SLIGHTLY.
007. | ❛ frankenstein. ❜

NOTHING IS SO PAINFUL TO THE HUMAN MIND AS A GREAT AND SUDDEN CHANGE. Reading Mary Shelley's book back in the university she attended, with noises and laughter more than learning, the quote didn't strike her or register in her radar. One of the beautiful things about brilliant books is that no matter how many times one reads them, they'll find something different each time. Usually, what jumps out at at someone depends solely on where they are, where their life is going, how they're feeling. So this quote jumped out at Katia today, while she was on her voyage to Wakanda.

At the beginning of her mission, she wasn't on board on helping Bucky and just being an agent who read to him. A lifestyle that she left far behind her and didn't want to revisit. Until she convinced herself otherwise, she was sent on a mission to help him and that's what she planned on doing till the end. The late night stories, the million adventures they went on, and the characters they met on the way. From author to author, Katia had truly grown closer to Bucky even if he was under cryogenic sleep.

She felt definite what was happening then with her same routine as always. Now, Katia felt uncertain of what the future held.

Would she go back to New York with Steve, now that her mission was complete? Would she stay in Wakanda? What about T'Challa? What would happen to Bucky afterwards? What would happen to her? To them?

There was just a vague gray area that Katia didn't want to deal with. She didn't want things to change, not so quickly. With her mother's death recently, all that was happening was moving too quickly for her to adjust. She needed time to take a breather and situate all that was taking place. Only problem was that she didn't have that time at the moment. Katia had to deal with it as it came, even if it was painful for her to show.

"Is there anything I should know before going in?" Steve asked the brunette agent, who lifted her gaze off the book and at him.

"Nothing that you don't already know," She shut her book and placed it on the seat next to her, looking out the window to the clear sky and the cotton candy clouds in front of her.

Steve sensed and noticed the difference in Katia since the last time they had seen each other. Her charismatic energy was still there, however more contained and guarded. Her focus was directed towards Bucky and while it was the case of her mission, it felt deeper than that. There was something in Katia's eyes that screamed worried, and a look Steve had never seen in his life from her.

"How did you like Wakanda?" Steve inquired again to her, only for her eyes to remain glued to the window. She brought her knees up to her chest as she leaned against the small window, hearing the soldier's question but not answering it. "How's T'Challa?"

"He's fine. He's a great king, a great friend, and a great person overall." Katia vaguely responded with a true statement that anybody could prove. T'Challa was sweet to her and made Wakanda like a second home to her, making sure that she had anything she needed. Including the huge library.

"Have you two gotten close?" Steve raised his eyebrows to the lady, who did the same fashion and finally gave him her attention.

"Are you trying to insinuate something, Rogers?" The dame warned him in a negative tone, putting her foot down and drawing a line. "I know we're friends, Steve. But my personal business isn't your problem, and I preferred if you minded your own business."

Angrily getting up out of her seat and taking a couple steps forward, still in Steve's eyesight. The young lady let out a fierce exhale and clenching her fist in all right anger, and fuming to herself. The soldier kept taking sneak peeks of Katia, waiting for her to comment once again or leave. It did surprise him in the sense of what she was displaying, and how much of what he said was partially his fault sir the other half being of everything she had bottled up. He had known that when she landed in New York, one way or another she would explode and this was her time.

Katia turned on her heel and took a seat next to Steve and wrapped her arms around him, with him reciprocating the same action. "I'm sorry for what I said. None of it was directed towards you, it's just that it's behind a couple of hectic days with no definite response to what's going to happen next. And I can't handle it anymore like I've been doing."

"Hey," Steve shook some sense in Katia, "You'll do what you've always done. Take it one step at a time, and go from there."

She nodded peacefully placing a small kiss on Steve's cheek, "I can always count on you, Spangles."

The two held onto that moment while the plane was about to land, and both of them could assure the other there was nothing to worry about. Katia only hoped that she made it on time and she wasn't too late, hoping that T'Challa could've hold them off a little while longer until they arrived.

Getting of the plane was a breeze, and all Katia do was run inside the institution with Steve hurdling in after her. He had thought it was for Bucky or to even make it on time. But, he misinterpreted why she was running. It was clearer when he made it closer to her, that he heard the same ringing and saw the image she did. It was in a panic that they had run more than their bodies could take. Katia's legs straining at the exertion at sprint that she had led herself into.

Once inside, she had followed where everyone else was going and the only situation that came through her mind was that they had already woken up Bucky and he was on the loose. Katia lead the way inside the building with Steve keeping up her pace. The pair made it through the heaps of people, and had snuck through the shortcut of the library that would lead to the lab. Opening the doors in one quick movement, the pair stood in shock at what was before them.

"Bucky?"