The Tragedy of Living

05

BUCHAREST

Bucky was in civvies at a fruit store. Elsie stood next to him, looking around. He bought some plums and spoke in Romanian.

(assumed translation: How are they? Are they good? Give me six, thank you.)

In a black cap and casual jacket and a white shirt, jeans and a blue cap, Bucky and Elsie walked along, scanning around. Across the street, they spotted a twenty-something vender at a news-stand watching them, mainly focused on Bucky. Bucky glanced away, then looked back at the vender who was still watching him. The vender ran from his kiosk. Bucky went over and picked up a paper. On the front page there was surveillance-photos of a man and the headline: 'Winter Soldier cautat pentru Bombardmentul din Viena'. Bucky glanced around tensely.

Elsie met his eyes and said quietly, "We need to get back to the apartment. I told Steve you might be in trouble."

He nodded. "Yeah. Really?"

"He's a friend. He can help."

"You sure you didn't call him because you missed him?"

"Texted. That may have been part of it, but he's an Avenger. Pretty sure he can help you."

"Right. Sure he can."

"Bucky, stop."

---

In his dark blue armored suit with his shield on his arm, Steve was in a small apartment. He looked around. There was a mattress with disheveled covers and various bits of cheap looking furniture. The kitchen and bedroom were in the same room. Steve found a couple notebooks on top of the fridge. He picked it up and opened it. There were tabs of varying colors sticking out from amongst the pages.

Sam over the radio said, "Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south."

"Understood," Steve replied, turning back to the notebooks again. Bucky and Elsie were standing behind him.

Steve slowly turned to face them and asked, "Do you know me?"

Bucky stared at him as he replied, "You're Steve. Elsie and I read about you in a museum."

"They've set the perimeter," Sam warned.

"I know you're nervous. And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore. Nor does she."

"They're entering the building," Sam informed.

"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive."

"That's smart," Bucky said. "Good strategy."

"They're on the roof," Sam informed. "I'm compromised."

Armed cops ran upstairs.

Steve shook his head and said, "This doesn't have end in a fight, Buck."

Outside the door, a cop readied a battering ram.

"It always ends in a fight," Bucky and Elsie replied in a tired tone.

"Five seconds," Sam warned.

"You pulled me from the river. Why?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Bucky answered.

"Three seconds!" Sam cried.

"Yes, you do," Steve said.

"Breach! Breach! Breach!"