The Mimic (HE/HIM VERSION)

2

Back at the compound, Bruce had everyone assembled in the meeting room after caring for injuries and wounds. Vision was sat beside Wanda, more focused on icing her wounds than anything else - despite Wanda swatting him away every five seconds. Tony walked in to the room with a water jug, setting it down on the table for people to freely pour themselves a drink - of course it wasn't his idea, but Pepper made him do it. "So, now that everyone's here, enlighten us, Bruce." Tony smiled, sitting down opposite Steve. Bruce hummed slightly, almost seeming excited by the idea of y/n. Pulling up several conspiracy posts and threads talking about y/n. "Well, y/n y/l/n is supposed to be a myth. As you can see here by all these theories." Bruce explained, motioning toward the screen. "Other than today, there has only been one sighting of him. And that was in Norway in 1964." Bruce pulled up the image, of course it was very blurry, but y/n could be seen standing on top of a roof, with what seemed to be fire coming out of his hands. "So he's an oldie like you, Rogers! You sure you don't know him?" Tony teased, pouring himself a glass of water. Steve rolled his eyes a little, shaking his head. "Never seen him before." He murmured, trying his hardest not to interrupt Bruce too much. Bruce shrugged a little, pulling up images of the fight today, and how they lined up with the theory. But, before Bruce could speak again, Tony spoke up. Not seeming to want to be in the meeting. "Well, he's a mimic. Y'know, monkey see, monkey do - but a bit more serious." He sighed, pulling out his phone to check for anything more interesting. Steve sighed in annoyance, reaching forward and taking Tony's phone from him. "Yeah, just a bit more serious, Tony. He blasted Wanda through a building, maybe it's best to listen." He said in a serious tone. Nodding back to Bruce as if to tell him to carry on speaking. Bruce nodded, glancing at Tony for a moment to check if he was going to speak up again. "Well, it seems that he can store these powers too. Which explains the fire, and the fact that he could still shoot webs whilst being nowhere near Peter. But, because he's usually so hidden, none of us know how he's going to react to all of this. Steve knows Bucky, and Bucky will probably remember Steve. But y/n has nobody." Bruce sighed, smiling a little as Wanda continued to swat Vision away. "He's been a shadow for... well nobody knows how long. Adjusting him to normal life won't be easy. But he could be a great asset to the team if we gain his trust. Both of them could." Bruce suggested with a slight shrug. Steve furrowed his eyebrows slightly, shaking his head. "Can we not use the word 'asset'? They've been assets for practically their whole lives. We're supposed to free them, not make them our own weapons." He sighed, earning a nod of approval from the rest of the team. It made sense.

Several days passed, and it had been the longest y/n and Bucky had been without being brainwashed - and it was taking its toll. Tony had made the decision to keep them in cells until he was sure they weren't a threat to the team - which of course was met with a lot of opposition, but Tony was the one that built the compound, and he didn't want it destroyed.

"I can't close my eyes without seeing one of their faces... They begged for their lives and I still did it." Bucky murmured brokenly. He was sat on the edge of the bed in his cell, but the pillows and blankets were on the floor. Steve was stood in the doorway of the cell, leaning against the doorway as he watched his best friend. "That wasn't you, Buck. Your mind is free now, a place to start fresh." Steve said, trying to reassure the male, but he knew he was going to struggle with this for a long while. Bucky shook his head, glancing up at Steve with a broken look in his eyes. "What if I didn't want my mind to be freed? At least then I could sleep." He sighed, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. Steve frowned sadly, he hated seeing Bucky like this. "Hey, don't say that. You'll get through this, and I'll be here the whole time to help you."

Y/n was sat on his bed, his back pressed up against the cold metal wall, his knees against his chest. He was completely lost in his head, his thoughts haunting his every move as he came to the realisation of all the damage he'd caused, all the lives he'd ended. Unlike Bucky, he had nobody to talk to, he didn't know anyone, he didn't even know himself. He couldn't sleep without seeing all of his victims, and his bed was way too soft, he was used to sleeping on the ground. He didn't know how to function, he hadn't been free from brainwashing for God knows how long, and all these memories and thoughts hit him like a train. Y/n stared at himself in the mirror on the wall opposite him, but there was no emotion on his face, nothing. Too lost in his own head. Wanda and Vision were stood on the outside of the cell, watching y/n through the two-way mirror. "He looks so broken." Wanda murmured sadly, leaning slightly in to Vision. "Are you sure I can't go in and talk to him? Steve gets to talk to Bucky, he needs someone too." She suggested, glancing up at Vision with hopeful eyes. But, Vision just shook his head with a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Wanda. But you can't. Y/n is unpredictable, he blasted you through a building, why do you want to help him?" Vision asked with a confused look in his eyes, he thought people would hold grudges against things like that. Wanda sighed a little, glancing back over at y/n as she shrugged. "I don't know, I just feel like he needs someone... And nobody else seems to want to get near to him." She murmured. "When I arrived here, I had nobody. But you all still worked hard for me to feel welcomed. Why can't we do the same for him?" Vision continued to shake his head, setting a hand on Wanda's back. "Because you were on our side. We're unsure about him..."