𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓷𝓲𝓪𝓬 ❖ 𝓫. 𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓼

C H A P T E R (43) - C R I M I N A L

Steve and Cassie had gotten a flight to Bucharest as quickly as they could, and Cassie had been re-introduced to Sam who she hadn't seen in a while. It was nice to see another familiar face after being away from him and Steve for so long. A nudge in Cassie's side was what pulled her from her ongoing thoughts.

"You ready for this?" Steve asked.

The pair had talked and decided Steve was going in first, and if he needed any help, that's when Cassie would come in. She readied herself and took a deep breath, knowing all she had to do was standby. It was a role she appreciated in the situation, she was trying to help a man she wasn't sure even recognised her. But she hoped with all her heart that he did.

"I don't think I'll ever be." She said, but nodded a second after.

Steve took this as his signal and entered the building the trio had been parked outside. It looked slightly run down, but it was where Bucky was allegedly living.

Sam put on his suit and gave Cassie a nod as he flew away, whereas she decided to enter the building opposite where Steve had entered. She monitored the situation through the window of the building she was in, watching Steve through the window of his. He acknowledged her slightly as he began flicking through the pages of a book, a man entering behind him unnoticed. Cassie tried to signal to him, but his nose was too deep in the book to get his attention.

"Steve, German Special Forces are approaching from the south." Sam's voice sounded over the radio.

Steve took no notice of Sam's warning as he finally realised Bucky was stood behind him and the pair conversed, leaving Cassie watching on helplessly.

"Cassie, they're on the roof, I'm compromised. Beat some sense into your brother for me, will you?"

"Will do." Cassie replied, taking a few steps back from the window before throwing herself through it. She smashed through the window in the other building and landed on the hard floor surrounded by glass. With a small groan, she got on her feet and looked between Steve and Bucky who looked at her in bewilderment.

She tried to ignore Bucky, not that she wanted to show any hatred, but she couldn't look at him. She hadn't seen him in too long to just say 'hello' and that's it, and with German forces on their way, now wasn't a perfect time for a reunion.

"You were ignoring Sam, we haven't got much time left." Cassie said with her eyes glued on her brother.

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve assured, ignoring her.

"It always ends in a fight." Bucky answered with a sigh. It was the first time Cassie had heard his voice properly in many years, and she couldn't help the sadness that pained her heart.

"Bucky." She sounded, their eyes finally connecting. There was a hint of recognition on his eyes before it was gone again as he tore his gaze away from her and to a grenade that had been thrown through the window. Cassie reacted quickly, picking it up and launching it back out the smashed glass.

"I don't appreciate people trying to blow me up!" She shouted as it exploded outside, causing her to flinch.

"Did she just pick up a grenade with her hands?" Bucky mumbled to Steve at his side, causing him to nod.

"She says it a bad habit."

"Right."

A few seconds later, the door came flying off of its hinges and many German officers came pooling into the apartment.

"You aren't meant to be here, Cass!" Steve yelled over the noise of pounding bullets against his shield.

"And you were meant to listen to Sam, and look where that got us because you didn't-" she was cut off as she ducked a punch from an officer, "-listen."

Sooner than she could even understand, Bucky had snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to the floor with him, covering them with a mattress to avoid incoming gunfire. No words could leave her mouth as she realised she was laying on his chest, memories and a sense of nostalgia running back to the pair of them.

The moment was over as quickly as it had begun as Bucky shoved her off, and it was only as she looked up that she realised he had done it to move her out of the way of another officer. He was protecting her constantly, putting himself in the line of fire instead of her. Did that mean he remembered?

Steve helped her to her feet and covered them with his shield to avoid more bullets before pushing her to the window.

"Sam, Cassie's going to jump. Catch her for me."

"Cassie's going to what?" She sounded, gripping the window pane that was still littered with broken glass. She pulled her hand back quickly as it ran over a sharp piece, imprinting a small slice in her hand. She watched as the warm blood dripped down and off the tips of her fingers, frozen as she didn't know what to do.

A warm hand gripped hers, followed by a piece of fabric being wrapped around the cut. She followed the arm and saw Bucky attending to the hand she had injured, eyes glued onto the wound. As soon as he was finished, he looked deep into her eyes, but didn't have a chance to say anything before more officers stormed into the apartment. They drew his attention away as he began fighting them, Steve at his side as Cassie hauled herself out the window.

"For your sake, Sam, I'm praying you catch me."

Sam swooped down and grabbed her, pulling her close to his warmth.

"Trust me, I was too."

He carried her as they noticed Bucky and Steve running along a road, Cassie releasing a sigh at the mess they had made. Their plan was only to talk, but it had somehow ended in disaster as always. Disaster was unavoidable for them.

The pair watched as Bucky stole a motorbike, causing Cassie to turn her head away. It was just more illegal activity that they could pin on him.

The scene unfolding beneath Cassie and Sam was one of pure chaos; Bucky on the motorbike at the head of the chase, Steve not too far behind with another man Cassie didn't recognise, a Special Forces vehicle behind them and then Cassie and Sam somewhat next to the car.

As an explosion went off causing rubble to fall at the front, Sam gave Cassie a look that she returned, a look that meant 'Oh shit.'

They watched as Steve tried to swerve out of the way of the falling rubble as Sam managed to glide through it easily before a large rock hit one of his wings, sending them both to the ground.

Cassie groaned as she tried to pull herself up from the cement, blood dripping from her head and soaking through the fabric on her hand. Just as she got to her feet, she was met with Rhodes who held a weapon pointed at her and Steve's face, who had just caught up.

"Congratulations, cap. You're a criminal." Rhodes spoke, then turning to Cassie, "You too Man-Eater."

If there was one thing she learned from her undesired name, it was that she could mess with the people who called her it.

"Meh, nothing new." She responded with a sigh.

"What?"

"What?"