The screaming was the worst part.

Amber screwed her eyes shut and buried her head in her hands as she fought against the screams of her friend from down the hall. They stopped and she bit her lip, fearing for the worst. Voices sounded down the hall and she raised her head, seeing a bloody and bruised Steve being forced down the hall by Joel. The mutant had a gun pointed to the back of the super soldier's head and Amber grimaced when the door swung open and Steve was shoved in. He landed on his hands and knees before her and she waited for Joel to lock the cell door and walk away before she shuffled forward and caught Steve's slumping frame.

"You were right about it hurting like a bitch," he grunted out and tried to sit up. "Andrea is fine. A little beat up, but I made sure to take the brunt of it."

"Hey, shhh. Let me take care of you, okay?" she murmured, helping him sit back against the wall. Electricity can weaken the nerves and make limbs feel like jelly, super soldier or not. Amber limped over to the bucket of brackish water in the corner. It wasn't ideal but it was the only water they got and the serum helped fight off most infections. Once she dragged it over to him, the mutant sat cross legged next to his hip and used the bedsheet she had pulled off the cot to wipe down any cuts and dirt so she could see wounds easier.

"How did...how did they change your hair? And eyes?" he grunted out as she pressed down on a cut on his arm.

"Professor explained it to me once when I was younger. The X gene bonds to the chromosome and can mutate appearance. Much like you were born with blond hair and blue eyes which was determined by your genes, my genes were manipulated to reflect fire."

His knuckles brushed along her cheek and her head snapped up, seeing that his eyes were heavy and close to falling shut. The dark haired woman froze as a sudden pain pulsed behind her eyes.

Messy blond hair fell across his forehead and a weak cough escaped his lips. A frown tugged at her lips and she raised her hand to press against his hot skin. Nervous brown eyes peered at the two from across the room.

"It's just a cold, James. You can calm down," she called. "But you can help me by starting the soup."

"Course I can, Nurse Rogers," the man teased but he left the small bedroom. Cold air drifted in from the unsealed window frames and she shivered against the frigid air that nipped at her skin.

"You're cold," he stated bluntly and she chuckled, moving her hand to his cheek.

"That so easy to tell, Stevie?" she teased as she tucked his blanket tighter around his thin shoulders. "Need anything, darling?"

"Lay with me? Jus-" He broke off into a coughing fit and she frowned once again, rubbing soothing circles on his shoulder.

"Just need you," he muttered once he stopped coughing.

"Of course."

She kicked off her shoes and settled down next to him, pulling the sick man closer to her. Her fingers carded through his silky blond hair and he sniffled, pressing his face into the crook of her neck.

"I love you, Steven Grant," she whispered.

"I love you, Anna."

Amber blinked rapidly, the pain receding as the memory surfaced. Joel's control was still slipping. She glanced up at the sleeping soldier and gently smiled, remembering the sight of him sick and sleepy in his pre-serum form. Before she could study him any longer, footsteps sounded down the hall and she sighed as the door opened again.

"Get up," Joel snapped at her and she growled out a warning, her eyes flashing gold. He simply stared at her with a raised eyebrow and she sighed, knowing that he could just control her emotions and stop her from igniting. Amber slowly stood and followed him out, her body aching.

As she walked, the plan began to form in her mind.

They would do anything to break Amber so they could make her into their little weapon. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen. But she couldn't let them hurt Steve and Andrea any longer.

Steve couldn't believe how cold it was. The room felt like ice, indicating that it was getting closer to winter. He shivered, curling in on himself as the frost crept onto his skin. His hands ached from frostnip and he groaned, trying to turn his head only to meet freezing cold stones. It felt like he was on the Valkyrie again.

Was he? He couldn't seem to open his eyes. Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe he just crashed the plane. Maybe this was all a dream. It's like he could almost see Anna again.

"Hey, Rogers. Snap out of it. You're too cold, even for a Super Soldier," her voice barked. He blearily blinked his eyes open to find Amber sitting across from him, eyes filled with concern. Her eyes glowed a soft, eerie honey color and he felt warmth across his skin.

"How long-?" The words stumbled out of his mouth and she frowned.

"A few hours probably." Dried blood caked her nose and he gingerly ran his fingers along the clearly broken bridge. She inhaled sharply at his touch and he started to pull his hand back and apologize when she shook her head.

"It's fine," she whispered. "I'm fine. Joel's control is slipping. I...I remembered something."

He could stay awake now without the fight against the cold. Her warm hands were pressed against his sides and heat radiated off of her. Her mutation was weak and he could see that it was draining her energy. He wanted to tell her to stop but knowing that she was close and safe made his mouth stop moving.

"Some guy got a little aggressive on the street and asked if I wanted a good time. You hit him and I had to pull you off him." Amber laughed softly. "So were you always a little troublemaker?"

"You and Bucky had to patch me up after plenty of fights," he huffed out with a chuckle. Her smile faded and her gaze drifted off to the side, a conflicted looking passing across her features.

"I have two lives running through my head right now. I don't understand what I feel half the time because I don't know if it's Amber or Anna. I don't know who I am anymore."

"You're Anastasia Mikhailnovna Kuznetzova. Your favorite color is blue and you love music. You used to play jazz all the time but nowadays you play classic rock, at least that's what Andrea tells me. You love the outdoors, especially fall. You once knocked a guy out because he pushed me." Steve grinned before he continued. "You told James Buchanan Barnes to stop being such an ass when he asked if I was looking for an upgrade anytime soon. You kicked Johann Schmidt in the face. You're a badass, but you also care a hell of a lot. Amber or Anna, at the end of the day you'll always be Anastasia."

"You called me Anya sometimes," she murmured, shutting her eyes.

"When I was proud of you."

Amber hesitated but pulled her hands away from him, reaching into her boots. She pulled out a scalpel and pressed it into his hand. "End this all now and kill me before they can wipe me. Please. Get Andrea and go. Marina will lose her control on me and then you're free to run. Please."

Before he could respond, the cell door swung open.