image again, frowning as he looked him over. "Hell, he does look like me, though." He looked at Bucky who offered an impassive shrug.

Bucky was dressed in a dark brown, leather jacket with a black harness over the top. The jacket was missing it's left sleeve, exposing his vibranium arm, a pair of black fatigue pants on his lower half. He leant back against his seat, looking very tense. Sam could understand his feelings, he was being forced to return to his 'Winter Soldier' persona. He'd worked very hard in Wakanda with Shuri and the Dora Milaje to be free of the programming and had many dark memories. Considering he couldn't get drunk, there was nothing that could ease that.

Except maybe one thing.

They heard the bathroom door swing open, and all turned to look as Lex walked out. Zemo had provided her with an outfit, which she had now changed into. She wore a deep-red satin dress, the haltered top crossed her chest, leaving a small cut out just beneath her bust but still showed off her bust very well. The skirt flowed to the floor, featuring two splits that reached mid-thigh, showing off her legs every time she took a step. Sam knew he shouldn't stare, but it was really hard not to.

"I feel both overdressed, and underdressed…" she murmured, looking at Bucky and Sam with a skeptical expression, before looking back to Zemo. "Is this really necessary? I assure you I can seduce and kick ass in jeans and a singlet."

It was very strange, seeing Lex being self-conscious. However, he could understand her concerns too. He felt mildly protective of Lex and seeing her so exposed and self-conscious made him want to take his jacket off and wrap it around her shoulders, maybe punch Zemo for good measure.

"I assure you, if it was an option, we would definitely have taken it, however, we have a short time to make an impression, and this is the fastest way to do so," Zemo explained.

Bucky stood up quickly, making Sam jump, having forgotten he was there for a moment. "This isn't necessary, is it? You've got me, they don't even know who she is."

"Oh, but the whispers have always been there," Zemo replied, putting on that annoying story-teller tone he always did when he went onto one of his long tales about HYDRA history, pouring a drink. "The whispers about a woman, trained to be a Black Widow, but designed to be a Super Soldier, who escaped. I never believed them, that is, until Bucharest and I saw you in action." He lifted the glass, offering it to her. Sam looked from Zemo, back to Bucky, seeing his jaw clenching as he glared at Zemo.

"Lex…?" Bucky began, obviously offering her an opportunity to argue.

She looked from Sam to Bucky and then back to Zemo, pressing her lips into a thin line and looking thoughtful. She glanced towards Bucky one more time, considering him for a moment, her cheeks picking up the slightest of pink tinges.

Finally, she reached forward, swiping the glass from Zemo's hand and downing it quickly. "Let's get this over with," she replied, slamming the glass down on the table.

Bucky and Sam walked on either side of Lex, the skirt of her dress billowing in the breeze as they crossed the bridge over the river and her heels clicking against the road. He glanced sideways at Lex, taking her appearance in.

She had done her make up, something he wasn't used to seeing on her, making her skin appear completely flawless, and her lips fuller with a rich red lipstick. The deep-red dress accentuated her olive complexion, and her dark hair was tied up into a messy bun, some loose strands draping down around her face. The skirt of her dress flowed out behind her with every step, the splits reaching her thighs, showing off her legs with every step she took. He still couldn't get the smell of vanilla and fresh flowers out of his mind from when she had brushed past him as she had left the plane behind Zemo earlier.

Bucky clenched his jaw, looking back ahead as he tried to focus on what they were about to do.

"You smell this?" Zemo asked scrunching up his nose.

"Yeah, what is that?" Sam asked, looking across at Zemo. "Acid?"

Lex chuckled. "No, that's just Madripoor," she scoffed.

Zemo also smirked, nodding towards the city that lit up the night sky in front of them. "Madripoor." A car approached them, and they stopped, watching it as it turned in front of them. Bucky thought he saw Lex shiver, turning his head to look at her. She glanced sideways back at him, her cheeks picking up a slight pink tinge again, but she quickly looked back towards the car as it came to a stop. "No matter what happens, we have to stay in character. Our lives depend on it. There's no margin for error. High Town's that way. Not a bad place if you wanna visit, but Low Town's the other way."

"Let me guess," Sam said as Zemo began leading them towards the waiting car. "We don't have any friends in High Town."

Zemo grinned at him, as he opened the door and motioned for them to get in.

Sam climbed in first, and Bucky motioned for Lex to slide in after him, while Zemo climbed into the front seat. Bucky watched as she carefully gathered the skirt of her dress before sliding herself into the car. He quickly followed her, pulling shut the door behind him as thunder rolled overhead and rain droplets began to fall.

In the car, his shoulder bumped up against hers. "Sorry," he murmured, trying to shift so that she had more room. She didn't say anything, staying quiet and staring straight ahead, as the car began to drive back along the bridge towards Low Town.

Bucky looked across to Sam, who was looking between the two with raised eyebrows, the slightest of smirks on his face.

As they drove, five motorcycles with strange high towers on the back appeared and began flanking their car. He couldn't miss the weapons each rider was carrying on their back. Bucky saw Sam look around nervously, but Lex stared ahead, resolutely.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Zemo asked, looking into the back seat. Bucky thought for a moment he was speaking to him, until he noticed he had his gaze fixed on Lex. Bucky immediately felt on edge at Zemo looking at Lex. It almost appeared liked he cared for Lex, but Bucky was quick to quash the ridiculous notion, rationalizing that he was just concerned about blowing their cover.

"What makes you think I can't?" she asked indignantly, narrowing her eyes at him.

Zemo's gaze moved to Bucky, boring into Bucky and making him feel a flash of anger towards the psycho. "He has experience being under the control of others, without any notion of his own well-being." His eyes moved back to Lex, looking at her pointedly. "You, you were never fully under their control. You escaped before the programming."

Bucky frowned slightly. Zemo was right. She had never been under the control of others, although she was originally fated to be the first Winter Soldier. He took a sidelong glance at Sam, to see he was also looking at Lex with concern. He shifted his gaze to look back at Lex, to find her staring vacantly at Zemo, ignoring both he and Sam. Her gaze held none of the familiar warmth or mischief they had grown accustomed to.

Bucky looked back to Zemo, noting the cold smirk that crossed his features. "I see."

The car pulled up to a stop at what appeared to be a club district. People gathered in the streets, drinks in hand, talking, laughing loudly and paying no mind to the fact that they gathered over a train line in the middle of the street

The trio stepped out of the car, Sam straightening his suit jacket and glanced over to Zemo who looked at Bucky and Lex, who now stood side by side, both wearing vacant expressions, while their eyes roamed the multiple alleys and entrances around them. If he didn't know them so well, their expressions would send his veins ice cold.

Zemo led them through the streets, crossing over a foot bridge that spanned over the rooftops of what appeared to be some residential buildings below, if you could call them that. Sam followed directly behind Zemo, Lex's heels clicking against the ground behind him and Bucky followed up the rear. The two super soldiers seemed to be in perfect sync with each other, never muttering a word, yet playing off each other's movements like they had trained for years together.

They finally came to the end of the footbridge, taking the stairs down back down to the ground level. Here, it was a different atmosphere again. Sam noted the blatant open carry of high powered fire-arms by people, as well as vendors selling them. Large wads of notes were openly exchanged between people.

A few eyes followed them as they walked, some nodding to him, although they continued to look at him suspiciously. Others, he noted, seemed to stare behind him as Lex and Bucky now flanked either side of them, a step behind the whole time. He continued to follow Zemo, noting the names of several bars as they passed, like the 'Princess Bar'.

Zemo, however, led them towards a sign that had no writing, only a picture of a purple, angry ape insignia. Zemo led them inside. "Here we are."

"Ready to comply… Winter Soldier?" Zemo murmured to them quietly in Russian as he wove his way through the crowds of people inside the bar they now found themselves in. Neither responded.

"Is that the Winter Soldier?" Sam heard someone whisper as they passed by. "Who is the woman?"

Sam ignored the whispers around them, focusing on paying attention to where Zemo was leading them. They walked towards the bar, Zemo motioning to the bar tender.

The bartender approached, looking expectantly at their group. "Hello, gentlemen." The bar tender looked at Sam. "Wasn't expecting you, Smiling Tiger."

Sam looked from the bartender, to Zemo, unsure of if he should speak, but thankfully, Zemo spoke up before he could speak. "His plans changed. We have business to do with Selby."

The bartender looked suspiciously along the group, his gaze lingering on Lex longer than the rest of them, but she kept her gaze steady, her face completely void of any expression whatsoever. The bar tender looked back to Sam. "The usual?"

Sam faltered slightly, before nodding once. While acting seemed to come natural to Lex and Bucky, it certainly wasn't easy for Sam. He wasn't used to being put on the spot. They watched as the bartender moved around, grabbing a snake from somewhere in the bar. Sam glanced sideways at Zemo, seeing him smirk as the bartender prepared sliced the snake open and began gutting it in front of them.

"Ah," Zemo said with a grin. "Smiling Tiger, your favorite." Sam gave him a sideways glare, trying his best to keep his face expressionless. Not easy as he watched the bartender drop some innards from the snake into a glass.

He looked over to Lex and Bucky, to see them both looking away, their jaws tensed as if they were either on edge or trying not to laugh. He suspected he knew which one, and it was not the one he hoped.

He placed the glasses in front Sam and Zemo. Sam felt like he might vomit, glancing sideways at Zemo, who took his glass, lifting it to his mouth without concern. Sam looked past Zemo to Lex and Bucky. Sam swore he saw a look of concern cross Lex's features, but perhaps he had imagined it, because her expression was blank.

"I love these," Sam forced himself to say.

Zemo downed his drink easily, making Sam gulp. He quickly followed suit, forcing the drink down his throat. "Cheers, Conrad."

"Mmm. Mmm." Sam pressed his lips together in an effort to keep the warm liquid down. The bartender stared at Sam for a moment, his face edged with suspicion, but he soon moved away to serve other patrons.

Sam was grateful when he saw a man approaching them, catching the bartender and Zemo's attention.

The man stopped in front of Zemo, looking at him in disdain. "I got word from on high. You ain't welcome here."

Zemo smiled apologetically. "I have no business with the Power Broker, but if he insists, he can either come and talk to me…" Zemo motioned towards Bucky and Lex, who both turned to glare at the man speaking to Zemo. Sam was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that. Bucky had one hell of an intimidating stare, but paired with a sombre looking Lex, even he would turn and walk away from the pair.

The man considered Lex, before looking at Bucky, seemingly unconcerned. "New haircut?"

"Or bring Selby for a chat," Zemo offered, continuing his previous threat. The man frowned, looking at Zemo, before glancing at the super soldiers again. Finally, he began to move away, disappearing towards the back of the club.

Zemo turned back to the bar, the trio squashing in closer to talk quietly.

"A Power Broker? Really?" Bucky asked, keeping a deadpan expression to his face.

"Every kingdom needs its king. Let's just pray we stay under his radar," Zemo answered calmly.

Sam raised his eyebrows, intrigued by the fact Zemo did not want to call this 'Power Broker's' attention to them. "Do you know him?"

"Only by reputation. In Madripoor he is judge, jury, and executioner." Sam glanced at Lex and Bucky, noting the same subtle expression of intrigue on their faces.

They waited only a couple more minutes for any more sign of interest from Selby. Zemo turned away from the bar again, spotting a man walking towards them. He had a threatening look on his face as he scanned the four newcomers standing at the bar.

Zemo caught Lex and Bucky's eye as he began to turn away from the approaching man.

"Winter Soldier," he said in Russian. Bucky and Lex stiffened at the name. "Attack."

Neither moved initially, both turning their intense gazes to the man approaching Zemo from behind. It wasn't until the man put a hand on Zemo's shoulder that Bucky stepped forward quickly. The hydraulics in his vibranium arm pumped to life as he grabbed the man's hand, reefing it backwards and forcing the man back away from Zemo.

He kept walking until he and the man were well back from the bar, where everyone could see them. He looked back to Zemo, seeing Lex had also stepped away from the bar to stand in front of Sam and Zemo protectively.

Bucky grabbed at the man's arm, forcing it back sharply so there was the sound of muscle ripping from bone, before forcing him forwards again and bringing his vibranium arm to strike against the man's chest in a clothes hanger movement, sending him flipping backwards and coming to rest at Bucky's feet.

Zemo smirked, looking to Lex as another man moved in to attack Bucky, trying to punch at him. Bucky easily dodged it, catching the arm as it passed him by and bringing his knee into the man's chest. There was a crunch as ribs broke, before he forced the man backwards with a strong kick into the man's chest, sending him flying back into a girder. He slid to the ground, groaning, but alive.

Another man appeared from the crowd, trying to run at Zemo. In a flurry of satin fabric, Lex was there, grabbing hold of the outstretched arm that held a knife towards Zemo. She stopped the man dead in his tracks, moving her face closer to the knife to analyse it, before glancing back to the man's face. He looked stunned at her, unable to move his arm in her grasp.

Zemo smirked at the man, lifting his finger and waving it in a side-to-side manner with a sardonically sympathetic smirk on his face. Lex threw the man's arm up, forcing her elbow into the man's chest and forcing him back several steps. He tried to regather his balance, but she was there again, kicking out at him with her long legs, the red skirt moving as if it were dancing with her movements. She kicked his feet out from him first, before bringing a knee to his head with such force that his head snapped back and he fell back to the ground, laying still.

Lex was now in the centre of the club, alongside Bucky, as more men now charged at both of them. Bucky easily fended off attackers, knocking them easily away with his vibranium arm, and dodging any weapons they managed to find. Lex also dodged their advances, although she preferred to fight them off in close hand combat, at one point facing an adversary much larger than herself, practically crawling up his body, wrapping her thighs around his head and forcing him to the ground that way, before knocking him out with a sharp elbow to his head.

Sam and Zemo watched on, Sam littered with concern for his friends as he watched them make quick work of their attackers. He wasn't so much concerned for their safety. He was concerned for their mental well-being. Bucky in particular. Sam knew this was not a role he wanted to slip back into willingly.

Zemo leant over to Sam, whispering over the grunting and shouting as the pair fought on. "Didn't take much for him to fall back into form."

Sam gave him a warning look. This was not a joke to him.

Lex and Bucky had begun to move back closer to the bar as they fought. Bucky grabbed another would be attacker by the throat with his vibranium hand and pinned him to the bar, while Lex had somehow come to be in possession of a knife and was holding it to another man's throat on the floor.

Before either could act any further, there was the sound of gun's cocking all around them. Sam, very aware of just how many weapons were now armed and surrounding them, reached across and put a hand on Bucky's arm that held the man to the bar.

"Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us," Zemo whispered. Sam glared at him but didn't do anything further.

"Well done soldier." Zemo praised loudly in Russian, so the whole bar could hear. "Both of you." Sam watched as Bucky held the man for a moment longer, staring at him blankly, although he swore for a moment that he saw a look of remorse flash across his face.

The bartender cleared his throat, looking at Bucky with fear. "Selby will see you now."

Bucky released the man, causing him to fall forward, struggling for breath. He continued to stare straight ahead, focusing on his breathing and trying to clear his head.

"Thank you," Zemo said, grinning at the bartender before moving away.

Sam moved closer to Bucky. "You good?" he murmured, concern lacing his question.

Bucky released another deep breath, looking to Sam with a carefully blank expression, before turning to walk away. Lex was standing up, looking down at the man she had pinned to the ground. She lifted the knife up, before throwing it so it landed embedded in the wall behind the bar. Her eyes flicked to Bucky, her expression completely void of any emotion and looked away again as she began to follow Zemo.

They were led into the rear of the club, several burly men standing along the halls. They leered at Lex, looking her up and down as she passed them by, but she didn't even acknowledge them. Bucky continued to stare straight ahead, although he clenched his fists in an effort not to throat punch them.

They were led into a room, where a woman in her mid-50s lounged on a long purple couch, twirling strands of her short, grey hair between her fingers as she watched their group enter the room. Her eyes seemed to dance between Bucky and Lex, as she smirked at them.

Zemo nodded towards her, smiling. Selby met his gaze, looking less than impressed. "You should know, Baron. People don't just come into my bar and make demands."

He smirked in response, pacing further into the room. "Not a demand. An offer."

Selby frowned, looking at him in annoyance. "A lot has changed since you were here last. By the way, I thought you were rotting away in a German prison. How did you escape?"

Zemo chuckled then. "People like us always find a way, don't we? I'm sure you've already figured out what I'm here for."

Selby smirked sardonically, before looking to Sam. "You're taller than I'd heard, Smiling Tiger." Sam looked from Selby to Zemo but didn't respond. Selby shifted her gaze back to Zemo, before sitting forward with an intrigued look on her face. "What's the offer?"

Zemo smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum." He paced back to Lex and Bucky. "And I give you one of them, along with the code words to control them, of course. They will do anything you want."

There were murmurs around the room, and Bucky noticed Selby's eyes dance between them at the offer, although he was careful to remain completely expressionless.

She grinned, sitting back against the lounge again. "Now that's the Zemo I remember. I'm glad I decided not to kill you immediately." Her gaze lingered over Bucky for a few moments before her vision slid to Lex. "Him, I know. But who is this? Is she a new one?"

"Ahh, not exactly, do you recall the stories of the woman trained to be a Black Widow, but groomed to be a Super Soldier?" Zemo began to explain, moving to Lex. His hand drifted towards her face, but Bucky noticed he did not touch her, his hand just hovering above the skin.

Selby looked unconvinced. "I've heard the stories. They're tales at best. There's no proof she ever existed."

"Perhaps, you would like a demonstration?" Zemo offered. Selby shrugged, making Zemo smirk again.

Zemo moved in front of Lex, looking around the room, before motioning to one of the men who was currently leering at Lex. He motioned to the man. "Black Widow, your target, seduce," he ordered in Russian.

Lex's gaze moved slightly, to meet Zemo's and Bucky saw him look at her pointedly, before stepping aside. Lex's expression suddenly changed, as a sultry smile danced on her lips and her eyes took on a new emotion. For those not familiar with her, she would appear to be normal, her red lips enticing, and her eyes relaying a wanting as they looked at her. However, Bucky could see in her eyes, that the emotion was not quite settled there, and there was a coldness in her gaze.

She began walking towards the target, her hips swaying as she walked, her heels clicking against the tile floor. The man raised his eyebrows, staring at her as she approached. She winked at him, before walking behind the man, her fingers dragging seductively along the man's shoulders.

She then moved to the lounge, looking at Selby and offering a sultry smile to her, and then turning her back on her, leaning back against the back of the lounge, causing the splits in the skirt of her dress to reveal her long legs. All their eyes were drawn to her legs, as she lifted her hand, motioning to the man to come to her, a lusty expression crossing her features.

The man looked over to Selby, a look of concern on his face. She nodded to him, a smile playing on her lips. The man frowned nervously but began to move towards Lex. He moved to stand in front of her, and she reached up, her fingers dancing across his chest and she stood again, her body in close proximity to his. The man's eyes never left her, and she brought her face very close to his, and Bucky wondered how far she would go to maintain her role.

He would not find out.

"Attack," Zemo's voice cut through the sultry atmosphere Lex had created, and suddenly Lex's expression changed. Her expression became cold and her hand grabbed the man around the throat. He tried to fight her off, but she was quick to dodge his fist, using her spare hand to block his following punch. She kicked out at his shin, forcing his foot backwards and he fell to a knee. She released his throat then, bringing her knee up to his face with a thickening crack. His head snapped backwards, and he fell to the ground.

Lex stood up again, looking at Zemo with a blank expression. He smiled at her. "Well done." She moved back to her position, standing next to Bucky.

Sam stared at the man on the floor. He wasn't sure if he was dead or not, but it wouldn't surprise him if he was dead. He had never seen Lex utilizing all her Black Widow skills, and he was glad he hadn't. He thought she was crazy before, that was nothing compared to her full skill set.

Selby clapped her hands, standing up. "Yeah, you were right to come to me. Arrogant, but right. The super-soldier serum is here in Madripoor. Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the man you wanna thank. Or… condemn, depending on what side of this you're on. The Power Broker had him working on the serum, but… things didn't go as planned."

Zemo looked thoughtful for a moment. "Is Nagel still in Madripoor?"

Selby chuckled, looking at Zemo in amusement. "Oh. The breadcrumbs you can have for free, but the bakery is gonna cost you, Baron. And before you get all cute, don't think you can find Nagel without me."

Before Zemo could say anything more, there was the sound of a phone vibrating, drawing everyone's attention to the sound.

Sam froze as everyone looked around suspiciously, feeling the vibrations in his pocket. Slowly, all eyes were drawn to him. Lex and Bucky stared at him, and Zemo glared at him incredulously. Sam pulled the phone slowly from his pocket, looking around the room. He moved his finger to silent it, but Selby looked at him warningly.

"Answer it. On speaker."

Sam's heart plummeted and he saw Zemo's expression drop. They were in big trouble, and it was all his fault.

"Hello?"

"Hey, um, we need to talk about this situation." It was Sarah. "It's been drivin' me nuts."

Sam bit his lip, looking awkwardly around the room. "What situation exactly are you talkin' about?"

Sarah paused for a beat, before answering. "Are you high? You know what situation, it's the only situation me and you have."

"What situation, Sarah? Say it."

"The damn boat. And watch your tone," she scolded, making him blink. "Okay? I let you slide at the bank."

Sam thought quickly, trying to come up with something to get them off the hook. "The bank. Yeah. Laundered so much…" he chuckled, still looking around nervously. "Yeah, they'll come around."

"If that was the case, then why'd they dog you out, Big Time?" Sarah demanded, sounding annoyed. He wasn't sure what he was more concerned about right now. Their current situation, or the situation he was going to face if they made it out of this situation right now. Honestly, with Bucky and Lex he felt pretty confident right now, but at home, he knew those two couldn't save him from Sarah.

"Yeah, you damn right I'm Big Time. You'll see when I have that banker killed."

"Cass! What'd I tell you about the Cheerios?" Sarah shouted, obvious to him it to was towards one of his nephews. She sighed irritably. "I don't have time for this! Sam, I'm sorry. I'll call you back."

"Sam?" Selby asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Who's Sam?" Sam looked from Selby to Zemo and then to the super soldiers. Lex's eyes widened warningly towards him. "Kill them!"

Suddenly, there was the sound of long-range gunshot, and Selby fell to the ground, a gunshot wound in her head. There was a tense pause, before Lex grabbed the nearest man to her, elbowing him roughly in the chest, before her fist connected with his head.

The men around them began pulling out weapons, Bucky reaching towards the nearest, causing the barrel of the weapon to bend in his vibranium hand. His other fist also connected with the man's face, sending him flying backwards into a wall.

Sam managed to disarm a nearby man, taking his weapon as they began firing towards him. Gunshots began to ring out towards them, as Zemo and Sam found cover from the gun fire. "They're gonna pin this on us."

Lex and Bucky finished taking down the last of the men in the room, looking around expectantly to see if anymore would come.

"We have a real problem now, so leave your weapons and follow my lead," Zemo ordered, moving from their cover, and motioning to the door out of the room.

They hurried from the room, walking down the corridor and quickly exiting the club. As they walked the streets, trying to stay inconspicuous, they heard multiple chimes as cell phones all around them began to receive messages. Their owners, most who were clearly carrying weapons of some sort, checked their phones, before looking around them.

"This is not good," Zemo muttered, continuing to hurry down a side alley.

They tried to continue hurrying away without drawing attention to themselves, but soon there were shots fire in their direction again.

"Shit!" Sam exclaimed, as Lex and Bucky moved to follow behind, obviously trying to provide some cover for their less enhanced colleagues.

"Come on!" Zemo shouted, sprinting down the alley when there was a break in gunfire.

"I can't run in these heels!" Sam exclaimed, finding them strange and uncomfortable.

"Seriously?" Lex shot back, drawing level with him and offering him an indignant glare. He grimaced and continued running without another complaint of the shoes he was wearing.

As they turned and ran down another alley, they heard the sound of motorbikes speeding towards them, followed by more gunshots biting at the ground by their feet.

"Keep moving!" Lex shouted urgently, urging Sam to run faster with a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, there was the sound of two gunshots. To Sam, they sounded like a something from a sniper rifle. They looked back to see the motorbike riders falling from their bikes, before the bikes lost momentum, falling to the ground.

They slowed, coming to a stop and looked amongst each other, glancing around suspiciously. "You seem to have a guardian angel," Zemo muttered, as they all scanned the nearby open windows, while continuing to walk down the alleyway.

Sam was relieved, but still on edge. Just because someone had shot whoever was tailing them, didn't mean they were friends. He saw Lex furrow her brow and cock her head to one side, staring off into the darkness behind him.

"Holy shit," she murmured, raising her eyebrows with a look of realization. He followed her gaze, watching as a figure appeared out of the shadows, staring as he recognized the face under the hoodie.

Sigh... being at the end of this chapter is making me sad there's no more Falcon and The Winter Soldier

I'm gonna go and be depressed with some chocolate until Loki comes out

(Just kidding, I'll get another chapter out in a week or two)

xo

Krayzee