A.N. Contrary to popular belief, I LIVE MUTHAFUDAS! But my classes and homework are killing my soul! I've had homework every weekend and you know how hard it is to enjoy your birthday party when you can just feel the homework piling up in your backpack? It's freaking hard! *ahem* So I'm not going to put this story on hiatus, but don't expect updates like everyweek. With all that said and done, excuse me while I go cry in a corner. P.S. I don't own Marvel, if I did, do you think I'd still be in school?

Chapter 10

Rena's POV

3 Days Later

I awoke in the morning to an explosion of thunder and the crackling of lightning. Groaning, I tossed my legs over the side of my bed and pushed myself into a standing position.

"J.A.R.V.I.S." I asked tiredly, "What time is it?"

"10:07, ma'am." The AI responded crisply.

I yawned, "Who else is up?"

"It appears it is just yourself, Miss. Sir is currently asleep and Dr. Banner is currently in the lab."

"Great." I grumbled. "Is there coffee in the kitchen?"

"I can get started on a fresh pot if you wish, Miss."

I nodded, "That'd be great, thank you."

"My pleasure, Miss."

I silently stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room where I walked out of the glass doors and onto the balcony that overlooked the New York skyline.

"You're coffee is ready, Miss." J's voice rang out.

I tore myself from the view and stepped back into the Tower. I grabbed the cup on the counter that was filled with the caffeinated liquid. Sipping gingerly, I heard another pair of footsteps pad their way from the elevator.

"I thought I smelled coffee this morning." Tony's voice called out.

"Had J.A.R.V.I.S make a fresh pot this morning." I said in between slurps, "Say, what are you and Bruce doing today?"

"Destroying old SHIELD lab reports." He said as if he was saying he was going to do the laundry.

I nodded and walked back to my room, after washing my cup and putting it away in its proper place, to throw on a robe (because that made my outfit much less inappropriate). After brushing my teeth and throwing my hair into a pony tail, I made my way to the elevator and punched the button that led to the lab floor. Upon entering, I saw Bruce and Tony looking at graphs and energy signatures on holographic screens wile boxes full of manila folders and files lay strewn around them.

"Mornin'." I greeted. "How's the…whatever it is that you're doing?"

I received a few mumbles in response. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a book from one of the tables and sat in a stool that was placed in the corner. The cover of the book read something to the effect of 'Quantum Physics and Other Shit I'll Never Understand.'

I barely got through the first three sentences before asking Bruce.

"How does anyone understand this crap?! It's like another language or something!" I exclaimed, eyes tired from all the complex equations and letters.

Bruce chuckled lightly, "You're not wrong there, Rena. Some people decide they want to know all that stuff so they can invent new machines and weaponry."

"And those people have no social life whatsoever." I said after I slammed down the book.

I sat around bored out of my mind before a stroke of genius hit me.

"Hey, Tony." I said with a broad smile, "You have a private shooting range, right?"

He nodded, too engrossed in what he was doing to say anything.

"Do you think I can use it?"

He smiled, still looking down at the table, "It's one floor below us."

I smiled victoriously as I hopped down from the wooden stool, "Thanks, Tony!"

He rolled his eyes as I sprinted out, "Just don't hurt yourself, kid."

I popped my head back in and grinned, "I make no such promises."

Without another thought, I skipped to the elevator and asked J to take me down a floor. When the doors opened, I saw a shooter's paradise. Rows of brand new targets lay at set distances and all you had to do is tap on a touch-screen for whatever weapon you wanted. Smirking evilly, I tapped on the .45 caliber pistol icon and the wall covering slid open, allowing me access.

Once I had the black contraption in my hand, I walked over to the alleyway that held a target at 150 yards. After putting on my headphones, I raised the gun and emptied out the entire magazine in about a minute. Smiling broadly, I placed the empty gun on the table and went over to the target to check out my shots.

However, the closer I got to the target, the more my smile faded away. There were bullet holes everywhere except the bull's eye!

"So much for being a good shot." I muttered dejectedly as I scuffed the floor with the toe of my shoe.

"That's probably because you're jerking the trigger." A new voice said.

I whirled around, gun raised and ready to fire at…Hawkeye? He leaned against the gray metallic wall, like the fact that I had a gun pointed at his chest wasn't a problem.

"Jeez, Clint." I sighed in relief, "You scared the crap out of me. Hell, I nearly shot you!"

He snorted, "With a bullet-less pistol? I'd like to see you work that miracle."

Unable to come up with a witty retort, I resorted to sticking my tongue out at him like the mature teenager I was.

"So when did you get here?" I asked as I put the black contraption away.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Just got in from D.C. about 15 minutes ago. Decided to take some time off."

I quirked an eyebrow, "You're a spy, y'all don't get 'days off' like the rest of us mere mortals."

He chuckled and lightly punched my shoulder, "You're a smartass, you know that?"

I grinned cheekily, "Of course I do. Couldn't miss anything that obvious now could I?"

Clint rolled his eyes and he patiently spent the next hour teaching me how to fire the gun properly so that I could actually hit the target.

Cap's POV

An old back-alley in Brooklyn, New York

I leaned against the wall and impatiently waited for Buc- I mean the Winter Soldier to arrive. I analyzed the old brick walls that were falling apart and chuckled lightly. This was the alley that I got my ass handed to me the night before Bucky was shipped off for England. Guess that must mean that Buck got some of his memories back, or it was just a lucky guess. Without warning, I heard the consistent thumping of footsteps.

"Thought you weren't coming." I called out to the figure walking towards me, "You picked a hell of a location."

He didn't say anything, just tugged at his ball cap and made sure his sleeve covered his metal hand.

I sighed, "Wanna tell me why you wanted me to send my daughter away five days ago and sent me on a while goose chase?"

"I've been…combing through HYDRA agents and files, they're still around."

"Is that why you broke into my apartment and nearly broke my daughter's arm."

His shoulders sagged a little, "I didn't know she was your daughter. I thought she was a spy."

"You thought a 14 year-old girl was a spy for HYDRA?" I guffawed.

Buck looked me dead in the eye for the first time, "I've seen younger…I'm sorry. I... wanted to warn you."

From the way he said that, I could tell that some of his memories were returning. I suppressed a wide smile and asked.

"So what are you going to do now?"

He looked at me with a half-smile, "Finish what I started."

I nodded understandingly, knowing that he wouldn't accept my offered help.

"You know where to find me." I said.

"Yeah." He replied before he walked away, leaving me alone in the alleyway.

After he turned the corner, I sighed and called out to the emptiness, "You can come out now, Nat."

The woman in question slid from an open apartment window and silently slipped down the fire escape stairs.

"Must be getting rusty." She commented with a smirk.

"Or I'm just getting better." I remarked, "Kinda expected you to follow me."

"Are you going to go after him?"

I shoved my hands in my pockets, "I don't know. You heard what he said, Nat. They could be after her."

She placed her hand on my upper arm, "But they won't get to her. You and I'll make sure of that."

I raised my eyebrow, "You're wanting to protect her?"

"I don't want her living in fear and violence, I don't want HYDRA screwing with her mind or body." She said firmly, "I'll be dead and damned for hell before that happens."

I smiled at her fondly, ignoring the fact that her sharp nails were digging into my skin, "Thank you."

"You're welcomed, "She replied looking up at me, "Now let's go get her before she and Tony blow up something in the lab."