Noelle was now 15, and she had been doing perfectly, according to Strucker. Every mission she had been on after the one with Coulson, she had completed successfully. She had given up on asking questions, because asking questions only resulted in her getting beaten. She didn't remember most of the last eight years, and she was truly afraid to ask. Strucker exited his office, smiling cruelly when he saw her.

"Cолдат. Вы получили задание?" (Soldier. Have you received your mission?) She nodded sharply, and stopped walking, removing her mask from her face.

"Большая часть. Мне сказали, что я буду получать остальное от вас." (Most of it. I was told I would receive the rest from you.) He nodded slightly, allowing the tiniest bit of a smile to crawl onto his face.

"All business. Good. You've learned very well." He said, allowing himself to speak in English again, the Russian accent slurring his words slightly. She nodded sharply, and he pulled out a cream-coloured folder.

"What do you know about the Winter Soldier?" Noelle stiffened, looking him right in the eye.

"A former asset, one of the best soldiers we've ever had, and then he left. Ran away when he started remembering, and he now works with the Avengers. Why?" He tossed the folder over to her, and she picked it up, opening it. The folder was filled with surveillance photos and different pieces of information about the Winter Soldier.

"He has become too dangerous to leave alive or away from us. You will be doing an infiltration mission, getting close to the Avengers. If you are unable to turn him back, then you kill him. You leave in thirty minutes." She nodded, closing the folder.

"Yes, Colonel." She turned to leave, but when she reached the door, he stopped her again.

"Soldier!" She turned, facing him again, and he smiled cruelly, handing her a smaller file.

"While you are there, take out the Avengers as well. All of them are too dangerous to still be there. They are getting in our way, and hindering our progress. Град Гидра." (Hail Hydra). She straightened, saluting him.

"Град Гидра." (Hail Hydra). He waved her out, and she left the room, heading to gather the things she would need. She opened the larger file again, looking at the pictures of the man again. He had fairly long, slightly shaggy hair, almost mournful brown eyes, but the thing that stood out to her was the metal arm that was identical to hers.

"Did they do the exact same things to you?" She whispered, blinking back tears, and slid the folder into her small backpack, along with a couple outfits, two small pistols, a small rifle, and multiple cases of ammunition. A few hours later, she found herself in Times Square, New York. Within a couple minutes, she found exactly who she was looking for. The Winter Soldier. And it was just her luck that with him were Steve Rogers, or Captain America, Emily Barnes, also known as The Angel, and Katherine Stark, who was basically a female Iron Man, but she also had ice powers. She put on the holographic mask that Strucker had given her, activating it. She didn't want to risk them recognizing her, even though she was going to kill them. She slipped up behind them, quickly pickpocketing one of them, and ducked between them, trying to run off.

"Hey! Stop!" She heard one call, and turned a corner, ducking into an alley, reaching a dead end. She turned, pressing her back against the wall, and turned on the acting as they got into the alley.

"What do you think you're doing?" Steve called, his hands up. She tried to curl up smaller, her eyes widening.
"Please.....I'm sorry......I didn't......Please.....I just need help.....My parents.....They kicked me out. I don't have anything. Please, I just wanted help. I'm sorry." She whimpered, tossing the wallet back. Emily took a step forward.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" Emily asked gently, and she looked up, scrambling for something.
"I.....my name is Joelle. I know who you all are." She said softly, and just then, Bucky and Katherine came around the corner. He looked at her, startled.

"Did.....did you say Noelle?" He asked, and she saw the fear in his eyes. She shook her head, and Emily went back to him, whispering something in his ear. Noelle saw his shoulders slump, and Steve came over, gently helping her up.

"Come on. We can help you." She nodded, letting him help her up. As she followed them, she couldn't help but smile slightly. They were playing right into her hands.......And they had absolutely no idea that they were. As they headed back to the tower, Bucky kept watching the girl that they had found, his heart aching. He hasn't had the courage to say her name in so long, and letting himself hope that they had finally found her.....He couldn't help but wonder how much more this was going to hurt. Emily and Steve had stopped him from committing suicide right after they'd lost her, and now.....He felt weak, broken....Useless. Hydra had succeeded. They had almost completely destroyed him.

        What doesn't kill you makes you wish you were dead, what doesn't destroy you leaves you broken instead.