Bucky Barnes' Daughter

Chapter Thirty-Six

Soot fell from the sky like snowflakes in the winter.  But the sight wasn't beautiful like the winter's that I loved so much.  Instead, the ground was stained with the blood of the people who tried to rise against the Soviet Union.

Hungary believed it could rise against the regime but they were wrong.  No one could destroy the people who wished to keep their people oppressed.  If the people realized this, maybe they could have survived.  But uprisings were popping up across our nation.

I wanted to avoid stepping in the blood that flowed down the streets.  But it was no use.  My boots would be stained with the blood of the fallen.  I felt pity for those caught in the cross fire.

"Winter Widow, you're needed in city center."  The sound came over my radio.  I knew what would happen if I showed up but not going could mean my blood would be mixed with theirs.

I made my way through the streets and I finally arrive to the sight of the massacre.  Bodies littered the ground but even though so many people were dead, more were rounded up to be executed.

"You know the drill."  Winter tells and I nod.  I stand in front of the crowd.

A little girl around six watches me from the group.  Her green eyes stared into mine and I felt my resolve melt away.  I couldn't kill the innocent.

I backed away from the crowd but I trip over a body.  I land in the blood of the man.  I couldn't move.

"Take her to Petrov."  They assigned the order to the Winter Soldier.  He grabs me by my hair and forces me to my feet.  I had no choice but to comply.   "Make sure she comes back complaint."

I sit up in bed quickly.  Dima was whining at the door as if to alert someone about my nightmare.  I call him to me and he jumps on my bed.  My giant dog curls up next to me and offers some form of comfort.

I didn't want to fall back asleep not with the nightmares that keep happening.  I only seem to get bits and pieces of my past and none of the dates are making sense.   The Soviet-Afghan war ended in 1989.  The Hungarian uprising was in 1956.  Even if I was just born in 1956, I would be 63 and I was clearly older than fourteen in this scene.

"Is everything okay?"  Natasha appears in my doorway.  She looked like she hadn't slept in weeks.

"Another memory came back."  My voice was barely a whisper.  I didn't want to tell her what the vision was about but I know she would ask.

"Do you want to talk about it?"  I nod as she comes over and sits on the bed.  I described everything in vivid details.  "Do you know what year that uprising occurred?"

"Yes, 1956.  Weren't you there at that time?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nat's POV:

My mind raced back to the moment I met Clint.  We were in Budapest at the time because of the Hungarian Uprising.  The Winter Soldier was present along with the Winter Widow.  She was a sixteen year old girl who the Red Room had recruited for covert work.  She had powers of compulsion and could bend crowds to her will.  It was an amazing talent that frequently got the girl into trouble.

I watched the girl grow up much like I did in the harsh environments of the Red Room.  She flourished under the pressure and even gave me a run for my money.  The first time I met her she was five.

"I need to call Clint."  I abruptly stand up before leaving the room.  How could I have forgotten about the girl?  She was a large part of why I managed to defect.

I dialed Clint's number as I raced downstairs and out into the cold night air.

"Do you know what time it is?"  Clint asks and I felt guilty but he would also remember the girl who freed me from my prison.

"1956,"  My heart skipped a beat as things started to fall in place.

"What about it?"  Clint sounded more alert this time.  

"Do you remember the sixteen year old who distracted everyone?"  Clint doesn't reply at first but soon he tells me he remembers.  "That was Serenity."

"That's not possible.  She was sixteen at that time."

"I know that but she's Bucky and I's daughter.  Our serum affected her."  I wanted to have an explanation but there really couldn't be one without finding the person who took her memories.  "I need to find him."

"Him?  Nat you're not making sense."  Clint sounded concerned.

"I need to find the man who took her memories.  He holds the key to her past."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Please don't leave me."  I beg my parents as they pack.  They were leaving for Russia.  Bucky has a feeling he knows where Petrov will be.  He was a mutant and judging from my memories of him, he also doesn't age.  That didn't mean he was still around though.  "I don't want to alone."

"We need the truth."  Bucky reminds me and felt a panic attack coming on. 

"I can't be alone."  Panic and tears colored my words.  I was scared to be alone with these memories.  I didn't want to be alone if I discovered the truth.

"Breath," Nat tells me as she takes my hands in hers.  "I know you are scared."  She had no idea.  "But, we need to do this for you.  Jason's dad offered to let you stay with them until we get back.  Would that help?"

"Jason might discover the truth."  I sob feeling the weight of my problems rest on my shoulders.  "He wouldn't want me if he knew the truth."

"His brother and father know the truth."  Bucky informs me.  "Ryan works for SHIELD and his father is ex-SHIELD.  They were assigned to you by Coulson."

"Why did I need them?"

"Because everyone's still worried you're a wild card."  Nat explains.  "Prove them wrong."