~ Prologue ~

Sam once asked me what made me happy. I didn't know then. I do know now.

The bunker was smoking from inside out. The group of Avengers assigned to take it down stood in various rooms across the crumbling building. Fires cackled here and there. Metal scraps lay lonesome. Smoke curled from the cracks in the wall.

"Tony." Steve brought his fist to his mouth to speak into the coms. "Have you found Wolfgang?"

There was a silence. In the room with the Captain was the widow and the God of thunder. Their faces turned to him with expectation. They hadn't just turned the whole bunker upside down to lose their target.

"No," Tony grumbled through coms. Steve saw the expressions of his team mates; deception. "But we found something else."

Steve turned to Natasha, the redhead firebomb, with a frown. Her head was cocked, looking between the two men.

"Something worse," Tony finished. "You might want to come see this."

Steve's feet were faster than his mind. He was rushing through the maze of the fallen bunker, the smell of smoke searing his nostrils, the taste of dust sour on his tongue.

Tony had taken the doctor and Clint to inspect the rest of the bunk. When Steve made his intrusion within the little room, the doctor was in Hulk form, huffing and puffing in the corner.

"Natasha, honey," Tony sneered, "want to take care of our buddy here?" He pointed to the Hulk. Nat rushed to his side with a calming mantra, her voice low and soothing.

Steve rushed to Tony, watching as the mask slid away to reveal his chiseled face. "What's the matter, Tony?" the captain asked hurriedly.

Tony sighed, gesturing for his comrade to follow. Thor and Clint followed behind, while the captain and the iron suit lead the way down a winding hall. They emerged in what seemed to be a medical lab. Three bodies dressed in black lay strewn across the floor, which brought a sour feeling in Steve's chest.

"What am I seeing?" he asked gravely. Three tables, vials, dirty lab coats, syringes, and vagabond latex gloves.

"In here," Tony mumbled, steering the little group to the left towards a mirror.

Steve could see himself in the reflection. He was worn and dirty, blood drying on his brow. He took off his helmet, which had been squeezing his head anyway and giving him a headache. Sighing, the captain wiped sweat from his forehead, watching as the rest of the group examined themselves in the mirror as well.

"Tony," Steve grunted.

Tony hushed him. The billionaire pushed a button beside the mirror and the glass dissolved.

At first, Steve wasn't sure what he was looking at. Two rooms separated by a thick cemented wall. Dirty walls.

And then he saw the boy. Standing mere inches from the glass, his face contorted in anger, anguish, and pain. Blonde hair knotted and dirty. He was tall, his arms coated in dust and mud. He wore a white tank top and loose white trousers. Barefoot.

He bent along the glass, his blue eyes burning with fury and insanity. "My sister," he growled. "My sister!"

Steve's eyes snapped to the right. He saw her, sitting like a little child on a beat-up carpet. Long, knotted brown hair down to her waist. A darling face that, if not neglected, would be elegant. Big blue eyes that stared at him without any emotion. Her lips were forming words, but he couldn't hear. She wore some sort of brown rag dress that covered her from shoulder to knees. She looked totally insane and neglected.

"My sister!"

Steve's eyes went back to the boy now standing with his fists against the glass.

"Who are they?" Steve asked Tony.

"Strucker's experiments."

Steve frowned. The whole team had been briefed on this mission. They were to neutralize Wolfgang von Strucker and his experiments. No one thought the experiments would be people.

"The staff," Tony continued, bringing Steve's attention to the weapon laying on the ground. "I'm guessing Strucker used it to give these poor guys some abilities. Guess it didn't go as planned."

Steve looked back at the girl, her eyes still big and round, and staring endlessly at him. Almost imploringly.

"Didn't give them any powers," he grumbled.

"Gave them insanity," Tony finished.

There was a sudden loud cracking noise. Thor pointed his hammer towards the noise, but it was too late. Steve was too slow. Something zoomed by him and then another crashing sound resonated in his ears.

He was on his knees in a split second, covering his face from the shattering glass falling all around him. Little crystals crunched under his boots when he finally got to his feet.

Standing inches in front of him was the girl. Snaking red ribbons covered her wonderfully blue eyes. For a second, the captain was mystified. She was beautiful.

Then she smiled. "Captain," she rasped. Her skin shone with a slight tint of red. Something wasn't right.

And then she wrapped her hands swiftly around his neck.