Longing •Bucky Barnes•

57. One World, One People

"We saved the civilians, but Karli made a run for it. She's underground." Bucky said over the ear piece and I breathed a sigh of relief because I hadn't heard from him since he had left.

He sounded out of breathe and tired but god knows what had just happened. I was very calm for the moment but due to my situation I couldn't afford to be loud.

However, I had found a way to tap into the police walkie system and I've been able to follow reports on her location. It was one of many things Tony had taught me that had come in handy many times before today. I had been able to follow her positioning the instant she had been spotted. I was in the same underground system she was in, but now it was just a matter of finding her.

"Yeah I know. I just cleared the south wing, there's at least 3 others down here." I said softly as I tried to stay quiet. "There's several tracks of feet."

"How'd you get down there so quick?" Sam asked me.

"You guys are just slow." I said and I could just tell they were rolling their eyes.

I heard a faint whistle in the distance and I had recognized it as one that Karli often used. I suppose it was some sort of signal and she was trying to reconnect with her people. I turned towards where the noise had come from and I saw Sharon. I didn't understand why she was down here too but clearly she was up to something.

Her eyes shot to me and she gestured for me to hide. I was next to a stack of shipping crates covered in tarp. I quickly ducked behind it just in time to see Karli enter the room.

"Drop your weapon Karli." Sharon said aiming her gun at her, she however only raised it higher. "I said drop it."

"I'm disappointed in you." Karli said and I was confused because as far as I'm concerned Sharon hadn't had an encounters with Karli, she had always worked in the shadows.

"That's what I was going to say." Sharon said calmly as she kept her gun pointed at her.

They held their guns for a long moment, but Sharon was the first to hold up her hand in surrender. She lowered her gun and stepped back and Karli eventually lowered hers but the tension in the room remained.

"You know when you came to Madripoor you reminded me of a young me. I took you in, gave you an opportunity and you betrayed me." Sharon said walking to the side and eying me quickly.

"Because you wanted to control the world that hurt you. I wanted to change it. I'm not interested in power or an empire. I have bigger dreams." Karli said stilling standing uncomfortably.

"What like this? Come back and work for me again. All of you. We can make a difference together." She asked and I was insanely confused. Sharon never once mentioned Karli working for her.

"You just want me because you need your muscle back. Without us super soldiers, how much power does the power broker really have?" She asked and it all made sense. Everything had made so much sense now.

"More than you." She shrugged.

"So you're the power broker?" A man came out from the shadows and I hadn't recognized him.

"You hired him to spy on me?" Karli asked once she saw the man now walking towards them.

"Karli you know I'm always prepared." Sharon said holding up her gun tightly again as tension grew in the room.

"Get out of my way." She said coldly.

"I'm done with these games." The man said and I could see Sharon was getting annoyed with him. "Now power broker you will pay me four times what you said you would or I'll tell the world who you are."