Warning(s): None, just love taps...
Word count: 4736 words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Previously~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alarms screamed out in the white room, signaling an intruder. Clad in a bloody T-shirt and lab coat, a lone man continues to work, abandoned by everyone else. He hadn't finished with his patient yet, but he was willing to compromise for time. Looking down at his helpless victim, he mumbled a single word.
"Pyre."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Now~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Be a dear and go distract the intruders for me." The man - the doctor - says with ease. "I need a head start, it wouldn't be fair without one." With the press of a button, his patient rips their way out of the restraints.
A fond smile flashed on the doctor's face, like he had just sent his first child to kindergarten. Oh, how fast his little weapon had grown, It might just bring tears to his eyes! But that didn't matter, no. He had to make a run for it, and fast. He need not make this easy for them.
"Ta-ta, I'll see you when this is over." He waves from the door, receiving a curt nod in response.
With that, the doctor runs quickly through the maze of hallways, twisting and turning. A gruff shout snaps through the air signaling that someone had seen him. As a figure starts to run after him, a loud 'boom' and a flash of heat spreads around the area. Soon the doctor's Cheshire smirk has taken over.
'Such a good girl.' He thought, stopping for a moment to watch the utter chaos Pyre was creating. "Give them a show, dear!" He shouts over his shoulder, turning the corner.
A metal arm shoots out of the rubble, clearing way for the person attached to it. With an angry grunt, Bucky jumps away from the next oncoming attack. Where was Steve? He was right behind him a minute ago.
"Steve, you there?" Bucky calls into the earpiece, continuing to dodge further attacks. He scans for a weakness, anything to stop this mutant.
"Little busy, Buck." Steve shouts from the other end of the device, a frown settling on Bucky.
"So am I." Bucky grunts, rolling behind another wall. This chick was proving to be difficult. "Get over here, now!" He commands, throwing large chunks of rubble at the threat.
For a moment the attacks subside, this concerns Bucky. The enemy doesn't just give up, not in his line of work. Where did she go then? He chances a glance to see that Pyre is lying on the ground, covered in rubble. She seems to be alive, just knocked unconscious.
"Thought you might need some help, elderly are so very fragile, after all." Tony piped up, looking down at Pyre. "And by the look of things, I got here just in time."
"And it looks like I was a little late." Steve barges into the room, pulling the doctor harshly along with him. "Sorry Buck, I had an unexpected doctor's appointment I had to catch." Steve glares down at the smirking man in his grasp.
"Oh my, seems like Pyre will have a headache when she wakes up..." The doctor chuckled, keeping an eye on the fallen girl. "Like dear (F/n) had." He said, watching a reaction rise within the men's eyes. Oh, how he loved it.
"Such fury," a wicked smile forming on his features, "it suits you well, gentlemen." His eyes move over to Bucky, looking over him fully. "The bubbling anger, it almost most radiates off of you, Hydra did well."
Steve had almost had enough of this man, he didn't like the way the doctor treated people; objects would be a better word for it. But before anyone could say or do anything else, Bucky had punched the doctor square in the face with his regular fist. A sickly sweet crack could be heard as the doctor stumbled in Steve's hold, reaching for his nose- it was broken.
"That was for (F/n)." Bucky barks, wiping the blood off his knuckles.
"Well," Tony begins, "as much as I'd like to let you keep wailing on him, and trust me I would, we're here for a reason."
"Tony's right, we need to get this guy back to HQ." Steve says, pulling the doctor along.
"What about her?" Bucky motions to the unconscious female with his metal arm.
"Obviously we should take her too..." Tony moves the rubble away from her, throwing her over his shoulder. "Case closed, meet you guys back at the Tower." He chirps, flying back through the hole he created earlier.
"It was a bad idea to let him take her..." Bucky mumbles to himself, following behind Steve leisurely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I want to run some tests, would that be alright?" Bruce questions, holding onto a clipboard.
"Mmm, yeah." You mumbled, fiddling with your hands. You weren't exactly comfortable with checkups, but Tony insisted you have one.
"These ones won't hurt, I promise." He reassures you, grabbing your hand with care. "Well, actually you will feel a pinch, but no pain after this."
He brings a needle close to your pointing finger, you stiffen but trust that he won't hurt you. True to his word, it was only a quick pain; he had needed a blood sample to study. He puts the needle away and sits in a swivel chair.
"Can you sit on the table?" Bruce smiles at you.
"Okay..." You trail off.
Bruce understood that all of this was probably bringing back terrible memories, but he wanted to make sure that you were alright. Your body may behave differently as a result of the experiments. He had to see the effects.
"Alright, reflects." Bruce moves to throw a tennis ball at you, you catch it inches from your face. "Strong reflexes, is that from Steve?"
"Yes, and Bucky." You nod your head in response.
"Warning, this is going to be bright." Bruce leans closely to you and shines a light in your eyes.
"No!" You shout, a pained expression crossing your face. You shove Bruce away a few steps, gripping onto the table with force.
Bruce had triggered something deep within you. That fear of the 'White Room' was awakened. A memory from your childhood that you thought was buried so much deeper than it was. In that moment, you knew that they still had you in their grip. Hydra would still find a way to coil an arm around you, and hold you close.
Your eyes flashed orange, but you knew you were safe with Bruce. You could feel yourself changing, but it was not in your control. You couldn't fix this, and that scared you more than anything. You didn't want to hurt Bruce.
"Run..." You said with much difficulty, your vision going hazey.
"(F/n), I think you need to meet someone..." Bruce lightly chuckles, a weary smile on his face. You give him a confused face before you go completely Tiger.
With a slight growl you jump into the air, your autopilot survival switch turning on. From that moment you feel as if you can only watch, as your body rejects your internal struggle for control. The strangest thing happens though, as you are midair, Bruce begins to turn green. Not sickly, but a deep shade of green.
You would be lying if you counted this as the weirdest moment since your arrival, but it was close. Bruce was beginning to grow, his lab coat ripping at the seams, his pants seemingly growing with him; Again, still not the weirdest memory. Your body still wouldn't respond to your will, so you looked on.
Where Bruce had once been, there stood a tall, green wall of muscle with pants. No, this was Bruce, you concluded. He looked at you angrily, and you could tell this could get ugly. You had sunken your claws into his flesh, which roused a pained, savage shout. He was about to backhand you, but stopped.
What you would call recognition flashed through his eyes. At this point your control was almost fully back, as you were no longer under the dictation of your fear. And you sensed that Bruce knew as well. He sat down with a 'thump', legs spread out wide. His rough hands held out like a child trying to grab at a toy. You try to escape the hands, but get pulled back into his arms.
"Kitty." He muses, petting your head with surprisingly gentle strokes. "(F/n)."
You look up in surprise, for something so big and scary, he was gentle and nice. His eyes sparkled at you, the childlike wonder showing on his face. You knew this was Bruce, but he was someone else as well. This thought didn't pass by your new companion, he almost anticipated it.
"Hulk." He smiled rubbing your back. "Tiny Banner." He sighed, grabbing you by the scruff of your neck. It wasn't uncomfortable, but you instinctively curled up in the hold.
Hulk placed you back on the table, giving one last gentle rub. He began to shrink again, but it looked painful. You lay down once Bruce is in front of you again. He picks up his glasses from the floor, and grabs a spare lab coat to put on.
"Well, that was... Eventful." Bruce murmurs, running a hand through his hair. You nod your head curtly. "Your pupils dilated correctly though... So that's a plus." He smiled weakly.
"Let's just move on." Bruce grabs the clipboard again. "Claws, they work..." He mumbles off a few more that he had seen.
A few hours later you are finally done with your checkup. Everything turned out to be healthy, to his awareness, and you were free to go. To be honest, you were just tired. You padded your way over to the elevator, feeling too worn out to take the stairs.
Tony, Steve, and Bucky would be back soon, so you would try to stay awake for that. The elevator opened to reveal Tony in his battered Iron man suit, carrying a woman over his shoulder. You tilt your head in confusion, looking up between the two. He chuckled a bit.
"Don't worry, I have everything under control." Tony replied to your look. You just stood on your hind legs pressing your floor number, it wasn't your problem. Yet.
Tony had gotten off at the clinic, and you noticed that the woman was covered in white rubble, much like his suit. You would be sure to remember the room number, 221b. She looked almost familiar, but you couldn't quite make out her face. This had to be important for Tony to bring her to the Tower.
The elevator 'dings' for your floor, and you head to the couch. You had curled up lazily in order to feel more comfortable. Steve and Bucky should be back. Any minute now. You sit there patiently waiting, until you fall asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poke. You move your head in the other direction, placing a paw over it. A cold hand brushes over your fur, making a shiver run down your spine. A dark chuckle resonates from beside you. Darn, sleep had just taken you too... Or so you thought.
"Wake up." Loki commands, scratching behind your sensitive ear. Pain shoots through your body, quickly pulling you from any hint of a dream you were having. Bright light bombards your vision, it was already morning?
Your body stiffens at the sudden jolt of internal agony, causing a rather painful stretch to ensue. You shake your head trying to get rid of the sleepy grogginess that you were feeling. You look around a bit before glancing over at Loki. He looks down at you amused, petting your head gently.
"Did you sleep well, little cub?" He cooes halfheartedly in a mocking tone.
'Well, this has to be another trick...' You thought to yourself, holding your paw in the air near his face. You poke him. However this was not an illusion, like he had done several times before.
Loki stares blankly at you, looking you over slowly. Soon he began to laugh, a smirk playing on his lips. Was he laughing at you?
"Is it that common?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. You look at him skeptically; of course, he used illusions regularly. "It's just too easy though, you and Thor are gullible..." He muses to himself.
"Oh, Captain Rogers was looking for you." He chimes as you are about to get up and leave. You give him a confused look. "Apparently, they have acquired your... Captor." He mumbles, searching for the right words.
You visibly shake for a few moments before you bolt out of the room, not looking back. You can hear Loki calling after you, but it's too late. You wondered who they had found, the Warden or the doctor. You didn't want to see, or even know who it was, to be honest. You were safe though, right? They couldn't touch you while you were here, right?
You ran into your room quickly, the shaking getting worse. You feel the world around you spin, and lean your forehead against the door. You shut your eyes while taking deep, staggering breaths, trying to settle your nerves. You are scared back into reality when you hear a knock on your door.
"Pet," loki calls, "are you alright?" He almost sounds worried. That's strange...
You pad your way slowly over to the closet, you would have to answer soon or he might open the door. Transforming felt weird, unnatural in your present state of mind. Then again, your powers seemed to be affected by your emotions, and currently they were all over the place.
"I'm fine." Your voice was rough, which surprised you. You get dressed quickly, then head to the door to regard Loki again. "Sorry..." You mumbled lowly once you had poked your head outside.
Loki stands still, checking over your form. He places a hand on your head, which makes you look at him in surprise. "You're safe." He mutters, looking at you seriously. "He won't bother you while I am still around," he gives you a playful smile, "because that's my job." You scoff and roll your eyes at him.
You wanted to ask Loki more about the subject, but that seemed like a bad idea at the moment. You could always find Steve...
After calming your breathing, you left Loki in search of the elusive Captain, your best guess being the Gym. The elevator, you decided, would take you there quicker, but you didn't really want to get there all too soon.
Taking the stairs, you had passed by the lab, watching as Tony worked on his suit. Sparks were flying randomly as he worked with his welding tools. His suit looked better than it had yesterday, but a little rubble was still left over. He must have had to break through walls again. Tony hadn't noticed you yet, so you move along quietly.
Going down one more floor, you find yourself standing in front of the Gym. You hesitantly stick your head into the room after you hear two voices, or rather whispers from two separate people. They stop altogether when they see your face. Maybe you should have listened a while longer before you poked your head in.
You give a weary smile to both men as you walk inside the door, gripping onto the hem of your shirt to calm your nerves. Steve gives you a weary smile as well, which doesn't make you any less nervous. You glance over at Bucky, he seemed to be avoiding your gaze, but you could tell that he was angry about something. Maybe the two had gotten into a fight before you had walked in?
"D-Did I come at a bad time?" You mumble while looking between the two, you didn't want to intrude. "I was just told that-" you stop yourself from finishing as you lock eyes with Steve, he looked really heartbroken.
"It's not a bad time, we were just..." Steve begins looking over at Bucky for help, who in turn shakes his head 'no'. "We were just talking about current movies..." Steve gives a cheesy smile, Bucky groans in defeat.
"Um, ok then," you begin to genuinely smile, "which ones?" You tilt your head to the side. You wouldn't say it out loud, but you hadn't seen any movies since you were six, besides the ones Tony or Clint had watched with you.
"Uh-" Steve looks over at Bucky again, who isn't even standing near him anymore, "Star Trek...?" He rubs the back of his neck, knowing you had caught him.
"We just didn't know how to tell you..." Steve looked down in defeat, you frown at this. "I- We didn't want you to be scared." Steve motions to Bucky and himself, only to notice Bucky was now at the door. Steve gives a pointed glance towards him as Bucky eases out of the room slowly.
You look up at Steve sadly, the slightest hint of your smile now gone. He motions for you to come closer, and holds out his hands to bring you into a hug. It was comforting, but you still felt uneasy just at the thought of the doctor.
The room was quiet, so you decided to focus on one sound. Steve's heartbeat. The slow rhythmic pulse almost made you want to stay like that forever, but you knew you couldn't. You breathed in deeply, savoring the warmth of someone next to you. A slight cough was heard from the door, bringing an end to the short moment of security.
"I- uh... I'm back." Bucky lightly rubs his neck shyly, the mechanical arm holding something behind his back. "I just wanted to get... This," the corners of his mouth quirk up slightly into a small smile, "for (F/n)."
You can't help but let your smile grow once more. In his outstretched metal arm was a fuzzy teddy bear. It wasn't an ordinary bear though. This one had a black mask over its eyes, and a red nose. It's overall blue outfit had a red collar, buttons, gloves, and pants. It looked like it had been used before by the worn areas, but seemed to be in great condition.
"Buck-" Steve looked at him in surprise. "That's very thoughtful." He gave a small smile, looking between the two of you.
"It's cute." You laugh, bringing it closer to yourself when Bucky gingerly places the bear in your arms. "Are you sure, Bucky?" You tilt your head slightly, looking up at him for the okay. Your voice was quiet, but it held a lot more joy.
Bucky gives you a curt nod before moving his attention over to Steve. "Did you tell her yet?" His eyes glaze over in an emotion you didn't recognize, but you could tell he was stiff.
"No..." Steve mutters, looking defeated by the question. "I'm trying to avoid it, actually." His eyes grow dark, showing you his true feelings towards the upcoming subject.
With a sigh, Bucky gazes into your eyes. "It's the doctor, (F/n)." Your heart sinks. He lowers his eyes after seeing your expression. "I'm sorry..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ugh, my head," a small voice groans, "what happened?" Pyre's eyes trail across the room. She pulled lightly on her restraints, noting that they weren't tight.
Bruce looks over, a sad smile on his face. The girl Tony had brought didn't seem very worried, she almost looked passive. Her brown eyes locked with Bruce's own chocolate orbs. She tilted her head to the side, showing her curiosity.
"You're not the doctor I was expecting..." She sits up as much as the restraints will let her.
"Is that a good thing?" He mumbles, trying to break eye contact. Pyre squints at this with a forced laugh.
"It could be, depends on what your plans are." She smiles kindly at Bruce, "would you help me? The restraints are too tight." A pout forms on her lips.
"Uh-" Bruce thinks for a moment, while she watches him closely. "I think that's possible..." Bruce gives a light smile.
"Thank you~!" Pyre gives a toothy grin, waiting for him to loosen the binds. "You're not like the other doctor I've had." She mutters to herself.
This seems to stop Bruce from loosening the second restraint. He knew what that meant, and he wondered how long she had been put through that. (F/n) had told him about what she went through as a kid before she escaped. Had this young woman gone through that up until now?
"Why are you looking at me that way?" Pyre mutters, no one had ever looked at her that way. She could feel his sadness, and she just wanted to comfort him.
"Oh, sorry." Bruce mutters finishing what he had started. "I haven't told you where you are yet." He lets go of the last restraint, a sly smirk forming on Pyre's face.
"Where am I then?" She looks at him expectantly. Bruce fixed his glasses, looking away from the girl. 'Wait until he leaves, be patient.' The thought rang out through her head.
"You're at Avengers Tower." He glanced down at a clipboard, noting the medicine he needed to give her for the pain. "In our Clinic." He adds, glancing over his shoulder.
"Wait-" She gasps, pulling her hands to her mouth. "You're an Avenger!" She smiles happily, but then it fades when she notices she just blew her cover.
Bruce looks at her with wide eyes, did she just get out of the restraints? Bruce and Pyre exchange glances before she awkwardly laughs at the situation. She rubs the back of her neck shyly with a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
"Hehe, I didn't mean to do that." She mutters, but then her face becomes serious. She places her hands back inside the loops, tightening one side and leaving the other.
"Y-you... I think you and Loki will get along." Bruce sighs in defeat. "What's your name, if I may ask?" He looks down at Pyre.
"Nadia." She blushes at his gaze, and looks down. "Codename: Pyre."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Tony, uh... Nadia is awake." Bruce calls over Tony's earpiece.
"Who is Nadia?" Tony questions, then remembers the girl he had brought back. "Oh, her." He mumbles, continuing to work on his suit.
"Yeah, well, uh..." Bruce's voice dropped down to a whisper, "she's gone."
Tony's movements stop, maybe he had heard that wrong. Thinking it over again, Tony places his tools down on the table.
"What?" Tony moves from his seat.
"I left to get medicine, but she wasn't there when I got back." Bruce replies quickly, a little taken aback. There was silence from the other side. "Tony?" He questions, then hears a loud bang as the Iron Man suit blasts the door open.
"Bruce, she's-" Tony cuts himself off after looking between the two shocked faces. "Why."
"Bruce... The door," Tony speaks up after a moment, "I broke it down for nothing!" He throws his hands in the air. "You lied to me."
Bruce rubs his neck shyly, looking over at Nadia with a small smile. "Sorry, Tony, she talked me into it."
"I-I'm sorry, I thought it would be funny..." Nadia plays with the hem of her gown, nervous under Tony's gaze. She keeps talking, but refuses to look up. "It was funny... But I didn't think you'd break the door in. I mean why break through a door I'm not supposed to be behind..."
"She has a point, you know. The door is your fault." Bruce gives him a disapproving look, one that you would give a child after they had broken a toy.
"What?! You're teaming up on me with a girl who woke up five minutes ago?!" The face of his mask lifts up to reveal a pout. "How do you even trust her?" Tony becomes serious, looking at Nadia skeptically.
"I haven't been a threat." Nadia states as fact, brushing away his statement. "Besides, I don't have any orders right now." She shrugs lightly.
"Orders?" Bruce and Tony question at the same time.
"What do you mean by that?" Bruce places a hand on Nadia's shoulder.
"They haven't given an order." She taps her neck, as if pointing something out. "So, I don't have a reason to fight," she smiles happily, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, "or cause any type of harm."
"Purposely, that is..." She glances over at the broken door, chuckling at the thought.
"Okay, stop right there... You're telling me that they can give you orders, at anytime?" Tony deadpans, clicking his tongue in disdain. "And you want us to trust you?" He glares at her, deciding against blasting a hole in the roof to incapacitate her again.
"No, only the doctor can give me orders." Nadia's brown eyes glaze over with remembrance. "And trust my motives, you will see when I'm not in control." She mutters darkly, clenching her fists angrily.
"She's not doing anything yet, Tony." Bruce gives a reassuring glance, fixing his glasses. "Give her a chance." He smiles, placing his hand on Nadia's head.
"She tried to kill Frosty..." Tony glances into Bruce's eyes.
"Not under my own control." Nadia points out.
"Not my problem!" Tony snaps, stepping closer to her, "the only problem I have is that you tried to hurt one of our own."
"Tony, enough." Bruce moves in front of Nadia, protecting her from his science bro. "If you are so worried, we have the hulk holding cell, right?" He mumbles lowly, moving his eyes to the floor.
"Fine, one chance." Tony grumbles, walking out of the broken doorway. "No warnings." He adds, sticking his head back in for a moment, then continues on his way.
After catching her bearings once more, Nadia smiles happily. "Look at you, chasing the big bad player away." Bruce tilts his head curiously, chuckling slightly.
"Heh, I wouldn't exactly call that 'chasing' Tony away." Bruce ruffles her hair, moving towards the doorway. "But, I'm glad you have a chance now."
"Me too." Keeping her smile, Nadia follows Bruce into the hallway, and then to the elevator.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"(F/n), (F/n), earth to (F/n)!" A voice calls you as you exit the elevator.
"Hmm?" You mumble, still holding tightly onto the bear Bucky gave you. "What?" The words leave your lips, but it's more out of habit.
"I've been trying to find you for the past hour!" The voice belonged to Clint. "Where have you been?" He grabs ahold of your shoulders, looking into your unfocused eyes.
"Are you even listening to me?" Clint asks becoming genuinely concerned, this wasn't how you normally responded. He snaps his fingers in front of your face lightly, finally gaining your attention.
"Huh? Wha- I'm listening!" You try to reassure him with a smile, but it looks fake.
"What's up? Are you alright?" Clint tilts your chin up, watching as a tear falls down your face. "Wow, hey now- come on, Cuddles, don't cry on me." He rubs your back soothingly, only bringing out more tears. 'Please don't cry.'
You stand there for a while in Clint's arms, crying until you can't anymore. Small hiccups and sniffles leave your lips, as you lean your head against Clint's chest. When your breathing eventually evens out, He still holds you close, humming softly and rubbing circles on your back.
"Better?" Clint mumbles, his hug on you lessening. Moving back a few steps, he tilts your head up again. "What happened?" His voice is caring, and hides a deeper emotion.
"I-" you hug onto the bear tighter, "I'm terrified..." You look into his eyes, the fear crawling up your spine. "The doctor, it's the doctor." You mumble, closing your eyes tightly, your grip never faltering.
"Hey- look, we won't let him hurt you, again." Clint smiles sadly, watching you clutch onto the bear like it was your lifeline. "I promise..." He pats your shoulder encouragingly, lightly wiping away the leftover tears with his other hand.
A 'ding' can be heard from the elevator again, and you hear Bruce talking. You turn around to see who he is talking to, but find yourself unable to look away. You can't help the gasp that leaves your lips as you look upon the girl who had been your friend. The girl who had been one of the doctor's other patients. The girl who had helped you escape.
"N-nadia!?"
©Shenanigans4321
~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~~~
AN: A little more background on Nadia will come next chapter, if anyone is confused on her powers (POWERS, so not just one, it's hinted a little bit with Bruce). Anyway, I hope you guys like this very long, very deep, very... bucky? chapter. Tried to hit as many points as I could, if I did not hit a point you have been dying to know about, please add a comment. It's such a long chapter, and it is 1000 words over my usual chapter size (It came out to be 13 pages), to make up for the lack of updates.
Be patient with me guys, because I ain't rushin' this story.