Summary: Bucky is recaptured by Hydra where their scientists conduct more experiments on him. There he meets an unlikely ally, an innocent looking young woman who is hiding a much darker side. Meanwhile Steve has tracked his best friend and discovered his location and is preparing to mount a rescue mission with the help of some of his fellow Avengers. Can they save Bucky before it's too late? And who is this mystery woman? Co – Written with Dixon – Vixen 13. Bucky/OC, Steve/Sharon, Clint/Natasha, Tony/Pepper. Rated M for graphic violence, language and eventual sexual scenes.
Soldiers And Spies
Chapter 14
Clint landed the Quinjet in a paddock not far from a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, it was a safe house he had set up years ago when he had first joined SHIELD. He always liked to have a place to himself that very few people knew about. Just in case things ever went south really bad and he needed a place to lay low. Natasha had been there a few times with him, after missions had gotten a little crazy and they needed to wait for the heat to die down.
The team slowly made their way up to the house, they were all pretty banged up from their fight with Yelena, and Eva was both physically and mentally drained. Using her powers so much had been very taxing.
"Make yourselves at home guys." Clint said as he opened the front door and let them all in.
"This place is yours?" Tony asked impressed.
"Yep. Completely off the grid. Only Fury knows about it so we are safe here."
"Thank you Clint." Eva said with a small smile.
"There are bedrooms down the hall and a couple more upstairs, the one at the very end is mine, the rest you can all fight over. Bathroom is on the right, there is only one, apart from the ensuite in my room so take turns, play nice. Cupboards are always stocked so help yourselves to food. I'm going to tend to Tasha's wounds and take a shower." he told everyone as he took Natasha's hand and led her down to his room.
Closing the door behind him, he led her to the bed and sat her down. He retrieved a first aid kit from the bathroom and began to clean the small gash to her forehead before applying a few butterfly stitches. He rubbed some antiseptic cream into the other small scrapes on her face and hands before kissing her lips gently and returning to the bathroom to turn the shower on.
Eva staggered into the shower and turned on the hot water before climbing in, not caring if it burned her. She started scrubbing away at her skin, trying to wash away all her pain, trying to forget the dark memories of her past as a spy of the Red Room.
It didn't work. No amount of scrubbing was going to wash away this blood on her hands.
When she closed her eyes all she kept on seeing was Malia's face. Right before Yelena had violently killed her and there had been nothing that Eva could do to save her best friend from that psychotic bitch.
She shook her head before washing herself some more and then washing her hair. She turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. As she staggered into the bedroom and sat down on the bed she pulled some clothes from her bag. She got changed into a black tank top, clean underwear and dark blue jeans.
Bucky quietly entered then and saw how battered and exhausted Eva looked after fighting Yelena with her powers. She was trying to tend to her own wounds, but her hands were shaking badly.
"Here, let me do that." Bucky said quietly and Eva nodded as she let him stitch up the cuts with a needle and thread.
"Thank you, James." Eva said gratefully as Bucky finished up and handed her a toasted, bacon and chicken sandwich to eat. While he ate his and she leaned heavily into him, almost as though it was a struggle just to hold herself up.
"Get some sleep." Bucky said softly after Eva had finished eating her sandwich and then brushed her teeth. She smiled and curled into his side as he wrapped the covers around her gently and watched her fall asleep. It didn't take long for Eva to fall into a deep sleep. Bucky knew how exhausted she was. Her powers had been stronger than he had ever seen them, but it had drained almost all of the energy from her body. He held her close while she slept and slowly he drifted off too.
Steve, Sharon, and Sam were in the kitchen making some food, while Tony and Pepper took a shower. Sharon was making some omelettes while Steve buttered the toast. After their battle in the streets of New York they were all pretty tired, but they were hungry too. So while they waited for the bathroom to be free they made the most of that time getting some food down.
Natasha and Clint finished up their shower and quickly dried off, throwing on sweat pants and t-shirts they made their way back out to the kitchen to get something to eat. They both wanted sleep more than anything, but they knew they needed to get something to eat first. As they entered they were greeted by Sam, Steve and Sharon who were just finishing up their food.
"We made some for you guys too." Sharon told them as she pointed to the oven where their plates of food were being kept warm.
"Thanks guys." Clint replied as ha retrieved the food and the two of them began to dig in. Soon after Tony and Pepper emerged announcing that they bathroom was free, and grabbing the other two plates from the oven they sat down to eat too.
Steve and Sharon took that opportunity to go get cleaned up before taking a nap.
"Sam, you can use the en suite bathroom if you like." Clint told him as he observed his team mate who looked very tired.
"Thanks man." He replied as he got up off the couch and headed for the hallway.
"Towels are in the cupboard on your left!" Clint called after him, before continuing to eat his meal.
"Thanks!" Sam called out and they heard the door close as they ate in silence. A short while later Bucky and Eva come down looking a little more refreshed after having a quick nap.
"So we have a psychotic assassin with powers like Eva's and we are now on the run from Thaddeus Ross." Tony said darkly and ate a bit more of his omelette. "Did I miss anything?" He added grimly and everyone shook their heads in response. As the door rang, Clint went to answer it while Eva took some much needed painkillers that Bucky handed to her. Her whole body hurt and she felt drained.
Director Nick Fury walked in with Clint. He was holding a briefcase and the expression on his face looked grim. "Well, Ross hasn't found you yet but he's on the lookout for all of you and he isn't gonna stop. Hill and I found these files on various Red Room agents that we believe are still in play. And these HYDRA agents who will most likely be at the last remaining HYDRA base in Washington." Fury said gravely.
"Most of them are enhanced, just like Yelena." Eva said grimly as she looked at the files, including the one on her arch nemesis since her days in the Red Room program.
They'd been rivals since meeting each other, even on the first night when they had been chained to the beds by their hands and feet Yelena had tried to get under her skin. Eva still remembered being chained up on her bed every night in the beginning. She always tried to get away but it was impossible. Eva hated thinking about the Red Room. She wished that she could just forget that any of it ever happened. Unfortunately it was burned into her mind, and no amount of wishing would get rid of those memories. She just hoped that eventually, with time they would fade. And once she took Yelena down she could be free of the burden of her past.
"After your fight with the ex-Red Room assassin, I'm sure you all are in need of a bit of rest. So take a few days. Hill and I will continue to gather what intel we can and we will assemble a couple of teams to assist you in the take down of the Washington HYDRA base" Fury told everyone. "I'll be in touch." he said as he clapped Steve on the back and then left.
"Well... you all heard the man. Time for rest." Clint said as he retired to his bedroom with Natasha.
"C'mon babe, I'll make you something else to eat and then you can sleep some more." Bucky told Eva.
"Sorry I didn't make you anything guys, you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you." Sharon told them as she and Steve were leaving the room in search of a bedroom to get some rest in.
"It's ok, James brought me a sandwich earlier." Eva smiled. "I think I needed a nap more than food at that point."
Soon it was just Bucky and Eva left as the others had all gone off for some much needed rest. Bucky found a bunch of ingredients and blended Eva up a smoothie packed full of energy, as well as some sandwiches for the both of them. They ate their food in a comfortable silence until Bucky spoke up. He had been watching his partner quietly, observing the concerned look on her face.
"We will stop her Eva. We will put an end to HYDRA and their schemes." He reassured her.
"I know James. I just wish that so many innocent people weren't getting hurt because of them. The sooner we can take them down, the less people will get hurt."
"We will be back in the fight soon, but for now. We have to rest. Your powers are strong, but they take a lot out of you." Bucky told her.
"I know, you're right but I just worry about what they're up to." Eva said knowingly. After they had finished their meal and washed up the plates, they headed back up to bed. Bucky held her close as they got under the sheets and she curled into him, her long blonde hair still a little damp from the shower. They were safe for now. He kissed her forehead and tried to get some sleep himself.
The next morning was relatively quiet, with everyone still recovering from the fight. Eva was doing some meditating and was listening to some soothing music along with Natasha. Clint had joined them too, obviously he had picked it up from Natasha, being partnered together for so long. Some old habits that the Red Room had taught them. Meditation was a big thing for them, it was often how they prepped for a mission, and it helped to clear their minds. Eva got up and took an aspirin for the slight pain in her left leg, before looking at it quietly, wondering about the vibranium. If her legs were made out of metal, then Yelena's body must have been made out of the same thing. She must have been given a vibranium endoskeleton to further enhance her, she thought as she remembered seeing a bit of metal beneath her face during their fight on the street.
"Hey Clint, did Yelena have metal bones when you stabbed her?" She asked curiously.
"Whatever I hit with my arrow, definitely wasn't normal bone." He replied grimly.
She started remembering something from her training in the Red Room then. She'd only been sixteen years old at the time.
Eva walked alongside Madame B as they watched a ballet instructor train the newest Red Room recruits, much like the other students they would constantly do ballet until their bodies were so strong you would think their bones were made from marble.
She would be doing her first test soon. An assassination on an upcoming politician who was challenging the KGB, they had requested her for the mission personally as they were impressed by her training.
"We have no place in the world, we live in the shadows." Eva answered instantly as always and Madame B nodded in satisfaction then at her.
"What if I fail?" Eva asked, and Madame B smiled in a motherly way to her protégée.
"You won't fail, you never do." Madame answered confidently to her student who nodded in reply. "What is our motto?"
Eva left and wandered outside to take a walk through Clint's farm. She needed some fresh air and time to think. She was physically and mentally exhausted, and everything that had happened over the past few months, what was going on with her and Yelena... it was all taking a huge toll on her. She felt as though she might snap.
She harboured so much anger. Anger that he parents had died. Anger that she had been sent to an orphanage. Anger that she was recruited into the Red Room and turned into a murderer. So much anger that she struggled to keep it in. She struggled to control it and not let it consume her. But the problem with trying to keep it all in, was that it was slowly building up to the point where she felt like there was no more room for any more anger or hatred.
Before she knew what was happening she had tears streaming down her face. All the emotions she had felt lately flooded over her like a tidal wave and there was no controlling it. There was no holding back. So she let the tears fall freely as she stood beneath the trees, alone. Free of prying eyes and free of judgement. She tried hard to control her breathing but it all just washed over her and she felt as though she was being swept away in a stormy sea of emotions. It was all too much. Too much pain, too much anger, too much sadness. Too much death... Was it ever going to end? Eva found herself gasping for air as she struggled with her demons, with her emotions and her fears.
Letting out an almighty scream a huge blast of energy was released from her body sending a purple shockwave through the trees, practically disintegrating them until there was nothing left but scraps of bark and sawdust. Collapsing to her knees, she sobbed into her hands.
Bucky had seen Eva leave the farmhouse, and after waiting a while for her to return he went looking for her. He was halfway across a field when he saw the flash of purple and a cluster of trees all but vanish. He sprinted as fast as he could until he came to the newly made clearing to find his friend, his lover, on her knees crying uncontrollably.
"Eva!" He yelled as he ran towards her.
"No! James... stay back!" She cried. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't... I know you won't. Please Eva." He begged, wanting nothing but to comfort her.
"My emotions... I feel so much. I feel everything. Stronger than I ever have before and I can't control it. I feel so drained. But these feelings, they are making my powers unpredictable." she sobbed.
"It's ok Eva. Please let me help you." He said as he cautiously approached.
"My powers are so strong... when my emotions get out of control... I could hurt you."
"Just focus on me okay. Look into my eyes Eva." He told her. "I'm here for you. I will do anything in my power to keep you safe. I know you are scared and I know that the last few months have been so hard on you. But things will get easier I promise. We will work through everything together."
"What's happening to me James?"
"I don't know my love. But no matter what we are in this together." He said as he wrapped his strong arms around her, enveloping her in his warm embrace. He picked up her weak and shaky body in his arms and carried her back to the farmhouse. She needed to rest and regain control of her emotions and Bucky knew that he would do whatever it took to help her through it.
Natasha was sitting quietly on the couch beside Clint, when they saw Bucky come in with a very teary looking Eva in his arms. She looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown or had just suffered one. Bucky gave them both a nod, before taking Eva upstairs as they watched on in a worried silence.
"You think Eva's ok, Nat?" Clint asked quietly and Natasha shook her head, she knew from experience that Eva was not alright. She had felt the same way when she had left the Red Room and started a new life where everything seemed so foreign. She felt the same again when she found out she was working for HYDRA instead of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"No, I don't think she is. She came face to face with the woman who killed her best friend in front of her as a sixteen year old kid. If that was me, I would snap too." Natasha admitted sadly.
"Hey who made that new clearing? You been cutting firewood Barton?" Tony asked curiously as he carried in his damaged Iron Man suit with Pepper holding some equipment for him. "Should have said something. I would have helped."
"Eva had a nervous breakdown." Clint said quietly as Steve, Sam and Sharon came in then with the boxes that Fury had sent them, causing everyone to stare then.
"Is she ok?" Sharon asked concerned. When the stuff in the room began to levitate before dropping back down and they all got their answer.
Bucky came down the stairs then looking broken.
"Bucky what's wrong?" Steve asked worriedly as he saw how pained his best friend looked.
"Eva...she's scared and she pretty much kicked me out of the bedroom when my metal arm started acting up from what Yelena did to me. She said she's not safe for me to be around." Bucky said angrily and cursed then in Russian before speaking in English.
"Fucking HYDRA and Red Room bastards!"
"She'll come around Bucky. She just needs some time." Natasha told him comfortingly. "She's been through so much, and all of this... her powers, The Avengers, taking on HYDRA. This is all new to her. It's a lot to take in. Her whole life has been turned upside down. She is just going through an adjustment period."
"I'm worried about her powers in the state that she's in. When she gets emotional it's like her powers are heightened, but she struggles to control them."
"Did she have a breakdown or a panic attack?" Pepper asked concerned.
"I'm not sure." Bucky told her. "Probably a bit of both."
"Maybe some anxiety medication would help? Natasha suggested. "It helped me..." She said and the whole team, except for Clint looked at her in slight shock. They all thought that Natasha was so 'together', they never thought that she would have had anxiety problems. "Look guys... being in the red room, to be blunt... it fucks you up. In ways that I hope that you all will never ever have to understand. Eva and I, this is something we have in common. Maybe I could talk to her?" She suggested, looking towards Bucky for approval.
"It's worth a shot, thanks Natasha."
"No problem. We're a team. We gotta look out for one another." She replied as she left the room to go see her friend.
Natasha knocked gently on the door and when she heard a soft 'yeah' in reply she entered. "Hey." She whispered to Eva. "Mind if I come in?" She asked, and Eva nodded in reply. She sat down on the bed next to the young Russian and looked at her with concern and sympathy. "You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really." Eva whispered quietly.
"Ok... then maybe I can talk and you can just listen?"
"Sure."
"You and I, we have a lot in common. Our time in the Red Room, it shaped us into the people we are today. Everything we went through was horrible, but in a way it made us strong." Natasha told her.
"I don't feel strong." Eva sighed.
"I know... there was a time that I felt the same. When everything you know in this world is turned upside down, it's hard to find your footing again. It's hard to know who you really are. I was lost for a very long time. Before I even left the Red Room. I guess that's why it wasn't so hard for me to turn my back on them. I knew in my heart that I didn't belong there. That the things they made me do were wrong."
"How did you find your way again? How did you find yourself?" Eva asked curious.
"Clint." Natasha smiled. "He saw something inside of me, something that even I didn't know existed. He brings out the best in me, he always has. I know that right now things seem so crazy and that everything is getting on top of you. The key is to focus on the things you can control instead of the things you can't. For the moment forget about HYDRA, forget about Yelena, and just focus on you. What makes you happy Eva? What makes you feel safe?" Natasha asked knowingly.
"James." Eva replied with a small smile.
"He cares so much about you Eva, don't push him away."
"I'm worried that I can't control my powers. I don't want to hurt him. Or any of you."
"You won't. We've all seen what you can do. If we were scared, we would tell you. We trust you Eva. You're one of the team, and we all have your back, okay."
"Okay. Thanks Nat." She smiled as she gave her Russian friend a hug. "Thanks for the pep talk."
"Any time." Natasha smiled in return as she got up and headed for the door.
"Hey Nat."
"Yeah?"
"Can you ask Bucky to come back up please?"
"Sure thing." She replied, before heading back downstairs in search of Bucky.
She found him in the kitchen with Tony who was working on his metal arm, repairing the damage that Yelena had inflicted. "Is she okay?" Bucky asked quietly, still feeling a little hurt that Eva had told him to leave.
"She's fine Bucky, she wants to see you, and she feels bad for pushing you away." Natasha encouraged softly and Bucky nodded as Tony finished fixing his arm then.
"Thanks, Tony." Bucky said gratefully and Tony nodded at him with a smile on his face as he took the coffee Pepper had made him and sipped at it.
Bucky headed upstairs to the room he shared with Eva.
"Hey." Eva said softly and bit her lip then as her blonde bangs fell into her eyes. She brushed them away, before hugging Bucky tightly trying to desperately show how terrible she felt for treating him badly and he held her back tightly.
"I'm so sorry James, I never meant to hurt you or push you away...I just got so scared when you saw me break down like that and I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you...I love you and if something ever happened to you." Eva was cut off by Bucky's lips on hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'm never gonna leave you Eva, you're stuck with me and I love you doll. You're my girl and we're in this together. Made you a promise baby, and I'm not breaking it." Bucky said firmly, causing Eva to cry then before kissing him happily. She knew in that moment, that no matter how hard things got, as long as she had Bucky by her side, everything would be okay.
Some emotion in tis chapter. Enjoy :)