Phoenix Fire (Book 2 in the Winter's Series)

Epilogue: Children of Prodigy

Thirteen leads us down the twisting, dark, endless tunnels of the underground sewage system. We follow behind her with Bucky keeping me standing upright. The sound of my bare feet scuffing the ground bounces off the walls, and echoes down the tunnels. After what feels like an eternity, I see a pale yellow light at the end of the tunnel.

"We're here." Thirteen says without sparing us a glance. The yellow light from before is a hole in the top of the tunnel where, I'm assuming by the way Thirteen is leading us, we will climb out. Thirteen reaches up first, and hand meet her wrists lifting her out. Bucky follows after her and holds his hands down to reach me. I grab his hands and he pulls me up, sending shooting pain down my spine. He quickly moves his hands to my waist to steady me as my find my footing on the cold damp floor. Oil lamps cast light onto the cold stone walls of the room, causing our shadows to dance and flicker on the walls. A strong musty scent infiltrates my nose as I take in my surroundings.

"Eden." A calm motherly tone catches my attention from behind me. I slowly turn around and meet warm brown eyes of a middle aged woman. She slightly smiles before extending her hand out for me to shake. With a quizzical look on my face, I gingerly place my hand in hers. "My name is Ophelia. We've been expecting you." I look past her and see the other experiments looking at me, studying me.  

"Do I know you?" I ask, withdrawing my hand and pulling Bucky's jacket closer around my body.

"No. We've never met, but I've heard a lot about you." She says before pausing. "The people here are all experiments, like you. You were part of project... that I help create. Before you get all riled up, just hear me out. I was an aspiring geneticist, and I was hired by HYDRA to study under Dr. Connally. I paired the subjects and used them to create a child, in which I was able to tweak the genetic code so that later in it's life it would be more susceptible to infusion with another stand of DNA. I made you what you are today."

"Well I hate to break your heart but I'm not that experiment anymore. My wings are gone." I say, fighting to stay neutral and not get emotional over the loss.

"Well, actually you're wrong. You were always more than your wings. You're far more agile, fast, aware than anyone else here, well except for Thirteen that is. Without your wings you are more open to attacks but if you train with us, I can teach you how to overcome your obstacles. As well as to help you utilize your evolution. It will not be easy, and this path is for you alone." She says hinting to my partner.

"Can I get some clothes and some time to think... alone." I say staring at her in the eyes, staying close enough to  Bucky to feel his warmth. 

"Of course." She says before lifting her hand and motioning for someone to come forward. Thirteen walks toward me with a bundle in her arms. I take the bundle from her and turn my back to them before finding a corner. I take off Bucky's jacket and put on a tan pair of linen pants and a cream color linen shirt, with Bucky behind me facing them to provide me some privacy.

After I dress, I reach out and grasp onto bucky's arm. He turns and faces me and I jerk my head to the edge furthest from the host of this hidden base. 

"What do you think?" I ask feeling conflicted and mostly in disbelief.

"Her body language didn't indicate lying, but it doesn't mean that she isn't lying. She worked for HYDRA, she's trained to lie and make it seem like an absolute truth. However, the other experiments are here which adds to her credibility. If it is true this could be a good opportunity for you, one that you couldn't get with me." He states quietly. 

"What would we do, if we left here?" I ask whilst mentally weighing my options. 

"I would try to recover my memories of Steve, and any that I can begin to recall. We would be on the run, but we would be together." 

"I don't know what to do, I feel lost and there's a chance I can get some closure on my past. I don't want to be  without you. You're my partner, my friend. I don't know if I can face these things alone."

"Eden, you're a highly trained assassin, I doubt there is an obstacle you cannot overcome by yourself." He says cracking a very small smile. 

"What would you do?"

"If I had someone to help me discovery who I am, and who I could be.. I would take it and I already have, with you."

"But that was different, I knew you. I knew you could trust me, and I wanted to protect you."

"But I didn't. Just like you don't know about her, or this place."

"I guess our paths are separating...I don't like this. I need to talk to Jesse, see if he can craft some devices for us to keep in communication in case something happens and one of us needs the other. I don't mean a phone either, something as backup to a phone." I say as I begin to pace. 

"When I get to the surface I'll contact Jesse and see what he can draft up. In the meantime a phone will just have to do." He says and I nod in agreement. 

"Let's go tell her." I say readying myself.  I walk back into the center of the room where Ophelia is still standing. 

"Did you make your decision?" She asks as she clasps her hands. 

"I have. I'll stay but I have some conditions first." 

"I'm listening."

"I want a phone, and my own room."

"Ok..."

"I also want clothes that aren't linen, it's itchy."

"Okay," She says with a chuckle. "I can do that."

"Alright."

"Is that all?" 

"That's all I can think of right now."

"Alright, let's take a look at your back and then we will get onto the introductions."

"Let me say goodbye to Buck-" I say turning and stopping mid word when there is no one standing behind me, just the jacket he gave me. He didn't even say goodbye, but then again he did in his own way.

"Let's begin."