𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

Mirror Mirror on the Wall ~ 29

Tony Stark strides back into the room moments later, accompanied by Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff. His gaze flits between the two men who remain seated on the couch, unfazed by Evangeline's dramatic exit. Observing the shattered glass near Bucky, he raises a brow and remarks, "Must've been one hell of a reunion," addressing Barnes and suspecting Eva as the culprit behind the glass-throwing incident.

Bucky merely side-eyes Tony, his tongue pressing against the inside of his cheek.

"Things are more complex with Eva than we initially thought," Steve counters, scanning the room as Tony retrieves the bottle's last remnants, heading over to concoct his own drink.

"Well, what happened?" Natasha inquires, cautiously taking a seat near Bucky, while Sam settles on the other side. Steve's gaze shifts to Bucky, uncertain of where to start. Barnes sighs deeply, leaning forward, and begins recounting the events of the last fifteen minutes to the team.

"You've kept Eva under wraps for quite some time, Bucky," Sam interjects after a moment of silence, the team processing the information.

"What was there to say?" Bucky retorts, not appearing pleased with Sam's remark. "Eva sold me out and then disappeared... It isn't like the last few years have been quiet enough for us all to sit down and catch up on my life before," he mutters sarcastically, and Sam only frowns.

"So, who is she then?" Tony chimes in, redirecting their focus to him as he stands in the kitchen area. Bucky glances over, a curious yet perplexed expression in response to Tony's question. "Two years together, you must know a thing or two about Eva. Like a surname for starters? Family? She may well be able to erase herself from other minds, but that kind of information doesn't just vanish," Tony elaborates, his arms folding. Eyes fall back on Bucky.

"He does have a point, Barnes," Natasha adds at his side, leaning her arm on the armrest as she places the side of her head in her hand.

"Okay, so how much do you already know about Eva?" Bucky looks to them all, trying to figure out a starting point.

"Not much," Steve utters, glancing at no one in particular.

"Well, Steve probably knows a little more about her than the rest of us," Sam comments, smirking in Rogers' direction, to which Steve only rolls his eyes. Bucky huffs a short laugh, appearing both amused and slightly irritated by the remark.

"Her name is Evangeline Fontaine. French mother. Father, I lack sufficient information on that one for you," Bucky begins, intertwining his hands as his elbows rest on his thighs. "No siblings as far as I'm aware. Both parents are Hydra. Eva was born into the organization. Her mother was a scientist. The father might have been an agent, again I don't know. Eva doesn't even possess that much intel herself," Bucky finishes, taking a breath.

"So Eva has known no other way than Hydra?" Steve asks to clarify, brows furrowed in thought.

"In a way, yes," Bucky responds, eyes flickering to Steve. "But you can still reside within and work for an organization and still recognize it's morally flawed," he adds, the comment holding a personal significance for him.

"Wanda mentioned Hydra used Eva for the sceptre experiments with the mind stone," Natasha continues the barrage of questions, the team finally relieved to be getting some answers.

"Yes, it wasn't an option for Eva. Her mother forced her into that one," Barnes answers succinctly.

"And you two met because her powers were then used to control you," Tony utters aloud, piecing it all together, and Bucky nods slowly.

"Temporarily, yes."

Natasha, lost in her own thoughts, suddenly snaps her fingers. "So you were the one who left her that voicemail?"