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First meeting.
He stands in the shadows watching as the woman ducks and dodges the five men trying to attack her. Her movements seem almost civilian to him. She manages to get the last of the goons knocked out. Going to the nearest wall she leans against it. Breathing hard.
He steps forward from the shadows. Eyes locked on her. Hands on her knees. Breathing hard as if putting in exertion. His eyes go wide as he sees her reach into her shirt and bring out an inhaler. Watching her take a puff.
Y/n took a few easy breaths. Standing. The drive in her hand joins her inhaler in her bra.
Hearing foot steps coming closer she looks up. A tired look on her face as the man appears in front of her from the shadows.
"Am I going to have a problem with you?" Her eyes don't change as she looks at him. Dramatically stepping from the shadows exposing his uniform beneath. What catches her eye is the mask.
"You have asthma."
"And?"
His eyes narrow. Stepping closer. He raises his hand for the flash drive.
"Hydra wanted me to get that drive back."
"Yeah, well, I'm getting paid a pretty penny to make sure that certain people get their hands on this information. So not happening."
He lowers his hand.
"You are in no condition to fight."
"No shit. I mainly deal in tech. Programs. You work for Hydra right? Do you have any idea what they did?"
He shakes his head. Y/n stands and starts walking away. He doesn't fallow her. At least not at first. She moves on through the streets. Still within his eye. He sees her go over to an abandoned hospital. Slinking in. She goes over to the computer set up. Getting the flash drive and plugging it in.
"You can watch but don't interrupt me."
"You knew that I was fallowing you?"
"It wasn't hard."
Y/n focuses on getting things uploaded.
"You have an uneven gate. Leaning more to your right. Leave your left leg open for a good hit to the knee. Overcompensating for the weight of your arm."
He watches her as she keeps going. The screen moving too fast for his eyes to track.
"What is so important that you would be willing to risk your life for?"
"Hydra committed an active act of war on the world. A...virus that kills kids. The drive I have will heal them. It has the counter measures on it. The cure. So far fifty countries have gotten hit with thirty thousand deaths so far."
"Your trying to save them?"
The Solders heart clenched. Watching her work. His eyes narrow slightly. Seeing her skin turn clammy. Jerking his head he hears the door open. Hearing the perimeter getting breached.
"I know. They are on their way."
"You don't seem to be too worried."
"Oh, I'm terrified. But the kids are more important right now. Those lives saved are the world's future." He moves away and pulls a gun. Holding it he keeps watch over the area.
"I don't suppose that you can hurry up?"
"Almost done." With a sigh y/n hits space, enter delete and the computer zeros out. Soon it starts smoking.
Y/n goes over to him and puts a finger to her lips when he turns to look at her. She shakes her head. She had no idea why she was helping him. Well, thats not entirely true. She saw how much pain he was in and couldn't stand it.
The solder looks at her and fallows. Confused as to where they were going. Surprised to find a hidden section.
"You first."
He nods. Going down he hears crackling in his right ear where the transmitter was at. Where he could hear it crackle out. Odd.
"You ok?"
"Yes."
"Fallow me. Let's get you safe. I assume that you want to be free of them?"
"Please. It hurts."
"Ok. Come on. You're going to have to remove your top. Chances are you were stuck in the same outfit for a while."
They walk down the hall side by side until they get to part of a wall that is open.
"After you."
The soldier walks in first. Eyes going wide. The room is semi big. Something with what looks like a table with padding on it.
"It's ok. The room is seal with lead lined walls and a small emp going through the area. The table is ok. Go over and I will find some clothing for you to change into after."
"What's your name?"
"Luna."
She goes over and brings some soft clothing over for him.
"These look like that they should help you. I will warn you. Once things start my contacts are going to be alerted."
"Your contacts being?"
He watches 'Luna' go over and sit at the computer.
"Black widow." He looks at her wide eyed.
"You're an Avenger!"
"No. I report to the Avengers. There is a difference. I'm booting up the system and putting in the parameters that it needs to fallow. Small radio waves or something like that."
"You're not a fighter."
"I'm a healer. And right now you are the one who needs to heal."
He frowns. Looking at the set up.
"When I tell it so the system will do a full body scan of you. Outside of your arm anything non organic will be flagged."
She turns to look at him. Moving part of her pants to show a one by one inch big square scar on her hip.
"Once the machine is given a location the machine will use tiny needles to make this scar. It will inject microscopic machines into you to remove the metal in you."
"I have a tracker and transmitter in my right ear. Both sub-dermal."
Y/n looks over to him and slowly stands.
"May I? Something like that leaves scars."
He goes to his knees so she can check the area. His eyes close as her fingers move around his head a little. Only for her fingers to move to the straps of his mask. Making him go straighter.
Y/n removes his mask. Seeing the indentation in his skin.
"The mask was on you too tight. Does it hurt?"
"No."
He keeps taking a few deep breaths. He didn't know how freeing he felt in that moment.
"Hydra kept pumping me with various chemicals."
"There isn't much that I can do here for it. Lay down when you're ready. Or if you want I can give you something to calm down. The machine will work better that way."
"Please."
Y/n nods and heads over to a small fridge.
"These are mostly geared towards me and others. But this should help you calm down. Do you remember if you had any bad bodily reactions to anything given to you?"
Y/n comes over and hands the Epi pen type device over to him to look over.
"No."
"Ok. When you're ready."
She looks over just in time to see him remove his top. Blinking she stands as he puts his top off to the side. He can feel her eyes land on one rather nasty spot.
"That is a boot print."
Y/n blinks hard. Seeing the damage on him.
"Hydra torture."
"Yeah. Shit like that ain't gunna fly with me. I'm going to have some medicine help you out. Your body isn't healing well and it's clear that some of these are old and not able to properly heal. For the sedative, your arm or your stomach? I'll do it for you. You just try to relax."
"Stomach. Why do you seem to be so mad?"
"Because you didn't ask for this. Lay down then. I'll load the injection. It's going to sound off. Given that it was in the fridge it may feel a little off. The needle will retract. But I will hold it on for ten seconds regardless. The mat is soft and cushioned. No worries."
He lays down. His body tensing for a moment the fabric is soft. Y/n turns back to the computer. Typing away.
"Ok?"
"Scared."
"I know. I don't like this thing either. I turned the restraints off. Figure that you had enough of that for more then one life time. Most of the time this thing is being run by one person."
"It's that bad?"
"Was the first time I ran it in myself. Then again it was AIM I ran afoul of."
"They and Hydra have a love/hate thing going on."
"I know. Ran in to hack their shit and ended up being called an undercover Hydra agent. Widow, Cap and I literally had popcorn while doing survalance at a not so secret meeting between the pair. Then again I come from a long line of people with balls."
She's trying to change the subject a little bit. Which he honestly liked.
"Like who?"
"Well," she sat down next to him. Seeing him more relaxed.
"I'm going to give you the sedative then I will continue. Ok?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"In three, two, one."
The needle pricks but it's not uncomfortable. He breathes through it. She puts a cotton ball over the mark for a second.
"My maternal grandfather told the Russian government to fuck off back in the 60's or 70's. The iron curtain. Environmental engineer."
"Thats ballsy."
"That's my grandfather for ya. No shits given. Thing is all of America should know who he is since he helped with the hand book for sewage treatment plants."
She tosses the pen. Before moving over to him again. Frowning for a split second.
"I'm getting you a blanket. You look cold. It's made of the same material as the mat."
"Thanks."
He feels more human with the few words between them then anything else hes been through. She sees the man. Not the machine programmed to fallow orders.
She brings the blanket over him and he is honestly more relaxed now than with the sedative.
"You look like you're relaxing." Her voice is soft. She takes her spot in the chair next to him.
"I am. Thank you Luna."
"Don't thank me just yet. You chose a spot for the site?"
"Arm. Close to the pit."
"Ok. The system has been updated. Everything will be automatic and sent off for further analyzing. I can't stop that part."
Y/n folds a corner of the blanket back on his good shoulder. Throwing on gloves and bringing over a bottle of iodine as well.
"Iodine. It's best to sterilize the area before hand. It's going to feel cold and I'm sorry for that. But there isn't anything that I can do about it."
"Thank you. For explaining things to me as you do it."
The iodine is cold. They were underground after all.
"I personally would like to know what's going on and what's happening to my body before it happens. Even if I don't fully understand it."
Bucky has his eyes on her as she does a nice little area. Cleaning it with a swirl from the inside out.
"You medically trained?"
"Sort of. Vet medicine. Grew up with stories from my dad and I pick things up. I have some gauze set aside for after as well with some vet wrap."
"For the bleeding."
"Yeah. I'm going to be right by your side with this. No worries. You're not alone."
He sees her give him a smile. A comforting one at that. He nods. Moving his arm out from under the blanket.
Y/n have a smell understanding nod. Moving the things away from the bed and hitting a few keys. Once the gloves were removed she goes back over and takes his hand.
"The scan will start in a few minuets. After there will be a few moments pause before it starts. It will hurt. But I suspect that it won't bother you."
Bucky looks at Luna. Blinking. She had been careful to not say anything up until that point. But through her calm mask he can see that she grimaced.
"Your dad, what kind of stories did he tell you growing up?"
"He use to live on a pig farm..."
Y/n continues to distract him as the machine starts to work. It does multiple, scans several times. But the Bucky doesn't mind it. If anything the hum of the scan and Luna's voice is lulling him into a further relaxed state.
"The scan is done. It identified and located the transmitter and the tracker. I'm going to guide it to the preferred spot. My hand is in yours. This will burn. I can't do anything to help with that."
"Ok. Do it."
Hes shaking the entire time. Luna lets him keep squeezing her hand.
"Ok. Deep breath. I get it."
He takes a deep breath as the machine connects with his arm. He lets a small whimper out when it presses into him.
"After you can get cleaned up. I know that I feel better with clean hair after being in the field for a while."
"Picking apart my looks now?"
"No. Just trying to distract you a little."
"How did you get tangled up with the Avengers anyway?"
"I'm kinda being blackmailed. It benifits us both."
"Blackmail!"
Bucky looks at her alarmed.
"Easy. It's a joke. Sort of. I came across something that I shouldn't have. That's all. Honestly I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing this for someone else."
"Who?"
He feels the burn and his hand twitches a little bit as he feels the burn on the right side of his head.
"Who?"
"My mom. She has cancer and my dad's job isn't fully paying for her treatment. He's going to be loosing it in a few months."
Bucky looks at her wide eyed. A small tear rolling down his face. One that they both ignore.
"You seem to take things in stride."
"Sometimes thats how you have to roll with what life gives you. I can't physically help my dad but I can make sure that she's comfortable."
"That takes strength."
"More like...self preservation."
A beep makes her look over to a screen.
"Widow and Cap are making their way over. You doing ok?"
"It's intense. Easily top five."
Y/n nods. Holding his hand still.
"What do you plan on doing now that you're out from under their control?"
"Find Steve. I've heard bits and pieces over the years about him. Want to confirm for myself."
"Steve as in Rogers?"
"Yeah. Him. I...he was the closest thing to a brother I had."
"What have you heard about him?"
"That he died. Then they cloned him. You've,..is what their files say true?"
"No. They never cleaned him. If they tried the clones body would have given out long before now."
"You're referring to the sheep they cloned. Right?"
"Not entirely. There's this game called Poppy Playtime that has people theorizing that the main doll is a toy clone. I'm not going to get into it. Once everything is said and done I'll show you the episode I'm talking about."
Bucky keeps his eyes on Luna as the sound of feet comes closer. The burning begins to fade. Making him breathe deeply as the needles slip out of his arm.
"Perfect timing Widow." Y/n moves the arm away and the machine goes into offline mode.
"What is that Luna."
Y/n wraps the gauze and the vet wrap around his arm.
"Easy. You're going to feel a little dizzy. It's just the effect of the machine."
"It's nothing that I haven't dealt with before."
Bucky lets her press her hand lightly on his chest. Seeing her smile at him. It made his heart truly beat for the first time. In that moment he vowed that she would always be protected.
He watches as she scoots back over to the computer and tilts her head back. Taking a contact out of each eye.
"Bucky?"
The man is slow to move as he hears his name being called by a figure near the door. It's...
Steve takes the helmet off so Bucky could get a clear look of his face.
"They said that you were dead."
"Same for you."
The pair hug despite the fact that Bucky was still a mess. But healing. Looking over the pair see Natasha hand her a pair of glasses. Red frames.
"Now that the family reunion is over. I need to get to a working hospital."
Y/n is slow to stand as Bucky pulls the shirt on that she had gotten him earlier. Watching.
"You got stabbed."
She raises the shirt a bit and not only was there a deep gash in her side but the area is steadily gushing blood.
Bucky doesn't think. He goes over to her and scoops her up. Ignoring her. Turning over to the pair.
"Where's the nearest hospital and how fast can you drive."
His words gets the small group into action. Steve leading the way with Natasha following in the back.
"I know that you come from some iron balls but how long have you been bleeding like this?"
"The entire time. Knew that Steve was on his way and didn't want to freak you out. Worked didnt it?"
Bucky huffs as they get to the hospital.
"Your priorities are fucked up."
"Hey I managed to screw Hydra twice in one day. Reunite best friends at the same time. As far as I'm concerned I won. Also blood is B-."
Bucky nods as Nat opens the door for them and the group heads inside.
It takes time but the nurse comes out.
"You three here for Luna? Is that her real name?"
"That's the name we gave you. Now how is she?"
Steve takes the lead. His voice commanding towards the nurse. Who sighs.
"She is in recovery. The blade was still in her. Missed her kidney but hit her liver."
"What room is she in?"
"Three twenty seven. Give her a few moments. They are settling her."
The group nods before looking at one another.
"Thirty minuets then we go up. Sounds good?"
Everyone nods.