Hey all! Here's chapter 7 for you, I hope you enjoy it. It hops forward about two weeks, in which more winterwitch moments can be assumed to have happened. It was a bit hard to write this chapter because of the jump in time, but I wanted to keep the story moving along. Please let me know what you think.

Like always, I don't own these characters or their stories.

X_X_X

"Report, Soldier," Pierce demanded as soon as the Soldier stepped into his office.

The Soldier noticed Strucker sitting in one of the chairs in front of Pierce's desk.

"The Maximoff girl has improved greatly since we moved training outside. She seems to work best when there aren't as many minds around her as distractions, but we've been working on her endurance and she can handle her powers indoors just as well as being outdoors," the Soldier replied.

"Good. We're closer to getting her at her full strength," Pierce said.

The Soldier nodded and waited for more questioning from his handler.

"The girl could be even more powerful than her twin, sir," Strucker commented.

Pierce leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin.

"Yes, she could be. I'm concerned about what will happen when she realizes her full potential. As long as she keeps working for us, it's fine. But as soon as she decides to turn against us, we'll have nothing to control her with," Pierce said.

"What of List's invention? He's been working on that since she got her powers, will you not use it?" Strucker asked.

"We don't know if it'll work. We've had no reason to use it on her yet and we don't want to break the trust we've build with those two," Pierce answered.

"Soldier? You see her multiple hours per day, what can you tell us of her weaknesses?" Pierce asked.

The Soldier didn't want to tell him anything that could be used against Wanda, but his training overrode his will.

"She cares deeply for those around her. The only sure way to have her under your control is to show that you have power over those she loves. She'd do anything to make sure no one gets hurt," the Soldier answered honestly.

He tensed at intense look Pierce gave him.

"Strucker, give me a minute with the Asset," he said, his eyes never moving from the Soldier.

Silently, Strucker left the room.

Pierce left his desk and walked up to the Soldier.

"Soldier, what is your relationship with the Witch?" he asked quietly.

The Soldier felt frozen but still, his lips moved against his will.

"I think I love her, sir."

The room was silent. The Soldier's enhanced hearing could make out the movements of the guards on the other side of the door, of the room above him.

"Love?" Pierce asked. "You are incapable of love, Soldier. You're nothing more than a killing machine HYDRA made."

The Soldier felt fear grasp his heart.

"She could never love a monster like you," Pierce continued.

"But she does," the Soldier interrupted.

Pierce laughed.

"Does she? Are you certain? Or is she using you?"

The seed was planted.

"Face it Soldier, in her eyes, you're her way out. Who else could get her and her brother out of here safely besides the great Winter Soldier?" Pierce mocked.

"No, she loves me," the Soldier insisted.

"Has she said so herself?" Pierce asked.

No, the Soldier thought, she's never said she loves me.

"That's what I thought," Pierce said with a cruel smile.

Pierce took out his phone and sent out a quick text before walking back to his desk.

"You really have become such a disappointment, Soldier. Losing your wits over a pretty little lad, how pathetic. However, lucky for you two, I'm in a good mood today."

Two guards walked in and the Soldier instantly recognized them.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Soldier, you'll still get to see each other. You just won't remember anything you've been through," Pierce said.

The guards pulled the Soldier with them and took him to a room where The Blender had been transferred to.

The Soldier's mind retracted so far within itself that he could only watch in horror as they prepared him to be wiped of his memories again.

X_X_X

Wanda walked alongside her brother with her head down. She feared what might come from this last-minute meeting with Alexander.

Wanda, stop stressing about it. You're stressing me out, her brother thought at her.

She had quickly discovered (with the Soldier's assistance) that others could talk to her through their minds if they were close enough and thought her name along with whatever they wanted her to hear. It made training easier and communication a lot more open, not just with the Soldier, but with her brother too.

I'm sorry, I just worry about what this is about. It's not like them to call us into a meeting without a day's warning, Wanda thought back.

There was a guard waiting for them at Pierce's office, opening the door for them as they came close.

"Ah, Pietro, Wanda, it's good to see you!" Alexander smiled at them, walking around his desk to give each twin a hug.

"Likewise, Alex," Pietro replied.

Wanda shot her brother a questioning gaze.

"Please, have a seat," Alexander said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. As the twins sat down Pierce leaned against his desk.

"I know you're wondering what you're doing here, especially since it's so last minute. Well, normally I wouldn't do something like this, but an opportunity has risen. I wanted to tell you both that you've been working far better than we could have imagined. These last two weeks since we changed your training, you've both grown spectacularly. We've learned that you two have such different learning styles and if we hadn't made these changes, we'd be months behind. But anyway," he said, standing up and moving to sit behind his desk.

"We're ahead of schedule and as I mentioned before, and opportunity has come up," Pierce said while looking at Pietro.

"Son, I have a mission for you. Rumlow and his team are heading out in an hour. It'll be three weeks, minimum. It's just a simple extraction mission, nothing too hard," he said.

"If it's not hard then why do they need three weeks?" Wanda asked.

Pierce smiled.

"Good question, Wanda. It'll take three weeks because they'll be going to multiple locations. We also have to include time spent observing their target before they can go in."

"What of the Soldier?" Pietro asked. "I thought my first mission would be with him."

"Yes, that was the original plan. However, we have him preparing for another mission. We're planning on sending your sister with him," Alexander said.

"What?" Wanda asked. "I thought it would be a while before I'd be allowed to go on a mission. That's what List and the Soldier always told me."

"Well, like I said, you've both done so much in the two months you've been with us, especially in recent weeks. We feel you're ready to go into the world and do HYDRA's good work," Alexander told them.

Something inside Wanda squirmed at the too-wide smile Pierce threw her way.

"Now, Wanda, I'd like to have a few more words with you about your upcoming mission. Pietro, I don't like kicking you out, but you have to leave right now. The guard outside will take you to Rumlow's room. There he'll help you prepare. You won't need much as everything will be provided on the jet, but if there's anything you want from your room, I'd suggest you get it now," Pierce said.

Pietro reached into his sweatshirt and pulled out a worn piece of paper, no bigger than a price tag, and handed it to Wanda. A quick glance told her it was a family portrait that Pietro always carried with him. It was the only picture they were able to salvage from the explosion.

Wanda, take care of it for me, will ya? I'll be back for it in three weeks, Pietro thought at her.

Wanda felt her eyes fill with tears.

If you're not back in three weeks it's mine, she thought back.

Pietro smiled at her and she returned it with her own teary smile.

Alexander watched curiously as the twins stared at each other without saying anything.

"Love you, Wand," Pietro said, getting up and moving to give his sister a kiss on her forehead.

"Love you too, Piet," she said, closing her eyes and cherishing the moment.

Then without another word, her brother walked out of the office.

Before Wanda could break down in tears, Pierce cleared his throat.

"Wanda, he'll be alright. Rumlow hasn't failed me yet," he said.

Not knowing what to say, Wanda nodded.

"Now, onto your mission," he said, strangely happy.

"The reason I paired you with the Soldier is because I was told about your... special bond with him," he said, getting right to the point.

Wanda felt panic rise within her.

"Sir, I-"

"Wanda, please, let me finish," Pierce said. "I don't care that you two have formed some kind of relationship. It's not ideal, but I train all of my people to be able to balance their work and personal lives," he said.

Wanda felt something off in his words.

"I imagine it gets lonely for you and your options are limited when the other man you interact with daily is your brother," he said, almost mockingly.

"It's not like that!" Wanda exclaimed. "I love him!"

Pierce's grin at her declaration had her recoiling.

"I have a test for you," he said, getting up to sit next to her.

"If you can pass this little, tiny thing, then I'll let you and the Soldier do whatever you'd like. Start a relationship, have sex, bunk together, start a family, I don't really care," he said.

"And what if I don't want to take the test?" Wanda challenged.

She was taken aback by how sinister his smile turned at her words.

"Well, let's just say that accidents can and do happen while men are far away on missions for HYDRA."

Wanda went cold at his implication.

The door opened and two guards stood there. Pierce took her hand and made her stand.

"Good luck, my dear," he said, giving her hand a kiss. Wanda snatched it back to herself, giving him a glare.

"You're a monster," she accused in a lowered voice.

His grin only widened.

"The guards will take you to your test."

X_X_X

Wanda watched as the guards strapped her down to a chair and began pressing buttons on a monitor connected to some machines behind her.

She knew she could fight and overpower them, but her brother's life was at risk. So instead, Wanda sat quietly and let the men do their job.

"Open your mouth," one of the guards said, holding a rubber mouthpiece in front of her. She hesitated a second before opening her mouth.

The machines began making noise and she saw two metal pieces begin to lower.

Panic set in and Wanda was about to use her powers to get herself out. However, she heard the door open and glancing over, she saw a metal arm pass by.

Relaxing a bit, she knew she'd be okay if the Soldier was there with her.

Wanda looked into his eyes and felt her entire world tilt.

His eyes were as blank as the first day she met him and there was no love in there that she remembered from the nights they spent talking in her room.

Tears fell from her eyes and Wanda screamed as metal clamps held her head in place. She felt tension building inside her head before it exploded.

For the rest of the night all Wanda knew was pain.