Seeing Beyond

23

"You're staying here for a few days," Natasha told them.

"I'd rather have HYDRA find this place and I'd have to move rather than them find the compound," Steve explained.

"Solid plan," Tony sighed. He hated this, but he also realized he needed to do it for Rory.

"Cool," Aurora said as she left the room with the files under her arm.

"Hey! At least distribute them!" Sam called.

"It's my life I'm looking at. You can have it after."

She sat on the couch, put some earbuds in to block the noise, and read.

Name: Amelie Moreau
Age: 4
Weight: 30 lbs
Origin: Paris, France
Date: 3/23/2006

That immediately caught her eye. The date wasn't right. She would have been six. Figuring it must just be a mistake, she continued.

Ms. Moreau got her first dose of the serum intravenously today. She is one of the first few children we are testing, then we will slowly increase the amount. She is being given smaller doses than the average person due to the fact that she is a small child. This is similar to the serum James Barnes had received as they ear easier to control than the other Winter Soldiers. The serum is the exact same other than it has been diluted according to body weight. As she grows, the dilution will decrease.

Noted side effects were vomiting, sweating, pain, and fatigue.

She looked at it again with confusion.

"What juicy secrets are in there?" Sam came up behind her.

"Nothing," she said quickly and closed the folder. "Just the first report."

"Can I see?"

"Oh, I don't–"

Sam had already taken the folder and pulled out the first paper.

"Age 4?" He asked. "I thought you were born in 2000."

"It must be a mistake," she shrugged. "I don't know what else it would be."

"What's it say in the others?"

"I haven't looked... I'm a little afraid to."

"You've been lied to," Sam said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" she yelled.

"Hey!" Steve cried and the three walked into the room.

"What'd you do?" Tony pointed at the girl on the couch with her head in her hands.

"I didn't do anything!"

"Then what's going on?" Natasha folded her arms.

"I'm fourteen," she murmured.

"What?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"Look! It says here that in 2006, I was 4. That means I was born in 2002, not 2000. I don't even know who I am anymore!"

"Damn, you're 14?"

"Tony," Natasha looked at him.

"I don't even know anything about myself any more," she sighed and laid fully on the couch. "Oh my god!"

"What?" Sam looked at her.

"That means Peter's older than me. What the hell?"

"I'm glad you're focused on the important stuff," Tony rolled his eyes.

"I can't breathe," she gasped and closed her eyes. "I can't–I can't–" she gasped and tears started coming from her eyes involuntarily.

"Get me a glass of water," Tony snapped his fingers at Natasha, Sam and Steve sitting the girl up as he sat near her.