I had a mission.
One that only I knew about. No plan. No backup. No idea how to find them.
Me and Pietro weren't the only experiments. We were just the best results. The most powerful. The most dangerous, the most lethal, the most useful. Bucky Barnes was living proof that HYDRA had been working to perfect human weapons for a long time. And they did.
Fortunately the program was shut down after us because it was a lot of money and resources and not enough goods. So they stuck with me, Pietro and the rejects.
Me and my brother were never used. We rarely saw the light of day. Most of my memories consisted of the my cell, the training room and...the lab. The other kids got to have all the fun. Or I thought it was fun back then. Now assassination sounds like a nightmare. Ever since that day. The first day I killed. I would have been lost to my mind if not for Pietro. He helped me through it. Now I had no one. Let's just say it's hard to adjust to being a solo act after being in a duo for so long. I didn't even have my team anymore.
That was my fault, I suppose. I was the one who ran. But I was being overwhelmed there. I couldn't do that anymore. Especially if I was needed somewhere else. Especially if I was putting them in danger.
That didn't matter now. It had been a week already. I had been living off the food Peter's aunt had given me, but I was running out fast. I had been spoiled with the Avengers and had almost forgotten what it was like to go for days with out food. I had a feeling that I would remember sooner then I wanted.
My plane had landed in Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (Serbia) the day before. I was only an hour and a half away from my previous home. Would they even still be there? I doubted it. They would have considered that I told the team. I hadn't, as a matter of fact. They knew nothing about the place. Well, accept for Natasha. But I hadn't told her where it was.
I was going anyways, hoping against hope that I could find a clue to where they were at now. I don't want to have to track down every base they had. My task seemed more and more difficult every passing minute. Not for the first time I wished I didn't have to do it alone.
I caught a taxi after transferring some American cash in for Serbian diners. $1,000 roughly converted to 103,000 diners, so, after all the cash I had gotten off of Tony's credit card, I could be living like a queen.
But that would look suspicious, so dirty old motels were all I had. Thankfully - or not - I still had enough light to reach the old warehouse that I had lived in and be back before dark. It was the one place I most dreaded to go back to, the place I had nightmares about every other day.
I told the taxi driver to take me about a mile away from the warehouse, to a town near it. He nodded dismissively and changed gear. As he did so my gaze fell from the window down to the untraceable phone in my pocket. I had taken the GPS chip out like Tony had taught me to do, though, so not even he could track it. I still had twelve voice mails, none of which I'd listened to yet. I just wasn't ready to hear what they had to say about my disappearance. Mostly I was afraid they would convince me to go back.
Stop that, I ordered myself firmly. Focus. Remember Emily? She needs your help. So does Adam and Sydney and Gabriel. Get your head in the game, Maximoff.
It's been nearly two years, though. What if they had changed? What if Hydra has finally managed to corrupt them? What if they hated me for leaving them? What if they were dead?
That was horrible to think about. So I decided to just stop.
"You sure you wanna stop here, miss?" The driver parked and glanced back through the mirror worriedly.
I had to admit, it was a pretty rough looking town. The low buildings were strung with old Christmas lights and windows were broken in. It was old and dirty, but most of the people were good enough. I had met them a few times on my break, even befriended some locals. I sort of missed them.
"Yes, thank you," I assured the driver and popped the door open, shouldering my backpack and pulling the cap lower on my head.
The driver looked dubious but didn't argue. "Okay then..."
I quickly paid him and watched until the taxi was just a dot on the long stretch of road. It felt as if all securities went with him. Now I was in the hands of the townspeople and whoever - whatever - I would find in that damned forest.
I flipped my hood up and shoved my phone and my wallet deep in my pocket. It wasn't strange for conspicuous figures to slink around the town, so no one really bothered them. It wasn't the cleanest, both metaphorically and literally, but I just had to keep my hands and no one would give me any real trouble - hopefully.
I needed some supplies and a map before going out to search for the compound - well, not THE compound but the compound, if you get my meaning? Good thing I had slept on the plane because I doubted I would find a safe place to sleep here. Well...maybe it wouldn't be so hard, but I wasn't going to depend on a few people I met years ago. Pietro has always been the friendlier one. I had only played with the kids cause they didn't care how weird I was. In fact, they loved my freakiness. Them, I missed the most. How come city kids were so much less innocent was my question.
I smiled slightly to myself as I passed a vendor with a barrel of plums. I bought one as a silent joke to myself, thanking the man. He looked as if he hadn't gotten any customers in a while anyways. There was a good number of people on the street, not shoulder to shoulder packed, but definitely running into people ever five seconds. I was constantly apologizing when people shouldered past me and didn't look back. I got some suspicious side looks from the women and some other looks from the men that made me want to throw them over a building. Thankfully, I refrained, though not before the image of Clint stomping up to them and doing it for me. I giggled a bit under my breath before quickly sobering when a lady hugged at me. As if I were the only one laughing in the town?
Unfortunately the crowds were soon overwhelming. All the muddled shouting, the children running in between legs, the dogs barking, the transactions...yeah, I don't do good in crowds. Tony told me it was called social anxiety and surprised me by confessing he had it too. He certainly hid it well.
Regardless, I stepped into an alley to take a break, wary after my last experience. No Spider-Man to have my back this time. The weight in my chest lifted a little as I breathed freer air.
I was just about to step out into the crowd when someone tackled me the the back of my legs. I yelped as I fell to the ground chin, biting my tongue as I did so. I immediately pulled away and rolled around to face my attacker, hands up and ready to fight from where I lay on my back. An adorable little dimples face grinned back at me. It took me a second to remember.
"Luci?" I gasped a little and let myself relax.
"Wandie!" The little girl jumped on my and squeezed my waist as tight as the nine year old could. "You're back! You're back! We missed you so much!"
"Okay, Luce," I grabbed her a pried her off softly. "Lemme breathe."
She giggled. "Sorry."
"I missed you too, bug," I told her and flicked her nose a little.
She fell back in laughter. Her ratty shoes kicking the the air. My smile melted as I noticed the state of her clothes. They were old, with moth holes and stains and rips that no one had bothered to fix. Her leggings were a size too small and her boy shirt was two sizes too big. At least the beanie fit over her messy blonde hair nicely. Her shoes looked homemade.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to keep my emotions at bay. Then I opened them and smiled sadly, opening my arms for her. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too," she agreed and suddenly turned serious. "I thought–I thought that...what happened to the other big kids that visited..."
She burst into tears and I rocked her as she sobbed into my shoulder. "Shh, shh, it's okay, I'm here, I'm right here," I mumbled near her ear and stroked her hair.
Not...all of the kids had been successful. What was the point of disobedience in HYDRA? To them it was a waste of space so they...took care of it accordingly. Luci probably didn't quite understand what happened but she did know it wasn't good and they were never coming back.
She calmed down and wiped her face on the hem of my shirt. "C'mon, then," she sniffed and took my hand. "Everyone will want to see you."
"Everyone, huh?" I raised an eyebrow and helped her stand, rubbing a tear off of her cheek.
"Yeah," she confirmed and pulled me to the north of the town, on the side of the crowd instead of in it this time. "My brother thought you...he was worried."
"I'm surprised he even remembers me," I mumbled regretfully.
A bit of mischievous humor crept into her green eyes. "How could he forget his first kiss?"
I flushed red and pulled my hood down further. "He told you about that?"
"Yep," she skipped, popping the 'p'.
"Wait," I sighed and pulled my hand out of the smaller's grasp. She turned inquiringly and I kneeled down to her level. "Luci I don't have time to say hi. I have to go help my...other friends."
"Do you mean the other Visitors or the Avengers?"
"W-What?" I stammered. How could she possibly know about that? Oh god I was in deep shit.
"Mama bought a television set!" She says brightly, hopping with extra energy. "How come you never told me you were a superhero? Can I be your sidekick?"
"Whoa, slow down there, bug," I laughed nervously. "I'm not part of that team anymore."
She wilted and stood still. "Why not? You are the best superhero!"
I winced, but continued. "I had to leave to keep them safe. If I stayed they would be in trouble and get hurt..."
Or worse.
"But...you could protect them?" She whimpered in disappointment. More like the other way around, I thought.
"I tried, but I can't protect everyone, Luce," I sighed, equally disappointed in myself. "Right now I need to help my other other friends. You called them the Visitors...?"
She shrugged, clearly not as enthusiastic. "We only called them that because they visited. You were one too. But...they stopped coming. Like, years ago."
"I have to find them, Luce."
She looked up at me with pleading puppy dog eyes that hurt me worse than any blade or fist. "Please, please come back with me and see everyone! We can help you? Please?"
"I'm sorry, I can't–"
"Please, Wandie?"
Ugh. Stupid adorableness. How come I couldn't have that super power? I would win every argument. Peter didn't realize how good he had it.
Goddamnit.
"Fine, okay," I dragged a hand down my face, watching Luci dance and cheer in accomplishment. She jumped and laughed as she took my hand and sprinted down the street, me barely keeping up. This was not going to end well.