Saving Each Other

THREE ✔︎

Bucky's P.O.V

Kira fell asleep in Clint's arms not long after he took her from me. After the weight of the girl was too much for the archer, he placed her down on the couch.

"Buck, I like your hat.'' Sam teases as he walks up to me. I forgot I still had the bubble hat that Kira had transferred from Nat's head to mine.

Conjuring up an amazing idea, I move the bubble on to Sam's head. He shows signs of objection but the team payed him no mind as we moved into the kitchen.

"I can't believe they could do that to a  child." Steve mutters, disgust evident in his tone.

"Hydra will do anything to get what they want," I say furiously. "They'll probably do anything to get her back if she was important. We have no idea what she was used for." I shudder at the for 'used'.

Clint crosses his arms, widening his stance. "She's like, what five or six? She's a kid! And they probably used her as a weapon of some sort of mass destruction."

"We'll let her get the sleep she needs, and when she wakes up we can get the answers to our questions." Nat suggests, leaving with a response. That was a plan not a suggestion.

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Nat walks back in the room with Kira, the girl wiping the sleep from her eyes. It had been a solid two hours the girl had been asleep.

Natasha squeezed Kira's hand tighter, sensing the distress she feels about having to relive her nightmarish-memories.

Kira looks at us with fear in her eyes, a tremor moving through her small body ever few seconds. Nat sets her on my lap, the girl immediately clinging on to me.

"Kira, what do you remember from your time at Hydra?" I ask her neutrally, treading lightly through the waters.

"I remember them having me attend physical training. If I failed them for even the smallest of things, I would be tortured. They would cut through my flesh, and shove my head under water until I lost consciousness." She took a pause to collect her thoughts.

"You're good?" Tony looks in her eyes, but she just continues talking. I can feel Kira shaking, but I register it as fear.

"I had my own room which was not even a quarter of the size of the room we're in. The room contained a thread blanket and a hard pillow for me. They would drench me with cold water to cleanse me. All of this was done in front of everyone, and they would do lots of tests on me like...."

Her whole body then goes limp in my arms, cutting herself off. Her body starts jerking uncontrollably while she's staring at me, her eyes not really focusing on me.

"What's happening to her?!" I yell at Banner with strain in my voice.

"She's just having a seizure. Just stay calm and make sure she doesnt hurt herself."

I listen to the doctor as I cradle the girl. I make sure nothing is in her face, wiping away the drool running from her mouth.

After a short period of time, her shaking stops. Kira glances up at me, breathing heavily. Her eyes seem to focus on me now, her conscious back.

"You're okay, Kira." Nat reassures her, wiping the sweat off of Kira's head. I nod my head in appreciation towards the red head.

Banner walks up and hands me a single pill along with a glass of water. I gently sit Kira up in my lap. I put the pill in her mouth, bringing the glass to her lips. She easily swallows the pill.

Kira's head then falls backwards as she falls asleep. I catch her, moving her to my room to rest.

All that we had to do now was keep faith. Keep faith that Kira would be okay.

I was anxious for the remainder of the night.

———————————————

"Uhhh... What is this?" I open my eyes, waking up on the concrete floor, my feet being drug across the ground by a soldier with a familiar symbol on his shoulder.

"What the hell?" I said in confusion. My vision was blurry, everything was fuzzy.

I saw a machine with wires coming out of it. The machine that ruined me. I was brought closer, and closer.

"Hello James, welcome back." An all too familiar voice echoes in my ears.

I was hooked up to the machine with wires connecting to my forehead, and puncturing into my skull.

"No. NO!! LET ME OFF!!! GET ME OUT" I shout with anger in my voice, and tears in my eyes.

This process was all too knowing.

"Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, furnace, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car."
I heard a deep voice echo in russian.
"NO! N-"

I screamed in my bed as I woke up from the terrifying memory. My breaths come out in pants as I catch my breath, leaning back on my arms that hold me up.

Nat bursts in the room, trying to bring me back to reality after that nightmare.

My eyes immediately search for Kira. I find her in the corner of the room, looking at my with tears streaming down her face and fear in her eyes.

Natasha walks over to the little girl and picks her up. "It's ok, Kira. Bucky was just having a nightmare."

Nat hands Kira to me cautiously. I wipe away the tears on her face and hold her close.

Sensing a gaze on me, I look up only to see Steve at the door watching us. "You okay, Buck?" His eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I look down at Kira in my arms, her already looking at me. I smile at the little girl, her doing the same.