𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 | ʜᴇʟᴍᴜᴛ ᴢᴇᴍᴏ

𝟏𝟑 ᴇᴜᴘʜᴏʀɪᴀ

warning: mild sexual innuendo

outskirts of vatra dornei, romania

The small, mountainous town in northern Romania was breathtaking, and despite the mild calamity that lay softly in Kalina's gut, watching the city melt into trees and forest was calming, and reminded her of Sokovia. In fact, Vatra Dornei had once been part of the ghost nation. Romania quickly absorbed it as the Sokovian government fell, just as Ukraine consumed many of its territories in the aftermath of Novi Grad's destruction. There was nothing left of Sokovia aside from distant memories and quiet whispers of the past.

The citizens of Vatra Dornei had flown Sokovian flags for months after the nation officially disbanded, pledging their loyalty to the mother country. This was halted abruptly by Romanian militaries who threatened action against those that did not commit allegiance to the new sovereign, and every last Sokovian banner was torn from the city in a grand show of power. It was on that day that Sokovia was finally forgotten and only spoken of in hush, but every one of its citizens knew the truth.

Kalina stewed in her thoughts as the 1935 Dusenberg's engine hummed lightly around her, the cool spring air still nipping her nose in the breeze. The car hadn't been driven in decades and had sat in a storage facility nearby Vatra Dornei during Helmut's EKO Scorpion days. He hadn't visited the Zemo estate on the city's outskirts since long before leaving for the military. The Dusenberg had been his favorite classic car of their lot, and it still effortlessly cruised along the winding roads of Romania, leaving the little city in its dust.

It was strange to the woman, being in the country that she once called home and yet could no longer recognize. Vatra Dornei had been a childhood retreat for the Zemo family, near many slopes for skiing but with a warm, temperate climate in the summer. Still, Kalina had never been to the city. As Helmut grew into adulthood, his interests revolved more around his father's business underground, university, and the more adult-activities that Novi Grad and Riga had to offer. There had never been an occasion for the woman to visit, as Heinrich Zemo used it as a getaway location safe from prying eyes in the midst of his growing trade partnerships, during Helmut's later years.

Yet, Vatra Dornei still reminded the Baron of a time with little responsibility and blissful ignorance, as he sped unusually fast around the curves of the road. He enjoyed the power behind the engine of the Dusenberg, and knew that inevitably, it would soon be taken away from him. The Dora Milaje would come for him: they always did. When they did, he would be stripped of his freedom and subsequently stripped of Kalina once more, this time by no choice of his own. For the moment, he wanted to indulge in the freedom the countryside had to offer.

Taking his hand off the gear shift, he took Kalina's hand in his and pulled it to his lips, kissing her fingers lightly as he navigated the steering wheel with his other. As the wind sent her hair swirling, the woman smiled, content with this exact moment in time, refusing to speak of the future or the past. She was simply at peace for once in a long time, and soaked in as much of the sweet release as she could.