May 2016

Berlin, Germany

Talia strode ahead of the thick glass cage she was overseeing, stepping up to report to her superior and her father.

Everett was waiting just inside the CIA headquarters, with Sharon Carter and a few other agents as well as a few armed soldiers standing by just in case. His eyes glanced at Talia briefly before fixing on the man inside the cage she was bringing in - James Barnes. The Winter Soldier.

The man had so far refused to meet anyone's eyes, staring mostly at the ground before his bound feet. He had been like that since they cuffed him and had him locked into the cage designed specifically to withhold enhanced individuals. In theory. Talia wasn't super convinced after having briefly tested the metal casings moments before they secured Barnes inside. But it was the best they had at the moment, and at least Talia had one thing up her sleeve to bring Barnes under control, if absolutely needed.

As Talia reached Everett, another car pulled to a stop before the CIA agents. Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and T'Challa exited the armed vehicle as soon as the doors were opened. They weren't cuffed… yet. Wilson and T'Challa's eyes were drawn to her and Everett first while Rogers looked around until he found his friend. Talia noticed the tension that entered his jaw when he finally spotted Barnes held under lock and key.

Turning back toward Everett, Rogers called out to the CIA agent as he walked over.

"What's gonna happen to him?"

"Same thing that ought to happen to you." Everett retorted curtly. "Psychological evaluation and extradition."

"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander." Carter introduced, not that any of them were interested in introductions.

"What about a lawyer?" Rogers asked, as if Carter hadn't spoken.

Talia did nothing to disguise her scoff. Rogers's eyes flickered to her briefly before looking back at Everett as he chuckled humorlessly.

"Lawyer. That's funny."

His smile dropped and Everett jerked his head back at his agents as he addressed them next.

"See their weapons are placed in lockup."

His men moved without question to execute his orders while Everett added to Steve sarcastically, "We'll write you a receipt."

Turning on his heel, Everett added to Talia, "Go make sure he's secured safely in the holding block."

He nodded at Barnes.

"Yes, sir."

Talia dismissed herself as she strode away from where Everett was about to lead the rogue Avengers and the king of Wakanda into the building. She saw Rogers glance her way and then back toward Barnes one more time while Wilson growled after his wingsuit, "I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that."

He would be lucky if he ever got to fly around it that again, Talia thought sourly although her face remained perfectly blank as she led the agents guarding Barnes's cage down toward the holding cell. They went down several levels of thick concrete before reaching the holding block that had been refurbished when news reached them of Barnes's imminent arrival. Talia barely looked around the dark room however as she instead led the way inside the concrete cell that lay at the heart of the entire building. The only way someone was going to get in or out of here was via the single elevator - not even a bomb at the edge of the building would crack into the basement.

Talia stood to the side, watching as Barnes's cage was pushed in and she remained waiting patiently as the guards started to make final adjustments. Someone tested the glass one more time while another soldier plugged the cage into the building's power line. Immediately, the lights inside the cage flickered a little bit brighter and the extra alarms in the cage locked into place. Barnes squinted at the sudden light but he otherwise didn't move as the guards finished up their work and started to exit the cell.

Talia watched them all leave with a critical eye, ensuring that no one tried anything funny. Satisfied, she started to leave last, before she paused. Talia turned and for the first time since they'd caught him, she took a proper look at the man in the cage.

He never raised his head, but she could still see enough of him to see his eyes and the despondent look in them as he just stared blankly at the ground in front of him. Talia had to hand it to him - the man could act. Even knowing he was guilty, she was tempted to think he was innocent when he looked like this. Taking this opportunity to study him further, Talia noted the faint shadows under Barnes's eyes and the faint lines in his forehead where it was obvious he had creased them many times before. And then, as she looked closer, she realized that beneath the hopelessness was a familiar darkness. She knew that look well; she'd seen the same haunted gaze in the mirror enough times as a teenager.

Talia's brows furrowed as she looked Barnes over again. It wasn't possible, and yet she was sure she was seeing right. But why would a ruthless killer like the Winter Soldier have the same ghosts that Talia herself had fought?

"Agent Ross."

Talia finally tore her eyes away from Barnes as an agent appeared in the doorway of the cell.

"The doc is here." The agent explained, glancing at Barnes uneasily as he spoke.

Talia nodded and, without another glance back at Barnes, she walked out of the cell.

"Doctor." She said curtly as she passed the slightly hunched over man who was being led into the holding cell Talia had vacated.

He gave a tiny nod, more like a bob of his head, back but Talia barely paid attention. Despite her ramrod straight back and her expressionless mask, something was sitting uneasily in her chest. And something within her squirmed whenever she thought back to the tormented blue eyes that looked nothing like her own and yet, looked exactly like her mirror image.

July 2016

Wakanda

Steve followed T'Challa deeper into the Wakandan palace while Bucky trailed just slightly behind them. Steve's wife was doing final checks on the quinjet, unable to just trust that it would be fine and the Wakandans could handle things as a result of her ingrained paranoia. Neither Steve nor T'Challa had fought her on the subject. Instead, T'Challa wisely left Okoye on duty to show Arianna inside once she was ready while T'Challa led Steve and Bucky on ahead.

"And you really think you can help him?" Steve asked T'Challa as they walked.

The king nodded confidently.

"We have made significant advancements in neurosciences here, and my sister has designed a program for Sergeant Barnes that should permanently remove the Winter Soldier programming he was subjected to."

Steve nodded thoughtfully, glancing back at Bucky. He was admittedly reluctant about the whole plan, mostly because he was tired of losing his friend every time right when he thought he had him back. But it was ultimately Bucky's decision. And if this meant Bucky could finally live as a free man, free from his own demons...

An Asian woman rounded the corner ahead of them. Steve started as he recognized her instantly.

Talia's hair was a little longer than the last time Steve had seen her; it was now almost as long as Bucky's hair currently was and it also looked browner than he recalled. He remembered it had been black as midnight when they'd met in Germany but now it seemed lighter as though sunbleached. He wondered if she had dyed it. And then he wondered why that was what he was fixating on when he was faced with the woman who had been trying to arrest him just a few months ago.

"You're-"

Steve glanced at T'Challa warily as he stopped himself from calling out in surprise. After all, he wasn't going to quickly forget how this woman had hypnotized Bucky and knocked him out when no one else had been able to. What if she was actually controlling T'Challa and this was all a trap?

"I didn't realize she was here as well." He finally said, addressing T'Challa. Talia snorted as she came to a stop in front of the group.

"Hello to you, too, Captain." She said dryly before T'Challa could respond.

Steve examined the woman again, his gaze not exactly defensive but not friendly either.

"The last time we met, you were trying to arrest us." He pointed out calmly.

Talia scoffed.

"Well, the last time we met, he," she gestured at Bucky who only ducked his head uncomfortably, "tried to kill all of us and you knocked me out, twice. Besides, at least all I was trying to do was arrest you. King T'Challa here was ready to kill Barnes the last time we were all together, but it seems like you three managed to work out your issues."

She had a point there. And Steve noticed that T'Challa looked perfectly relaxed; in fact, he was looking almost amused as he gave Talia a fond glance. It was that fondness as well as the respect in the king's gaze that finally convinced Steve. If T'Challa trusted her, he would give her a chance as well.

With a small nod, mostly to himself, Steve addressed Talia again. "We were never properly introduced."

He extended his hand out to her.

"Steve Rogers."

"I know."

But, deciding to humour the man, Talia shook his outreached hand.

"Talia Ross."

Her eyes flickered to Bucky, who seemed to find his feet absolutely fascinating as his gaze remained fixed on the ground.

"Sergeant Barnes, isn't it?" Talia asked without beating around the bush.

Bucky slowly raised his head and his startling blue eyes met hers hesitantly.

"It's just Bucky." He corrected quietly.

Talia stared at him for a long moment, as though measuring him. Then she turned to T'Challa.

"Well, I'd best be going."

The pair exchanged a meaningful look that Steve wondered at before Talia turned back to Steve and Bucky.

"Good luck Rogers. Barnes. You'll both be needing it." Talia said briskly, before she suddenly punched Steve in the arm.

It didn't exactly hurt, not with his superhuman strength, but Steve still jumped. Especially as she hit a lot harder than she looked like she could dish out.

"Now, we're even." Talia told him before she strode on her way past them.

"Good luck to you as well, Agent Ross." T'Challa called after her. "We will speak again when you return."

Talia waved over her shoulder to show she had heard the king but continued on without looking back. As though she wasn't bothered about just letting two fugitives of the law (whom, Steve thought, she should be chasing like the rest of her coworkers at the CIA currently were) go free. Even though she'd seemed just about ready to risk her life just a few months ago to try and bring them down. And now, apparently all she needed was to punch Steve's arm once to get over it.

Steve shook his head.

"I don't think I'll ever truly understand agents."

T'Challa chuckled. "I think what you mean is, we will never understand women, Captain."

"You've got that right." Bucky mumbled, glancing back once after the woman who had once been quite possibly the greatest threat to his freedom but was now apparently an ally.

The twenty-first century held many strange and new things that Bucky's rewoken mind sometimes had a hard time grasping. But one thing that had apparently not changed since the 1940s was how complicated women - especially those who were agents to boot - were. An absurd thought popped into Bucky's head then. If Steve's wife, Natasha Romanoff, Talia Ross, and Peggy Carter were to gather in one room… who would win?

And then Bucky almost laughed and cried at the first mindless, innocent thought that had entered his head in the longest time that he could remember.

October 2016

Vienna, Austria

Talia slipped into the conference room and took up position beside her father near the back just as cameras started flashing in the front. Everett glanced at her briefly before he faced forward once more as T'Challa strode up onto the stage.

"How did it go?" Everett asked in a low voice. "You were gone longer than anticipated."

"It took a while." Talia acknowledged. "But the Nigerian traffickers will definitely think twice before they assume women are weak objects to trade off as they please. And smoking those awful drugs."

Everett nodded while on stage, T'Challa reached the podium at the centre and began to address the UN.

"My name is King T'Challa. Son of King T'Chaka. I am the sovereign ruler of the nation of Wakanda."

Talia met Okoye's gaze where the tall woman stood behind T'Challa, and the general gave a tiny smile back to her newest ally as T'Challa continued confidently.

"And for the first time in our history, we will be sharing our knowledge and resources with the outside world."

Nakia puffed her chest a little bit, pride emitting from her like an aura as she watched T'Challa from her place behind his left shoulder.

"Wakanda will no longer watch from the shadows. We cannot. We must not. We will work to be an example of how we, as brothers and sisters on this earth, should treat each other. Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth. More connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis, the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers."

T'Challa's eyes paused on Talia and the woman's lips curved into a small smile as T'Challa finished determinedly.

"We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one, single tribe."

"With all due respect, King T'Challa." Another delegate piped up. "What can a nation of farmers have to offer the rest of the world?"

Murmurs of agreement and curiosity arose. Talia's smile became more prominent and fierce as she again exchanged looks with General Okoye while Everett barely held back his amusement and T'Challa just gave a proud smile.

December 2016

Bucky slowly rose out of the usual darkness of his subconscious when he became aware of someone watching him. More than one someone, if his instinct was right.

His eyes shot open and Bucky almost jumped at the three small, painted faces that met him. The faces retreated at once and giggles filled the little hut as feet scampered away, leaving him alone in his hut once more. Bucky groaned; this was not the first time he'd been scared by the same youngsters. It seemed the local children found his reactions amusing, however, because they came by quite often. The idea was somewhat mind boggling; and it was precisely why Bucky hadn't the heart to tell the kids off. That they were so completely unafraid of him, the former Winter Soldier, was like a dream too good to be true and Bucky was too afraid of upsetting that in case it shattered the illusion.

Slowly rising, Bucky made his way out of the hut that had become his home since he awoke, free from HYDRA at last, in time to see Shuri scolding the younger kids.

"Don't wake him. He must rest!" The princess was saying as the kids crowded around her.

"No, I'm not!" They protested, before starting to play fight amongst themselves. Shuri laughed with them until she spotted Bucky dithering just outside his hut.

"Go. Go." She ushered the children to run off.

They were all too happy to do as told this time, running away from Shuri and the river while crying delightedly as they spotted Bucky, "White wolf! White wolf!"

"Stop that!" Shuri called after the children, not that they listened to her as they laughed and darted over to the brunette Asian woman leaning against the hut on the other side from Bucky's.

Talia's eyes remained on Bucky, ever watchful, even as the children dashed up to her and tugged at her hands and clothes to get her attention. Bucky held her gaze, more out of surprise than anything else. He hadn't expected to see her here or in fact to see her ever again. And yet, despite her obvious wariness around him, Talia looked quite comfortable even with the children nagging at her.

Bucky watched curiously as Talia finally broke eye contact with him to turn to the children. She murmured something in a foreign tongue, delighting them and the children jabbered back in the local language. Bucky tilted his head as he regarded the woman. It seemed the CIA agent was full of surprises as she seemed to spring one on him every time they met. His eyes eventually drifted away from the brunette and returned to Shuri, who was still watching him with a small smile.

"Good morning, Sergeant Barnes." Shuri greeted respectfully now that she had his full attention, her tone warm.

"Bucky." He corrected her automatically.

Shuri nodded, her expression turning more serious as she questioned, "How are you feeling?"

"Good."

Bucky smiled faintly although it disappeared quickly. A serious expression settled across his features as he stared back at the woman who had managed to free him from HYDRA's grasp. Hopefully forever.

"Thank you." He murmured.

Shuri smiled at his gratitude, before she patted his shoulder.

"Come. Much more for you to learn." She started up the path back toward the huts.

Bucky watched her go and followed her intended path, where his eyes instantly met light brown once again. Talia was back to watching him, her attention unwavering despite the casual stance she maintained. It was a posture Bucky was very familiar with and he couldn't help but voice his question to Shuri as he followed her.

"Is she your bodyguard?"

Shuri glanced back, puzzled, before she noticed where Bucky was looking. The princess laughed and shook her head.

"No. I just thought you might like to see another familiar face."

Bucky remained skeptical. Familiar face seemed a bit of a stretch to describe Talia Ross; 'almost victim' or 'former enemy' seemed more appropriate. Bucky almost wondered if Shuri wasn't aware of their prior history, but something in the twinkling amusement in the princess's eyes made him think otherwise. Still, he was puzzled as to what Shuri was really thinking as she led the way ever closer to the watchful agent, still laughing.

"As fellow outsiders, maybe you can even be friends!"

Bucky winced and he was almost certain he saw Talia wrinkle her nose. How she'd heard them from their distance, he wasn't sure. But he supposed if she could mesmerize someone and if she could withstand a blow from a supersoldier, it wasn't outside the realm of impossible that she had superhuman hearing.

As Shuri called Talia over in the Wakandan tongue, Bucky wondered yet again just what was this world he had fallen into. All he had done was sign up for the army like any other lad. And yet, it seemed the world wasn't done serving him strangeness just yet. And as Talia reluctantly walked over to join them, Bucky wondered if it would be. Or if this was just the beginning of something new.