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 17
When the team turned in for the night, Clint walked into his room to find Natasha sitting on the end of the bed, deep in thought. As he approached she looked up at him, her eyes glossy with unshed tears.
"Hey babe... you wanna talk about it?" he asked as he sat down next to her.
"I don't even know what to say, or where to begin..." she sighed as she fought back her tears
"It's okay. Just let it all out." He told her, recognizing that she was only holding on by a thread.
"I feel like... like my whole life has just been one big lie. HYDRA has been in my life… controlling my life since before I can even remember. And Eva... she's my cousin. If I had have known... I could have done something. Back in the Red Room, I could have helped her Clint. Maybe she wouldn't be in the position she is now if..." She sobbed.
"Hey... hey this is not your fault Tasha." He whispered as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Then why do I feel so guilty?"
"Because you're human. You are programmed to want to help people. Especially family and those you love. It's part of who you are."
"I should have seen it. I should have known that HYDRA was behind everything."
"No one could have seen that coming babe."
"I just wish things could have been different. My whole life I have been lied to. Everything I thought I knew about my parents was a lie. Any constant in my life has been a lie. My family, The Red Room… SHIELD. I just don't know what to think anymore. Or what to feel." She cried as the tears flowed down her cheeks. "I feel so betrayed."
"It's ok... come here." He said as he pulled her into his chest and held her tight. "I know that things seem really crazy right now, and that this is a lot for you to take in. But I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Even the bad things. And if you are strong, which I know that you are, you can overcome the bad. And you have before Tasha. You have been through so much, and you are such an amazing person for having come through it all a better and stronger person. It might seem that everything in your life has been a lie, but I can promise you that I am your one truth. I am the constant that you can rely on. I have never lied to you and I never will. I love you, and I am here for you no matter where this crazy life takes us. I need you to know that Tasha." He told her reassuringly.
"I don't know where I would be without you Clint." She whispered as she clutched at his shirt. "You saved me from the Red Room, from HYDRA... and from myself. Words could never express how much that means to me. How much you mean to me."
"I know that all the things you have been through were horrible, but I can't help but think that if you never went down that road, we never would have crossed paths. My life would be so empty and meaningless without you."
"In a way I am glad to have gone through what I did. If it meant that it led me to you, then it was all worth it in the end." Natasha confessed.
"I promise that you will get through this, just like you have everything else that has been thrown your way. And I will help you. I will be here every step of the way. Anything you need, all you have to do is give the word and I will make it happen. I would move mountains for you. I would take a bullet for you, and I would die for you." Clint told her seriously.
"I love you Clint, more than anything in this world. More than I ever thought I could love." She said, sat in his warm and protective embrace, letting her tears flow freely until she couldn't cry any more. She felt better for having gotten it off her chest. "Thank you." Natasha whispered and Clint simply responded by holding her tightly to him.
"You never have to thank me babe, I'm always gonna by your side Tasha, always." Clint promised and she curled into him and held onto him tightly. He rubbed her back gently, as he felt her breathing slow back down and her quiet sobs begin to fade.
Bucky held a gentle hand on Eva's back as she slept. It had been a rough day on all of them. He kissed her cheek gently, before feeling her curl into him. It had been a long day and he was so exhausted. Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse with HYDRA they find out that Thaddeus Ross is involved with them. No wonder he was trying so hard to capture them. Plus they still had the nuclear bombs to worry about. This was just great.
'Do you think Natasha is ok?' Eva asked telepathically and Bucky responded by holding her tighter.
'She'll be fine, doll. Natasha's...just shocked and upset, she probably feels guilty and upset for not being there to protect you.' Bucky reassured her comfortingly.
'She shouldn't feel guilty. Neither of us even knew we were related.'
'I know babe. But you know Natasha. She is a protector and she would do anything for anyone in this team, and I'm sure it would be the same for anyone who was her blood. Maybe you could talk to her about it tomorrow. Make sure she understands how you feel, and help her through her feelings of guilt.'
'I will do that.'
'Get some rest my love.' He replied mentally as he kissed her sweetly and held her close, wrapping his arms around her in a strong embrace.
The following morning as the team sat down to breakfast Tony came rushing in all panicked. "I think I've worked it out!" He stated alarmed.
"Worked what out Tony?" Steve asked a little confused.
"The nukes... the attack... the pending end of the world." He replied.
"Tony... take a breath." Pepper told him as she put a comforting hand on his chest.
He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts before speaking again. "The blueprints that Sam and I found, I figured out what building they belong to. And at first I couldn't figure out why HYDRA would be interested in it, but then I talked to Rhodey and he told me that the General of the Air Force has some fancy dinner there tonight, and all kinds of important people from all over the country and the world are attending."
"Oh god." Steve replied horrified. "HYDRA are going to set off one of the nukes there, taking out this country's biggest leaders, not to mention other important people from all over the world. This is bad..."
"Now we know what Yelena was talking about when she said HYDRA are going to take over the world." Eva said darkly.
"We won't let that happen." Natasha said determinedly.
"I'm going to contact Fury. He needs to know about this right away." Sharon said as she began to dial his number and left the room.
"Who exactly will be there?" Sam asked concerned and Tony hacked his way into the buildings files and brought up the guest list, staring in horror. He couldn't believe what he was reading, and he swallowed worriedly before he spoke.
"The Israeli Ambassador and his attaché are attending. President Ellis, along with all the heads of the US Militaries. Not to mention the Kremlin, Chief of Staff and the UK Prime Minister along with the UK army officials. It's a dinner and meeting to discuss world peace and stopping terror attacks, that's why they want nukes from Russia." Tony said horrified.
"HYDRA will start a war, no one would believe that Russia didn't have anything to do with it. They were in Ukraine a year ago and that would make it seem like they planned it aligning with Germany." Bucky said grimly.
"How do we even get inside to stop this? Or better yet, we need to warn the President about what's going on. President Ellis is going to be there and...Oh Christ, what's the date today?" Steve asked alarmed.
"January the twenty seventh, it's the same day the Allied Forces liberated Auschwitz and rescued the people who were prisoners there." Eva told them as they saw Sharon hurry in. She put Fury on speaker.
"How bad is the situation, agents?" The man asked grimly.
"It's bad Fury, we believe HYDRA's planning on detonating nukes on Russia, Israel, the UK and US, starting by bombing this state dinner." Steve said gravely.
"And Thaddeus Ross is on the guest list too." Tony spoke up in disgust.
"So that's how they are getting a bomb in... Ross. That traitorous bastard!" Bucky growled.
"We need to come up with a plan and fast. Fury... can you get us in?" Steve asked urgently.
"I'll make some calls, under the radar. See what I can do. But you all need to avoid Ross as much as you can. He still wants your heads on a chopping block, and he will stop at nothing to discredit you all. Stay sharp. I'll get back to you soon." Fury stated.
After the director hung up, the whole team just stared grimly at one another. They were in for the fight of their lives. The fate of the entire world now rested upon their shoulders.
"Ok team, we need to go over every inch of those blueprints and find our best points of entry and exit. Clint and Natasha, I think you two should go in undercover, seeing as you both have the most training in how to be spies. I want you to try and plant a tracker and mic on Ross as discreetly as possible. We also want to put one on his car, Eva and Bucky can take care of that and then meet us inside. I want to know where he's going and I want to know who he is talking to. We will turn the building upside down looking for any bombs or HYDRA operatives.
"We're on it." Natasha said confidently and Clint nodded as they both went to get changed while Tony and Pepper looked at the blueprints along with Sam.
"Ok there's a train station opposite the building and there's a drive through entrance, the building has twenty levels and a lot of air vents." Sam said grimly.
"So the nuclear bombs could be anywhere in the building and ready to go off at any minute...or on the train." Eva said worriedly and they all nodded gravely.
"Alright let's get to work." Tony said finally and they all nodded as they got ready to leave.
They all went in separate vehicles, Clint and Natasha took the quinjet, while Bucky and Eva took his motorcycle. As they entered the underground parking, they put a tracking device underneath Ross' car, before meeting Tony, Pepper and Sam in the basement with Steve and Sharon.
They had coms on to keep in contact with Clint and Natasha, they were both inside the building keeping a low profile and were watching Ross as he and the US president William Ellis spoke to other foreign officials.
"He's talking to a German guy by the name of Adolf Bambach, they seem pretty cosy. And there's another guy who's Russian, his name's Vasily Karpov. He's a former member of the Soviet Union Army." Natasha spoke quickly and discreetly through her comms, while she and Clint danced across the ballroom, blending in with the crowd.
"Hold up, some woman's joined them now and she's speaking Russian." Clint said grimly.
"She's saying, the time is near. Soon Russia, Israel and the US will be on their knees and HYDRA will reign." Natasha said darkly and Tony's face darkened as he heard those words.
"Over my dead body, my parents died because of those bastards, Eva and Natasha lost everything because of them and Bucky got turned in a killing machine." Tony growled angrily.
Pepper rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "It's ok Tony, you guys will stop them. There's no way anyone on this team is going to let this happen" Pepper reassured him.
"Pepper's right. We are going to take these bastards down." Sharon said adamantly.
"Aahh guys, it looks like Ross and the others are either heading to a private room or making their exit through the back way" Clint informed the team. "Any luck finding the bomb yet?" he asked.
"Nothing here." Steve said as he and Sharon cleared the train.
"Neither any here." Tony added grimly as he, and Pepper and Sam finished sweeping the building across the road."
"I think we might have something." Bucky spoke through his comms.
"What's your position Buck, we'll come to you." Steve said, and as Bucky began to relay his position in the building that the peace talk was held in to the rest of the team and they quickly made their way there.
"Clint, Natasha, I want you to try and follow Ross and the others. Don't let them out of your sight." Steve commanded.
"You got it Cap." Natasha replied as her and Clint made their way across the room and slipped through the same door the others had left through. They followed Ross and the others down a long hall which led to the garage and they watched as the four spoke again quietly while the two spies hid behind a nearby car.
"Any luck finding the Avengers?" Ross asked annoyed as he looked at one of his soldiers then intently.
"No luck so far but we did get a report of them being spotted in Washington DC." The soldier replied and Ross nodded before he got into his car and drove off. Quickly followed by the rest of the people he had been talking with.
Clint and Natasha quickly got into a car to follow after Ross, Tony telling them which direction Ross was going in, when the car was suddenly slammed into from behind, before they had even made it a few metres.
"Looks like someone spotted us." Natasha said grimly as they heard someone jump on the car and smash through the windshield. Clint tried to shake her off and slammed on the break. The woman was sent flying backwards and that was when they saw the short bob of dark blonde curls, the woman glared at them then in anger.
It was Yelena but how? Eva had killed her.
"What the hell!?" Natasha exclaimed in shock.
"Come now Natalia, you really thought your whore of a cousin could defeat me? I expected better from you!" The woman taunted cruelly and paused. "It was sad in a way, seeing your cousin crying over that pathetic Malia Alikaev, but Malia got too close to the truth and as for Madame B...she was too soft on you two. Once I kill you and your whole team of Avengers, Evangeline will have no one and I'll make sure Von Strucker treats her properly, as well as her lover. Who knows? Maybe dear Sergeant Barnes will remember her when they are finished with him...that's if he doesn't die first." Yelena taunted cruelly.
"You killed Malia because she found out the truth, that me and Eva were cousins?!" Natasha screamed enraged.
"I had to, you were already making a name for yourself in the assassination and spy underworld. Malia was going to risk that by informing you of the fact that you had family, so I took her out and made sure Eva had no one." Yelena said causally as if she wasn't just describing how she had murdered Eva's best friend.
"How are you alive? Eva kicked your ass. She broke your neck?" Clint growled angrily.
Yelena smirked and tapped at her head.
"HYDRA had a backup plans in place, cut off one head...and two more shall take its place. Come now Barton, hand over Natalia and I'll spare you." Yelena reasoned calmly.
"Bitch you will have to kill me before I so much as let you touch her. And her name is Natasha. It's about time you bitches understood that." Clint said angrily through gritted teeth.
"So be it, you won't be much of a challenge anyway." She laughed cockily.
"Guys... its Yelena. We are gonna need some help down here." Natasha spoke through her comms to the others.
"How the hell?" Came Eva's voice through the ear piece. "On our way, hold on Nat."
Yelena rushed at Clint, attempting to strike him in the face, but he ducked her attack and smacked her across the back with his bow, before following up with a kick to the back of her legs.
"You're faster than you look Agent Barton, but you are still no match for me." she grinned evilly as she shot out her hands and blasted him with a jolt of electrical energy, sending him flying across the carpark, slamming into a parked SUV before slumping to the ground.
"You psychotic bitch! Just die already!" Natasha yelled as she lunged for Yelena, grabbing onto her and spinning herself around the woman before throwing her to the ground. She wrapped her legs around Yelena's neck and began to choke the life out of her. But Yelena had other plans, she blasted Natasha with blue lightening that shot from her hands, forcing her to release her hold as her body began to seize.
"Natasha!" Clint yelled as he pulled himself up from the ground. Pulling out an arrow he fired it straight for Yelena, burying it deep into her arm. She looked at him smugly as she pulled it right out of her arm and tossed it aside like it was nothing, before sending another wave of lightening at him, sending him hurtling backwards. She held the attack and watched in pleasure as Clint's body convulsed uncontrollably on the ground.
She kept going until Natasha caught her off guard burying her combat knife deep within her stomach before wrenching it upwards giving her a nasty wound. Yelena grabbed her by the throat and lifted her in the air. "Oh Natalia... you will regret that!" She spat as her powers began to flow through her hand through to Natasha, electrocuting her as she struggled for air.
"Nat!" Eva screamed as she and Bucky entered the garage to find Yelena had her cousin by the throat. "Let her go!" she yelled as she mustered all the energy she could and blasted Yelena with a massive hex bolt. Yelena hit the wall hard, leaving a large dent. But she quickly got back up and blasted her powers at Eva who threw up a purple shield to protect herself and her friends. Yelena threw an almighty blast of blue lightening at her, catching Eva off guard and it caused her to cry out in pain. Her shield dropped momentarily and Yelena did something that caused Eva to clutch her head in pain.
"Eva!" Natasha cried alarmed and raced over, only to encounter two enhanced agents, a man and a woman who both glared at her as Eva managed to fight off her attack to blast at Yelena again.
Steve, Tony, Sam, Sharon and to everyone's shock, Pepper joined the battle as Tony had built Pepper a suit called RESCUE. Yelena turned to attack them, when Eva grabbed her by the throat and started strangling her. When someone began to fire an automatic rifle at them. Eva threw up a large shield that took on the appearance of a phoenix and it roared as it protected Eva and her teammates. She kept up the shield as long as she could frantically trying to protect everyone.
"YOUR'E TOO LATE, YOU STUPID BITCH!" Yelena sneered as one of the other Red Room operatives fired at them with a rocket launcher. The whole team took cover as best they could. Natasha helping Bucky drag an exhausted and drained Eva to safety. That was when he and Natasha saw that their hands were bloody, but it wasn't their blood.
It was Eva's.
"Oh god... Eva." Bucky gasped as he noticed a large piece of debris stuck in her abdomen. Eva screamed in pain as she looked down at her wound. "You're okay baby, you're gonna be okay I promise." Bucky tried to reassure her.
"What do we do!?" Bucky asked Natasha in a panicked whisper as he tried to survey the wound closer.
"Don't!" Natasha shouted as he put his hand near the chunk of debris in her wound. "We don't know what its hit. If we touch it, if we try to remove it she might bleed out." She told him.
"Right... of course." Bucky agreed, struggling to think clearly.
A beaten up looking Clint appeared next to them and was shocked to see Eva's state. "We need to get her to the quinjet... now!" Clint said urgently.
"Rogers..." Natasha spoke through her comms. "Eva is hurt really bad, we have to get her out of here... do you copy?" She said, unsure where everyone ended up after the rocket launcher blast.
"Copy that." came a crackled reply.
"We are heading to the quinjet, Ross got away, and looks like Yelena did too." She informed him.
"Sam and Tony found the bomb and dismantled it. We evacuated the building before all hell broke loose. Get Eva to safety, the rest of us will try and track down Ross and Belkova. Meet you back at the safe house."
"Copy." Natasha replied before turning back to the others. "We need a makeshift stretcher."
"How about this?" Clint asked, holding up what looked like the backseat of a car.
"Perfect. Right, on three we lift her gently. One... two... three, lift." Natasha instructed.
As they got Eva onto the seat they carried her out of the partially mangled building and out onto the street where Natasha commandeered a car. They got her into the back with Bucky and hightailed it for the quinjet.
"Hold on Eva... just hold on baby. You're gonna be just fine. I won't let them take you from me. I won't let you die." Bucky whispered as tears began to stream down his face.
Will Eva survive? Enjoy and review :)