Chapter Text
Reader POV
The Avengers found you in the back of your cell in a secret HYDRA facility, huddled in the corner, stripped of everything but the memories of what they had done to you. Needles, serums, experiments, until you became the monster they sought to create. You could create and control fire, and they had used you many times to cover their tracks. The chemicals they had used burned your whole body inside, and for a long time your were rendered unable to speak. When your voice returned to its former self, you remained silent still, refusing to use your voice ever again until you were free, which, until today, you thought would be never. A blonde man with a suit like of blue, white and red, stepped into your cell with someone all HYDRA agents knew. The Winter Soldier. His metal arm gleaming in the harsh fluorescent light from above. Walking towards you, panic sets in, and the fire begins to rise. Flames collect on your finger tips, but before you can release a heated torrent upon the pair, a dart becomes launched the back of your neck. The world becomes fuzzy as the heat leaves your body and your mind becomes dark, fading away from consciousness and falling to the floor in a slump.
Bucky POV
Thin and emaciated, it was obvious that HYDRA never used her for tactical missions, but Bucky could tell that that they had used her in other ways. Needle marks on her arms and neck, bruises from “reconditioning” on her stomach and back, and more bruises on her inner thighs and hips that Bucky didn’t want to think about how they got there. They had rescued her and brought her back to the tower. Bruce was running tests on her to get her vitals and tell how severe her physical injuries are. Bucky stood by the door, standing guard and waiting for her to wake up. He had figured of all people, he would be the most understanding of her mental state when she awoke. The door opened and Bruce walked out with his clipboard filled with paper covered in scribbles and notes about the girl.
“ She’s gonna be ok Buck, she needs food, and lots of rest, but her vitals are stable.”
Bucky simply nodded and slipped into the room to sit next to the girl. He picked up the papers next to her bed with the medical information they had found out already. Looking at the top of the paper Bucky chuckled, they had already code-named her. “Phoenix” was written on the line in Tony’s scratched handwriting.
“Seems appropriate.” Bucky said with a shake of his head.
Her real name had yet to be filled out on the sheet because no one had had a chance to talk to her. HYDRA never made it a habit to get personal with their experiments. Bucky watched as her even breathing matched the beeping of the heart monitor. With the drugs in her system, she should still be asleep for a few more hours, but Bucky had still wanted to see her, make sure she was comfortable. He felt connected to her, responsible for her, since she would now be the only one who really knew what it meant to be a former HYDRA prisoner. A few minutes later, Clint came into the room and took a seat across from the bed.
“Hey Bucky, how is she?” he asked.
“Bruce said she’ll be ok, that she just needs to be watched over for a while once she's up and moving.” Bucky replied. Clint nodded in response.
“I need to talk to her when she wakes up. I read her files form HYDRA, it said that her pyrokinesis comes from a serum they pumped into her. It burned her from the inside, almost destroyed her. Her vocal cords were torn, they healed but after what they did it said in the files that she never spoke and so she only ever communicated with them using sign language. So being the resident deaf guy, Tony figured i was the best for this job.” Bucky just chuckled at his comment, but inwardly he was beginning to feel even worse for the poor girl. Her whole body had been burned from inside, she nearly died, and all they used her for was to cover their tracks. Bucky didn’t think it was possible to hate HYDRA more than he already did.
“Alright then, I think I’ll leave you on watch duty then, buddy. I need some rest.”
Bucky made sure to close the door quietly as he left, heading to his room for a much needed shower and some sleep, but the whole time, his mind was distracted by Phoenix.