A/N: Time to face the music.

Chapter Thirteen

Hours later, Carly sat comfortably on a commuter train, dozing from the rhythm of the tracks. Ka thump ka thump ka thump. Armed agents entered the cabin, but roots started to grow from their feet, flowers burst from their eyes. They screamed in agony, plants ripping them apart from the inside. "No," she breathed, trying to reign in her power, gripping her hands. Men were screaming, dying. Bucky walked in, tendrils curling around his head, the plants ready to penetrate his skull.

"Stop." Carly reached out, trying to control the marauding plants. "Stop!"

Carly jerked awake, breathing heavily, lathered in sweat. She saw no plants, just an empty train car.

A presence sat next to her, topped with frizzy yellow hair. Carly breathed. Whatever had taken over her in the park, it…it was bad. She didn't even know whose side those men were on. She could have decimated her own team. Maybe even Larry was out there. The glow of power gone, the images of the men caught in her trap curled her stomach.

Becky glared. "What the hell happened out there?"

"Hey, Becky."

Keep calm. It's over. Carly looked down at her blood-crusted shirt, cherry blossom petals still sticking here and there. Somehow she wasn't surprised Becky had found her.

"Don't you 'Hey Becky' me. What happened? Where's the Winter Soldier?"

Carly looked around. Except for a couple guards at each end who she could easily overpower, they were the only ones in the car. How long had she been asleep? The landscape slipped by. They should be in Richmond in minutes.

Play it cool. "I was with him, Becky. You should have seen him fight. Bam, bam. Amazeballs."

"Well? What happened?"

Becky would get nothing. "He tried to interrogate me, but I wouldn't break. He took me to that park and tied some kind of device to me. Once he was at a safe distance, it detonated, some kind of plant bomb. Did you see those trees? Anyways, remember that thing I did with the flowers? I think that saved me. Everywhere those plants turned to monsters except right where I was." Yeah. Make her think that it wasn't her power at all, just a crazy weapon. A crazy weapon called Wild Flower.

"You didn't tell him anything about who you are?"

"Well, I told him enough to stop him from killing me, yeah. No names, if that's what you're worried about. Just that every organization, both public and secret, were after him."

Becky sat back in her seat. "Damn. We were so close. You led us right to him."

Carly's stomach squirmed. She had worn a tracker the whole time, never told him about it. Why hadn't she dropped it somewhere? She knew why.

Dad.

"Listen. I've done everything you asked of me. I nearly died for you out there, and I got beaten pretty bad. I know it doesn't show, but there was a grenade that almost shredded me. I want you to hold up your end of the deal. I want to see my father. Now."

Becky eyed Carly. "A lot of good men died today. A lot. Plus a bunch of people lost their homes and businesses to rampaging plants. Did Winter Soldier ever say why he was in Alexandria?"

Images of men with leaves puncturing their skin attacked Carly. A lot of men. Dead. It wasn't what she'd wanted to do with flowers, but in that moment, something had taken over. It wasn't rage or vengeance. It was pure…the only word Carly had for it was "evil." Something lived inside of her, something dark. Yeah, she'd dreamed all her life about it, wished for some kind of power, but now that she had it, she wasn't sure she liked it. Sure, maybe she could fool Becky. But someone would figure it out. Someone would know that it had been Carly, and want to use her power for their own ends.

The most terrifying thing was that she didn't even think that was the limit of it. There was more, lurking deep inside. She had to find out what it was, why she had it, and how to control it.

"No," she responded. "He isn't the talkative type. He discovered I was following him and he basically grabbed me so he could interrogate me and have a hostage. Haven't I been through enough?"

Becky pressed her ear and listened for a second. "Fine. You have a deal. You'll see your father in a few days. Arrangements need to be made. But first, every little detail you know about the Soldier."

Carly's heart leaped. She could see her father?

But what would he think of her, collaborating with the enemy?