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PULLING OFF A
MICHAEL SCOFIELD

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Bucky and Sam watched in bewilderment as Czarina munched down on her third burger in the row, the girl didn't mind them and continued eating without shame. After the stressing conversation with Walker she pretty much just wanna eat it all away.

"Take it slow, kid." Sam remarked, sipping on his cup of coffee.

"Sorry, I just missed a lot of meals." She replied with a half full mouth.

"Wanna tell us about your little friend in Atlanta?" Bucky finally asked and gave a side eye to his daughter. Czarina placed down the half eaten burger and took a gulp on her drink before replying. "The longer or short version?"

"The proper version."

"Okay," she straightened on her seat. "Yuri told me the Red Poison didn't really work, it didn't become a serum at all. Which means the Flag Smashers got it from a different source. The KGB definitely didn't sell it in the black market."

"How did he know that?" Sam questioned.

"He was one of the test subjects for the final outcome of the serum in '98," she relayed the story. "It didn't work on him, or any of them. He was already considered the successful one yet he got almost half of his body burned to muscle."

"And you believe him?" Bucky tilted his head, crease lines forming on his forehead. "Isn't this someone from the Mansion? He's from that failed Wolf Spider ops. How do you know he's not lying to protect Department X?"

"You taught him by the way," she mumbled softly. "Levi broke him out of the Gulag when they took down the Red Room, he knew he could be trusted. And Yuri hates Department X as much as we do, I don't see any reason for him to protect something that no longer exists."

"What else did he say about the Red Poison? What happened after it didn't work?"

Here we go. "They abandoned and defunded the research in the early 2000s. They've already spent so much time and resources on it I guess they just didn't see the future on it anymore." Czarina explained. "Point is, my hunch is a dead end. Red Poison is not the serum we're looking for."

The two older men stared at her with quite a convinced look, they glanced at one another and nodded subtly. Sam was about to say something when his phone rang loudly, the man fished it out from his pocket.

"It's Torres." He informed them. "I need to answer this, he might have something about the Flag Smashers."

Bucky and Czarina gestured to him that it's okay. The man headed outside of the fast food store, leaving the two Barnes alone on their seats. Czarina wanted to go back to eating and finish the last of her head but her father suddenly opened the question she'd been hoping not to hear.

"Wanna tell me something else?"

Her stomach just did a somersault after she heard it. Bucky already looked as convinced as Sam a moment ago, and now he's here still being able to see through Czarina's half lie.

"Why would you pretend to believe me when clearly you still think I'm not telling the truth?" Her eyes squinted at the man.

"I wasn't pretending," he countered. "I just know there's something else bothering you besides the fact you knew what to know more about the Red Poison."

She moved closer to him. Ever since Czarina was confronted by Yuri she's been dying to talk to someone about it, though she wishes Bucky wasn't able to notice her current predicament because he has his own things to deal with, it felt somehow relieving that.

"He told me who was the last lead scientist of the project." She confessed with her eyes glued anywhere but to her.

"And who was it?"

"Valeriya Kuzmich." Czarina didn't have to look at him to know that he was appalled the moment he heard the woman.

"Rina," Bucky called out to her. "Do you want us to go after her? Do you think she knows more about the Red Poison?"

"No, I don't." she immediately objected on an extreme level. She had plenty of time to think about everything Yuri told her while flying to the city. The part of chasing ghosts made her rethink why she's still persistent on the Red Poison when it's clear that she believes what the former wolf spider said. She knows it too in herself that the serum didn't work out, because if it did the Department X wouldn't be so invested in curing her and Levi. They were their last true super soldiers. The same reason why no one defended Red Room when SHIELD attacked it for the first time.

Another proof of it was their major mission in 2009. The assassination of Michael Rogers, it was a simple play for a proof of dominance. They wanted to take credit for killing the only surviving meta human and super soldier of America that time. The Department X was losing their sphere of power in the new world, their organisation was on the last legs so they decided to take a huge risk that they thought would help them gain control again. They wouldn't be in that situation in the first place if they had capable manpower on their side. Which they didn't because their attempt to create an enhanced army failed miserably.

"At first I was so convinced that there's more of it, that maybe Yuri was lying. And Valeriya really finished my formula. That I need to go after her to end this all," Czarina spilled her thoughts. "But I think about it, it's obvious that I only thought of that because I let myself make this about me. About my guilt for what I did, and possibly because of how I know Valeriya."

"She did a lot of horrible things to you, of course you'll feel like going after her." Bucky spoke in his usual, comforting voice. "Especially after knowing she took advantage of the nightmare work Department X forced you to do."

"But Dad, this isn't about me," she acknowledged again. "Right now there are ten super soldiers out there running around. I'm not letting my personal agenda get in the way of the mission. That's what you taught me, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "But are you sure, you really believe it?"

"I do." She reassured him firmly. "I'm gonna deal with this whole Valeriya thing at the right time. For now we look for another lead on the Flag Smashers."

"Well... as for that I think I have one." Bucky glanced back at her with a light tipped smile.

The father and daughter watched as Sam pushed through the doors and strutted back to their spot with a more distressed look. "Sorry that took long, the higher office called too. Questioning me about why I didn't cooperate with Walker and his team."

"That's a bummer. Why would we even join them? We're better on our own." Czarina snorted.

"So, what did I miss?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," she quickly denied but not sounding too defensive. "Dad was just telling me about why you two rerouted her instead of heading back to New York."

"You were?" Sam's brows dipped together as he stared at the older Barnes.

"Yeah, uh-oh," Bucky scratched the back of his head. "I was about to tell her, that's okay right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"So why are you two here?" She rests her chin atop her fist and waits for the two's explanation.

"The US had a Black super soldier just a few years after Steve. We went to him this morning, hoping he knows something about the government's serum." Sam explained in a heavy voice. Czarina felt like sinking back on his seat again. She knows pretty damn well how attempts of recreating the product of Project Rebirth went, and it's far from the brilliant premise of how Steve was enhanced. It's not just one shot of serum doses in a capsule.

"Oh my god," she said in a small voice. "What's his name?"

"Isaiah. Isaiah Bradley." Bucky replied.

"And did Steve know about him?" She turned to her father.

"No." The two men answered in unison. The girl rubbed against her hand on her face and went quite completely, she wasn't able to utter any words. There was a black super soldier decades ago, and no one knew about him and what he had gone through under the US government.

"I know what we have to do," Bucky declared. "When Isaiah said “my people”…,"

"Oh, don’t take that to heart." Sam interrupted him. "That’s not what he meant."

"No, he meant HYDRA." He corrected the man's understanding of his words. "HYDRA used to be my people."

Czarina's eyes slowly widened when she pieced together where this conversation is headed to. "Oh no, Dad. Stop right there."

Sam also figured it out and scoffed in response. "Not a chance."

"Red Poison is not the source. Walker doesn’t have any leads. Where does that leave us?"

"I know where you’re going with this, no." Sam disagrees wholeheartedly. Czarina is just grateful he's around so she's not alone on arguing with her father when it comes to risky decisions.

"He knows all of HYDRA’s secrets." Bucky reminded them as they were forgetting what he did. "Don’t you two remember Siberia?

"I remember it too well to know that it's not the best idea to see this guy ever again after that."

"But we have to try." He insisted.

"So you’re just gonna go sit in a room with this guy?" Sam asked, sounding really unimpressed with the man's suggestion. With no hint of second thoughts Bucky answered in confidence. "Yes."

"Okay, then. We’re gonna go see Zemo."

Czarina shot up straight from her seat and stared down in shock at the two. "What?!"

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berlin correctional facility:
germany ,  around 5am

Their ten hour flight from Baltimore to Berlin was less hassle and peaceful than she expected. Though Sam and Bucky had their usual bickering moments it wasn't anything Czarina couldn't handle. She had fun counting how many times the two men got owned by one another until she fell asleep for the rest of the flight.

On the other hand she didn't feel like getting up when the plane finally landed on their destination, knowing they were about to see the man who tore the Avengers apart eight years ago. The same man who framed Czarina and Bucky for crimes they didn't do led to her being almost killed by her brother's best friend. Would they ever find someone who can help on the case that didn't actively try to kill them in the past?

"I'm not enjoying the choice of people we have to help us." She scoffed as they walked through the hallway of the prison building. Sam and Bucky both by her side.

"He’s just through that corridor." The warden informed them.

"Give us a sec." Bucky told him and abruptly stopped on his tracks. He waited for the officer to leave before speaking again. "I’m gonna go in alone."

"Why?" Sam questioned.

"You’re an Avenger," the man explained. "you know how he feels about that."

Czarina crossed her arms, raising a brow to Bucky's sudden choice of leaving them out.

"It’s not like you two were known for frolickin’ in the sun together." Sam jabbed back at him.

"He was obsessed with HYDRA." He reminded the other guy. "We have a history together. Trust me. I got it."

The girl only smiled wryly. "Then in that case I should go too."

Bucky looked like he was about to argue further but he didn't, instead he gestured to his daughter to walk beside him at the farther steps of the hall. Inside was a larger room with monitors on the front desk, each one for the connecting cells of the inner room.

"Direktor Schlogl," the warden addressed. "61… 72."

The door for the said room immediately buzzed and opened for them, it led to an all see-through cell large enough for one person. Czarina felt her hair raising the moment she stepped inside it. "I don't know what the Silence of the Lamb remake this is, but I'm not liking it." She whispered.

When the door behind them closed she tried her best to look as stoic as possible. Keeping in her mind that she can't let the man have a chance to get on her head.

"Zhelaniye." Longing. His voice was too familiar for Czarina to pretend she doesn't know the person behind the dark.

"Rzhavyy." Rusted.

"Semnadtsat'." Seventeen.

Helmut Zemo finally stood to his feet, coming out of the darkness that concealed his form. He stared at the father and child with the same amount of curiosity and scrutiny when he first met them more than seven years ago.

"Those days are over." Bucky said with confidence.

"I know." Zemo replied with a slight nod, he walked towards the glass panel separating him from the two. "I just wanted to see how the new you reacts to the old words."

He tilted his head left and right as he stared at Bucky's reaction to his remark. Czarina pressed on her father's hand to distance him from slipping off because of Zemo's words.

"Ah, you're here too." The man turned his attention to the girl. "Princess."

Her expression quickly morphed into a mix of disturbed and pissed off. "Okay that's it." She exhaled sharply. "I'm done with here."

"It's okay Rina, you can leave if you want." Bucky glanced at her with an assurance. "You don't have to deal with this man."

Feeling the sudden surge of anger and resentment on her chest, it felt like it'll be better if she removed herself from the conversation. The girl didn't anticipate that she would still be this infuriated at the man in front of her.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Her father nodded and pressed on her shoulder.

She gave away one last death stare to Zemo before finally leaving the room. When she reached the outside Sam was still there, seated in the waiting area of the hallway.

"What happened?" He immediately asked upon seeing Czarina. "Are you alright, Rei?"

The girl sat beside him and released a deep sigh. "I might jump on Zemo if I didn't get out there."

Sam looked at her with extremely worried eyes, he drew closer to the girl. "You wanna talk about it?"

Beside Bucky and Dr. Greene, Sam, whom she considers for quite some time now as an uncle. Is one of the few adults Czarina is comfortable with when expressing her distressed emotions, she knows she doesn't need to hide from him. 

"Is it okay if I kinda want to but it feels like it'll be better if we don't talk about him?" Even Czarina is a bit puzzled on what she feels at the moment. "Sorry if I'm too confusing." She waved her hand in the air in dismissal.

Sam only chuckled at the girl. "No, not at all. Trust me I've dealt with worse."

"Really?"

"I have Torres around, of course I do."

Czarina sensed her intense beating heart beginning to calm on the mention of the guy, it's almost like when Hazel holds her hand during speech performances in their classes. She feels back into her feet again without shaking.

"You've met him right?" Sam looked over at her.

"Yeah, on the way to Munich." Czarina confirmed curves rising on sides of her mouth.

"He asked for you when he called yesterday, by the way."

She furrowed her brows together and chortled an airy laugh. "He did? Why?"

"He checked if you're alright, I told him you're just fine and he sounded relieved with it." Sam relayed their conversation. "Looks like he wanna be friends with you, Rei."

"Nah." Czarina dismissed lightly. "Ex assassins and air force soldiers don't get along well."

"What? You and I get along fine!" Her uncle protested back. "We even make a great team."

"What about you and Papa?"

Sam scoffed and narrowed his eyes. "Your dad likes annoying me, that's why we don't get along."

"And to be fair, you love pissing him off too."

"To be fair." The man agreed with a smile. "Also he has to get rid of that stare or we will never really get along."

"He does!" Czarina snickered. "Wait, do I stare that way too?!"

"Oh no you don't," Sam shook his head. "You have a very kind stare."

"Yeah, except for Walker."

"No one has a kind stare for Walker." 

Czarina cackled loudly on Sam's response. The dragging weight on her chest has been lifted, it was quickly replaced with a warm and rested feeling. This has been her most calmed state since Munich. She moved close to Sam and rested her head on his shoulder.

"We'll figure this out, Rei." Her uncle promised in an eased up tone. "Like the three of us always do."

"I know. I have you and Pa."

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Even with the flashlight on her hand Czarina found it hard to navigate in the dark storage area they are currently in. After Bucky finished his talk with Zemo, instead of telling them what the guy told him, he drove them to an unfamiliar location one hour away from the prison facility. And until now he hasn't uttered a word why they are here. It's starting to bug the girl especially now he's started talking about breaking out a criminal from prison.

"What are you talking about? You wanna break Zemo outta jail?" Sam questioned once more in the dark, pointing his flashlight at Bucky's face. "Where are we, Buck? Have you lost your mind?"

"We have no leads, no moves, nothing." Bucky countered back.

"What did he even told you-- OW!" Czarina hit  something solid on her path, a numbing pain quickly shot at the girl's knee. "--about the serum?"

Both men slightly turned and pointed their flashlights in her direction to check if she's okay. "Watch your steps." Bucky looked over at her. "He didn't tell me anything but he knows a lot about HYDRA, he can find where it's coming from."

"What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind bars." Sam reminded steely.

"We also have eight Super Soldiers that are loose."

"Zemo’s gonna mess with our minds." He replied. "Especially Rei's, and yours. No offense." Sam raised his flashlight along with Czarina on the switch breaker Bucky found. Fluorescent lights at the ceiling flickered open as soon as the man pulled it down.

"Offense." Her father walked towards her uncle. A serious expression plastered on his face. "Super Soldiers go against everything he believes in. He is crazy, but he still has a code."

Czarina only grimaced in silence. This is bad, she thought after their talk back at the prison they're done with Zemo. But here they are, on some abandoned car storage area, debating whether it's a good idea to bust out a man in prison who's accounted for terrorism and murder. The worst part is, it seems like her dad is in no shape of backing down on his plan even if he has to do it alone.

"I’ve been on the wrong side of that code and so have you." Sam argued back with strong conviction. "He blew up the UN, he killed King T’Chaka and framed you for it. He used Rei against you. Did you forget that?"

Czarina chewed the sides of her mouth and tried to avoid his dad's gaze as Sam reminded him of everything Zemo has done to them in the past. She's not liking where this conversation is headed.

"You think the Wakandans forgot about it?" Bucky stopped on his tracks to look at Sam. "It’s a rhetorical question. They didn’t. I know why this matters to you, but it’s pushing you off the deep end."

"We don’t know how they’re gettin’ the serum." Bucky simply answered. "We don’t even know how many of them there are."

Sam turned his back from the man with a heavy sigh, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. Her uncle's eyes landed on Czarina's hunched form leaning by the rusty black car on the corner.

"You know how she feels about Zemo. She didn't even last a minute with him." He looked over at Bucky as he pointed at the girl, his voice was low but Czarina could still hear it. "I wouldn't either if I was in her place eight years ago. He used her to escape the JCTC like she's some disposable bodyguard. She almost killed her brother after Zemo used those words on her."

The blonde's breathing shuddered, until now, there are still nights where she dreams about the time Zemo used the trigger words on her. She remembers escorting him out of the JCTC building, fighting so many soldiers and guards including her mother and brother. After two years on the run she was back on the shackles HYDRA created for her. She felt even more terrified after realising that someone, other than her former superiors, was able to get their hands on her mind conditioning system.

"Rina, I know that." Bucky glanced at her. "Let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I?

"You're really gonna try to talk me over about this? The girl scoffed. "No dad. I'm with Sam on this one, please think about the pardon we had just six months ago. We're still in a probation period!"

"Please just explain it to both of you."

Sam slowly turned back with a growing horrified look on his face. "What did you do?" He questioned.

"I didn’t do anything." Bucky innocently denied, raising his shoulders.

"Okay. I'm out of this." Czarina raised both her hands open in a mock act of defeat. "I'm not listening to that hypothetical plan."

The girl started walking away from the two men to head out of the dark garage, Bucky called after her to come back but she ignored him until she's by rattling door they entered a while ago. Czarina opened it wide and sat by its entrance. She exhaled sharply.

"Don't make this about you. Don't make this about you." She muttered to herself on repeat as she massages her aching temples. This mission is more important to her than anyone could imagine. Sure it may have started as something for herself in the hopes of clearing her dead brother's name, but gradually it grew to something bigger than her. She knows deep down she wants to help solve the case after knowing what they are up against. She's not an Avenger and far from one but who else would go toe to toe with radical super soldiers but a trained fighter and super soldier too?

But she can't do that if they don't find where the serum is coming from. Finding the source of the serum can give them a bigger lead on the Flag Smashers. Can Zemo really give that to them? Czarina released a sigh. If she can set aside her personal business with Valeriya to avoid compromising the mission then she needs to learn to do the same with Zemo. But then, even if she takes out her long time grudge in the picture. Breaking out the man from the prison puts her and Bucky's pardon at risk. It would be a mess if the state finds out they committed another serious crime. Outside the country. With an Avenger.

Czarina finally stood up from her seat. She has to go back inside. Maybe she can still convince her father to look for another way instead of the complicated one. Also, it didn't look so good too when she walked out of them a while ago.

As she headed back to the side of the garage she left them Czarina heard the door behind her open, the girl quickly hid behind a grey car blocking her path. Since it was dark at that corner she couldn't clearly see the person's face but it was obvious it was a man wearing a personnel guard uniform. He walked straight to the room where Bucky and Sam were. When the lights hit him and his face became visible to her, Czarina shot up straight to her feet. Eyes widened in complete shock.

She didn't hesitate to trail after him and pulled out the weapon by her hip, the girl carefully flapped the plastic curtain in front of her that's separating them. The man didn't seem to notice it. Czarina tightened her jaw.

"Don't take another step, Zemo." She warned in a dreadful tone. The gun's mouth rested against the back of his head.

"Oh god."

"What the hell?!"

Bucky and Sam's voices overlapped upon seeing the situation. "What the hell is he doing here?" Czarina stared daggers at her father.

"Where did you get the gun?" The metal armed man demanded nervously.

"Rei, put the gun down." Sam tried asking her. "Please."

"What the hell is he doing here?" She repeated the question with the same grave tone in her voice.

"I can explain. Just put the gun down, Czarina."

"Put the gun down, Rei and get over here with us."

The visibly disturbed and worried look on their faces convinced the girl to reign herself for a moment and to listen to what they're saying. Czarina took a deep breath and removed the gun away from Zemo's head. She slung it back to her hip, covered by the long sweater she's wearing.

"Come here." Bucky said softly. She walked past Zemo and stopped by her father's side.

"How the hell did he get out?!" She frantically yelled. "We have to report this. Now. We can be involved with him escaping!"

"What is he doin’ here?"

Bucky looked away from the two sheepishly. "I didn’t tell ’cause I knew you wouldn’t let this happen."

Good god. He had been ten steps ahead of them before they could have even said anything. The blonde slapped her hand against her forehead. It's too late for any second opinion conversation, the work is done. Her father just freed a notorious criminal.

"What did you do?!" Sam questioned, visibly trying to control his anger.

"We need him." Bucky only replied.

The other guy turned his attention to the newly escaped. "You’re going back to prison!"

"If I may…," Zemo began to speak but was harshly cut off by the three.

"No!" They all said together.

"Apologies." Zemo nodded, Czarina continued to stare at him with spite.

"When Steve refused to sign the Sokovia Accords, you backed him." Bucky began to remind Sam. "You broke the law, and you stuck your neck out for me."

"That is exactly why this is all so wrong!" The girl jabbed her hand towards Zemo's direction. "Sam already did all this before and what did it get him? Two years on the run because the government declared us as criminals. Do you really want that again?"

The older man tightened his jaw, chest rising on heavy breaths. He redirected his gaze from his daughter back to Sam. "I’m asking you to do it again."

"I really think I’m invaluable…," Zemo interrupted again.

"Shut up."

"Get over yourself." The girl threw another agitated look at him.

"Rina," Bucky faced the girl this time. "I'm sorry, I know how you feel about him. But we really need him if we want a lead to the Flag Smashers. I know that--,"

"Stop it." She immediately cut him off, shaking her head. "I can handle being around him. If— this is really what we need. What I'm so concerned about is even if you don't bring me to consideration you know this is putting you too in a bad place. You're risking your pardon and your own mind. I don't want to see him mess with you, like he did back at the prison."

"I understand that." Bucky answered in a low voice. "But I promise, this won't take long. We're gonna put him back to jail as soon as we find out where the serum is coming. No one has to know we're involved in his escape."

Czarina took a pause and let out an exhausted sigh. "Fine. I don't think we had any other choice either. Sam? You okay with this?"

Her uncle looked over at Zemo before saying his decision. "Okay. If we do this, you won't make a move without our permission." Sam instructed the man firmly.

"Fair." He replied.

"Okay Zemo, where do we start?"

It turns out the garage was wider than it appears to be, Zemo led them to the farther section of the place where more dust covered cars are stored in rows. Czarina can't help but recognise and name the older models on the bunch, something even for herself is quite eerie. You're so old. She told herself.

"So our first move is grand theft auto?" Sam asked if they continued walking in the hall.

"These are mine." Zemo informed them. "Collected by family over the generations."

Personally, Czarina would prefer checking each car for their model and manufactured date instead of listening to its owner. Her finger wiped over a grimy plate number stuck at a black Chevy Camaro.

"Rina, don't. That's dirty." Her father pulled her hand away from it. "Sorry." She only grinned.

"I spent years hunting people HYDRA recruited to recreate the serum. Because once it’s out there, someone can create an army of people…," Zemo stopped in front of a yellow car by the left corner, opening the front seat and pulling a duffel bag from it. "like the Avengers."

His deep hatred for the super powered heroes is still there. He didn't even try to hide it despite Sam being present at the scene.

"I ended the Winter Soldier program once before. I have no intention to leave my work unfinished." Zemo declared proudly, a coat and a duffel bag by his arms. "To do this, we’ll have to scale a ladder of lowlifes."

"Well, join the party. We’ve already started." Sam replied to him as the three of them started walking after the man.

"First stop is a woman named Selby. Mid-level fence I still have a line on." Zemo said without sparing a look on them. "From there, we climb."

"God I hope I fall down and hit my head along the way." Czarina could only blurt out.

AAAAAAA not a trailer for the fic but it's a quick video edit of the Barnes duo!! It's not the best but I hope you like it, my editing skills are still rusty as heck.