Winter's Daughter

Chapter 7

"Put the iron sights just below the target. You want that bar to be below it too. When you've got it, go ahead and fire."

Victoria pulled the pistols trigger and hit the target right in the center. James smiled and laughed a bit and her first shot.

"Good. That's great." He complimented before giving her a much larger gun.

"Look through the scope and put the crosshairs right on the target. You might need to adjust it for a minute since this is your first time shooting one of these. So just take your ti-"

The girl didn't need to adjust. It felt natural in her hands. She fired off a few shots at the same target and made a grouping of holes in and and close to the bullseye.

"Well, it looks like you'll be doing a fine job on the field." Schmidt's voice echoed through the room as he walked up to the two. James stood at attention and Victoria looked at the man strangely.

"At ease Soldier. I need you to come with me if you would." Schmidt looked at Victoria like he was studying her.

"Yes, of course sir." She nodded and stepped forward.

James kept his eyes on Schmidt. He did his best to not glare at the man. But if he laid a hand on his eleven year old daughter, things would end badly.

Schmidt could see the change in the soldier's position and he smirked.

'No'

"You're welcome to join our little walk Soldier." Schmidt smiled. His eyes held a dangerous look. The same look that he noticed in Jason when he shot him down.

James walked next to his daughter and took her hand tightly.

Schmidt watched the soldier do this and his suspensions were confirmed. The asset had broken out of their control and was pulling their last hope out with him.

That was something he couldn't stand for.

"Rumlow, take the child down to a lab and give her the insignia we'd planned." Schmidt told the agent, who was standing by as the three walked.

Rumlow nodded and took the child's hand from James'. Schmidt took the soldier's arm forcibly and pulled him into a different lab that was all too familiar. He was pushed into the chair and latched down as the clamp was placed around his head.

"No, please don't do this! Don't do this again! She needs me to get her through this!" James cried, trying to shake the device off of his head.

"She doesn't need you. You may take pity on her and you might think that you should take it upon yourself to raise her, but all she needs is a firm guiding hand and a leader. Neither of those involve you."

Schmidt nodded to an operator who was standing by, and the device was turned on.

James' eyes shut tightly as he screamed in pain. He felt things that were clear start to blur and fade. He clung to the memories of the child in his care. He fought the battle for ten minutes before he finally passed out.

The Winter Soldier lived again.