§ Painkillers § Bucky Barnes

Unspoken Favors

Alexandra's P.O.V.

"What happened to him?" I asked the boy that accompanied me after I woke up. It was weird it seems as thought ever since I met him on that day when I met everyone. He seemed to just be around, all the time. Even more than Steve. He was really nice and polite, but something was off, he was keeping something from me. 'What happened to who?' The boy asked. I enjoyed his company always there for me, but not. "Bucky. I watched his dreams. They were awful. This collar must not be doing anything if they were that vivid. Or maybe it's the lack of pills."  I questioned. "Who are you talking to?" I heard Steve ask, he was with Wanda. I was surprised.

I looked around but Number 5 was gone. "Number 5" I said simply, still a little baffled. I knew he was fast, but... wow.

Steve's P.O.V.

'When she describes Number 5' Loki's voice rang in my ears. Is this how Alex felt all the time. Poor girl. Who could Number 5 be? "How did you do what you did earlier?" I asked referring to Bucky. I knew she knew that. "I watched his dreams is the short version." Alex's posture was off. She was uncomfortably shifting from right to left. She wasn't her usual confidant self.

"What's wrong?" I ask out of concern. She looked around at her new cell uncomfortably. How did she get out? "Oh no. Nothing." Alex replied simply. "How did you get out of your cell?" The Sokavian girl asked from behind me. Before she could respond she looked up at me with this desperation in her big brown eyes.

"I can't they'll take me. They'll wipe me." Alex and murmured almost incoherently. "Who? Who will?" I asked stepping forward. "It's her fault! She ordered them too!" What is happening? "Who?! Who is she?!" I asked trying to get through to the young, broken, woman in front of me. "Nana" she stated and randomly passed out again.

"Oh my- Steve." Wanda realized it as soon as I did. I turned towards Wanda and nodded. "Peggy" I stated.

It was about an hour later. Bruce was running tests on Alex. Tony was doing a background check on her. Why would Peggy want to wipe her memory. That doesn't sound like the Peggy I new. My Peggy. I thought.

"She is stable" I had brought Alex to Banner. I figured he would be our best bet. "Do you know what happened to her?" I asked "Well... she basically her memories merged with Bucky's dreams..." Bruce trailed off it seemed like he was just glossing over what happened, like he had something more important to tell me. 'But she doesn't even know who Peggy is' I thought. "Steve may I speak to you... in private?" I new this was coming. "Yeah Yeah. Sure." I replied

"Look at this." Bruce commanded. It was security footage of Alex. The night before we... took... her. That doesn't sound right.

It's just her in her straight jacket, ankles chained to the ground, hair matted. Just sitting there shaking and talking to herself. But it didn't sound as though she was talking to herself, as much as someone else in there. But the cell was empty. 'Loki' was my first thought, but them I listened to what Alex was saying. "Thank you." And "Where are you from" and "Thank you for being my friend" that is not stuff she would be saying to someone who drove her into insanity.

Then it starts.

Anything she once had was just gone. She was screaming, fighting against her straight jacket, she seemed frightened which made her hostile. Banner paused the video, and then just kinda looked at me. "And?" I ask "And?" Bruce repeats "Can you not see? Look at her. This is the girl who convinced her psychiatrist to commit suicide! She is insane." Bruce was trying to convince me of something "that girl down there in our cell is not the same girl as the girl in this footage." He had a point. I mean she seemed less hostile now than she was then. "But she still talks to people, and she acts like a ten-year old."

"That's because she never got the chance to grow up. She was never with anybody to teach her and walk her through growing up." Bruce reasoned. What he was saying did make sense, but... how? "How though? How did she become such a different person from when we took her?" Still doesn't sound right. "The psychiatrists had the completely wrong idea. They cut off all access and communication, that drove her further into her insanity." Bruce convinced me. What he was saying did make a lot of sense.

"I heard you needed me?" Came a Sokovian accent from the live security footage. Banner and I both turned to watch.

"I didn't say anything." Alex smarts off. "You didn't have to." Wanda retorts. "What did you want." Wanda asked clearly not wanting to be there. "You have telepathy, correct?" Alex asked. Wanda nods. "Good because this is what I want you to do-" Wanda cut her off  "And why should I do what you say?" "Because if you do everyone in this tower will get to see Number 5." Alex taunts.

_______________________________

Alexandra's P.O.V.

All of the avengers and then some where gathered in the room I was currently being kept in, anxious to see Number 5. "Ready?" I asked. They all nodded and with that Wanda lifted her hands and started doing some weird handshake with an invisible partner. Everyone was in a trance. I was trying my hardest to picture Number 5, then...