Butterflies (Bucky Barnes Daughter)

TWENTY TWO

Cold, harsh hands gripped around her wrists. Her body was thrusted in different directions as she tried to get loose from the guards hard grip. She pulled her hand up to her head after the impact it had with the floor when the guard threw her back into the cell. A warm, sticky liquid embedded itself under her fingernails. Another loud thud filled the room.

"Papa?" He still had the mask over his face. The guards shut the metal door, making Mila flinch. She crawled over to him, trying to hide the blood on her left hand. "Papa, what happened?" Her voice was barely a whisper, actually scared of who it was she was talking to. Her papa and the Soldier were two very different people. Normally Mila was never scared of either of them, but today was different.

"Mila," his voice was muffled by the black muzzle. Her warm hands moved to the claps on the side of his face, pulling it off. His eyes lingered on the crimson stain on her hand. He gripped it with his metal one and his eyes quickly scanned her body for any injuries.

"It's okay papa, I just hit my head," she reassured him. A cold sensation flowed through her body when his metal hand touched the sore spot on her head. The blood on her head had dried already so her injury wasn't too bad. It was then, as he removed his hand from her hair, that he realized something was different.

He ran his fingers through her red hair, the curls ending a lot sooner than usual. Her hair now sat just below her collarbone. Mila gave him a sheepish grin, "Surprise?" It came out more of a question then a statement. She sunk in after one look at his face. "You don't like it. I'm sorry papa, I know I shouldn't-" he cut her off.

"-No Mila, don't be sorry. I think it looks minunat". His hands held onto the side of her face. She tried to hide her smile, but he saw it anyway. He loved the way her face scrunched up when she was happy, it wasn't a sight he saw very often. Wonderful

"Papa, what happened out there?"

He didn't want to tell her, he couldn't tell her he failed. His head shock lightly and his gaze met the floor. "Papa please tell me," she begged. It was hurting her that he didn't feel like he could tell her.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I failed my mission Mila, I'm so sorry," his voice broke. Fear clouded his mind, memories of the threat his superior gave him about this mission. "I'm so sorry". He didn't want to cry in front of his daughter but he couldn't help. Mila put her hands over his in comfort.

"It's okay papa, it's going to be okay," she tried to console him. Memories of the Old Man's threat coming back to her. Mila kept that fear to herself, not wanting to scare him.

His fears took over him, panic rose from his gut at the sound of footsteps from outside the room. His hands clasped around hers, pulling her into him. "Papa, papa calm down. It's going to be okay," she lied. Mila knew what was going to happen, but she didn't want to freak him out any more than he already was.

A pounding at the door made her heart sink and her hands grip around the buckles on her papa's jacket. The shadow of a man illuminated the room. "Do you remember what I said about this mission Soldier?" The Old Man spat. He held something in his hand, something familiar to her.

"You grow weaker as she grows stronger," his voice was laced with venom. "She is become more than you ever could. So she will complete your mission and if she doesn't," he threw the object in his hand in front of the pair. A pained gasp left Mila's lips. "Well you already know what will happen, don't you Viper?"

Her papa gave her a confused look, unaware as to what it was the Old Man was referring to. "Suit up Mila, you too Soldier," he pointed to the mask on the ground, "Your daughter, is going to show you how to complete a mission". His emphasis on the word daughter made the Soldier sick, Mila still had no idea of the truth.