Chapter 9
I'm back! Sorry to have been away for so long, had a wicked brain block and could not get passed it. Finally figured out which direction I wanted to take us in!
"This is your DNA and this right here is a dormant alien cell."
"So it's not active?" She questioned.
"Right," Bruce confirmed. "However from what I can tell the cell is spreading taking over the cells you were born with."
"I don't know what that means."
Bruce abandoned the screen and turned to look her in the eyes. "I believe the alien cell was only dormant because it was kept in a cold clement since being introduced to your body. Now you've spent so much time out of cryo that I believe it is now thawing out."
"What happens once it does?" Oakleigh prompted.
"That is what we're not sure of. I tested your blood up against Wanda's and Steve's. I could not find a commonality between either specimen, so I tested your blood against mine. I remember you telling me when they had injected you that it burned like you were on fire. Thankfully I wasn't a match to you either."
"So you're saying you don't know what this will do to her?" Bucky snapped. "She could drop dead or start shooting fireballs out of her hands."
Tony shook his head. "I don't believe she was one of Hydra's experiments. I think they planted this, whatever this is, inside you in case somehow you and Barnes got away."
Oakleigh took a setting breath, "So it's going to kill me."
"No." Bucky snapped.
Steve leaned forward on his elbows running his fingers threw his hair.
"Wait." Oakleigh turned to Tony. "A failsafe in case Bucky and I ever escaped."
"It's just a theory."
Oakleigh looked at Bruce with fear in her eyes but not fear for herself. "What if the release isn't meant to happen internally, what if it's external."
"Is there a way to know for sure?" Steve asked.
Bruce rubbed his forehead. "I can draw more blood and try and break down the cell, but it could get volatile the warmer it gets."
Oakleigh was off the bed and walking away from the group, "No, I need to go somewhere now. We don't know the timeline on this thing, what if I blow and take out half the city."
Steve reached his arm out toward her. "Deep breaths ok. We're upstate the city is far away from here and we don't know anything about this yet."
"If the detonation was external, I doubt it would cover more than a couple of feet," Bruce added, to aid in calming her. "Which I don't think this is. If I had to guess I would say this was meant to kill you to punish Bucky."
"We know whatever Hydra could come up with back then is probably unstable and not predictable. You, Bruce what about Veronica or something like her? Take me to some winter wasteland somewhere and lock me inside. If she can hold back the other guy she can maybe contain me if I explode right?"
"Stop! No." Bucky stood stool falling loudly behind him. "We aren't doing that."
"Did you not hear anything we just said?" She snapped at him, her fear for their lives making her emotionally lash out.
"Yea I heard it. You aren't going anywhere we are going to sit down and we are going to figure something else out because this isn't happening."
"Bruce can still do the research after I'm tucked away somewhere. I'll give him all the blood he needs and then if it comes back where I'm not going to kill people because of this thing, I'll come back and I'll-"
"Wait out your time until one day I wake up and you're dead?" Bucky growled.
"There is another option." Tony interrupted. "We could put you back in cryo."
"Tony." Steve scolded.
"What? Barnes doesn't want her to leave, she doesn't want to kill anyone. We put her on ice until we know what's going on with her."
Everyone was quiet after that, looking at the unhappy couple and waiting for their response.
"You have my pod?" She asked quietly.
"No, but I can make you one in less than a day. We can make it bigger, it won't look the same as your old one."
"Can't we just put her in a cold room, she doesn't have to be put under does she?" Steve asked, thinking something over in his mind.
"It would be too cold for her, it would be better to put her under."
Oakleigh wanted more than anything to never go back into a cryo pod. "Just get one here, I won't know the difference once I'm inside it."
Steve walked toward her, "I think we should take a minute. You're scared and you don't want anyone to get hurt I understand that, but we don't want to trigger you in the process, either of you." Bucky scoffed. "If we go this route bringing a cryo pod in here is going to bring back some memories, it could be triggering. I just want to make sure we are doing the right thing here."
"What about Kenny, he knew about what Ozwald did. Maybe he knows about this too, he could help us or at least tell us what they were trying to achieve."
"I can look through the Hydra files we have, try and find him."
"No need." Oakleigh looked down. "The day he tracked us down he slipped me his phone number. I kept it in case we needed to contact him."
"Convenient." Tony quipped. "Call him."
Bucky's eyes were like red hot lasers against her cheek. "It's in my room, I'll go get it."
"I'll come with you."
Steve went to suggest otherwise but Bucky levelled him with a glare. Oakleigh walked swiftly from the room not making eye contact with anyone.
Tony clapped his hand together. "She's full of surprises."
.
"I just need to know if you've ever used it."
The elevator door closed locking the two in together. Oakleigh kept her arms crossed over her chest, eyes forward. She was starting to wish her hair was not in a bun so it could block his gaze.
"The numbers have been sitting in the drawer of my bedside table since he gave it to me. Hydra is clearly not done and I thought maybe someday he could help."
Bucky shook his head. "He is not on our team O, he didn't tell you about this alien cell that is now threatening your life."
"He was a child when I last saw him not a Hydra agent. He probably didn't even know about it."
"He had that video off Hydras security systems which means he has access to your files. I know you like to see the best in people, baby I love you for that but you can not trust this guy."
"I don't have to trust him to use him for information. Maybe he has the information maybe he doesn't, but I'm going to ask and find out."
The elevator doors parted letting them out on the correct floor.
"How are you feeling about Starks Cryo idea?" He asked softly.
Oakleigh kept moving but she felt the colour drain from her face. "Something needs to be done, we need to stop time. This seems like the easiest way."
"That doesn't mean that you aren't afraid of it or that you'd rather-"
Oakleigh turned on him, "What I want really doesn't matter. As long as no one else gets hurt I don't really care what they need to do with me."
"Well, I care. They aren't going to hurt you I won't let that happen."
"I'm giving Tony my power of attorney."
Bucky blanched. "What?"
"He'll do what needs to be done. I thought about making it Steve but he does not need one more thing on his conscience. Besides he can't be there for you if you push him away because you're mad at him for deciding to let me go." Bucky shook his head.
"Why are you talking like we know the outcome of this? Whether this thing is meant to kill you or take out others with you, once we know all the properties and everything Bruce should be able to get it out of you or give you something else to fight it."
Oakleigh bit her lip. "It might not be that simple. Bruce said that the alien cells were melting, and he can't fix or rewind time. The damage is already done, we're just waiting around for the fallout."
Bucky grabbed her arm. "I don't accept that."
Her face softened, eyes looking sad. "You may have to."
Grabbing the number from her bedside table, Oakleigh took Bucky's hand and lead them both to the lab.
"Put it on speaker," Steve told her when she dialled the number.
"Hello."
"Kenny hey. It's Oakleigh I-"
"Sweetheart I told you I would be working late tonight, I promise we can spend all day tomorrow together." He paused for a beat as if he were having a conversation with a girlfriend. "Yes, we can go to our special place. I've got to go, baby, I'll be home as soon as I can. Bye."
"He has to be talking about the graveyard," Oakleigh said, looking at the facing around the room.
"Barnes-"
"I'm going." He snapped at Tony.
Tony raised his hands slowly. "I was just going to say that we can have Sam send in his little carrier pidgin ahead of time and make sure no one is hidden nearby."
He did not apologize. "That's a good idea. I want Bruce and Steve in the car. If Kenny has information for us, Bruce should be nearby in case he has any questions."
"Done."
Oakleigh knew she would not be able to sleep, she knew Bucky would have even less a chance of it than her. He and Steve had going to talk logistics for tomorrow while Burce and Tony started on her new cryo-chamber. Leaving her to entertain herself.
She started with a long cold shower. Her skin was prickled, nipples painfully hard by the time she stepped out. She slipped into a pair of compression shorts and a sports bra. Anything to keep her temperature down. It felt wrong to be in the compound where if this thing inside of her went off she could hurt others. So she headed outside to the large training field.
the sun was going down so she was able to be out there by herself. She needed the quiet time to think things over anyway. As much as she wished she had brought a blanket or something once the cold breeze caressed her already chilled body, the colder she would keep herself the better.
Steve had been the one to find her, he tried to place his jacket over her but she politely declined. She shook his head at her, "Take the damn jacket.".
Her skin was well and truly prickled and her nipples were so hard they were pushing painfully against her sports bra.
"You are not doing anyone a favour if you freeze yourself to death out here."
Oakleigh scoffed, "It's not that cold Steve."
"Bucky's still inside going over logistics, I told him I'd come to check on you. So as dumb of a question as this may be, how are ya?"
"I don't like what this is doing to Bucky, I don't think it's a good idea that he comes tomorrow. Maybe none of you should, it would have been better if you'd never found me at that Hydra base."
Steve pulled Oakleigh into his side. "Now that's not true. I was a mess without you O. You are my best friend and I would be devastated if something happened to you."
"Bucky is your bestfriend."
"I can have two."
She cracked a small smile. "What if we don't figure out a way to fix whatever is going on inside me? Tony can't let me just roam free when I could detonate and kill someone at a moment's notice."
"Bruce and Tony are some of the smartest men I know, they will figure this out. If they can't we'll get in touch with Thor, see if there is some in human technology we don't know about that could help us."
"What if we set off what's inside me on purpose." Steve looked down at her. "If Kenny can't offer us any insight tomorrow, what if we get me somewhere safe away from everyone and then warm me up."
"Killing yourself isn't the answer ."
"That may end up being our only option."
"It can't come to that, Bucky won't let you go out alone."
Oakleigh startled, twisting to sit on her knees in front of her long-time friend. "We can't let him do that. If this ends up being the thing that does me in, he'll hurt like hell for a while, but he'll move on."
"You really think you are that insignificant that he could just brush it off and move on without you?"
"I think it'll be hard for a while he'll struggle but eventually-"
"I really don't think you're getting this. Bucky will not survive without you, you are the only thing he's living for."
Oakleigh crossed her arms over her chest. "You got him back from Hydra months before I came back."
"Yea and the Bucky you woke up to is not the guy I'd been dealing with for the past 8 months. He could not forgive himself for what he did, all the people he had killed."
"All the people Hydra made him kill."
"He was a shell, broken and running from me. I'd seen him staring at his gun a little too closely most days, and praying every night that I never heard a solitary shot come from his end of the hall."
"Okay well, I can't be his only reason for living Steve."
"But you are! My best friend died during the Second World War, I never thought I would see him again and then we found you. It was like a switch flipped in him overnight, he wasn't the winter soldier he was Bucky. Yes, he still has those ticks and is a true soldier, but the war would have done that to him anyway. This is the Bucky we would have taken home after winning the war."
"I'm human Steve, I could get a terminal illness and die and what, I'm just supposed to live with the fact that when I die Bucky's just going to kick the bucket and join me? That is not a fair thing to put on me."
"I think he could accept a natural death, it would not be easy but I think he could find it in himself to go on. But you dying because of Hydra, because of the entity that ruined all our lives, that I don't think he could ever stomach."
"We're a fucked up little codependent group aren't we?"
Steve chuckled, their serious conversation ending for now. "Yeah, we are."
Oakleigh shuffled forward on her knees, throwing her arms around Steve's neck. He hugged her back tightly not letting go until she did. He heard the footfalls coming from behind him and the slight wirl of a certain metal arm.
"You never spilled our secret to Bucky did you, about the time you-"
"Held you over my face until you begged me to stop right before you collapsed with exhaustion."
Oakleigh jerked out of his hold a scandalized look on her face. Steve was blushing but he had a shit-eating grin on his face. We watched her blink furiously until a smirk settled on her face.
"Want a little round two actions right here." She whispered biting her lip, pressing her palm flat against his chest. "Think you remember how to do that little trick with your tongue?"
Steve laughed uncomfortably and knocked her hand away standing up and offering her to her feet.
"Always taking it too far." He chided her, he played along and yet was still the one left blushing.
"Admit it, it's what you love most about me." She turned to lean back into Steve. "Oh my god, Buck. Wow. We did not. see. you there."
Bucky rolled his eyes at the mock shock routine she was pulling. "Not the first time I've heard that one."
"How are you doing?" She asked him.
Bucky clocked the seatbelt bruise on her shoulder, and he bet there was one on her hip to match. She also had those red slices on her legs and arms.
"Your lips are a little blue, you should come inside. I need to clean up those wounds and bandage them, a couple of them are starting to look infected."
"Maybe we should let Steve do it, I bet he misses being between my legs." The blonde blushed furiously.
"Always taking it too far. I'm going to find Romanoff." He warned her so she wouldn't fall back once he stepped away.
Oakleigh pouted, "I thought I was special Rodgers."
He waved her off, not bothering to respond with words this time. Oakleigh smiled playfully up at Bucky, amused as Steve retreated.
"I think you've made him blush more than any other girl ever has."
Oakleigh chuckled, "It's just so damn fun and way too easy. Are we all set for tomorrow?"
Bucky's jaw flexed, "Everyone knows their part. Come inside."
Oakleigh accepted his outstretched hand letting him lead her back toward the warmth of the avenger's facility. They walked silently together all the way to their bedroom, Bucky always kept a first aid kit in there for minor injuries.
Bucky patted the bathroom counter, "Hop up."
She slide into place on the cool countertop, a shiver ran the length of her spine.
"This is an interesting perspective." Bucky cocked an eyebrow at her. "Usually it's me patching you up."
A metal finger trailed softly near the scratches on her thigh, "I'll say I really don't care for this switch in dynamic."
"I don't plan on being hit by another drunk driver anytime soon so we should be good."
Oakleigh gasped as the medicine soaked into her cuts. Bucky blew gently on the area to soothe the pain, then he did the same to her other leg.
"I'm sorry all this is happening." Bucky straightened, placing his hands on either side of her hips. "If we don't get answers tomorrow I need to know you're on bored with the plan."
"I'll get on board with whatever we have to do to keep you safe."
Oakleigh licked her lips. "It's all going to work out Bucky."
He dropped his forehead against hers. "I know it will."
.
Kenny was already at the graveyard when they pulled up, Sam sending his little flying robots ahead of him to make sure Kenny had come alone.
"Oak." He greeted her, nodding at Steve and Bucky. "What's wrong."
"I got really sick recently, had a high fever. Our Doctor did some blood work and he found that I had some foreign cells in my body, they are spreading. Hydra is the only one who could have dosed me. I was wondering if you had any more files on me or if you know anything about it."
Kenny shook his head. "Hydra never experimented on you Oak."
"They had to have, this couldn't have come from anywhere else."
"No, you were always locked away in that room, especially after what Ozwald did. Only one man had the key to your room and anything they ever did to either of you was documented."
"It would have been earlier on before you were born. I remember being injected twice, maybe more. When they injected me I felt like my body was on fire, almost like I was running a high fever." Kenny's eye darted back and forth as if caught in a memory. "What?"
He turned back to look at Bucky. "I don't remember exactly. Do you remember anything about the new cells?"
Oakleigh told him everything Bruce had told her on the ride over, nothing seemed to resinate with Kenny. "Other than that, we got nothing. I know you were young at the time, by then we were mostly on ice so if you don't remember anything that's ok."
"I'm really sorry I wish I did. What does the Doctor think these cells are going to do? I assume nothing good since you came to me."
"It spiked my temp so high I could have died or slipped into a coma. We were lucky we could get it down to where I feel like I have a slight flu. We think maybe whatever this is, it was meant to kill me if Bucky and I ever broke out."
"No. They wouldn't. You were too important to them not only to try and control the Winter soldier but they also said-" He paused. "Wait, You said you were tested against the supersoldier serum?"
"Yea, they ran my blood against Steve's."
"But not Bucky's?"
"Well no, but it would have been the same thing no?"
Kenny shook his head. "The translation did not make sense, Russian passed down through decades plus changing the files to translate to English, some pages just- they didn't make sense. They said your blood was special to the asset. They all knew they had to keep you alive to keep him in line. Now I'm thinking it might have been more literal."
"What do you mean?" Bucky promoted.
Oakleigh had asked him and Steve to let her handle the conversation with Kenny, they both had stayed quiet and listened. Now with a possible lead Bucky jumped at the chance to find a solution.
"I remember reading that you got really torn up during one of your earlier missions. You lost a lot of blood, they used hers to fix you up. You could assume that you both were the same blood type, but what if that wasn't the reason they used her blood to heal you? You said the injection burned, did it just burn at the injection site?"
Oakleigh shook her head, "It felt like my whole body was on fire, I was in a lot of pain that usually I passed out before it got better."
"That sounds a lot like the files I read on Steve's transformation." Kenny looked over at the blonde. "What if they took Bucky's cells and injected them into you."
Bucky shook his head. "She's not a super soldier."
"They would not want her to be, and from what Oak's told me they only injected her a couple of times. They would have needed to keep her from deteriorating over the decades and they needed a blood bank in case you were severely injured. If she had just enough of your extra cells it would be enough to trigger your healing process."
"Other than the pain of my body transforming in the span of a minute, I remember my body getting very hot like I had run a high temperature. I felt great when it was over, but during I did feel the same way you described feeling."
"So Where does that leave me?"
Kenny thought for a moment, "Get your doctor to run your blood against his. I'm willing to bet that your blood types are different and that is why you are getting so sick, and take into the fact that he has supers solider cells, it would explain why the symptoms are more sever."
"Why wasn't I getting sick before?"
"I would guess that you were not out of cryo long enough to grt sick, or the scientists were giving you something to treat your symptoms. My guess is you'll need a round of dialysis to clean your blood."
The three nodded, feeling relieved to hear that Oakleigh was not of the verge of exploding.
Smiling Oakleigh thanked Kenny, "I apreciate you meeting us like this, I hope I didn't mess up anything for you by calling."
He smiled back, "Nah, glad I was able to help."
.
Stark wasnted to import a dialysis machine to them, Oakleigh convinced him that a couple hours at a regular hospital would do just fine. Bukcy came with her and Sam and Clint minded the pirimitar, despite that fact that the shield wing already has 24/7 security.
"You think it'll get less crazy after we deal with this?"
Bucky clenched his jaw, "Hydra is still out there. Ozwald's still out there."
"The Avengers are taking care of Hydra. Ozwald will come out of the wood work eventually, then we'll get him."
