Winter is Coming (A Female Winter Soldier/Avengers Story)

Rejoining HYDRA

Logan and Victor were in another brotherly argument when the Avengers suddenly walked in, startling both mutants. Claws and nails grew in surprise before they realized who was there. They sheathed their mutations and frowned at the Avengers, Logan crossing his arms.

"Can we help you with something?" Logan asked, annoyed.

"Yes, you can. I hear you're good at tracking people," Tony snapped back. "We need you to find a girl named Raven Howlett. Any relation to you two?"

Both Logan and Victor froze, faces pale and eyes wide.

"So you do know this 'Raven'?" Steve asked.

"She's our sister. But she died in 1919. We met someone who looked like her in World War II when we were fighting with you, Captain," Logan said.

"That girl's name was Raven. She never mentioned a last name, probably because she was supposed to be dead," Steve muttered.

"When I was at HYDRA as the Winter Soldier, there was a girl named Raven who was trained as a female Winter Soldier," James spoke up.

Victor and Logan glanced at each other in shock. They hadn't known their sister was alive. But Logan's face hardened in determination, and he turned to the Avengers.

"I am good at tracking people," he said.

Tony pulled out a necklace from a plastic bag and tossed it to the mutant. Logan caught it swiftly. Logan recognized it as the one he had given to Raven back in 1810, two years before they joined the war. It was a simple gold chain with a gold disk. She had added charms and other pendants over the years. She had added a Captain America shield, a pair of Wolverine claws, and a HYDRA logo, among others. Logan held it up to his face and pulled the scent off the metal. Her flower perfume and rose shampoo.

He let his hand fall to his side and turned his head to look in the direction that the scent was coming from. He tucked the necklace into the bag and took off, being followed by the others. Rebel was with them, wanting to find her friend before something happened.

Victor eventually managed to convince the others that he could help with the tracking so he was allowed to pick up her scent from the necklace too. Together, the two mutants made their way past the school (now closed off and surrounded by police cars) and into the trees on the other side of the street. It got a little more difficult for the mutants to track her as the light was lower and couldn't find the footprints without sufficient light. At least, it was more difficult before Tony turned on the lights on his suit to give the mutants the light they needed. After that, it became a lot easier to track her.

Two hours later, they stumbled upon a cave. Both mutants stopped at the entrance, heads turned to look into the depths.

"Is she there?" Rebel asked.

"I'm sure she is," Logan replied. "Wait here. You too, Victor."

Victor rolled his eyes but stayed put. Logan headed into the cave, moving slowly and carefully to make sure he didn't startle anyone on his way in. He made sufficient noise as he went, to make sure whatever or whoever was there wasn't going to turn and be startled by a sudden person standing nearby.

The farther he went into the cave, the harder it became to see. He soon stopped when he was about to lose all sight and gently called into the darkness.

"Raven?"

There was a small scrape from up ahead before a small snuffle reached his ears. It sounded like a wounded person.

"Raven, is that you?"

Still no answer.

"It's me, Logan."