Fire Starter

Chapter Twelve: The Soldier

***TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of blood and violence***

Bucky was lost in thought as he was walking into the front door of the compound, what was he thinking about? Doll, well that's what he called her, he never actually knew her name. Strucker called her his pet, most of the time she was referred to as project огонь. She was just a kid when he met her, about eight years old; she was one of the first other inhabitants of HYDRA that he'd ever met and it felt like someone had ripped out his heart when he saw the little girl there. Strucker had assigned him to be her handler when she got older, that she was going to be his responsibility to keep our of check and in line; at first glance she looked like just a little girl. She didn't look too strong or too big, just like a little girl who deserved to be anywhere but that god forsaken place. He remembered that one random afternoon he was dragged out of his cell to where Strucker was, behind the man was the frame of the small girl; she elbow length black hair and bright green eyes. She had just stared at him and just by looking at her once, he knew he needed to protect her. He didn't want to be her handler, the thought of training a kid to be a trained killer and a weapon was something that he never thought he would do; but he agreed, thinking that maybe he could help her, give her some home because God knew he needed it. Over the years, she'd proven what he thought about her wrong. She was stronger than he was and faster too; she was overall more powerful than he was and he soon had learned why she was referred to as project огонь.The last time he saw her she was probably about twelve, her long black hair was almost waist length and she still had those same bright green eyes. The last thing he remembered about her was overhearing how Strucker was giving her instructions on how to impress new HYDRA investors using her powers; she was like the scientist's prized show pony in that aspect and he had hated. Then Steve had found him and he never saw her again, but he couldn't get her out of his head; she plagued his dreams and nightmares. Was she okay? Was she still alive? Did Strucker make her into a killer? All these questions played on his mind almost constantly. The three months mission that he had just returned from had drug up all the memories of the girls, of his doll, yet again. He'd spent the last three years destroying one HYDRA base after another; the most recent one was the last place he had seen her. He'd wanted to find her, to save her...but he came back empty handed. He still refused to give up looking, he had to find her. But after three and a half years, he was pretty sure that she was dead. He had learned one thing however, that Strucker had sold her like some toy to an American. The file he'd found had no name, no location, and no other basic information; it was infuriating. Bucky adjusted the almost weightless bags he was carrying on his shoulder and opened up the front door to the compound, letting it scan his retina before he could walk through the second door that gave him access to the rest of the compound when someone ran into him with enough force that it caused him to let out a small grunt and to sway slightly on his feet. He looked down at the person, realizing it was a girl; Steve had told him that Peter had been bringing a friend over to the compound a lot, he assumed that this girl was that friend. She took a small step back from him, not really looking up at him but he saw the long black hair that was slightly pushed out of her face by a pair of spikey headphones; he couldn't see her face but she felt familiar. How could it be possible for her to feel familiar when he'd never seen her before?

"Sorry," she replied, offering a quick apology; she seemed to be in a hurry to get out.

He froze for a second Where had her heard that voice? The question nagged in the back of his mind; he cleared his throat slightly and chuckled, "No problem kid."

She froze for a second at his voice before jerking her head up to look at him; immediately turning almost a pale white. Her eyes widened in shock for a second, before her expression quickly changed to one of fear. For a minute, they were staring at each other, like they were having a staring contest with each other. Bucky thought he recognized her, she looked so much like her it was uncanny. She looked the same as Doll when she was a kid, just more mature looking, more tortured; he could see it in her eyes, they held so much pain and life at the same time it was like she was battling with herself. She had long hair that was down to her waist, almost like when she was little, except now, she had bangs that covered part of her face. The angled jawline was the same, she had a similar petite yet strong frame and build, but then he recognized the dead ringer that were unmistakable, those eyes. It was her, she was standing in front of him, the same big, bright green orbs from all those years ago, they just looked much more broken.