Chapter Text
Her eyes were the same color as Carl’s, Zemo thought irrationally as the girl screamed silently, and the windows shattered into near nothingness. He picked his way through the glass, gently stepping over James, who’d been downed by the scream, hands over his ears. Zemo knew he didn’t have much time to get to her.
James would heal – the girl wouldn’t.
As she took a deep breath, preparing for another scream, a red dot appeared on her chest and Zemo abandoned caution to tackle the girl to the ground, turning as he did to avoid landing on top of her. He barely felt the pain from the bullet grazing him, adrenaline charging through his system like a hippo. He cradled the girl in his arms, aware enough that he could tell his arm was bleeding, but he was more worried about her. When he’d been put on this mission, no one had told him the target was a child.
He’d guess no one had told James either, by the look of surprise on his face when they’d finally come into contact with her. They’d known she had some extraordinary powers, but there was no way Zemo was going to kill a child in cold blood, she looked barely ten.
Returning gunfire told him two things. James was still capable of moving, and he agreed with Zemo.
The girl was looking at the hole in the cabinets where she’d been standing in shock.
“You saved me...” she said. James rolled behind the counter, reloading his handgun. He didn’t say anything to either of them, he just gave Zemo a look.
Zemo nodded and slid to the far end of the counter with her as James jumped over the counter to fire back at the sniper, keeping them busy. Zemo bolted from cover to cover, holding the girl’s hand, always keeping his body between her and the gunfire.
James ran across the room to them as the returning fire stopped.
“Shot out his scope but he’ll be here soon, we’ve got-” James started, quickly interrupted by a blonde woman kicking in the door. He immediately stepped in front of Zemo, who caught a glimpse of an odd sheen in her eyes. She didn’t hesitate, firing through both of them at the girl, almost before James could take his protective stance.
All three hit the ground.
“Targets neutralized,” The woman said into her radio. James curled into Zemo’s back, and Zemo reached out for the girl, his body wracked with pain.
“I love you...” James whispered against his back. Zemo watched the life leave the girl’s eyes, heard the breath against his back stop, and as he felt the blood draining from his body, his heartbeat loudly pumping its last, the girl exploded into light.
Bucky sat up in bed with a jolt. That was certainly the strangest nightmare Bucky had had in a while... had he been... Zemo, in the dream? He shook his head.
Apparently, the man fucked with him in more ways than he knew, if the news that Zemo would be on parole in a few short weeks could change the nature of his dreams. He sat back against the wall, the cold welcome on his naked back. He looked around his tiny apartment, getting up to start his usual morning routine, grimacing slightly at the tacky feeling of cooling sweat on his skin.
His apartment didn’t have AC, and the wind blowing into the room from the open window wasn’t exactly cool.
At least the water in his shower was.