Bucky had spent the morning showing off as many pictures of you as he could, or as many as the team would put up with, awaiting your arrival at the tower. "I can't believe this little twerp is all grown-up," he told Steve with a small crack in his voice. "I still see her as this little kid every time I look at her."

Natasha grabbed one of the pictures from the pile, smiling briefly before returning it and taking another. "She looks like a great kid, Barnes."

"Ha!" he scoffed, "don't let that innocent face fool ya. The kid can be a holy terror."

"Wow, I can't possibly imagine where she would get that from," Steve smirked, "no idea at all."

Bucky raised his hand to his chest in mock disbelief at Steve's claim. "Listen here, punk. I'll have you know that I am a very good influence with an innate sense of paternal instinct."

Everyone in the room looked at Bucky silently, Steve with an eyebrow raised and a laugh threatening to escape at any moment. "Fine," Bucky relented, "I did the best I could, alright? What the hell did I know about raising a kid?"

"Hey, one-armed wonder, you gonna come down here and get me or what?"

A bright smile lit up Bucky's face at the sound of your voice, quickly jumping up and running towards the elevator to meet you. "Yep, that's my girl!"

~~~

It had been a month since that day when you arrived at the tower, and already you had taken your place on the team, a great source of pride for your stand-in father. Today was the day of your final test; taking down his best friend. You had told Steve to treat you no different than anyone else, and he was really taking you seriously. You felt the ache of fatigue in your entire body, but that wasn't about to stop you.

"Alright, Captain Spanglepants. It's about time we finish this."

"Couldn't agree more, you little shit."

Bucky laughed out loud, nudging Natasha with his elbow as they watched intently from the landing above the gym. "Wow, they really do love each other."

"Yeah, I can tell?" she said with a slight inflection of disbelief. "Oh," she perked up and slapped his arm in excitement, "here she goes! Watch, I taught her my move." Natasha peeked over the ledge, ready to see her new protégé in action. "Come on, kid," she whispered.

Steve anticipated the move, knowing that you had been training with Romanoff, but you were still able to get your legs wrapped firmly around his neck despite the nearly foot and a half of height that he had over you. He put up a bit of a struggle, but the move was foolproof and he eventually went to his knees on the mat, landing on his chest with a huff as you dug your knee into his back and secured his arms behind his head.

"You give up?" You pushed his face harder into the cold floor and smiled when you heard Natasha cheering for you from above. "Take your time. I could do this all day."

"That's my line," Steve groaned, suddenly freeing one arm and kicking his leg out to flip you off from his back. You landed on the mat with a hard thud that knocked a breath from your chest and had you seeing stars. You were shocked that he had overtaken you so easily, now with his full weight pinning you with no foreseeable way to escape.

"Dammit," Bucky mumbled, "I thought she had him for sure."

You tapped Steve's arm to signal your defeat, and he released you to help you stand, smiling down at you with a satisfied grin. "You've come a long way, (Y/N), I'm impressed, really." He reached over to you and ruffled the hair on the top of your head, as if you were still just a little kid. You smiled at the gesture, mocking contentment when you grabbed his arm and kicked out his leg, flipping him onto his back with a resounding smack on the mat.

"Thanks, Uncle Steve," you laughed as you walked away, satisfied with the sounds of cheering coming from above. "I learned from the best." You gave Natasha a quick wave as you exited towards the locker room.

Steve groaned and pulled himself up to sit on the floor, waiting for Nat and Bucky to come down to meet him. "Well, Buck, that's one hell of a kid you've got there. She's dangerous...in a good way, I hope." The Captain still sat on the floor, removing his gloves slowly, as if in deep thought. "We should test her in the field."

~~~

You pulled your gloves on and secured the gauntlets to your wrists, preparing yourself for your first mission. Bucky was at the front of the jet talking with Steve, and Nat was talking to Tony about the attack plan right next to you. You weren't nervous at all, just ready to get this going already, and Clint picked up on your frenetic energy.

"It wears off, ya know. The excitement."

"Oh, I'm sure," you chuckled. "But let's not take it away from me on day one, alright?"

You moved to sit closer to Clint, happy to have found someone to talk to as the flight stretched on longer than you had planned. "So, what are they like out there? Those two?" you nodded towards Bucky and Steve. "I've never seen this side of them other than in practice."

"Well," he sighed, "Cap's all business. He's a master strategist, no doubt about it." He leaned in a bit as if telling a secret, "you gotta give him a hard time every now and then though. We all try to get him to swear so he has to throw a buck or two in the jar when we get home. We're keeping track of who gets the most cash out of him."

"Boy, does he have you all fooled," you laughed. "Steve curses like a drunken sailor. And what about tin man?"

"No respect for your old man?"

"You obviously haven't lived with him very long," you scoffed. "So, what's he like?"

Clint's face shifted to a serious one as he considered, and his posture straightened. He turned his head to look at you and sighed, "Deadly."

"Alright kids, time to play." Tony closed his helmet and moved to the back of the jet to disembark as it came in to land. The door opened and sunlight shined in your eyes enough to make you wince at its harshness. "Watch your six," he said as he disappeared into the glare.

"Stay with Romanoff," Steve commanded. "She's your S.O., so you do what she says, alright?" He stepped out of the jet and connected his shield to his arm, looking to you for a signal that you would be okay.

"Go, we've got this," Natasha said as she grabbed her gun and held it close, aiming out and away from the jet as she prepared for an attack. You pulled yours as well, watching her flank as you headed towards the Hydra lab you were storming. "Don't worry, Cap. I won't let anything happen."

Steve nodded and ran from sight with Bucky next to him; he looked back at you as he ran, giving you a small wave as he disappeared into the building. Clint moved to take the high ground on a nearby hill so that he could be ready for an outdoor assault, holding his bow at the ready.

"You girls look like sisters from up here. Hot, but scary as hell, lethal sisters."

You shook your head a bit at the sound of his voice in your ear. The use of the comms was really foreign to you and a little uncomfortable having a piece of plastic shoved so far into your ear. "Does this wear off too, Barton? This ear thing?"

"Nope." He started to laugh but was halted suddenly when the ground began to shake under you. He reached for a nearby tree to steady himself and looked around him for the source of the disruption. "Woah, hey guys, what the hell is that?"

Nat reached back and grabbed your arm, pulling you down closer to the ground to maintain your balance as the earth threatened to crack apart. You looked over her shoulder and saw Bucky and Steve running towards you, a frantic look on their faces. Steve dropped and slid next to you, lifting the shield over you both just as the building exploded in a ball of fire.

"We've gotta get back to the jet!" Steve yelled over the chaos, still protecting you from falling debris.

"Hey, we've got incoming!" Bucky looked up at Clint to see where he was looking and pointed towards the trees behind the now burning building. "Are they running for cover or attacking?" As gunfire rang out, his question was readily answered. "Nevermind!"

"What the hell did you guys do in there?" you yelled, "I thought this was smash and grab, not blow it and run?"

Once the debris finally slowed, Steve pulled the shield back and looked you square in the eye. "(Y/N), listen to me carefully. I saw something in there that-"

You gasped as you were yanked away from him with a force that shook the breath out of you, trying to reach for his outstretched hand but it was too late. You were taken into the large fissure in the ground as Hydra teams emerged from within it to attack the team. You landed with a hard crash in a dark tunnel, but when you slowly managed to stand to look at your surroundings, you were knocked out before you had a chance to see anything.

"Welcome home, (Y/N)."

Part 2

When you woke, your first sense was relief that you survived the fall; when you opened your eyes, your sense changed to fear and confusion. The room was dark with the exception of the bright light shining down on you, stinging your eyes as you tried to open them fully so you could get a better sense of where you were.

"Tell them to leave." A man held out a radio for you, thrusting it into your hands. "Tell them to leave, or you will die first." Explosions resonated all around, but they sounded like they were coming from high above you. "(Y/N), focus. Hey," he shook your arm until you looked at him, still confused. "Tell the Avengers to leave, or you will die. Do you understand?"

You nodded and put the radio to your mouth, clearing your throat as you pushed the button to open the channel. "Hey, guys, it's (Y/N)." You could hear our own voice echoing outside, and only seconds later the explosions halted. "You need to leave. Please leave now, I'll be okay." You didn't believe your own words, and you knew they wouldn't either.

"Sir, they are not retreating."

The man pushed his hand down on your shoulder, driving your bones into the table until you winced in pain. "Do better."

"Captain, I know you can hear me." You closed your eyes and swallowed hard, wanting them to save you, but hoping they would leave just the same for their own safety. There was only one thing that you could say that would mean anything to them right now. "Gather the team and leave. They'll kill me if you don't," you paused, trying to keep calm. "Please, Uncle Steve."

Moments later, after there had been no further explosions or commotion, the Hydra guards began to file into the building. It could only mean that they listened to you; they left, and you were alone. You felt a second of relief knowing that they were safe, but it was followed by immediate terror when the room went to a complete black before your eyes.

~~~

"How could you leave her there? Have you lost your mind?" Bucky was pacing in the back of the jet with the rest of the team standing behind him, everyone glaring at Steve in disbelief.

"She said they would kill her if we didn't, and I chose to believe her. We're not going to leave her there." Steve looked at each member of the team, their expressions remaining unchanged, "you guys don't honestly think that I was going to walk away, do you?"

"No," Nat whispered, "no, we know you wouldn't. But Cap, we don't tuck tail and run either."

"Well in this case, we do. You all can be pissed at me if you want, but I made the call and I stand by it. Now, let's figure out why they took her, and plan how we get her back alive, alright?"

~~~

The next time you woke from the darkness, you felt significantly different. Your muscles ached and were riddled with fatigue, and your body felt heavy. It reminded you of the time you had surgery when you were a kid; you were tired for days after that and Bucky had to carry you everywhere. You moved your right arm just slightly, stopping at the pull from the IV line connected to it; they were giving you something through it, and you wondered if that's what made you feel so weak. Maybe they were keeping you sedated.

You tried to move your other arm, but it felt much heavier than the right, as if it were tied down. The room was still dark, but you could make out enough to see why it felt so much different; there was a reflection from the small light across the room, shining from the metal in your new hand.

"Good morning, (Y/N). I see that you've noticed your improvements."

You were determined to keep your fear from showing, doing your best to maintain composure as you replied, "yes, I was just trying to admire it. Looks like you've done some nice work." You glanced up at the man, relieved that he looked satisfied with your answer and actually believed it.

A few small lights were turned on, just enough to dimly light the room; a welcome change from the blinding light that had greeted you before. The same man as before was standing at your side, touching your cold metal fingers. "With the success of Mr. Barnes and his prosthesis, we knew that we could safely replicate that work, with a few more enhancements to make the ultimate weapon. Losing Mr. Barnes to the Avengers was a terrible loss for us, but we waited, knowing that you were nearly ready to come home."

"You're gonna have to get me up to speed, sorry."

"It was no accident that you were raised by the Winter Soldier, my dear. We knew that he would train you; he would train you in the ways that we had trained him, and he likely didn't even realize it. He did our work for us, and when you were made a part of the Avengers, we knew you that were ready to fulfill your destiny with us."

"So you led them here, knowing that I would be with them," you sighed.

"Exactly," the man said, slowly releasing the restraint over your left arm. "You are the successor to a glorious legacy, (Y/N). You will complete the work that Barnes couldn't finish."

"And if I refuse?"

The man laughed with a raspy and harsh sound, "I'm sorry, my dear. Did I not make it clear? There will be no choice in the matter. We've already begun the process. You have extensive, vital knowledge on your teammates that we have started to extract, and in a very short time we will know more about them than they know about each other. We will finally be able to end the Avengers once and for all, thanks to you."

~~~

As you sat and watched your own memories flash before you, you couldn't help but feel overcome with waves of nausea and anxiety knowing that the things you knew about your teammates...your friends, would be used to hurt them. Conversations that were held in confidence with Bucky, hearing stories about Steve's past, and dammit, even times spent in Tony's lab seeing work that could be dangerous in the wrong hands were now all in those hands of Hydra.

You glanced around the room to find only one other person; the man who controlled the machine that was extracting these important memories from you. You knew that you could take him easily but you were more interested in finding a way to stop this and retrieve what they had already taken. Just beyond your reach was a drive plugged into the control board, which had to be saving what you were watching. You stretched your fingers as far as they could reach, but you came up short. As if on cue and by some miracle, you heard the words that you had dreamt of the night before being called out around you.

"Report to your stations immediately! We are under attack!"

When you ripped the machine from your head, a searing pain shot through you, but it didn't deter you from your goal. You lunged forward and took the drive before the man could stop you, shoving it deep into your pocket. Deciding that now was as perfect a time as ever to try out your new appendage, you grabbed his throat and threw him back into the wall, knocking him out cold quite easily. Now, to wipe out what they had saved in their hard drive; what they took from your mind had left a blank slate behind, so you decided to keep the drive and focus on the mainframe.

Explosions and alarms rang out above you as you hurried to break in and erase it all. Memory after memory played and faded to black as they were erased, and you couldn't help but feel like you were watching what was happening in your mind, played out in agonizing detail for you. As the last few images played and disappeared, the ceiling began to crack above you, with huge pieces of it dropping all around you until you were trapped and covered in dust and plaster. The pressure of the debris and the clouds of dust made it hard to breathe, and yelling for help was near impossible.

Only a tiny ray of light broke thru the pile around and on top of you, and you could hear the voices of Steve and Tony nearby. You pushed with all of your strength until your metal hand broke through enough to be seen, hoping that they would search for you here.

"Guys! I've got a reading, she's over here!" Tony's voice was the most beautiful sound that you could hear, with Bucky calling right behind.

"(Y/N)! We're here, just hold on!"

The boulders and beams around you began to shift as the men pulled them away with frantic hands, but the pile shifted until you were pinned tighter and you had to yell for them to stop.

Steve looked around frantically to find something to help get you free without hurting you, but found nothing of use; it was up to the three of them to coordinate your rescue, but one wrong shift and the whole thing could swallow you whole.

"Stark, could you lower me down there so I can grab her if Steve pulls these away? I think I can grab her before it collapses."

Tony shrugged and agreed, "worth a shot." He moved to stand next to Bucky at the edge of the sunken roof and closed the face of his suit. "Hey kid, you ready down there?"

It was all you could do to give him a thumbs up, feeling the air in your chest being squeezed out, growing harder and harder to take more in. You closed your eyes from the dust being blown around from the repulsors of his suit, holding your precious few breaths as you waited for him to reach you.

The boulders began to shift as Steve pulled them away, getting closer to you, but causing the pressure around you to build. You looked up and saw Bucky's metal arm reaching down for you and connecting with your own. Your grip locked with his, and you held your breath as Steve pulled the last few blocks from on top of you. You were relieved to feel your body relaxing to the openness, but when you looked at Steve you saw him began to slip into the debris that he had just helped you escape from. You reached up with your other hand and grabbed Bucky, releasing and swinging your metal hand down to connect with the Captain.

"FRIDAY, we're gonna need more power to the stabilizers," Tony grunted as he tried to adapt to the extra weight. "Barnes, I'm gonna electrify your arm so you can't let go!"

Bucky grimaced as the electricity coursed into his arm; you followed behind as you felt it transfer to you with a sharp pain in your hand. "You know," you groaned, "if you hadn't blown up the building I was in, we could've avoided this whole thing, guys!"

Tony leaned back and pulled the three of you from the rubble with a jolt, releasing you all into a pile beneath him. The impact jarred you and hurt through your whole body, now already bruised and bleeding, dirty from the rock that had nearly buried you. Bucky rolled over and quickly crawled to your side; he too was covered in dirt and blood, but nothing would stop him from getting to you to be sure you were okay.

"(Y/N), are you alright? Are you hurt?" His eyes desperately searched over you, looking for any sign of injury before he touched you. "Tell me you're okay."

"Dad, I'm fine," you coughed, cautiously sitting up to meet him in a relieved hug. You pulled back to look for Steve, who was sitting at your left, smiling wearily at the sight before him.

"You called him 'dad'," he said with a smug grin. "How cute are you guys right now?"

You reached out and gave him a solid slap to his arm, your metal hand creating a satisfying smack when it connected. It wasn't a name you really used when talking to or about Bucky, but given the circumstances, it felt like maybe this was as good a time as any to break that one out.

"Well, I save that one for special occasions," you explained. "Birthdays, Christmas, rescues from certain death, Father's Day, things like that."

"Yep," Bucky sighed as he pulled you in for another hug, "that's my girl."