Blurred Bloodlines

Pym closed his eyes, clearly affected by Bucky's flashback.

He knew what it was like to lose a daughter. Distancing himself from Hope had been a bad decision on his part. It created the rift between them, a rift that's healing now thanks to Scott.

And now here was someone else who's child was taken from them while they were a broken shell of a man. Hank knew that Bucky was only going to be whole once more when he had his little girl back. He squared his shoulders.

He already helped Scott with Cassie, he can help Bucky now.

"Captain, I have the files decrypted. What were you looking for specifically? I'll be able to isolate it with my equipment. It would make it easier for you."

Steve stood up, a puzzled look on his face. "Just having those files decrypted now is helpful enough."

Hank shrugged, "Might as well do it while the equipment's right here."

Wanda stepped forward, "That's not all of it, is it?"

Dr. Pym took a deep breath. "A year ago I offered a former thief a chance to turn his life around by becoming Antman. You know why he did it?"

Steve shook his head.

"His daughter, Cassie. He did it all for her, to show her that he WAS the hero she always knew him to be. That's why I'm helping."

"But..."

"I made the biggest mistake of my life by distancing myself from my daughter after we lost her mother. I know what its like to think your child is lost to you, that you'll never get them back. Its not true. Scott brought Hope back to me."

Bucky shook his head, giving a quick glance to Pietro.

'Can he do it? Can he help bring her back?"

Wanda wiped the tears from her face.

"You feel indebted to Scott. That's why you are doing this, isn't it?"

Hank nodded, "I owe him more than he thinks. Just don't tell him that. His ego doesn't need anymore inflating."

Wanda giggled, "You have my word, Dr. Pym."

"Thanks."

Steve smiled, "Well, we need to find the files pertaining to two people. The first one's name is Syrena, she was the Winter Soldier's former student."

"And the other one is his daughter, right?"

"Yes. Rebecca. Although Hydra has given her different names. Try searching for Winter Wolf, wolf, or 'child of death'."

Hank's eyebrow rose at that.

"Try Volchitsa as well. I remembered Pierce calling her that." Bucky added.

"Okay."

Pym turned back to the machine and typed the key words in.

"I, of course, had to quickly devise a search algorithm for this, so it could take a little bit longer."

"We are in an abandoned warehouse, Doctor, I doubt we are going to be run out any time soon."

It was just a few minutes later the machine starts beeping erratically.

"Well, we got a hit. Several actually."

Steve moved to stand right beside him at the machine. "Syrena?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Well, talk about serendipity. It seems that this Syrena is being held in a facility close by. "

Barnes perked up at that, "Really?"

The older man quickly set about downloading the files back in a clean USB device and handed it to Barnes when it finished.

"Go get them back, Sergeant."

He extended a hand to Pym, "Name's Bucky. And thanks."

Suddenly, a loud buzzing noise filled the air, as a swarm of flying ants surrounded Pym. He quickly tapped the device behind his ear and they settled down at his feet.

"Pym, what's going on? You okay?"

He looked up at them with a shocked look on his face. "Gentlemen, we've got company."

It was then the door to the warehouse exploded, knocking Pym back into his machine. He slumped to the ground unconscious.

When the smoke finally cleared, Bucky chest tightened.

"Becky?"

There she was looking every inch the dangerous creature she was. What he had helped her to become. His hands clenched in thinly veiled rage at that thought.

She had fire at her back and death in her eyes and she was walking right towards them and Bucky could do nothing but watch.

He knew that blank look well enough. They had wiped her mind. Suppressed her memories, locking them deep within her mind.

Which just made their job even more difficult and that much more dangerous.

'Fight it, Becky.' He mentally whispered, a silent plea to his little girl, 'Fight it.'

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

The explosion caused Pietro to grab his sister and move her to the back of the building.

"You okay, sister?"

Wanda stilled in his arms and gripped his arms.

"Piet," She looked up at him in shock, "It's her."

His heart dropped to his stomach. 'Little moon.'

A determination filled him then and Wanda clutched at his arms, "No, Piet, don't go. Her mind-"

Within a split second he was gone and on the other side, standing a few feet from Rebecca.

"..has changed." Wanda finished, crumpling to the ground and sobbing for her brother, for Rebecca, and for Bucky.

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

Viper leaned back in her chair, watching the live video feed with a devious grin. "Why, hello lover-boy."

She snapped her fingers and pointed to one of the scientists near her.

"Mark time, date and preliminary vitals. The first test phase has officially begun."

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

Steve and Bucky stood up at the same time but was waved down by Pietro.

Basically telling them. 'Let me handle this.'

Steve nodded, but he still stood at the ready, his muscles tensed for action.

Bucky took a step forward but was stopped by the cocking of a gun.

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

Pietro was breathing heavily and his heart was beating a fast rhythm in his chest.

He could only stare at her. She was still as beautiful as the first day he saw her, but her demeanor, her stance said nothing but death to him.

She raised the pistol in her hand and leveled it at him, her eyes devoid of all emotion.

"Izmennik."

Pietro closed his eyes, "Don't moya luna, please?"

She pulled the trigger.

He couldn't move. He was frozen in shock at what she had become.

But nothing happened, he had heard the gunshot but felt no pain from it, the bullet hadn't hit him. He opened his eyes and gasped.

Bucky had stepped in front of him, shielding him, and taking the bullet in his shoulder.

Bucky's mind exploded with pain. The bullet had torn through cartilage and bone and lodged itself into the joint. His heart dropped like lead into his stomach because he knew what those cold eyes meant. He had seen those eyes once before. When he looked at himself in the mirror.

They had wiped her mind. Turned her into the newest version of the Winter Soldier and he realized that he was either going to have to break through to her or...

He shook his head. He didn't want to even think it.

"Stay behind me, alright. I can take more pain than you."

Pietro shook his head, "I doubt it at the moment when you have a large hole in your shoulder."

"Shut up."

Bucky grabbed his shoulder with his metal hand, trying to put pressure on the wound.

"Becky, honey, I know they say I'm a traitor. Maybe I am. All I know is that I did what I had to do to survive, so I could BE myself again. You can do it too. You're strong Becky. So strong, babydoll."

The blood trailed from his shoulder, soaking down half the length of his sleeve. He was losing blood fast and it was starting to make him light-headed, but he couldn't stop now, he couldn't give up on his little girl.

Never.

"Izmennik!"

"Moya doch'." (My daughter.)

She paused for a second before advancing on him again.

"Moya malen'kaya luna luch." (My little moon beam)

That did it. She stopped completely and tilted her head at him.

"Moy otets? Malen'kaya luna?"

The gun fell to the floor with a loud clatter as she clutched her head in her hands and screamed the only name she could.

"PIETRO!"

Both her and Bucky slumped to the floor at the same time. One bleeding and one broken, but both in agony.

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

Viper was furious.

"What! What the hell is happening?! I thought you said the conditioning was to last for an indefinite period of time. What happened?"

"I don't know, Lady Viper. The conditioning did take, but it also depends on how strong the person's mind is. She-" His words turned to choking gasps as she breathed in his face. It was a few seconds later, he slumped over his station dead, blood pouring from his body.

The other scientists backed away form the body. One raised a hand to which Viper nodded.

"Yes?"

"We can try the device we planted. That should kick the conditioning back into place."

Viper smiled, "Do it. I want my pet back.:"

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

In a flash he was at her side, tears blurring his vision.

"Little moon?"

Her head popped up at his voice and he could see the tears streaming from her eyes.

She reached out to him. "Piet? Oh god. You're here? Really here?"

"Yes, my love. I'm here."

He grabbed her hands and placed them on his face. She gave a heaving sob and fell into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Piet!"

"Its over." He wrapped her shaking form tightly in his arms. "It's all over now."

"No, its not."

She pulled back from him.

"It's just beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"Viper is still alive. She needs to be stopped or this will keep going and I'll never be free."

Pietro was shocked, "What are you talking about?"

Her body jerked and she fell to the ground convulsing, the new pain ripping a scream from her throat.

"Luna! What-"

The twitching stopped and her eyes flew open.

His heart shattered as she flipped up standing and pulled a knife from her belt.

"Umeret' predatelem." (Die, traitor.)

He couldn't fight her. He didn't want to.

Scarlet energy twined its way around Rebecca and held her in place.

Wanda stopped next to her brother, tears streaming down her face.

"Rebecca, you need to stop. You're going to hurt Pietro. You don't want to hurt him, do you?"

"Moya Tseli. Moya Missiya." (My target. My mission.)

Then the dirt around her feet began to pulse, and hundreds of tiny orange ants began to climb up her body.

"Hold her there, Ms. Maximoff. The crazy ants will do the rest." Dr. Pym hobbled close to them.

"Viper if your watching this, which I have a feeling you are, well, that's twice you lost now."

"Alright guys, overload time."

The air filled with the sounds of snapping and fizzing and Rebecca screamed as the ants released their electrical energy into her body.

Smoke rose from her and when the ants finished, she was unconscious within the tendrils of Wanda's energy.

Wanda laid her down onto the ground gently and turned to her brother.

"Piet?"

"She's still under Viper's control. How do we break that?"

Hank laid a hand on his shoulder.

"By breaking the device, son."

Pietro turned to where Rebecca was and gasped.

"Becca!"

She was gone.

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

Viper shook her head. "Oh, you stupid little man. You can't break my pet so easily. I made sure of that."

She pointed to the video feed.

"I want the feed analyzed. As well as the post-test vitals and I want the results in two hours. Move!"

The scientist scattered like bugs.

"This was a draw, Avengers."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"But the next time I will win."

Notes