Chapter 17
I am a missile,
I am the fire
Love is destruction
But this war is mine.
-"Missile" by Dorothy
Warnings for violence and references to torture
Steve was on his feet so quickly that the rolling office chair went flying across the room.
"Nat!" He couldn't have contained the joy in his voice if he'd tried.
Natasha Romanoff winked at him and sauntered into the conference room, setting the bag of sandwiches on the table.
"I'm not gonna find a dead delivery guy in the yard, am I?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not." Nat scoffed at him. "I asked him very nicely if I could have his hat. Some of us know how to use our words."
Steve desperately wanted to hug her, but he settled for gently bumping her shoulder as he stepped up to the bag. "Your hair looks nice."
She eyed him appreciatively, and he knew his ears were going pink. "So does yours."
"I guess now we can finally settle the age-old debate of who has more fun, blondes or brunettes." Tony said, lounging in his chair and watching the two of them closely.
"Oh I've seen the pictures of your bleached hair in college." Natasha paused, eyeing Tony with a grin. "Must be brunettes, otherwise you'd definitely still be blond."
Steve started taking the sandwiches out of the bag, trying his hardest not to stare at Natasha. Her new hair was light blonde and fell to her chin. She looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful, but having her here and smiling outshone every memory in his head.
He remembered when she'd joined them in Wakanda after they returned from Siberia. She'd been quiet and withdrawn. It had reminded him of how she'd been after they'd discovered Hydra had infiltrated Shield. It had been hard to see that empty look in her blue eyes and the practiced smile again. Even after knowing her for years now, she was still hard for him to read when she closed herself off.
She wasn't closed off right now. She seemed genuinely happy.
Natasha looked up at him, like she could feel the weight of his focus on her. Tony was still sitting in the chair talking about…something. Steve wasn't listening. Natasha's blue eyes were studying him like she was reading every thought in his head. She raised one eyebrow slightly, questioning. Steve felt like his brain turned to syrup. He settled for offering her another grin, wincing inwardly at how big and goofy it felt on his face. She smiled back, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
"-and neither of you are listening to me, are you?" Tony grumbled.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Nat said, still ignoring Tony. "I brought dessert!"
Steve glanced back in the bag. He'd taken everyone's sandwiches out and the bag was empty. He looked up at Nat, confused. She handed him a slip of paper from her pocket and he read her neatly printed handwriting, his brow furrowing. It was a set of coordinates. He looked back up at her, barely daring to hope.
"What's at this location?" He asked.
She gave him a grin that he immediately recognized, her eyes glinting with the promise of violence.
"Werner von Strucker."
James sat on the quinjet and felt a familiar stillness creep over him. It steadied his hands and quieted his mind. He had a location and a target. He was suited up in black kevlar, similar to what he'd worn as the Winter Soldier. He was armed with the knives and guns he'd taken from the Hydra. Romanoff had generously offered him some of her arsenal, but he liked the cruel irony of using Hydra's own weapons against them. Natasha was piloting the quinjet, suited up similar to him. Steve was sitting at his side in the Captain America uniform, his shield leaning against his legs. James hadn't been there when Stark had returned it to Steve, but he didn't miss the significance of it. Sam was gleefully admiring a brand new set of wings that Stark had apparently created for him. Stark and Rhodes were both in their suits, their faceplates up as they talked quietly to each other. Vision was sitting quietly on the other side of Stark, his eyes slightly blank.
They'd argued for a while about whether to go get Barton or not. In the end, they decided it was just too risky. They weren't asking permission to go rescue Wanda, so technically Stark and Rhodes and Vision were breaking the Accords. They could maybe get away with it since the Accords were under review, but breaking Clint out of house arrest would be a much bigger offense. Plus it could jeopardize the man's house arrest deal.
Steve was examining satellite imagery of the German castle they were about to infiltrate on a tablet. They hadn't been able to find Werner von Strucker because he didn't actually exist. Werner von Walderdorff was the bastard son of Wolfgang von Strucker and Elfriede von Walderdorff, and the Walderdorff family had used their money and influence to keep their youngest daughter's illicit affair hidden. Upon his birth, Werner had been passed off to Elfriede's older brother Albert and his wife under the pretense that he was their child. Albert and his wife had numerous failed pregnancies, leaving Werner the sole heir of the von Walderdorff family. Elfriede had been known for being "unwell" and died in a psychiatric hospital when Werner was a young child. Albert and his wife had died in an accidental fire nearly nine years ago, leaving Werner to inherit Walderdorff Castle.
The castle looked as though it had fallen into some disrepair. The Walderdorff estate was practically bankrupt, and most of the furniture and valuable decor had been sold. The wing of the castle where the fire had occurred had never even been repaired. An increase in activity at the castle appeared to have started six years ago. James thought back to Werner's focus on Wanda. How he'd said that his father had told him all about her. He wondered when Werner found out who his birth father was, and how much contact he'd had with Strucker before his death. The man had seemed obsessive and almost desperate to prove himself. James' metal hand clenched.
Hold on, Wanda. He tried his hardest to project his thoughts, just in case she could somehow sense them. Hold on, darlin. We're coming.
They landed in a field a few miles away from the castle to keep Hydra from seeing the quinjet. Stark and Rhodes waited there until the rest of them got close on foot. They wanted to keep their approach as quiet as possible and the Iron Man and War Machine suits were not really meant for stealth. The castle had one point of entrance because of course, it was a fucking castle . The five of them paused at the bottom of the hill. The road that wound up the hill was wide open with very little cover. At the top of the hill was a narrow bridge that led to the castle entrance.
"Tony we're at the base of the hill." Steve said quietly into his comm.
"Alright let's do this." Tony sounded eager.
Iron Man and War Machine would attack from above, hopefully drawing the attention away from James, Steve, Sam, and Romanoff sprinting up the hill. Vision was going to quietly fly around to the back of the castle and phase through the walls, looking for Wanda. James hated that the android got to search for Wanda even if it made sense strategically. He glanced sideways at the android who was standing quietly, his eyes on the castle. He hadn't really spoken to Vision since they'd arrived, but it was now or never. He stepped closer and watched Vision quickly meet his gaze, the android looking slightly wary.
"Get her out." James said in a low voice that was just barely not a growl. He struggled to soften his tone, trying to convey his emotion. "Please."
Vision studied him for a moment and then nodded. "I will not rest until she's safe." He said quietly.
It felt like an understanding passed between them, and the muscles in James' shoulders relaxed just slightly. Then there was a low whine of repulsor engines and the two suits came swooping over the castle and opened fire.
"Now!" Steve yelled.
They ran, James and Steve soon outpacing Sam and Natasha. Despite sprinting up a hill, James felt his heartbeat settle into a slow rhythm. All of his senses were alive with focus and the cool metal of the gun in his hand was familiar as breathing. Having Steve at his side was a comfort that felt both old and new. He felt a wicked grin curl around his lips. Hydra was about to regret everything they'd done to turn him into a deadly weapon.
When they breached the hill, the castle was in chaos. Hydra soldiers were firing at the two armored suits flying above them. The guards at the gate were already down and not moving, so Steve and James flew across the bridge and into the mayhem.
Tony swooped low and took out some sort of Hydra gatling gun in the castle courtyard. He wasn't sure what they were loading into the thing, but the projectiles sizzled and left strings of a yellow tinged smoke. He whooped when it exploded in a giant yellow cloud and Hydra soldiers leapt for cover. Soon a new winged person flew past him and he caught a glimpse of Sam grinning widely.
"Ok, since I made those wings, I think I get to come up with a new call sign for you." Tony said into the comms, blasting a Hydra soldier who was aiming for him with an assault rifle.
"Hell no, I am not letting you name anything. " Sam yelled cheerfully.
"There's so many good options, but I think Fluffy-Backed Tit-Babbler is my favorite."
"Excuse me?"
"What! It's an actual bird!"
"Did you google 'funny bird names' to make that joke?"
Rhodey laughed, taking out a Hydra soldier who was shooting from castle windows with a sniper rifle. Sam swooped past again and flipped him off with both hands before taking out another sniper. Below them Steve, Barnes, and Natasha were fighting. Barnes was fiercely cutting his way through the Hydra soldiers in a way that reminded Tony eerily of Barnes' alter ego. The man had been intense about getting Wanda back. They all wanted to rescue Wanda, but Barnes had been almost desperate in a quiet, terrifying way. He knew Vision had seen it too. Honestly, a love triangle between an android, a witch, and a cyborg? The fanfiction was gonna write itself.
"I've located Wanda." Vision's voice came through the comm.
"Where?" Barnes bit out fiercely, glancing up for a brief moment before he was forced to focus on the fight around him again.
"In the tower. The top floor. Agatha Harkness is here." Vision replied.
Tony saw Barnes glance upward again, like he was calculating how quickly he could get there.
"I got it." Tony said.
"Be careful." Steve warned, grunting as he slammed the shield into a soldier. "Agatha is powerful."
"I'm always careful." Tony said, heading for the tower and grinning at the incredulous noise Steve made in response.
There were plenty of tower windows and they were all stone openings with no glass. However, they were all too small for him to fit through.
"FRIDAY, find me a good spot. We're gonna have to Kool Aid Man our way in."
When Tony blasted the stone wall and crashed his way through, he found himself in a stone cell. Vision was standing to his left and in front of them was Agatha Harkness, her hands held out in front of her and her eyes glowing purple. Behind her laying on a pile of hay was a crumpled body. Tony had to bite back a curse. He couldn't see much of Wanda, but she didn't look good. She wasn't moving and the hay was stained red.
"FRIDAY get me some vitals." He murmured.
"Low respirations and heart rate." FRIDAY reported. "Body temperature is 95 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating slight hypothermia."
"Miss Harkness, please step away from Wanda." Vision was saying sharply.
Tony eyed Agatha. The woman looked slightly deranged. Her brown hair was a tangled mess that whipped around her face as she laughed harshly.
"You superheroes, so polite." She sneered. "Very intimidating."
"I could say it a lot meaner if that's what you're into." Tony said.
Agatha's purple gaze turned on him and she smiled. "Oh yes, Tony Stark, I've seen exactly how mean you can be."
Tony wasn't sure exactly what the witch meant by that, but he bit his tongue to avoid rising to her bait. Her hands were still outstretched like she was holding something, but Tony couldn't see anything.
"FRIDAY, scan for power signatures similar to Wanda." He said quietly.
On the display inside his helmet a shimmering purple wall appeared. Agatha was apparently holding up an invisible shield.
"Scan for any weak spots."
FRIDAY began the scan and Tony took a step forward. If he reached his hand out, he could touch the shield. Agatha watched him carefully with her wild purple eyes.
"You must be Agatha." He said out loud. "Agatha. Interesting name. You don't happen to write murder mysteries in your spare time do you?"
FRIDAY highlighted a spot in the shield near the upper right corner of the room. "The density appears to be less in this spot, boss, but I can't guarantee-"
Tony targeted it and fired a small rocket that he'd specifically designed with Wanda's powers in mind (not for Wanda, but just in case). The missile hit the forcefield and exploded, causing the stone walls to rumble ominously. Agatha let out a furious shriek as her purple forcefield pulsed and then died. Tony did an enthusiastic mental fist bump. Vision moved immediately, attempting to grab Agatha. She shot a blast of purple light from her hand, throwing the android backwards. Tony darted forward while the witch was distracted and got between her and Wanda. He powered up his repulsor beams and shot her with both hands. To his horror, the witch turned to face him, spreading her arms out and grinning madly. The beams were hitting her body, but instead of throwing her backwards, it was like she was absorbing them. He cut the power off and the blue beams died, but blue light still glowed from Agatha's body.
"Shit." He said.
Agatha threw the energy back at him, the blast catching him directly in the chest and sending him backwards into the wall. He hit hard, causing more stones to clatter with him to the floor. He landed on the other side of Wanda's body and inhaled sharply when he saw her face. Her eyes were closed. Dark dried blood crusted the side of her face and head. Her lips were tinged slightly blue. Her hair was shorter and darker and it made her skin look even more pale.
Agatha advanced on him, but then Vision was there again. She shot another beam of purple light at him, but the android shifted his density so that the energy went straight through him and blew another hole in the stone wall. The witch bared her teeth. Vision was focused intently on her, and Tony could tell he was busy calculating how to take the witch down. Tony got to his feet again. He couldn't blast Agatha, making him pretty worthless in the fight, so his next goal was to get Wanda out. He stepped towards Wanda, but then it was like someone reached in and seized control of his brain in an iron fist. His body stopped moving towards Wanda and began to swivel. His arm moved up until it was pointing directly at Vision's back. Tony tried to open his mouth and shout a warning, but his jaw was clenched shut. Vision and Agatha were still slowly circling each other. Tony knew the witch was in his head controlling him like a meat puppet, but she wasn't even fucking looking at him. Only her fingers were moving as she manipulated his body. The repulsors powered up and Tony watched, horrified as a beam of light shot from his hands and hit Vision directly in the back. The android flew forward, crashing into the stone wall as Agatha leapt gracefully out of the way.
The cell door suddenly opened and a young man with wavy blond hair came running in, gun drawn. Agatha turned on him viciously, but stopped when she saw who it was. Werner (Tony assumed) glanced around quickly, taking in Vision laying motionless by the wall and Tony standing frozen next to Wanda. The young man didn't even hesitate before he pointed his gun directly at Tony's helmet.
"Have him remove the faceplate." He said in a German accent.
Wow, in the face? Dick move, man. Tony desperately wanted to say, but his mouth didn't move.
Agatha twisted her hand and Tony's hand moved up towards the button on the neck of the suit that opened the faceplate up. Inside the suit he was sweating and fighting tooth and nail, but his hand moved steadily. Just as his fingers were inches away from the button, a beam of golden light slammed into Agatha. She gasped and let go of Tony who immediately threw his hand out straight and blasted Werner. The gun went off, the bullet whizzing past Tony's helmet, and the young man went crashing back into the wall and down to the floor. Tony's gaze swung frantically to Vision.
"Stop!" He yelled. "She'll absorb it!"
Vision was still laying on the floor, his teeth gritted as he sent the yellow beam of energy into Agatha. The witch had turned to face the android, yellow light swirling under her skin. Vision wasn't letting up though, and Agatha's expression was growing more crazed as she absorbed more and more energy. With a start, Tony realized what Vision was doing. A power overload. Agatha seemed to realize it at the same time. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream. Tony quickly grabbed Wanda's body from the pile of hay and turned, shielding her with the suit. Behind him there was an explosion that rocked the suit forward slightly and a blinding light.
Tony turned around cautiously, Wanda's body limp in his arms. Vision was gingerly picking himself up. Agatha was lying motionless on the ground, blood trickling sluggishly from her nose. Werner was still on the ground where he'd crashed into the wall, but he was slowly stirring. Tony raised an arm and blasted him again to fix that.
"The collar." Vision motioned slowly towards Wanda.
Tony looked down at the woman in his arms. An all too familiar black shock collar was around her neck and he felt his face pale.
"We should use it to restrain Agatha." Vision clarified, bending down to check the witch's pockets. "There must be a key."
Tony shifted Wanda so he was holding her more bridal style and less like a toddler might hold a baby doll. Her head hung backwards over his arm, exposing her neck. He could see the bruises and what looked like burns peeking out from beneath the black metal. Nausea rose in his throat and he swallowed hard. Vision moved over to check Werner's pockets and Tony remembered he had a comm.
"We got Wanda." He said hoarsely. "Agatha and Werner are down."
"We're almost there." Steve replied immediately.
The whine of the War Machine suit approaching filled the small room and soon Rhodey flew cautiously through the hole that Tony had made. He landed, scanning the room as he moved to Tony's side. Vision pulled a small piece of black metal from Werner's pocket and held it up triumphantly. Tony held Wanda while Vision turned her head gently until they saw where the key fit into the collar. It opened easily with a click. Vision slowly and carefully peeled it off and Tony grimaced at the torn skin underneath. Blood welled up, running down Wanda's neck. Rhodey flipped his faceplate up, the horror on his face echoing how Tony felt. As soon as Vision got the collar off, the android quickly turned to clap it around Agatha's neck. He saw Rhodey wince. Yeah, not the most sanitary thing to stick a collar covered in blood and other shit around someone's neck, but as he'd learned in the darkness of an Afghanistan cave, sometimes you worked with what you had.
The door burst open and Steve, Barnes, Wilson, and Natasha all poured into the room. Barnes was in front of Tony so fast, he almost yielded a step back. A smart remark was on the tip of Tony's tongue, but the devastation on the man's face as he scanned Wanda made him swallow it. He carefully handed Wanda over to Barnes, who cradled her against his chest so gently that Tony had to look away. On the ground he saw Romanoff rolling Werner over and handcuffing him behind his back. Rhodey was examining Agatha and speaking quietly to Vision. Steve and Sam were crowded around Barnes, and it looked like Sam was taking Wanda's pulse.
Tony rattled off the vitals that FRIDAY had given him. "We need to get her emergency care as soon as possible." He added.
"I say we take Werner and Agatha into custody and alert the German Special Forces about the rest." Steve said.
"What are we gonna do with them?" Sam asked. "It's not like we can really turn them over to The Raft."
"The Compound has some detainment rooms underground strong enough to hold the Hulk, at least theoretically." Tony said. "We can stick them there until we figure out what to do with them."
Vision took Agatha and Rhodey took Werner and they flew back to the quinjet. Tony thought about offering to take Wanda, but Barnes looked like he might bite the arm off anyone who tried to take her from him. Sam offered to walk back to the quinjet with him, and the two men set off.
"Ready to do some spy stuff?" Tony asked Natasha and she smirked.
Steve, Tony, and Natasha climbed down the stairs and cautiously moved through the castle. All the Hydra soldiers who'd joined the fight were down, but Tony didn't put it past some of these Nazis to hide from the fight like the cowards they were. When they finally found what looked like an office, they all froze, weapons drawn, at the sight of an older woman standing next to the desk. Her red hair was streaked with white and drawn up in a bun. Her bony hands were clasped in front of her, mouth pressed into a flat line. Her face was covered in fine wrinkles, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly how old she was. Maybe her early sixties? She was wearing what looked like a servant's uniform with a white apron over it. She immediately put her hands in the air, her eyes wide.
"Nicht schießen!" She said in German.
"Wer bist du?" Steve said sharply.
"FRIDAY, I need a translator here." Tony muttered in his helmet.
"Ich bin Frau Koch. Ich arbeite seit fast zwanzig Jahren für die Familie Walderdorff, dass ich Ihnen helfen kann." The woman said.
"I am Frau Koch. I run the kitchen. I have worked for the Walderdorff family for almost twenty years, and I believe I can help you." FRIDAY translated in Tony's ear.
Steve and Natasha exchanged a glance, but Natasha did not lower her gun.
"Warum sollten wir Hydra vertrauen?" Natasha said coldly.
"Why should we trust Hydra?" FRIDAY translated.
"Ich bin nicht Hydra." Frau Koch said fiercely.
Tony didn't need FRIDAY's translation to know the woman just said she wasn't a part of Hydra. Her eyes were flashing and the disgust and fury on her face spoke volumes.
"Du willst dich ergeben?" Steve asked.
"You want to surrender?" FRIDAY translated.
Frau Koch didn't hesitate. "Ja."
"FRIDAY, run a full body scan. Make sure she's not packed with explosives or a mouthful of cyanide teeth." Tony murmured.
He saw FRIDAY initiate the scan and finally she said, "All clear, boss."
"Well she's not a suicide bomb and she hasn't had the Hydra Dental Special." Tony said.
Steve gave him a nod and then looked at Natasha. The spy produced another set of handcuffs from somewhere and set about securing Frau Koch.
"God, Romanoff, you're like the spy version of Mary Poppins." Tony told her.
"I have no idea what that means." Natasha replied calmly.
"FRIDAY, add Mary Poppins to our movie watchlist." Tony instructed.
"I actually understand that reference!" Steve said proudly as he moved around the desk to start going through the drawers.
Tony grinned behind his helmet. It was so adorable when Steve did that. Tony loved throwing out movie references that he thought maybe Steve would understand just so Steve would get that little pleased expression.
After Frau Koch was secured, Tony took over guarding the woman while Natasha and Steve searched through the office. They secured several thick files, a laptop, and hit the jackpot when Natasha picked the lock on a hidden safe and found a whole stack of very old files in Russian and a weird looking old book.
"These files are about the Winter Soldier program." She said quietly.
Steve looked pained, but simply held out the duffel bag they were stashing everything in.
"Hydra is trying to restart the Winter Soldier program." Frau Koch suddenly said in thickly accented English.
They all looked sharply at her.
"I hear everything." She said simply. "As I said, I can help."
An hour later the GSG 9 rolled up to the Walderdorff castle and found an entire unit of Hydra soldiers neatly tied up like early Christmas presents.
James sat beside the hospital bed, holding Wanda's hand in his human one. He ran his thumb across the back of her hand gently. She hadn't woken up. Tony had called his team of doctors that were apparently always on standby and they had met them at the Avengers Compound. They were still running tests, but so far they'd discovered that she was dehydrated, slightly hypothermic, had two cracked ribs, four broken fingers, a deep gash in her head that had needed staples, what looked like cigarette burns on her shoulders and chest, and the all too familiar burns and wounds on her neck from the collar.
He'd destroyed a few of Steve's punching bags after the doctors had given their report.
Now he was sitting and watching her chest rise and fall steadily, feeling slightly more calm. He desperately wished she'd open her eyes, but having her here was better than nothing. He leaned forward, gently brushing her hair off her face.
"Wanda, zobuď sa. [Wanda, wake up.]" He tried for probably the twentieth time. He watched her expression as he spoke, but it didn't change. "Miláčik, si v bezpečí. [Darling, you are safe.]" He added softly. "Chytili sme toho malého sráča Wernera. Už ti neublíži. [We caught that little shit, Werner. He won't hurt you anymore.]"
The medical equipment continued to beep steadily. She didn't react at all. He gently raised her hand and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist.
Take me with you, doll. He thought towards her desperately. You don't gotta be alone.
There was nothing but silence.
"Hello Miss Harkness, my name is Natasha."
Steve was standing in a room filled with monitors watching Natasha speak to Agatha Harkness in a cell. It looked like a pretty standard police interrogation room, but cleaner and newer. Agatha was sitting in a chair at the table restrained by handcuffs and the collar. Her face was stony. Sam was standing at his side. Tony was manning the monitors. Vision hovered next to Tony. Rhodey had to return to the city for work and James was refusing to leave Wanda's side.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"I'm sure you would." Agatha muttered.
"You were working for Hydra?" Nat inquired, keeping her voice calm and cool.
"I was a contractor." Agatha snapped. "I'm not a part of Hydra."
"I see. What did you do for Werner von Strucker?"
"Magic." Agatha suddenly grinned, looking unhinged.
Nat was unphased. She tilted her head slightly, looking curious. "Your powers look a lot like Wanda's."
"Magic." Agatha repeated mulishly. "We use magic."
Nat raised a single eyebrow. "Magic. That's interesting. Doesn't magic require spells or wands?"
Agatha closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Steve noticed that her fingertips were dark, as though she'd dipped all her fingers in ink. "Merlin save me." She muttered. "Are you basing these questions off Harry Potter?"
Nat shrugged. "Well until Loki came to town, the majority of humans thought magic was fiction."
Agatha grimaced like she had a headache.
"So what sort of magic did Werner want you to do?" Nat pushed.
"Not the superhero-approved kind." Agatha said cryptically.
"What do you think superhero-approved magic looks like?" Nat asked curiously.
Agatha glared. "Don't psychoanalyze me, Black Widow. I realize I'm the villain in this story you're spinning."
Nat leaned forward on her elbows, a slight smile crossing her face. "Well technically I'm a wanted fugitive of the US Government, so most people would probably see me as a villain right now."
Agatha smirked. "Did people ever see you as not a villain?"
Steve must have made an angry noise because everyone in the observation room looked at him. He scowled.
Inside the interrogation room, Nat didn't let even a hint of discomfort cross her face. "Maybe. Maybe not. But let's talk about you . What kind of magic did Werner want you to do?"
I signed a pretty lengthy NDA." Agatha inspected her nails. "So I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say."
Nat studied her quietly for a while. Long enough that Agatha couldn't help looking back up at her. Whatever she saw in Nat's face made her lip curl.
"What?"
"Sorry, I'm just surprised that someone as powerful as you was willing to be at Werner's beck and call."
Agatha's face darkened, but she kept her lips pressed firmly together. Natasha tried asking a few more questions, but the witch refused to say another word. Finally Natasha gave up and guards returned Agatha to her cell. Natasha joined them all in the observation room, looking thoughtful.
"Werner must have leverage on Agatha." She mused. "For someone who isn't a part of Hydra, she sure wasn't willing to share any of Hydra's secrets."
"You really think she's not a part of Hydra?" Tony asked incredulously.
"One thing that's stayed the same about Hydra is that they never deny they're a part of Hydra." Steve said grimly. "They're always very proud of it."
"So we doing Werner next?" Sam asked.
"No." Natasha replied. "Let's talk to Frau Koch first."
Steve and Natasha sat in the interrogation room together watching Frau Koch gracefully sink into the chair that Agatha had previously occupied. She was still wearing her servant's uniform, but had removed the apron. They had placed her in one of the same detainment rooms that Werner and Agatha were in.
"We'd like to ask you some questions." Steve said.
Frau Koch tilted her chin up slightly, speaking in her thick German accent. "Before I answer any questions, I want to know that Baron Strucker is unharmed."
Steve and Nat exchanged a look. Nat gave him a slight nod, so Steve looked up at the camera on the wall.
"Tony, can you bring up the feed from Strucker's cell?"
A tv screen mounted high on the wall behind them turned on, showing a live feed of Werner sitting sullenly on his bunk. Frau Koch's eyes scanned the scene sharply. Tony's voice crackled over the intercom into Werner's room.
"Strucker, say hi!"
Werner's gaze snapped to the camera, his eyes narrowing angrily as he flipped them off. The tightness in Frau Koch's face seemed to relax slightly and she nodded. The screen turned off and the woman gave Steve her attention again.
"Ask your questions, Captain America."
"You seem to care a lot about Werner." Steve said carefully, watching her face. "How long have you known him?"
Frau Koch took a breath and seemed to steel herself. "I have known him his whole life."
Steve glanced down at the papers in front of him. Werner was twenty-eight years old. Frau Koch had told them she had worked for the Walderdorff family for almost twenty years. He exchanged another look with Nat and knew she was thinking the same thing. Frau Koch's math did not add up. Before they could question her about it, the woman spoke again.
"I am his mother."
Steve blinked, momentarily stunned. He was not expecting that. He glanced down at the paper in front of him again, his mind spinning.
"Elfriede von Walderdorff died in 1993." He heard Natasha say, and he looked back up at Frau Koch. "She is buried in the family cemetery outside Walderdorff Castle."
Frau Koch met their gaze evenly. "An empty coffin is buried in that cemetery."
"Why?" Steve asked curiously.
"I am certain your papers tell you where I was at the time of my death." The older woman said, pain flashing through her eyes.
"Magdala Abbey." Nat said quietly. "A psychiatric hospital."
"I convinced my brother Albert to help me fake my own death." Frau Koch… Elfriede said. "Elfriede von Walderdorff brought nothing but shame to the family. She could do no more harm if she was dead. I gave up my title and my inheritance and returned to the castle to work as a servant in the kitchen, but I was able to be close to my son."
Steve felt something in his chest twist. "Does Werner know who you really are?"
"He found out when he was twelve." Elfriede replied. "Wolfgang von Strucker began to take an interest in his son." Her eyes flashed. "I wanted to warn him to stay away from that man."
"You courted Strucker when you were younger." Nat pointed out.
Elfriede turned her fierce gaze to Nat. "Yes. He was very handsome and charming when he wanted something, but after he got it, he left."
"Did he know you were pregnant?" Nat pushed.
"No." Elfriede looked pained. "I wrote to him when I was at Magdala Abbey. I was sent there when Werner was only two years old. I thought perhaps if he knew he had a child, he would help me." She took a breath and smoothed out her expression. "He never responded."
"So you 'died' when Werner was eight." Nat said. "And Strucker reappeared four years later?"
"Yes." Elfriede replied. "He began to visit. He blackmailed Albert into letting him see Werner. I tried to warn my son, but Hydra already had its claws in Werner."
"Can you tell us about Werner?" Nat asked, her voice slightly softer.
Elfriede's eyes glimmered. "He was the most beautiful little boy. After he was born, I was allowed to hold him for just a moment before they took him away from me and gave him to Therese and Albert. Albert tried his best, but Therese resented him. She wanted her own child, but couldn't bring a baby full term." Rage flashed across the woman's face. "With every failed pregnancy, she was more cruel to my son. One day she struck him so hard that he fell and hit his head, so I tried to kill her with a fire poker."
Steve started. Elfriede had stated her attempt at murder so calmly that it took him a moment to realize what she'd just said.
"That's when they sent you to Magdala Abbey." Nat said calmly.
Elfriede nodded. "I knew that woman was probably continuing to hurt my child. So I wrote to Wolfgang, foolishly thinking he would help." She closed her eyes momentarily and when she opened them, she looked weary. "By the time I was able to return to my son, Werner was someone I did not recognize. He was angry. He hated Therese, the woman he believed was his mother. When his real father showed up and he discovered that I was his real mother, he was furious. Wolfgang promised him power and revenge. I am certain that Wolfgang and Werner started the fire that killed my brother and Therese."
Steve glanced at the camera, wondering if Tony and Sam and Vision were as flabbergasted as he felt. He had no idea that when they agreed to accept the castle cook's surrender that they would be getting the key to all of the Walderdorff and Strucker family secrets.
"After the fire, Werner was different. Wolfgang continued to visit, and Werner grew more withdrawn. I believe that Wolfgang was even more cruel to my son than Therese, but he would not speak to me about it. Eventually they had a large fight. I overheard part of it. Wolfgang called Werner a 'disappointment' and told him he was washing his hands of him. That was the last time we saw him. A few months later, we heard of his arrest and then his death. Werner refused to speak of him. I thought we had escaped Hydra's poison. But then a man named Alexei Karpov began to reach out to Werner, and suddenly my son was leading a Hydra cell."
"Karpov." Nat said and the tone in her voice made Steve sit up straighter, alert. "Is he related to Vasily Karpov?"
"Yes." Elfriede said. "Alexei is Vasily's son."
Nat looked at Steve, her face grim. "Vasily Karpov was the head of the Winter Soldier Program in the 90's."
Steve had to take a breath to keep his rage in check. He remembered Elfriede telling them in Germany that Hydra was trying to restart the Winter Soldier Program.
"What was Agatha doing for Werner?" He asked tightly.
"I was not privy to Werner's plans." Elfriede said carefully. "But from the things I overheard, I believe Werner and Alexei were looking for an alternative method to creating Winter Soldiers. Instead of whatever process the original program used, they wanted to explore using witchcraft for mind control. Originally they planned on Agatha doing it. I don't know why that changed."
Steve chewed on that for a moment. Maybe the answer would be in the files they'd taken from Werner's office.
"Do you know what they did to Wanda?" Nat asked.
Elfriede looked down at her hands, seeming uncomfortable for the first time. "I am sorry about your friend. I don't know much, only the gossip from the other servants. I know that she was first placed in a cell. Then Agatha did something and Wanda was moved to a guest room." Elfriede glanced up at them warily. "Apparently Werner spent the night with her."
The table groaned under Steve's hand. Nat gently placed her hand on top of his where he was gripping the table so hard, he was denting the metal slightly. He forced himself to release the table. Nat squeezed his hand once under the table before letting go.
"Wanda came down to the kitchen the next morning by herself." Elfriede continued, her eyes on the dented table. "Agatha was in the kitchen having breakfast. Wanda didn't know her. She seemed…confused."
"Was she injured?" Nat asked.
"She had a bandage around her neck." Elfriede said. "She was very thin and pale, but she didn't seem injured. She did not speak much. Agatha called Werner her boyfriend, and Wanda seemed upset by that. Werner came in shortly afterwards and they all took their breakfast in the dining room. I don't know what exactly happened after that except that Wanda tried to escape and Agatha brought her back. She was moved back to the cell. I only saw her a few times after that, but she was always unconscious." She paused. "Werner was growing increasingly angry about it."
"About what?" Nat pressed.
"That they couldn't get her to wake up."
Steve flipped through the files they'd taken with Sam while Tony and Nat were looking through the digital files they'd recovered from the laptop. The files about Bucky in the Winter Soldier Program were horrible. Steve wanted to be sick. They laid out in graphic detail just how they'd taken James Buchanan Barnes and turned him into the Winter Soldier. The levels of torture they'd put Bucky through were unimaginable. It was more than just torture. They unmade him.
Steve had to go outside a few times and do a loop or several around the building to calm himself down. Honestly, he was shocked Bucky was still alive, not to mention that he was able to function as anything other than the Winter Soldier. Wanda had removed Hydra's programming, but Bucky coming back to himself from the Winter Soldier, that was all him. The strength it had to have taken Bucky to do that was nothing short of awe inspiring. He was so fucking relieved that he had put everything on the line to save Bucky in Romania. Despite all the shit that had followed, it had been worth it.
"Christ." Tony muttered.
Steve looked over at him. Tony was hunched over a digital projection of documents looking horrified.
"What is it?" Steve asked warily.
"I found some of Werner's notes on what they were doing to Wanda." Tony said, his eyes still scanning the document. "It's in German, but I had FRIDAY translate it."
Steve stood up and came over to join Tony who moved the document closer to Steve with a swipe of his hand. Steve took a breath and started to read.
October 7th
Wanda walks through the market with her mother and brother. Iron Man attacks and brutally murders Pietro in front of Wanda. Iron Man attempts to kill Wanda, but she is saved by Hydra troops and the Winter Soldier.
Attempted: 10:15 am
Result: Failure
Attempted: 7:25 pm
Result: Memory successfully wiped and new one implanted.
"They gave her a memory of me killing Pietro?" Tony asked roughly, like he was hoping Steve would correct him.
"Looks like it." Steve said as gently as he could manage.
"If Elfriede is right and they wanted Wanda to create more Winter Soldiers, they were probably trying to get her to do so voluntarily." Nat said quietly. "Which means we had to be the bad guys."
Steve looked down at her. Nat was staring at the documents, her jawline tight. He knew she went through her own version of this. He didn't know many details, but he did know that she had also been unmade and sculpted into a weapon.
"They put a lot of thought into it." Sam said suddenly. "They made Tony the big bad guy cause he was originally the one Wanda and Pietro blamed for their parents death. They didn't have to invent new emotion there, they just pulled up some from the past. Same with Bucky. They probably figured out she was close to The Winter Soldier in the past, so they had him be the hero. They were using real emotion, but just twisting it to new scenarios." He shook his head, looking stricken. "Man that's fucked up. It might be real hard for her to sort out what's real and what's not."
"Do you think she still believes I killed Pietro?" Tony asked, still horrified.
"I don't know." Steve said honestly. "If she tried to run away, she must have known something was wrong. But Sam's right, she might be really confused when she wakes up."
He exchanged a worried glance with Sam, knowing both of them were thinking about the cuts on Wanda's legs.
"Fuck." Tony muttered.
"Fuck." Steve agreed grimly.
James watched on the screen as Natasha entered the room where Werner was sitting chained to a table. Sam had come into Wanda's hospital room and practically forced him to go get some food and fresh air. Of course as soon as he heard that Nat was about to question Werner, he followed Steve, Tony, and Vision down to the observation room.
"He's probably gonna say a lot of disturbing shit about Wanda." Steve had warned on the way down. "You think you can handle it?"
James had nodded silently, noting the uneasy glance Tony was giving him.
"Hello Werner." Nat said as she sat across from the man at the table. "Do you prefer Werner von Strucker or Werner von Walderdorff?"
"My name is von Strucker." Werner said tightly.
Nat nodded calmly, making a note on the clipboard she held. "I see."
"Has Wanda woken up yet?" Werner suddenly asked, leaning back in his chair.
James noted the almost smug look on the man's face and felt his metal hand curl into a tight fist.
"No." Nat said after a brief pause. "What can you tell me about that?"
Werner smiled, but his eyes were hard. "I can tell you that you might as well give up. Her body might be there, but she's gone. "
Steve placed a hand on James' shoulder. James tried to calm his breathing.
"Hmmm." Nat said calmly. "What do you mean, gone?"
"Oh you'll find out." Werner replied, still smiling.
Nat tilted her head as she studied him, keeping her expression calm. Werner stared back at her, but James could tell that her calmness was bothering him.
"We've found out a good deal about you, Werner." Nat said finally. "Your mother has been a great help."
The shock and then rage that crossed Werner's face was impossible to miss. "My mother is dead. " He hissed.
"Hmmm." Nat mused again. "Your adopted mother, yes. It sounds like the two of you were not very close. That fire that killed Albert and Therese was such a tragedy."
Werner seemed like he was trying hard to reign his emotions back in. He smiled tightly. "Yes, such a tragedy."
"It must have been hard to learn that the people who raised you were not your biological parents." Nat continued.
A muscle jumped in Werner's jaw and he glared at Nat. James noticed that the man's fingers were tapping almost anxiously on his leg.
"Perhaps it was a relief though." Nat smiled sympathetically. "After all, it sounds like Therese was not a very good mother."
Werner's answering smile looked more like he was baring his teeth.
"Although Wolfgang von Strucker doesn't seem like he was a very good father."
"He was if your last name was Maximoff." Werner spit out.
Nat raised an eyebrow and Werner looked like he was mentally kicking himself.
"Interesting." Nat said simply.
"What is it you want, Romanoff?" Werner growled.
"I'm just trying to understand your relationship with Wanda Maximoff."
"Is the Winter Soldier jealous?" Werner sneered, looking directly at the camera. "Does he want to know what happened after she begged me to stay the night with her? Does he want to know if we fucked-"
Werner's face disappeared under a web of cracks and James realized belatedly that he'd punched the screen. He was breathing hard, rage pumping through him like a drug.
"Whoa!" Steve was trying to steer him out of the room, but James dug his heels in.
Stark was tapping on a keyboard, presumably bringing up the interrogation room feed on a different monitor. He looked tense. Vision was on his feet beside him, his calm gaze fixed on James.
"I'd really prefer if you punched Werner's actual face." Stark gave him a sharp look.
James curled his lips into a smile that showed all of his teeth. "Me too."
Stark turned his glare to Steve. "Cap! Get him out of here before he goes full killbot."
"Buck, come on." Steve snapped, still pulling on his arm.
James reluctantly allowed Steve to pull him from the room.
"What was he talking about?" He snarled as soon as they were in the hallway.
"I don't know exactly." Steve sighed. "All we've learned is that apparently Agatha wiped Wanda's memories and then Werner spent the night with Wanda. Agatha asked Wanda if Werner was her boyfriend, and she got upset."
James felt his expression darken further, that deadly focus slipping over his mind. "Let me ask him, I bet I get a straight answer."
Steve glared at him. "Buck, you can't go torture Werner for answers."
"Why the fuck not?"
"Come on, man." Steve said quietly. "We gotta be better than Hydra."
"Maybe that's why we can't get rid of Hydra, Steve." James argued. "Maybe the only way to cut off all the heads is to fight fire with fire."
"How about we focus on getting Wanda to wake up?" Steve put a gentle hand on his arm. James desperately wanted to throw it off, but he forced himself to be still. "And then she can tell us what happened."
"What if we can't?" James tried to snap, but his voice came out rough and desperate.
Steve's hand tightened on his arm. "We will, Buck."
James felt the emotion crawling up his throat and tried to swallow it down, but he felt his eyes stinging. "I can't lose her." He said hoarsely.
Steve pulled him close, clasping him in a tight hug for a moment. "We're gonna get her back." He said fiercely.
James swallowed hard and took a deep breath, letting the feel of Steve's embrace ground him. He desperately wanted to believe what Steve was saying, but the evil that Hydra was capable of still lurked under his skin. He wasn't sure Steve could ever fully understand, and honestly he didn't really want him to. Steve was so good. Always had been, always would be.
"I can tell you that you might as well give up. Her body might be there, but she's gone."
James pulled back from Steve and managed a half smile and a nod, but inwardly he promised himself that if Wanda really was gone, Werner would pay in flesh and blood.
