INNER DEMONS ▹ B. BARNES [slow updates]

ten.

John Walker couldn't stop fidgeting and pacing around. Lorna didn't know someone could be so annoying without even opening their mouth, but the man in the suit was there to prove it wrong.

"Uh-uh. No, no, no. This is a bad idea," John muttered to himself.

"It hasn't been ten minutes, John." Bucky pointed out. "Just sit tight."

"Don't do that. Don't patronize me."

"He knows what he's doing."

"I'm going in," the one who thought to be the new Captain America decided, causing Lorna and Zemo to exchange a look. John strode towards the door from where Sam went through to reach Karli, but Bucky got in his way. "This is all really easy for you, isn't it? All that serum running through your veins." Jealousy bled out from his mouth. "Barnes, your partner needs backup in there. Do you really want his blood on your hands?"

One should never underestimate how much a man with too much testosterone who had to prove his masculinity and dominance could be persistent when he wanted something. Eventually, John managed to pass through Bucky, who chased the man alongside his partner Lemar. Not only was John an impatient man, but also someone who couldn't keep his word. How surprising.

"He has a way to get under your skin," Zemo commented.

"Like an itch," she agreed. Lorna looked down at the cuff on her wrist. In a blink of an eye, it fell off. She did the same to Zemo, who nodded in gratitude. "I probably shouldn't have done that," she observed. "But I kinda like you too."

"No one will hear a word from me," Zemo swore to secrecy, massaging his sore wrist.

"I only did that because the one who handcuffed you was John," she clarified.

"I cannot say it surprises me."

She shrugged before proceeding to where she could sense Bucky's Vibranium arm. The young Sokovian tried to locate herself in the maze that was the building, having already deduced that Bucky chased after Karli. She found him and Sam in a room where John Walker stood next to an unconscious Zemo.

"How did you get out from the cuffs?" Sam inquired.

"If you believe that thing would contain me, then you're as stupid as the one who put me on them."

The Black hero adopted an offended look.

🐺

Back at Helmut's Latvian Residence, the criminal mastermind rested on the couch after getting knocked out by the Vibranium shield. He had a cold towel covering his eyes as Sam worked on his laptop from the table. Lorna occupied the other couch.

"Were you ever offered it?" The nobleman suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"What?" Sam turned his head to face the other man.

"The serum."

"No."

"If you had been - hypothetically, that is - would you have taken it?"

"No."

Lorna smiled.

"No hesitation. That's impressive." He took the blue towel from his face. "Sam, you can't hold out hope for Karli. No matter what you saw in her, she's gone. And we cannot allow her and her acolytes to become yet another faction of gods amongst real people. Super Soldiers cannot be allowed to exist."

"Isn't that how gods talk?" Sam rebutted. "And if that's how you feel, what about Bucky?" He paused before concluding. "Blood isn't always the solution."