Rumlow held the gun to the doctor's head. "He left with the file?"
The doctor was sweating as he accepted his fate. "Yes. He forced me to tell him what we discussed with Ella."
Rumlow pressed the barrel harder into his forehead. "And you willingly gave it to him?"
"Do you see the bruising? The cuts? He tossed me around the room like a doll. Would you rather me have kept my mouth shut and died?" he asked.
"Would've saved me the trouble." Said Rumlow.
"This complicates nothing. You know that." Said the doctor.
"If by this time tomorrow the plan does not go as scheduled, you'll wish you would've died at his hands." Said Rumlow dropping the gun.
***********ELLA'S FILE***************
EXPERIMENT # K348 E.L.A.
NAME: Elise Lauren Amiel 'Kreutz'
BIRTHPLACE: WITHHELD
SEX: Female
D.O.B.: WITHHELD
ABILITIES: Observed E.L.A. anticipate and counter attacks. Suspect develops telepathy when attacked. Telepathy not exhibited outside of perceived threat. Enhanced strength when attacked. Testing showed E.L.A. mimicked strength/ability of her attacker as defense for survival. Serum #4958 produced results as needed regarding enhanced healing ability. E.L.A. subjected to multiple scenarios of attack. E.L.A. most severely damaged by ASSET but was able to withstand and counter attack. This will be repeated to ensure E.L.A. can withstand most brutal opponent.
EXPERIMENT(S): Administered psychotropic enhancers and memory inhibitor to subject. Neuro electric shock used to subdue the long term memory to allow viability for enhancer and inhibitor. Subject then susceptible to suggestion. Dr. Meuller completed the process by giving the information to subject of the persona to be used on mission. Dr. Meuller used a hypnotic technique to build persona to be used for mission. Dr. Meuller used specific phrase given to ASSET to return E.L.A. to foundational persona state after completed mission. This would allow all knowledge of the mission to be erased. Initial mission to terminate subject's family successful. Upon return from mission, once in foundational persona state the subject had no memory of mission. Subject genuinely in disbelief at death of family.
NOTES: E.L.A. while in foundational persona took interest in ASSET. Subject concerned about ASSET's process for reset. Concern was addressed and used subject to perfect process without neuro electrical shock. Updated ASSET's file.
SURGERY: Egg retrieval for cryo completed. Sterilization considered – order withdrawn by Kreutz
DOCTORS ATTENDING: Mueller, Kreutz, Stahl
ALIAS: Ella Macoy, Sara Kyle, Eva Barnes, Cynthia Downes, Sofie Weber, Rosalie Smits, Lauren Daly, Anna Bruce, Natash Morgan, Audry Fuller, Elina Tsahalis
***************END REPORT********************
"How can we trust this file?" asked Tony. "They have been manipulating you two, right?"
"It's all we've got." Said Bucky.
Steve looked through it. "No birthdate or place listed." He sighed. "They have over ten aliases listed for her." said Steve, "They used your last name for one." he said looking at Bucky.
Bucky looked at Steve. There wasn't time to explain now.
"Yeah, they primed her to take on multiple personalities as they needed for missions." Said Bucky.
"Were you the only asset? If so, looks like you have the key to her reset." Said Steve.
"To my knowledge. The problem is, I have no memory of that." He said feeling frustrated.
"You two are quite the match." Said Tony. Steve and Bucky looked at him annoyed. "Sorry, just you thought she was your key and turns out you are hers. Or maybe it's more mutual than that?"
Steve and Bucky ignored him, "So what do you think their next move is?" asked Steve.
"Ella." Said Bucky.
"Then what are you two sitting around for. I think we need to share this information with her." Said Tony heading to the elevator. Steve and Bucky followed. As the elevator doors closed Tony's phone rang.
Ella knew she had little time to get out now that Bucky was back. They would want to talk to her about the doctor. She never heard the news that Bucky was cleared, so she never made the call. A knock at her door startled her.
"Who is it?" she called out.
"Ella, open the door, please." Said Tony.
She unlocked the door and opened it. Steve, Bucky, and Tony stood staring back at her.
"We need to talk about a few things starting with the doctor." Said Tony.
"Yeah, I thought you might but seeing as Bucky just got back and I'm sure has quite a story to tell." She said but Tony cut her off.
"I just received word that Bucky has been cleared of all charges from all agencies, international, federal, state, you name it." He said.
Ella did her best to look surprised. She didn't have to try too hard because she was. She didn't trust Rumlow and his crew but they did it.
"That's great. You're a free man." She said. He looked at her with a solemn stare. "You can smile." She said.
"This news kind of leads us to want to know more about what exactly went on at the doctor's. That and the psychotic shooter." Said Tony.
Ella looked at Tony, "It wasn't him."
"Ella, something was off when we left there." Said Steve. "You didn't even sense the threat."
Ella looked at Bucky, then to the other men. "I can't stay. I can't keep doing this. I know I said I'd help but I haven't. In light of what I learned at the facility, I just need to leave."
This wasn't sitting right with Bucky. "Ella, that doesn't make sense and you know it."
She found it hard to look him in the eye, "It does to me." She said doing her best to keep eye contact to convince him.
"Ella, if there is something going on you can tell us and we will help you." Said Tony.
"I wish it were that simple." She lied. "I just can't do this. You have to respect that. You guys looked after me and protected me."
"Bucky retrieved your file." Said Steve. Bucky looked at Steve disapprovingly. He wanted to wait to tell her.
"Ella, I know that was the doctor from the facility. He had your file." He said.
Ella couldn't hide her shock. "You risked your life for my file?" she asked irritated. "This is why I need to go. There is nothing in my past I want to claim if Kreutz was right. I've done enough damage. Counselors are a dime a dozen. You'll find a good one out there." She said attempting to walk past them.
Bucky stepped in front of her. "It's not about your service, it's about you."
His words gave her goosebumps. "I hurt you." she argued.
"And I hurt you." he countered.
"I can't forgive myself." She said.
"That's where you're in luck, I can." He said.
"You're so stubborn." She said.
"I know." He said. "Part of my charm."
"Not sure that's how I'd define it." She replied.
"Got plenty of time to talk it over." He said hoping he was getting through to her.
She walked close to him and spoke in almost a whisper. "Let me go."
He leaned close to her cheek to speak in her ear a soft, "No."
"I don't know what our past was but we can't have a future." she whispered to him. Her heart sank. She didn't want to say those words but she had to find some way to create space. She had to get out and make the call. He stared at her. She could see the hurt in his eyes. She had to stay strong. "You have to let me go."
"I won't. I don't care what deal you made with the devil to clear my name." he said staring into her eyes. "I'm not leaving you, not this time."
"This time?" she questioned. "Bucky."
"Tell me you made no deal there with the doctor or Rumlow." he said.
"What?" she said in shock.
"You might not talk but I found a few people who did." he said.
She scanned his face. The bruises fading and cuts healing. "They made a deal with you. Your life for my clear name." he said.
She was speechless.
"This is what they do, Ella. They can't be trusted but every time they play with our heads we forget enough to think there is hope." he said. "The only hope we have is each other. You have to believe me."
"It's the only way I can help you." she said as she felt a tear fall down her cheek.
"No, it's not. I need you here, with me, with us. We need to go with Tony's plan and leave. We stick with the plan, our deal." he said. It was usually her, it seemed, directing him. Now, he was turning the tables. He took his hand and gently wiped the tear from her cheek.
She turned around and looked at Steve and Tony.
"If you leave, we follow." said Steve.
"Agreed. So let's take the short route around all this and you listen to Bucky." he said then mumbled, "Can't believe I just said that."
Ella turned back to Bucky. "Please?" she said as she stifled the tears. As she pleaded with him she saw a tear fall down his cheek. "No." he said as he broke her rule by wrapping his arms around her and holding her closely to him. She buried her head in her chest as she felt the tears fall. She felt drained and scared. She appreciated each of them but this was not the plan. She felt she had sealed their fate by letting them keep her here and not go. She had no idea what would happen if she did not make the call.
"Tony, can I talk to you a moment." said Steve sensing Ella may need a moment. The two men walked out as Steve touched Bucky's shoulder to let him know they'd be near.
Ella brought her hands to wipe the tears from her face. "So spill it. Our past. What is so crucial that I have to stay?"
Bucky pulled a chain from his neck and handed it to her. She looked at the chain that had an antique diamond solitaire attached. She examined the ring. On the inside of the ring she saw the initials "JBB+ELA".
She looked up at him, "Are these your initials?"
He shook his head, "Ours." He said. "I guess I only remembered your initials, that's why I called you Ella. The point is, no matter what their plans, they couldn't erase you from my heart or mind."
"You gave me this? When?" she said feeling confused.
He took her hand and placed the ring on her left ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
"I'm not sure. I know I did and-" he said but Ella stopped him.
"Wait, are we engaged? Married?" she asked.
He looked at her wishing he had an answer, "I'm not sure of the specifics but I know it's a promise to be with you, that I am sure of."
"How can we be sure it wasn't part of their plan?" she asked.
His had thought of that after seeing the alias listed in the file. He was going with his heart of this one.
The phone in her pocket rang. She pulled it from her pocket. Bucky stared at her.
"Who gave you that phone?" he asked seeming to know the answer.
"I have to do this." she said as she opened the phone to answer it. She could still complete the deal. As she hit the button to take the call Bucky grabbed her wrist. "No!" he shouted.
Ella turned away from him. Just as she brought the phone to her ear he knocked it out of her hand. As it hit the ground it turned on the speaker phone and slid out of sight.
"Ella." came the voice.
Bucky grabbed her around the waist and put his hand over her mouth. She struggled but his grip was too much for her to break.
"Your plan failed." said Bucky.
"Barnes. We always have a back up plan, you should know that." said the voice. I have a feeling she's not far from you." The man on the other end began to speak the string of words in a foreign language. Bucky seemed to freeze at the first few words. She tried to look at him to see his face. She screamed into his hand hoping to snap him from it or draw Steve or Tony's attention. The man on the phone completed the words string, ". солдат (Soldier)?"
His grip loosened and she turned to look him in the eye. She felt sick. The distance in his eyes. She tried to move but he still held her. She tried to scream but still he was not phased.
"Готов к Соответствуют (Ready to Comply)." said Bucky. Ella fought hard against him as she knew the voice on the other end meant harm to them both.
"Finish your mission, soldier" said the voice. His empty stare focused on her. She pushed away from him. He allowed it.
"No!" she screamed at the phone. She turned her attention to Bucky as she slowly backed away, "Bucky, it's me, Ella."
"She is your mission soldier." said the voice.
"Shut up!" she yelled. She needed to find the phone but at this point the damage was done.
"You should've called as our agreement." said the voice.
"Rumlow?" she asked recognizing the voice.
"Seems his clean slate will now be tainted with your murder. Well, you tried." the phone went silent.