Okay, so since the last one-shot was the best case scenario, this one is the worst case scenario. Basically, HYDRA uses Ella and she doesn't escape them and reunite with Steve before the Avengers timeline.
A bit of a refresh on what happened: she was transferred from Siberia in a cryo unit to a base in America, and in this story, there is never a crash that allows her to escape. She is brought to the base.
…
They had arrived.
Perhaps a bit later than they were supposed to, but better late than never. The young men driving the truck were sure that they were going to be scolded and slightly reprimanded for their tardiness, but nothing more extreme.
They went through the security measures before they were allowed to enter the grounds. The base was located in a small forest, isolated, hidden. There were cameras attached to the trees surrounding the base as well as a few armed soldiers doing periodic patrols. They couldn't risk anyone finding this base, realizing what they did.
The truck came to a slow stop. Almost immediately, a few men came out and opened up the back of the truck, applying a ramp, and grabbing the chamber that held the girl in it, wheeling it out of the truck and into the base.
It was a big, clunky thing, glaringly out of place surrounded by the clean, sleek, and technologically advanced base. The chamber was covered in a layer of dust, handprints smeared on the black metal.
They brought the chamber to the chosen room. It was deep in the heart of the base, the door made of a heavy steel, locked with countless security measures to ensure only certain personnel could enter. The room itself was actually a series of room. It was a place to train, including a shooting range, but lacking guns, a large, open space for combat, a small clinic located in an conjoined room, and a sleeping quarters which was little more than a cot with a then mattress and a washroom.
If everything went according to plan, the girl wouldn't see the outside of these rooms until she was completely trained and controlled.
They placed the chamber down, and nearly immediately, a group of men entered. All of them were armed guards, save for one. He was middle aged and held himself with an air of superiority. He took once glance at the chambers before turning to the men who had brought it in.
"Open it, bring her in the clinic for the operation," he demanded.
The other men wasted no time before following his orders. They opened the chambers, a sea of white smoke rolling out and onto the ground. The men reached into chamber, grabbing onto the weak body of the girl. She was pale, lips tinged blue and coated with steadily melting frost. They were always disoriented when coming out of cryostasis.
Her eyes were opened only slits, and she couldn't support herself on her own legs. They grabbed under her arms and dragged her into the small clinic, picking up her body and placing it on the bench, strapping her limbs down with heavy restraints to ensure she couldn't fight back.
There was a doctor in the operating room, who shooed away the men who had brought her in. He grabbed her arm, her flesh still clammy, rolling up her sleeve and injecting a tranquilizer into her bloodstream to ensure she wouldn't wake during the operation. The girl let out a small breath as her body went limp, and she was out.
The procedure was simple. He was to implant a small device behind the thin skin behind her ear, which would double as a tracking device as well as an electromagnetic transmitter, which would lead to painful convulsions of the body if she disobeyed.
Because that was what was going to be the difference between this girl and the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier was an efficient killer, couldn't question authority, no morals… the only problem with the asset was that he couldn't blend into plain sight. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Although many positives had come from the loss of his memories, it also led him to be incapable of working his way into social situations. That was what this girl was for. She would retain her abilities of charm, let her hide in plain sight. She was the missing piece that had needed.
The operation was over quite quickly. It wouldn't leave a scar, the girl would only notice she had it if she made the mistake of disobeying.
If the doctor was correct, her now enhanced body would burn though the sedative rather quickly. They moved her unconscious body from the clinic into the open space, placing her in a chair as they waited for her to come to.
Ella awoke slowly. Her head felt fuzzy and heavy, limbs like lead. A small groan escaped her lips as her eyesight began to clear, and what had started out as dark, blurry shapes cleared into the figures of people. There was a sharp pain in her skull, Ella whimpering as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.
"Miss Rogers?" someone spoke.
Ella slowly crackled open her eyes and looked towards where the voice came from.
There was an older man standing there, wearing a plain black suit and looking at her expectantly.
"Can you hear me, Miss Rogers?"
"Who… who are you?" she rasped out.
"My name is Phillip Warwick," the man spoke, taking a few steps towards where Ella sat. "I am the director of this base,"
"Where am I?" Ella asked. This man was lacking the Russian accent of the last few men who had spoken to her. She was in a new room, it was different. This man spoke with an American accent. He might have seemed kind if it wasn't for the situation she was in.
"This is your new home,"
Ella shook her head slowly. "No… no, this is not my home, you've kidnapped me… you've drugged me and experimented on me…"
"That was simply to release your full potential," Warwick explained. "Do you have any idea what you're capable of now?"
Ella looked up and met his eyes. "No, but guessing by your tone, you don't want to be on the receiving end of it,"
Warwick chuckled. "No, you're right… but I won't ever have to,"
"And how do you know that?" Ella asked. "When I finally do learn what I can do?"
The man blinked once before glancing at the men behind him. "Bring her in,"
Ella glanced at the armed men stationed around the room. She knew it would be foolish to try and escape, but she feared that it could be her only option to escape exploitation.
However, all thoughts of escape disappeared when they brought in the person they were talking about.
It was a young girl with dark hair, tear stains on her face which was screwed up in fear. One of them men had a pistol pointed to her head. Ella looked at her with worry, eyes flickering from the poor girl to Warwick.
"What are you doing? Who is she?" Ella asked.
"She's insurance," he explained. "Do what we say, when we say, and she survives. Even as small infractions will result with this,"
He clicked a button on his phone, a wave of electricity pulsing through her body. Ella cried out and clutched her head, falling from the chair and onto the cold, cement floor. It stopped quickly, but left her weak.
"Are we clear, Miss Rogers?"
Ella looked up, eyes narrowing at the man who held so much control over her. "Yes." She said through clenched teeth.
"Yes, what?"
Ella swallowed her disgust. "Yes, sir."
Warwick smirked. "I'm glad. Now, please stand and follow some of our men to the back. Training will begin tomorrow,"
Ella pushed herself up on shaking arms, and stood, tilting her nose in the air for a false sense of confidence. Two men came forward to either side of her and walked her to the back into a joined room. They stopped and looked at her expectantly. They handed her a bundle of clothes.
"Change," they ordered.
Ella held the clothes close to her chest. "Please, leave,"
They shook their heads.
She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't because of the small girl who relied on her compliance. Ella didn't know if it was a rouse, or if they were playing with her mind, but she didn't want to risk another's life.
Ella breathed in shakily, shutting her eyes as she had to abandon her pride. She turned her back to the men and began to strip. Tears filled her eyes as her fingers undid the buttons of her stolen uniform. Her fingers brushed against her locket, a sudden jolt of fear going through her being. She couldn't lose it, she couldn't risk those men seeing it. She discreetly slipped it off, hiding it in her under clothes, because it was the only place to do so. She slipped off the jacket, the boots, and the ill-fitting pants.
She heard the men snort behind her.
"Look at that ancient set," he said, referring to her underclothes. "Less hot than the old pinups,"
Ella felt a hot tear roll down her cheek as she grabbed the clothes she had been given, slipping them on. They were plain, a tight, long-sleeved shirt and shorts. No shoes, nothing else provided. She had absolutely nothing.
The men took her uniform and jerked his head towards a bedchamber. Ella stepped in without argument, and the door was slid shut behind her without another word, leaving her alone. She instantly grabbed her locket out of her bra, sliding it under her thin mattress, which was the only viable hiding place in there.
She didn't want to take it out now, she feared that someone would walk in on her holding it and taking it away. Instead, Ella simply sat down on the edge of the mattress and folded her hands, listening to the air around her. There was a soft buzzing noise, muffled voices from the other side of the steel door, the guards most likely.
She looked down at her hands, wondering what they did. What had those men done to her? What new abilities did she have? What did they want from her?
There was no window in her room, no mirror, only a dim yellow light. Its casing was made out of plastic, not glass. Glass could be used as a weapon.
Ella briefly wondered if she should try the door, but feared any act of defiance so early on could result in the loss of life of an innocent child. She simply pressed her lips together tightly as she finally allowed herself to break in the isolation of the tiny room. Her brother was dead, she was living in a different time and place, and she was alone. No friends, no one there who would help her.
Ella let a particularly loud sob rip from her throat, and in a mix of sorrow and anger, curled her hand in a fist and lashed out at the brick wall.
Instead of broken fingers and bloody knuckles, like Ella expected, her fist broke through the cement, creating a crater around it, small pieces of stone crumbling down, her hand feeling fine.
Ella gaped at her fist, now coated with a thin layer of dust of pebbles from the wall. She shouldn't have been able to do that. They had made her strong, they had turned her into a potential weapon.
It was going to be hell.
…
The beginning was the hardest. She had to figure out the rhythm of how her life would now go.
In the beginning, even the smallest infraction led to a massive shock though her body. She didn't risk any other acts of purposeful defiance.
The first thing they did was cut her hair, shoving her down in a metal seat and roughly taking scissors and cutting her hair, leaving it uneven and choppy, falling barely past her chin. She didn't say anything as it happened, simply looking blankly ahead.
And then, the training started.
They had brought in a few tall, bulking men, more than two times her size. They had permanent scowls on their faces, they looked lethal. Ella felt apprehension while looking at them, she knew they wouldn't be kind to her. They were there to break her and rebuild her.
Her training had begun with hand to hand combat at first. Ella was thrown around without mercy, sometimes limping out of training with tears in her eyes. At first, she hadn't known how to control her strength, at first going too easily, which did nothing to protect her, and then going to hard which resulted in breaking the trainer's arm on accident, which was received with another painful shock.
They taught her how to fight dirty, how to use what was around her, from simple object that would be found in a simple scenario, like a table, or something a bit different, like dirt if she was outside. Throw it in the opponent's eyes to daze them and then take them out.
As Ella got better, the men began to wear thicker body armor, because she would break ribs with a single punch, and after much trial and error, they realize that not amounts of shocks could stop it because of how they were training her to use her abilities.
Between combat training, they would teach her about what she had missed. She knew that all the information she was given had been heavily filtered by the men. They controlled everything about her, when she ate or bathed, when she woke or went to sleep, what she said or learned… and she still didn't know who these bastards were, how she went from Russia to a place where everyone spoke English with American accents.
Ella couldn't remember the last time she had laughed or smiled, because there was no joy in that place. She had lost track of time, she had no idea how long she had been there. The days bled into one another, a never ending stream of monotony.
Warwick walked briskly down the halls of the base, speaking with one of the superiors responsible for the girl's training and 'education'.
"Do we tell her about her brother?" the man had asked, flickering through the news on a tablet.
"Of course not," Warwick said. "It'll give her a drive to fight us,"
The man nodded silently. "SHIELD has been having some negotiations with Stark,"
Warwick sighed heavily. "That could be a problem," he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll talk to Pierce about it… how is our recruit doing?"
The two men stopped outside of the heavy metal doors.
"See for yourself,"
The doors slid open, revealing a sparring match in session in the middle of the room. There were three men surrounding the girl, who every day grew in strength. She had gained muscle and moved lithely, dangerously. He watched as the girl defended herself from the three hostile. The first men charged at her quickly, but he was so burdened by the armor he needed to wear, that the girl was able to step out of the way at the last second, and knock his feet from under him, causing the man to collapse face first onto the cement. The second man came at her with a metal baton and swung at her. Ella raised an arm to block it. Warwick wondered if that caused her any pain, or if she had killed the nerves in her arms by now. The girl kicked the man who had swung at her, sending him flying backwards. The last man managed to catch her off guard, hitting her across the face, but the girl barely flinched, her eyes slowly dragging from the ground to the assailant. Warwick could see the blood drain from the man's face from where he stood. The girl knocked him to the ground easily, going down with him and pinning him down before raising a fist and releasing.
Ella was seeing red as she hovered over the man, punching him over and over in the face, not thinking, unable to think, only feeling the red rage that filled her when she thought about all these men had taken from her. This was the only way she was able to get back, and she couldn't stop herself. She knew the man had been unconscious since the first punch, but she kept on going. His face was bleeding, covering her knuckles. Ella was coated in sweat, grunting with each attack. She knew if she kept going like this, she would kill him. She didn't care. They were training her to be a killer anyway.
She did stop, however, but not by her choice. They gave her an especially powerful shock, causing her to stop her attack and clutch her head, crying out in pain and collapsing beside the man on the concrete.
There was a slow applause. Ella looked up to see Warwick taking a few steps closer to her.
"You've improved greatly, such strength," he turned to the man beside her. "I believe it is time to continue to weapons, now… if you promise not to do something foolish, Miss Rogers,"
Ella stood slowly, wiping sweat from her brow. "I won't,"
"You won't, what?"
"I won't, sir," She bit out.
"Good to hear,"
And so, they started training her with knifes, guns and so on. The security had been upped, they had brought the young girl back in for the first day, just to remind Ella what was at stake if she used those weapons against the men in the room.
They taught her how to shoot different types of guns, from pistols to rifles, left hand and right hand, how to attack with small blades. It was less painful than the beginning of combat training, and for that she was thankful.
At night, now that she was sure that the men wouldn't barge into her 'room' after they had locked her in for the night, she would take the locket out of its hiding spot, opening it up and looking at Bucky's face, just to ensure she would never forget it, just to remind her she was someone else before she came here, that she had loved someone, that someone had loved her. It helped her sleep.
They slowly perfected her aim, her shot, made her hand steady, shown her the best parts of the human body to shoot to ensure a quick death. She hated what she was becoming.
Warwick came in to check her progress every once in a while, watching from the sidelines. He was also there one what they believed was the last day of her training. They assessed her skills, putting up targets around the room, allowing her shoot, both left handed and right handed, from behind obstacles, throwing knives… she had become quite proficient with the weapons.
Warwick seemed please when he saw that she hadn't missed target once. It had been a year and a half of non-stop training, and now it was time to put all of that hard work to use.
"You're finally ready," Warwick grinned. "We'll be sending you on your first mission, soon. Probably a standard assassination, low danger target, just to see how you behave in the field for the first time, and later we'll plant you somewhere, work your way in…" he began speaking to himself.
Ella shook her head. "No,"
Warwick blinked once. "Excuse me? What was that?"
She looked up, meeting his gaze with dangerously narrowed eyes. "I won't kill for you. I'll kill myself before I hurt anyone else,"
"Are you sure about that, Miss Rogers?" he asked. "Think about what's at risk, the people that you love,"
"Nothing's at risk," Ella spat out. "Everyone I've ever loved is dead!"
"What if I told you that wasn't true?"
The others in the room shifted in nervousness, wondering if he was going to tell the girl about her brother, who had been found a year earlier and was alive and well. They feared what would happen if she found out, especially now that she was trained.
Warwick had expected something like this to happen, but he had prepared far before this moment.
"You knew a man names James Barnes, right? Your brother had been very close to him, I can only assume you were too," Warwick said. "He was KIA during the war,"
Ella had flashes of the train, of him falling, a dull echo of the heartbreak.
"He's not dead,"
Ella shook her head bitterly. "Stop talking about him,"
"I'm being completely honest, Miss Rogers," Warwick said. "James Barnes is still alive. He didn't die when he fell off that train,"
"Even if that's true," Ella murmured. "It's been seventy years, there's no way he's alive,"
"Again, incorrect Miss Rogers," he stated. He held a tablet in his hand and gave it to Ella. "See for yourself,"
Ella tentatively took the tablet and glanced down at the screen. It was a video, in a dark room, not unlike the one she had been stuck in for so long. There was a man on the screen wearing a harsh, black uniform. He was seated in a chair, there was a strange device on it. Ella's lips parted as she recognized him, face morphing in horror.
It was Bucky, he might have been unrecognizable for someone else, but she knew him. His hair was longer, he had stubble on his chin, his face was blank, and his left arm was made entirely of metal, but it was him. He was alive.
There was sound on the video, but it was all in Russian. Ella didn't understand it, but when Bucky spoke, her breath escaped her chest. She didn't think she would ever hear his voice again. She couldn't tear her eyes away as two men came into the picture, pushing on Bucky's chest and forcing him back into the chair. Her brows furrowed as she watched the strange device lower over his head, as he began to breath erratically, and then as he began to scream, painful, terrible screams.
Warwick took the tablet from her hands before it could go on any further.
"What are you doing to him?" Ella demanded. "How could you? Where is he?"
"He's in one of our other bases," Warwick replied, almost nonchalantly, contrasting with Ella's frantic worry. She was nearly in hysterics.
"What did you do to him?"
"We trained him, like we trained you," the man spoke calmly. "He's an asset, like you will be, trained, deadly, obedient,"
Ella blinked. "Why him?"
Warwick almost looked surprised. "I'm guessing he didn't tell you much about his time with HYDRA?"
She shook her head. He hadn't liked talking about it.
"Well," Warwick began to explain. "During his time there, he underwent some experiments as HYDRA struggled to create a super soldier, like your brother, like you…"
"He was enhanced?" Ella breathed in bewilderment. That whole time, Ella had no idea. How could she had not known?
"He is enhanced," the man said. "He's still alive, comply and he will remain that way,"
Ella raised a brow. "You would lose an asset to keep me?"
Warwick shrugged. "You two have the same skill set, but you do have something he doesn't. You see, his conditioning led to him be a bit… different. He wouldn't be able to adapt into a societal situation, like you can. We wouldn't be losing much, but you would be losing everything,"
Ella was horrified, but she knew he was right. The man she loved was still alive, still out there in the world, and in the hands of people who didn't care if he lived or died. She knew there was only one thing she could do. She was defeated.
"I'll do whatever you want," Ella whispered. "Just don't hurt him… please,"
Warwick smirked. "Now that's what I like to hear,"
Ella didn't fight back as they prepared her for the mission. They strapped her into a dark uniform, covered in harsh, geometric stitching, thick shoulder and knee pads and holsters covering her entire being. It would be unlikely if she ran out of weapons.
They briefed her on the mission, the target, the location, any possible security measures that could hinder her.
Far too soon for her liking, it was time. Ella hadn't been out of the few rooms in a year and a half. The minute she was escorted out, she began counting the twists and turns of the halls, picking out cameras and where security was posted, how long it would take her to get out if she ever could manage to get past the doors.
They brought her outside. There wasn't any identifiable landmarks that could help tell her where she was.
Two handlers walked on either side of her, leading her to where a helicopter was sitting, waiting for her.
Ella could hardly think the entire flight, mind muddled by the fact that she was on her way to take a life, in order to keep another alive. Did Bucky even know she was alive? Were they using her as motivation the same way they were using him? She knew he wouldn't willingly do their bidding, that he wouldn't take lives on a whim. She had to remember him tonight if she was going to get through it.
The helicopter landed. Ella was reminded that if she stepped out of line, she would be punished, and then she was sent on her way.
She had to get to the location by foot. The helicopter was too obvious, she would be instantly spotted.
She blended into the shadows. The home was on the edge of the woods, the trees providing excellent cover. She stepped through the undergrowth until she reached the end, seeing the lights of the house up ahead.
Doctor Maria Lunes, 33 years old, lives alone, mechanical engineer. Her projects had proven too useful against the men who held Ella captive. She needed to be eliminated.
Ella quickly crossed the manicured lawn until her back was pressed against the wall. She stopped next to a window, easily prying it open and slipping inside. She landed quietly on the carpeted ground and looked around the home. It was different from what Ella had been used to as a child, but it was a home. There were photos on the walls, books open on tables, a coffee cup. It make Ella miss domesticity.
Ella stepped quietly through the house, pulling a gun from a thigh holster. She stepped softly up a flight of stairs, gun raised and eyes narrowed. She reached the top, and saw a light coming from a crack in the door. It was nearly three at night, the woman shouldn't be awake. It would heighten the stakes of the mission. With her gun raised, Ella stepped into the room.
She was lucky, the woman was asleep. The lamp next to her bed was switched on, an open notebook on her chest, glasses resting crookedly across her nose. She looked so peaceful, so innocent… it was a shame what Ella had to do.
With a shaking hand, Ella raised her gun. Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes grew damp, throat constricting almost to the point what she would breath.
"I'm sorry," Ella whispered, before she pulled the trigger.
The silencer dulled the noise of the gun, but not the sound as it hit the woman's head, nor did it stop the feeling of the splatter of blood on her face. Ella let out a gasp, tearing her eyes away from the scene on the bed.
She had taken her first life.
When she got back to the base, the blood dried on her face, Warwick was there to receive her with a wide grin on his face.
"Congratulations, Miss Rogers. You've done wonderfully,"
Ella didn't feel wonderful. She glanced up, allowing Warwick to see the hollow look on her face, the contrast of the vivid red blood on her pale face. "Can I see him? James? Please?"
Warwick seemed almost surprised by the request, even chuckling at it. "I'm afraid not, Miss Rogers. Besides, even if you do see him, he won't know you. He doesn't know anyone from before,"
Ella's lips turned into a scowl. "You bastards,"
"Perhaps, if you keep doing well, we can work something out," Warwick suggested. "But for now, go get cleaned up,"
They took her to the showers, which were harsh and always cold. She stood under the power stream of water, letting it hit her sore shoulders and run down her body. She could only muster up the strength to scrub the dried blood off her face.
As Ella sat in her room that night, she couldn't sleep, taking out her locket and looking at the photos, wondering if the man in the photo would still love her now.
…
Ella was trapped in that base for another year. They had sent her out on a few more assassinations before they decided it was high time to plant her, because a standard mission would be impossible with this man's security.
It was Tony Stark.
They were placing her in the man's business as a simple assistant, knowing that he had an affinity for pretty girls. They expected that it would lower his guard, allowing her to take the man out. She wasn't pleased about this mission, she had known his father and had been educated about the fact that he had created a weaponized suit. He was more dangerous than any other mission Ella had been sent on, and she had single handedly taken out teams of bodyguards.
Instead of the normal, harsh uniform, they had put her in a classy dress, had cleaned and brushed her hair, and even applied some makeup. Ella hardly recognized herself in the mirror.
"There you go, Miss Rogers," Warwick said, standing before Ella and looking her up and down in her dress and pumps. He reached towards her face, skimming the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. "Almost forgot how pretty you could be. Stark won't know what hit him,"
Ella tried not to lean away from his touch, though it disgusted her.
"This mission will take a bit longer than normal," Warwick said. "We have an apartment set up for you, we expect a report every day,"
"Yes sir,"
"That's what I like to hear," Warwick said. "Now, smile. No one's going to trust you with that mean look on your face,"
Ella faced towards Warwick and flashed her teeth, but it wasn't really a smile. It didn't reach her eyes.
"Good," Warwick praised. "We'll see you soon,"
…
Ella was nervous as she was dropped off at the front of Stark tower. She hadn't been out in day light in what felt like forever, and she most definitely hadn't been surrounded by this many people. She felt as though she was going to be sick, but she stepped out of the car onto the bustling streets. Instantly, she felt overwhelmed. There were too many people, she couldn't analyze them, check them for weapons, recognize them. There was a slew of different languages around her, the clothes so different from what she had known. A man whistled at her as he passed by.
Ella clenched her fists and pushed through the crowd until she was inside. It was instantly calmer, like she had stepped into another world.
She stepped up to the front desk, trying to remember how she should speak to someone, she hadn't had any real conversations, only answering when spoken to. It was like speaking another language for the first time. However, it seemed that she was doing fine. The woman behind the desk gave her an access card, that had her photo and her fake name on it.
Ella rode the elevator to the top floor, where Tony worked. Ella didn't know how the men had managed to get her a job as his personal assistant, just for her to kill him.
Ella took a deep breath as she got out of the elevator. It opened to a workshop, where Stark was sat, hunched over a table with half-finished electronics covering it. He glanced up as Ella entered, pulling the goggles up his forehead.
"I don't think I know you,"
"I'm your assistant," Ella said, trying to smile, even though the action felt foreign.
Stark nodded. "Right, Pepper said something about that, said I was too stressed… needed someone to babysit me," he looked at her. "What should I call you?"
Ella Rogers, she wanted to shout.
"Jane Jordan, pleased to meet you,"
Stark nodded. "Alright, Jane. Come over here, I need an extra pair of hands,"
Ella complied, holding down the contraption while Tony cranked something.
"You got a good grip," Stark commented.
Ella hadn't noticed how tight she was holding it, loosening her grip slightly. She glanced around the room, noting any weapons in the room, wondering what he was creating. It wasn't her area of expertise, it would be hard to report something she doesn't understand.
"Just trying to make some repairs on some of the Avengers tech…" Stark told her.
The Avengers? Ella didn't know what that was. How much of the news were they filtering from her? How much was she missing?
"What kind?" Ella asked.
"You into tech?" he asked.
Ella shrugged. "Just like to learn,"
The week went by slowly, Ella trying to get Stark to trust her, which he seemed to. A bit of flirtation here and there, but Ella knew he loved the woman who was now the CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts. It was just a habit of his. Ella had known others like that, like Bucky. He had a natural, flirtatious personality. He simply couldn't help it.
Ella had reported back to them every night. They had disabled the television and the internet in her room to ensure she couldn't bypass their filtered education. She hated it, she hated them, but she didn't really hate Tony Stark. Sure, he could be annoying, but he had good intentions.
Finally, the day came when they told her it was time to finish the mission. Ella had no choice but to agree, pulling out a pistol and fitting it with a silencer.
Ella had concealed her pistol on her being the next morning, smiling at the lady at the desk, like she had done every day before, they wouldn't be expecting anything. She rode the elevator to the top floor, only to find the main room empty. She could hear rock and roll music from down below, where Tony kept scraps and the bigger tools. He was on the floor below. Ella went to the stairs, taking out her pistol and descending down the stairs slowly. There was a glass wall before the lower workshop, Ella pausing on the edge and peeking, trying to find where he was. He was welding two pieces of metal together.
Ella took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself.
"Who the hell are you?"
Ella gasped and whipped around, seeing a man at the top of the stairs. She recognized him from her briefing on her mission, James Rhodes, Tony's friend. Out of all the days he could have been there, it was right now.
She was compromised.
Rhodes came at her, but Ella was easily able to smack him out of the way, throwing him into the cement wall. The man grunted in pain, but he quickly shook it off, and pulled out a concealed pistol and aimed at her. She wasn't supposed to kill anyone else, so instead of hitting Rhodes, she fired at the glass wall. It shattered into a million pieces, distracting Rhodes enough for Ella to escape.
It was her first failed mission.
…
Ella was picked up and brought back to the base, wondering if her mistake would lead to the loss of life of someone she cared about.
They brought her back to the base, but she could tell something was off. She wasn't immediately cornered and reprimanded. There was worry in the air, something important was happening. Ella was simply brought back to her room and locked in.
From the outside, Warwick spoke with other higher-ups in the base.
"Project Insight was a failure, and we couldn't take out Stark," Warwick said, shaking his head. "We're done, the Avengers are going to come for us…"
"Good god," the other man said. "If Captain America gets here and sees her… we're dead,"
People were already fleeing the base, escaping HYDRA while they still could.
"We need to evacuate," Warwick said. "End it… kill the girl,"
"Yes, sir."
Three heavily armed men made their way to the rooms where the girl was kept, ready to complete their orders.
Ella sat on the edge of her bed, holding her locket, but something changed. She heard the door open, the sound of a gun being loaded. She had been here a long time, she knew the sounds of the routine, and this time, something was off. They were going to do something to her. She slipped her locket on for the first time in almost three years, stood up before the door, and prepared for a fight.
The door slid open, and she was instantly met by the end of a rifle. Ella grabbed it, pointing it to the ceiling just as it fired, yanking it out of the man's hands, and knocking him out. She took the gun and fired at the two other men, hitting them dead on. They collapsed to the ground in a pile. Ella took pistols from them and their access cards. She was getting out of there.
From his office, Warwick watched the security cameras in horror, as the girl plowed her way through all the agents in the base. She was beautifully deadly, terrifying in the way she moved. They had created this, and now they had to deal with the consequences. She left littered bodies behind her as she made her way down the hall, she was almost to his office.
"Shit!" Warwick cursed, reaching for a gun in his desk, aiming it at the door as it opened, but she was quicker.
Ella shot his hand that held the gun, causing the man to cry out in pain and clutch the hand to his chest, and drop the gun to the floor.
She looked terrifying, eyes heavily hooded and dark. She was furious, blood smeared across his face. "Don't move,"
Warwick nodded silently as she slid the door shut behind her. He had never been in a situation where the girl had this kind of freedom, reckless, dangerous.
"Where is he?" she asked.
"Who?"
"James. Buchannan. Barnes." She said, each word hard and angry. "Where the hell is he?"
"We don't know!" he said quickly.
"Don't fucking lie," Ella said taking a step closer.
"I'm not! I'm not!" Warwick said, shaking his head. "He's run off, we're all broken."
"Who's we?"
Warwick swallowed hard. "HYDRA,"
"HYDRA?!" she repeated. "I've been working for Nazis? You bastard!"
At least they were through. She was done killing for them, now, she was there to kill for herself. She pointed the gun at Warwick's head, and did something she had been wanting to do for years.
"See you in hell,"
Ella pulled the trigger. His head snapped backwards as he slumped in the chair, head lolled back.
Ella went to the computer, knowing she needed to create a new self. Ella Rogers technically didn't exist anymore, she needed a new identity. Ella first looked up herself, to see if they had something on her that even she didn't know of. She had a chip behind her ear, which was both a tracking device and administered shocks through her body. She took a knife and cut it out herself, even if it hurt a bit, she couldn't risk being caught.
She then proceeded to make herself a new person. Their technology was unmatched. She was able to create a bank account, a passport, a driver's license, an ID… she had everything she needed.
Ella grabbed her new identifications, and her pistol, and got the hell out of the base.
…
Back in Stark towers, Tony stood reviewing the footage of the girl who had created a Rhodey shaped dent in his wall in an attempt to kill him. JARVIS hadn't been able to match her with anyone. She didn't seem to exist.
Tony cursed under his breath and popped a few blueberries in his mouth. The other Avengers had been arriving in the tower after the Helicarrier incident, prepared to take down what was left of the HYDRA bases. Steve came up behind him, curious of what Stark had been analyzing for so long.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Some video of a crazy chick who tried to kill me," he said. "Not the first time it's happened though… only problem is, I have no idea who she is. She doesn't exist…"
Steve narrowed his eyes at the video, looking at the girl before his stomach dropped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, it didn't make any sense, it couldn't be possible.
"That's… that's my sister,"
…
Ella was finally out in the world. The first thing she did was learn. She learned everything she could, everything that HYDRA had hid from her was now coming to light. The Avengers, the alien invasion, and most importantly, her brother.
He was alive, she couldn't believe it. Both Steve and Bucky were out there, she didn't know where, she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to see Steve. He wouldn't recognize her, and she wasn't the same. She had killed people. She knew Bucky was hurting, though. He had been though the same horrors as she had.
So, after she had learned all she could, she decided she had to find him.
Ella had stolen a laptop from the base where she was kept, which held all the information she need for her new mission. She would go from base to base, searching for someone who could find Bucky, and taking out what's left of HYDRA one by one, enacting her revenge for what they had done to her.
The first base was somewhere in Canada. Ella made sure she had enough bullets to take out the first few men and then steal their weapons.
She was merciless as she entered the base, sniping the men down one at a time. She made it seem unfair, even though there was one girl against an entire base of armed men… but no one had any answers that she wanted.
She went to base after base, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
She wanted to see her brother, she really did, but she didn't want him to see her. She hardly felt human anymore. She hated herself, she hated what she had become.
…
The Avengers went to a base, expecting a fight, but only to find that someone had gotten there before them. It was empty. In confusion, Stark checked the security cameras, and saw a familiar face.
"That's her," Steve spoke, shaking his head as she cut her way through the halls.
"How?" Stark asked. "It's been seventy years… she went missing,"
"It's not the first time something like this has happened," Steve spoke.
"Did she try to kill you?" Clint asked Stark. "I thought she was with HYDRA. Why is she doing this?"
"There's no way she was willingly with HYDRA," Steve said, almost offended.
"Look at her go…" Natasha commented, watching the way she moved. "They did a number on her. She's gotta be enhanced,"
"She's definitely enhanced," Stark said. "I still have a crater in my wall,"
Steve wondered if she remembered him, or if she was like Bucky. If she knew him, she surly would have found him, or so he thought, if she was the girl he remembered.
But, as he watched the girl pull the trigger without hesitation, he wondered if she still was.
…
Ella was growing frustrated with her fruitless missions. She wasn't any closer to finding Bucky, but she was able to take out HYDRA, which did make her feel a bit better. She wondered if he was still alive. There hadn't been any sightings of him since the incident with the helicarriers. Maybe, she just couldn't do it alone. Perhaps, after this last base, she would find Steve.
It went like her last few raids had gone, kicking down the door, slamming heads into the ground, snipping. She had cleared out the base before she even knew it. When she was certain that the bunker was empty, she went to look through the files, to see if there was an information she hadn't learned. She always took a few hours to look through the files, learn about what HYDRA had did, who worked for them and so on.
Ella tucked her hair behind her ear and placed the gun on the table, reading through a file on the head of HYDRA, Pierce, who had died during the failed Project Insight. She was halfway through the file when she heard footsteps. Ella snatched up her gun and aimed at the open door, firing quickly, but for the first time, it didn't strike flesh, it hit metal.
Ella didn't see his face at first, only an arm covering himself. When he didn't instantly attack, Ella slowly lowered the gun, brows furrowing. She didn't relinquish her grip on the pistol as the man slowly turned to her. At first, the rim of his cap covered his face, but he soon lifted his face towards Ella.
Her lips parted as she recognized him.
It was Bucky.
His hair had grown out, his chin coated with stubble. He wore layers of cheap clothing, but Ella couldn't judge, she was wearing the same thing.
She couldn't say anything, fearing what would happen. Did he know her? Warwick had told her he didn't know anyone before she put a bullet in his head. Was that man telling the truth? Or was he feeding her more lies?
He blinked at her, eyes narrowing slightly at the girl. "Ella?"
The girl inhaled sharply. "You know me?"
Panic set into Bucky at that comment. Did they do the same thing to her as they did to him? Did she remember anything? "Do you know me?"
Ella nodded. "Yes, of course, Bucky," her heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing here?"
"The same thing as you… but you got here first," he glanced at the girl, analyzing her face. She looked as similar as she was different. Her eyes loss some of their brightness, face thinner and more hollow. Her hair had been cut, it fell limply and into her eyes. She looked empty, she looked lost. It made him angry to think about the loss of her innocence. He shook his head softly. "God, what did they do to you?"
Ella placed the gun on the table, pressing her lips together tightly as she began to break. "They made me a killer,"
Bucky slowly made his way over to the girl, the girl he had loved, the girl he still loved. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. Bucky noted a bronze gleam on his chest, slowly reaching out and taking the locket within his hand.
"You still have this?" he asked.
Ella smiled sadly. "Of course. I looked at it every night when I was… there,"
She noted his silver hand, eyes widening. What she saw was true, they had given him this arm, made him a weapon.
"What did they do to you?" Ella asked him this time.
"Wiped my memories," Bucky said. "Couldn't fight back if I didn't have anything to fight for. Did they do the same to you?"
Ella shook her head, placing her hands on his arms, savoring being close to him for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "No, I kept my memories… they used you. They threatened to kill you if I didn't comply," she reached out slowly and placed her hand on the side of his face, giving a watery smile. "I can't believe you're here,"
Bucky embraced her tightly, arms wrapped around her waist. Ella hid her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in deeply as her eyes began to fill with tears.
Bucky couldn't believe he had found her. He hadn't known she was alive until he raided a base on his own and found her files, causing the memories to flood back to him in a huge wave. He didn't know where he could find her, but it seemed fate brought them together.
"I never thought I'd see you again," Ella murmured. "I thought you were dead,"
"I know," he said softly. "I'm sorry,"
"It wasn't your fault," Ella said, leaning back so that she could look at him. "It was HYDRA… but they don't matter anymore… I missed you."
"I miss you too," he said honestly, though his face was slightly pained. "I've done terrible things,"
"Me too," Ella said. "I almost killed Tony Stark,"
"I killed Howard,"
Ella knew that a few years ago, that sentence would have shaken her, but not anymore. "God, we're a mess,"
"Yeah, we are," he agreed, looking down at her face. She was as beautiful as he remembered, and although not everything was clear in his head, he knew he still loved her. He placed a hand on the side of her face, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. He slowly drew her close before pressing his lips hers softly.
Ella's eyes fluttered shut at the contact, a blissful haze taking over her body. She never thought she would be able to kiss him again, it nearly brought another wave of tears to her eyes. Although the kiss was quick, it was all she needed. When they parted, Ella was beaming, the first real smile she had in years.
"Listen, I know you've been through a lot and they messed with your head, so you don't have to say this back but-"
"I love you,"
Ella blinked in surprise, not expecting that announcement from him. "You- you do?"
She hadn't heard him say those words in over 70 years.
"I love you too,"
She had never gotten to tell him that.
Ella kissed him again and felt warmth in her chest. She felt like she had before HYDRA, she was happy, beyond happy, she was elated. It contrasted heavily with the dull indifference she had forced herself to feel while she was captured.
"Have you found Steve yet?" Bucky asked.
Ella shook his head. "No, I don't even know if he knows I'm alive,"
Bucky didn't have an answer for her.
"I was planning on going to find him after this," Ella told him. "But… I'm scared, especially after all that I've done,"
Bucky nodded. "I understand, but Steve would want us back. He knew what I did and still…"
Ella nodded. "Yeah… if Steve were me, I'd still want him back,"
Bucky nodded. "We should go,"
Ella grabbed her bag and her gun from the table, leaving the files half-finished, but she didn't care anymore. Side by side, they went down the hall, but they heard voices down the hall. They froze, preparing for conflict. Ella raised her pistol, Bucky placed his left arm out, in case he needed to stop bullets.
They pressed their backs against the wall, inching their way towards the corner where the other voices were coming from.
"Damn," one of the voices said, a male. "Looks like she beat us to it again,"
"How do you know it's her?" a female this time.
"Do you know any other person who's been consistently taking out HYDRA bases?" man, voice tinny, familiar. It was Stark.
"No offense, Cap, but I think your sister lost it," someone said. "Look at this shit… it's like a horror movie,"
Ella felt suddenly guilty at their judgement.
"I don't blame her. You saw the files that got leaked. They tortured her," said another, but this voice, Ella new like the back of her hand. It was Steve.
Ella glanced at Bucky, both of them recognizing who spoke. They knew what it meant; their meeting with Steve had been fast-tracked, and they had to hope that they were ready for it.
A woman came around the corner first. Natasha Romanoff, skilled fighter, went by Black Widow. Ella had skimmed over her information when she escaped. The woman rounded the corner first, noting the two hanging by the wall. She acted in instinct, lashing out at Ella. She dodged the attack, grabbing Natasha's arm and twisting it behind her back before immobilizing her by putting her in a headlock.
Another man went at Bucky, Clint Barton, sharp shooter. He tried to stick him with an arrow, but Bucky blocked it with his arm. He ripped the bow out of Barton's hands before placing it over his throat, keeping Barton immobilized.
Three more people rounded the corner, all prepared for a fight. Stark was out front, in his suit, hand raised and ready to fire at the two of them who held the rest of their team captive.
Stark tilted his head to the side. "Oh, hi again Jane."
Ella swallowed hard, not budging at Natasha struggled under her arms. The woman, though skilled, couldn't match her strength.
She looked past Stark to the man to his right. It was Steve. He slowly lowered his shield, eyes flickering from Ella to Bucky. He took a few steps forward, slowly, until he stood in front of Stark.
"Do you two know who I am?"
Ella nodded slowly, Bucky did the same.
Steve still looked cautious, though he was relieved to hear that both of them knew who he was.
"Alright…" Steve said slowly, holding a hand out to his team mates, signaling them to lower their weapons. "We're not here to hurt you… so please, let them go."
Ella only hesitated a heartbeat before gradually lessening her grip on the woman until she was free. Bucky did the same for Barton, before handing him his bow back. They both seemed a little less than pleased to have been caught and held so tightly. Natasha rubbed her throat irritably, casting a glance at Ella.
Steve looked at the two before motioning at the carnage in the hall. "You two do this?"
Bucky shook his head. "It was her. I showed up late,"
"You two… just found each other?"
Ella nodded. "Yes,"
"Are you two alright?"
She shrugged. "I've been better. Been a rough few years… for both of us,"
"We're here to help," Steve told them.
"I know," Ella said, taking a few steps forward and throwing her arms around her brother. Steve let the shield drop and embraced his sister.
He had only just found out she was alive, the same for her, but they were together again. Ella pulled away from him, allowing her brother to greet Bucky, before turning to Stark, who's helmet had folded back.
"I'm sorry for trying to kill you," she said honestly. "I hadn't wanted to,"
"Who would?" Stark said. "Just patch up that hole in my wall and we'll be good."
Ella's lips twitched, nearly in a smile at the tiny joke.
Bucky reached out and intertwined his fingers with Ella's, who gave his hand a tight squeeze. She was happy to be with him, and to find Steve. She knew that he and Bucky weren't the same as they had been before, and they had some things to work through, but they were together, and Ella knew she could get through anything with them.
a/n:
wow, this turned out much longer than expected. Still, I hope you liked it. I might be writing more one shots as a way to stall until we have more material in the MCU, so don't be afraid to request an idea!
Don't forget to review!