𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 • 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜

49 • Parallels

Millie felt Steve clutch her hand tightly as the elevator door opened and the pair walked into the common area of the compound with Bucky.

His hand was sweaty, nerves coursing through his body. He was devising a game plan of sorts in his head, had been all weekend since he found out Tony's plans for his girl.

No matter what, Millie was a priority, and Bucky knew this too. Steve wasn't thrilled that Bucky would be going back up against Hydra either, but he trusted Bucky could mostly take care of himself. Millie didn't get any strength, no incredible fighting abilities. If she was caught up in the bullshit that was hydra, she wouldn't make it.

No matter what, save Millie. If he couldn't stop her from going, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe, even if it meant other people would get hurt.

Even if it meant other people would die.

"Millie!" Tony called out, smiling at her despite Steve's bitter glare.

"Good morning, Tony." She smiled softly. "Steve said you had something to ask me?"

Tony raised his brows, glancing at Steve and then doing a quick turn to Bruce before locking them sheepishly on hers. "Cap didn't ask you?"

"Figured you could ask her yourself." Steve grunted. "Considering it's you who wants to do this in the first place."

Tony swallowed harshly and gave Steve a quick nod. "Fair, I suppose that makes sense. Millie, Bruce and I have been talking and we wanted to ask you to join us on a mission."

Everyone else who sat in the commons ears' pricked up, clearly the first they'd head of any of this too.

"What?" Nat snapped. "Tony, you just said this mission is intense."

"That's the point, Romanoff."

"She could die!" Clint added.

"We won't let that happen!"

Millie was overwhelmed by the bickering in the room, leaning more into Steve, feeling incredibly uncomfortable by the way everyone was arguing over her when she hardly knew what was happening.

She glanced up at Steve, suddenly understanding why he wanted her to say no. She also understood why he thought she wouldn't.

"Is it dangerous?" She mumbled to him amongst the fighting.

Steve nodded. "Very."

"What is the mission?"

"Save the hostages." He swallowed. "They're children."

"Who kidnapped them?"

"Hydra."

Millie felt her stomach drop at the name. She just got back and now she felt like she was being thrust back into their grasp. Even Bucky appeared uneasy at the thought, but she supposed it was natural for both of them.

"And what would I be doing?"

"You'd stay on a quinjet, and as we find the children we would bring them back to you. You'd likely be with Bruce."

"So I'm a medic?"

Steve looked down and sighed. "Yes...and..."

"And?"

"Tony want you to take their pain away. The thing is that these kids, they...they, uh, they're going through exactly what you did."

Flashbacks filled Millie's mind, the agonising pain that she went through from being tested on, the way it felt like her body was exploding from the inside.