Daughter of the Hulk

Who killed Rachel?

" Okay, I'm not even going to ask why you can Hotwire a car, but can you please tell me why you're sticking your head out the window?" Bruce asked curiously as he drove the beaten car through the back streets.
Kat grinned at him, white teeth flashing in the darkness.
Night had fallen not long ago, and since it had, Kat had had her head stuck out the window.
" Looking at the stars," She answered casually.
" Why?" Bruce inquired in amusement.
" Because I'm having a conversation with Rachel in heaven," Kat mumbled awkwardly.
Bruce gripped the wheel awkwardly, a grimace on his face and a slight sorrow in his gaze.
" Rachel? Why not mum? Besides, what're you saying to her?" Bruce asked, trying to keep a conversation going.
" I'm never calling her my mother ever again. And I'm currently telling her how much better you are at parenting than her," Kat snarled, eyes narrowed dangerously.
Bruce cast her a sympathetic look before focusing on the road again. The silence stretched until it was almost unbearable, a knife between them. Bruce was starting to realise that silence was a lonely thing. Pride graced him though, at the fact that she thought he was a better parent, even though he'd almost got her killed earlier on.
" What even happened with you two? You seem to really hate Rachel, and considering that she raised you it's not good for you that hate her so much," Bruce managed, breaking the cold silence.
Kat sighed, glancing at him awkwardly before beginning to speak.
" She may have raised me, but she didn't love me. We were always on the run, apparently Rachel angered a bad man. Something about a broken deal between them. She was always held back by me. When the assassin sent by the bad man caught up to us, he started choking me. Gave Rachel a choice, save me or save herself by getting away. She chose to save herself. The guy's  arm was squeaking my throat so hard, and when I finally closed my eyes and pretended I was dead, he walked off and shot Rachel as she was getting a way in our car. All that happened two weeks ago. Took me almost a week to find the authorities and get them to contact whoever my dad was," Kat recounted in a small voice, hurt radiating in every syllable. She sounded as though she was holding back tears.
Bruce felt anger spike in him. Rachel had left her! Left her for dead! No wonder she was so angry at her mother, it didn't  surprise him in the least that she'd survived a week on her own. His girl was a warrior.
" I'm glad I met you, I'm overwhelmed that you could love me when I immerse you straight back in to the running and hiding life. Buy I'll never leave you die, my little Kat, I promise I'll always save you," Bruce vowed, smiling gently at his little girl.
She turned to face him, her looks so like his own, and mushed tears shining in her eyes.
" If the guy with the metal arm hadn't tried to kill me, I'd have never met you. All my years and I've never dreamed of a better dad than you," Kat confessed, smiling back at him brightly.
While her comment was meant to be kind, it made Bruce's blood freeze, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
" Bucky Barnes," Bruce snarled in a terrifying voice.
The Winter Soldier had killed Rachel, and tried to kill his child. The next time Steve tried to track him down, he'd give the first Avenger a piece of his mind, or rather his fist.
Kat stared at him wide eyed, she didn't understand why her dad was angry. Had she said something wrong? Who was Bucky? Strange name for a guy...........
" Hey Dad, who's Bucky Barnes?" Kat asked curiously.
" No one you need to know, dear," Bruce answered casually, however the underlined anger was obvious.
With a shrug, Kat settled in in to her seat for a better ride, the cold air making her shiver.

Bruce scrolled through his improved laptop, knowing full well that General Ross was probably closing in on his new location. He had to see what Betty had been doing now that he was on the run again. Apparently she was off on a world trip with her new famous husband. The newspapers were all over their marriage. With that done, he searched up recent appearances of the Winter Soldier, not many results were promising but one was. A small phone videoed clip of Bucky in his uniform, shooting at what appeared to be Captain America and Agent Romanov.
Bruce didn't pity them, those two would have their hands full.
No instead, what he did pity was Bucky if he should ever come anywhere near Bruce again.
The sound of a car engine powering down made him glance through a crack in the Motel curtain. A familiar car was parked outside his motel room and he instantly glanced to where Kat was sleeping quietly on the double bed.
Out of the car stepped a familiar red haired woman, who strode purposefully to his door. He couldn't let her come in and see Kat.
Opening the door and he closed it behind him to greet Agent Romanov, well, not so much greet.
" You know why I'm here?" Natasha inquired.
" If it's the same reason as every other time, then yes. But the answer is still no, I'm no t jining that stupid team Fury's putting together," Bruce growled out.
Natasha rolled her eyes.
" Look, Bruce, you know I have back up, you know Fury obviously wants to talk, and you know that you're going to have to speak with Fury about this whether you like it or not. You can't run from this team forever," Natasha stated calmly.
Bruce sighed as the red dot signalling a sniper was trained on his chest.
" Fine, I'll talk to Fury, but not now, not here," Bruce relented. Not in front of Kat he thought silently.
Natasha grimaced.
" Well it's too late, he's in the car, wants to see you now, so come quietly. It's either the car or the Motel room, and I doubt you want him seeing your tech," Natasha confided, with no sincerity what so ever.
With narrowed eyes, Bruce opened the door to his Motel room. " Go get him then, he can come here," Bruce grimaced.
He entered the apartment, and did the only thing he could think to do. He picked up the sleeping Kat, and placed his tired child in guy only space he could think to hide her, the closet. Just for good measure he locked the closet and tucked the key in his pocket.
As long as she didn't awaken and freak out because she was in a closet, he'd be fine. She would probably sleep through it, hopefully she would.