"What were you thinking, Barton?!" Steve chastised the archer in the lounge after Bucky and Alexandra headed downstairs to the lab.

"It was a tranq arrow! Just to knock her out! What's the big deal?!" Clint threw his hands up.

"That's not the point, Clint. We don't attack each other!" Natasha exclaimed. "The world looks to us for protection. How do you think they would feel if we were fighting each other?" She asked. Clint sighed heavily and shrugged.

"I...I don't know. I wasn't thinking." He rubbed his temples and stared at the floor. Steve stared at him, his jaw tense and arms folded across his chest. Clint looked up and shook his head. "Sorry, Cap."

"I think Alexandra deserves your apology more than me." He replied before turning his attention to Natasha. "Nat, what exactly happened before that?"

"The three of us had taken her into the other room. I was thinking about how she could possibly still be alive with all the...whatever is inside her. And she...heard it...somehow." The red head gave Steve the cliff-notes.

"After Nat went to get you guys, she threw me across the room like I was a balled up piece of paper. Then froze that arrow mid-air." Clint interjected.

"Telepathy and telekinesis." Natasha muttered. "What else is happening to her?"

"She had...some sort of vision. While she slept. She had a dream about Rollins and Rumlow. Something that pretty much confirms the theory about clones, I'd say." Steve said.

"I still can't believe that's what they want to do." Clint shook his head. "It's just so...completely out there."

"Banner," Steve suddenly turned his attention to the scientist, "you said you found other compounds in the serum? What are they? What do they do?" Bruce sighed.

"There was a cocktail of compounds in the serum. I don't know how they were able to synthesize them and have them not react badly with each other." Bruce explained. The air in the room was tense as the others waited for him to continue. "Sariur, Narbidum, Reinc, Baloum, Cechnsium, and Subsiel. In addition to Celon and Neladic." He rattled off several compounds, and everyone but Tony gave him puzzled looks.

"Can you please explain what the hell they do?" Clint asked, a sense of urgency in his voice.

"They're various compounds that grant abilities to the subject. The ones I just said, they grant physical, mental, and manipulative abilities." He said.

"So she could wipe us all out if she wanted to, is what you're saying." Clint surmised. Bruce shook his head.

"Maybe not. We don't know what kind of powers she has. Aside from what we've already witnessed. We shouldn't assume that she has immense and god-like powers." He explained. "For all we know, she could have these few active powers and the rest are passive. Like accelerated healing, or an adaptive physiology."

"And how are we supposed to figure it out? Push her buttons until she snaps and displays another power?" Clint asked. Steve shot him a glare. "What, Steve? Do you have any better ideas?" He asked. Steve sighed and looked down.

"Maybe Clint's right." Natasha spoke up. Everyone brought their attention to her. "I mean, we don't need to push her buttons and get her riled up. But we do have a bunker under the tower. We could... Maybe have some kind of session down there?" She suggested. Tony raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's...actually not a bad idea." He said. "Think about it. That bunker was built to try and contain Hulk."

"Yeah, and look how well that worked out." Bruce replied quickly. "What if she has powers stronger than that? She could completely destroy the tower." He said.

"There's...really only one way to find out." Steve sighed. "It's the only plan we have. And do we really want her to find out she has other incredible powers outside, where she could possibly put civilians in danger?" Bruce looked down, and everyone remained silent.

"...OK." He finally conceded. "We really don't have another option." He brought his gaze up to Steve. "You should be the one to tell them." The soldier nodded silently before heading downstairs to where Bucky and Alexandra were.


"Bucky, I'm scared." Alexandra said, her hands shaking. "I don't know what's happening. I feel...dangerous. And not in a good way." She bit her lip and paced a short line. I wish I had a gun. I could end this now...before I hurt anyone. The thought seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Alexa." Steve's voice drifted from the doorway. Alex turned to face him. "So, there's no delicate way to put this," he began. Bucky braced himself for devastating news, "Banner found...several compounds in the serum that have the ability to give certain powers." He explained. Alexandra furrowed her brows in confusion.

"So..." Alex prodded him to continue, despite the fact that she had a feeling she knew what he was going to say. Bucky stayed unusually quiet, his eyes glued to Steve.

"You have other powers that you don't know about. And...there's no way to know what they are until they manifest. So..." Steve took a breath and glanced at Bucky. He clenched his hands into fists. "We decided that...it would be best - or safest - to..." Steve looked down and flexed his hands into fists before releasing them.

"You're going to keep me in the bunker in the basement." Alexandra sighed. Steve brought his attention back up to her, a look of surprise on his face. Bucky quickly stood up from his chair.

"What?!" He exclaimed.

"Bucky, don't." Alex put her hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Did you just read my thoughts?" Steve asked. He knew that Natasha had mentioned that earlier. But it was different when it actually happened. Alex nodded, feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry. I...I don't know how to turn it off." She apologized. "I could just see how hard it was for you to say." Bucky placed his hand over Alex's.

"Steve, we can't just keep her down there like she's some kind of animal." Bucky said.

"We won't." Steve reassured him. "It'll just be for a few hours a day. It's the only idea we could think of to figure out what other abilities she has." He explained. Alex felt Bucky relax slightly.

"I can't hurt anyone down there?" Alex asked. Steve nodded.

"The bunker was built to contain Hulk." He said. "It's strong and solid." Hopefully she doesn't have any abilities that strong... Alex heard Steve's thought, but didn't say anything about it.

"Well, I don't see any other way to figure this out. But, can we start tomorrow?" She suggested. "It's...been a hell of a day. For everyone, I think." Alex forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. Steve smiled slightly and nodded.

At least she still has her sense of humor. She heard him think. It made her smile at him before he left the room. Alex brought her attention to Bucky. He'd been so quiet, and it worried her.

"Bucky?" She stepped in front of him and stared into his eyes. "Are you OK? You've been so quiet."

...kill every last one of them. Rumlow is going to suffer like he made Alexandra suffer. The thought played over and over in Bucky's head. Alex placed her hands on the sides of his face.

"Bucky..." She whispered softly. Bucky blinked several times before he was able to focus on Alexandra. "Hey. Don't worry. We'll get through this." She told him.

"I'm sorry." He apologized and held her hands in his as he pulled her close to him. "I wish I could fix this." Alex looked up at him.

"It does suck." She agreed. "But, I wouldn't change it for anything. Because..." She paused and blushed. "This whole situation brought me to you." Bucky looked down at her and smiled.

"I love you, doll." He said before kissing her forehead. Alex smiled and hugged him tightly.


Alexandra had endless nightmares that night. She couldn't tell if she was having premonitions, or if her mind was just subconsciously trying to work through the crazy shit that had happened during the day.

"Alex." Amy breathed a sigh of relief. Before the two of them realized it, they were wrapped in each other's arms. Alex squeezed her as tightly as she could. "Breathing! It's still something I do!" She choked out. Alex released her death grip hug on the girl and smiled at her.

"Amy... Amy, I've missed you so much! I...can't believe this is happening!" Alex squealed. Amy smiled back at her. "So much has happened. I wanted to talk to you for so long, but Ethan wouldn't let me." She eagerly explained, hoping her friend would forgive her. "He was such an asshole. I don't know what I ever saw in him." She shook her head and looked down.

"Alex." Amy repeated, her tone suddenly changed. Alex looked up. The smile gone from Amy's face, she looked...angry. "You left me." She said lowly. Alex took a step back.

"I...I know. I didn't want to! I just...made some bad decisions..." She admitted sadly.

"You left us." Amy practically growled, taking a step towards Alex. The brunette stared at her friend in shock.

"...Us?" She asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Alex felt her heart start to pound and her hands shake. Amy reached behind her back and Alex instinctively took a step back. When Amy's hand came back into view, she was holding a very sharp looking knife.

"Come back to us, Alex. We miss you." Amy's tone was almost mocking.

"Woah! Amy! What the hell?!" Alex exclaimed. She held her hands up as if she was surrendering. Amy smirked and took a fake step towards Alex, which made the frightened woman jump back. She felt herself collide with something and she spun around. Her heart jumped into her throat and she nearly collapsed.

"Hey beautiful."

"No..." Alex whispered in horror. "Not...Not you!" She turned to run, but something jerked hard against her ankle and sent her crashing to the floor. Alex turned to look, and saw a chain connected to the floor that wrapped around both her ankles.

"Won't you stay a while?" Amy mocked her. She knelt down in front of her and held the knife under her chin. "After all, we've got so much to catch up on." She smiled. Alex was breathing heavy in a panic. She felt two hands lift her up off the floor, and she struggled to free herself.

"Get off me! I'll kill you again, and make sure it sticks!" She screamed. The laugh he responded with seemed to echo off the walls of the room. Alex looked around, suddenly realizing where she was.

The disgustingly grimy room where Ethan and Rumlow tortured her. Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. Her gaze fell to the man standing before her. She wanted to punch the smirk right off his stupid face.

"Well come on, then." Rumlow taunted her. Alex balled her hands into fists and jerked her foot forward to break the chain. It rattled noisily against the concrete floor. She looked down in confusion and jerked her other foot forward. The chain wouldn't break.

"What the hell is this? What did you do to me?!" She cried out, turning back to Rumlow. He chuckled softly.

"Me? I didn't do anything to you, princess." He replied with an arrogant smile. "No matter how powerful you are, you will always be powerless against me." Amy stood beside him, casually twirling the knife in her hands.

"Amy, please." Alex begged her friend. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to leave you! Don't you know that?!" She protested.

"Shut up!" Amy snapped, thrusting the knife towards Alex as a threat. "You've always been a selfish little bitch. And now you have the nerve to pretend to be the victim?" She said in disgust. Alex took a small step back, wounded by her words. She was shocked into silence.

"Speechless? That's a first." Rumlow raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. He raised his hand and ran it through Amy's hair, as if to display affection for her. Alexandra cast her gaze downwards, at a complete loss for words and actions.

"This is just a dream... There's...no other explanation..." She closed her eyes and whispered to herself. She repeated to herself that it was a dream, over and over.

"If this is a dream, then why are you powerless to stop this?" Rumlow's voice was right against her ear, causing her to snap her eyes open and jump away in surprise. She turned to face Amy to plead with her again, only to be met with the sudden pain of the blade sinking into her side.

"A...Amy...?" Alex gasped as she stared at her friend. She inhaled sharply as the red head jerked the blade out, letting drops of blood fall to the floor. Alex held her hand against her wound, putting pressure on it to slow the bleeding. She swayed back and forth, unsteady on her feet, before falling to the ground. The wounded girl held herself up with her free hand.

"Do you have any idea what I went through after you left?" Amy asked angrily as she got down on her knees. She pressed the tip of the blade against Alex's chest and cut through the fabric of her shirt, making a shallow horizontal cut across her skin. Alex hissed in pain and leaned back to get away from the knife. She felt someone behind her, holding her in place. Two hands clasped around her neck and started to squeeze.

"P-Please..." Alex wheezed. She brought both of her hands up and weakly pried against Rumlow's grip.

"No." Amy growled as she effortlessly pushed Alex's hands away. "You're going to suffer like I did after you left me." She said as she stabbed Alex in the side again. Alex gasped and choked as she coughed up blood. A malicious smile spread across Amy's lips as she twisted the knife before pulling it out again. Rumlow let go of her neck and let her fall to the floor.

"I'm...s-s-sorry.." Alex trembled on the floor, never taking her eyes off Amy.

"It's too late for that." Amy replied coldly. Alex felt the familiar pain of the knife in her outer thigh. She whimpered loudly, her breathing was heavy and labored as blood collected underneath her.

"Mn..." Alex could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. "He-Help me... B-Bucky..."

"Alexandra! Wake up!" Bucky exclaimed, holding her against him in bed. Alexandra snapped her eyes open and gasped several times. Suddenly, she felt herself falling. The bed crashed onto the floor, along with everything else in the room; dressers, nightstands, and lamps. She pulled herself away from Bucky and looked frantically around the room.

"Wh...What the hell?" She gasped before staring at Bucky. He pushed her hair out of her face and stared at her with concern.

"You were having a nightmare." He told her. "You...You were making everything levitate." Alex looked at him like he had three heads. However, the damage to the furniture backed up his claim. She sighed and buried her head into his chest.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "You don't deserve to go through this."

"Shh..." Bucky held her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "You're the one who doesn't deserve to go through this hell."