The first week dragged on for what seemed like forever. Most of the time you stayed put in the room you stayed the first night you arrived.
On day one you managed to get your things from the apartment by one of Tony's men who called himself Happy, or at least that's what Tony calls him. You thought it was a strange name, but again, you were in a building with superheros. Maya and Lilly were shocked when Happy came into their home unannounced, making Lilly's instinct to pepper spray him a little reasonable, granted you should have called them first to let them know he was coming over.
Happy came into your room with your two duffel bags full of things and red, puffy eyes. "Woah, what happened to you?"
"Your little friends thought I was a burglar," he tried to glare at you, dropping the bags on the floor, "they're lucky I didn't make them pay for any medical bills."
"Thanks, for my stuff, anyways." He nodded, still irritated he walked out.
You went over to your bags and rummaged through them, making sure everything there. Most of the items were clothes since you could never afford to buy useless trinkets. However, you did keep a little snow globe from the zoo that Maya bought for you as a birthday gift along with a stuffed tiger toy from Lilly with a chain necklace around it that engraved "Stay Fierce". You were grateful for them, but now that the Avengers knew that you use to be Hydra they could be in more danger than they already were. You made a plan that once this was over you would take your things and one of the cars and leave New York, maybe even the country. Starting a new life in a foreign place was all too familiar to you, so you would be fine with it. On the plus side, you knew five other languages so picking a country wouldn't be too difficult. Getting out of the country was the problem.
As soon as you started thinking about where you could get your passport, you heard a knock on your door. Looking up you saw Natasha Romanoff peek her head in, "Getting settled?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe.
You tried to find your words, "Y-Yeah settled are getting bags. I mean, I'm getting my bags settles, wait, no. I mean… Yeah, I am." Smooth.
Natasha smiled, "I'm Nat, and I know you're Y/N. I know it's been tough, especially with what happened with Bucky, but I know what it's like to be part of something who thinks they're doing what's necessary to succeed, but you realize you need to escape."
"You can relate with that?" You questioned. Natasha's life was a secret to not only yourself, but for the rest of the team. She was a mystery who fought for good, which is why you admired her so much.
She nodded, "I was just like you. A child who was trained to fight and kill. They did horrible things to me, taught me that I didn't have a place in the world, but I didn't believe them."
You nodded, "I never realized that's how you became, well, you." She gave you a look, making you quickly regret what you said, "Not-not like in a bad way or anything, but how tough and badass you are. But, you're also doing the right thing? I don't know how to put it in words but it just makes sense-"
"It's okay," she chimed in, "I understand. I think." Natasha turned to walk out of the room, but not before looking back at you, "But if you do betray us I won't hesitate to kill you." Her tone was serious, but by her wink she was messing with you. Of course she meant every word of it, but only as a way to be protective of her team. You were grateful that she was trying to make you feel better about being here, how you weren't going to be alone in this journey.
You figured for however long you were going to be here you would try and make friends with the other Avengers, including Bucky. The thought of talking to him again made your stomach tighten anxiously, so you figured you'd try him last and hopefully be nice to him whenever you could.
The first week you secluded yourself to your room, only to emerge to get food. Admitting your past to a group of people drained you, so you figured taking time to yourself and settling the air would be best for everyone. On the start of the second week however, you decided to explore the rest of the facility, but you couldn't without a chaperone.
"Do you still don't trust me enough?" You asked Tony, tying your shoelaces.
"It's nothing personal, just don't want you getting lost," he replied, looking at his phone, "be grateful it's not Happy, he's not much of a tour guide type. Plus he's still a bit pissed from your roommate incident."
You raised an eyebrow, surely you thought it was going to be him. "Who is it then?"
"That would be me." As if on cue a woman with red hair up in a bun and wore a white business suit stepped next to Tony. You had no idea who she was, but you knew she wasn't an Avenger.
"Y/N, this is Ms Pepper Potts." Tony said, placing a hand on Pepper's shoulder, "She will give you the grand tour of the building."
"Why? So I don't snoop around later?" Your gut was telling you that Tony had little faith to let you roam the building alone. Even though your main goal was to gain the trust of the team, Tony was top on your list. Him thinking that you can't be by yourself outside of your room hurt, but you had to please him somehow.
"Snoop all you like," he said, "we don't keep a lot of secrets. At least not easily."
You nodded, then looked at Pepper, "Okay, I'll go with her." If you wanted to gain his trust, maybe going with Pepper willingly without a fight could do that. "And I wasn't gonna snoop around in the first place."
"You two are going to get along great." Tony kissed Pepper on the cheek, "I'll see you tonight, if you need anything I'll be in the lab with Banner."
Tony left you with Pepper, who was typing away at her phone. The two of you were silent while she typed. Not sure what to do, you played with the hem of your shirt until she was done.
"Alright Y/N," Pepper said, finally breaking the silence, "so we have about two hours before I need to be back in New York for a meeting. So we need to get going so you can see everything." She smiled and stepped into the hallway, then stepped to the side to allow you through.
You walked next to her down the hallway, her heels clicking against the hard floor. She was walking briskly, forcing you to take quicker steps to keep up with her. The walk was silent, so you thought if you got on her good side it would let Tony trust you more.
"So, you and Tony?" You asked, not sure what else to say.
"Oh, yeah. A few years now." Pepper said, snapping out of her focused demeanor. She held out her left hand that showed off a shiny ring with a large diamond on it, "He actually just proposed last month."
Your eyes widened at the sight of the ring. You leaned in closer to get a better look, "Well, congratulations for the two of you." Thinking that Tony found love with someone other than your mother made your heart ache. Your life could have been so much different if your mother stayed that night. She would have woken up in his arms, slowly fall in love, then nine months later you would be born. The three of you could have been a happy family. No Hydra, no secrets, no mysteries. Your life would make sense. Instead, you're here trying to figure your life out, while your possible father is planning a future with another woman. You didn't hate Pepper of course. It wasn't her or Tony's fault your mother left that night. One way you were going to get your answers so you could finally move on with your life.
The two of you eventually made your way to a large room filled with gym equipment. You figured it was where everyone trained as the room was rather large enough to be a public gym. At the end of the room was a balcony overlooking an arena like area about thirty feet below.
"This is the training room," Pepper said, walking you down to the balcony, "down there is where everyone spars against each other for practice."
You peered over the railing and saw two people fighting each other already. The bodies were moving so fast you couldn't tell who it was at first, but the closer you looked you recognized one of the people was Natasha, who looked like she was fighting Steve. The two were in sync, when one threw a punch the other blocked, the moment the other block they would swiftly attack instantly, forcing the other to block. The cycle repeated again and again, to you it almost looked like a dance performance the way Natasha and Steve moved with each other. Well, more of a violent dance performance. Nonetheless, the two moved in rhythm and responded to each other's offensive and defensive movements.
At one point Natasha had Steve pinned, but he quickly countered her attacked until they were at a standstill where neither of them could do anything. They shook each other's hand and left through a door taking the stairs to where you and Pepper were.
"Oh, afternoon Y/N, Pepper." Steve said as they entered the room. Natasha threw him a towel while wiping herself off with another one. "Showing her around today?"
"Yes, and we were just about to leave. Kind of on a tight schedule, hope you can understand." Pepper's tone was friendly yet tense, you could tell she was a busy woman who rarely took breaks.
Steve smiled to you, "I don't want to keep you delayed, so hopefully we'll see you at dinner tonight?"
"Only if the rest of the team allows it." You shrugged, "I don't think they're too comfortable on me being here."
"It's weird, can't lie, but they'll come through." Natasha noted, leaning against one of the machines, "It'll take some time. Everyone here has a part of their past they're not proud of, doesn't make you any different." That thought lingered in your head. Everyone had a story of how they became who they are, and most of the team had a bad rep in the past. Tony's company use to sell weapons, Natasha was a Russian spy, hell even Bucky and Wanda were with Hydra. Bucky didn't have a say in it, but it's not like you had a choice either.
Just then, Bucky entered the room with a gym bag over his shoulder. The last person you wanted to see, and you could tell he was thinking the same thing. His mood shifted when he saw you and silently placed his bag down from his shoulder to his hand, eyeing you. "You're still here." He stated in a bleak tone.
"Bucky…" Steve warned as you held your tongue. How could he still be bitter, you've been avoiding him for days and he still wants to attack you.
"We were just leaving." Pepper said, trying to settle the atmosphere.
Bucky shifted his bag and tossed it on to a bench, taking out wraps for his hands. Or at least his human hand. He wrapped his palms and knuckles in silence, yet his movements were harsh with each wrap until he spoke, "The sooner, the better." His eyes glared at you as he finished, grabbing his bag in an attempt to move to another area in the training room.
Without thinking you grabbed a nearby towel and threw it at the back of Bucky's head. "We're not done here." You snapped, almost regretting what you've done as he stood there in a stiff posture. The others stood there unsure of what to do. You've angered the beast.
Bucky slowly turned and glared at you with dark eyes while he bit his bottom lip in irritation. "And what's that supposed to prove?" He said in a sarcastic yet hostile tone.
You huffed and glanced at the arena, giving you an idea. If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he gets.
"I'll make you a deal," you pointed at the pit, "you and me fight down there. If you win, I'll pack my bags and leave right now. If I win, I stay and a handwritten apology from you."
"Y/N, what are you doing?" Natasha questioned with worry in her voice.
Bucky raised an eyebrow, "Fine." With that he turned away down a flight of stairs, which you assumed was where he was about to get ready for the fight. Now you wondered what you've gotten yourself into.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Steve asked as he grabbed your shoulder, "I'm not doubting your skills, but he's not gonna hold back any punches."
"I know, that's why I won't either."
"Y/N we don't have time for this." Pepper placed her hands on her hips, clearly showing her frustration.
"It won't take long, I promise."
"Yeah, because you'll get yourself some broken bones in two seconds." Natasha interjected. You couldn't tell but her concern for you was authentic.
"I know what I'm doing, trust me." At least that's what you kept telling yourself.
The next thing you knew you at one end of the arena while Bucky was at the other. You were still in your t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers while Bucky was in his training gear of a long sleeved black shirt, workout pants, and shoes. Usually you would be ready for anything, but in the moment you only thought that you were a bit underdressed. Nonetheless, you were going into a fight, not a party.
Bucky stretched his neck, his muscles tensing as he did so. You've fought bigger guys than him, but he was of course the Winter Soldier. He was a trained soldier with a metal arm that could crush bones. You couldn't let that thought get into your head now. You needed to focus.
Above you heard the crackle of an intercom, "Make it a clean fight, and please don't kill each other." You heard Steve say from the observation room that was high above with a large glass window.
Your breath slowly went in, then went out sharply as you took your stance as you were ready to fight. Didn't matter much when Bucky took several steps towards you, making the first attack with a swing from his metal arm. You ducked out of the way, his fist barely contacting you. When you avoided his punch he threw another with his other hand quickly which caught you off guard, forcing you to stumble backward toward the wall. He followed you to throw another punch, this time you managed to block him with your forearm that opened up the opportunity for you to kick him in the side. The blow pushed him back a couple of feet, but he quickly shrugged it off. You threw another kick, to you unknowingly allowing him to grab your leg bringing the two of you close. By instinct you threw your free leg over his shoulder, then you twisted your hips to make him fall to the ground.
On the ground he managed to grab you with his metal arm to throw you on the ground. He was now pinning you, yet you somehow were able to knee him off. Before you could get away, he grabbed you with his metal arm again, this time holding you tight with his arms. You squirmed under the pressure of the metallic arm, and you tried to free yourself but it was no use. How could you get out of a hold that was artificial? He didn't have any pressure points on that arm. That's when you thought to hit not directly on his metal arm, but right next to hit.
You kicked him on the side of his ankle, his grip weakening allowing you to free your arm so you could elbow right after where his metal arm met his shoulder. Bucky grunted as he fully released you. His nerves must be more sensitive there, giving you the advantage. You grabbed the same spot and swept his feet from under him, once again the two of you on the ground. This time you placed as much pressure on that spot as you could while your legs and other hand gripped his other pressure points to keep him down.
"Why do you think I'm the enemy?" You questioned as he tried to break free, "I know I worked with the bad guys, but remember you did too! So you're at fault as much as I am."
Bucky refused to meet your eyes, but your words clearly hit him.
"Is this some way of punishing me for it?" You continued, holding down harder, "By exposing me in front of the people who I look up to? Or trying to make me look like scum who enjoyed murdering those children? Believe me, I already feel like shit for that. But it doesn't mean I'll let someone at the same level as me make it worse."
Bucky stopped trying to escape and finally looked at you. You released your grasp and backed away, the two of you sitting on the cool matted ground.
"I'm sorry." Bucky muttered.
"What?"
"I said I'm sorry. I know exactly how you feel." Bucky rubbed his hands together while he looked down, " I still think about everything they've made me do. I thought by joining this team I could forget all of that, I even got my best friend back. Every goddamn day I try to redeem myself from the past, like it would somehow fix everything. But then you showed up, and I thought you were going to ruin everything I was trying to build back up."
You stared at him in disbelief. The Winter Soldier was apologizing to you, a commoner compared to his legendary status. In the time that you knew him during Hydra he wasn't a man of many words. For him to open up to you must have taken a lot for him to do, and with that you could only give him your respect.
You struggled to stand up from your soon to be bruises but managed to get on your feet. You offered your hand to Bucky, who cautiously grabbed it thinking you were going to go for round two. You helped him up and patted him on the shoulder in a silent thank you.
You and Bucky went back upstairs to the training room where Natasha, Steve, and Pepper were waiting. Steve looked the most relieved out of the three while Natasha couldn't help but let out a sly smile, however by the way Pepper was pacing she wasn't too pleased with your stunt. You were expecting a stern talk from her, but to your surprise she kept what she really wanted to say to herself.
Instead, all she said was, "We are way behind schedule now. Let's get a move on." Pepper turned on her high heels and was off before you could comprehend what she said.
You stumbled on your feet to follow Pepper as she briskly walked down the hall. You looked back at Bucky who nodded to you. You were dreading to confront the Winter Soldier for days. After what just happened you were relieved, as if the pit that's been in your stomach finally lifted.
You and Pepper briefly skimmed other rooms before arriving to the labs. Not a singular lab, multiple labs. "Here are the laboratories where we do mostly research and tests for new tech." Pepper explained as the two of you observed through the windows, "There are a few rooms for a variety of researches, productions, medical, clinical, mechanical, pretty much anything you can think of to help create new devices for missions. The tech is suppose to be for the team, but Tony likes to keep some of his toys to himself."
You were baffled how many rooms there were just to make gadgets. Even the Hydra base you lived in didn't have as many rooms for research as the Avengers did. Although you were only aware of two rooms at your base; one was for tests on new weapons, while the other was for tests on the children. Who knew what the other bases held for "research purposes".
Pepper opened one of the glass doors and the two of you entered the lab. Inside were numerous machines that you had no idea what did what. The only thing you could identify was a microscope, which you were quite proud of for that.
Observing one of the machines was an older man in plaid wearing a lab coat. He looked up and smiled with a toothy grin to Pepper, "Miss Potts! Glad to see you decided to visit," the man looked to you, "I see you brought a friend."
"This is Y/N, she's our guest. Y/N this is doctor Erik Selvig, he's an astrophysicist."
"Nice to meet you." You shook his hand, "Not to sound rude, but why do you guys need and astrophysicist?"
Erik and Pepper looked at each other, "There are some things not from our planet," Erik chimed in, "like Vision, the gem in his head isn't from here. Or the attack on New York a few years ago."
You nodded, "Then I guess we'll need all the physicists we need."
"We'll leave you to your work, Erik." Pepper walked away before you noticed, making you turn on your heel to catch up with her. You waved goodbye to Erik while you two walked out of the lab.
"So, are we almost done?" You asked when you finally caught up to her.
"There's one more stop we need to go to." Pepper and you arrived at the end of the hall. This door was different than the others, instead of glass the doors were a white metal. Pepper pulled out a card and scanned it against a box on the doorframe, blinking green as it accepted the card.
She opened the door and the two of you stepped in, the room was vast with a platform in the center and had a second floor with a railing overlooking the rest of the room. On the second floor were computers and, again, more machines you were oblivious to. There were two men in the room that you found were Tony and Banner, Tony was on the platform in front of a hologram chart while Banner was on the second floor.
The moment you and Pepper entered the room the men moved their attention to the two of you, "Glad you could join us. We're just doing a science project." Tony waved his hand and the hologram disappeared.
"And by 'we' he means himself," Banner interrupted, "I'm currently working on your DNA test."
"Anything yet?" You asked as he walked down the stairs.
"Getting somewhere, but it's not as easy when it's just one person." Banner looked at Tony approvingly.
"I have my own homework to work on, I'll buy you a coffee for all your hard work." Tony winked, stepping over to Pepper, "Dinner still on after your meetings tonight?"
"Hopefully, as long as Y/N's performance didn't set my schedule back." Pepper snided.
Tony looked at you bemused, "What did you do?"
You rubbed your heel against the floor, avoiding eye contact with them, "I kind of, sort of, got into a fist fight with Bucky." You mumbled.
Tony's eyes grew wide while Banner poked his head up from behind the computer, "You did what?" Banner asked.
"We figured everything out, it's no big deal."
Tony didn't say anything, his hand was covering his mouth while his eyes stared at you. You didn't know what was going on in his head. Maybe this was how you'll end up being kicked out.
"Did you win?" He eventually asked.
"Tony!" Pepper exclaimed in disapproval.
"It was sort of a tie, but I did."
Tony raised an eyebrow in surprisement, nodding his head in acceptance, "Good. If you turn out to be a Stark, you have to know that we don't take kindness to losing." He chuckled, giving you his signature Tony Stark side smirk. Then he looked at Pepper glaring at him, "But that was very stupid, and you shouldn't be picking fights to prove a point." His voice was serious but he winked at you, knowing that everything was going to be okay and you wouldn't get in trouble.
"Speaking of being a Stark…" Banner held up a tablet emitting a hologram, "Congrats kid, you have quite a few years of child support coming your way."
