Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

— 1: Yelena —

‘Lena come on baby we have to go,’ Sofya urged in a whisper.

‘Momma no, my dolly!’ the toddler whined.

‘Shh baby, we can’t go back for your doll. I’ll buy you a new one when we get to the city.’

‘Daddy?’

‘No, not to see daddy…’ Sofya lifted Yelena onto her hips, half hidden under her coat and a blanket. They stepped into the cold of the night. ‘Daddy is gone…’

A surge of memories spun in turmoil within Yelena’s mind. Fragments, flashes. All incomplete and she couldn’t be certain of their order either. And, hell, her head was throbbing.

‘Lena run! Go! Don’t turn back, leave me, run!’ Sofya screamed.

A dozen men forced their way inside the cottage, weapons locked and loaded. Before the dust even settled, a man snapped Sofya’s neck while others charged for Yelena. The ten-year-old slipped out the backdoor and bolted, tears streaming down her face and with a furious aching in her heart.

‘Mom…’

A deafening cry tore through her throat, at least it felt that way but she didn’t hear. Not her own voice, not anything. Only the memories that tormented her.

‘Strap that kid down and get her to stop screaming! We’ve already wasted enough time tracking her down,’ a man barked orders at those around him.

Yelena’s mind raged on. Chambers without windows, cold nights on the floor. Shackles and chains, injection needless. Screams and tears, another bloodied nose. The kickback of a rifle in her hands. So many languages to study and master. Pain, endless, and then… freedom.

The Northern Lights illuminated the sky over Torshavn, such a magical sight, and Yelena wrapped her coat tighter around her body. The heels of her fur-lined boots clicked against the cobblestone street and echoed into the silent night. Home and a warm fire awaited her.

It took almost a minute to open the four different locks she’d installed for safety and Yelena flicked on a light but before she could turn into her living room, something slammed her into the wall. Forcing her to fight for her life against a man whose face she’d never forget, but her attempts proved futile. His fist closed around her throat, her skull slammed into the floorboards repeatedly, and her body grew limp before the light faded from her eyes. Back to where it all began.

A sudden pain shot through her body and Yelena’s fists balled up. She tried to move, tried to get away, tried to shout but nothing worked. She was trapped, and at last her eyes opened.

“Stark used that cellphone a lot sooner than I'd expected.” Steve ran a hand through his locks and glanced around the Avengers compound. “What do you suppose happened?”

“Nothing good I'm sure.” Natasha fell in at his side, on high alert and skeptical.

Not long ago the Avengers team had been at each other's throats and they'd since gone their separate ways. Team Captain America and Team Iron Man. A war of friends and family, and they all knew exactly what had gone down between Rogers and Stark.

No, Natasha didn't trust the sudden invite to the compound but Steve had insisted and now Rhodes made for their meager welcome committee of one.

“You remember the facility in Siberia?” Rhodes beckoned both to follow him.

“Hard to forget,” Steve muttered.

“Tony and I went back there a few weeks later to canvas the place. Found a sub-level not listed on any blueprints.”

Rhodes paused for the retinal scan to access the elevators and continued his escort once they reached the basement.

“What did you discover?” asked Natasha. Nothing good ever came out of Siberia.

“Project Soldat X.”

“Soldier X? What’s that?”

“Another super soldier, alive in cryostasis. Guessing not even Zemo or Barnes knew—we didn’t at first.”

“Just the one? Why was this one kept elsewhere?” Steve wondered aloud.

“We don’t know,” said Rhodes, “but Tony has his suspicions. He’s spent the past month running various tests—biometrics, DNA analysis, the works—not his strong suit but he did find something of note.”

“Go on.”

“The serum-properties are congenital, though in a diminished capacity judging by the visible scar tissue of old injuries.”

“Congenital? You mean…”

“She was born with it.”

“She?”

“She.” Rhodes halted at the detainment blocks and activated a set of observation screens. “Tony woke her this morning.”

On the screen, white lights lit up a transportable holding cell. Long, dark brown locks cascaded down the woman’s shoulders and thick brows furrowed into a deadly glare. Steve froze when a pair of deep blue eyes stared directly into the camera. Eyes he’d seen before, eyes he knew but these empty and cold. Empty and cold in the same way… his used to be.

The memories, a sense of deja-vu, held Steve in its grasp. “Bucky…”

Natasha clasped his elbow. “I see it too.”

“Who is she?” Steve spun around to Rhodes.

“Ilya, Vanya, Ivanka… she gives a different name each time Tony asks.”

“Unbelievable…” A gasp escaped Natasha’s lips. “Down to the curve of her mouth she looks exactly like him.”

An odd comment, Rhodes considered, and he quirked a brow to which Natasha chuckled. “It’s my job to take in every detail at all times, and the features of the Winter Soldier were seared into my mind long ago.”

“What did the tests show, other than traces of the serum?” asked Steve.

“That your buddy,” Tony began as he wandered into the security hub and read from his tablet, “managed to father a child. You know, in between his infamous killing sprees.”

“With the mental and emotional state they kept him in?” argued Steve. “That’s unlikely.”

“Yeah, well, unlikely or not, the result is sitting right there. Another super soldier, bred, not created. Congratulations, uncle Steve.” There was a strong hint of mockery in Tony’s tone.

“You’re sure Barnes is the father?” Natasha reviewed the data Tony had gathered.

“Blood was drawn and entered into our records—including a DNA profile—after Barnes was apprehended in Romania. The match speaks for itself.”

Both Steve and Rhodes followed along over Natasha’s shoulder though neither understood much about the science.

“Is there a match for her mother?” Steve wanted to know.

“Not in any database I have access to.” Tony sat himself down and spun around with his chair once before pointing a finger at the observation screens. “And she’s not telling us much.”

“Not anything?”

“Some mutterings in Russian as she came to. I introduced myself. You know, Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D, etcetera and she spat at the window. I asked for a name, she rattled off a dozen. Small rants, all in Russian, and a lot of deadly glares. I was going to ask Friday to run translations but since you’re here now…”

“Yeah, we’re on it.” Natasha got the hint and nudged Steve.

The door slid open with a hiss and Steve followed Natasha inside, approaching the portable prison. He hated the thing. Sure, it had its uses but it reminded him too much of the fiasco that followed after Vienna and the prison’s occupant bearing Bucky’s likeness didn’t help.

Unsure of what to say and how to initiate a dialogue, he leaned back against the desk that stood a few inches from the prison and let Natasha take the lead.

“I understand you’re Russian?” she asked in her native tongue.

“Da.”

“Do you speak any English?”

Yelena remained mute, drumming her fingers along the armrest of her seat.

“That cell can’t be comfortable. If you cooperate we could change that.”

“You have no grounds to keep me in this death trap! Sadists,” Yelena spat in anger and bucked against her restraints.

Russian continued to prevail between the two women and Natasha shrugged. “You’re an enhanced individual who was found in cryostasis at a HYDRA facility, we’re not taking any chances.”

“Found and taken. From one prison to the next—yours. I have nothing to say.”

“You were their prisoner?” Natasha frowned and cast a quick glance over her shoulder to translate for the others.

“Sometimes. Made three escapes, they found me each time. Failed my fourth attempt so they put me on ice.”

Not a willing soldier, Natasha realized and took a second to consider her next move. She didn’t detect any deception in Yelena’s words and the anger towards HYDRA appeared real. Whether they’d performed any mental conditioning on the girl, she couldn’t say, but Natasha felt she might yield more results if she released Yelena from her prison.

“This guy next to me? He’s like you—strong and fast. If you try to attack us or make an attempt to run, you’ll have to answer to him. We’re not here to harm you.”

Yelena merely rolled her eyes.

“Understood?”

“Da.”

“Tony,” Natasha called out, “release her. I don’t think she’ll try anything and she knows the consequences if she does.”

“How about no? We don’t even know who she is,” Tony argued.

“And we’ll never find out without showing some goodwill. You brought me in for this so trust my judgment.”

“Fine but if she gives us any reason to suit up, it’s on you.” Reluctantly, he engaged the security override to start the release sequence.

Various metal clamps unlocked freeing Yelena’s ankles, wrists, shoulders, and head while the hatch of the mobile prison cell rose up. Silence thickened the air, and both Natasha and Steve braced themselves for an attempted escape or attack but Yelena simply stepped outside her confinements.

Rubbing each wrist and circling them in her hand, she eyed her captors. “That’s a start.”

Steve perked up at her words—he understood them clear as day. “So you do speak English.”

“Russian, German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and more. A gesture of goodwill, no?”

“Right, thank you.”

“So you are the Avengers? That’s S.H.I.E.L.D, yes?”

“We are.”

“Chort vozmi, so I am back in HYDRA custody.” She kicked the side of her mobile prison.

It took a second before anyone realized what she meant, then it clicked for Natasha.

“S.H.I.E.L.D isn’t what it used to be, and no longer corrupted by HYDRA,” she corrected. “We exposed them three years ago and have since systematically taken their forces and facilities out.”

“You… what?” Yelena blanched and took a step back with a face of absolute horror. “Three… years?”

“Is that a problem for you?” Tony asked via the intercom when he drew the wrong conclusions. “That all your old buddies are gone?”

“I don’t give a fuck what you did to HYDRA!” Yelena fumed, startled as she was. “What year is this?!”

“It’s 2017.” A look of concern crossed Steve’s face as he told her. “When did they lock you in cryo?”

“June 2012… Blyat!” she cursed out and ran a frantic hand through her hair. “Five years? I was out for five years?! Kakogo cherta!”

Too many questions suddenly plagued her mind and her aggressive demeanor faltered under their weight. She crouched down to her knees and put her head in her hands, shaking it repeatedly.

“I’m sorry.” Steve poured out a glass of water and sunk down to her level, offering a few sips. “I know a little of what it’s like to wake up and find out so much time has passed.”

Pleading eyes stared up at him. “What the hell happened?”

“Well, a lot…”

“So start talking.”

A small chuckle escaped Steve. “I will if you will. Maybe give us a name, your real one?”

“Right… quid pro quo.” A hint of hesitation remained but she was smart enough to understand continued silence wouldn’t get her anywhere. “Yelena, or Lena, that’s my name. Yelena Katerina Nikolaev.”

“Hi, Yelena. I’m Steve.”

Chapter Text

— 2: Tales of the Past —

The lounge made for a far more pleasant setting than the detention block, Yelena thought while she let her fingertips trace across the back of the sofa. Everything here was brighter, cleaner, shinier. Modern but not cold. Of course, she knew that even in this room she was their prisoner but hey, the comfort of her seat and the warm coffee in her hand went a long way in making up for that fact.

“Who goes first?” Natasha sat down at the opposite end of the sofa.

“You.” Yelena decided and she explained, “I won’t share my life story without first being certain Hydra is no longer involved with your organization. Without knowing with absolute certainty they’re no longer a threat.”

Her lips pulled into a wry smile, adding, “I know their motto—cut off one head and two more shall take its place. So tell me, how many heads did you cut off?”

“Too many to count but, if you know Hydra the way we do then you know I’d be lying if I said they’ll never be back,” Steve admitted honestly.

“Exactly.”

“What I can say is that three years ago, when we became aware of Hydra’s rebirth within S.H.I.E.L.D, we exposed all files in our possession. Ever since, we’ve taken out most of their leaders, operatives, facilities, political affiliates and made the world aware. Much of Hydra fell with S.H.I.E.L.D and we still have agents in the field working daily to keep the Hydra threat contained.”

“If S.H.I.E.L.D is no more then who is this ‘we’ you speak of?” Yelena sipped her coffee.

“The people you see in this room. Every other person who operates from this compound. People loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D’s original mission statement, all over the world.”

“You, the Avengers? I may have been napping my way through the past five years but I’m not so numb that I didn’t notice the tension between you four. You’re not a team. Hydra? They’re many but with a single-minded goal and they will rise through your divide.”

“Observant,” said Tony. “And how do you know so much about their methods? You sound intimately familiar, far more than a prisoner would ever be.”

“I was more than a prisoner…”

Yelena let out a deep sigh and set her mug down. “I was born into Hydra, trained by them. I’ve been chased by them, robbed of the few things that ever mattered to me. Fought with and against them, and I despise them with every fiber of my being.”

Silence passed between the four Avengers. Tony, his lips already parted for a snarky remark, caught Natasha’s eye and swallowed back his judgment. If anyone could relate it had to be her.

“Will you tell us your story?” Steve sat down on the armrest next to her.

“Am I your prisoner no matter what I say?”

“No. We’re just playing it safe, I hope you understand that.”

Yelena nodded. “I was born in Russia in 1989. My mother, Sofya, was a medical scientist in Hydra’s employ, my father a super-soldier—James. According to her, he was a man whose mind was as shattered as his body often times but in moments of clarity, their love was real.”

An ‘I told you’ glance was exchanged between Tony and Steve, with the latter merely shaking his head.

“My mother wanted to leave when she became pregnant but Hydra knew of their affair and wouldn’t let her. James disappeared before I was born—killed, according to my mother. The first three years of my life I grew up in that facility. Not the nicest of places but I knew no better. My mother explained once that I was unique, had gifts like my father, and Hydra wanted them. A soldier born and raised by them, the ultimate guarantee for loyalty,” Yelena ended with a scoff.

“I don’t remember any of it but she said they began using me for experiments. That’s when she risked it all and we escaped in the dead of night. We fled to Saratov and lived in peace for about seven years until they found us again. Raided our cottage and killed my mother—I ran because she told me to.”

Needing a moment to collect her thoughts and tame her emotions, Yelena got up to pour out a second cup of coffee. There was no sense dwelling on the past and yet, it got to her each time she thought back to the snapping sound of her mother’s neck.

“For three days I hid in the woods where they eventually found me. I had no fight left in me, not without her, and they brought me to Germany. Hydra continued my education and began training me. Various forms of combat, weapon expertise, a dozen languages, field analysis, and tactics, you name it. Killed my first man when I was thirteen.”

“Sounds familiar.” Natasha’s brows furrowed and she felt a chill run down her spine.

“You too?”

“The KGB.”

That was enough of an explanation for Yelena who nodded and continued, “In 2005, when I was sixteen, myself and a team traveled to London for an infiltration mission. Airport security was at an all-time high with the increase of terrorism and I took advantage—slipped away from my handler when Customs separated us. Found my way to the Scottish Highlands a few days later where I stayed for two years.”

Again she took a sip from her coffee and let a deep half sigh, half moan, pass her lips. The dark, aroma heavy brew was such a long-missed delight, a simple and yet invaluable pleasure.

“Got my hands on a new identity as Rachel Wilson and lived in Stonehaven for a while working as a farmhand to earn my keep. Nice family but in 2007, after my eighteenth birthday, I moved out. Traveled further north to Torshavn in the Faroe Islands where I worked as a cook and bartender at a local pub. Things went well, I kept to myself a lot but I was happy. Almost felt human and safe until he showed up late 2008…”

Something in her eyes shifted and her body language grew rigid, prompting Rhodes to ask, “He, who?”

“Soldiers used to tell me scary stories about him to make me behave. Said his eyes were deadly and cold like the frozen tundras in Russia. No heart, no soul, only his single-minded purpose—to kill. A man with a metal arm that could snap you in half before you’d ever see him coming. A legend of mythical proportions, a ghost—the Winter Soldier.”

The mug she held shattered in her fist and her jaw clenched. The memory so vivid that she could practically feel him choking her again.

“I never fought so hard in my life, never experienced so much pain. He was waiting for me in my apartment and not a brick was left standing when he was done. Every bone in my body felt broken, I couldn’t walk and I couldn’t run. His metal hand closed around my throat, he nearly crushed my skull and when I woke up back at the Hydra facility in Germany, weeks had passed.”

Yelena blew out a staggered breath as she tried to calm herself. “I honestly thought he’d killed me.”

No one said a word and the tension was palpable. Tony itched to speak up but couldn’t bring himself to while Steve banished every notion he had of talking to Yelena about his best friend.

“Did you take him out as well?” Hope lingered in Yelena’s eyes.

“We did,” Natasha spoke an ambiguous truth before anyone else could respond. “The Winter Soldier is gone.”

“I’d love to hear about that sometime…” Yelena mused, caught up in her own recollections. It wasn’t until Steve leaned down to pick up the shards of her mug that she snapped out of it. “Sorry about that…”

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” Steve flashed her a forced smile.

“Thanks.”

“So what happened next? Back with Hydra?”

“Yes. They kept me in isolation for almost a year and I was subjected to various forms of torture, experimentation, interrogation. After, they began my training again, this time combined with reconditioning therapy. In 2012, they put me back in the field and I made another attempt to escape but failed. That’s when they put me on ice.”

Tony finished for her, “And then we came along.”

“Yup.”

“So in a way, we saved you.” A smirk lingered on his face but Yelena rolled her eyes.

“Say that again while you walk me beyond the security gates of this compound.”

Quiet seconds dragged on. Neither Steve or Natasha knew what to say, and both knew there wasn’t much to say save for the one secret they were keeping and that wasn’t a thing to spring on Yelena today. Rhodes, on the other hand, finished his notes having taken down every date and name Yelena supplied. He handed his tablet over to Tony.

“I’ll get back to you about that after I verify everything you’ve told us,” Tony stated.

“Go for it.” Yelena felt grateful enough that no one offered her their sympathy.

She had no interest in hollow sentiments and never shared her story to be pitied—just to sate their curiosity so they’d, hopefully, let her leave.

“Could take a while. Rhodey, set her up in one of the guestrooms and restrict her access to this level.” Tony rose from his seat with the tablet in hand. “Food’s in the kitchen, make yourself at home. Don’t make a mess.”

“At home? Just how long will it take you to investigate me?” Yelena frowned.

“No idea but look kid, day’s almost over and you’ve spent five years in cryo. Acclimate, relax. Eat something, have a drink, take a shower, whatever. Give us and yourself some time.”

“It’d be foolish to ask if you’re always this bossy huh?”

Natasha got up and chuckled. “You learn fast. I’ll get you some basic necessities and clothes to wear. Steve, a hand?”

“Coming.”

“Guess that leaves me to give you the grand tour.” Rhodes gestured for Yelena to follow him.

To say she wasn’t thrilled about staying even for another minute would be an understatement but, on the other hand, she had to admit the compound did make for a rather nice prison and at least she wasn’t in shackles and chains.

“Lead on.”

“So what are we thinking?” Tony caught up to Steve and Natasha. “Does she have a trigger in her mind that’s about to blow like Barnes’, or are we dealing with another traumatized orphan?”

“Trigger could be but if they were ever successful in altering her mind, how is it she attempted to escape so often?” Natasha dug through storage and gathered up items she believed to be in Yelena’s size.

“If she ever did. For all we know she’s a sleeper agent with a tall tale to tell.”

“Weren’t you on your way to verify her story?” Steve folded his arms over his chest.

“Friday’s searching every accessible database right now.”

“I believe her,” said Natasha. “The inflections in her voice, the look in her eyes, her body language… you can't fake that and you saw the anguish when she spoke about the Winter Soldier.”

“Yeah, about that—I take it we’re not telling her that daddy dearest and the man who nearly killed her are the same?”

“No.” Steve was adamant. “Not yet at least. Let her adjust to her new circumstances first.”

“Probably a good idea. People tend not to react well toward your buddy when they learn—”

“Tony.” Natasha shook her head and came between them.

“What? I have a right to be pissed and at least I had the decency to contact you and tell you about her. Even after you all abandoned me.”

“We didn’t abandon you,” Steve tried to reason. “You got my message, you used that phone. That’s all it took for us to come running back.”

“Where is he now? Barnes? Not that I want him here but you two were all ‘reunited and it feels so good’ and now, what? Moved on already? Lost him again?”

“He’s safe and healing.”

Tony scowled—something inside of him simply refused to let go of the events in Siberia. “I’m going to see if Friday’s found anything.”

“Ignore him.” Natasha clasped Steve’s elbow after Tony left. “He stews longer than most.”

“Yeah, I know. He just… he’s impossible sometimes.”

“Most of the time.” She laughed. “But he did have a point—he contacted us about Yelena. He didn’t have to do that, he could have hidden her away the second he reviewed her DNA analysis and no one would ever know.”

“I’m sure Rhodey had something to do with that.” Steve took the stacks of clothing and toiletry bag from her.

“Probably, but Tony’s mind can’t be changed unless he believes in it too.”

“Hm. Do you think she’s alright?”

“Lena? Yes and no. She’s playing things on the tough side but the stuff she’s been through? You never forget. You learn to live with it but it always comes back as if you’re living it right in that moment.”

“I know that feeling. Bucky will be crushed when he finds out.”

Natasha chewed on the inside of her lip. “How long will it be before they wake him?”

“T’Challa said it could be a few weeks, months or even years.”

“At least that buys us time to ease her into the news.”

“Nat, what if her story checks out and she decides to leave?” Steve’s brows furrowed.

“Then we have to let her get on with life and keep an eye on her from afar.”

“She’s his family, I can’t turn my back.”

“Let’s just take this one step at a time, uncle Steve.” Natasha teased with a smile. “Who knows, maybe she’ll warm up to us.”

Chapter Text

— 3: No more than Strangers —

Even after her fourth shower, Yelena struggled to get warm. As if the cryo process still affected her hours later. She shivered and dressed in a pair of long, thick sweats and a hoodie two sizes too big but that didn’t matter—she preferred them that way.

‘Shacking up with the Avengers…’ The mere thought made her frown.

It seemed like only yesterday that she’d been watching the worldwide news report regarding the alien invasion in New York—even Hydra had been in a state of emergency. Of course, given that most of their force was blended in with S.H.I.E.L.D, they would be, but the Avengers had prevailed.

They weren’t anonymous to her. The moment whispers regarding the Avengers Initiative spread through S.H.I.E.L.D, every Hydra operative had received a lengthy briefing about each possible team member so they could prepare. Well, most. There’d been two faces on the battlefield that Yelena didn’t recall ever hearing about.

‘Aliens though…’

Nothing new to Hydra, they’d long ago realized that several supposed mythical items were in fact alien technology, but Yelena had scoffed at the possibility. That was, right up until the Chitauri showed up all over the news.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She hadn’t heard Steve knocking nor approach, and jumped away from the window she’d been staring out of.

“You, actually,” Yelena admitted.

Steve tilted his head slightly. “Oh?”

“Were you scared?”

“When?”

“New York and the whole ‘yikes, aliens are real’ thing.”

“Ah.” He laughed and quickly realized that in ways, she was stuck in the past. He’d been too, once upon a time, and no matter the number of years passed in between he knew it was an odd thing to catch up on.

“Instinct took over when it happened, there wasn’t time to consider the alien-factor. They were the enemy and came to destroy us, stopping them was all that mattered,” he explained.

“Yeah but, after?” Yelena sat down on the foot end of her bed.

“After? It was quite a shock. I went from a world at war with the Nazis, into the ice, and woke up to a world where aliens and monsters from old time radio dramas had become a reality. I was still grappling with many other changes when the Chitauri arrived. Although…”

“Hmm?”

Steve sat down next to her, his hands clasped together between his knees. “In your time with Hydra did you ever hear about Johann Schmidt?”

“The Red Skull? Everyone has, and you took him out.”

“I tried but, I don’t know. Something strange happened with this object he had in his possession, the Tesseract. He held it and it was as though the universe opened up right above us. A bright beam came down and then he was gone. Disintegrated I assumed. Today we know the Tesseract is an alien artifact so, in a way, I was exposed to proof of alien existence long ago. I just never knew.”

“Wow… even back in the forties?” Yelena blew out a sigh. “Makes you wonder just how involved they are, or have been in our history. What else is out there.”

“I’m not sure I want to know.”

She looked at him with a wry smile. “Must have been hard for you, waking up to this changed world after so long. It’s only been a few years for me and yet I feel…”

“Like you’re not really here? That perhaps this is all just your mind playing tricks on you?”

“Basically, yeah. Doesn’t help that I’m cooped up in here with strangers. At a strange compound in a strange country.”

“I was too. The country wasn’t strange to me though it may as well have been. It’ll take time to adjust.”

“Did you?”

His brows furrowed. “I’m not always sure. I’ve adjusted, I understand this world more today but I’ve also been running while standing still.”

That confused her, Steve saw and elaborated, “Working with S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers has kept me busy and pushing forward, but I’ve struggled finding my place in this world as Steve. Steve is… in some ways still stuck in 1945.”

“Steve is talking about himself in the third person.”

“I’m only trying to explain,” he laughed.

“I know, and I get what you’re saying. I can’t fully relate, I never had much of a life in the first place so for me, well at least that’s still the same.”

“Not even during the few years when you were hiding from Hydra?”

Yelena rolled one shoulder in a lazy shrug. “I was either working or at my apartment, didn’t socialize. I knew their reach extended far so I kept my head down. On top of that, I always knew there’d be a chance I’d have to run again and any life I’d made for myself would be left behind. Why build one in the first place?”

“That sounds lonely.”

“Coming from a man who’s living in a holding pattern because a part of him is waiting for his life in 1945 to continue.”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“Sounds like it.”

“You could be right.” Steve gave her half a smile.

Silence fell between them, one long enough for Yelena to shrink back into herself and remember that her goal was to get away from the compound. That these people were no more than strangers to her regardless of any profile she’d read and studied years ago. Just strangers and she had no need for people in her life.

“Have you heard from uh… Tony? Is he done yet with my background check?” she asked.

“Not yet, no.”

“Oh, alright…” She got up and wandered back toward the window.

“Why are you so anxious to leave?” Steve noticed the change in her posture.

The way her arms wrapped tight around body and her chin dipped low, nearly touching her sternum. As though she was trying to escape inward because going anywhere else wasn’t an option.

“Because I have no need or reason to stay.”

“But what do you have out there? By your own admission, you never had a life, there isn’t anything to go back to.”

Yelena closed her eyes. They were harsh words but she knew them to be true. “Maybe I can finally start one.”

“Alone?”

“I’m used to it.”

There was no wisdom Steve could offer, and to preach about the people he had in his life? They had his back and were always there when he needed them but he only ever needed them when it came to the job. He called them his friends, Sam and Natasha in particular, and he trusted them blindly but just how deep did those friendships go? Occasional celebratory get-togethers with the team and the odd text but nothing that came close to the bond he shared with… Bucky.

He glanced back at Yelena, seeing only her back. Wet tips of her hair stained the light-grey hoodie she wore.

Bucky was the only one to ever truly know him. Bucky had known the kid who’d get bullied and beaten up on a regular basis. The kid who struggled to socialize and didn’t know how to talk to women. Bucky had known his brightest and darkest days, his proudest moments and his most embarrassing secrets. Bucky had known never to let him cook breakfast because he’d always burn the eggs.

Being truthful with himself, Steve realized he was alone too. Peggy was gone and so was Howard. Bucky had come back but there was no telling whether he would ever have his friend again, not the way they were. That all depended on T’Challa and his people.

Maybe she was right—he was in a holding pattern waiting for his old life to resume and through doing so, he’d formed a barrier around himself that new friendships simply couldn’t penetrate.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring you down,” Yelena said at last.

“No, you didn’t. I have baggage of my own.”

She merely nodded in response and before Steve could utter another word to keep her talking, Natasha poked her head around the door.

“Pizza’s here guys.”

“I reviewed the information you provided,” said Tony, his mood and tone indiscernible, while he took up the empty stool across from Yelena at the kitchen island. “Word of advice? If you’re running from someone, avoid social media.”

He slid his tablet across the counter and helped himself to a slice of pizza. “Friday found those images using facial recognition.”

There were three photos of her. One where she could be seen in the background of a guy’s selfie and another where she could be seen entering the pub behind a couple of tourists. The third was a photo of the kitchen and staff at the pub, taken while everyone was busy working, but the pub’s owner had tagged her name—Rachel Wilson.

“I always wondered how they’d found me…” A deep sigh escaped Yelena’s lips. “I worked so hard to avoid these kind of things… I didn’t know this photo was taken.”

“Not hard enough but at least this confirms your story. Friday also found an old news story from 2005, something about a dark-haired teenage girl running from Customs at Heathrow Airport?”

“Told you.”

“Mm yes, you did, but what you didn’t tell us…” Tony reached over and swiped to the next page. “Is that you were involved in the murder of Dorian Archer and his housekeeper.”

A video played for all to see—Yelena entering a townhouse after complaining about being lost and wanting to call her parents. Leaving again minutes later after crushing a man’s neck in her fist and shooting the older woman who caught her in the act.

Yelena paled at both the video and the memory that surfaced, her lips pulling into a tight line.

“Pulled that from S.H.I.E.L.D’s archives. Police never found the security cameras and neither did you because S.H.I.E.L.D hid them well. See, Archer was a board-member at the time, an extremely influential one. A good man. Fury really liked the guy,” Tony confronted her.

“Archer almost found out about Hydra. They knew he’d be paranoid and not trust a soul, but that he wouldn’t shut the door on a lost child standing in the pouring rain. I had my orders,” she relayed while trying to keep her cool.

“This was in 2004, you were fifteen! Fifteen and already—”

Jumping to her own defense, Yelena interrupted, “Yes I was and don’t act so shocked. I told you I killed my first man when I was thirteen, emphasis on first. Didn’t that clue you in? Should I make you a list of every person I’ve ever harmed or killed?!”

“Yes! Maybe you should!”

Natasha gave Tony a pointed look. “Should I make a list as well? I promise you it’ll be longer than hers.”

Everyone went dead quiet. She’d brought up the one subject Tony didn’t dare touch, not since he’d last accused her of being unable to shake her double-agent nature. Yelena, on the other hand, fought hard to quell the guilt that turned her stomach sour and didn’t dare look at any of them.

“There is no need for any lists,” Steve decided. “She has a past, many of us do, but we don’t judge one another.”

Tony scoffed, his mood turned bitter, “Yeah, you would say that.”

“Meaning?”

“You. Captain America, protecting Hydra assassins.”

“Tony that’s enough,” Rhodes tried to stop him from saying too much in Yelena’s presence.

“Yes, it is enough and I’m not going through this again. I want her out of here within the hour.”

“Tony!” Natasha gasped. “We’re not kicking her out!”

“No, you’re not, I am. She doesn’t want to be here anyway and please, feel free to go with her.”

Steve slammed a flat hand down against the counter. “You know something? It’s not that people abandon you—you push them away and cast them aside the minute things don’t go your way!”

“Because I have no need for traitors in my life!”

Whatever was happening now was no longer about her, Yelena figured that out quick, but she needed their attention once more for one simple reason. “Can someone please show me to the door so I can go?”

“Right this way.” Tony hopped from his seat but Steve stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Tony don’t do this. Please. I know you’re upset, I know you’re still angry with me and I understand why but don’t take that out on her.”

“How can I not when she…”

He almost let it slip—the secret they’d agreed to keep and the reason why he found it so hard to give Yelena a chance. Her likeness and relation to Bucky was a constant reminder for Tony, and Steve realized it too.

“I know but that isn’t her fault. Please.”

Incapable of verbally conceding or even accepting the fact his anger toward Yelena was slightly unjust, Tony walked away and only added, “She’s free to leave but if she’s staying, keep her away from me.”

They watched him march off, all except for Yelena who took advantage of their momentary distraction and snatched Tony’s tablet from the counter. She hid it under her hoodie and excused herself by stating she needed time and wanted to be left alone.

In truth, she needed answers and suspected that asking wasn’t an option.

Chapter Text

— 4: No Point in Goodbyes —

If only she could lock her door from the inside. Who knew the kind of hell that would break loose if they’d catch her with the stolen—no, borrowed—tablet. She had every intention of returning it, just as soon as…

“Captain America.” Yelena entered her first search.

What had Tony meant when he’d accused Steve of protecting Hydra assassins? Why had he called Captain America, of all people, a traitor?

The results were endless. “Steven Rogers, World War II, camp Lehigh… blah blah—I knew that already.”

She scrolled past numerous articles—the news, the Smithsonian archive—there was plenty to read about Steve Rogers and Captain America. Then a photograph and name caught her eye.

“James Buchanan Barnes… Steve and Bucky, best friends since childhood. Captured by Hydra troops, Barnes endured long periods of isolation, deprivation and torture. Liberated by childhood friend Steve Rogers… Howling Commandos, the only one to give his life in service of his country.”

His photograph held her fascination more than anything. This man was a mere stranger who’d died decades ago and yet, a sense of familiarity gnawed away at Yelena.

‘It’s probably just his name,’ she decided for herself. All her life, despite what her mother had believed, she’d kept her eyes and ears peeled for any man named James. A hint of foolish and childish hope.

She shut the feeling down. Tragic as the articles read, none of it explained the tension between Tony and Steve. Changing her strategy, she narrowed her search to news articles of the past two years.

“Captain America a wanted man after aiding the escape of… what?!”

Her heart dropped. ‘He’s alive?’

Without another thought, and skipping a few breath intakes, she altered her search. “The Winter Soldier.”

A news broadcast popped up on the screen, one from less than a year ago.

A bomb hidden in a news van ripped through the UN building in Vienna. More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda’s King T’Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous Hydra agent linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations.

The British newscaster’s voice rang in her ears and Yelena sat frozen. Unable to tear her eyes away from the footage shown—the face that had haunted her ever since that night in Torshavn.

“James Buchanan Barnes… is the Winter Soldier. Steve’s friend. Steve helped him escape… but then why…”

It would explain Tony’s anger, to an extent, if Steve acted against his orders but something about their animosity felt personal. The other two weren’t nearly as angered and had called on Tony to back down. And why would Steve aid the Winter Soldier in the first place, was it purely because of their friendship over eighty years ago?

‘Or they’re working together. Steve insisting on me staying, what if he’s contacted him and he’s on his way?’

Great, now paranoia was kicking in. She should have known finding answers would only lead to further questions but who could she trust to explain? Her finger hovered over the screen and she pulled up a list of recently accessed files.

> James Buchanan Barnes
> Yelena Katerina Nikolaev
> Project #83951

She clicked the top file and cursed when it prompted for her access code. ‘Figures.’

Yelena tried a few combinations against her better judgment, mashing letters and numbers together but to no avail. Of course not. A man like Tony Stark would be a lot smarter about protecting his files and it wasn’t as though she knew him well enough for a targeted guess.

Why had Bucky’s file been opened so recently along with her own?

‘I can’t stay here. I never wanted to in the first place and they’ve lied. Natasha said the Winter Soldier was gone and I believed her…’

There was another thing that stung—her conversation with Steve. She’d almost dropped her first set of walls while talking to him, their chat felt so natural and genuine, but now she had to wonder whether he’d played her. Perhaps tried stalling her.

Whatever his goal, she was more certain than ever that she had to get away from the compound. With the tablet in hand, she rushed to leave her room only to bump into Tony in the doorway.

He snatched the tablet from her. “My security program sends out an alert any time someone tries to access my files without authorization. Did you really think ‘iamthebest’ would be my password?”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Tracker software that runs on all my devices pinpointed this room.”

“I was about to return it to you. I want to leave.”

“Great! But first…” He browsed through the history which only confirmed his suspicions. “Let’s talk about this.”

“Why?” Yelena glanced at the article she’d read earlier. “You’ll only lie.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“No, Natasha did. You remained silent knowing she fed me a lie which is just as bad.”

“How much did you uncover?”

“All of it, or at least most. Steve and Bucky, childhood friends, both served, etcetera. Steve became Captain America, Bucky died except he didn’t and then went on to become the Winter Soldier. Blew up a UN building and Captain America helped him escape,” Yelena summarized. “I’m just not sure why this is personal for you.”

“Who says it’s personal?”

“You, while you’re deflecting rather than denying.”

“Oooh check out the new kid everyone,” Tony called out to a non existent audience. “Earned her brownie points in psych one-oh-one.”

“Keep posturing, it only further proves my point. So either talk, or let me walk.”

Tony’s index finger danced over the screen and he pulled up a private file. The photo of a couple.

“Meet Howard and Maria Stark. Lovely people, brilliant. My parents and he…”

The end of that sentence was obvious. “Killed them.”

“Yep. And Steve knew about it, before I did.”

“But helped him anyway?”

“Hard to forgive.”

Yelena nodded—everything made a lot more sense. Even his attitude toward her, or so she believed.

“That’s why you and Steve aren’t on good terms. Why you hate me. To you I’m just another Hydra assassin, and I did harm members of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m a constant reminder and not entirely innocent.”

“That…” Tony, as a rare occurrence, considered his words carefully but Yelena didn’t wait.

“I get it. I hate him too, for what he did to me, for what he took from me. I hope to never cross paths with him again so I get your anger and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what he put you and your family through. He’s a monster.”

He could tell her no. Tell her that there was more to Bucky’s alter ego but despite knowing, he hadn’t quite accepted that fact yet himself and so he kept silent.

“Anyway…” Yelena glanced around the room purely out of habit.

It wasn’t as if she owned anything to bring with her. Nothing. Even the clothes on her back were loaners but she’d figure something out, she had before.

“I would like to leave, especially now I know this. I’d rather not be around the next time Steve’s best friend comes knocking.”

Tony wouldn’t stop her, his own pain and resentment too great, but he couldn’t just send her out into the cold. “I have a safe house—”

“No. If you know then others could find out. Just unlock the gates for me, please.”

“Kid…”

“I’m no kid, I’ll manage.” She slipped her feet into the sneakers Natasha had given her.

“Fine.” A few taps on his tablet was all it took. “You’re free to go, the gate’s open.”

“Thank you, and for the brief hospitality.”

No time to waste and it wasn’t as though she felt compelled to share any heartfelt goodbyes. The door was open and she was gone, turning straight for the elevator to the lobby before any of the others would spot her. Night had fallen already and a brisk wind hit her face the second she stepped outside the compound.

‘Run.’ Instinct took over and she raced for the gate that parted upon her approach. Freedom lay ahead of her, she just needed to put a few more miles between herself and…

Crap, she had no idea what city she was in.

“She’s gone!” Steve ran into the kitchen. “I just went to check on her, ask her to join us for breakfast and—”

“Left last night.” Tony was rather nonchalant and his news turned the heads of Natasha and Rhodes.

“What? And you let her?!”

“She was adamant after she discovered the truth.”

Not liking his tone one bit, Natasha asked, “What truth?”

“She did some snooping, found out about Barnes and his alter ego, the events in Vienna. How Cap helped the Winter Soldier avoid custody.”

“You told her?”

“I caught her when she was trying to hack personal files on my tablet which she took while you weren’t paying attention. She confronted me, told me what she’d uncovered, then asked to leave.”

It took a good second for Steve to swallow his anger. “But you didn’t tell her everything, did you?”

“I thought we’d agreed to keep a certain piece of information quiet.” Tony feigned innocence.

“No, not that part. About Bucky’s conditioning, the mind wipes, that he had no control over the Winter Soldier or his actions.”

“Knowing that doesn’t undo the things he’s done. It’s not the balm you think it is for those who’ve suffered at his hands.”

“So you just let her believe the worst and walk out, knowing fine well who she is? Knowing full well that things aren’t as black and white?”

“That’s low, Tony,” Natasha admonished. “Forget the fact you didn’t bother to correct her, you let her walk out while she hasn’t got a penny to her name? No home to turn to, no possessions, not a damn thing in the middle of January in New York?”

“I offered to let her stay at a safe house, she turned me down and she’s survived worse. She’ll be fine.”

Steve’s fist came out of nowhere and a split second later, Tony had his suit activated.

“Oh you wanna go for round two?!” Tony mocked a challenge. “Fine, let’s see what you’re made of without that shield!”

Natasha and Rhodes dove out of the way just as Tony tossed Steve across the kitchen counter. Pummeling away against Steve’s chest and arms until he’d maneuvered their fight outside to the rooftop patio—he was fed up with repairs to the compound.

“That shield didn’t make me who I am!” Steve yelled while he tucked into a roll to avoid another hit.

“Guys come on, not this again!” Natasha shouted but there was little point. “Can you do something?” she asked Rhodes.

“I don’t have my suit.”

The two men tumbled and fought. Traded blow for blow and matched each other in their footwork. Where Steve flipped and lunged through the air, Tony would fly and where Tony was looking to settle a score, Steve went the route of defensive combat. He’d never meant to initiate another fight but Tony had pushed one too many buttons.

For Steve, the events in Siberia were still rather fresh too. He hurt too. Not for the loss of a parent but the loss of one old friend at the hands of his best friend. His best friend who’d been scarred, possibly beyond repair, and though he’d known for longer than Tony had, watching the archived footage had left him sick.

“My father—” Tony smashed the full power of his fist into Steve’s jaw.

“Was my friend! He was to both of us!”

“And he thought you were his friend, this great hero but then he was murdered and you couldn’t care less! You didn’t do—”

Before Tony could finish his accusation, a massive, rainbow-hued beam came between the pair. Separating both and tossing them to opposite ends of the field while two new presences announced themselves.

“My, my, and what did we just walk in on?” Amusement dripped from Loki’s tongue. “Please, carry on.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and groaned, “Oh that’s just great.”

“What? I’ve always wanted to see who’d win a fight between—”

“Brother, shut up,” Thor gruffed before he looked at the others. “But uh, what did we walk in on?”

Chapter Text

— 5: A Whole New World —

“So you went to war with each other, and now everyone’s gone their separate way?” Thor poured himself a drink at the bar after the others finished filling him in. “I’ve missed out on everything!”

“Yeah,” said Tony as he paraded around in his suit sans helmet. “Where were you?”

“Oh. Well, uh, first there was this big fiery monster, Surtur, threatening to destroy Asgard but I took care of him. Then I returned home and found Loki impersonating father,” Thor began a tale of his own adventures.

“I was quite good at it,” added Loki. He sat awkward between Thor and Steve, two men ready to lay a smackdown on him should he need it.

“No, you were not. Loki had banished father to earth and then lost him but some wizard sent us to Norway where he died.”

“Father that is, not the wizard,” Loki clarified and he muttered, “should have been the wizard.”

“Right.”

Steve sat forward in surprise. “Odin is gone?”

Thor nodded. “And his death freed the sister I didn’t know I had from the prison father kept her in. Hela, goddess of death, Odin’s firstborn. Things got a little messy because she wanted to rule Asgard and we had to stop her but Loki got scared and opened the bifrost—”

“She shattered your hammer without breaking a sweat!” Loki exclaimed rather dramatically.

“You lost your hammer?” Natasha frowned.

It was an odd scene while the six sat around the lounge. All the more so because everyone was so busy keeping an eye on Loki that none had noticed Thor’s missing eye, and his story sounded miraculous. Rhodes believed he’d never get used to actual gods in their midst.

“I don’t need my hammer, I have thunder,” Thor scoffed and told the whole story.

How he and Loki were thrown from the bifrost and landed on Sakaar where they reunited with Bruce. Sharing in vivid and victorious detail how he’d battled the Hulk in a gladiatorial event and met Valkyrie. Retelling how they all banded together to escape Sakaar and return to Asgard to confront Hela.

“She took my eye and nearly cost Loki his life but in the end we managed to defeat her. Asgard is safe once more and my brother is finally a hero!” Thor clapped Loki on the shoulder. The latter merely grimaced.

“So where is Banner now?” asked Rhodes, watching Natasha from the corner of his eye.

“Still on Asgard. Something about wanting to study our elements but uh…” Thor glanced Natasha’s way. “He spent years stuck as the big guy, that did something to him.”

“He’ll be back,” Tony figured. He pointed a finger at Loki. “But why is he here?”

“My brother has come to make amends,” Thor announced with great enthusiasm. “Now that he is a hero of Asgard, he wants to make right with the people of earth.”

“Wants to?” Steve questioned the wording.

“Well I’m making him.”

“There is glorious purpose to be found in aiding the people of earth rather than trying to rule them,” Loki monotonously recited the line Thor had been preaching to him.

“Come on, brother, show a little more excitement. Remember how the people of Asgard cheered when you helped save us?”

For a split second, Loki grinned—it had been a wonderful and intoxicating feeling to be lauded.

“But why is he here?” Tony asked a second time.

“He’s going to help you.” Thor made it sound like the most logical thing in the world. “There is always trouble on earth, just point him in the right direction.”

“How about no?” suggested Natasha. Her second-chances rule was limited to human beings only, not all-powerful gods from another planet.

“Told you this would be a waste of time.” Loki got up, fully ready to return to Asgard. “They don’t want me here.”

Thor sat him back down by yanking his arm. “We are the Avengers. Or… well, about a third of the Avengers but this is what we do!

“We take in the misguided and let them make up for their mistakes! Like uh, the kid from Sokovia. And the Vision. I mean, he wasn’t really misguided so much as he is… you know what I mean,” he rambled with fervor and flashed a big smile at his comrades.

“You’re right, that’s who we used to be,” said Steve and he looked at Tony in accusation. “But we haven’t been doing much of that lately. Nowadays we’re more about trying to kill those who’ve done wrong or kicking them out.”

“You think so?” Tony played the fool and suggested the unexpected, “I was actually thinking Loki might be able to help with our latest problem. Someone to keep an eye on your lost little lamb without spooking her?”

“Are you kidding me? You want him to track her down and look after her?!”

“One stone, many birds. It gets them both out of my hair and you’re worried, right? But you can’t go after her because the second she sees you, she’ll run again.”

“Loki is a master of disguise,” Thor offered though he wasn’t quite sure what the others had in mind.

“See, there you go, he’d be perfect for the job. He’s no agent, he’s not even a friend and she’d never recognize him.”

“I don’t know about this, Tony,” Rhodes argued. “Sending the God of Mischief after a young woman who by now probably hates our guts?”

“Does she?” Loki perked up. “I like her already.”

“You’re not helping matters,” Thor sighed at him. “Who is this lost lamb?”

“A stray,” Tony explained the entire situation revolving around Yelena. “And now she’s gone.”

“So where will I find her?” asked Loki.

“You won’t.” Steve didn’t appreciate this plan one bit.

“He will,” Tony corrected. “She knows most of us and the others are in the wind. We can’t risk just any regular agent because they’d be no match for her if something happens but Loki is Asgardian, a god. I doubt she could cause him injury and would we really care if she did?”

“It’s not him I’m worried for.”

“He’s your best option. Friday, can you run facial recognition for Yelena on all available feeds?”

“I already have, sir. No sighting but there is a report about a woman matching her description tearing an ATM from the wall on West 52nd street. No one was injured but close to two thousand dollars was taken from the machine. No CCTV available in the area,” Friday relayed.

“Guess she’s no longer penniless,” Natasha sighed.

Thor got up, rather too excitedly, and pulled Loki to his feet. “Then to West 52nd street we go!”

“Hey now, hold up just a second!” Steve jumped up and marched up to Tony. “Do you really hate her so much that you’d send him,” he argued and pointed at Loki, “to watch over her? Did you forget what he’s done, what he’s capable of?”

“Bit reluctant with the second chances when it comes to the safety of someone you care about, huh Cap?” Tony folded his arms over his chest.

“You’d throw her to the wolves just to make a point?”

“No harm will come to the girl, he will protect her with his life. Right, Loki?” Thor nudged his brother.

“Right.” Loki grimaced though there was some hesitation toward his new challenge. “But, just to check, how strong are we talking? Hulk strong or...?”

“Human’ish strong, like Cap,” said Tony.

“Doesn’t matter how strong she is.” Steve was adamant. “We’re not sending Loki to find her. I’m sorry but there has to be another way.”

“I give up.” Tony shook his head and groaned. “You know we’re only trying to help, right?”

“You shouldn’t have let her leave in the first place!”

“She wanted to leave! Wanted to get away from us, from you, and I can’t say I blame her! Do you even realize that you being here means we’re harboring fugitives? That we’re all done for if Ross finds out? But still I called you and not once have you thanked me, shown any appreciation or understanding!”

As far as limits went, Tony felt pushed beyond his.

“I am grateful!” Steve insisted. “I know you’re taking a risk, I know that I’ve hurt you and you feel betrayed. What was I supposed to do though, Tony? Stand back and let you kill my best friend? Do you know how it felt when I needed you but realized I couldn’t turn to you for help because you wouldn’t have listened? Because you were so caught up in your guilt, and with those Accords, that you couldn’t be reasoned with?”

“Oh so what you’re saying is that this is my fault?”

“Enough!” Natasha came between them with a look in her eyes that had even Loki shrinking back in his seat. “You’ve both made mistakes, we all have and you know what? We all lost. Just look at our team, our family, broken and scattered and it’s going to take time but we can’t continue tearing into each other at every turn!”

She blew out a heavy sigh and turned her attention to Thor. “Didn’t you once mention some sort of guardian or watcher who keeps an eye on all realms and its people?”

“Uh, yes, Heimdall.”

“Could he help keep an eye on Yelena?”

“He can, we’ll return to Asgard immediately.”

“Thank you.” With a forced a smile, Natasha returned her attention to Steve and Tony. “And you two, we need to work this out because if something were to happen right now, to us, to our world, we’d be useless. This can’t go on.”

New York City—did everything have to be so loud, so bright, and so outrageously busy? Yelena shivered, unable to stay warm, and drew her hood up. With her hands dug into her pockets, she blended with the crowd going from one street corner to the next though she had no sense of destination.

‘Somewhere warm,’ she considered when another shiver ran down her spine.

The money she’d stolen could buy her a plane ticket out of the city, the country even but without a valid passport she’d get nowhere. Perhaps that should be her first order of business—securing a new identity.

“Hey watch it lady!” a taxi driver fumed when she absent-mindedly crossed the street. He flipped her off and several bystanders threw her a glare before they carried on with their own business.

God, of all places, why New York? Sure enough, she always got by, she’d been forced to before, but the last time she’d been in a city this big and crowded had been London many years ago. She’d escaped the massive population then too and settled in a quiet village. Of course, her time spent in cryo didn’t help matters and in many ways, she was still adjusting.

‘You should have stayed at the compound,’ her subconscious scolded. ‘Even if that meant better the enemy you know. At least they had hot showers.’

Too late for that—she had no idea how far, how long, or in which direction she’d ran after passing those massive iron gates.

Spotting a coffee shop, Yelena zigzagged her way through pedestrian traffic and ducked inside only to feel equally overwhelmed. The line at the counter was endless and the options—she’d never seen so many different blends of coffee and tea before, never mind the abundance of pastries and sandwiches.

“What will it be?” a young, quirky barista asked ten minutes later and Yelena stood baffled. “Miss?”

“Uh… coffee, hot?”

The girl chuckled. “Just a good old cup of coffee huh? Coming right up. Name?”

“Why do you need my name?” Yelena frowned with immediate suspicion.

“To write on your cup so we don’t get any orders mixed up.”

“Oh. Natasha,” she lied.

“Like the Black Widow, easy to remember.” The barista flashed a smile, scribbled on an empty cup, and moved on to the next customer.

Okay, so not only had she missed out on several years of the world evolving, but she was also dealing with somewhat of a culture shock. One that involved massive lines for a simple beverage, over fifty different types of coffee and tea, and names written on cups.

“First time in New York City?” asked a guy waiting for his order.

“Something like that,” Yelena mumbled while rubbing her hands together for warmth.

“It can be a little overwhelming, don’t feel bad, you’ll get the hang of it soon.”

“Thanks. Do you know if there are any internet cafes nearby?”

“I’m not sure anyone uses those anymore but there’s free WiFi here.”

“Oh.” What good was free WiFi without any device to use it on? “Uh, thank you.”

New list of priorities—get a mobile device, find a place with WiFi and then look for a way out of the city. Or maybe hang around for a while, find the more shady parts in New York, and secure a new identity first.

Someone called out the name ‘Natasha’ and Yelena looked around curiously until the friendly guy nudged her. “That was you right?” He handed her the steaming cup of coffee. “Here you go.”

“Yes, sorry.” She’d already forgotten and made a mental note to pick a better name, one she’d easily respond to. Perhaps a variation on her middle-name. “Thanks again.”

Yelena forced a smile and reached for her drink but the second her fingers closed around the paper cup, she screamed out in agony. It burned and within seconds, blisters formed in the palm of her hand. Scalding hot coffee splashed on the floor as she dropped the cup, over her sneakers, over friendly guy’s boots and the bottom of his jeans leaving every patron to stare in their direction.

“Jesus lady, what the fuck?” Nice guy looked a little less friendly now.

“I… I…” All Yelena could do was look at her hands.

Holding that cup had felt like pulling a hot plate from the oven without mitts. It scorched her skin and tore through every nerve in her body. Brought on the sort of chills normally caused by a fever. She had no idea what had happened, or what was still happening as thin, icy veins webbed across her palm soothing the blisters that had formed.

‘What is this?’ Yelena’s mind raced and she uttered an apology, “I’m sorry, clumsy me.”

The back of her hands turned a silverish, frosted blue and she ran for the door. Whatever was going on, this wasn’t the sort of attention she wanted for herself so she had to get out fast but the entrance wasn’t an option. The second she gripped the handle, the entire locking mechanism froze over and ice crystals spread out across the glass.

“Oh my gosh,” squealed the barista who’d taken her order and she got her smartphone out to record the incident, “she’s one of them! One of those enhanced people!”

“I’m… no…” Yelena stammered.

“Quick! Someone call the news!” a customer called out.

“Forget the news, call the cops!” yelled a third.

The nice guy from earlier seemed to have forgotten all about the spilled coffee and urged, “Everyone just calm down, can’t you see how frightened she is?”

“What are the cops gonna do against the likes of her? We need the Avengers!” Someone else ignored him completely.

The sudden attention, the cameras pushing in her face, only fueled Yelena’s panic. Lithe snowflakes started drizzling down inside the shop, coating the interior, while Yelena’s appearance changed further. Her nails and dark brown hair turned snow white, icy veins continued to weave their way across her entire body until they reached her scalp, and the blue of her eyes brightened to a glacier shade.

She looked like the Snow Queen straight out of an old Russian fairytale her mother used to read to her.

Several customers dove behind the counter in fear of what Yelena might do while others continued to film and take photographs. The door still wouldn’t budge so she punched the frozen glass until it shattered and having no other option, Yelena dove through the opening. Ran out into the streets trailing a path of frost behind her and never looked back to see the localized snow storm above the coffee shop vanish.

Chapter Text

— 6: Nowhere To Go —

“You should consider coming back with me,” Thor suggested while he followed Bruce through the royal gardens on Asgard. “I think they need you, a lot has happened.”

“What could I do that would make a difference?” It stung Bruce to know how everything had fallen apart in his absence. “Tony doesn’t listen to anyone and Steve’s been caught between a rock and a hard place—I can’t fix that for him.”

He crouched down to pick a plant sample and sealed the container. “How uh… Is Nat okay?”

“She gave them that look, you know the one.” Thor’s imitation of the Black Widow was ridiculous. “She’s trying hard to keep everyone together.”

“Did she ask about me?”

“No, but she didn’t get upset when I mentioned you either, that’s something, right? She might hit you though. Jane hit me, twice, when I returned to earth after my disappearance.”

“I’d deserve no less. How did they react to Loki?”

“Oh, well, you know, they were thrilled to have another hero in their midst…”

Bruce boxed up all specimens he’d gathered and cast an incredulous look over his shoulder. “Another hero? That’s not what I’d call him.”

“He’s trying, I believe in him.” Thor turned his gaze toward the palace. “I have to.”

He loved his home, he loved the people. This was his family legacy and his father had meant to crown him king long ago, but the politics weren’t for him. Out there in the galaxy’s trenches, defending and protecting Asgard, with or without his hammer, that’s where he needed to be.

If only Loki could step up to the challenge and prove himself trustworthy—they could split the royal duties of a king.

“Why did you bring him back to earth, of all places?” Bruce asked, as if reading Thor’s mind, while they headed back to the gates.

“Loki has to make things right, and… I made friends there. Found love, a second family, I was accepted. Maybe he could have that too, I think he needs it.”

“Hmm…” The answer gave Bruce pause—it’s what he’d found too and the Avengers were more than just earth’s mightiest heroes. “But does he want that too? He’s… Loki.”

“There are things about my brother you do not understand and things I have done to hurt him even if I never meant to. He deserves a chance and he may not know what it is he wants but I want to help him find it. I won’t let him fall. Not again.”

After a moment of contemplation, Bruce nodded. “When are you going back?”

“Soon, but first I have some business with the Council to take care of—we still haven’t relocated all refugees from Sakaar.”

“Miek and Korg?”

Thor’s laughter bellowed. “Those two won’t be going anywhere, couldn’t get rid of them if I tried and maybe that’s for the best. We could start a second team of Avengers right here on Asgard—guardians of the Asgardians.”

“That sounds weird,” Bruce pointed out though he couldn’t help but smile.

“Maybe, I’ll think of something. Do you plan on going home?”

“I uh… I don’t know, I haven’t figured that out yet. I’m not sure I’m ready and there is still a lot I could learn from your healers.”

“About what?”

“Myself and the other guy, perhaps find a cure or at least a way to create a balance between us.”

“What? No, you can’t do that, you’re both so awesome. You know, Hulk with his grrr and smash, and you with your uh…”

“Go on, I’m listening,” Bruce dared him and chuckled but he wouldn’t get an answer.

“My King.” Heimdall appeared out of nowhere. “There is a problem with the mortal you asked me to watch.”

Only twice before in her life had Yelena been afraid—the day Hydra killed her mother and the day the Winter Soldier visited her apartment. Right now was the third time.

She sat huddled behind containers, garbage bags, and empty boxes in the back of a dark alley with crystals forming in the corners of her eyes because tears wouldn't flow. A sheen of ice covered the dirty cobblestone beneath her feet and flurries danced around her small frame but she was no longer cold—a minor comfort compared to all her other problems.

“Please change back, please change back,” she whispered desperate pleas but it was no use.

A set of sirens blared nearby and Yelena scurried further back into the dark shadows. No doubt recordings of the coffee shop incident had reached law enforcement and news agencies, and everyone would be looking for her. If even one Hydra agent had eluded the Avengers, they would be on her trail too. A frozen trail ending with the pile of snow expanding all around her.

Damn it, she had to calm down and come up with a plan. To find a way out, to keep herself concealed from the world, to stop whatever it was that caused all of this in the first place. Was there a way to reverse her transformation, or was it permanent? What would the punishment be for causing a small snow storm inside a coffee shop?

‘A week in jail, a month? Maybe deportation. Well, at least I’d get my wish of escaping this city and country then,’ the idle musings almost made her chuckle but she was too on edge.

Again sirens rang out and hurried footsteps ran past the other end of the alley.

‘Relax. This is New York City. It’s probably just cops and crooks chasing each other,’ she tried telling herself and took a deep breath.

During her time with Hydra she’d learned to close herself off from anything her body experienced. A helpful tool to get through interogation and torture, and perhaps it could work again in this situation so she closed her eyes. It wasn’t easy centering herself but after several minutes, her attention pulled to a single focus—the beating of her heart. Erratic to start out with, like a violent storm raging across the seas, until it settled and left nothing but the soothing rhythm of waves brushing up against the shoreline.

‘When you’re down and troubled, and you need some love and care, and nothing, nothing is going right. Close your eyes and think of me, and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest night...’

A melody from her childhood, an American song her mother used to sing to teach her the English language, played in her mind. It provided a comfort and serenity that chased away anxiety. Replaced her fear with old familiar confidence and when Yelena opened her eyes again, she noticed a rosy-pink bloom under the silvery-blue of her skin. The white of her hair fading in favor of her usual, dark brown locks and while she remained confused, she sighed a breath of relief too.

“Get up, get a move on,” she insisted and pushed off against the melting snow.

Why she’d transformed in the first place, or how she’d managed to change back, she still didn’t know—though emotion seemed the most likely candidate—but now that she was back to her natural appearance there were other matters that took priority. Such as a new identity.

Rather than head back for the main street, she turned the corner into a different alleyway and followed the shadows to parts of New York others avoided. A lone rat quirked its tiny head and rose up as she approached, curious about the stranger trespassing on its territory, but Yelena walked on. A beggar held out his hand and while she wanted to ignore him at first, there was a possibility he knew of a place that offered exactly what she needed.

Fifty bucks poorer and half an hour later, Yelena found herself at the back entrance of a tattoo parlor in Hell’s Kitchen. A man three times her size in width and height let her in without asking questions, and she couldn’t decide whether that was a good or a bad thing. Probably a bad thing but she pressed on.

“I was about to close up,” another man called out the second he noticed her, “but I could make an exception for you…”

His lips split into a grin, flashing pearly white teeth and sparking a twinkle in his deep gray eyes. Dirty blonde locks were combed to one side, showing off about a dozen studs piercing his other ear, and Yelena estimated him to be about mid-thirties.

“Are you Greg?” she asked and tried her hardest to ignore the other man, Mr. tall and brawny who’d let her in, breathing down her neck. No doubt ready to pounce if she somehow upset either one of them.

No matter—she’d fought tougher men than both of them combined.

“Depends on what you need, babygirl. Why don’t you come over here and have a seat, huh?” Greg patted the reclining tattoo chair in front of him. “I won’t bite.”

Yelena waved his offer aside. “I’m not here to get inked, I need papers.”

“Sure, doll, but humor me. I’d like to get a good look at who I’m dealing with before I decide whether or not to help you out.”

Hoping to compromise, she took a step forward into the light and then another when tall and brawny nudged her shoulder. “Better?”

“Hmm, almost.”

Unfazed by her resistance, Greg removed his latex gloves and vacated his seat to meet her. His slender fingers caressed down her cheek and jaw before they disappeared into her hair and he smiled in the most unnerving way.

“I preferred the white locks…” His remark made it clear he knew exactly who she was, but Yelena kept a straight face.

“I didn’t,” she muttered and shrugged free of his touch. “So will you help me or not?”

“Maybe, but it’ll cost you.”

“I’ve got money.”

“Twenty-five hundred dollars, cash?”

Yelena blanched. “That much for a new ID?”

“You need more than just the ID. If I can recognize you from the news, so will everyone else. You need a makeover. I also assume you want this ID for traveling purposes which means we need to plant a new record for you in the system. That takes time, that costs money.”

“I…” She debated with herself—would another broken ATM be worth the risk?

“Of course,” Greg interrupted while twirling a lock of her dark hair around his finger, “I could let you work for it instead. Those frosty gifts of yours could be useful for business, and I wouldn’t mind if our arrangement became a little more personal.”

She slapped his hand away. “I’m not that desperate.”

“Oh but I think you are or you wouldn’t have come to me. Besides, I’ve always had a thing for the freaks and misfits in this world.”

‘I’ll bet you do.’ Men like him were always after the same thing and went about the same way of getting it but, whereas Hydra’s men had only offered her the illusion of choice, Yelena held the true power in this situation and Greg wasn’t armed with a charged baton to disable her.

“No, I’ll find another way, sorry to have wasted your time.” Keeping things polite and giving him one last chance to avoid escalating matters, she attempted to turn away but the big guy still stood at her back.

“Not so fast, even consults cost money, and I’m sure we can work something out, hmm?”

Before Yelena could voice her disgust or extract herself from her poor position between both men, Greg’s lips were already upon hers and she reeled when his tongue lapped at her mouth. Just once, and then he nibbled her bottom lip before barking orders at his partner.

“Titus, get her in the chair so I can—”

Whatever his intentions were, he didn’t get to boast further because Yelena’s left fist slammed into his jaw, followed by a sickening cracking of bones before he fell. Greg spat several teeth paired with blood onto the floor where he lay, and the impact of Yelena’s fist quickly helped him understand his grave error in judgment.

Titus wasn’t so quick on the uptake. He grabbed both of Yelena’s arms in an attempt to subdue her but she wouldn’t budge. Instead, she smashed the back of her skull into his face and reached over her shoulder to fist the collar of his shirt. Sparing little effort, she flipped him over the small frame of her body so he landed right beside Greg who’d never seen anyone take Titus on and survive.

Thinking she’d gotten the message across, she turned to the door but as she reached for the handle, Greg’s gun clicked behind her. A shot fired, the first bullet hitting the wood just inches from her face and the second causing a nagging feeling in her shoulder where it grazed her skin.

“That was a mistake…” she growled, instinct and anger taking hold.

The third bullet whizzing in her direction she caught, even to her own surprise, and it turned to snow in the palm of her hand. Her new powers rose to the surface, her appearance changed a second time that day and the basement floor froze over. With every step she took toward Greg and Titus, a sharp stalagmite erupted from the ice pinning both men in place, and Yelena glanced around with a mixture of awe and confusion.

“Please, stop, don’t hurt us, I’ll get you your papers! Free of charge!” Greg pleaded and tossed his gun aside, arrogance replaced by dread. “Please!”

“You were going to hurt me. You did hurt me,” Yelena observed and another stalagmite shot up.

This one pierced straight through Greg’s left upper leg and he screamed in agony, scarlet fluids painting his blue-washed jeans and the ice beneath him. Yelena held her step, shocked either by his wailing or her actions—whatever gift she possessed acted beyond her control. The ice grew thicker and changed form, encasing both criminals until only their horrified facial expressions remained and Yelena’s eyes held that same look.

She was no longer in awe and instead concerned by what she’d done—how she’d gone too far without wanting to. They’d die if she didn’t free them soon so she rushed forward but as her hand reached out wanting to shatter the encasing, a razorsharp, frozen spike shot from her palm straight through Greg’s forehead.

“No…” Yelena gasped as blood spilled and dead eyes stared at her in accusation. “No I, I didn’t…”

Maybe Greg deserved it but she had her own moral code in spite of her training—out in the world and on her own, she would not kill. It wasn’t her place to be the judge, jury, and executioner for every piece of scum that roamed the planet.

“Monster!” Titus cried out his first and last words while he closed his eyes, fully expecting to be next, but when nothing happened and all he could hear was a faint blowing of the wind, he looked up.

The basement was empty. Greg’s body was gone, the ice evaporated, the stalagmites vanished and with them, so had Yelena. Only a lone note was left in her wake.

‘Do not speak of this to anyone or I’ll come back for you.’

Chapter Text

— 7: Loki To The Rescue —

“Let me go!” Yelena fumed, struggling against the set of arms that held her. “I have to go back, he needs medical attention!”

“He’s fine where he is,” Loki countered apathetically.

“I killed him!”

“Exactly, and I don’t think your earth doctors can revive the dead so I stand by my decision.”

“Who the fuck are you?!” She tried hitting him but he was faster each time—almost as if she did nothing but punch right through him. “Where are we?! What did you do?!”

“Shall we focus on one question at a time?”

“What do you mean by ‘earth doctors’?”

Loki groaned. “Precisely what I said.”

“Are you with the Avengers?”

“Is there an end to your questions?”

“Fuck off, leave, and take me back there!”

“In that order? Seems rather counterproductive to me.”

A scream of pure frustration ripped from her throat, much to Loki’s amusement while he released her from his hold. If looks could kill, and if a god could perish so easily, he’d be her second victim of the day. As it stood, judging by what Heimdall had witnessed, at best she’d turn him into an icicle but Loki suspected his own nature would prevent that. That was why Thor had decided to send him to fetch the troubled woman.

“Don’t be such a smart ass.” Yelena paced in a circle, ice crunching beneath her sneakers.

The trick was to calm down, she’d discerned that much, but in the presence of this… what or whoever he was, that seemed impossible. Tall and not entirely unattractive with vibrant green eyes and raven black hair that curled down to his shoulders. A bit greasy. That outfit of his though—a black leather ensemble with green and golden accents, and he wore a cape.

‘Who the fuck wears a cape these days?’ Not any Avenger she knew of but then again, years had passed.

“Tell me who you are, where I am, how you brought me here and who you work for,” she demanded with arms crossed over her chest. “And be careful not to piss me off any further, I have no idea what would happen.”

“It is you who should be careful. Alas, given that you have no idea who I am, I’ll let your ignorance slide just this once.” He deliberately let a threatening tone resonate and delighted.

“Right, sure, beware the clown in his… what’s that American holiday? Halloween costume,” Yelena mocked.

“Halloween?” Loki frowned.

“Nevermind, and you don’t get to ask questions before you answer mine.”

“Ooh, bossy.”

“Well?”

“I am Loki of Asgard and we are on a rooftop a few blocks from where you were earlier. I brought us here using my magic, at Thor’s request who I assist but certainly do not work for.” It was such a thrill confronting mortals with the truth and watching their faces contort into sheer disbelief.

“That’s cute, but try again.”

Smirking, and failing to think his actions through, Loki used one of his favorite glamors and transformed into Captain America. “Fine, fine, you caught me! I am the first Avenger! A righteous, stalwart def—”

“You!” Yelena was on him in less than a second and punched him in the face. It didn’t quite have the same impact as on a human, but Loki did stumble and shifted back into his own form.

“Ow. I forgot you don’t like this guy,” he muttered and rubbed his jaw.

“How… what…”

What the hell was happening? If she hadn’t just seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe it, but the stranger had just twice changed his appearance in the blink of an eye. Magic? That wasn’t possible, was it? Though it had to be, that was the only way anything he’d said could make sense.

“I told you the truth the first time.”

“Loki, Asgard, Thor, they’re myths. I would know, I lived in Torshavn—Thor’s Harbor. It’s steeped in Norse mythology.”

Loki quirked a brow and scoffed, “Of course he has a town named in his honor.”

“You’re really the god of mischief and lies?”

“I am.”

“Yet you expect me to believe you?”

“I do.”

“And you don’t see how that might be an issue for me?”

“Try.”

Throwing her hands up and seeing no other explanation, she conceded temporarily, “Fine, okay, let’s assume you’re telling the truth—were you sent to arrest me?”

“No, I’m here to help you.”

“Help me? How, and why you? I take it you saw what happened at the tattoo parlor, you’re not worried?”

“I’m a god, try me.”

“I can’t, I don’t know how to do it at will.”

That made no difference to Loki who conjured his staff and without warning swiped at her feet, landing Yelena on her ass.

“Hey!” she growled, annoyed more than anything else.

“Defend yourself, mortal.” Loki twirled his staff and magic burst from his free hand in the form of emerald-green chains slithering toward Yelena.

Prepared this time, she tucked into a roll and dove aside. One hand held up in defense against his assault and before she knew it, an ice barrier erected between the two of them but Loki shattered it with ease. Their duel began, and Yelena met each of his attacks with one of her own—her mind and body acting on nothing but instinct beyond her will—but she began taking notice of the pattern.

“Take control, bend the gift to your will,” Loki encouraged, deflecting everything she threw his way until one shard of ice penetrated his armor and flesh.

For a split second they stood unmoving, holding each other’s gaze, and then the change began. Loki’s, and not willingly. Cerulean blue skin and eyes red as blood diamonds revealed his deepest and most sacred truth, a secret, his frost giant DNA.

He dropped his staff at once with a bewildered look. “What did you do…”

“Me? You’re the one who keeps changing his appearance.” Confusion furrowed her brows.

“Not this time, not by choice,” Loki hissed and lunged at her, a firm fist closing around her throat. “Who are you really, what did you do?”

Nothing, save for the Casket, had ever forced his Jotun side to the forefront quite this way but somehow this woman had and he didn’t appreciate it one bit. She had to be more than human, a witch, perhaps tied to his past.

“I didn’t do this! I have no idea what happened or what’s going on!” Yelena fought him but her own super strength was no match for his godly might and magic combined.

“We’ll see about that!”

“Please, let me go,” she choked out, struggling to draw air from her lungs.

“No.” Loki pressed a palm to her temple and she sunk into his arms the second she lost consciousness, lured to oblivion by his magic.

He needed answers, they both did, and they needed to get far from anyone who might see. “Heimdall!”

“Glad you came home.” Tony patted Bruce on the back while they toured the lab.

“Thor said it was urgent.”

“Yes. We have a young woman, twenty-eight years old, though age twenty-three biologically speaking. Carrier of the super soldier serum and… something else with a frosty twist. I’ve tried analyzing her cells but this isn’t my area of expertise.”

“Right… right,” Bruce mused and he studied the data collected on Yelena. “This is uh, Steve’s friend’s daughter? Thor filled me in after his visit.”

“Yep, that’s her. I’m keeping her sedated until we can figure out what’s going on with her. Not up for any extremely localized snowstorms.”

“Any chance this was caused by an outside source?”

“Nat and Rhodey left to retrace her steps but according to Loki this… whatever, is a part of her. He sensed it the second he came to her aid.”

“Ah…” Bruce nodded in thought. “So uh, she’s not here?”

“She’s down in the medical ward.”

“I mean Natasha.”

“Oh. Oooh, right. Yes, no, she’s not here.”

“Alright. I’m gonna get right to this… looks like a mutation of sorts but I’ll let you know what I find.”

“You do that, buddy, good to have you back and a little advice… ‘I’m sorry’ goes a long way.”

“What?” For a second Bruce frowned, already lost in his work, but then it clicked. “Oh. Yeah. Does that ever work with Pepper?”

Tony smirked. “I can be very persuasive.”

“I told you to help her, not get into a fight and nearly choke her to death!” Thor scolded while he, Loki, and Steve waited outside the medical ward.

“I did help her,” Loki, back to his old self, snarled. “I cleaned up the crime scene, got her out of there, and we sparred so she could learn to control her powers. Then she bewitched me.”

“No one knows what this power of hers is or where it comes from, yet you decided to provoke her into duel? You were reckless.”

“Of course! Blame me! You know, brother, I knew this newfound faith you claim to have in me wouldn’t last.”

“I do have faith in you, Loki, and you did the right thing getting her out of there.” It was better to reinforce the good he’d done—methods could be worked on another time. “What did you do with the body?”

“It’s in the river, no one will know.”

“And his partner?”

“I left a note kindly urging him never to speak of this.”

“You threatened him?”

“Possibly. Fear can be a powerful tool, and I did not harm him otherwise.”

That was something, at least. “I’m glad you did not,” Thor admitted.

“What do you mean she bewitched you?” asked Steve, never taking his eyes off Yelena subdued in a hospital bed, and not caring one bit for the bickering between the two Asgardians.

“Nothing that concerns you, soldier,” Loki snipped and walked away.

Mortals and their problems, why had he ever let Thor talk him into helping out? Who cared if some freak-of-nature, insignificant human had the power to summon a blizzard? If she was human at all…

‘She caused your Jotun side to manifest, she’s not what she seems.’ Loki held his step and recalled their brief battle. Blew out an exasperated sigh when he realized answers still eluded him. No, he couldn’t leave just yet, not until he’d pieced the puzzle together for his own satisfaction.

He turned again and fell in at Steve’s side. Hands clasped behind his back and with a single focus on the monitors by Yelena’s bedside. Unaware of the quizzical looks Thor gave him.

Chapter Text

— 8: Let It Go —

“Hey big guy, wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.” Natasha leaned in the doorway to Tony’s lab, her hip popped to the side and her voice sending a pleasant shiver down Bruce’s spine.

He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m… so sorry. I never meant to be gone for so long.”

“What happened?”

“I had to get away. From myself, from him, from causing so much pain and destruction everywhere. I guess he did too.”

He could feel her inquisitive, green eyes burn on the back of his skull and slowly turned around. “I lost out on so much time and this sounds like the worst excuse in the universe but, it was all him. He took over my life for nearly two years, I barely even remember leaving Sokovia.”

That was the truth, and Natasha knew. Bruce wasn’t the sort of man to lie and make up excuses—she loved that about him—but there was more to this that he wasn’t saying.

“Why did you decide to stay on Asgard?”

“I…” Bruce sank onto the stool by his desk looking rather hopeless. “I was scared, ashamed, and I felt guilty. I wasn’t sure how to come back after being gone for so long… after abandoning you when we’d made plans to—”

“All I did was miss you and worry. I was never angry.”

“He ignored your message and took the quinjet.”

“He was confused and afraid, I saw it. You both were.” In less than a second she crossed the small distance between them and cupped his face in her hands. “What happened doesn’t change how I feel about you, or him.”

Bruce lifted his chin and met her eyes, felt his heart ache at the tenderness written all over her face and turned his head slightly to kiss her palm. “I haven’t lost you?”

“Not a chance, but I will break every bone in your body and his if you ever disappear like that again.” Natasha sank onto his lap and let her fingers thread his thick curls. Breathing him in to savor his return, and then she leaned down to find the set of lips she’d missed so dearly.

“I can live with that.” Bruce poured two years of longing into the kiss, stealing no more than a fleeting moment before they were interrupted by Tony and the rest of the team.

“No, by all means, continue. That’s what this lab is for,” Tony teased and received a deadly glare from Natasha. He turned his attention to Bruce. “Have you found anything yet?”

“I have.” Bruce eased Natasha from his lap and got up to collect his data. “It was uh… a freak accident really, by the looks of it.”

“A freak accident?” Steve frowned. “So Hydra didn’t do this to her?”

“They did, in a way. I found traces of a compound similar to the one Wanda and Pietro were injected with but older and imperfect. I suspect Yelena was one of their first test subjects in creating the correct formula.”

“So it didn’t work?”

“Not at first. They lacked a template to draw from in order to alter her cells the way Loki’s scepter did for the twins.”

Loki feigned an innocent smile and for just a second wished he’d held on tighter to his scepter, knowing now that it possessed far greater power than he’d initially thought.

“But if their experiment failed then how is it she has the power to build snow castles by just… what, thinking it?” Natasha tried to follow along with the science.

“Because they put their failed experiment on ice. Literally.” Bruce folded his arms over his chest, momentary excitement and pride clear on his face, and waited to see who’d catch on first.

Tony won. “Cryo did this to her?”

“Exactly. The second they initiated the cryo process, the dormant compound was triggered to absorb the vapors and began mutating her cells. Of course, once she was in the chamber they likely never checked on her again and had no idea that their efforts had been successful.”

“So what powers does she possess?”

“I can’t say for certain until I see her in action but my guess? The ability to create and manipulate frozen particles.”

“Is it reversible?”

Bruce scoffed at Tony’s question. “Would the other guy exist if I knew how to reverse cellular mutation on this level?”

“Point taken.”

“What fuels her powers?” asked Steve.

“I suspect the same thing that fuels mine, that fuels Wanda’s—emotion. I’m surprised they didn’t manifest while she was here but, well, being fresh out of cryo I’d say her body was still adjusting and evolving.”

“Is she dangerous?” Rhodes wanted to know. “She did kill a man.”

“Am I?” Bruce threw back at him. “Like us, she has the potential to be and she’s not the first to injure or kill a person because her powers became too overwhelming. She’s going to need guidance.”

“That won’t be easy. She made it clear that she doesn’t want to be here and if her powers are tied to her emotions, if she sees us and we tell her this…” Steve let out a deep sigh.

“The Avengers, popsicle edition,” Tony joked.

“I’ll give her something that’ll keep her calm while we tell her,” Bruce said.

“Alright, well… I say Bruce and I go wake Elsa to give her the bad news and the rest of you, go make yourselves useful somewhere else,” Tony decided and clapped his hands to dismiss one and all.

“Elsa? I thought her name was Yelena.” Thor’s genuine confusion elicited a few chuckles from Natasha.

Stifling a snort of his own, Rhodes clapped him on the shoulder and he couldn’t resist adding to the reference, “Let it go.”

How could one’s body feel weightless and heavy at the same time? Yelena wasn’t sure but that was the first thing she noticed when she came to, struggling to open her eyes. The second was just a hint of warmth radiating down her skin and the third, her inability to move. That should have stirred her panic but instead she relaxed.

“Ms. Nikolaev? My name is Dr. Banner, Bruce if you will,” Bruce introduced himself.

The name triggered something faintly familiar and Yelena muttered, “Banner… Hulk. Where am I?”

“You’re back at the Avengers compound.”

Her eyes opened wide and instinct wanted her to flee from bed immediately but she lacked the strength to even sit upright. “Loki?”

“He brought you here after…”

Bruce and Tony exchanged a meaningful glance before the latter explained everything. From Loki’s sudden arrival carrying an unconscious Yelena, to reminding her of what had happened at the tattoo parlor and her meeting with Loki. Only the fear in her eyes evidenced the horror she felt when Bruce took over from Tony and informed her of her condition—Hydra’s experiment, the cryo effects and what it did to her body. The powers she possessed.

Yelena broke her silence after several minutes, “What will you do with me?”

“We think it is best you remain here and learn to control your uh, gifts,” said Bruce. “With our help. I can monitor you and—”

“Can’t you just, take it out? Get rid of it? Hell, get rid of everything including this stupid super strength.”

Misery sunk to her gut. From birth she’d had her strength and over the years learned to adjust but it never felt like a gift. Only an invitation for challenge and trouble, and this new power was nothing but another burden to her desire for a regular and quiet life.

“Wish that I could, believe me.” Bruce flashed her a sympathetic smile.

She tried to tense her heavy limbs. “Did you drug me?”

“We did,” Tony confirmed. “Only to make sure you don’t turn the compound into a giant igloo.”

Yelena pursed her lips. “You’re not funny.”

“I’m a little funny.”

“No,” Bruce agreed in half a jest, “she’s right, you’re not.” He turned to Yelena. “I’ll lower the dosage, it was only to help you through any upset upon hearing my findings.”

“I understand.” Resigned to her fate, at least for the moment, she shut her eyes again. Perhaps her dreams could turn reality into a lie.

“Brother, what ails you?” Thor had never known Loki to pace this much nor to be so silent.

The two stood on the rooftops of the compound watching city life in the far distance. A lovely sight for anyone who’d never known better but for them it paled in comparison to their beloved Asgard.

“She saw my true form. Her powers touched me and I revealed myself without intent,” Loki admitted. “What if that happens again?”

“Are you worried others will find out?”

“I care little what they’d think of me. They are your friends, not mine.”

“So it’s her.”

“No.”

“Then why are you up here stomping around like a restless animal?”

Loki stopped and spared a glance at the moon—he wasn’t sure what it was that bothered him—and went for the easy answer, “I’m bored here on your earth. Behaving is so… tedious.”

Thor laughed. “You wish to go home?”

“No.”

“No? So you find earth dull but you won’t return to Asgard, what is it you do want?”

The raven haired prince sighed dramatically. “Aren’t there any lowly earthlings for me to torture and punish in the name of justice?”

“That’s not how things are done here. Put your energy toward something else. Continue helping her.”

“Really? After you reprimanded me for being reckless? After what happened?”

“You could use your projections and illusions to give her a target, avoid getting hit directly, and practice restraint.”

“I’m no babysitter or mentor—she’s their problem.”

“Then why did you stay? I saw you earlier, walking off, but then you came back. Why?”

Hesitation took Loki and he turned away. Swallowing first and taking minutes before he allowed himself to speak again, “Curiosity. I thought perhaps she wasn’t… just a mortal.”

“Oh.” Thor nodded with sudden understanding. “You mean you thought she might be connected to the Jotuns? That she might be like you?”

“Perhaps, but now we know better.”

“We do. Still, you are most suited to teach her control and help discover her full potential.”

Thor pushed further, knowing his brother’s weaknesses, “Or are you worried you can’t do it? That she might prove too powerful for you to handle?”

“Never,” Loki scoffed at the insult.

“So accept the challenge. Stay and work with her.”

“Captain?” T’Challa appeared on the screen of Steve’s phone. “Are you alone?”

Steve held up a finger, surveying the halls of the compound while he rushed to his room. “I am now. Is it Bucky?”

“Yes. It is good news.”

“Go on.”

“My sister has disabled the triggers in your friend’s mind and restored his memory. We will be waking him today.”

A sigh of relief escaped Steve’s lips and for the first time in what seemed like forever, he smiled, truly.

“Do you wish to be here? We can wait for your arrival,” T’Challa offered.

“I…” He paused, torn between his best friend and the daughter who needed to be told the truth, especially if Bucky’s return was no longer a vague hypothetical. Which should he tackle first?

“I’m on my way.”

Chapter Text

— 9: Maybe Home —

“Since you’ve decided to stay,” Tony began listing off protocols and security codes to the common areas but Yelena tuned him out.

Not intentionally but her mind struggled to focus while the last of Bruce’s sedatives left her system. ‘Decided to stay… as if I have anywhere else to go.’

Her little incident at the coffee shop had gone viral, introducing her to the world. Hiding was no longer an option and running pointless—it was safer to remain at the Avengers compound. Being truthful, she was surprised they’d given her a choice at all after what she’d done, unintentionally or otherwise.

“The ground floor and first few levels are dedicated to our employees—administration, specialists, engineering etcetera—while the upper four levels are residential. You’ll have access to your room and all amenities but don’t wreck the place and keep it clean.”

“Understood.” Yelena just barely caught the last of his spiel. “What will I be expected to do?”

“Do?”

“Work. I can’t sit around all day or wear these sweats all the time and I own nothing. I need to earn a living somehow.”

“I’ll add you to the payroll,” Tony offered the first solution that came to mind.

Several Avengers—like Steve, Clint, and Natasha—had been on S.H.I.E.L.D’s payroll and after the organization fell, Tony started a fund to keep them all employed. Being a hero was nice but it didn’t pay for the clothes on anyone’s back or the warm meal on their plates, he understood that much.

“That still doesn’t tell me what you expect me to do and I don’t want handouts. It’s bad enough I’ve had to borrow these clothes and steal from an ATM. I’m a pretty decent cook.”

“It’s not a handout. I’m setting you up as a trainee, trainees get paid. You work on dealing with your frosty issues and try not to kill anyone, and I’ll get you a company credit card.”

“Train, to what end?”

“Gee, I don’t know. A job at the ice capades? Making instant slushies? Or, and this is a crazy idea but, perhaps at some point you could learn to fight on the side of good, with us. Deal?”

She chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, pondering his offer. Living with the Avengers was one thing but she’d not considered working for or with them in any fashion. On the other hand, the few times she’d been out in the world on her own, she’d always worked to make a living and maintain her independence. Robbing that ATM really had been a last resort and a stain on her pride—she needed the job.

“Deal.” She decided moments later.

They walked the hallways until Tony stopped at the room she’d previously occupied. “Banner’s expecting you at 2pm for a check-up, don’t be late.”

“I won’t be.” Yelena lingered in the doorway and just before he could leave, she added, “Hey Tony? I know you didn’t really want me here so… thank you, for this and for letting me stay.”

She never saw his hint of a smile before he glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t mention it, kid, but try not to borrow my stuff or break into my files this time. You need something, speak up. You have questions, ask.”

“Noted.”

There were no questions to ask, or perhaps there were too many best saved for another day. All through the night she’d slept in the medical ward and still felt exhausted. No doubt a combination of the sedatives, of not sleeping a wink since she’d emerged from cryo, of going on the run and her new powers wreaking havoc on her body.

While Tony left to take care of whatever business kept him busy, Yelena wandered into her room and was surprised to find the interior different from last time. Warmer, inviting. Hardwood floors, a white rug with matching draperies, cream-colored walls and massive windows allowing for plenty of natural light. All very Nordic, she realized.

“I took a guess to your size and style and filled up your wardrobe too.” Natasha poked her head inside.

“You did this?”

“Most of it.”

“Why?”

“You won’t like the answer, I think you’re a little pissed off with him at the moment.”

‘Steve.’ Yelena quirked a brow. “With both of you, actually, but tell me anyway.”

Letting herself in to take a seat on the upholstered bench at the foot end of the bed, Natasha explained, “Steve said you almost seemed happy talking about your time living in Torshavn. We thought you might appreciate a touch of home, make your stay a little more pleasant.”

“Right. So am I looking at his guilty conscience or a bribe?”

“Tony didn’t tell you everything.”

Yelena scoffed, “He told me more than either of you did, and at least he was honest.”

“No, he wasn’t, not entirely.” Natasha patted the spot next to her but Yelena declined. “When I told you the Winter Soldier was gone, it was the truth, but gone doesn’t mean dead.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Doesn’t it? Do you remember telling us how Hydra attempted to recondition you? They did the same with Barnes after his presumed death in 1945, only with him they succeeded and the Winter Soldier was born.”

Yelena hung back against the windowsill and pursed her lips. “Go on.”

“The Winter Soldier, as you know, became Hydra’s most deadly weapon and spent decades under their control,” Natasha shared what she could without revealing too much, careful not to mention memory wipes or anything else that would connect the dots for Yelena. It was a slippery slope to navigate.

“A few years ago they sent him on a mission to kill Nick Fury, Steve, and myself. That’s when Steve discovered Barnes was still alive but the Winter Soldier didn’t recognize his old friend. He fled the scene, only to appear again while we attempted to stop Hydra. He and Steve fought and nearly killed each other until Steve fell from a crashing helicarrier into the river. The Winter Soldier dove after him and saved his life, then fled a second time.”

That couldn’t be true, and Yelena shook her head. “The Winter Soldier would never rescue anyone.”

“He wouldn’t, but Barnes would and did. Whatever happened between him and Steve on that helicarrier brought Barnes to the foreground, fighting his conditioning. It took some time before we found him again, after he was framed for blowing up the UN building in Vienna.”

“That wasn’t him?”

“No.” With a heavy sigh, Natasha recalled the events—Sokovia, the Accords, Zemo and his vengeance—everything leading up to the present day. “Steve brought Barnes to an undisclosed location where he’ll remain until we’re certain his conditioning has been undone.”

“Two personalities occupying the same body…” It was a lot to process and Yelena turned her back, casting her gaze over the world beyond her bedroom. “That could have been me,” she mused in thought.

“Yes, it could have.”

“But it’s not, and I don’t know what to do with this. I understand the concept but it doesn’t change what he’s done, how I see him, how he terrifies me. I can’t just forgive and forget.”

“Nobody expects you to.”

“Don’t you? You all seem to treat Tony as if he’s wrong for his anger and resentment but if I were him, I’d have killed Barnes.”

“He tried, that’s why there is so much tension. Nobody blames Tony for his upset but he went too far, and not just in Siberia. We were all wrong to turn on each other the way we did rather than work together to expose the truth,” Natasha spoke of one of her greatest regrets.

When Yelena said nothing else, Natasha got up and joined her. “I didn’t tell you this to change your mind about Barnes—you deserve to know the truth, that’s all.”

“Why now? Why not when I asked?”

“You’d just woken from cryo and when you told us what he’d done to you, when we saw how that affected you still, we thought it better to wait and let you adjust first.”

“I see… Well, thank you, I suppose, for telling me everything.”

“It’s the least I could do.” Natasha feigned a smile, both thanking and scolding her former masters for teaching her how to sell a lie.

Though well versed in the art of deception, she took no pleasure in playing the sincere friend knowing that she still kept the biggest secret of all—the one that would turn Yelena’s world upside down. The last piece of information Steve wanted to tell her in person once he returned from Wakanda.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Natasha excused herself because she understood Yelena would need time alone with her thoughts, “but I’ll be around if you need anything.”

The second she was gone, Yelena crumbled and sunk to the floor. Exhaled a staggered breath and slammed a fist into the wall at her back. She didn’t want an explanation for the Winter Soldier’s actions, much less a semi-relatable one—it was easier to hate him. Simpler not to care. She didn’t want to think of him as just a man who’d been put through hell by the same monsters who’d stolen most of her childhood and life.

A single drop of blood trickled from the broken flesh covering her knuckle and she sat enthralled with her wrist angled upward. Watching the scarlet bead as it traveled across the back of her hand in a straight line, down to her lower arm, shrinking and fading until it had no volume left to paint her skin.

There’d been a time where all she did was watch the blood dry after receiving yet another beating. It became a game to predict where it would run and when it would stop. What final shape it would take while her injuries healed. A desperate method of entertaining herself inside the cold and barren cell where Hydra kept her for years, but she was in a cell no longer.

Shaking free of her musings, she got up and pulled several clothing items from her closet before disappearing into the bathroom. A quick shower at a mild temperature to wash everything away and drown out the nagging feeling in her gut brought on by Natasha’s visit. The sense there was still a piece of the puzzle missing that she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see.

After drying off and dressing, she left to find Bruce in his office and allowed for a series of far too many tests for her liking—he was nothing if not thorough.

“At least we know I’m not actually made of ice.” Yelena hopped down the examination table and vanished behind a dressing screen while Bruce updated her chart.

He laughed. “No. You’re quite human with only a few differences. Your enhancements, for one, and it would seem your body temperature has stabilized at ninety-two degrees. Lower than average and technically hypothermic but the new normal for you. Are you still cold?”

“I am but I’m getting used to it, I barely notice it now.”

“How about hot liquids, do they antagonize your nerves?”

“My tea this morning was fine after the first sips. Showering… I can no longer crank up the heat like I used to, it’s an adjustment.”

“Good… good,” Bruce mused and scribbled down a few notes. “I’m going to suggest your body was still adapting, completing the process which has settled now.”

“And I’m healthy otherwise?”

“Perfectly, and your shoulder has healed from that gunshot wound, it shouldn’t leave any scarring. I uh… at Tony’s request I did perform a full scan of your mind, I’m sure you understand why, but I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary save for some old scar tissue at the back of your skull.”

“Ah, yes, a souvenir courtesy of the Winter Soldier who decided to test the resilience of my floorboards by bashing my head into them repeatedly. Charming, right?” Sarcasm laced her words.

“Hmm.” Bruce winced at her comment but felt it wasn’t his place to get involved. He circled his desk to meet her and sat back against the side. “Will you be okay staying here?”

“I have to be. Out there isn’t an option, not unless I get my powers under control and even then…” Yelena flashed a wry smile. “I’ve spent all my life either caged up, on the run, or hiding. To be honest, I don’t know what my place is in this world or what I’d do with myself out there. Whether I like it or not, I guess this is where I need to be for now.”

“Good. Well, in that case, I’d like to schedule a training session for you with Loki as soon as possible so I can monitor your physical transformation.”

“Right, Loki…” She hadn’t seen the god of mischief and lies since their first meeting. “Tell me, what’s his deal and is he really… y’know, a god?”

Wakanda was far more than a metropolis of technological wonder and Steve marveled at its natural beauty beyond the city limits. A rare sight nowadays and he understood why Bucky had chosen this spot of seclusion for his recuperation. It was a breath of fresh air for both of them as they sat by the edge of a lake.

“Yours was the first face to surface in my memories,” Bucky admitted while he played with a blade of grass between his fingers. “Many have followed since…”

He blew out a sigh and let his eyes focus on the sun’s reflection cast out across the water. Leaning back in an attempt to relax while he rested on his one good arm, and his brand new, vibranium arm gifted to him by T'Challa. “The faces of my parents, my sister. Every moment of joy and…”

Steve placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Do you have his memories too?”

“I do, every single one. I remember her now, your friend Natasha, the fear in her eyes. I remember my own pain and theirs. His hands around their throats as much as my own. The look on Howard’s face…”

It was a burden almost too heavy to carry and there was little Steve could say. They’d had this conversation before—Bucky and the Winter Soldier were not the same—but that did little to assuage Bucky’s guilt.

“Sitting here reminds me of that one hot summer when we were kids playing down by the river, dangling our feet in the water to cool off,” Steve reminisced.

“All the times I had to jump in after you because Desmond and Tom would push you in and you couldn’t swim very well.”

“And then you did it again decades later in Washington.”

“Well, that one was all on me.”

“It was on both of us and had you fallen, I would have gone after you. Of course we can’t forget about our dive in Berlin either.”

The corners of Bucky’s mouth curled into a meager smile. “Always the hero, huh? What have you been up to?”

“The usual. Sam, Nat, Wanda and I busted a human trafficking ring, stopped a bank robbery in Germany. Got word of a single, rogue Hydra agent operating from Strasbourg, put an end to that. Small stuff.”

It was easy to talk about ordinary missions but there was one piece of information burning at the front of Steve’s mind. A thing he ached to talk about but he had no idea how to bring it up.

Bucky’s body language grew a little stiff at the mention of Hydra. “Just the one agent?”

“Yes. We have our ears to the ground but there’s been no news other than a few failed attempts to rebuild the organization.”

“And what about those Sokovia accords? If you’re working does that mean you signed them?”

Steve gave him a look that spoke volumes, and Bucky chuckled. “I’ll take that as a no.”

“I don’t believe in them and I refuse to sign just so Tony can have a bandaid for the guilt he carries.”

“Have you seen him since Siberia?”

“Once or twice, we try to keep it civil,” Steve deliberately gave a vague answer that he hoped would discourage Bucky from asking further, then jumped to a different subject. “So what else are you remembering?”

“Everything. They were just flashes first, nightmares, fragments but together they span entire decades.”

“Was it always all bad in your time with Hydra? I’m guessing they didn’t leave much room for a social life.” Steve felt silly for asking but he needed to know whether Yelena told the truth.

“No, they didn’t,” Bucky snorted at the mere idea though the question brought one image to mind, clear as day. “But…”

“Hm?”

“There was a woman, back in the eighties I believe. Her eyes would be the first I’d see when they woke me and the last before they’d put me back in the chamber. Sofya. She tended to my injuries and cared for me.”

“Oh?” Steve feigned ignorance. “Did anything ever happen? I thought you’d been stripped of emotion?”

“They tried but there were times where my emotions would return along with memories of my past life. I clung to her in those moments, needing that human connection. We became intimate until one day she was just… gone.”

Recalling those days, Bucky lay back against the field of grass and let his mind take him to the past. Oblivious to the looks Steve was giving him.

Chapter Text

— 10: Too Late For Baby Announcements —

The secret he kept weighed heavy on Steve and forced his feet into a restless gait on his way to meet Bucky. Today they’d go for a morning run together, enjoy a hearty breakfast, and head out to the fields to aid the Border Tribe with simple farming work. It all sounded good and well but Steve struggled to focus on anything other than the one thing he constantly failed to bring up.

He glanced at his phone, having sought Natasha’s advice, but she’d told him exactly what he already knew.

--There is no easy way or perfect timing. Doubt B would enjoy one of those sickeningly cute baby announcements. Just tell him, soon.--

Baby announcements, Steve scoffed. It was twenty-eight years too late for such things and that realization bothered him just as much. Furthermore, he had no idea whether his friend had ever wanted kids and Yelena wasn’t so much a kid as a grown woman who, due to a series of unfortunate events, was close to their own biological age.

The predicament troubled him a great deal. Bucky had been through so much and beneath a cool exterior suffered terribly from all the things he’d done. Could he take another blow?

“I was just on my way to meet you.” Bucky pulled Steve from the growing turmoil in his mind. “You ready to test your speed against me?”

“I’m ready for you to admit I’m still faster.” Steve forced a cheerful smile.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

Invigorated by his own good mood, Bucky chose not to wait for his best friend to start a countdown and took a sprint down the field without warning. “Come on old man!” he yelled over his shoulder.

“Who are you calling old? You were born a year before me!” argued Steve, unable to suppress a genuine chuckle while he gave chase.

Just two men running laps along the outskirts of a lake enclosed by the ever stretching plains of Wakanda. For a moment, the world felt exactly right to Steve and Bucky seemed to share those sentiments. Zig-zagging at random intervals to stop Steve from catching up to him or even pulling ahead, a mischievous smirk on his face as if they were again two simple boys playing in the streets of Brooklyn. Of course they rarely ran in those days, Steve’s asthma never let him, but this morning both felt that same old carefree spirit once more.

That was until Steve’s phone buzzed with a reminder about the present.

--PS; told Y truth about B. Not thrilled but staying for now.--

“What is it?” asked Bucky, reading along over Steve’s shoulder.

His warm breath gave him away and Steve quickly tucked his phone back into his pocket, looking rather guilty and frustrated though he couldn’t blame his best friend for being nosey—they’d never kept secrets from one another.

“Just a few things back at the compound.”

He acted aloof but Bucky wasn’t buying it, not after seeing Steve’s expression drop. “You can talk about your Avengers stuff, it’s not going to upset me hearing about whatever’s going on. Is it Tony?”

“No, it’s…”

“About me? Am I B?”

“Clever deduction.” Steve tried to smile but he failed miserably. “Look, there are some things I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, things we discovered while you were out here undergoing treatment.”

“Alright, so, spit it out.” Bucky put a hand on Steve’s shoulder and showed no sign of concern. Just his close friend trying to be supportive as he’d been so often in the past, making it only harder for Steve to cut to the chase.

Finding a spot of shade under a nearby tree, Steve sat down. “Tony found another super soldier in cryo, at the Siberia facility, stashed away on a sub-level of the building.”

“They created more?”

“Not exactly. This one is uh, well, a little different. Tony brought the cryochamber back to the compound and ran a few tests, trying to figure out what was so special about this ‘Soldat X’. That’s why Nat and I returned there, he called us.”

The way Steve spoke left Bucky a little uneasy, as if his friend was building up to some sort of ominous climax but he said nothing and waited.

“Biological science isn’t Tony’s strong suit but he did figure out that this soldier was born with the serum coursing through her veins. The child of another super soldier.”

Now Bucky interrupted, feeling appalled when he drew his own conclusions, “They attempted to breed new soldiers?”

“We considered it but, no. I mean, it could be but based on what…” Steve hated how bad he was at having these sorts of conversations.

Discussing strategy was one thing. Debating the odd political case was never a problem either. Opening up about his own life and feelings with Nat and Sam, to an extent, wasn’t too difficult but this?

“Then what is it?” Bucky urged.

“Tony ran the soldier’s DNA through our databases, to see if there was a match and your name came up in the system. She’s yours.” There, he did it—ripped off the proverbial band aid.

“She’s…” Bucky paled and sat down, unable to fathom what Steve was saying but then he laughed and thumped his best friend on the shoulder. “Oh come on, when would I have had the time to…”

It dawned on him, their conversation of the previous day, the resurfaced memories he’d shared, and his smile faltered instantly. “Sofya?”

Suddenly he looked crestfallen and Steve was reluctant to nod. “Yes, Sofya. She became pregnant with your daughter and the girl inherited your strength and speed. And your looks.”

“You’ve seen her?! What, how…”

Not knowing which of the many questions to ask first, Bucky just stared at Steve utterly dumbfounded. Half waiting for some sort of punchline to what had to be the worst joke in history. He couldn’t imagine it possible but his silence gave Steve the opportunity to explain.

“I’ve met her, yes, shortly after Tony woke her. Her name is Yelena.”

“Yel… Why did they put her in cryo and where’s Sofya?”

The fact that Steve couldn’t look him in the eye as he struggled to find the right words told Bucky enough and something in his chest ached. “What happened to her?” he asked.

“They escaped the facility when Yelena was three years old, Sofya wanted to protect her from Hydra’s experiments. They lived in Saratov for several years until Hydra found them and Sofya gave her life helping her daughter escape.”

Bucky sank back against the trunk and blew out a sigh. “I never knew. I didn’t even know she was pregnant. She was just gone the next time they woke me and I assumed she’d been transferred to another facility.”

“I’m sorry man, I really am.”

“I don’t know how to feel about this.” The one person who’d shown him a shred of human decency and affection throughout his captivity by Hydra was gone. “What happened to the girl?”

“Hydra caught her a few days later and brought her to Germany for training and education. She escaped them again during a mission in London when she was sixteen, made her way to Scotland and later Denmark, eluding them for three years.”

“But I take it they found her again?”

Knowing exactly what had happened, Steve sucked in a sharp breath. How on earth was he supposed to tell Bucky what the Winter Soldier had done to his daughter? Knowing Bucky would blame himself as he did with Howard and countless others but it couldn’t remain a secret, not if the two were to ever meet.

“They did. She’d lived in Torshavn for a year, working as a cook and bartender. Her boss tagged her in a photo on social media and I guess facial recognition software alerted Hydra.”

There he went again, peeling at the bandaids instead of coming straight out with the harsh facts. Natasha would have done better, she had a knack for steeling herself and delivering the heavy blows immediately but this had to be him—the best friend Bucky knew.

Building up to the news, he wondered if Bucky would make the connection on his own, though he doubted that could soften the impact. Steve opened his mouth to continue but Bucky beat him to it, something familiar gnawing at his conscience.

“Torshavn? When was this?”

“In 2008. That’s when they—”

“No, they didn’t.” Bright blue but terrified eyes and a face with features much like his own surfaced in Bucky’s mind.

A teenage girl whose strength close to matched his while he threw her through a wall from one room into the next, never letting up. She’d reached under a bed to pull out a gun, firing at him, and he’d broken her wrist wrestling the weapon away from her. In turn she’d fisted his hair and slammed his face into a dresser, then another wall but in the end he’d near killed her. Almost ruining what should have been a simple retrieval mission.

“I did,” Bucky corrected even as misery rose in his gut and he put his head down, shaking it repeatedly. “I remember it clear as day because I was pissed off they’d neglected to tell me about her strength and skills, leading me to almost botch the mission.”

Guilt wreaked sudden havoc on his body and Bucky couldn’t decide whether to remain seated or get up, he felt sick. “Steve, don’t tell me I—”

“You didn’t. You have to remember that wasn’t you. The soldier wasn’t you, Buck.”

“No!” Bucky lashed out and slammed his right fist into the tree behind them with such a force it broke off at the root and toppled down. He didn’t care. “I’m so sick of hiding behind that excuse!”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth!” Worriedly, Steve jumped up and grabbed Bucky by the shoulders. “The things you did were not by choice, you had no control! I know that doesn’t make it easier, it doesn’t change what happened but you are not to blame!”

“Tell that to Tony, to his parents! Tell that to my… does she know who I am? Who it was that beat her within an inch of her life and dragged her back to that hellhole?”

He couldn’t say ‘daughter’. He’d barely wrapped his head around the idea of having one and now felt he didn’t even deserve to call her that.

“No. She knows a man named James is her father though she believes him to be dead, that’s what Sofya assumed when she never saw you again. Yelena does remember the Winter Soldier, she knows you’re him, she knows about your former condition but she hasn’t made the connection yet between you and the James that Sofya told her about.”

Bucky could hardly suppress his urge to tear the entire forest behind them down, fueled by his far too many and conflicting emotions but he closed his eyes and focused inward on his own breathing. A trick he’d picked up from the locals.

“Tell me everything,” he said, a slight quaking in his voice. “Where is she now, how is she? What happened to her after our fight? What did they do to her?”

It felt surreal thinking of the Avengers compound as her home. Home was a set of locks on her door, cold and empty walls, bars and cages rather than windows, and a stained, unsupportive mattress. It was the illusion of safety she’d created for herself in Denmark. Yelena snorted—Steve had been so wrong—she’d never again think of her time in Torshavn as a happy one, or at least she’d deny it to herself.

Aimless wandering and idle musings led her down passages and hallways until the faint strumming of an electric guitar reached her ears. She followed the sound all the way to Tony’s laboratory, the song’s accompanying bass growing louder with each step, and rapped her knuckles three times against the half open door.

“Need a hand?” she yelled loud enough for Tony to hear.

Without looking up from his work, he ordered Friday to lower the volume of his favorite AC/DC track and beckoned Yelena over. “I’ve got plenty of hands. The problem is deciding which one I want to use.”

A variety of hardware and robotic limbs belonging to his Iron Man suit cluttered the work space. “Time for an upgrade?” asked Yelena while she picked up one of the five glove pieces laid out.

“Always. Can’t risk falling behind on the latest technology and there’s this guy—have you heard of King T’Challa of Wakanda?—I read a classified report on his new suit…” Tony released an exasperated groan. “I won’t be outdone by a boy king dressed as a cat.”

“Riiight…” Yelena didn’t have a clue nor could she muster enough care to have him explain. “Why red and gold?” she changed the subject to something simpler, or so she thought.

“Oh, I’m a huge Redskins fan,” he spoke in jest and only added to her confusion.

“Redskins?”

“Football.”

“Ah, right, the uh… sports thing with the ball and the people and the stuff…”

“You need to catch up on your knowledge of American culture and recent years. I’m sure Steve will let you borrow his notes when he comes back.”

“Pass.” Yelena screwed her nose up and pulled a face at the mere mention of Steve, something Tony picked up on all too easily.

“What’s on your mind, kid?” He snatched the glove she toyed with from her hands and set it back down before offering his full attention.

“Natasha told me about Bucky and what Hydra did to his mind, why Steve defended him.”

“I see, and you’re annoyed that I didn’t—”

Shaking her head and letting out a derisive chuckle, she was quick to correct his assumption, “No, I’m not. I’m actually glad you didn’t tell me because, honestly… I think I was—and this sounds ridiculous—happier not knowing.”

Tony quirked a brow, unsure of what to make of that statement. “Happier?”

“He’s a victim too, isn’t he? I… I don’t want to think of him in that way,” she tried explaining the tug of war in her mind and sighed. “Not as a person, as a human being twisted into a monster by Hydra. I have so much pain, so much anger and hatred about what he’s done and the organization he represents… All they’ve cost me.”

Anguish surfaced and Yelena ran a trembling hand through her hair, feeling torn. “I need him to be the monster, a target. I don’t know another way of dealing with everything if I don’t have him to hate.”

Unintentionally, she held a metaphorical mirror up to Tony that rendered him speechless. With his silence as her only feedback, she continued.

“I’m not made of stone or without humanity. I’ve done awful things too but…” Her scornful laughter rang hollow. “You know how I like to say that I had no choice? He didn’t either and yet I’m sitting here wanting to believe he had one because that’s what I need him to be—responsible for all of it. Because I’m not in a place where I can forgive, forget, or escape that night that still haunts and terrifies me and yet…”

She blew out a staggered breath and looked up to the ceiling, trying to hold back a surge of emotion. “It’s that human side of me that feels sorry for him. Awful for what he’s been through. A little voice saying it’s not his fault, urging me to understand and sympathize but then I get angry all over again because I can’t and don’t want to.”

When Tony still said nothing, merely staring at her with pain in his eyes and a stunned expression, she roughly brushed away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. “I must sound so screwed up but… yeah, I think I was happier not knowing.”

Uncomfortable silence stretched on for minutes and Yelena returned her attention to the new and improved equipment he’d been working on. She didn’t expect him to understand or offer any comfort—empathy wasn’t a quality she associated with Tony Stark—and she felt awkward enough having opened up about her feelings in the first place. She hadn’t planned to, it just spilled out.

“Is this vibranium?” she asked and held up an unpainted arm-piece, hoping to change the course of conversation once more. He seemed so uncomfortable and conflicted.

“No, no it’s uh…” The distraction worked to get him talking again but his voice barely rose above a whisper.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, shook his head, and mumbled incoherent frustrations. The turmoil Yelena experienced in her mind could be read in his body language and in this moment, they were uniquely matched in their struggles.

He turned away, walked a few paces, then came back with a determined look on his face. “I want a cheeseburger. Do you like cheeseburgers? Let’s go, my treat.”

“Yeah, sure.” If that was what he needed to get past this moment, she’d go.

It was true that she didn’t understand much about American culture but she’d watched enough movies to know junk food brought people comfort. Maybe she needed it too, and a ridiculously large milkshake to wash everything down.

Chapter Text

— 11: Reliving Memories. —

Slender fingers and gentle, steady hands worked to suture his split bottom lip but all Bucky noticed were the green flecks in her enchanting blue eyes.

‘Sofya…’ he groaned while he came to.

‘Shh, hold still, James, I’m almost done.’ A smile broke through her studious expression.

The entire room smelled of antiseptics, the slight tang of blood, and he could taste the copper in the back of his mouth. A lightbulb overhead, the only light available in the dank and far too small medical office, flickered once and Sofya uttered a hint of frustration.

‘I don’t know how they can expect me to work in these conditions.’

Bucky said nothing but reached out with his free, human hand and carded his fingers through her auburn hair. Teasing her scalp with some light pressure and relishing in the quiet sigh he elicited. In turn, she finished her sutures and nestled her cheek against his palm.

‘Each time you’re deployed I fear you won’t come back to me,’ she admitted in a whisper.

The second Sofya put her instruments away and removed her gloves, Bucky pulled her onto his lap in the examination chair and nuzzled her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

‘I always come back,’ he murmured against her skin.

‘But you can’t promise me that, neither of us know where they’ll send you next.’

‘Shh.’ It was his turn to insist on silence while he found her lips, tentatively nipped at the plump flesh, traced her pout with the tip of his tongue before deepening their kiss.

A hum of pleasure left her body when his hands, flesh and metal, snaked beneath her overcoat and under the green blouse she wore. Fingers drawing delightful circles along the small of her back until she halted his intentions.

‘Not yet, I still need a blood sample before I forget…’

Bucky tried to hide his disappointment. ‘What for?’

‘The one thing they’ve been chasing for years—recreating the serum.’

Seeing his thick brows furrow, Sofya leaned closer and shared a secret of her own, ‘Don’t worry, they won’t get their hands on the correct formula. I’ve been manipulating the test results for months.’

‘You can’t!’ Immediately he worried and clutched her face between his hands. ‘If they find out—’

‘They won’t. I was hired because this is my field of expertise, not theirs. Now I didn’t know what I was getting into when I accepted that research grant, and I can’t quit and leave because they’ll hunt me down, but I won’t aid their cause either.’

‘You’re playing with fire.’ He nipped at her velvety lips again and held her so tight it took effort to make sure he didn’t end up crushing her with his prosthetic arm.

‘We all are.’ Sofya nestled against his bare chest and sighed with longing. ‘But one day I’ll figure out a way to free your mind, to defeat the soldier, and then we’ll get out.’

‘Where would we go?’

‘Hmm… Saratov, then find transport to Moscow or St. Petersburg. Cross the border and fly to… Where did you say were you born?’

Nowhere he could recall, the soldier’s existence in his mind forming a barrier between memories of his old life and his current state. He tried to focus and access that forgotten knowledge but a sudden, excruciating pain shot through his skull. His brain throbbed and resisted until everything faded before his very eyes, leaving only his own screams to ring in his ears.

“Bucky! Bucky! Wake up!” At the sound of pained cries, Steve rushed from his cot inside Bucky’s sparse and humble home and knelt at his best friend’s bedside. “Buck!”

Bathed in sweat and thrashing to fight off his bedsheets, Bucky mumbled in hysterics, “Brooklyn, Brooklyn, that’s… I have to remember, Brooklyn, Saratov to Brooklyn… Cross the border and fly to…”

“Bucky come back to me,” Steve pleaded while he clutched Bucky’s shoulders to calm him but he had little success.

Without even opening his eyes and aided by his fugue state, Bucky lunged at Steve and wrestled him to the ground, balled fists offering blows the latter only barely managed to avoid.

“Bucky! Snap out of it!” Dodging another hit, Steve trapped his bewildered and disorientated friend between his thighs and rolled over to seize control. It took all his strength to pin the man’s arms down and fight his excessive struggling, and minutes passed before Bucky became subdued.

Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Bucky groaned, “S-Steve… what…”

“Another nightmare. I thought those had stopped?”

“They had.”

“You mentioned Saratov—is this because of Yelena?”

A careless shrug rolled down Bucky’s shoulders and he sighed, “Sort of. I dreamed about Sofya, a conversation we once had.”

He tried to push up from the ground and glared at his best friend. “Please get off, I need air.”

“Right, sorry.” Steve got up and wiped off his pajama bottoms before lending Bucky a hand. “So I guess everything I told you brought old memories to the foreground huh?”

“Yeah. There were a few times we discussed escaping, just daydreaming in the brief moments we had together but it seems that’s exactly what she did after… Fuck.” He buried his face in his hands. “How the hell do I have a daughter, Steve?”

Not waiting for an answer, Bucky picked up the folder Steve had given him with all the information gathered on Yelena. “I read through this a dozen times last night and it doesn’t feel real. It says she’s my child, and everything adds up, but I don’t feel a thing.”

“That’s not surprising though, is it? You’ve never met her, you don’t actually know her, you didn’t get to raise her and, hell, you never even knew she existed until now.”

“I know but… isn’t this the moment where I’m supposed to feel some sort of intense, sudden connection? Be overwhelmed by emotion because of this bond parents are meant to have with their children?”

Steve quirked a brow. “You’ve been watching too many movies.”

“Didn’t have much else to do while laying low for two years.” Only half a smile inched up the corner of his mouth and it was a miserable one. “I don’t even know if I want to come back with you, assuming I could. What am I supposed to say or do?”

“You don’t have to decide anything right now.”

“What is she like?”

“Uh…” Steve had begun grinding out fresh coffee beans and took a moment to reflect on his few interactions with Yelena but by the time he added hot water, all he could say was, “Complicated.”

“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Bucky scoffed.

“You were never complicated when we were growing up. You just went through a lot in the past decades, that’s bound to change you,” Steve argued but when he caught the pointed stare Bucky gave him, he conceded, “Okay, yeah, I can see that.”

“Remind me again, how much does she know?”

“Most of it, just not that you’re her father. I figured it might soften the blow if she adjusts to the news about your conditioning first. Help her see you and the Winter Soldier are not the same person.”

“You think that’ll make a difference?”

Steve handed Bucky a cup of coffee and sat down. “I hope so.”

“You know…” Bucky blew across the rim of his mug and glanced at his best friend. “I get why this should matter to me but, why is this so important to you?”

“I don’t know, Buck. Maybe I’d just like a win for once, something good to come out of everything we’ve been through.”

That wasn’t the worst thing to wish for and Bucky contemplated his own thoughts on the matter. Back in the forties, he’d been a ‘one day’ kind of man—one day he would find the right woman, one day he would settle down, one day he would have kids. He’d enjoyed his life of drinking and dating, in no particular order, right up to the moment he received his orders to ship out. During the war he had traded his ‘one day’ mantra for just getting to the next day and the only future on his mind had been survival and victory.

Now, more than seventy years later, he was a father without a clue. In almost every meaning of the word, Bucky Barnes had died falling down that ravine and the Winter Soldier had emerged. The soldier who’d wanted for nothing but to follow the orders he was given and during the rare few moments he’d stolen to exist, kids had just about been the last thing on Bucky’s mind.

Lurking in the shadows, Loki couldn’t help but inwardly laugh at Yelena’s futile attempts to summon her powers. For nearly an hour she’d stood in an empty garage beneath the compound, squinting and gesturing wildly to no avail. She had closed her eyes and balled her fists hoping to make anything happen at all but couldn’t even conjure the smallest of flurries.

“Oh come on! Just fucking freeze — shit — frost — something already!”

Loki heard her yell, watched her stomp her feet in utter frustration and spit out a slew of Russian expletives that would make any other person blush to their roots. Not him, and he knew Russian—the upside of living for thousands of years and exhausting all knowledge within your reach.

He also knew the cause of her struggle. “Stop being so afraid of what you can do.”

“What?” She spun around in surprise.

“You’re blocking your own abilities. You’re scared and you don’t trust yourself.”

“I’m not scared of any—”

“You see him, don’t you? That vile creature you killed by accident. His eyes, drained of life, blaming you.”

“Shut up.” With her arms protectively wrapped around herself, Yelena turned away.

“It’s curious—a Hydra assassin disarmed by guilt? You’ve killed before, this isn’t new.”

“I never liked it, I took no joy in it.”

Loki appeared behind her faster than she could blink, gripping and massaging her shoulders. He breathed just below her ear, “Then you’ve been doing it wrong.”

“Fuck you,” Yelena hissed but she couldn’t shrug him off.

“When you kill someone, you have to mean it in order to live with it. It takes purpose and conviction.” Loki’s hands slid down her arms to clasp her elbows as he maneuvered her body into a defensive stance. “Self preservation, vengeance, power, or if you’re the hero type, to protect others.”

Yelena felt an odd sensation pulse in her veins and she turned her head to meet his eyes. “Why have you?”

“All of the above and more.” A mischievous smile crossed Loki’s face. “Focus. Recall the moment where you stared death in the face. It’s just you and him. You have no weapons, only your gift, but he’s coming for you and he won’t stop.”

“I…” While Loki hadn’t specified which ‘he’, Yelena’s mind dove straight to one of her more terrifying, crippling memories and her hands trembled. “I can’t.”

“Forget your fears. You’re in control. You know what you can do and this is your territory, not his. You make the rules.”

The gentle tingles coursing beneath her skin intensified, drawing on her energy to begin her body’s metamorphosis. From the young brunette who’d seen too much in life to the snow queen who feared nothing and when it was done, Yelena exhaled a frosty breath.

“There you are.” Loki awed at her form and whispered, “Draw on the power that’s begging every fiber of your being for release. Feel it heighten, burn and ache.”

“I do but… it’s stronger than I am.” Again she trembled, doubt threatening to take root.

“No, it’s a part of you but it cannot exist without or beyond you. You’re stronger than it and you can force it to obey.”

“We should wait until Dr. Banner gets here.”

“You’ve been practicing this entire time, you may as well continue.”

Withholding further encouragement and neglecting to give warning, Loki placed his index and middle-fingers to Yelena’s temple, searching her mind for her greatest and most disarming fear until he brought her worst memory to life. The Winter Soldier. Silent, deadly, and coming straight for her.

“Loki no, not this, I’m not ready, make it go away,” Yelena panicked but her pleas went unheard.

Gone was everything she’d discovered over the past days, and gone were the past nine years of her life. She was back in her old apartment where she had to fight to survive. Dodge the fist that swung toward her face before she kicked the Winter Soldier’s legs out from under him.

Yelena tried to run but the soldier grabbed her ankle, flung her from one room into the next through plasterboard walls and she reached under the bed for her gun. Remembering what came next, she adjusted her aim and fired rapidly but even in this re-enactment of sorts she missed. The soldier lunged forward but, prepared for his assault, Yelena dove across the bed and flipped it over, slamming the metal frame into his body.

‘Relax. Breathe. Whatever this is, it’s in the past, you’ve already lived through this,’ she tried reminding herself even as the soldier began closing in a second time.

A steel grip around her throat lifted her off the floor and she struggled for air. Swung her legs up to push off against his chest with her feet but when that didn’t work, she kicked him in the face. For just a moment he let up, long enough for Yelena to use all her might shoving him off, heaving a painful and stuttering breath. Whatever courage she’d tried to muster abandoned her before it could settle.

“I can’t, I can’t. Loki, please,” she fell to her knees and begged, “I’m not ready, I can’t…”

No one came to her aid, though, so there was no choice but to mirror her past actions. Again the soldier charged at her—he’d never stop—and Yelena grabbed a fistful of his dark locks, down to the root, before bashing his face into her bedroom dresser. Steadied on her heels and used all her strength to sway around, dragging him with her, and smashed the other side of his head into the wall.

She recalled the awful god’s words, ‘You make the rules,’ and tried in vain to conjure anything that might assist her. Nothing happened and in her split second of distraction, trying to access her gift, the soldier threw her to the ground. Her ribs cracked, she gasped for air, and coughed up a fresh wad of blood while he kicked her from the bedroom back toward the living room.

“Hrngh, fuck, Loki…” she rasped and for all of it being an illusion, the pain felt more than real. “I… can’t…”

What came next was the terrifying moment she couldn’t stop reliving even in her waking hours. The soldier stood over her, feet at both sides of her broken body. Eyeing his prey and crouching down above her waist as he delivered another metal-fisted uppercut to her jaw. He gripped the sides of her head and dug his fingers into her scalp, and she froze.

Out of fear but there was something else that caught her attention now that he was so close—her own reflection in those blue, soulless, eyes. His eyes but they were hers too. His face drained of humanity and emotion as she’d seen herself in the mirror before. An aching familiarity not part of any memory she held. A truth begging to be acknowledged but it fled before she could fully grasp its meaning.

Then the bashing began. One, two, three, four times to start with while her vision blurred and her feeble attempts to swat him away like a bug were laughable. Five, six, seven times and her surroundings faded into darkness. The eight blow to her skull resounded in a distance and she was gone.

There was no telling how much time had passed when Yelena came to again, lying on the concrete floor of the garage beneath the Avengers compound. The illusions evaporated and she was back in the present day. A killer headache tormented her brain and she tasted the bile in the back of her throat.

“That didn’t go as I’d hoped,” Loki stated matter of factly and extended a helping hand but Yelena just glowered at him.

Strained her body to push herself up and though she was free of any physical pain and injury, in her mind she still felt everything. Every bruise and every broken bone but she gritted her teeth to ignore it all while she faced Loki. With all the strength she could muster thrown into a mean left hook, she floored him and marched off without another word.

Chapter Text

— 12: Tony Does Some Thinking —

They say time heals all wounds but Tony Stark would call that a lie. Some wounds never healed and time only faded agonizing pain to a dull aching in moments of remembrance. He was a grown man with a life of his own but the loss of his parents plagued him more frequently than he’d ever let on. He’d dwell on the difficult relationship with his father and miss the love of his mother.

He missed her smile, the one that he hadn’t been able to shake from his mind ever since his conversation with Yelena. That girl had no idea how much her confession had screwed with his own feelings but she’d been right—it was easier to hate and be angry. He had every right to but like her, he was conflicted. Torn between knowing better and the way his heart hurt.

Flashbacks to his physical altercation with Steve and Bucky played before his eyes and he cringed. Sure, there’d been a time where he had both resented and envied Captain America for the friendship with his father but Steve had proven himself a reliable, trustworthy ally. A friend. Steve always had Tony’s back, in every fight and despite their differences, until Bucky returned.

‘Things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand if you hadn’t insisted on those Accords to assuage your own guilt. If you hadn’t been so blinded by self interest,’ a voice deep within—his conscience or the angel on his shoulder—taunted.

Tony took an angry swipe at the stack of papers on his desk, pens and paper flying in all directions, and he sighed. A part of him knew well the level of responsibility he held for all that had happened but he couldn’t quite accept that fact. Pride was such a powerful emotion. As a child he’d faked it to exude confidence and earn his father’s appreciation. To shield against the inevitable and constant disappointment his father expressed. It had grown into his armor as time went by and became a natural part of him. He couldn’t shake it.

Giving in to the tired frustration in his body, he sunk into his office chair. There was so much to take care of and the opened documents on his tablet regarding the Accords earned themselves a scathing glare. Tapping his fingers across the touch-screen, he browsed to the associated files. House arrest for Clint Barton and Scott Lang. Steve, Sam, Natasha and Wanda all listed as wanted fugitives. A capture or kill order on the Winter Soldier.

The mess he’d created in his office paled in comparison to the poor state his team was in. He had to make a decision—to stand his ground and defend the Accords or seek a compromise that could be the first step toward making amends—but could he admit to his own error in judgment after advocating the Accords for so long?

He pulled up Yelena’s profile and read through all the information he’d compiled. If he did as the Accords demanded then he would report her to secretary Ross but Tony half suspected they’d call for her arrest. It was for that same reason he’d kept mute on Steve and Natasha’s return. Why he hadn’t mentioned the fact Bruce had finally shown up again—Ross would love to get his hands on the Hulk at last.

‘Lying to the government because I know what they’d do to the others… well, if that doesn’t make the right decision obvious. Oh but weary lies the crown… no, heavy lies the head, or…’

His brain throbbed with the conflict in his mind and muddled any coherent thought. A mind that, while wrestling through a list of pros and cons, also attempted to find a solution that would satisfy all affected parties. The tangled web was too much to handle alone and with his tablet in hand, he stormed from his office.

“We need to talk,” his announcement startled Bruce and Natasha who’d been nestled up on the sofa together.

The Black Widow bit back a groan and barely turned her head, too occupied exploring the depths of Bruce’s eyes. “About?”

“The Accords. I want thoughts, opinions. How do we feel about them today? Has anyone changed their mind? Big guy, are you in? Any suggestions for amendments?”

“Oh boy. Are you sure you want to have this conversation?” asked Natasha and she finally glanced in his direction.

Determination was written all over Tony’s face. He couldn’t yet deal with his feelings toward Steve and Bucky or the way they’d fallen out but this? This was a problem he might be able to fix. “I do.”

“Yeah uh, I don’t think I’ll be signing…” Bruce started and though he’d meant to elaborate on the reason for his decision, Tony understood. He’d only asked as a courtesy.

“I figured, and I think it’s best we keep any information concerning Frosty to ourselves for now,” he said. “Speaking of which, where is she? Wasn’t there a training session scheduled?”

Bruce’s expression dropped. “I completely forgot. Sorry. I’ll go find—”

“No need,” Yelena’s voice came from the shadows before she sauntered into the lounge. Resting back against the wall with a fake smile on her face to hide just how frazzled she felt after her session with Loki. “I’m here and veto on the name Frosty.”

“I’m really sorry,” Bruce tried to offer his apologies but she waved him off.

“It’s fine, another time.”

“How about Snowflake?” Tony suggested—he never could resist a quip or two.

“Veto, again. I’ve been on the internet, snowflakes are bad.”

The exchange caused Natasha to snort as she urged Bruce to scoot down and make room on the sofa for Yelena. “Let’s put a pin in the nicknames and get back to the conversation at hand.”

“Right,” Bruce concurred. “The Accords.”

“Yep.” Tony rounded the small coffee table to face his comrades. “Give me your thoughts.”

“I’m sorry, Tony, I think the intentions were good but they’re not an effective solution. I’m all for damage control, I carry the weight of my actions with me every day and they were the reason the big guy fled but…” Bruce’s brows furrowed with deep thought. “Hundreds and thousands of people could die while we wait for the UN’s approval to intervene. I can’t accept that risk either.”

Natasha nodded her agreement. “Take Loki’s invasion of New York—did we cause a lot of damage? Yes, and people were injured, lives were lost but imagine how much worse it could have been had we not stepped in. Had it been up to the government, they would have nuked the city.”

“I remember that.” Yelena clacked her tongue disapprovingly. “Talk about extreme measures.”

“And I remember saving the day,” Tony added though he knew what Natasha was getting at. “But I wouldn’t be able to do that again with the Accords in place, not without booking a one way trip to the Raft.”

Natasha looked up at him to see if he was about to add a punchline of sorts. “You’ve changed your tune since we last discussed this… what gives?”

“Maybe the fact that two thirds of the people living here are wanted fugitives, or would be if Ross knew about their presence, and if disaster struck right this instant we’d be useless.”

“I’m relieved to hear you say so.”

“Yes, well, the trouble is that the Accords were put in place for a reason. One-hundred and seventy-seven reasons in Sokovia alone.”

Those numbers still weighed heavily on Tony’s mind and he desperately needed to explore every aspect before he could decide on his next move. There was no question the Accords had a crippling effect on him and his team but he could no longer accept destruction and mass casualties either—two key factors that kept him conflicted.

“Could have been zero if we hadn’t built Ultron,” Bruce spoke with quiet hesitation.

“That’s not the point,” Tony argued that painful reminder but Natasha wasn’t having it.

“No, the point is that New York could have been wiped from the map. The point is that project Insight would have killed millions worldwide. The point is that we’re dealing with a group of politicians who care more about permission slips than all the lives saved because we were able to go where we were needed, when we were needed.”

Taken aback by her sharp change in attitude, Tony asked, “I thought you agreed with the Accords?”

“I used to but I’ve had a lot of time to think since then and got a glimpse of how they play out—I don’t like it. Forget the arguments I’ve already made, the Accords do nothing to prevent unregistered enhanced from doing as they please. They just make it punishable by law for me to step in if something were to happen right now.”

Natasha caught Yelena’s eye and drove her point further, “She’s here and safe but Lena could have done far more damage the other day, taken a lot more lives and you would have been stuck waiting for permission before you could step in. I can’t believe I’m saying this but… it’s lucky Loki was around.”

A split-second smile crossed Bruce’s face. “I’d like to see Ross try and put Loki or Thor behind bars for ignoring the Accords.”

“He can’t, which brings me back to their effectiveness,” Natasha maintained her stance.

Tony carefully considered every objection, all fair points, but he had to know, “What’s the alternative? How do we make sure we can do our jobs without adding to the list of casualties?”

“I don’t think we can. There is always going to be casualties and collateral damage, we can’t be everywhere at once, but I think we made a good start when we tried to evacuate Sokovia.”

“Can’t you sit down with the government or the people from the UN to create a contingency plan?” Yelena chimed in after hearing everyone out. “Get their support for a specialized unit that can handle evacuations and emergency services while you guys are out… I dunno, dealing with whatever threat?”

“That could be a viable option for a compromise.” Tony added her suggestion to the list.

This was what he needed—alternatives. Arguments he could use if, though most likely when, he decided to raise the issue with secretary Ross. Granted, he hadn’t discussed the matter yet with Rhodes but he knew his friend would approve and if not, Tony could likely talk him into it.

“Does anyone else have anything to add?” he asked when he finished typing on his tablet.

“I don’t think so,” said Natasha, “and I believe you already know where Steve stands.”

Tony closed his eyes for a second and sighed. “Yes, I do.”

Only too well and while he wouldn’t openly admit it—not here, not today, not now—a part of him hoped this would bring Captain America back into the fold permanently. He even thought that perhaps, one day, their friendship could be salvaged though much of that depended on Steve as well.

The rich aroma of spices permeated the small hut Steve and Bucky shared, with the former doing his most to prepare an evening meal. Wasted effort because what should have been a fairly simple dish of rice, meat, and vegetables instead looked, and smelled, like something that had already been digested once.

“So, let me get this straight…,” Bucky started as he and Steve peered into the wok. “You’ve been out of the ice for six years but somehow, with all this time you’ve had, you still haven’t learned to cook?”

A grin played on Bucky’s face and teasing aside, he was glad to see certain things never changed. Like the sheepish look Steve was giving him right before he held the ladle up to Bucky’s lips. “Will you at least try it?”

“And risk certain death?” Bucky laughed but to appease his best friend, he took a bite anyway.

It tasted as awful as it looked and he swallowed quick before his gag reflexes could protest the texture. Steve’s reaction wasn’t much better when he sampled his creation, and he took the wok from the stove to empty it into the trash.

“Guess we’d best head into the city for some takeout,” Steve chuckled.

“Or stop by the market for fresh ingredients and I’ll teach you how to make an omelet.”

“No, I think you said it best that one time I nearly burned down my kitchen—cooking and I just don’t go together.”

“Well it’s nice to see there are some flaws not even the serum could correct.” A light twinkled in Bucky’s eyes and Steve, hardly offended, couldn’t help but reflect that smile.

“It’s nice to hear you laughing again,” he offered genuine sentiment in return.

“Haven’t had a whole lot of reason to but… guess there’s an upside to your culinary fiascos after all.” Bucky pulled two beers from his minifridge. Thoughts mulling in his crowded mind while he handed Steve his drink and asked, “When are you going back home?”

“Oh, I’m not sure. Doesn’t seem there’s an urgent reason for me to, except…” Steve took a swig from the bottle and washed down the name on his tongue. “They’re doing fine over there and I’m in no hurry.”

“You can talk about her, you know? She hasn’t left my mind for a second.” Bucky had caught the name regardless—Yelena.

“There’s nothing to report. Nat texted to say she’s settling in fine, has agreed to train with Bruce and Loki, and apparently, Tony took her out for burgers so at least they’re somewhat getting along.”

“Better than you and him are, huh?”

Steve blew out a deep sigh and sat on his cot also serving as a couch of sorts. “I’m not sure if Tony and I will ever be okay again.”

“You have to try and forgive him,” said Bucky to Steve’s surprise. “I know you were only trying to protect me but he had every right to attack me. I killed his parents, Steve. I don’t blame him and I don’t think you should either.”

“Buck, he wasn’t going to stop. He would have killed you.”

“I’m aware and I’m grateful you came between us but you can’t hold this against him forever.”

“It’s not just this though,” Steve argued and took another sip. “It’s—”

“Those Accords, I know, but are they really worth destroying a friendship for?”

“Tony seems to think so.”

Bucky spun the single chair he owned around to face Steve and sat down, bottle swerving in his hand. He smiled. “Then do what you do best—be the bigger person. Trust that faith that you always seem to have in people and see if you can work things out.”

“When did you become so wise?” Steve quirked a brow.

“Must be all those months of meditation and the crisp air here in Wakanda.” Bucky couldn’t help but laugh and put his beer to his lips. Drinking most of it in one go while another thought crossed his mind. “I think I’d like to come with you, when you go back.”

“Are you sure?”

“No but… I can’t hide forever. I could turn my back on everything you’ve told me and go back to living in a small apartment somewhere no one can find me but that wouldn’t change a thing, would it?”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Steve admitted. “But if that’s what you need…”

“I don’t know what I need but I don’t think I’ll find it here and I’m tired of running. Besides, you’re my best friend and we’ve missed out on too much already, haven’t we?”

“We have, yeah.”

“Hey and, what’s the dating scene like these days?”

Now it was Steve’s turn to laugh and he shook his head. “Seriously, Buck. With everything you’ve got going on, that is your first priority?”

“Well, maybe not first but…” A smirk crept up the corners of his mouth. Lazily sinking back in his seat, he had no shame confessing, “It’s been a while, y’know?”

“Yeah… I uh… I mean…”

Hearing Steve’s uneasy stammer and loss for words, Bucky stared in surprise. “Are you telling me you still haven’t… ever? Not even with uh… Sharon, was it?”

Steve shrugged. “Peggy was the one for me and we missed our chance. Yeah, Sharon was nice but I don’t know, I feel a bit odd knowing she’s related to Peggy. It doesn’t seem right.”

“Then we’ll just have to find you someone else. Come on, get your shoes on and we’ll head into the city.”

“You want to find me a date right now?!”

Finishing off his beer and getting to his feet, Bucky snorted. “No, I figured we’d get something to eat for tonight and maybe meet with T’Challa. Start making plans for us to go home. It’s time.”

Chapter Text

— 13: A Method To Cruelty —

Snow that wouldn’t stick drizzled down outside Yelena’s bedroom window but for once, she wasn’t to blame. Only mother nature and a cold January in New York. The darkened sky announced twilight’s arrival an hour earlier than on any other day but the beauty these events held were lost on her.

Sitting on a white, cushioned stool in front of her vanity, she idly ran a brush through her hair. Captivated by her reflection in the mirror and the eyes that stared back at her. His eyes, not her own. She couldn’t let go of what she’d experienced in the garage, what she’d seen, how it made her feel.

Various threads of scattered thoughts and incomplete facts waged a war in her subconscious. A familiar name and a friendly face masking the monster. Similarities that all but screamed the obvious yet couldn’t possibly be. One was dead and the other had lived. One had known love and the other brought only destruction, but…

‘He was a man whose mind was as shattered as his body…’ Yelena recalled her mother’s words and her own.

A single tear ran down her cheek but she couldn’t explain why. There was nothing to see or understand, just her brain playing a foul game, antagonizing her paranoid tendencies. Or perhaps Hydra had damaged her mental capabilities after all and she was slowly losing herself.

The second tear rolled past the bridge of her nose and tickled when it caught on her nostril. ‘Stop being an idiot. You’re going crazy, so what? That’s still preferable to the other option, the worst one.’

She tossed her hairbrush back onto the vanity and turned away. Using her knuckles, she swiped the tears from her cheeks and blinked once, then again when she noticed a tall figure in the open doorway.

“Loki?”

The slight jerk in his body language told her she’d startled him, but he quickly regained his composure. “You weren’t at dinner.”

“Not hungry. Do gods even need to eat?”

His brows furrowed. “Of course we do.”

“Ambrosia?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Lost for anything else to say and remembering their last encounter all too vividly, Yelena got up with the intention of showing him out. “If you don’t mind—”

“You’re mad at me.”

“Clever deduction, now please leave.”

“No.” Loki invited himself in and shut the door before she could utter further protest. “We need to continue your training.”

“Like hell we do!” she spat—the audacity of him. “What exactly about our last session makes you think I’d ever want to work with you again?”

“You failed the challenge I presented.”

“I wasn’t ready!”

His eyes bore into her blues as he stepped closer, the slight curl of a smirk on his lips. “Life won’t wait for you to get ready and neither will your enemies.”

Oh, how she’d love to protest that little nugget of wisdom but his words echoed the excuse often used by her former Hydra teachers as they put her through her paces. Broke her spirit time and time again so she’d rise stronger than before. Loki’s cruel method wasn’t all that different but she couldn’t take it from him, or perhaps she couldn’t take it because she’d thought that part of her life was finally over.

Instead of answering him immediately, she backed away to the comfort of her bed and sat down on the edge. Chewing on the inside of her bottom lip, contemplating a subject change to discourage his intentions.

“What happened when my powers struck you? You seemed angered.”

That should do the trick and the sudden disappearance of Loki’s smirk confirmed as much. “I altered my appearance.”

“No you didn’t, you thought I’d done it to you. You were just as surprised.”

His eyes narrowed to slits, a hint of agitation evident in his features even if he kept it from his tone of voice. “It’s none of your business.”

“It’s not? So you get to dig around in my mind, bring out my worst memories, but I can’t ask you a simple question?”

“The question you ask isn’t simple.”

Yelena crossed one leg over the other, resting an elbow on her knee and her chin in the palm of her hand. Ready, waiting, and eager to listen while she quirked a brow in challenge. “Regale me.”

Quiet minutes passed while he appeared to be considering her request. Ample time for Yelena to observe him properly and compare the Loki she knew from myths to the flesh being standing in her room. There were no horns sprouting from his forehead nor did he hold the appearance of a jester and she wondered whether he could truly transform himself into a horse. She had to bite her tongue not to snort at that particular thought.

Experience had shown her he did possess magical abilities but beyond that, he looked like just a man. Granted, one with a serious leather festish—today he’d exchanged his black and green leather ensemble for black and blue one though the cape was missing—but still just a man. Though, truthfully, she wasn’t certain whether this was his true form or merely one he’d adopted for his presence on earth.

“What you saw was my truest form,” he answered the question she’d posed as well as the one currently on her mind. “It’s a part of me that only rarely manifests itself.”

“How come? What caused it?”

“You did, I believe.”

Seemingly resigned to the fact she wouldn’t let this go, Loki sat down beside Yelena. He removed his gloves and offered his upturned palm. “Give me your hand.”

“Why?” she asked, somewhat reluctant but when a small groan escaped his lips, she gave in. “Fine.”

“You’ve very difficult.”

Loki’s playful admonishing earned him a sharp retort, “I guess we’ve got that in common.”

His fingers closed around the back of her hand in a firm grip and with a gentle caress, he circled his thumb against her supple flesh. Pleasant and soothing, and it wasn’t until that moment that Yelena realized his body temperature matched her own.

“Another thing we’ve got in common,” he answered before she could point it out. “Close your eyes and focus on your gift. Call on your powers.”

Again the question of why lingered on her tongue but she swallowed it and followed his instructions. In part because she didn’t want to annoy him further but also because he’d made her too curious to stop now.

The sensations she’d begun growing accustomed to stirred somewhere deep inside, awakened by her invitation, and the transformation was almost instantaneous. It didn’t frighten her this time either but rather felt serene, as if this ultimate form was a part of her as much as anything else.

“Good. Now, open your eyes and gently push your powers toward me,” Loki encouraged.

Slight concern crinkled a line on her forehead but Loki sounded confident so she gave it a try. Not that she understood the how of it and without further guidance, Yelena was left trying whatever came to mind. She opened her eyes and concentrated on his presence.

The way his hand felt as it held hers, touch resonating on her skin. His breath, odorless and cool, washing over her face. The rich forest green of his eyes. Sad and vulnerable eyes, different from previous times she’d seen him and only now did she realize that despite his confidence, his body language screamed with uncertainty.

It was all she needed to reach out. Not physically but with her essence seeking to engulf him and offer some semblance of comfort. Wishing to soothe whatever it was that had him ill at ease and then it started—his transformation. Human form much the same but his skin changed its tone the way hers did. Scarlet painted his eyes red and newly formed ridges altered the appearance of his face.

“For reasons I have yet to understand, your magic when connecting with my own triggers this reaction,” Loki spoke in a soft whisper.

“Oh. What uhm…” She didn’t let go of his hand and it took every effort not to bring her fingers up to caress the lines on his face. Captivated by his true form, Yelena forgot all about the anger she felt toward him. “How, I mean, is this what Asgardians normally look like?”

“No. I’m not Asgardian.”

“Then what are you?”

Hesitation rang clear in Loki’s voice. “I’m Jotun,” he began to share what little he understood about his own origin and what Odin had told him when he’d picked up the Casket of Ancient Winters.

“Until that day, I had always looked like every other Asgardian. It’s not an illusion and, as I said, my Jotun side only manifests under rare circumstances.”

“Like my magic…” Yelena bit her lip and sorted through her thoughts with care. “Is that why you reacted the way you did?”

“It took me by surprise, yes.” Giving her no further opportunity for more questions, Loki was quick to add, “Let’s resume your training.”

“I’d rather hear more about—”

“Another time. When you’ve earned it.”

Pulling her hand back, Yelena let out an exasperated sigh. “I can’t go there again, to the place you took me. I don’t want to see him.”

“You gain nothing by avoiding your fears.”

“It’s not even that! It’s…” How could she possibly explain the insanity plaguing her mind? “Can’t we pick a different moment? Like the tattoo parlor incident.”

“No.” Loki’s fingers closed around her wrists and he held her forearms. “That memory isn’t potent enough.”

“Potent?”

“If you can learn to control and use your powers while reliving your most terrifying, debilitating life experience then you will have mastered your gift. You’ll be ready to face anything.”

“Is that why you chose that memory?”

He nodded and scooted further up the bed, encouraging Yelena to do the same. They sat facing one another in a lotus sit. “You can hate me for it but this will teach you control. Once you have control, there won’t be any reason to dread what you’re capable of. You’ll have conquered your fear on two fronts.”

It made sense when she thought about it. If she could stand up to the Winter Soldier, she could handle anyone else who might come her way and once in command of her powers, there wouldn’t be the risk of accidentally injuring or killing anyone she didn’t want to.

“I don’t think I hate you,” she admitted after a moment of consideration. The reluctance in her voice having more to do with the challenge she faced than her feelings toward him. “Can we… I get what you want me to do but it can’t be like last time. If I call for you, if I need you to stop, will you please pull me out?”

“A compromise?”

“Yes.”

Loki pondered the request. “Fair, but you have to make an effort.”

“I will. I just don’t want to relive that moment of near death, I can’t take it.” Tearing her eyes away from him, Yelena glanced at her vanity mirror once more. She couldn’t unsee what she’d seen but desperately wished to banish it from thought. ‘I can’t be that close to him again…’

That also meant she’d have to defeat him before those final moments.

“Are you ready?” Loki asked, either oblivious to her unease or deliberately ignoring it.

“I think so.”

She’d barely given him the go-ahead when his fingers touched to her temple and the room spun. Fading crisp, cream colored walls to shabby ones with frayed, yellowing paper. The front door was open and Yelena ducked in time to avoid the fist that swung her way.

‘Okay, focus. He’s half monster, half machine, nothing more. He won’t kill you, he didn’t. He’s just an empty vessel to—’

The Winter Soldier’s metal fist closed around her throat and slammed her up against the wall. First blood had been drawn and Yelena sputtered, gasping for air. She kicked her legs, pushing off against his chest, then wrestled free. Once more seeking refuge in another room.

It was the same dance as before. They traded blows, threw and smashed furniture, and knocked each other around. She tried not to look at his face, refused to meet his eyes—they were too distracting and oddly painful. Worse than the phantom agony that wracked her body.

The gun stayed hidden under her bed this time because she already knew the bullets wouldn’t hit no matter what she tried. Instead, using the few seconds she had before he’d catch up, she tried to emulate what she’d practiced with Loki. To push her power toward her target. Not to embrace but to defend and attack.

Small flurries flitted through the air and Yelena grumbled in frustration, “Not the cute stuff, it has to hurt!”

Time was up and the soldier marched her way. She slammed the metal bed frame into his body once more and rather than wait for him to charge, she ran for the kitchen. Trying to imagine ways her gift could stop him. Something behind her crunched and crumbled, and when she glanced over her shoulder she saw the soldier frozen in place.

Thick blocks of ice encased his boots, and he snarled in anger. So furious that he’d smashed a hole into the wall.

“Okay, alright… that’s a start,” she told herself but her small victory was short lived.

The soldier bent down and shattered the ice around his feet, then raced for his target. She couldn’t outrun him and within seconds he stood over her broken body, ready to break her skull. Fingers dug into the sides of her head and again there were those eyes, holding her reflection. One and the same.

One, two, three. Her head throbbed and the violent rattling of her brain shook another memory loose.

‘Zvyozdochka moya, you look so much like your papa.’ Her mother’s voice echoed. ‘His name was James and he was strong, just like you are. You are the best of him, malen'kiy volk.’

“No, no…” Yelena whimpered with tears in her eyes, fighting more than just the man holding her down.

‘James Buchanan Barnes, Hydra captive, experiments, serum, Winter Soldier… working for Hydra… His name was James and he was strong, just like you are… born in 1917… alive today… they’re, he’s… killed the Starks in 1991.’

The connections her mind formed knocked the air from her lungs far more than the soldier’s fists did. Rather than feeling her skull split and watching the light fade, it was her heart beating beyond control and her body shaking that dragged her into unconsciousness before she could even think to call for Loki’s help.

“Yelena. Hey, little mortal, wake up please,” someone called out and she struggled to identify the source until the added mutterings reminded her of where she was and with who, “Thor’s going to kill me.”

“Loki…”

“I’m here,” he soothed with a tenderness in his voice she’d never heard him speak with before.

Her eyes blinked against the light and she felt a set of arms wrapped around her. Something cool pressing to her forehead. Yelena glanced at the mirror in her room and saw Loki sitting against the headboard of her bed, holding her in his lap. Rocking her in his embrace. His face nestled against her own.

“I will kill you if you ever tell anyone about this but, by the Norns, you gave me quite a scare.” Loki cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head up gently before he put a glass of water to her lips. “Drink, then tell me what happened.”

“Scare?” Yelena mumbled, still adjusting to her surroundings, before she took a sip.

“The shaking and heart palpitations. That didn’t happen last time. What went wrong, why didn’t you call for me?”

“I…” Somewhere in the far reaches of her mind, voices still echoed words she didn’t wish to hear. Puzzle pieces were falling into place and there wasn’t much left to deny but it wasn’t anything she felt ready to discuss. “I failed, that’s all. I couldn’t do it.”

“I don’t believe you. I felt your power surge.”

“It wasn’t enough.”

“But you used the gift, didn’t you?”

“I had him trapped in ice, for a second, but then…” She pried herself free and slipped from bed. Wobbling on her feet but acting tougher than she felt. Letting the trained operative in her speak, “I won’t make excuses for my failure, next time I’ll do better.”

A fool might have bought into her posturing but Loki didn’t. “Tell me what happened.”

“Nothing, I messed up, that’s it,” Yelena insisted and drank until the glass of water was empty. “You know, I should probably go and have something to eat after all. With my fast-working metabolism it was foolish to skip a meal, I wasn’t at my full strength.”

“Are you certain it was nothing?” Doubt arched one of Loki’s brows.

“Yeah, sure. Hey, let me show you how we uh… Midgardians, was it? How we prepare frozen pizzas! Not exactly a delicacy but it’s good enough. Do you like cheese?”

It was clear she didn’t wish to be argued with, not now, and Loki seemed to take the hint when he finally got up. Yelena didn’t for a second think she’d get away with the lie for long, sooner or later he’d want to know what truly went on, and maybe she’d need someone to talk to but that wouldn’t be tonight. Her stomach was positively growling and she needed to chase away the jitters keeping her on edge before she could continue.

Chapter Text

— 14: Cool Temperaments —

Foregoing the use of the state-of-the-art dishwasher, Natasha decided to tackle the breakfast plates and cups by hand. Something to keep busy and make herself useful in lieu of having anything else to do. Staying at the compound just didn’t feel the way it used to, even with their new guests, and like others, Natasha had plenty on her mind.

Her preoccupied state didn’t escape Bruce’s notice. He’d spent the past few minutes trying to talk to her after she’d suggested he get a haircut. “Maybe I’ll shave it, get a nice mohawk…”

“Mhm,” Natasha mumbled, washing the same plate for a third time before rinsing it off. Staring entranced at the stream of water pouring from the faucet before she snapped from thought and looked at her partner. “What, wait?”

He smiled. “What has you so distracted, Nat?”

“Oh, it’s a list…” She tossed the scrub brush into the sink and washed her hands. “First the obvious one that’s on everyone’s mind. Second, Lena who I thought was settling in nicely but I’ve barely seen her in the past few days and she hasn’t spoken a word to us since Tony’s impromptu meeting about the Accords. And third, Steve who’s returning home with Barnes in tow…”

“Is he?” That news took Bruce by surprise and he worried. “Are we sure we want to be here when… you know… Him, Barnes, Tony, Yelena…” He mimicked an explosion and elicited a soft chuckle from the woman he loved.

“That’s exactly why we need to be here. I should prepare them both, before Steve gets here. I’m just worried Lena will want to take off again.”

“It’s possible, but she’ll definitely run if she’s confronted with Barnes unexpectedly.”

“I’m aware.” Natasha sighed and circled the kitchen island to find Bruce’s arms, and he doted on her by kissing the side of her neck.

“You shouldn’t worry about her so much. She may be quiet lately but I caught her in here last night with Loki, preparing frozen pizza and adding extra cheese. Teaching him about various kinds of cheese and showing him how to use the oven.”

“Really? I can’t quite picture that…”

“It was an odd sight,” Bruce admitted with a chuckle. “But whatever his crimes and flaws, they seem to be getting along. Maybe he’s simply kept her busy teaching her how to use her gift.”

“Hmm.” Natasha wasn’t convinced and the idea of Yelena actually bonding with Loki didn’t sit right with her either.

“We should gather everyone and deliver the news,” Bruce proposed. “Give them time to adjust. Do you still have your old apartment in the city?”

“No, I sold that months ago. Why?”

“In case we need an alternative to Steve and Barnes living here.”

“We’ll just have to figure something out.” Natasha pushed her hand into his hair, twirling a small curl around her finger and smiled. “Just the split ends, no mohawk. I’ll cut it for you tonight.”

“Works for me.” He let her go while she pulled out her phone and messaged everyone, asking them to meet her in the living room.

Only Rhodes was absent when they gathered ten minutes later, and Tony excused, “He’s in Washington dealing with a few big wigs.”

“Have you spoken with Ross?” asked Bruce.

“Nope. The one time I actually want to talk to him and he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Figures,” Natasha scoffed and observed Yelena and Loki who both perched on a set of barstools in the back. Neither appearing too keen on joining the group. “Well, I have some news—Steve called.”

“Are you finally going to tell me what he’s been up to?” Tony sat down, his gut telling him whatever news she had to share wouldn’t be a good thing.

“You can ask him yourself, soon, because he’s on his way home.”

“Home, as in here? That’s not exactly the sort of news that warrants a team—”

“Barnes is coming with him,” Natasha added quickly and held her breath, prepared for an onslaught of upset but the room remained curiously silent.

She watched Yelena for any reaction but a shroud of stoicism wrapped around the young woman and her expression became unreadable. Perfectly matching Tony who merely sat there without a word, either trying to temper his emotions, for once, or building up to an explosive reaction. The only one who did respond was Loki by taking Yelena’s hand in his own, and Natasha’s brows knitted together.

“So uh… we figured we should probably discuss living arrangements, or whether we’re okay with letting them both stay here. I don’t think Steve wants to be separated from him again…” she continued with caution while she and Bruce exchanged a worried glance.

“I’m sure they’d understand if—” Bruce had meant to back her up and encourage anyone to speak their mind but Tony interrupted.

Ignoring both while he turned to Yelena. “Frosty?”

“This is your place, your call,” she told him with a mask of indifference.

“The living quarters a few levels down have recently been renovated. Not as big as up here but enough to accommodate two people,” Tony mused out loud.

Yelena nodded. “And far enough away that no one would be bumping into anyone they don’t wish to encounter.”

“Good thinking,” he agreed while Natasha and Bruce sat baffled, not understanding their reactions.

“What… uh, guys? Are you really okay with this or am I missing something here?” Natasha asked.

“You’re not missing anything. Oh, clean sheets. When are they arriving?” Tony got up and grabbed his tablet, then stared at Natasha impatiently waiting for an answer.

“Tomorrow, I think…”

“Good. I’ll have someone prepare their rooms and stock the fridge. Was there anything else?”

“Not that I can think of. Tony, are you—”

“Then I’ll be in my office and if you’re planning a welcome home party, please do so downstairs. I have a lot of work to do and I’d prefer not to be distracted.” Without another word, he walked off and following his exit, Yelena got up as well.

“We should continue my training,” she told Loki and attempted to drag him along.

“Lena! If this is too much for you we—” Natasha tried but her efforts were rebuffed a second time.

“Nope, I’m fine, thank you.”

Loki said nothing, only a hint of a smirk teasing at the corners of his mouth as he followed her out. Leaving Bruce and Natasha stunned.

“That did not go as I’d anticipated. Out of all possible reactions…” Natasha sunk into the sofa and shook her head. “What’s gotten into them?”

Still staring at the hallway through which all three had vanished again, Bruce admitted, “I’m as surprised as you are.”

“Somehow this feels worse than if they’d simply gotten angry.”

“Maybe they talked things through that night they went for burgers? Helped each other deal with the Barnes issue?”

“No. I mean, it’s possible they discussed it but I don’t think they’ve put it behind them. It’s too fresh for Lena and Tony wouldn’t come around that easily after months of hostility.”

“Well…” Bruce pulled her into his arms and teased a ginger lock from her face. “Nothing more we can do about it now. We’re just gonna have to see how this plays out.”

There was little time to waste with Bucky’s imminent arrival so Yelena rushed to her room, with Loki on her heels, and quickly shut the door for privacy. “Take me back there,” she insisted the second they were alone.

“Again? We’ve been at this night and day and you’ve made no progress,” he argued. A complete role reversal while Yelena glanced around.

“I need to get some decent chairs in here, but this will do for now.” She began urging him toward her bed, ignoring his protest.

“I’d rather we do something else entirely.” Something of a smile played around his eyes but Yelena just shrugged. Taking her pillows to lay them out on the floor next to her bed.

“I can do it, Loki. I won’t fail again.”

“Will you at least tell me what caused your blackout last night?”

Yelena shook her head, sitting down in a lotus position. “Not yet, after. Just take me back there one last time.”

“Careful,” Loki warned but mirrored her actions as he sat down too. “I do not take orders from anyone.”

“Please.”

“You’re a nuisance,” he grumbled and took her hands. “Very well, close your eyes and do not neglect to call on me should you need to.”

All he received was a curt nod before Yelena embraced the memory that revived all around her. She didn’t pause to inspect her surroundings or find her footing, knowing exactly from which angle he’d approach. There was a plan and all she had to do was execute it without fear and hesitation.

Fear and hesitation which were currently overshadowed by her anger.

Timing her move precisely, she spun around and ducked out of the way before the Winter soldier could wrap her in his fist once more, maneuvering herself behind him. The heel of her boot jammed into his back and she kicked him into the wall.

She channeled her gift almost as if it had become second nature. The soldier turned to face her but found himself trapped in place. Yelena didn’t stop at encasing only his feet this time, instead creating layers of ice until his entire body, save for his head, stuck frozen to the wall.

A small sigh puffed past her lips and she allowed herself a moment to bask in triumph. She’d done it, at last, and perhaps Natasha’s news had been the push she needed or maybe it was the truth relentlessly begging to be acknowledged. All those things she’d be a fool to ignore any longer—especially now.

She stepped closer. Slow and cautiously as the Winter soldier snarled, eager for their same old dance and fighting his restraints. Mute but ferocious.

It took all of Yelena’s strength to trap his jaw in her hand and hold him still. Narrowing her eyes on him, turning his face left and right before forcing him to look at her again.

“How have I never noticed?” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. “All those nightmares, your face haunting me for years but I never saw before…”

The soldier tensed in his bonds, desperate to get back to his fight but didn’t react otherwise. It wasn’t as if he could actually hear her. All he knew was how to re-enact their battle time and time again. Just a ghost of the past incapable of defying the natural course of this encounter but she didn’t need his words to confirm her suspicions.

“James Buchanan Barnes. Maybe I didn’t want to see, how could I? The James my mother knew was… troubled but kind. Funny, charming. A good man, she said. Not you—you’re a monster. A hunter and a killer. You have no soul.”

Yelena took a step back, shaking hands balling into fists. “It makes sense, I guess. What she said about your mind. Everything Natasha left out about your reconditioning—I should have read between the lines. You were James with my mother and the soldier every time they took you away from her. From us.

“Do you know I used to fantasize about you showing up one day?” She snorted and brushed a tear from her cheek. “Well, I suppose you did show, just not as yourself, huh? Yeah… bet those Hydra bastards had a good laugh about that.”

Small cracks snapped through the silence when Yelena paused to take a breath. Jagged veins began splitting the ice as the soldier attempted to shatter his bonds and she was forced to add another layer to his prison.

“I want to break you so badly,” she confessed, biting her lip to the point of bleeding. “Do you know the things they did to me after you brought me back there? I should be stronger than that, a pity party doesn’t serve anyone but… cyka blyat, I owe you so much pain.”

Weaving her hands through the air, she transformed the Winter soldier into a life-like frozen sculpture. Head to toe. His eyes, those she’d come to loathe so strongly, the last to disappear behind a sheen of ice. Freezing his skin, every nerve, and the blood coursing through his body.

She paced back and forth, debating her next move. Pausing to stare at the statue every so often while her anger surged to new heights thinking of everything she’d endured. Everything he represented and the destruction he’d caused. Her anguish. All the times she’d almost died by his hand.

Yelena spun back around and cried out in fury before throwing her full might into one swing. Shattering the sculpture which crumbled at her feet, scarlet pieces littering between chunks of ice. The soldier was no more and she waited, staring at the floor, expecting him to somehow rise again to beat her down but nothing happened.

It didn’t matter, the truth was out. She’d faced her demon at last in more ways than one. Willful ignorance replaced by clarity, and not only toward the crushed man at her feet but the web she’d been caught up in most recently.

“Loki… get me out of here,” she whispered.

Within seconds she was back in her room and grounded by the endless forest reflected in Loki’s eyes. A split second of calm before a barrage of emotion rattled her heart and mind all over again. Feeling the urge to seek out comfort but banishing it again just as swiftly—she’d never been that person.

“Did you succeed?” Loki asked and he reached out but Yelena backed away and got up.

She nodded in response and took her pillow. Fluffing it and smoothing out the fabric before she began remaking her bed with trembling hands. There was so much to digest and the use of her power had been draining.

“Good.” He observed her with a hint of curiosity. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I defeated him.”

“Yes, with your gift. I felt it but I’d like to hear how you accomplished this feat.”

“Just did.” Yelena gestured for him to get up and grabbed the other pillow he’d been sitting on. Occupying herself with a most pointless task but Loki clasped her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

“Tell me what really happened.”

“Why? You already know, don’t you? Everyone here does, except for me. That’s why everyone made such an effort to keep me here, to bring me back here. The big secret lurking behind every conversation and so-called good intention.”

Loki became genuinely confused and urged, “Please clarify what it is you—”

“Do not insult me or yourself by playing dumb,” she snapped. “It doesn’t suit you and I’m out of patience when it comes to lies and deception.”

Taken aback by her accusation, he took a second to swallow his temper and hissed, “I’m not lying. I’m merely asking what it is you are referring to.”

“Barnes. The Winter Soldier. That he’s my…” It was such a painful word to get across her lips. “Father.”

Slowly, the briefing regarding Yelena that he and Thor had received when they first arrived at the compound surfaced in Loki’s mind. He’d truly forgotten and not for a second considered their training sessions might reveal something they shouldn’t. “Ah. I see.”

“I’m not mad at you, you and I never discussed this, but please stop pretending—”

“Yes, I knew. Or rather I’d been told but I did not take that into account when I forced you to relive those memories,” Loki admitted and sat her down to share his side, vowing he’d never intended to reveal the truth to her in this fashion. “How did you come to realize?”

“A combination of things. My mother’s words and Natasha’s. Finding out that Barnes and the soldier are the same and then… as we fought I looked into his eyes and it all just, it started falling into place.”

“So last night you…?”

“I think I panicked, finally seeing the truth. Something I couldn’t quite handle.”

Briefly, a scowl flitted across Loki’s face but then his expression softened. “You should have told me immediately.”

“There was no point. I needed to do this for all the reasons you laid out, regardless of what else I discovered. Would you have put a stop to our training, honestly?”

“No,” he agreed. “How did you deal with him in the end?”

She shrugged, and for the first time a faint smile lingered on her lips. “Turned him into a frozen statue then shattered him to pieces. Not quite the epic battle or what I’ve been trained to do as a soldier but… cathartic, somewhat, and effective.”

Loki couldn’t help but laugh gently. “It doesn’t matter how, only that you did. What about tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. It won’t be the same as reliving my memories. He’ll be real and, if Natasha is to be believed, cured. Something close to normal. He’ll be… James.” Dropping back against her mattress, Yelena blew out a deep sigh.

She had no idea what tomorrow would bring and every part of her dreaded to find out. “Anyway,” she opted for distraction and nudged Loki with her knee. “Now that I’ve completed my task, I believe you owe me more stories about yourself and life on Asgard.”

Chapter Text

— 15: Explosive Reunions —

It wasn’t easy showing up for breakfast the next morning to mingle with those who were still keeping secrets from her. No doubt they all had their reason—and Yelena was certain Steve had orchestrated the entire charade—but their good intentions were a burden. It hurt.

“Stay, join us.” Natasha flashed a smile too kind when Yelena loaded her plate full of pancakes. “I haven’t seen much of you in the past couple of days. Has training kept you busy?”

“It has.” She poured out one cup of coffee and one cup of tea. “And I’ll be having breakfast in my room with Loki.”

“You could both join us?”

“We’d rather not. Or he might, I’m not sure actually, but I am definitely not interested in sitting here and playing happy family.” The harsh words spilled before Yelena could stop herself.

Having quietly listened in while reading his tablet, Tony looked up and quirked a brow. Not that he disapproved of her attitude, it was refreshing to hear the snark come from someone else for a change but, barring the obvious, he wasn’t sure what troubled the newcomer so bad she’d snipe at others.

“Lena, if you’re this bothered by Barnes’ return…” Natasha began but Loki’s sudden appearance had her falling silent.

Bidding them all a good morning, he took the cup of tea Yelena offered, snuck his arm along her lower back and clasped her elbow to pull her close. Whispering only for her to hear, “Calm down. Remember what you said last night.”

It did the trick and Yelena traded her scowl in for a smile before they both sat down. “I’m fine,” she said, “just not a morning person.”

The reality was that she didn’t want to fight with any of them and Loki knew.

In her eyes, everything from the second they’d woken her from cryo had been a lie. She’d offered them the details of her life and they’d thanked her by keeping secrets. One after another, but it was a good reminder to keep her walls up and therefore she’d have to shield her emotions, which meant taking the high road rather than arguing. She just needed to have a civil talk with Steve at some point to sort this out, when she felt ready.

In turn, Loki, while tempted, had swallowed the urge to encourage her wrath. After all, god of mischief was a title rightfully his and he’d love nothing more than to sit back and watch the chaos unfold but he’d made a promise to Thor. Furthermore, though he’d never admit it, a part of him didn’t want to see her hurt any more than she already was. Knowing all too well what it feels like to discover your true heritage and find out such information was deliberately kept from you.

“So you’re still certain you don’t mind him staying here with Steve?” asked Natasha and while she addressed Yelena, she also kept an eye on Tony.

“I’m new here, it’s not my call,” Yelena reiterated once more and added, “Besides, no better place to keep an eye on him, right?”

“Speaking of,” Tony interjected and put his tablet down, “I added new security measures in case Barnes isn’t quite as cured.”

“Measures such as what?” asked Bruce after finishing the last of his omelet. Confrontations weren’t something he enjoyed so he’d kept quiet but now his curiosity had been piqued.

“A special program that immediately grounds anything made of vibranium.”

“Vibranium?” Yelena furrowed her brows.

“A rare metal. It’s what Steve’s old shield is made of and, if Natasha’s information is correct, Barnes’ new arm.”

Bruce ran a hand down his stubbled jaw. “You’ve basically created a magnet to trap him?”

“Basically.” Tony flashed a smug grin and transferred the activation codes for the new protocol to Yelena, Bruce, and Natasha. “You’re on your own,” he told Loki.

“I’m not worried.” The god smirked and sipped his tea.

Trying for a change of subject, Bruce turned to Yelena. “Have you made any progress? I’m sorry I haven’t been around to monitor the changes in your molecular structure when you transform.”

“It’s going well, actually. I can morph at will now and I’ve learned to focus my powers. Loki is a wonderful tutor.”

“Really? How did you accomplish this in such a short time?” Bruce looked at Loki, somewhat impressed while next to him, Natasha fought to quell her suspicion.

“I have my ways,” he spoke plainly, “and a very cooperative pupil.”

An answer too vague for Natasha’s liking and she probed, “And what ways are those?”

“What time are they arriving?” Yelena didn’t feel like discussing the methods of her training much further. It wasn’t any of their business and she took issue with sharing so openly knowing they hadn’t granted her the same courtesy. “I’d rather make myself scarce before then.”

“I left Steve a message but…” Natasha’s voice drifted when she caught something in her peripherals and she turned around.

Outside on the helipad, one of the newer quinjet models landed and Steve ambled down the boarding ramp with Bucky in tow. Both men looking rather terse, exchanging a few words as they approached, and the mood inside the compound shifted instantly.

“Uh…” Natasha stammered at the unexpected early arrival.

“I believe the answer you’re looking for is ‘now’,” Loki quipped at Natasha though his eyes were on Yelena next to him, watching her pale and shrink in on herself.

“Well, that’s my cue to leave.” Tony finished his coffee and got up before he instructed, “Nat, escort them downstairs as soon as possible, please, and Frosty, you don’t have to stick around for this if you don’t want to.”

Yelena barely heard him. Only the sound of blood coursing through her veins echoed in her ears as she rose slowly. She didn’t feel Natasha trying to grab her arm as she rounded the kitchen island and crept toward the double doors which slid open. Didn’t see anything other than Steve’s nervous smile when she drew closer and just as he was about to utter a greeting, Yelena made a fist that struck him so hard that his head twisted to the side.

“Lena!” Natasha jumped from her seat but Bruce took her hand to discourage her from intervening.

Tony, stopped in his tracks by her curious behavior, activated only the glove of his suit but waited to see what would happen next.

“What…” Clutching his jaw, Steve stared at her wide-eyed. He’d realized their arrival wouldn’t be celebrated but he hadn’t thought her to be this angry, not after Natasha had prepared and filled her in.

“How dare you!” Yelena spat though she refrained from hitting him a second time. Shaking with anger and gone were her intentions to discuss the issue with him in a more civil manner—emotion was an ugly beast not easily tamed.

Behind Steve, Bucky stood ill at ease, not quite knowing what to say or do, or whether he should at all but Yelena paid him no mind. One problem at a time and Steve was at the top of her list.

“How… Yelena, what—” Steve tried but she cut him off.

“I know!”

“Know… what? Are you talking about the things Nat explained to you?” Confusion riddled his expression while the others exchanged uncertain glances.

“No, Steve. I know.” The emphasis on her words and the glimpse cast in Bucky’s direction got the message across clear this time. “And I’m not interested in your excuses, explanations, or whatever good intentions you had in keeping this from me!”

“Uh oh…” Tony intoned quietly while Natasha threw Loki a foul glare but he held his hands up with an expression of innocence.

Caught off guard and with his plans of easing her into the news ruined, Steve tried, “Please, Yelena, let me—”

“No!” She shook her head and swatted at his words. “I thought you would have learned by now, after what happened between you and Tony, that it’s not up to you to decide what a person is and isn’t allowed to know about things that concern their own life! That’s not your call to make!”

“I know that, I do, but I wanted to protect you! You were already so—”

“Yes, I was having a hard time adjusting but that’s no excuse! You kept this from me! Everyone else here knew but you made all of them keep this a secret from me!”

“I didn’t want to lose you!”

“Lose me? You don’t even know me! We’re strangers to each other!”

“You’re right, but I was afraid that if I told you everything about him, you’d leave a second time and never come back.”

“I probably would have but so what? Huh? Come on, out with it, admit it! Why would you care if I had left?”

“Because you’re his—”

“Mmm, and there we have it at last!” Yelena mocked and clapped her hands together to applaud him. “Your extremely selfish motivations in all this. Because of him! Your precious best friend and the reason you have no qualms stepping all over everyone else’s feelings! Consequences be damned, right? Because your intentions were good!”

“I didn’t mean to cause you any further upset.” Steve ran a hand through his hair and sighed. This was not at all going as he’d hoped or planned.

“I’m sure you didn't, but tell me—did you ever consider I might not want this? That you could have let me leave and I could be happy not knowing? Being out there in the world, somewhere, living my own life without ever having to know that my worst nightmare is my own… That he is…” The heartbreak she’d tried to ignore swelled through her anger and released in a sob.

“I…” Steve stood at a loss for words, guilt crushing him like a tidal wave because he hadn’t considered those things. He’d been so occupied in thinking a reunion between father and daughter might help them both heal from their awful pasts that he’d failed to see the hurt it might cause. “No. I didn’t. I thought…”

All Yelena could do was shake her head and resent the tears which stung in her eyes. Hating her own weakness. Hurt and infuriated not only by the fact he’d kept this a secret but by the very reason he’d kept it—not to protect her but to tell her at a moment of his choosing.

“You’ve manipulated me from the start! Acting so kind and understanding, pleading with me to stay, promising I’d be better off—”

A deafening blast drowned out the last of Yelena’s words when an unexpected shockwave pulsed through the building. Every window on every floor shattered, spraying glass left and right. The foundation of the compound shook from the explosive impact, bringing down its ceiling and tearing apart the ground beneath their feet. The water main burst and lights began to flicker, and another two explosions reduced the first few levels of the building to rubble.

“Everyone out, now!” Tony activated his suit and comms but all he could hear was a ringing so fierce it tore at his eardrums.

Sirens began howling over the thundering of sheer destruction. The kitchen island burst into flames and Bruce transitioned into the Hulk just in time to shield Natasha from debris that rained down on them. Carrying her in his arms, he leapt down the sinking levels while Tony flew around scanning the smoky haze for the rest of their team.

The top floor split wide open and Yelena fell through, hitting several structural beams on her way down until a cold, metal hand grabbed her wrist to pull her aside. The split second it took her to look into Bucky’s eyes triggered her transformation but rather than lash out at him, she focused her power on the thick slab that came hurtling toward the pair, turning cement to ice. Bucky spun around and made a fist, shattering the frozen block with ease but when he looked again, Yelena was gone, whisked away to the safety of the lawn by Loki.

“Steve!” Bucky shouted, eyes stinging from the ash and smoke.

All around him the fire built and Steve became trapped on the floor above. Pinned down by the flames and heat threatening to scorch his skin until a cool gust of frozen particles created a small opening for him to jump through. Together, he and Bucky were the last to make it down while Yelena collapsed to her knees, drained and the injuries she’d sustained wearing on her.

A trail of fire and small detonations reached the gas pipes and set the entire structure ablaze. Kicking off an explosion that rocked the earth and reduced all but the upper two levels of the compound to dust and debris.

Finally everyone stood at a safe distance, staring in stunned silence, as the jet Steve and Bucky had arrived in unceremoniously slid down the slanted landing pad. It tumbled and skid across the lawn for a few feet before it came to a halt on its side.

“Friday, activate emergency and search and rescue protocols,” Tony barked into his comms, knowing they hadn’t been the only ones present in the building. Swooping down to land, he observed his team. “Is everyone alright?”

They barely heard him, ears still ringing from the loud blasts, but when he held a thumb up and gesticulated in question, Natasha gave him the okay sign. “What the hell caused this?” she shouted.

“How should I know?!”

“Ugh…” Bruce let out a deep groan as the last of green faded from his skin. Wiping specks of ash from his hair while he observed the damage. “I shouldn’t have joked about any explosive reunions.”

Shaking his head at the devastation and fires which still burned, he reeled Natasha into his arms and checked her thrice over for any injuries.

“What about you guys?” Tony marched over to the other four with Steve giving him the thumbs up and Bucky merely nodding.

The only one who’d truly gotten hurt was Yelena, and Loki carried her in his arms. “She needs help,” he insisted as she fought his hold, trying to get to her own feet.

“I’m fine, just—Loki put me down, I’m not a damn invalid!”

“Don’t put her down,” said Tony while he utilized the scanners in his suit for a quick examination. “Three bruised ribs, a right shoulder fracture and several lacerations.”

“See? Just fine and I heal fast so—”

“Quiet, I’m in no mood to argue,” he cut her off and jogged toward the jet. “Someone help me flip this thing so I can check if the systems are still operational!

“Friday, report.”

Both Steve and Bucky rushed over to help Tony out, using their combined strength, while Friday relayed, “Twenty-nine employees were checked in at the time of the incident but I’m not detecting any life signs, boss. I’m sorry.”

The news cast a sombre silence over the group but there was little time to dwell on their losses. Tony checked the jet’s flight and coordination functions, then punched in the location for one of his safe-houses before he beckoned Bruce and Natasha over as well.

“Most of New York heard and saw what happened, it won’t be long before black SUVs and helicopters show up bringing the government to our doorstep,” Tony explained while he began ushering Loki and Yelena inside. “None of you can be here for that.”

“Tony, we’re not leaving you!” Natasha and Steve argued almost simultaneously but he brushed them off.

“There is nothing you can do here. This…” He glanced over his shoulder and closed his eyes, a heavy sigh pouring straight from his heart. “There is no rescue op, only cleanup and investigation. Go. I will join you when I can.”

Natasha clutched his hand between her own. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“Yes, I do, and that’s my own fault. Get to safety, I’ll forward the information you need to access my safe house. Make sure Bruce tends to Frosty and then wait until you hear from me.”

“Tony…” Steve caught his eye right before the boarding ramp retracted and the hatch closed.

“Keep them safe, Cap.”

Chapter Text

— 16: Heavy Hearts —

Within minutes, the grounds surrounding the compound’s ruins became flooded with law enforcement, exactly as Tony had predicted. Three helicopters touched down and five squad cars unloaded, bringing forces led by Thaddeus Ross into the field.

“Sure, now he's suddenly available,” Tony scoffed inwardly as he forwarded his findings to Natasha.

Just before the troops arrived, he'd managed to run a full simulation of the explosion to track its origin point. An inside job, by the looks of it, and not an accident, but he'd need time to confirm his suspicions without the government's interference. That meant another oblique dance while trying to get rid of Ross as soon as possible.

“Care to explain what happened here, Stark?” the man asked when he approached.

Tony deactivated his suit and put on his best business persona. “Perhaps, if I knew, but the cause is yet to be determined.”

“And you’re sure about that?” Ross pressed, knowing full well that Tony had a penchant for evasive answers.

“I probably am.”

“Well then. I’m sure my men will get to the bottom of this soon enough,” said Ross as they strolled to where the main entrance used to be.

Caught off guard, Tony held his step. “Excuse me, your men?”

“We’ve spent the past months training a new elite task force capable of handling any disaster. If this is the result of sabotage or an attack, we’ll know soon.”

“You’ll… what? No. I’m here, this was my home and I will deal with this myself,” Tony argued. He wasn’t about to be shooed out of the way or let Ross' men near the collapsed structure. “You can go back to your office and await my report.”

“Don’t forget your place, Mr. Stark. This isn’t a job for your alter ego and the Avengers, or what remains of them. We’ve got this.”

Ross’ dismissive tone was the last drop in Tony’s already overfilled bucket, with the lives lost today and the potential betrayal weighing on him. The past weeks had been too stressful and the Accords too claustrophobic. He’d never enjoyed being trapped or bowing down to anyone—something he should have remembered—and with the debates he’d had with his team, it had become even more clear that things needed to change.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten my place,” said Tony as he faced Ross. “In fact, it seems I finally remember who I am and I’m not asking for permission. Stand down, Secretary.”

“Don’t do this, Stark. I’d hate having to arrest you as well and what happened here is tragic enough already, don’t you think?” Ross barely batted an eye though he did signal a few of his personal guard to stand ready.

“If this was an attack then that means someone just declared war on earth’s most powerful force and its first line of defense. Your men can’t handle that. You need me and my team—all of them.”

“You overestimate your value. The Accords, which you advocated for, clearly state—”

“Tear them up. Abandon the Accords and reinstate the Avengers as an independent team.”

“A team? Two of them are under house arrest and the others are wanted fugitives—you have no team. Don’t be foolish, let my men take care of this and I will give you a call once we have answers.”

“No. Or perhaps…” Drumming his fingers against his chin, Tony paced around as though he were in deep thought. Diving into a risky game. “Yes, maybe I should let you handle this while I head into the city to meet with the press.”

“The press? For what?”

“Full transparency. Wasn’t that part of the Accords as well?”

Ross raised a brow. “What are you getting at, Stark?”

“Oh, I don’t know. All the skeletons that have been piling up in your closet ever since your college days?”

“Are you trying to blackmail me?”

“Then again, I suppose I could just cut the government’s contract with Stark Industries. Remind me, how many departments depend on my continued support?”

“I’m warning you…” Ross gritted his teeth and hissed, unamused, “this is not how you want to play this.”

“Oh, I think it is. I think this is exactly how I’m going to play things unless you make me a better offer. Say, full immunity for myself and all members of my team while we renegotiate the Accords?”

“You’re bluffing.”

“Try me. Or arrest me. Or try to arrest me because, trust me, your reach may extend far but I have the means to outrun you at every turn, tedious as that would be, for the rest of my life and probably the next,” Tony dared.

A momentary stand-off between two power houses but the Secretary knew that losing Tony Stark’s support would send both the government and the economy into disarray. Something that would no doubt jeopardize his own position and he wasn’t prepared to gamble away everything he’d worked so hard to achieve.

“You won’t get away with this for long,” threatened Ross as he activated his earpiece. He ordered his unit to stand down and return to their base while he cast a foul glare in Tony’s direction. “I’m not the only one who pushed for these Accords—the UN won’t be so quick to change its tune.”

“Perhaps, but the initiative came from Wakanda’s former King, and something tells me its new King may have had a change of heart. I’m sure with his blessing, you can sway the others.”

Infuriated, Ross strode off without another word. Joining his men in one of the helicopters and Tony breathed a sigh of relief when they disappeared from sight. He took a minute to himself, processing everything that had happened in the past thirty minutes, then prepared his orders.

“Friday, I need a full history analysis of all systems, every piece of communication coming in and going out in the last twenty-four hours. Pull up the personal records for every employee who’s been inside the building in the past week and cross-match those results with every other database. Look for anyone who may have been in trouble with the law recently, in debt, gambling addictions and so forth. Same for their immediate family.”

“On it, boss.”

How could she have let herself go in that way? She’d been so set on taking the mature approach—polite and civil conversation to tell Steve how little she appreciated his secret-keeping habits. Instead she’d exploded. No, the building had exploded. Oh, hell, they’d both exploded and crumbled. Had she caused it?

Glancing in the mirror after her shower, Yelena saw only the faintest shimmer of her alter ego’s glacier eyes reflected.

No, she hadn’t caused it but she’d reacted and for the first time, done something right with her powers. That brought an inappropriate smile to her face—what had happened and the loss of lives were no laughing matter—as she dried off best she could and covered herself with the towel before calling Natasha into the bathroom.

Bruce’s examination upon arrival had proven that Tony had been right about her injuries. Five bruised ribs, a fractured shoulder that made it extremely difficult to dress herself, and a series of lacerations down her back that needed bandaging.

“Lena, how did you find…” Natasha began while helping her into pair of sweats but Yelena shook her head—she wasn’t prepared to discuss the incident with Steve or how she’d uncovered the truth.

“Not now. Later. But thank you for helping me.”

“Of course.”

“So, what is this place?”

“Oh, one of Tony’s many secret hideaways, I suspect…”

A lake house on massive parcel of private land in Montauk. Picturesque in its white and blue shades while manicured lawns surrounding the property hid away an underground laboratory, medical hub, and landing bay for the jet.

“Every closet is filled with clothing of varying sizes and linen, and the kitchen cabinets and fridge are fully stocked as well. Do you think he knew something like this would happen or…?” Yelena recalled how he’d once offered her a stay at one of his safe houses.

One. As if the man had several of these massive holdings just sitting empty across America, or possibly the world, waiting for the inevitable.

She considered she should have accepted his offer then and perhaps she’d have been spared all this recent drama.

“Years ago, he lived in Malibu until someone blew up his mansion there. I guess he decided to make sure he’d always have somewhere else to go. That it could happen again, to him or to us,” Natasha explained as she finished bandaging Yelena’s injuries and helped her into a sling.

“Hm. Do you think this was an attack as well?”

“I hope not but… yeah, I worry that it might have been.”

“What do we do now?” Yelena asked.

“We wait. There’s nothing else we can do until Tony’s finished investigating the origin of the explosion.”

“I wish it was an accident…”

Yelena knew it was naive to hope. She’d seen enough and, sadly, caused enough damage in her days with Hydra, and she knew better. The Avengers compound reduced to rubble couldn’t possibly be a simple, unintended and unfortunate event.

They wandered downstairs to the living room where Yelena curled up next to Loki on the sofa. Tucking her feet underneath herself and resisting the urge to lean back against the cushions for comfort.

“Are you—” Loki posed only half a question before she interrupted.

“Not made of glass. I’ll live. Super healing, remember? Give it a few days, not weeks, and I’ll be fine.”

“Forget I even brought it up.” He held his hands up defensively but a smile lingered on his face.

An infectious one that spread to Yelena, short lived, before it faded again and she picked up a magazine from the side table. Browsing shallow articles about beauty tips and silly relationship quizzes that barely registered in her mind while she peered over the edges of the pages at Bucky sat on the opposite couch.

He looked nothing like the man she remembered. There was nothing fierce or threatening about him, and that silver arm with the red star that had hurt her so very bad was long gone, but he caused her heart to start its incessant and anxious pounding nonetheless.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat and, like her, doing his best to avoid eye contact with just about everyone. Only Steve caught the occasional meager smile from his friend and Yelena considered how difficult the current situation must be for Bucky. Surrounded by people who barely knew, liked, or trusted him.

She almost felt bad for him but then she found him glancing her way and a shiver ran down her spine. The power surging through her veins tingled in her fingertips and she quickly turned her attention back to the boring magazine pages.

“That was impressive,” Bucky told her and broke the silence that had lingered among the group. “What you did with that cement slab and helping Steve escape the fire…”

Something about his voice both pierced her heart and tightened her grip on the magazine. She closed her eyes, counted to ten, and exhaled a deep breath.

One word. That’s all this attempt at conversation needed from her.

“Thanks,” Yelena uttered but then recalled his heroic act in saving her from a terrible fall. Maybe she owed him more than just one word. “And for uh, not letting me plummet to certain death.”

There. That would have to do and she tried hard to avoid looking his way again. Tackling her anger toward Steve had been the easy way out, she realized now, because she couldn’t even begin to scratch the surface where her feelings toward Bucky were concerned.

When Natasha appeared carrying five cups of coffee and one cup of tea, Yelena eagerly accepted a dark brew before excusing herself. “I’m going to have this outside on the patio.”

Peace, quiet, and fresh air was what she needed, if only for a minute. Difficult and slightly painful breaths heaved in her chest, her heart pounding. Perhaps she’d miscalculated just how strong a front she could put on now that Bucky was actually among them. His presence no longer a hypothetical.

She sauntered down the wooden steps from the patio onto the lawn, bare toes digging into the grass that tickled her feet. Dragging herself forward until she reached a bench by the waterside and perched down, her mug firmly clasped between both hands.

The phantom touch of Bucky’s hand grabbing her wrist lingered on her skin. She remembered how close they’d been and how much every fiber of her being had yearned to shatter him into a million pieces. No, he wasn’t the same man who’d haunted her for so long but knowing that, and seeing it, did very little to dispel her trauma and only added to her confusion. The duality of her mind.

“Lena, can we talk? Please?” Steve’s words pierced her thoughts—she hadn’t even noticed him approach.

His voice soft and fragile, causing her to resent the instant guilt she felt over the way she’d lashed out at him. He’d deserved it though, hadn’t he?

“Talk,” she encouraged, though she didn’t turn around nor looked at him.

It was obvious he felt the weight of his actions but she didn’t care to see it reflected in his eyes. It had been hard enough already avoiding his gaze during the short flight to the lake house.

“I’m very sorry. You were right, it wasn’t my decision to make. Not my secret to keep.” Steve sat down and searched her face—the side he could see—for a reaction but she had none to give. “I… it’s not my intention to make excuses, I know that I was wrong, but when I saw you that first day…”

He wrung his hands together and sighed. “I had every intention of telling you but then you shared the story of what you've been through. What the Winter Soldier had done and I lost my nerve. Decided it was best to wait, to ease you into the news. I never considered you wouldn’t want to know at all.

“To me, you were somewhat of a miracle. Something—someone—good to come out of all the terrible things Hydra did to him. A chance for him, for both of you, to heal. For him to find his way back to the man he used to be and for you to have the parent that was taken from you before you were even born.”

Yelena’s scoff was barely audible but Steve heard and saw it nonetheless. “I know that was naive and I didn’t think it through. Not in the way I should have, but—”

“Oh I do love apologies that come with a helping of buts,” Yelena sniped.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop! God just…” She got up and pinched the bridge of her nose. Brows furrowed and repeatedly shaking her head. “Stop saying you’re sorry.

“I don’t need you to be sorry, I just need you to truly understand what you did wrong without throwing a million excuses around. Stop trying to justify it because I do get why you did what you did. Doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

“I know what I did wrong,” Steve promised. “I knew it when I hurt Tony and I should have known better before hurting you. I’m not perfect.”

“No, you’re really not and I don’t expect you to be but, Steve, I… for a moment, with you, that first day, I felt…” Whatever she’d meant to say became swallowed by the reminder not to let her guard down again. “Forget it. I should head back inside. It’s getting cold out here, even for me.”

“Lena…” He wanted to take her hand and stop her.

Insist they work this out here and now but to demand so would be as selfish as everything else he’d done. Better to let her go then and Yelena, with difficulty, leaned down to pick up her coffee cup.

“Give me time,” she told him, fighting to keep her voice even. “I need to sort this out in my head and there’s too much going on already. Who knows what news Tony will bring and whatever happened at the compound takes precedence. Okay?”

“Sure. Okay.”

“Hey…” Yelena held her step right as she turned to leave and finally looked his way. “Did it hurt?”

“What?” Steve frowned but when she indicated at her jaw, he nodded. “Ah, yes. You’ve got a mean left hook.”

“Hrm. Good.”

There was almost a smile to accompany her remark but before Steve could fully take her expression in, she’d already started walking back toward the lake house.

Chapter Text

— 17: It Comes in Threes —

It had never been in Yelena’s nature to let anything hold her back so, injured or not, she ventured into the kitchen with Loki to prepare a big lunch. Word had reached Natasha that Tony was on his way to the lake house with his findings and news to share, and Yelena had no doubt they could all use a solid meal after the day they’d had. Especially with the way their breakfast had been interrupted.

“By the Norns. Do you plan on preparing a meal or is this all part of some ritual sacrifice?” Loki eyed the various ingredients she’d laid out.

Eggs, spaghetti, parmesan, garlic, butter, herbs, and more items he didn’t recognize. He held up a shaker and gave her a questioning look. “What’s this?”

“Black pepper.” Yelena smiled and leaned against the kitchen counter, adjusting her sling so it wouldn’t hinder her too much. “Go on, give it a good sniff.”

“I believe I will pass. You look far too amused to be trusted.”

“Oh well.” She shrugged. “Wanna help out and chop the pancetta?”

“Why?”

“Because I need—” Before she could finish her sentence, Loki snapped his fingers and used his magic to slice and crush all the ingredients as needed. “Okay… you just took all the fun out of it,” Yelena sulked.

“I made it easier.”

“You cheated.”

Watching the pair and aching to contribute in some fashion, Bucky ambled closer and cleared his throat. “Is there anything I can help with?”

A tense few seconds filled the air as Yelena debated, the knife in her hand feeling extremely tempting all of a sudden, but then she nodded.

“You can beat the eggs and add some seasoning if you’d like.”

“Sure, thanks.” A breath of relief washed over Bucky as he got to work, making sure to keep a reasonable amount of physical distance between them.

He glanced over to Steve in the livingroom and flashed a cautious smile. It was too early to attempt any bonding so Bucky decided not to ask her where she’d learned to cook or whether it was a passion of hers—he simply took comfort in working together without bringing down the house. Observing her mannerisms and person for any likeness to either himself or her mother.

Yelena, in turn, tried not to pay him any further mind. His presence hurt in places she didn’t know existed and refused to acknowledge. There was the option to reject him and ask him to leave the kitchen but what good would it do? They were all in this together—this house and this situation. She’d have to make her peace with that one way or another and, truly, she felt too exhausted to fight it.

Instead, she focused on other tasks with Loki hovering as he offered tidbits of information about the cooks on Asgard. It was clear he’d rarely prepared a meal of his own, always waited on by servants.

“Well, your majesty, maybe you could set the table instead, huh.” She shoved a pile of plates and utensils into his hands. “And set out a few glasses?”

Loki pulled a face but agreed without further argument while Yelena checked the oven and dug out the bread basket. “Ever made garlic butter before?” she asked Bucky without looking up from her work.

“I have. Do you want me to...?”

“Please.”

A simple request he felt more than happy to meet and it provided plenty of distraction while having a calming effect on his mind. Perhaps that’s why Yelena had chosen to take this task on in the first place—preparing a meal far too lavish for any ordinary lunch because it kept her busy and away from thinking about anything else.

Maybe that was the first, positive thing they had in common. Physical likeness aside.

By the time the pasta carbonara, fresh bread, and garlic butter was served, Tony had finally arrived to bring his news. They were all eager to hear it but first he stopped by the bathroom to wash the sweat and sooth from his face.

“I received the files you sent but I’m not sure what we’re looking at…” said Natasha when Tony sat down and started sprinkling extra parmesan over his pasta. “Sabotage?”

“Yep, courtesy of Agent Mike Fellows, or rather someone using Fellows’ credentials and passcodes. The real Mike Fellows is supposed to be on his honeymoon, although, according to several calls made by his in laws, Fellows and his partner never actually made it to Hawaii.”

Tony cracked open a can of beer. “I had Friday trace Fellows’ activities from the past weeks, nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact he went from being a tall, blond fella to a much smaller, dark haired man just one day after boarding a plane to Kahului Airport.”

“So someone captured Mike and presumably his partner, and stole his identity to gain access to the compound?” Steve surmised.

“Exactly. Uploaded a nasty little virus into the systems, a sleeper which escaped Fridays’ notice. At 9am this morning, it triggered an explosion in our experimental weapons facility that… well, you’ve all seen the result.”

As she struggled, with a studious expression, to get the noodles wrapped around her fork using only one hand, Yelena asked, “I don’t suppose he left a manifesto of sorts? A declaration, a name, a reason why?”

“Haven’t found anything yet but Friday is still working to decrypt the code used for this virus. Maybe we’ll find a trademark of sorts.” Tony leaned back in his chair, deciding he’d had enough to eat after just two bites.

Fidgeting with his watch, a restless foot tapping on the floor. It wasn’t in his nature to sit idle while a new threat lurked around the corner. “Can we count on Thor?” he asked Loki.

“Am I not enough?” Loki pretended to be insulted.

“Can we?”

“I am not my brother’s keeper, but I am sure he will be more than eager to aid your quest.”

Yelena glanced to her left and flashed him a smile. “You will too though, right?”

“I could be persuaded to fight at your side.”

“Uh huh. Don’t forget, they tried to blow you up too.”

“A fair point. I will travel for Asgard after dinner.”

“I should inform Sam and the others to be cautious. Whoever targeted the compound may come for them too.” Steve took his phone and excused himself but not before Tony informed him and everyone else of his shaky deal with Ross.

“Let them know they can return home if they want to—I managed to secure temporary immunity for all of us pending new negotiations regarding the Accords.”

“What? How?” Bruce had a face of disbelief.

“Doesn’t matter. Oh, and Cap, keep your buddy T’Challa close. We’ll need him to vote in our favor which, given his extra curricular activities prowling the jungles, I’m sure is in his best interest too.”

“Right. Sure, okay?” Steve wasn’t sure the sort of strings Tony had pulled but he didn’t care either. Not today. “Thanks.” He nodded before heading downstairs for a secure line.

“Is there anything I can do?” Bucky asked with a hint of uncertainty, knowing his presence wasn’t appreciated by all, and Tony was quick to throw in a jab.

“Yeah. Be on the right side of the fight this time.”

The immediate guilt-ridden look Bucky carried didn’t escape Yelena’s notice but she couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for him, even if empathy lurked too close beneath the surface of her skin. It hadn’t been that long ago since she herself had been in his position—mistrusted and with quite the rap sheet—but at least she’d received Natasha’s support then.

No one spoke up for Bucky without Steve around.

“You can count on me.” Bucky kept his head held high. “I can’t undo the things I’ve done in the past but—”

“Nope, I’m not ready for that conversation, not one bit,” Tony held up a hand and interrupted. “Just be there to do what needs to be done. Try to have our backs instead of stabbing—”

“Tony, that’s enough,” Natasha admonished and set her glass of wine down. “We have quite a few new faces here, some more trustworthy than others…” Her eyes fell on Loki for a split second. “Let’s give them all a chance to prove their worth, alright?”

“I’m not trustworthy?” Loki raised a brow but his lips curled into a smirk. “My, what a novel sentiment.”

“Shall we get back to the things that matter?” Yelena suggested. “Tony, when will you know more?”

“Not until morning. I’ve never seen coding like this before so it will take Friday a couple of hours, half a day at most,” he said.

“In that case, I shall be off to inform my brother.” Loki put his utensils down and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin before grinning at Yelena. “Unless I am expected to assist with the washing of dishes as well?”

“No but, do you really have to go?” She didn’t like the idea of him leaving—he was the only one she trusted right now and felt comfortable with.

“I’m afraid your technology does not allow for cross-realm phone calls.”

“Can’t that watcher guy send a message? Or maybe he saw what happened and Thor already knows.”

“Perhaps, but it is best I go see my brother in person and take care of a few matters while I’m there.”

“Oh.” Not thinking twice, she asked for the impossible, “Can I come with you?”

“It’s forbidden,” said Loki.

“But Bruce…”

“Was an exception born out of necessity.” He reached out under the table and gently squeezed her knee. Leaning in to whisper, “Do not seek to escape your problems. Face them. I promise I will return.”

Yelena merely nodded and tried to swallow her disappointment. He was right, of course—she did feel the urge to run away from all the turmoil but that wouldn’t do any good.

She watched him leave, staring out onto the lawn even after the rainbow hued beam had vanished from sight, taking Loki with it. Longing beating in her heart—how nice it must be to just disappear in that way.

“Have you told Rhodey yet?” Natasha took a sip of her wine and sunk back in her chair, her eyes on Tony.

“I have and he’s safe in Washington still.”

“Good. I’ll send word to Clint and Scott as well, apprise them of the situation and Ross’... unexpected change of heart?”

Tony flashed a smirk. “Go ahead. I promise, soon we’ll be back to the team we used to be. No more strings and cages. I should have done this from the start…” He thought of the pressure he’d put on Ross and felt confident.

“What about me?” Concerns weighed on Yelena’s mind. “With my history, where I come from… I don’t even have any papers, no birth record.”

“You do, I’ve already taken care of that. On paper, you’re Yelena Aliana Petrova—a twenty-four year old Boston resident whose powers are the result of and accident with cryo experimentation at the lab where you used to work to pay for college.”

Yelena stared at him, completely stunned. “How’d you pull that off?”

“Oh, it had been too long since I hacked the government’s files, needed to see if I could still pull it off,” Tony explained most casually and he got up to fetch something from his bags.

He tossed a brand new passport onto the table. “Welcome to America and the team.”

“Conditions?”

“Same as your employment. Behave, work hard, do your job. If you step out of line, I’ll personally lock you away inside the Raft.”

She smiled, rubbing a thumb over the navy blue texture and imprinted crest on the official document. “Yes sir. Thank you.”

The rest of the day passed by quietly. Too quietly for all because each and every single one of them ached to get to the bottom of this new threat. Find those responsible for the deaths of their employees, and the destruction of their base and home.

After lunch, Natasha and Bruce had taken it upon themselves to dig through the personnel files so they could contact the victim’s next of kin with their condolences. Tony hid in the basement trying his hardest to hasten Friday’s analysis of the virus’ coding, and Yelena did her best to assist him. Choosing Tony as her preferred company in the absence of Loki.

Their attempts to decrypt the virus passed the hours and on through the night but by morning, Tony still lacked answers.

“I hate this,” he fumed in frustration while pouring another cup of coffee. “Each time she comes close to deciphering the code, something trips up her programming and I’m back to square one.”

“Could it be the code was written in a language Friday doesn’t recognize?” Yelena suggested.

“That’s not possible.”

“Can I take another look?”

Tony raised a brow. “What do you know about coding?”

“Not much but maybe that’ll help me recognize a pattern among the many… squiggles and things I don’t understand. We’re looking for a signature, right?”

Not entirely convinced, but seeing no harm in it either, Tony offered her his seat. “Have at it. I’m going to grab some breakfast, want anything?”

“Just cereal,” Yelena mumbled, already half lost in her work.

It was true she knew little of computer science—her Hydra training had been focused on combat, infiltration, and deception—but there was something about the lines of text on the screen that sunk its claws into her mind and wouldn’t let up. A gnawing feeling of familiarity, things seen before. She just couldn’t remember where.

Finding a notepad and pen, she scribbled down every symbol that spoke of something she ought to know and made note of their pattern. Creating a puzzle she’d not let go until it was solved but Tony’s voice calling out from the kitchen ripped her from her concentration.

“What is it?” Yelena asked, slightly out of breath after rushing up the stairs.

“A break out at the Bunker,” Tony informed her and the other four who’d gathered.

“The bunker?”

“Our secondary detention facility for high risk prisoners, similar to the Raft but for those without powers.”

“How did that happen?” Natasha failed to suppress her concern, knowing exactly the sort of people kept locked away at that particular facility.

“There was a flood on one of the lower levels and during the evacuation, several prisoners escaped. Seventeen former Hydra operatives and…” Tony released a heavy sigh. “Zemo.”

The mere mention of Hydra put Yelena on edge and, glancing in Bucky’s direction, she noticed his jaw stiffen. Even Steve looked ill at ease though, as it turned out, not for the reasons Yelena assumed.

“But that’s not all,” he said.

Already aware of Tony’s news, and having informed him privately of a third issue, Steve relayed to the group, “I just got a call from Wanda. Vision left to return home yesterday but hasn’t been heard from since. We can’t find him anywhere and his communications are unresponsive.”

“Fuck,” Natasha cursed under her breath. “First the compound and now this?”

“It’s getting worse by the minute so we can’t waste time,” Tony decided. “Steve, Nat, you two head out to meet up with Sam and Wanda. See if you can retrace Vision’s steps and find out what happened.

“I’ll give Rhodey a call and meet up with him at the Bunker.”

“What about the rest of us?” asked Bruce.

“You’re staying here to keep an eye on Frosty and Barnes.”

“Uhhh.” Not liking that idea one bit, Yelena argued, “You can’t be serious. Let me come with you instead of—”

“Seventeen Hydra operatives just escaped and considering your past, you could be a target,” Tony pointed out to her dismay. “Both of you. It’s best you keep hidden with someone to protect you. Now, Banner may not look like much—”

“Thanks,” sulked Bruce.

“—But the big guy will keep you safe so you will stay here. Continue working with Friday and try to remain indoors, just until we know what we’re dealing with.”

Leaving no room for further disagreement, Tony activated his suit. “Get moving, folks. Three major incidents in the past twenty-four hours can’t be a coincidence so let’s get to the bottom of this, fast.”

Chapter Text

— 18: The Signs —

A rare, bright winter sun shone down across the mobile prison encampment afloat in the waters down below, and Tony could see Rhodes approach in the distance. Their suits making a landing at the Bunker’s main gate at the same time, touching down amidst several units of special forces as gentle waves brushed against the platform.

“I didn’t expect us to meet again so soon.” Secretary Ross shook Tony’s hand for the sake of common decency and escorted the pair inside.

“And I didn’t expect you to have need of my assistance so soon. Good thing we’ve agreed to amend the deal, isn’t it?” Tony couldn’t resist the opportunity for a jab but Ross ignored it.

“We’ve tripled security at the Raft facility and restrained all occupants within their cells. So far, there’s been no sign of trouble but we can’t take the risk.”

“Smart thinking,” noted Rhodes. “How did this happen?”

They turned various corners until they reached the main security hub where Ross urged his men to give them some privacy. “At 8am this morning, while most detainees had gathered for breakfast, an explosion erupted on sub-level seven. Blasted a hole in the exterior foundation that started a flood.

“Guards followed standard protocol, began making evacuations to the higher levels and called for support but with so many detainees roaming the mess hall freely, they were quickly overwhelmed.”

Ross indicated at the security feed which replayed the events. The explosion seen down the end of a hallway, prisoners running amok and beating down the guards. One man, who’d covered his face with his t-shirt, making a hailing salute at the security cameras before rushing toward the exterior wall that had been blown wide open. Taking a deep dive into the waters flooding in and followed by several other prisoners.

“Do you have the footage for the outside and underwater parameters?” asked Tony.

“No. We’re supposed to but…” Ross skipped a few seconds ahead on the feed they were watching and pointed at another masked figure ducking into the security office. “We suspect he deleted anything that might give us a clue. Although…”

He paused the replay and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Folding back the fabric to reveal a coin. “Once my men took back control of the facility and sealed the breach, they found this on the desk here. I don’t know whether it belongs to one of the detainees, my own men, or if it was deliberately left behind but it looks… familiar.”

A chill coursed down Tony’s spine when he inspected the coin. Heavy and double-headed, with the silhouette of a face and several coiling snakes at both sides.

“Mm, familiar but not… I mean, unless they’re rebranding,” he mused.

Looking over his shoulder, Rhodes frowned. “Hydra?”

“Close but not quite. These snakes coil upward around the face, and the face itself has more definition than their usual skull-symbol does. Almost feminine.”

Tony pocketed the coin. “Still, it could be a lead so I’ll investigate further. What else can you tell us, where was Zemo when this happened?”

“Alone in his cell, eating breakfast,” said Ross. “He doesn’t socialize—he hates Hydra almost as much as he hates you—and calmly followed the guards who came to evacuate him but they were set upon by the others. Zemo disappeared in the scuffle.”

“He knows a lot about the organization,” Rhodes recalled the vast amount of research Zemo had done. “And if he avoided them in here, we need to consider he was taken against his will. Possibly by the same people who took—”

“Pleasure in blowing up the compound, yes,” Tony was quick to interrupt, not wanting Ross to find out about Vision’s disappearance. “I have no doubt these incidents are connected, but who would want to gather an army of former Hydra operatives?”

“Someone looking to revive the organization, perhaps under a different name? Using a modified signature?”

“So it would seem…” Tony nodded before he turned his attention back to Ross. He quite firmly and deliberately stuffed the handkerchief back into Ross’ palm and closed the man’s fingers around it in a peculiar gesture. “Do you have any idea what triggered the explosion?” he asked.

“Remote detonate charges. My men found several shattered fragment pieces floating in the water.”

“Have them brought to me, I’d like to see for myself and determine what materials they used. Might give us another clue.”

“Right,” Ross agreed and stepped outside but he returned moments later with a small evidence bag. “Where is the rest of your team…?”

“At a secure location running investigations of their own.” There was no trusting the Secretary so the bare minimum was all Tony would give him. “Are there any former Hydra operatives still imprisoned at this facility?”

“No. Those we had are all the ones who escaped.”

“Hrm. Okay. I’ll be in touch when we know more.”

Ross’ face soured slightly—he didn’t appreciate the constant dismissals. “Will you though?”

“As long as you keep your end of the bargain,” said Tony. “Good day, Secretary.”

Together with Rhodes, he headed back toward the entrance but spoke of nothing until they were far enough away from the Bunker.

“Placed a nanite tracker on his watch, didn’t you? When you handed that handkerchief over?” asked Rhodes once they made it to the skies.

“You saw that, huh? The last time Hydra made a power play, they had several government officials in their pocket. Can’t be sure it’s them now but we can’t rule it out either, and Ross is dirty enough that he’d play both sides.”

“Not to mention he has plenty of motive, especially with the pressure you’ve put on him.”

“If he’s involved then he has been since before I pressured him about the Accords, but it’s no secret he can’t stand us unless we serve as his puppets.”

Tony altered the coordinates in his suit’s navigation system. “Let’s revisit the compound grounds, I want to see if there is a coin somewhere under the debris there that I’ve missed the first time.”

The library on Asgard with its marbled floors, painted ceilings, and golden columns was one of Loki’s favorite places to visit. Hundreds of thousands of years worth of books lined the walls, top to bottom, and decorated the columns. Bay windows transformed into comfortable reading nooks and right next to the library, a small conservatory where one could study and practice the mystical arts.

Thor should have known he’d find his brother there.

“Ah, there you are, brother,” he said when he saw Loki emerge with a pile of books in his arms. “Preparing for some light reading in my absence?”

“Your absence? Am I not returning to Midgard with you?” Loki asked and with a slight of hand, tucked a volume—pertaining to the history and legends surrounding the Jotun—in between the other books he carried.

“Of course not! One of us has to remain here to oversee the palace’s reconstruction and ensure our stocks are replenished for the season. Protect the realm in my absence.”

Thor made it sound so simple and obvious, but Loki’s expression dropped for a fraction of a second before it became replaced with casual stoicism. “I had made a promise to return.”

“To who?”

“To the girl.”

“I thought you said her training had been completed.”

“No. I said our training sessions have been successful, not completed,” sniped Loki, aggravated that his brother only ever half listened.

“Oh. Well, how far did you get?” Quickening his pace, Thor followed as Loki marched toward his chambers.

“The basics. She’s learned to control and summon her gift at will but we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what she’s truly capable of.”

“I’m sure that can wait, she’s got the most important part down, right?”

Loki materialized a leather pack and tucked the books inside. “I wouldn’t like to renege on my promise.”

“Since when?” Thor snorted and patted his brother on the back. “She’ll understand, I’m cer—”

“Since now. Can’t someone else oversee matters here?”

“You’re honestly turning down the opportunity to rule in my absence?” The first real hint of concern settled in Thor’s gut. “Why?”

“I told you—I made a promise and don’t act so surprised. Wasn’t it you who encouraged this improved behavior of mine, dear brother? Wouldn’t a breaking of my word return me to a liar?”

“Uhh… I guess? But we can’t just leave Asgard unguarded.”

“What about Valkyrie? She’s a warrior and sworn protector.”

It seemed Loki had all the answers, and that much Thor was used to, but what stunned him was the insistence to return to Midgard. Not long ago, it had taken Thor tremendous effort convincing Loki to revisit the planet at all. Now, it appeared he could not stand to be gone from it for long, further evidenced by the fact he was already packing.

When Thor spotted something with silver-white, velvet petals in Loki’s pack, he asked, “What does she mean to you?”

“She?” The raven-haired god feigned innocence.

“Yelena.”

“Who says she means anything to me? Though I will admit, as far as mortals go, she’s tolerable.”

“Then what’s with the snjórósa?”

Calm and carefully, Loki pulled a long, black box holding the silver rose from his bag. “This? It is a Midgardian custom that a tutor rewards their best student for the progress they have made. Although traditionally, I believe they use gold stars, but I can’t very well pluck one of those out of the sky.”

“Loki… be honest.” Thor didn’t buy into his excuse for a second. “You know the rarity of that rose and its meaning.”

“Fine.” Loki shoved the black, shimmering box into Thor’s hands. “If you’re going to make such a fuss, take it. It was only intended as an encouraging gesture.”

“That’s not…” Thor sighed and closed the box before placing it back inside the leather pack. “Do you recall what you said to me when we brought Jane to the dark world all those years ago?”

“Oh please, brother. I’m hardly so interested in the girl and you know how I feel about mortals.” Taking a step back, Loki averted his eyes and swallowed hard. “But if you are so concerned, I will remain here and safeguard our home in your absence.”

“What about your promise?”

“You can tell her that which everyone else already knows.” There was a quiver in his voice. “That I am the god of lies and cannot be trusted.”

“Brother…”

“Please excuse me. I should go and meet with the council to discuss rations for the cold season.”

Before Thor could raise another word on the subject, Loki had already pushed past him and stormed from his own chambers. Leaving a chilling air in his wake and leaving Thor to debate whether he’d pushed too hard for something his brother clearly wasn’t ready to discuss, at least not with him.

Though she tried, there was no hiding the sadness and concern in Wanda’s eyes when she fell into Steve’s embrace. He gently patted her back, then relinquished her into Natasha’s arms while he shook hands with Sam and asked for any news they might have.

“There’s been no word. He left under the cover of night and promised to check in every two hours but never did so all we know is he disappeared between 10pm and midnight,” said Sam.

“Even though Vis signed the Accords, we still took every precaution. He had his tracker active when he left but the signal died just ten miles south-east of here. We looked, there is nothing,” Wanda added as she handed over the readout for Vision’s tracker.

“Just outside of Sligo…” Natasha double-checked the map and coordinates. “I suggest we start there, can’t hurt to take a second look.”

All four of them piled into the quinjet, flying low beneath the Irish sky, and minutes later touched down by a clearing in Hazelwood Forest. Searching through tall grass, muddied soil, and around willows and birches.

“We spent hours yesterday—” Sam began but Steve held up a hand and indicated at a set of boot prints left in the mud.

Over the course of the night, they’d frozen over, leaving a trail that led deeper into the woods. Further away from Vision’s last known location and Steve couldn’t be certain he was on the right track until he came upon a man-made rearrangement of broken tree branches and rocks.

“What do you suppose this is?” Natasha skirted around pattern, careful not to disturb anything.

“It wasn’t here before,” said Wanda. “We looked everywhere within two miles of the signal.”

“I don’t know. The prints belong to a size thirteen, that’s not any of us and it’s not Vision, but it could belong to whoever took him. Perhaps they returned to the scene after you both left.” Steve’s mind was hard at work trying to figure out what could have happened.

“Wanda, can you fly up to get a full view of the pattern? I can’t quite make out what it’s supposed to be.”

She nodded and rose up, high enough that she could see every curve and detail. Using her powers, she wove scarlet threads to recreate and highlight the mark, then took a photo with her phone before reuniting with the others.

“It’s some sort of circle with snakes and a face at its center,” she observed and handed her phone over to Steve.

“Does that mean Hydra?” asked Sam, a deep frown creasing his forehead.

“No. This isn’t the same symbol, unless we’re looking at it upside down.” Curiously, Natasha took the device from Steve and turned it, almost hoping for something familiar.

Better the enemy you know, she figured, but this symbol was nothing like Hydra’s mark she’d seen so many times before.

“Whatever it is, it has to be connected to Vision’s disappearance, right? Why else would someone come all the way out here and go through the effort of leaving this mark?” Sam voiced his thoughts and concerns. “Do you think they’re still in the area, waiting?”

“No, I have a feeling someone’s playing the long game and this is nothing but a breadcrumb…” Steve exchanged a worried glance with Natasha. “Forward that image to Tony and the others, maybe they’ve found something similar.”

Chapter Text

— 19: Ghosts of the Past —

The howling winter winds beating against the well-isolated lake house did nothing to break Yelena out of her concentration. Familiar patterns danced before her eyes. Blending together, twisting and turning on their sides, making every bit of sense and yet none at all.

Some part of her mind knew their meaning, of that much she felt certain, but somehow she couldn’t seem to get there. Pages of the notebook at her side were filled with scribbles and drawings, attempts to find the correct arrangement, but all crossed out as wrong.

There was someone who might know. The last person she’d want to talk to and the last person she’d ever ask for help but she was a soldier—they both were. Duty came before personal feelings and it was her duty to find answers. For Tony and the team. For all the dead buried beneath the compound’s remains.

After shuffling her feet up the stairs, Yelena glanced around the living area searching for Bucky. He sat by the window in a modern wingback, sunken low and staring out across the lawn. No doubt feeling as caged in as she did.

Silent seconds stretched into a minute while Yelena stood behind him. Trying to find her voice and the words to speak before she managed a meager, “Hey.”

Bucky heard her but didn’t know her, ripped unexpectedly from his own troubled thoughts, and grabbed her wrist in a fist. In one swift pull, he yanked her across the back of his chair, over his shoulder, and she landed on her ass at his feet. Trapped with the patio door at her back.

“Fucking hell, really?!” Yelena fumed and jumped to her feet. Shifting into a defensive hand-to-hand combat stance immediately but a calm washed over Bucky’s expression as recognition settled.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I… I’m sorry,” he stammered, rather guilt ridden. “Did I hurt you, is your shoulder—”

“I’m fine, you got my good arm, but what the hell?! After everything you’ve already put me through?!”

“I didn’t notice, didn’t mean to. I was…” Bucky fumbled with his words, trying to find a way of explaining but the look in his eyes told Yelena everything she needed to know.

“Reliving the past.”

“Yeah.”

“I see.” Of course she could understand and relate, even if her heart beat out of control from the rush of panic he’d brought on.

She straightened out her sweater and rolled her shoulder once. No pain, just a last remnant of his strength nagging at her muscles. It could have been worse.

“Well, if you have a moment, there’s something I’d like you to look at.” Yelena moved to the sofa and beckoned him to sit down next to her.

With the notebook between them, she told him about the peculiar symbols she’d found embedded within the virus’ coding and how they held a familiarity she couldn’t place.

“It feels as though I’ve seen them before and if I have, it was likely during my time with Hydra. If that’s the case, you’re the only other person here who might recognize them,” she said.

Nodding, Bucky took the notebook for a closer inspection and his thumb brushed her fingers in the process. She withdrew her hand immediately, unable to keep her instinctive reaction to him suppressed, but tried to keep a forced smile on her face.

“I’m not sure how much help I can be. They kept me under lock and key for most of the time, and anytime they sent me on a mission I was only given names and a location. I never knew…”

Words failed him a second time. He wanted to apologize because he didn’t believe he could give Yelena the answers she needed but somewhere along the way, he found himself wanting to tell her something else entirely. A thing he feared she might not want to hear but it mattered to him that she know.

Yelena arched a brow at his sudden silence. “Never knew… what? Anything more about their operations?”

“No. Yes, some of it, not much, but what I meant to say is that I never knew who you were. When they sent me to Torshavn. I had no idea and never even knew I had a daughter.”

“Oh… that.” Uneasy as she debated her own response, she fidgeted with her sleeve and the fabric of her sling. “I kinda figured, based on the things my mother told me but, would it have made a difference? You, or rather the soldier…”

“No, I—he wouldn't have cared,” Bucky loathed to admit and caught her flinching momentarily. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Right, you shouldn’t have because there is nothing to say. I know what happened, you know what happened, but we can’t turn back time and no amount of talking about it will change a thing. There’s only living with it.”

Bucky lowered his eyes and traced a thumb over the pages he held. Of course she was right—the past couldn’t be changed and they knew it better than most. Burdened by pain, regrets, and a darkness that was forever carved into their flesh and bones.

“So, does any of it look familiar?” asked Yelena with a glance at the notebook.

“Actually… yes.” Another study of the symbols instilled Bucky with the same sense of recognition Yelena had felt. “But it’s not anything I picked up at Hydra.”

He pulled the pen clipped to the back of the notebook free and started his own series of scribbles. Fitting several of the symbols together to create brand new ones, yet ancient and with meaning.

“Glagolitic script…” gasped Yelena once he’d finished and everything fell into place. “Isn’t it?”

“It has to be, it’s the only way these symbols make sense.”

Daring to show his face now that they’d moved on from discussing personal matters, Bruce took up a seat opposite the pair and asked, “Glagolitic script?”

“Oldest known Slavic alphabet,” said Yelena, “dating back to… the ninth century I believe?”

Bucky nodded. “I’ve seen it before while traveling through Bulgaria and Romania, mostly inside churches. What about you?” he asked Yelena.

“Hydra.” Her expression grew pained with the memories that surfaced. “Shortly after they brought me back to Germany, I was introduced to their latest asset. An engineer, specializing in biochemistry and computer science, who’d eagerly joined the organization.

“At one point, he developed dampening restraints specifically for anyone with enhanced DNA but needed a test subject and since I was available and in need of an attitude adjustment…”

Yelena decided to restrict her story to the facts that mattered. “Well, it wasn’t pleasant but during the long hours he’d talk a lot too. Always blathering about the infallible beauty of the ancient languages. Glagolitic script was a favorite.”

“Could he be responsible for the explosion?” asked Bruce.

“Yes, and no. The virus could easily be his but infiltrating the compound? No. He’s your typical follower, not a leader, and that’s assuming he’s alive and free. But, whoever’s pulling his strings—”

She was interrupted by a strong gust of wind that hammered against the patio doors right before they flew open to welcome a new arrival. A stranger in Yelena’s eyes and startled, she jumped to her feet. Weaving a portion of her powers to encase the stranger in a block of ice, from his heavy boots up to the waist of the odd cuirass he wore. She was about to blast him a second time when Bruce rushed from his seat and got in between.

“Wait! Stop!” he urged and held up both hands in calming gesture. “This is Thor, he’s a friendly.”

“Thor?” Bucky raised a brow.

“Oh crap,” muttered Yelena, only vaguely recognizing the man from old news footage and Loki’s stories. She flashed a sheepish grin. “Sorry…”

Thor couldn’t help but laugh as he brushed her apology off. “It’s fine, although I’m starting to lose sensation in my toes so if you could undo—”

“Yeah, about that… I uh, haven’t learned yet how to, but I could use my fists I guess.” She was about to approach but Bucky beat her to it.

Meaning well and wanting to help her out as he used the force of his metal arm to shatter the block of ice in various places. “There.”

“Thanks,” said Thor, shaking the smaller, already melting chunks from his boot before he told Yelena, “Nice to see you up and about. Last time I was here we didn’t actually get to meet.”

“Right. Nice to meet you…” She glanced past him, searching, and furrowed her brows. “Where’s Loki?”

“I asked him to stay on Asgard and look after the realm in my absence,” Thor told her the truth rather than the resentful line his brother had given him.

Watching closely as Yelena’s expression fell but for a second, quite in the same way Loki’s had, before she forced a stiff smile. “Ah. Makes sense. Well, in that case, I’m going downstairs to work on translating the symbols. No point wasting time on speculation until we know what they say. Inform me when you hear from the others.”

She made a hasty exit and rushed down the stairs, back to Tony’s lab. Internally spewing a few choice words regarding the blond God who’d turned up without bringing the brother she preferred.

“Packs a bit of a punch, doesn’t she?” said Thor once Yelena had gone and he clapped Bruce on the shoulder. “Good to see you again, my friend.”

“You too and, can you blame her? That’s what happens when you barge in without knocking after everything we’ve just been through.” Bruce laughed.

“Yeah, my mistake. Why don’t you fill me in? Seems every time I leave, uhm… how do you guys say it? Shit hits the ceiling.”

Bucky flashed a rare smile. “The fan.”

“Right, yes, the fan so that it goes everywhere. Nasty business. And you’re… Rogers’ friend and the girl's father, right?”

“Uhhh, just Bucky will do. Probably best not to mention the father thing.”

“Of course. Fathers can be complicated creatures.” Thor beamed a smirk but seeing the look on Bucky’s face, he quickly added, “And children can be too, I imagine. Loki was a difficult child.”

“I’m sure Odin would have said the same about you,” Bruce jested. “Have a seat and I’ll tell you everything you’ve missed out on.”

A chill, so harrowing it could rival the winters in Siberia, coursed down Yelena’s spine as the name she’d not thought about in years flashed before her eyes. Bringing to life memories she’d ignored and buried deep. Further ghosts from the past she’d never expected to face again.

She recalled the scent of the pages of a book. Fairy tales for children and one of the few joys during the early years of her captivity. A woman with long, blonde locks and emerald green eyes, and a smile that had warmed her lonely heart once upon a time when she’d still been foolish enough to crave the love and care of a parent.

The memories brought anguished tears to her eyes and she soon became so lost, reliving the last cruel years before being frozen in carbonite, that she didn’t hear Bucky approach.

“You never made it upstairs for dinner. Did you finish the translation?”

Unlike him, she didn’t flinch or lash out at his unexpected presence, the urge to pull her walls back into place and dry her eyes swiftly too strong.

“I did.” Yelena kept her voice even and her attention trained on the monitor.

The name taunted her. Had her seething with rage and crumbling in pain. It clawed at her flesh, left her feeling reviled and dirty, and the voracity of her emotions turned her skin to ice.

Her attempt to hide any sign of distress failed and though he remained careful not to push her boundaries, Bucky pulled out the seat next to hers. Staring at her back and shoulder, his brows furrowed in concern as he read out the name he’d caught listed on the screen.

“Medusa. That means something to you, doesn’t it?”

“Greek mythology. Would have been a nice subject to study had I been able to attend college like a normal person,” Yelena deflected with unconvincing nonchalance.

“Don’t do that. Like it or not, we’re cut from the same cloth and I can tell there’s more to this than you’re saying. If you don’t want to tell me—”

Pursing her lips and swallowing a mildly irritated sigh, she threw him a sideways glance. “No, I don’t want to tell you. I can’t tell you because I blame you for everything I went through after you dragged me back there. After you—he turned me back over to Hydra.

“Right now, I can’t see too far beyond that but I don’t want to sit here and constantly throw my pain onto your shoulders either. As much as I might hate it, I can’t… no, I shouldn’t hold you responsible.”

“You can, if you need to,” Bucky offered and he straightened his back.

Truthfully, there wasn’t a whole lot of blame she could fling in his direction that he didn’t already carry with him and if he could make up for the past by welcoming her anger, that’s what he’d do.

“As you said earlier today, there’s only living with the things that have happened but if I can ease some of the pain you carry by—”

Yelena scoffed. “Don’t be a martyr, please.”

“I’m not. I’m just trying to be—”

“What? A good guy? Team mate? Friend? Father…”

“I thought I’d start out by just being me, or at least some semblance of the guy I used to be before the war. Face the things that have happened and try to do right by those I’ve hurt the most.”

“I don’t think you can, not for the things I’ve been through.” A fresh tear caught on her lower lashes.

“Have you ever talked about them? In detail?”

“To who, and when? It’s not like Hydra had therapists walking around to ensure the wellbeing of their soldiers and captives.”

“A friend. What about Loki?”

“No.”

“It’s helped me a great deal talking to Steve. Doesn’t make the past go away but it’s making it bearable, you know?”

“Steve?” Just the mention of his name had Yelena shaking her head and Bucky jumped to his best friend’s defense.

“Stop that. You don’t know him like I do and I’m not saying he should be the one you open up to about the past but, pick someone. For your own sake.”

Once more Yelena pursed her lips, a quip about unsolicited fatherly advice lingering on her tongue but she swallowed that back too. “I’ll think about it.”

Bucky considered reaching out to offer a touch of comfort but he pulled his hand back at the last second. No, he didn’t see his daughter, only a young woman, but in the past, he would have helped someone like her. He used to care about people and still did so even if he didn’t feel their blood connection, he’d try and be there. If she’d ever let him.

“So, Medusa. Who or what are we talking about?”

“A woman… I’m not sure if it’s her but she was there when I was little. I called her Madame Hydra, others whispered the name Viper. She used to wear a pendant with Medusa’s symbol on it. You know the one, of a woman’s face and coiling snakes where her hair should be?”

“Yeah.”

“Madame once told me how much she admired Medusa and how misunderstood the creature was. That Medusa was a guardian, a protector of her kind, and that our world was in desperate need of such a guardian.”

“Hmm.” Bucky sunk into thought but he failed to connect a potential motive with the recent disasters. “You could argue this world has many guardians today so why would she be coming for us? Assuming this is her.”

“Not everyone sees the Avengers as protectors or even a force of good, the whole Accords business has made that clear.” Yelena spun her chair around to face him fully. “You and I both know different people have different ideas about how to best protect this world.”

Bucky nodded. “Hydra believed their new world order would protect humanity… and this Medusa was or is Hydra, which means…”

“We’d be the problem, not the solution, in her eyes.”

“Then you need to contact Tony and tell him what you’ve uncovered.”

For a split second, Yelena smiled. All their issues aside, his help had been invaluable and she couldn’t claim this as a solo victory. “No, what we have uncovered.”

Chapter Text

— 20: Even The Mighty Can Fall —

Despite only seeing his friends nearby and having spotted no one else on their trudge through the Hazelwoods, something felt off. Steve could sense it in his bones while they approached the quinjet. Hairs raised on the back of his neck and a nagging in his stomach.

He turned, searching for an unknown presence, a glimpse of anyone lurking behind the trees. Too slow, and something whizzed past his ear. It missed but the second dart hit and embedded itself in his jugular where it began pumping a strange substance into his bloodstream.

“We’ve got company!” Steve called out as he pulled the dart from his skin and pocketed it for later inspection. “Sam, Wanda, see if you can spot anyone from above. Nat, with me!”

Pain ignited in his muscles and burned beneath his skin. Pulling tighter and causing Steve to grit his teeth, bringing him down to his knees as Natasha rushed to his side.

“Steve, what is it?” Concerned, she draped his arm over her shoulder and offered support.

“Some kind of drug or poison, I’m not sure but…” He gripped onto her and winced, “my body’s shutting down, I’m losing strength.”

It felt as though his nerves had caught fire. His chest tightened and his heart began to race while an increased need for oxygen left him to wheeze, gasp, and cough.

“Then we need to get out of here,” Natasha decided after taking in his words and the ashen look on his face. “Sam!”

A winged shadow circled above the pair before Sam Wilson’s boots touched the ground. Brows knitted together above the rim of his goggles. “We’ve found no one.”

“That doesn’t matter now, Cap’s been hit with something, we need to get him to the jet.”

“Do you know what this guy weighs?”

“Sam…” Just trying to speak cost Steve more energy than he possessed and beads of sweat pearled on his forehead.

“I’ve got him,” Wanda called out over their comms, having listened in to every word. “You two get to the jet and contact Tony.”

It took every bit of focus she could muster but scarlet wisps traveled from Wanda’s fingers to engulf Steve’s body. Embracing him with her telekinetic powers, easing him from the ground. She levitated his body toward the ship and by the time she got him strapped into a seat, Steve had lost consciousness.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sam knelt by Wanda’s side as she used a medical scanner to record Steve’s vitals.

“I-I don’t know. According to this thing—” She waved about the handheld device created by Tony and Bruce— “he’s spiking a fever but there are also signs of heart problems and a list of potential diagnoses suggests he might be suffering from an asthma attack.”

“Him? Cap’s the healthiest guy I know. Isn’t it impossible for him to get sick because of the serum?”

“It should be,” said Natasha with a brief glance over her shoulder as she piloted the jet.

Fear crept into her heart when she saw Steve’s rapidly declining state. The circles around his eyes, sunken cheeks defining his bones underneath an unhealthy, paled skin. He looked frail, weak, almost smaller than she’d ever seen him before and Natasha closed her eyes.

No time to think about what could be happening to him or what and who could have done this. There was nothing to do now but to fly back to their base at the highest possible speed and hope Bruce would be able to help their friend.

“So can the sling come off now?” asked Yelena when Bruce finished checking up on her injuries. The lacerations had healed and so had her bruises but her shoulder was still in fragile condition.

“Tomorrow, if you're lucky.”

“Today after lunch?”

Bruce shook his head and smiled. “Are you really trying to haggle over your recovery?”

“Maybe. I just, I feel so useless sitting here, waiting, doing nothing. So much more aware of this stupid thing trapping my arm. Trapping me.”

“Too many unwelcome moments with your own thoughts,” Bruce added, knowing the feeling all too well.

“Is that why you’re always working on one thing or another?”

“Keeps my mind busy, keeps me focused, keeps me in control.”

“Got anything for me to do?”

“If you want you could take inventory of—” As Bruce indicated at the cabinets, Tony barged into the examination room.

His expression grave and cheeks flustered. “Get this place cleaned up and ready, we’ve got incoming. Cap’s been hit with something and he’s in bad shape.”

“Cap?” Yelena’s brows furrowed. “Isn’t he basically invincible?”

“No,” snapped Tony as he browsed the initial medical report Wanda had forwarded to his tablet. “He’s got a fever, difficulty breathing, arrhythmia, lost consciousness before they even boarded the jet.”

“That’s a whole package of bad,” said Bruce while he disposed of the used bandages and prepared for Steve’s arrival. Digging through the cupboards for anything he might need and laying out an array of equipment for medical tests. “Steve hasn’t been sick since…”

“Ever. Well, since the serum.”

“I’ll pull up his old records.”

“Does uh… Have you told, you know…” Yelena asked with her index finger pointed upstairs.

“No,” said Tony.

“Then I will. I mean, it’s Steve, he should know.”

“Lena—” Bruce stopped her on the way out— “Keep him upstairs. If Steve really is in such a bad shape then I can’t be dealing with ruckus down here, you understand?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

The quinjet landed outside as Yelena rushed upstairs to inform Bucky, and do what she could to keep him calm. Not the easiest task but with Sam’s help, and Thor’s threat of knocking him out should he need to, Bucky relented eventually. Marching outside to draw in some much needed fresh air and hating the hour that dragged on while they waited for news, good or bad.

“Stop staring,” Wanda hissed when she caught Sam repeatedly looking back and forth between Bucky and Yelena.

Sam tilted and shook his head, sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest. “I can’t help it. I know what Nat told us but…”

“I know.”

“They’re almost more like siblings or something, not father and daughter. Like aren’t they kinda close to the same age?”

“In a sense. This is what’s on your mind right now?”

“Can’t think about the other stuff. Cap’s…”

Wanda merely closed her eyes and nodded. They all shared the same concerns but no one wanted to broach the subject, not until there was any news. Not until they knew more, and knew whether to grieve or breathe a sigh of relief.

“So, do you have any other powers besides that frosty trick you pulled?” Thor asked Yelena when she handed him a beer.

She shrugged. “Super strength. Not as strong as Steve but probably strong enough to bruise you.”

“Ouch.” A meager grin curled Thor’s lips and he recalled how eager she’d been to escape his presence when he’d first arrived. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“I don’t know you.”

“Loki hasn’t mentioned me?”

“He has, doesn’t mean I know you, and you don’t know me. There’s no hidden meaning to my mention of bruising you, only that you’re not easy to dent.” Yelena forced a polite smile and stepped away.

Looking for anywhere else to turn but the sofa was occupied by two strangers who kept staring in her direction, and Thor lingered against the kitchen island. The others were downstairs tending to Steve and the patio had Bucky pacing.

If she were an uncomplicated person she’d go out there and offer him words of comfort, a kind touch. Something to soothe his worries and her own, but would he even accept as much? She’d noticed too how alike they were and were the roles reversed, she’d find comfort only in solitude.

Heavy footfalls trudging up the stairs broke her train of thought, and when she saw Natasha and Tony appear, Yelena rapped her knuckles against the window to call Bucky inside.

“He’s stable for now,” were the first words Tony shared, understanding the biggest concern in everyone’s mind. “We’re treating his various symptoms and while there is no significant improvement in his condition, it hasn’t gotten worse either.”

“Do you know what caused this?” asked Wanda.

“No, but when we moved him onto the examination table, a dart fell from his pocket. It carries traces of the same unknown substance Bruce found coursing through Steve’s veins, he’s analyzing it right now.”

“It’s got to be some kind of virus designed to counter the super soldier serum,” Natasha theorized as she replayed everything in her mind. “He lost his strength, became sick, showed signs of asthma. He used to be asthmatic as a kid, right?”

Her eyes met Bucky’s and the latter nodded. “There were more than a dozen reasons why the army wouldn’t take him, his asthma was only one of them.”

“But is that even possible? A way to counter the effects of the serum? Surely Bruce would have discovered it already, he does nothing but research all this… whatever, mutation, mumbo jumbo, serum stuff,” Sam argued but Yelena tuned him out.

A chill ran down her spine as the only logical conclusion formed in her mind and drew a straight line into her past. Back to the people who’d sought to suppress her gifts, once upon a time. The ones she suspected were responsible for the recent attacks and Vision’s disappearance.

“It is possible, if this is them,” she uttered, her voice quiet and hesitant but Tony heard.

“Them, who?”

“The symbol in the woods and on the coin. The name embedded in the virus’ coding—Medusa.” Yelena turned around and faced Bucky. “Remember what I told you, how they were looking for ways to dampen my powers?”

“But you said they used restraints, as in cuffs and other implements or did you mean…”

“They did, but what if they’ve spent all these past years in hiding perfecting their method? Taking it to the next level?”

“Okay, hold up.” Tony wedged himself between the two and narrowed his eyes on Yelena. “Seems we’ve missed something here. Who or what is Medusa and what do you know?”

Yelena swallowed back a sigh. She’d have to open up now, not for her own sake but because the answers concerning Steve’s current condition could be rooted in her past.

“You’d best call Bruce up here as well, I’ll only go over this once.”

Chapter Text

— 21: Time to Tell —

“I wasn’t exactly obedient or cooperative after they killed my mother and brought me back to the facility…” Yelena began.

She sat down and took care to avoid making eye contact with those surrounding so she could prepare to tell the whole story. More than the summary she’d offered weeks earlier.

The advice Bucky had given sat fresh in her mind and perhaps there could be a benefit to sharing. Of course, she could have done so one on one with whomever of her choosing but telling the whole group at once, she figured, would spare her from having to rehash each detail again in the future.

“During my second week there, a woman visited. She must have been in her early twenties. Beautiful. Long, blonde hair and these intense green eyes. I would have believed it if she’d claimed to be a fairytale princess or wood nymph.” She felt foolish recounting the child-like admiration she’d once held for Medusa.

“Despite my circumstances, or perhaps because of them, I took a liking to her instantly. She acted as though she truly cared about me. Bathed me, brought me clean clothes. Brushed and braided my hair, held me and read to me from storybooks. Stuff my mother used to do and it was comforting, I felt safe with her. My only friend in a dank, underground facility filled with men and military forces.”

A green shimmer danced in Yelena’s peripheral vision and though he could not be seen, she felt Loki’s presence near her. Listening, watching, and she almost smiled realizing he had kept his promise, in his own way.

“She didn’t live there but she would visit often. Share meals with me, read to me, assist with any assignments I’d been given. Never gave me a name so I called her Madam Hydra, a title that should have reminded me always of who she was and worked for but I failed to keep my guard up around her.”

Natasha touched her shoulder briefly. “You were a child.”

“Yes, well…” Kind words but any sign of sympathy might break her before she ever got to the most important, and worst, parts so Yelena shrugged them off.

“She was my friend, or so I believed. The education and training Hydra provided could be brutal and intense but her visits made them bearable. I knew if I did well and listened, she’d stop by, and she always did. Bringing books, candy, cuddle toys. She liked telling me about her favorite mythological creatures hence… Medusa, a heroic icon in her eyes. A name she’d later adopt for herself but to me, she always remained Madam Hydra.

“Anyway, training became more intense as the years went by. Physical workouts were replaced by combat training. Learning how to use my fists, wield a knife, fire a gun. For my graduation, I was tasked with ending the life of a prisoner who’d tried to escape.”

Unwittingly, Yelena glanced down at her hands. Steady and calm, no sign of weakness even if the memory left her reviled.

“I took the quick and painless approach, snapped his neck. I heard the bones crack and felt the resonance in my hands… it burst the bubble I’d been living in. The lie that if I obeyed, followed orders, and trusted in Madam Hydra’s care that somehow everything would be alright. That I could live that life—I couldn’t.”

She blew out a small exhale and frowned. “Afterward, Madam Hydra held me. Said it was inevitable and we had to do what was necessary for the cause. That she was proud of me and that I was essential in reshaping the world. To protect it. I remember smiling, nodding and agreeing even as I set my mind to planning my escape.”

Determined not to meet Bucky’s eyes, Yelena concentrated on her shoes. Grumbling internally when she noticed a spot of dirt on the white of her sneakers and she leaned forward to wipe it off

“It took a few more years but I did escape and… well, you know the rest,” she muttered, skipping over the details everyone knew. The ones she didn’t want to waste her breath on yet again.

“When I woke up in the medical ward in Germany, everything had changed. They allowed me to recover fully, only to mark me with fresh injuries once I’d healed. Madam Hydra was no longer my friend and stood by as they beat me bloody for hours on end.

“I was kept in a small, six-by-six cell. No bars, no windows, no bed. Just a dirty mattress and no way of relieving myself or washing up. They’d retrieve me every morning, strip me, and hose me down in the yard before escorting me to the interrogation chambers in nothing but a prisoner’s uniform.”

One corner of her mouth inched up and she let out a wry chuckle. “I guess they were worried I’d been talking to the wrong people during my years of freedom. Perhaps told anyone about Hydra so they wanted to know what I’d done, where I’d been, where I’d worked, who my friends had been during that time.

“Of course there was nothing much to tell, I’d kept to myself, but they refused to believe as much or simply didn’t want to. Any excuse for another beating until one day, Madam Hydra intervened. She removed the chains I’d been kept in and brought me to… well, what I assume was her room whenever she stayed at the facility.”

Yelena sucked in a deep breath and cursed the slight tremor in her left hand. Folding both in her lap to keep them still before she continued.

“At that moment, she was my savior again. The one person who’d treated me with care and consideration in the past. She let me bathe, dress in normal clothing, and did my hair. For the first time in weeks, I felt like a human being again and like an idiot, I thought the worst was behind me then so I didn’t realize she was merely changing tactics.

“She started complimenting me on my looks, the beautiful young woman I’d become and said it was time to complete my training. That as women, we were blessed with an additional skill set to exploit the weakness of men. That it was time I learned how to use that to my advantage. I didn’t understand what she meant until she called one of the soldiers into the room and told him to, quote, get it over with.”

Flashbacks to a room too bright, clean, and majestic for the horror that took place played out in Yelena’s mind. The taste of blood lingered on her tongue as she remembered the struggle she’d lost, too weakened from weeks of abuse and malnourishment. The betrayal of the woman who’d stood by and watched, casually puffing on her cigarette, stung in her heart once more.

Yelena shook her head slightly, trying to push those memories back down. There was no point dwelling on the past and the only thing the team needed to understand was the depth of Medusa’s depravity. How she would stop at nothing and knew no limits. That she had no moral code.

Still staring at her own hands, Yelena missed the way everyone around her fought their own instinctive reaction to her story. To let her continue, but she did feel a faint, coolness brush along her shoulders and took comfort in Loki’s presence before she carried on.

“There was no real training involved, only a new level of torture. I passed out and when I woke up, my body hurt in places it never had before. I remember wanting to cry but I couldn’t, nothing came out, and then I caught a pair of blue eyes observing me. Gerard’s eyes.”

Could the mad scientist with his charming but deceptive smile still be around? Was there any chance he had perfected the methods and formulas once used on her?

“Considering my surroundings, the examination table I was on, I thought him to be a doctor at first which… well, he was, just not the kind I’d hoped for. A biochemist and engineer, and while others had always sought to recreate the super-soldier serum, he was more interested in finding ways to suppress all forms of genetic enhancement.

“After introducing himself, he fit me with a collar around my neck. I’m not sure what was supposed to happen, something about energy pulses that were meant to attack specific cells in my body…” For the first time, Yelena looked up and met Bruce’s eyes.

He’d started taking notes and nodded, a confirmation that whatever science went beyond her made sense. It brought the briefest of smiles to her face, a spark of hope that perhaps something good could come from sharing her story.

“It did nothing to suppress my strength,” Yelena told them. “It was painful, unpleasant, left me with burn marks on my skin but otherwise did nothing. The next day, already on to his next experiment, Gerard had me strapped to a table and angled it upright, placing me in front of some sort of machine for radiation treatment. All I remember is excruciating agony and passing out.

“When that didn’t work, I was cuffed and collared once more. These new restraints sent shockwaves through my body at timed intervals which hurt but, compared to the other methods, was the most pleasant one.”

Yelena reached for the glass of water sitting on the table. Parched and her throat raw from the monologue she was dying to bring to an end.

“Of course, curing me wasn’t his only task. My escape proved they needed a way to control me, to force my loyalty to the cause so any time Gerard wasn’t taking blood samples or testing his toys on me, I was subjected to electroshock therapy. Fried my brain often enough and caused lengthy blackouts but I never fell under their control.

“When restraints and machines did nothing to cure or control me, Gerard resorted to other methods. He started injecting me with stuff from all sorts of different vials, and…” Flashing Bruce an apologetic and somewhat disappointed glance, she added, “I never read the labels, and he never explained. I have no idea what was in them but they had the worst effects yet.

“I became ill. Violently ill, and I’d never been sick before. High fever, couldn’t keep a thing down, cold sweats. Nightmares and hallucinations, and such fatigue in my body that it actually hurt. I have no idea how many days and nights passed while I went through this.”

There were gaps in her memory caused by days of blackouts, the time frame in her mind muddled, and Yelena massaged her temples. “Eventually the fever wore off and to Gerard’s dismay, my strength returned the same as it had always been. His serum had muted my powers for a short period but it was no cure.

“He continued his efforts and injected me with various serums, some worse than others. One left my entire body paralyzed, another had me screaming through the night and clawing at my own skin to make the itching stop. None of them ever did what he wanted.”

Upon hearing this, another spoke up at last and Tony asked, “Does that mean Steve’s condition may not be permanent?”

“Possibly. I have no idea whether he ever succeeded in creating a lasting cure, what he got up to after they put me in cryostasis.”

“Right, of course. Continue.”

Yelena sunk back into the couch cushions and recalled, “All of my days started blending together and, whether due to the experiments or the constant abuse, I decided to stop resisting. Instructed myself to start saying yes, nod my head, and follow orders. Resume my training from years earlier and prepare for new missions. All the while looking for any opportunity to escape once more.

“I thought I found it in the soldier who’d uhm… you know, that first time.” She waved her hand about as if swatting away the words she didn’t want to say out loud. “It didn’t stay with that first time and I adapted. Worked my body with his rather than resist the inevitable…”

Shame clawed at her skin and burned underneath her cheeks, and Yelena was quick to defend herself by adding, “It was a matter of survival and I hated every second of it.”

She didn’t need to explain. No one in the room judged her and Natasha’s expression was filled with understanding but Yelena didn’t notice, too caught up in her own retelling.

“It turns out, Madam Hydra was right. The soldier, Crossbones, as he was known around the base, took my cooperation for enjoyment and mutual desire. He became careless and created the opportunity I’d been looking for.

“One day, he insisted we be partnered up and brought me along on a field mission. We were on a rooftop waiting for a supply truck when Bones put his hands on me again, wanting to kill time and I let him. Until he became lost in the moment and I grabbed his discarded utility belt. Wrapped it around his neck, choked him out, fought him off and got away.”

She ran an idle hand through her hair and sighed. “I’d never tried to fight him before because we’d always been at the base, there’d been no point but this time we were out in the open and hours away from the nearest Hydra outpost. I jumped several stories down the side of the building and ran toward the van we’d driven there. No keys but I knew how to hotwire a car.

“Almost had it when one of the other soldiers caught up to me and grabbed my leg, yanked me out of the driver’s seat and shot me with… something, a substance. I still don’t know what it was but I lost sight of my surroundings fast and woke up much later, back at Gerard’s lab.”

After taking another sip from her water, Yelena scolded her own stupidity, “I should have kept running rather than go for the van, but at least it got rid of Bones. I heard Madam Hydra gave him hell and he was reassigned overseas.

“Gerard shelved his experiments and, at Medusa’s orders, tried again to recondition my mind—it didn’t take. I don’t know why but I heard them argue once that the technique was flawed because the instructions left behind in some guy’s journal were incomplete.”

Yelena blew out a deep exhale now that she’d arrived at the end of her story. “I suppose, after all that, they decided I was more hassle than I was worth if they couldn’t force my loyalty one way or another. That’s when they rolled the stasis chamber into the lab and subdued me, and the next time I woke up…”

She looked over at Tony and he met her with a touch of humor. “From one nightmare into the next, huh?”

“So what you’re saying is…” Bruce re-read his notes. “They didn’t try and enhance your powers further—they were trying to suppress or eliminate them?”

“Yep, and in the process achieved the opposite, giving me new powers instead,” said Yelena. “Go figure, huh?”

“Curious…” he mused. “That means Gerard believed the baseline agent used to create physical enhancement could also take it away. It’s an interesting concept.”

“Interesting? It didn’t work, they only made her more powerful in the end,” Tony pointed out, “how exactly is that helpful? That scientist sounds like an idiot. He couldn’t even recreate Zola’s reconditioning therapy.”

“Zola, that’s him! That’s who’s journal they were talking about!” Yelena confirmed upon hearing the name.

“What Zola did to Barnes went far beyond electroshock therapy which even in today’s world isn’t always successful,” Bruce explained and he shifted from having listened intently to processing a dozen new ideas in his mind. “But this gives me something to work with and it means there’s a chance Steve will recover on his own.”

Trying to follow along with his thinking, Natasha argued, “That is if Gerard never perfected his method. Lena fell ill, same as Steve has now, but she never regressed to any previous state of being. Right?”

“Because she was born with her enhancement, there was no previous state of being.”

“Exactly, so all the cure did was make her ill, but Steve wasn’t born with his so it’s not the same and we shouldn’t assume he’ll recover just because she did.”

“Of course I’m not assuming. I said there’s a chance but in the meantime, I will spend every second working on an antidote,” Bruce promised and he took Natasha’s hands, realizing her argumentative reaction stemmed from a place of concern for Steve.

No one else had much to say. Thor, Sam, and Wanda—the science of it all went over their heads and Bucky had become too occupied with his own internal struggle. Trying to digest everything Yelena had shared while attempting to keep his ever-growing sense of guilt at bay.

‘I blame you for everything I went through after you dragged me back there,’ her words from the previous day rang fresh in his mind and though she’d insisted that she shouldn’t hold him responsible, that it wouldn’t be right, he knew a part of her did.

He held himself responsible too and muttered a quick apology before walking out.

“Uhm, so…” Wanda broke her silence at last and sat down next to Yelena. “If you believe this Madam Hydra is behind this, what would she want with Vision?”

“She once said the existence of enhanced individuals, powerful beings, would bring the deadliest war known to man right to our doorstep. With me, she tried to strip me of my powers. From what I understand, Vision is his power so… I mean, all I’ve got is speculation but, nothing good and we should focus on finding him before it’s too late.”

Chapter Text

— 22: Just For Tonight —

“I can’t believe Thor never noticed your presence,” said Yelena the very second she made it to her room, knowing Loki had followed her.

After sharing her story and answering Wanda’s question, she’d excused herself with a need for privacy. A moment to catch her breath, to shake free of all the memories she’d revived. Time alone with her thoughts and every trauma she’d kept suppressed until today.

Well, not entirely alone. The emerald-hued shimmer which had lingered in her presence transformed into the flesh and blood form of Loki and he flashed her a playful smirk.

“My brother’s always been a little dense.”

Though she’d previously resisted the urge to seek physical comfort, this time Yelena took Loki by surprise when she flung her left arm around him. A cheek buried against his shoulder and she sighed, “Thank you.”

“What for?” His brows knitted together in confusion, even as he reciprocated the gesture and embraced her.

“You kept your promise, you came back, despite Thor’s orders. Why?”

“Boredom. This strange and sudden urge to defy his command which is just so unlike me.”

“Loki.” Yelena couldn’t help but smile. “I’m glad you’re here, I just don’t want you to get into any trouble. Based on what you’ve told me, things seem good between you guys right now.”

“You needed me,” Loki admitted, his lighthearted demeanor replaced by sincerity, “and I have something I want to share with you.” A black velvet box appeared in the upturned, open palm of his hand and he urged Yelena to take it.

She slipped from his embrace and opened the box, marveling at the silvery-white flower tucked inside. “That’s… gorgeous. What is it?”

“A snjórósa. Snow rose, loosely translated. It’s native to my birth planet, Jotunheim, although I plucked this one from the royal gardens on Asgard.”

“Mm, how did it end up on Asgard?”

“The casket and I weren’t the only things Odin brought back with him after the war with the Frost Giants. He offered the snjórósa as a gift to my mother, Frigga, and she planted it in the gardens.

“On Asgard, it’s a symbol of love and devotion. A promise that one shall always return to their beloved,” Loki explained, waving the meaning off like an old wives’ tale that had no value.

There was only one purpose to the rose that mattered in his eyes. “But, for my kind, it functions as a magical conduit. To provide balance and inner peace. The books say Jotun younglings would often practice their skill with a snjórósa first.”

Yelena used great care as she took the rose between her fingers and eased it from its box. A smile rested on her face and for the moment, all her woes were left in the past where they belonged.

The delicate little petals began to glow upon her touch and grew in size. The rose blooming as it sensed the magic coursing through her veins, and lithe flakes of snow engulfed the stem and her hand in a gentle drizzle.

“I did wonder how it would respond to you,” mused Loki, half entranced as he watched her light up with joy. “The magic from my world didn’t give you your powers but like me, it does appear to react to your gift.”

“Is that why you gave this to me, as a test?” asked Yelena.

“In part, but I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t have some ulterior motive.”

An air of mystery intoned his words and Yelena quirked a brow. “Which is…?”

Loki’s open palm cupped underneath her hand and with his magic added, the rose grew several more inches. Beaming brightly while the drizzle expanded to circle the pair. Floating and dancing. A stray flake landed on Yelena’s nose as its friends faded out just before hitting the carpet and she laughed a genuine chuckle.

“Every experience you’ve had with your gift has been a negative one. I wanted you to see it can be beautiful as well,” said Loki.

Wanting to try for herself, Yelena focused her powers. A risky choice because the emotional turmoil she’d been experiencing could set off a blizzard all across the state of New York but, nothing so disastrous took place. The rose only shone brighter and began to levitate on its own, covering the pair in small flurries.

It brought her calm and balance, quite as Loki had believed. “This is… amazing. How do I look after it, make sure it doesn’t wither? I think I saw an empty vase in the kitchen—”

“The rose is magic and has bonded with you, it won’t wither. You can place it anywhere,” Loki assured her but his voice sounded distant to his own ears.

It was true that he’d only ever intended to show her the brighter side of her gift but, as he witnessed the delight on her face, he found himself unexpectedly rewarded for his efforts. Pride burgeoned in his chest—a boon to his ego—knowing her smile was of his making.

Maybe doing good wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

“Mmm.” Carrying the rose to set it down by the mirror of her vanity, Yelena couldn’t help but wonder. “How did you know I needed you, and this?”

“Heimdall.”

“Ah, of course. The watcher up above.”

Yelena spun back around and observed the man whose eyes guarded a world of secrets and mystery. The god of mischief and lies she somehow felt safe to trust. The one who should be more dangerous than anyone she’d ever met and yet, she wanted nothing more than to shelter in his embrace.

Well, not exactly nothing more. Other notions did cross her mind when she wrapped her arm around him a second time. Nestled her face against the crook of his neck and breathed him in. The feel of his skin against her own and his scent stirring urges she’d rarely experienced but understood well enough as body and instinct took over.

He smelled good. No fragrance she could identify or recognize but quite intoxicating and, most likely, otherworldly.

His jawline felt smooth against her lips when she kissed him just above the neck. Another on his cheek and the third lingered at the corner of his mouth before she whispered, “There’s one last thing I need…”

It wasn’t often that anyone managed to catch Loki off guard but he stood perplexed. To say he’d never thought of her in that way would be a lie—he’d even attempted to suggest it before when she’d been too distracted to notice—but she was his friend too.

His only friend and one who’d just detailed the horrors of her past for all to hear. Who’d been going through a whirlwind of emotions and the last thing he wanted was to risk their connection in pursuit of lust and temporary sedation.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked and cupped her cheek, letting his thumb brush her bottom lip. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“I’m not some fragile, broken thing, Loki.” Yelena leaned in, lips parted to wrap around the padding of his thumb. Sucking playfully before she added, “I want this and I want it with you. Just this, no other expectations.”

All he could manage was a groan as his desires awakened, and the devious glint in her eyes, peering up at him from under her lashes, was all the convincing he needed.

“A little fragile and broken,” Loki pointed out, a grin on his face and he let his free hand play with the fabric of her sling. “Is this going to be an issue?”

Amused, she let his thumb slip from her mouth. “That depends on how rough you wanna get.”

“Oh, you have no idea what—”

Yelena didn’t care for further teasing and flirts—she ached to feel it. Cutting off his words, she fisted the collar of his jacket and pulled him in, her lips crashing onto his mouth. She began urging him toward her bed, hips nudging against his thigh, her body wound tight with desperate need.

They were the sheets they’d spent many a night on before but this time would be different. No talk of heartaches, mistakes made, and pasts best forgotten—she needed fresh memories. Ones she might actually want to hold on to, and Loki was more than happy to oblige.

Allowing her to take the lead while she shoved him back onto the mattress. Watching as she rid herself of her sling and the unflattering Stark Industries sweatshirt she’d been wearing. Revealing a torso marred by scars but each one a sign of strength.

Along with a faded pair of jeans, she dropped all the worries that had held her in their grasp from the moment she’d been freed from cryostasis. Time to forget and just live a little. A night to remember she was more than a soldier but a woman with needs like any other human being.

In nothing but her underwear, she straddled Loki’s hips and began working the intricacies of his jacket with little patience. Muttering to herself about alien fashion and finicky fastenings.

“If you’re so keen, I could just…” His eyes twinkled and the layers of clothing covering his upper body disappeared.

“Mmm, much better.”

The leather of his trousers brushed her inner thighs when she leaned in to explore the man—the god—at her fingertips. Yelena breathed him in, lips skimming from his throat down toward his chest, nails dragging across his skin. A small hiss pushed past his teeth when hers scraped one of his nipples and she smirked.

There was something intoxicating to being in charge. Free to discover the workings of his body, finding different ways to elicit a pleasurable response. Driving her own hunger to new heights until she couldn’t take it anymore.

Without even bothering to undress further, she unzipped him and freed what she desired most of all from its confinements. Hooking her underwear to the side and within seconds, the first sighs of relief and satisfaction escaped her lips as he filled her.

“Fuck...” Yelena closed her eyes and stilled.

Each of her nerves alight with sensations she was no longer used to but wished to savor. Every pulse and every twitch echoing in her core, and Loki resisted the urge to thrust. Letting her have the power, letting her dictate their pace, and understanding that she needed to do this her way.

When she finally began rolling her hips, he made sure to meet her every demand. She sought his lips out once more and he welcomed her tongue. He swallowed the moans that rumbled up her throat and groaned in response. She brought his hand down between her thighs and he followed her instructions well.

It didn’t take long for Yelena to peak. Long suppressed and pent up desires tearing their way through her body, forcing her release sooner than she’d expected or wanted but Loki leered at her with delight. Kissed away any concern she might have had about beating him to the finish line.

“My turn now.” Something in his eyes darkened as he held her to him and whispered, “Do you trust me?”

Seconds passed before she responded. Panting still, struggling to find her voice, but with her lips curled into a sated smile. “We wouldn’t be sitting here like this if I didn’t.”

“So if I wanted to play things my way…”

“Just for tonight, I’m all yours.”

That was his cue to switch into the role he preferred most. His turn to explore every dip and curve of her body, and know her more intimately than ever before. To ease her onto the soft sheets and discard the last of their clothing before climbing on top of the woman still basking in the afterglow of her climax. To claim a prize he hadn’t been vying for but one he eagerly wished to exhaust.

Chapter Text

— 23: A Step Forward —

Morning came and Loki was gone. Back to Asgard to resume his royal duties while Yelena wandered the lakehouse alone. It was still early, daybreak casting a warm hue through the windows, and she smiled.

Something had changed.

She felt lighter. As if coming up for air after drowning for so long. Whether through Loki’s multiple surprises, or the weight she’d dropped from her shoulders by finally opening up, it didn’t matter. She’d embrace this feeling, knowing only too well it rarely lasted.

Careful not to make a sound, she tip-toed down the stairs to the medical ward. There was something she needed for herself and, despite their recent falling out, she did worry about Steve. He didn’t deserve what Medusa had done to him, no one did, and Yelena could only hope the serum’s effects would wear off soon.

She held her step at the door and peered inside through the small, circular window. Bucky sat at Steve’s bedside—precisely as she’d expected. Hunched over and with his back to the door, no doubt lost in deep thought and exhausted. Too preoccupied to see Yelena and her hesitation before she turned away.

Back up the stairs and headed for the kitchen where she started a fresh pot of coffee. Working on impulse to prepare breakfast, and treating herself to some buttered toast as she waited for the bacon to crispen in the oven. Wielding a spatula in her other hand to scramble two eggs to a perfect, fluffy pile of curds.

It was an impulse she would have ignored only yesterday but something had to give. Her perspective needed to change and though Yelena wasn’t certain whether it ever could, it was time she at least tried.

Armed with a loaded tray, she returned to the medical ward and slipped inside. Bucky hardly noticed her, not until she cleared her throat and put the breakfast tray in his hands.

“Oh. I’m uh… not all that hungry,” he attempted to excuse. Torn between flashing her an apologetic smile and keeping his eyes on Steve.

Stubborn and playing things on the tough side, of course he would be. Were she in his position, she might’ve reacted the same way but Yelena didn’t love Steve the way Bucky did so common sense prevailed.

“Don’t. Neglecting yourself isn’t going to help him get better. Eat.” She left no room for arguing, and further protests died on Bucky’s tongue when he caught her hard-nosed glare.

“Thanks.”

“Mhm.” The monitor tacked onto the foot end caught her attention but the numbers told her very little so she rounded the hospital bed to put a hand over Steve’s forehead. “Has there been any change?”

Fever still held him in its grasp and he mumbled incoherently. A dream or nightmare keeping him tethered to a subconscious life, and Yelena took the cold washcloth from his bedside table to dab at the sweat rolling down his temples.

“None,” said Bucky before he swallowed a piece of bacon down with a few sips of coffee. “He did have one violent episode, brought on by the fever according to Banner. We had to strap him down to make sure he wouldn’t end up hurting himself. It’s…”

His brows knitted together and he took a deep breath. “I’ve known him all my life. I knew him when he was still a boy, before the serum, and every time he got sick. I’ve sat at his bedside before but it has never been this bad.”

“He’ll get through this, one way or another.” Yelena stepped back and opened up one of the medicine cabinets.

Pretending to peruse its contents with nothing more than sheer curiosity while covertly pocketing the items she needed. Just a few things to make sure last night’s endeavors wouldn’t lead to any inconvenient consequences, and to keep herself protected should it ever happen again.

Bucky was oblivious, his focus split between devouring his breakfast at rapid speed and watching Steve. Hoping for sudden, miraculous improvement. “Do you really think so?”

“I refuse to believe otherwise.”

“How long did it take you to recover after being injected with one of those concoctions?”

“It’s a little fuzzy. The first time was definitely the worst, and I think it took the longest. The last time, best as I can remember, it only took a few days.”

“Hmm.” After forking the last of the scrambled eggs into his mouth, Bucky tilted his head slightly to observe the woman he had so much, and yet so little, history with.

Steve’s terrifying condition hadn’t been the only thing that had kept him up through the night—he struggled to process everything Yelena had told the group. Unable to stop his own spiral of guilt, to the point he’d even scolded himself for being so careless in the way he’d loved Sofya. Bringing a child into the world who’d been doomed before ever drawing her first breath.

“Can I… Would you let me ap—”

“No,” Yelena cut him off the second she realized what he was about to say. She’d seen his mind busy at work, fighting for words, behind the distant look in his eyes. “I’m trying to… I want to try and see you as two separate identities so please don’t apologize for the things the soldier did.”

She walked over to the sink, poured herself a glass of water, and swallowed back a pill that might as well have been aspirin for all Bucky knew.

“I know you want to, and I appreciate the sentiment but…” Yelena blew out a sigh and managed a meager smile. “I’m kinda sick of living in the past, or by my past. Aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but it’s not easily forgotten,” Bucky admitted.

“Small steps.”

He gave a slight nod and glanced at the now empty breakfast tray she’d brought him. “Small steps.”

“Why don’t you go up, have a shower, get a change of clothes. Maybe breathe in some fresh air and I’ll sit with Steve.”

“I’d rather not—” Again he tried to protest but he was quickly met by the same glare as before and relented, pushing his chair back to get up. “You’ll let me know if anything changes?”

“Count on it.”

“Thanks.” Unsure of what more to say, Bucky left but not before casting a final glance at his best friend, right as the door closed behind him.

Yelena waited to see whether he’d return but when heavy footsteps faded into the distance, she took the empty seat he’d left behind. Her hand closed around Steve’s and she blew out a staggered sigh.

“I know this will sound a bit selfish but I’d rather you didn’t die before I’ve had the chance to accept your apology, and I’m not going to accept it until you wake up so…” she muttered, unsure of what else to say while she toyed with various musings.

“And Bucky needs you, I think. I’m trying to give him a chance which isn’t exactly easy, I still feel the urge to duck at the slightest movement he makes, but I’m also worried. I don’t know who he’ll be or what he’ll do if you don’t make it through this. I guess that’s a little selfish too but there’s a lot going on and we need you.”

A past conversation she’d had with Steve surfaced in her mind and she smiled. “And by you, I mean Steve, not Captain America. I know you’ve been waiting but there’s a future out there for you and there are a lot of people who care about you. Even Tony’s worried. You do have family and a life…

“I suppose I do too. You know, I wasn’t entirely honest with you before. I’m accustomed to being alone and getting by on my own but… sometimes I do miss people. Having dinner with everyone the other day, despite the circumstances, it was kinda nice.”

She paused and watched Steve closely for any kind of reaction, the smallest twitch or indication that he could actually hear what she had to say but nothing came. “And I am sorry, for hitting you. I know you meant well but I have a lifetime of people earning and betraying my trust, and I felt so comfortable with you at first… safe even, so it stung when I uncovered the truth. Like you were no different than she used to be.

“Medusa I mean, Madame Hydra. Not that you know who that is…”

A few grunts and groans pushed past Steve’s gritted teeth, his fists balling and he shook his head from side to side. Trapped in his own world and Yelena felt powerless sitting by his side, talking and having nothing else to offer until an idea took root in her mind.

Momentary hesitation kept her glued to her seat before she got up. Eyeing the door for a split second to make sure no one else was around before she climbed into the hospital bed to lay at Steve’s side.

A hand hovering just above his chest and she closed her eyes, building and guiding her focus to let the smallest and coolest of touches caress him. “Don’t tell anyone, okay, and I’ll try not to turn you into a popsicle,” Yelena whispered as she concentrated.

She spent the next hour trying to bring Steve’s fever down with little tinges of her magic and the temperature of her own body. Offering soothing words to counter his distressed mutterings and reminding him that he’d be okay. Insistently so because that’s what she needed to believe too, and because she couldn’t stand to see him suffer the way she once had.

It wasn’t until Bruce arrived that she swiftly jumped from the bed and back into her seat—an instinctive response lest anyone see her gentler side. She feigned a mask of indifference and after a brief exchange of polite greetings, left to go upstairs where others already waited.

“I can’t sit here waiting for you to come up with a plan!” Wanda argued, her index finger poking at Tony’s chest. “We need to find Vis, I need to be out there looking for him!”

“So what do you want to do? Fly around the world looking for him in every nook and cranny?” Came Tony’s response, heavy exasperation in his voice.

“We should start in Europe,” Yelena made her presence known and pushed forward into the crowd. Playing with Tony’s display console to bring up a map. “I can pinpoint every Hydra base I was ever made aware of, and Bucky can add whichever ones I’m missing.”

“Uh, wouldn’t it be rather stupid of them to go back to any of those places?” asked Sam.

“It would, but we’re all creatures of habit too. There used to be nine locations in Germany, two in France and Austria, seven in Russia, then one in the Netherlands, Belgium, England, and Ireland. Vision was taken in Ireland and it would make sense they’d stay within the continent rather than export him halfway across the world."

Natasha observed all the locations Yelena had highlighted and offered her own thoughts, “That’s what I would do. Less risk of attracting unwanted attention that way and it would minimize any opportunity for an escape.”

“Exactly.” Yelena nodded and addressed Tony, “Were any of these locations cleared out when you exposed Hydra years back?”

“A few.” He took out his stylus pen and circled the ones that had been searched in the past. “We confiscated everything they had so let’s save those for last.”

“Then I suggest we start with…” Taking the pen from him, Yelena highlighted several other secret bunkers. “These two in Germany, and the other one in Russia. Someone should probably check back at the Siberia location too, just to be on the safe side.”

“I can take that one,” Bucky offered but he was met with immediate contention from Tony’s end.

“Who says you’re coming with us? I still don’t trust—”

“They just took out my best friend. You don’t have to trust me, just trust that I want to make those responsible pay,” Bucky defended himself—Tony wasn’t going to brush him aside this time. “Trust that I'm doing this for Steve.”

“Which makes you no more than a hot-headed—”

“He’s coming with us,” Yelena intervened to the surprise of a few. “He and I know their operations inside out, we’re familiar with most of these bases. We were Hydra, remember?”

“Yeah, I’m all too aware which is exactly why I—” Tony argued but found himself cut off once more.

“We’re in no position to turn down a helping hand,” Yelena insisted. “We can split up into two teams so you won’t have to deal with him.”

“Well, look at you taking charge.” There was a slight, playful undertone to Tony’s comment, his resentment from moments ago dissipating. “Fine then, Frosty. Assign the teams.”

“I’d say Sam, Wanda, and Natasha join Bucky—they have history and get along—and they’ll head to Siberia first. You, me, Rhodes and Thor head to Germany. Fair balance, no?”

Natasha smiled, having counted the odd man out. “I suppose that puts Bruce on babysitting duty once more?”

“Seems best. Someone needs to stay with Steve, who better?”

Tony copied the data from the map over to his tablet and clapped his hands together. “Alright, you heard the new kid. Gather what you need and suit up, be ready to leave in an hour.”

Chapter Text

— 24: Team A —

“Yep, okay, never ever doing that again,” Tony grumbled and stood uneasy on his feet after Thor had utilized the Bifrost to transport them to Germany.

The urge to hurl rose in his throat but he managed to hold back. “From now on, I’m flying.”

“You and me both,” uttered Rhodes, eyeing just as queasy as he clutched his stomach.

Only Yelena and Thor seemed unaffected, and the former shrugged. “I thought it was kind of exciting, and definitely a lot faster than flying at any speed.”

Thor bellied a chuckle. “Is this the place?”

“Close enough, the building is just over that hill.” Turning around, Yelena indicated past a set of trees at a snow-covered slope. “We should be careful not to trigger any perimeter scanners, assuming they’re active.”

“I’ve got that covered.” Rhodes activated the sensors in his helmet and took off from the ground. “Meet me at the gates after I’ve given the all-clear sign.”

Engaging the thrusters on his suit, Tony followed and left Yelena and Thor behind to trudge through inches of snow. Unexpectedly sinking lower in places where the ground was uneven, but Yelena marched on. Not stopping until she reached the treeline and trying hard to ignore Thor’s continued attempts at making eye contact.

“Is this a strange endeavor for you?” he asked once they halted their step.

“Please clarify.”

“To be working alongside us, rather than against us.”

“That’s assuming working for Hydra was ever my decision—it wasn’t. I made that clear yesterday.”

“Right, of course,” Thor excused himself with an awkward grimace. “But it must still be strange, yes?”

“Working with someone like you is, but getting to do some good for once actually feels nice.” Yelena leaned back against the trunk of a tree and folded her arms before her. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I’m just being curious and making polite conversation,” he put up a front that Yelena wasn’t buying, and she narrowed a keen eye on the god.

“No. I think what you’d really like to know is how your brother feels about assisting me and the team but you won’t ask him because you know you’d never get a straight answer, so you’re fishing with me instead.”

Thor stuttered a little, taken aback by her direct approach, before finding his words. “You are observant, and you are correct. I would like to know how Loki feels about lending aid opposed to destruction.”

“I’m not going to be the middle person in whatever stuff is between you and him, and I can’t speak for him.”

“No, I’m sorry, and I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

“What I can say is… Loki’s been nothing short of wonderful. I wouldn’t be standing here right now had he not supported me, and worked with me to train my powers, as he has. His methods are…”

“Crude and unusual?”

Yelena flashed an almost fond smile. “Perhaps. Yes, he did anger me on one or two occasions but his method was also on point. I don’t think coddling and gentle steps would have helped me quite as much.”

Static crackled in her ears and Thor’s before Tony interrupted their conversation, “We’re good, security has been disabled. Come along, children.”

“Children,” scoffed Thor in lighthearted fashion as his boots carved out a deep, grooved path through the snow for Yelena to follow. “You are mere sucklings compared to me.”

Rhodes’ confusion could be heard over their comms. “Sucklings, what? Did he just compare us to animals?”

“No, sucklings. You know, like babes.”

“Babies, infants,” Yelena corrected. Marching behind Thor while she double checked her guns were loaded.

Magical powers or not, if there was to be a fight she’d first resort to old methods. Those which felt most natural and comfortable, and she figured keeping her special gift a secret from the enemy might work to her benefit later on.

“Coulda just said that,” Rhodes bemoaned with an exasperated, and utterly fake, sigh. “You know we mostly use that term here for pigs. Pigs.”

“Is this what you guys are like any time you’re out on a mission? So much chatter.” Yelena shook her head, not used to this level of banter on the job.

“Always, Frosty, and hurry up,” Tony called out.

Thor glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. “Yes, hurry along, little one. I thought you had speed?”

“Frosty, little one, snowflake. What is it with the damn nicknames?” she huffed while stomping through the snow, picking up the pace of her gait.

Rhodes couldn’t help but add, “Don’t forget about Elsa.”

“You never had a codename or call sign back in your days with Hydra?” asked Tony.

“No.” Yelena caught up to Thor and they crossed the slope’s peak. “Well, Soldat X, obviously. Monster was another and one I don’t care to ever hear again. Kitty, because of my middle name, but I don’t like that either.”

“See? Compared to those, Frosty isn’t so bad.”

“How about Blizzard?” Rhodes offered.

“Or Snow,” added Thor but his suggestion was met with a scowl from Yelena.

“Do I look like a fairytale princess that talks to woodland creatures and shacks up with seven little men, hoping to be saved by some prince?”

“Uhm, no. Why would you want to shack up with seven little men?” Thor’s thick brows furrowed, the reference alien to him, while Tony and Rhodes struggled not to laugh.

“Never you mind. Frosty will do, for now.”

They reached the gates and it only took a second for Tony to bypass the lock. A smirk hiding somewhere behind his helmet while all four of them crossed the parking lot to the back of the building.

Not wanting to be outdone by Tony and Rhodes with their fancy gadgets, Yelena placed a hand over the security panel to short circuit its systems by freezing it and unlocked the door.

“I’ve been here once before.” Yelena led them inside and stopped at an intersection of staircases. “The laboratory, cell block, storage, surgical theater, and sickbay are on a sub-level. Science, communication, weapons, and general offices on this floor. Then there’s an upper level though I’m not sure what went on up there.”

“I’m not picking up any heat signatures,” said Tony and he deactivated his helmet. “But we should split up and check every floor. See if anyone’s been here recently. Frosty, we’ll take the lower level. Rhodey, Thor, start at the top floor and we’ll meet back up on this level.”

Parting ways, Yelena hurried down the stairs with Tony following behind. The metallic clanking of his boots echoing loud into the silence. It raised the hairs in the back of her neck, and Yelena felt thankful this was no longer a covert mission. Her nerves wound somewhat tight—it was no pleasant experience revisiting these places.

Tony noticed it too when he caught the tensed expression on her face. “You made the right call,” he tried to offer some distraction.

“Hmm?” She barely looked at him, eyes scanning every room and every surface. Going from one block to the next.

“When you suggested we start here. The way you split up the teams.”

“Oh. I was surprised you let me make any calls at all.”

“You sounded confident, making decisions based on knowledge and experience. Putting the team before any personal grievances…”

“Ah, yes. Just figured it would be foolish to bench him, you know?”

“How can you—” There was something Tony wished to understand, the trick to moving on, but Yelena held up a hand to silence him.

Traces of mud trailing down the corridor, across the concrete floor, caught her eye. She crouched low and took a clump between her fingers. “Dry, but fresh… someone’s been here recently.”

The tracks led through a series of corridors, toward the laboratory where most cabinets had been opened. Several vials—some empty, others half full—lay scattered across the counter, and Yelena finally revealed why she, as the only one, had brought a backpack.

“You came prepared,” Tony commented when she unveiled a kit for storing vials and exchanged her regular gloves for latex ones.

“Bruce’s idea, might help Steve. Might help Bruce develop something to protect us all. Nat’s brought a kit with her as well.”

Careful not to spill any, Yelena sealed the half-empty vials and placed them in a tray before scouring the cabinets. Going by name and serial number to find stocked versions of the vials which had been emptied.

She took a deep breath as she zipped up her backpack, not oblivious to the question Tony had wanted to ask. “You know… it’s not easy but what other choice is there? Who’s going to suffer the most from my anger and resentment toward Bucky? I am. So for the sake of my own sanity, I’m trying to make some semblance of peace with the past.”

On her way out of the laboratory, she put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “I know there is no off-switch on the pain you feel, there isn’t for me either, but there is no winning here. There is no justice to find in this situation, only further loss.”

A hint of emotion flickered in his eyes. He nodded, a sign that he got her meaning, but said nothing else on the matter.

After surveying the remaining sub-level areas, Tony and Yelena reunited with the other two to inspect the ground level of the building. One of the computers had recently been accessed and Tony secured a copy of the harddrive—the coding similar to the virus that had set off the explosion.

They made sure to search every corner, each room, and once it became clear there were no other clues to be found, they headed back out.

“You didn’t find anything upstairs?” Tony asked Rhodes before activating his helmet.

“Nothing up there but layers of dust and a few spiders. What about you guys?”

Yelena patted her backpack. “A few samples of chemical compounds for Bruce to analyze.”

“That’s something. What else did you bring in that thing anyway?”

“A rope, flashlight, a few extra clips. Uhh, some spare batteries, protein bars, two knives, a first aid kit, and a coffee thermos.”

“You…” Rhodes gave her an incredulous look and laughed. “You have super strength and icy, magical powers—what would you need all that other stuff for?”

While Tony snorted, Yelena simply shrugged. “Never underestimate the basics. Are we ready to head to the next location?”

“Yep. Coordinates are set…” said Tony while he and Rhodes activated their thrusters. “We’ll see you there!”

They were quick to leave Thor and Yelena behind, and the former held out his hand. “Let’s drop your little science kit off back at the house first. We will still beat them to Rheinsberg.”

Chapter Text

— 25: Team B —

It was a strange experience returning to the Siberia facility. The place where one of his worst secrets had come to light. Where Tony Stark would have fought him to the death and where his daughter had been kept for god knew how long. Where he himself had spent so many years living a nightmare—not living at all.

A chill traveled down Bucky’s spine and he tried to shake the memories. “This is the place,” he told the group lined up behind him.

“I sense no life here, only terror and the dead…” Wanda kept her voice low and her guard up.

“A lot has happened here, none of it good.” Bucky broke the chain that hung looped through the door handles and headed inside.

Right behind him was Natasha, her weapon drawn despite Wanda’s conclusion. “You two search up here,” she told Sam and Wanda, “Barnes and I will take the elevator to the lower levels.”

Sam tapped his earpiece. “Stay in touch. This place is giving me the creeps.”

“Don’t worry, Sam,” teased Natasha, “according to Tony, they burned the bodies of the other five.”

“Yeah, but did he salt the place?”

Bucky flashed a slight smirk. “Didn’t take you for the superstitious kind.”

“Please. We live in a world of enhanced individuals, magic, gods, aliens—why wouldn’t I believe we might run into the ghosts of your super-soldier brethren?”

The hint of dramatics in Sam’s tone left the others chuckling though Bucky couldn’t entirely disagree. They lived in a unique world today, vastly different from the one he’d been born into back in 1917.

Dividing their small team into two, Bucky led the way to the elevators and along with Natasha, began the descent. Back to the depths of hell and for a second, those ten words that used to trigger his conditioning rang clear in his mind once more. Harmless today but no less painful.

Before long, they reached the pit. Half destroyed and exactly as he, Tony, and Steve had left it months earlier. No sign that anyone had attempted to clean up or had passed through recently.

“You guys really did a number on this place,” said Natasha, her flashlight illuminating sections drowned in shadows.

The only light in the area focused on a contraption at the very center of the room. A device Bucky was more than familiar with and it brought back more memories than he could appreciate. Contorting visions of himself strapped into the chair, followed by what his mind imagined Yelena had endured, potentially in that very same seat. Its sins of the past covered in layers of dust and sand.

“What the—” Natasha shrieked when she heard a salvo of bullets followed by a crackling and fizzling of electrical wires.

Instinctively, she ducked for cover behind a desk turned on its side, and peered around the edge in search of Bucky. Guns loaded but by the time she caught a clear view of the area, all she witnessed was Bucky re-engaging the safety on his rifle to strap it in place on his back. Smoke emitting from the chair at the center of the room where it collapsed to pieces.

A huff escaped Natasha and she emerged, “Did that help?”

Bucky merely shrugged, his expression tense. “Not as much as I would have liked.”

“What was that? Are you guys in trouble?” asked Sam.

“Retribution, or something,” Natasha answered with a slight frown lining her brows, “we’re fine, there’s nothing down here.”

“Alright. Nothing up here either, we’re moving on to the next section.”

“So are we…”

The soldier had already left. His shoulders squared, his jaw set tight, and his stride with purpose. He didn’t want to spend another minute reliving memories if he didn’t have to.

Not that he had much of a choice. Every speck of dust, every dried up spatter of blood on the walls, held a fragment of the past. Both recent and long ago.

The medical ward taunted him. In his mind, he could hear Sofya’s laughter—one of the few good things he’d ever experienced at the facility—but it drowned out against his own anguish resurfaced.

“There’s…” Natasha opened another door and held her breath when she looked inside.

Lined up along the left wall stood a single bed and next to it, a crib. Its yellowed, frilly coverings coated in a thick layer of dust. There were two small chairs, a table, faded drawings on the wall, and on the floor lay a doll that was missing one eye.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who this room had belonged to but before Natasha had a chance to spare Bucky the confrontation, he’d already gone in and picked up the doll.

Knowing what his daughter’s circumstances had been was one thing, but seeing it with his own eyes was quite another.

“How can she even bear to be in the same room with me?” A pained whisper left his lips.

Natasha put a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t do this to her and she knows that.”

“She was born in captivity, because of me. Lived the first years of her life in this room… this cell, because of me. Because of who I am… was.”

“I don’t think Yelena resents her existence or what you and Sofya had.” Brushing a finger across the doll’s face, Natasha suggested, “Why don’t you bring that with you?”

Bucky frowned and looked at the thing, wondering whether the memories it held were the good kind or just further painful reminders. “You think she’d want it?”

“I think she doesn’t have anything that is her own, that reminds her of her mother.”

“Hmm.” Despite feeling doubtful, Bucky opened up Natasha’s backpack and tucked the doll away for safekeeping. “Let’s keep moving.”

“Right behind you…” mumbled Natasha, feeling compelled to inspect everything in the room carefully.

There weren’t any visible clues and just opening the door had rendered potential shoeprints other than her own or Bucky’s indiscernible, but something nagged at her gut. Lifting the musty bedsheets revealed nothing but then Natasha reached inside the crib and dug through the bedding to find an old black and white picture. A photo of Bucky in the nineteen-thirties, with Medusa’s chosen signature printed on the back.

“Guys…” Natasha called out over her comms, “Someone’s been here.”

The ink on the back of the photo felt and looked fresh, another clue to taunt the team, and minutes later all four of them had turned everything in the room upside down. Looking for additional marks left on the crib, on the faded drawings, underneath the table, chairs, and the bed but they came up empty.

“The doll.” Bucky realized and Natasha dug through her backpack before handing it over to him.

He wiped it clean and inspected the socket of its missing eye, finding nothing until he thought to undress the thing. There, on the doll’s back, was another signature, and this one accompanied by a small phrase in Russian.

“Soon, little darling,” Bucky translated.

“Why leave these hints?” asked Wanda. “To tell us Barnes and Yelena are next?”

“I’m not liking this one bit.” Sam glanced around the room and shook his head. “It’s a scavenger hunt and we’re both the participants and the prize.”

“Starting to look that way,” Natasha agreed while she stashed the two clues into her bag. “I say we finish up here, make a pass through any section we’ve missed, and head back to the jet.”

They reached the laboratory but to Natasha’s disappointment, the place had been cleared out and given a proper cleaning years ago. The cellblocks were empty, as were Bucky’s old training grounds. He remembered the other super-soldiers he’d fought, the puppet he’d been to Hydra’s scientists, and deep loathing clawed at his skin.

If it were up to him, he’d burn the facility to the ground.

“Easily done,” said Sam when Bucky expressed those sentiments half an hour later.

They’d found no further clues and no reason to stick around much longer so Sam deployed Redwing to place remote detonate charges throughout the building.

“Trigger’s all yours man.” He handed Bucky the switch when they took to the skies.

Behind them, the Siberia facility rumbled upon detonation and shook the ground before it collapsed. It erupted in flames that sought to incinerate any shred of evidence of past atrocities that had taken place and though it could never heal Bucky’s wounds, just the faintest hint of a smile rested on his face as he witnessed the destruction.

Chapter Text

— 26: Marked & Busted —

There everything was, laid out before them on the coffee table. The doll, Bucky’s photograph, a badge with the KGB emblem, two blank covers of a United States Air Force personnel file, a children’s book about Norse Gods, a Culver University sweatshirt, a Sokovian pennant, and a newspaper clipping of Tony Stark’s disappearance in Afghanistan.

Each item marked with Medusa’s signature, and each item relating to a specific individual and their past. It was the haul they’d brought back to New York after raiding the various Hydra bases throughout the European content.

“Gonna guess the only reason we’re not seeing Steve or Vision represented here is that they’ve been hit already,” Yelena concluded. She felt sick to her stomach looking at her old doll, her first and most beloved toy, another memory defiled. “And we’re next.”

“That’s not a surprise,” said Rhodes, “The bigger question is, to what end? She mentioned a war, the deadliest known to mankind… correct?” He glanced at Yelena who nodded. “How do we know that’s not just a smokescreen?”

“We don’t, but who cares what she wants?” Sam couldn’t shake his frustration. “Whether it’s to avoid a war or get us out of the way to clear a path for herself, it doesn’t matter. She took out Cap, she has Vision, and she’s coming for the team. I’m not okay with that.”

“Yeah, I agree, but understanding her intentions might help us figure out where she is going to strike next.” Natasha looked at every item on the table. “We have targets on our backs, nothing new there, but that still doesn’t tell us where to find her.”

Though there were plenty of locations across the world to consider, only one made sense to Wanda. Resurfacing in her mind time and time again. Nagging at her gut. “Somewhere in Germany.”

“What makes you say that?” Bruce asked.

“A feeling, made stronger by facts. It is where we found most of these little souvenirs and where Medusa operated from most of the time.”

“Then that’s where I’ll start.” Tony hopped down from the kitchen counter behind them and snapped his fingers. “Nat, get me the names of everyone who escaped the Bunker and meet me in my office downstairs. Think it’s time to hack a few satellites.”

“How will that help?” Thor frowned at him.

“Come, I’ll show you,” Tony invited him along, leaving the others with idle hands.

Not that Bucky minded. He was quick to excuse himself and hurry toward the medical ward so he could check up on Steve. Taking his best friend’s hand in his own and squeezing gentler than ever while he sat down.

“It’s time for you to wake up, Steve. I’m getting kinda sick and tired of one thing after another separating us. Enough is enough, don’t you think?”

“N-not… the end…” faint murmurs reached Bucky’s ears and instilled him with the first rays of hope.

“Steve? Can you hear me? Not the end of what?”

“Of… the line… Buck…”

A smile spread across Bucky’s face, followed by a light chuckle. “No, not the end of the line, not even close. Man, you’ve given me quite a scare.”

“Mmm… dart.”

“We know, Tony found it in your pocket. You were hit with a virus of sorts designed to counter the super-soldier serum.”

“Am I…” Steve closed a hand around Bucky’s, his grip weaker than he could remember it ever being and the effort alone near drained what little energy he had. “It’s… gone. M-my strength…”

“You don’t know that,” reassured Bucky despite his own concerns. “You’ve been unconscious and sick for days, it’ll take time to recover. I should get Bruce and let him know that you’re awake.”

Letting go of Steve, Bucky rushed back up the stairs and returned less than a minute later with Bruce in tow. He waited, rather impatiently and with his eyes darting back and forth between his best friend and Bruce, while the latter administered a series of tests.

“Vitals look stable and his fever is gone. I can’t say yet what, if any, lasting effects the counter serum had but he’s on the mend, that’s a good sign.” Bruce updated Steve’s chart and then softly squeezed his shoulder. “Glad to have you back with us.”

“Thanks,” Steve muttered and tried to push himself up, wanting to sit up straight but his arms wouldn’t let him. It was frustrating but he could find solace in still being alive and somewhere safe, with his friends closeby.

“What uh…” He let out another sigh. Words were exhausting but thankfully, Bucky knew him well enough to know what he’d wanted to ask.

With Bruce filling in the occasional gap, they told Steve about the things that had happened since his trip to Ireland, and all they had uncovered. Quite a lot of information to digest all at once but it wasn’t quite everything, Steve realized by the pained expression on Bucky’s face whenever Yelena’s name was mentioned.

“Are you two... still at odds?” he asked when her name came up again. His arm reached out and Bucky helped him to sit up at last.

“It’s complicated,” said Bucky.

“That’s…. a Facebook status,” Steve tried for levity, the corner of his mouth inching up to the first signs of a real smile. “Talk to me.”

Bruce snorted and without thinking twice, he told Steve, “You know she came to visit you. I caught her lying next to you, using her cooling magic to help you combat the fever. It worked, too.”

“Wait, she did? When was this?” Bucky glanced up in surprise.

“Oh… maybe that wasn’t for me to share…” Bruce considered. “It was the morning before you all left for Europe.”

“Hm. I knew she’d been down here, she brought me breakfast. I didn’t realize she’d stayed much longer to help…”

Steve sunk into the pillows at his back and blew out a deep breath. “Mmm… good. Maybe… maybe she’s starting to… come around.”

Bucky wasn’t quite as convinced. “Perhaps.”

“I’ll uh,” Bruce meant to excuse himself to let both friends talk but he couldn’t think of anything to say. “Yeah, I’ve got nothing. I’m just gonna go back upstairs and oh, yes, I’ll give everyone else the good news.”

“Is he usually that awkward?” Bucky asked with half a grin once Bruce had left, and Steve nodded. Trying not to laugh when one memory surfaced clear as day.

“Should have seen… Nat flirting… with him…” There were plenty of examples to give but Steve lacked the energy. “But you first… how was Siberia?”

“A nightmare. I had vain hope it might offer some closure, a way to leave a small chapter of my life behind but…” The hospital bed dipped slightly when Bucky sat down across from Steve at the foot end. “It was good to see the facility blow up but I don’t feel like it changed anything.”

“Time, Buck. Give it… time.”

“Yeah. Time’s in short supply these days and a lot is happening all at once.”

“And some of it…” Steve tried flexing his muscles again but couldn’t manage. “Not fast enough…”

“You’ll get it back. Yelena recovered her strength and I have to believe you will too.”

“What if… I don’t?”

Bucky thought for a moment and shrugged. “Then you’d still be Steve. My best friend and the guy who never runs from a fight, the man you’ve always been even without the serum.”

“You think so?”

“I do. It was never the serum that made Captain America who he is. It was you.”

A genuine sentiment but Steve had to groan at the corniness of his best friend. “If I wasn’t so… tired, I’d chuck… this pillow… at your head.”

Bucky laughed and he couldn’t resist the small tease. “I can wait to see you try. Rest up, you obviously need it, old man.”

“Stay…” asked Steve while he closed his eyes for a moment. Drifting in and out of consciousness to recover small bursts of energy.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Bucky promised and once Steve had fallen back to sleep, he asked Sam’s help to set up a cot in the medical ward so that he could keep that promise.

“You are…” Yelena sighed her words against Loki’s mouth. Their bodies entangled and entwined with the sheets while he thrusted slow and deliberate into the woman underneath him. “The worst, and absolute fucking best, at keeping promises.”

He wasn’t supposed to be there—best anyone knew he was watching over Asgard—but Loki found his responsibilities tedious without anyone to plague, and his new plaything on Midgard was a lot more exciting.

The promise he’d made Yelena was a justifiable enough reason to sneak down for a visit beyond his brother’s knowledge.

“Some, more than others, are worth keeping,” panted Loki, snapping his hips in rapid succession to pick up the pace.

His arm hooked under one of her legs, lifting it up so he could sink deeper. One hand grabbing the headboard and his knuckles turning white, and Yelena almost cried out with the sensations that washed over her until Loki’s lips demanded her silence.

What should have been a one-time-only thing now came with its own sequel but Yelena couldn’t bring herself to mind all that much. The lust he’d stirred that first night had grown into something of a beast that hungered for more, and as Loki filled her repeatedly, she dragged her nails down his back for something to hold onto.

Loki released the headboard and brought his hand down, finding that one spot he knew would push her over the edge. An emerald spark twinkling in his eyes when her body responded with a shuddering, the telltale sign, and without further warning she peaked. Screaming her climax against the bottom lip she’d bitten into, and Loki let himself go when he felt the sting of her teeth.

“I would agree,” Yelena touched back on the subject of promises as she carded her fingers through his hair, brushing a raven-lock from his forehead.

He collapsed on top of her and her arms cradled around him instinctively. Not yet ready to let him go, to feel herself empty, and Loki’s cooling breath caressed the crook of her neck.

“Just a moment longer,” he murmured with a fragility she’d rarely heard from him before.

The previous few times had been when discussing personal and sensitive subjects—when the man within the god of mischief had dared to speak. Yelena hadn’t pushed him then and she wouldn’t ask now. If he needed a moment more, silent minutes spent simply laying together, she was more than okay with it.

Those minutes, however, unintentionally turned into hours when both fell asleep. Each soothed and eventually sedated by the other’s tender touches. By light, and unexpectedly affectionate kisses that were exchanged between two people who only dared show each other their gentler side.

In such deep slumber that Yelena didn’t hear the knocking on her door the next morning.

“Lena, are you awake? Barnes asked me to let you know that Steve…” Natasha stopped in her tracks when she walked in and caught the first glimpse of Yelena curled up at Loki’s side. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

She forced a loud cough, cleared her throat, and waited to see who’d wake up first. Seconds passing until it was Loki’s smirk that greeted her.

Damned if he’d let her think that the intrusion bothered him in the slightest, and unable to resist his own nature. Running his fingers through Yelena’s hair as he pulled her closer. “Good morning,” he told Natasha, his eyes taunting her. Recalling her dismay at his close bond with the newest Avenger.

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you to help her, to be a mentor,” Natasha hissed through her teeth. “I knew something strange was going on between you two.”

“She came to me of her own free will.”

“Please, we all know what she’s been through and who you are.”

Yelena stirred in Loki’s arms, responding to the hushed chatter around her, and mumbled, “Mmm… s’going on?”

“Your friend Natasha doesn’t approve of the intimacies we’ve shared…” Loki feigned a pout and, startled by his words, Yelena clutched the sheets she pulled up to cover her chest and turned around.

Sitting up straight and attempting to hide her embarrassment behind a curtain of dark hair that framed her face. “What uhm… why, uh, morning. Hi.”

“Hi,” said Natasha. Giving her a pointed look before glancing at Loki again, and Yelena followed the direction of her glare.

“Wait, why aren’t you back on Asgard?” Yelena asked him, her mind playing catch-up to the situation they found themselves in.

“It would appear we both fell asleep before we could say good night.”

“Oh. Right.”

“But, I should be on my way.” Loki leaned in and kissed Yelena, for far longer than any goodbye kiss should last, and dragging it out. To vex their witness, he convinced himself as he stole a reminder that would carry him home. “Lest my brother finds me here.”

Natasha still lingered by the open doorway but looked away, and waited until Loki had left before she confronted, “Have you lost your mind?”

“Relax, it’s nothing,” said Yelena and she wrapped the sheets around herself for a make-shift toga. Pushing out of bed and dragging her feet toward the adjoined bathroom.

“Nothing? This is Loki we’re talking about—Loki!”

“So?”

“What did he do to you?”

Yelena spun around with a toothbrush in hand. Her brows narrowed and not liking the implication behind Natasha’s question one bit. “Are you asking if he bewitched me, took advantage, or forced it?”

“I…” Knowing it to be a sensitive subject, Natasha carefully considered her words. “I’m just worried. We’re talking about a god from another world, a master of deceit and magic, one you’ve become closer to than you have to any of us—”

“Because he’s been good to me. He’s helped me, listened, he’s been honest and believe it or not, caring. He’s never judged me, he doesn’t treat me like some fragile thing, he’s not constantly looking at me with pain, guilt, or pity. He is so much more than you’re willing to see,” Yelena defended.

It took Natasha by surprise and though she’d wanted to disagree, a part of her had to concede, “And we’ve kept things from you, lied… and everyone is constantly trying so hard to make things right that you just feel further alienated.”

“Basically.” Yelena turned on the faucet and started brushing her teeth, leaving both women in silence with their own thoughts until she finished. “I appreciate the concerns, the consideration for everything I’ve been through but… I’m trying, okay? Yet I can’t turn around without… I just need something to be normal and carefree.”

“I understand that, I do, but Loki? Do you have feelings for him?”

“Oh don’t be stupid. I like him, we’re close, I feel good when he’s around but I’m not in love with him if that’s what you’re asking. It’s sex, it’s… fantastic, and my own choice. Do you get how amazing it is to give yourself over to someone because you choose to and want it?”

“Yeah…” Natasha remembered that feeling all too well and decided to, for now, leave the subject alone. Still ill at ease about the idea of Yelena, someone she’d come to care for as family, with Loki but realizing there was no discouraging her. “Well, have your shower and then come join us for breakfast.”

“That’s it? Why were you looking for me in the first place?”

She’d almost forgotten. “Bucky, he said that Steve’s awake again and he asked for you.”

“Ah, sure, alright. Yeah, see you downstairs when I’m done.” Yelena turned the knob to let hot water flow into the bathtub. “Oh and, Natasha? Please don’t tell Thor—Loki wouldn’t hear the end of it and… I don’t want him to pull away or for there to be any trouble between them.”

“Secret’s safe with me… And speaking of safe…”

Yelena caught on quickly. “I’ve been taking care of that, don’t worry. No halfgod babies for me.”

Natasha chuckled. “Good. See you downstairs.”

Chapter Text

— 27: Making Connections —

Despite Natasha’s promise, Yelena couldn’t help but feel as though everyone stared at her when she came downstairs for breakfast. Watching her as she loaded her plate up with two pancakes, three strips of bacon, and some scrambled eggs. Grabbing a big mug of coffee, a bowl of yogurt with oats, and a banana before she sat down to dig into her food.

“That’s a big breakfast.” Thor elbowed her playfully and had her pause with the coffee mug put to her lips. “Need to keep your strengths up, huh?”

She paled a little and glanced across the dining table at Natasha, worried, but the Black Widow merely shrugged. “Meaning?”

“Ah, I’m sure this is all leading up to a glorious battle, we have to be ready.”

“Oh, right.” Yelena relaxed and sliced the banana up before adding it to her yogurt. “Speaking of, Tony, have you found anything yet?”

“No, but Friday is running various protocols and facial recognition programs across any data coming through German satellites. If they’re there, she will find them,” said Tony. “And in the meantime—”

“I had a thought,” Yelena interrupted and put her fork down. “Sorry. It’s… so I don’t know if it’s something or nothing but I’ve been thinking about, well maybe I’m nuts but just, uh, you know it’s like everything, and there is…”

Hiding behind his newspaper, Bruce couldn’t help but chuckle. Relieved he wasn’t the only one to fumble his words at times.

“Spit it out, Frosty,” Tony encouraged.

“The Accords… they were essentially designed to ground all of you. For control and to keep you away from where you weren’t wanted, or in their terms, needed. And… obviously, that didn’t work.”

Sam leaned forward and scoffed, but decided against commenting on the Accords in particular while Yelena continued.

“Medusa, she’s more forceful about it but if our theory is correct, if she’s trying to neutralize all of us then… essentially she’s doing the same. And I can’t help but wonder if… look, Hydra was always deeply embedded with governments, politicians, and so forth so…”

“So what if they’re connected, and she had a hand in introducing the Accords for her own benefit?” Natasha caught on to the line of thinking Yelena presented.

“Yeah. I mean, maybe I’m crazy, and paranoid where she’s concerned but it bothers me in a way that I can’t shake.”

“We call that instinct,” Tony pointed out and drummed his fingers on the dining table. “Or paranoia, a guilty conscience, but I don’t think you’re suffering from either of those and this is worth investigating. Perhaps I need to go and have another talk with Ross, ask where the idea for the Accords came from in the first place.”

“I always thought King T’Chaka had introduced the Accords…” Wanda furrowed her brows.

“He was a big supporter, I don’t think they were his idea. They just…” Tony palmed his face and ran a hand down his jaw. “Fell into the UN’s lap when they needed it most. After Lagos.”

“Where we were, chasing…”

“Rumlow. Crossbones,” Rhodes dropped the name Wanda hadn’t wanted to say and Yelena froze—another ghost she wasn’t quite willing to face.

She stared at her plate, and her voice quieted. “What happened?”

“We’d been tracking him for months, got intel that he was headed for Lagos. We followed and found out he planned on stealing a biological weapon from the Institute of Infectious Diseases. We stopped him and Steve took… no, actually, Rumlow blew himself up and tried taking Steve down with him but Wanda saved Steve and… well, the rest you know,” Sam explained while he kept an eye on her. Understanding how she had to be feeling and, though it could never change what she'd had to endure, he reitered to offer her some peace of mind, “Crossbones is gone.”

“Hmm, good,” Yelena mused and she closed her eyes. A slow exhale working its way up from her sunken gut. “So, one of Medusa’s favorite operatives attempted to steal a biological weapon, then blew himself up, just like that? Why would he, especially if his mission failed?”

“We always assumed revenge on Steve but, maybe that theory needs revisiting. Maybe there was more to it, especially when you consider biological weapons have been Medusa’s weapon of choice.”

“Tony, did that tracker you put on Ross ever place him in Germany?” Natasha asked.

“No.”

“But,” Rhodes cut in, “he did have some sort of summit meeting in Amsterdam last month. That’s close enough.”

“I need to have a talk with him. Find out if he’s a willing player or a foolish puppet.” Tony got up and rinsed his cup out in the sink.

He didn’t want to believe it but the more connections that came to light, the more he started to think that the situation they found themselves in was much bigger than they knew. Had been at play, right under their noses, for far longer than just the recent weeks.

“He won’t tell you,” Bruce pointed out. “If he’s knowingly involved, he won’t admit it.”

“Of course not but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a wonderful conversationalist. I’ll get something out of him and if not, I have other ways.”

“And in the meantime?” asked Yelena just as Tony was about to leave.

“The worst thing of all—we wait.”

“Hm.” She followed Tony’s example and got up to put her dishes away. “Anyone up for a little training later on?”

Wanda looked up. “What did you have in mind?”

“I want to work on my defensive skills with my powers. Freezing projectiles mid-air, trapping the enemy… all stuff I’ve played with before but I want it to become second nature without causing harm or unleashing a city-wide blizzard.”

“I’m game,” said Thor and he flashed her an overly enthused grin. Believing himself to be the most indestructible of everyone present. “You need a solid target and they don’t call me the strongest—”

“Literally no one has ever called you the strongest Avenger, except you,” Rhodes reminded him and smirked.

“It’ll do.” Yelena shrugged and she poured what coffee remained in the pot into a thermos. “I’m gonna see what Steve wanted me for and then we’ll meet up after?”

Both Thor and Wanda nodded and, satisfied to have some sort of plan for the day, Yelena hurried down to the medical ward. Unsurprised to find Bucky glued to Steve’s bedside.

“Brought you some coffee.” She handed a grateful Bucky the thermos, then favored Steve with a smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Steve returned the smile.

“So, you’re awake.”

“I am. In part thanks to you, from what I heard.”

“Me?”

“Bruce said you’d used your magic to help lower my fever.”

“Oh, that.” Yelena folded her arms beneath her chest and averted her eyes, looking as though she’d just been caught committing an offense. Causing Bucky and Steve to exchange a meaningful glance beyond her noticing. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than last night, but not by much. Sitting up and talking is a little easier.”

“Good… that’s good…”

Observing her body language and the way she lingered on her feet, unsure of what to do, Steve turned to his best friend. “Can we have a moment, Buck?”

“Yeah, sure.” He got up and ran a hand through his hair. Giving Yelena a small nod before taking his leave. “I’ll be back later.”

The second he was gone, Yelena sidled closer to Steve’s bed and took the hand he offered. “I forgave you while you slept,” she blurted out, eager to get it off her chest. “And I’m glad you didn’t die before I could.”

Steve resisted the urge to laugh—it hurt and felt exhausting. “So am I. I don’t want to be at odds with you, Lena.”

“I don’t want that either. I just… I’m trying to move forward from all the bad so can we…”

“Consider it behind us.”

“Thanks.” Yelena half sat down on the side of his bed. “I’m sorry you had to go through this, it’s not a fun ride.”

“No, it’s not. I feel wrecked and the nightmares were…”

“Almost more excruciating than the physical pain in your body?”

Steve felt a cold chill run down his spine just remembering. “Yeah. Every painful moment I’ve lived through, every bad memory… I haven’t been able to shake them yet.”

“You will with time. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. I know they were just nightmares, nothing real and as you said, they will fade with time. I’m more bothered by my lack of strength. I don’t want to go back to who… what I used to be. Weak, always sick, and unable to make a difference or help.”

“You’ll recover your strength, I refuse to believe otherwise. And if you don’t then you’d still be—”

A snort escaped Steve hearing her echo someone else’s words. “Yeah, I know, I’d still be Steve. Bucky said the same thing.”

“Ah, well, there you go. We can’t both be wrong and, I don’t know how different the virus you were injected with is to the ones I used to get but, I recovered.” Yelena tried to think of anything more comforting to offer. “And if you want, if Bruce approves, we can start with little exercises as soon as you feel ready. Get those muscles pumping again.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good… cool.” She averted her eyes once more, aimlessly glancing around the room while trying to think up anything to say next. “Sorry, I’m not really any good with the bedside comfort thing. I don’t know what to talk about.”

“Was it easier when I was unconscious?” Steve flashed half a grin.

“You know… it was actually, yes.”

“Should I close my eyes and pretend?” He jested and the joke tickled Yelena in all the right places, causing her to chuckle.

“Oh just… shush. It should be me cheering you up and looking after you.”

“No, I think we all need to do better at taking care of each other,” Steve said in earnest and reached for her hand again, squeezing it gently. “And letting others take care of us.”

“Steve, no lectures.”

“I wasn’t going to, just offering some advice. You make him breakfast and you sit with me to try and ease my pain when you think nobody’s looking, and these are all… wonderful things, but you deserve to be taken care of as well. You should try and let people.”

Yelena bit down on her bottom lip—she had someone taking care of her but she couldn’t very well tell Steve, or anyone, about Loki. “I’ll try… that’s the best I can do.”

“Thank you.” A smile lingered on Steve’s face. “Now tell me, how is everything going with the search for this Medusa?”

Chapter Text

— 28: Let it Snow —

The lightning bolt that struck Yelena’s ice barrier shattered it into a million little pieces and left her defenseless. Ducking forward and rolling through blades of grass, through chunks of melting ice, to avoid the volley that Thor directed her way. Leaving a small singe that stained the ground where her feet had been a split second earlier.

Another bolt chased her but Wanda interfered, trapping the energies into a ball of lightning before redirecting it at the sky. It earned her a grateful smile from Yelena but not a minute later, dark clouds gathered above and a spontaneous, rather localized rainstorm began pelting the backyard.

“Oops,” said Wanda with a sheepish grin on her face.

“It’s fine, I’ve got this.” Yelena directed her gift toward the clouds where raindrops turned to small flurries. The snjórósa tucked away on the inside of her jacket and close to her heart, and she channeled its properties to cover half of Montauk in snowfall. “There.”

Thor laughed as frosty flakes stuck to his hair. “Yes, this is much better and not curious at all.”

“At least it’s nicer than the rain.” Not thinking twice, Yelena bent down and scooped up a handful of snow before kneading it into a ball and throwing it at the Asgardian. “And a lot more fun too!”

It hit him directly in the face and drooped down his chin, prompting Wanda to chuckle in a rare moment of joy unlike any she’d been able to experience lately. She followed suit and used her magics to form several snowballs before bombarding Thor.

Thor, for his part, began zapping every single one that flew in his direction and it wasn’t before long that Wanda and Yelena joined forces against him. Their carefree laughter filling the air.

“It’s a good thing it’s only February and no one will question the sudden change in weather conditions,” said Natasha, watching them from inside the lakehouse.

“Mm, perhaps next time we insist that they practice in the basement or hangar bay.” Bruce’s arms wrapped around her and she sank into his embrace. Finding comfort in the light stubble that brushed the side of her face.

“How is Steve?”

“Improving, slowly. We walked the length of his room earlier before I had to get him back into bed.”

“And his strength?”

Bruce sighed. “Same as mine when I’m… just me.”

“Hey, none of that ‘just me’ talk.” Natasha turned her head to kiss his cheek but Bruce was quicker and captured her lips with his own. Smiling into her eyes while outside, Sam had joined in the snowball fight.

“It is nice to see them having fun. I can’t recall the last time most of us were together like this.”

“Mm, right before Ultron crashed the party…” Natasha remembered clear as day. “Do you want to join them?”

“Nah, too cold and I’m good right here with you.”

Together, they snuggled up on the couch and simply enjoyed the spectacle outside. The sight of Thor ganged up on by Yelena and Sam while Wanda had taken to building a snow sculpture with her powers.

“Vision?” asked Yelena when she took a break to catch her breath and looked at the sculpture.

With a somber look on her face, Wanda nodded. “I didn’t know what I was making until I saw his face clear in my mind.”

“I overheard the others say that your powers and Vision’s, they come from the same source, that stone on his forehead? You can’t tap into that bond to find him somehow?”

“No, I have tried. I did not sense him anywhere we have been. Maybe I am not strong enough, or maybe he—”

“You can’t think like that. Besides… from what I’ve read about him, he is rather unique. Too unique and valuable to just destroy.”

The odd attempt at comfort didn’t do much to ease Wanda’s concerns while she carved out a replica of the mind stone as a finishing touch to her artwork. “But they can hurt him. Disassemble him to find out what makes him live.”

Yelena couldn’t argue with that, believing it would be the exact sort of thing Medusa would attempt. Instead, she nudged the subject of Vision in a slightly different direction, unable to curb her curiosity. “You love him deeply… how uhm, I mean, he’s not…”

“Human? It does not matter,” Wanda told her, a longing glance cast at the sculpture. “I think love is about who someone is, not what they are. Our love may be different but it is no less real.”

“Mm, that sounds nice.” For a second, Yelena’s thoughts drifted until they were rudely interrupted by the snowball that hit the back of her head.

“Come on, Frosty, time for round three!” Thor called out.

Shaking the snow from her hair, Yelena looked at Wanda and offered a meek smile. “One more round? I’ll craft, you throw. That should teach him a lesson.”

“I’m in,” Wanda decided but before joining the others, she carefully moved her sculpture of Vision aside. It would melt soon enough but until it did, she wasn’t going to risk anyone destroying it by accident.

They remained outside until the dark clouds parted to reveal the first stars in the sky, and Yelena was surprised to find Bucky in the kitchen already working on dinner. His skills with a knife proved quite useful when it came to slicing and dicing the vegetables.

“So, you actually like to cook?” She pulled up a stool by the kitchen island and observed his work. “When you offered to help the other day, I thought you were just looking for an excuse to talk to me.”

“It was both,” Bucky admitted with a half-smile. “I used to cook for my younger sister after our parents passed away.”

The piece of family history offered itself involuntarily and stunned Yelena. She’d never given any thought to their family beyond resenting him as her father and missing her mother.

For his part, Bucky was just as surprised by the admission that escaped him. The knife held still mid-slice when he realized he hadn’t thought about his sister or parents since he’d first woken back up in Wakanda. There was just too much at play in his life to spend much time thinking about the past.

He cast a sideways glance at Yelena who seemed overly focused on the marbled design of the kitchen island. Lips parted slightly and a frown lining her brows, struggling with the notion of asking questions or leaving the subject be.

So, to make things easier on her, Bucky answered the obvious question hanging in the air, “My mother passed away when I was still a kid, she’d been sick for a while and not long after, my father lost his life in an accident at Camp Lehigh. My sister Rebecca… she uh…”

Bucky blew out a sigh and continued preparing his chili. “When my memories first returned, after the incidents in Washington, I looked her up online. Trying to piece my life back together in my head. Found out she’d passed away just a year earlier but from what I could tell, she lived a good life.”

“Oh…” The story affected Yelena more than she’d anticipated. Never having considered the people who’d been left behind and grown old in Bucky’s absence. How difficult it must have been for him to return to a world where his baby sister had become an old woman and passed away while for all intents and purposes, he was still in his early thirties.

“Does that mean you have no family left at all?” she asked with instant regret because Bucky lowered his eyes and looked away from her. “Sorry, I mean besides… me.”

“Becca’s kids—a niece and nephew, and their children—but I haven’t reached out to them.”

“Mm.” Yelena mulled things over in her head while she started rinsing off any cooking utilities Bucky no longer needed. Her mind busy at work to digest the things he’d told her and then, inadvertently, she started laughing.

“Sorry, I’m… I know it’s not actually funny or perhaps funny in a tragic way but—” She wrung the kitchen towel out and flipped it over her shoulder— “You realize that in a family photo, we’d look like the youngest ones? Hell, even you and I look more like brother and sister rather than… you know. It’s just so messed up.”

“Yeah.” Bucky couldn’t help letting out a wry chuckle at the tragicomical image she presented. Still, it wasn’t a subject he wished to dwell on for long—finding it difficult enough already to think of the grown woman standing next to him as his daughter—so he decided to steer the conversation back to simpler things. “Where did you learn to cook?”

“I worked on a farm in Scotland for a while, during my escape. The lady who lived there tau—”

They were interrupted by Tony who arrived back at the house and barged in through the backdoor. “Whatever you’re making, shut it off,” he barked at the both of them and snapped his fingers. “Meet me in the basement, everyone.”

There was no question his demeanor was tense and his tone left no room for arguing so Yelena ran after him while Bucky turned off the stove first before he too followed. The last one to arrive downstairs and curious to find out what it was that had Tony Stark, of all people, stressed out.

“Frosty’s theory, not that crazy and paranoid,” Tony started with fast fingers dancing across the screen of his tablet. “I can’t say whether Ross is willfully ignorant or straight up lying but he claimed the proposal and outline for the Accords came from an intern in his office.”

A projection of a photo appeared hovering over his tablet showing a rather tall-looking, dark-haired man no older than thirty. “This intern. Look familiar?”

Impatiently, Tony tapped his foot while everyone studied the photo, and Natasha was the first one to recognize the face. “That’s the same guy who impersonated one of our own and blew up the compound.”

“Yep. Mr. Not-Agent-Mike-Fellows spent several months working in Ross’ office under the name Scott Stevenson and for most of that time, he worked on a raw draft of the Accords. Prior to the events in Lagos.”

“So first one of Medusa’s lackeys prepares the Accords and next, another one of her guys pulls a suicide bomber-type stunt that regardless of Wanda’s interference would have proven disastrous for us and everyone else who was there,” Sam surmised quickly and scoffed, “I feel played and dirty.”

“Is Scott Stevenson another false identity?” asked Natasha.

“It is, but Friday’s been working hard so here’s the good news—his real name is Stefan Vogel and he’ll be hosting a ball in Salzburg this weekend for, believe it or not, charity,” Tony announced and relaxed a little. Fixing a smile on his face before he continued, “Which means that I need to dig out my finest suit and who wants to be my plus one?”

“You’re going?” Wanda frowned. “You’re not the covert type, he’d cut and run at the sight of you.”

“Forget that. We were all given a death mark and you want to step into what could be the lion’s den?” Rhodes argued as well, knowing Tony’s usual tactics but feeling it would be too great a risk this time.

“They’re right, it’s too dangerous, and we have to consider that this Stefan might not be going to this event alone,” Bruce added his concerns.

Even Bucky held his reservations but lacked the confidence to go up against Tony. The previous few times he’d interjected with an opinion had only led to snarky remarks from the man who still hated him with a passion, and Bucky wasn’t up for another round.

Tony put his tablet down and stared at the group, taken aback by their reactions. “Are all three of you vetoing my plan?”

“It’s too bold,” Yelena added her thoughts to the conversation and turned her attention toward Thor. “We need a master of disguise, someone who can be anyone. Blend in, observe the crowd, get close to this Stefan without arousing suspicion.”

“Don’t look at me, I don’t play dress-up games. That’s Loki’s…” Thor’s protest fell short when he caught on to her meaning. “Oh. Oh! Yes, Loki does love his glamours, he could do it easily.”

The split-second flicker of excitement in Yelena’s eyes didn’t escape Natasha’s notice but she said nothing on the matter, finding herself in agreement with the suggestion. “Can’t believe I’m about to say this but… that’s a decent plan. Can he extend his glamours onto others? He shouldn’t be going alone, someone needs to keep an eye on him.”

“He can,” said Thor, vividly remembering the one time where Loki had turned him into Lady Sif. “But I’d rather not volunteer for that job.”

“I think Yelena should join him,” Bucky finally spoke up. He didn’t like the idea of sending her to Austria without knowing whether she’d be walking into a trap, but he did consider her their best option. “As Bruce suggested, Stefan might not attend the ball alone—Medusa herself could make an appearance and Yelena is the only one who knows what she looks like.”

Realizing the plan he’d concocted was dead in the water with his team’s disapproval, Tony threw his hands up. “Fine. Sure. I mean… are we really going to trust Loki, of all… well I can’t even say people can I? How do we know he won’t just announce his presence, offer to join forces, and hand Frosty over as an incentive?”

“He wouldn’t,” Yelena defended. “You’ve trusted him to look after me before, what’s changed?”

“That was before when all he had to do was pull you off the streets and help train your powers. This would be taking you halfway across the world to a place where you might be confronted with the woman who put you through hell. Who is to blame for your suffering even more than he—” Tony indicated at Bucky— “is.”

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m not comfortable with this but Bucky is right—I’m the only one who knows her and if she is there then it might just provide us with the opportunity we need to track down their base of operations. To find Vision.”

“And what happens if she is there? Will you be able to control yourself or will you charge at her the way you did when Rogers returned from Wakanda? You see her and what? The opera house turns into a giant igloo?”

“I can control myself,” Yelena assured him, agitated by what felt like a lack of trust in her capabilities. “Especially with Loki there, and what happened to the faith you had in me just a few days ago?”

Tony put his tablet down and massaged his forehead with one hand. “It’s not a lack of faith. This may come as a surprise but I do care about the safety and well-being of others.”

“I’ll be fine. It’ll be strictly recon, no engaging until we know more.”

“And, just to be safe, a few of us will be stationed nearby in case something happens. They won’t be alone,” Natasha decided.

“Alright, okay. If everyone believes that to be the better plan then, by all means, get the god of whatever shenanigans involved,” Tony relented and while he pulled Thor aside to discuss things further, Bucky approached Yelena with a somewhat guilty look on his face.

“I should have asked if you were up to doing this before I volunteered you,” he said.

“No, it’s… you made the right call, it’s gonna be okay. Guess I’d best brush up on my German.”

However, before traveling to Austria, there were other things Yelena wanted to take care of so the next morning, she joined Bucky on his visit with Steve. Feeling that, as the only other person to ever be injected with the antiserum and suffer through its effects, she owed it to Steve to aid his recovery.

It also provided them with the opportunity to tell Steve about the next step in their efforts to track down Medusa.

“It’s a terrible plan,” grunted Steve, using the medical trapeze bar above his bed for upper body lift exercises.

Over the course of the night, his condition had improved enough that Bruce had given the all-clear to start physical therapy. There was still no telling whether he’d ever get back to his serum-induced self but the fact that he’d recovered close to a normal amount of strength and stamina in a single day left everyone hopeful. A hint of genuinely good news at last.

“Did you both forget what happened the last time Loki attended a fancy affair, in Germany?”

Bucky and Yelena looked at each other and frowned, having no idea what Steve was referring to. “Uh, Germany?” asked Yelena.

“Right, neither of you were around for that, sorry.”

“Look, I’ve seen the news and archive footage of what happened in New York years ago but that was then. He’s not the same Loki anymore and like most of us, he’s been through a lot since that day. He’s been nothing but helpful and supportive lately.”

“The way Thor tells it, Loki is immensely supportive and helpful right up until the moment a better offer comes along and you want to go to Austria with him? With his magic as the only thing to protect your identity?”

“Steve…” Yelena climbed onto the foot end of his bed and sat down, lacing her fingers together to form a barrier with her hands and turning her palms outward. Allowing Steve to push off against her hands with his feet to exercise his legs. “It’s a risk either way. There is no guarantee that any other form of disguise would hold up any better and I trust him.”

“Why do you?” asked Bucky, unable to help his curiosity. He didn’t know Loki well and hadn’t encountered the god on a bad day but going by what he’d heard, it seemed an odd choice to put one’s faith in Loki.

“Because he’s been there for me from the start. He helped me face my greatest fear, cared for me, and looked after me when I discovered the truth about you,” she explained even as she tired of the endless mistrust directed at the man she’d grown so fond of.

“Discovered, or was he the one to tell you?” Steve couldn’t help but wonder about the one thing that had been bothering him—the question of how she’d learned the truth.

“I figured it out on my own. Loki… in order to help me gain control over my new abilities he insisted I face my greatest fear which turned out to be the Winter Soldier.” For her own sake as well as Bucky’s, she made the deliberate distinction between the two identities.

“He used his magic to make me relive that night in Torshavn over and over again, instructing me to take control and fight the thing that kept haunting me. I… tried, and failed because the more I relived that night and saw into the soldier’s eyes… remembered what my mother had told me about James, what I’d read about Bucky, and combined with what Natasha had told me…”

Bucky nodded when he realized the epiphany she’d had. “The puzzle pieces fell into place.”

“Yep, so I confronted Loki. Accused him of lying to me but he explained that though he knew the truth, he’d never considered that his chosen method of training would reveal the truth to me as it did.”

It made sense but a part of Steve remained skeptical. “How can you be so sure that he didn’t plan it that way?”

“Because he didn’t know about my conversation with Natasha or the things my mother told me. He didn’t know I was already halfway onto the truth, even if it was subconsciously, which means he didn’t know there was anything to manipulate or push for.”

“Hmm.” Deciding that he’d exerted his body enough, Steve settled back into a restful position while Yelena got up to wash her hands.

“I know you guys have a terrible history with him,” she said, “but he has helped me so much. I haven’t had my recurring nightmares since then and I have far more control now. Wasn’t an easy journey but I’m in a better place and I couldn’t have done it without him.”

“Alright…” Steve relented for as much as he felt comfortable with. “I will never be able to trust him the way you do but I do believe you, and in you. Tell me more about the op.”

“Tony’s still sorting out our fake identities and a cover story, and securing the funds for our own charitable donation as well as an invitation to the event.”

“Smart. What charity are they raising funds for anyway?”

Bucky snorted and shook his head. “Oh, you’re not going to believe this.”

“Why?”

“It’s for the A Healthier Mind Trust, an organization that funds research for brain mapping and neurofeedback treatments for soldiers with PTSD.”

Chapter Text

— 29: The Ball —

The Blue Danube, a waltz by Strauss—Yelena recognized the piece immediately when she walked up the steps to the opera house. Palms sweaty inside her silken gloves and she clutched the sleeve of Loki’s tailcoat as he escorted her to the grand foyer.

Covert missions weren’t unfamiliar territory but it had been years since she’d been out in the field for something like this, and the stakes had never been so high.

“I hope you know how to dance,” whispered Loki. A twinkle in his eyes while he handed his overcoat and Yelena’s faux-fur shrug jacket to the cloakroom attendant.

They waded through a sea of guests both young and old, the usual suspects for these types of affairs and no doubt all rich. Catching the eye of those they passed and Yelena had to remind herself that to them, she’d be unidentifiable with her auburn locks and hazel-green eyes.

“Sure, we’d put our guns and knives down every Sunday in favor of ballroom dancing.” Keeping a pleasant smile forced on her face, Yelena gave him a pointed look. “Just lead, I’ll do my best to follow.”

“We could mingle and charm every soul in sight, or perhaps you’d prefer we find a quiet room and—”

In what appeared to be a doting gesture, Yelena put her index finger to his lips before subtly playing with her pearl earring. A reminder to Loki that they weren’t alone and their team in an abandoned hotel across the street was listening in. His brother included.

“—and observe everyone from a distance,” Loki added the innocent correction with a smirk.

It was clear that the god was in his element, far more than Yelena whose eyes scanned the crowd. She accepted the glass of champagne a waiter offered, doing her most to act as though she belonged. Holding the flute in one hand while adjusting her necklace with the other to make sure nothing obscured the field of view of the tiny camera hidden within its biggest pearl.

“I think,” Yelena began and teased her fingers through Loki’s now sandy-blond hair in an affectionate display, “we should mingle, my love. That couple over by the bar looks… friendly?”

Nothing more than an excuse to get a closer look at everyone and Loki snaked an arm around her waist. “Of course, darling,” he agreed, his tone more honeyed than usual.

This was a game to him. A chance to play and deceive while serving a greater purpose, and his eyes—a clear ocean blue as part of his disguise—sparkled with delight.

“Wonderful music, is it not? Our host has truly outdone himself,” oozed Loki and he extended his hand for polite introductions when they approached the other couple. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Thomas Ehrmann and this beautiful creature is my fiancé, Isobel Bauer.”

“David Cutler.” The man with a heavy British accent held an unlit cigar pinched between his teeth and shook Loki’s hand. “And this is my wife, Gemma.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” said Gemma and her attention immediately darted to Yelena’s necklace. “Gorgeous pearls, a family heirloom no doubt?”

Already Yelena felt her skin crawling with Gemma’s not so subtle attempt to gauge her social standing and wealth. “Oh, thank you. Yes, they belonged to Thomas’s grandmother, he surprised me with them last Christmas.”

“How lovely.”

“Quite,” David agreed while taking a glass of whiskey from the bar and offering it to Loki. A small toast exchanged between both men.

“I do love to spoil her.” Loki clutched Yelena’s waist tighter and held her close as he kissed her cheek.

Making quite the effort to put their supposed young love on display for all to witness and Yelena was happy enough to let him. With him to lead the conversation and command the attention of others, she was free to play the shy and silent one. Listening, watching, and analyzing every person he introduced them to while they made the rounds, from one table to the next and back to the bar.

Half an hour later and they’d made over a dozen new acquaintances. Each more arrogant than the last. Richer and more tedious. Men who’d brought not their wives but a mistress, and several politicians. Then David appeared again and invited Loki to have a smoke with him and several business partners in the men’s only cigar lounge.

Of course, being the dutiful fiancé, Yelena had smiled and allowed him to leave her side even if that meant she now lingered alone at the edge of the dancefloor. Swaying gently to the music because the orchestra had abandoned Strauss in favor of Tchaikovsky’s melodies.

“A woman of fine taste, though it pains me to see you standing here so alone.” A stranger slid in next to her and the sound of his voice almost caused Yelena to drop her champagne.

‘Gerard…’ Heart beating out of control and her breath hitched—she’d recognize that voice anywhere and her mind jumped at lightning speed back to her days of captivity. The endless hours, days, and nights she’d been subjected to countless experiments. To torture in the name of science.

Her hands started to shake and for just a second, she closed her eyes. To focus and remember her false identity, her indistinguishable appearance, and her reason for being there.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Gerard, noticing her ashen complexion.

“No, forgive me,” Yelena forced the words across her lips while she tried to regain her composure. “I’m afraid I was quite lost in the music, I didn’t notice your approach.”

“Mm. I see your husband has finally released you from his side.”

‘Husband… Loki, calm down, breathe, answer as any high society woman would…’ She feigned a smile, banishing the memories that would cause her to break character. “Fianceé, and he has. The dealings of men are not for me to know.”

“Indeed. Allow me to introduce myself.” He held out an open palm and Yelena placed her trembling fingers in his hand. “Dr. Gerard Klein, but you may call me Gerard.”

Even hearing his name, recalling the very first time she’d met him, had her fighting the bile that rose in her throat. Gerard—Medusa’s pet scientist—how had she not anticipated he might be here tonight?

“Isobel Bauer, it’s an honor.”

“Isobel, the honor is all mine. Would you care to dance?”

“I’m not sure that I can, I’ve had a few too many of these,” Yelena tried to excuse while she held up the crystal flute.

Gerard wasn’t so easily dissuaded though and took the glass from her, setting it down on a nearby table before leading her onto the dancefloor. One arm draped around her middle while his free hand took hers to start a traditional waltz.

“Just follow my lead, I’ve got you,” whispered Gerard, unaware of the panic that washed over Yelena.

This was all wrong. How could she possibly maintain her cover when his breath caressed her bare shoulder and his eyes—the same deep blue she remembered them to be—feasted upon her the way they used to back when she’d been his toy. His sick hunger evident while she had been strapped in and screaming in agony with her skin burning.

The memories felt too vivid and fresh.

“My, your pulse is racing.” Gerard noticed when his thumb brushed down her wrist. “Are you okay? Would you rather we go for a walk in the gardens, catch some fresh air?”

“I…”

Out in the gardens, alone. Just the two of them. The possibilities were endless and the temptation to exact revenge clawed at her nerves. No one would see or know, but a quick death would be free of suffering and almost too good for him.

“Lena, focus. Do not go outside,” she heard Natasha’s quiet warning in her ear to ground her. She’d all but forgotten that she wasn’t alone and her team across the street had been watching, listening in.

They’d know and, clearly, Natasha had already caught on to her train of thought.

“You’re kind but I’m fine,” said Yelena with a slow exhale to center herself. The mission was what mattered and vengeance could—would—follow once the time was right, and she placed a hand at the back of Gerard's neck to subtly tag him with one of Tony's nano-trackers. “Tell me, what is your specialty as a doctor?”

“I work for the Trust as a neurologist, among other things,” he teased with a level of pride that made her sick. “The brain is such an enigma. Decades of studies and it still holds so many secrets.”

“And your current project? A cure for PTSD sounds ambiguous.”

“It all comes down to finding the right key.” Gerard brought her closer, almost cheek to cheek while the music slowed. “Find the key that unlocks every cortex of the brain and you could do anything. Manipulate or extract traumatic memories, restore the mind of one who suffers from say, Alzheimer’s. We could cure amnesia.”

“That sounds… admirable.” Yelena hated her choice of words but persisted. “You could make a real difference and improve someone’s quality of life.”

“That’s the idea. You should convince your fianceé to invest if you wish to join us and make history. I might even extend an invitation once we begin our trials. I’d welcome a beautiful face up in the gallery, watching as I bring my experiments full circle.”

Every word to come out of his mouth turned Yelena’s blood cold. Icy particles coursing through her veins and she had to fight her transformation. The urge to rip Gerard to shreds on the spot reaching an overwhelming pinnacle.

“Mm, it’s… intriguing. Have you made much progress?”

Something sparked in Gerard’s eyes and Yelena knew that look well—the giddy excitement she’d seen in him before and it never meant anything good. “Oh, you have no idea of how far we’ve come already.”

An ominous tone resonated in his voice and revived Yelena’s fears. She’d previously felt comforted knowing he hadn’t been able to replicate Zola’s process of mind control but this confession made her dread the worst.

Yelena could feel her skin turning cold inside her pumps and glanced down at her feet when Gerard spun her out once. Just the tiniest sheen of ice covered the white toe-cap and she realized she wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer but thankfully, Loki came to her aid in time.

“My darling, I am so sorry I’ve kept you waiting.” His arrival was incentive enough for Gerard to release Yelena and Loki thanked him. “I appreciate the time you’ve taken to keep my fiancé entertained.”

“It was my pleasure, Mr…?”

“Ehrmann, Thomas. And from what our kind host Mr. Vogel had to say, you are Dr. Klein, correct? He commends your work, assured that my hard-earned money would be well spent.”

Yelena contained her surprise upon learning that Loki had managed to track Stefan down while she’d been stuck with the mad scientist. Hopefully, at least that would make this nightmare worth it.

“I humbly thank you for your contribution, Mr. Ehrmann,” said Gerard and he took the opportunity to shake hands with Loki before cupping Yelena’s palm to press a kiss to her knuckles. “I must be moving on to meet other guests but I look forward to meeting again. Perhaps for a tour of my lab?”

Neither got to answer before he left, much to Yelena’s relief.

She needed to get the hell out of dodge and Loki, wise to her distress, escorted her out a side-entrance toward the gardens Gerard had spoken of earlier. Far past rose bushes and hedges to the other end of the lawn, out of sight and earshot from everyone else at the ball.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” Loki apologized immediately but Yelena waved him off.

Pacing back and forth, a lite icy crunch beneath her high heels as she continued to fight her transformation. “I can’t believe that vile, disgusting, loathsome piece of garbage! Did you hear? A cure for fucking amnesia and, how the hell did I never stop to consider he would be here tonight? How did I not think? I can’t…”

She put a hand over her chest and clutched the fabric of her bodice while she started hyperventilating. “Visiting his lab? Making history? I should have killed that cockweasel for all he’s done and plans to do. I should have known he’d be here and a part of this because it was his biochemical crap that Steve was injected with and now what? He gets to parade around pretending he’s a doctor and taking money so he can fund new ways of torturing others, playing with their minds wanting to turn them inside out just as he tried with me? Just as they did with Buck—”

“Breathe.” Loki grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stand still. Tilting her chin up and brushing his fingers down her cheek. “Look at me and breathe. Just. Breathe.”

“I can’t. I—I have to, he has to, I thought I was, I’m not strong enough and I almost—”

Driven by a need to provide comfort, or simply to shut her up, Loki reeled Yelena into his arms and not a moment later, his mouth found her quivering lips. Soothing and tender, he stole away the words on her tongue and calmed the chaos inside her head. Silenced the noise and pacified the magic that coursed through her.

“Remember what I taught you,” he whispered to her lips. “You are strong enough and you are in control. The past is already behind you and tonight finally put you one step ahead in the game.”

“I almost lost it in there…” Yelena felt disappointed with herself and sighed. “I almost slipped up and ruined everything.”

“Almost being the operative word. You were magnificent and I do believe the mission was successful.”

“You tagged Stefan?”

“I did.”

“Mm, good.” Yelena sank into his embrace and allowed herself to calm down. “I tagged Gerard while we danced. No sign of Medusa anywhere though, and I’m fairly certain I looked into the eyes of everyone in attendance.”

“We are tracking both targets. You should return to the hotel so we can plan our next move,” Natasha’s orders rang clear through their earpieces.

Reminding them again that they were not and had not been alone, and Yelena groaned internally realizing the team had heard everything—their secret was out. “Right, copy that…”

Chapter Text

— 30: The Waiting Game —

“Brother, enough,” said Loki. Growing tired of the shit-eating grin Thor had been flashing for the past minutes. A grin that spoke volumes and Loki could practically hear every remark that, thus far, had remained unstated.

It didn’t bother him that his secret was out and others knew but he didn’t wish to discuss it either. He recalled the comments he’d made to Thor about Jane and the lifespan of mortals and realized well his brother would be aching to echo those words. A useless exercise because Loki didn’t think of Yelena the way Thor had about Jane—they were friends, at best, who enjoyed rare moments of intimacy as most with a pulse would. Sins of the flesh—the animal that lurked in each of them.

Loki turned in his seat, away from Thor to observe Yelena.

So what if he found no pleasure in seeing her hurt or in distress? That meant nothing. All of his life, he’d only ever appreciated the misery of others when inflicted by his own hand but that was also the very thing that stirred internal conflict. In the time that they’d spent together, she’d become someone he didn’t want to see suffering by his own doing either.

Of course, there were also the things he believed they had in common which made him feel less alone in the universe for the first time since he’d discovered the truth about his heritage. Having found someone who treated him like a person rather than the pesky little brother and unworthy son. Who didn’t mock his ideas and efforts to belong the way Thor’s friends had teased him while growing up.

Thor’s friends, not his own, but Yelena was. His. A friend and perhaps a little more. He did get a high whenever he witnessed her power and her rage, and her surrender between the sheets was a boon to his ego. So unafraid despite knowing who and what he was, and she’d let him in where she’d kept everyone else out. Giving her trust and exposing her vulnerability only when he was around.

He’d done that too though it puzzled him why. Perhaps he wanted her to see every part of him because he longed for someone to accept all that he was. Hoping that for once, he would not be judged or rejected. Longing for the sort of acceptance that he’d previously only received from his mother, Frigga.

“Loki,” Thor disrupted the idle musings of his brother.

“Don’t.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Then what is it?” asked Loki, his voice kept low so no one would overhear.

“In our family, it is only you and I who are left, and I won’t judge you for this. That is all,” Thor said in earnest. Just wise enough to realize that Loki had plenty to figure out and he wasn’t going to stand in the way if whatever was going on would provide even a glimmer of happiness.

He patted Loki on the back before joining Yelena who was in busy discussion with Natasha, Bucky, and Wanda. Going over the footage her pearl necklace and Loki’s tie pin had recorded at the ball and matching each face to the records in their database.

“So this man, Jacob Steinbeck—” Natasha zoomed in on the video and pulled up a mugshot right next to it— “was also imprisoned in the Bunker until the recent security breach.”

“Which puts us at five former Hydra operatives, on top of Stefan and Gerard,” Yelena surmised and she ran a hand through her hair. Leaning against the desk, unable to believe how they’d lucked out in tracking down not only Medusa’s top agents but also several of the freed prisoners.

She glanced over her shoulder at Loki and smiled because he’d been right—the mission had put them one step ahead in the game Medusa had orchestrated.

“Where are they now?” Thor asked.

“Still at the opera house. I’m going to update Tony on our findings,” Natasha excused herself and retreated into the next room.

Meanwhile, Yelena took a seat behind the desk and started a new search on the laptop, digging through various results until she located a blueprint of the opera house to study. Slim odds, but she wanted to see if there was any chance of an underground structure that could serve as, or lead to, a base of operations.

“I’m not seeing any buildings they could be hiding out in and the nearest former Hydra facility is twelve miles from here,” she mumbled, mostly to herself but Bucky pulled up a seat.

“What about old World War Two facilities and bunkers?” he suggested.

“Hmm, worth a shot.” She altered the search and began browsing historic records. Comparing various city maps but there wasn’t anything to find. “Guess our only hope is that they’ll return to their base soon, or wherever she is hiding at…”

“And what if she is in remote contact with them, hiding somewhere else?” Wanda worried. Knowing that they were getting closer and yet fearing Vision would remain out of their reach.

“It’s possible but if that’s the case, Vision won’t be with her. He’d be here, with Gerard. Medusa is capable of many things but Vision would be a useless prop to her without Gerard.”

“Would that change your plans?”

Not understanding the meaning behind Wanda’s question, Yelena furrowed her brows. Taking a pause before realizing that, like everyone else, Wanda had heard the pain and anger in her voice after being confronted with Gerard. Her thirst for vengeance evident.

“I want to take her out, and him, all of them but our priority is Vision. We save him first, then we take the organization down,” Yelena assured her.

“But he is nothing to you. You don’t know him.”

“Wasn’t so long ago that I didn’t know any of you but Tony gave me a chance. A choice. Stay and do right or go back out onto the streets, alone and forever looking over my shoulder. I chose to stay and that means the team comes first. That the doing-right part comes first.”

“Steve gave me a similar choice once…” Wanda recalled her change in allegiance after she’d sought revenge against Tony Stark. “So I understand. I hope for you that we can do both.”

“I won’t stop,” Yelena made a confession that left Bucky troubled. “Once we’ve rescued Vision and rounded up Stefan, Gerard, and their forces… if Medusa isn’t there then I won’t rest until I’ve found her too.”

“To what end?” Bucky asked.

He recognized the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes. A slight clenching of her jaw even as she kept a smile plastered on her face. They’d both been trained as killers and Bucky knew that, right now, she spoke with the mindset of one.

“This will never be over until she’s been dealt with. Whatever that looks like.”

Unwilling to discuss the matter further, Yelena grabbed her backpack, got up, and pushed past Wanda and Thor on her way to the bathroom. She needed to wash the night from her skin and have a moment to herself.

Gerard’s hands on her body and the look in his eyes sat too fresh in her mind. They’d revived old trauma that she’d believed she’d overcome but the memories were so intense that she could practically smell the chemicals once more. Masked only by the flowery body wash she’d squirted onto her hand.

His words, ‘you have no idea of how far we’ve come already’, rattled in her skull. Just how far could he mean, and when had this progress been made? How could it be that they’d never succeeded to wipe and rearrange her mind but were potentially on the verge of a breakthrough now?

A scalding stream washed the foam and soap down. Seared her unusually cold skin but she welcomed the pain to distract from her thoughts and concerns. Staring into the reflection of her eyes when she finished her shower and toweled off.

“I’m still me. I’ve always been me,” she told herself and ignored the pit in her stomach. Shrugged off the fact there were dark spots in her memory from days she’d lost track of when her body had been riding the effects of another of Gerard’s concoctions. “They didn’t rework my mind and they won’t do it to anyone else. I’ll stop them, at any cost.”

She got dressed and emerged from the bathroom, tying her wet locks into a loose bun as she crossed the room into the next to check on Natasha.

“Tony’s standing by,” Natasha told her. “He and the others will join us the second we find a base of operations.”

“Steve too?”

“He hasn’t regained his full strength yet but, yes. We’ll need the full team and no one wants to risk leaving him behind alone at the safehouse. Besides, super strength or not, there’d be no keeping him on bedrest if a fight’s about to go down.”

“Makes sense.” A quick glimpse into the other room had Yelena meeting Bucky’s eyes and she understood well that Steve would want to fight at his best friend’s side.

Natasha followed the direction of Yelena’s stare and lowered her voice. “He worries about you.”

“Who?”

“Barnes.”

“Oh. He doesn’t need to.”

“You should have seen him when we realized who you were talking to. Thor had to stop him storming out after you.”

“He cares,” Yelena stated the obvious but she needed to say it out loud in order to accept it as truth. “Sometimes I want to touch him,” she followed up with an awkward admission that made Natasha frown.

“What?”

“The other day when we were talking, he mentioned his family. How he’d lost them all and I wanted to, you know, offer a comforting gesture or hug. But I don’t hug people and what if…”

“What if you do hug him and he retreats? Or what if you do hug him and he hugs you back, and it means something? And once it means something, you’ll have something to lose.”

Yelena snorted. “Sounds like the KGB didn’t skim on their lessons about the human psyche.”

“No. Listen, I can’t tell you what to do or how he’ll react to it if you ever decide to do anything but I do know that you can’t let fear be the deciding factor.”

“Life was simpler when I lived it knowing I might disappear at any given moment and leave it all behind.”

“Hmm.” Natasha couldn’t help but let her mind wander to the one true attachment Yelena had formed. “You realize that with Loki, you’ll have to say goodbye sooner or later, right? Or is he the safe choice because you already know that it can’t last?”

“Because he’s a god and I’m not? Just a mortal who’ll turn old, grey, and wrinkly while he remains pretty much the same? If he’d even stick around for that long because what could I possibly have to offer him.”

“So you have given it some thought.”

“Of course.” Yelena crossed her arms and held herself, stepping further away from the other room and any potential eavesdropping. “And maybe you’re right. Maybe he is the safe choice because I already know that it’s going to end which makes it easier to just live in the here and now. Being whatever we are.”

Though she sounded apathetic in her response, there was a bitter undertone that lingered. A resentment for one or more truths spoken that didn’t go unnoticed with Natasha.

“Are you falling for him?” she asked again despite Yelena’s rebuttal days earlier, and the brunette flashed a contemplative smile.

“Would I know it if I was? It’s not like I have any experience to compare this to so just… you know, let’s just not get into it further because I don’t know anything beyond one moment at a time.”

“Alright,” Natasha gave in and put an arm around Yelena’s shoulder. A comforting gesture she hoped the girl might get used to and she was surprised when Yelena reciprocated by resting her head against Natasha’s.

“Thank you…” sighed Yelena while she stared out the window. Half lost in her own thoughts about a future she hadn’t wanted to consider.

They stood like that for a minute longer before exiting the empty room to join the others. Natasha got back to her laptop hoping the trackers would yield a result soon while Yelena found Loki on the couch.

He extended a hand and she sunk onto his lap easily, no longer concerned with hiding. Not caring about the fact that Thor smirked at them when Loki wrapped her in his arms or that Bucky turned away, pretending not to see.

“Finally!” Natasha called out and she pointed at the two red dots on her screen. “They’re on the move.”

Next to her, Wanda breathed out with relief. “It’s about time, the ball ended an hour ago.”

“Let’s just hope they lead us somewhere useful. I’ll crossmatch the coordinates of every stop they make to buildings in the area and satellite feeds, shouldn’t take long.”

“And then we’re off to do battle,” boasted Thor but Natasha shook her head.

“Not quite. First, we’ll need to scout the area to see what we’re dealing with, what their number is, their security, and what kind of weapons they have in place. After what they did to Steve, we can’t take any risks.”

“We also need to make sure Vision is really there,” Wanda added.

“Right.” Thor raised a brow. “Explain again, why did we not simply bring those men here for questioning?”

“Because they’d sooner die than tell us what we want to know,” Yelena piped up, knowing from experience how deep the loyalty of Hydra’s and Medusa’s men went. “This is the better plan, just be patient.”

“Not his greatest virtue,” Loki bared his teeth in a playful grin and prompted Thor to laugh.

“I am going to check in with Heimdall and Valkyrie,” he declared and strapped on his red cloak. “Call on me when you’re ready for the next part of your plan.”

Chapter Text

— 31: Discoveries —

The first to wake to a series of boots trampling down the hallway was Wanda and she winced when the floorboards creaked. Someone was coming—friend or foe, she couldn’t be certain—and she rose from their shared, queen-sized bed to nudge and wake Natasha.

“There are others here,” she whispered with her index finger over her lips. “At least four of them, judging by the sound of their footsteps.”

Natasha nodded with understanding and got up, drawing her gun, and along with Wanda she approached the door. Ear pressed to the wooden frame, she held her breath until she heard Tony’s familiar babbling and blew out a sigh.

“I’m just saying this could be prime real estate. A splash of paint, some fixing up. The location is ideal, literally right across one of Salzburg’s biggest tourist attractions,” Tony rambled on and earned himself quite a few groans.

“We’re not here to buy a hotel, Tony.” Steve’s tired voice grew clearer with each word and Natasha opened the door.

“I thought you were going to call first once you got here?” She ushered the group inside and greeted Bruce with a kiss and a smile. Relieved, yet waving her gun at Tony while she reprimanded, “Coulda gotten yourself in a lot of trouble.”

“I forgot, it’s no big deal, you knew it was us before ever needing to fire that thing.” He pranced around the room and screwed his nose up, commenting on both the size and a peculiar odor permeating the air. “Former Presidential suite? Smells like something died in here.”

“A few rats,” said Wanda, and Sam grinned.

“I’ve smelled worse.”

“Like Steve’s cooking?” Bucky, having heard the commotion, sauntered into the room and hugged his best friend before shaking hands with Sam. “Glad to see you up and about,” he told Steve.

“You and me both. I’m not a hundred percent yet but well enough to lend a hand.”

Rhodes tuned them out, scanning the room looking for Natasha’s equipment. “Show us what you’ve found.”

“This way.” She beckoned everyone to the adjacent suite where she’d mounted her laptop and surveillance equipment onto an old desk.

Throwing a subtle wake-up kick against the side of the worn-out, green sofa upon which Loki and Yelena were still fast asleep. Startling the pair but not before Tony stopped in his tracks so abruptly upon spotting them that Steve crashed into him from behind.

“Yeah, yeah, get over it,” mumbled Yelena when she saw Tony’s bewildered expression. Ever the morning person as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and pulled her arm from behind Loki’s back, having clung to him through the night.

“All I was going to say is that I could have just gotten you a giant stuffed bear if you’re that desperate for something to snuggle up to,” Tony smart-mouthed.

Not thinking twice, Yelena flipped him off before she sat upright and stretched. “When did you guys get here?”

“Just a few minutes ago,” Sam told her and caught her attention before it drifted to Steve.

Grateful to see him standing on his own two feet, and she flashed him half a smile but Steve looked away without acknowledging her. Pushing past Tony to catch up to Natasha and he observed the map of an old factory near the city’s border. “You’re certain this is their base?”

“As certain as we can be. The area’s private and big enough, it’s fenced off on every side, and they’ve been cooped up in there all night,” Natasha relayed what little they’d discovered. “It’s worth checking out to confirm.”

“Hmm, but not in broad daylight. Not unless we have a way of getting close without being seen.”

“I am not comfortable waiting much longer,” Wanda argued despite understanding how important it was that their presence remained a secret. “We’re so close.”

Still hanging back on the sofa, Yelena and Loki whispered among themselves before Yelena made a suggestion to everyone else, “They did offer us a tour of their labs, Loki and I could—”

“No,” Steve cut her off, rather brusquely without so much as a glance over his shoulder. “You were successful last night but becoming deeper involved would increase the odds of getting caught.”

“I won’t lose my temper again now that I know what to expect,” she protested, assuming that Steve’s objection stemmed from disappointment with the fact she’d almost blown their cover.

“Wait—again?” Tony peered at Yelena over the rim of his glasses. “Did something happen that we’re unaware of?”

He turned around and raised a brow at Natasha—she hadn’t filled them in on the finer details of Yelena’s run-in with Gerard specifically. Something she decided to correct by relaying the previous night’s events in full.

“Oh, yeah, I’m with Rogers.” Tony stood firm when he heard and jabbed a finger in Yelena’s direction. “Your part in this is done until we’re ready for a confrontation with these guys.”

Yelena shot forward, somewhat agitated and she spat in disbelief, “What? Come on! I almost slipped up but—”

“Consider yourself grounded, Frosty. Not a punishment, it’s for your own good.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“No, it’s not,” Steve spoke up again, kinder this time while he met her eyes at last. “We all know the pain you’ve suffered at that man’s hands. No one here wants to send you back in there to spend any more time in his presence. You shouldn’t have to, there are other ways to get what we need.”

The explanation disarmed Yelena who meekly sunk back into the sofa cushions, arms folded beneath her chest. “Oh.”

“Would be useful if Tic Tac was here,” Sam pondered their options and his thoughts flitted to Scott Lang. “Has anyone heard from him since Tony got us those ‘get out of jail free’ passes?”

“He’s checked in once.” Natasha entered a series of codes and encryptions in an attempt to hack the factory’s security feed. Believing they wouldn’t have to explore the location if she could get access to their system. “Said he had his own stuff going on. Something about quantum… I don’t know.”

“I think if we make some alterations to Sam’s little toy—” Tony began and his choice of words had Sam protesting.

“Hey now, there’s nothing little about me, okay?”

“The bird, Sam. That... thing,” Natasha clarified with a chuckle.

“His name is Red Wing.”

“Yeah, no one cares.” Tony waved him off and prompted Rhodes to laugh. “If we make some upgrades and adjust its scanners, we should be able to get it close enough to the facility that Friday and I can enter their system undetected.”

“Fine but if you hurt—break him, you’re paying.”

They got to work and while Tony and Sam took Red Wing apart, Bruce beckoned Yelena to follow him. Leading her away from prying eyes to discuss a discovery he’d made, one he couldn't be certain she would want shared with the group just yet.

“Do you remember those vials you brought back from Germany?” He paused for her reaction but all he got was a nod. “I’ve been analyzing every sample to isolate and identify the varying components they—”

“Gerard. We know who’s behind this now, may as well name the monster,” Yelena corrected. Already on edge and believing that whatever Bruce wanted the privacy for couldn’t be good news.

“Right—that Gerard used for his formulas but there was one element that isn’t listed in any known registry, yet I knew I’d seen its odd molecular structure before.”

“Does that mean someone created a brand new chemical substance?”

“No. It means that it’s not of this earth.”

Yelena blinked. “So, alien then? He used some kind of alien goo against Steve?”

“Not Steve—you. The only other time I’ve seen that same, otherworldly molecular structure before was when I analyzed your blood samples.”

She blanched, taking a step back while feeling her heart pounding up to her throat. “Me?”

“It was one of several components used in the serum that helped develop your powers when it mixed with the cryogenic process. I thought it to be an anomaly at the time so I didn’t analyze it further, I had no idea what to make of it.”

“What is it? I mean is it from an alien plant or some sort of lingering effect of alien tech that he could have used?”

“I don’t know for certain. The closest comparison I have to its structure is our human blood cells, which would indicate—”

“That I was injected with alien blood.” The revelation knocked the air right out of her and she hung back against the wall. Lowering her voice even further, barely above a whisper, for fear of anyone else hearing. “Does that mean I’m part alien?”

“No,” Bruce put her at ease immediately. “Your DNA and everything else about you is human but your powers are made up of more than just earthly chemicals and cryogenic particles.”

“That doesn’t make sense though. We know they were trying to strip me of my super-strength, not add to it, so why use the blood of some otherworldly being without understanding the risk?”

“I can’t answer those questions for you, I’m sorry. Perhaps they believed that, whichever being they got the blood sample from, could be capable of neutralizing the serum’s properties in your DNA, but that’s just one theory. We may never know why.”

“Hmm.” Yelena thought it over, trying to figure out just how much of an impact this news could, or should have on her. “So the alien part is limited to the source of my power, not me? I’m not gonna sprout horns or tendrils or turn… Blue.”

Her breath caught in her throat as Loki’s true form appeared in her mind’s eye. His deep, cerulean skin and garnet eyes. The way he’d transformed each time he’d been touched by her gift and how startled he’d been the first time it happened.

“No, you’re still all human. Enhanced, but human…” Bruce noticed the furrowing of her brow and the fact her thoughts had drifted elsewhere, piquing his curiosity. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” she lied to protect a secret that wasn’t hers to share. “I just got lost picturing myself with a tail or… scales.”

Bruce stifled a snort. “This shouldn’t change anything for you. I just thought you deserved to know.”

“Yeah… thank you.”

“So, Loki huh?” he asked, just as Yelena tried to relax and her eyes widened immediately—he couldn’t possibly know what was going through her mind.

“What?”

“I’m not judging. I was there on Sakaar and Asgard and he’s not… I mean he’s still Loki but there’s another side to him.”

That’s right—he’d seen her snuggled up to the god, just as everyone else had. Yelena breathed out a sigh and nodded. “Yeah, there is.”

Feigning a smile, Yelena excused herself and disappeared into the bathroom. The only peace and quiet she was likely to get any time soon, and while emptying her bladder she pondered Bruce’s discovery.

Could it be that, somehow, Gerard had gotten a hold of Loki’s blood? And if so, when, and why would he have used it against her? What had he hoped to accomplish and did Loki even know? Was his blood in her veins the reason she felt so drawn to him in the first place?

That last question ached in her chest. Her connection with Loki felt real and natural, something that had grown over time. From fighting him on a rooftop after he’d saved her from the tattoo parlor fiasco, to sheltering in his embrace whenever she needed comfort.

She flushed and went to wash her hands. Hating every question that popped into her mind and yet she knew they couldn’t be avoided. Loki needed to know because at the very least, this discovery would explain why his Jotun side had awoken at the touch of her magic.

Emerging from the bathroom, she noticed that Tony and Sam had left, and the little robotic bird they’d been toying with was gone as well.

“Boys went out to play?” she asked no one in particular but Bucky approached, handing her a cup of coffee.

“Yeah, they just left. Went to find a secure spot closer to the factory.”

“Cool… and thanks.” She caught a glimpse of Steve sitting by the window, his eyes boring into hers in a way she’d never seen before. Heavy with emotion—anger, sadness, fatigue, pain—she couldn’t discern which. “Is Steve okay? He seems… off.”

“Uh…” Bucky scrubbed a hand through his hair, having wondered the same thing. “Just tired I guess. Between the long flight here and the fact he’s still recovering… you know.”

“Makes sense. He should get some rest, might not get another chance once Tony and Sam return with further intel.”

“I’ll try and convince him.” Bucky held her attention a second longer, contemplating whether it would be okay for him to ask what she and Bruce had been whispering about, but in the end he decided not to. If it was important enough or anything for him to know, she’d surely tell him of her own volition.

“Good luck with that.” She patted him on the shoulder and walked off to find Loki. Figuring that this very minute, while the others were still out, was as good a time as any to discuss Bruce’s findings.

Chapter Text

— 32: Falling —

Within seconds of securing privacy in an empty room down the hall, Loki reeled Yelena into his arms and began backing her up against the closed door. His mouth seeking out the nape of her neck, humming into her skin with his lips and teeth used in an assault on her throat.

“Loki…” she gasped, startled by the sensations that flooded her body in an instant. She’d become such an easy mark for him that she would have hated it if not for the fact that it felt so damn good. “Not… not why I brought you here.”

“No?” Unconvinced, his hand darted underneath her flimsy sweatshirt. Teasing fingertips across her stomach until he felt the fabric of her bra. Loki groaned against her jawline, kneading the supple flesh in his palm and he delighted in the squeal that he pulled from her lips when he pinched her hardened pebble.

“Mmmm… no. No, we need to—to talk.” Arousal stirred already, Yelena squeezed her thighs together and planted her palms against his shoulders. Trying in vain to push him off but Loki easily snatched both of her wrists in one and pinned her arms up against the door.

Teasing and negotiations had become a part of foreplay, a little give and take, tit for tat knowing fine well that in the end, it didn’t matter who’d win—they both wanted the same thing. “We can talk after, or during,” Loki insisted. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he felt a greater urge than usual to lay claim to her. Marking her when he sunk his teeth into her neck.

“Oh fuck,” a delighted wail escaped and Yelena had to fight for clarity of mind. After or during simply wouldn’t work, not with this. Not when there was knowledge she had that he deserved to know about before carrying on with their tryst. Resisting him was reaching a point of impossibility though, her need for him just as fierce, so rather than physically refuse him, Yelena chose to drop the bombshell that was sure to halt him in his tracks. “I think I know why… why your Jotun side manifests when t-touched by my… my magic.”

Just as she’d expected and hoped, Loki drew back immediately. His eyes narrowed to inquisitive slits and he released her. “What have you learned?”

“I’m not entirely sure but…” Somewhat disappointed with the loss of his touch, Yelena readjusted her sweatshirt by pulling it back down. Fidgeting with the frayed edges, a nervous tic because she worried what his reaction might be once he knew. “According to Bruce, one of the formulas I was injected with, that aided the mutation of my cells to give me my powers, contained a sample of alien blood. Yours, I suspect, though I didn’t tell him that.”

“My blood?” Loki raised a brow, finding the mere suggestion to be a rather incredulous one.

“It could be anyone’s, I suppose, but with the nature of my powers and your reaction to them, I can’t help but think there must be some correlation there. You told me yourself, the only other time your Jotun side has ever shown itself was with that thing, the coffin of winter or something.”

“The Casket of Endless Winter,” he corrected. A stoic expression that gave away little about what he was thinking until he added, “The theory holds merit but there is one obvious flaw. I have never offered my blood to…”

His voice drifted as events from the past surfaced in his mind. His capture after the invasion of New York and the agent that had plunged a needle into his arm before Thor intervened, insisting Loki was his personal responsibility.

“What is it?” Yelena asked. Worry and curiosity mixing, and she wanted nothing more than to reach out for him. She just couldn’t let herself, not until all the puzzle pieces were in place.

“It would seem that I should have added one more body to my count when I visited New York five years ago,” Loki hissed with a contemptuous tone that Yelena hadn’t heard before. A hatred that she hadn’t seen from him before and yet she felt no need to guard herself.

Loki seethed, angered that he hadn’t paid more attention at the time and that someone had had the nerve to steal a sample of his blood. To use that part of him for foul experiments, the kind Yelena had endured, and he fumed considering the possibilities of what else they might have attempted. The secrets of his biology and of his home world not theirs to toy with.

His fists balled at his side and green energy exploded from his center. Knocking over what few decorations and furnishings remained in the musty old room, leaving only himself and Yelena untouched.

“One of the soldiers who was there for my arrest attempted to draw my blood. Thor interfered, we did not know they had succeeded obtaining even a simple drop,” he explained after he’d taken a deep breath.

“Hmm, that would have been STRIKE.” Yelena pieced together what she’d known from her Hydra days and what she’d been told by others. “And STRIKE was Hydra, so from their hands your blood went to Hydra, to Medusa and eventually ended up with Gerard.”

She felt a hint of relief, understanding that Loki hadn’t volunteered to take part in any experimentation, and he hadn’t been deceiving her by feigning ignorance all this time. Not that she’d ever felt convinced that he might have but she’d been betrayed before and it would have been foolish if she hadn’t at least considered the possibility.

“I had wondered, when we met first, whether you could be part Jotun or influenced by an object from my home world but Banner’s science disproved that theory. Now it would appear we were both correct.”

“Mm. I’m not Jotun though.” Yelena stared down at her feet, brows knitted together in contemplation as other concerns pushed to the forefront of her thoughts. “It didn’t alter my DNA, only my whole ‘let it snow’ shtick.”

Loki tilted his head somewhat to try and meet her eyes. His anger fading away to be replaced by calm acceptance toward the reason behind the bond they shared. “It doesn’t matter. You are fueled by the magic from my world. We are connected, and it explains why the snjórósa responded to your power.”

“Yes but…” She had to swallow her insecurities, not wanting to sound like a pouty little girl. Few things ever left her to feel this anxious but the idea that their bond was based on nothing but his blood in her system hurt more than she wanted it to. The idea that the choice she’d made to give herself over to him, and his reason for wanting her, came from nothing other than what a science experiment had determined for them. “Is that why we are connected? The only reason we… that you…”

Yelena sighed. She hated her words and didn’t want to be one of those meek girls from romantic comedies needing a definition, but that was exactly what she imagined herself sounding like.

“Darling,” Loki oozed the pet name he had used for her at the ball, hoping it would bring a smile to her face and not a split second later, he found himself rewarded. The corners of her mouth pulled up when she met his eyes. “I think you and I both know that there is a lot more between us than just the origin of your gift.”

The concerns she had weren’t ones he shared. Sure, there were plenty of questions he’d been asking himself about his attraction to her and why she mattered to him when men and women in his past had been nothing more than bed warmers. Having fallen for someone only once before in his life but she’d spurned his advances citing her love and loyalty for his brother instead.

Loki didn’t have a lot of answers to those questions, at least not any answer he felt confident enough to communicate. Like Yelena, he had settled for one moment at a time, the question of labels and titles pushed to the back of his mind.

“Be honest with yourself.” Stepping close, he forced her chin up with his index finger and cupped a palm against her cheek. Wanting to help her understand what he already knew. “When we first met, did you feel for me the way you do now?”

The twinkle in her eyes returned, remembering clear as day. “Not one bit. I felt closer to despising you, especially after that first time you forced me to relive my memories of the Winter Soldier.”

“Then isn’t that all the answer you need?”

“It is.” Reassured and knowing damn well that he was right, that she’d been stressed out over nothing and perhaps somewhat influenced by the opinions of others, Yelena pushed to her toes and leaned in to kiss him. “I’m kinda digging the whole darling-thing, by the way,” she admitted with a grin. “In case that wasn’t obvious yet.”

“Mm, and what term of endearment might you use for me?”

“Mine.”

Assertive roles reversed just like that, and pants suddenly tightening, Loki had to stifle a groan upon hearing the way she laid claim to him. In his mind, he’d already thought of her as his but never said it, seeking to get the message across through his actions instead—he’d have to step it up now.

“Mine,” he repeated and to make his meaning clear, he scooped Yelena into his arms and carried her to the nearest surface he spotted. A toppled French writing desk that didn’t appear too sturdy but it would serve his needs and he set the thing upright before seating Yelena on its oaken surface.

“Yours,” Yelena affirmed without hesitation and beyond a doubt, and she hiked her sweatshirt up before tossing it aside.

Rapidly creating a discarded pile of clothing on the floor as they stripped, and Loki smacked her ass when he pulled the pair of jeans down her hips. His lips found her mouth and she played with his tongue, hunger rising, and with their new discovery still fresh on her mind, an idea was born.

“Loki… I want,” Muffled words expressed between each kiss, “you… in your true, mmm, form.”

He broke their kiss abruptly, the astonishment clear on his face and he contemplated her request. A warmth blooming in his chest at the ultimate sign of acceptance and he didn’t have to think long. “You know how, make me.”

Cooler temperatures permeated the room when Yelena started her transformation and frozen fingernails sharp as knives scratched down Loki’s shoulders, bringing forth his true nature. A sight that only heightened the desire she held for him and her lips caressed the ridges that formed in his skin, symbols from his world that she promised herself to study one day.

The changes in body heat meant nothing to them, equally matched in their frozen state. Her glacier eyes stared into his garnet ones, anticipation building as he spread her thighs and she reached down to guide him between her legs.

“Fuck,” Yelena exclaimed when her hand curled around his shaft. Startled to find that the symbols protruded on his skin extended further down than she’d imagined. It made him feel thicker than she was accustomed to and her jaw slacked in surprise while Loki smirked, eager to spoil her and break new limits.

He toyed with her body to get her ready, fingers teasing the aching bud at her center. His other hand holding her pushed back against the writing desk, light pressure on her throat knowing well how far he could go. Making sure she was slick enough to still accept him even in this form.

Yelena gasped, grabbing his wrist near her chin with both hands for something to hold on to while her hips bucked. Slight apprehensiveness evaporating swiftly and replaced by a craving that needed to be satisfied. “Please, enough playing, I need you,” she whimpered, legs curled around his waist to draw him in.

“Mmm. Please, is it? I’ve never heard you beg before, my darling. I like it,” Loki couldn’t resist winding her up further. Nudging ever so close to her core but never giving an inch, not until he felt her nails dig into his arm to make him bleed.

It was a thing he enjoyed about her. The fact that she could give as good as she got and didn’t break easily under his ministrations. That she possessed the strength to ignite his pleasure through just the right amount of physical pain and never failed to let him know what she wanted.

Plunging into her without further warning, Loki worked to give her just that and more. The poor old desk scraping across the hardwood floor, squeaking something fierce and the noise mixed with the obscene slapping sounds that accompanied each thrust.

The antiquated item lasted no longer than two full rounds before it shattered under the weight of their carnalistic work-out. Leaving Yelena with several scratches along her lower back, and Loki with the delightful task of having to pull a splinter from one of her ass cheeks as they lay in a mess of their own creation.

“I like you like this,” Yelena sighed with quiet admiration while nestled in his arms. Letting an index finger trace every part of his face before finding his lips once more with her own.

Finally knowing the answer to Natasha’s question because the burgeoning warmth in her heart made it clear—she was falling and embracing every frightful minute of it.

Chapter Text

— 33: Storming the Castle —

The last two to reunite with the team back in the Presidential suite, Loki let Yelena’s hand slip from his to join Thor's side while Yelena found herself a spot between Steve and Natasha. Flashing them both a smile before she gave Tony and Rhodes a nod. A sign for them to go ahead and relay their findings before battle plans would be drawn.

“We have confirmed Vision’s presence within the building through a faint reading of his energy levels, no more than that. Their lab on the top floor is on a grid separate from their main system so we’ll need to access that manually. High density concrete walls on all sides,” Rhodes shared what they’d observed while scouting the facility from afar.

He covered what they’d learned about the security in place, the number of forces guarding the complex, then passed the narrative lead over to Tony. The map they’d obtained enlarged to commit the building’s layout to memory and decide on their approach.

“Most importantly,” said Tony, nearing the end of his speech while Rhodes packed everything they’d need to get the job done. “Stay in communication at all times. No one runs off half-cocked and let’s try to keep the structural damage to a minimum. Keep the fights contained, we don’t want to end up destroying half of Salzburg.”

Taking inventory of their entire group and inspecting their faces one by one, Tony decided on who to pair with who. “Rogers, are you sure that you’re ready for a fight?”

“I have my shield, and I’ve regained enough strength to lay someone flat,” Steve assured everyone, then raised a brow at Yelena who casually stood pinching his arm to test the firmness of his muscles. “Yes?”

She peered up at him and flashed a goofy smile. “Just checking.”

“Alright, Rogers, then you’re with Thor, Frosty, Loki, and Barnes as part of our ground team.” The mere mention of Loki drew some curious frowns and Tony was quick to state the obvious, “We need all hands on deck here and I have a strong feeling” —Tony stared directly at Yelena— “there’s no point asking him to stay behind when certain others here will be joining the fight. Correct?”

“There is glorious purpose to be found in aiding the people of earth,” a smirk on his face, Loki recited once more the line Thor had been feeding him since before they'd first returned to earth. Seeing little need to confirm the more obvious reason he’d want to partake in the battle.

“Right. Anyway,” Tony rolled his eyes and carried on with his assignments for the other four, “Sam, Rhodey, and Maximoff, you’re with me. We’ll fly in from the other side to surprise them and Nat, you’ll be with the ground team after you find Bruce a secure spot to lay low until we get to Vision. Let’s try and avoid any need for the Big Guy.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Natasha gave Tony a nod and retrieved her duffel bag from under the desk. “Suit up guys. Lena, with me please.”

With the lecture she was expecting already on her lips, Yelena followed, “If you’re going to tell me not to lose my cool in there,” she paused at her choice of words, the corners of her mouth curling into a grin. “Heh, suppose losing my cool really would be a bad thing.”

“That’s… oy. I think Tony’s terrible humor is rubbing off on you.” Natasha opened up the bag and revealed a skin tight, full body suit that closely resembled her own. This one in a navy blue, with lighter blue and white accents, and a snowflake cresting on the chest. “After you made your agreement with Tony to stay with us, he, Bruce, and myself got together to have this designed for you. The protective lining has an additional heat resistant layer.”

“I get my own suit?” Yelena accepted the garment and held it up against her body, far more thrilled with the combat gear than she’d been with her gown for the ball. “Thank you, I love this.”

“You’ve earned it, and we would like to keep you safe from harm. You know, for as much as any of us are when it comes to the job.”

Geared up and ready to head out ten minutes later, the two teams piled into the postal service vans that Sam had secured and they set on their way to the facility. Some of them were more anxious than others, with the highest levels of nervousness written plainly on Wanda and Yelena’s faces. The possible confrontations that lay ahead were easy to imagine yet impossible to fully prepare for.

They took a route that Tony, after combing through the security feed and analyzing every angle, had declared obscure enough to drive through undetected. Bringing them to a dried up sewer entrance around the back of the building that led toward the sub-levels of the facility.

The team of fliers waited outside for the signal while the ground team, headed by Steve, entered on foot. Weaving through the tunnels that spanned almost half a mile until they reached the main building where Natasha took the two guards posted out by firing off a set of tranquilizing darts. She ushered Bruce into the nearest security hub where he’d wait for access to the feed or the call that his services were required, and left him with a kiss. Promising that even if the Big Guy came out to play, they’d be alright.

“You all know what to do,” said Steve when they split up into two separate groups. His hand on Yelena’s shoulder to stop her when she passed him by. “This won’t be easy so make sure you keep a level head. Don’t throw yourself into more than you can handle and stay focused.”

“Steve—” She opened her mouth to put his worries at ease but a sudden, nearby salvo of gunshots being fired put everyone on high alert. Their presence at the facility no longer a secret and while Bucky charged into the fight, deflecting the shots with his arm, Steve activated his earpiece.

“That’s your cue, Tony,” he called out. Shield held up until he closed the distance between himself and a trio of special forces that came running. He knocked out one and flung his shield at the next, and the third he kneed before slamming him into a wall.

Elsewhere, Yelena dove with Natasha behind a set of storage crates, fully transformed and using her gift to turn bullets to little pellets of snow. Backed up by Loki who flipped his daggers in hand before taking a guitar slide across the floor, slicing the blades through flesh and muscle at the first set of knees he found. He took the rifle that dropped and disappeared from sight while the man fell forward, then reappeared behind the next soldier in line to knock him out. Calling out to the others, “Let’s keep it moving, ladies.”

The retort earned him an eyeroll from Natasha who muttered, glancing over her shoulder at Yelena, “He’s actually enjoying this, isn’t he?”

“Probably.” Yelena shrugged and ran after Loki, catching the next group of forces coming down the stairs and with a touch of her magic, she froze the steps. Causing the first man to slip and slide on the sheen of ice until they all tripped over each other into a pile at the bottom that Natasha easily disarmed and knocked unconscious.

When Yelena wove her hand to encase the unit in ice for good measure, Natasha took her wrist. “They’ll die of hypothermia, that’s not what we do.”

“Right, sorry, didn’t think about that.” With an awkward grimace, Yelena climbed along the bannister up the stairs, careful to avoid the ice-covered steps. Reciting the directions Tony had provided back at the hotel and remembering that the laboratory they needed to reach was two levels above them.

On the next floor, she caught sight of Thor and Bucky from across the way, punching a path through a dozen men with firearms while Steve bashed his shield into those who required more than one hit to go down. A thrill coursed through her at the odd satisfaction of fighting alongside the Avengers, the idea of having found her home taking root for the first time since she’d woken from her cryo slumber.

Short lived musings because the biochemical weapons Tony had warned about made their way onto the battlefield. A thick, yellowish mist wafting inward from the ventilators and Steve was the first to sink to his knees. Coughing furiously and more vulnerable than the others in his current condition but before anyone could reach him, Wanda appeared. The second team to their rescue and she dissolved the toxic cloud swiftly.

“Banner, feed’s yours, keep us posted,” said Tony when he arrived on the scene, having hijacked Medusa’s systems for their own use. A worried glance cast at Steve who still coughed up a lung and half, knelt down against a wall, and he was quickly fussed over by Bucky and Yelena.

“We should have brought a few oxygen masks.” Yelena dug through the backpack that Bucky had thrown down and retrieved a water-filled thermos. “Here, drink.”

“I’ll be fine, I just need a minute.” Holding on to Bucky for support, Steve pushed to his feet and took a deep breath now that the air had cleared. A few sips of water to wash away the chemicals burning in his throat.

“You guys go on ahead,” Bucky instructed the group. A part of him wanting to stick together so he could keep an eye on the two individuals that mattered to him most these days, and yet knowing that wasn’t an option. “We’ll catch up.”

His decision left Yelena just as torn. Finally in a place where she cared for him more than she feared him, and where her past grievances toward Steve had been replaced by gratitude. The decisions he’d tried to make for her, poor methods aside, turning out to be exactly what she needed to find her way in the world again.

“Be safe,” she leaned into Bucky with a whisper. Arm loosely draped around his shoulder in the most casual hug she could afford before she rejoined the rest of the team. Unaware of the brief smile that Natasha flashed at the two super soldiers, a nod to the fact that things might work out for the estranged father and daughter after all.

“The lab is just above you guys,” Bruce informed them from within the security hub, “but there are a couple of dozen soldiers between you and the access doors.”

“Just puppets.” Wanda rose, power fueled by her desire to reach Vision, and with a single telekinetic blast she slammed a group of gunmen on the next floor into the wall. Firearms clattering to the ground and quickly followed by their unconscious bodies.

Catching up to Loki, Yelena stood back to back with him while they faced the next set of troops storming their way. About eighty men, Rhodes had said, and Yelena figured they were only halfway through by now. Throwing one punch after the other, working almost synchronized alongside Loki, until a pair of soldiers attempted to double team her. She held one at bay while fighting the other who tried to choke her, and Thor stepped in to toss the man aside like a ragdoll.

“Thanks for the save,” she gasped and spun out to knee the first guy, then threw an elbow into his face and knocked him out. Her powers begged to serve her in combat but in such close quarters, she worried about the damage she might do. Favoring her strength over the magic coursing through her veins.

“Oh, you’re welcome, little one.” Thor beamed a smirk and gave his brother a nod, then ran off to assist Natasha.

He had her six while they approached the laboratory, clearing a path so that Natasha could get to work overriding their security access manually. The room they were desperate to infiltrate closed off by a set of double doors that could withstand a nuclear blast.

“Duck!” Rhodes called out in time for Natasha to dive out of the way when a semi-automatic started firing, getting a few shots off before Rhodes blasted the gunner back down the stairs.

With only a handful of men left, the team started to gather outside the laboratory. Forming a protective shield around Natasha and while Yelena and Loki fought off the last remaining forces, Steve and Bucky caught back up to the group.

“Was that it?” asked Sam, flexing his muscles and rolling his shoulders. “I’d expected more with the heavy artillery they’ve got stashed in the basement.”

“Well, we did take them by surprise,” said Tony and though Steve attempted to slap his hand away, he took a quick scan of his vitals. “Looks good, how’s the cough grandpa?”

“I’m fine,” Steve argued in return and he pushed past Tony, approaching the double set of doors. “Do we know yet what to expect in there?”

A question that Yelena wasn’t sure she wanted an answer to. Having come this far, she felt her anxiety rearing its head at the thought of Gerard and whatever his experiments could have evolved to over the past decade. Heart racing at the thought of a confrontation with Medusa after all this time and the worries that had passed through her mind in the last few days surfaced once more.

“Loki,” she whispered and clutched his elbow. Making use of the distraction Tony provided as he tried to predict what they might encounter inside the lab. His words a faint buzzing to her ears while she took Loki aside with a favor to ask, “There’s something I need that only you can help me with, and no one else can know.”

“I’m listening.”

Yelena cast a wistful glance at the group standing a few feet away from them and sighed. Heart heavy as she caught Bucky’s eyes for a split second, hoping that he’d understand and forgive her when all was said and done, before she told Loki about her last minute change of plan.

Chapter Text

— 34: Revelations pt. 1 —

With the security override nearly in place, Tony took one last opportunity to scan his team for injuries. A few cuts and bruises among most at best, and Steve stood steady on his feet once again. Recovering faster than he had only days ago which made Bucky breath out a sigh of relief.

“Can you two save that for later?” Tony groused when he caught Loki and Yelena lip-locked around the corner to the lab. “You’re like a bunch of horny teenagers, it’s awful. Nightmare fuel, really.”

“Oh shut it,” Loki remarked with an eyeroll before he received a ribbing from Yelena. The gentle shaking of her head admonishing him for the petulant comment. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t bothered. Just saying, there’s a time and place, and this isn’t it. You both ready?” Tony deactivated the scanner in his glove and marched back to the group.

“If I must be,” said Yelena after clearing her throat. She rubbed a hand down her neck and peered up at Loki through her lashes. Silent words exchanged between them when their eyes met in a language only they spoke.

“I’m in,” Natasha called out.

Gathering around, Tony and Steve led the team and pushed open the blast resistant doors. The inside of the laboratory a modern marvel compared to the facility which hosted it. State of the art equipment in a pristine, brightly lit room, and technology that could rival the sort that Bucky and Steve had witnessed in Wakanda.

“This is… different. I’d expected roaches and chemical spills.” Natasha kept her voice low and her guns drawn. Planting one cautious step before the other while they navigated a path along the generators that supplied the lab with the energy it needed.

Both Tony and Steve kept their shields extended, guiding the team between two rows of empty stasis tubes lined up along a path down the middle. Breathing quietly and walking slow, uncertain of what they’d find or whether another welcome committee waited.

“How dreadfully clinical,” whispered Yelena as she observed the white, gleaming aesthetics all around them. A peculiar remark that had Steve peering over his shoulder, brows furrowed in question, but the only reaction he got from her was a simple shrug.

Something felt off, though Steve couldn’t discern what exactly it was that had the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. A chill crept up his spine as they approached the center of the room where, atop an elevated platform, another stasis tube stood.

The energy field that surrounded the tube hummed steadily, and its prisoner hung in suspended animation. All color drained from his vibranium form and only the Mind Stone still emanated its yellow glow.

“Vis!” Wanda shot forward but Thor extended his arm to block her path.

Not trusting the apparent lack of security and the absence of anyone to guard the Vision. Compared to the waves of armed forces they’d fought getting into the lab, and despite the containment field extended around the synthezoid, their approach felt too easy. Unopposed. A trap.

“I don’t like this,” Tony echoed Thor’s thoughts and held his step. Helmet of his suit activated to scan the area but he barely got one reading off before an unknown object in the shape of a small disc attached itself to his power core. “What—”

Another salvo of discs whizzed through the laboratory and attached themselves to almost all remaining members of the team. Each marking their target and before anyone could react, the discs activated. Their magnetic pulse thrummed, seeking an anchor, and the pull separated the group. It dragged them, one by one, back to the empty stasis tubes lined up along the aisle where they became imprisoned.

All save for Yelena who stood nailed to the floor. Stunned initially until the last remaining disc clamped to the snowflake crest on her suit and dragged her forward onto the podium. Her body slammed into a medical examination chair where ankle, wrist, and neck clamps locked her in.

The stasis tubes sealed with a hiss and the energy field that erected around each cell began vibrating at varying frequencies. “What’s the meaning of this?” Thor bellowed and repeatedly, to no avail, smashed his fists into the glass that surrounded him.

Next to him, Bucky balled his vibranium fist to beat down the barrier but it wouldn’t give. Resistant to his strength, to the thrusters on Tony and Rhodes’s suits, to the magic Wanda and Loki wielded, and the shield that Steve bashed into the containment field. Leaving Sam and Natasha as the only ones who didn’t put up a fight but rather knelt down to inspect the enclosement, hoping to find a way to disable its trapping mechanism.

“I wouldn’t bother,” lilted a voice with a nearly imperceptible German accent. “It won’t give.”

A tall, slender woman with blonde locks cascading around her shoulders stepped into view. A smirk lingered at the corners of her red-painted lips, and eyes green like emeralds lit up with sheer joy. She closed in on Yelena, heels clacking with each step, and held a hand to her heart in a gesture of fondness.

“My sweet child, it’s good to have you back home with us at last.”

“Medusa…” Yelena’s lips twisted into a snarl and she flexed her fingertips. Ready to lash out until the common sense that lingered in the back of her mind won out against her thirst for blood.

“Clever choice,” Medusa praised when she noticed Yelena’s body language relaxing. “Best be warned that each prison has been sealed with a unique, two-part authentication code that only I and” —she beckoned the man who appeared through a door behind the platform— “Gerard have access to. Kill either one of us and you doom your friends.”

“How lovely to see you again, my pet,” commented Gerard. A glint in his eyes as he circled around to meet Yelena and he let the back of his hand caress down her cheek. Thumb pulling her bottom lip into a pout. “I’ve been looking forward to this ever since you tagged me the night we danced.”

Yelena recoiled from his touch. “You knew?”

“Your sway to the music was my first clue. I remember how Tchaikovsky used to calm your temper after a particularly unfortunate round of experimentation. It’s what I appreciated about you. A beast lurking within and yet cultured, educated.” Gerard watched her nostrils flare in anger and smiled. “Of course, the cool temperature of your skin and your peculiar behavior left me curious enough to have you and your partner followed outside by one of our drones. What a reveal.”

“And then we discovered the nanite trackers. It was only a matter of time before you’d come home to us, as you were always meant to.” Something in Medusa’s confidence rang unnerving as she strolled down the aisle. “The first breadcrumb of several to lead you all here.”

“Breadcrumb?” Natasha looked from Medusa back to Yelena, the concerns she’d cast aside weeks ago resurfacing.

“Come now. Did you really think we would abandon our favorite project in the heart of Siberia for just anyone to find?”

Her meaning wasn’t lost on Tony, and he laughed a wry chuckle at his own foolishness. “You wanted us to take her in. How could you be so sure we wouldn’t destroy her on sight?”

“Please, Mr. Stark. Your hubris and curiosity has landed you in trouble before.” Medusa tilted her head just an inch to the side and indicated at Vision. “There was no way you would have destroyed that which could potentially be molded into a weapon of your own. A scientific project for you to dissect and examine. Were you able to appreciate the results?”

A hypothetical question Medusa didn’t need answered while she sidled over to Bucky’s prison and smiled. “Did you, daddy dearest?” she teased and when he lunged forward, slamming into the barrier between them, Medusa mocked the fury she read in his eyes. “Pathetic.”

Medusa paused her step once more before Sam’s cell. Taking a moment to inspect and appreciate the way each confinement served well to counter the powers of its occupant. “You know, we have S.H.I.E.L.D to thank for this. The technology they used to build The Raft and their designs for a prison originally crafted to hold the impressive Dr. Banner who, since I’m sure you’re all wondering, is currently kept under heavy sedation back where you left him.”

The origin of his prison held little value to Tony, greater concerns spinning in his mind. “So she’s been working for you all along?”

He couldn’t fathom it, not with the aid Yelena had provided the team and the heartaches she’d put herself through but he needed to hear it said. In a place where he felt protective of their newest team member, he needed to know his care and trust hadn’t been misplaced. That the puzzle pieces she’d fit together so perfectly to lead them all here, hadn’t been of her own design.

“I haven’t,” Yelena argued dispassionately.

“She has, in a way, but we’ll get to that in due time,” corrected Medusa, adding to the perturbation that the team felt. “First, allow me to introduce myself. I think I failed to do so initially, and that’s just poor form.”

“Yeah, you can skip the pleasantries, lady,” Sam called out, “we’ve heard the stories.”

“Have you? A lovely trip down memory lane, was it?” Intrigued, she circled back around to Yelena. Slender fingers stroking the girl’s hair. “Alas, this little one doesn’t know everything either so let’s start at the beginning. I think you all deserve the truth before you die.”

“What a novel concept,” Yelena snarked.

“Shhh, little one, you’ll get your turn.” Medusa smiled before turning her attention to everyone present and she introduced herself at last, “Though I embrace the moniker of Medusa, and Madame Hydra, I was born as Sybille Schmidt. Great granddaughter to Johann Schmidt and while I was raised to continue his so-deemed noble work, I would rather seek to undo what he started.”

“The Red Skull…” A gasp escaped Steve while he stood pressed up to the glass. “He had a family?”

“He did. Hid them from the world before he became involved with Herr Hitler. Then, after Johann’s mysterious demise, my grandfather reached out to Arnim Zola and they formed a plan to continue Johann’s work. Of course, you know the role Zola played in rebuilding Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D, but did you really think he did this on his own?”

Natasha and Steve locked eyes, both remembering the discoveries they’d made at Camp Lehigh years back. The revelations brought to them by Arnim Zola’s computer generated presence there, and Medusa laughed at their startled expressions.

“Cut off one head” —she held up her index finger before erecting the middle one to form a V— “and two more shall take its place. My grandfather was the second one. The man with the resources and freedom to reform Hydra, to head its new council while Zola remained under the watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Circling back around to meet Bucky’s stare, Medusa put her hand up against his cell and smiled. Almost longingly. “They embraced the creation of enhanced individuals to further their agenda and pursued the idea of their own super soldier army. Never managed it without the original formula but my father, once he was in charge, came up with a different solution. One that involved my initiation into the organization when I was seventeen…”

She blew out a quiet sigh. A tremor in her voice that she failed to mask while she held Bucky’s glare and addressed him directly, “They wiped your memory afterward so you don’t remember, but I do. Your eyes black and empty, and your touch cold. Uncaring. Mechanical. It took a few attempts but I soon began to swell with the new life growing inside of me. Early tests of the amniotic fluids showed that you’d passed on your enhanced genes, and so my father got his wish.”

“Are you saying that Yelena isn’t the only one? That he has more… that there are…” Natasha tried to find a delicate way of phrasing things but Medusa shook her head.

“No. Yelena is the only one. Mine and his.”

Silence followed the confession as everyone attempted to process the information that didn’t match what they’d always believed. Tony and Natasha exchanged concerned glances, and Loki fought the urge to interject. Closing his eyes and retreating to the back of his cell while Bucky argued, “But Sofya…”

“Oh, she loved you, which turned out to be quite convenient. I had no interest in raising a child, especially one that I’d never wanted in the first place, but Sofya’s devotion toward you made her protective of the infant. My father assigned her to care for the baby and Sofya became attached to the little girl, especially once we took you away from her. And then she repaid him by fleeing in the dead of night.”

“All these games and all the deception.” Rather than the unleashed anguish Medusa was expecting, Yelena just scoffed. Agitated to be sure but far from infuriated. “So you’re mother dearest, that’s the big secret?”

“You’re not—”

“Shocked? After everything I’ve endured, hardly. I’m more curious why this matters, what does it have to do with your intricate scheming for world domination?”

This time, Steve wasn’t the only one left gaping at Yelena’s peculiar reaction. Bucky’s brows furrowed, distracted from the news he couldn’t begin to digest at this moment, and equally surprised that his daughter hadn’t lashed out yet in fury. As she had toward Steve upon the discoveries the truth behind the lies.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Medusa tutted disapprovingly. “You never listened to me, did you? I’m not interested in world domination—I seek to free this world and rid it of all potential threats. To undo what my great grandfather started when he first invited the wrath of the gods to our doorstep by claiming the Tesseract.”

“The wrath of the gods?” Wanda tore her attention away from Vision at last and let her eyes fall on Loki and Thor. “This is about them?”

“It once was, but there is a far greater threat prophesied by ancient scriptures. Tales told by bards throughout many cultures, stories grown into myths about those who came to squash the gods. A truth among them about he who will come for us all if we do not destroy that stone.” Medusa spun around and pointed a sharp finger at Vision’s forehead. “If we do not silence the open invitation for challenge that echoes through the galaxy, extended through the mere existence of all of you.”

“He, who?” asked Rhodes.

“The titan who seeks to restore balance through indiscriminate elimination and who will end our world as we know it.”

Chapter Text

— 35: Revelations pt. 2 —

“Titan? You’re ridiculous. Gods and titans, Greek, Roman, whatever mythology, that’s what this is about?” Rhodes, even with all that he’d witnessed in the past years, couldn’t help but scoff at the tale that spun out impossible claims. “Your daddy told you scary bedtime stories about Kronos and whoever the others were, and now you’re picking a fight with us? Lady, you’re out of your mind.”

“Not those titans, they’re mere myths,” said Medusa and she sidled closer to Loki’s cell. Observing the god with a disdained smirk. “He knows the one I’m talking about. The one in pursuit of the stones. Don’t you?”

Feigning ignorance, Loki merely slithered into the shadows. As far removed from the woman as he could be within his confinements. Disinterested with the secret that was about to come to light.

Not a word spared for Medusa or the claims she made, leaving her to elaborate, “Thanos. His arrival foretold by the Mayans, monks who turned mad, tribe elders, Nostradamus himself though no one listened to a word he had to say. None except for my mother who devoted her life to unearthing every secret of our universe. Starting with my great grandfather’s discovery of the Tesseract and the question of how such an object came to be in the possession of a church keeper in Tønsberg.”

“An Infinity Stone.” Thor found himself within reach of answers he’d been denied by his brother and turned to the raven-haired god in the cell next to his own. “That’s how you came into the command of the Chitauri you used to invade earth. Thanos.”

Loki merely flashed an apologetic smile with little else to offer as an excuse for his past actions.

“Mm, and using the power of one stone to reclaim the other,” said Medusa and her eye caught Gerard’s as she lamented, “We should have known. If we had, we never would have settled for the worthless blood of a god over the sceptre that von Strucker used to create her.”

For a split second, Medusa’s attention fell to Wanda. The witch who attempted to wield magics that couldn’t manifest within her confinements, but Tony was quick to redirect the narrative. Seeking more than just the ramblings about scriptures and alien deities.

“So you fear this ancient prophecy about a titan named Thanos, that still doesn’t explain how we ended up in your crosshairs. It still doesn’t explain why you went through the effort that brought us all here. You already had Vision.”

“You are a danger to this world, Mr. Stark. Don’t you understand that?” A hint of exasperation lingered in Medusa’s tone. “My family legacy isn’t the only one that must be unmade.”

“We have protected and saved this world numerous times,” argued Steve. “From threats created by your organization, by your great grandfather.”

“And you’ve endangered it just as often. Tell me, Captain, what would your purpose have been after the war? A threatening fist to shake at the world, standing above everyone else? A warning to all other nations not to mess with America?”

“Hydra—”

“I have already stated that I reject their raison d’etre, weren’t you listening?!” Medusa barked at the First Avenger before she gave Gerard a curt nod.

Frustrated with her audience, she’d decided punishment was due and the scientist let his fingers dash over the control console before him. Steve screamed out and doubled over not a second later when an electric pulse arced through his cell and shocked his body. Frying his nervous system and he sank to his knees.

“Hey!” Sam jammed his fist into the cage that surrounded him and yelled. Watching his friend curl in on himself but breathing and conscious still.

“Consider that your one and only warning to pay attention,” Medusa put a strong emphasis on those last two words and swiveled back around to meet Tony’s horrified expression. “Your mere existence invites challenge. Why do you think it was so easy getting other nations to sign off on the Accords? Mankind is, or used to be, a beautiful and very human mess with, yes, a vast history of war. But they were human wars, and which would you say is more damaging to mankind? A man made war, or one that is fought between supers? Enhanced individuals with weapons and technology that doesn’t belong to this world? Wars fought against alien beings?”

She wandered back up the aisle and paused at Natasha’s cell. “What chance would the average person have when aliens and gods fight in the streets where they live, work, go to school? Tell me none of you have ever thought about this. Worried about the damage you do and the threat you bring to our doorstep.”

“We have,” Natasha admitted while she tried to remain calm. Hoping she could reason with the woman intent on their destruction. “More often than you could imagine but—”

“No. No buts. Natural order needs to be restored to this world and to achieve this, you must all be unmade or die.”

“You’re not the first to threaten us with elimination.” Tony spared Loki a small glance. “I get it, we’re awful but I’m more curious about the how. What is her” —he indicated through the glass toward Yelena— “role in all of this. The first breadcrumb of many, which were?”

“You wish to understand the trail that led you here?” Medusa joined back at Gerard’s side. The two of them whispering among themselves as they read information off the screen that sat atop the control console. “Very well, I suppose we’ve got the time.”

Along with Gerard, she approached the medical examination chair that held Yelena and, mimicking fondness, she brushed a lock of hair from her daughter’s face. A smile too radiant to be sincere on her face while Gerard undid the bindings, and Medusa warned, “Remember, sweetheart. One wrong move and your friends will meet their end sooner than intended, with quite a lot more suffering involved.”

She took Yelena’s jaw in a vice-like grip and forced her to observe Steve still on his knees in his cell. Panting heavily and eyeing too pale for comfort. “Understood?”

“Yes,” Yelena hissed through her teeth.

“Good. Now… the beginning, the Accords. Ross, such a sad and desperate little man but with the right connections and plenty of weakness to exploit. Do you remember what I taught you, about the weakness of men? How to use their most basic desires against them?” Medusa linked arms with Yelena. Carding her fingers through the girl’s dark hair while guiding her down the platform and aisle. A flirtatious wink cast in Bucky’s direction.

“You’re disgusting for what you put...” said Bucky with a whispered growl that barely reached audible levels but Medusa heard well enough to relish in his words. Appreciative of the tormenting imagery and memories she’d hoped to evoke. “Your own child.”

“My father instructed me to use my body for Hydra’s gain, my daughter had to learn that same lesson. In the end we are but tools.” She let Yelena go and turned back toward Tony. Delighted with the information she had to share, “That wasn’t Ross’s only weakness, mind you. The man is also quite obsessed with, and jealous of, a few of your more powerful friends. So much so that the Accords I had one of my people present sounded like music to his ears. The idea that he’d wield control over all of you.”

“Hmm. Right, Stefan Vogel, your fake intern planted in Ross’s office. Fake S.H.I.E.L.D agent, too,” Tony pointed out. “What did you do to the real Mike Fellows?”

“He and his partner met a watery grave somewhere down the Hudson.” Medusa shrugged. “A regrettable loss but I needed access to the compound. I needed your laboratory and the experimental weapons you designed destroyed. I also needed a big enough scare that you’d call your entire team home, since Yelena’s arrival failed to accomplish this.”

“That’s why you placed her with us?” asked Rhodes. “To bring us all together?”

“Part of it. See, I’d hoped the Accords and the registry of enhanced individuals would give me easy access to track down and either cure or eliminate every inhuman. Place all of you under my command but unfortunately, not everyone was as cooperative. Not even those who signed. Some of you scattered to the wind so I had to find a way of reuniting you all.”

Natasha furrowed her brows. “And you knew that the discovery of another super soldier, of Barnes’s daughter, would lure Cap out of hiding.”

“Precisely. Of course, I’d hoped he’d bring everyone, that would have saved me a lot of trouble, but thankfully the destruction of your home served well to draw the Vision out. Everyone else soon followed.”

Yelena drifted closer to Loki’s cell and held a hovering hand up at the barrier that separated them. A touch of anguish lingered in her eyes that met his as she wondered out loud, “Would you care to elaborate on the other part of my role in all this?”

“You were needed to decipher the clues we laid out. Only you could have identified my mark, Gerard’s use of Glagolitic script, and only you would have recognized the effects of the serum we injected Captain Rogers with.” Medusa fell in at Yelena’s side and peered at Loki, a smile curling her lips. “I almost worried my plans were dead in the water when I saw the news reports of you roaming the streets of New York city but, thankfully, this one brought you back into the fold.”

“How—”

“We had eyes on you the second you started trending on social media. I almost had Stefan retrieve you for me but then Loki appeared. He did the job just as well.”

“Hm. So that’s what you meant when you said I’d been working for you all along.” Yelena puzzled out. Her gaze never left Loki’s even as Medusa began dragging her away from his cell. “I was only bait, to bring everyone together. To push them in the direction you wanted.”

“And you performed admirably, sweetheart, even without ever knowing the part you had to play.” Holding her daughter’s hand tight, Medusa maneuvered a reluctant Yelena toward Bucky’s prison. “There is one thing I am disappointed with, though. I watched as you all stormed the building and couldn’t help but notice you almost embrace your dear father. Do you not remember what he’s done?”

“I could never forget.”

“But you didn’t exact your revenge on him?”

Yelena forced out a deep sigh. “Was I supposed to?”

“Ah…” Medusa stood back and observed her daughter. Tapping an index finger to her lips as she contemplated, and then she snapped her fingers at Gerard in a command that only he understood. “You always were weak. Resistant. Building up your walls and feigning indifference while secretly mourning your kills. Too much like your father.”

Medusa accepted the little, wooden music box that Gerard handed her while she kept her focus on Yelena and Bucky. “We had to wipe his memory often to keep him functional. Recondition him whenever James Barnes would resurface. Soft, filled with remorse. Caring.” She glanced back at Tony and bared her teeth in a grin. Clacking her tongue before cutting him with words like a knife. “Did you know he wept and strangled one of our doctors when he realized what he’d done to your parents?”

The memories still fresh despite the years passed had Bucky looking down. A tortured stare turned to his feet so he wouldn’t have to witness the pain written plainly on Tony’s face.

“Doesn’t matter,” Medusa continued when neither men fed her the outraged cries she’d hoped for. She popped open the lid of the music box, revealing an intricate mechanism designed to play the notes punched into a strip of paper. “I’ll erase those last flaws within you, sweetheart,” she told Yelena.

“What are you—”

“All those blank spots in your memory… did you really think we’d failed?”

Medusa wound the little, golden key on the side of the box and the mechanisms began to spin the paper scroll. A haunting melody played as the only sound to be heard within the laboratory while both Medusa and Gerard watched Yelena. Waiting with bated breath for the change they knew to be inevitable and Bucky, realizing with sudden clarity what was about to happen, slammed his full body into the glass.

“No, don’t! Don’t do this to her!” he yelled out, desperate to interfere. Fearing for his daughter as he recalled the agony he’d endured each time his mind had been twisted inside out.

“Gerard?” Medusa, with the music box still in one hand, marched back toward the control console long enough to tap away on the keyboard. Nudging the scientist next to her who then entered his part of the code to unlock only Bucky’s cell.

Bucky didn’t hesitate and bolted from his prison. He clasped Yelena’s shoulders with both hands as he tried to meet her eyes, hoping against all odds that he’d somehow be able to stop her transformation from taking hold. “Lena, I know I’m not your favorite person in the world but remember who you are. You are Yelena Katerina Nikolaev and you’re stronger than this. You’ve fought them at every turn and you can do it again right now.”

The music continued to play and, after having been quiet this entire time, Loki became incensed by the notes that reached his ears. Pacing back and forth in his cell before throwing himself up against the barriers. Snarling in anger and Yelena, when she noticed, shoved Bucky aside before she marched up to Medusa. She met the woman halfway down the aisle and, in the blink of an eye, took the music box and threw it on the floor where she stomped it until only wooden splinters and bent, copper cogs remained.

“Befolgen, Soldat!” commanded Medusa. Startled that her carefully conditioned puppet would turn on her, and she took nervous, rushed steps back until she reached a safe distance up on the platform.

“Oh do be quiet, you incessant gnat.” Yelena’s voice broke into a masculine timbre as she made her approach to the mad woman and her scientist. “So there is a trigger after all,” she noted.

Rolling her shoulders once while green energy sparked atop her head and surrounded her. Drawing an outline of her form. Fading out along the curves of her body until they disappeared at her feet to reveal Loki standing where Yelena had been. “Good to know.”

Chapter Text

— 36: Unmasked —

Gerard was the first to decipher the truth behind Loki’s deception and he glanced at the prison which held a figure raging and snarling at her confinements. The visage of Loki’s appearance, masking a restrained Yelena, disappeared to expose the lie they’d been feeding everyone ever since setting foot within the laboratory.

Bound by a set of handcuffs on her back, Yelena continued to thrash. Throwing her full body into the glass repeatedly and growing ever more violent when Bucky, as the second person to catch on, rushed toward her. He met her murderous stare, identical to the one that used to reside on the Winter Soldier’s face, and felt his heart ache understanding fully well what was going through her.

Gerard understood too, and while Loki honed in on Medusa next to him, he fingered the keyboard caps to unleash the beast from her cage. His part of the code locked into the system but before Medusa could even think to put her hands to the console, Loki spun his magic into an emerald lasso that ensnared the woman and her pet scientist.

Standing back to back with Gerard and caught in Loki’s bindings, Medusa struggled to process everything she’d just witnessed. It had all happened so fast from the moment she’d begun winding the little music box. “H-how… what…” she stammered, not quite as quick on the uptake as Gerard had been.

“She knew,” said Loki. Circling the pair with a teeth baring grin. “I had thought that perhaps she was just letting fear cloud her judgment but, she knew. What you might do, what you have done.”

“Loki!” Thor called out from somewhere far back down the aisle. Desperate for his brother’s attention. “You might want to unlock our prisons before you start toying with your prey!”

“Yeah!” added Sam though his focus lay with Bucky and Yelena more than with the god. “Except maybe hers…”

The team, though startled, was less surprised by the fact that Loki and Yelena had swapped places. Thor beaming somewhat proudly at the way his brother had stepped up to the plate and Steve finally understood Yelena’s, or rather Loki’s, peculiar behavior and the carelessness of her words ever since they’d set foot within the laboratory.

“She’ll—” Gerard didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence when Loki pressed his palms to his, and Medusa’s, foreheads. Digging through their minds, jumping through the memories, plans, and knowledge they held, until he uncovered the number sequence he needed to free his brother and the team.

He released them one by one, save for Yelena who continued throwing her body up against the barrier. One shoulder started to bruise against the glass that wouldn’t give while her eyes never left Bucky’s, having honed in on their mark.

“I thought their conditioning therapy hadn’t worked on her,” said Rhodes. Stepping out of his cell with a wary glance cast at Yelena.

“So did she,” Loki relayed. “But those blank spots in her memory had her concerned, especially after the ball. She asked me to restrain her and switch our appearances before we entered the laboratory. In case they would try and turn her against us.”

Steve, having regained enough control over his body to stand and walk, scoffed, “You should have told us before we came in here.”

“No. There wasn’t any time for a debate and we needed your genuine concern for her to sell the lie.”

“Guys, can we table the ‘Loki was a bad boy’ discussion?” Tony marched past the group and up the platform with Wanda following closely behind. “Are they secured?” he asked Loki and gestured at Medusa and Gerard.

“For as long as is needed. For as long as I draw breath.”

“Okay. Right. We need a plan. We can’t leave Frosty like that, and we still need to free Vision. Track down Banner, and—”

“You might want to free our ferocious little girl first,” Gerard spoke calmly. Not even paying the people around him any mind, too preoccupied with the subject he’d spent years working on. Marveling at his own achievement. “Her conditioning won’t allow her to remain captured. She’ll break her entire body before ever ceasing her resistance and trust me, she won’t win against the material that prison was built with. She’s compelled to bring her mission to an end no matter what obstacles.”

“Rhodey, did you pack any sedatives or tranquilizers?” asked Tony.

“No.”

“Just let her out.” His brows furrowed in sorrow, Bucky rolled his shoulders and prepared for the fight he considered inevitable. “It’s me she wants, I can take it. It’s only right.”

“Uh, how about no?” Natasha wedged in between Bucky and Yelena’s cell. “Did you forget she can turn you into a living, frozen statue to be smashed in one hit?”

“We can only hope,” Medusa spoke up again at last, a bitter undertone to her voice. No longer stunned by the twist of events and desperate to see the fight she’d anticipated play out. To see the man she loathed snuffed out by the daughter she resented.

Tired and more than frustrated with the pair that had taken Vision from her, Wanda stepped in. Using the powers she’d been given to weave a nightmarish mindloop for Medusa and Gerard that would render them lost in thought, and thus mute. “That’s enough out of you for now,” she chided.

It hardly solved their most pressing problems. “Nat, Thor, go and find Banner. We’ll need him no matter what happens next,” decided Steve while he took in the sight of Yelena.

Driven by determination and cold rage, she continued to fight her prison. Knees and legs kicked up against the glass while straining her muscles to break the handcuffs on her back. Their metal edges had started tearing the skin around her wrists and drew a thin line of blood.

As much as he hated it, Steve knew there was only one person among them who’d be able to reach her in this state. If anyone were to at all. “Loki, can you handle her if she’s released?”

“I can, but you should know that she instructed me to stop her by any means necessary,” Loki admitted with a discomforted twinge in his tone. “And you may not like where that would lead.”

Balling a vibranium fist at his side, Bucky pinched his eyes shut and argued, “How could you even agree to that?”

“I didn’t.”

“Okay, I’m confused,” said Tony.

Watching the god intently and recalling the interactions he’d witnessed between Loki and Yelena, Steve understood. “He means that if it comes down to her or us, he’ll save her.”

“Uhm, I’m not exactly comfortable with that.” Rhodes began to back away when Loki gave a single nod.

Not the worst idea and in hopes of limiting the danger Yelena would pose, Steve instructed, “Sam, Rhodey, and you Tony. The three of you should head back and start securing the men we took down. I’m sure Ross will want his prisoners returned to the Bunker. Wanda—”

“I’m not leaving Vis.”

“No, and we might need you to help Loki,” Steve agreed.

“I’m not leaving either,” Tony decided though he wasn’t quite sure why. Uneasy with the idea of leaving some of his team behind but more than responsibility, something else ate away at him. Thoughts and feelings he couldn’t quite process in the moment. “My suit can protect me from whatever she might throw my way. At least for a while.”

“Tony…”

“Rogers, don’t.”

“Fine.” Steve turned to the other two on their way out of the laboratory. “Keep an eye out for that Stefan guy and watch each other’s backs.”

Once they were gone, Steve retrieved his shield from the stasis tube he’d been trapped in and signaled Loki to go ahead and enter the code combination that would set Yelena free. The god obliged, then joined him and Bucky down the aisle while Tony and Wanda remained up on the platform, counting the seconds as the glass cylinder released with a hiss and lowered.

It barely got halfway down before Yelena gripped the edge and hoisted herself up to lunge from her prison. Her transformation near complete before her feet touched the ground and with ease, she froze and shattered the handcuffs at her back. She charged Bucky at once, choosing muscle over magic, and swung a mean left hook that knocked his head to the side.

Yelena wasted no time and took Bucky’s throat in a vice-like grip, not a word uttered but the absence of humanity in her eyes spoke volumes. Left fist smashing into his face a second time before Loki snuck up from behind and wrapped one arm around her waist while he pressed a free hand to her forehead.

“Calm yourself, darling,” he whispered in a soothing tone as he fought the conditioning of her mind.

Connecting with her in ways he had before during their training sessions, and using tricks that were second nature to him. He attempted to lull her mind to calm and wove an illusion that would subdue her at the very least but, to his own surprise, was met with more resistance than he was able to overcome.

With his guard lowered enough to aid his connection with her, Loki didn’t possess the strength to stand his ground when Yelena shrugged him off. Ceasing her fight against Bucky long enough to throw Loki back beyond her reach, and Steve was left with no choice but to intervene. Rushing toward the pair with his shield raised, he slammed into Yelena from behind, drawing her ire with an infuriated glance cast over her shoulder.

“Steve, don’t,” Bucky rasped and though he’d never wanted to, he used the momentary distraction to break himself free of her grasp by jamming a knee up into her stomach.

She clutched her middle and glared up at Bucky. At once forgetting about Loki and Steve as mere blimps on her radar compared to the man in front of her. The one that every nerve in her body ached to kill. Emotion an unfamiliar concept to the conditioned assassin within her and yet, somehow, there was a split second of hesitation before she charged Bucky a second time.

Together they tumbled to the floor and wrestled for control. Yelena on her back and legs wrapped around Bucky’s middle, kicking her heels into his lower spine while he tried to pin her arms. Returning the favor from moments ago, Yelena found enough wriggle room and kneed his groin before slamming her forehead into his face. Bucking to throw him off and roll over, she straddled his hips and once more slammed a fist into his jaw.

“She’s a lot stronger than she used to be,” grumbled Bucky as he fought to gain the upper hand. Forgoing the use of his vibranium arm for fear that he might cause her irreparable injury. “But I don’t understand why…”

The absence of her magic left him baffled until a sense of familiarity struck. A moment he loathed to remember and a scenario she’d relived too often but this time with their roles reversed.

This time, Yelena was the one on top and in charge with her fingers digging into both sides of his skull. Smashing his head repeatedly into the floor and, either stunned by her overwhelming strength, or crippled by guilt, Bucky made no effort to stop her. Both entranced by events of the past that had been so hard to forgive and impossible to forget.

Steve ignored the warning he’d been given. Not caring about the fact he’d been injured already today and wasn’t quite at full strength, he rushed for the pair a second time. Knocking his shield into Yelena’s back to catch her attention and when the first hit failed to disrupt her keen focus on Bucky, he hit her a second time. Pleading, “Lena, stop. Please. None of us want to hurt you!”

It made no difference. She had no eye for any of them and ignored Tony just the same when he threw a small blast from his suit in her direction.

“Out of the way, soldier,” Loki snarled and stepped in to shove Steve aside. He took a hold of Yelena once more, hugged against her back while he beckoned Wanda, “Come, witch.”

Wanda needed no further instruction and pushed off with her telekinetic powers to levitate toward Loki’s position. She placed a hand on the god’s shoulder and the other next to his against Yelena’s temple, aiding Loki’s efforts of subduing Yelena’s mind. Scarlet whisps circling around the girl before finally, the combined use of magic brought a halt to Yelena’s relentless assault on Bucky.

Dazed and disorientated, Yelena dropped her arms at her side. Resting atop her quarry in a motionless state and she stared off into the distance at nothing in particular. Momentary respite offered to Bucky who, with Steve and Tony’s help, pushed her off and climbed back to his feet.

“She’s fighting me,” said Wanda. Brows furrowed in deep concentration as together with Loki, she attempted to locate the trigger in Yelena’s mind to break her conditioning.

Loki felt it too. Glimpsed her thoughts long enough to discover that Gerard had spoken true when he’d claimed Yelena wouldn’t relent until her mission had been completed. That she’d cross every obstacle without any sense of self preservation to either achieve her goal or die trying.

“Can’t you just keep her trapped in whatever illusion until it wears off? Or until we can find a way to bring her out of this state?” asked Tony.

“No. She’s draining us both but… oh, forgive me darling.” Loki knew what had to be done in order to muster the sort of strength that was sure to overpower her. It just meant revealing a secret he’d rather not expose in front of those watching but there was no other option.

Any more time wasted and she would break free of the thrall he and Wanda kept her in. Unleash on those she wouldn’t be able to stop fighting until casualties fell and Loki knew he couldn’t let that happen. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her, and she’d never forgive herself or him if anyone on the team fell by her hand.

“Let go,” he ordered Wanda and focused inward while he used Yelena in her transformed state as a conduit.

Loki called forth his Jotun side for all to see and Yelena, no longer held back by the figments spun in her mind, whirled around to him instantly. The part of her that was fueled by his blood responding to the bond between them, though she eyed him suspiciously. Torn between staying in his arms or reaching for Bucky once more, her head cocked in question.

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Loki spoke sweet words emphasised by a smile.

Cautious not to make a move too soon, he let her linger in his embrace while she fought the duality in her mind. The killer within her was, perplexingly, at odds with the entity that was the source of her magic. Both wanted sole control of their host but Loki wasn’t going to let either win. He held her for a second longer and whispered another apology before using the might of his Jotun strength to form a fist around her throat.

He squeezed, only hard enough so that the lack of oxygen left her further weakened. He kept her body trapped against his own while she grunted and wheezed, and Yelena broke Loki’s skin when she bit into his upper arm. Straight through the fabric of his jacket but Loki remained undeterred and when he at last felt her slacken in his hold, he swung a sharp right hook to knock her unconscious in one hit.

“What…” was the only word Tony could manage as he stared at the cerulean being that bore a striking resemblance to Loki. Unsure of what he’d just witnessed and he wasn’t the only one left confused.

Loki didn’t care to explain. Cradling Yelena in his arms, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before he called on the Watcher to take them away from the battlefield, “Heimdall!”

Chapter Text

— 37: The Next Steps —

“What… where…” It took a startled Bucky a moment to find his voice. His throat was raw from Yelena’s attempts at choking him and his head throbbed after she’d repeatedly smacked his skull against the floor. “Everyone saw that, right?”

“You mean Loki turning into a big, red-eyed Smurf before disappearing with Frosty?” Tony palmed his forehead. Fingers and thumb massaging his temples to stave off the headache he felt coming on. “Not your imagination.”

“Okay…” With his face pulled into a frown, Bucky peered up at Tony and recalled one moment during his fight quite clearly. “Thanks for trying to help me.”

Tony waved him off. Months ago he’d attempted to kill Bucky but today he’d tried to save his life, and Tony wasn’t certain when his pure hatred of the soldier had diluted to mere resentment. Perhaps through his conversations with Yelena, and maybe there was that human side that pushed through to do the right thing. That had heard Medusa’s words about his parents, but he didn’t have the time to think about any of that right now.

“Do you suppose he took her to Asgard?” Steve wondered out loud as he stood staring at the spot Loki and Yelena had disappeared from.

“Isn’t that what ‘Heimdall’ means?” asked Tony. “Like their version for ‘Beam me up Scotty’?”

“You know they never actually say Scotty? It’s a common miscon—”

“Seriously, Rogers? You’ve had too much free time catching up on decades of pop culture.”

Quite used to their banter and bickering, yet not caring for it in the moment, Wanda merely rolled her eyes and drifted back toward Vision’s cell. Gazing up at him with woeful eyes. “It looks like this energy field” —she hovered her fingertips near the containment barrier surrounding Vision— “somehow disrupts his connection to the stone. I don’t understand.”

“We’ll get him out, as soon as—”

Tony had barely finished his sentence before the doors to the laboratory opened up and Natasha, escorting a rough-eyeing Bruce, walked in. Closely followed by Thor who carried an unconscious figure over his shoulder. A man who he set down next to Medusa and Gerard.

“Stefan. We found him guarding Bruce back at the hub,” said Natasha before she took to cuffing the trio—a necessity now that Loki’s magic had worn off.

Tony inspected the shiner that Bruce sported. “You alright?”

Bruce nodded. “I’ll be nursing a killer headache once the sedative wears off completely but, yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“I downloaded and erased all the footage that was recorded back at the security station, figured we wouldn’t want evidence of what was said and done here falling into the wrong hands,” Natasha said.

“Good thinking,” Tony agreed.

Thor took a quick headcount and frowned, mainly at Loki’s sudden absence. “What happened here?”

“Long story. Hey, do you by chance turn blue as well or is that just your brother?” Tony cocked a brow, unaware that he’d touched on anything surprising or secretive, but Thor gave away little. Only mirroring Tony’s frown until he elaborated on what had happened with Yelena and Loki.

In the end, Thor shrugged. Providing no real answers regarding Loki’s transformation other than the age-old, simple excuse he’d used before, “I did say that he’s adopted.”

“Right…”

Bruce paid them no mind. Less concerned with Loki than he was with the state Vision lingered in and he approached Wanda. A comforting hand placed on her shoulder as they observed the synthezoid. “Let’s see if we can get him released, huh?” He offered her a smile.

“Please,” said Wanda. “What do you suppose they intended for him…? She mentioned destroying the Mind Stone, but Vis can’t live without it, can he?” The answer already lingered in the back of her mind but it was too horrible to consider.

“He might, through other means. But they won’t get a chance to hurt him now.”

“They had a goal, though. This titan.”

“Yeah, about that.” Tony whirled back around to Thor. “Who’s Thanos?”

“I’m not entirely sure. You remember our conversation after the events with Ultron?”

“You mentioned other stones, and that you’d look into it,” Tony recalled.

“I did, and heard the name Thanos whispered in connection to the stones but no more than that. I made a few inquiries while we were on Sakaar but those who know his name are too afraid to speak of him.” A somberness befell Thor and he glanced down at Medusa. “This one was right when she spoke of his coming—he will, one day—but I don’t believe it’ll matter whether the Mind Stone is destroyed or not. This planet would face his wrath either way and we might stand stronger with the stone on our side.”

“What does he want with the stone?” asked Steve.

“I don’t know. Loki might. I must return to Asgard and speak with him at once.”

Having quietly lingered in the background to recover from his fight, Bucky spoke up again at last. They all had one thing or another to worry about, and his concern lay with Yelena. “Can I join you?”

“It’s against the rules,” said Thor.

Out of habit more than anything, and Steve cleared his throat before addressing the obvious, “Aren’t you king now?”

For a split second, Thor frowned, almost out loud wondering why that mattered but then it clicked and he flashed a somewhat awkward smile. “Right, of course. Does uh, anyone else want to come?”

“We have a lot to take care of here,” Bruce pointed out, already reading through the data concerning Vision’s condition and prison. “And I don’t think either Loki or Lena would react well to everyone showing up at once. This is for you both.”

“Are you sure it’s wise for you to go see her?” Wanda chimed in when she glanced over at Bucky. “You were the focus of her ire, she would have killed you.”

“That’s exactly why. She’s my… I—” He sighed, his head hung down low. “We were just starting to move forward, and if anyone knows what it’s like to have your head messed with like that… I can’t let her fall or give her too much time to put her walls back up.”

“Good man.” Thor marched up to Bucky and pulled him into a bear hug. Smirking down at the super soldier who grimaced being pressed so firmly into the god’s chest. “Hold on tight and don’t let go.”

“Cute,” noted Natasha with a soft chuckle when she watched them disappear. “I’m going to make a sweep of the back, see what else they’re hiding here. By my count, we’re still missing at least one prisoner.”

“Right—Zemo.” Steve retrieved his shield and followed Natasha.

A slow crawl past the center platform to a darkened section where they found nothing other than unused equipment. Plastic covers still sheathed over what appeared to be another examination chair with some kind of apparatus attached to it.

“I don’t even want to know,” Natasha muttered. Her nose screwed up at the equipment and whatever nefarious means it had been acquired for.

“I’ve got a heat signature here.”

“Could be our old ‘friend’.”

Natasha kept her gun drawn and signaled a countdown with her free hand before Steve pulled open the door. Scant light illuminated an examination room, small and worn down with the visible signs of experimentation. A medical bed stood in a corner, with tubes and wires feeding into its occupant.

“Careful,” Natasha warned when Steve approached the figure who appeared sedated and in deep slumber.

“It’s him,” said Steve when he tilted the man’s chin to the side and stared into the sickly face of Helmut Zemo. “He seems out of it but he’s alive.”

The prisoner made no sound and remained unresponsive as Steve unbuckled his restraints. Slumping forward and weighing heavy when he was lifted from bed, and Natasha tucked her gun away. She observed Zemo’s breathing pattern for any sign he might be conscious after all but found none.

Still, quite mindful of the man they were dealing with and despite his current condition, she slapped a set of cuffs over Zemo’s wrists.

“Guess Medusa wasn’t lying when she said he wouldn’t cooperate,” she commented when they further explored the secondary laboratory.

Finding nothing other than thick walls, shelves full of chemicals, and various medical instruments. A box of tissues nearby and Steve grabbed a sheet before using it to pick up a syringe with traces of fresh blood lacing the needle tip. “Or she was and he’ll wake as one of her enhanced enforcers.”

“Right. Creating enhanced soldiers to fight her war against enhanced soldiers.” Natasha shook her head at the harebrained logic of Medusa’s plan.

“It’s what she wanted to use Lena for…” Steve’s voice drifted as he thought back to the many confessions Medusa had made. “I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if she and Loki hadn’t fooled us all.”

“Well, I hate to admit it but, I’m glad he’s around. Seems she’s found a lot of support in him,” Natasha considered openly and she added, “You’re not though, are you?”

“How do you mean?”

“You were basically giving her the silent treatment back at the hotel when you first arrived, like there was something bothering you. You’re constantly watching them when you think no one’s looking.”

Careful not to touch anything with his bare hands, Steve used another tissue to collect a few near empty ampoules into a small tray and shrugged. “I don’t trust him. Maybe he’s changed but there is this glee to his interactions with her that just doesn’t sit right. As if he’s always planning… something. Savoring some secret victory.”

“I think that’s just the way he is.”

“Maybe. I’m not a fan.”

“And that’s all this is? You’re not still trying to direct or force some reconciliation between her and Barnes, and feeling as though Loki’s standing in the way? Because, honestly—”

“No, I’m not.” Steve handed the evidence he’d collected to Natasha before retrieving Zemo and lifting the man over his shoulder. “I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t think Loki’s right for her but I’m not going to interfere with any of it. And she has been more open toward Bucky… I don’t want to ruin that.”

“Yeah. Let her work through things on her own terms.” While not entirely convinced, Natasha dropped the subject and zipped up her backpack.

They rejoined the team where Steve sat Zemo down next to their other captives. Eyeing the foursome curiously and considering the haul they’d have to bring back with them to New York.

“I say we keep these four to ourselves,” Tony decided when he joined Steve in observing Medusa’s team. “I don’t want Ross knowing what they know. Not yet. And I suspect Frosty will have some questions for queen Hydra when she gets back.”

Natasha walked over to Wanda who stood longingly, and worriedly, gazing up at Vision. Impatient to see her love released from his trap, to meet his eyes again. To know that he’d survived whatever had been done to him.

“I’ve got it, prepare,” warned Bruce and he keyed in the commands that he’d found.

The containment field that trapped Vision buzzed and crackled to a dim light before it faded out entirely. The hum of machinery wound down and Vision’s form, released from suspended animation, dropped forward into Wanda and Natasha’s arms.

“He should wake soon.” Basing his words more on hope than knowledge, Tony tried to assure Wanda as much as he did himself. Finding comfort in the fact that the Mind Stone still sat in place and emitted its energy, a faint outlining of scarlet vibranium skin surrounding it.

He took over from Natasha in supporting Vision and sent her to gather what information she could from the computer console. Not doubting that their data might give away a lot more about their methods and plans than their captives would once they came to.

Rhodes and Sam were the last to return, with Rhodes looking rather exhausted as he pocketed his phone. “Ross called, I gave him the basics. He’s on his way and he’s dispatching Austrian Armed Forces to retrieve the Bunker prisoners, and whoever else joined Medusa’s cause. And he has questions, a lot of them. Not happy at all.”

“That was to be expected. You stay here and await his arrival. Help sort out this mess and keep an eye on him. Any questions he has, tell him to call me. He’ll love it,” Tony instructed before he reactivated his suit. “Rogers, take Zemo. Wilson, take Stefan. I’ll get the other two.”

The only one not to wait for his instructions was Wanda. Already embracing Vision in a scarlet wrap woven by her magic to gently ease him toward the exit.

“The rest of you,” Tony continued, “bring whatever evidence we’ve obtained and let’s head back to the jet before the Austrians arrive.”

“I’m ready,” Natasha announced when she finished downloading all the data from the main server within the laboratory.

“Then let’s roll out.”

Chapter Text

— 38: Asgard —

Perhaps it was due to the fact they no longer resided on earth, or the ferocity with which Loki had knocked her out but when Yelena came to, she was back to her old self. Eyes straining against the light that shone down, its luminance stabbing like small daggers in her forehead until she adjusted to her surroundings.

She gaped in awe at the high vaulted ceiling above her, warm in its yellow-golden and sandstone shades. The material, she judged, some kind of marble. Honed, not shiny, and it barely reflected the glow that emanated from the ivory colored, massive scalloped dome hanging down. Colossal beams that supported the structure she found herself in arced across the ceiling and further down, but Yelena couldn’t see where they ran.

Fog heavy in her mind, she struggled to even do so much as turn her head. Weighed down by the fatigue of her body and the refusal of her muscles to move an inch. Only the cushy and cool fabric she felt at her back and beneath her arms told her she was laid up on some kind of surface resembling a couch or bed at least.

Something inside of her ached but it wasn’t any sort of physical pain. A constriction around her heart that wetted her eyes to the point of tears. She couldn’t quite place where it came from or what it meant, unable to recall how she’d even ended up being wherever she was now. It just hurt, deep down in a place where her most precious memories lived.

Faint noises came from somewhere behind her. Voices. Words. She struggled to make out what was being said or who was talking, and closed her eyes in the hope it would help her better focus.

“We’ve received your request, my prince, but Eir has voiced her reluctance to proceed,” spoke the voice of a woman.

‘Eir?’ The name rang familiar. Part of a portion of knowledge Yelena was unable to access in her current state.

“You would do well to remind Eir of the fact that my request to her came as a mere courtesy. Not as a thing to be refused,” said another voice. This one male and recognizable enough that Yelena felt her heartbeat quicken.

Eir. Prince. That voice. In her mind’s eye, Yelena started seeing a face. Skin a deep cerulean blue and eyes like garnets. Haunted, before they filled with warmth and adoration as the face smiled back at her. Stirring a longing in her body that caused her fingers to curl into the fabric under her hands.

“Hey,” another female voice, this one coming from elsewhere nearer Yelena’s side, called out. “I think your mortal is waking up.”

‘Mortal?’

There were footsteps that echoed through whatever room Yelena found herself in, and then a face quite like the one she’d just drawn from memory appeared hovering above her own. Not blue, but equally cherished by her and it made her hate the fact she was unable to get her body moving. Failing to reach out to the man she knew well, and yet his name escaped her still.

“By the Norns, there you are.” The man sounded relieved. His hand brushing gentle fingers across her forehead before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I was afraid I’d hit you too hard.”

‘Hit me?’ Pinching her eyes shut once more, Yelena tried finding her voice. Lips parted, dry and cracked, and her throat felt raw. She managed no more than a soft groan in response and failed once again to lift her hand in the way she wanted to.

“Take it easy,” said the man. He seemed to understand what she wanted to do and continued stroking his digits through her hair. “It’s been a rough couple of hours. Don’t overextend yourself. Rest.”

“Wow. Who are you and what have you done to Loki?” Something akin to a joke came from one of the female voices at Yelena’s side and a stale, acrid scent reached her nostrils.

It made her scrunch up her face in response until the woman’s words dawned on her. More importantly, the name she’d mentioned—Loki. She recited the name in her mind several times and her eyes lit up with recognition and delight.

“Valkyrie, didn’t I warn you to keep any smart mouthed comments to yourself?” Loki glared at the woman just beyond Yelena’s peripheral vision.

“Yeah, but did you really expect me to listen?” The woman, evidently named Valkyrie, snorted.

Yelena heard the swishing of liquid in a bottle followed by a gulping sound. That’s where the smell came from too, she figured. Things began to fall into place for her, though. Loki, the prince. Eir, Valkyrie, and that magnificent ceiling she’d been staring at. This had to be Asgard.

“Anyway,” Valkyrie spoke up again with hints of sarcasm ready on her tongue. “Since she’s awake, can I go now? Not that it hasn’t been endlessly fascinating watching your girlfriend sleep.”

“Please do.” Loki dismissed her easily and turned his attention elsewhere. Another person stood next to him who Yelena couldn’t see either. “Inform Eir that I insist, and that I won’t ask or tell her a third time.”

“Yes, my prince,” said the figure before the sound of retreating footsteps made their departure clear.

Loki met Yelena’s eyes again and she felt his hand close around hers. “You’re okay. It might take a moment to find your strength and voice. Eir—our healer—said she wasn’t certain how you would respond to our medicine so she diluted the dosage. It can be rather potent, still, and it could take you a bit longer to fully regain control of your body, but you’ll be fine.”

She wanted to squeeze his hand and give a signal that she heard, understood. Ask him questions but she managed no more than to apply the smallest amount of pressure to his palm.

“I brought you here after your conditioning was activated, quite as you’d suspected,” Loki carried on in answer to the pleading look in her eyes. “You needn’t worry. Everyone survived, you didn’t cause any permanent damage to anyone.”

The bed she lay upon big enough for multiple people, Loki removed the black and green jacket he’d been wearing and climbed atop the sheets at Yelena’s side. “I should admit, it took quite a bit of effort to restrain you. You may not remember right now but I had to use a fair amount of force.”

Yelena merely stared up at the ceiling. Hearing his words and fighting to bring forth the associated memories. A sense of relief that she hadn’t harmed anyone beyond repair but whatever aching had caused her to tear up still dwelled somewhere in the unknown. Along with everything else that she couldn’t recall.

Realizing there was little use in attempting to discuss things further without Yelena’s ability to respond, Loki simply pulled her into his embrace. He kissed the side of her head, just above her ear, and assured her, “Rest, my darling. We’ll talk again when you wake.”

It didn’t take long for Yelena to lose herself to oblivion at Loki’s encouragement. Sleep quick to drag her under and dreams desperate to reveal everything that she had hoped to remember, just not quite as she’d experienced it originally.

She found herself back at the laboratory but not in her own body, or as Loki who’d pretended to be her. Instead, an entity without form or presence who lingered above the events that took place. A spectator observing every move and drinking in the words that were spoken. Confessions made, plans revealed, and truths which had finally come to light.

The truth about her mother, and even in her dream state Yelena felt that same aching clench around her heart. A reality she felt ill to accept and yet it made perfect sense. Her subconscious believed that this fact had to be the logical reason for the way Medusa had treated her beyond the bounds of simple cruelty. That it would explain why she looked nothing like Sofya, and why Sofya had never spoken much about the first few years of Yelena’s life. Only ever talking of James.

Tears sprung into her eyes once more and Yelena began fisting the sheets around her. Twisting and fighting in Loki’s embrace while she relived each moment. Her body woke this time before her mind did, but it wasn’t until she heard the faint echo of her own sobs that her eyes flashed open a second time.

“Oh god…” she gasped out in anguish. Her voice broken and small while she curled into Loki’s arms and buried her face against his shoulder. Not caring that he would hear and see her cry in a way she hadn’t before.

Grateful to remember, and yet it all felt like too much. As though it hadn’t been bad enough that she’d been right about her secret conditioning, or to find out she’d been planted with the Avengers as a simple pawn. That Gerard had suspected her to be hidden beneath the disguise of the woman he’d danced with and had, most likely, deliberately attempted to push her into breaking character.

Many things made a lot more sense to her now but they tore her soul to shreds. It broke her spirit to realize that Bucky had suffered a similar kind of abuse as she had, and that she was the living and breathing result. That the woman she’d loved, the only true parent she’d ever known, was never really her mother at all. Poisoning the only good childhood memories she’d ever had.

“You know that doesn’t change anything,” whispered Loki. Not needing to read her mind in order to know what it was that had her so distraught. “You may not share her blood but she was your mother in every way that mattered.”

“I… how…” Yelena stuttered out in between sobs and deep gasps.

Loki rested his chin atop her head and nuzzled into her hair. “Frigga. We shared no biological bond but she was, and always will be, my mother. The only woman in the universe worthy and deserving of that title.”

“Sofya… mom… She taught me a lot and loved me,” Yelena admitted. Keeping herself tucked away in Loki’s embrace while attempting to overcome her heartache. Willing her tears to subside. “I don’t understand why she never told me.”

“No? I think you’ve already answered that question—because she loved you.”

“But…”

“It broke me when the truth of my heritage came to light and I even tried to pretend that Frigga never loved me. That she was nothing to me. But I know she didn’t lie out of malice. She loved me so much that she didn’t want to see me burdened by the truth, and to her it was never a lie. I was her child, and that was all that mattered to her,” Loki paused, drawing in a heavy breath. “I realized that too late, but that’s all that matters to me as well.”

It took Yelena silent minutes to fully grasp the significance of the painful secret Loki had chosen to share with her while tears continued to stain her cheek. He wasn’t wrong. Sofya was her mother in every sense of the word and even knowing the truth, Yelena felt no different about the woman.

Perhaps too much value and emphasis was placed on the importance of a blood connection. Maybe emotional connections held just as much, if not more, importance when it came to defining bonds and relationships.

“Thank you,” she managed to utter after minutes of silence had passed. A little calmer and yet her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt to clutch him tight. “We’re on Asgard, right? You broke the rules.”

“I did. But I figured with my brother as king, he might allow for some leniency.” Loki smiled down into her eyes. “I had to bring you somewhere where you wouldn’t be able to do much damage or hurt anyone. Where you could be kept in a pacified state if necessary.”

“I hate that I was right…” Her brows knitted in sorrow. “What happens now?”

“Preferably, I’d keep you here. I’ve asked Eir to use the Soul Forge in order to locate the trigger in your mind with hope it can be rendered ineffectual but the choice is yours. I’d understand if you’d wish to return home and question your past captors. They have much to answer for.”

“No. I don’t want to go near anyone, not even the team, until I’ve been disarmed. So to speak.” Yelena grimaced awkwardly.

Despite the solemnity of their situation, Loki’s simple smile split into a full-toothed grin. The circumstances that brought her to Asgard had been less than ideal but he delighted to have her in the place he called home. Eager to show her his world, should they get the chance, and possibly even the world they shared through the threads of magic.

“Then this is where we’ll stay for the time being.”

“What if she can’t do it? What if I can’t be fixed? I don’t even know how long… or when… All this time they let me believe it never worked, that my mind was stronger than their will.”

“Certain forms of mental manipulation are difficult, if not impossible, to resist,” said Loki. Momentarily thinking back on his own past experience with the Mind Stone. “I have every bit of confidence that Eir will be able to help you but, if she cannot, then perhaps those who helped Barnes can do the same for you.”

“Assuming they’d want to.” Yelena pushed herself to sit up.

Straining the muscles in her body and rolling her sore shoulders while she glanced around the room. Noticing that the sky beyond tall, arched windows was so much more than a clear blue peppered with white, cotton clouds. An entire galaxy, vibrant in varying colors and littered with the brightest stars, lay in the distance and whether her legs would cooperate or not, Yelena rushed from bed to the nearest window.

“Holy crap!”

Her remark caused Loki to snort. “You’ve never looked upon the galaxy before?” he asked when he joined at her side.

“In movies maybe, but not like this. This is…” Awestruck, Yelena spun around and fixed her slackened jaw into a pout. “Please say you’ll show me around. I have to see all of it.”

“You will but, before I take you on a grand tour, let’s meet with Eir and find out what she has to say.”

Yelena sulked a little. Rather wanting to escape into the fantasy-like world around her than face reality but perhaps the dreaded was best taken care of swiftly. “Right. Scary stuff first. You know, with you being the god of mischief and all, I’d have thought you’d pick fun and games over business.”

“Any other time, perhaps. But not with your wellbeing at stake.” Loki struck a chord that had Yelena melt in his embrace.

Physical exhaustion, the emotional weight, and the tender care he showed affecting her all at once while she lingered in his arms. Taking a moment longer to admire the view beyond the palace before she allowed him to escort her to a meeting with Eir.

Chapter Text

— 39: The Road to Recovery —

To know about aliens and other worlds was one thing, but to see it with his own eyes was quite another. Every sci-fi and fantasy novel that Bucky had ever read couldn’t compare to what he witnessed setting foot on Asgard. Greeted by Heimdall and escorted to the palace on horseback, by Thor, across the rainbow bridge.

The twelve-year-old boy within him who’d dreamt about places like this buzzed with excitement, and though Bucky could certainly appreciate the beauty surrounding him, anxiety over certain pressing matters kept his enthusiasm muted.

“More mortals?” asked Valkyrie as she greeted the pair from atop the palace steps. Wandering eyes and a slight frown taking in Bucky’s appearance. “I preferred the other one,” she referenced Bruce.

“This is the girl’s father, and our friend,” said Thor when he introduced Bucky. “Loki, he brought her here, did he not?”

“They’re with Eir.” Valkyrie beckoned them both to follow her inside toward the infirmary. “Your brother’s been throwing quite the tantrum, and Eir’s none too happy about it.”

“Why?” Bucky quickened his pace to keep up with the two Asgardians all while taking in the sights around him. Both the architectural magnificence of the palace as well as the recent destruction that had taken place.

“My father didn’t allow for mortals to visit Asgard, and Eir, our healer, was very loyal to him. Though she was intrigued by Jane, so I don’t—” Thor explained through assumptions while they turned varying corridors.

“She’s intrigued by this one, too. Trust me, she doesn’t mind the girl but she’s less than pleased with Loki barking orders in your absence,” Valkyrie corrected.

Nearing the infirmary, Thor already recognized the silhouette of Loki pacing at the end of the hallway. Stomping, really. Appearing quite tense with his hands clasped behind his back and his posture rigid.

“Loki, what—”

His words were cut off immediately when he caught Loki’s attention. “That witch won’t let me in there to observe the procedure!”

“Procedure?” Bucky asked and he was unable to hide his concern. A dozen different scenarios about Yelena's current state and condition had played out in his mind, and none of them good. “What procedure, why?”

“To locate the activation sequence for her conditioning. Yelena wants it disabled before she returns to Earth. I’m sure you, of all people, understand,” Loki said.

“I do…”

“Eir has her in the Soul Forge?” asked Thor.

“She does. Refused to, initially, until I threatened to have her replaced by that underling of hers who she’s been teaching for over two centuries,” Loki scoffed and he cast a scathing glare at the closed door. “Someone who understands that if the prince of Asgard, and your one-time king, gives you an order, you do it.”

Hearing his brother’s frustration, Thor couldn’t help but smile gently. His tirade stemming from concern rather than a lust for power, vastly different from the sort of tantrums Loki had thrown in the past. “The mind is delicate. I’m sure Eir simply wants peace and quiet while she works, without you hovering.”

“This Soul Forge… what is it?” A small frowning line lingered on Bucky’s face.

“It’s… ehh. Jane compared it to a uh… quantum field generator.”

That didn’t really help Bucky understand, and he continued to stare bemusedly. “Okay… but what does it do?”

“A lot,” Loki offered for a non answer but then he made a comparison that got the picture across quite a bit more clearly, “But currently, what Eir is doing can be seen as what your kind calls brain mapping.”

The doors behind Loki parted to reveal Eir, a slight scowl intended for Loki only, while Yelena walked in the woman’s shadow. A sullen look on her face and when she spotted everyone waiting for her, she simply shook her head.

“I have found nothing,” Eir relayed, giving voice to Yelena’s disappointment. “In her current state, the trigger sits dormant and hidden.”

“You can’t help her?” Thor asked.

“I can, but she will need to be activated once more in order for me to locate the sequencing embedded in her mind.”

Hearing this, Yelena clutched her elbows and hugged herself tight. Fighting back her own frustration and the sorrow she’d felt ever since waking up on Asgard. Despite its picturesqueness and the comfort offered to her by Loki.

“Okay, then we need that music, from the little box, right?” Thor sought eye-contact with Yelena but she kept her head down.

Only nodding with great reluctance toward the idea. The last thing she wanted was to experience another transformation and lose control. Risk hurting anyone, even on Asgard, and even if those around her could likely take the hits, but she also knew there might not be any other way.

“It’s a song. A piece of old Russian folk music…” Her voice drifted as she thought back to the melody that Medusa had played for her. “It’s called ‘The Wolf’. A story about a villager who becomes cursed to live his life as a wolf, after leading a failed rebellion against the village’s Lord. Compelled by his new nature, the villager accidentally kills his wife and infects his daughter before hunters take him out, and grief triggers the daughter’s transformation. In the end, she slaughters everyone who hunted her father, and then the Lord and his family, before setting out into the world to start a new life.”

She finally looked up to meet the worry written plainly on Bucky’s face. “Rather grim but somewhat appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Don’t do that to yourself,” he told her. “Whoever you are and whatever you have done while your conditioning was active—”

“Is not my fault? How often have people said that to you, and how often have you believed them?” Yelena sniped, harsher than she’d intended to.

Of course she understood well enough—now more than ever—but that didn’t erase the guilt she felt. The responsibility. It didn’t help her to feel any less violated, as if she was no longer her own person. Perhaps she never had been.

“Besides, even without my conditioning, I was… Well, to stick with the metaphors, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Deceived everyone and played right into Medusa’s hand.”

The use of Earth’s idioms had Valkyrie and Thor stare at one another in bafflement, and the former shrugged before she walked away to carry on with her own responsibilities.

“You were a pawn, you didn’t know,” Bucky corrected but he knew kind words and shows of sympathy were useless right now. Yelena needed to fall first, tripped up by guilt, before she could climb back up.

Loki knew it too and directed the conversation back to the subject of undoing Yelena’s conditioning, “The music box was destroyed. Can we find a replacement?”

“Perhaps back home, on the internet. I uhh” —Bucky pulled out his cellphone and grimaced— “don’t think the WiFi works here.”

“I will retrieve the music,” said Thor and after some encouragement, a promise that everything would work out fine, Yelena provided him with the title for the piece and the composer’s name.

A glum look on her face as she watched him leave. Half lost in thought because she could hear the melody clear as day, playing over and over in her mind. It stirred her anger and misery, as if feeding on her negative emotions, but it wasn’t enough to re-engage her conditioning.

“That gives us time for the tour I promised you.” Loki, having noticed the vacuous look in her eyes, put a hand on her shoulder but Yelena declined.

“Later on, please.” There was something she needed to take care of first and, after leaving a kiss on Loki’s cheek, she turned to Bucky. “I’d like to talk… if that’s alright with you.”

He nodded and waited while she exchanged some private whispers and assurances with Loki. Stood patient while she thanked Eir and then Yelena inclined her head in a silent instruction that Bucky follow her to more appropriate and private surroundings.

An area Loki must have pointed out to her because she navigated through various corridors as though she already knew her way around. Finding a small, secluded garden behind a set of closed doors. Surrounded by tall trees, high bushes, and flowery patches with at its center a little fountain and a single bench.

“I wanted to apologize,” said Yelena while she sat down on the stone bench.

Bucky followed her example and took up a spot next to her, his brows knitted together. “You haven’t done anything wrong—I’m okay.”

“No, not that. I mean yes, for attacking you but…” Her hands wrung together and she stared down at her shoes. “I’ve carried around so much hatred over what the soldier did to me, and it’s been hard to accept that you weren’t to blame. I knew it but, fully believing it… feeling it, that hasn’t been easy. Now though…”

“You’ve experienced it for yourself.”

“Yeah. I remember everything but I had no control. Not even a thought for what I was doing or to who—only the mission.” She hung her head down further and blew out a deep sigh. “I don’t think there was any part of me that recognized who you were beyond my intended target. So, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” said Bucky after he swallowed the lump that had started to form in his throat. Grateful for her new level of understanding toward his circumstances and yet resenting the fact that she’d gained that understanding through suffering the same fate. “And you didn’t have a choice.”

“I can’t… absolve myself, shake the guilt, not yet, but I know. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for judging you. For holding his actions against you when I know now, better than ever, that you can’t and shouldn’t be blamed.”

“Thank you.” Bucky observed her through his peripheral vision. Wondering whether to say or do anything more than accept the apology she’d offered. Watching her mind busy at work as his own was. “Do you want to talk about it? The guilt and your actions?”

“Not right now, but I do need to say that… Well, you don’t really owe me anything. I’m not yours and Sofya’s love child, as it turns out. I’m… the soldier’s and hers, and I’d understand if—”

“You’re my flesh and blood.” Moved to act by the dismissal Yelena was about to offer, Bucky cupped her chin with one hand. Forcing her to look at him. “How you came into this world doesn’t change that. We’re not exactly a traditional family and it hasn’t been easy but you’re a part of me and I’m not walking away from that.”

A wry smile contorted her features and without even thinking about it, she leaned in. Resting her head against his shoulder. “Funny. Just… earlier, yesterday? I’m kinda lost on time but, I had to consider what flesh and blood means in terms of family. Because I still see Sofya as my mother.”

Bucky felt the walls she’d kept up toward him melt away and slid an arm around her. Sighing with relief when she reciprocated by hugging into him. “It’s about connections, and sometimes those are formed based on blood. Other times it’s about the people closest to us who we love and care about. You and I are family but to me, Steve is family too.”

“Right. Uncle Steve. I’m not quite sure that I see him as such.”

Bucky chuckled. “You don’t have to, and I’m not sure that he’d want you to.”

Mistaking his words for possible rejection on Steve’s part, Yelena closed her eyes and swallowed hard. “The others… Are they angry with me? I really didn’t know what she had planned for me. I feel so stupid having always believed to be better, stronger—thinking they hadn’t been able to take my mind.”

“No. They’re worried, and we were a little surprised by the stunt that you and Loki pulled. Why didn’t you tell anyone about the plan or your concerns?”

“It was pretty last minute. Ever since the ball, with the way Gerard spoke… At first I thought he was just mirthfully bragging but it kept nagging at me regardless, and once we got close to the lab, I just had this anxious feeling in my gut.” She drew in a long breath. Taking a moment to appreciate the peaceful gardens, the gentle trickling of water in the fountain.

“So I asked Loki to restrain me, that way I wouldn’t be able to attack anyone. Hadn’t expected the prisons she had ready for us but still, if I’d been free and out in the open the way she thought I was, I suspect things would have turned out far worse.”

“And Loki wouldn’t have been able to take control of the situation,” Bucky agreed and after some thought, he decided to try and satisfy his own curiosity. Emboldened by the still improving—the healing—bond between them. “He means a lot to you, doesn’t he? More than just uh…”

Yelena peered up at him, a single brow raised. A little amused and realizing fully well what he intended to ask, and she had no intention of bailing him out. “Yes?”

“You know, I thought this conversation would be easier since we don’t exactly have a traditional father-daughter relationship but, no.” A deep breath taken, Bucky tried again, “More than just… a bit of fun?”

She snorted. “Is that what they called it in your day?”

“No. We had casual and competitive dating, and just before the war it was all about going steady. Flowers, candy, dancing, a movie.”

“Hm. Well, he did bring me a flower once, so there’s that. But…” Yelena chewed a little on her bottom lip, thinking things over. “We don’t really… I mean we haven’t had the labels talk other than basically agreeing that there’s something between us. Just us, and I feel him in my heart. I’m falling for him but I don’t know where it’s headed or where we’ll be once I hit the ground. Soft landing, hard landing, and I’m not sure I want the answer to that right now.”

“There’s no rush,” Bucky offered a bit of advice and support. “It’s okay to simply enjoy it for what it is.”

The first, real smile began to light up her face. “Thank you. For this, and for coming here to check on me. I’m not always the best at opening up or talking about feelings and things but, it means a lot that you care. I haven’t been so kind to you and—”

“You’ve been there for me, even when you tried not to be. Included me when you didn’t have to. I think you and I are better at gestures than heart to hearts, so I did notice, and I do care.”

“I do, too,” said Yelena.

Not yet able to fully admit—and certainly not after having tried to kill him—how much she had longed for a father figure. To know the man that Sofya had always spoken of and how in recent days especially she’d found herself caring about him more than she’d imagined possible weeks earlier.

For now, this was good enough and Bucky hadn’t been wrong—she did do better with gestures. At long last capable of seeking and appreciating his embrace. A touch of comfort to push their relationship in a new direction.

Yelena peered back up at him. “How do you cope? With everything the soldier has done? Are you okay?”

“I try to be. There is a lot I need to make up for and we keep saying that I’m not responsible for what he’s done—and I’m not—but that doesn’t erase the things he’s done so I need to make amends. For those I’ve hurt and for myself. I’d like to talk to Tony at some point… own what I did and apologize.”

“Maybe he’ll let you, one day.”

“Do you accept my apology? You’ve brushed it off every time I’ve tried to, saying there is no point and to leave it in the past.”

“I wasn’t ready to hear it, and I didn’t understand your circumstances quite the way I do now…” She blew out a staggered exhale and frowned. “Yes, I accept your apology and… Look, forgetting won’t be easy. It’s probably impossible but I want to forgive. You’re… not awful.” She added a smile.

“Thank you.” Not thinking twice, Bucky wrapped both his arms around her. Fighting back the tears that welled up when she held him in return and he heard her sniffle against his shoulder.

“Ugh. I’ve been an emotional wreck ever since waking up here. Must be something in the air,” Yelena muttered.

“Yeah, must be,” he agreed easily to avoid bringing up the many legitimate reasons she had for feeling so anguished. Too much to remain hidden behind stoic and casual responses.

Yelena pulled back from his embrace and brushed her tears aside with her palms. “Do you want to join us for a tour of the palace?” she asked.

“Only if I’m not going to end up being the awkward third wheel, or a chaperone on a date intended for just the two of you.”

“We could invite Valkyrie along, make it a double date,” Yelena teased. “Or is she not your type?”

“Are you trying to set your old man up?” Bucky quipped with a slight grin on his face.

“Well not if you’re gonna put it like that.” She laughed.

“You started it.”

“Fine, whatever.” Yelena rolled her eyes though she was grateful for the break from heavier subjects. “Let’s go and maybe Thor will be back by now, then he can be your date instead.”

Chapter Text

— 40: Back Online —

Back at the lake house in Montauk, Bruce stood at the bedside of his newest patient. A chart in hand while he observed the man over the rim of his glasses. “Can you give me your name and tell me where you are?”

“My name is Zemo, but how would I know where I am? The last thing I remember is Austria,” Zemo relayed apathetically. “I know who you are though, Dr. Banner. We didn’t get to meet last time.”

“Hm. When you sowed discord between my friends to pit them against one another. You should be glad I was occupied elsewhere or you might not be sitting here right now.”

“You are not a violent man, Dr Banner.”

“I’m not,” Bruce affirmed with a slight smile. “But there’s another side to me.”

“Ah, yes, of course. The Hulk.” Zemo took in his surroundings. Eyes catching every detail of the small, medical ward before he glanced down at the bindings that kept him restrained to his bed. “I understand that my hard work has been undone?”

“Is that what you were told? What did they want with you?”

“I received a scolding for interfering with her plans. Then she asked me to join her cause but I declined.”

Bruce raised a brow. In part in surprise at Zemo’s open and direct answers, and in part because he couldn’t understand why Zemo would have rejected the opportunity to work with Medusa. “From what I heard, you’d rather be rid of us. Why wouldn’t you work with her?”

“I’m not a team player, and I didn’t trust her.”

“Right.” Uncertain of what to make of his patient, Bruce scribbled down a few notes on Zemo’s chart. “Well, your vitals are improving. Can you tell me why you were kept in their lab?”

“Punishment. Experimentation.” Zemo remained indifferent despite his current, and past predicaments. “I was injected with various substances but they never said what they hoped to accomplish.”

“And you don’t feel any different?”

“No. A little thirsty, and I wouldn’t mind a decent meal.”

“I’ll let Tony know.”

“Ah, so that’s where I am. With Stark. Who else is here?” asked Zemo, his curiosity piqued at last.

“People,” Bruce said before he excused himself to join Wanda and Tony, who’d been watching the entire time from outside the medical ward. “What do you guys think?”

“I sense no deception in him,” Wanda shared her observations. “His mind is… calm, clear, open.”

“But let’s not underestimate him,” Tony added. “He was part of an elite Sokovian Intelligence squad, he’s had training.”

Bruce nodded. “True. He may have learned to discipline his mind the way Barton did after his run-in with Loki.”

“I remember…” Wanda stepped back from the window looking into the medical bay and furrowed her brows. “If I am done here, I would like to go and spend time with Vision. He’s still a little disorientated after having been… asleep, for so long.”

The word ‘offline’ that Tony had used previously was too cold for her liking. She couldn’t see Vision as a machine, a synthezoid. To her he was a living being. One who had, thankfully, awoken not long after they’d arrived back in New York.

She flashed a smile when Tony told her to go ahead, and wasted no time rushing back up the stairs toward the living area. Finding Vision out on the patio overlooking the yard, seemingly lost in deep thought until she wrapped an arm around his middle and hugged into his body.

“The birds have taken notice of the thawing of the earth,” he mused in a serene tone. A curious tilting of his head at two white-wing crossbills nesting in a nearby tree. “They look so ordinary but are magnificent. The grace, care, and dedication used to fashion each twine and twig into a home.”

“I see you’re feeling more like yourself,” said Wanda. Peering up at him from under her lashes as pure relief washed away the worries she’d felt weighing her down for weeks.

“I am. Thank you, for finding me and saving me.”

“I always will.”

They stood in a silent embrace, watching creatures of habit play the role nature had intended for them. Dictated by the change in seasons as Spring lurked just around the corner.

“I’m afraid that I have no memory of the events that transpired during my capture. I became deactivated almost immediately by carefully calibrated frequencies that disrupted the connection between my synapses and the Mind Stone,” Vision lamented while he held Wanda in his arms. “I am sorry.”

“Don’t be. Tony and Bruce will uncover whatever information still eludes us and the important thing is that you’re home. Safe, with me.”

“What can you tell me about my captors, and Thanos?”

“We don’t know anything about the titan, only that he seeks the stones. According to them.” Taking Vision by the hand, Wanda led him across the lawn toward the waterside and sat down.

She shared what little they had learned about Thanos, and everything that Medusa had told the team about. Filling him in on all the things he’d missed out on during his captivity, including the arrival of new members and the complications that had come with Yelena’s appearance.

“I have missed much,” Vision commented when half an hour later, he met with Tony and Bruce again. “What are your intentions with the three you’ve… arrested? That’s not quite the right word, is it? Detained, perhaps.”

“For now, nothing. We’ll keep them fed and taken care of while we finish working on the puzzle to find out which pieces are still missing. Then we’ll ask questions,” said Tony.

“I did take a DNA sample from uh… Do we have to call her Medusa?” Bruce muttered slightly.

“We call Thor, Thor. And we call Loki, well, you get the idea.”

“But they really are. She’s not actually a mythological creature with snake hair.”

“Then use her name.” Tony rolled his eyes.

“Right. Anyway, I took her DNA sample to test one of her claims—she really is Lena’s mother. There’s no mistaking it so at least that part was true.”

“So Frosty is Hydra royalty, what a twist,” Tony mocked, loud enough that Steve heard it just as he walked in.

“That’s hardly her fault and it doesn’t change who she is to us,” he defended.

“I never said it did but I have to admit, the way Medusa spoke about Frosty and the fact she was deliberately left behind in Syberia for us to find, did leave me nervous.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s been a sleeper agent all along.” Tony held his hands up to Steve in a calming gesture. “I know, I know—she wasn’t aware of it—but it’s troubling all the same. The things she could have done, beyond her own control. You saw how she changed into a completely different person who didn’t even recognize us.”

“You sound like you’re bothered by that.” Natasha made her presence known.

“I think I might be. Look, I won’t claim that we’re best friends or anything but I thought we all mattered to her at least a little bit. That she was starting to feel at home, but when her conditioning activated…”

There was no denying the new level of understanding that had begun to wash over Tony and he locked eyes with Steve. A small sigh pushed its way past his lips and, though he couldn’t quite give voice to his feelings, a solemn nod got the message across clearly—Tony finally understood the difference between Bucky and The Winter Soldier.

“Speaking of,” Natasha broke through the sudden silence. “Thor just stopped by for a copy of the music that was used to activate Lena. She’s okay, they’re all on Asgard where one of their healers is attempting to cure her.”

“Eir?” Bruce asked.

“That’s the one.”

“We could have helped her here,” said Steve.

“The healers on Asgard are incredibly talented. Genuine centuries of wisdom. I was working with them on my uh, big guy issue, before coming back here. She couldn’t be in better hands,” Bruce offered some assurance.

“Did Thor provide any new information concerning Thanos?” asked Vision.

Natasha shook her head. “No. Said he hadn’t gotten around to it yet, and he was in a rush to get back so I don’t know any more than that either.”

“Then we wait, and in the meantime” —Bruce pulled up the data that Natasha had downloaded from Medusa’s private servers— “let’s see what we can find on here. Sybille may have kept digital copies of everything her mother discovered about Thanos and the prophecies relating to him.”

Caught up in his own train of thought, Steve let his feet carry him from Tony’s work space back up the stairs. A part of him wishing he’d known of Thor’s visit because he would have asked to accompany the god back to Asgard. To be with those who needed him, or perhaps it was him who needed them.

“Any progress?” asked Sam when he looked up from the book he’d been reading in the living room.

“Nothing of note,” Steve said. He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down beside his friend, a deep sigh passing his lips. “Apparently Thor stopped by, but I missed him.”

“You did and be thankful. It took Nat and I too many attempts showing him how to use the music app on one of Tony’s phones.”

“I would have liked to accompany him back to Asgard. I know they need time but…”

“Steve” —Sam put his copy of The Spirit Hunter and the Frozen Child down, a hint of concern clear in his eyes— “You have to stop worrying so much about them both. You carry the weight of everyone’s problems on your shoulders and rarely stop to think about your own.”

“I don’t have any. I mean…” Steve flexed his muscles and balled a fist. “My strength’s been returning gradually. I’m okay, but Lena, and Bucky, after everything we learned?”

“It’s for them to work through.”

“I know, but—”

“Can I ask? I get that Bucky is like a brother to you but why are you so overly concerned with Lena? Sure, she’s nice, she’s his kid, and she’s been through a lot. We all care but for you it seems on a whole different level.”

“Do you think I care too much?”

Sam sucked his teeth while carefully considering his words. “In a sense. Most of us noticed your change in attitude toward her back at the hotel in Austria and according to Nat, you’ve been fussing over Lena from day one. Like a surrogate parent or perhaps… something else?”

“No. I know what you’re getting at but, no. Maybe in the beginning I felt a certain kinship that could have been more, but things have changed since then.”

“So, you’re not jealous of Loki?”

“No. Well, yes, but not for the reasons you may think.”

“Then why?”

“Because she trusts him and confides in him in a way that she doesn’t with me. I know that’s my own fault, I messed up when I decided to keep certain things a secret from her, but it’s still hard. Being benched when all you want is to help someone.”

Steve uncapped the bottle of water he’d been holding on to and took a few sips. It had always been part of his nature to be there for others. Make a difference and help. It’s why he had taken the serum and though he knew that Yelena did have people looking after her, it went against his instincts to just sit back and stay out of it.

“I get that, but I think there's more to it.” Sam mulled over his own thoughts on the matter. “I think recent developments have left you feeling powerless. The anti serum, the time it took you to regain consciousness. Actually becoming sick again for the first time since the forties, your sapped strength while going through a series of events none of us had any control over. Facing a series of problems that have no solution other than time and waiting.”

“Yeah, none of that helps,” Steve admitted. Both surprised and comforted by how accurate Sam’s assessment was.

“Look, why don’t we head out for a little? Catch some fresh air, go for a walk and maybe pop into town? We have immunity now and Medusa’s locked in the basement. We can take a moment to breathe in life.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually… I could go for a run.”

“Fine by me, but any more of that ‘on your left’ shit and I will absolutely on purpose trip you up.” Sam flashed a brazen smirk.

Chapter Text

— 41: Moments to Remember —

The gardens on Asgard were quite a sight to behold, and the library that Loki treasured so dearly took Yelena’s breath away. Endless volumes with vast history and knowledge pertaining to not just Earth but every realm connected by the branches of Yggdrasil.

She’d never live long enough to devour every word recorded to their pages, and found herself observing the Asgardians they met in passing with a hint of envy. Reminded of her own mortality and the fact she had the lifespan of a mayfly compared to theirs. Compared to Loki’s, and that was assuming no tragic accident would befall her before old age came knocking.

It was a harsh reality she’d chosen to ignore in the past weeks and would again today. A smile fixed on her face for constant reassurance to both Bucky and Loki that she was fine, but it failed to ring true until they made their way to the lower city of Asgard.

There, Yelena found narrow streets buzzing with life. There were colorful market stalls with merchants selling their goods everywhere she looked. Pastries, cheeses, bread, and wine, and just across the way others sold carpets, home decorations, and whichever latest fashion trends they followed on this planet. Dresses of the finest material, in vibrant shades that Yelena would normally avoid but now she felt drawn to them.

One in particular and Loki’s smile widened when he caught her hugging the emerald colored fabric to her body. “What do you think?” she asked.

Bucky tilted his head slightly, a single brow raised. “It’s a dress and it’s green.”

“Gee, really? And here I thought I was holding an AN-94,” she smart-mouthed.

“It’s lovely,” Loki decided, already in the middle of exchanging coin with the merchant.

“Well, I do think it helps me to fit in.” Still wearing her bodysuit, Yelena had been feeling a little out of place and she was grateful when the merchant showed her to the dressing room inside his shop behind the stall.

Leaving Bucky and Loki to stand in awkward silence, waiting, until moments later she emerged. Her Avengers uniform tucked into a shopping bag, and her new dress a perfect fit. The merchant had picked out a matching pair of sandals for her and, satisfied with her look, Yelena took the hand that Loki held out to her.

“Where is all the music coming from?” she asked when they trotted further down the street. Notes that sounded as though they came from flutes and tambourines drawing nearer.

“Festival Square. It’s where artists gather and the occasional play is performed.” Loki held a smirk on his face, remembering the tribute to himself that he’d staged before Thor had returned to spoil his fun.

They approached and crowds parted for the royal visitor while the dancers carried on with their show. An almost medieval flair to the otherworldly spectacle that had Bucky comment, “I feel like I walked straight into a sci-fi fantasy novel.”

Yelena frowned at the remark. “You read that sort of thing?”

“Not so much lately, but I used to, yeah. Why?”

“I don’t know. Guess I wouldn’t have associated you with books. It’s nice.”

“I suppose there’s a lot we don’t know about each other yet.”

“My prince.” A young woman curtsied before Loki while she balanced a tray full of freshly poured glasses of wine on one hand. “Would you care for a refreshment? Straight from my family’s vineyard.”

“Thank you.” Loki took one rummer for himself and offered the second to Yelena. Only Bucky passed up on the opportunity, stating he’d much prefer a beer. “Mmm, rich in flavor and not too sweet. My compliments to your family.”

The young woman beamed with pride and bowed a second time before she disappeared back into the crowd, and Yelena bit back a smile at this new side of Loki she hadn’t seen before. The royal prince. Clearly a welcome sight among the people of Asgard, despite all that he’d told her.

“They like you.” She nudged him gently with her elbow.

“They like my family. They tolerate me because I helped save their lives,” he argued.

“I think you’re wrong.” Yelena took a sip from her wine and indicated toward a new group of dancers and performers approaching the stage.

Each wearing a different costume, but all of them with green and golden accents. Decorative horns adorning the hairstyles of some, while others wielded a staff to aid them in acrobatic tricks. The music was playful with a minor, sinister undertone as the crowd celebrated.

An artistic homage to their visitor, and Loki’s expression softened for a split second. “Perhaps,” he told Yelena. Not quite as convinced but he did appreciate the scene unfolding on the stage. One that hadn’t been of his own design.

They lingered for a few more minutes until the end of the performance before Loki suggested a return to the palace. Much to Yelena’s disappointment—she would have preferred to celebrate a little longer—though another form of revelry awaited them in the dining hall. A feast the likes she had never seen before.

“I figured since you’re both here, we may as well treat you to the very best Asgard has to offer.” Thor, who’d just returned as well, beamed while he handed Bucky a stein of Asgardian ale.

“Damn.” The table that was set stretched on with more dishes than Yelena could count. “Who eats this much?”

“We do,” said Thor before Loki shot him a glance and he corrected, “well, I do. And so did our comrades. You need to keep your strength up.”

She snorted a giggle. A light fluster on her cheeks as she helped herself to a tankard of ale. “Yeah, power me up before activating my beast-mode setting, that’s super smart.”

No one else was laughing, and Thor raised a brow. “I didn’t think about that, but we don’t have to undo your conditioning tonight, do we?”

“No,” said Bucky. “We can take an evening to unwind, if that’s okay with you?” He looked toward both Loki and Yelena, and the former nodded.

“Agreed.” Loki escorted Yelena to a seat next to the one he normally sat in. “Let this evening be carefree.”

“Alright.” Yelena shrugged and reached for something resembling a juicy chicken leg. “You know, for this being an alien planet, it’s surprisingly human. You’ve got people, human looking people, and chickens. And I think pigs judging by that ham looking stuff over there” —she pointed at a platter in front of Bucky— “and fruit, bread, cheese. Oh I love cheese. Cheesy cheesy goodness.”

Loki smiled. “There have been cultural exchanges between the realms over the past centuries.”

“Ah, but you don’t have pizza, do you?”

“No, we don’t.”

“Do you know what goes well on a pizza?” Yelena leaned in to him with a knowing smirk, fluttering her eyelashes.

“Mm, let me guess—cheese?”

She snorted. “Alllll the cheese.”

Bucky observed them with a hint of curiosity, Yelena’s behavior striking him as more peculiar he was used to from her. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yep! On both accounts!” She grinned. “Although… you may want to think twice about finishing your beer. I feel a little funky, and I’m starting to think that my whole super soldier mega metablolism, metabo-lishm, ism, uhm…”

“Our wine and ale hits a little different than it does on your world, doesn’t it?” Thor laughed when he caught on to the cause of her slightly unusual behavior.

Gaping in mock awe, Yelena replied, “It soooo does!”

“Right…” Bucky eased his stein to the side, no longer interested. Relaxing for once was fine but he had little care to become inebriated, still feeling too strong an urge to remain in full control of himself.

“Starting the party without me? That’s just rude.” Valkyrie announced her presence and thumped the back of Thor’s head with her flat palm before she sat down.

“Actually, we’d hoped to be finished before you arrived,” Loki relayed most casually.

“Ah, well, you can’t have everything no matter how hard you try. You should be used to that by now,” Valkyrie bit back without missing a beat.

A retort that would have sparked an argument under any other circumstances, but Loki paid no mind to the comment. Distracted by Yelena who’d given up on dinner, her mug of ale emptied and refilled, as she snuggled up against him. A beaming smile on her face and a deepening fluster rising in her cheeks.

“I really like it here.” She sighed into his shoulder, her voice down to a whisper, “And I really like you, you know?”

“I know.” He held her to him. Fingers carding through her hair while he ignored those around them, even his brother.

Both Yelena and Loki failed to notice the way Thor kicked Valkyrie under the table for staring at the pair, and the grin he held back for Loki’s benefit. Bringing Loki with him to earth seemed to be paying off—he’d changed—and Thor wasn’t about to risk undoing that progress by badgering and teasing.

“I was thinking,” Thor began sharing something that he’d been contemplating ever since their escape from Sakaar, “that it is time we change a few of the rules around here.”

“Such as?” asked Valkyrie.

“Allowing visitors from all the realms. The refugees we saved on Sakaar should be granted permanent residence here if they wish it, and we should welcome more allies from Midgard.”

“That’d be a big change… Odin established those rules for a reason.”

“Different times,” Thor waved off her concerns. “And should a threat present at our gates then we’d stand stronger together.”

Loki raised a brow and pointed out, “Father never believed so.”

“He didn’t trust people, I do. Just look at those who aided us against Hela. Who are helping us to rebuild.”

“They owe you for saving their lives.”

“They were given the freedom to return to their homes and they chose to stay.”

“I think it’s a nice idea,” Bucky chimed in with half a smile on his face. “Steve would love this place.”

“See?” Thor raised his cup in a toast and sat back with a satisfied grin.

Pleased with his decision and while Loki didn’t say it out loud, he gave his brother a simple nod as a sign of appreciation. Realizing fully well that Thor had just legitimized Yelena and Bucky’s stay, and opened the door for future visits.

“Loki?” Yelena murmured just below his ear. Hardly invested in matters discussed over dinner as her hand slipped under the table to rest on Loki’s knee.

“Mm?”

“I want bed and uh… you know, desh” —Yelena hiccuped— “shert.”

“Hm, and on a scale from one to ten, how inebriated are you right now?”

She flashed a suggestive smirk. “Shixty-nine.”

That answer had Bucky suddenly looking away, his full attention turned to the vegetables on his plate while Loki bit back a smile. “In that case, I will tuck you into bed and we’ll save dessert for another day.”

“Aww but why?”

Loki didn’t answer, instead lifting her into his arms to carry her away after bidding everyone else a good night. He brought Yelena back to his own room which he’d chosen to share with her and drew a warm bath before easing her into the tub.

“Wanna play?” Yelena tried again while she soaked amidst flowery scented and foamy bubbles that she brushed aside to expose her breasts. Peering up at Loki with an impish smile.

“Not while you’re this intoxicated, my darling.” He ignored temptation. Sitting down by the edge of the tub to keep an eye out and make sure she wouldn’t slip under.

“But I can shtill make decishions,” she argued. “And I know shtuff. Like your name ish the Loki and you luh…”

“And I?”

“You ah… I meanuh…” Yelena’s brows knitted together. A moment of doubt, and the last remnant of self preservation that kicked in and had her swallow the one word that she struggled with so much. “I’m really wet,” she uttered the next best thing that came to mind in order to hide what she’d really meant to say.

Not that Loki hadn’t understood, but he hid his disappointment and snorted at her statement. “You are. Baths will do that to a person.”

“Mmm. Bubblesh!”

“Bubbles,” Loki agreed, observing her with an ardent look in his eyes.

The sight of her—cheeks flushed, hooded eyelids, and a puckish smile—stirred far more than arousal within him. More than the pride he’d felt being her mentor and watching her grow in strength. No longer simply basking in her affection and devotion toward him, he yearned for something he’d long ago cast aside as an impossibility. Falling in a way he could no longer control, and it terrified him more than any foe ever had.

No, he couldn’t blame her for not saying the one thing that had been on both their minds. He too lacked the nerve to be the first to admit it, and had to bite his tongue when he carried her off to bed. Holding her in his arms as she drifted off to sleep. Listening to her mumble incoherently and sigh until fatigue dragged them both under.

Chapter Text

— 42: Facing the Music —

Morning came too soon and Yelena felt miserable as she dragged her heavy limbs out of bed. The bathrobe that Loki had helped her into the night before hung loosely around her body and swayed around her knees as she ambled across the soft carpet toward the balcony where Loki sat waiting. Slight nausea pushing against the top of her stomach, further agitated by a throbbing headache, and a wretched groan escaped her lips.

“Good morning,” said Loki while he handed her a cup of tea.

One she gratefully accepted before sinking onto his lap and into his embrace. “Ugh. Please tell me I didn’t wolf out again.” Yelena looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Wolf out?”

“Yeah, like werewolves when their curse is triggered and they get all savage and murdery?”

“Ah.” He smiled and teased a tangled lock of hair from her face. “No, your conditioning wasn’t activated. I’m afraid you’re suffering from something far more mundane.”

“What is it?”

“A hangover.”

“No, I can’t get…” Flashbacks to the previous day entered her mind. Fragmented and slightly out of order, but they were enough to prove that Loki was right. “Oh hell.”

“Drink your tea, darling. It’s a miracle cure, trust me.”

“You’re not going to make me suffer through this as part of a lesson?” Yelena gently blew across the rim of her cup and inhaled the rich mixture of aromas that steamed up into her face before taking a few sips.

“No, you have enough to deal with today.”

“Right.” A somber expression washed over her and she couldn’t hide the resentment she felt toward her situation. “With the whole… letting the beast out of its cage thing and trusting—hoping—that a three thousand year old woman with an alien medical degree can somehow untangle the crossed wires in my head that were twisted on my mother’s orders.”

“Are you having second thoughts about the treatment?”

“No. I’m just… I don’t know. A little apprehensive and anxious, but at the same time I know that I want to do this. I have to. I can’t trust myself otherwise.”

Loki nodded. “Try and focus on what comes after, once you’re free of your conditioning.”

“There isn’t much to look forward to though, is there? Returning to earth, dealing with Medusa. Waiting around for this titan guy to show up, and if we make it through all of that… then what?”

A laden question and Loki understood what she was getting at, he just wasn’t sure how to answer. “There is no telling what the future holds.”

“No, I suppose not…” She took another sip from her tea, its flavour fruity with a hint of spices, and glanced away. Gazing beyond the bannister at the city that lay in the distance, unable to quell the pit that was forming in her stomach.

One day at a time, and enjoying things for what they were made for a nice sentiment but the stay on Asgard was a constant reminder that she wouldn’t live forever. She’d barely make a century, and had never been so acutely aware of her mortality than she felt now.

“Oh, what cowardice I suffer from,” said Loki. Out of nowhere which earned him a look of confusion when Yelena frowned his way. “How often I have encouraged, even forced you to face your fears and here I am still hiding from mine. With you sat in my arms, and yet I lack bravery to tell you what I need to.”

“Loki…” Her eyes widened and even without hearing those exact three words, her heart skipped a beat. “I am no better. I’m terrified. I’ve essentially been alone, all my life, and I’ve never had this. Someone like you. I don’t really know how this works, or how it could work with our worlds being so far apart. Our lives so different. I feel like I’m living one of those dating-a-vampire cliches except, you’re not so much a bloodsucking fiend as you are an immortal god.”

Loki cupped her face with his palm and brushed his thumb along her cheek. “Werewolves and vampires, huh? Dare I suggest that your dear father isn’t the only one to enjoy fantasy novels?”

“Yes, well…” She clicked her tongue and conjured up a little smile. “I guess you could say it runs in the family.”

“I like your rambling,” he admitted. A first step in working toward expressing those things that sat carved on his heart but wouldn't cross his tongue. “I like listening to you talk, which is rather a new experience—I tend to prefer hearing only myself talk.”

Yelena bit back a chuckle. “I hadn’t noticed,” she teased. “But that’s alright because I do love hearing you talk. Your voice and that whole Asgardian, quasi British accent thing… kinda turns me on.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Loki shot back, a playful grin curling his lips.

“It’s okay if you’re not ready to say it. I’m not sure that I am but I do feel it. From you and for myself. That’s enough right now. I just… I suppose I’m dreading the idea that once everything we’re dealing with is behind us, you’ll come back here to rule with Thor and I’ll be on earth just… existing until I’m an old sack of bones turning to dust.”

“Lena, I don’t wish to be apart from you. I know what you are and I know the challenges that lie ahead. I’ve warned Thor when he fell for his mortal but, I believe that I would rather welcome what can be than to walk away from it as I’ve done with so much else in my life.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Yelena wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned down to meet his lips. “That’s as much a habit of mine as it is of yours but, yeah. Let’s do that. The not walking away from each other thing.”

“How new and exciting.” Loki smirked and kissed her again. “However, there will have to be some walking, and soon.”

“Hm, right. Almost time to unscramble my brain.”

“I’ve asked Thor and Valkyrie to be present as well. In case—”

“I get out of control and attempt to kill the woman who’s supposed to cure me?”

“One of the many things that could go wrong.”

“Thanks, I do love a good motivational speech,” Yelena sassed.

Troubled, but at least one weight had been lifted from her heart and Yelena decided to embrace that small relief. A playful twinkle in her eyes and a coy smile as she lowered herself down Loki’s lap until she sat kneeling between his legs.

“Really?” He raised a curious and amused brow when she began to unbutton his trousers.

“Drunk or not, I do remember asking for dessert and you promising it was best saved for another day. By my count, this is another day, and I deserve a distraction.”

“And am I to be rewarded for being such a gentleman?”

“Perhaps. Just keep talking and I’ll take care of the rest.”

A simple request and Loki obliged eagerly. Resting back in the chaise lounge they’d sat upon, delighting in the sensations of Yelena’s mouth while he uttered words both promising and enticing. Speaking, in between sharp breaths, of all the plans he had for her, for the both of them, and she drank it all in. Every syllable and every drop until the time came to visit Eir’s sanctum.

“You all understand what is at stake here?” asked Eir. “Once I begin, there can be no interruptions. No distraction. Any mistake on my part and Yelena could end up paralized. She could lose all of her memories, her knowledge of self, or worse.”

“My life,” said Yelena. Trying for a brave face as she squeezed Loki’s hand.

“We will see to it that you are not disturbed,” Thor promised.

“Then let us begin.” Eir returned to her cabinets and retrieved the sedative she’d prepared specifically for Yelena while Thor revealed the cellphone he’d been given and spent a good minute searching for the music app.

Long enough to give Yelena and Bucky a moment together and she sunk into his arms. Not to say goodbye but to remind herself of who he was. That he was a person that mattered to her, and she could only pray that the assassin buried within her mind wouldn’t attack him a second time.

Then a single tear trickled down Yelena’s cheek as the familiar and dreaded melody began to play. Knowing this time what was about to happen, and what she might do, her eyes filled with sorrow when she glanced at Bucky. Taunted by the memories of her bare hands around his throat and the hate she’d felt.

“Don’t let me hurt him again,” she whispered to Loki when she returned to his side.

The last sensible words to pass her lips before the transformation set in. Heart turning stone cold, and the love and recognition she held for those standing beside her evaporated. Familiar faces replaced by strangers and each of them a potential enemy, a threat. Targets to be eliminated.

Bucky felt a shiver creep up his spine when he met her bloodthirsty gaze. An aching in his body, remembering all the times he’d endured that same suffering and he hung his head down. “She’s gone,” he sighed.

“She doesn’t look any different to me,” Valkyrie chimed in.

“I can see it,” said Thor and he turned to Eir, “Do you have the seda—”

His question was cut short by Yelena who charged forward, wrestled free from Loki’s embrace, with a fist drawn that Thor just barely managed to avoid. Startling the group because they’d all believed that Bucky would be the first one she’d attack.

“Interesting.” Loki stood back. His curiosity tickled enough that he allowed himself a moment to watch Yelena’s attempts at bruising Thor’s face and body. “She has no sense of recognition, does she? Why did she choose him?”

Bucky stared at his daughter in bafflement. “I don’t know.”

“Calm down, little one.” Thor struggled to keep Yelena’s fists at bay until he caught her wrist and twisted an arm behind her back. His free arm wrapped around her midriff to keep her subdued. “Brother, you didn’t tell me her transformation amplified her strength.”

“Didn’t I?” Loki feigned innocence.

“Hold her steady,” Eir instructed while she approached with a syringe.

One Yelena saw coming and recognized well enough that she began fighting harder. Thrashing in Thor’s hold and kicking her feet to no avail, barely a match for the God of Thunder until her second set of powers activated. Frozen tendrils wove around Thor’s fingers and spread upward across his hands and arms. Ice that burned his skin until he could no longer take it and was forced to release her.

“Oh no you don’t.” Valkyrie stepped forward, ready to intervene when Yelena turned on Eir but Bucky beat her to it.

It didn’t matter to him whether she’d hurt him again. Those injuries would heal over time and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was at the very least partially responsible for the condition Yelena was in. His alter ego had hunted her down and hauled her back to Hydra’s base. Handed her over for Medusa to play with, and he owed it to her to help repair some of the damage that had been done since that day.

“It’s okay,” he spoke quietly and held Yelena by her arms. Ignoring how cold to the touch she felt. “You’ll be okay but you have to hold still for just a moment.”

All she did was hiss in silent fury. Fighting his grip and swinging her head forward for a skull-butting that had Bucky seeing stars but he refused to let go. He ignored the pain in his knees and shins from her incessant kicking, and twisted his lower body to the side just in time to avoid her boot jamming into his groin.

“Guess she doesn’t want any siblings,” Valkyrie quipped at the spectacle until she met Loki’s steely glare and decided to keep any further commentary to herself.

Bucky glanced past Yelena’s shoulder and gave Eir a nod. A sign to approach which the healer did, cautiously, the needle prepped and ready. Her hand steady while the metal pierced Yelena’s tender skin, and Yelena roared a growl when she felt the small pinch in her arm.

She wrenched herself free and landed a hard blow across Bucky’s jaw before she spun around to Eir and gripped the healer’s throat. Her other hand reached for the syringe still stuck in her flesh but before she could pull it out, Loki was behind her and pushed the plunger down. Forcing the carefully apportioned substance into her bloodstream and he held Yelena in a loving but firm embrace while Eir broke away.

“It will take a moment,” Eir sighed and straightened out her robe before she approached the Soul Forge and began her preparations. “Would you mind explaining how this mortal came into the possession of frost magic?”

“This hardly seems like the time,” said Loki. His hold on Yelena loosening when he felt her resistance grow weaker until her legs gave out and he cradled her in his arms.

“Perhaps, but it might have been prudent to know about her additional powers beforehand.”

“They were obtained on our world through science,” Bucky elaborated with what little he knew about Yelena’s gift. “Will that cause a problem?”

“It didn’t when I first examined her, let us hope it won’t this time either.” Eir watched as Loki placed Yelena within the cradle before she fastened a set of restraints around the unconscious woman. “Please, clear the room.”

“I’m not leaving,” Loki insisted and unsurprisingly, Bucky felt the same way.

“Neither am I. I promise I’ll be quiet, I won’t touch a thing, but I can’t leave her side.”

“Very well,” Eir conceded and while Thor and Valkyrie took their leave to wait outside, she began her examination.

Deft fingers turning the projection she’d brought forth above the Soul Forge to examine the changes taking place in Yelena’s mind. “Her brain chemistry has altered to such a degree that large sections of the amygdala and hippocampus appear shrouded, affecting her episodic and emotional memories.”

“Is that why she can’t recognize any of us in this state?” Bucky asked.

“It is.”

“I care less about the how and why,” said Loki. Desperate to reach out and take Yelena’s hand. A hint of regret for the fact that he still hadn’t told her how he felt, now once more faced with the possibility of losing her. “Can you help her?”

“I can, but it will be a long and slow process.”

“She’s strong and a fighter. She can handle it,” Loki assured himself and Bucky as they stood waiting. Nervous anticipation thick in the air while Eir got to work.

Chapter Text

— 43: Those Words Spoken —

“Has she woken up yet?” asked Thor as he stood in the doorway to the recovery room.

“No.” Loki didn’t look up. Dark rings had formed beneath his tired eyes as he sat with a hand closed around one of Yelena’s while Bucky, sitting opposite him, held the other.

It had been almost a full day since her treatment and she’d been unconscious the entire time. Eleven hours spent in the Soul Forge while Eir had worked diligently to liberate and restore Yelena’s mind. A process that had, on several occasions, caused Yelena’s frost powers to manifest whenever Eir sought to remove the barriers placed within the amygdala. Yelena’s second nature seeking to protect its host which had complicated and prolonged the procedure unnecessarily—the consequence of which was yet unknown.

“Has Eir told you anything more?” While keeping his voice down, Thor stepped inside and put a comforting touch on his brother’s shoulder.

“No.”

“It’s still the same story,” Bucky elaborated. An attempt to reassure himself and cast all worries aside. “Her vitals are stable and her brain looks healthy. Free of its conditioning. She’ll wake up once her mind has had time to recover fully.”

“She will.” Thor nodded and flashed a smile before addressing Loki once more. “Brother, can you spare a moment?”

“No,” Loki said a third time and Thor’s thick brows furrowed.

He’d never seen Loki so concerned for another’s well being, or so devoted in offering his support and care. He’d never known his brother to be a man of such few words and it left him scratching the back of his head.

“It’s important.”

Frustration burned bright in Loki’s eyes when he finally turned to glance at Thor. Further refusal ready on his tongue but, confronted with his brother, he worked to fix his mask of indifference back into place and sighed. “Fine, make it quick.”

Reluctantly, Loki let go of Yelena’s hand and turned from her to follow Thor outside. The corridor was not the most suitable spot for conversation but Loki felt ill inclined to step even further away from the recovery room. “What is it?”

“Please, calm yourself. She won’t wake any sooner simply because you are sitting at her side,” Thor tried to put Loki’s mind at ease but Loki was having none of it.

“Brother, do not delay. Say what you need to or leave me be.”

“It’s Thanos. I need to know everything that you know about him, and everything about your interaction with him. Is he how you survived your fall when we believed you dead?”

Loki closed his eyes. He’d been expecting these questions for some time. Ever since the confrontation with Medusa and even Yelena had briefly mentioned the titan. She hadn’t pushed him for an explanation but she had known that someone had interfered with his fall from grace, and that someone had been pulling the strings in his attack on New York City. He was certain that she’d already figured out the connection and it seemed Thor was riding that same track.

“He did not save me,” Loki admitted. Seeing no other option than to come clean at last and he lacked the energy to carry on with his charades. “I teleported myself to the nearest planet surface I found during my descent and that was where I met his people. They offered me purpose and a chance for revenge—I took it.”

“Who is he? What does he want with the stones?”

“A titan. A sole survivor. I do not know the specifics behind his intentions, only that he seeks to correct balance in our universe.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know, Thor. Do you think me a mind reader?”

“Well…”

Loki groaned—Thor had never fully understood the way his gifts worked. “I never got close to him, only his servants, and I am glad for it. He is not a man you challenge.”

“I must. If Medusa is right, and if what you know of him proves true, then he threatens the safety of all the realms.”

“You will die. The Chitauri are but one of many who fight for his glory. He has entire armies. Seers, sorcerers, prophets dedicated to his cause. Not even a king of Asgard, the God of Thunder, could match his strength and forces,” scoffed Loki. “Especially not without your hammer.”

“Then it is high time I acquire a new weapon.” An easy decision, and Thor remained undeterred though the hint of dread that Loki had spoken with did give him some cause for concern. “He is part of the reason why you impersonated our father and why you were so eager to remain on Sakaar—a planet no one in their right mind would visit voluntarily—isn’t he?”

A grin played on Loki’s lips, mildly impressed with Thor’s deduction. “I failed to deliver the Tesseract. Our prisons kept me safe for a while but when you sought my help in transporting your mortal to the dark world, I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to ensure my own survival.”

“You could have told me and asked for my help.” Thor sighed in frustration.

“Have you not been listening? You are no match for Thanos.”

“That won’t matter if he is after the stones. If he learns that we keep the Tesseract in our vault, or that the Mind Stone is on earth.”

“If we had any sense we would leave this place and travel for the furthest reaches of the galaxy,” muttered Loki. Pacing the narrow space right in front of the set of doors leading back to Yelena.

“And leave our people? What about the girl?”

“I’d bring her with us,” argued Loki though he knew better. “But she’d never leave those she cares for behind.”

“I want to believe that you won’t either, brother.” Flashing his teeth in a smile too amiable, Thor squeezed Loki’s shoulder and decided on the next step, “I will go in search of a weapon best suited to defeat a titan. You go and see your mortal, I’m confident she’ll wake soon.”

Damning Thor’s hubris and efficacious demeanor, Loki turned back inside. Taking Thanos on was a fool’s errand, though he had to admit if there was ever a time to confront the titan, then it would have to be soon. There was no telling what the man wanted with the stones but Loki knew they offered great power—the sort even he could only dream of.

If he were a better man, he would accompany his brother in a hunt for Thanos. Ensure the safety of his home, his people, and those he loved even if he forever failed to tell them so. Help protect earth and the Vision, should it come to that, but Loki only had one thing on his mind currently.

“Still no change,” Bucky volunteered a disappointing update when Loki sat back down.

“Yes, I had noticed,” he muttered with a hint of resentment that was immediately followed by regret. “Forgive me, I…”

“I know,” said Bucky, offering a meager smile. “It’s alright, I wish there was better news too.”

“Do you?”

The soldier blinked before his brows pulled into a frown. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I meant no offense, but you are in rather an odd situation. To have a grown daughter that you never knew about thrust into your life the way she has been. Did you ever consider walking away?” Loki made idle conversation and sought to feed his curiosity to distract from other concerns.

Having known a blood father who’d abandoned him, and an adoptive father he still harbored mixed feelings toward. He wanted to know what made Bucky tick, what sort of father he intended to be.

A rather serious subject for the soldier who sighed. “Once or twice.”

“Really?”

“When Steve first told me about her and our circumstances, I considered she’d be better off never knowing me. That I’m not exactly what someone needs from a father, and I’d never given much thought to having a family of my own. Especially not like this,” Bucky admitted.

His eyes on Yelena while he squeezed her hand gently and brushed his thumb across her knuckles. “The second time… She’d sat us all down and went over every sordid detail of her time with Hydra. Just after telling me that she blamed me for everything she endured during those years so once more I considered she’d be happier if I wasn’t in the picture.”

“But you stayed—why?”

“Just look at her—she’s mine. The spitting image of me and whether I’d planned for a child or not, she’s here. I didn’t get to watch her grow up, push her on the swing, or cheer at her graduation but I can be here for her now in whatever way she needs me to be. I want to. I… love her. I can’t explain how or when that happened but I do.”

A feeling that Loki could relate to, though he wouldn’t confess so openly. At least not to Bucky, but it was time that Yelena knew and heard. Too often in recent weeks had he been faced with the possibility of losing her, and he’d already failed to express his true feelings to others who’d left life behind before he ever could. Forever the coward.

He sat with sorrow in his eyes while he stared at Yelena, lost for anything more to say or ask, but Bucky had questions of his own. The safe kind that wouldn’t pry into a god’s heart.

“Why do you think she kept transforming during the procedure?”

“Self preservation,” said Loki as if it were the most simple thing in the world. “Eir must have gotten close to treasured memories.”

“But how? Lena was unconscious.”

“A subconscious response where her powers activated. Not too dissimilar from the way they acted beyond her will when they first manifested, to protect her.”

“Hmm.” Bucky ran a hand down his jaw and mulled things over. “Does that mean that she and her, whatever, frosty magic side, are two separate entities?”

“I suspect it’s not quite in the same way that Banner and the Hulk are separate identities, but her gift does have a mind of its own. At least, it seems to while she is in a state such as this one,” Loki weighed his words carefully. Unwilling to divulge the full truth regarding the Jotun essence that coursed through her veins.

“Right…” A heavy sigh escaped Bucky. “I wish she’d wake up. I understand that neurological procedures come with a lengthy recovery time but she’s also a super sol…”

A finger twitched in his palm. Just barely but enough to stop Bucky mid-sentence and he looked back up to his daughter’s face in time to see her eyes flutter open. Squinting several times and fighting against the harsh light overhead.

Loki had noticed too and immediately shot up from his seat. “Lena, can you hear me?” he whispered.

She did little more than groan while attempting to focus her eyesight on the two faces hovering above her. “Wha… whe…”

“You’re on Asgard, do you remember?” asked Bucky.

“Wha…”

“Let’s give her a moment,” he suggested. Just happy enough that she’d woken at all. “I’ll go and inform Eir that she’s awake.”

“Yes,” mumbled Loki, unable to tear his eyes away from Yelena. To let go of her hand as he brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Waiting for Bucky to leave before he smiled warmly. “Darling, you really had me worried this time.”

“I… hm…” Yelena struggled for the energy to form complete words and trepidation lingered in her eyes. Her fingers flexed and wriggled in the palm of Loki’s hand in an attempt to pull away. “Wh…”

“Shh, take it easy. You don’t have to say anything right now,” Loki promised and leaned forward. He caressed her cheek and swallowed hard. Took a deep breath to muster up the courage he needed in conquering his fear so he could finally admit to the one thing he should have told her already. “But I do. I… oh by the Norns. Lena, I love you.”

There was no reaction, her deep blues empty and cold. Her brows lowered and knitted together until she found the strength to utter a sigh, “Who…”

“You. I love—”

“Who… hm… are you?”

Chapter Text

— 44: Lost in Time —

All color drained from Loki’s naturally fair complexion and every sound around him drowned out against the rapid thumping of his heart. He swallowed back a gasp, struggled to keep his anger at bay, and formed his words carefully. “Do you not know me?”

He wasn’t angry with her—that was reserved for someone else—and the last thing Loki wanted was to frighten Yelena when she already felt disoriented and lost.

“No… I uh…” Blue eyes continued to inspect his face, trying to see and recognize the man standing by her bed. Who’d spoken such kind and tender words but nothing fell into place, making him no more than a stranger. “No…”

Loki was crestfallen. It had taken him too long to try and say as he’d needed to and now, perhaps it was too late. Too many chances had come and gone, and he’d failed. “My name is—”

The doors to the recovery room parted and Bucky, followed by Eir, rushed for Yelena’s bedside. His face one of hope and relief while he took her hand once more and beckoned the healer. “I told you, she just woke up and—”

“You destroyed her!” Loki barked his accusation at Eir so loudly that Yelena flinched and gripped the sheets around her. “She doesn’t know who I am! Was that on purpose? Did you go in there and erase every memory she has of me or are you really this big a failure?!”

“Naturally you would suspect foul play,” Eir said. She approached Yelena’s bedside, a serene smile on her face. “Welcome back, child. Can you tell me your name?”

“No.” Yelena flinched back further without a care whether her muscles would cooperate. Mistrusting those that surrounded her no matter their dulcet tones. “And you won’t… get a word… out of me.”

“What’s going on?” asked Bucky but Eir shook her head and concentrated on Yelena.

“You won’t tell us your name, but do you know what it is?”

“Poshyel… k chyertu.”

“I’m sorry, what language is that? What did she say?” Eir glanced at Bucky for an explanation.

“Uh, it’s Russian.” He opted not to translate the insult Yelena had just hurled at the healer. “I don’t understand what’s going on. Why is she acting as if she doesn’t know who we are?”

“The mind is fragile and there were memories locked away within the conditioning they created that are now returning. She may well be reliving those and it’ll take time before she’s back to her normal self.”

Unsettled by the way they spoke about her, Yelena blinked repeatedly while looking back and forth between the three strangers. “What…”

She bit her bottom lip and balled a fist. Frustrated by her weakness, the unwillingness of her body that wouldn’t let her speak full sentences and she fought the exhaustion. “What have you… done to me? Who… who are you people?”

“See, you’ve broken her,” Loki accused a second time and it took every bit of his self control not to lash out at Eir while the three of them stepped back from Yelena’s bed.

Forming a small circle for a discussion they didn’t want their patient to hear. “I haven’t. The procedure was a success. This should be only temporary—let her work through it.”

“How?”

“We play along,” Bucky suggested in a whisper. “But we need to figure out where her mind is at, which moment in her past.”

Loki let out an exasperated sigh. “Can’t we just fast forward her to the present? Tell her the truth or let me push through her memories?”

“No,” Eir rejected that idea and once more explained the delicacies of the mind. “You could send her into a catatonic state if you force everything on her at once and then she may never recover.”

“But how is playing along going to help?”

“My grandmother had Alzheimers.” Bucky’s brows pinched together in a frown. “It’s an illness on Earth that… well, it tends to have those suffering from it relive their past rather than exist in the present. She’d always get terribly distressed whenever someone corrected her by telling her that the reality she found herself in happened years earlier. Playing along kept her calm, and Yelena needs that while she’s still recovering.”

Glancing back over his shoulder at Yelena, and meeting her eyes filled with mistrust, he came to a realization. “It has to be some time before 2008 because she didn’t freak out upon seeing me which means the Winter Soldier hasn’t come for her yet.”

“A blessing in disguise,” muttered Loki. Aching to use his magic and try to fix this situation but he dreaded Eir’s warning—the risk that he could do further damage to Yelena’s mind. “Fine, we’ll do this your way,” he told Bucky.

It was a start, but Bucky struggled to find the right approach when he turned back around and moved closer to Yelena. Various questions and scenarios rattled around in his brain until he landed on one he deemed safe enough. “We found you wandering the streets, lost and confused, with a rather serious head injury so—”

“Don’t. Lie,” Yelena bit out and crumpled the bedsheets in a tight fist. “When I woke up you mentioned Asgard, and that one over there” —she thumped her chin up at Loki— “said he loves me, which means that you know me. Am I back with Hydra? Is this some test? How did you find me?”

Not the reaction Bucky was expecting, and he stared at Loki with widened eyes. The god’s surprising confession now a complication while Loki tried hard to keep a straight face, letting no one see the emotions that were starting to overwhelm him.

“We are not Hydra and I didn’t lie—we did find you wandering the streets by yourself. But you’re also right—we know you, and you know us,” Bucky carried on with his charade. Hoping that word by word, he’d find the right thing to say. “You’ve been with us for two months, don’t you remember?”

“No… The last thing I recall is my job interview at the pub. They hired me as a cook and then…”

“The pub in Torshavn, correct?”

“Yeah.” Her eyes filled with sadness, believing herself robbed of the freedom she’d fought for and found. “You didn’t flinch or react when I mentioned Hydra, most people would have at least frowned. Who are you?”

“We’re S.H.I.E.L.D,” said Loki now that he understood exactly which moment in her life she was actively reliving, and Bucky nodded with approval. “We approached you shortly after your job interview and offered you our protection in exchange for any information.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D? No, I would never willingly work for you,” Yelena scoffed, and almost laughed at the absurdity but Loki pushed through.

Confident that he was on the right track and that he knew her well enough to spin a convincing tale. That he could play this game if that’s what she needed from him to find her way back.

“You didn’t, not at first.” He flashed a smile and glanced at Bucky, a twinkle in his eyes. “Agent Barnes, do you remember how many hours and days it took us to convince her? Quite the stubborn informant, wouldn’t you say?”

“Mm, I remember the large amounts of coffee and a mean left hook bruising my jaw. How she rendered our extensive training useless. Good thing your charm won her over in the end.”

The moment of banter threw Yelena for a loop and she frowned. It did sound like her, and they were right that ordinary tactics wouldn’t have worked to sway her to their side, but certain things still didn’t add up.

“Who’s the woman?” She pointed at Eir who, in her eyes, had been suspiciously quiet. “Why was she talking about mind conditioning and procedures?”

“As I tried to tell you, you suffered a serious head injury. Dr. Erin” —Bucky decided to go with a less conspicuous name for Eir— “is the neurologist who treated you.”

“Okay… Well, what did you find?” Yelena asked, putting Eir in a difficult position without sufficient knowledge about medical practices on Earth, but Loki came to her aid.

“Small lesions on the amygdala. Signs of previous injury and an attempt to condition your mind, likely in the service of Hydra.”

“Oh… Of course they would have.” Still feeling lost and uneasy, Yelena had to admit she wouldn’t put such practices past her previous bosses. “So am I okay or, uhm… broken, as you suggested?”

“You’re recovering and dealing with short term memory loss, but just to make sure there is no permanent damage, I need you to answer Dr. Erin’s questions.” Bucky used the opportunity to get a little more information out of her and Eir took his spot by Yelena’s bedside.

“First, I’m going to name three colors and afterward, I want you to repeat them back to me. Then later on I will ask you for those three colors once more, do you think you can do that?”

“Uh, sure, I guess,” said Yelena.

“Amaranth, Emerald, and Marigold.” Eir began her test, not too different from the way things were done on Earth, and Yelena echoed each color without difficulty. “Good. Now please state your name and date of birth.”

“Yelena Katerina Nikolaev, born on the 12th of May in 1989.”

Eir cast a sideways glance at Bucky for confirmation, and continued with her questions when he gave her a nod. “Where did you grow up?”

“At a Hydra facility in Siberia, then Saratov for a few years with my… With my…” Hesitation struck. She knew the right word to say—mother—but for some reason it felt wrong. Like a lie and Yelena fought the sudden aching that tightened in her chest. “Sorry, I uh, with my mother.”

Her reluctance troubled Loki and Bucky, but for a different reason than it did with Eir. “You couldn’t think of the word mother?”

“No, no I could but…” Yelena puffed out a short breath. Habitually fidgeting with sheets beneath her fingers while she shook her head. “I don’t know, I just got this voice in my head telling me that I’m wrong.”

“Wrong, about your mother?”

“That she wasn’t really my mother but that’s… crazy, right? Or is that… am I crazy? Is this something recent I have forgotten?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” said Eir, knowing no better and neither Loki or Bucky felt inclined to correct her. “Who is your mother then, according to your memories?”

“Sofya has always been my mother. I wouldn’t know who else could be and the doubt didn’t stem from my memories. It’s more like a feeling, you know?” Growing concerned that there might be something seriously wrong with her head, Yelena tried to brush the subject aside, “I’m sure it’s nothing. Please, continue with your questions.”

“Very well. What year are we in now?”

“It’s 2007… almost 2008, unless I missed New Years somehow.”

Once more, Bucky nodded. The timeline added up with everything else she’d spoken of thus far and he was relieved to hear her confirm that she hadn’t met the Winter Soldier yet. He wasn’t sure how he’d handle her having to relive that once again.

“You missed nothing more than cheap champagne and too much paperwork.” Loki winked and his jest managed to bring something resembling a smile to her face.

“Guess that’s a plus, huh?”

“Yelena, is there anything else you remember of recent weeks? Other than your job interview?” asked Eir.

“No. It was just a normal day for me. I woke up, had breakfast, went by the bookstore to pick up a few titles and browse the ads. That’s how I found out they needed a cook at the pub, and that’s where I went next. I got the job, went home, had a normal evening watching TV and went to sleep early. That’s the last thing I remember before waking up here.”

“Hm, and those five colors I mentioned a few minutes ago?”

“There were three. Amaranth, Marigold, and…” Inexplicably, her gaze drifted toward Loki as her subconscious started to remember more than she was currently aware of. “Emerald.”

“Perfect.” Eir pushed her chair back and got up. “I’m almost done here, I just need to know how you are feeling. Any dizziness, nausea, headaches?”

“No. I’m tired, but that’s it really.”

“Then I suggest we let you rest. It seems you are dealing with short term memory loss but I’m confident that with time, the events of more recent weeks will return to you.”

“Thank you…” Still not entirely put at ease, Yelena accepted Eir’s diagnosis for the time being. It wasn’t as though she had any other option than to remain in bed and wait things out, especially with the exhaustion clinging to her bones.

“Agents, if you’ll follow me to—”

“Wait. I have questions of my own, for uhm…” It bothered Yelena that his name was so lost on her, and she pointed at Loki. “Him…”

This time, meeting his eyes sparked a sensation that coursed from a fluttering in her stomach to her heart skipping a beat. Not unlike the odd feeling she’d experienced when talking about her mother, and it left her thinking that at least some of what she’d been told was true.

“I can stay, if you’d like. I’m certain Agent Barnes and Dr. Erin will manage without me for a while,” said Loki.

“We will. Just…” Bucky wanted to caution him. Remind Loki to be careful not to rouse any further suspicion but Yelena watched him like a hawk. “Make sure she gets her rest too.”

He wanted to hold her. Wish her well and make certain that she knew how much he cared but any display of concern beyond a professional level would only unravel the tall tale he’d spun. He left, with Eir following in his shadow, and crossed his fingers it wouldn’t be too long before Yelena regained all of her memories.

“So, who are you?” asked Yelena while Loki took a carafe from the side table and poured her a glass of water.

“Ll— Od… son,” he stumbled and cursed his own foolishness. Somewhat caught off guard, he hadn’t been able to think up a suitable alias yet. “Lars Odson. It’s Norwegian.”

Yelena raised a brow and sipped the water he offered. “No, that’s not your name. It doesn’t suit you and I know at least half of what you guys have been telling me is a lie.”

“Do you?” Curious rather than worried, Loki sat back down in the chair by her bedside, elbows resting on the mattress. “And which lies do you think we’ve told?”

“This isn’t S.H.I.E.L.D. I’d never align myself with their organization because all that would do is place me right back in Hydra’s custody, and I don’t think they’re even aware of the fact that Hydra’s been growing within their ranks for decades.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhm.” A half smile curled at the left corner of Yelena’s mouth. “But you’re not Hydra either—I’d be in chains if you were, and you wouldn’t have declared your love for me before knowing that I can’t remember who you are.”

“Quite the observation for someone who’s still recovering from a brain injury.”

“I may be suffering from short term memory loss but I’ve also spent most of my life training as a spy and an assassin. You’re a skilled liar, but a liar all the same.”

“And yet, you’re still here.”

“I’m not exactly fit enough to run. Perhaps I could, if this was a life or death situation, but you keep looking at me as if I’m your favorite person in the whole world and that part is real.” She took another sip of water while holding his gaze. “That’s something I can trust so for now, I’ll stay. At least until I’ve regained enough strength to walk out of here, and you have until then to tell me the truth. Which may not be all that long because my super soldier genes could have me up and gone as early as tomorrow.”

There was no hiding the grin that had begun to form on Loki’s face. Even through all this, she was still very much the woman he knew and that fact brought him renewed hope that she’d come back to him, one way or another.

“If your memories are not recovered by the time you’re back on your feet, I will tell you everything,” he promised.

“Thank you.”

Another moment of hesitation struck. There were puzzle pieces missing and Yelena still didn’t know where she was, or when, so her nature demanded that she keep her guard up. Protect herself and yet, there was a yearning for something else too. A comfort she desired, like the one she felt in the presence of this man whose real name continued to elude her.

“Would you mind staying a little longer? Just until I’ve fallen back asleep…” she asked.

Loki sighed a breath of relief—he would have guarded her door and sat waiting for a new dawn outside the recovery room had she sent him away. “I will, and longer than that if you need me to.”

Chapter Text

— 45: Transtemporal —

The night did not pass peacefully for Yelena who spent hours tossing and turning in her sleep. Reliving moments she never knew had taken place, memories that she'd kept a secret from herself. Some harmless, like the summer of 2008 spent watching the Olympics with a tub of ice cream in her lap. Others, nightmare fuel. A Hydra Agent who’d ambushed her late one night at work, and only death had forced his silence. She would have left Torshavn that same night had it not been for the injured border collie whimpering in an alley, desperate for her aid. Stalling her long enough for The Winter Soldier to show up two days later, though he failed to make an appearance in her night terrors this time.

Deep slumber unraveled riddles, and answers she’d never expected to find offered themselves voluntarily. Torn from a fount of knowledge that had long remained hidden in her psyche.

“Loki… the blood of a god… the power of persuasion…” she muttered restlessly and tore at her sheets.

Perhaps she was starting to remember him at last, and Loki sat up straight when he heard his name on her lips. He reached out and took her hand in a soothing gesture that calmed her momentarily. “Lena, are you awake?” he whispered.

Words that failed to reach her because her mind had already made the jump to another point in time. One that forced a scream so fierce up her throat that it raised the hairs on Loki’s arms. Tears flowed down her cheeks and her body trembled uncontrollably as she begged the figments surrounding her to stop. Charged batons leaving fresh burns to cover the old.

The door to the recovery room opened, scant light from the hallway seeping in, and Bucky tip toed inside. His expression dour and his concern evident. “I heard her screaming,” he spoke quietly.

“Nightmares. They won’t leave her alone.”

Bucky moved closer and brushed a drenched lock of hair from Yelena’s forehead before leaning in, his lips brushing against her temple. “Can I get you anything?” he asked Loki.

“Me…?” For a second, Loki sat surprised. He wasn’t the one in need of kindness and support, was he?

“You haven’t slept or eaten in almost two days. I know if she were awake and aware, she’d insist you take care of yourself. Actually” —a fond smile crossed Bucky’s face and he let out a chuckle— “she’d probably force an entire buffet into your lap.”

“She can get a little bossy, it’s endearing,” Loki had to agree. “And I am quite hungry. If you could, I wouldn’t say no to whatever the cook served tonight.”

“Pig roast, I’ll see what I can find.”

Bucky had all but shut the door behind him when Loki uttered a quiet ‘thank you’, not quite accustomed to the fact that someone would do him a favor without seeking anything in return. Leaving Loki to debate whether there could be an ulterior motive on Bucky’s part that he had yet to think of.

“It may well be for your benefit,” he spoke softly, finding enough wriggle room to entwine his fingers with Yelena’s.

She stirred in her sleep but failed to react to him otherwise. Carried away on a journey through time and days forgotten. Oblivious to the hours that passed in the world around her while Bucky returned twice more. First bringing dinner for Loki and a pillow to rest his head on, then again the next morning with breakfast and tea after which he joined the god of mischief in keeping Yelena company.

“You haven’t been in here often,” Loki observed. “Not since she first woke up.”

“I’ve been afraid to.”

“Afraid?”

A hint of sorrow darkened Bucky’s eyes. “That she’ll wake to fresh memories of the soldier, only to find me sitting here. You know how she’s reacted to that in the past, it would be too much for her right now.”

“A fair point.”

“I will stay until you’ve finished your breakfast.”

Loki arched a brow—he couldn’t understand why his well being mattered to the man at all. “Why do you care?”

“I have no reason not to. I wasn’t there for the things you have done wrong in the past and I’m just about the last person to judge anyone for…”

Slight movement in his peripherals caught Bucky’s attention and he sat glued to his seat, holding his breath. Uncertain whether to sneak out before Yelena’s eyes might open, or take the risk and stay.

“Papa… odnazhdy ya tebya naidu,” she muttered words in her sleep that tugged on Bucky’s heartstrings.

They’d had their talks in the past but never before had she admitted to wanting to find him. He’d never known for certain if she’d wanted her father in her life at all but the vow she’d just made amidst frenzied dreams soothed his soul and he clasped her sweaty palm.

Slender fingers closed around his and even if he’d still wanted to, there was no time left to walk away. “Hngh…” Yelena groaned as she came to, her other hand gripping Loki’s tighter. “Never… never again…”

Both men exchanged a curious glance, uncertain of what she meant. “Never again what, darling?” asked Loki.

“Big… fucking… elephants” —finding her voice and the strength to draw in a full breath proved difficult— “stomping… my head.”

“Take it easy.” A reluctant smile rested on Bucky’s face and he kept to a whisper without knowing her state of mind.

“Easy… nothing ever is,” she mumbled. Limbs straining for movement, and her eyes squinted at the rays of sunlight that poured in through open windows. Yelena glanced to her left and once more squeezed Bucky’s hand. “You… stayed…”

“I did. Are you, I mean do you…” He wanted to ask what, or if she remembered anything at all but Yelena’s head lolled to the other side of her pillow.

Eyes cast upon Loki next and she swallowed a gasp. Her heartbeat quickened and while there were many things she wanted to say, only four words—the most important ones—made it past her lips, “I love… you too.”

Maybe it was easier said because he’d been the first one to do so, or perhaps she was simply too tired to lend conviction to her own fears. She ached to experience what could be, further fueled by the pain in her body and the throbbing in her head. Continued reminders of her mortality, driving home the fact that life was short and she’d rather take what little it could offer than spend another second wondering the what ifs.

“You remember.” Loki stared in awe, not quite sure whether his own ears deceived him. “You do remember, don’t you?”

“Yes. Loki… Lyubimaya moya.” A term that expressed more than just endearment, and Yelena gave a soft smile before she glanced at Bucky. “And you, my…” In the back of her mind she knew, somehow, that she’d already said it and there was nothing left to hold back. “Papa.”

Her arms trembled while she pushed herself to sit up, quickly aided by both Loki and Bucky. “How long was I out for… this time?”

“Far too long,” said Loki. “It’s been two full days since the procedure, you woke up only once before.”

“Hmm, yes… S.H.I.E.L.D huh?”

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you with the truth. You seemed so lost and—” A hint of guilt had Bucky trying to explain but Yelena shook her head slowly.

“It’s okay, I’m not… upset. I get why.” She drank from the cup of water that Loki held to her lips and sighed. Her mind busy at work to straighten out the last pieces that had fallen into place before she admitted, “It’s all there… Memories I never knew existed, moments I’d forgotten about... and there’s so much of it.”

“You don’t have to—”

“And I’m hungry,” she told Bucky, a pleading look in her eyes. Tasking him once more with the responsibility of providing sustenance for those around him.

“Any preference?”

“Whatever Eir will let me have…”

Her stomach did growl at the mere idea of food but more than that, what Yelena really needed was a moment alone with Loki. A thing he longed for just as much and the second that Bucky left the room, Loki leapt from his seat to cup Yelena’s face between his palms. Thumbs caressing her cheeks before he leaned down and poured the intensity of his fears, worries, and yearning into a kiss that devoured all. His tongue quickly found hers, making sure that what he felt was real. Confirming that she’d really come back to him and was still the woman who’d invited his love into her heart.

“Loki…” Yelena gasped for air, something she was already so short on. Her hand woven into his raven-black locks to keep him close while desperation made way for tender affection in the form of soft pecks exchanged between them.

“You can’t leave me again,” a pained whisper escaped his lips. “Too many already have.”

“One day I’ll have to, we both know that.”

“Maybe not. These Infinity Stones everyone keeps talking about, perhaps one of them could extend—” A ridiculous and desperate idea that Yelena cast aside swiftly.

“No, and that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. A subject for another day.”

He nodded, already aware of why she’d sent Bucky away. “You know, don’t you? I heard you talking in your sleep.”

“I do, I remember everything now. I remember the day they injected me with your blood, and how foolish they were.”

“Why did they do it?”

“Because they thought you—not the scepter—possessed the power of persuasion. Of mind control. That your godly gift bent that one guy and the professor to your will when you came to New York, and they believed that they could use the power coursing through your blood to make my conditioning permanent. Erase… me, completely, and leave only their conditioned soldier in an empty shell.”

A slight tremor ached in Yelena’s muscles. “They started my conditioning shortly after I was recaptured, perhaps that’s why my memories first took me back to Torshavn. But it never lasted, I’d always break free within hours, making it a rather useless method in controlling me. You have to admire the ingenuity, though, even if they had the facts wrong.”

“Hardly. Children playing with toys they couldn’t hope to understand,” Loki grumbled in a bitter tone. Tempted by the resentment he felt toward his own violation even if it paled in comparison. “What else do you remember?”

“Mostly things that no longer matter but—”

A creaking of the doors, the announcement of Bucky’s return, had Yelena falling silent. A tray with soup, bread, and fresh juice placed by her bedside along with the promise that Eir would stop by to check on her soon.

“I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” he asked, noting the sudden quiet in the room.

“No. I was just about to tell Loki about Zemo. It was him who they were tracking, who they were after and hoping to capture, when they discovered you, Steve, and Tony in Siberia. That’s what led them to plan B—me.”

“So Medusa wasn’t lying, about any of it?”

“No. Even her most ridiculous claim is true.”

“That she’s your mother?” Bucky quipped.

For a split second, Yelena raised a brow at the remark but then she laughed. “Okay, second most ridiculous claim. Her motive behind all of it—she really does believe that ridding Earth of all its superheroes and enhanced beings will stop the coming of Thanos. Take away the conditions tied to the prophecy and it’ll never come to pass.”

Careful not to spill anything, she took the bowl of soup into her hands and blew gently across the steaming surface. “But she’s wrong, isn’t she? Even if we destroyed the Mind Stone, he’d still come. He’d want vengeance, right?”

Loki closed his eyes, pushing the guilt that clung to his soul down. “Yes. His arrival is inevitable, he’s not a forgiving man.”

“Hmm, guess I had better recover quickly before he makes his presence known.”

Not the reaction that Loki had hoped for, but nothing less than he’d expected and it forced him to reconsider his own stance. To push aside the notion of finding a safe haven for himself and Yelena far beyond Thanos’ reach and instead, stand with those who needed him. To fight, no matter the hopeless odds, and perhaps aid Thor in his quest to find a titan-slaying weapon though he wouldn’t speak of that right this second.

“One day at a time,” Bucky insisted, less worried about the prophesied arrival of a titan than he was with his daughter’s well being.

Unsure whether her memory would relapse again or if the triggers in her mind had truly been disarmed as Eir believed. Concerned about the confrontations that awaited them once they returned to Earth where Yelena would, without a doubt, seek out Medusa in her holding cell.

“I’m tired of being patient, and I’m tired of being tired,” Yelena huffed with a slight chuckle. “I’m sure it’s only been a few days but it feels like I’ve been stuck in this bed for weeks reliving every single moment of my life. I’m over it.”

“About five days since Austria.” Time seemed to move slower on Asgard, or perhaps it only felt like that to Bucky because he’d spent so much of it waiting and hoping for good news, and he’d made sure to keep track of every passing hour. “Steve must be going out of his mind with worry…” he added when the realization hit him.

“Probably. Maybe you should head back and let them know what’s been going on here.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m in good hands.” Yelena glanced at Loki as she savoured the rich flavors lingering on her tongue after taking a spoonful of her soup. “And, hopefully, I won’t be far behind. Oh, hey, maybe Valkyrie will give you a ride, or Thor could carry you in his arms again,” she teased in an attempt to prove that she was starting to feel better already.

A grin curled Loki’s lips while Bucky merely rolled his eyes, though he was unable to hide his laughter. “You’re not subtle but alright, I’ll return home as soon as Eir’s been by to examine you and I know for a fact that you’ll be okay.”

Chapter Text

— 46: Bitter Winds —

Early morning rose while Yelena sat up in bed. Her thumb hovered idly above the mobile phone’s display screen and she sucked in a deep breath. Counting down from three to one before she hit the play button and immediately, that same old haunting melody reached her ears. It sent a shiver down her spine and a fresh tear lingered in the corner of her eye but the song failed to harm her otherwise. Just notes tied to stories of the past—its original tale and her own.

“Do you believe it yet?” Loki, awoken by the violin’s mournful notes, rolled onto his side and pushed up off the mattress with his elbows. A tender kiss pressed to Yelena’s bare shoulder.

“I know what Eir said, I know I’ve listened to this five times already but I just have to be sure. It doesn’t feel real.”

“How often did they use this on you?” He reached down her arm and paused the song. “I don’t imagine Austria was the first time.”

“No. There have been more times than I knew about before. Each time they’d play it, and each time I would disappear only to wake up again to a lie. Gerard and Medusa arguing, pretending that they had failed, making me believe I was… special, immune? I was so convinced.”

“Perhaps they had hoped you’d be less resistant to the conditioning if you thought there was no need to fight it.”

“Maybe.” A small sigh escaped and Yelena sunk against Loki’s chest behind her.

Welcoming his lips that soothed a trail along the back and side of her neck before finding her cheek, then her mouth as she turned her head to face him. Loki’s hand dipped beneath the covers and, as he held her to him with one arm, his fingers pried her thighs apart. Starting with a tease that soon had Yelena squirming while she clutched the sheets and begged him to go further. To take her away from everything she—they—had endured over the past days.

A simple spell was cast to keep the doors locked to unwanted visitors and Loki took his time to once more familiarize himself with every dip and curve of her body. Delighting in the noises that poured from her lips and her scent that enveloped him. Basking not only in the lust she stirred within him through every touch but the love he was finally free to express and celebrate, no longer withheld by fear.

Their morning spent entangled between the sheets, and the bathtub he’d previously denied her in. Water that quickly turned cold and splashed over the sides so much that Yelena nearly slipped by the time they were ready to dry off and get dressed for breakfast.

“I don’t want to go home yet,” she lamented while she played with her food. Stalling time because they were supposed to meet with Heimdall soon. “I like it here.”

“So stay.” Valkyrie shrugged, not caring either way and without having the faintest idea of what had been happening on Earth. At least not the personal side of things. “You caught your bad guy, you’re… cured, or whatever, so why not hang around a little longer?”

“It’s not that simple, and it seems an even bigger bad guy might start nipping at our heels soon. We need to be ready and I can’t let the others waiting for me down. I made promises.”

“Hmm, well, in that case…” Valkyrie reached under her seat and handed an elongated, paper wrapped package over to Yelena. “Just a little something from our stores.” She winked.

Loki identified the bottle of Asgardian wine with ease, even through its wrapping, and smirked. “You never give me any parting gifts.”

“I might if you would actually stay gone.” She’d meant it only as a playful quip toward Loki.

Part of their usual banter but Yelena’s expression fell in an instant, soured by the clumsy implication that she might never return to Asgard despite the doors that Thor had opened up to her and others.

“She’ll be back,” said Loki while he took Yelena’s hand and squeezed it gently for reassurance. “Often. But now we must go as I do have a surprise of my own planned.”

“You do?” Yelena raised a brow but Loki wouldn’t tell her anything else.

Only allowing her to part from his side long enough so that she could say goodbye to Valkyrie and tuck her present into her backpack, right next to the gown and slippers Loki had bought for her at the market. The start of a collection of keepsakes to commemorate the new path in her life.

“What’s the surprise?” Yelena couldn’t contain her curiosity while they rode across the rainbow bridge on Loki’s favorite steed. “Does Heimdall have it?”

“Patience, my darling.”

She smiled and nuzzled her cheek against the dark blue coat he wore. The scent of leather teased her nostrils, reminding her of the first time she’d been in his arms. Taken, and saved, from a crime scene to a nearby rooftop in New York City—how she’d hated him then. The stranger who’d mocked her and spoken impossible truths, clad in an ensemble that she’d ridiculed in return.

Things really had changed.

“We’re here,” said Loki as his steed slowed its gait.

A man built like a warrior, with eyes like molten amber and dressed head to toe in gold plated armor, approached. His hand extended to help Yelena dismount. “We meet at last.” He spoke with a warm baritone and a kind smile.

“You’re Heimdall, aren’t you?” Slightly awestruck by his majestic appearance, Yelena followed the stranger and Loki inside what could only be described as an astronomical observatory.

A dome with gilded walls on every side, save for the entrance and the viewport beyond which the galaxy expanded in vibrant colors. Different hues blended together among glittering nebulae and stars bigger, brighter than she had ever seen them before.

“I am. It is good to see you in better shape than when you first arrived, Miss Nikolaev.”

“Thank you…” Yelena uttered absentmindedly, distracted by the panoramic beauty laid out before her. “This is what you do? Watch… an entire galaxy, and everything that is?”

“In essence.”

“Hm. But you don’t see like… everything, all the time, right? Not the private stuff of people doing… private things?” She spun around to meet the Watcher’s eyes and raised a brow.

Loki couldn’t help but laugh—of all the questions she could be asking—and a hint of amusement played on Heimdall’s features. “No. The magic that my kind has been blessed with grants me cosmic sight. An awareness that allows me to sense most potential threats on the rise but in order to witness the exact circumstance of an individual, I need to know first what it is that I am looking for.”

“Oh. That’s… comforting.”

“And he doesn’t see everything,” Loki added with a smirk.

“True. Our prince has a habit of shielding himself from my sight.” A slight, stern glance was cast in Loki’s direction but Heimdall didn’t waste another word on those particular tricks. “Are you sufficiently prepared for your journey?” he asked when he observed Yelena’s attire.

“We are. She’ll… adjust once we arrive,” came Loki’s vague response that only tickled Yelena’s curiosity further. “With me, darling, and hold on tight.”

He beckoned and Yelena found her way into his arms, her grip on his shoulders firm as nervous anticipation built up in her stomach. It was clear to her that they wouldn’t be heading to Earth quite yet but beyond that, she had no idea what Loki had planned.

“Try not to upset the locals,” Heimdall warned before he took his sword and plunged it into the activation mechanism at the center of the chamber.

The dome surrounding them roared to life as electricity arced across the walls and its exterior began to spin. Faster with every pass to build up a current until it had gained enough energy to create a colorful vortex which sucked Yelena and Loki straight into the bifrost. Past the stars and the nebulae she’d admired, beyond the varying realms contained within Yggdrasil until they reached a frozen wasteland.

Yelena’s feet had barely touched the surface but her transformation was instantaneous. The magic that coursed like lifeblood through the planet called out to her and she answered on instinct. “Jotunheim…”

“My place of birth,” said Loki. “And yours, in a sense.”

“I can feel it. The ground, the ice… breathing and alive. The magic so” —she gestured a slight, whirling motion with her hand stretched out to conjure a frozen replica of the rose Loki had once given her— “potent.”

He nodded and led her further across the glacier surface. Careful not to draw too much attention and remaining a few steps ahead of Yelena to serve as a protector should the planet’s native inhabitant approach.

“I don’t hold any love for this cruel and desolate place but I cannot deny that it is a part of me. One that I am learning to accept,” he admitted.

“Aren’t you the rightful king to this realm, as Laufey’s son? Is this your first time back here since that day?”

Loki hung his head down and shook it gently. Scoffed while he prepared his answer, “First time, yes, but I’ve never cared to rule this place. Asgard was supposed to be mine and even when faced with the truth, I couldn’t let go of that promise.”

“Hmm…” Yelena hurried her step to catch up to him, much preferring to be at his side despite the danger that could be lurking around every column and stalagmite they passed. “So we haven’t come here to claim your crown?”

“Would you want me to?”

“Only if you wanted it.”

“And if my brother were to relinquish his crown, would you support my rule on Asgard?”

“Again, I would if that is what you wanted.”

In the distance, Yelena spotted the shattered remnants of pillars that used to form a foundation of sorts. A building that had once stood near the heart of Jotunheim, a gathering place where the planet’s magic was at its strongest.

“The temple where Odin found me as an infant.” Loki followed the direction of her curious stare and he made swift strides to reach what was once the entrance. “Where Laufey abandoned his own flesh and blood.”

Loving arms snaked around his waist when Yelena came up behind him, her chin resting against his shoulder. “Do you ever wish he hadn’t?”

“I have at times wondered what might have been if he hadn’t. Who I would be today but you and I know well that there is no point in dwelling on such things.”

“No, there’s not, but then why are we here?”

“Because I needed to come back here, knowing everything that I know now, and I couldn’t do it alone. Because this place is a part of us both and I wanted to make sure you’d get to visit at least once.”

“At least once?” Something about those words brought a frown to Yelena’s face. “You make it sound as though we might not have another opportunity to do so.”

Loki turned in their embrace and leaned in, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Are you serious about facing Thanos, with all that you know about him?”

“I am, what else can I do?”

“Then I have to make sure the odds will be in your favor.”

“They will be with you by my side. If we all stand together—”

“No. Lena, the man is a titan and a warrior more formidable than even my brother, with vast armies at his disposal.”

“What are you saying?”

A pit formed in Loki’s stomach and hesitation took a hold of him again. The temptation to run away with her still present but recently, he’d been fighting that urge. Gradually overcome with a desire to do right by those who needed him, as he had been compelled to when his mad sister lay claim to Asgard.

“I have to go and find my brother. Aid him on his quest for a weapon that’ll ensure we stand a fighting chance.”

“Okay, so we’ll ask Heimdall to beam us to wherever Thor went and—” Yelena found herself interrupted a second time, and a piece of her heart crushed when Loki rejected the idea.

“No. You need to go home, deal with Medusa and prepare for what’s to come. And I need to do my part for you, for Asgard, for my… my family.”

An aching feeling rose in her chest and constricted around her heart. Slowly sucking the air from her lungs and Yelena swallowed hard. “Loki, what are you getting at?”

“I have to leave. You can’t come with me and this time, I can’t guarantee that I will come back.”

“You’re going to look for a weapon” —she shook free of their embrace and took a step back— “why wouldn’t you return?”

“Because I can’t be sure that we will find what we’re looking for before Thanos finds us. We don’t know how far he has progressed in his plans or where he is.”

“But it could be years, or decades before he makes another move. Medusa said he is coming, you believe he is coming, and I do too but no one has talked about when.”

“It could be another century but are you willing to take that risk?” Loki watched as she tried to mask the dread written plainly on her face and they sat down together on the only bench left standing within the temple.

“No but, Loki… I’m not willing to say goodbye to you either. I mean, is this it? We finally found the courage to say the one thing that has terrified us both and now you’re walking away?”

“I’m not walking away from you or the way I feel about you. I meant what I said and I still do—I love you.”

Yelena lowered her eyes and scooted closer. Nestling her forehead against his while she drank in his essence. The beating of his heart, his natural scent that she’d come to adore so much. “I meant it too and… I know forever isn’t in the cards and hell, we might get rather sick of one another if we were offered a forever but I didn’t think I’d have to let you go so soon. I love you too and the idea that you may not come back… When I woke up you said I couldn’t leave you again but now you’re the one who’s trying to say goodbye?”

Her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly as Loki met her in a kiss. “I have a role to play and so do you, and if fortune favors us then we’ll make it through but I can’t—I don’t want to lie to you and offer false sentiments. I’m a god, I would not perish so easily but I am not beyond death’s reach.”

“I wish for once you would lie,” she lamented even if she understood why he refused.

They both knew how to play the game and sell a story when circumstances required it but deep down, they were realists too who refused to lie to one another. Anything could happen to either one of them and while she had yet to meet Thanos, it was abundantly clear that this was one enemy who wouldn’t be so easily erased from the board.

“Don’t engage him unless you have no other choice. Don’t let Thor punch first and think later. Fight to come back and whatever happens after, we’ll face it together. Promise me that much,” Yelena said.

“I do promise.”

“Good…” She snuggled up against him and rather than allow herself to agonize over an uncertain future, she gazed out across the seemingly abandoned planet's surface again.

Soon lost in deep thought, trying to imagine what the place had looked like before Loki had attempted to destroy the planet. What purpose the temple had served and if meant for worship, what deities did the Jötnar revere? Wondering whether the planet’s core was the true source of their magic or if whoever created the planet was responsible. Someone, or something to call on. 

Questions that were simpler to think about than the road ahead and the path unknown until she finally added, “I am proud of you. I know what a step this is for you and that the decision likely wasn’t easy to make… a selfless one. Just… make sure you come back to me, preferably in one piece because I need all of you.”

Refusing to waste another word on what could or might happen after they’d part ways, Loki grabbed Yelena by the hips and eased her onto his lap. Finding her lips for another kiss before his smile broke into a devious grin. “Would you care to give me a proper sendoff, my lady?”

“Really? Here?”

“I am the rightful king, as you pointed out, so there is no one to tell us that we can’t.”

“But what if they’re lurking?”

Already busy unzipping her bodysuit down the front, Loki smirked. “Let them, they might learn a thing or two.”

Chapter Text

— 47: Back Home —

The bifrost left its signature mark on the lawn once again and Yelena emerged alone. She wished the stream could have ported her straight to her room inside the lake house so that she could avoid unwanted attention, not quite in the mood for social engagement, but she’d barely taken one step forward when Natasha, followed by Bucky and Steve, came rushing outside.

It surprised her when Natasha pulled her into a hug immediately—she hadn’t been gone that long or in any real danger.

“That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been worried about you,” said Natasha when Yelena chuckled awkwardly and insisted there was no need to fuss.

Steve was next. First offering a simple handshake before he scoffed inwardly at his own actions and wrapped Yelena in a tight embrace, lifting her off her feet in the process. “I wasn’t sure whether you’d want to come back,” he admitted. “From what I heard, Asgard is fantastic and magical.”

“I was tempted to stay,” Yelena agreed while she looked at Bucky. A questioning frown on her face and she gestured at Steve, but Bucky merely shrugged before mouthing a silent greeting. One she returned in kind before patting Steve on the shoulder a few times. “Okay, that’s enough of the carebear treatment.”

“We’re just glad that you’re back.” Steve set her back down. “Where uh, did Loki not come with you?”

“No.” Whatever smile may have been lurking beneath her calm expression evaporated quickly. “He has other matters to take care of.”

Yelena bent down to retrieve her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before she marched inside. Creating a modicum of distance between herself and the others so they wouldn’t have the opportunity to ask further. A small stay of execution, further drawn out when Yelena spotted Tony emerging from his laboratory and she rushed forward, unexpectedly throwing her arms around him.

“Uh…” Tony stared in confusion. “Welcome home?”

“Thank you, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to betray—”

“You didn’t. I get it,” said Tony while he glanced beyond Yelena at Bucky standing behind her, a deeper meaning lingering in his eyes. “I really do.”

“Hmm.” The reassuring smile that Bucky gave her confirmed the unspoken message—he and Tony had talked at last, about more than just her predicament. An understanding between both men that eased the tension that normally surrounded them. “I’m glad. So, what did I miss here?”

“A lot.” Natasha offered her a seat. “The Accords are no more.”

“Really?”

“T’Challa led a campaign to nullify The Accords after we fed him the confession Medusa made and the evidence we found among her files,” said Steve. “But there is a promise in place for us to sit down with members of the UN and come up with an alternative.”

“You guys made quick work of that.” Yelena peered up at Tony. “Feels good?”

He nodded. “This is what we should have done from the start.”

“What about Vision? Has he recovered?”

“He has. He’s currently with Wanda, Sam, and Bruce in Wakanda to see if there is a way for him and the Mind Stone to be separated, without killing him in the process,” Steve explained as he sat down next to her. “Speaking of which, have Thor or Loki told you more about Thanos? Bucky didn’t know anything other than titan, stones, bad.”

His best friend snorted while he retrieved a fresh cup of coffee from the kitchen and handed it to Yelena.

“That’s basically it, yeah. Titan, stones, bad. Except, really bad. They don’t know what his plans are either but Loki did tell me that Thanos doesn’t stand alone. He has entire armies at his disposal, followers who believe in his cause and…” While talking about Loki came with a helping of sadness that Yelena could have done without, she continued, “Loki looked and sounded… worried. Afraid of what Thanos is capable of which probably means the rest of us should be even more concerned.”

“Uh…” Natasha blew out a heavy sigh and stared at her teammates. Nose screwed up at that unsettling nugget of information. “That’s not… not the kind of news I was hoping for. That’s not comforting at all.”

“It’s not. Where are they now? Our Asgardian brethren? Brothers… cousins, potentially very distant relations and I’m still not sure what Loki is exactly,” asked Tony and his way with words had Yelena biting back a smile, despite the sensitive subject.

“Thor left to find a replacement for Mjolnir, some type of titan-slayer, and Loki decided to join him. In case, you know, they bump into Thanos on their way to…” She wasn’t even sure where they’d gone to look for such a thing and mumbled, somewhat bitterly, “wherever-the-fuck-they-went-heim.”

The shift in her tone didn’t go unnoticed with anyone, and neither did the way Bucky subtly shook his head at everyone while Yelena sipped from her coffee. Eyes cast on the carpet beneath her feet, momentarily lost to wondering how far Loki could have gotten in his travels since their goodbye.

“There is more I need to tell you guys,” she decided to change the subject. “I recovered a lot of memories that I didn’t even know I had, after my treatment on Asgard…”

Beginning with the earliest one, Yelena went over everything that she remembered. From simple hours and days that had gotten lost, to the deception of Medusa and Gerard, right down to the final moments before she’d been locked away in cryostasis.

“They were arguing. Gerard felt he was on the brink of making my conditioning permanent but Medusa wanted me frozen once more and shipped off to Siberia. Angry that the Accords hadn’t delivered all of you into her hand yet and that Zemo had created a divide between you guys. That you” —she looked over to Bucky— “were moved to a secret location, beyond her reach.”

“Honesty, from the bad guy,” Tony said at last when Yelena confirmed that everything Medusa had told them was true. “Not exactly a novel concept and yet, it never ceases to surprise me.”

“She must have felt pretty confident of her victory,” Natasha suggested.

“Hm, speaking of which… I’m sorry for the last minute change of plans. I know—”

“It worked out for the best,” Tony interrupted Yelena’s second attempt at an apology. “But next time, try and remember that we’re a team. We can’t have your back if we don’t know which way it’s turned.”

“Right.” The analogy left her to frown slightly. “Anyway, I’m gonna head upstairs to shower and unpack.”

“You don’t want to talk to Medusa and Gerard first?”

“No. Do whatever you want with them, I don’t really care.”

“Are you sure?” Bucky cupped Yelena’s elbow when she brushed by him after getting up.

“Yeah. I know everything that I need to know so there’s nothing left to talk about. I could ask her why she hates me, why she wasn’t a better mother to me growing up and invite her to cut me with her words but what good is that gonna do? Hand them over to the UN and let them decide their fates.”

“Lena.” Before she could make her way toward the stairs, Steve blocked her path. His voice lowered to a whisper, “We’re here for you, you know that, right?”

All she did was nod with a forced smile on her face. Sure, she had people but there wasn’t much to talk about with anyone—not her friends and certainly not her enemies. The past couldn’t be healed through a confrontation with the woman who’d only ever caused her pain and Loki? He’d left to do the right thing and she felt proud of him for it, only selfishly wishing that he’d stayed. But this wasn’t the time to be selfish so she pushed those thoughts down.

Once safely in her room, Yelena set her bag down and retrieved the Asgardian gown she’d worn previously. Her hand brushed over the fabric and a warmth bloomed in her heart, further blossoming when she unwrapped her farewell gift and couldn’t help but chuckle at the bottle of wine. A little sip to lift her spirits wouldn’t hurt so she took one of her small knives to pop the cork, let a few drops tease her tongue, and then put the bottle aside to get ready for her shower.

She hung the gown in the back of her closet and stripped, headed for the adjacent bathroom where she cast a look in the mirror. “You’re fine. You know he’ll be back sooner rather than later and it’s not like you need him by your side twenty-four-seven. You’ve been on your own for twenty-eight years, you can handle his absence,” she told her reflection, a stern glare on her face before she stepped into the shower cabin.

Truth was, she’d never expected him by her side each and every day. Loki had his own life and responsibilities and so did she, but it was the suddenness and possibility of death that left her uneasy. The fact that she’d grown accustomed to his presence, the comfort he offered. How easy it was to be herself around him. Their bond based on more than lust and fluttering hearts, it was friendship too. He’d become her best friend and her world looked just a little less vibrant without him there.

The water turned to an icy cold to rinse off, and Yelena stepped out to towel down and find herself something to wear. No gowns or combat uniforms but normal clothing—a pair of jeans, a singlet, and a knee-length cardigan vest. Sneakers on her feet and her hair fixed into a simple bun, she grabbed the bottle of wine from her nightstand and hobbled down the stairs.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Bucky and Steve busy in a sparring match outside and she frowned when she noticed Steve signalling for a timeout. A moment to catch his breath which reminded her of the state he’d been in before Austria—she hadn’t once asked him how he was doing.

Yelena observed the two friends while she sat down on the porch steps and took another sip from the bottle. A thing Bucky must have noticed because he slightly shook his head at her with half a smile on his face.

“What’s that?” asked Steve when he approached. He reached for his stainless thermos filled with water, stood by the bottom step, and downed half its contents before splashing a handful in his face.

“Asgardian wine, a little going away present from Valkyrie,” said Yelena. “You want some or are you gonna get back to your work-out?”

“I think we’re done for today so I wouldn’t mind trying.”

“You should know,” she added while she offered the bottle up, “this might get you drunk if you have too much of it. I did.”

“You did?” Steve raised a brow and glanced at Bucky.

“She did,” he confirmed. “I almost did too, the stuff they’ve got up there hits a little different.”

“Hm, I’ve never been drunk before. I tried once, after I lost you on the train.” Steve sat down next to Yelena and kept his eye on Bucky. “It didn’t work then… I’d be surprised if it did now.”

“Just go easy and you won’t have to worry about it.”

“I’m not worried.” Without a second thought, Steve put the bottle to his lips and took a few good swigs before he offered it up to Bucky.

“I’m good, Thor actually gave me this.” He picked up his jacket and retrieved a small flask from the inner pocket. “Told me to relax and learn to celebrate like a true warrior,” he explained with a frown. “Haven’t had a reason to celebrate yet.”

“You could celebrate my return,” Yelena suggested while she stole another sip for herself.

“Is that what you’re doing?”

“I’m… I don’t even know.”

Nudging her gently with his shoulder, Steve leaned in. “You’re upset with Loki for leaving, aren’t you?”

“Steve…”

“I won’t pry, but you can talk to us.”

“I know.” Yelena blew out a heavy sigh and drank again before she decided—sure, why not spill her guts a little? “And… yeah, I am. Over the past weeks, I’ve gotten so used to having him by my side. In Austria, during the ball, during the raid on the compound, while I was recovering on Asgard twice over in a matter of days. Now I just feel a little lost, directionless, which is stupid because I’ve been alone all my life. Besides, I get why he left and I support him completely. He went to aid his brother without being asked or told to, for no other reason than it being the right thing. That’s… a great thing.”

“It is.” Bucky sat down on her other side and unscrewed his flask. “And you’re not alone, even without Loki here you still have us.”

“Yeah? You two gonna keep me company while I watch a few romcoms and eat my way through a tub of ice-cream, all the while crying about the first guy I’ve ever fallen for?” The corner of Yelena’s mouth inched up a little as she said it.

“Uh, if that’s what you want… and we can have pizza and cookies, strawberries, chocolate, muffins,” Steve offered with the best of intentions, musing on about a variety of comfort foods, but Yelena started to chuckle.

“Fuck no, that’s not who I am. I’d rather find a way to keep busy, make myself useful. Focus on…” Her voice drifted as her thoughts landed back on Thanos and the questions that remained. “You know, maybe I do need to have a talk with Medusa.”

“Now?” asked Bucky, a little surprised with her sudden change of mind.

“Later, but she may know more about Thanos than she’s told us so far. She’ll never share that with any of you but she might tell me, I just need to find a way to convince her.”

“Then I guess Tony was right.”

“How so?”

“He suggested we hold off on transporting them away from here, said you’d change your mind before the day was over.” Bucky laughed.

“Hm, suppose he knows me better than I thought. You two really make up?”

“We’ll never be best friends but… yeah, we talked and we’re trying to leave the past where it is. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me but he seems to finally understand that I didn’t do what I did knowingly or willingly.”

“I’m glad.” Yelena draped an arm across Bucky’s shoulder and gave him a sideways hug.

“So am I,” sighed Steve in an almost dream-like tone. “It’s just so… so nice. Just like the birds and the trees, so nice here with my friends and the people I love. So happy together.”

It wasn’t until then that Yelena realized he’d continued taking one sip after another from the bottle of wine, and that he’d somehow ended up with Bucky’s flask too. Prompting the both of them to chuckle while Steve merely stared out across the backyard, a lazy grin on his face.

“Just so you know,” Yelena whispered to Bucky, “that’s your mess to take care of.”

“You’re the one who offered him wine.”

“And you’re the best friend.”

“Fine…” said Bucky and he couldn’t help but quip, “At least he won’t torture me with the sort of suggestive comments a father shouldn’t be hearing at the dinner table.”

Yelena feigned shock before she playfully smacked his arm, a slight fluster on her cheeks. “Shut up, and sorry,” she added with a snort and then took the bottle away from Steve, sealing it once more with the cork she’d kept in her pocket.

“But why…” Steve pouted.

“You’ll thank me in the morning.” She patted his cheek after he moved to rest his chin on her shoulder, and she remembered her own hangover all too vividly. “Trust me.”

“I doooo. You’re so nice and so, so” —Steve nuzzled the wool fabric of her cardigan— “so soft.”

“Oh boy. Yeah, he’s all yours,” she told Bucky.

“Hm, I don’t know,” said Bucky as he retrieved his flask and jacket and got up. “You’re the nice and soft one.”

“No no, Bucky don’t you dare leave me here with this drunken giant of a man.”

He bit back the urge to laugh and rolled his shoulders in a casual shrug, a hand resting on the door handle. “As I said, you’re the one who offered him wine in the first place. Consider this a little payback, have fun.”

“Bucky, seriously!” Yelena tried to argue but he’d already gone inside, leaving her to frown at Steve who’d begun petting her sleeve and clinging to her arm. “Bozhe moi,” she sighed.

Chapter Text

— 48: Confrontations —

Steve went out like a light and Yelena felt grateful for her enhanced strength when it came time to carry him inside. His body weight rested against her back and shoulder until she eased him onto the couch and used a quilted throw blanket to tuck him in with. She headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and an empty bowl, both which she placed on the side-table next to the couch.

“Alright, Rogers.” Yelena knelt down to his level and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face. “I don’t think you can hear me but just in case—if you need to puke, please do it in the bowl. I’ve got a feeling Tony will make me do the cleanup if you chuck up all over the couch or floor.”

“You’re damn right he will,” said Tony when he overheard. Phone in his hand to order takeout but a split second later he frowned. “What did you do, beat him up?”

“What? No. Why would you think I beat him up?”

“There isn’t much else that would floor him, unless he’s getting sick again.”

“I shared my wine with him. From Asgard. It works faster than our metabolism can burn through it so…”

A smirk crept up Tony’s face. “You corrupted Captain America and got him drunk, mommy dearest would be so proud.”

“Oh shut up.” Yelena rolled her eyes and ushered Tony toward the kitchen. “But speaking of which—”

“You changed your mind? She’s downstairs in a cell next to Dr. Jekyll.”

“Dr. Jekyll, huh? You can do better than that.”

“I’ll work on it. Extra cheese?” Tony asked while he finalized his pizza order.

“Always. I’ll be downstairs, call me when dinner arrives.”

“Do you want backup?”

Yelena flashed a smile. “I’ll be alright, but thank you.”

“Here.” Before she could walk away, Tony stopped her and enlarged the display screen above his phone. “The security codes. They refresh every hour which will seal the door automatically so be mindful of the time.”

“You trust me with this, even after—”

“They played their own game with you as a pawn but they failed in the end. Besides, no matter their completely awful intentions, good has come from you walking into our lives. Your arrival did reunite us and, look, I’m not going to get all mushy about it but your struggle helped me deal with my own feelings toward Barnes. You’re one of us, kid.”

He pulled her against his side in something that vaguely resembled a hug. “So stop apologizing, stop feeling guilty, and for the love of god stop acting like you’re made of stone because we all know that you’re not. Go deal with your mommy issues and then meet us for dinner. I’ll even throw in some hot fudge brownies for dessert, alright?”

Moved by his words, Yelena swallowed hard and nodded. “Thanks, Tony. I… thank you. I won’t be long. I think, hope.”

She hurried toward the basement and took a second to familiarize herself with the small renovation, finding four temporary cells—cages, really—built right next to the medical bay. Separated by only a simple wall between each one and sealed off with what appeared to be plexiglass.

The first held a man she barely recognized, hadn’t met before, but she was familiar enough with his identity and crimes. Zemo, and while he didn’t acknowledge her, the man in the cell next to him did. Gerard glanced up from the book he’d been reading but Yelena ignored him before coming to a halt when she met Medusa’s eyes through the glass of the third cell.

“There you are, at last.” The woman’s smile was like a venomous bite that paralyzed Yelena on the spot.

A bitter history she’d never be able to fully shake resurfaced in her mind and she took a deep breath. Counted down from five in her head and feigned calm. “Don’t get too excited, I’m not here for long.”

“I’d expected you sooner.”

“I’m sure, but…” said Yelena while she unlocked the cell and stepped inside.

Smartphone in her other hand and her thumb worked fast to navigate its menu before gentle music began to play. One last time, a familiar melody that had Gerard pressing his ear up against the wall to hear what was happening. Music that forced a hint of dread into Medusa’s eyes until she realized that the piece failed to achieve its intended result.

“As you can see” —Yelena let the song finish before tucking her phone away— “I’ve been busy.”

“How?”

“With the help of a centuries old, Asgardian healer.”

“The Asgardians helped you?” Medusa pursed her lips and shook her head disapprovingly. “Sweetheart, please tell me you aren’t actually involved with that greasy-haired weasel. He isn’t even human.”

“That’s none of your business, and don’t even think about pulling the mom-card because you’re not my mother. The fact that you put me on this earth, that we share DNA, means nothing to me.” Yelena crossed her arms before her chest and shrugged. “And neither do you.”

“I never wanted to be your mother, Yelena,” words spoken free of malice while Medusa sat down on her cot with her back straightened. One leg folded neatly over the other and the heels she’d worn in Austria still dangling from her feet. “But I had no choice. In this family, you either fall in line and take your orders, or you’re cast out and branded an enemy to the organization.”

“Great, so neither of us want you to be my mother. Hardly a surprise and not—”

“Do you think I liked what I had to do? With him?”

“I hope not, but you are rather sadistic of nature so who knows.” Yelena gave a pointed stare.

“What you went through was no worse than what I endured. In fact, less so, since I never forced you to have children.”

“No, see, you knew what it felt like and yet you put another woman, your own daughter, through the same thing. You’re vile, so don’t expect me to—”

“They didn’t even let me hold you. They took you straight from my womb to that woman and I was shipped off to Italy to continue my education. I never returned to Russia until my father’s death in 1999.” A smirk began pulling up the corners of Medusa’s mouth. “When I finally got my revenge on everyone, even her, and brought you to Germany with me.”

Yelena’s hands dropped down to her sides and she stood slack-jawed. “You tracked us down to Saratov and killed my mother…”

“No. I am your mother, Sofya was nothing more than a traitor who ran off with my child. She deserved to die.”

“Sofya was, and always will be, the only mother I know. The only one I want to know. And you, with everything you have put me through? You’re about the furthest thing from a mother.”

With her back turned on Medusa, and facing the wall, Yelena swallowed a loaded sigh and the tears that burned behind her eyes. This wasn’t the conversation she’d wanted to have and she cursed herself for ever uttering the m-word, inviting scorching confessions that she didn’t care to know about.

“I tried to love you,” said Medusa and when Yelena spun back around, she noticed for the first time what they had in common.

Like her, on any occasion where she’d felt compelled to share her truth and anguish, Medusa sat forward. Hunched over with her eyes fixed on the floor, her hands clasped and nervously wrung together. A spitting image that sent a shiver down Yelena’s spine.

“I tried to be a good mother but I couldn’t do it. I hated everything my father put me through, what the organization stood for, and what you reminded me of. You had to suffer as I did but you…” Medusa scoffed. “Despite everything you always had hope. A light in your eyes. You didn’t know that life means pain so I taught you. I didn’t give you love but I made you hard and strong. You have survived this long because of me.”

“Right.” Yelena chewed on the inside of her lip and chuckled wryly. Sniffed to keep her tears at bay. “Or maybe I survived this long because you still needed me for your plan. Not that it matters, it doesn’t change anything, and I didn’t come here to listen to whatever lies and excuses you want to throw my way.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Thanos, the stones. I want to know everything you know, everything your mother uncovered in her research.”

With a single brow raised and a mocking smile prepared, Medusa looked up to meet Yelena’s eyes. “You can’t fight him, sweetheart. You’ll die.”

“I might, but that won’t stop me. You could increase my odds and do something right for once.”

“You want to stop Thanos?” Medusa rose from her cot and approached, reaching out with slender fingers that gripped Yelena’s jaw tight. “Kill the Vision. Destroy the Mind Stone. Find the Tesseract and crush it. Do what your new family won’t do, be the killer that I trained you to be.”

Yelena slapped her hand away and took a step back. “No, and you cannot be this fucking stupid. Do you really think that if we destroy the stones, Thanos will shrug and say ‘oh well, there go my plans, guess I’ll stay home’?”

“He cannot succeed without the stones.”

“But he’d still seek vengeance! You have made all this effort to stop him so help me try. Tell me what I need to know.”

“In exchange for…?”

“Right, of course you want to bargain, because the goodness of your heart just doesn’t exist.” Once more Yelena turned away, a calculated move while she navigated to Tony’s in-home security app on her phone and keyed in the code to unlock Medusa’s cell from the inside. “Forget it. We’ll figure out another way while you stay down here and rot.”

She counted down the seconds and made no hurry to leave, giving Medusa ample time with her thoughts before the latter uttered, “Wait. What will happen to me after I tell you? Will you be the one to end my life?”

“No, I’ve moved on from wanting you dead to no longer caring. You, Gerard, and Stefan will be handed over to the UN and from there… I suspect a Wakandan prison. One that you can’t break out of so easily or be freed from by anyone still loyal to you.”

“Hm, pity…” said Medusa while she sat back down. “I think I’d be proud to die by your hand. To see in my final moments that your training is complete.”

“You’re incorrigible.” Yelena rolled her eyes.

“The family vault in Trieste, Italy.” Medusa ignored the remark and reached for the clasp of her necklace. “That’s where I keep my mother’s research along with everything else that belongs to our family. Everything that I will sign over to you once I’m officially arrested. Make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“I have no interest in our family legacy.”

“You will, one day. When your new family falls apart and turns their back on you. When you see them, and their world, for what it really is. When those who learn your true name—not Barnes, not Nikolaev, but Schmidt—come to call.”

The words came closer to a warning than a threat, and Yelena felt a single shiver roll down her spine when Medusa handed her the necklace she’d been wearing. “The vault lies hidden beneath a cellar on the estate” —she provided an address and touched the key pendant resting in Yelena’s palm— “and this will unlock the safe that holds all of your grandmother’s research.”

“Okay… and after everything you’ve done, you’re just handing this to me now?”

“I have no use for it here, or wherever I may be going. If you insist on facing the mad titan then you need to prepare and perhaps, once you’ve read all there is to know, you’ll finally realize there is only one way to stop him.”

“I doubt that.” This time, Yelena exited the cell completely and sealed the door. “I’ll be back if it turns out you lied to me.”

Before Medusa could get another word in, Yelena had walked away. Seeking a moment of reprieve to let every emotion she’d held back wash over her but Gerard stood practically with his face pushed up against the window. Desperate for her attention, and Yelena groaned quietly.

“What?”

“Am I not entitled to a little one-on-one visit? A last farewell?” He feigned a pout.

“No, because that would imply you are in any way significant and you’re not. Steve recovered, I was cured, and where you were supposed to strip me of my enhanced powers, you expanded them instead. So many years of research, funds, and opportunity and you have done nothing but fail. You’re mediocre at best and not worth another second of my time,” she spat out.

Marching on until she reached Zemo’s cell and this time, he did acknowledge her presence. Leaned back against the door to his cell while he spoke quietly, “James’ mysterious daughter returns…”

“Hm.” Held in her tracks once more, Yelena considered the many things she’d heard about Zemo—his connections, and the information he’d dug up on both Hydra and the Avengers. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a minute of her time so she mirrored his position, shoulder to shoulder with only the glass between them before she asked, “Is she telling the truth about the family vault?”

“She is. A beautiful city, Trieste, with a lot of history. The Red Skull purchased land there after his promotion. Your family vault is rumored to be almost as impressive as mine,” said Zemo.

“Not my family, not my vault.”

“I said the same thing once.”

“Yeah? What changed your mind?”

“Ultron and the Avengers.”

A touch of sympathy furrowed Yelena’s brows. “Right. I’m sorry for what happened to your family.”

“Their blood isn’t on your hands.”

“It wasn’t on Bucky’s either yet you had no problem involving him in your vendetta.”

Zemo narrowed an inquisitive eye on her and smiled. “You care about him, that is nice. Will you bring him to Italy with you?”

“Why do you care?”

“I had plans once and I believed in my cause. Being imprisoned would not change my mind so why would your mother simply sit back and hand you the keys, hm?”

Yelena snorted. “Ah, you’re telling me that this could be a trap and I should bring back-up? Do you really think I hadn’t already considered that possibility?”

“You could use someone who’d be able to identify everything you might find in that vault.”

“Mm, someone like you? Nah. If I wanted an expert, I’d bring the woman who owns it, not the guy looking for an escape.”

“I must admit that I would welcome a change of scenery but perhaps, I would also like to help. Maybe I owe it to James.”

“Uh huh. And maybe I’m not as gullible as you think I am.”

“Maybe not.” Zemo held her stare for a moment longer, his expression unreadable before he retreated to lay back down on his cot. A clear sign of dismissal but then he spoke up one last time, “Your father is waiting.”

How he’d honed in on Bucky’s presence before Yelena had ever noticed him standing by the foot of the stairs was beyond her but it didn’t matter. All she needed were the arms that Bucky already held stretched out and she melted into his embrace within seconds. Relief washed over her, finally feeling safe enough to set her emotions free, and she clung on for dear life.

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked with a mollifying caress rubbing down her back.

“I’m not really sure.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“You’re doing it, thank you.” A single tear trickled down the side of her nose and she inhaled a sharp, staggering breath. She waited for her hands to stop shaking and her heartbeat to even out before she asked, “So, ever been to Italy?”