Oh wow, I'm so glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you all for your kind words. I'm glad you're all as amused as I am about the comedic relief I decided to include in the chapters in an attempt to lighten things up. Forgive me for the poor editing job today. I was feeling a little lazy.

Big thanks again to the wonderful 0peneyeZ, who once again did the German translations. Thank you, thank you again, Kat! :)) And to darkwolf76, who is a dear friend and finally checked out this story despite her very busy schedule! Good to see you again in my reviews lol.

Trigger Warning: Racism and Anti-Semitism.


Chapter XXIII

Lucy got in the backseat of the car through one door as Dum Dum went in from the other. Inside they were greeted with the sight of a man of regal posture, a cold expression, and a stoic aura around him which showed he meant business. He had no emotion behind his eyes, and an empty look that Lucy could figure was contributed to his lack of soul

He was clean-shaven and likely in his fifties. He had a light blue eye colour that unnerved Lucy. His salt and pepper grey hair was notable even though he was wearing his uniform hat. Not a single stitch was out of place in his uniform, and it was very clear that he was a person of importance.

"Jetzt da wir es alle gemütlich haben." Now that we're all comfortable, Dugan smiled at the man. "warum stellen wir uns nicht vor? Ich bin Sergent Dugan, und meine liebliche aber überraschend wilde Kollegin hier ist Dr. Heinrich." Why don't we make introductions? I'm Sergent Dugan, and my lovely and yet surprisingly fierce colleague here is Dr. Heinrich.

To Lucy's surprise, the man started laughing. Her face fell and she cocked her head. Dugan then asked, "Macht es Ihnen etwas aus uns mitzuteilen, was sie so zum Schreien komisch finden?"Do you mind informing us what you find so hilarious? There was something about his laugh that caused a pit to form in her stomach.

"If you prefer, Sergent I would be happy to speak English. To be frank with you, your German is slightly embarrassing. I'm worried that you will not be able to keep up with Dr. Heinrich and me," He looked at her with a smile as he said her name, as though they shared a secret inside joke.

Dugan smirked and pointed a finger at him, "You're funny, you know that?" He clicked his teeth, "But you better learn some manners real quick son, because I've been known to have a temper."

The man laughed and then waved them off, "I was only laughing because I was wondering what tactic you were taking by bringing a woman in here to question me. Now I know why. She's the famous Lucy Heinrich." He smirked, looking her up and down and seeing if her appearance matched her reputation, "I am honoured to be in your presence."

Lucy's face fell again, "You know me but I'm afraid I don't know you. How's that possible?"

"My dear," He laughed, "Your work is famous amongst my inner circle. You must know that Heinrich Himmler especially is a fan of your work. In fact, I believe he even attempted to recruit you…After all, you are German." He cocked an eyebrow, looking her up and down.

Lucy's expression dropped again and she was sure that no one had ever known of what happened when a man had snuck into her tent while in Egypt and tried to get her to join their excavations for a large sum of money. "I see they were unsuccessful… Unless you are a spy. In which case, you are very convincing. And if you are not? Well then I am afraid you are a traitor and you will eventually get what is coming to you." Lucy scowled at his words, about to ask who the hell he was. When he cut her off, "We talk about you quite a bit in Berlin, Himmler and I. Unlike you and him I do not have a passion for history. But I do love spinning propaganda and seeing vermin be extinguished."

"That's a nice little story you got there." Dugan nodded, "Are you gonna get to the part where your daddy abandoned you and you mama never loved you and you didn't pop your cherry until you in your 40's? Or can we skip those parts and just get to the basics starting with — oh yeah! Your name, asshole! Before I blow your goddamn brains all over the nice leather interior of this Cadillac."

Lucy sighed as she realized who he was. "His name is Otto Sauer." It took her only a few moments to recognize him after he mentioned Hans Himmler.

"Very good. Perhaps you are just as clever as Himmler believed." He smirked at her. Lucy didn't know what sick game he was playing, but she wanted to find out. She hated how calm and brazenly confident he was. One would have thought that he was the one in control of the situation, not the other way around.

"Am I supposed to know who this is?" Dugan asked Lucy, looking over to her.

"This scum is Heinrich Himmler's right-hand man," Lucy had to explain, rolling her eyes. She sighed as she looked at him, "He's practically in charge of weaving together all those lies I talked about. Himmler gets the artifacts, and Otto here does his dirty work involving the propaganda." She clenched her fists together when she thought of the hate he spread and all the damage he had done. She felt her blood begin to boil, and she knew at that moment that the world would be a better place without him in it.

"No, no, no. Not lies." He shook his head and defended himself. "It is the truth. We the German people are the superior race. Surely, as a German you must know that, Doctor. After all, look at you… Practically perfection. If only you didn't have that less appealing colouring. You would be a vision with lighter hair and blue eyes." He smiled at her sickeningly. It was intended to be an insult, not a compliment.

"Well y'know what?" Dugan looked at her and looked back at Otto and then once again back at Lucy, "I happen to like her darker colouring, thank you very much. And I'd think these non-fascist American boys would agree. Hey, Buck?" Dugan yelled out the window of the car for dramatic effect.

"Yeah?" Lucy couldn't see Bucky, but she could tell from his voice that he was probably looking perplexed and wondering what Dugan wanted. Lucy couldn't help but smile as she heard his voice.

"Would you prefer Dr. Heinrich as she is or looking like a good German girl with blue eyes and blonde hair?"

"I like her how she is. It's real American." He must have heard the conversation that they had, and Lucy had to stop herself from chuckling.

"You're goddamn right it is." Dugan looked back at Wolfgang and said deathly serious, "And if you ever try to hint of this true-blooded American woman being a spy again, I'll rip that tongue right out of your mouth."

The man chuckled, "I like how you stand up for her. It is admirable. But unfortunately, useless. She will see who is the losing side and who is the winning one, and it will all change."

"Wanna put some money on that?" Lucy's jaw clenched again as she asked him.

He only pursed his lips together and smirked, "You will see. There is something that we have that you will want."

Lucy looked to Dugan who met her gaze. She knew that he was thinking the same thing as her. She wondered if they had the Tesseract, "So," She leaned back in her seat, "What I want to know is why the hell you're in the middle of fucking nowhere in Norway and not in your precious Berlin."

He cocked his head, "Are all women in America as crass as you?" Otto asked curiously.

"No," Lucy smiled, "I'm one of a kind. Now answer the question," She demanded.

"Or we're gonna start going through each of your men and offing them one by one until someone speaks up. And we'll be starting with you." Dugan threatened, cracking his knuckles menacingly as a threat.

The man only smiled and looked to Lucy, "I am surprised you did not receive an invitation, Doctor. After all, I'm sure it was sent. The host is also rather a large fan of yours."

"Invitation to what?"

"Sigegarsson Castle. Johann Schmidt hosting an auction of rare artifacts. And he's providing a demonstration of some type for a new project he's been working on."

"Am I supposed to know who Johann Schmidt is?" Dum Dum asked her, "He an S.S.?"

Lucy pursed her lips. She had heard of Johann Schmidt during her days as a professor in Paris. She had read some of his articles and heard only rumours of his radicalism and the madness he spread. He was one of the main perpetrators for finding cultivating artifacts and trying to find their power. He hired dozens of pseudo archaeologists, and even attempted to have one meet up with Daniel on a particular topic.

Daniel, of course, refused to meet with the shunned archaeologist, hearing rumours that he was contracted in my Schmidt. Lucy didn't know much about his work, but she did know that Colonel Phillips has mentioned him being the head of a different Nazi regime called HYDRA.

"He's a radical collector." Was the best Lucy could simply explain, "I've read his work before but he was ostracized from the community for taking more a pseudo and supernatural approach rather than scientific. He's practically a mad man, and he's head of a new Nazi organization."

"Sounds like a real swell guy," Dugan's eyebrows raised as he spoke sarcastically.

"And you were invited to an auction that he's hosting?"

"Himmler was, as was the Führer. However, they are both remarkably busy men and they sent me in their stead to report back on the new project Schmidt has birthed."

Lucy shook her head, wondering what the new project could be and what evil it would introduce to them.

She didn't even notice how as she turned to Dugan, preparing to say something, her Star of David necklace emerged from the place in which it rested between her breasts.

Otto's eyes caught on it. A smile spread across his face "Oh! I now see why you chose to betray your country." He chuckled deeply, thinking he had the upper hand and his next sentence was witty. He leaned forward, an evil glint in his eye, "You lie with dogs."

Lucy's eyes flashed up, "Pardon me?" She wondered what the hell he was implying. Anger began to rise in her, and Lucy could feel her fist clenched tightly.

"That necklace around your neck. You taint your precious German bloodlines by wearing it and you spit on the graves of your ancestors. Whose was it? A lover's? You are a whore who prefers the company of vermin than her own kind." He was trying to get under her skin.

"And you're a fucking asshole who's going to hell." She leaned forward, anger coursing through her veins. She bit her cheek so hard she could take the iron flavour of blood burst in her mouth.

"I would rather be that than Jewish filth." He spat, sneering with disgust at her. He looked at Lucy suddenly like she was nothing more than a diseased creature. His disdain dripped from his voice, reflecting the deep hate in his heart.

That did it. Rage appeared in Lucy's eyes. She looked at him with her jaw clenched, "Say that again," She growled through gritted teeth.

The man had a sickening smirk on his face. He leaned in, saying sickeningly slowly "Jewish… Flit—," He didn't get to finish. Lucy's fist shot out and a sickening crunch could be heard. The man yelled in agony, blood gushing from his nose. His hands went to stop the flood of red flowing down, and Lucy hissed from the pain in her knuckles.

"You cunt!" He screamed, "You broke my nose!" His voice was muffled by his attempt to stop the blood that was now gushing out of his nostrils.

"Be grateful it was only a fist and not a bullet!" She snarled as Dugan pulled her back.

"Alright, alright tiger, take it easy!" Dugan coaxed her, urging her to calm down, "Take a breather, I'll finish up with this scum bag."

Lucy huffed, filled with pride at the satisfying sight of blood pouring out of the man's face before she exited the car.

She slammed the door, her anger obvious and apparent. Bucky stood with Gabe Jones, looking at what had just happened. He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he stood there casually while all the other Germans were tied up behind them on the ground.

Lucy shook her fist out feeling its sting from the punch. She felt anger still coursing through her body, and she looked down at her bruised knuckle and bloody palm from where she cut it earlier.

Bucky taped the end of his cigarette and walked over to her with a concerned look on his face after seeing her shaking her knuckles like that.

He had heard the conversation that had been going on in the car but he didn't want to bring it up. She was upset, but Bucky didn't want to focus on that. Instead, he wanted to make her feel better and get her mind off the hurtful things that had been said.

"Where'd you learn how to hit like that, doll? You've got a mean right hook." Bucky laughed, thinking back to their conversation one summer night, "You training to be a boxer or somethin'?" He remembered saying the same thing to her after she had playfully punched him the first night that they had met in Brooklyn.

Upon remembering, immediately a small smile graced Lucy's face. Bucky was pleased to know that he had succeeded in getting her mind off of what had just happened. "Oh, these guys?" Lucy smirked as she held her fists up, "Nah, they're not for boxing. They're for kicking some Nazi ass." She blew on them like they were smoking guns and Bucky chuckled as he came up to her,

"Atta girl," He winked at her and then took her hand in his own, he noticed how her fist was bruised and her palm was bloodied. He flicked his cigarette away and looked at both her hands. He sighed, "Come on," He brought her over to a log not that far off the road, "Let's get you fixed up."

They walked close to one another, and no one in their team paid them any mind as they drifted away from the group. Lucy was shaken up from what happened, although she was trying not to show it. Bucky was attempting to comfort her the best he could, although he wasn't sure how successful he was. All he knew was that she likely needed a friend at that moment.

Lucy plopped herself down on the log, looking distracted;y at the car Dugan was still sitting in. She drained her neck trying to get a good look as she was wondering what he was asking Otto.

"Alright, let's assess the damage," Bucky said heavily, looking at the purple bruising that was already beginning to form on the bones of her knuckles.

Lucy shook her head, trying to make light of the situation, "Really, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that badly."

"Of course you're fine. But, that's a nasty cut. And I'd hate for it to get infected and then you lose that pretty hand of yours."

Lucy only sighed and then extended her hand, Bucky took out an alcohol rub from his bag, "I don't think they're that pretty," She looked down at her small fingers.

"Are you kidding?" Bucky laughed, holding them up, "They're tiny and elegant. They'd look good gripping a paintbrush." He tried not to imagine how they would feel running through his hair. He recalled how her graceful hands the night prior had rested on the skin of his stomach and how it had caused dirty thoughts to form in his head. He wanted to know what they felt like as they clawed into shoulders, or how exactly they would look while gripping his cock.

Bucky's stomach flipped as he thought about it. Once again, he felt shame and disgust for thinking about her in such a sexual nature. But he couldn't help it. He wanted the whole deal with her. He wanted to see Lucy cooking breakfast in the morning in a nightgown and curling rolls in her hair, her sleepy eyes having bags under them and yawning.

He wanted to see her stark naked and moaning for him. Her mouth peppering kisses down his neck and her tongue darting out to lightly grace his skin. Her back arching under him, desperate to be consumed by him.

He wanted to see her crying as she read a sad book, or see the way she looked as she was ready to go out into the city on a Friday night with her girl friends.

Bucky just wanted her. Emotionally and physically, and it was driving him insane. He more than liked her at that point, and each minute he spent with Lucy, his feelings grew deeper and deeper.

"I can't paint to save my life," She scoffed, rolling her eyes as Bucky opened the alcohol. "I always wished that I could but unfortunately I could only study art, not practice it."

"This is going to sting a bit," Bucky felt a twinge in his stomach as he thought about consciously doing something to hurt her. He poured a little into her palm and Lucy shut her eyes and hissed with pain. Bucky applied quick pressure, hoping it would lessen the sting. He tried to distract her by continuing talking to her, "My best friend, Steve, was a really good painter. He used to teach classes. Maybe uhh… " Bucky scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Maybe when we get back home you could swing by Brooklyn and he could give you some lessons?"

Lucy smiled as Bucky pulled some gauze out of his bag and began unwrapping it, "I'd really like that," his words echoed in her head again and suddenly her face dropped as she realized something, "Wait a minute. Steve is your best friend? That was the name you gave me when we first met!"

Bucky shrugged, "Yeah, but you told me your name was Emma, so...Can't fault me for using a fake name there, sweetheart."

Lucy thought back to when she and Mr. Lee had stopped at the Steel mill three days after she had met Bucky for the first time. They had been on their way to an antiquity auction with Howard Stark when there was a quick emergency and Mr. Lee had to make a quick appearance to smooth things over. It was then that Lucy had met a small man in an alley about to be beaten up and she had intervened.

"Is he a small blonde man? Who has a non threatening stature and sweet blue eyes?" She hadn't thought about the man in quite some time, but she knew he had been Bucky's friend.

Bucky frowned as she spoke, "I mean… I wouldn't describe them as 'sweet' blue eyes, but yeah. How did you know that?" He questioned. His mind went a million miles an hour as he wondered how she could have possibly known what Steve looked like.

Lucy said a little in disbelief, "I met him!"

"What?" Bucky frowned even more, "When? The night that we met?"

"No!" She laughed as Bucky began to gently wrap her hand in the gauze. He took his time so he wouldn't hurt her. "Three days after we met, Mr. Lee and I went to the steel mill to sort out a problem and I intervened before he could get beat up in an alleyway."

"Did he know who you were?" Bucky almost couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that she had been so close to him at that time and he had no idea. Let alone that Steve had talked to her and she had saved him from getting the daylight knocked out of him.

"I told him not to tell you who I was," Lucy sighed and looked down, ashamed.

Bucky couldn't be mad at her. But Steve was an entirely different story, "Christ," He shook his head in disbelief. They had been so close, and things could have turned out so different for them if Steve hadn't been so damn honourable and kept his promise to her. "That son of a bitch," Bucky shook his head again, "I'm gonna kick that kid's skinny punk ass so hard when I get back home."

Lucy laughed as he continued wrapping her hand. He gently held it as carefully like he was holding a wounded animal. "You can't blame him for something that I asked him to do."

"Oh, yes I can." Bucky disagreed, "And that kid is gonna get it big time the moment I get back. No sappy greeting, just a good punch in the face."

"Come on now," Lucy reasoned with him, "He's your best friend!" She hoped he wasn't too sore at him.

Bucky noticed the way she still had the blood smeared over her face and her chest. Although she looked as though she had just escaped near death, she was still beautiful, "I suppose I can't be too mad at him." Bucky agreed, and then reached down to get a cloth out of his bag after he finished wrapped Lucy's hand, "We ended up meeting eventually again anyway." Bucky began to take out his canteen and pour some water into the cloth to soak it. He rang it out so it was damp, and Lucy watched curiously as he did so.

"And he can't teach me how to paint if he's mad at me because I was the one who ratted him out to you." Lucy convincingly told him, "And then I'd have no reason to come to Brooklyn." She had an unmistakable troublesome glimmer flickering in her dark eyes.

"No reason, huh?" Bucky questioned with a raised eyebrow as he gestured to her to come forward. Lucy realized what he was doing, and a pit formed in her stomach as she realized how he was taking care of her so gently.

Her heart fluttered as he began to wipe the blood off her face. It was something she could have easily done herself, but he did it instead. The act, although innocent, was all forms of intimate. Lucy couldn't help but look up into his steel-blue eyes as he softly trailed the cloth down her cheek, staining it pink. "Not even to see little old me?"

Lucy smirked, her heart fluttering ever so slightly and her blood rushing to her face and creating a soft flush. He made her so nervous and she didn't even know why that was. Around him she felt all sorts of things, and every time he dragged the cloth down her skin it felt as though she was burning, "Why? You going to make it worth my while?"

"Oh, pige." He let out a low chuckle, his voice getting deeper and making heat pool between her legs, "I'd definitely make it worth your while." The way he used the nickname he created specifically reserved for her made Lucy want to do nothing more than to pull him down by his jacket collar and slam her mouth against his. Her belly ached with a need for him, and Lucy almost shuttered from her wanton desire.

"You gonna enlighten me on that, soldier?" She flirted back, biting her lip, causing Bucky's eyes to drift downwards towards them.

"Nuh-uh, doll. You're gonna have to agree first to go on a date with me before I tell you what I'd have planned."

Lucy couldn't believe it. Her heart pounded hard in her chest and her mouth opened and closed in shock as she realized what he had said. Bucky Barnes actually asked her out on a date and she was speechless.

She could almost picture Elsa squealing at the top of her lungs and jumping around in excitement. Hell, Lucy had to stop herself from doing that exact thing.

He made her feel like a schoolgirl with a crush, and Lucy was suddenly disbelieving that he would even consider going out with her.

"You have yourself a deal. But," She emphasized, "If I don't like what you're thinking I'm gonna back out." Lucy warned, giving him a wink, "So it best be better than going out to dinner and dancing."

"Oh, it's dinner and dancing. But," Bucky stopped her protest by holding out his finger, "Because I like you, you get the one of a kind Bucky Barnes experience." Lucy tried to ignore the fact he just admitted to liking her.

"Oh? Which is what?"

Bucky smiled before licking his lips. Lucy's eyes fell on the way it darted out ever so quickly, a simple act of moistening them. She wondered what it would feel like sliding into her mouth. Shifting uncomfortably, she tried to keep her thoughts off of how sexually appealing she found him and listened.

"So picture this," Bucky began, his hands still idly working to get the blood of her face, "It's summer in New York, like the night we first met. I'm wearing a suit, and you're wearing that pretty red dress like you were back then. Red lipstick, curls in your hair, the whole shebang. I show up in a rented car and come knock on your door. You think that we're heading to a restaurant, y'know cause that's what most fellas' you've gone out with have done. But, the Bucky Barnes experience is different. We go to the marina, where there's a sailboat waiting for us. It has little lights decorating it, and a stereo playing Margaret Whiting." Lucy's heart raced as she listened to him. Her chest was swelled with emotion, and she couldn't help but picture another life in which they were able to do exactly what he was describing.

"Sounds like you're quite the romantic, Barnes. It's a shock no dames have stuck around." Lucy smirked. She used his last name, because saying his first name felt too intimate at that moment. His fingers gently wiped the dry blood off her cheek, allowing the pink of her blush to show through.

"Maybe I just hadn't found the right partner yet." Bucky retorted, sounding like Steve for a moment. He couldn't believe what a sap he was turning into. But for some reason, Bucky didn't mind. "That's not all though." He continued, "There's a table with dinner already set up for us. It's filled with fancy silver trays and candlelight making everything look good. We lift off the trays, and you might think it's something like caviar or… I don't know. Whatever fancy people eat. But it's Don's pizza, from the best pizza place in Brooklyn." Lucy began laughing, "And then we have a captain take us around the Statue of Liberty after we finish. And then we dance, and it's just the two of us." Bucky couldn't believe the lengths he would go for that woman. Never before did he think he would pull off a scheme like that. He was never one to try hard on dates, but for Lucy, he would go the extra mile.

Lucy couldn't help but smile. She tried not to show her happiness too much though, and instead forced herself to tease him, "Meh, I've been on better dates." She shrugged.

"Oh, right. Like being taken up in an airplane?" Bucky teased, remembering what she said about it being awful. "But that's not all. I didn't tell you about the end of the night. And how we go to a little diner in my neighbourhood. We get milkshakes and race to see who can finish it the fastest. We both get brain freezes," Lucy laughed as he spoke, Bucky gently continued rubbing the blood off her face. He was going to stop describing the date at a point but he couldn't help himself from continuing as his gentle touch went over her lips.

Bucky became transfixed on the soft pink of her mouth. Her lips were the most goddamn appealing thing he had ever seen. All he wanted to do was take her pouty bottom lip and bite it ever so slightly, capturing it in his teeth while hearing her gasp.

"Then I drop you back off at your place." Bucky's eyes still couldn't look away from her lips, "I walk you to the door. And I ask you if I can kiss you. Properly." His thumb gently brushed her lip and Lucy's breath hitched.

"I would say yes," She whispered meekly. Her stomach was doing flips and her panties were beginning to get slightly soaked. She pictured the mental image of Bucky's mouth hungrily capturing hers. She wondered if he would push her against the wall of her house, or sweetly hold her in his grasp as their mouths collided in a fit of passion.

"And then I would lean in," His thumb still lingered on her bottom lip, gently trailing along it. "And take that lip in mine and show you how a real, proper first kiss is supposed to be. Slow, heated, teasing and torturing. I'd pull away, and then tell you goodnight as I walked back. Smilin' because I'd be thinking about that kiss all damn night." The way he spoke drove a knife of need into Lucy's belly. The implications of his words left her almost a stuttering mess. She had to control her breathing and keep herself from jumping him at that moment. All she wanted was to feel his body against hers and have him completely ravish her.

"Do you do that for all your dates?" Lucy whispered, not tearing her eyes away from his for even a single moment. She felt her breathing become more sporadic, and she wanted nothing more in the world than to press her lips against the perfect, soft pink of his.

"No, pigeon. Just you." He said with a smile and then pulled his thumb away from her mouth.

Lucy was about to say something, anything if she could muster it. Her mouth opened to say his name and tell him she wanted more than anything in the whole world when the irritating voice of Gilbert Whiney called out.

"Could you two for just five minutes maybe quit fondling each other and dry humping long enough to help us out with this?" Whitney screeched, looking bitter and resentful.

Bucky let out an annoyed breath, trying not to snap at the man. He looked at Lucy and gave her a brief and small smile, "Let's go."

Lucy stood up and walked over to the car with Bucky. Her legs were slightly shaky from the sensual moment she had just experienced. She noticed how Dum Dum was now standing outside the car.

She gave him a curious-looking, wondering what other information he gathered from their friend.

Dugan sighed as they approached, "Tønsberg is about a forty-five-minute drive from here still. I say a team of us goes there while the others stay hidden here with the prisoners. We tie good old Otto up and throw him in the back of the trunk in case we need to question him further. If things go south, at least then we have some people still here that can help us out if the going gets tough." He looked to Lucy as he spoke since it was her mission and she was the highest-ranking among them.

She nodded, "Good idea. If we're not back in two days then something's happened."

"I couldn't get him to squeal on whether or not they had the Tesseract. The moron didn't even seem to know what it was," Dugan scowled.

Lucy said nothing. She knew that even if he did know anything about it, Otto wouldn't reveal any information. Lucy could only look at the car and focus on the task again. She noticed how it could only seat five. "Who's coming with us?"

"I was thinking Sarg, Jones, and Miller could come."

Whitney let out a laugh and throw his head back, "If you're going in, don't you think someone with a wider range of skill sets should be there? I'll go and Miller stays."

Dugan looked to Bucky. As much as he hated him and his jaw clenched while he thought of it, Bucky knew Whitney was one of the better men that they had. He let out a nod, and Whitney had a twisted grin appear on his face.

"Alright then," Lucy sighed and then looked to the Germans who were tied up and suddenly got an idea, "Off to Tønsberg we go."


Stealing the uniforms from their German prisoners was one of Lucy's better ideas. While Bucky, Gabe, And Gilbert all sat in the back seats of the stolen car, Dum Dum and Lucy were in the front.

Dum Dum donned the clothing of Otto, who was tied up in the trunk in nothing but his britches and socks. Lucy took the smaller German's uniform and tucked her hair into his hat. Of course, she still looked unbelievably feminine. Something that Whitney pointed out, saying there was no way people wouldn't notice she was a woman. But at least Lucy blended in a little more.

Bucky also wore a uniform, his clothing in the back alongside the others. The grey outfits looked foreign and strange on the three of them, but it didn't matter.

All that mattered to Lucy as they arrived in front of the building that used to be the place of worship for those who followed the Cult of Odin.

Lucy's breath hitched as she saw the walls of it caved in. The town of Tønsberg was in rubble. People were on the streets, faces dirty and clothes torn. Their dirt-covered faces had stains where their tears flowed, and they attempted to clean the streets where the most damage was done.

They looked at their vehicle with disdain, and Lucy found herself near to tears while observing their suffering.

"How could anyone do this to someone else?" She whispered, looking on as people pulled bodies from the wreckage.

No one could say anything to Lucy. But she could feel Bucky's eyes looking at her. She hoped he was thinking about comforting her, their eyes met as Lucy looked back. She knew Bucky would make no moves to assure her that everything would be fine. Especially since they were in front of everyone else.

Much to Lucy's shock. He reached forward, and gently touched her arm, giving her a light squeeze. It was simple, but the gesture made her heart flutter all the more and she had never been so happy that he had come on the mission with them.

He looked at Lucy with sympathy and pursed his lips. Lucy had to tear herself away from him, looking around once again to blink the tears away that were welling in her eyes.

Dum Dum parked the car in front of the temple. Lucy looked at it as worry settled over her. She inhaled a sharp breath and undid her seat belt as she stared at the mess which the Nazis made.

"I don't like the look of this," Dum Dum eerily stated.

Lucy couldn't say anything. She just recited a silent prayer in her head and hoped that the Tesseract was still there.

Dum Dum, Lucy, and Bucky got out of the car. In their disguises they walked up to the entrance, Lucy swallows a thick lump forming in her throat due to her nerves.

Since Whitney and Gabe didn't have disguises they stayed in the car. They had to make sure their friend in the trunk also stayed silent. It would look remarkably suspicious if someone started yelling and banging around in the back of the trunk.

Bucky and Dum Dum tried to look as unsuspecting as possible, so they left their guns behind as well. They were only armed with pistols and knives; Lucy's weapon heavy on the holster of her hip.

As they entered the temple, Lucy's breath hitched. The destruction on the inside was worse than she could have predicted, and immediately as soon as they walked in, a few men in robes were frozen in fear.

"Don't be afraid," Lucy told them, looking at how their eyes flashed to each of them. She hoped they spoke either German, English, or French since she didn't speak Norwegian.

Bucky's hand was on the handle of his pistol, ready to grab it if the occasion called for it. His eyes glanced around the room to determine if there were any threats. He remained on alert as Lucy approached the robed monks who stared at her with shaky expressions.

"We're not going to hurt you," Lucy coaxed them, an older man approaching after seeing she wasn't a woman and hearing her American accent.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked in broken Enligh, looking around at Lucy's accomplices, "You are not one of them, are you?"

She pursed her lips and looked forward, her feet carrying her to the crypt that was broken open in the center of the room. The monks looked on curiously. Lucy's heart pounded as she looked down, and saw an aged corpse of a crusader.

"You're right, we're not the bad guys." She stated as she looked down at the inscription of the shield. she scoffed, realizing that the body was a decoy that intended to imitate the hiding place of the Tesseract.

However, it wasn't fooling anyone; especially Lucy. She looked at it and then turned to the other men, who stared curiously at her, "We're looking for something."

Her eyes caught on Yggdrasill, the tree of life. In the wall depiction, the bark almost looked as though it was moving. She walked forward, her eyes were drawn into the sight of the beautiful relief.

"What you seek is no longer here." The man said with a shaky voice.

"What do you mean?" Bucky asked quickly. Lucy's eyes shot to the man, wondering if there was any chance the monk was lying.

His defeated expression stated he was telling the truth, "They took it. And then destroyed the temple, the building, and murdered some of our own."

Lucy was skeptical. She looked at the man and then asked, "Why should we believe you?"

The man with a broken expression only sighed. He approached Lucy, Bucky was suddenly even in higher alert as the strange men went forward.

The man walked past her to the tree of Yggdrasil and then went to the snake at the base of it. Lucy watched curiously as the man pushed its eye which ended up being a button.

The tree opened to reveal a hidden compartment. It was empty, much to her disappointment and Lucy felt her heart her crushed. With a shaky breath, realizing her mission was a failure, Lucy turned to Bucky.

He looked at her with a concerned expression. She again felt herself well up from tears, but that time is was from anger.

"They have to be stopped," The man explained to her. Lucy's eyes shifted back to him, trying not to scream in frustration or rip her hair out. She couldn't believe her mission had failed. She was so sure that she would have found the Tesseract before they did, but clearly, she was wrong. "The destruction it could bring can wipe out nearly all of humanity. It was made by the gods, it is not from our world." The man stated darkly.

"How is that possible?" Lucy questioned quietly, worry only sinking further into her gut.

The man shrugged, "It is not for us to question why things are the way they are. But we must protect the innocent. As it is now yours. You may not believe the stories of its power, but do you want to risk it if it's true?"

Lucy knew the answer. She knew she couldn't just stand by and let those bastards have the Tesseract. The risk was too great.

Bucky only sighed as Lucy tried to formulate a plan and determine what the next course of action was. "Looks like we're going after it," Was all Bucky could say. He knew that it was what she wanted to do, and they were running out of options.

Lucy nodded, and simply said, "Looks like it."


GAHHH. A mission INSIDE a mission? Where do I come up with these things? I gotta warn y'all for the next chapter. It is far, far too spicy (spicier than the one I just posted ? What?) and you're gonna all hate me for it (or love me?) Either way, I can't wait to share it with you. If this chapter gets a good reaction I'll update as soon as I can!

Review for sexy times! And follow and favourite to get the update of when those sexy times are released ;)

Thank you,

-A