Steve POV
We know where she is, we found her.
3 months of searching, but we found her.
In the Quinjet, I sit beside Bucky, waiting to arrive. These past three months have been hell, shouting, distance, fighting, tears.
It's been rough.
But, she'll she back with us.
I'm not losing her.
Nat walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder, "You'll be with her soon."
I don't say anything, looking at Bucky's cold face, he stares at the door, waiting for it to open. Hearing Tony talking through the speaker, I open the door. Feeling Bucky behind me we jump, landing not far from the desert base.
Following the coordinates we make it below, the alarms go off, making everyone split up. Taking down any guard that comes our way, we work in sync. Door after door and we still see nothing, empty, nothing, empty, fucking nothing.
Bucky ripes the next door off its hinges, he stops breathing.
"We found her."
She here.
Hanging from the ceiling naked and still, the needles pump a dark blue fluid into her. Rushing over to her we rip them out, taking her down.
She lays her head on my lap, "Charlotte? Charlotte!"
She opens her eyes slowly, "Steve?"
She starts to panic, "Why aren't we at the shop? Where are we? I have to finish the orders?"
Breathing fast, and heavy, she looks around, pushing me away, "You're not real! DON'T TOUCH ME! I LEAVE ME ALONE!"
My heart breaks as she scurries away, Bucky stands, and takes slow steps toward her, "Charlotte, Doll? It's us, we're here, we're real."
She shakes, looking at him worryingly, holding out his hand she closes her eyes, waiting to get hit. Touching her cheek gently, she stops, looking up at him.
"B-Bucky?"
"Yes, Doll it's me."
"You're r-real?"
"I'm real, we're real, we're here."
She wraps her arms around him slowly, sobbing into his chest, "Where's Steve? Is he ok?"
"I'm here Baby Girl."
Looking at me she crys harder, reaching out for me as she clings to Bucky. Rushing over to her I touch her hand, it's so cold.
I fail to notice guards and a woman in a lab coat step in, "What are you idiots doing!? KILL THEM! I NEED MY MUSE!"
Hearing her voice, Charlotte turns her head, shaking she starts to cry, "No. No. NOOO!"
Ice forms, spikes shooting from the ground, killing the guards where they stand.
The scientist smiles, "This...this is even better! YOU ARE TRULY PERFECT!"
She falls, Nat behind her with disgust written on her face. Looking at her hands she whimpers, "What's wrong with me?"
Unable to focus, she faints, Bucky catches her before it's too late. Picking her up, Tony detains Doctor Collins, while Nat makes sure the place is empty. Bucky shields Charlotte, hiding her body from the world. In the light, I can see her bruises, cuts, and swollen skin.
She's even thinner.
Getting on the Quinjet, I wrap a blanket around her. Stroking her hair, I frown as my chest burns with rage.
Doctor Collins is a scientist who went off the grid. She had a project in mind to create elemental beings, by exposing them to the harsh elements with a gene adaptation fluid that allows the human body to evolve under fast conditions. She is small and tried to get funding from Hydra, that's where Bruce, Sam, and Thor are, taking out their base for good.
She was taken due to some records stolen from various of blood donation charities. They find the perfect match and take them for testing.
She was their first subject, their only subject, and their only success.
Laying on the lab table, Tony and Bruce examine her, showing us the changes in her DNA. The effects of her treatments that was recorded, from extreme temperatures to various of painful experiments to adapt to.
Once the final scan is done, she starts to stir awake. Opening her eyes she quickly panics, "NO! NO! NO!"
Ice spreads through the room quickly, frantic, she speaks to herself, "Why am I here? Where are they? I-I don't know, why am I here? I- NO! NO MORE! NO MORE!"
My heart breaks, the two of us step inside, making her panic.
"Steve? Bucky?"
I reach out for her, holding her hand, "We're here."
She starts to cry, looking at us, "Where are the flowers, I was giving you flowers to deliver to the Elementry school, they need them for a science class. I don't know how I got here, where am I? Did they get the flowers?"
Bucky strokes her cheek, "No Doll, you were taken, but your back now, your safe. You didn't miss any orders, it's ok, no need to worry."
She leans into his touch, "It's so cold."
Looking up at me, "Why is it so cold?"
Tears fall, as the ice begins to melt quickly, "I missed you two so much. I dreamed about you every time, I saw you, I could feel you, I'm with you?"
"You're with us, we're here, we're not going anywhere."
Her eyes fade as she looks around, "NO! DON'T HURT ME!"
She begins to panic, trying to scoot away, Bucky grabs her arms gently.
"Doll look."
Showing her his metal hand she stops, growing closer to his hand she touches it. Calming down she touches it gently, her smile is small but it's there.
Watching his hand relax she whispers, "I'm glad you're ok."
This makes Bucky cry a bit, "Yeah, I'm ok."
Looking at us, she rubs her eyes, "I'm sleepy."
Reaching out for her, I pick her up, letting her rest on my chest.
She smiles, "You smell good."
Then she drifts off to sleep.
I look down at her, "Don't worry Charlotte, this will happen again."
Looking at Bucky he nods, leading the way.
"Where are you going?"
I turn my head to look at Bruce, "We're taking her home."
He protests, "She needs to stay here, we don't know what we're dealing with!"
Bucky stops, glaring at him, rage laces his voice, "No. She needs normalcy."
Before Bruce can say anything else Fury steps him, "Go."
We look at him, nodding my head in thanks, we leave, finally returning home.