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Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. I own Addison Carter.

RATED M

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Avengers Tower, Manhattan, September 2014

I was in my car, ready to leave the Tower but I was entering coordinates in my phone. They were the ones I had found in Aksel's files.

I had bought a new phone. I still had the old one, but it was a Stark one and...okay, I was scared Tony might be tempted to look into it behind my back if he were to notice anything weird in my behavior. Anyway, I texted James to tell him I had an errand to run while in NYC and waited for the location to be found. It didn't take long.

I was in Long Island an hour later, near a commercial port. I turned on my special earbud and closed my eyes.

There were...many, many people and many of them were...they wanted to die, were wondering when this ordeal would finally be over. I spotted the building where this was coming from and left my car.

I was careful to walk where there was no one and stopped behind a wall. I looked up and narrowed my eyes. There were wide windows but it was way higher than what I could reach. I touched the wall and made a platform. I hopped on it and lifted it enough so that I could see what was happening inside.

I widened my eyes in horror. There was a guy, his body in stone the same way Colossus' was in metal. However, he was going back to his human form after being injected something. They forced him into a chair and restrained him before placing a device on his head. I pulled my phone to record it when he started screaming in pain.

I stopped the recording after a few seconds and went back on the ground.

"Don't make any move," a haughty male voice said as the barrel of a gun was behind my head. "I guess I found a new mutant guinea pig."

"You're experimenting on mutants?" I read his mind. Even if he didn't say anything, I heard him saying that the SHIELD's files, especially HYDRA's and how they treated their soldiers was useful.

I forgot to breath for a second when I heard the name 'Stryker'. That guy...that guy was responsible for Alkali Lake, for Logan…

Shit.

"Thanks for the answer," I told him as I quickly grabbed his wrist, blocking his movement.

Keeping the gun blocked, I made him fall backward, making sure his head hit the concrete ground hard. I know killing isn't good, but so is having been seen.

I went back to my car once I saw a pool of blood growing around his head and left the place. I was home two hours later, the night already there.

"JARVIS?" I said in my Stark phone, still inside my car.

"Yes Miss Carter?"

"Can you do a search for me but without telling Tony? I don't want him to know like, ever."

"I am afraid Sir has been very clear. Should I detect some worrying details in your behavior I would tell him immediately." Damn it Tony.

"And as Cryptic from the Avenger? Like a side gig?"

"If it is too dangerous..."

"You know what, I'll take the risk. Look up any information you'll find in the SHIELD about the Winter Soldier program and the Weapon X program. Send it to the private server I will send you the information of later."

"Understood Miss Carter." I cut off the communication and leaned my head on the wheel.

Fuck, if Weapon X did have...the Winter Soldier program, or at least knew how to wipe their memories and then…

I jumped when someone knocked on my window. I set wide eyes on James, who was eating a slice of pizza. He smirked at me.

"It's a nice car but a house is even better." I exhaled and nodded. I took my stuff and left my car, locking it behind me. "You're home late."

"Yeah, yeah I know I..." My stomach growled. "I'm starving."

I slouched in the couch with a slice of pizza and a napkin. James stared at me for a few seconds.

"Rough day?" he asked me gently. I groaned, staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, someone had a gun against my head." He widened his eyes and in another circumstances, I would have found that comic.

"What why!?" Right, he was supposed to protect me.

"I'm okay, it's just...can I tell you tomorrow? I have a feeling you'll be interested as well." He furrowed his brows.

I didn't sleep well and the next morning, James wouldn't stop staring. He was more talkative than before but sometimes he'd just stare at me until I spilled everything. I dropped my spoon in my bowl of cereals, milk splashing on the table.

"Look, it's..."

"Ivanov?" he guessed easily. I nodded.

"Yeah, it's..."

"He was working with a third party, HYDRA wanted me to get rid of him." I pursed my lips.

"I...found this third party yesterday. It's...everything's on the internet, right? So...with a detailed internet research, you can find a lot of things." I took my phone and selected the video. "It's...it may trigger you James." He pursed his lips.

"Show me." I started the video and turned it toward him.

He clenched his jaw at the screaming and I looked through the window above the kitchen sink. He put my phone down, the screen against the table, once it was over. He stood up and paced for a seconds before stopping behind his chair. His titanium hand crushed the back. Actually, his human hand as well.

"I think they're using the brainwashing technique HYDRA used on you to turn mutants into their puppets. I don't know what they do to them afterward but...or they become soldiers for their cause, or they're turned into guinea pigs, I can't say."

"You're going back there?"

"I...I think so yeah." I took a deep breath, looking at my cereals, now soaked with milk. "I can't let this happen. I should call backup th..." He grabbed my phone before I could take it. "James?"

"What kind of backup?" I shrugged.

"I was thinking about Steve, or Clint." He shook his head for a second.

"I'll go."

"But you said you didn't want to fight anymore."

"I know but..." He clenched the phone in his hand. "It's just...it can't happen again, and I have a feeling you'd be too reckless."

"Who, me? Why?"

"I don't know, I just feel like I've been around someone who kept diving into dangerous situation and you're giving me the same feeling."

"What feeling?"

"Extreme annoyance." I glared at him.

Somehow, I had the feeling Steve was behind that reaction.

"Are you sure?" He nodded and showed me his attire.

"I'd just need something more practical. And weapons" I raised a brow.

"I know a guy who has quite the arsenal."

"Don' take that one, I have a very strong emotional connection with it," Wade said, snatching the rifle from James' hands.

"It's the one you shot me with," I told him idly, my eyes glued to my computer screen.

"And we met, so emotional connection!" I rolled my eyes, a small smile playing on my lips.

"I still have that knife you gave me in London."

"Keep it," my roommate told me without looking in our direction.

"Addidi, that's..." I shut my laptop.

"None of your business Wade."

"Come on, since when do you keep secrets about your little missions?"

"Since you have someone in your life." His face became serious. "And anyway, calling you for help when I was in college was selfish of me."

"You join the Avengers and suddenly become an adult?" Wade asked me almost in disgust. "God, it must be a fucking nightmare." I tapped his shoulder.

"I even want to buy silverware." He jumped on his feet.

"I do not know you!" He pointed a finger at James. "Now, dating a guy escaping from the government, that's my Addison!" James looked at him weirdly and I rolled my eyes.

"We're not dating." He shot me a look that said 'not yet' or something but I ignored it. I turned off my laptop and gave it to Wade for safe keeping. "I'll pick it up tomorrow, don't look into it."

"I still want to know if Captain America jerks off to the National Anthem, I could use your email for that!" James shot him a disturbed look and I waved him off, silently telling him to ignore it.

"Please Wade."

"Fine," he agreed grudgingly.

"I'll bring breakfast tacos."

"You've got yourself a deal Carter." We shook hands. "I'd advise you to take a cab as well."

"Good idea." James put his chosen weapons in a bag while I had the knife in my boot. I had my work outfit on but with a hoodie on. It looked like I had a weird fashion sense instead of screaming 'superhero'.

Not that I was super or a hero, but apparently that's how we were called.

James...well, he had black cargo pants, black boots and a black long-sleeved shirt with a sleeveless jacket over it, black as well. He also had black gloves. Basically, not even an inch of his metal arm was visible.

The used baseball cap was making this weird though. He kept his head low during the entire ride.

"Hey, super soldiers have night vision as well or not?" I asked James when we were hiding behind a wall. He slapped me behind the head. "It hurts."

"Then focus." I removed my hoodie and equipped myself, James doing the same before he hid the bag behind a dumpster. He also used the image-inducer he was given, his face changing. I adjusted my earpiece. We agreed on me following James' lead as he was far more experienced than me. "Do you think they're all mutants?"

"I don't think so, most of the time they're regular people. As far as I know, the mutants you'll find would be important in the whole organization or be here as bodyguards."

"Good to know."

"I can take care of myself you know, you shouldn't go first."

"You're doing as I say."

"You're a very bossy bodyguard." He glared at me. "Fine, never mind."

Checking the safest way to the warehouse, we reached the spot I had been at before. Three guards had been knocked out cold and hidden. I touched the side of the dumpster and made two round platforms on the ground.

"Hop on." He did and I lifted us to the window.

With a closer look, the room in which there was this torture device seemed to be made of 'fake' walls that didn't even reached the ceiling. In front of it was a footbridge and then stairs were going down.

James broke the glass easily and jumped in the room. I watched him easily knock out people as I landed behind him. I stopped a guy he threw behind him and dropped him on the floor. Quickly, I released the one in the chair.

"Hey, you hear me?" He moaned weakly, his eyes dizzy. "Stay here." I caught up to James. "Six people in experimentation, the rest is bad." He casually jumped down and I rolled my eyes as he turned himself into a decoy.

I ran down the stairs and helped him when he needed it, so not often. Once they were all down, I ran to his side and called Hill. It was quick, with her saying she was sending a team and an Avenger.

"An Avenger is co..." I didn't finish my sentence that I touched James' metal arm. I grabbed one of my katana handle, made a blade from dark matter and slowed down the bullet aimed at us before sending it back to the guy.

He dodged, the bullet was way slower anyway, but I threw my weapon at him before he could shoot again. The blade now deep in his shoulder, I used telekinesis to push it down so that it dug and stayed stuck in the floor.

I then went to the people still here. They were all unconscious. I inspected one of them and saw several infected gashes on her.

"What the fuck is that?" I turned toward James, who had a vial in his hand. I yanked it from his hand with a quick move of the hand and slipped it in my pocket.

"Leave the place, I'll handle the team coming here." He pursed his lips. "Just go." He did, not happy about it but knowing I was right.

I went outside, knocking the man I stabbed out on the way, and waited. I was careful of anyone coming closer and when Thor landed in front of me, Mjølnir twirling in his hand, I was glad.

"Hey big guy!" He embraced me tightly with a grin splitting his face.

"Addison!" He released me and I saw several vehicles coming. Maria Hill came out from one of them.

"They're all inside. The one upstairs might be violent." I handed Hill the vial. "It's the product they're injected with." She accepted the object.

Thor and I went with two guys, carrying a stretcher, upstairs. Nothing happened while they were all placed in the vehicles.

"We'll contact you shortly," Hill told me as she went back to the car. All the goons were in a truck.

"Thanks for coming."

"Do you need a ride home?" Thor asked me, his hammer twirling in his hand already. I shook my head.

"I'm good, I'll take a cab." He nodded and flew away.

James was waiting where we left the bag before, said bag in his hand. He seemed to be deep in thoughts, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, you okay?" He just straightened up. "Sorry you had to...hide."

"It's fine," he replied dryly. "He hugs." I blinked in confusion.

"Thor? He greets everyone like that, it must be some God habit or something."

He was silent on the way home. The next morning, I went to Wade's to get my computer and him and Vanessa ended up being invited for Canadian Thanksgiving.

Th operation went pretty well.

Home, October 2014

Vanessa had a knowing look in her eyes. Her gaze kept shifting between me and the guys. Poor James was slowly being brainwashed to be a Wham! fan by Wade.

"What is it?" I asked her, checking the turkey.

"He's hot." I almost sighed and glanced at her. "And you're fully aware of it."

"So?" There was a twinkle in her eyes. "Come on Vanessa, I will never let Wade give any guy the brother talk or something like that."

"Not gonna lie, it would be hilarious." She shot James a quick look but this time she was more concerned. "Is it okay for you? If people discover you're hiding him..." I shrugged.

"I like to think my job as an Avenger protects me a little you know. I'm...extremely uncomfortable toward Steve though. He's looking for him." A few orange leaves fell from the three outside. "But at least if he stays here I can keep the Soldier under control."

"Rookies shouldn't take on so many responsibilities, especially when they're still making up for their mistakes." I widened my eyes at her and she put her hand on my shoulder. "Wade never said anything explicitly but I know enough to make a few conclusions." I sighed softly, my heart beating fast in my chest. "But no judging on my part, have you seen my boyfriend?"

"George Michael is the best thing that happened to the nineties!"

"Romantic American Thanksgiving?" Her grin told me anything. "And I have mental images now."

"You asked for it."

"I really didn't."

As much as Wade treated James pretty normally, although he didn't mind insinuating stuff, he didn't want Vanessa alone in a room with him. I couldn't blame him.

A part of me wanted to go back to the Institute for the Professor to look for the triggers but...so far, James didn't go back to the Winter Soldier. He was doing pretty good.

He was nervous about today but ultimately, starting his social life with people who could defend themselves, Wade, would be the best. If he could define his own identity today before seeing Steve, who would talk about the past and tell him what kind of man he was, it would make it less confusing for him.

He would never be the Bucky Steve had known ever again. Nothing would wash away the blood he had on his hands, so might as well make him realize that even if he felt guilty as hell, some people would still accept him.

A weak kick in my lower back interrupted my thoughts and James sat down next to me on the steps leading to the backyard.

"You can't handle the sexual tension anymore?" I asked him and he smirked at that, looking at the falling leaves.

"More like Wade's music tastes."

"They're not that bad."

"When they're forced on you they are." I chuckled.

"Other than that, you're okay with some social interaction other than me and the cashier at the grocery story?" Although I could sense some tension in his shoulders, there was a spark of joy in his eyes.

"I'm good. Wade was very clear about what he would do to me if I hurt Vanessa or you." I burst into laughter. "By the way, you're aware I have enhanced hearing right?" He smirked smugly at me, a playful spark in his light blue eyes. "Thanks for the compliment." I was lost for a second and flushed.

"She said you were hot, not me."

"You didn't deny it."

"Shut up," I mumbled weakly, hugging my knees against my chest.

"You're pretty cute as well," he said at the same time. I flushed a deeper shade of red and couldn't bring myself to look at him for a few seconds. He grew agitated next to me.

"Thanks..." I whispered shyly.

The silence was deafening so, without changing position, I leaned toward him. He tensed once more when my head rested on his metal shoulder.

"It's Thanksgiving, show me how grateful you are."

"We're in America," he pointed out. There was some nervousness in his voice.

He kept tensing each time I hugged him. I didn't do it as often as I thought I would at first.

"Sorry," I apologized, standing up. "You can push me away when you're not comfortable, I'll try not to take it personally." I smiled at him and went back inside.

Wade and Vanessa left in the evening and I went to bed early. Steve had established a monthly, if not weekly for those available, training day for the whole team. It was good and all but...I mean, I got along pretty well with Steve, got along with the whole team but Steve seemed to be looking out for me more than the others. There were times where they were babying me because I was still the newest member, and youngest. It had been a year and a half since I joined the team but as long as I was the youngest…

All of this to say, more often than not I'd get a knot in my stomach when I'd talk to Steve. It was worst when he'd tell me about Sam and how they still had no lead to find James. If they only knew he was close…

It meant nobody had found him either though. I knew he was regularly checking around town with the image-inducer for any trace of HYDRA or the government and so far, nothing.

James knocked on my door.

"Come in." He opened the door and slipped his head in the opening, a concerned look on his face. "What?"

"I..." He sighed and entered my room to stand next to my bed. I sat up and tapped on the mattress next to my legs. I moved a little so he could sit and once he sat down, he fiddled with his thumbs nervously.

"James?" I called him softly. He looked at me with guilty eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to lie to him," he apologized in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat. "I know who he is and have some memories of him now but..."

"Hey, it's okay. His number is in your phone, you have all of the cards you need to contact him. You'll do it when you're ready."

"You're feeling bad about it." I pursed my lips.

"Steve is my teammate and friend, of course I feel bad about lying to him, especially about you but...ultimately, I think I'm doing the right thing." He exhaled heavily and gently took my wrist in his hand. I raised a brow and squeaked when he pulled me against his chest, his chin on my head. "Ja...James?" His arms embraced me and I blushed.

"I was surprised earlier," he explained to me quietly. "But I'm...fine with physical contacts when it's you Addie." I raised wide eyes to him, shocked at the nickname. He frowned to himself. "Wade called you that, I thought..."

"You can call me like that if you want, I was surprised." I hugged him around the waist, my cheek against his shoulder.

James was surprisingly warm. I thought back about Wade's and Vanessa's comments and blushed even more.

I was helping him only. Sure, in the past five months we grew closer but…

I moved back and laid down.

"I'm sleepy, see you tomorrow."

"Oh...yeah sure, see you tomorrow." He got up and left my room.

Was it disappointment I heard in his voice?

Avengers Tower, November 2014

Clint was good with a katana. It was nice to finally have someone I could train with at the Tower.

"Pretty good!" he complimented me as I stopped his blade.

"The same goes to you old man!" I replied with a challenging smirk, trying to get him with my other blade. He dodged and I stopped his blow only by using telekinesis.

"That's cheating."

"That's surviving," I said, kicking him in the stomach with enough strength to make him fall back.

Thanks James for training me in the basement.

"Nice one," Clint admitted, wincing.

"Tha..." Thor was out of the other training mat. I turned around and looked at him and Steve training.

Yeah, I didn't want to get involved in that.

"Carter," Maria said from the doorway. She shot an unimpressed look at the two men fighting above human levels.

"Coming," I said, pulling a water bottle to my hand. I threw one at Clint as well and followed her. "Do you have news about that serum?"

"Yes, but before you should know that Stark knows and Banner was the one who studied it."

"Yeah, I'm not that surprised," I mumbled, taking a gulp of water.

"In any case, it seems like it is derived from the super-soldier serum." She landed me her tablet and I scrolled through it. "The only difference is that it does not develop what is supposed to already be here but..."

"It finds an inactive mutant gene to activate it," I finished for her. "I'm a little familiar with something called the Weapon X program, they...liked experimenting on mutants. I guess it's the successor."

"It's not just the Weapon X program Addison." I looked at her and she scrolled down. I frowned and leaning closer to the screen.

"Weapon Plus Program was founded in 1945 to create Super-Soldiers and was based on the Project Rebirth..." I mumbled under my breath, my eyes catching a glimpse of a before/after picture of Steve. "Captain America, here known as Weapon I." I looked up at Hill. "Does Steve know?"

"Not yet," she answered grimly. "But you mentioned a Weapon X."

"I did." I inched closer to her so I could talk more quietly. "Let's not tell him right away, those programs are not kind, it's torture. If he discovers something like that is happening because they want to create new Super-Soldiers in some twisted ways...HYDRA is the priority right now."

"You really think you can hide something like that from him?" I pursed my lips.

"Do you know if more of them use the brainwashing method?"

"While we think there are more than one facility in NYC alone, getting this material in big quantities would attract too much unwanted attention. I personally don't think they would." I swallowed with difficulty.

"Their priorities must be to activate mutant genes anyway, brainwashing must come after the success of the experimentation." Of course, it depended on the survival rate.

"Stark already knows all of these information as well, you might want to see him now." I realized we were in front of his lab.

"Now that's just rude."

"It's my job." She turned around and left, her heels clicking against the floor.

I entered the room with dread. Doc wasn't there, only Tony scolding Dum-E.

"There you are!" He raised a finger in front of Dum-E. "Am I clear?" The robot almost made a whining noise and rolled back. "Addison, care to tell me who was with you when you decided to attack that facility?"

"With me?"

"We interrogated the men you knocked out. They were attacked by a male." I pursed my lips.

"Someone I met when I was on the run years ago who didn't like these kind of things. He's...an old Weapon X survivor." He didn't seem to buy it.

"Are you sure it wasn't Wilson?" I smirked.

"No, he...has someone now." He was genuinely surprised. "He's not that bad!"

"Whatever you say. What was his name then?"

"I'm not telling you that." He smirked, annoyed.

"You're not telling me a lot of things."

"I don't see the point. I'm not..." I sighed. "I'm won't go back on that road again, you don't have to look after me so much. I have too much to lose now." He nodded quickly.

"Yeah you do, but I'll never stop worrying about someone putting ideas in that pretty little head of yours." I rolled my eyes. "You're here for Thanksgiving?"

"I dunno, I mean...you already said there was this New Year party I have to go to because I would be introduced to the world as the new Avenger but..."

"Honestly, you should be thankful nobody knows you yet. Peggy had a great idea to have your file hidden."

"I know. I'll see if I come or not."

"Keep me updated."

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Bye!