Summary: For him, she was a saving grace. She was an unexpected source of calm that eased his mind. When HYDRA realized that, they used her to ensure total submission from him. As brave as she was against anyone and everyone, he was just as protective over her. Together, Kagome and the Winter Soldier made an odd little family, but it was their family. No matter where they were.
Pairing: Undecided.
Disclaimer: I don't own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.
Note:
Might be OOC a bit?
Prologue
The heavy ache pounding through her skull pulled her from her slumber, and she hesitantly opened her eyes. Though dim and grimy, the lights around her added an extra spark of pain, and she winced when her head throbbed again. Her head was filled with fuzzy memories that she couldn't explicitly vouch for, and her surroundings were nothing she could remember.
She was laying on the floor in some dirty, musty room, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Her long, raven hair was dirty and tangled, and the clothes she was dressed in felt much too big to be her own. She tried to move, to sit up, but she froze when she was met with resistance.
Blue eyes trailed down to her ankle, where a sturdy-looking chain was cuffed to her exposed skin. Her frown deepened, and she finally got herself seated upright with a bit of effort.
Who was she?
She shook her head when another harsh pang shot through her head. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands, surprisingly sharp tips making a few, bloodied indents into her flesh. She opened her eyes with a grimace of pain. Upon doing so, she noticed a soft, pink light coming from below the shirt she wore. When she moved a hand over it, she was left dumbfounded when she felt nothing that could be making the light. It was like it came from below her skin, from within her.
Her confusion about it slowly faded as she felt memories become more clear.
"Kagome…" she whispered softly to herself. Her name was Kagome. She was quiet as she sat there, trying to figure out where she was and how'd she even got there. "I…" She didn't understand. She was supposed to be dead, wasn't she? So how was she even alive?
The final moments of that fight came rushing back, and her vision turned blurry as she felt tears building up. She inhaled and calmed herself, not daring to let a single one fall.
She'd sacrificed herself for her allies- no. For her friends.
They had been family to her, even if some might deny her claim.
It'd been a fierce, relentless fight, and she hated the idea of needless casualties. So, in order to spare her friends from their potential demise, she let the jewel have her. It ceased to be, taking her with it and ending the fight all in the same split second. She wasn't there to witness the aftermath, but she had no regrets if it meant her friends would have the ability to live peacefully without ever having to worry about the jewel again.
That had been the last memory she had. After that, there was nothing. Just pure darkness. It was as if she had faded from existence, only to be reformed here.
She frowned and slowly pulled her knees up to her chest. The chain holding her captive dragged the concrete floor, but she tuned it out as she folded her arms over her knees. Kagome rested her chin on her folded arms and sighed.
She had a bad feeling about this, and it sat in the pit of her stomach like a lead ball. Her senses were coming back to her, albeit slowly, and she could feel the ominous aura that surrounded this place for as far as she could feel. Her instincts pointed her to one reason as to why she was here as if she was some sort of captive. Her gaze darted to the chain, its presence backing up her belief.
Somehow… it was all due to the jewel.
It obviously was still with her, even if it wasn't physically obtainable anymore.
She glared at the figure that'd just waltzed into the cement castle she was held captive in as if she was some misplaced princess. He looked at her, a friendly disposition on his face as he offered a smile that was meant to be disarming. Furthermore, in his hand he held a paper plate with what looked like a purple and white iced sugar cookie on it.
All innocent gestures were a lost effort when she could sense the dark spots contaminating his aura. It was all meant for manipulation, so she'd place her trust in someone who put on a harmless facade. He stepped towards her, and she didn't hesitate to put up a sheer, pink barrier to keep him from getting too close. He froze mid-step at the sight before he muttered something in a language unfamiliar to her under his breath.
The next second, he knelt and set the plate on the floor just outside the wall of her barrier. He nodded to it as he looked back to meet her guarded stare. "It's not poisoned, I assure you," he said.
She could vouch for his claim. There was no strange contamination around it. When she was able to see it in its entirety, she was able to see the purple and blue plastic flower ring just barely pressed into the swirled icing. It was just an ordinary sweet, just like one that would be found at a child's birthday party.
She knew she was young compared to him at only fifteen years old, but did she really look that much like a child?
"..." she lifted her gaze so she was focused back on the stranger's face. "Not hungry," she said finally, rejecting the cookie and his friendliness. "Get out."
"I was sent to get you," he said, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You're awake, it's time to begin."
"... begin?" A spark of unease coursed through her veins at that statement, and at the ominous aura that came from him as he said it.
"If you comply, it'll be a lot easier on you."
She felt her barrier weakening as she used up what little bit of energy she'd been able to restore on her own. It flickered, and she realized that she'd played into their desires unwittingly. She was helpless to fight if she didn't have her energy.
The chain holding her captive was unshackled, and the next second she was gathered up by her arms. She was still physically weak and dreary, and her attempts at fighting were all easily countered.
000
She glared at the figures across from her. They were angrily discussing something- most likely her prior words- in a language she didn't understand. Despite not knowing what they were saying, she was able to feel their anger and fury, all directed at her.
"You're never gonna get the jewel, you know," Kagome sighed after spending the past ten minutes listening to them ask questions she knew were leading to their main focus: The Shikon no Tama. "Even if you kill me and carve me open to find it, you'll never succeed. It won't show itself to you. Not in this life, or in the next. That was sorta the whole point of letting it consume me. Its physical form is gone, I'm all that's left as a vessel."
"You're lying." A sneer appeared on the face of one man as he stormed over to her, fury evident in his narrowed eyes. She merely smiled and shook her head.
"Not even in the slightest," she responded, not unnerved by him or the others around him at all. "So sorry to be a waste of time for you all, but I guess this is a lesson you needed to learn. Don't get obsessed with a myth from five hundred years ago."
He shook his head, and she could feel that he still didn't believe her. Kagome sighed and shook her head.
"Idiot…"
According to them, she'd been discovered in a sacred spring of sorts. They'd found it upon following an ancient Japanese myth about the jewel and, surprisingly enough, her. What it didn't tell them, however, was that the jewel no longer was a part of the physical world. It might forever be tethered to her soul, but it would never have a solid form ever again. That part must've gotten lost in translation.
"... we wasted so much time and money on this, and for what?! A fucking dead end…!" a furious hiss caused her to turn back to them at last.
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not fond of lying to people I just met- no matter how much they suck," Kagome retorted. "Can I go now?"
"You're not going anywhere!" he snarled at her. "You possess the power of the jewel now?" he questioned, but he didn't give her the time to answer. He knew the answer, anyway upon piecing her prior words together. "We'll just use you instead. You fight us, you die."
She arched a brow, not bothered by his threat. "Okay, and? Is that supposed to scare me? I willingly gave my life to spare my friends from the fight. Do you expect me to beg for mercy? To grovel for my life? Don't make me laugh," she barked.
"We have our methods," he muttered, stalking towards her and snatching her chin between his fingers. "We can take you apart and put your back together again. We can rewire your brain however we see fit."
His intimidation tactic had no effect on her. "Have you ever tried to brainwash a Miko? It's not easy, I assure you. I, however, am no ordinary Miko. You'd have to break down every single barrier I have up in my head just to try," she sneered at him. "Good. Luck."
His hand reared back as his anger finally bubbled up to the surface, and he struck her across the side of her face with as much force as he could muster up. Her head snapped to the side, and blood began to drip from the corner of her mouth as she slowly turned her head back to glower at him.
She didn't cry, scream, or yelp at the strike. The silence that followed was suffocating, her anger leaking out in waves through the room. He let her go, shoving her away as if she was poisonous to the touch.
"Take her back to her cell. I'm done with her."
The same man from before came to try and take her back by her arm, but she moved before he could even touch her. "I'll head back with you, but if you touch me, there is no God in this world that will save you," she hissed.
She followed behind him, and he seemed to keep his distance from her upon her warning that was tied to the impending aura of anger that radiated from her petite figure. Even if her anger could be felt, her expression was calm, collected. It gave way to no emotion she might've felt.
It was deathly silent between the two as they walked, but before long, that silence was torn to shreds when loud cries and yelling was heard. Kagome frowned and came to a halt, just as the man with her did the same. He muttered something she didn't comprehend before he turned.
"Stay right where you are," he ordered. A second later he went off towards the noises, the gun from his side drawn, and she knew right away the reason behind his order. Left unattended to, she might be able to slip away undetected- especially during something that sounded so… chaotic.
She was tempted to test her luck on a possible escape, but something froze her in place. Kagome glanced over her shoulder before she, too, went the same path her prior guide had gone.
She walked down the hall, and before long, the scent of gunpowder and blood began to hover in the air. It was nearly suffocating, but she didn't let it sway her.
A figure came into her line of sight, his back facing her. He held a person by their neck with a metal arm, but he soon dropped them to the ground. They hit like a sack of rocks, the air of death settling around them. She could faintly feel the aura of several more people heading towards the area from all applicable sides- most likely to subdue the figure causing all the destruction and wreckage.
A shout came from further down the hall behind her, and Kagome jumped, backing away a few paces when the man in front of her turned at the sound. His eyes zeroed in on her, and she backed up even more as he began to stalk towards her. She couldn't get away fast enough before she was snatched up off her feet and suspended in the air by a steel-like grip clamped around her neck.
She tried to fight back, kicking her legs out and clawing at the metal appendage with both hands until her nails broke and her fingers began to bleed, to no avail. Black spots began to paint her vision, and she stopped clawing at the arm. Kagome curled both hands around his wrist, her head going fuzzy, and she looked down at him. She was able to focus bleary, blue eyes on his face.
His gaze met her own, the confused, innocent light reflected in the pristine blue making him feel as if he'd just been dunked into frigid water. Before he even realized what he was doing, his hand had loosened from around her neck, and he dropped her to her knees.
Her sharp, desperate gasps for air were all that could be heard, even as he settled on his knees in front of her. For a moment, his non-metal arm moved, reaching out to try and clear the messy bangs from her face. She flinched at the touch, but she didn't say a word as she looked up at him from below the curtain of her hair. Even now, that innocent light remained.
"...I-" Every single word died on his tongue and he let his hand drop from her as if he'd been stung. Hurting her didn't feel right. A calm air surrounded them, but it didn't last for long.
Without warning, several men swarmed the area. They grabbed him and dragged him away now that he'd calmed.
Kagome watched as he was dragged away, the fight in him seemingly smothered and blown out. She closed her eyes and slowly clambered back onto her feet, trying to ignore the pain in her throat as bruises began to show.
The look on his face remained imprinted in her mind, even long after he'd been taken away.
He'd looked so lost.
Lost... and afraid.
Even though he'd just tried to kill her, a part of her felt bad for him.
She turned, and she spotted several men standing and watching her as if she'd just done something so miraculous.
"Seems as if there's a better use for you," the man that had interrogated her earlier said. He wore an ill-giving smirk on his face, and she glared at him. "Who knew a little thing like you would survive the hands of the Winter Soldier? Yes, there is a far better use for you, indeed."
She tightened her bloodied hands into tight fists, and she sent him a stoic glare. That sounded like only a mild improvement for her.
Before long, she was ushered back into her room and the door was locked, leaving her on her own there. As silence fell around her, Kagome sighed and sat back down against the wall.
"I should've ran when I had the chance…"
C.R: Fun fact, this was intended to be a oneshot. However, it would lack so much if I stuck to keeping it as one. Timeline-wise, this chapter takes place not long before CA: TWS.
Pairing is up for debate. Not sure about having this one be Bucky/Kagome, mainly because I'm aiming more for a familial relationship between the two of them. Everyone else is fair game, however.
By the time any actual relationship forms, Kagome will be 18(or older.) I'm open to all options, so feel free to make suggestions.
About Kagome and the Jewel:
The jewel is no more, but its power remains inside of her. During the final battle, she let the jewel claim her in return for ending the fight, as well as disappearing. Inuyasha characters will eventually show up.
Anyway, that's it for now. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.
Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you!
Bye for now~