Frozen Over: An MCU Story

Chapter 34 - Amends

2024, New York.

Bucky and Maria approached the entrance to the apartment complex that the Pines lived in, and Maria gulped nervously as she stared at the entrance.

"I can't do this... I can't hurt them anymore than I already have." She said.

"I know it's hard, Maria. But it's been eating at you all week. You've got to tell them." Bucky explained.

"I know..." Maria sighed. "But what if they get mad and... I don't know... lash out?"

"Like they did with Walker? I don't think Clover would do that. Not again." Bucky shrugged. "You can do this. Trust me."

"You're not coming with me?" Maria then asked.

"I've got one last amend to make." Bucky said, looking at his notebook. "I shouldn't be too long."

Bucky then began walking down the sidewalk, putting his notebook away. He nodded at Maria, who nodded back, and when Bucky turned the corner, Maria sighed, and hesitantly entered the building. She went up the elevator up to the floor and to the Pine residence, just like she had done while brainwashed only a few months prior. She arrived at the door, and she did not feel ready. She was scared to tell them the truth about their family, but as Bucky had stated, the guilt about it had been eating at her since that nightmare. So with a sigh, Maria calmly knocked at the door.

The person on the other side of the door was none other than Oliver Pine. The boy saw Maria and immediately began having flashbacks of that night.

"Clover!" He shouted down the hall.

"Yeah?!"

"You remember that lady from a way while back?"

"Maria?! Yeah, I do! Why, what's going on?!"

"Well..."

Clover came around the corner and saw exactly what was going on.

"Maria. Come on in." They said. "Don't worry, Ollie. She's not gonna kick your stomach this time."

Maria hesitantly stepped inside. Oliver shut the door, then he went and disappeared to his and Isaac's room.

"Sorry about him. He's still a bit traumatized from that night." Clover shrugged.

"I-I don't blame him." Maria said rather quietly.

"Anyway, what brings you here? I'm surprised Bucky's not here with you." Clover asked.

"Bucky, er... had some stuff to do." Maria shrugged.

"Amends?"

Maria nodded, and Clover unlocked and reached into one of the cabinets to get something to drink for the two of them.

"I figured." Clover muttered. "But what are you doing here?"

Suddenly, Maria was hesitant to answer as she took the glass from Clover. She caught a glance of the picture frame on the counter, which was a portrait of the Pine family. The picture has to have dated back to about 13 years ago, possibly getting close to the night when half the Pines had died.

"Oh, yeah. That... I won't lie, I sometimes forget that's there." Clover said. "I only know that they died in a car accident on the highway on their way to my sister's gymnastics competition. But I don't really know the circumstances behind it..."

"I do." Maria suddenly spoke up.

Clover looked at Maria as they furrowed their eyebrows, confused.

"I know what happened to them..." Maria repeated. "It was an assassin who stepped on the highway in front of their car, and they swerved as to not hit her. They ended up slamming into another car, and then more cars piled on..."

Blinking a couple times, Clover took in the information. The young adult had come to believe it was merely an animal that had gotten in the way of their parents' car, not a person.

"When the three of them were confirmed to be dead, the assassin just... disappeared into the shadows." Maria added.

Clover grew confused, as they glanced at the picture of their family, unsure why an assassin, presumably from HYDRA, would go after their family. Better yet, they were confused as to how Maria could have known about this. But as quickly as that second question came up, the answer dawned on them.

"It was you, wasn't it?" They questioned. "You were the figure who stood in the way of my family and made them swerve, weren't you?"

Guilt began consuming Maria as she clenched her jaw and watched the realization hit Clover, who began shaking their head ever so slightly as they questioned what Maria was saying. Because as much as the young adult didn't want to believe that the woman who had kidnapped them a while ago was the same woman who killed their family 13 years ago, it was very likely possible.

"Why?" They asked. "Why were you sent to kill them?"

"Clover, I wasn't in control of my body..." Maria said.

"I'm aware of that. That's not what I'm asking."

Clover stopped talking a bit to control their breathing. The last thing they wanted as for them to get so pissed off they start losing a bit of control over their powers.

"What I'm asking is why you were sent by HYDRA to kill my family, specifically. They did nothing wrong." They spoke.

"I don't know." Maria whispered with a shake of her head. "My memories of HYDRA have been fuzzy since I was freed from their brainwashing. It comes in and out. I don't remember why I was sent. I'm sorry."

Clover wanted to be absolutely pissed with the woman, but also felt awful. They saw how guilty Maria felt about this, and they knew Maria had felt guilty about kidnapping them after Bucky had gotten rid of the mind control.

"Well... I appreciate you telling me the truth." They sighed.

"Clover, I really am sorry." Maria said.

"I know. I know. And I know how you can somewhat make it up." Clover replied with a joking smirk. "Don't kidnap my ass again."

A small chuckle escaped Maria, which made Clover smile.

"I'm surprised you aren't that angry..." Maria mumbled.

"Oh, I'm pissed." Clover shrugged. "It just wouldn't be cool for my to lose my shit over something that happened 13 years ago and that you had no control over."

Maria smiled at the young adult.

"But really, I appreciate you giving us some closure. It's about time we found out what really happened." Clover said as they went around the counter.

Maria stood up, then gave Clover a hug, still muttering things about how she was sorry. The young ice powered adult hugged their new friend back. And eventually, Maria nodded, and began heading to the door. The two smiled at one another, then Maria left, breathing a sigh of relief as she led the building and went to go find Bucky again.

"What did she want?" Oliver questioned.

Clover glanced at the picture a third time, then looked at their younger brother, and the siblings went towards the twins' room. When Isaac looked up from

"She was giving us closure. On what happened to Mom, Dad, and Lila."

A/N: Started this chapter before work, finished it after. How lovely.

A/N: Also I wanted to provide more lore for Maria since she kinda showed up as some random character I feel like it made sense that she had something to do with the death of Clover's family. That and I also didn't wanna make Bucky the reason they died because that's too obvious and stuff.