The next morning:
I paced as we all stood in the meeting room, while Bucky explained the situation to the team.
"So, you're telling us, that Pierce is the Hydra leader, who ordered the strike on Fury. And also on Arie when she was pregnant with the chaos twins…?" Tony asked in disbelief.
Bucky got in his face, faster than I could stop him. "Do. Not. Call my kids that…" He growled.
I sighed moving towards them as Sam, Steve and Nat walked in with Wanda, Pietro, Clint, and Vision.
"James, there's a reason why he's calling them that… Calm down, and I'll show you…" I said, as they all stared at me expectantly.
"What aren't you telling me?" Bucky asked as his eyes narrowed.
"Tell Pepper to bring them in…" I told Tony.
"Are you sure? He's only been back for a few hours. How do we know that he isn't—?" Tony asked.
I turned away from Bucky to look Tony in the eye. "He's my husband. I know him better than any one of you. Please stop stalling and bring those kids in." I said, coolly.
Tony turned to look at everyone before sighing. "Look I'm just trying to—" He began
"Do it." Steve interrupted him, looking at Bucky and me before nodding.
"Fine. I'll be right back." Tony said with an annoyed expression.
"Why is he being an extra pain in the ass?" Bucky asked, exasperated.
"Because we all care about those kids. Not having you here gave us the incentive to be here, helping Arie." Nat said. "It may look overbearing to you. But we love those kids as much as you do. We'll do anything and everything to protect them. Even lay down our lives for them." She added, as she sat down in one of the chairs.
Steve smiled before sitting next to her and looking at us expectantly.
"James, our kids… they're special. More so than the average child." I said, try to calmly explain.
He looked over at me confused.
A moment later Tony and Pepper walked in with Becca and Jamie in their arms.
Becca was changed into a little pink flowered summer dress, and had small pink ballet shoes on her little feet. Her head bearing a large bow.
Jamie looked around the room ignoring what was happening before looking over at me.
He wore a blue shirt with a large red star on it, and a pair of black basketball shirts, sneakers as usual.
His inquisitive eyes looked over at me, before turning towards his sister and grabbing her hand.
"What—what are they doing?" Bucky asked, confused.
I smirked before nodding in the direction of the kids. "That's him." I confirmed.
Jamie nodded once, before tapping Tony once on his chin.
Tony sighed before setting him down on his feet.
"Careful, sport." He muttered as we all watched as Jamie wobbled his way towards us, stopping by Steve to hold onto the chair for a second.
I smiled as I kneeled a few feet away, opening my arms to him with a smile.
Jamie shook his head at me, before slowly wobbling towards Bucky, tapping his leg so he could lift him.
Bucky frowned looking up at me for a moment before slowly reaching down to pick him up.
"This ought to be good." Clint muttered as we all watched Jamie touch Bucky's face, with a furrow between his brow.
Bucky gasped as his eyes glazed over for a second before his eyes snapped to me.
"What was that?" He asked.
"What did he show you?" I asked, as Becca crawled over to me.
"I don't fully— his memories I think… He remembers you mainly. But he showed me how all of you have always been here with them." Bucky said, frowning and holding Jamie, who was now lightly taping his face.
"I guess no walking will be today, ey, princess?" Tony asked, shaking his head as he guided Pepper to one of the seats.
Becca turned to him, frown at him before standing up and throwing herself on me. "Mah—mah." She said, touching my face.
I smiled, covering her hand with mine before picking her up and standing up.
"Yes, that's him. He's ok." I whispered, as she sighed, laying her head in my shoulder.
"She can do that too?" Bucky asked, surprised, staring at Jamie as he yanked on his hair.
"That's not all they can do, James. They can read and project their thoughts by the touch, move things with their minds individually, but together they're far more dangerous. Which is why Tony told you what he did last night. I had to take their deaths to keep them safe. As far as the world knows they have been dead for a year and a half now. And I need them to stay that way." I said.
"That's all they can do?" Bucky asked.
"No, I am not entirely sure. I mean they're our kids. Meaning it'll become more dangerous as they grow. Keeping them here is precaution. For their safety." I explained as Becca tapped my face again.
I sighed, "Tony can you please order some pancakes for them? I need to go over the information Zemo gave me last night." I whispered.
He nodded before getting up and walking out of the room followed by Pepper.
I closed my eyes, trying not to think of why Alexander Pierce would want to wake up the deadliest elite squad before turning towards Bucky in surprise.
"On znayet." I gaspes. (He knows.)
Bucky looked up at me, wide-eyed. In disbelief. "Chto znayet." He asked, getting to his feet. (Knows what?)
"O nas. Deti. Vot pochemu on ikh razbudil. Oni presleduyut nas." I said, feeling the blood drop from my face. (About us. The kids. That's why he woke them up. They're after us. )
"Oni ne znayut o nas." He replied, shaking his head. (They don't know about us.)
"Chto, yesli oni eto sdelayut?" I asked, pacing the length of the room. (What if they do?)
"Lyubov', ne delay etogo s soboy." He whispered. (Love, don't do this to yourself.)
"Oni vernulis'! Oni vernulis', razve ty ne vidish' ?! Yesli Pirs deystvitel'no razbudil ikh, my vse v opasnosti. YA ne mogu riskovat'. Yesli oni vernutsya, mne nuzhno uyti i ubrat' ikh s detskogo sleda. Vy znayete eto. YA ne dopushchu, chtoby s nimi chto-to sluchilos'. Eto isklyucheno." I said, shaking my head before going back to pacing. (They're back! They're back, don't you see?! If Pierce actually woke them then we're all in danger. I can't take a chance. If they are back I need to leave and get them off the kids trail. You know this. I will not allow something to happen to them. That is out of the question.)
"My chto-nibud' pridumayem. Vy deystvitel'no dumayete, chto oni ostavyat ikh v pokoye, yesli uznayut ob ikh sushchestvovanii? i my zdes' ne dlya togo, chtoby ikh zashchishchat'i?" He replied, as Jamie sighed, touching his face. (We'll figure something out. Do you really think they will leave them alone if they find out about their existence? and We're not here to protect them.)
"No, I didn't do that to her. She's just worried. Don't worry about it." He replied as he continued to watch me.
I ignored their interaction, continuing to pace again as I thought of what Zemo told me.
I hadn't seen Shaundra, Cole, Henrick, or Clare since a week before Bucky and I escaped.
Bucky and I were a part of the team. They called us Chernaya Smert'. Black Death.
We speak thirty languages, and could hide in plain sight.
We were known to infiltrate, destabilize, and assassinate without anyone knowing.
We could take down a whole country in one night and be gone within the hour.
I was the strongest and fastest of them all, Bucky coming in second.
Hydra kept us in line by keeping us in a semi conscious state. That was until one day, the day I accidentally managed to turn the tables.
After that they were cryogenically frozen and I was kept in a windowless cell, with a device around my neck.
The one moment I was pacing the room, then all the horrible memories suddenly began to swoop into my head, as I groaned in pain, trying to clutch to the present, but it was all useless.
Everything we had ever done was now replaying in my head. Causing me to groan again.
Suddenly, I felt Becca being pulled out of my arms, as I clutched my head at the sudden swarm of memories.
My legs began to feel weak, before I felt my legs give out from under me. I fell backwards into my butt the next second.
"Arie?! Arie! Look at me."
My eyes finally snapped up to Bucky's, as he kneeled before me, putting both of his hands on either side of my face. "Are you alright, my love?"
"Give her some room." Steve cautiously.
"I'm fine, Steve." I retorted, as I tried to get to my feet by myself.
Ignoring all the stares as I made my way over to the window.
"What just happened?" Clint asked, concerned as she stood in front of Nat, who was rocking Becca and Pietro hugged Jamie to him, protectively.
"She had a flashback…" Bucky said, looking at me worried.
"That's not what we mean, Arie. When you two argued. You did it in Russian. Tell us what you said." Steve said, looking at me.
"Steve, don't." I said, warningly.
He sighed, before turning towards Nat. "Nat?" He asked, motioning for him to elaborate.
"She wants to leave to protect the kids by leaving. He won't let her." She replied looking at me concerned.
"What do you mean?" He asked her, looking at us.
"Pierce has sent a group of assassins after me. Possibly Bucky too. But I know for sure they're after me. I need to leave to get them off the kids trail… they need to be safe." I explained, as I ignored Bucky's face as I said.
"Protect them from who exactly?" Steve asked, looking around the room suspiciously.
"Chernaya Smert'. We were known as the Black Death …" I whispered.
Bucky dropped onto his chair heavily as I said the name.
"Why?" Steve asked.
Bucky sighed, leaning forward.
"Nat, Clint. Please take the kids out of the room… you already know what I need you to do… Please do it…" I whispered, watching them all nod in response.
We watched Nat and Clint leave with Wanda and Pietro on their sides.
"We weren't the only Winter Soldiers." Bucky finally said.
"What do you mean?" Steve replied, looking at me for more information.
"There's more of us. Known as the most elite death squad. More kills me than anyone in Hydra history." I whisper.
"And that was before the serum." Bucky added.
"Did they all turn out like you two?" Sam asked, finally speaking for the first time since he arrived.
I turned to look at him. "No, they're a lot worse. A bit more bloody thirsty, more violent prone than us." I replied, sitting away from anyone.
"The Doctor doing this, did he control them?" Steve asked, crossing his hands over his chest.
"Enough." I said, as I stared down at my left wrist.
"Pierce has been making changes since the attack on Fury… Tried to kill me and Nat after going on a wild goose chase. Right now, we're on our own…" Steve said as he looked down at his hands.
"We need to come up with a plan. Tony might not want to help…" Sam said.
I scoffed, shaking my head at them.
Did they not understand that there was no way around this? I had to do this for Becca and Jamie. Nothing else mattered but them.
They would always be first, even if I was gone.
"I don't need any of your help." I said, slamming my hand on the table, the noise bouncing off the room. "I will do this on my own." I finally said when they all turned towards me
"Arie, don't…" Steve said, as Bucky shot out of his seat.
"I'm sorry…" I whispered, as my eyes watered, as I closed my eyes.
When I opened them, I was no longer in the room, I was back at my old apartment.
I quickly grabbed my duffle bag, packed a few clothes and my passport before grabbing the note I made and leaving it on the counter by the door.
"I hope this works, Zemo. Or this time I will kill you." I whispered as I made my way down to the car port in the basement, climbing onto my bike and shooting out of there before anyone could blink.
Bucky's POV:
We all shot out of our seats, as she disappeared before our eyes.
"Where'd she go?" Steve asked, looking around the room.
No. She didn't actually listen to that asshole did she?
"Damn it, Marie." I mumbled, pulling out my phone to check for messages.
Only one.
"Winter. By now I am sure you realize what is going on. You have one day to get back to the base before everyone of your loved ones starts dying. Starting with your precious wife… Let me know what you want." Pierce said.
Damn it to hell!
I stopped myself from throwing my phone across the room, clenching my fists as I tried to reign in my arm.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Sam asked.
"It's Pierce … He wants me to report back to base. Or he'll kill Arie." I whispered, dropping my head in my hands.
Fuck! Where the hell did she go? I needed to find her quickly.
"You didn't think this was going to be easy did you?" Wanda suddenly spoke, walking into the room, causing us all to look at her, smirking at us.
"Wanda. What's going on?" I asked, standing up.
"She left for a reason, James. But just because she's gone doesn't mean she forgot about the situation. She knew Pierce would come after you, threatening her too. So, she left a few instructions behind." Wanda said, shrugging as she held up a piece of paper.
Sam quietly took the paper, and looked at it. Paling as he did. "Oh shit…" he whispered.
"What? What's wrong?" Steve asked.
"We need to take S.H.I.E.L.D down, immediately." He said, locking eyes with me.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I thought about what Arie had told me while we were in Russia two years ago...
"Hydra's infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D… We have to bring them down before searching for Arie…." I whispered, as I felt my shoulders drop.
"Then let's find her. She couldn't have gotten that far…. We'll find her …" Steve promised.
We all nodded only for Wanda to look at us in disbelief.
"You guys don't know, do you?" Wanda asked us.
We stopped in our tracks, turning to look at her confused.
"What don't we know, Wanda? Stop with the smirking and tell us what my wife was hiding." I said, agitatedly.
"She can teleport, James. She doesn't need to take any form of transportation, to go anywhere in the world. She chooses to. Add the fact that she can also change whatever needs be, say change her appearance with a blink of an eye? Maybe leave a place without a second thought? and that alone is a dangerous combination. She makes my powers look like a parlor trick." She says.
"She didn't..." I groaned.
"She did." Wands replied before walking out of the room.
Fucking hell, that only means one thing.
Zemo got her to unlock what she locked away all those years ago.
If that was true, that squad was going to be in a world of hurt when she found them.
It also means that if she uses them there's a good chance we won't find her until she wants to be found...
There was no stopping her now….
Fucking hell, Arie.
When I find you, you bet your ass I'm going to throw you over my knee for this. If I don't wring your neck first.
