Blurred Bloodlines

Hank had suggested he stay back and monitor the facility while they rescued Syrena.

"I'm an old man. I'll be of no use in a fight. Now technology I can help with and from a safe vantage point."

Steve nodded, "Of course Hank. Keep a close eye on their communications for us. You hear anything about Syrena, give us a heads up, alright?"

"Yes sir."

Bucky wasn't too happy when it was suggested he stay back with Dr. Pym. "What? Why? Syrena won't know any of you. She could end up attacking you. I should go."

"Not in the state you are now. You've lost too much blood, Buck. You'll be no good in a fight in a weakened state. Don't worry, we'll bring her back safely."

"I've got an idea..." Hope interjected.

"And what is that?"

She pulled a small device from her waist, "This is a video and audio recording device. If she doesn't trust us, she must trust you right? Well, we'll take a video of you to have as a precaution."

Hank smiled, "Hope, you are brilliant."

"Like father, like daughter?"

He shook his head, "No. I'd say more like mother, like daughter. She was always more practical than I was."

Steve cleared his throat, "We better get going. Becky's deception can only last so long before she's found out,"

Pietro agreed, "Yes. We don't want it to be in vain. We must move now."

Hope lifted the device, and pressed a few buttons, "Okay, its recording...just say something that only she would know."

Bucky took a deep breath and turned his eyes to the device. "Syrena, moy malen'kiy volk....its me, vasha zvezda. I need you to listen..."

/ ~ / ~ / ~ /

It was almost nighttime when they got to the location.

Steve turned to the others and nodded. "Alright, here's what we're going to do....Wasp, I want you to infiltrate and take out the power, that will, hopefully, shut down all security measures and allow us to slip into the facility un-noticed."

"Got it."

"Pietro, you are going to run interference, alright? Keep any guards that do notice us distracted. If it gets too hectic in there, I want as few casualties as possible. That's where you come in Wanda. If it does start to go south, persuade the guards to leave, okay?"

"Got it, Captain."

Steve looked down at the grounds and noticed very few guards and when they left, he motioned to Hope.

'Go now.'

She wordlessly nodded and pressed the buttons on her gloves and with a whoosh she was a tiny little insect again. Pietro was sitting next to him looking through binoculars. He was watching Wasp as she moved close to the building.

"She just slipped into one of the vents, Captain."

"Alright, we give her 15 minutes to find the power before we move in. You copy that, Wasp?"

"Copy that Captain. Fifteen minutes and counting. Hey dad, can you pull up the schematics for me? This place is a maze here."

The radio crackled and Hank's voice replied."Pulling it up now. Hmm, looks like you need to keep going straight for 2 meters then take a left."

"Alright. I went left, now where?"

"Five meters and then a right and then another five meters and you'll be there,"

Wasp flitted and weaved along the ceiling above the heads of the guards walking the hallways. It wasn't until she reached the power source that she noticed a problem.

"Uhh, dad? We have a problem."

"What sort of problem?"

"Oh nothing, except a integrated laser field incasing the door and more than likely the vent."

"Damn! It didn't show that in the schematics."

Steve's voice cut in, "Wasp, it looks like we'll have to go with plan b. You're going to need to find Syrena. We'll distract the guards. Ready, Pietro? Wanda?"

"Yes Captain."

"Wait, how are you going to-"

She was cut off by the Cap's reply. "We'll think of something. You'll know when."

She just shook her head and continued down the hallway past the power grid.

'Okay, if I was a frozen assassin-cicle, where would I be?'

She paused when she heard footsteps moving quickly down the hallway, followed by voices arguing fiercely with each other.

"I told you that this job was too dangerous!"

"Hey it pays good and its not that bad."

"Not that bad? We have a maniac for a boss and all we really do is protect that lady, and its not like she's going anywhere. Not when she's currently an icicle."

"See not bad. We just have to keep our heads down and not get noticed by the boss and make sure the lady popcicle doesn't wake up and we'll be just fine."

"Hey, now that you put it that way...it really doesn't sound that bad."

"I told you."

Hope zeroed in on them, sending a quick message to the Cap. "Found the two that regularly guard her cryo pod. Following them now."

She got no reply and gave a shrug. 'Well, looks like your solo on this one, Hope. Let's not mess this up.'

She quickly landed on the hat of the tallest guard and smiled to herself. 'Sorry boys, I hope you don't mind me hitching a ride.'

The guards still continued to bicker even when they came to a set of locked doors. The short guard quickly entered a code into the keypad close to him. The light turned green and the doors opened. Hope gasped at what she saw.

There was only one pod in the room and it was completely frozen over with ice. She couldn't make out who was inside but thanks to the guards, she already knew Syrena was inside.

Now all she had to do was figure out how to get her out.

Just then the alarms blared to life and the short guard yelled again. "Oh, nothing to worry about, huh? Just a simple job, hmm? You idiot."

The taller guard looked sick. "We better go."

"Yeah, yeah, I know but what about the icicle?"

"Her power runs on a separate system from the security. She'll be fine."

"Alright then, lets go."

Hope quickly lifted into the air and flew behind the console nearest the tall guard and waited until the doors closed and sealed behind her. She shivered, it was ice cold in the room and it cut through her like a knife.

She flitted over the console, trying to see what would reverse the cryostasis and wake her up.

She sighed and hit the button to her radio. "Dad? I found her. She still in cryo. Its looks like she's been here for a long time."

"She has, Hope. Seventeen years. She's going to be very disorientated when she wakes up."

"Well, that's the problem. I'm in front of the control console for the pod and can't figure out how to start the reversal."

Bucky's voice cut in, "Then press all the buttons. Smash the damn thing if you have too."

"Wait a minute. What if we were to overload the system? Wouldn't that kick the precaution measures on?"

"Dad, that just might work."

"Alright, crazy ants inbound."

After a few minutes there was a soft chittering at one of the vents and Hope flitted to it and bent one of the corners up to allow the little orange ants inside. She guided half of them to the pod and half to the console. When they were in place she gave the go ahead and the air crackled with energy as wires burnt out and sparks flew.

The console sputtered on and off before going dark. The pod shuddered from the excess energy and then stilled. Just then the surface cracked and ice fell in tiny shards to the floor.

"Dad, I think it worked. The ice is falling off the pod right now."

The pod shuddered again and she could see the person inside starting to stir. She pressed her gloves once more and stood in front of the pod. She held her breath as twin eyes of green fire looked back at her. Those eyes held so much hatred and pain it made her take a step back.

The door to the pod groaned just as the doors to the room opened.

"Hey! Hands up! Now!"

Hope held her hands up slowly, cursing under her breath.

She had been caught.

"Hey, Birch, get the pod operational again, okay? I'll watch this one."

"Alright."

Birch moved to the console and pressed a few buttons and when nothing happened, he cursed.

"Damn it! Nothings working! Bitch fried the whole thing!"

They both looked at her and she shrugged, "Oops."

Birch held his gun up just as the door flew open and a small form tumbled to her hands and knees on the floor.

The guards looked at the young woman on the floor and them back at each other.

"Uh-oh."

Syrena lifted her eyes to the two of them and growled when she noticed the guns in their hands.

Birch took one look at her and turned his gun to her, "You stay back! You-"

Syrena didn't give him time to finish as she surged forward and grabbed his wrist. She twisted his wrist and it popped, ripping a scream from his throat.

His hand opened and dropped the gun right into her hand. Which she turned and shot at the other guard, dropping him with a single shot to the head before turning back and sending a kick to the side of Birch's skull, knocking him unconscious before putting a bullet in his head as well.

Hope visibly gagged at the sight of the man's brains splattered across the floor.

She gasped in pain, dropping to a knee, but held the gun up when Hope took a step forward.

"Don't take another step." Her voice was raspy from her time in the pod, but she otherwise looked healthy.

She flipped her faceplate up, keeping her hands where the other woman could see them.

"It's okay. I'm a friend. Well, a friend of a friend, really. You know Bucky right?"

"Who the hell is Bucky?" She sounded genuinely confused and that's when the lightbulb went off in Hope's head.

"He's known by another name. The Winter Soldier?"

The gun wavered in her hand, "Moya zvezda? You know him? How?"

"He's the one who sent me."

The gun steadied on her again and Syrena growled low in her throat. "You're lying! If he wanted to save me, he would be here to do it himself. He wouldn't have sent someone else."

"I know, he warned me that you wouldn't believe me. That's why I have a recording here. He sent it with me for you to watch. Can I?"

"Show me. If I don't like the contents..."

Hope nodded at the silent threat and pulled the small video device from her waist and pulled the video up before handing it to Syrena.

She took it with her other hand and pressed play.

At the first sight of his face, the gun lowered to her side and she gasped. He looked so pale.

Blood loss. He was badly wounded. He looked a little older as well. His hair was longer and healthier looking too but he was still so handsome. She softly smiled at hearing his voice.

"Syrena, moy malen'kiy volk....its me, vasha zvezda. I need you to listen...There's no easy way to say this, its been seventeen years since you were frozen. Whoever is there with you now, Be it Wasp, Steve...err...Captain America, Pietro or Wanda, they are there to get you out of there. I'm nearby but wounded that's why I can't be there in person but they'll bring you straight to me. I trust them, you should too. LyubImaya, I've seen our daughter...I've seen Rebecca. She's alive but its complicated that's why we need you. I need you."

Syrena sunk to her knees and openly wept. Both her lover and her daughter were alive and safe.

"Where is he?"

"In a safehouse near here with my father. We just have to get out of here and I can take you to him."

Syrena's eyes hardened as she got to her feet. She pulled the clip from her gun, quickly counting the bullets before sliding the clip back home and cocking it. She grabbed the gun from the other guard and did the same.

"Ten bullets left. Plus another full clip in the other gun." She shrugged. "I guess it'll have to do."

"Wait, the Captain has something figured out. We won't have to fight."

She turned to Hope and shook her head. "I will get to moya zvezda, and no one is going to stop me."

Just then an explosion rocked the building and Hope knew that was the signal the Cap was talking about.

"Like I said, I don't think we'll have to fight."

A blur of blue and white blew through the doors and stopped right in front of them.

It was Pietro.

"Hello. Are you looking for the exit? It's this way." He grinned, pointing behind him.

Syrena snorted, training the gun on the young man. "Who's the jokester and can I shoot him?"

Notes