DIVINE RETRIBUTION │barnes ²

nineteen

Evgenia - if she remembered correctly, had never been to Vienna or Austria for the matter.  Normally, Hestia told her, there was not an excessive amount of civilians milling around the city in a sort of post-terrorist attack daze and the UN building was normally not on fire.

All five of them had changed out of the black attire on the jet. 

Sharon had ushered Hestia into a separate car as soon as the jet had landed on the private airstrip ('to stay with a family friend until this is all over or whatever,' Hestia had said to her right before) and then the older Carter sister led them to the carpark where a black SUV awaited them.

They're a few streets away from the building when Steve breaks the silence.

'I'm going to go make a call to Natasha. Sam and Ev, there's a cafe down the road, wait for me there.'

Zhenya sits up and leans onto the armrest between the front seats. 'No. I'm coming with you. I want to see her.'

'You're the daughter of the most wanted man right now. You're not going anywhere near that building right now.'

'What?' Her tone is filled with disbelief. 'Why would I know anything about the attack? Besides, he doesn't do that anymore. It wasn't him.'

The car pulls up to the entrance of the cafe and Uncle Sam opens the door.

'Steve,' she tries again.

'No, no,' the blonde shakes his head, 'I don't wanna hear it, go with Sam.'

Grumbling, Zhenya shuffles out of the car and shuts the car door with more force than necessary. 

She kicks a pebble down the path. Eyeing the hat and the pair of glasses that Sam holds in her hand, she asks, 'I suppose I have to make myself look a little less recognisable?' 

There's no answer. Instead, he hands her the poorly organised disguise and begins walking towards the cafe.

'Do something with your hair, tie it up and put them on,' he says, pushing his back against the glass door to allow Zhenya to enter the cafe.

She does as she's told, wrapping a hair band around her braids once to hold them up and pushes the bucket hat onto her head firmly. The glasses feel strange and she feels the urge get them off her face but resists.

Sam leads her to the counter and places an order for cake and two drinks before moving away from the cash register. The drinks arrive a few minutes after and Zhenya notices the waitress stare at the sunglasses for an uncomfortably long time.

'He has a black eye,' she blurts out in a fake English accent.

The woman raises her eyebrows and gives a polite smile before walking off.

Sam hisses at her, 'Why'd you have to say that?'

'She was staring at you and it was uncomfortable.'

'Well, maybe she just found me attractive.'

Evgenia lets out a snort and angles her body towards the front door just as it's pushed open. 'Uncle Steve's back.'

The Captain marches over and wedges himself in between the two of them.

'Natasha's alright. She told you to stay safe.'

She scrunches her nose at him. 'No, she didn't. She probably threatened you to not bring me into this and not to do what we're about to do.'

'He'd do it for you and me Zheni.'