Butterflies (Bucky Barnes Daughter)

ONE

Russia 2000

Lamps flickered in a line down the cold halls. Voices could only be heard as echoes but that was all anyone would want to hear. Water dripped onto the rusted floor and mold could be smelt throughout the building. From the upper floor of the building the patters of rain against the metal roof could be heard, if you stopped the sound of your own breathing. This place was hell, and the main man in charge was Hades, no one was leaving this place, ever.

Trapped alone in his cage, a man with a metal arm stood up from his cot and shuffled towards the door. It had no handle on the inside, keeping him closed in until he was needed. His metal limb weighed him down more on his left side so he had a menacing shift in his walk. The man leaned his forehead against the narrow rectangular window on the door when he heard the commotion from down the hall. Voices were yelling while some were hushed. A medical table was wheeled down the hall. He just caught a glimpse of what was on the table but what he saw was enough. There lying on the table was a baby, motionless. Needles and tubes were attached to it while doctors and scientists attended to it. Just as he was about to turn back towards his cot, he heard the baby wail.

***

Siberia 2006

Chains rattled at her ankles, pinching the soft skin between the bones. Blood dripped from her lip, forming a puddle in the space of the shirt that clung to her body that she wrapped over her little legs. Every time she closed her eyes she could see them. The guards that hit her, their fists clenched tightly that swung at her face. She never made a noise though, even when she was punched in the kidney, nothing escaped her lips. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, staining her face a light shade of red as the salty liquid combined with the blood.

She hadn't done anything this time to deserve the punishment. The guards were just bored she guessed. Sometimes they liked to mock her or pick at her hair if she sat close enough to the bars of the cell. Compared to the others cages in the facility, hers was the brightest. It was always light in her cell. She couldn't sleep because of it and because of the fact she knew what they would try to do to her as she slept. Her hair was tangled from all the sweat and blood and she couldn't get it out of her eyes because every time she moved it, it would just fall back in place.

A big man with grey hair and empty eyes trudged down the hall that led to the girls cell. A smile present on his face and a pep in his step, he whistled like he was out for a walk on the beach. "Open the door" he said to the guard nearest to the door handle. The guard nodded and took out the keys, he unlocked it and held the door open for the man. The old man stepped in and leaned his hand out toward the girl. She looked up at him with hatred in her eyes, she couldn't say anything about that hatred, she knew from experience, but they couldn't punish her for feeling things. She stood up, wobbling as she got to her feet. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned away at his touch. She felt his hand against her face quickly, the burning started and then it stopped. "Do not turn away from me you brat" he spat, "do you understand me?" She nodded. "Good, now walk" he moved behind her to pick up the chains her restraints were attached to. She looked like a dog on a leash as she walked down the halls of the facility. The three men following her, she knew where she was going, she had been there hundreds of times before and she would hundreds of times after.

The young girl stopped in front of a solid metal door and waited for it to be opened for her. The old man shoved her into the room and shut the door behind him. Sitting at a desk in the corner of the room was a woman, the only other female in the building. She wore a white lab coat and thick black rimmed glasses. Her brown hair was pulled into a low bun that sat at the nape of her neck. The woman was beautiful, she was short and had a perfect body. That is why she had her own private sleeping quarters as well as her own lab. At the sound of the door slamming, she stood up from her desk and walked over to the girl and the old man. "You can unlock these chains and leave, I can take it from here General" she stated calmly. She wasn't afraid of these men, she wouldn't let herself be. The old man huffed, undid the chains and left the room.

The woman kneeled in front of the girl and gave her a soft smile. "Hello Mila. How are you doing? It's been a while since the last time I saw you hasn't it?" she asked. Mila looked up at the doctor and smiled slightly, not wanting to irritate her face by smiling too hard.

"Yes it has been, why has it been so long Dr. Pavlov?" Mila winced as she pushed herself onto the medical bed. Her hands were covered in bruises and her ribs were littered with the green and black spots as well.

"Please I told you to call me Yana. And I'm sorry its been so long, I've been working really hard on a new serum that will be able to sustain you longer than your current one can. It has taken me longer than I had hoped but I'm confident it will work". For as long as Mila could remember she would meet with Dr. Pavlov every week to be injected with a serum that would keep her alive, keep her body and her mind functioning. Yana walked in front of Mila and inspected her injuries, nothing too bad, she could easily bandage everything up. She looked at Mila as she placed her hands on the edge of her long t-shirt. Mila nodded giving Yana permission to remove the clothing so she could wash her. Yana pulled a big bucket filled with warm water over to where Mila was and lifted the child into it slowly, careful not to hurt her.

The warm water felt nice against her skin. The facility was always so cold so Mila had gotten used to freezing temperatures, that didn't mean she didn't appreciate a hot bath once in a while. The water washed away most of the blood on her body, Yana poured a pitcher of water onto her head to wash the blood out of her hair. After she was washed and dried off, Yana gave Mila a new t-shirt that reached to just below her knees and a pair of thin leggings. Mila sat in front of Yana and let her brush her red locks. It was soothing to her, to have someone touch her so gently, to help her not harm her. She enjoyed the feeling of the bristles moving past her scalp and down her back. Mila's hair had not ever been cut so her red locks sat just above her waist. The colour of her hair really brought out the green in her eyes. It was a shame the only thing her eyes portrayed was hurt or anger. No one ever saw that sparkle in them when she was alone with Yana. No one ever heard her fruity laugh when Yana told bad jokes, no one ever saw her happy behind the door that separated her from the real world and her safe world with Yana.

Dr. Pavlov distracted Mila as she stuck her with the needle that held the new improved serum. This one stung more as it entered her system. Mila physically cringed as she felt the liquid flow through her, burying itself in her fingertips, her temples, her stomach and legs, in her heart and her mind. Mila felt the burning everywhere, she held in her screams. "It's okay Mila, you can let it out" Yana whispered in her ear. Yana backed away and covered her ears with her palms and Mila let out a ear-splitting, gut wrenching scream that Yana didn't think just came from the serum. Mila had been holding in all of the pain she had been in for so long and she finally could let it out.

Mila took in deep breaths as she calmed herself down. Yana had moved to the other side of the lab and took out an apple, two slice of bread and a can of beans out of a cooler for Mila to eat. The girl devoured the meal and wiped her face with her hand before Yana wiped it properly with a napkin. "Do you feel any better?"

"Yes much better thank you Yana" Mila got off her seat and wrapped her small arms around Yana. She hugged her back and placed a kiss to her forehead.

A knocking at the door signified the end of their session. Mila harshly wiped away the tear that escaped her eye before Yana or the old man saw. The metal door swung open and the old man quickly chained Mila back up, as if she would run the minute the door was opened even a smidge. Mila wouldn't try that again, not after the first time. He grabbed the end of the chain and yanked her towards him.

"Until next time" Dr. Pavlov said to Mila. The girl just nodded as she was dragged away from Yana, two more guards accompanied her back to her cell. The party of six attracted attention as they moved.

In a nearby cell, the man with the metal arm looked out his door window and saw a little red haired girl being escorted by five grown men. What on earth could she have done to cause five men to shudder at her presence.