And they called it Bucky Love

Part 31 - Getting to the truth.

The shit head had the cheek to smile when I asked that question.    "Well if it is.....God help us all!"

He plonked himself down on the floor next to me and held his Iron Man hand out to me.  "Truce?" he asked.

I sighed.   I wasn't used to all this kind of stuff.     Now I knew why the Avengers always looked so bloody knackered after they'd been off saving the world.    It was hard work.     I took Tony's hand in my own.   "Truce."  I agreed and then I laid back down again.

I stared up at the ceiling and pondered the million thoughts that were going round in my head.  There was so much still unanswered and so many things that I wanted to ask, but I just didn't know where to begin.   God, no wonder Steve had such a tough time in telling me anything,  I  thought. It's a minefield. 

I turned over onto my stomach and looked over at Tony.    "The blue stuff"  I said tentatively.   "Was it the same as the stuff that went into Steve?"

"In a way."   Tony replied.   "It was a much milder form we think though.     Enough to give you enhanced strength and for Hydra to be able to use mind control on you."    He crossed his legs, sitting like an Indian brave round a campfire.     "You do remember that part don't you?"

I sighed.   "Yeah, I do.     I remember that Zola told me I'm not who I thought I was."     I became aware that Tony looked ready to pounce on me again.   "Don't worry. " I said with a smile, "You're safe, I'm fine.  Lady Hulk is asleep."

I felt him relax, so I carried on talking.

"The stuff Zola told me - you know - about my  - real parents........." I glanced at Tony with a sideways look. ".........was that true?"

He nodded.

"Even the bit about him  - Zola  - being there at my graduation?"

He nodded again.  He was back to being no frills Tony.

"So"  I pushed ahead, "if he was there, how comes I didn't recognize him?"

At last Tony said something, rather than just nodding, but it wasn't the answer I was quite expecting.  "Because although he was there, he was much younger and less fat, and you probably had eyes on the boys rather than the nerdy science lab assistant!"   

I frowned at the sarcasm, and then had a moment of clarity.

"Oh my God - he  was Ludwig?"   My chin hit the floor as I suddenly remembered the weird guy who'd worked in the lab, always wore a hat and kept his head down so you could never see his face.   "That was Zola?    Well no wonder I never noticed him!"

"Exactly" said Tony.  "He was there all along, in front of your nose."   He grinned at me.  "Not so clever now are we?"

I rolled over, sat up and also crossed my legs akimbo.     "Okay, so that explains that bit, but what about the other stuff - my parents -  you? All of that.  Hydra?   How much do you actually know?"

"Well......." said Tony in a measured voice.    "I was approached by Director Fury in the early summer of 2001.   He told me that two Hydra assets wanted to 'defect' to S.H.I.E.L.D., and he wanted me to he take a lead in it."

"Why you?"   I asked.

"Your father, Ivan Sokolov, was a highly intelligent engineer and the Director thought I'd be the best person for him to relate to."   Tony sighed, as if sad to re-live the memories.    "It was all arranged.   We thought we had everything under control, but then it happened.   They were murdered and the only one left was you."