Avengers in Dragonsitting

by mornietulk82

Post Civil War, Pre All other movies. Alternate time line where Steve and Bucky had rescued a child in 1944 and are reunited with her only to learn a very interesting secret

Author's Note

I wish to thank: My sister for helping me come up with a title for this story and with Deadpool's dialogue.

My Thursday night Dungeons & Dragons group for their help with Deadpool's dialogue.

My sister's friend for his help with Deadpool's dialogue.

Marvel Comics for coming up with such interesting characters and allowing those of us who are fans to write our own stories.

Tumbler & Pinterest Users for their various head cannons.

Disclaimer

I don't own President Ellis, Deadpool, or the Avengers. I only own Belinda. I wrote this story for my own amusement and that of other fans and because I love the characters and the possible storylines are endless.

Tony Stark, drink in hand, watched the 5' 10" young woman flit around the kitchen in the Avengers Compound. Her raven-black hair tumbled down past her shoulders to her hips and strays fluttered around her face as she moved, opening doors and drawers, noting their contents, and closing them again. Her pale skin seemed to shine a little in the light from the ceiling fan and her eyes, like glowing pools of liquid gold, were never still as she darted from one place to another.

Natasha Romanoff walked up to him, a tablet in her hand, and he turned away from the new arrival. "Do you remember how long her hair was when we found her in that lab?" he asked the red-haired former SHIELD agent.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I do," she replied, her face unreadable. "You called her Rapunzel. That could be why she cut it."

"I doubt it," Tony smirked, turning back to the young woman. "So, what do we know?"

"Vitals are all normal. Brain chemistry seems a little off but nothing to suggest why Hydra would be interested in her."

"How long has she been up?"

"Not long, Boss," a new female voice said. "She has slept since her arrival three days ago and now seems intent on exploring her new surroundings."

"Thanks Friday," Tony glanced around and addressed the building's artificial intelligence. "Anything else?"

"Secretary Ross has arrived. He wishes to see her and discuss the particulars of her arrival."

Tony took another look at the young woman, only to find her staring at him, head tilted to one side and eyes slightly squinted. He threw her a wave and walked off to meet the Secretary of State.

"I thought you were going to wait for the panel's decision before doing anything, Stark," Secretary Thaddeus Ross chastised the billionaire as he entered the compound.

Tony couldn't help it: he allowed a broad smile to settle on his face, knowing it would annoy the Secretary. "We did," he said, waving the hand with the drink in it towards the bar. "Drink?"

"No," Ross replied, trying not to take Tony's bait. "The way I hear it, you all said, 'we found a Hydra lab' and then barged in and took everything without waiting for approval."

Tony's smile vanished. "We got approval," he grumbled into his glass. Ross raised his eyebrows. "Cap and T'Challa talked to several of the panel members who told them to go ahead."

"Captain Rogers is still a fugitive for helping Barnes escape," Ross retorted, his voice rising.

"Actually," Tony started to reply when he was interrupted by a low-pitched, almost inaudible sound that caused the room, and the entire compound, to vibrate. He and Ross both looked around trying to pinpoint the source. He noticed the young woman was now standing behind them, her mouth turned up in a snarl and her golden eyes flashing with fury. Ross took a step toward her to introduce himself and her lips pulled back, revealing snow-white perfect teeth. The sound got louder, and Vision stepped into their line of sight.

"I would not do that, Mr. Secretary," the android told him. "I don't believe she likes you."

"What makes you say that?" Ross asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Because that sound is her, growling at you," Vision said matter-of-factly.

"As I was saying," Tony began again, eyes wide, glancing around at the other members of the team who had followed the sound, "we got around you on that. Turns out that UN panel was good for something." He took a sip of his drink and continued. "We had a nice chat with them and came to an agreement."

"And what was that?" Ross asked angrily, glancing behind Tony at the young woman whose snarl hadn't faded.

Tony's smile returned, angering Ross even more. "Well, half the team signed the Sokovia Accords and the other half is under the protection of the King of Wakanda who also signed the Accords. So T'Challa can assign whoever he wants to the team in order to represent Wakanda's interests.

"So, we got the band back together." Tony finished by draining his glass and walking over to the bar to get another drink.

"What do you want with her?" Clint Barton asked as he dropped from the upstairs railing.

"Do you have to do that?" Ross responded.

"Yes, I do," Barton smirked as he plopped down on one of the couches scattered around the room. Ross glared at him but didn't speak.

The vibration stopped and T'Challa addressed the Secretary of State. "I do not believe you answered Mr. Barton's question, Mr. Secretary."

"How's Barnes?" Tony asked as he finished pouring his third drink of the day.

"He is doing quite well," T'Challa replied with a smile. "We have managed to remove most of his programming and suppress the rest. He will be grateful you asked."

"Good." Tony picked up his glass and stepped out from behind the bar. He glanced up at where Clint had dropped from, raised his glass, and said, "Bar's open." He looked at the young woman whose eyes were studying each of his teammates' faces before turning his attention to Ross. "Well?"

"I came to talk to her about her experiences. I have a team outside ready to check her out and make sure she's alright after her ordeal," Ross replied.

"You're lying."

Tony's mouth closed with an audible snap and all eyes turned to the young woman whose eyes, looking more like golden bricks than pools, were drilling into the Secretary's face. Her voice was soft, like the breeze, but there was venom underneath the softness.

"You're lying," she said again, her voice a little louder. Ross started to object but she shook her head, silencing him and causing her black hair to fall over her eyes, and continued. "You want to study me, like Hydra did." It wasn't a question. She took a step around Vision and began advancing on Ross. She came to a stop a few paces from him, raised her head in defiance and said, "No."

"Why not?" Ross asked her, confirming her suspicions.

"I have spent all but two years of my life in a lab. In a cage. Being poked, prodded, and experimented on. I will never be caged again. Ever." The final word was almost a whisper but everyone could hear the threat underlying it.

"I'm going to have to insist," Ross told her, reaching out to grab her arm.

Multiple things then happened at once. Several of the Avengers moved to stop him as the young woman's face contorted in fear and rage. Her hands, claw-like, reached for Ross' face, causing him to take a step back in surprise. There was a thump from behind her and, just before her nails sank themselves into Ross' flesh, a pair of arms wrapped themselves, vice-like, around her waist. An angry scream ripped its way out of her throat as she was pulled away from Ross. She began to kick and claw but the vice only tightened and pulled her farther away.

There was another thud and a pair of hands reached for her face. Bucky Barnes looked over her shoulder at Steve Rogers, who was holding the young woman with increasing difficulty. Working together, they managed to get her out of the common area/living room and into a room with a door, which Bucky closed.

As the door clicked shut, the young woman stopped screaming and her struggles slowed enough for Bucky to finally be able to cup her face in his hands. "Shhhhh," he coaxed in a soothing voice. "Shhhh. It's okay now, you're safe. We won't let anyone take you anywhere you don't want to go. Shhh."

As she stopped struggling, Steve relaxed his grip until his hands gently rested on her waist, ready to grab her if she freaked out again. Bucky continued to speak softly and Steve couldn't help smiling. They had just been talking about Bucky's attempt at recovering his memories and here he was, stepping with ease back into comforting, protective uncle mode as though the last seventy years hadn't happened.

Thirty minutes after the door clicked shut, the young woman's solid gold eyes finally focused on Bucky's crystal-clear, sky-blue ones. "Uncle Bucky?" she squeaked in a frightened voice, just above a whisper. When he nodded his head and smiled at her, she threw her hands around him and buried her face in his shirt, soaking it with tears. He kissed the top of her head and held her, absently stroking her hair with his new Stark Tech bionic arm. He glanced at Steve, who was still smiling, and a small smile played across his lips only to fade as she mumbled something into his shirt. He asked her to repeat herself and she said, a little louder, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, still holding her close.

"For not saving you like you saved me," was the reply.

Bucky froze in horror as the impact and meaning of her words sank in. Steve gently pried her away from Bucky and turned her around to face him. "What do you mean?" he asked her.

She locked eyes with Steve for a moment and then dropped her gaze to the floor, ashamed. "They kept us in the same place for a long time. I know everything they did to him, Uncle Steve. And even after they took him away, they talked about what they were making him do all the time." She took a deep breath and finished in a barely audible voice, "I couldn't save him. I'm so sorry." She started crying again and Steve pulled her into a hug. He looked at Bucky who was slowly coming out of his shock. He didn't know what to say to either of them.

As her tears tapered off, Bucky gently placed his right hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault," he told her.

She unwound herself from Steve's grasp to look at him. "It's not yours either," she replied firmly. Her eyes softened to liquid pools as the two Super Soldiers watched.

After a few minutes, a genuine smile lit up Bucky's face and he wrapped his arms around the young woman, lifting her up into a bear hug. He spun around, planted a kiss on her nose, and said, "We're back, Little Princess, all safe and sound. Did you miss us?"

"Yes, I did!" she squealed happily, returning his hug and pulling Steve in. "If you ever go anywhere, I can come too right?"

Bucky put her down, the smile still on his face, and Steve ruffled her hair. "Of course," Steve told her. "Now let's get back out there. Just promise me you won't kill Secretary Ross."

"I won't be caged again," she countered, her eyes starting to harden again.

Steve just looked at her and Bucky said, "You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to."

"Fine, I promise," she grumbled. She grabbed Bucky's left hand as he followed Steve out the door and stayed one step behind him as they rejoined the others in the living room.

"Impressive," Sam Wilson said as they walked in. "Tony had the cameras on so we could watch. How'd you do that?"

Bucky shrugged. "Not sure. It seemed like the right thing to do." He glanced behind him at the young woman who was a lot bigger than he thought she should be. He knew her somehow and that he always used to call her Little Princess but, for the life of him, he couldn't remember how. She saw his eyebrows knit together as he tried to figure it out and she patted his hand and gave him a wistful smile.

She turned her attention back to the others as Steve introduced them: Tony Stark (Iron Man), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), T'Challa (Black Panther), Sam Wilson (Falcon), Scott Lang (Ant Man), James Rhodes (War Machine), Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch), Vision, and Secretary Ross.

"What's her name?" Rhodes asked from a set of balance bars on one side of the room. He was still trying to get the hang of walking again with the braces Tony had designed for him.

Steve started to reply when Bucky's eyebrows unknit themselves and he interrupted, "Belinda. Her name's Belinda." He relaxed and seemed proud of himself. One step at a time, he thought.

Belinda beamed at him and stepped from behind him. She started to apologize for her earlier freak-out when she caught sight of something in Ross' left hand. The gold in her eyes hardened and she started to growl again. Bucky's metal hand clenched around hers and Steve shot her a warning look. She untangled her hand from Bucky's, shot Steve a warning look of her own, and started across the room to where Ross was standing. She stopped growling, held out her hand, and said, "Give that to me."

Ross put his hand behind his back, allowing Rhodes to see what she was demanding. "Give you what?" he asked, trying to sound innocent.

"That red leather-bound book you've got in your left hand," Rhodes replied. He had taken a few careful steps away from the bars. He looked at Steve and said, "It has a black star on it."

Bucky's entire body tensed up. He knew, that even with all the programming that had been removed, there was still more than enough suppressed to turn him back into the mindless slave of anyone holding that book. "No," he whispered, panic starting to creep into his eyes. "Not again." Steve put his hand on Bucky's shoulder and was about to speak when Belinda addressed Ross in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Give me that book, or I will show you what you want to know in such a way that you will wish you hadn't gotten out of bed this morning." Her hand was still held out.

Instead of complying, Ross opened the book to a well-worn page and started to read the trigger words that would once again activate Bucky's Winter Soldier programming. As the Avengers reacted, trying to stop Ross and either protect or restrain Bucky, Belinda's mouth opened, and a completely different sound came out: a low guttural roar. Everyone froze in place, including Ross, and she finished crossing the room before he could finish triggering the Winter Soldier. She ripped the book out of his hands and started to turn away, keeping her promise, and Ross grabbed for the book. She tossed it to Scott, who was the closest to her, and a scowl crossed her face. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," she called out as she effortlessly avoided Ross' attack.

"For what?" Tony called back from the other side of the room.

"For this," she answered, a devious smile replacing the scowl.

Ross made another grab for her, which she allowed to land. She turned back to face him, the smile still on her face.

Her eyes changed first, growing in size and moving to the sides of her head. The pupils changed from rounded like everyone else's to thin slits like a cat's. The color seemed to shimmer and pool over and around the new pupils before solidifying into a hard, brick-like texture. She glanced at her arm, held in Ross' grip, and the soft pale skin of her thin build hardened and changed into scales the same shade as her hair while the arm itself grew in size and muscle thickness. Her hands changed to pads and her fingers became talons, each ending in a sharp, wicked-looking, eight foot long, curved claw. Her head changed shape and grew to thirty feet long, with a fifteen-foot-wide muzzle replacing her mouth and nose, and a pair of straight, fifteen foot long, spiral-patterned horns grew from the back of her head. Her teeth grew and sharpened, like four-foot-long daggers, and her neck became long and serpentine. Her spine elongated into a tail that stretched the length of the room, whipping and curling around. It smashed the bar and other furniture, forcing the group to try to get out of the way. Her torso grew and thickened with muscle and her legs changed to resemble her arms. She dropped to all fours, causing the entire compound to violently shake, and her transformation was completed as a pair of jet black, bat-like wings erupted from her back.

All of this happened in only a few seconds so no one had a chance to react between her apology to Tony and the sight of a three-hundred-foot-long Dragon whipping the tip of its tail at Secretary Ross, causing him to crash through one of the compound's windows and out into the grounds. The creature followed its prey, appearing to try not to damage the building any further, and the Avengers ran out behind it.

Belinda, in her true form for only the second time in her entire seventy-four years of life, flexed her wings once she was clear of the building and roared at Ross. She caught movement coming from around the compound and turned her head to see the team Ross had mentioned earlier coming towards her with weapons drawn. She chuckled to herself as they opened fire and exhaled a sheet of flame that stopped just short of them, then turned her attention back to her target. One part of her brain said how easy it would be to crush this arrogant Human, removing the threat he posed to her family permanently. Another part spoke up as she toyed with him, blocking all his attempts to escape and his team's attempts to rescue him. "I promised," it reminded her. She finally stopped playing with him and raised her head, drawing herself up to her full height of one hundred and twenty feet. Her nostrils twitched as she allowed Ross to get away from her and she turned her massive head in the scent's direction.

First Steve, then Bucky, started to approach her with their hands raised, palms up. The rest of the Avengers, standing there in shock, noticed that the laughter that had been in her eyes had turned to something else as she turned to face them. They waited to see what the Dragon would do as Steve and Bucky drew closer. Belinda watched the two soldiers approach with a mixture of fear, shame, and defiance in her golden eyes. Before they could get too close, however, she spread her wings, almost five hundred feet from wingtip to wingtip, and, with one powerful thrust, shot ten thousand feet in the air.

"Friday." Tony was the first to recover his wits.

"Yes, Boss?"

"You got all that, right?" He was still staring at where Belinda had been.

"Yes."

"Good." He turned to glare at Secretary Ross and his team. "Send it to the President. He should know what his Secretary of State just tried to do to Barnes."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Most of the team then went back into the compound. After confirming with Friday that the building was structurally sound, they secured Ross and his men until they got word from the President about what to do with them and started cleaning up the mess that Belinda's transformation had left behind.

Steve and Bucky hadn't moved from where they had been when Belinda took flight. Bucky's eyes scanned the sky, frantically searching for her. Steve placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Come on, Buck. She'll come back when she calms down."

Bucky looked at Steve and asked, "Is that what they did to her?" Memories of a scared, black-haired little girl crouching under a bed were followed by that same little girl asleep with her head on his lap, opening a box containing a dark blue dress, and dancing in a large room with him while Steve looked on from a chair leaning against a wall. His breath hitched and he shook his head, trying to slow the flood of memories that threatened to overwhelm him.

"You okay, Buck?" Steve asked, concerned. Bucky's face was white as a sheet. His eyes were shut tightly, and his breathing was too fast for Steve's liking.

The flood finally ebbed, and Bucky took a deep, slow breath then nodded. He didn't trust his voice. He smiled shakily at Steve and the two joined the others in the compound to help with the cleanup.

Most of the debris had been removed and furniture had been brought in from other rooms when Dr. Bruce Banner walked into the compound. "Hi guys," he said casually, looking around at the shattered bottles and haphazard furniture. "What'd I miss?"

Bruce was welcomed back and introduced to Bucky, T'Challa, and Scott. T'Challa shook his hand, while Bucky nodded his head slightly before returning to his own thoughts and Scott got very excited at meeting the Incredible Hulk. The whole team then took turns filling him in on the Sokovia Accords and the resulting disagreement that had culminated in a trashed airport in Berlin and half the team seeking refuge in Wakanda. Bruce sighed heavily and they told him about the compromise that allowed them all to work together again with relative freedom and finished with the fiasco that was Ross trying to take a Dragon captive for study.

There was silence for a few minutes as Bruce allowed everything to sink in. He asked Tony for a drink of whatever was left and sat down in one of the chairs. A comfortable silence settled over the group and Natasha moved to sit next to Bruce.

Ten minutes had passed with no one saying anything when Bucky broke the silence quite unintentionally.

"We found her in a castle Hydra was using as a base. It was on that map you saw."

All eyes turned to him but he was lost in his memories. "Buck?" Steve asked, cautiously. He looked at Steve but they could all see that he wasn't really seeing any of them. His eyes had a faraway look.

"I don't remember what year it was," he continued. "She didn't know how to talk, dress herself, or anything else."

"Boss," Friday began.

"Not now, Friday," Tony cut her off. He didn't want to interrupt Bucky's memory surge.

Bucky was quiet for a few minutes. Just as they thought he was done talking, he said, "She didn't even have a name." A soft smile crossed his face. "So we got her talking and helped her pick one out. She was a lot smaller then." He rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair.

"September of 1944," Steve told him, and he realized he had been remembering out loud.

"What else do you remember about her?" Natasha asked, softly.

"We always called her Little Princess, even after she had a name. She called us her uncles." His eyebrows knit together again as he searched for some of the more reclusive memories. "I would tuck her in at night." His grin returned as he said, "She climbed me like a spider monkey once." He hesitated, face scrunched up as he searched, "but I can't remember why." He closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. The strain from trying to remember was starting to make his head hurt. "Damn," he muttered.

"It's okay, Buck," Steve reassured his old friend. "You didn't remember her at all until she attacked Ross."

Without lifting his head, Bucky shook it in frustration. Remembering who he had been was taking too long. He needed to know, but it seemed like every time he got close, found something that could unlock all of his memories, it slipped through his fingers like water through a sieve.

"Uncle Steve's right," Belinda's soft voice said timidly from beside him. Bucky raised his head to find her hand gently resting on his metal arm. "I can fill in some of the blanks if you want." He nodded his head and she smiled softly at him. "Okay."

"So I hear you can turn into a Dragon," Bruce addressed her after a few minutes. She stared at this new person, head cocked to one side, studying him like she had the others. "Is that what Hydra did while they had you?"

"Bel, this is Dr. Bruce Banner," Steve told her as she moved to Bucky's side and placed her head in his lap.

"I change too sometimes," Bruce said, uncomfortably.

"Into what?" she asked.

"An enormous, green, rage monster," Tony spoke up with a stupid grin.

At her curious expression, Bruce rolled his eyes and tried to come up with a better explanation for the Hulk. He relented when he realized that Tony's explanation was the best. "Tony's right," he finally said. "Maybe you'll see it one day."

"I don't turn into a Dragon," Belinda told the group after a few minutes.

"We saw you," Sam countered.

"It was AWESOME!" Scott added.

Belinda yawned. For the first time in seventy-one years, she felt warm and safe. That, combined with the stress of what had happened earlier in the day, was making her sleepy. "I don't turn into a Dragon," she repeated, a little grumpily. "I am a Dragon." The group looked at each other in surprise. Dragons weren't supposed to exist. "I can turn into a Human. When we're little, and around Humans, a defense mechanism kicks in. We are stuck in Human form whenever Humans are around until we reach adulthood."

She snorted. "It is supposed to protect us from harm."

"So you are an adult?" Vision spoke.

"Yes," she replied sleepily. Bucky's left hand was gently stroking her hair again. He was grateful for the way Tony had designed it so her hair didn't get stuck between the plates.

"Are you finished growing?" Wanda asked.

Belinda giggled, causing Steve and Bucky to smile. "No," she replied when her giggles had subsided. "As long as I have enough food, I'll keep getting bigger."

"That is so awesome," Scott breathed.

"What kind of food?" Tony asked from around his glass.

Belinda was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Cows," she murmured into Bucky's lap, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How many at one sitting?" Rhodes asked, unable to hide his astonishment, but Belinda didn't reply.

They all saw that her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and even. Bucky stopped stroking her hair and she twitched in her sleep, a quiet whine escaping her lips. He started again and her sleep quieted.

The group spoke quietly amongst themselves for a long time, trying not to wake Belinda. Steve confessed that they had always known she was experimented on by Hydra when they found her in 1944, but they had also always assumed that she was Human. The conversation had turned to other, lighter topics, like what Bruce had been up to, when Friday interrupted to tell them that the President was on his way to discuss the situation with Ross in person.

"How long before he gets here?" Tony asked.

"About twenty minutes, Boss."

Bucky glanced at Steve, nervous, still stroking Belinda's hair. Most people still didn't know, or like Ross didn't care, that he had been forced to be Hydra's assassin. He didn't know what the President's thoughts on the matter were.

"Why don't you take her to her room?" Natasha suggested, catching the look on Bucky's face. "Clint can show you where it is."

"Thanks, Nat," Steve said. He took the sleeping girl in his arms so Bucky could stand and they both followed Clint to one of the guest rooms.

The room was tastefully decorated for any visitors that stayed over. A double bed was on one side of the room and a modest desk and chair were on the other, with a television on the wall. Steve walked over to the bed, where Clint was pulling down the sheets. He placed Belinda down and stepped back, allowing Bucky to tuck her in. Clint walked out without a word, leaving the two soldiers alone with her.

After tucking her in, Bucky sat on the edge of the bed and Steve pulled the chair over from the desk so the two friends were facing each other. Bucky's eyes were closed and Steve could tell he was trying to piece some of his memories together. "Bucky?" he asked, quietly.

"Do you remember when we helped her pick a name?" Bucky opened his eyes, a smile starting to form on his tired face.

"And we went through every name we could think of?" Steve started smiling.

"Yeah, and we had to find books with more names in them in the middle of a fire-fight," Bucky continued, looking at Steve.

"And she picked a name we never would have expected," Steve finished. They were both smiling broadly now.

"Yeah," Bucky looked beside him at the sleeping girl then back at Steve. His smile changed to a perplexed look. "Did she really say that she's a Dragon?" Steve nodded. Bucky started to ask something else when one of Belinda's arms snaked itself around his waist. They glanced at her, only to find she was still asleep.

Steve stood up and put the chair back at the desk. He put his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "You get some rest, pal. I'll go see what's going on downstairs. I'll come check on you two in a little while." Bucky nodded and Steve left the room, only looking back once to see his friend taking off his shoes.

"Captain Rogers," President Matthew Ellis greeted Steve as he rejoined the rest of the Avengers.

"Mr. President," Steve replied, his face unreadable.

"How's Sergeant Barnes?" Ellis asked.

"Tired." Steve glanced at Tony before continuing. "He's been through a lot."

"I'm sorry for what Secretary Ross tried to do to him," Ellis said, looking at Ross, who sat handcuffed at the conference table with the rest of his men.

"Thank you." Steve moved to the side of the table opposite Ross. He stared at the secretary for a few moments before turning back to the President. "You got here rather quickly, Sir."

"I was on my way to a meeting at the UN in New York City when I got the footage from Mr. Stark. So I decided to take a short detour. I'd like to talk to the young woman and Sergeant Barnes when they're up to it."

"They're both asleep right now," Steve told the President, studying him intently. "And I honestly don't think Secretary Ross or his men should be here when Belinda wakes up."

Ellis nodded. "Agreed," he said. "How about I take care of Secretary Ross and his men, go to the UN for my meeting, and stop here on my way back to DC?"

Steve extended his hand. "Sounds like a good idea, Mr. President."

The two shook hands and President Ellis' Secret Service detail escorted him, Ross, and Ross' men out of the building.

"Very smooth, Steve," Sam said, grinning widely.

Steve shrugged. "What's going to happen to Ross?" he asked.

"Mr. Stark made it clear that the footage of what he tried to do would be broadcast for all the world to see if he was to remain in his position. The president decided to allow him to retire gracefully and immediately appoint an interim Secretary of State who will hold the office until a new candidate can be found and confirmed," Vision replied.

"Thank you, Tony."

"No problem, Cap." Tony had yet another drink in his hand. "I never really liked Ross anyway."

"And if he tries something after he retires?"

Tony grinned. "The footage goes public. And if that doesn't stop him, we let Belinda have him as a new toy." His brown eyes still showed the anger he felt towards Ross. "Drink?"

"Sure." Steve nodded his head and Tony went to the kitchen to get some more bottles. "Thanks."

On his way back to the living room, Tony decided to check on Belinda and Bucky. He opened the door to her room and peeked inside.

Belinda was fast asleep under the covers, several strands of her black hair falling across her eyes. Bucky lay beside her, on top of the covers, his face obscured by his dark brown hair and his left arm wrapped around Belinda's waist, holding her close.

As Tony watched the two, he found it hard to believe that one was the world's deadliest assassin and the other was a creature straight out of myth. He started to close the door when Bucky mumbled something into his pillow. Tony took a few steps into the room so he could hear better. Bucky mumbled again and his head turned, causing his hair to fall off his face. Tony saw that his lips were moving, though no sound came out, and his face was contorted in pain. His grip tightened on Belinda but she didn't seem to notice.

"Friday," Tony said quietly, not daring to move in case Bucky woke up and became violent, "Tell Steve to get up here NOW."

"Yes, Boss."

A few minutes later, Steve entered the room. He opened his mouth to say something but movement from the bed caught his eye. Bucky was starting to kick and thrash, caught in a nightmare. Belinda, though still asleep, was starting to whine at all the commotion and her eyelids were fluttering. He looked at Tony and saw that the normally confident billionaire was standing as still as a statue, eyes glued to the bed. "When did this start?" he asked quietly.

"Not long ago," was the reply.

Steve walked over to Bucky's side of the double bed then turned back to Tony and asked for a notebook and a pen. With a much more capable target in the room, Tony moved to the desk and riffled around until he found what Steve had asked for. He walked to Steve's side, handed him the requested items, and went back to the desk to sit down and see what happened next.

Belinda finally woke up as Bucky began to scream. She sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide and frightened. Steve nodded toward Tony and she scrambled out of bed and across the room. Bucky's screams turned into sounds that seemed like gibberish until Natasha said, from the now crowded doorway, "That's Russian."

"What's he saying?" Scott asked.

Natasha was quiet for a few minutes as she listened then said, "He wants them to stop. He doesn't want them to make him kill." She failed to mention the target.

Steve closed his eyes for a minute then set the notebook and pen on the table next to the bed and pinned Bucky's arms to his sides. The thrashing got worse as Steve tried to wake him up. At first it seemed like nothing was happening but finally, after about twenty minutes, Bucky's eyes snapped open as his left arm broke free, throwing Steve into the wall.

It took Bucky a few minutes to remember where he was, during which time nobody moved or spoke. He spotted the notebook and pen where Steve had placed them and began furiously writing down his nightmare.

He wrote for another half an hour, oblivious to the silent but worried crowd. When he was finished, he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the headboard. "Sorry," he muttered, not opening his eyes.

Steve moved first, getting up from where he had landed on the floor. "It's okay, Buck." He reached for the notebook, which Bucky handed him, and started to leaf through it. "How much came through this time?"

"A lot," Bucky replied with a sigh. He opened his eyes. "From after I fell from the train."

Steve grinned and showed him the notebook. Of its two hundred 8 ½ x 11 pages, only five had been left blank. "Do you mind if the rest of the team reads this?" he asked.

Bucky closed his eyes again and shook his head. "I'm sorry I keep doing this, Steve."

Steve shrugged as he handed the notebook to Tony so he could read it first. He turned back to Bucky and said, "Don't worry about it, Buck. That's just how your memories are able to come out right now."

When Tony finished reading, he handed the notebook to Natasha. It took several hours for the group to read what Bucky had written because there was a lot there and they each read at a different speed. Scott was the last to read the notebook and he handed it to Belinda, who told him she didn't need to read it.

"How many of these are there?" Sam asked after a long silence.

"Too many," Bucky replied, his eyes still closed.

"Hey, Barnes," Tony began. When Bucky opened his eyes and looked at him he continued, "Sorry about Siberia. It won't happen again. Promise." He walked over to the bed and extended his hand, which Bucky shook while Belinda eyed Tony suspiciously.

"I'm sorry too," Bucky said. "I tried to stop."

"I know you did." Tony looked around at the crowded room. "After all that, I need another drink. Anyone else?"

They had all gone back downstairs and had settled in at the conference table with their drinks when Friday told them that President Ellis was about to address the UN General Assembly. The screen came down out of the ceiling and they all watched as the president approached the podium.

"Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen," President Ellis began, "recent events have shown us that our world is becoming more unpredictable and that we are drawing ever increasing attention of beings from outside our solar system. One of our most trusted intelligence agencies, unknown to us all, was host to a World War II era terrorist organization named Hydra that helped bring about many of the conflicts of the past seventy years. The people we looked to for protection, the Avengers, have been unable to prevent all loss of life when working to stop groups and people like Hydra and so we seem to have lost our faith in them, so much so that we have tied their hands in terms of protecting us from future threats.

"We have also failed to see the true extent of Hydra's heinous intent. We all know, or have heard, about the Winter Soldier, Hydra's top assassin. What many of us, myself included, have not taken into consideration was who they chose for their assassin or how they brought him to their way of thinking."

The Avengers looked over at Bucky, whose eyes were glued to the screen. His lips were set in a thin line, but other than that his face was a mask.

"Sergeant James Buchannan Barnes is a decorated Army veteran who served in World War II. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917 and grew up during the Great Depression. After joining the Army and being sent to the European front in 1943, his unit was captured by Hydra and they suffered terrible treatment at the hands of their captors and he was subjected to experimentation by their scientists. Later that same year, he and his fellow prisoners were rescued by his childhood friend, Captain Steven Grant Rogers. He then served his country with honor and distinction, side by side with Captain Rogers, systematically dismantling one Hydra base after another until his final mission to capture a top Hydra scientist led to his being declared Missing In Action in the early months of 1945.

"Now one would ask how such a devoted patriot as Sgt. Barnes could turn against all he believed in and fought for and spend seven decades working for the very group he fought so hard against during the war. The answer is: he didn't.

"After his fall from the Hydra train and being declared MIA in 1945, he was found, somehow still clinging to life, by some of Hydra's allies who kept him in a state of suspended animation until Hydra was able to begin rebuilding. They then turned him over to his enemies including one Dr. Arnim Zola, the very scientist whose capture had been his final mission. Dr. Zola resumed the work that had been interrupted in 1943 and kept a detailed record of everything he and the other scientists did to try to compel Sgt. Barnes to work for them. This record included every time he attempted or succeeded in escaping and what they did to him as a result. According to Dr. Zola, it took almost twenty years to suppress the man and create the weapon. Detailed instructions for controlling the weapon and continued suppression of the man were written in a book," Ellis paused as he held up the Winter Soldier Programming Book, "this book, in fact. One of the notes that Dr. Zola made in Sgt. Barnes' file was this: There is no better way to torture your enemy than to make him your slave."

Ellis looked directly into the camera and said, "I would ask that this body join me in sending a message to Sgt. Barnes. This message is simple but one I think he deserves and is long overdue: Thank you, Sgt. Barnes, for your service on our behalf prior to your capture and enslavement by Hydra. Welcome home. Given what we now know about your time with Hydra, we do not hold you responsible for the actions or lives you were forced to take. You are absolved of all responsibility and we wish to express our sincere, heart-felt condolences for everything you have been through."

Ellis was silent as another member of the assembly seconded his motion and each member cast their vote. When all the votes were in and counted, the results were read aloud. Not a single member country had either abstained or objected. An official, binding resolution was made, just in case it was needed, and Ellis addressed the room again.

"In order to prevent Sgt. Barnes from ever being forced into servitude again by any person, group, or country, I propose we destroy this book here and now." As the room erupted in cheers and cries of approval, Ellis took a lighter, a small bottle of lighter fluid and a metal dish. He placed them on a table that had been set next to the podium and set the book in the dish. He then soaked the book in the lighter fluid and clicked the lighter's spark wheel. He made sure everyone, especially the cameras, could see as he set the flame to one corner of the book, causing it to be engulfed. When the flames died, the only thing left of the book that had controlled so much of Bucky's life was a pile of ashes, which Ellis put in a Ziploc bag.

The Avengers sat around the table in silence, trying to absorb what they had just witnessed. They looked at Bucky, only to find him in shock, eyes wide and unbelieving. Rhodes started to ask him if he was okay when Ellis spoke again.

"I have been informed earlier today by my Secretary of State, Retired Army General Thaddeus Ross, that he will be stepping down from his position, effective immediately, in order to spend more time with his family. In light of this news, I am appointing an interim Secretary of State until a new candidate can be found, vetted and confirmed by Congress. This interim Secretary is a member of the Hero Community who goes by the name Deadpool.

"Thank you for the opportunity to address this body and for your commitment to righting a terrible wrong." He placed the Ziploc bag in his jacket pocket as he left the stage and the coverage ended as Friday pulled the screen back into the ceiling. No one said anything for a long time. A stunned silence had fallen on the group and none of them wanted to be the first to break it.

An hour passed without any sound but breathing and glasses being lifted and set back down. Friday finally broke the silence to tell them that the president was about to land. The spell now broken, they all began talking to each other about what Ellis had said and done. "Thanks, Friday," Tony told her, looking at the empty glass in his hand and then over at Bucky who was speaking in hushed tones with Steve and Belinda.

A few minutes later, President Ellis entered the compound to loud applause from most of the group. Only Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Belinda were quiet, waiting for another shoe to drop, one that told them everything Ellis had just said and done was a lie and just for show.

"Bravo, bravo," Tony exclaimed. Steve couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic. "Can I get you a drink, Mr. President?"

"Yes, please, Mr. Stark," Ellis replied with a huge smile.

Tony went to pour his drink and refill his own glass while he was at it, and Ellis went around the table shaking hands. As he got to their end of the table, Steve, Bucky, and Belinda stood.

"Captain," Ellis said, extending his hand.

"Mr. President," Steve replied, taking the offered hand.

"Sgt. Barnes," Ellis turned his attention to Bucky, hand still extended. Bucky shook it but didn't stop studying him. "I meant every word, Sgt. Welcome home. I would have been here sooner, but I wanted to get you a copy of that resolution just in case you need to use it. I hope you don't have to." He held out an envelope.

"Thank you, Sir," was all Bucky said as he took it. He sat back down and emptied the contents of the envelope onto the table. In addition to the UN resolution of his innocence was the Ziploc bag containing the ashes of the Winter Soldier Programming Book. He stared at the two items in silence, not sure what to think due to all the times he had been screwed with. Belinda put her hand on his left arm and when he looked at her, the smile on her face began to spread to his.

"Young lady?" Ellis had now turned to Belinda.

"Belinda, Mr. President," she replied, not taking her left hand off Bucky's arm.

"Belinda," Ellis smiled, "that's a beautiful name." She nodded her head in thanks and he continued. "Mr. Stark sent me the footage of what happened this morning. I just wanted to apologize for Secretary Ross' actions and assure you that you will never be put in that situation again."

"Thank you, Sir," she replied, her golden eyes boring into his face. After a few minutes, her eyes seemed to soften and she extended her right hand while keeping her left on Bucky's metal arm.

Ellis' smile widened as he shook her hand. Tony interrupted to hand over his drink and offer him a seat at the conference table which he took. Everyone sat down, with Belinda being the last to take her seat at Bucky's side.

"How you dealt with Secretary Ross was very impressive," Ellis told her when they were all seated. Belinda didn't respond but the room instantly felt more tense. Steve, Bucky, and Sam looked at each other, wondering if this was the other shoe they had been waiting for. "Don't get me wrong," Ellis quickly continued, picking up on the change in the atmosphere, "I don't want you to think that I am going to try to control or study you to find out how you did it. I'm just very impressed at your ability. I also noticed that it didn't happen until Sgt. Barnes was in danger of losing himself again." She nodded but didn't speak. "You are very protective of him." Another nod. "May I ask why?"

"How long do you have?" Belinda finally spoke.

"As long as you need," he told her.

"It's a long story," she warned him.

"My schedule is clear for the rest of the day." He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his drink.

She looked at him for a moment and then started with a question. "What do you think I am?"

"I would say you are an Enhanced Individual, like Miss Maximoff, except your gift is to change into a rather large Dragon."

She glanced at his Secret Service detail and chuckled, thinking how worthless their weapons would be against her. "So, you think I'm Human, like you?" Ellis nodded. "That's what the Army thought in 1944." She looked at Steve and Bucky. "They treated me accordingly too." She laced her fingers together and set them on the table. Without looking up from them, she took a deep breath and began to tell her story.

"I was… born, I guess you could say, in early January of 1942." She looked up and, upon seeing the confused looks around the table, clarified. "I hatched out of an egg that was, I was told later, four feet tall." She looked back at her hands. "I somehow knew that I wasn't supposed to be there and, within a few minutes, looked Human. It is a defense mechanism for the young of my species.

"For two years all I knew was fear, pain, and one experiment after another. I heard the cries and screams of their other prisoners as they were forced to work on their machines or experimented on when they were too weak to work. I spent most of my time in one of two rooms in a castle in Austria that Hydra had taken over as a base. The first room was a large one that they had turned into a laboratory and the second I thought of as my cage. The second room was long but not very wide, not even six feet. There was a twin bed that I would try to hide under, a desk with a few drawers, and a chair. The walls and floor were made of stone and there were no windows except for the little rectangular one with bars in the heavy wooden door. They would cover my eyes whenever they moved me from my cage to the lab so I couldn't see well enough to figure out how to escape. The scientist you mentioned, Dr. Arnim Zola, was the one who did a lot of the experiments on me. He wanted to find out what I am and what I could do so they could try to use me as a weapon.

"One day, in mid-September of 1944, they took me to the lab and showed me one of the sources of the screaming. It was a weird looking machine with a seat and restraints. They had someone strapped in and they turned it on, running electricity through the man, who screamed. When they turned it off and let him out, he let out a roar of rage and attacked one of the guards, who stepped out of the way. The man became distracted by an empty table and started trying to kill it, so they killed him.

"They brought in another man and strapped him into the machine. They didn't change any of the settings before turning it on. His screams tapered off as his liquefied brains ran out of his ears and pooled on the floor.

"This is our problem," they told me. "We can't get this stupid contraption of Zola's to work properly. Let's see what it does to you." And they strapped me into the chair and turned it on.

"I had never felt so much pain before, not even with all the other things they had done. It felt like my insides were on fire. Then I felt like I was being stripped of myself, piece by piece, and that each piece was being put in a different box and shoved in a corner. The next thing I felt was their hands as I was pulled out of the chair and carried behind a partition. There was a loud explosion and, when the dust settled and I could focus, I saw the machine in pieces all over the place. Somehow I broke it. They took me back to my cage and I stayed there for the rest of the day, shaking on the bed." She fell silent for several minutes. She laced and unlaced her fingers a few times, then took a deep breath and continued.

"The next morning I woke up to different sounds: lots of gunfire and bigger explosions. The castle shook and there was yelling and cursing in German. The other prisoners were cheering instead of screaming. Other people were yelling in English and there were footsteps running everywhere.

"One set of footsteps came running to the door of my cage and I heard the key slide into the lock and start to turn. I scooted off the bed and rolled under it, crawling to the farthest corner, hoping this time I wouldn't get yanked out by some Hydra guard.

"The lock clicked and I heard a sound I had never heard before. It was like a whirring whooshing noise. Then there was a thump and the sound of metal on stone and that whirring-whoosh again. The door creaked open and the Hydra guard who had been unlocking it fell to the floor, unconscious. I stayed where I was because I didn't know what was going to happen next.

"Three pairs of feet came in, two in black combat boots and one in red. A voice said to secure the guard and then start trying to figure out what was so important about the room. The guard was tied up and dragged out into the hall and I heard the sound of drawers opening and closing and tapping on the wall. They were trying to find a secret cubby-hole or something behind a loose stone.

"Four more pairs of black-booted feet came in and another voice said that the lab had been secured and was being packed up, but that a lot of the scientists had killed themselves after trying to destroy as many files as they could. One of the files was completely gone except for the number on the door of my cage.

"A third voice asked how they knew to search the room and the first one replied with, "You don't lock an empty room." When the third voice asked if they had found anything yet, the answer was no.

"A fourth voice asked if they had thought to look under the bed yet and the first voice said they hadn't. So the fourth voice said "I'll check," and I heard the sound of the bedsprings as he steadied himself. I thought the bed was going to be moved, like Hydra did sometimes, but instead a head appeared, upside-down, at the farthest end of the bed, eyes scanning the underside. He saw me, crouched at my end, and tried to reassure me with a soft smile. "Hi there," he said. "Mind if I join you?" Then his head disappeared and I saw a rifle, a pistol, and a knife get set down. He walked over to my end of the bed and laid down on the cold stone floor. He was wearing brown uniform pants and a dark blue jacket. He stuck his head under the bed and rested his chin on his hands. He was taller than the room was wide so he had to put his feet up in the air.

"He asked me if I understood English and I nodded. He asked if I could speak it and I shook my head. So he asked if I spoke another language, like German or French, because he could get a translator if I did. I shook my head again and he asked if I could speak at all. When I shook my head a third time he said they would have to fix that. He asked if I could use my fingers to indicate numbers and showed me what he meant. I copied him and he smiled at me again. He told me they were the good guys and, if I would trust them, they would take me somewhere safe. I studied his face for a long time. I don't know how I knew, since I had never been outside, but his eyes were like the sky on a clear summer day and his hair was the color of dark, rich soil. I was reaching for his hand when the door slammed open. I don't know how or when it closed but I pulled my hand back and he jumped, hitting his head on the underside of the bedframe. He disappeared as a new, very gruff, voice said, "What the hell are you doing? Whatever it is, hurry up. Everything's loaded up and we need to head out before the coming storm washes out the road."

"One of the two new pairs of feet then walked away and a new, female, voice asked, "What were you doing?"

"Trying to talk someone who is very frightened out from under the bed," he told her in an annoyed voice. He laid back down, feet in the air and head under the bed. I wouldn't look at him so he started drumming his fingers on the floor. He kept it up until I looked at him and then he apologized.

"That was our commanding officer, Col. Chester Phillips," he told me. "His bark, in this case, is worse than his bite. We do need to go, but I think you trusting us is more important than beating a storm so I'm not going to rush you. Okay?"

"I nodded and he told me he was only going to ask me questions that I could answer with either my fingers or a nod or shake of my head. When I nodded okay, he started asking me things.

"How old are you?" I held up two fingers and he started guessing. "Two hours?" I shook my head: No. "Two days?" No. "Two weeks?" No. "Two months?" No. "Two years?" I nodded and he smiled again.

"He asked if I had ever been outside the castle and when I shook my head he looked sad. He asked if I had been to any other room in the castle and I held up one finger. He said, "Let me guess. The lab?" I nodded and he said, "It wasn't very fun there, was it? Did they do lots of painful things with sharp objects?" I nodded again and he said, "I know how you feel. I was in one of the other bases these people had about a year ago. When I couldn't work anymore, they took me to the lab and I'm not sure what all they did to me. I do remember that I was so out of it that, when their base came under attack and I was left alone, I didn't even notice. My best friend had, somehow, managed to get himself into the Army and had come, without backup, to rescue me if I was still alive. On our way out, he saw a map with the locations of other bases on it.

"Once we got back to the base he had left from, the other prisoners and I were checked out and given some time to recoup. Then my friend came to ask some of us if we wanted to help him take out those other bases. Six of us signed right up, and we've been following his lead ever since.

"This castle was on that map so, technically, coming here to stop Hydra and free their prisoners, including you, was his idea."

"He was quiet for several minutes as he let me digest what he had told me. The next time he spoke he asked me if I wanted to stay there in that castle because, if I did, they would go away and leave me alone. I started shaking my head really fast. "Okay, Okay," he told me, trying to calm me down, "you don't have to stay." I stopped shaking my head.

"He reached his right hand out to me, being careful not to touch me, and said, with a serious look on his face, "If you will trust me, take my hand, and come out from under this bed, my friends and I will take the little princess out of her tower and show her the rest of the world. Then we'll take her somewhere safe and go finish killing the dragon so she doesn't have to be afraid of it anymore." Then he waited.

"I studied him some more, trying to decide what to do. I finally started reaching for his hand and I kept expecting him to grab my wrist and pull, like Hydra did, but he didn't move. He didn't even breathe. He waited until my tiny hand was over his and then he slowly and gently closed his fingers around it. As he helped me crawl out, he told me to watch my head. He got to his knees, gave me a very gentle but warm hug and thanked me for trusting him.

"One of the other men handed him his weapons, which he put back in their proper places. The woman said it was time to go, turned around and left with most of the others following her. One of the men stayed behind, the one with the red boots. I saw he was also wearing a blue helmet and his uniform was red, white, and blue. He asked me if I could walk and I shook my head. The man who had talked me out from under the bed said he would carry me and Mr. Red Boots nodded and walked out.

"I let this man I had trusted pick me up and, as he carried me out of the castle, I couldn't help pointing at things as we passed them. He told me what they were and, at one point, even spent a few minutes trying to explain what a reflection was. He never got mad or impatient or anything. We got outside and I saw all the trucks and tanks and he told me what they were and that we were going to ride in them back to his base. We were walking toward one of the trucks when Mr. Red Boots came up to us and told him, "Phillips wants her in that truck over there." He pointed at a truck a few vehicles away and then said, "Why don't you go with her so she doesn't get any more scared than she already is?" That's when I realized the first voice I had heard and the red boots went together.

"The man carrying me said okay and that we would meet the others back at the base, then carried me to the specified truck. We got in and he sat me down next to him on the bench seat. I looked around at all the other soldiers and pressed myself against him. He looked down at me and told me that they had helped him and his friends rescue me and they weren't going to hurt me. I relaxed a little and the trucks started to move.

"We got past the part of the road that Col. Phillips had been worried about and, as the last vehicle passed it, the sky opened up and rain started beating down on the top of the truck. I tried to stay awake but it was too hard, so I laid my head on his lap. He put his arm around me so I wouldn't fall and I drifted off.

"I woke up several hours later to him shaking me and saying, "Wake up Little Princess, we're here." As I sat up, I realized that someone had covered me with a blanket at some point during the trip. He told me I had started shivering and one of the other soldiers had handed him the blanket. "Why don't we go inside?" He was trying not to smile, but it wasn't working. "The others are probably wondering what happened to us." At my confused expression, he told me he had been trying to wake me up for ten minutes. Then he chuckled and said it was still half the time it took to convince me to come out from under the bed. "Come on. It's warmer inside." I let him pick me up and he carried me off the truck and into the huge building (to me) they were using as a base.

"The room we walked into was very big. They used it for meals, briefings of multiple units at once, movie nights, and anything else they needed a large space for. There were several doorways leading off the room to labs, offices, sleeping quarters, and smaller briefing rooms, but everyone had to go through this one room.

"At one side of the room was a table with his friends. They started picking on him as soon as they saw us but he was quick on his feet and just fired right back. He sat me down on top of the table and started to introduce them. There was James Montgomery Falsworth, a British guy who was one of their tacticians; Jim Morita, a Japanese American who was their communications specialist; Gabe Jones, an African American who was their linguist; Jacques Dernier, a French guy who liked to make things explode; and Dum Dum Dugan, another American whose main thing was constantly wearing a bowler hat. The woman walked over during all this and he said, "This is Agent Peggy Carter, our Strategic Science Reserve liaison." He wiggled his eyebrows a little bit. "We've got her because of this guy." He nodded toward Mr. Red Boots and I saw he wasn't wearing his helmet anymore. His hair was like a ripe cornfield shining in the sun and his eyes were just a tad darker blue than his friend's. He smiled at me and his friend continued. "This is Captain Steve Rogers. A lot of people call him Captain America. That's why his uniform is different from everyone else's. He's the friend I was telling you about. Of course, I knew him when he looked very different." I cocked my head in confusion and he grinned. "He used to be short and skinny. That's where Agent Carter comes in." He grinned at Steve, who just rolled his eyes.

"He turned back to me and said, "And my name is Sergeant James Buchannan Barnes. My friends all call me Bucky though and, once we get you talking, you can call me that too. If you want." I nodded and Agent Carter spoke.

"Now that's out of the way, I came over here to tell you that since Barnes was the one to convince her to come with us, she is his responsibility. At least until we can find her family, if she has one, and what Hydra wanted with her. Col. Phillips says you all are stuck with her." She gave me a tiny smile and walked away.

"Dugan asked me what my name was and I shrugged. They decided Little Princess would work until I could talk and then I could pick one out for myself.

"The first thing they did, between missions, was teach me how to talk. Then they taught me everything a two-year-old should already know, like how to walk, feed myself, dress myself, draw, play games and go to the bathroom. I mastered it all pretty quickly so they started teaching me how to read and write. They would throw names at me, but I didn't like any of them so they started trying to find books with more names in them. They finally said Belinda and it just seemed right so that became my name.

"For the first few nights, I slept in Bucky's room. It helped me adjust to the radical change in my surroundings. There was no more screaming or yelling or moaning. It was very quiet and calm.

"They got a room just for me with a window so I could look outside and a door that didn't have to be locked if I didn't want it to be. They tried to make it look like a little girl's room but that was rather difficult as we were in the middle of a warzone. They had dresses made for me out of spare Army uniforms.

"They would each tell me good night when I got into bed. Steve would kiss my forehead and wish me sweet dreams and say, "We're right down the hall if you need us." Then Bucky would sit on the edge of the bed and ask me if I still felt safe. I did and would tell him so. He would smile and then tuck me in, tell me to sleep tight and not let the bedbugs bite, and then turn off the light and close the door.

"Sometimes I would have a bad dream and I would go to his room and crawl into bed with him. It happened a lot the first month and a half but then it only happened sporadically. He never got mad when I woke him up but would just scoot over as much as he could so I could curl up beside him.

"They always made sure I was in on their briefings so I knew where they were going and what they were doing. They would let me tag along as they got ready and would each tell me good bye when it was time to go. Steve would give me a hug and wait by the door. Bucky would then pick me up, give me a big hug, kiss my nose, and say, "We'll be back, Little Princess, sooner than you think. Don't you worry." Then he would put me down and he and Steve would walk out together. He was always the last to say good bye when they left and the first to say hello when they got back. He would come running in, scoop me up in his arms, kiss my nose and say, "We're back, Little Princess, all safe and sound. Did you miss us?" When he put me down, I would drag him over to our table and show him and the others the pictures I drew or the letters I wrote while they were gone. It was always just the bad scribbles of a two-year-old but they would always ooh and ah and fawn over it like it was a masterpiece in a museum. I started calling them uncles after a few weeks.

"The day before Halloween, about a month and a half after I had been rescued, we were all in the common room, hanging out. Uncle Jacques and Uncle Gabe were playing chess, Uncle Jim was cleaning his weapons, Uncle Monty was reading a book, Uncle Dugan was smoking a cigar, and Uncle Steve was sitting in a chair that he had leaned against the wall. The radio was on, playing a Glenn Miller song, and Uncle Bucky and I were dancing. He spun me around and I saw three lab coats come from one of the doorways behind me and I freaked out. I ripped my hand out of his and, the next thing I knew, my back was against the wall close to Uncle Steve.

"They all saw what had scared me and I've never seen anyone move that fast. Uncle Bucky vaulted the table and pulled me into a hug to try to calm me down. There was a crash as Uncle Steve's chair hit the ground and they closed ranks around me so I couldn't see the lab coats anymore. I concentrated on Uncle Bucky's touch so I wouldn't pull into myself and was able to gather that the lab coats were actually S.S.R. scientists. They started arguing with my uncles about studying me to find out why I was so important to Hydra and I thought for a second that Uncle Dugan was going to start a fist fight.

"I heard Aunt Peggy's voice asking what was going on and then sending the scientists back to their labs. When they were gone, my uncles moved so she could see what they had done and she apologized to me. She said she had been coming to work something out with them so the S.S.R. could start trying to figure out why Hydra had me and wanted me back. She had ordered those three scientists to stay in their lab and she would bring me to them when she had worked something out so I felt safe. She told them to calm me down and, once they had done that, we would all sit down and talk.

"It took them thirty minutes to get me to stop shaking and an hour to get me away from the wall. By then the room was being set up for lunch and other soldiers were being told what was wrong. They tried to be quiet because I was jumping at every sound. I heard one offer to "teach those S.S.R. bastards a lesson", but it was tactfully refused.

"I was too worked up to eat but they did manage to calm me down some by the time lunch was over. It helped that every soldier that came in made a stop by our table to tell me they were sorry I had been scared and they would keep an eye out so it didn't happen again.

"Mail was passed out after lunch and Uncle Bucky was grinning as he walked back to our table with a large package in his hands. He set it down in front of me and said, "This should cheer you up." I asked him what it was and he told me to open it and find out.

"I tore off the brown paper and opened the box to find a dark blue dress, a pair of matching shoes, several pairs of socks and underwear, and a dark blue hair ribbon. There was a note in the box that read, "To our boys' Little Princess. Welcome to the family. Mr. & Mrs. Barnes." Underneath the dark blue dress was one of the dresses that had been made for me. I had wondered where it was because it had gone missing. I tried to scowl at him but I couldn't pull it off. He asked me if I wanted to try it on and I was so excited that all I could do was nod. He asked me what I was waiting for and I jumped up from the table, grabbed the box, and ran to my room which wasn't very far from the common room.

"I changed and looked at myself in the mirror they had gotten for me. I grabbed the ribbon and went back to the common room. The whole room erupted in hoots and whistles. I spun around and then ran over to our table, where they were all smiling and making some of the whistles. I held the ribbon out and Uncle Bucky took it and tied up my hair. When he was done, I asked him who the people were that had sent me the present and why. He told me they were his parents and that he and Uncle Steve had been telling them about me. He asked if I wanted him to thank them for me but I said I wanted to do it. I did my very best on that Thank You letter, trying to make sure they would be able to read it. When I was done, he helped me put it in an envelope he had already addressed and we handed it in with the rest of the outgoing mail.

"It took the rest of the day for them to really calm me down. As they were saying good night, Aunt Peggy came in and told me that we would have to work something out with the S.S.R. the next morning. I said okay and she patted my hand before leaving. Uncle Steve kissed me on the forehead, like he always did, and told me to have sweet dreams and they were right down the hall if I needed them.

"Uncle Bucky sat down on the edge of the bed and took my hands. "I'm sorry about what happened this morning. Are you feeling better now?" I nodded and he said, "Now, remember, when we talk to those guys tomorrow we won't let them do anything you don't want them to. Okay?" I said okay and he tucked me in, said, "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite," turned out the light and closed the door.

"I came half-awake around one in the morning because someone was in my room whose scent I didn't recognize. I came fully awake as I was grabbed by two sets of hands and pulled out of bed and across the room. I took a breath to scream and a hand clamped over my mouth. I realized there were fingers by my teeth and bit down as hard as I could, grinding my teeth together until I tasted blood and the hand went away. By this time I was outside my room. I screamed and kept screaming as I was dragged the short distance down the hall and into the common room, where I saw the three scientists standing in the middle of the room with triumphant looks on their faces.

"I was halfway to them when I heard that whirring whoosh sound but by now I knew it was Uncle Steve's shield. There were two thumps as it hit the two guys holding me, then the shield bounced around the room and headed back to the hallway I had come from. I bolted back toward my room as soon as the hands let me go. Uncle Steve came around the corner and I slowed down but he told me to keep going. I rounded the corner and ran smack into Uncle Bucky's legs. If Uncle Dugan hadn't been right behind him I would have knocked him flat on his butt. I took a step back to see who I had run into and then I scaled him like a spider monkey climbing a tree.

"I kept saying I was sorry and Uncle Dugan asked me why. When I said I was sorry for waking them up, he waved it off and asked what happened. I was shaking too badly to tell him and Uncle Bucky told him, "Go help Steve. I got this," as the others walked up. They followed Dugan around the corner and Uncle Bucky moved a little farther down the hall. We were close enough to hear what was going on but not so close that if a fight broke out we would get hurt when he sat on the floor and made me tell him what had happened. When I apologized again for waking them all up, he told me I had nothing to apologize for; I had done the right thing and he was proud of me.

"The argument from earlier started up again. Uncle Steve didn't get in it until the scientists said they didn't think he wanted them to beat Hydra because, if he did, he would hand the specimen over. They kept calling me that. Never Belinda, the girl, her, or she, just the specimen or it.

"He told them I was a little girl who had a name, a little girl they had been working very hard with to make feel comfortable and safe, a little girl who they had almost managed to convince would never be treated the way Hydra had treated her ever again. He said that he was afraid they would have to start all over again because of what those three had done.

"They told him they didn't care about any of that, only that they had orders to start studying the specimen so he better hand it over.

"Right before a fight could break out, I heard a new voice and smelled a new person's scent. This new arrival said, "I leave you idiots alone for five minutes and you manage to royally piss off Captain America. Not even Hydra can do that and they've been trying! What the hell did you do?"

"They told him that Uncle Steve was interfering with the war effort by not letting them follow their orders and keeping the specimen away from them. He asked them who had given the orders and they named a General John McGinnis. All he said after that was "Show me."

"Uncle Steve brought him around the corner and I tried to make myself disappear. He told them he was going to fix it and to bring me into the other room.

"The scientists looked thrilled when they saw me but he told them to stop smiling because they weren't getting what they wanted. He said that he would be the one to study me, not them. He said that the only time any testing was going to be done was if both he and Uncle Steve's team were there. If I didn't feel like being studied he would do something else. He was going to let me determine what would be done and when. He was going to hire bodyguards that would answer only to him to protect me when he and/or my uncles weren't around. He said that he had the money so he might as well use it. The scientists started to say something about General McGinnis and he got really mad. He told them, "Tell McGinnis that he can kiss my rich, brilliant, weapons designer ass. That is, if he's man enough to go for Round Two."

"I was looking around while he talked and realized just how loud my scream had been. The room was full; I had woken up everyone on base. Uncle Bucky asked me if I wanted to sleep with him for the rest of the night and, when I nodded, he carried me to his room.

"Uncle Steve brought this new person in a few minutes after I had gotten into bed. He introduced him as Howard Stark, the military's best weapons designer. He thanked Mr. Stark for what he had said and told him he would have to follow through if he wanted me to let him do anything. Mr. Stark replied by suggesting boring things like getting reflexes and vital signs for the first time. Uncle Steve looked at me and, when I nodded, said that was a good idea. He and Mr. Stark left and Uncle Bucky got in bed, pulled me close and said, "You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you. We won't let them." I hid myself under the covers and fell asleep after what seemed like forever."

Belinda paused to take a drink and glanced around the table. They all seemed spellbound. Bucky's eyes were closed and Steve had a thoughtful expression on his face. Tony took a sip of his drink but no one else moved. They were all patiently waiting for her to continue. She took another drink and resumed her tale.

"The next morning Uncle Bucky and Uncle Steve took me to Mr. Stark's lab. He did exactly what he had said he would that visit and every other visit. When we were done and I was getting ready to go, he would give me suggestions of what we could do the next time. If I didn't feel like being studied, he would say we would put that test off until next time and ask me what I wanted to do instead. Sometimes he would show me what he was working on. Sometimes he would explain how the various instruments he used when studying me worked. If it looked really freaky, he would let me use it on him first. He also tried to schedule any tests on me for the same days that he had new things to show Uncle Steve. True to his word, he hired two bodyguards that shadowed me everywhere I went when my uncles were gone. It took a little longer with him, but I started calling him my uncle too.

"Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went, then New Year's and my birthday. I had never experienced any of these events before so they tried to make each one extra special. Then came the end of January of 1945.

"Things started the way they always did. I was in on the briefing and stayed with them as they got ready to go. They said good bye but, before putting me down, Uncle Bucky spun around a couple times with me. I watched them leave and got this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. I pushed it away, went over to our table and started to draw. At first it was just squiggles but then I kind of zoned out for a while. I just kept pulling sheets of paper over and moving them out of the way when I was done with them. Eventually I stopped drawing and went to find a book to read.

"They had set up for lunch and my bodyguards were carrying my tray of food over to our table when I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. I tried to catch myself but hit the floor, gasping for air, and knocked over a bunch of chairs. I heard people asking me what had happened and if I was okay. When I finally answered, I just kept saying, "Something went wrong," over and over. They couldn't get me to say anything else. They tried to pick me up but they couldn't. Nobody could pick up a three-year-old girl off the floor so they just left me there.

"The tables were cleared away when lunch was over and put back when it was time for dinner. They all moved and worked around me like I was a piece of furniture. My bodyguards sat next to me the whole time. They were worried that Uncle Howard or Uncle Steve, or both, would be angry with them for my falling and then sitting on the floor for hours, hugging my knees and saying something went wrong.

"It was dark when they got back. I listened for the voice I needed to hear, the scent I needed to smell, but it wasn't there and I started rocking back and forth. I heard Uncle Dugan say, "You tell her. She'll take it better coming from you." Then I heard Uncle Steve's footsteps, slow and heavy like he wanted to be doing anything else.

"He sat down in front of me and said, "We're back, Little Princess."

"I stopped rocking, looked at him and said, "Not him."

"He told me what happened on the train and that he had tried to go back to find Uncle Bucky but they'd had to give up. I just kept shaking my head, not wanting it to be true, and one of the bodyguards handed him the drawings I had made earlier in the day. He flipped through them and asked when I had made them. I had drawn exactly what had happened.

"Twenty minutes after you left," the other bodyguard replied.

"Uncle Steve set the pictures down and was about to say something else when I caught Zola's scent and my head snapped in his direction. I saw him and I lost it. Everything he had done to me, to Uncle Bucky; being the reason Uncle Bucky was gone and not coming back; it all boiled over and I launched myself across the room at him. He had seen me when I hatched so he had some idea of what was coming at him and he was terrified. I came so close to making him pay, to sinking my nails into his face, but then a vice closed around my waist and pulled me back to the center of the room. I kicked and clawed and fought but couldn't get loose. It wasn't until he was taken far enough that I could no longer smell him that I heard Uncle Steve's voice at my ear, begging me to stop.

"Please, Belinda, wait; please. I know you're angry and hurting; I am too. But please wait. Give us time. Zola knows what Hydra's endgame is and how to stop them. Please give us time to find out what he knows. If you kill him now, we've lost him for nothing." His arms kept getting tighter the more I struggled.

"I finally gave up and started to cry. He let me go and then picked me up and held me until I cried myself to sleep. Then he took me to my room and tucked me in.

"I didn't leave my room for a week. When I finally did, I made a beeline for Uncle Bucky's room and wouldn't leave. I took one of his shirts and put it on over my dress. I slept in there because his scent was still there and it was the only way I could get any sleep at all.

"A month went by and I finally left his room to find Uncle Steve. I heard him say, "That's exactly what we're gonna do," and followed his scent to one of the smaller briefing rooms.

"Col. Phillips saw me first and nodded in my direction, saying, "We have company."

"Uncle Steve turned his chair around and patted his lap. After I had climbed in and gotten comfortable he gave me a sad smile and said, "Thank you for waiting. Zola finally talked and gave us everything we need to go stop Hydra. I know it has taken a long time, and you have been very patient, but will you wait a little longer, until we get back? I'll make sure you get five minutes with him."

"I nodded and he filled me in on the plan. I glued myself to his side as they got ready to go and this time they let me go with them to the airfield. When the plane was almost fully loaded, they started to say goodbye like always. Uncle Steve said goodbye like Uncle Bucky always had and, as he got on the plane, I got that nagging feeling again. I wasn't going to wait around this time for another kick to the stomach and hours of wondering which of them wasn't coming back so I snuck on the plane.

"Nobody noticed me, not even when I followed them off the plane and into the Hydra base. I followed my nose, because Hydra people share a certain scent, one that I can't really explain. They didn't expect to see a three-year-old with the rest of the Army and I used that against them. Everything I felt toward Zola flooded back and I let go. I don't know how many I killed, but by the time I ran out of steam I was covered, dripping even, in their blood. I made my way to the radio room without realizing it and sat down under one of the counters.

"I don't know how long I sat there before Aunt Peggy came in and the radio above me crackled to life. I heard her and Uncle Steve talking about the plane being damaged and him having to crash it to keep it from hurting people when it crashed on its own. I also heard them make a date so she could teach him how to dance. When the radio went dead she waited for a few minutes, trying to get him back, and then left to tell everyone what had happened. I just sat there. The nagging feeling was gone and I knew it had been trying to tell me that Uncle Steve was the one that wouldn't be coming back this time. In the span of one month, I lost the two most important people in my life.

"I finally left my hiding spot and was heading, numbly, back to the plane when Uncle Monty saw me and freaked out. I was wearing one of Uncle Bucky's shirts, was still covered in blood, and wasn't even supposed to be there. He started asking me where I was hurt and I told him it wasn't my blood. He told me Uncle Steve was going to be furious with me for coming and I shook my head. He looked confused and I realized he hadn't heard yet so I told him, "Uncle Steve's gone." Uncle Dugan came up then to tell him the same thing and Uncle Monty had to explain that the blood I was covered in wasn't mine.

"Uncle Monty took me back to the plane and told me to stay put. I curled up on the floor, out of the way of foot traffic, and somehow fell asleep."

She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, pointedly refusing to look at Steve. After a minute she continued. "The Germans surrendered two months later, in May, and the war was over on September 2nd, 1945. A year hadn't even passed since my rescue. Uncle Howard put me up in one of his apartments in New York and came to check on me as often as he could. Aunt Peggy came to visit too, but I wasn't very good company for either of them. Uncle Howard stopped running tests; he said he didn't feel right about it. I didn't care. To be honest, he could have stepped up the tests and I wouldn't have complained. They both kept telling me to go ahead and cry but I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. I was numb. I barely functioned for months.

"Before I knew it, it was almost 1946 and Aunt Peggy came over on her lunch break to show me something. She handed me a green orb with a little switch on one side and asked me if I remembered when she had vented about being angry with Uncle Howard. I nodded, holding the orb, and she told me that orb was the reason she had been angry. He had told her it was a button that could knock out a city's power by melting the power grid, but he had lied. I asked her what it really was and she told me to open it and see.

"I flipped the little switch and the orb opened. A glass vial nearly full of a dark, red liquid slid up from the center. I didn't need her to tell me what it was. I knew that scent. I could never forget it, not even locked beneath a stopper.

"She asked if I remembered when Uncle Steve had told me about the experiment that had made him Captain America. I nodded, staring at the vial, and she told me that after the serum was lost and the scientist who created it was killed, the S.S.R. took twelve vials of Uncle Steve's blood so they could try to recreate the serum. It turned out that of the twelve, the S.S.R. had kept eleven and number twelve had gone to Uncle Howard. The S.S.R. had nearly used up their entire supply and Uncle Howard didn't want them to have his because he knew they would blow through it too, and then there would be nothing left.

"She said it was the last remaining vial of Uncle Steve's blood and we had to protect him. I asked her about Uncle Howard and she told me that his butler had told him the vial was lost in all the chaos that had recently taken place. Then he had turned around and given it to her because he felt she was the only one who could really protect it.

"She asked if I wanted to hold on to it until she could think of what to do. I nodded and she gave me a sad smile and a big hug. She told me she had to get back to work and left.

"I don't know how long I sat there on the couch, looking at that vial. Eventually I felt wetness on my face and realized I was finally crying. I closed the orb, took it to my bedroom, and curled up on the bed. I barely made it before the dam broke and I couldn't stop crying. For days, all I did was cry and sleep.

"Aunt Peggy came back a few days into 1946 and said she knew how to protect him. She asked if I wanted to come with her but I told her that if someone found out the vial still existed, and tried to get me to tell, I couldn't tell what I didn't know. She said okay and gave me a hug. I handed her the orb and she left. I never saw it again. I don't know what she did with it, but I do know it is safe."

Belinda reached for her glass, which Tony had somehow managed to refill without her notice, and took a gulp. She leaned back in her chair and took another drink. Talking is thirsty work, she thought. She was quiet for several minutes, drinking her water. She set the glass down once it was empty only for Tony to whisk it away and bring back a full glass.

"What happened next?" Sam asked. No one else spoke.

"Once the dam broke and I was able to cry, I was able to function, at least a little bit," she answered, looking across the table at him. "Uncle Howard went to California to start a movie company and Aunt Peggy went there to help set up the West Coast branch of the S.S.R. They would call and talk to me about how beautiful and warm it was and tell me they were going to send for me one day. So when an S.S.R. agent came to my apartment and told me they wanted me on the next flight to California, I believed him. I fell asleep on the plane and when I woke up, I was in that place where you found me. The S.S.R. guy was talking to some people in lab coats and others in suits, telling them how easy it had been to get me to go with him.

"They picked up where they had been forced to leave off two years before, one test after another. I wish I could say that I lost track of time, but that isn't how my system works.

"One day, late in 1946, the door to the room I was held in was open and Dr. Zola walked past. He stopped and smiled at me when he heard me banging on the glass of my new cage, then started walking again. Right behind him was a gurney, being pushed by two Russians, with some kind of chamber on it. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach and started banging harder. A little while later Zola came back in. He ordered them to reinforce my cage and to set a monitor in front of it. He was going to be constantly broadcasting a feed to it and he wanted me to watch what he was doing." She pushed herself away from the table and began to pace in silence. No one moved.

"I saw everything they did," she suddenly exploded, making them all jump. She paced faster as she became more agitated and her golden eyes solidified as she turned her gaze to President Ellis. "Everything!" Her fists clenched and unclenched. "Every time they woke him up for more surgeries or experiments. Every time they strapped him into that DAMN MACHINE!" Her voice became a shriek and the group looked at each other, worried looks crossing every face. "They rebuilt it and got it to work. They used it on him ALL THE TIME!" She seemed to have forgotten anyone but Ellis was there. "He'd fight and yell and struggle and threaten them and try to get away; he would come SO CLOSE! It was like they were toying with him, letting him think he could get away and then yanking him back to hurt him some more. The more they did that, the more exhausted he became, not just physically. Mentally and emotionally too. I could practically see the wall they were building to cage him. Then, one day, he didn't fight back and I knew they had finally succeeded with him where they failed with me.

"They started training him with lots of different weapons and methods of hand-to-hand combat. One day he was sparring with half a dozen guys and they were getting ready to send more into the fight when he saw a calendar on the wall as he turned. He froze and looked back at it. He started demanding to know why the day was so important. They brushed him off and he started to spar again when fireworks went off outside somewhere. He refused to fight and challenged them again, wanting to know, needing to know, but they brushed him off again. It didn't work this time and he kept trying to figure it out. The more they brushed him off, the more their control slipped. I could almost see the cracks forming in the wall they had built.

"I decided to try something I had tried so many times before, even though it had never worked. I took the deepest breath possible and screamed as loudly as I could.

"At first, nothing seemed to happen." She smiled. "Then that wall exploded and I saw him say 'Steve'. He started to really fight, fighting for his life. He used everything they had taught him against them. They lost their minds, alarms went off, and I just kept screaming. I was glad for that monitor then because it let me watch him as he moved from one room and hallway to another, easily dispatching everyone that got in his way. He got to the room I was in and reached for the doorknob.

"His fingers had no sooner touched the knob than an electric net fell from the ceiling, knocking him to the floor. He kept trying to get up and they increased the voltage until he passed out. Then they turned it off and stuck him back in that machine." She ran a hand through her hair, still pacing back and forth, oblivious to the looks flying around the table.

She stopped pacing for a moment, looking at Ellis again. "With one scream, in half a second, I destroyed all their work but not well enough. It took them five and a half hours to get their weapon back; five and a half hours of his renewed fighting and threats. Then they froze him and took him away."

She started pacing again. "But taking him away didn't make it stop. They told me about every mission, every target; they always called him The Asset. They wanted me to know what they were making him do, in addition to everything else they were doing to me. One of them even told me, once, that it was my fault they were using him as their weapon instead of me. All I had to do was be controllable and I would be their weapon, not him. I attacked the guy, (he was, stupidly, inside my cage when he told me this) and they decided to try out a modified form of a serum they were already pumping into my cage that kept me from sleeping. The new stuff kept up the "No sleep for you" and also made me unable to see, move, or make a sound. I could still hear and smell so they kept talking about what they were making him do.

"Two years ago they got worried. His handler had sent him on a mission that resulted in his running into someone who could do with a word what I did with a scream. They started worrying that he would escape and start hunting them. Then they found out that his next mission was the very person they were worried would set him free.

"I knew when he got away before they did. I don't know how, but then I also don't know how I could hear him, screaming, in my head every time he was on one of their missions or how I knew when he fell from that train.

"After he got free, they just kept talking about finding him, either to get him back under control or put him out of their misery. They were thrilled when he got set up for that UN bombing and when they found out he had been found and orders were to shoot on sight. They weren't so happy when he was taken alive or when he disappeared again."

She finally sat back down. Her hands shook as she reached for her glass and drained it. She looked around the table, registering them all for the first time in a while. She dropped her gaze as it reached Steve and Bucky and put her hands on the table to try to stop their shaking.

"Then you all found me and brought me here." She suddenly looked very young and very tired. She laid her head on her hands and closed her eyes, flinching as Bucky started gently rubbing her back. "I couldn't make it stop," she finished sadly, concentrating on the movement of Bucky's hand and trying to relax.

"You didn't give up though," Ellis told her, trying to sound comforting. He let a smile start to form on his face. "And you don't have to worry about them anymore."

Belinda's head snapped up. "I wasn't talking about what they did to me," she hissed, starting to stand, her eyes furious. Bucky stopped rubbing her back, instead using his metal arm to pin the angry girl to the table. She didn't fight him but she did start to growl, causing the table to vibrate enough to start singing. The room fell silent and Ellis' smile vanished. Bucky leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said silenced the growl and he took his hand off her back. She was still for only a moment before sitting up and apologizing to Ellis, who told her not to worry about it, and looking sheepishly at Steve, who gave her a small smile. She looked at Bucky, who silently pushed his chair back from the table and patted his lap. She immediately changed where she was sitting, wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on her arm. Tears started to trickle down her face as Steve scooted his chair closer and ran a hand over her hair.

"No wonder you freaked on Ross," Clint broke the long silence that had fallen. She made a sniffling sound but didn't look at him.

"You kept talking about people's scents," Bruce spoke up this time.

She turned her head to look at him and nodded. Her cheeks were wet but she had stopped crying. She wiped her eyes and Steve handed her a box of tissues. She blew her nose, using half the box, then leaned her head on Bucky's while throwing Steve a grateful look. "Yes, I did," she finally responded.

"How come?" Scott asked.

"Because of what I am," she replied, moving back to her seat. "Like I said earlier, I only look Human." She noticed another full glass of water and drained it in a single gulp.

"You have an enhanced sense of smell." Vision stated.

She nodded. "Also sight, hearing, touch, and taste. Compared to you, at least. As you saw earlier, I'm a lot bigger than I look right now. I'm only in this form so I can fit inside this building without causing any more damage." Tony grinned, looking around. "It's also easier to talk to people in this form." She spun the chair around a few times, then locked eyes with Ellis. "I'm only enhanced by your standards, Mr. President. By the standards of my own species, however, I'm average." Ellis raised his eyebrows. "I'm a Dragon," she explained. "In my true form, what you saw on that footage, I'm three hundred feet long, one hundred and twenty feet tall, and have a four hundred-and ninety-eight-foot wingspan. I weigh almost forty thousand pounds. I breathe fire and weapons are pretty much useless against me. I am a myth, a legend. I'm a wild animal, a very powerful one that can't be controlled. And I can tell with a look if someone is honorable or not." She glanced at the table, then back at the others.

"Is that what you were doing earlier, when you were studying us?" Natasha asked. Belinda nodded.

"What's the verdict?" Tony asked, shooting a look at Steve over the top of his glass.

"I doubt we all pass," Natasha told him.

"But you do," Belinda told her, cocking her head to one side.

"Not all of us were always good guys." Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair.

Belinda rolled her eyes. "That's not what I mean by honorable," she sighed. At their puzzled looks, she ran a hand over her eyes and tried to explain.

"What you Humans think of as honorable is a good start, but it doesn't take it far enough. What you do and how you treat people is a big part of it, but there's more to it than that. There is also how you treat other creatures, your outlook on life, and something else that doesn't have a way to explain. Not in English, anyway.

"If you don't mind, Ms. Romanoff, I'll use you and Secretary Ross as examples." Natasha nodded. "Secretary Ross had an honorable job, being in the Army. He worked his way up the chain of command all the way to General. He has lots of medals and a lot of people trust his judgement, so much so that when he got out of the Army he was tapped for Secretary of State. By every Human standard, ignoring what happened earlier today, he seems to be an honorable man. No Dragon will ever trust him, though, and not because of today. That Something I can't explain? He doesn't have it. That part of him is turned off or something so he isn't considered honorable by Dragon standards.

"You were a spy?" Natasha nodded again. "For both sides?" Another nod. "So not the most honorable or trustworthy of Human professions."

"She's also a master assassin," Tony cut in with a smirk.

"Thanks, Tony." Natasha narrowed her eyes at him.

"Okay," Belinda shrugged, "also not an overly honorable job. There probably aren't a lot of people who trust you."

"Just those of us around this table," Steve told her, looking at Natasha.

"Here's the thing though," Belinda continued, "you have that Something. Any Dragon you come across, if it can keep its head out of its ass, will consider you honorable." Natasha looked surprised.

"Now, just because a Dragon sees someone as honorable doesn't mean they will like that someone. There are good and bad Dragons, just like there are Humans. You'll never know until you meet one if it is good or bad." She blushed a little bit, then added, "I'm one of the good ones, in case you didn't notice."

"So Nat's on the nice list," Clint said with a grin, "and I assume Cap and Barnes are too." Belinda nodded. "What about the rest of us?"

It was Belinda's turn to be surprised. "You're all on the nice list, as you call it." Steve tried to hide a smile as she shot him a confused look. She turned back to the group and said, "Even the one that is Human but not."

"You mean Vision?" Wanda asked. Belinda nodded.

"I understand your difficulty in finding a way to describe me," Vision told her. "I am rather difficult to explain."

"I still don't understand my connection to you two." Belinda turned her attention to Steve and Bucky. "I've never met another Dragon so I don't know if it is a regular thing or just me."

"What did Barnes whisper in your ear?" Rhodes had been quiet until now.

Bucky looked at Belinda, who shook her head. "Sorry," he told them with a wry grin, "that's a secret."

"Come on," Tony pressed. Being told he couldn't have something only made him want it more. "What if we need to use it?" He looked to Steve for support but Steve had his own smile and shook his head.

"Sorry, Tony," Steve shrugged. "It wouldn't work for you. Anyway, we promised."

Belinda's nose twitched and she whipped her head towards the compound's main door.

"What is it, Bel?" Steve asked, his smile fading.

"Someone new." Her fingers started to curl like when she had attacked Ross.

They all watched the door as a beam of light appeared and vanished and this new person walked in.

"It seems I missed a great battle, my friends," Thor said, trying to sound jovial. His hand was clenched tightly around Mjolnir's handle and his gaze swiftly moved from one to the next until he locked eyes with Belinda. "Heimdall says you nearly tore this team apart. He suggested I come and lend my assistance."

"Yeah, we had some problems," Sam began.

"But we're all good now, thanks Thor," Tony interrupted. "Come on over and get a drink."

"What of the damage?" Thor asked, eyes still locked on Belinda's. Her nostrils flared as he spoke. This one is a little harder to read, she thought.

"That's all Ross' fault," Tony grinned as he went to pour the Asgardian prince a drink. "I'll call someone tomorrow and get it fixed."

Thor walked to the table and was introduced to President Ellis, Bucky, T'Challa, Belinda, and Scott who looked like he was going to hyperventilate from excitement. He nodded to each of them but Steve noticed his grip tighten on his hammer as he got closer to Belinda.

By the time she was told who this blond stranger in battle armor was, Belinda had figured him out. She cocked her head to one side, glanced down at his weapon then back at his face, and smiled. "That's not the true reason you came, is it?" When Thor began to circle her, her smile widened and she turned with him, never letting him see her back.

"Uh, guys," Tony tried to prevent a new fight from starting, "what are you doing?"

"You have no need of that with me." Belinda ignored Tony, choosing instead to focus her attention on this new arrival. "I am no threat to these people, or to you."

"Why do you say that?" Thor finally spoke, raising his hammer slightly.

"They were kind to me," she told him. "They pulled me from the worst kind of captivity for one such as I. And the two that I trust implicitly trust them." She stopped moving, allowing Thor to fully circle her. "You came here to protect them from me."

"I did." Thor circled her again, slightly surprised that she had stopped moving. "They are worthy allies and friends."

"You have fought many battles together?"

"Yes." Thor stopped circling her but didn't relax Mjolnir.

"You know what I am." It wasn't a question.

"I do."

"Have you met or fought my kind before?"

"No, but I have heard the tales."

Belinda looked at Steve, who nodded. "Well Thor, God of Thunder, this one is pleased to meet such an honorable warrior as yourself and hopes to one day fight by your side." Her eyes softened and she held out her hand.

Thor studied her for a few minutes while the rest of the room waited with baited breath. When he dipped his head, set his hammer on the table, and shook her hand, they were all able to breathe easier. "It would be an honor," he said, allowing a genuine smile to light up his face.

Sam was about to find another chair when President Ellis' phone rang. He thanked them for their hospitality and Belinda for sharing her story. After saying goodbye, he and his Secret Service detail left and Thor took his place at the table.

When all their drinks had been refreshed and they had taken their seats, Rhodes said, "Hey Belinda, you never answered my question."

"What question was that?" Belinda asked, smiling at him.

"How many cows at one sitting?" Belinda and Thor both started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Perhaps it would be better if Asgard were to send you something larger." Thor was still chuckling. "Otherwise, if Heimdall is correct as to her size, you will have trouble maintaining large enough herds."

"I can eat like Humans too, you know," she retorted, mock glaring at Thor. "Just ask Uncle Steve and Uncle Bucky."

"Okay," Tony shifted in his seat, "so I'm buying a ranch and a slaughterhouse. Friday, find me something."

"Hey, Thor," Clint grinned, "maybe you can get those two to tell us what Barnes whispered in her ear when he pinned her to the table earlier."

Thor looked at Bucky, eyes wide. "And you allowed this?" he asked Belinda, astonished.

"He's my uncle," she said with a shrug.

Bucky shook his head and Steve threw his hands in the air. "Look, guys, not even Thor can get us to tell you that," he said with a grin. "We can't tell you, not until she lets us."

Belinda stuck her tongue out at Clint, who pretended to be shocked. She liked these people and was starting to feel at home with them. She glanced at Thor and saw a knowing smile on his handsome features.

"Do you have a connection with them that you share with no one else?" he asked, his eyes serious.

"Yes."

"Have you shared anything with them that you have given no one else?"

"Yes."

"There is a tale," he said, leaning forward, "of something that has never happened before between Dragons and any other race." A hush fell over the room. "An extremely old, extremely powerful Dragon was asked once by a mighty warrior if there was any way to tame the creatures. The Dragon laughed at him and replied that such a notion was not possible as a wild animal can never be tamed. However, the Dragon continued, it might be possible to come close. The warrior asked how he might accomplish this, and the Dragon replied that he would have to prove himself worthy of the most precious treasure any Dragon can possess. The warrior asked what this treasure was. Their True Name was the reply. When the warrior asked how he could prove himself worthy, the Dragon told him it could not be explained: either a Dragon found him worthy or didn't.

"The Dragon went on to say that if he were to ever have the honor of such a boon, that Dragon and he would share a very special connection. The Dragon would know when he was in need and would be an ally stronger, in both loyalty and ability, than any Human.

"Only knowing a Dragon's True Name would allow a Human to come as close as possible to taming such a powerful creature." He locked eyes with Belinda again, who had a smug smile on her face.

"Perhaps, Son of Odin," she cooed, "one day you will prove worthy of such a boon as Captain Rogers and Sgt. Barnes have." She slowly blinked her golden eyes at him.

"When did they earn this honor?" Thor asked, awestruck.

She looked at the two men she considered her family, then back at Thor. "On October 31st, 1944 at one o'clock in the morning." The smug smile had changed into a wistful one. "Mr. Stark will play the footage from earlier when I told my tale, if you wish to hear it."

"So Belinda's not your name?" Wanda asked, a little confused.

"Dragons mostly keep to themselves so very little is truly known about them," Thor explained. "They are not usually seen unless their hunting leads to conflict with Humans. They do not usually have need of any name save the one only they know."

"But I'm different from other Dragons," Belinda broke in. "All I know of my kind is from instinct. I wasn't raised by or around other members of my own kind. I haven't even met any others. So I needed something the Humans could call me until I felt right about giving them my real name. Belinda is the name I can give to anyone so, in that sense, it is my name.

"Are there any tales that say what else might happen if a Human were to learn a Dragon's True Name?" T'Challa asked him.

"No," Thor replied. "Even the Dragons did not believe such a thing would ever take place."

Belinda tried to stifle a yawn. She was getting sleepy again. "If you all will excuse me," she said, pushing her chair away from the table, "I think I'll turn in. It's been a long day." She said good night and headed for her room, Steve and Bucky a few steps behind her.

Steve showed Belinda his and Bucky's rooms before following her to her room. They waited outside as she got ready for bed, only going in when she told them to.

Now that she was alone with her uncles, all pretense of adulthood disappeared. "I really missed you," she told them, sadly. As they walked over to the bed, she hugged her knees to her chest and continued. "I know I said I'm all grown up, but that is only physically. Mentally, I don't know how old I am, but I do know it isn't grown up. Not like I should be. This power I have, the things I can do, my strength; it all scares me. I should have been watching my mother and father, being taught and prepared so I wasn't relying solely on instinct. What if I hurt someone who doesn't deserve it, like I almost did with President Ellis today? What if I destroy this building or do something else, something worse?" She started to rock back and forth on the bed.

"You won't." Bucky told her, sitting on the bed and unwinding her arms so he could hold her hands.

"How do you know?" she asked, genuinely afraid.

"For one thing," Steve replied, "we won't let you."

"And for another?" Her eyes searched their faces.

"That's not who you are." Steve kissed her forehead and wrapped her in a hug. Then he patted Bucky's shoulder, said, "You know where we are if you need us," and left the room.

Bucky tucked her in and kissed her nose. "Do you want me to hold you until you fall asleep?" he asked, softly. She nodded and he got up to close the door and turn off the light. He walked back to the bed, kicked off his shoes and climbed on. He got comfortable, then made sure she was comfortable before pulling her close and saying, "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

"Uncle Bucky?"

"Hmm?"

"You and Uncle Steve won't leave me alone again, will you?"

"We'll do our best. That's all we can really promise," he replied.

"Okay."

"Now go to sleep, Little Princess. We'll still be here when you wake up."

"Okay." She yawned into his chest. "Night-night, Uncle Bucky. I love you."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you too. Good night, Tanarg," he whispered into her hair.

A few minutes later, he found himself yawning. I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes, he thought.

An hour later, when everyone else decided to turn in, Steve stopped by Belinda's room to check on her. He opened the door and found both Belinda and Bucky fast asleep. He slowly backed out, smiling, then closed the door and went to his room.

Bucky opened his eyes and stretched. He was stiff all over, like he had lain in the same position all night. He looked to his right and saw Belinda, still asleep, curled up in a ball. He stretched again and pushed himself into a sitting position. That's when he noticed Steve watching them from the chair at the desk.

"Finally decided to wake up, huh?" Steve asked with a grin, moving the chair over to the end of the bed.

"What time is it?"

"Around lunchtime," Steve's grin widened, "two days after you went to sleep."

"You let us sleep for two days? You should have gotten us up!" Bucky said, incredulously.

"Buck," Steve's face became serious, "you haven't slept that well since you got out of cryo in Wakanda, probably since you got away from Hydra two years ago. And she still has seventy years of not sleeping to catch up on. You both were sleeping so peacefully that we all decided to check on you every now and then but to let you wake up on your own."

An easy silence fell over them as Bucky brushed Belinda's hair away from her face. "Any dreams this time?" Steve asked after a few minutes. Bucky shook his head. They silently watched her for another ten minutes before either of them spoke.

"The guy with the hammer," Bucky ran a hand through his hair, "Thor. Was he really as surprised as he looked when he found out we know her real name?"

"Apparently it has never happened before," Steve replied with a shrug. "He's been bringing it up almost every half hour."

"I didn't know it was such a big deal," Bucky grinned.

"Thor said something about a creature's true name having some kind of power over it that nothing else can match. He was having trouble explaining it." Steve leaned back in the chair as Belinda began to stir.

She slowly uncurled herself, stretching as she moved. She opened her eyes and saw Steve sitting at the end of the bed and Bucky sitting beside her. "You're still here!" she cried, throwing her arms around Bucky. The smile lit up her face and set her golden eyes glowing.

"I told you we would be," Bucky told her, trying to look serious.

"I know," she said sheepishly, releasing her hold on him. "I didn't want to open my eyes though. I thought it might all have been a dream or worse, a Hydra trick. I wasn't sure that what happened was real."

"It was very real," Steve grinned. "Tony got the damage fixed and new furniture ordered. He's still looking for a slaughterhouse to buy but he found a pretty large ranch that seems more than happy to sell exclusively to him. Thor went to Asgard and just got back with some very large animals. None of us can pronounce their name though."

A loud rumble filled the room and Steve and Bucky looked at Belinda in surprise. "Was that you?" Bucky asked, trying not to laugh.

"What?" she retorted, a serious look on her face. "I haven't eaten in seventy years! I'm STARVING!"

"Well, then why don't you two get out of bed and come downstairs for lunch?" Steve pestered her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, then grinned and jumped out of bed. She disappeared into the bathroom, through the closet, and emerged forty-five minutes later, hair wet from her shower and fully dressed in a flowing deep purple skirt and lavender peasant top.

"What? No shoes?" Bucky was smiling from ear to ear.

"Nope," she smiled back. "Maybe later." An impatient look planted itself on her face as she said, "Come ON, Uncle Bucky! I'm hungry!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he replied, pretending to sound exasperated as he pushed himself out of bed. "It's almost like no time has passed," he told Steve as Belinda disappeared out the door. "I think we know her mental age."

"Yeah, I think so too," Steve agreed.

They looked at each other for a minute before saying, in unison, "Five."

"COME ON!" Belinda's voice called from down the hall.

They shook their heads. "Tell her to hold her horses, would you Steve? I need a shower," Bucky said, looking down at himself.

"Sure thing, Buck," Steve replied as they left the room.

Steve went downstairs and Bucky grabbed a change of clothes and a shower before joining the others for lunch.

Bucky walked into the living room half an hour later feeling much better.

"Pay up, Tony," Sam held out his hand. "I told you."

"Fine," Tony said, good-naturedly. "Friday, pay the man."

Bucky raised his eyebrows and Steve rolled his eyes. "When I told them you were up, they decided to bet on whether you would change your clothes or not." He shook his head. "You'll get used to it."

"Just like back in the Army," Bucky grinned.

They all sat down to eat the steaks, potatoes, and salads Clint had fixed and, when lunch was over, Thor asked Belinda if she was still hungry. She nodded and he pointed out the window at the creatures he had brought. There were six of them and each one was the size of three cows.

She squealed in delight and threw her arms around him, surprising him with a hug. Then she ran outside and the Avengers watched as she relaxed into her true form and began to stalk her prey.

It didn't take long for the creatures to notice her. They scattered, trying to disorient the Dragon, but she watched them run this way and that before striking the one that moved the slowest. She somehow managed sneak up on it and exhaled a jet of flame that simultaneously killed and cooked the creature, rare. She then took the entire animal in her teeth, bit down a few times, and swallowed. She repeated this with the others until only one was left.

When it realized it was alone, the surviving bovine-like creature decided to turn and fight. She evaded or blocked each strike and then took to the sky. The animal wandered around for a little while, still on its guard. No sooner had it returned to grazing, however, than a column of flame fell from the sky, engulfing it. Belinda swooped down, grabbed it in her jaws, and returned to the sky, all without touching the ground.

The Avengers stood at the window in stunned silence for a long time. Finally Belinda came back into view and somehow managed to land her enormous bulk without causing so much as a tremor. She returned to Human form and skipped into the compound, her face lit up by her smile and her golden eyes sparkling.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried with glee when she saw Thor.

"Feel better now?" Bucky asked, smiling himself. I haven't smiled this much in a long time, he thought.

"Much better!" she squealed, jumping up and down.

"About what just happened out there," Bruce began.

"That was awesome!" Scott interrupted.

"Don't you know another word?" Tony asked, irritably. Scott ignored him.

"He's not wrong," Natasha cut in.

Each member of the group, except Steve, Bucky, and Thor, started talking at the same time, trying to describe what her hunting style reminded them of. She just giggled, basking in the ease with which she had been accepted into the group. Just then Clint's phone rang and he excused himself. When he came back in the room, his wife and kids were with him. It only took a glance for Belinda to add them to what Clint had called her "nice list."

"For those of you who haven't met yet, this is my wife, Laura, and our three kids, Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel." Belinda, out of habit, hid slightly behind Steve.

"Really?" Tony looked at her in surprise. "After Ross and outside, and now you're shy?"

Belinda ignored him. "Ease up, Tony," Steve chided him. "She's never met little kids before."

"They're so tiny," she whispered, amazed.

Laura walked up and asked if she wanted to hold Nathaniel. She glanced at Bucky, who gave her a reassuring smile, and nodded. She sat down on one of the chairs and Laura placed the baby in her arms. She dropped her head so she could smell him, then looked at Bucky and said, "He doesn't have a very strong or defined scent of his own yet."

"Probably because he's so young," Bucky explained, pulling a chair next to her and sitting down.

The rest of the team watched the Dragon very gently holding the baby. Nathanial smiled at her and then grabbed some of her hair and pulled, causing her head to jerk. Thor got nervous, Laura started to apologize, and Clint was glad Bucky was sitting next to Belinda. Belinda giggled and shook her head, causing Nathaniel to reach for and grab more of her hair. "He's stronger than he looks," she said as he let go of her hair and began to yawn. Before too much longer, he was sound asleep.

"I've been trying to get him to sleep for hours," Laura said, stunned. "Would you be interested in babysitting?"

"What's babysitting?" Belinda asked, looking from Bucky to Laura and back. Laura looked over at Clint, confused.

"Babysitting is when you watch over and take care of someone's kids so they can go out and do something," Bucky explained.

"It sounds like fun," she told Laura, "but I don't know how."

"That's okay," Laura smiled. "Maybe one of these guys can help you out the first time. It's not as hard as it sounds, at least not with our kids."

Belinda looked at Steve and Bucky, who both nodded, and was about to accept the offer when she thought of something. "Did you tell her?" she asked Clint.

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"She has to know," Belinda almost glared at him. "I won't do it unless she knows and still wants me to." She looked back at the sleeping baby in her arms and said, "He's so tiny and fragile." She looked at Bucky and asked, "Do all Humans start out like this?"

Bucky nodded. "Can you imagine me and Steve this small?"

She shook her head. "I wonder if I was ever this tiny."

Steve sat next to Laura. "Well," he said, "when we found you, you were smaller than Lila. But then you were only two years old."

"Clint," Laura began, looking at her husband.

"Hey kids, wanna meet something cool?" Clint quickly asked his two older children. They nodded and he pointed at Belinda, who was still staring raptly at their baby brother. "She's pretty neat. Her name's Belinda."

"What can she do?" Cooper asked. All of his dad's friends could do cool stuff.

"Well, she can make herself look like us," Clint replied, eyeing his wife.

"What does she really look like?" Lila asked.

"Why don't you go over there and ask her?" Clint said with a smile.

Cooper and Lila did as Clint suggested, pulling Belinda's attention away from the really tiny Human in her arms. "Daddy says you look different," Lila said calmly.

Belinda nodded and carefully handed Nathaniel back to his mother. Laura noticed her right hand start searching next to her, only stopping when Bucky's left hand closed around it and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"What do you really look like?" Cooper asked, excited.

"I don't want to scare you or your mom," she answered. "I want you to like me."

"Why would you think you would scare us?" Laura asked.

"Because I'm really, really big and don't look anything at all like this," Belinda told her nervously.

"She's not Human, Laura," Clint finally told his wife.

"I think I'd like to see," Laura said, not taking her eyes off her husband.

"You might not want me to babysit anymore," Belinda warned her.

"After how gentle you just were with our son?" Laura countered. "I'd still like to see and decide for myself."

"May I suggest we go outside?" Vision spoke up.

The group began to file outside but Belinda didn't move. She was too afraid to get up from her seat. Her eyes searched Steve and Bucky's faces. "What if…" she began.

Steve knelt down so he was eye level with her. "Does Laura make the "nice list"?" he asked. She nodded. "Then what's wrong?"

"That doesn't mean she won't be scared of me!" Belinda blurted. "I don't want anyone who isn't bad to be afraid of me."

"Why don't you give her a chance? She may be braver than you think."

"Okay, Uncle Steve," she finally gave in and stood up, not releasing her grip on Bucky's hand. Steve took her other hand and they went out onto the grounds so she could show off.

"Where do you want us to stand?" Natasha asked as the trio stepped outside. They weren't more than ten feet from the building.

"Right there is fine," Belinda replied, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

Steve and Bucky joined the others and Belinda kept walking until she was a safe distance from the building. "Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forced herself to relax. She transformed slowly, trying to keep from scaring Laura and the children, and within a few minutes not a trace of Human was left. She spread her wings, stretched her tail, and raised herself to her full height. The effect was nothing short of intimidating, yet majestic.

"What is that?" Laura asked in shock, turning to Clint.

"She's a Dragon!" Cooper cried, a huge grin on his face. Before anyone could react, he and his sister were running across the grass.

Belinda froze. The tiny Humans were running at her, full speed, and she didn't know how to react. Bucky managed to grab Lila, for which Belinda was very grateful, but Cooper slipped through everyone else's hands and didn't stop until he was right at her leg. Then, to everyone's surprise and Thor's chagrin, he started trying to climb onto her back while going on and on about how cool he thought it was that his dad knew a real-life Dragon. Belinda decided to lay down so she folded her wings and slowly lowered herself to the ground so she wouldn't squish the tiny Human.

"That's it!" she heard Tony exclaim as she finally managed to lay down. All eyes turned to him and Bucky's grip on Lila relaxed just enough that she was able to wiggle free and join her brother. "I'm going to design a saddle. And a ladder."

Thor looked confused and Belinda cocked her head. "For what purpose?" Thor asked.

"Dragon rides," Tony replied, completely serious. "It's like pony rides, but with Dragons." He grinned.

Thor looked horrified, then angry, then a mixture of the two. "You would attempt to force this creature to carry you?" He bellowed. "Did you hear nothing last night?"

"What's the big deal, Thor?" Tony asked. He really didn't understand why that was a problem.

Thor was about to reply when they all heard Cooper yell, "This is so cool!" They looked over at him and Steve and Bucky burst out laughing. Clint's children were climbing all over Belinda's massive body like it was a jungle gym on a playground and she wasn't doing anything to stop them. In fact, she was trying not to move so they wouldn't fall off of her and get hurt.

She slowly blinked her eyes, then flared one wing and whipped her tail up and behind her because Lila had almost lost her balance. Cooper was at her head, trying to make it move by leaning against one horn and then the other. She sighed. If this is all there is to babysitting, she thought, I can do it easily.

Thor was mortified by what the children were doing and by Tony's suggestion of riding such a powerful, proud and easily provoked creature like it was a common horse. Steve was doubled over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath and Bucky was laying on the grass clutching his sides, tears streaming down his cheeks from laughing so hard.

"Cooper, Lila, come down from there!" Laura called. Cooper started to object but the look on his mother's face stopped him and he and his sister used Belinda's tail like a slide, causing Steve and Bucky, who had nearly stopped, to start laughing again.

Once the children were clear, Belinda resumed her Human form and slowly walked towards the group, wringing her hands. Thor started to apologize for both the children using her as a playground and Tony's idea of saddling her like a common mount, but she waved it off and told him not to worry about it. She turned her attention to Laura and started absently wringing her hands again. "I told you I was big," she began. "I thought you should know what I am before letting me watch your young for you. I understand if you've changed your mind."

"I haven't changed my mind," Laura smiled. "Clint says you breathe fire too." Belinda nodded. "Just don't burn down the place when you come visit okay?

"Promise." Belinda's smile lit up her face. "Thank you very much. Can my uncles come too?" She looked over at Steve and Bucky who were trying to stifle their last remaining giggles.

"Sure, if that's what you want," Laura replied.

Belinda turned her gaze to Tony. "What kind of saddle?" she asked, cocking her head.

Tony beamed and offered to show her the lab so she could help him design it. She accepted his offer and they disappeared back into the compound.

"You boys okay over there?" Natasha asked with a smirk. Steve nodded, finally catching his breath, and went to help Bucky stand up. "Well, we know where Tony's going to be for the rest of the day."

"I have a question," Rhodes said once they were all back inside. Everyone looked at him and he continued. "What the hell just happened out there?" No one really knew what to tell him. Steve and Bucky looked at each other and cracked up again. It had been a long time since either of them had really laughed and it felt good.

Sure enough, Natasha was right. Neither Tony nor Belinda emerged from the lab for the rest of the day. As it neared time for dinner, Steve went to check on them. He stepped into the lab and at first couldn't see them. The lights were off and there was a glow coming from one corner of the room. He carefully picked his way around the bits and pieces that Tony had left scattered around.

"Uncle Steve!" Belinda squealed when she picked up his scent. "You've got to come check this out! It's so cool!"

Steve stepped to her side. Hearing her call him Uncle Steve always made him smile. He looked at the hologram that was the source of the glow. "What am I looking at?" he asked.

"This is so neat!" She pointed at the 3D model of her Dragon form floating in the air. "Uncle Howard would be so jealous! Remember how he always had to use paper to design stuff?"

"Yes, I do." He looked at Tony who was intently adding some pieces and removing others.

Finally a smile crossed Tony's face and he asked, "Hey, Scorch, what do you think of this?"

Belinda turned to look and her eyes lit up. "That looks perfect!" she cried with glee. "Everyone will fit, right?"

Tony nodded and Steve looked over the approved design. It reminded him of a roller coaster car on a harness with a clear dome over it.

"That looks more like an amusement park ride than a saddle," he told them skeptically.

"It'll work," Tony replied with a grin. "And Friday will be connected to it, of course. Speaking of which," he turned his attention to the A.I, "run one of these up, Friday."

"Scorch?" Steve had his arms crossed over his chest when the lights came back on. "Really, Tony?"

"What?" Tony asked with a smirk. "She doesn't seem to mind."

"Just don't let Thor hear you call her that." Steve shook his head as he watched Belinda move around the lab looking at all of Tony's equipment. She's like a kid in a candy store, he thought.

"What's with the kiddie attitude, Cap?" Tony asked after a few minutes of silence. "I thought she's an adult."

"Physically, yes. Mentally, not so much," Steve answered. "Bucky and I were talking to her last night. She never really got the chance to grow up in that lab. Mentally she's still a little girl, one who is terrified of hurting innocent people."

"Hey boys," Natasha called from the doorway. "I think you lost something."

Steve and Tony looked around the lab. Belinda was gone. "Where is she?" Steve asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

Natasha smirked. "At the table waiting for dinner, which is almost ready by the way."

Tony's stomach rumbled. "What's for dinner?" he asked, realizing how hungry he was.

"Not really sure," Natasha replied. "Vision found a recipe online and he and Wanda are working on it. We may have to get take out."

"We'll give it a try," Steve said as he walked past her. "You never know, it might be good."

They had all sat down to dinner and were about to try Vision and Wanda's experiment when Belinda's head cocked to one side. She got up from the table and moved slowly toward the compound's main entrance.

"Belinda?" Bucky called after her.

"The president is coming back," she replied without turning around. "I can smell him, his security detail, and someone else. The new person smells… odd." She cocked her head in the other direction.

"Odd how?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know," she said, confusion creeping into her voice. "It's just… odd." Her brow furrowed as President Ellis walked in with the odd-smelling newcomer. He was wearing a red full-body spandex suit and mask with two katana swords on his back.

"You've got to be kidding," Tony said with a groan.

"Secretary Deadpool in the hizouse, Avengenerds!" Deadpool exclaimed with a fancy wave of his hands. "Serving up those foreign affairs!" He then made an exaggerated bowing gesture and began crawling toward Belinda. "Oh, great and powerful Dragon Queen," he pleaded in a ridiculous-sounding voice, "Have mercy on us, your humble servants, and devour us last once you have assumed your throne!"

Tony rolled his eyes and Rhodes put his head in his hands. Frozen in terror, Belinda looked from Deadpool, who was genuflecting at her feet like a spastic fish, to Steve and Bucky, who looked just as confused and stunned as the rest of the group.

"This is our new Secretary of State?" Sam asked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This is gonna be a train wreck, he thought.

Steve crossed the room to the terrified girl's side. "Please stop doing that," he politely scolded the new arrival. "You're scaring her."

Deadpool was on his feet in an instant. "Aye, aye Captain," he said, snapping off a salute. He turned back to Belinda and said, with a flourishing bow, "My apologies." She quickly moved to stand behind Steve, still scared but also trying to figure Deadpool out. "I'm making tacos!" he said, moving toward the kitchenette.

As everyone sat back down and started eating the meal Wanda and Vision had made, Deadpool pulled out a large, floppy chef hat and an apron that read "Kiss the Cook" and put them on. No one knew where he had been carrying them, and most didn't want to think about it. He then began talking, they weren't sure who to, as he used his swords to prepare the tacos. "Hi! How great is this? Oh, how many X-men does it take to screw in a lightbulb at the Avengers Compound? Give up? None, because there's a FOX in the way!"

"This guy has one redeeming quality," Rhodes said as they watched him work.

"What's that?" Scott asked.

"His tacos are the best in the world," Tony replied with another groan.

By the time Deadpool was finished, everyone agreed that Vision and Wanda's experiment had been a terrible failure and were glad of the back-up meal. Deadpool served the tacos, making sure there were seconds, even thirds, for those who wanted more.

As Ellis and Deadpool were getting ready to leave, Belinda got up the courage to ask the masked mercenary a question. "Why do you wear that mask?"

"If you had my butterface, Sister, you'd wear a mask too," he told her. "It's really too bad I already killed Francis. I should really kill him again for doing this to me." He took off his mask so she could see. She cocked her head, taking advantage of this unexpected turn of events to finally study him properly. "Not a pretty sight," Deadpool said, putting his mask back on.

"I'm sorry," Belinda responded. "That was very rude of that Francis person."

"Yes, it was." Deadpool turned his attention to the rest of the room and, with a flourish and a bow, said his farewells. "If you all will excuse me, I am off to find some tired poodles needing coffee." He then ran out of the building, leaving them all confused and very unsettled. Ellis shrugged, said his goodbyes, and followed him.

"Those were good tacos," Scott said after a few minutes of silence.

"Who was he talking to?" Bucky asked.

"No idea," Rhodes replied, shaking his head, "but he does that all the time."

"Hey, Scorch, you okay?" Tony asked, winking at Steve. Steve shot him a look of severe disappointment as Thor choked on his drink.

"What was that?" Belinda replied. She was still sitting in her chair at the table but was hugging her knees to her chest.

"That was Deadpool. There really is no way to explain him," Tony told her with a shrug.

"Is he good or bad?" she asked, confusion plain on her face. "I couldn't figure him out."

"Depends on his mood, I think," Rhodes replied. "No one's really sure."

"It sounds like having him as Secretary of State, no matter how long he holds the position, is going to be a disaster," Steve said.

"Maybe," Tony shrugged again. "Maybe not."

"All we can do is hope he doesn't start World War Three," Rhodes said with a sigh. The group fell silent as they finished the few remaining tacos, then moved into the living room and started talking.

A few hours later Belinda excused herself and went to her room as Clint and Laura put their children to bed. Steve and Bucky followed her, told her good night, and tucked her in. She was fast asleep before they even closed the door.

They stood in the hallway in silence for a few minutes, Steve leaning against the wall and Bucky looking over the railing at the group below. Finally Bucky spoke.

"You know what, Steve? I really don't see why Thor is so afraid of her."

Steve moved to the railing. "I think he is used to the idea of the Dragons from the stories he's heard, not one that was basically raised in captivity," he replied. "And I know what you mean, Buck. She may be a Dragon…"

Bucky grinned as he interrupted, "But she's still our Little Princess."

Steve nodded and they headed downstairs to rejoin the group for a few hours before everyone turned in for the night.

The next morning Bucky woke up in his room to find Belinda curled up beside him. He gently shook her and she yawned, slowly opening her eyes. As he started to ask her if she was okay, she said, "I had a bad dream."

Bucky smiled at her. Just like old times, he thought. "Did it go away when you came in here?" he asked aloud. She nodded. "Then how about we get up and see what everyone else is doing?"

"Okay, Uncle Bucky." She stretched, yawned again, then climbed out of bed and went to her room to get dressed.

Bucky laughed to himself as he followed suit. As he got dressed, he found himself remembering things from his youth: the first time he met Steve, the two of them hanging out together, dragging Steve out of one back alley after another, offering Steve a place to stay after his mother died, and countless other things. He sat down on the bed as each memory slipped easily into its proper place and realized that he wasn't having to struggle for them. They were coming on their own. He started to wonder if being around both Steve and Belinda was helping him remember when Steve popped his head into the room.

"You okay, Buck?" he asked, seeing Bucky motionless on the end of the bed. Bucky was quiet for a few minutes, then looked up and nodded. Steve saw the mischievous glint in Bucky's blue eyes and allowed himself to hope that the wall keeping his friend's memories sealed away had finally broken. "You remember something?" he asked, joining Bucky on the bed.

"I think so."

"Like what?"

"Everything." Bucky grinned and the two started reminiscing.

Out in the hall, Belinda stood silently, listening and smiling. Her golden eyes glowed with joy as she melted the last bit of the wall and remaining Hydra conditioning. She had indeed had a bad dream and had crawled into Bucky's bed like she had as a whelp but, as she had fallen asleep, she had wanted to help him remember who he was and destroy the rest of the Winter Soldier programming just in case there was another copy of the Winter Soldier Programming book. She wouldn't put anything past Hydra or anyone like them. As she heard them start to laugh about something stupid Steve had done before joining the Army, she resolved to make Hydra pay for everything they had done and quietly headed downstairs to get something to eat.

As she entered the living room, she heard a large vehicle pull up and stop. Doors opened and closed and two men approached the building. They said, "We have a delivery for Mr. Stark," and she let them in.

"Right here," Tony said from behind her. She smiled and, without a word, walked over to Rhodes, who was at the balance bars. After what she had found herself doing for Bucky, she wanted to see what else she could do.

The delivery men brought in and set up the new furniture to Tony's specifications as the rest of the team entered the room. When they were done, they left but Steve and Bucky were still upstairs. "Where's Cap and Barnes?" Clint asked, looking around and planting himself on one of the new couches.

"They're upstairs talking," Belinda finally spoke. "They'll be down when they're ready." She cocked her head and turned her attention back to Rhodes. After a few minutes of silently staring at him, she smiled and said, "You don't need those anymore," as a new truck pulled in and she turned toward the sound.

Tony walked outside and spoke to the driver who then went to the back of the truck. A new sound was heard, the mooing of cows, as a large herd was released into the grounds. Tony came back in once the truck had left, looked at Belinda and asked her if she was hungry.

She nodded, still smiling, and asked, "How many are there?"

"About two hundred or so," Tony replied.

"How are we going to contain the ones I don't eat?"

Tony grinned. "Don't worry about it. I made a fence especially for them."

She thanked him and went outside. She relaxed into her true form and allowed her instincts to take over. She watched the cows scatter in their panic as she carefully chose which ones she wanted. After a few minutes, she began hunting. By the time she was finished, she had consumed most of the herd and had seen the way Tony's fence had turned the animals back every time they had gotten close to the compound's property lines.

She returned to her Human form and, as she made her way back to the building, she saw Tony on the phone. Probably ordering more cows, she thought. She glanced up at the second-floor window and saw her uncles watching her. They waved and she waved back before entering the building. She saw Rhodes standing, right where she had left him, the braces still on his legs. "I told you," she said, with a sigh, "you don't need those things anymore."

"Why not?" Natasha asked from her seat on the couch next to Bruce.

"Because," Belinda told her, rolling her eyes as though it was perfectly obvious, "I fixed him." She then bounced over to the new bar, looked over all the bottles and asked Tony for a glass of water.

"Fixed who?" Steve asked as he and Bucky joined them.

"She claims she fixed Rhodey," Tony called from the bar.

"Then she did," Thor said, entering the room. "Dragons are creatures of magic. The true extent of their abilities is unknown to all but their oldest members."

"Alright then," Rhodes said as Tony removed the braces. "Let's see what happens." He took a deep breath and stepped away from the bars, Tony shadowing him just in case. Belinda plopped down on the floor by one of the windows, splitting her attention between the cows outside and Rhodes inside. After a few minutes, Rhodes stopped thinking about moving his legs and began moving like he had before his injury. He gave everyone a thumbs-up and walked over to Belinda. "Thanks."

Belinda smiled at him. "No problem," she replied. She nodded out the window. "I think I'm going to get some more to eat." With that, she stood up, handed him her glass, went outside, and devoured the rest of the herd. When she came back in, everyone else had eaten breakfast and were sitting around laughing at a something Bucky had told them about Steve before the serum and Steve was blushing. She smiled to herself, relishing the sight of the smile on Bucky's face and the sound of his laughter. She crossed the room without making a sound and planted herself on the floor between Steve and Bucky. They smiled down at her and Steve ruffled her hair. She was about to say something when Friday told them Nick Fury was about to arrive.

"Steve, I thought," Bucky began, looking at Steve with a mixture of fear and confusion in his eyes.

"The rest of us did too for a while," Steve finished his sentence. "He's wily, though. It turned out you came close, but…"

Fury walked in the building, his black trench coat billowing out behind him. "Looks like you failed that particular mission, Sergeant," he interrupted. At Bucky's unchanged expression he added, "Cap filled me in and we're good. Just don't try it again."

Relief washed over Bucky's face as he sagged in his seat. "Thank god," he whispered. In a louder voice, he said, "Don't worry. I won't."

Steve introduced Belinda and Nick. At Belinda's confused expression he explained. "Hydra gave Bucky a mission to kill Fury two years ago, which is how I found out he was still alive."

Belinda smiled. "That's the first mission he failed since they got him." Her smile widened as she wrapped her arms around Bucky's legs and said, "And it only went downhill from there."

"So, what brings you by, Nick?" Natasha asked, pouring herself a drink.

"Got intel on another Hydra location," he answered, glancing around the room. "Thought you all would want to know."

"These guys just keep popping up, don't they?" Laura did remarkably well keeping the concern out of her voice.

"They have more heads than you can imagine," Belinda told her, resting her head on Bucky's lap.

"How big is the facility?" Steve asked.

"Good size," Fury said, tossing a USB drive to Tony, who plugged it in and brought up the file so everyone could look it over. After a few minutes, Belinda started growling, concerning everyone, except Steve and Bucky, especially Thor.

"Go back," Bucky suddenly spoke up. Tony scrolled back until Bucky told him to stop and Belinda's growling intensified. "I've seen him before. He's high up in Hydra's ranks."

"Mitchell Carson," Fury mused. "Used to be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Head of Defense. Been wondering what he's up to lately."

"I've seen him too," Scott added. "He tried to buy some tech from Darren Cross last year."

"What happened to it?" Steve asked, interested.

"Well," Scott said, "we kinda blew up the place, but he might have gotten some of the particles. Don't know for sure."

"Why don't we find out?" Tony grinned. "Let Scorch out to play." A wicked smile crossed Belinda's face as she stopped growling.

"Belinda?" Steve put his hand on her shoulder.

Without taking her eyes off the image of Mitchell Carson, she whispered, "I never got my five minutes."

"Cap," Fury began.

"Don't ask," Bruce warned.

"Where are we headed?" Clint asked after a brief glance at his wife.

"Arizona," Tony answered. "It looks like they're under Meteor Crater."

"Suit up," Steve ordered. "We leave in ten."

As the group dispersed, Belinda started jumping up and down. "Mr. Stark?" she squeaked.

"What?" Tony stopped walking and looked at her.

"Do you think it's ready?"

A mischievous grin crossed Tony's face as he glanced out the window. "Why don't you go outside and find out?"

Belinda darted outside and saw the finished saddle ready and waiting for her to step under. In less than a minute she was in her true form and maneuvering her body so the saddle sat comfortably between her wings. The straps tightened themselves around her chest and stomach while still giving her plenty of room to flex her wings. She walked around, testing the feel and making sure it didn't slide around. It was perfect and as she saw the Avengers step out of the compound, all ready for the coming fight, she couldn't help prancing up to them, her claws leaving deep trenches in her wake.

Tony admired his work and then held up a rather large earpiece. "This will let you hear us." She laid her head on the ground and let him place it. When he stepped back, she shook her head to make sure it wouldn't fall out or interfere with her ability to move. Tony grinned. "Friday, drop the ladder."

A ladder dropped from the base of the saddle and the group climbed up and got comfortable in the theatre-like seats.

"Can you hear us, Big Girl?" Tony asked. Steve shook his head at the newest nickname and Thor looked at Tony, annoyed. Belinda nodded. "Alright then. Time to go."

Belinda slowly flexed her wings a few times and then took to the air with one powerful thrust. "Friday," Tony addressed the A.I.

"Yes, Boss?"

"Make sure the airspace is clear from here to Arizona, okay?"

"Already taken care of."

Thirty minutes into the flight, Rhodes asked Friday where they were and the group was informed that they were halfway through Pennsylvania. "That's almost five hundred miles!" he exclaimed. Belinda chuckled at his surprise. She wasn't even really flying as fast as she could.

Tony grinned. "Can you go faster?" Belinda responded by increasing speed so quickly they were all forced against the backs of their seats.

She closed her eyes, relishing in her new-found freedom, and forgot for a while that she was carrying passengers. She sped through the skies at a clip that would allow her to easily overtake fighter jets going full speed. She climbed higher only to tuck her wings close to her body, plunging down through the clouds. She rolled and twisted before spreading her wings and leveling out, increasing her speed again, always moving south and west.

"Uh, Bel?" Steve's shaky voice was in her ear, drawing her back. "Mind warning us next time?" She turned her head so one plate-sized golden eye could see them. "As impressive as that was, some of us aren't used to that kind of flying." She nodded at him, a sheepish expression in her eye, before returning her gaze to the expanse in front of her.

"Remind you of anything?" Bucky asked, grinning.

"Yeah," Steve grinned back. "At least I didn't throw up this time."

"You never did tell me if that zip line was revenge." Steve just grinned.

"Revenge for what?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah, Barnes," Tony chimed in. "What could you possibly do to warrant revenge from Rogers?"

Steve and Bucky started laughing. "I made him ride The Cyclone on Cony Island one time before the war and he threw up."

Another two hours passed and soon Friday told them they were passing over the crater. Belinda found a good place to land without drawing too much attention, Friday released the ladder and the Avengers dismounted. The straps on the saddle loosened and Belinda slipped out from under it, returning to Human form. She ran to Tony and threw her arms around him. "It's perfect, Uncle Tony!" she shrieked in excitement. Only Steve and Bucky were not surprised by the sudden change from "Mr. Stark" to "Uncle Tony." When she let go, she apologized for the rough ride and they told her not to worry about it.

"So, what's the plan, Cap?" Tony asked, still marveling at Belinda calling him her uncle.

"Fan out," Steve replied. "Start looking for an entrance that doesn't involve that convention center… Belinda?" They looked around to find she was already two hundred yards away from them, her head moving side to side.

"Or we could just follow her." Bucky grinned at Steve, then broke into a trot to catch up with her, the rest of the group following him. "What is it, Bel?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

"Do you remember me saying Hydra people have a scent they all share?" Bucky nodded. "It's getting stronger over… there." She stopped and pointed at a boulder that seemed extremely out of place for the terrain. The rest of the group walked up as she placed her hand on the boulder, causing it to melt with no visible source of heat. Underneath was the entrance to an underground bunker. Steve opened the doors while Clint and Bucky covered him.

Stairs descended into pitch darkness. "I think we found the back-backdoor," Tony said with a smirk, then dropped the faceplate on his suit and headed into the darkness. The others pulled out flashlights and followed him.

"You remember that signal we worked out for how to find us if we get separated?" Bucky asked. Belinda nodded. "Since you left your earpiece back at that saddle-thing, you listen for it, okay?

"Okay." Belinda hugged him, then looked at Steve. "Uncle Steve, I can make them pay, right?"

Steve nodded. "Don't kill Carson, though. Not until we get a chance to question him, okay?" She glared at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Okay?"

"Fine," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "But I want my five minutes this time."

"You'll get ten. How about that?" Steve offered. "Five for him and five for Zola."

She smiled. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Try not to destroy the computers. We need to know what they are working on."

"Okay, Uncle Steve," she said, giving him a hug too. "You two be careful. I can't lose you again."

"Only if you are," Bucky told her with a grin.

"Come on," Steve said, starting down the stairs with his shield in front of him. Bucky raised his rifle and followed him with Belinda closing the door and picking up the rear.

After catching up with the others and quietly making their way through the underground complex for what seemed like hours, Belinda's ears picked up the sound of voices in the distance. The stealthier members of the team crept forward and rendered the two guards unconscious, taking the security key cards from them and using them to gain entry to the rest of the facility.

"Okay," Steve said as they got ready to split up and search the facility. "Finding out what these people are up to and capturing Carson and as many others as possible are our top priorities." He looked pointedly at Belinda who rolled her eyes. "Watch your backs and stay in contact." The team split into pairs: Tony and Rhodes, Clint and Scott, Bruce and Natasha, Thor and T'Challa, and Steve and Bucky with Belinda trailing behind them, and went in separate directions.

It didn't take long for their presence to be noticed, partly because Tony started blowing things up. Scott noticed cracks in the concrete and called as many ants as he could to help, resulting in pained screams from several surprised Hydra agents. Bruce transformed into the Hulk and he and Natasha beat several agents into submission. It didn't take long for the entire team to be engaged with Hydra in one part of the facility or another.

Belinda picked up Mitchell Carson's scent and slipped away from Steve and Bucky. She found him entering a room full of computer servers and followed him in. She snuck up behind him and surprised him by tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around, distracted from his intention of wiping the servers. "You… you can't be here," he stammered, worry creasing his forehead.

"And yet I am," she cooed, her hands beginning to curl. She slipped around him to block the only computer terminal in the room. "What are you going to do about it?"

Carson pulled out a gun and took aim between her eyes, causing a wicked smile to cross her face. She shifted her stance slightly and, when Carson pulled the trigger, moved like lightning, dodging the shot which lodged itself harmlessly in the wall between the servers. She then knocked the gun out of his grasp and got behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She giggled and then hissed in his ear, "You're lucky I promised not to kill you," as he passed out.

She found some electronic cables and used them to bind his hands and feet. She then dragged his unconscious body out into the hall and welded the door shut so no other Hydra agents could get in to wipe the drives. Stupid Humans, she thought, having only one way into this room. Her head snapped up as she heard the signal whistle and she grabbed Carson by his bound ankles and dragged him towards the sound of fighting.

She got to a large room filled with vehicles, equipment, and people. She stuck Carson in the trunk of the nearest SUV and pushed it out into the hall. She then surveyed the scene before her. The Avengers had all wound up in this room and were slowly being surrounded by more and more Hydra agents. None of the vehicles or equipment looked highly advanced so she took several steps further into the room and shifted into her true form, exhaling a jet of flame at some of the Hydra agents and whipping her tail to launch vehicles at others. She reached for one of the Hydra agents and was surprised by a flash of red spandex that knocked her prey out of her grasp.

"Bad Dragon!" Deadpool yelled, wagging his finger up at her. "My Bob! No Touchy!" He then turned and punched the Hydra agent, knocking him out, while everyone stood staring at him in shock. "Nice slicers! Looks like you could use a mani-pedi, though. Gotta keep 'em sharp for the dicing and stuff." He looked toward some of the dead and unconscious Hydra agents and asked no one in particular, "How many bottles of nail polish do you guys think I'll need per claw?"

"No idea," Scott told him.

Deadpool looked back at the Avengers and the very surprised Dragon. "I wasn't talking to you," he said, annoyed. "I was talking to them!" He pointed in a random direction.

"Who is 'them'?" Bucky asked, confused. The only people in the direction Deadpool was pointing were dead and unconscious Hydra agents.

"The readers!" Deadpool huffed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. At their continued confused expressions, he sighed and dropped his hands. "Nevermind."

Bruce de-Hulked and the group surveyed the scene. The room was trashed: trucks, forklifts and other equipment were scattered around the room with the bodies of Hydra agents lying on and around the scattered tech. "Anyone seen Carson?" Steve asked after several minutes.

Belinda whipped her tail, knocking out a slowly recovering Hydra guard and destroying the door she had come through. The tip of her tail landed on the SUV and a frightened cry came from the trunk. She gave Steve a smug look, as if to say "I kept my promise" before resuming Human form and watching Thor and Rhodes pull Carson from the SUV. "He was with the computers when I found him," she told Steve.

"Take Tony so he can start copying the files," Steve responded. "We'll talk to Carson." As her eyes narrowed, he added, "And I won't forget." She nodded her head, then motioned to Tony and skipped out of the room.

When she and Tony reached the server room, she undid her welding and opened the door. Tony followed her into the room and had Friday start copying the files. As he looked around, his eye caught sight of the bullet hole in the wall. "What's this?" he asked.

Belinda shrugged. "He pulled a gun. I just moved so when he fired it wouldn't mess anything up. Then I knocked him out."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. Remind me not to piss you off."

"Consider yourself reminded," she told him, smiling sweetly. She was about to ask how long it was going to take to copy the files when Friday told them the transfer was complete.

"Thanks, Friday," Tony said, looking around again.

"Would you ask Uncle Steve what to do with the servers now that we have all the data?"

"Sure thing," he replied. Over his earpiece, he said, "Got the data, Cap."

"Roger that," Steve said. "Regroup. Fury's on his way with a lifeboat to take charge of the prisoners."

"About that," Tony grinned at Belinda. "Scorch wants to know what we should do with the servers." He heard Steve sigh and could almost picture the man shaking his head.

"Tell her to take care of it," Steve told him. To Tony's surprise, he almost sounded amused. "Then you two get back here."

Tony gave Belinda a thumbs-up and stepped out of the room. He wanted to see what she was going to do but he didn't want to get hit by flying debris.

Belinda allowed a wide smile to cross her face and began ripping the servers off the wall and piling them in the center of the room. She made so much noise that she was heard in the room where the main fight had taken place. Carson's eyes widened in terror and Steve nodded at Bucky, who left to determine the source of the noise. As he reached Tony's side, he saw the billionaire grinning and trying not to laugh. "What's so funny?" Tony nodded in Belinda's direction. He followed Tony's gaze and started smiling himself.

"Buck?" Steve's voice, in his ear.

"She's tearing the place apart," he replied. "She's got all the servers in the middle of the room and I think she's gonna melt it like she did that boulder." Sure enough, as the last server landed on the pile, the entire mass began to melt. It didn't take long for the roomful of servers to become nothing more than a small puddle of liquid metal that quickly evaporated.

Belinda walked out of the room, brushing her hands together. She saw Bucky and smiled, said "We can go now," and headed back to the rest of the team.

"On our way, Steve," Bucky alerted his friend. "And she seems really pleased with herself."

Belinda sauntered up to Steve, blatantly ignoring Mitchell Carson, and stopped in front of him with a small hop. Tony and Bucky were a few steps behind her and nodded at Fury who was rounding up the rest of the prisoners.

"Friday's got all the files," Tony said before anyone else could speak. "We should know what these guys were up to by the time we get back."

Belinda blinked her big golden eyes and looked at Steve with the most innocent expression she could muster. Steve shook his head. "We haven't gotten him to say much yet, Bel," he told her. She pouted and blinked at him again. Something about her eyes worried him. "What did he do to you?" he asked, concerned. Her playfully innocent expression vanished and was replaced by an unreadable mask. She slowly turned to face Carson who began trying to back away despite still having his ankles tied together.

"Ask him," she whispered. Her words echoed in the silence of the cavernous room. Steve gently placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to flinch, and he realized she was trembling.

All eyes turned to Carson as he said, "I didn't do anything!" A hissing sound, like thousands of agitated snakes, filled the chamber as he continued to proclaim his innocence.

"Were some of the files security footage?" Bucky asked, looking at Tony out of the corner of his eye. Tony nodded. "Then we can check it when we get back."

"You wanna take him with you?" Fury asked, amused by Carson's discomfort.

"No, you hold on to him. Maybe you can get him to talk," Steve replied, raising his voice so he could be heard over the steadily increasing hissing. "We'll let you know when to bring him to the compound."

Fury nodded, cut the cables around Carson's ankles and marched him out of the facility. Steve kept his hands on Belinda's shoulders so she wouldn't run after them. The hissing sound slowly stopped as the sound of the lifeboat faded into the distance. Steve took his hands off her shoulders and suggested they head back to the compound.

No one spoke on the return flight. Belinda refused to wear the earpiece so it was sitting in one corner of the saddle. As she circled the compound before landing, Scott finally broke the heavy silence. "What do you think Carson did to make her so…"

"Homicidal?" Bruce suggested.

"Yeah, thanks," Scott said. "Couldn't find the right word."

Only Bucky was quiet as the others started tossing ideas around. He had a bad feeling that stemmed from something he had heard Arnim Zola say once while Hydra was still turning him into the Winter Soldier.

"You coming, Buck?"

Bucky glanced around. Steve was standing on the ladder, Belinda was nowhere in sight, and everyone else was almost inside the building. He stood up and followed Steve, hoping he was wrong.

As they entered the compound, Vision asked Bucky what was bothering him as Tony had Friday pull up the security footage they had copied. Bucky looked at Vision and each of the Avengers in turn before his gaze stopped on Steve's face. "I think I know what he did," he said, struggling to keep his voice even and his face calm. "And I don't think it was just him."

"What do you mean?" Laura asked.

"I mean I don't think you want your kids watching that feed," he replied testily, trying to stay calm. "Zola knew what she was. I remember something he said while they were still trying to break me."

"What'd he say?" Clint asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"He said he was going to make her the mother of a new kind of army." The room fell silent. "When I told him I wouldn't let him, that I was going to find a way to get both of us out of there, he laughed. He asked me how I planned to free her when I couldn't even free myself." Bucky looked at his hands and forced himself to unclench his fists. "He never mentioned it again."

"Surely none would be so foolish!" Thor's voice couldn't seem to decide between a whisper and a yell.

"Friday," Tony's eyes were locked on Bucky," is Barnes right? Did Hydra try to breed her like a horse?"

The A.I. was silent for a few minutes as she searched the new files. "Yes, they did, Boss." There was a trace of sadness in Friday's voice. Bucky sat down and put his head in his hands, taking several deep breaths.

"How many?" Natasha asked. Bucky was right, she thought. None of us want to watch that.

"All of them, at least once," Friday replied.

The room was silent for a long time. "No wonder she's pissed," Sam finally broke the heavy silence.

"Seventy years of forced mating," Thor began.

"Fifty years," Friday corrected him.

"Fifty years of forced mating," Thor continued, "would make anyone angry."

"So, what are we going to do for her?" Bruce asked after more silence.

"I have an idea, but some of us may not like very much," Tony answered, walking over to the bar and pouring two drinks.

"What's the idea?" Steve asked, surprising everyone except Bucky with the quiet fury in his voice.

Tony handed Bucky one of the two drinks and took a sip of his own. "Have Friday track down everyone on the security feed, we round them all up, lock them in a room with her, and walk away." He looked at Steve, expecting an immediate veto, and was surprised to see the soldier was considering it.

"What do you think, Bucky?" Steve asked.

"I say we run it past her," Bucky replied, setting his glass down. He hadn't touched it.

"You know, some of these guys may be high up in other positions," Natasha warned the group. "How do we work that?"

"Simple," Tony said with a humorless grin. "Dump the feed on YouTube. That way, when we swoop in and grab them, the whole world will know why."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Laura spoke up, surprising them all. They hadn't expected her to join in.

"What I would like to know," Thor suddenly thundered, absently switching Mjolnir from one hand to another, "is why no other Dragon came to her aid when she called before they took her voice!"

"What do you mean, others?" Wanda asked. The idea that Belinda wasn't the only Dragon in the world was a tad disconcerting.

"When she told her tale, she said she screamed," Thor reminded them.

"So?" Tony scowled over his glass.

"So, Friend Stark, the scream of a Dragon whelp is a distress call. It carries through the air to the nearest Dragon, regardless of distance, and seems to linger even when the sound has faded. This allows any Dragon who hears it to pinpoint the whelp's location and render aid," Thor explained.

"And she said she screamed more than once," T'Challa mused. "Someone must have heard her long ago."

Thor nodded. "Yet she was left with her captors to suffer." He put his hammer on the floor so he wouldn't throw it.

"How do you know about this?" Steve spoke up for the first time in a while.

"Every warrior on Asgard is told of the sound early in our training. There is a recording in the All-Father's archive that is played so we know what to listen for. Should we hear it, we are to leave the area as quietly and quickly as possible for there is nothing more dangerous than a Dragon protecting a whelp." Thor sighed. "I do not understand why her own kind would abandon her."

"Do you think it worked?" Scott asked after a few minutes. "This new army the guy wanted to make?"

Thor shook his head. "No. Dragons do not become fertile until they reach maturity on their 75th birthday. At least, this is what we have heard from the stories. Until then they are still children and have not finished their development."

"That's a relief," Bruce sighed. "Especially for her."

"Excuse me," Belinda broke in, her voice a timid whisper. They all looked at her and Bucky started to open his mouth. "No," she cut him off. "Don't do that. You did the best you could and I will not allow you to blame yourself for what they did to me. Do you understand me?" Bucky closed his mouth and nodded. "Good." She turned her attention to the others. "So, you know?"

"Yes, we do." Steve walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. After a few minutes, he let go and said, "Tony has a plan."

"What kind of plan?" she asked, her too-shiny eyes flicking to Tony's face.

"He wants to dump that part of the security feed onto the Internet and then, while the outrage is still building, round up all the guys, lock them in a room with you and walk away." She stiffened for a moment at the thought of the feed being put online, and then walked to the couch and sat down next to Bucky.

"That's a lot of men," she said quietly. "I don't think you have enough room to hold all of them."

"I'm sure Nick will let us borrow the Helicarrier, as long as you don't knock it out of the sky," Tony told her without missing a beat. "And we can always make them walk the plank."

"Damn, Tony," Rhodes exclaimed. They all stared at Tony in surprise. Only Steve and Bucky had ever seen him this far around the bend and that had been in Siberia.

"Slow down there, Rambo," Clint told him. "Why don't we ask her what she wants to do. And don't forget about the Raft. That place will fit a lot of people."

Belinda was quiet as she considered Tony's plan. She hadn't expected such an offer from these Humans and she was tempted beyond belief. Five, then ten, and finally fifteen minutes passed before she spoke.

"Don't kill them," she finally said. Tony huffed. "I'll take my ten minutes with Carson and you can track down and lock up the others if you want to, but no more killing. I'm tired of death, even if it is theirs." She ran a hand over her eyes. "I just want to put that part of my life behind me and move on." She smiled sadly at them all before turning her gaze to Tony. "I do appreciate the offer. You have no idea how much it means to me that you would want to give me that kind of closure." Thor seemed the most surprised by her response.

"Can I at least post the feed so when we round them up everyone knows why?"

Belinda closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she opened them she said, "Yes, Uncle Tony. You can do that."

"Friday, dump it. The whole feed." Tony ordered, taking a big swig of his drink.

Belinda turned to Clint. "What's the Raft?"

"It's an underwater max security prison," he told her. "It only surfaces when people come and go. It should be big enough to hold the ones that don't resist arrest." He smirked at Tony, who snorted.

Belinda nodded. "Sounds good," she said, yawning. "I think I'm going to bed now. I'm really tired." Steve and Bucky followed her to her room, tucked her in and rejoined the others for a few hours.

An ear-piercing shriek, like that of an animal caught in a trap, echoed through the sleeping compound. Every member of the team, except for Vision who didn't sleep, bolted out of bed and ran toward the source of the sound. Bucky and Steve were the first to enter Belinda's room and found her kicking and thrashing in her sleep. As the others joined them and they moved to the bed to try waking her, her screams were interspersed with cries of "Daddy!" and "Leave him alone!"

Steve, Bucky, Thor, and Vision all tried to stop her flailing but no sooner had they each managed to pin an arm or leg than she bucked, sending all but Vision flying through the air and across the room.

Bucky was able to use his Winter Soldier training to land on his feet and propel himself back to the bed before Steve and Thor had come to a stop. He somehow managed to use the sheets to wrap her in a cocoon all while starting to hum a lullaby he had made up for her when she was younger. By the third time through the song, her thrashing had stopped and her eyes cracked open. "Daddy?" she mumbled, still mostly asleep.

"I'm right here, Little Princess," he whispered. "You were having a bad dream. Go back to sleep." Her eyes closed again and within a few seconds her breathing was slow and even. Bucky dropped to the floor and threw a look at Steve who was helping Thor to his feet.

"That was dramatic," Tony grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "It's three in the morning. Who want's coffee?" As several members of the team raised their hands, he headed downstairs to start a fresh pot.

They all sat around the living room, drinking their coffee, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Vision spoke.

"She said "Daddy" several times," he said, looking curiously at Bucky, who nodded but didn't speak.

"Do you think it went through?" Steve asked, setting his mug down. Bucky shrugged, looking at his coffee. "Could she have found out?"

"I don't know, Steve," Bucky finally spoke, still looking at his coffee. "I don't even think she knows she called me that. She was still asleep."

"What are you two babbling about?" Tony asked irritably. He was still grumpy about being woken up so early.

"Can you find out if some paperwork went through and when?" Steve replied with a question of his own.

"What kind?" Tony sipped at his second cup of coffee.

"Adoption." Bucky finally looked up and locked eyes with Tony.

The room fell silent as Friday searched every database she could for the requested files. After a few minutes, she said, "I found it, Boss."

"What's it say?"

"Adoption file for one Belinda Margaret Barnes. Date of Birth: January 5th, 1942. Date Adoption Application Filed: October 10th, 1944. Date Adoption Approved: February 1st, 1945. As Sgt. Barnes was declared Missing in Action, the adoption was approved and guardianship granted to Captain Rogers on the chance that Sgt. Barnes would be located and reunited with her. All dependency paperwork for Army benefits was also approved."

As Steve and Bucky grinned at each other and were being congratulated by their friends, a young man with raven-black hair and pale skin burst into the compound with one woman and six other men right behind him. "Where is she?" he demanded angrily, his golden eyes flashing with fear and anger. He looked remarkably like Belinda.

"Son," one of the other men began, putting his hand on the young man's arm.

"NO!" the young man yelled, ripping his arm out of his father's grasp. "You and Mother are only here because we dragged you! You don't care about her; you never did! If it was up to you, we'd still be at home pretending she didn't exist!"

"Who are you?" Thor thundered, gripping Mjolnir tightly and making sure the newcomers could see it.

Another young man, this one with blond hair and emerald-green eyes, stepped forward with his hands raised. He looked at Thor first, then the rest of the group. "Please excuse us for coming uninvited and forgive my brother. My brothers and I have been searching for our sister for six decades. Tonight is the closest we have ever come. Our parents have told us, since we were young, that she was still-born, but that never sat right with us." He cocked his head as his gaze crossed Bucky's face.

"You heard her call?" Thor asked, relaxing his grip slightly.

"Yes." The blond nodded, keeping his hands up. "We tracked it here and made our parents come with us so we could finally prove them wrong. May we see her?"

Bucky stoop up, said "I'll see if she's awake," and headed upstairs to Belinda's room while the newcomers were offered seats.

Bucky knocked on Belinda's door. When she didn't answer, he went in and approached the bed. She had shifted around in her sleep and one pale hand was now out of the cocoon of sheets and resting on the pillow by her face. He gently reached out and caressed her hand, whispering, "Wake up, Little Princess. You have company."

After a few minutes, she slowly blinked her eyes open and smiled when she saw him. "What time is it?" she asked, sleepily.

"Four in the morning," he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Why am I all wrapped up?" she asked, realizing she couldn't move.

"I had to wrap you up," he told her with a grin. "You were thrashing all over the place. You were having a bad dream and tossed three of us across the room."

She grimaced. "I'm sorry. I must have screamed then, too, for you to have come in." Bucky nodded. "When was that?"

"An hour ago," Bucky brushed some of her hair out of her eyes, "it's okay, though. Tony's a little grumpy but no one's mad at you." He started unwrapping the sheets. "You said some stuff while you were asleep. Do you remember that?"

She shook her head. "I did hear you singing to me. It made the bad dream go away." Her eyes widened. "OH!"

"What?" he asked softly, trying to hide a smile.

"I called you something besides Uncle Bucky," she replied sheepishly.

"And what was that?"

"Daddy." She looked at Bucky in the light from the closet, not sure what she was expecting, and was surprised to see an enormous smile on his face.

"And why did you call me that?" he asked, brushing more hair off her face. He was curious.

She pushed herself into a sitting position and said, "I always wanted to, from when I started calling you all my uncles."

"Why didn't you?" he pressed, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I told you that you could call me whatever you wanted to."

"I thought it would make things weird," she confessed with a shrug. "I didn't want to make things weird or make you think you had to keep me."

"I can think of something weirder than you wanting to call me Daddy." It was her turn to look confused. "I adopted a Dragon when I thought she was just a little girl." He smiled as her golden eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "I started the process on October 10th, but it didn't get approved until February 1st. Now what do you think of that?"

She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, forcing back happy tears.

"You're welcome, Little Princess," Bucky chuckled, returning her hug and rubbing her back.

After a few minutes, she released her hold and sat back. "Did you say I have company?" she asked, her brow arching. He nodded. "Who? I don't know anyone that you and Uncle Steve don't know."

"They said they are your brothers and have been looking for you for a long time." She scowled and crossed her arms. "Why don't you come downstairs and hear them out? One of them looks a lot like you." She narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Bel. Please? They heard you this time and came to rescue you, even though you don't need it." She sighed in resignation, knowing he wasn't going to let up until she gave in. Bucky handed her a cream-colored, floor-length terrycloth bathrobe and helped her put it on. He then took her hand and they headed downstairs.

Steve and Thor had spent the time that Bucky was upstairs filling the newcomers in on what Belinda's life had been like. The woman and young man's father seemed ambivalent while the elderly man and five younger men became more agitated and distressed. The young man who had been the first to speak jumped to his feet and began to pace, much as Belinda had a few days before. The woman looked at him and, in a bored voice, said, "Sit down. You're being rude." Tony snorted as the young man whipped around and let her have it.

"This is your fault, Mother!" he bellowed. "You and Father did this to her, to us! And that guy, the Human, we tried to help? You were supposed to take him back to his friends, the people we could smell all over him, not let him get dragged off by some random guys in brown outfits!"

"Son," his father tried to interrupt while his brothers and the elderly man remained silent.

"No, Father, you don't get to talk!" He wheeled on his father. "I told you two for years that she wasn't dead and needed our help but you wouldn't listen to me! You tried to make me think I was crazy or something! I knew she needed that guy and you sent him as far away from her as you could. Because of you, he's been a tool for his enemies for decades!"

At this point, the elderly man broke in. "Young One, may I speak?" The angry young man bowed his head in deference and the elderly man rose to his feet and turned to face the parents. "Why did it take your children coming to me forty years ago for me to learn that you had lost a child?" The couple didn't answer. "How did she come to be lost?" he asked with more authority. They still didn't answer. A rumbling sound filled the air, causing the couple to jump. "Answer me," he growled.

"We didn't want so many," Belinda's mother finally spoke, terror in her dark eyes. She nervously ran a hand through her brown hair as she glanced at her mate. "A man came to us and said he would relieve us of one if we wished. He would raise it and learn from it. All we had to do was ignore any cries we heard. We told him to learn its name and it wouldn't cry out."

Belinda and Bucky had stopped their descent and were sitting on the stairs listening. Bucky wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tears began to trickle down her face. She had assumed her parents hadn't wanted her because they had never answered her calls but hearing them admit they had given her away as well as the secret to controlling her was still a horrible shock.

"What did the man look like?" Steve asked, the quiet fury back in his voice.

"He had red skin and his face looked like a skull," Belinda's father answered, refusing to look at the older man.

That was more than Belinda could take. Not only had her parents given away both her and the secret to controlling her, but they had done so to Johann Schmidt, aka The Red Skull, the leader of Hydra during World War II and one of the most evil men of the time. A pained shriek forced its way between her lips as she clung to Bucky for dear life. She could barely hear him over her sobs as he tried to comfort her, much to the surprise of the six Dragons who had rushed to the source of the sound.

"Excuse me," Steve said as he pushed his way past them. He looked at Bucky, who just shook his head, and sat on the other side of her. He put a hand on her back so she would know he was there but she was too upset to notice.

"Captain?" A little boy's voice spoke from above them. "Why is she crying? Did she get hurt?"

Steve looked at the top of the stairs and saw Cooper and Lila standing there, scared looks on their young faces. He waved them down and Cooper sat on the step above them while his sister sat in Steve's lap. "She just found out why she spent most of her life with bad people who hurt her," he told them, sadly.

"How come?" Lila asked.

"Her parents gave her to them."

Cooper jumped up, startling Belinda out of her sobs, and marched down the rest of the stairs, his sister right behind them. They both looked very angry as they politely pushed past the six Dragons and into the living room, coming to a stop in front of the only people they didn't recognize. "Are you her mom and dad?" Cooper asked. They nodded in surprise. "You don't give your kids away to bad people," he chastised them, his hands on his hips. "Even if you don't want them, when you find out they are with bad people, you get them back and give them to good people. You are bad parents!" As he finished, he and his sister flounced over to Clint and Laura and sat next to them.

"I don't believe there is any more to say on the subject," the oldest Dragon said with a surprised smile. "And to think it was said by a young Human instead of one of our own." He turned to Cooper and asked, "Little One, may I know why you wish to defend her so?"

"Yes, sir," Cooper replied, respectfully. "She let us climb all over her right after we met and she didn't get mad or anything. She's our friend."

"I almost fell off," Lila chimed in, "but she didn't let me."

"Such a simple thing," he mused, "to win the hearts of the Humans' young."

"And their parents," Laura added, glaring at the other couple. "I can't imagine giving one of my children away, especially not to one of the worst men this world has ever seen." She turned her attention to the older man. "I hope you won't try to take her with you. Clint and I need her to babysit for us." He raised his eyebrows as Clint smirked at him.

The old Dragon turned to Belinda's parents. "You two will be brought before a meeting of all the clans where your fate will be decided. If your daughter wishes, she may remain with those who make her feel safe. Her brothers," he turned to the five young Dragons still standing by the stairs, "will not intrude or force themselves upon her as much as they would like for her to accept them. Let her come to you in her own time." He looked at the Avengers. "Thank you for your kindness towards her. It is unexpected but appreciated and I will inform the clans at the meeting."

"Sir?" the young blond asked. The old Dragon turned and the young man said, "Our sister would like to say something before you take them."

"Yes, Little One?" He turned his attention to Belinda who had stopped crying and was walking towards one of the couches with Steve and Bucky's help. She sat down, ran a hand through her hair, and blew her nose with the box of tissues Scott handed her.

"I just wanted to tell you, if it matters, that I don't think of them as my parents," she told him, her voice hoarse from crying. He nodded for her to continue. She drew his gaze to Bucky and said, "This is my father. He wanted me when they didn't and he always came when I called unless he was locked away somewhere. And this," she drew his attention to Steve, "is my uncle. They don't share blood but they are still brothers and they showed me that I can choose my family." She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Bucky's shoulder. "That's all I wanted to say."

The old Dragon smiled at her. "Fierce loyalty given and received," he mused. "Although I know how Humans view their names and the freedom with which they are given, I would ask that you refrain from giving us yours until you feel we have earned the honor." She nodded and he turned to Thor. "As for you, all Dragons know of Thor, God of Thunder and Son of Odin. Your skill and honor as a warrior precede you and I am pleased to have met you and to know how protective you already seem of her." Thor bowed deeply but didn't speak as the Dragon addressed the entire room. "I will remove these two from your territory and when their fate is decided I will return to let you know." With that, he bowed his head and ushered the terrified couple outside.

Several minutes passed as the five young Dragons found places to sit. Cooper and Lila went over to Belinda and each gave her a hug. "You better be nice to her or else," Cooper warned them with as stern a look as he could muster, causing the whole room to smile.

"We will," the blond replied. "We have no desire to make her life harder. She's been through enough and deserves to be happy." He glanced over at her, sitting on the couch between Steve and Bucky. "We only hope she will let us get to know her and the family she has chosen."

"We're sorry, Sister, that we let you down," said one of the three that had until now been silent. "We hope you will one day forgive us." His long brown hair was held back in a ponytail and his sorrowful brown eyes searched her face.

She watched them for several minutes before speaking. "You weren't the ones who were supposed to find me. That was our parents' job. I do accept your apology though and, if it's okay with Uncle Tony, I guess you can stick around." Tony nodded and she grinned. "He nicknames people though, so be warned. And you can't have mine."

"What is it?" the blond asked.

She giggled while Steve rolled his eyes. "Scorch."

Her brothers raised their eyebrows, looking from her to Tony and back. "Scorch?" One of them repeated, incredulously. She nodded, proud of her nickname.

"Is there anything else you allow them to call you?" one of the others asked.

She nodded. "Belinda. Daddy and Uncle Steve helped me pick it out a long time ago." Bucky blushed slightly and smiled at her. He loved hearing her call him daddy.

"Will you do the same for us?" The last brother finally spoke.

"Sure, if you want us to," Steve replied.

It took several hours and two more pots of coffee for the five young male Dragons to settle on Human names. The blond with emerald eyes chose Terry, Belinda's twin chose Brian, and the brown haired one who had apologized to her chose Ajay. The remaining two, one with blond hair and blue eyes and the other with brown hair and blue eyes, chose Chris and Sebastian respectively.

Laura had brought Nathaniel from upstairs and Cooper, Lila, and Belinda had all drifted back to sleep by the time the names had been chosen. Bucky grinned as he watched Belinda sleep. "If I remember right, it took us three weeks for her to find a name she liked." Steve nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for saving her and for wanting her," Brian said, following Bucky's gaze. "I always knew when she was happy or scared."

"Twins?" Clint interrupted, rocking Nathaniel.

Brian nodded. Ajay cut in. "We were all born on the same day but they were born at the same time."

"Does that happen often?" Sam asked.

Chris shook his head. "Twins are extremely rare. It's a big thing because none of the clans have had any for a long time."

"Clans?" It was Tony's turn.

"There are different kinds of Dragons. Clans are based on where we live and what we can do," Chris explained. "Not every clan breathes fire. Ours usually lives in the mountainous areas."

"That older man, the one your parents were so afraid of," T'Challa asked, leaning forward in his seat. "Who was he?"

"He's the oldest Dragon in our clan. He's been around for a long time and is a lot more powerful than the rest of us. Every clan has one and we call them the elders. Some are male and some are female," Terry replied. "Whenever individual families have a problem, be it a dispute with another family or a missing member, they are supposed to take it to their elder." He also looked at Belinda, asleep with her head on Bucky's lap. "That's why we went to him when we couldn't find her ourselves. He's been trying to help us ever since."

"What if two families from two different clans have a problem?" Bruce joined the conversation. Thor was quiet, surprised at the readiness with which the Dragons were answering each question.

"In that case," Sebastian answered, "each family goes to their elder and the elders get together to resolve it. If there's a big enough problem or something else really important happens all the clans are called together."

"Speaking of," Tony said, standing up and stretching, "what do you think will happen to your parents?"

"Not sure," Terry shrugged. "At best, they get exiled."

"I don't see that though," Ajay interjected. "I mean, they turned over one of their own eggs to some random Human, told him the only way to get the whelp to do what he wanted, ignored the cries of their own child, and tried to keep the rest of their children from finding the one they abandoned." He looked at his brothers. "I really don't see how they can get out of it. I think the closest Human word is treason. When they told that guy how to control her, they betrayed every clan, not just her," he finished.

Brian nodded. "I think so, too. They're screwed. The only real question is how they bite it, not if."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Thor finally spoke.

The brothers shrugged. "They brought it on themselves," Sebastian responded. He turned to Bucky. "I'm sorry we couldn't get you back to her after you landed on our doorstep. We tried to keep you warm by dragging you into the nest. When Mom and Dad came home, we tried to talk them into taking you somewhere that your friends could find you but they refused. They found some other people and said they would take you back to your friends."

Bucky shook his head. "Not your fault," he said quietly. "And thanks for trying."

Friday told them a delivery truck had arrived and Tony went outside. When he came back in twenty minutes later, he asked the boys if they were hungry. When they told him they were, he jerked his thumb at the door behind him and told them to leave some for their sister.

"How many'd you get this time?" Natasha asked, smirking, as the brothers went outside to hunt.

"One Thousand. Figured it would last her a few days," Tony smirked back. "Of course, now there are six of them." Thor excused himself and said he would be back with more food for the Dragons.

Thirty minutes later, the brothers came back in and, at Tony's raised eyebrows, told him they had left plenty of food for Belinda. Several hours passed with Belinda sleeping with her head in Bucky's lap and the group making small talk while waiting for Thor to return. Thor finally returned around ten o'clock as Pepper Potts drove up. He made sure the two dozen creatures he had brought were happily milling about before following her inside.

"Hi guys," she greeted the room, holding up several boxes, "I brought donuts." She set the boxes on the coffee table they were all sitting around.

Belinda's nose twitched as the smell of fresh glazed donuts wafted into her nostrils. Her eyelids fluttered as she stretched, yawning, and sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. "What's that yummy smell?" she asked, stifling another yawn.

Steve opened one of the boxes. "Pepper brought donuts," he told her. "There's a lot of different ones here so you can take your pick."

Belinda looked over the various choices and finally settled on a large powdered donut. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took a bite and the jelly filling squirted unexpectedly into her mouth, causing her to choke. Bucky pounded her back to help clear the obstruction. "You okay?" he asked, concerned.

She stopped coughing and nodded. "I just wasn't expecting that," she replied.

"What? Never had a jelly-filled donut before?" Clint asked, trying not to laugh. She shook her head, taking another bite.

"What do you think?" Tony asked, smirking behind another cup of coffee.

"It's good," she said, swallowing the last of her donut. She wiped her hands on a napkin and stood up.

"Breakfast is outside," Tony told her. "Thor brought some more food and these guys," he jerked his hand at her brothers, "claim they left plenty for you." She nodded in thanks and went outside, splitting her focus between the cows and the creatures Thor had brought.

Forty-five minutes later, Belinda came back inside and, after a quick wave at the group, ran up the stairs to her room. After taking a quick shower, she rummaged through the closet until she found what she was looking for: a pair of black leggings, a black, varied hem dress with a turtleneck and long sleeves, a pair of black knee-high boots with two-inch heels, and a dark blue corset. Once dressed, she combed her long black hair and looked around for something to tie it up with like when she was a little girl. She couldn't find anything close to what she wanted so she closed her eyes and concentrated. After a few minutes, she opened them again and smiled as she looked at the dark blue hair ribbon in her hands. It looked just like the one Bucky's parents had given her. It was, in fact, the same one. She didn't know how she did it but she had created the ribbon out of thin air. She tied her hair up, leaving the bow just off center, and checked herself in the mirror. She was surprised by how grown up she looked. When she was happy with the way she looked, she smiled at her reflection and went back downstairs.

"We were starting to think you fell in a hole," Rhodes told her as she entered the room.

"Barnes was getting ready to form a search party," Tony added, grinning. He looked up from his coffee and fell silent, almost dropping his mug. The others followed his gaze and several of them whistled.

"What?" she asked, eyes lazily scanning the room, taking in the group's reactions. She had expected a few hoots and comments, not the stunned silence that fell over them all.

"You grew up," Steve finally found his voice, while Bucky just nodded in shock.

"You are a beautiful young woman," Vision told her. "I believe they were unprepared for just how beautiful."

"Enchanting is more appropriate, my friend," Thor corrected the android and moved toward her. He bowed before her and extended his hand. When she took it, he kissed it and led her over to Steve and Bucky.

"I just grabbed stuff out of the closet," she began, uneasily. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with all the attention.

Bucky played with her hair as she sat down next to him and then put his arm around her, drawing her into a hug. "You look amazing," he told her. She just smiled and tried to stop blushing as Tony introduced her to Pepper.

"Nick Fury is on the line, Boss," Friday interrupted.

"Put him through," Tony told her. "Hey, Nick."

"Hey, yourself," Nick answered. "I just wanted to let Rogers know we were able to get Carson to talk for a while. I had to threaten to drop him off the Helicarrier into Belinda's mouth to get him started." Belinda giggled at the image his words conjured in her mind.

"Anything else?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. There's a base in Russia but he's not being very forthcoming with the location. He decided to quit being helpful."

"The one in Siberia is empty," Bucky said.

"Not to mention trashed," Tony added, looking at Steve.

"Uncle Steeeve," Belinda interrupted in a sing-song voice.

Steve looked over at her. "Right. Bring him here, Nick. Bel will get him to talk. We owe her ten minutes with him anyway."

"Will do, Cap." Fury sounded amused. "We should be there in an hour," he said before hanging up.

"This Carson," Chris asked, "is he one of your tormentors?"

Belinda nodded. "He's mine, though. You can't touch him," she hissed, looking at her brothers. When they nodded, she turned her attention to Steve. "I won't kill him, since we still need him to talk. I'll just play with him until he opens up. Someone should time me though because I won't be paying attention."

"Friday will," Tony told her.

"Can I have an earpiece?" she asked him. "That way, you can tell me when my time is up and he won't know why I suddenly stop."

Tony nodded and got up to get one. As he came back and tossed it to her, he asked, "Inside or out?"

"Not sure yet," she replied thoughtfully. "Probably start inside. Can you make it so the fence won't let him leave, just in case we wind up outside?" She made sure the earpiece fit snugly in her ear. If I transform, I'll just fold this in like I do the clothes I wear, she thought. That way I can still hear whoever talks to me.

"Sure thing." Tony was really enjoying having a Dragon on the property.

"Once he starts talking again, we'll let Fury take over." Steve stared at Belinda who nodded.

"What about that UN panel Ross was talking about?" Bucky asked, curiously. "Won't we have to run everything by them?" Belinda growled. She didn't like being told what to do.

"When Captain Rogers and I spoke with them before, we were able to get permission for all future missions involving Hydra," T'Challa replied with a smirk.

"Sneaky kitty," Sam said, grinning.

After a few minutes, Belinda looked at Tony. "I've been meaning to ask," she began in a puzzled voice, "how did you find me?"

"That would be Barnes," he replied, glancing at Bucky.

She turned to Bucky, who ran a hand through his hair. "I remembered the lab was there and that something important was in it," he said, not looking at her. "I just couldn't remember what that something was."

She smiled softly at him and took his face in her hands, making him look at her. "You saved me again, Daddy," she told him.

"I've got a question," Clint broke in. "Does Carson know what you are?"

Belinda chuckled and shook her head. "Only Zola knew that and he didn't tell. The others just thought I was one of his experiments." The wicked smile returned as she said, "They have no idea what they've gotten themselves into."

"Is that why you changed before he was pulled out of the truck?" Natasha asked. She nodded.

"Makes sense not to give such a big secret away," Rhodes said.

"I want to see his face when I show him and he thinks he can get away," Belinda snickered. Steve shook his head.

A few minutes later, the sound of a helicopter was heard as it landed on the roof and Nicky Fury walked in followed by two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents leading a handcuffed Mitchell Carson. "He's all yours," he said. Carson wasn't sure which of the Avengers he was talking to.

Belinda stood up from her place on the couch at Bucky's side. Her golden eyes solidified as they locked on Carson and she advanced on him, clenching her fists. As she stopped in front of him, she relaxed not just her hands, but her entire body, and ordered his restraints to be removed. Fury nodded and the agents removed the handcuffs. Carson didn't move, unsure of what she was going to do.

She cocked her head as she began circling him, inspecting him like she would prey. The rest of the room watched her silently. As she stopped in front of him again, she smiled and said, "So, you won't tell Mr. Fury where the Russian base is." Her voice was sickly-sweet and her smile was menacing. "You really should, you know." He shook his head. "I already know that the one in Siberia is empty and has been for a while now, so I hope that isn't the base you were talking about." Carson looked surprised but shook his head, stubbornly refusing to speak. She pouted but her eyes began to sparkle with glee. She raised her hands and placed them on his shoulders, causing his shirt to smoke. When she removed her hands, that part of the shirt had burned away, leaving the flesh of his shoulders exposed and pink from the heat. She blinked innocently at him. "Why don't you just tell Mr. Fury what he wants to know?"

Carson shook his head again, though his eyes betrayed his fear, then turned and ran out the door. Fury was about to send the two agents after him when Tony said, "He's not going anywhere, Nick." Belinda giggled and followed Carson outside.

"Mitchell," she sang as she danced away from the compound and into the herd of animals, "you can't hide from me and you can't escape. You might as well come out and play with me." She suddenly spun around, catching his arm as he swung a punch, causing him to cry out in pain as her touch burned him. She giggled again and her teeth became sharp as she snapped her jaws at him and released her hold. Carson continued to attack her, desperate to knock her to the ground. Belinda kept laughing as she avoided every attack. This is fun, she thought. "Bored now," she said aloud.

"Time," Steve's voice said in her ear. She reached out, through Carson's flailing arms, and gently pushed his chest, sending him flying ten feet into the herd. She then turned her back on him and headed back to the compound. Carson took this opportunity to remember the knife he had snuck into his boot. He pulled it from its hiding place and threw it, hitting Belinda in the left shoulder.

Belinda stopped walking with a jerk. She reached behind her and removed the knife with her right hand. She turned to face Carson, still holding the dripping blade. "You really shouldn't have done that," she whispered, all humor replaced by rage. She tilted her head from one side to the other, dropped the knife, and shifted into her true form, sending her brothers, the Avengers, and the herd into a panic. Before anyone could stop her, she had scooped Carson up in one massive paw and taken flight. She reached one thousand feet and dropped him, only to pinch one of his pant legs between two of her claws. He was hanging upside down with the hole in his pant legs ripping wider as she dropped and caught him again. He screamed as she dove, headfirst, toward the compound. She released him a few feet from the ground without causing too much damage to anything but his pride, and roared as she advanced on him, scattering the herd more and clawing deep trenches into the turf.

"Stand down, Bel." Steve's voice was in her ear again. "Let's see if he'll talk now." She roared angrily again but did as he requested.

Fury walked over to where Carson laid on the grass, picking up the knife as he did. "Looks like you need some new pants," he told the terrified man. Carson ignored him, staring instead at the furious Dragon. "For the record, this is what I meant when I told you I would drop you off the Helicarrier into her mouth." He grinned as he bent down to stare at Carson. "You might want to talk now. I'm not sure how much longer Captain Rogers can convince her not to eat you." Carson was quiet, too terrified to speak. Fury stood up. "Alright then. We can always find that base another way." He started to walk away when Carson found his voice.

"It's in a different part of Siberia than the one she was talking about. I'll tell you everything. Just keep that… that thing away from me. Please," he begged.

"Alright." Fury smiled as he helped the Hydra agent to his feet. "One thing though. You stop being helpful and I'll feed you to her myself." Belinda snapped her massive jaws together as Carson nodded in agreement, causing him to jump and Fury to laugh. Fury looked at Belinda. "You coming?"

She shook her enormous head and exhaled a jet of flame, killing three cows that had wandered too close. She then snapped them up in her jaws, keeping one eye on Carson. As Fury led Carson back inside to change his pants and start talking, she began hunting to try and burn off all the built-up adrenaline. By the time she had calmed down, the remaining twelve creatures Thor had brought and all the remaining cows had either been eaten or incinerated.