Project Alpha

Ch. 7 - Trip Down Memory Lane

"Does there have to be this many?" Bucky said, wincing as another needle entered his non metal arm.

"Unfortunately yes." Bruce explained, "The more, the better because we get a better connection to your mind."

Tony and Bucky were laying on identical white beds in the lab. They had both been pricked and prodded by several different needles in various sizes and shape across their arms and chest.

Bucky was there because they had to enter his mind, being the host to the memories of Peter. Tony also had to go in order to guide the machine into working on the inside.

The rest of the avengers sat around a large screen built into the wall. This is where they would monitor what was happening within their heads.

"You guys ready?" Steve asked one more time before they dived into the unknown. He was nervous, what if something went wrong? Tony was a genius, and he had had Bruce's help, but that knowledge did nothing to rid of the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Natasha was excited beyond belief. Not only would they be one step closer to finding her long lost son, but she would also get to see him. Still, a voice at the back of her head reminded her of problems they could encounter. Tony was like her brother and Bucky was a member of this- of her disfunctional family and Steve's best friend. What if something happened to either one of them?

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tony gave a small chuckle despite noticing the tension and worry lingering in the air.

"Okay... Going live in three,"

"Two..."

"One!"

***

The first thing they became aware of was the cold damp cell they were sitting in. The second thing Bucky and Tony saw was that there was another person with them: a younger Bucky wearing drab grey clothes.

"Welcome to Hydra, Tony." Bucky said while standing up to admire his old home. Tony did the same, noticing how small and barren the room was.

"Geez, talk about depressing," Tony muttered under his breath to Bucky as they tried to read his younger self's face. It was emotionless, a cold, dark stare greeting the walls, which were embraced in more grey.

"Where's the kid?" Tony's brow furrowed as his eyes scanned the area for any sign of Peter.

"This was the day they brought him here. Look- here he comes!" Their heads whipped around. Footsteps could be heard coming down the long hallway. They couldn't actually see down there though, as a thick white fog surrounded it.

"What's the clouds for?"

"The machine can recognize that you don't know what's down there," Tony briefly explained to a confused Bucky. Soon, a guard came into view, his gun aimed at the back of a boys head.

He was pale, like, white as a sheet. Probably because he was malnourished and scraped up. A large bruise was on his chin and his cheek; they were stained a dark purple that made Tony uneasy.

Back in the lab, Natasha glared at the men holding her son while Clint looked closely at Peter. He had his mother's eyes- that was clear. A brown mop of curly hair sat on his head next to the trained rifle a guard was holding to his head.

They unlocked a large silver door adjacent to Bucky's and shoved him in. "Your new cell," he spoke in Russian and confusion quickly clouded Peter's emerald eyes. He kicked the brunette's stomach making Natasha and the team start violently cursing, much to Steve's dismay.