Red Star ✴️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

26: Operation Raft Raid (Part I)

The helicopter blades whizzed in the air above the Raft, causing the rain jacket of Thaddeus Ross to flap in the artificial wind. He held his hand to his brow, trying to shield his eyes as he oversaw the safe landing of the helicopter. Little did he know a second one was waiting on standby just beyond his sightlines.

Just as the helicopter was about to land, T'Challa turned to look at Bowman disguised as Helmut Zemo.

"Before we land, we should do this," he remarked, shifting in his seat. His hand fiddled with something in his pocket before holding up a set of handcuffs.

Bowman shot him a funny look.

"Don't worry, they are false ones." He remarked, showing how they came undone without a key. "You just have to pinch the cuff and it will release. It's just to keep up appearances. You are disguised as a prisoner."

She didn't have the heart to correct him on the 'disguised' part of his sentence.

Bowman sighed, turning her back to him and holding her wrists against her spine. "Just get it over with."

As T'Challa hooked the cuffs, Bucky laughed under his breath. "God, it's weird hearing your voice through his face."

She smiled back, scrunching her nose as she got a funny idea. In her worst Sokovian accent, she returned, "Doez zis make it betah to lizzen to?"

Bucky let out a true belly-aching laugh. "Maybe just don't speak."

"We're in airspace." Said the pilot over the intercom. Fifteen feet below them, one Thaddeus Ross held his finger to his ear before nodding.

"Clear to land."

The helicopter landed gracefully on the landing pad. The blades had only barely slowed when Bowman was wrenched from her seat by disguised guards Bucky and Steve. It was weird to be manhandled and just... Let it happen. It felt like she was going against her programming to not beat their asses to a pulp.

It was both freeing and unnerving.

Behind Zemo and his guards was T'Challa in royal dress and Shuri, who was disguised as a member of the Dora Milaje and personal guard to T'Challa. Instead of shaving her head, she simply used a bald cap. It was surprisingly convincing.

Thaddeus smiled, holding his hand out to shake T'Challa's. "Thank you for transporting him here. I promised President Ellis that I would be here personally to see Zemo locked away. We will be sure he never sees the light of day again."

"Good." was all T'Challa responded with.

The group entered the large trap door that led into the center circular chamber of the Raft. Once the door was closed, Thaddeus turned to speak to the group.

"These are agents Evans and Stan. They will guide you to Zemo's cell."

With that, the Secretary of State nodded, retreating down a separate hallway. Just before he could get too far, T'Challa grabbed his arm.

"Actually, Mr. Secretary..." T'Challa began, stopping the man out of curiosity. "... I was curious about discussing steps to further establish Wakanda's alliance with the United States. That is why I requested President Ellis send you."

"Oh! Well, of course!" Thaddeus stated, pleased. "Come with me, we can discuss that in the Hold."

T'Challa nodded, remembering how the security room was in one of the four hallways heading into the Hold. With luck, Shuri would be able to sneak off and disable the cameras. Shuri followed T'Challa to "protect her king" without a hint of suspicion.