"Haunted by the past, hunted in the present—when Bucky Barnes and Lara Croft cross paths, survival is only the beginning of an adventure that could change the fate of the world." - A Bucky Barnes/Lara Croft Mashup

Steve Rogers stood beside Sharon Carter as they waited for the elevator. He gave her an easy smile, the kind that could lower anyone's defenses. "I've been meaning to ask you—when you were spying on me from across the hall..."

Sharon lifted a brow, correcting him with a smirk. "You mean when I was doing my job?"

Steve chuckled softly, the warmth of it offset by the worry still etched faintly into his brow. "Did Peggy know?"

Sharon's gaze softened, memories of her great-aunt flickering in her expression. "She kept so many secrets. I didn't want her to have one from you."

The elevator arrived with a soft ding.

"Thanks for walking me back," Sharon said, stepping inside.

"Sure," Steve replied, his hand hesitating at the door as if debating whether to follow. Before he could decide, Sam Wilson's hurried footsteps interrupted the moment.

"Steve," Sam called, his voice laced with urgency. "There's something you need to see."

Steve turned, confused. "What is it?"

Sam leaned closer, his tone dropping low enough to avoid unwanted ears. "There was a bomb at the signing."

Steve's easy demeanor vanished, his body tensing. "Natasha?"

"She's fine," Sam assured him quickly, holding up a hand. "Texted me before things went crazy. But... that's not the problem."

Sharon stepped out of the elevator as Steve's confusion deepened. Sam hesitated, knowing what he was about to say would change everything.

"They're saying Bucky planted the bomb."

The words hit like a physical blow. Steve's face fell as Sharon's eyes widened in alarm. Before Steve could argue, his instinct kicking in to defend his oldest friend, Sharon glanced around. The hallway buzzed faintly with spreading whispers.

"Maybe we should take this to a more private location," she suggested.

Steve nodded. "Our room's closer."

The three hurried down the hall to Steve's suite, Steve unlocking the door and stepping inside—only to stop cold. His posture shifted instantly, every muscle coiling with tension.

A woman stood in the center of his room.

She had the aura of someone who was in complete control of the space despite looking like she'd fought tooth and nail to get there. Arms crossed, shoulders squared, she exuded a mix of elegance and defiance. Her frame was lean and athletic, every muscle in her posture betraying an innate physical strength. She wore tactical gear—a fitted black long-sleeve shirt with combat boots and faded cargo pants—but the soft curls of her brown hair and her sharp, intelligent hazel eyes softened the edge of her appearance. Dirt smudged across her cheek hinted at a long journey, but there was no mistaking the fire in her gaze.

Before Steve could say a word, the woman spoke, her voice firm and frantic all at once. "It wasn't Bucky. You have to believe me."

Steve blinked. His hand subtly lifted to stop Sam and Sharon behind him, his instincts screaming to stay cautious. He took a step forward, his shield-less stance still radiating authority. "Start with your name. And how the hell you got into my room."

The woman held up a hotel room key card and shrugged. "The cleaners really should be more careful with their cards." She was practically vibrating with nerves. "My name is Lara Croft. I'm Bucky's girlfriend."

Steve and Sam looked utterly confused, their expressions mirrored disbelief. Sharon however, knew her immediately by another name and corrected her, "Don't you mean, Lady Lara Croft?"

Lara rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated by the title. Sam waved off Sharon's correction and echoed in disbelief, "Bucky's girlfriend?! Bucky has a girlfriend!"

"Yes," Lara said, her voice firm as she looked at Steve impatiently. "Look, I know how this sounds, but Bucky didn't plant that bomb. In fact, Bucky was nowhere near Germany."

Sharon didn't look convinced and asked sharply, "Where was Bucky then?"

"142 Abbingdon Road, Guildford," Lara replied.

Sam quickly pulled out his phone, typing. "Croft Manor?" he echoed incredulously as the search results loaded. "Holy—okay, it's real." He whistled. "Fancy."

Steve's eyes widened in disbelief. "Bucky is in the same country as me?"

Lara corrected him. "Actually, you're in the same city, about 27 miles apart."

Steve took a step closer, his voice firm. "Take me to him."

Sharon blocked him, her voice sharp with suspicion. "Isn't it a little convenient? The second Bucky's named in an international bombing, you just happen to show up?"

Lara's eyes flashed dangerously. "You're on my turf."

The two women locked eyes, tension crackling like electricity. For the first time, Lara hesitated, exhaling sharply. "Maybe this was a mistake..."

Steve's voice dropped, almost pleading. "What do you mean?"

Lara bit her lip before admitting quietly, "Bucky doesn't know I came."

Sam crossed his arms, his suspicion evident. "How do you even know about the bombing? We only just found out."

Lara took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "My friend Alex is a tech genius with plenty of friends around the world. One of them tipped him off immediately after Bucky's name was mentioned."

She paused, looking at their skeptical faces, then tentatively continued. "I asked Alex to make sure I'm told if Bucky's name comes up in any current alerts so we can run."

Steve's expression softened, understanding the lengths she was willing to go for Bucky. "Why have you come to me now?"

Lara turned to him, her expression softening, the fire in her eyes dimming with worry. "Because the entire world is looking for him, and I can't protect him anymore. But you can."

Something shifted in Steve's posture, a quiet resolve settling in his broad shoulders. "We'll protect him."

Sam muttered under his breath, "This is insane," but his loyalty to Steve was stronger than his doubt. Sharon, however, wasn't convinced.

Sharon, however, was not as convinced. Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. "It's my work."

Lara raised a pointed brow. "The Joint Terrorism Task Force?"

Sharon looked taken aback that Lara knew that. Lara smoothly added, "I did my homework. But isn't it quite the coincidence that you're part of the Berlin Joint Terrorism Task Force when Captain America's elusive best friend just happens to blow up a building in the country you now work for?"

Sharon's expression hardened at the implication, but she couldn't hold off answering her phone. She turned her back on Lara, answering the call.

As Sharon spoke quietly into her phone, Steve and Sam exchanged surprised glances at the elegant lady's sharp tongue. They could see the fire in Lara's eyes, the fierce protectiveness she felt for Bucky.

Once Sharon finished her call, she turned back to them, her expression serious. "That was my superior. They need me back. They're mobilizing all units to find Bucky."

Steve saw the worry grow in Lara's eyes and quickly told Sharon, "Go and try to delay as much as you can."

Sharon looked like she was about to argue but she too saw the determination in Steve's eyes. She nodded. "Alright, but you need to get evidence that he was in England the second the bomb went off."

Lara handed Sharon a USB drive. "This is the security footage from the manor. It shows Bucky was there."

Sharon took the USB and glanced at it skeptically. "This should delay things while my team confirms its validity, but my boss sounded pissed. If he's that angry, he's going to need a lot more than security footage that can be easily manipulated."

Lara narrowed her gaze. "You mean like the security footage that's made Bucky Barnes the key suspect of a high-profile bombing in Berlin?"

Lara's sharp hazel gaze pinned her. "You mean like the footage that conveniently made Bucky the suspect?"

Sam let out a low whistle. "She's got a point."

Sharon sighed, acknowledging the point. "Fine. I'll do what I can to buy you time, but you need to find something concrete. Something irrefutable."

Steve nodded. "We'll find it. Just hold them off as long as you can."

Sharon gave them a final look of determination before hurrying away to do her part.

Steve turned to Lara and Sam. "Let's go."

Lara nodded, her resolve unwavering. "Follow me."

After gathering their, thankfully, already packed suitcases, Lara rushed them to the hotel's garage and beeped her car. Sam raised an impressed eyebrow at the silver Aston Martin Vanquish. Lara saw his look and said with a wry smile, "It was my father's. He was a fan of James Bond."

Sam whistled appreciatively. "This car is a beauty."

Lara laughed. "You won't think so when you get in." She opened the passenger door, and Steve and Sam looked in to see that the Aston Martin, while impressive, was tiny inside.

Lara smiled apologetically at the two. "I didn't know Captain America would be bringing his sidekick, or I would have brought the Bentley."

Steve raised an amused brow at Sam, who groaned at the space and the sidekick dig. "I know, the super soldier with his super thighs gets shotgun."

They piled into the car, and as they settled in, Lara's phone beeped. She read the message with a curse. Steve asked, "What's wrong?"

Lara replied, "Alex and Winston were unable to distract Bucky. He knows about Berlin."

She plugged her phone into the charger and turned on the engine which growled viciously. Sam opened his mouth to question Bucky's reaction, but his thoughts were cut short as Lara reversed at a speed that made the tires squeal, then sped off through the cramped car park with ease. Even Steve gripped the 'oh shit' bar as Lara's car screeched around corners until they reached the exit. She slowed down just enough for the barrier to rise before speeding off again.

As she weaved through the London traffic at speeds that made Sam uncomfortable, he swallowed nervously and finally asked, "So, how did Bucky react?"

Lara, her grip on the steering wheel tightening, replied, "He was about to rabbit when Winston told him of my plan. He's probably going to hate me for doing this, but at least he hasn't run off."

Steve, despite his instincts telling him to continue holding the grab handles at the speed Lara was racing through the busy city, turned to her and smiled. "I appreciate this, Lara." To distract himself he then asked, "How did you and Bucky meet?"

Lara laughed freely this time. "Would you believe on a ship on the brink of shipwreck, only to be hunted by cannibals and an ancient queen who tried to transfer her soul into my best friend's body?"

Steve and Sam shared wide-eyed looks until Steve realized he'd once faced a man who tore off his own face to resemble a demon and nodded. "I can believe that."

Lara laughed. "Then you and I are going to get along just fine."

The tension in the car eased slightly as they continued their race to Croft Manor. In Steve's pocket his phone rang silently as Natasha and Tony numerous calls went unanswered.