what the fuck is the winter soldier doing here ?
is he even called the winter soldier anymore ? maria doesn’t know. she doesn’t think so. after all, the files on him had been out, for as much as maria had tried to get back all the sensitive information twenty-four hours after romanoff had released everything. then, there’d been the wakandan authorities stepping in to vouch for his recovery after the chaos of everyone returning again. an official pardon being put into a neat little envelope while some old, tired man announced the release of sergeant james buchanan barnes with the honours he’d deserved from the time he did serve the country.
maria had cocked her head to the side the whole time throughout the hearing; not out of arrogance, not necessarily. but maybe out of that small breath of relief that she’d — maybe she’d finally done something right. though she doesn’t like thinking about that. if she does, then she would’ve had to acknowledge what rogers has done, and what happened to romanoff. ( it hurts saying her name now. both of them. so maria doesn’t. ) and then she’d walk away from the hearing, satisfied, on to the next thing she’d needed to clean up.
that was the last time she’d seen barnes.
so why the hell had she just spotted him now, out here in cologne, germany ? she wouldn’t think barnes was any interested in politics. not that maria is, either; but she had had to explain some stuff about the airport the avengers half-destroyed years ago ( apparently some rich people are still pissed off. shocker. ) and, well. a quick run up check with dimitri, an associate, told her that no, there would be no reason for winter — fucking — soldier to follow her. so, what the fuck ?
‘ it’s fine. ’ maria says into the intercomm in between; pretends her eyes aren’t on the shadows where she knows ( former ) assassins tend to lie in. ( she doesn’t think about natasha. couldn’t. ) ‘ i’ll keep an eye out on him. ’
so, maria clinks champagne glasses through the night, and fields off arrogant politicians’ questions about any possible thoughts for compensation. so, they drawl, hands over their stomach as they stare her down. classic intimidation tactic. cute that they think it’d work on her. you are saying the avengers will take no responsibility over this ? no. because she knows that the global council had already pardoned the group even for that.
it hurts - pretending to smile so much. she almost half wishes she could join barnes on whatever-the-hell mission that’d sent him here, before she catches herself. what a stupid thought. she just misses — rogers. she just misses natasha. and barnes would probably be out of sight in a couple of hours, right ? ... right ?
@sicariav : starter call
