Cosmic Love

Not Strong Enough

"So all this time you've been rich?" Sam questioned as the four of them approached a private jet.

"He's a prince." Maia stated. "Well, was a prince."

"I'm a Baron, Sam." Zemo replied. "My family was royalty until your friends destroyed my country."

"Hello, Oeznik." Zemo greeted his assistant in Russian.

"Welcome, gentlemen and lady." Oeznik replied, also speaking Russian.

"Old friend." Zemo gave the man a kiss on the cheek before they all walked onto jet.

"Oh my god, I've never been on a private jet." Maia muttered to Sam. "Well, I've stolen them but I don't feel like that counts."

"What about the quinjet?" Bucky questioned.

"That's still not the same." Maia sighed as she sat down, Oeznik handed her a carton of apple juice, she said thank you in russian. "The quinjet is very...bland and it doesn't come with a slightly scary looking old man who brings me drinks."

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"Apologies if that's a little warm, the fridge is out. But I will see if there is some good food in the galley." Oeznik said as he handed Zemo a glass of champagne.

Zemo replied in Sokovian, Maia wasn't completely fluent in the language but Wanda had taught her a little and she could make out Zemo saying, "If it doesn't pass the smell test, give it to them."

"I couldn't care less about a smell test, Oeznik I'll be happy with anything." She said, also speaking in Sokovian, catching Zemo off guard slightly.

Sam and Bucky glared at her and she furrowed her brows. "I'm making the most of it." She defended. Bucky knew that if she was in the right state of mind that there was not a chance in hell she would accept anything from Zemo or Oeznik.

"It's good to have you back, sir." Oeznik smile before waddling away.

"You don't know what it's like to be locked in a cell." Zemo stated, a slight sarcasm in his voice, before turning to Sam. "Oh, right, you do."

"Why don't you tell us about where we're going?" Sam suggested, clearly already sick of Zemo.

"I'm sorry." Zemo apologised, opening his book. "I was just fascinated by this. I don't know what to call it, but this part seems to be important. Who is Nakajima and Nadia Pavlov?"

Suddenly, Bucky shot up from his seat and wrapped his hand around Zemo's throat. It took a couple seconds for Maia to process what she heard, Nadia Pavlov was her mother. Why would Bucky have her name written down in his book? But, despite the undying curiosity, Maia decided to ask him about it later.

"If you touch that again, I'll kill you." Bucky threatened as fear filled Zemo's eyes.

"I'm sorry." Zemo apologised again as Bucky sat back down. "I understand that list of names. People you've wronged as the Winter Soldier."

"Don't push it." Bucky warned, Sam's gaze was focused on Maia the entire time. He saw her face change when Nadia was mentioned, what was she and Bucky hiding from him?

"I've seen that book." Sam broke the awkward silence. "It was Steve's when he came out of the ice. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book. Did you hear it? What'd you think?"

"I like '40s music, so..." Bucky trailed off.

"You didn't like it?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"I liked it." Bucky shrugged.

"It is a masterpiece, James. Complete Comprehensive. It captures the Africa-American experience." Zemo chimed in.

"He's out of line, but he's right." Sam immediately agreed. "It's great. Everybody loves Marvin Gaye."

"I like Marvin Gaye." Bucky assured both men.

"Steve adored Marvin Gaye." Sam stated.

"They are two different people." Maia muttered to herself as James rolled his eyes.

"You must have really looked up to Steve. But I realised something when I met him." Zemo said making Maia clench her fists. "The danger with people like him, America's Super Soldiers, is that we put them on pedestals."

"Watch your step, Zemo." Sam warned, seeing the murderous glare in Maia's eyes.

"They become symbols. Icons." Zemo continued, ignoring Sam. "And then we start to forget about their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought. You remember that, right? As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?" Zemo shook his head. "That is why we're going to Madripoor."

Maia sighed and looked over to a Bucky who had the same knowing look on his face. "What's up with Maripoor? You all talk about it like it's Skull Island." Sam asked.

"It's an island nation in the Indonesian archipelago. It was a pirate sanctuary back in the 1800s." Maia answered.

"It's kept its lawless ways." Zemo added. "But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone. Maiabelle, you will be someone we all know isn't gone, the Winter Widow."

Bucky glared at Zemo while Maia scoffed. "I've never claimed to be someone other than the Winter Widow. Me and her are one."

I/N I'm aware this is a short chapter but honestly idc

And there probably won't be an update tomorrow bc I have a MRI scan and god cursed me with generalised anxiety disorder 😃