I didn't wait in the car.

We spent the night at Sam's to rest up and strategize before we executed our plan. It was now midday and I was arguing with Natasha over letting me help today.

I followed her all around the house reminding her of all the details and points that should allow me to join them. I only shut up when they sat me in front of the TV  and played a movie they called 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' while Natasha braided my hair into an intricate hairstyle.

I found similarities between one of the main characters, Ash, and I. We were both different, but different isn't always bad according to the movie.

Your bad, whether it was in the past or present, their blood with cover your hands.

I tried my best to shut down the thoughts that circled through my mind. I hated them, no matter how hard I tried they always stayed.

Natasha tied a hair tie to the end of one of the small braids when I looked to my side to ask her a question that had been on my mind.

"Natasha?" I started while I waited for her to get her hands out of my hair. 

"Hm?" She hummed in response.

"Are you my...drug?" I sheepishly asked as I picked at my lips while I waited for her answer. (friend)

English was still a language that sometimes slipped my mind even though I was fluent, so when I couldn't think of the word I said it in my mother tongue.

Nat's face softened at my question, she put on a small smile and held my shoulders. The act made me slightly flinch.

"Yes Irena, I'm your friend." She smiled.

I beamed at the red-headed woman. I had never had a friend before. I felt a pang of pride soar through my body at this achievement. 

"You are my first-ever friend," I informed her.

"Really? Well then now we're best friends." She said as she smiled even wider before she spun me around to finish my braid.

She talked to me the same way someone would talk to a child who was trying to show them a horrible drawing they had drawn, but I didn't mind for an odd reason.

Best friends, woah. My first friend ever is my best friend!

When she was finished I had a simple French braid in the back with some hair out around it and other small braids coming from it, resting on my shoulders.

"Let's hit the road!" Sam called out from the kitchen island where he sat watching Nat and I converse as he drank the protein shake he had made for him and Steve.

ⴵ

We were all in the car going over the plan. I was going to be with Steve and Nat on the roof doing absolutely nothing and Sam would make the call. I usually demand to be a part of important conversations such as these but I was too distracted by the magic 8-ball Sam had given me.

"This tiny black ball can't tell my future for real, right Sam?" I questioned as I lifted the item above my head to see my fortune.

"You never know kid, only time will tell." He answered with a shrug from the driver's seat as he looked back at me through the rearview mirror before immersing himself back into the conversation.

"So weird" I whispered to myself while I shook it again.

I didn't like my answer so I shook it again. Each time I shook it it gave me a different answer but not the one I wanted.

"Suka!" I grunted in defeat, throwing my arms onto my lap with the ball in hand. (bitch)

"You can't keep shaking it every time you don't get the answer you want," Nat informed me.

"Watch me." I retorted and continued to shake the device.

Nat lulled back into the conversation with a sigh and roll of her eyes while I continued playing happily with my magic black ball.

Time passed by faster with the ball as a distraction, pretty soon I felt the car stop.

"Alright dollface you ready?" Sam asked while he lightly slammed his hands down on the wheel.

I looked up at him in offense. "Dollface?" I questioned.

"Yeah, cuz you're Russian, and like, they have those little Russian dolls and you look like one my sister used to have." He ranted.

I looked at Nat in fake disbelief. I gave her a "Can you believe this guy" look and laughed.

"I actually like that, I'm calling you doll from now on," Nat said with a shrug as we got out of the car.

"You people are unbelievable," I grumbled as I closed my door with more forced than needed.

"Yeah yeah, you have your little toy?" Natasha asked as she noticed it was no longer in my hands.

"No." I scowled. Now that I thought about it playing with a toy made me seem so childish.

"Go grab it, you're gonna get bored and I don't want you complaining up there." She instructed as she stopped walking which made Steve and Sam stop before she waved them forward.

"No, I'll be fine." I insisted.

Again Nat rolled her eyes at me while she turned back around to catch up with the men. We found them on the side of a cafe going over the plan one more time like they didn't just spend the whole car ride doing so.

"Alright see you guys in a bit." Sam put up a hand as he turned to go find a table.

"Bye, bird boy!" I waved with forced over-enthusiasm.

The man shot me a glare before Nat grabbed my shoulder and steered me forward. I looked up at the building that we were supposed to be at the top of in about 30 minutes and scowled. "We're taking the elevator right?" I asked, my head still facing the sky.

"No, we're going to climb 25 flights of stairs," Steve answered sarcastically.

I laughed at him, "Have fun doing it alone, I'm taking the elevator." I replied even though I knew he was joking.

"Alright, you go up and we'll wait in our position," Nat instructed.

My face wrinkled in confusion. "I thought I was staying with you guys?" I questioned.

Why was she changing the plan?

"You were supposed to but I think it'll be better if you wait for us on the roof." She answered, looking between Steve and me. "That way you can clear it before and make sure no one's there when we get up there."

I shrugged, a little disappointed that I couldn't be in the original spot but complied with the woman's newly constructed plan.

ⴵ

I waved slightly and turned to walk into the building. When I walked in I stood and stared at how white everything was, the walls, the furniture. There was so much white that if the power ever went off the color alone would make its own light.

I made a beeline to the elevator and closed its doors as soon as I entered it to avoid anyone coming in. As the doors were closing I saw a mother dragging her young daughter who didn't want to be walking.

"C'mon moon don't do this to me right now." She begged her child.

My blood ran cold for a second before my head started to ache terribly. I grunted and instinctively put my head in my hands. When I released my hands I didn't see the elevator anymore.

I appeared to be curled up in the corner of a small, dark, and damp cell. Tears felt warm and wet on my face and my body seemed significantly smaller.

I heard myself sniffle- probably from crying- but why was I crying?

Suddenly the sound of footsteps became apparent and the cell door opened. My head snapped up from in between my knees to see a man being thrown into the cell.

My past self stopped sobbing. The man cursed in Russian before turning to face her/me. He had long hair and old smeared eye paint all over his face. The strangest part was his harm, which appeared to be metal with a star painted in red on the top.

"Jamie?" I called out in a small voice.

The man I called Jamie's expression softened slightly. His eyes scanned my small body for any injuries before they widened when they saw my leg.

"Ty v poryadake, malen'kaya lunolitsaya?" He quickly questioned as he rushed towards me. (Are you alright little moon face?)

I slightly nodded my head "Prosto potsarapal" I answered. (just scratched)

The injury I had labeled a "scratch" was bleeding through the bandage I was given to cover it. I recognized the place where it was bleeding. I had always tried to remember where I had gotten that scar but could never recollect the event.

"Eto me prosto tsarapina." He pressed. (That's not just a scratch)

I waved his worry off with a tiny, barely visible smile. "Eto ne bol'no, ya v poryadke." (It doesn't hurt, I'm fine.)

He nodded before he sat down on the wall beside me looking tired and defeated. My younger self scooted closer and leaned against him before I put my head against his chest.

We sat there for a few minutes in silence, taking comfort in the sound of each other's breathing. His hand lightly ran through the ends of my braid subconsciously.

"Jamie?" I questioned quietly.

"Hm?" He mumbled.

" Ya khochu poyti domoy, no ne khochu ostavlyat' tebya." I whispered, looking up at him from my snuggled-up spot. (I want to go home but I don't want to leave you.)

I found this odd before I realized I had meant the Red Room. The Red Room was the only place I knew. The fact that I considered the Red Room home made my stomach churn. But If I wasn't in the Red Room right now where was I? It must have been extremely horrible if I wanted to go back to that place.

"Ne volnuysya obo mne, malen'kaya luna, idi spat." He replied while he placed his metal arm on my cheek. (Don't worry about me little moon face, go to sleep.)

"Ya me ustal," I argued while I fought my eyes to stay open. (I'm not tired.)

"Shhhh," Jamie instructed while he took out my braid and ran his hands through my hair.

I shut my eyes after a minute. When I opened them again I was back in the elevator on the floor breathing heavily.

I got up quickly at the sight of the floor number. The number 19 showed in bright red numbers on the top of the screen. I frowned, I must've been down for a few minutes if I was only on 19. The elevator must have gone to the top and when I didn't get out it stopped on each floor.

I rapidly pressed the roof button. Who knows how long I could've taken, what if Nat and Steve were on their way and I hadn't even cleared the roof?

The elevator stopped for a second before shooting back up. I waited impatiently, tapping my foot in anticipation. I counted the numbers uneasily waiting. As soon as I heard the sweet ding of the elevator I ran out.

I looked around cautiously with my gun drawn.

"Nat?" I yelled out, "Steve?"

In response I was greeted with the sound of a door being slammed open and a man screaming as he was pushed through it. He landing extremely hard on the floor with a groan.

"Oh hey, guys!" I welcomed them with a pleasant smile while I skipped toward Nat as if a man didn't just fly through the door in front of me.

"Hey, Doll." Nat winked at me while Steve demanded to know about Zola's algorithm.

"Took you guys long enough, I had time to pass out on the elevator floor and have another memory-vision-thing before you guys got here," I told her with our eyes not leaving the man as we walked towards him to look intimidating. A result of basic Red Room training.

"You had another memory?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'll tell you about it when we're done here," I assured her as Steve saved the guy from almost falling off the roof.

Me and Nat stood side by side as Steve grabbed the man by his collar and pulled him close to his face.

"Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof?" He asked with a cocky smile.

"smelyy chelovek..." I mumbled to Nat. (bold man)

"Cause it's really not your style Rodgers." The man finished.

"Your right," Steve conceded, releasing his tight grip on the man and only softly holding his shoulders. "It's hers." Steve finished before moving to the side.

I turned to Nat, excited with what was to come. In one swift movement, Natasha kicked the man off the roof as he wailed like a child.

I chuckled at the sight. "That was funny."

"Oh wait what about the one girl from accounting, Laura, Lisa?" Nat asked Steve, probably trying to set him up again.

"Lillian, lip piercing right?" Steve confirmed the name.

"Yeah, she's cute!" Nat said.

"Yeah," Steve replied looking at the ground for a second. "I'm not ready for that."

I snorted at their juvenile conversion before right on schedule, Sam came flying up with the bald man in his grasp.

"Hi, bird boy!" I waved enthusiastically. Sam was definitely one of my favorites.

"What's up little widow." He replied.

I felt Steve and Nat's eyes fall on me at the mention of the nickname. It did sit uneasily with me still but I feel better knowing that it's coming from the mouth of someone who doesn't want to hurt me.

I assured them with a tight-lipped smile that I was all right before they started to walk toward the man who immediately cowered in fear.

"Zola's algorithm is a program." He admitted, one hand raised in surrender. "For choosing insite's targets ."

"What targets?" Steve pressed.

"You, the TV anchor in Cairo, the Under Secretary of Defense, and school valedictorian in Iowa City, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA, now or in the future." He spilled rapidly.

Nat gave Steve a look that I couldn't quite read.

"Eto bylo legko." I mumbled to myself with a small shrug. (that was easy)

"The future?" Steve questioned. "How could it know?"

I hadn't even thought about the fact that the man said future. How would it know the future?

Sitwell -I learned was his name from his dropped ID- laughed. "How could it not?" He yelled, getting up to face Steve. "The 21st century is a digital book, Zola taught HYDRA how to read it."

The air around us grew tense as we tried to grasp what this meant.

Sitwell listed things from phone calls to SAT scores saying they use everything and anything to predict people's futures.

"And then what?" Steve asked impatiently as Sitwell began to worry about a man called Pierce killing him.

"We scratch people off." He said. "A few million at a time."

I let out a raged breath. What the hell are we gonna do now?

───˖ ࣪ ˖ ࣪✦: * ˚ ✦ ───
2582 words ~ 7:38 pm
November 24th 2023

ellie's words!!

u guys got an intro to bucky n irena's past how u feelin cuz i'm in shambles