About an hour later she woke up and sat straight up. Harley started to growl and Tucker sat up quickly.
"Hey, say something to me, Skye," Tucker said.
Skye looked at him, her eyes went dark.
"Someone get in Skye's room now," Tucker said loudly.
Bruce came in quickly thinking it was medical but when he saw her eyes he knew.
"Tucker, get out of the room and take the dog," Bruce said.
Tucker did as he was instructed.
"Hey, Skye. I know you're in there," Bruce said calmly. "I know what it feels like to not have control of what you are doing. You've been there before. Before you knew how to use your abilities. I know you can hear me so just do what I taught you about meditation. Take a deep breath and fight against it."
Skye was able to take a breath but the anger in her grew more and fire was growing in her hands.
"Hey. Do I need to bring out the big green guy?" Bruce asked.
Steve and Bucky came to the room,
"Banner we don't know if she attacks you if you will be hurt. And we need you in case someone gets hurt, out," Steve said.
Banner opened his mouth to say something.
"That is an order," Cap said a little annoyed.
Banner left the room.
"Skyler. You need to fight this," Steve said.
"You don't think I tried to fight it. Every day damn," Bucky said
"She broke out of it before," Steve said. "And you broke out of it."
"You probably said whatever the trigger word is," Bucky said. "And it took months for you to get me fully out."
Steve thought for a moment. "All I said was you're angry. I get it. But you're done hurting people. Take it out on me. And they also had you under their control for years."
The fire grew bigger in her hand.
"Hey. That's enough. You are stronger than this. Fight it. That is an order from your Captain," Cap said sternly to her.
She threw the ball of fire at Steve. Bucky reached his metal arm out and stopped it from hitting Steve before walking over to Skye and taking hold of her fists. "Remember who you are. Remember where you are. Who you will hurt if you let go. This is not you."
Skye tried to fight against him Bucky.
"Steve. I know you are the Captain here. But you might want to get everyone out of here," Bucky said.
"You know we have Tony getting everyone out," Steve said.
"You go too," Bucky said.
"I am not leaving my daughter," Steve said. "I wasn't there for her before. I will not. Walk away from her now when she needs me the most now."
"Steve. When I let her hands go she is going to explode. We both can't die today. If she survives this she will need one of us. Not to mention Carol is carrying out child. Leave," Bucky said.
Steve took a breath "No."
"Damn it, Steven," Bucky snapped. "Why do you always have to be the most stubborn person in the room."
"Skyler. You are more powerful than Bucky. We all know that. So why aren't you fighting harder?" Steve asked.
"What the hell are you doing?" Bucky asked.
"She is in there fighting against it," Steve said.
"Well don't help the control by reminding her she is stronger," Bucky said.
An idea popped into Steve's brain and he went over. "I have no idea if this will work but won't hurt her much if it doesn't," he said before he took hold of her arm and smacked her butt once hard.
Skye yelped and her body went limp. falling into Bucky's arm breaking down and sobbing into him.
"I've got you," Bucky said softly.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed out.
"You're okay," Bucky said
"I need to be locked up," she sobbed out.
"No you do not," Bucky said.
"I can't keep them out of my head," Skye said
"We're going to help you figure that out," Steve said.
"But until we do. I need to be in the containment unit. Even if it doesn't completely stop my abilities it will keep me from hurting anyone," Skye said.
"No. I'm not locking my daughter in there," Steve said.
Skye took a breath and pulled away from Bucky. She walked out of her room and went downstairs to the containment room. And went into it and sat on the floor.
Steve and Bucky followed her and sighed going into the room.
"We're not closing it on you," Steve said.
Skye looked at Bucky. "Please. You know what damage was caused by this same thing when it was you."
"This isn't the Winter Soldier programming. That was destroyed," Bucky said.
"Well, it's something similar. I don't want to hurt anyone else. Next time I might kill someone. I can't live with that on my conscience. And if you don't help me make sure I can't. It's on you too," Skye said.
Bucky pressed the button and locked it with a code that Steve didn't know.
Steve looked at Bucky in surprise.
"I don't like this any more than you do Steve. But she's right. We made a promise to her. That if she got out of control we would do something. She is not being hurt. We can still talk to her. She can have whatever she needs in there. And we will figure out how to keep them from getting into her brain," Bucky said.
"No. I'm not leaving her in there," Steve said.
"Daddy," Skye said in tears.
Steve looked at her.
"I need you to realize that this isn't about you. This is what I need right now. Think about how much work Papa has put into working through all the damage done when he was the Winter Soldier. I'm not as strong as he is in that sense. I will not be able to handle it," she said.
"You are so much stronger than you think," Steve said.
"When I thought Tucker cheated on me. I hurt myself," she said her voice cracking.
Steve and Bucky looked at her in surprise.
"You're lying," Steve said.
"Ask Tucker if you don't believe me. And that is nothing compared to the hate I have for myself right now for what I did to Tony," Skye said. "If I hurt someone else. Or kill someone I love. I won't be able to move passed it. I'm not strong enough," Skye said the tears falling.
"Bucky opened this now," Steve said.
Bucky unlocked it so Steve could go in and sit with her and wrapped her in a hug.
Skye sobbed into him.
"I'm sorry peanut. I'm sorry I didn't see how much you were struggling," he said pulling her into his lap to hold her.
Skye clung to him and sobbed into him.
"Buck. Lock us down. Go let the others know. You can come back after. Please," Steve said.
Bucky locked the unit and went and told everyone it was safe again.
"Skye okay?" Nat asked.
"She's okay. There will need to be a discussion about things going forward but I need to talk to Tucker first," Bucky said.
Everyone went inside.
Bucky pulled Tucker aside. And once everyone was away from them Bucky looked at him.
"Do you know anything about Skye hurting herself?" Bucky asked.
Tucker took a breath. "Did she do it again?"
"No. But she told her dad and me that she couldn't handle it if she hurt or killed someone she loves. Her dad and I think she's stronger than that but she said she's not and used the fact that she hurt herself when she thought you were cheating on her as proof that she's not," Bucky said.
"I did know. Yes. I saw the cut mark on her wrist. It's not the first time she did that. When we first started hanging out as kids she was doing that pretty regularly. I helped her through it at the time. I'm sorry. I should have told you. I just. She promised she wouldn't do it again. And I didn't know how you would react," Tucker admitted.
Bucky let out a breath. "Steve and I are not angry you didn't tell us. We just wanted to make sure it's true."
"I can talk to her. Maybe I can help?" Tucker asked.
"We have a containment unit here. I'm sure she mentioned it," Bucky said.
"Yeah. She's almost too strong for it," Tucker said.
"She has insisted on being locked in there until we can figure out how to keep Hydra out of her head," Bucky said.
"I can't believe you and her dad are letting her do that," Tucker said.
"We don't like this. But I understand her fear. She has seen in books and articles the damages I did as the winter soldier. And while this can't be the same thing since that programming was destroyed. This is similar and she is scared to hurt or kill someone. So I understand," Bucky said.
"So I can't see her?" Tucker asked.
"I think for today. You should go. But I promise she will have her phone so you can call and talk to her. And depending on how she feels maybe you can see her. But that's up to her," Bucky said.
Tucker let out a breath. "Okay."
"This is only temporary," Bucky said.
"I know. I just want to be here for her," Tucker said.
"I know, I'll make sure she knows to call you," Bucky said.
Tucker nodded before he left.
Bucky went inside.
"Where are they?" Tony asked.
"Skye has insisted on being locked into the containment unit. Steve is currently in there with her. And is pretty pissed with me right now for agreeing to it," Bucky said.
"She doesn't need to be in there," Tony said.
"Tony. What she did to you is the biggest part of this. She blames herself and doesn't want to be in a situation where she hurts anyone else or ends up killing them," Bucky said.
"I don't blame her. No one does," Tony said.
"I know," Bucky said. "But she does. And we will make her as comfortable as possible in there but I don't think we are getting her out of the room until we can be sure Hydra's control of her is gone."
"No. She's not staying in there," Wanda said. "She is not a criminal."
"I have set a code. And unless I am sure you are going to honor what Skye wants you don't get to know it," Bucky said. "I know what it feels like to be controlled by Hydra. And if I can help keep Skye from doing anything like I did I will do it."
"He's right," Tony said. "We have to respect this is what Skye wants. We don't have to like it but if this is what Skye wants we do it."
"Now I'm going back down and letting Steve out and we will figure this out," Bucky said before he went back down and found them in the same position but with Skye asleep.
Steve looked at Bucky. Bucky could see he had been crying.
"This isn't your fault Stevie," Bucky said softly.
"She is supposed to be safe in this building," Steve said. "If they can get into her brain. What's stopping them from doing it to any of us," Steve said.
"Nothing. Which is why we have got to figure out how this is happening. And stop it," Bucky said
"But doesn't deserve to be in here," Steve said
"And the moment she wants out we will let her out," Bucky said.
Bruce came down. "I just want to make sure she is medically okay."
"She is asleep and I'm not waking her up," Steve said.
"Steve. He just wants to make sure she's okay," Bucky said.
"I know. But right now. She is asleep. She has been through hell and I'm not waking her up," Steve said annoyed.
Skye stirred a little.
"Shh. You're okay," Steve said.
Skye woke up more. "I'm awake."
"Steve," Bucky said with a little force behind his voice.
"Fine," Steve said.
Bucky punched in the code and Bruce went in.
Skye moved from her dad's arms. Steve got up and walked out of the unit and past Bucky.
Bucky took his arm and held him in place so he could say something. "You can hate right now. Fine. But don't forget for one second you have zero understanding of what it is truly like for Skye. I know. I lived it. And if this. Is what protects her from that. I will do it over and over again. Because Tucker confirmed she did what she said she did."
Steve let out a breath. "How did we not know?"
"Because she didn't want us to," Bucky said.
"I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you too," Steve said.
"It's forgiven," Bucky said.
Bruce left the containment unit. "She's medically okay."
Bucky nodded and locked it before looking at Skye. "So. I will bring you your phone. Tucker knows what's going on. So you can call him and talk to him. Whatever you need and or want in there just let us know."
"I don't want my phone," Skye said.
"You don't want to talk Tucker?" Bucky asked.
"I don't know how long I'm going to be stuck in here. He deserves a girlfriend he can be safe around," Skye said.
"And when he finds out you said what do you think he is going to say?" Bucky asked.
Skye let out a breath.
"I'm bringing you your phone," Bucky said.
"Do that. I'll break it and use it to hurt myself," Skye said.
"Really? Threatening to hurt yourself is not going to get you what you want," Steve said angrily
Skye looked at him.
"Because I will personally bring Tucker down here so you have to face him," Steve said.
Skye let out a breath.
"Hiding from the people who love you. Will not help you," Steve said voice softening
"Sorry," she said softly.
"You're sure this is where you want to be?" Steve asked.
Skye nodded.
"Okay," Steve said.
Steve sat outside the containment room.
"You don't have to stay here Dad," Skye said.
"Someone will be here at all times," Steve said.
"I'll go get your phone, anything else you want?" Bucky asked.
Skye shrugged.
Bucky went and found her phone and a few other things he knew she would like before going back down.