Connections

Prologue

I walked through the city of New York. The sounds of city sounded like a melody singing in my ears. I hated being in this city, however, the busy streets made it easier for me to lay low. I walked up to a tall building looking up at the many steps towards the door. I clutched the bag full of drinks in my hand before walking up. The brass numbers 177A glowed against the sun.

This has been my home for the past six years. Growing up both my parents were apart of S.H.I.E.L.D. , a military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency within the government. Both agents fighting whatever evil corrupted the world. With that responsibility came a lot of assignments in other countries, and a lot of danger.

My parents greatest enemy was Hydra. Another organization bent on world domination. Both in constant battle with each other. When it came to my life Hydra was always winning. As a kid my parents would tell me the stories of the things Hydra did to other people. Experiments, and turning people into test subjects. I never thought I was going to be one of them.

When I was a kid I was captured my Hydra and turned into one of their so called experiments. I was only six years old. In the past they tested on creating super human soldiers, and after that succeeded they moved to more extreme creations. The creations of enhanced soldiers. Not just strong, they wanted them almost magical.

For me I became a solider, and someone with powers. The things they did to me was torture. However, I grew a power that allowed me to phase through things. My body walked through walls, bullets would go straight through me. I was the perfect solider for Hydra.

For five years I was trapped in their base. Tortured most of the days in the worst ways possible. The others were spent training under their other perfect weapon. The Winter Solider. He always kept his face covered, only ever said one or two words to me. However, he taught me how to properly hold a gun. How to aim, how to kill. Making me a deadly weapon along with him.

When my parents finally found the base and came looking for me, all hell broke loose. They fought through Hydra with other Shield agents. They were able to get me out. Though my life cost them their own.

For three years I stayed with Shield. Training my strength and becoming an expert in hand to hand combat. There was one thing Shield didn't know how to handle, and that was my powers. That was until someone called the "Ancient One" came. She was a master of they mystical arts, something my powers apparently resembled. I left with her one morning under the promise of working through my anger and want for revenge. I've been here ever since.

I opened the door to the building before taking a deep breath walking in. Trips to the store were the one thing I look forward to. It gives me a nice break from training everyday. I closed the door behind me and listened for some voices. However, there was complete silence. I walked deeper into the room, confused why it was so quiet. Normally everyone would be training, or something.

I set the bag down against the wall beside me. I walked deeper into building, turning to the drawing room on the right.

"Wong?" I called out looking around before entering in completely. Before I could get an answer I saw three figures sitting on the couch. One a tall lady with beautiful porcelain skin. Her head was shaved, and she wore long gold garments. She was the Ancient One. My teacher. Beside her was a bigger man with short, almost shaved head. His clothing almost like the Ancient One's but instead red and blue. Wong, another one of my teachers.

I looked at them confused as to why they were just sitting there. They both looked up at me, Wong looking slightly concerned. The Ancient One was calm and collected as usual. I walked in, my mind racing. Did I do something wrong? If so then what? Before I could fall deeper in concern the third figure stood up.

My heart dropped knowing exactly who it was. The tall dark man walked over to me with a small intimidating smile. He towered over me with his long leather coat. I looked up at him, remembering the fear he used to instill in me. I took a deep breath as I regained my stance looking into his eye, the other covered by an eye patch.

"Fury..." I said quietly. He nodded his head as a smirk landed on his face.

"Come take a seat, Layla." He said simply holding his hand out towards the couch. I took another deep breath and nodded. My eyes didn't leave Fury's sight. His never left mine either. I felt the nerves run throughout my body. Why was he here? What did I do to make the director of Shield visit me personally?

I sat down on the couch as Fury stayed standing. Before I could get comfortable he threw a beige folder onto the coffee table. The folder echoed the room with a loud thud. I looked down at it, unsure what to think. Before I could even ask a question Fury flipped the folder opened. I took a sharp breath looking at the file in front of me.

A large clipping of a newspaper. On the front of it read "Howling Commandos on Parade." I looked at it curiously and picked it up. I skimmed the article before reaching the picture at the bottom of the article. In the picture there were 4 men, one in a red and blue suit, the other in normal military attire. The article was from the 1940's which wouldn't have bothered me, however behind the four men stood two women.

One girl had short brown hair that curled to her shoulders. The other one, was me. Identical to a T. I set the photo down and flipped through the pages some more. Each one a different photo of me in this time period. I got to the last page, a photo of me holding on to a man laughing. He had short slicked back brown hair, light eyes, and was in a military uniform. I looked up at Fury setting the page down.

I knew exactly what was going on. However, this power Fury knew nothing about. In my time spent here we discovered a power I had developed. It seemed learning the mystical arts, and the powers Hydra gave me mixed in a weird way. Not only could I phase through things, I could also phase through time. However, I noticed it was creating some weird situations and I learned I could effect the people I met when I phased.

Fury looked down at me, looking like he wanted to kill me. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head down to me.

"You want to tell me, how the hell you ended up in 1940's with Captain America?" He asked not shifting his eyes away from mine. I looked back down at the picture of me and the man I was holding onto. The top of the page read a name. "James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes". I stared at the man curiously before shutting the file completely. I sighed and leaned back into the couch.

I scoffed and looked back up to him again. I nodded before crossing my arms over my chest as well. My nerves began to disappear around him. I knew now I was needed for something.

"How can I tell you if you haven't asked me to do it yet?" I said simply. I knew for a fact that these events haven't happened yet. At least not for me. Wherever these pictures came from were what was going to happen.  I had no memory of these events. No recollection of this man, Bucky. Whatever happened that caused him to look out for me caused these events to happen.

"I'm guessing I'm going back to Shield now?" I asked raising an eyebrow and tilting my head at him. Fury just scoffed and shook his head. A slight chuckle escaped his lips before turning his head.

"Pack up." He said before walking out the door.