An Untold Legacy (FATWS X Reader)

[16] Dead on Arrival

The air was crisp as they walked through aisles of containers, their mouths held tightly, pursed in uncomfortable silence. It had been a long night, and none of them had gotten much sleep. YN knew she had yet to get a proper good night sleep since leaving Steve in the hospital, and even before that her dreams kept her up most nights. 

She fought a yawn as they all stopped beside a container, Sharon turning to them with a serious expression. "With that bounty on your head, the longer you're in Madripoor, the less likely you're ever leaving." YN, Sam and Bucky nodded as Zemo stood behind with a bored expression. "All right. He's in there. Container four-two-six-one. I'll watch while you guys talk to Nagel." She motioned to the door, everyone pausing as Bucky pulled it open quietly "But hurry. We're on borrowed time."

They entered silently, YN behind Sam and Bucky, but in front of Zemo. She held her breath as they ascended the stairs toward the back of what looked like a secret lab of sorts. The sound of classical music entered the air and it caused the hairs on YN's body to rise with the rate of her heartbeat. 

They stepped into a dimly lit science lab and Bucky cocked his gun, alerting the man sitting at a desk to quickly spin in his seat. "Dr. Nagel?" YN called, raising her hands in peace. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" He said quickly, getting to his feet. 

"We know you recreated the super soldier serum." YN continued, stepping closer. "We just want to talk." 

"Get out of my lab!" He exclaimed, making a move toward YN who stepped back quickly.

"Hey!" Sam shouted, stepping forward and shoving the scraggly man back a step. "You know who he is, right? This is Baron Zemo. I know you've heard of him, too, right?" Nagel nodded, his jaw clenching as he actively avoided looking at the mentioned man. "You seem like a pretty smart guy. So, you better become conversational real quick."

Nagel squared his shoulders as he was pushed back down into his seat, Bucky holding his gun high and toward the sweating man. "How about a counter proposal? Make me a better offer and I'll talk."

"I have a better solution." YN said, looking around at the lab, picking up an empty vial, dropping it to the ground and relishing in the shout that came from the doctor as it smashed.

"Thank God." Bucky muttered, pressing his gun against Nagel's temple. 

"It involves fire."

"Absolutely not." YN rolled her eyes as Zemo raised an eyebrow at her. There was a brief moment of silence as everyone waited for the next move, but nothing happened until Sharon's voice crackled through their intercomms. 

"Guys, we have company!" YN met Sam's eyes who looked between her, Bucky and Nagel. "Every bounty hunter in the city is here. We gotta go!"

Bucky pressed the barrel of his gun harder against Nagel's temple, the man whimpering in response. "Okay, okay!" He shouted. "I was brought into HYDRA's Winter Soldier program to pick up their work after the five failed test subjects in Siberia." YN and Bucky met eyes for half a millisecond at his words, already on edge. "When HYDRA fell, I was recruited by the CIA. They had blood samples from an American test subject with stable traces of serum in his system, as well as leftover samples from a lifelong HYDRA prisoner." YN stiffened, her eyes widening.

"HYDRA prisoner?" She asked quietly.

Nagel looked to her with a small smirk, confirming her thoughts. "Thank you for that, by the way." He commented, making YN suck in a shocked breath. "After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in your blood and the test subjects and combine them. I was a god. I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do." YN turned her back, bile rising in her throat as she thought about what her blood had allowed this man to do. "But mine was going to be different. No clunky machines or jacked up bodies. Mine was going to be subtle, optimized, perfect. That's why your samples were the perfect opportunity."