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꧁꧂
IT HAD FELT like years of them just falling.
Maleficent watched as Steve fell beside her.
She never thought this would be the way she died. Maleficent always thought that she'd up getting blown up or shot to death.
But falling was the way she was going to go out.
It was peaceful.
The two collide with the water, sinking down below. The last thing she saw was a hand, a hand reaching for her.
Then it all went dark.
——————————————
Sputtering up water, Maleficent leans over on her side to bring oxygen into her lungs.
The Winter Soldier was right there with her, patting her back to help.
She looked around, spotting a lifeless looking Steve beside them.
"Is he alive?"
"Barely. He'll live." The Winter Soldier voices. "Are you okay?"
Maleficent looks at her wings, the drenched things laying on the ground. "I don't know."
She lifted her hand, barely touching a bleeding wound on his cheek. He leans in for a second before pulling away.
"We have to go. Someone will be here soon."
"We can't just leave him here!" Maleficent protests immediately.
She crawls over to Steve, checking him over real quick. He was, in fact, alive.
"We have to! Do you realize what has happened? We'll either be put in a prison, killed on sight, or used as dogs again if we stay here. So, we leave. Now."
The Winter Soldier picks up Maleficent, careful of her wings before leaving. "Hold on." She wiggles out of his arms, retracting her soaked wings.
It was painful. Irregularly so. Something was wrong.
After her transformation, she hooks her arm around the Winter Soldier, holding him close.
The two make their escape slowly, but it was done nevertheless.
They had made it to freedom, together.
——————————————
"Your arm." Maleficent comments as she notices him using it differently.
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Something's wrong with it." She rolls her eyes at him.
The two reformed assassins were staying at an abandoned building in New York City. It was only a few miles from the wreckage.
"Nah," the Winter Soldier waves off.
"Yes. Come here." Maleficent has to chase the Soldier several feet before grabbing him and setting him down. "Your shoulder is dislocated."
"I figured as much," he mutters.
"You have to tell me these things, Winter."
"Call me Bucky."
"What?" Maleficent is taken back by his words.
"Bucky. That's my name. Call me that."
"Okay. Then I guess the same for me. Charlie."
"Great. Now fix my arm." Bucky motions to his right arm.
Charlie smiles slightly. "This is going to hurt. You want me to count for you?"
Before he can respond, she popped his shoulder back into socket. Bucky holds in a shout through a closed mouth.
"That hurt."
"I told you it would."
Charlie brushes her hands together as if she had just done some hard work. "So, what's our next move?"
"We get away from here. My guess is a few people are going to be looking for us. We need to move far."
"State far or country far?"
"I was thinking Germany."
Charlie gives Bucky a deadpanned look. "You can't be serious."
"It be the place least expected," Bucky defends his previous statement.
"Fine. But only if I can pick exactly where. That's my condition."
"Condition? You don't get any conditions. You're stuck with me. Not sorry." Bucky turns his head, moving to the makeshift bed.
"We leave in the morning," Charlie confirms before going to her own pallet on the concrete ground.
"Good night, Charlie."
"Night, Buck."
It was only seconds before she spoke again.
"Hey, Bucky?"
"Yep?"
"Can we go to the Smithsonian before we leave?"
End of Part Five Charlie will return in Captain America: Civil War - J.S.
