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OLD FRIENDS AND NEW
FOES COME OUT TO PLAY

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"Sorry about RedWing."

"No, you’re not." Sam replied to Bucky dismissively. The three of them had been walking for the past half hour at the roadside of the field but until now they haven't seen a single vehicle or a person passing by.

"What happened to RedWing?" Czarina asked. Last time she saw the drone was when Sam took off the building, she assumed it was around during their whole fight.

"A Flag Smasher caught him and broke him to pieces." Sam revealed. Hearing it bummed her even more. RedWing was a great wingman, though Bucky was annoyed with him a lot.

Czarina glanced over her shoulder, after the fight with the Flag Smashers her dad seemed to age ten times older than he looked. It's quite understandable considering what they just learned and how things didn't work the way it's planned. Now there's ten super soldiers out there, running around with looted goods and a knowledge that there are already people after them. For sure they are gonna be more prepared the next time they cross paths, or worse they'll be harder to track down.

New super soldiers. Gods, after all this time how could they still be around? After Triskelion? After Siberia? She thought she'll be seeing the last of that when the last heads of HYDRA were taken down.

"What’s going on in that big cyborg brain of yours?" Sam nudged at the other guy who's now silent and has a blank look on his face.

"It’s computing." Bucky answered wearily

"You know what? I can actually see it." The airman joked with a side grin. "I can see the gears turning. Oh, they’re malfunctioning, shutting down. Yep, they’re on fire."

While Czarina giggled at the continuous vexation of the man to her father, Bucky just kept walking and ignoring Sam. His face still deadpan as ever.

"We gotta figure out where the serum’s coming from." He said in a slack tone. If there is something the three of them can agree on, that's it.

"Yeah," Sam concurred. "And how in the hell after 80 years are there eight Super Soldiers runnin’ loose?"

Czarina shrugged uncomfortably. "I may have an idea about that." Bucky's eyes met hers like he know what he's thinking on that

Suddenly a vehicle engine sounded from behind, Czarina and the two men with her turned back to see where it's coming from. In a green jeep being driven by a soldier are the two people who came in the middle of the battle earlier, John Walker and Lemar Hoskins. The ride loudly honked as it passed by, the three seem to have shared understanding to not pay attention to it. Or to the people on it.

"So that didn’t go as planned, huh?" He remarked and opened the car door for them but they remained walking. The girl flared her nostrils at the sight of Walker's smug smile.

"Let’s keep going."

"Look, at least we know what we’re up against now, huh?" The man in the blue spoke casually as if they are long time allies in these kinds of missions. "And we’re pretty sure it’s one of the Big Three, so…,"

"Aliens, androids, or wizards?" Sam replied without sparing a look at him.

"Pretty sure." Walker said in confidence.

"There’s no such thing as wizards!" Bucky butted in.

"Then it’s aliens, or androids…,"

"What are aliens doing with stolen goods?" The blonde rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Or Super Soldiers." Sam said with a conviction and stared back at the two other men at last

"Shit. Super Soldiers, for real?" Hoskins was quite appalled with it.

"Yeah."

"Wow. All right, well, then we gotta work together." Walker suggested. Just like how he is in front of the cameras, he really has a lot of nerve to say things that don't sit well with others.

"That’s not happening." Bucky dismissed immediately.

"I think we stand a much better chance if we all just…," he tried explaining once more but was cut off mid sentence by Bucky.

"Just ’cause you carry that shield, it doesn’t mean you’re Captain America." The metal armed man spat, sounding really fed up at that point.

"Look, I’ve done the work, okay?"

"You ever jumped on top of a grenade?" Bucky challenged.

"Yeah. Actually, I have. Four times," Walker proudly replied. "It’s a thing I do with my helmet. It’s a reinforced helmet. It’s a long story, but, any…,"

"Can't he just shut up for a moment. I've been hearing him talk on TV non stop since yesterday!" Czarina mumbled under her breath.

"Look, it’s 20 miles to the airport. You guys need a ride." Walker offered for the second time. "Gary, stop," he commanded the guy on the wheel, the jeep slowing down the road. "Get in."

Sam, Bucky and Czarina stopped at their tracks all at once and looked at each other. Another refusal would be pointless surely because Walker won't leave them alone until they join them. With a ton of hesitation the three finally get on the ride. Czarina sat in the middle of her father and Sam as she faced the two other people on the truck.

"Okay, so we’ve got eight Super Soldiers on a bulk supply run." Walker started the moment they all settled. "Why?"

"They say their mission is to get things back to the way it was during The Blip." Sam explained. "Maybe they’re just trying to help."

"They had a funny way of showing it." Bucky jabbed back.

"That serum doesn’t exactly have a great track record." Walker spoke and looked over both Bucky and Czarina. "No offense."

"We need to figure out where they’re going. How’d you track ’em here? The Flag Smashers?" Sam wondered, which is the same thing the girl wants to ask. How did they know about Munich and the exact location of their fight earlier?

"Uh, no, we didn’t track them, we tracked you, uh," Hoskins sheepishly admitted. "Through Redwing."

"You hacked my tech?" The man questioned in a less thrilled voice.

John Walker only chuckled. "Sorry. It’s not exactly hacking," he reasoned out. "It’s government property. Kind of like the government."

Get a load of this guy. A thought echoed in Czarina's mind. It was already wrong enough to hack on Sam's tech without permission but to say it's not his and they have much of a right to use it instead of just apologising is just blatantly disrespectful. The more she spends time around the guy the less she's likely to believe the righteous hero the media portrays him to be.

"Do they always just stare like that?" Walker shifted on his seat as the two Barnes stared at him intensely.

"He does, she does on rare occasions," Sam answered. "You get used to it."

Walker looked away from them when he noticed their stares weren't going away even after pointing it out. "Okay, look," he cleared his throat. "You know, things have gotten kind of, uh…,"

"Chaotic." His partner offered.

"Yeah," the man agreed. "The GRC, they’re doing the best they can to get things up and running smoothly, post Blip."

"Reactivating citizenship, social security, healthcare. Basically just managing resources for the refugees who were displaced by the return." Hoskins explained briefly the GRC's job after the second snap happened.

"Yeah, I've heard some of that." Czarina squinted her eyes.

"The Global Repatriation Council does all that. I get that." Sam replied. "So why exactly are you two here?"

"Well, they provide the resources and we keep things stable."

The blonde's breath shuddered, she's right about what's about to happen, even the military and the higher government have their eyes on this case at this point. Even sending the new Captain America for the mission. Right now this isn't just some organised crime, it's an alarming issue that's affecting a wide range of government's plans. And now that they know they're not dealing with normal people, she's sure that in a short time this will turn into a major case. Radical super soldiers as members of the group... Levi being a super soldier himself... the links pointing him to the group... could things go worse than this?

"Yeah," Walker nodded. "Violent revolutionaries aren’t usually good for anyone’s cause."

"Usually said by the people with the resources." Sam retorted back.

"We have a lot of resources. If you guys, if you joined up with us, we could…,"

"No." Bucky and Czarina said in unison.

"I got mad respect for the three of you," Hoskins tilted his head. "But you were getting your asses kicked till we showed up."

"Who are you?" Bucky questioned.

"Lemar Hoskins."

"Look, I see a guy hanging out of a helicopter in tactical gear, I need a lot more than Lemar Hoskins." Sam demanded with serious conviction.

"I’m Battlestar," the man answered. "John’s partner."

"Battlestar?" Her dad said in a mix of disbelief and distaste. Even Czarina felt like just dropping the conversation too. "Stop the car!"

The jeep halted itself on the roadside. Bucky didn't hesitate to get down from it and turn his back from the two military men. "Look, I… I get it, okay? I get the attitude, I do. You didn’t think that the shield was gonna end up here. I get it, Bucky." The moment he mentioned it felt the cue for Czarina to follow her father outside the jeep. She exhaled sharply, putting her hands on her hips.

"And I’m… I’m not trying to be Steve. I’m not trying to replace Steve. I’m just trying to be the best Captain America I can be." He continued on with his monologue. "That’s it. It’d be a whole lot easier if I had Cap’s wingmen on my side."

Czarina grimaced on the man's last words, she didn't try a bit to hide her frustration on everything he just said. Cap's wingmen huh. As if Steve ever sees them as that and not as close allies he'll follow to the ends of the world. That nickname felt like a label for a sidekick of a golden hero. They are nowhere near that.

"It’s always that last line." Sam only scoffed and joined his team out of the vehicle.

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The sky was already dark when their plane finally took off from the airport. It was Sam who took care of the report about their whole mission but it still required Czarina to be listed as an individual agent in the records. At first she hesitated but upon realising that it'll be a legitimate proof of her activity outside New York, she let Sam write to her. The granted request of the judge required her to have a complete record of anything she'll do if she leaves New York. If she doesn't comply with that the submitted request will be voided and she'll get in much trouble with their attorney. Besides the mission will be good for the resume of her amends the court mandates the girl to fulfill at least twice a month.

"Hey," Bucky sat close by her side. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I think so." She nodded and smiled a little.

"About what you said, about uh...," Bucky adjusted himself before continuing what to say. "Those super soldiers, what do you mean by that?"

The blonde rubbed her hand against her temple, she took a deep breath and leaned forward on the seat. "Even before HYDRA, before the uh... Siberia. You know that Red Room has their own fair share of serum for enhanced individuals, right?"

"Yeah...," his forehead creased as he nodded. "But that was only until the seventies. That's what I heard when I was around there."

"Not actually," Czarina swallowed. "The supply of Kudrin serum for the Widows and Wolf Spiders were cut short in the seventies. It didn't exactly stop when Doctor Lyudamila died. They only start rationing it. One serum for a Widow every five years."

Everytime she talks about that place, even though it's nothing but ashes now, it feels as if she's breathing back life to it. As if she's fulfilling the Madame's words that she'll be one of the living memories of Red Room, that no matter how far she'd come she'll always look back to them. Something that feels like she's doing right now.

"You don't have to talk about it," her father dismissed. "There are a lot of places that created their own super soldiers. Red Room doesn't need to be--,"

"No, you know that's not true. There are only a few who really succeeded and the Department X was one of those. We need to look at all the possible options where it might be coming from."

Bucky slowly nodded. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, I am. It's alright." She reassured the man.

"So what do you have in mind?"

Czarina straightened herself and exhaled sharply. "The rationing of the original serum stopped in '05. But I think they were able to create a new one, still unstable at that time but a couple of works and it'll be good as new."

"But, how did you know that?"

The blonde chewed her lower lip before answering the man's question. "Because I'm the one who created the serum."

Her words felt like a bucket of ice dumped at them. Bucky didn't say anything upon hearing it, he hung his head low with his arms cross above his chest. The next few excruciating seconds remained undisturbed until a light turbulence hit their plan and Czarina was shoved close to her father.

"How? How did it happen?" He questioned in a raspy voice as if he was having extreme difficulty in speaking.

"When I arrived at the Red Room the Madame was quick to recognise my... talents in science. Chemistry and Biology in particular." She began explaining. "They don't know how but they told me my intelligence level exceeds my age, probably because of genetics. The combined serum from you and Mama."

"I didn't just learn how to fight in the Red Room. They made me study the Kudrin serum with the Department X medical team. After five years I was able to create an unstable version of the original. I was so close but then I got sick. And they had to put me in the ice." Czarina paused for a moment to regain her composure and catch her breath. "When I woke in 2009 I heard they were able to perfect my serum and they'll be using it in the new system of the Red Room. I thought it wouldn't happen after the academy and the Elder Guardian was taken down by SHIELD. But it turns out they were still active until 2016."

Tears began to swell on the sides of her eyes, her throat felt like they were being scrapped by sandpaper. She didn't know if it's true and they have successfully created a super soldier serum because of her but if it is, it will be her fault for helping the Red Room gain more power than they have. Perhaps that's why they were able to hide after their supposed destruction, Dreykov was able to create a more effective and enhanced army of widows. Meaning more children and girls suffered under his rule until Natasha and Levi were able to bring down the academy again. And who knows what happened to the production of serum after that. What's stopping the former Department X members, especially the doctors, from finally selling the recreated serum to the black market.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Czarina said as she started to cry. "I should have told you about this a long time ago but I felt there's no right time for it. I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey," Bucky turned to her daughter. He reached out for her hand to hold it. "Rina, look at me. It's okay. No one would want to talk about that place, even me."

"But now there are super soldiers out there...  and my work could be in the black market now for a long time."

"We're not sure about that yet," he countered back. "Maybe your serum didn't work out after all, maybe they were lying. And like I said there are other places that the serum might be coming from."

Czarina's eyes stared back at her father. There's no trace of anger or hate on his face. Only a warm, comforting gaze. Right now she's beginning to feel guilty about not telling him things when she should have. "It's just... lately I haven't been telling you things that I suppose to. Like when I was going home or when I'm getting involved with the Flag Smashers. And now this. Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be?" He only replied. "Look, you had a whole life before you met me. You spent a decade in a laboratory and then you were thrown into the Red Room. There are things that happened to you that you wouldn't want to talk about. And that's completely fine."

"You're not angry?" Czarina asked in between sobs.

"No, I'm not." The man guaranteed. "Come here." He spread his arms around her to act for a hug, Czarina eagerly accepted it and embraced her father. She rested her head comfortably on his shoulder. "Thank you, Dad."

"We'll figure this out, okay?" He pulled away from the hug to face his daughter again to make sure she heard it clearly.

"Okay," she sniffled, her chest rising on breaths. "Would you be dropping me off tonight in Brooklyn?"

"Only if you want to."

"So it's okay with you if I tag along in the mission?" She beamed in surprise and wiped off the tears on her face.

"I know I can't stop you from searching for the Flag Smashers, especially now." Bucky confessed to her. "The best thing I can do is keep you safe with me on this one."

It might feel like the whole world is on fire right now but at least she's not alone again. She has her dad now and Sam. They'll sort this out together. A smile formed on the girl's face as she rested back on her seat.

"So do you have anyone in your mind right now that might help us?"

"I have one." Czarina declared with certainty, she turned to her father and told him about it. "Would it be okay if I ask Sam to drop me off at Atlanta tonight?"

"As long as it's not a fight you're going to."

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When Czarina talked to Sam about what she knew he didn't hesitate to reroute the plane to Georgia. He was a bit skeptical of letting her go alone in the city in the middle of the night. But Bucky convinced the man that it's alright since the girl admitted to them that it'll be better if she goes alone to meet their person.

"Take care of yourself." Sam is reminded once more as she unloads her bag from the plane.

"I will. This won't take long, I just need to talk to them." She slung her backpack on her shoulders and threw a last nod to the two men at the plane door.

The city was supposed to be nothing new to her, she had been here before during her run after the Fall of Triskelion in 2016. But the changes caused by the Blip can be seen everywhere the moment she arrived there. Just like any other place the people and the city itself is recovering from the large-scale changes brought by the sudden return of half the population. She could only wish she had done more to help others in the past six months and not only now that super soldiers and new heroes are involved.

"Okay, let's do this." She exhaled sharply, returning her attention to what she's supposed to do. A dim lighted house stood on the corner of the street she's now standing at, she can see the flickering light on the porch and movements inside of more than one person. Something that she doesn't know if it’s a good sign or not. Czarina approached the house with caution and peeled eyes. At last she reached its closed shut door. Before knocking she had to adjust herself from looking too threatening or suspicious to anyone who might be opening the door. She put on the best typical, dumb teenager grin on her face.

After three knocks the door swung open, loud music can be heard inside the house. A young woman in dark clothing and piercings stood by the front. "Sorry we don’t do teenagers."

"What?!" Her expression immediately morphed into disgust and shock.

"Tattoos," she replied as she chewed on a gum. "We don't do tattoos on teenagers, sorryyy."

"Tattoos? No! That's not what I'm here for!" Czarina furrowed her brows, all the preparation she had for the worst possible scenario seemed to have no match for this. She was clearly taken back on how... non violent and odd it is at the same time?

"Then why are you here?" The woman tilted her head. "Jay's busy."

"Jay?" Her eyes narrowed.

"I don't know who you are, girl, but just go back to your Chemistry assignment or something." She motioned to close the door again but Czarina stopped with her left hand.

"Wait. Wait!" She protested. "I need to talk to someone in there, please."

The woman looked more puzzled than before, she craned her neck towards the girl to like she was inspecting her. "Are you like a cop mole or something?"

"Hey, who's there?!" A voice from inside interrupted. It was a man. Czarina froze in her tracks for a second but she quickly regained her composure. "I need to talk to him." She spoke with a firm voice. "Tell him it's Nightshade."

"What?"

"Shammy, who's at the door?" The person behind asked again. Shammy turned back from the girl and shouted from the doorway.

"Someone's looking for you! She says it's Nightshade, I dunno if that's the gang name or what."

Footsteps echoed from behind the woman. When it stopped the door opened wider than before, revealing a man in his thirties with a hardened look plastered on his face.

"Hi Jay." Czarina greeted nonchalantly.

"Shammy, why don't you buy that dinner you've been asking for." His jaw tightens as he hands out a wallet to the woman beside him.

"What? I thought--,"

"Just go out." Jay's gaze didn't leave Czarina the whole time. He's just there, looking straight at the strange girl who appeared on his doorstep.

But if she is that stranger to him, then his eyes won't shine with such recognition like the way it does as he stares back at her.

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ASHA'S NOTES !

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Czarina w her dad and Uncle Sam are the cutest moments I swear, I love writing these bits of them!! I'm so happy in the actual timeline of the show now. I have a lot of inspiration right now to grind a binge writing so I'm really looking forward to your comments and feedback! Please don't be a ghost reader, leave a vote/comment if you liked this chapter because it really helps with the motivation 😁😁😁 Thank you for reading!