Not Quite a Soldat

14*

Chanel kept part of their training schedule. She still joined Clint for the shooting range and then strolled upstairs with him to the training room where Bucky adjusted his schedule so that he meditated first with her after running with Sam and Steve. The team watched as the newly named couple assumed the usual position, Chanel being in Bucky's lap with his arms wrapped around her middle. But Bucky was the only one meditating. Chanel had a notebook in her hand, scribbling away and trying to decode. Bucky dropped his head to her shoulder.

"Is this okay?" Bucky asked.

When Chanel said a small yes, he kissed her shoulder. It was a couple pecks before his lips rested there as he continued to meditate. He always had to ask if any move he made was okay. Consent was a big thing for him after being under HYDRA's control for so long. Now that they were together every little move he made that he considered intimate, Bucky had to confirm that it was something Chanel wanted. He popped open an eye when he felt the hitch in Chanel's breath, ready to remove his hands.

"It's a mutant," she whispered. "Not just Project X but a Weapon X program."

Bucky immediately let Chanel go and the team watched her dart out of his arms. She entered the lab where Bruce was— he only worked out on the weekends.

"I need your lab notebook from when you first started gamma rays, it's important, Bruce."

Dr. Banner looked at the woman, seeing truth in her face. Chanel liked to stay out of her team's private writings if she could help it— everyone should be allowed their secrets. But what she uncovered, it seemed like it had some dealings in the same wheelhouse as when Bruce first became the Hulk. Everyone had been trying to recreate super soldier serum, never replicating Steve, and a name popped up in the journal. A name that Chanel thought might have worked with Bruce. She gently took the notebook from him, promising to treat it with care.

Bucky found his girlfriend in her office— Chanel had decided to keep Bruce's notebook in her office out of professional respect. She smiled at Bucky who was bringing her lunch. Careful not to get food on Bruce's notebook, Chanel read up into the early hours of the morning writing down everything important. Shutting Bruce's notebook and locking her office, Chanel made her way up to Bucky's floor. She opened it to see he was still awake.

"I'm going to bed, Buck. Goodnight."

"Hey, come here."

When she got close enough, Bucky pulled her to him just to hold her for a moment. He was still worried and Chanel understood so for now they slept in different beds.

"Goodnight."

The Avengers looked at their historian who was standing next to Nick in the briefing room. Chanel pulled up the notes she had onto the large monitor.

"Weapon X Project. Another failed attempt to create the serum used on Steve. Most of Weapon X was actually shut down, but a few fell through the cracks including Victor Creed also known as Sabretooth."

"Sabretooth?"

"The mutations done on him gave him an adamantium spinal cord, and tiger features. We're talking large fangs, claws on his hands and feet. He's damn near impossible to locate but I think he's on a revenge killing spree. Sabretooth sees himself as the decider of justice which involves a lot of blood."

"So you want us to bring him back or kill on sight?" Steve asked.

"Ideally, we would love him for questioning," Chanel started. "Especially since Weapon X might be a UN area..."