Belle's screams faded away leaving the frantic beeping of machines at the forefront of my brain. The moment my eyes opened, pain flooded my body. It's to be expected, even I can't heal wounds that quickly. Not unconscious anyway.

"Stupid girl." I pressed my hand lightly on my abdomen and watched as magic stitched the wound back together. I tried to sit up once the healing was completed only to collide with a glass dome. What the hell have they done to me?

"Jesus Belle lie down!" Good. They think it's Belle.

"What happened?"

"Dr Banner put you in a medically induced coma, how the hell are you awake?"

"I don't know." I know. Of course I know. My powers burn through medicine so fast they no longer have any effect. Unfortunately that means double the pain and annoyance.

"How did you do that...thing with your hand? And since when? Did you know they gave you powers?"

"Shut up, I can't think straight with you yelling at me." Bucky staggered back, expression like a wounded puppy. Well I guess I have blown my cover. I am going to blame my injury for my lack of common sense.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just a bit freaked out." I glance at my hands which are still shimmering with dark matter. I tried not to allow the pride to show in my eyes, that after years I am still able to tap into such power.

"That's...understandable."

"Can you get me out of this?" Bucky casts his eye down to the keypad then back at me. "Please."

A flicker of sympathy crossed his face and the glass rotated into the chamber. I sat up properly stretching out my aching muscles, revelling in the satisfying pop that comes with it. I felt Bucky's gaze on me but I didn't give him the satisfaction of a smile. He doesn't deserve one.

"When can I leave?"

"Well about that..."

"You're not letting me. Let me guess I can't be trusted; my powers are too unpredictable. I have heard it all before." Bucky's gaze narrowed, looking at me with a sudden hatred that sent shivers down my spine.

"Belle would never admit to that," he reached for the gun strapped to his thigh and stood up, towering over me in the most suffocating of ways. "Echo."

"Damn you got me. Quicker than I expected, soldat."

"I don't answer to that anymore." He loaded the gun, aiming it at my chest. My eyes were filled with anger that was boiling inside me and I couldn't channel it. I let insanity take over. A stream of jet black light shot out of my palm sending medical equipment flying across the room. Taking Bucky's hesitation as an opportunity I leapt out of the chamber, using it to maneuver myself through the air. I heard him yell before I felt the connection of my foot against his jaw.

I took a moment to marvel at the blood dripping from his mouth before making a break for the door. My mission was to destroy Shield and what better way to do that then start with their first line of defense: the avengers. Bucky led me straight to them.

"Echo stop, you don't know what you are doing."

"I'm completing my mission." A second blast levelled the room, sending Bucky skidding across the floor. The sound of fizzing electrics filled the room. Sparks were pouring out of his shoulder as he struggled to sit up.

"Fighting will only make this worse. Compliance will be rewarded."

"Don't start with the hydra crap, I know you don't believe it." Bucky snapped with a fire on his tongue. I soak up every inch of his anger fuelling the burning sensation in my gut.

"Echo, stand down. We don't want to hurt you." I remember that voice. The man in the metal suit, the one who fired the first shot. He will be the first to go. I slammed the door open when three gunshots rang out.

Strands of blue swam through my veins, illuminating my arm until it eventually settled into my blood. I felt the chemicals course through my body making its way to my head, bringing with it waves of nausea. In a matter of seconds I found myself crumpling to the floor, my eyelids drooping against their will.

"What..did you..do to me?" I gasped as my legs went numb. I tried to use my powers but it fizzled at my fingertips, barely producing more than tiny sparks. The gun was smoking in his hand, glowing blue and reeking of chemicals. His hand trembled yet every shot had landed - he didn't even hesitate.

"What I had to."

---

After Belle was secured in a cell where her powers could be contained, Steve accompanied me to the penthouse of the tower. I was met by several grief-striken faces, eyes all pooling with sympathy. At first the sight made my blood boil, what could they possibly have to grieve. They don't know her, they don't understand her.

Then I saw Peter and Wade huddled together on a sofa. The second they saw me they were running towards me, hugging me so tight my ribs hurt.

"I'm so sorry, Bucky. If I hadn't of taken her to that stupid alley we wouldn't be having this problem." Wade sobbed, I would be lying if I said I wasn't taken aback.

"Kid it's not your fault." I hugged Wade back and for a moment I was taken back to my first week in New York. Belle in tears because she didn't understand why we were running away from what she called home. I remember the look on her face when she blamed herself, thinking she had made a mistake and that's why we left.

"Did you know about the power's?" Peter sniffled, pulling Wade so his grip would loosen.

"No. I didn't. I should have kno-"

"Don't even go there Barnes." On instinct my fist tightened and I glared daggers at Stark. "There was no way you could have known. But that's in the past now, we can't change it no matter how much we want to. What we can do is learn from it."

Stark took a stack of files off the counter and placed them in front of me. The sheer amount overwhelms me for a moment and I simply stare at them. The name on the front makes me want to rip it all to shreds.

"That is everything we could recover from Hydra about Project Echo."

"Project Echo? Is that what you're calling her now." Stark sighed and sat on one of the bar stools.

"Bucky stand down." Steve hissed in my ear, trying to ease the papers that we're slowly getting crumpled out of my hands.

"There isn't much but it's a start. According to her reports she went through a process called terrigenesis. We sent off her blood work to some specialists who deal with Inhumans regularly."

"Hold on. Terragenesis? Inhumans?" What the hell are they going on about? Inhuman? Are they implying Belle is some sort of alien?

"It's hard to explain. A select few are born with a strand of kree DNA - an alien race - which is then triggered by the terrigen crystals, giving them powers. They call themselves Inhumans and have for generations."

"How did hydra know Belle had the right DNA? Even the specialists couldn't pinpoint the exact strand that would be modified." Peter asked with a curious glint in his eye. I could tell he was completely fascinated by the idea of alien transformations, and I would be too if it hadn't happened to Belle.

"I um...I don't think they did." Steve handed me a report and my face blanched. The document was split in half, the top written in what appears to be Serbian then the translation underneath. I could barely get past the first sentence without feeling ready to throw up.

Test subject 009: results inconclusive - we are unsure of the effect the modified crystal will have on the girl, we can only hope the process will show some results.

Attached to the back of the report was a black and white photo, blurred and warped to prevent unwanted eyes deciphering the scene. But I was trained to see past their tricks.

Displayed in clear boxes were what looked like stone body parts, the colour of slate yet crumbling apart like sand. In the forefront of the image lay a fully formed body of rock - or at least what looked like rock.

It had the features of a girl, even keeping details like her hair and hospital gown. By the look of her hands she had been reaching out as if trying to escape the cocoon.

"Bucky?"

"I'm sorry- I can't. I need to-" I let the photo fall to the table and stood up. I pushed past Natasha and Stark, who were halfheartedly guarding the door, and ran through the tower.

They didn't know what it would do to her. Who knows how long she was trapped in that cast. She was probably scared out of her mind and I knew nothing about it. I was out killing for the people who tried to kill Belle.

My head began to spin as I turned down identical corridors praying to find some sort of escape. On our way up I hadn't pinpointed exit points like I usually do, so that and my inability to breathe only caused me to spiral. It felt as if my lungs weren't there as I try to bring air in. I could feel my muscles straining and the thoughts in my head turn from fear to a dizzy confusion.

I stopped for a split second, grabbing on to the wall for support when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Acting out of pure primal instinct I twisted the hand and threw it's owner against the wall, pushing myself away in the process in order to put as much distance as possible. My hand shot to my mouth when I realised I had attacked Steve.

"Sorry I should have announced myself." He rubbed his shoulder turning to face me with a smile. It dropped all together when he realised the state I was in.

"Oh my god okay, come in here." Steve gently took my hand and guided me into a small conference room further down the corridor. He made sure to lock the doors after us ensuring no one could walk in.

The promise of privacy provoked tears and soon enough I was sobbing into his shoulder. I couldn't stop despite how much I wanted.

"I've got you. It's okay." I felt myself being rocked side to side and the motion calmed me enough to quench the tears. Once my sobs became sniffles, Steve pulled back, wiping away the remnants of my breakdown with his thumb.

His hands rested on my face a little longer than necessary yet it didn't feel awkward. However embarrassment hit when I saw the tear stains soaking through his shirt.

"Sorry."

"Don't you dare. You have every right to be pissed off."

"Pissed off? Tony pissed me off. No, I am way past that. Hydra will pay for the shit they put Belle through with blood. I'm going to make them hurt like they've made us hurt."

"You just got your freedom back, Bucky. Do not throw it away for revenge."

"They turned Belle into a weapon behind my back, making her a prisoner in her own mind and you are talking about freedom?" My words hang in the air for a second, too heavy to even echo. I can see the colour drain from Steve's face but I found myself incapable of calming down.

"Everything that has happened to Belle has been my fault; I promised her freedom and instead I exchanged one cell for another, one organisation for another. Her entire life she has been betrayed and now I have shot to the top of that list."

"Bucky you had to do it. The dendrotoxin isn't lethal and she won't remember-"

"Goddammit Steve, I shot her. I shot my daughter." The tears prick at my eyes before I can bite them back. Steve tried to take my hand but I jerked away. I'm not prepared for this. I don't know how to deal with all this grief and anger. I want to be numb again. I never thought I would miss my alter ego but at least as him I had the luxury of no emotion. Everything is easier this way. How am I supposed to help Belle when I can't think without being terrified I would break?

"You need to stop this. Stop shouldering all the blame onto yourself. Whilst you were living in that facility Hydra controlled your mind. You saw what they wanted you to see, and that did not include Belle's experiments."

"I couldn't save her." Once again Steve embraced me and I welcomed his body weight against mine. A much needed anchor to stop me drifting away.

"Just because you couldn't then, doesn't mean you can't now." He grips my hand and forces my eyes to lock onto his. Some gazes are the promise of protection, his was all that and more.

"You may not be allowed in her room but that doesn't mean you can't help her. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Stark picked up more than just Echo from that compound before he blew it to hell."

The tears cleared and for a moment everything was dulled. They picked up an agent, a hydra agent. There is no knowing what rank they were or if they were aware of Project Echo in the first place. But if there is even the smallest chance of figuring out how to cure Belle I am going to take it.

"I suppose you also wouldn't be able to tell me what floor they are being kept on."

"Detention level, section D. Heavily guarded but I am sure you will think of something." I pushed myself off the couch and headed to the door. My arm was still shot from Echo's powers, but it will have to do for now. Steve whistled and I turned around just in time for me to catch a set of comms.

"Try not to kill them."

"No promises."

---

The prison level was strangely silent. Maybe it was the alarm blaring overhead, maybe it was my threatening presence as I searched every cell for my prey. Guess I'll never know. After what felt like hours of searching I finally found him cowering in the corner of his cell, the cuffs on his wrist binding him to the wall. Oh how the tables turn.

"Get up."

"Ah soldat I wondered when I would be seeing you." The man said with a resigned sigh. One of the several hydra agents said to have been in charge of Project Echo, I would recognise him anywhere. Also happened to be one of my handlers. Guess they liked to keep the lab rats in the same hands.

"You are going to tell me everything you know about Project Echo and how to reverse it." The agent laughed at that, a sound that made me want to rip his vocal cords out.

"I wish I could. But I don't know anything about such a project. It was highly classified."

"You're lying." I pull out the file from my pocket and throw it at his feet. Papers scatter across the floor including the security camera footage of him leaving Belle's room. The image still makes my blood boil despite analysing it for hours.

"I'm not telling you a thing."

"Oh I think you are." I raised my metal fist and punched him round the face, hard enough to leave a bruise but not enough to knock him out. We aren't at that stage yet. He whimpered and raised his hands encouraging me to step back. He swiped his hand over his mouth which was bleeding quite profusely; hopefully I dislodged a tooth.

"I don't know everything. They split up the data and handed it out accordingly, that way we couldn't divulge everything to the enemy." I raised my hand to punch him again and he quickly backtracked. "They would put her in a room with a corpse. Her powers latch on to emotions, enhancing her own. A dead man doesn't feel so it trained her to become emotionless. Easier to kill that way."

"You left a kid alone with a corpse?" The very thought made bile rise up my throat. What kind of monsters would do that to a child? My child.

"She has no memory of it." That drew a huff of dry laughter from my throat. As if that would make it any better. "After a week she could turn off her emotions without having to think about it. So we wiped her. She holds none of the trauma, but remembers her training. We monitored her closely when you returned; it looked like she continued to switch off even with you. That came as a shock I must say."

They trained her in combat behind my back. I knew this before but hearing it from him made it feel real. Floods of questions caught in my throat all begging to be heard. It took me a while to gather my thoughts. The agent simply sat and stared at me, studying my movements as if I were a lab rat. Even now they still treat me like an experiment.

"How do you revert it? How do I get her back?"

A sick smile spread across his face and he relaxed into his chair. "Belle's mind is still growing, adapting. We couldn't trust her to slip back like you do. So we gave her a second set of trigger words. Unfortunately that information was never passed down-"

Before I could stop myself I had a gun in hand aimed at the base of the chair. One shot ricocheted off the metal striking the wall with a deafening bang. Another bounced off and lodged into his leg earning a satisfyingly pained yell.

"I know you know. Tell me and this will be a lot less painful."

"I don't know them, I swear." The third shot pierced straight through the flesh of his arm. He grabbed the wound, shaking in terror.

"Next one goes in your skull. Start talking." When he doesn't speak I cock the gun, taking a step closer for dramatic purposes. I wouldn't actually shoot him, I'm not that stupid. But Hydra knows no bounds. The only way to get information out of them is to use their own methods of extraction.

" Okay okay I will tell you." I kept the gun mere inches from his face, waiting expectantly. "misiune finalizată. stai în jos soldat: you must finish the phrase. Nothing else will work."

I raise the gun to the ceiling, firing the last shot in the air. I smirk at the agents' shaking form, pathetic the lot of them. Honestly they work for the largest criminal organisation in the world yet can't survive a simple interrogation.

"Okay Buck you've had your fun. Time to go." Steve's voice hummed in my ear. I tapped the comms to cut communication and made my way to the door.

"Желание. Ржавый. Семнадцать. Рассвет. Печь. Девять-" The door slams before he could even finish his sentence.

"Bucky, get to Belle. Her vitals are spiking, they think she is waking up." I nod despite the fact Steve can't see me and take off towards her cell.