Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers and/or any character of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I do not own the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series and/or characters.

Rated M for language, violence, and minor sexuality

Enjoy

Long Island, New York, May 23, 2007...

A blue car drove down the dark, country road. It was swift, and the night was quiet. A motorcycle drove up behind it then moved around the car to pass. The rider pulled out a pistol and shot the passenger side tire. The car swerved chaotically down the road as the driver lost control. The Winter Soldier rode out of the way as the car suddenly turned over and tumbled off the road into a field. The car landed upside down, it's tires still spinning in the air. The Winter Soldier stopped and turned off his bike. He walked towards the car. His face was hidden behind long brown hair and shadows. He grabbed hold of the driver door with his left hand, and ripped it open with ease. Inside, a woman was hanging upside down, strapped to the chair by her seat belt. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned in pain. The Winter Soldier knelt down and reached for her seat belt. The woman met his gaze, and fear struck her. "W...wait...please..."

The Winter Soldier wrapped the seat belt against her throat. She tried to push him away. "Please," she whimpered. "You...don't have to do...this. Just stop...please."

She was no match for his strength as the seat belt bit into her skin. "I did everything...they asked...everything they wanted. Please. Don't do this."

The woman stared into his eyes as he squeezed. There was no malice, no evil in his gaze. Only determination, and emptiness. The woman's eyes turned red and her lips turned purple. She mouthed a word the man couldn't make out. Within moments, the woman stopped moving. The Winter Soldier continued to squeeze a little longer, making sure. Then a tiny whimper caught his attention, and his eyes grew wide upon hearing a soft, "Mom?"

Prague, July 12, 2014...

Bucky Barnes walked through the small grocery store with his head angled down. His face was hidden in the shadow of his cap, and his long, brown hair was tucked behind his ears. He made his way to the produce section, carrying a small shopping basket filled with some non-perishables and basic protein. He made a habit of only buying what was necessary, but he felt like splurging a little on fruit. One of the few things HYDRA could not wash out of him: his sweet tooth.

As he picked up a bag of purple grapes, Bucky felt a familiar sensation prickle at the back of his neck: eyes watching him. He pretended to examine the oranges, carefully looking over his shoulder. There wasn't anything obviously out of the ordinary, but Bucky knew better. He instincts drove him to suddenly turn the other way. A young woman paused, her hand hovering over the orange Bucky was holding. "Oh, excuse me," she said. "I mean, nemusíte se omluvit."

She was pretty with dark skin and super curly black hair. "I'm sorry, but my Czech isn't that great. Do you speak English?"

Bucky eyed her from head to toe before nodding. She seemed friendly and harmless, but experience told him to be cautious. The girl smiled flirtatiously, and it made him uncomfortable. "Well, you can have that. I like my meat a little sweet."

"What?" Bucky narrowed his eyes. He knew he heard her correctly, but she maintained her innocent smile. He put the orange back and walked away. The girl watched him curiously, unfazed by the look he gave her. Bucky sighed as he entered the bread aisle and headed up front to the checkout station. He liked Prague. He didn't want to leave, but he couldn't let himself fall back into HYDRA's hands.

"Heads up!" A high-pitched voice warned. Bucky stopped as a loaf of bread fell down in front of him. A blond-haired girl waved from the shelves. She stood on the second-lowest shelf. "I'm so sorry. It's impossible to reach the stuff at the top."

"It's fine," he said.

"Could I bother you for a second, handsome?" she asked as he stepped over the bread. Her tone was sweet. "Can you help me? Grab the one at the top? Please? You're so tall, and I don't know if this shelf can take my weight any longer."

Bucky sighed again and walked over as she climbed down. "The one at the very top," she said. "Those are the best."

She pointed to the one she wanted, keeping her other hand hidden behind her back. Out of the corner of his eye, Bucky could see the dark-skinned girl creeping into the aisle. As Bucky reached out to grab the loaf she wanted, the blond girl jabbed her other hand towards his face. Bucky caught her wrist, seeing the syringe of dark liquid in her hand. The girl frowned in shock at his reflex and strength. A look of realization flashed across her face. "He's a half-blood, Kelli!"

Kelli lunged, opening her arms for a tackle. Bucky kicked her square in the chest then turned, slamming his fist against the blond girl's face. He expected the hit to knock her out, but she only snarled in response. She caught his wrist before he could hit her again. Her features changed. Her skin turned white and her blue eyes turned red. She opened her mouth, barring deadly fangs. "Don't be rude, handsome," she warned. "What kind of gentleman runs from a lady in-ah!"

He twisted her wrist and made her stab herself with the syringe. He used his thumb and pushed the end. The girl gasped as the dark liquid entered her body. Bucky slipped his wrist free and grabbed her shoulders, throwing her at Kelli who had just gotten to her feet. He didn't waste any time and bolted for the exit, abandoning his shopping basket. As he exited the aisle, a hand shot out...with claws. Bucky ducked in time, watching the hand swing over his head. A red-haired girl spun on her heels and slashed again. Bucky blocked her attacks, and kicked at her knee. She yelped as she lost balance, but she had managed to grab onto his left arm. She dug her claws in and slashed, shredding his sleeve. The metal underneath became visible and the girl frowned in confusion. "What the fuck?"

Bucky punched her, feeling her nose cave from the impact. She let go of his arm and covered her face as she collapsed onto the ground. Bucky paused for a moment. He expected blood on his knuckles. The nose always bled. But his fist was coated in sand. Kelli screeched as she hopped onto Bucky's back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Bucky pulled at her forearms, trying to pry her off. She was unusually strong for her size. He hopped up and fell back. Kelli screamed from the hard impact and released her hold. Bucky quickly recovered, but he stopped the instant he prepared to bolt. The blond girl was blocking the door. "Enough, handsome," she growled. "You're coming with us one way or another."

"I'm not going back to HYDRA," he said, shaking his head.

The blond girl snorted. "When we're done with you...you'll be begging for the sweet embrace of those cultists."

Bucky surged forward and swung his arm. She dodged him and jabbed her claws into his side. Bucky cried out in pain as her fingers curled around his ribs. The girl pulled him close, so close that he could feel her breath on his face. She admired his features. "You are handsome. I could get lost in those pretty blue eyes."

"Stop it, Tammi," Kelli ordered, sitting up. "He belongs to the Immortal. We need him alive."

Tammi rolled her eyes and shoved Bucky down onto his knees. The pain was searing, almost worse than the memory wipes he suffered at the hands of HYDRA. "Fine," Tammi growled. "But when we have what we need from him, I get first bite."

Kelli ignored her. "Lili, are you alright?"

"He broke my nose," Lili grumbled nasily through her hands. "Son of a bitch! I get first bite!"

Bucky cursed his situation, trying to think through the pain. The girls weren't normal humans. In fact, he wasn't sure if they were human at all. This gave him an idea. He grabbed hold of Tammi's wrist with both of his hands and snapped her forearm. Tammi screamed so loud Bucky thought his eardrums would burst. Still holding onto her arm, he kicked her with as much strength as he could summon. There was a sickening tear as Tammi slammed into the glass doors. Bucky fell back. Her claws were still embedded in his ribs. Kelli gasped in utter horror. "Tammi! No!"

"You bastard!"

Lili lunged. Bucky kicked her feet out from under her then slammed his left fist into her face again. Her head disintegrated into sand. Kelli rushed over and grabbed Bucky's shoulder, forcing him to turn over. He kicked upwards, hitting her chin with his heel. He used the momentum to get up, and headed for the door. He stepped through the hole in the glass door as he pried Tammi's fingers out of him. The hand disintegrated once it was off. Tammi's body laid in a pile of shattered glass. He expected to see blood pooling from the tear in her arm, but there was only sand. "What the hell?"

Tammi groaned as she stirred. Bucky took off across the parking lot. His ribs ached, but he ignored the pain. He ducked into an alley as he pictured the route to his safehouse. He mentally went over his list to ensure he couldn't be tracked. That no one else would find him. He turned right and skidded to a halt. A young woman stood in the middle of the alley. Time seemed to slow down. Everything about her terrified him as his memories flooded his mind. She wore thick-framed sunglasses, but he recognized her. Her licorice-black hair flowed with the breeze, and there was a hint of a smirk on her full lips. She raised a pistol, but Bucky didn't even notice it. One memory flashed through his head, and he blinked. "Monica?"

She pulled the trigger, and Bucky felt darkness envelop him.

Long Island, New York, May 23, 2007...

The Winter Soldier held the frightened girl's gaze. They stared at each other for what felt like a lifetime. Her red-gold eyes were bright like firelight. Suddenly, he lunged. The girl dodged his grip, and crawled out of the car. The Winter Soldier did the same, scurrying out of the car after her. As she got up, his metal arm latched onto her ankle. She yelped as she fell to the ground face-first. He dragged her closer, reaching for her neck. The girl cried out in fear. She placed her hands on his wrists, struggling against his strength. She wiggled and brought her knee up to her chest then kicked. He flew off her and landed several feet away. He stared up at the night sky in surprise as he coughed. Words echoed in his head. Eliminate the leak. Recover the girl. Discovery...requires experimentation.

The Winter Soldier inhaled sharply and got to his feet. The girl had run off into the woods, limping from a swollen ankle. She was still within sight, and he stomped after her. She was moving usually fast. Desperation, he assumed. She kept looking back at him, and flailed her arms in panic as she hurried through the forest. He was sure there was nothing ahead, only more forest until the shores of the ocean. Within moments, he had caught up with her. He grabbed her shoulder, and the girl threw her arms out, trying to swat him away. She fell and tried to crawl backwards away from him. The Winter Soldier reached down for her again. He heard the sound of something slicing through air, and he jumped back just as a sword swung down, aimed for his neck. "Damn."

A young man with a scar on his right cheek stepped into the moonlight. He eyed the Winter Soldier with a mischievous smile. "Never seen a mortal move like that."

He glanced down at the girl. "Are you Monica?" She nodded. "Who's this guy?"

Monica struggled for an answer. The Winter Soldier swiftly pulled a pistol from the holster on his thigh. But the swordsman was quick. Some bullets he dodged, some he deflected with his sword. It was an odd blade. One side was normal silver steel, but the other glowed a strange bronze color. The swordsman closed the distance and slashed upwards, knocking the gun out of the Winter Soldier's hands. He was a blur as he attacked, but the Winter Soldier was just as fast, able to dodge and block his attacks. The swordsman dodged a punch, and brought his sword down on the Winter Soldier's left arm. The sound of metal clanging pierced the night. The swordsman frowned in surprise. "What the hell are you made of?"

The Winter Soldier shoved the sword away, and punched the swordsman square in the chest. He grunted as he landed, but he rolled backwards onto his feet. "Screw this."

He hurried over to Monica and hoisted her to her feet. The Winter Soldier sprinted towards them. The swordsman swung his sword in an arc, and the two of them disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

Outskirts of Prague, July 13, 2014...

Bucky groaned as he regained consciousness. His head was pounding despite the grogginess he felt. He glanced around as his vision began to clear. He inhaled sharply as realization sprang adrenaline through his body. Bucky shook off the dizziness as he sat up. He was lying in a very uncomfortable cot in a large, bare room. His ribs ached as he swung his legs off the cot. Bucky lifted his shirt, finding his torso wrapped securely in gauze and bandages. He happened to glance at the far wall. His kidnapper sat on a cooler, her leg crossed and her arms folded. She still wore her sunglasses. He would've guessed that she was asleep if her foot was moving. She harrumphed, breaking the tense silence. "Long time no see, James."

Bucky flinched at the sound of his name. He clenched his fists, preparing for a fight. She tilted her head slightly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't happy to see me."

Bucky said nothing. She tilted her head to the other side and hummed. "Thought for sure you remembered me. You said my name back in the alley."

He closed his eyes. He almost smiled at how easily he could recall the memory. But it terrified him. He snapped his eyes open, and moved towards the door. However, as soon as he got to his feet, his whole body collapsed. His kidnapper sighed in disappointment as she got up. Her boots clacked softly on the concrete as she walked over. Bucky was helpless as she used her foot to roll him over onto his back. He glared up at her. "What did you do to me?"

"Insurance." She squatted down beside him. "You should really consider yourself lucky, James. I'm not here to kill you." He frowned. "I'm taking you in to SHIELD."

"SHIELD fell."

She nodded. "Yeah. Some of it survived, though. Remnants that are truly SHIELD. Remnants that want me to deliver you alive."

Bucky closed his eyes, reluctantly remembering the events in D.C. His kidnapper exhaled impatiently, and removed her sunglasses. "You never answered my question..."

He reluctantly met her gaze. Her eyes were a unique red-gold color that seemed to flicker like fire. Her beauty was undeniable, but all he felt was guilt. "I remember you."

"Do you?" she dared. Her glare was ferocious and composed. "What's my name?"

Bucky swallowed back the rising shame and guilt building in his throat. "Monica. You're Doctor Salazar's daughter."

Monica raised an eyebrow. "You remembered that as well? Surprising. Bet you never thought you'd see me again."

She wiped something off his chest, and Bucky felt his paralysis lift. Monica stepped back as he sat up. However, he found his left arm and his legs still unresponsive. "What is this? What did you do to me?"

"Three-fourths of your limbs have been...disabled in a sense," she said as she took a few steps back. "If you behave, I might turn them back on."

Bucky stared at her confusedly. Despite her seemingly nonchalant demeanor, her hatred of him was evident. He was completely at her mercy, and he couldn't understand why he was still alive. "You're taking me to SHIELD?"

"Yup." She pulled her phone out from her back pocket. "You were HYDRA's prized asset. While we have some of the records Alexander Pierce tried to keep buried, there's still more. Files, missions...information we need. Information we know you have."

"That's it?"

"It what?" she hummed, busy texting on her phone.

"SHIELD only wants information?"

Now, she looked over at him. "Oh, were you expecting this to be a strict asset debrief mission? Oh, no. As you may suspect, SHIELD is trying to re-establish itself. Once we have all of the necessary information out of you..." she paused to smile "...well, the US government would just love to get their hands on you."

Bucky rolled his eyes as he sighed. Monica regarded him curiously. "You were HYDRA's top assassin for seventy-years. Surely, you have numerous allies? Close-contacts? What're you doing out here all alone?"

He frowned as he studied her face. She was more familiar to him than she knew. The same air of arrogance as her mother. That thought brought another tremendous wave of guilt. "Fifty years," he said. "And I don't have any allies."

"Maybe." She tapped her finger against her thigh. "At the very least, I'm not the only looking for you. Who attacked you?"

Images of the demonic girls flashed through his mind. "I don't know. They weren't HYDRA."

"They must want you bad because I've never seen a wound like that." She gestured to his chest. "Are there any other evil organizations you work for that I should know about? AIM? Oscorp? Starbucks?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Not that I know of. Only HYDRA."

Monica walked over and knelt down beside him. She studied his face, testing his sincerity. "They weren't government agents, were they?" He shook his head. "Then what?"

"I don't know."

"What do you know?"

Bucky exhaled in frustration. He thought over his probability of escape. She was close enough that he could hit her. But then what? He couldn't move his legs or his left arm. "They weren't human."

"Enhanced?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Whatever they were I've never seen anything like them."

As he told her what had unfolded at the grocery store, her demeanor slowly changed. Her smug smirk fell and realization spread across her face. When he finished his story, Monica looked slightly worried. She covered her mouth as she thought. "Shit." She placed one hand on his thigh then pointed her index finger his face. "I'll undo the paralysis on your legs. If you try anything, I'll rip your arm off."

Bucky said nothing. Monica wiped his thigh like she was dusting something off. On his thighs were strange runes that he was sure he didn't see there before. The rune dissipated once she wiped it, and she wiped the one on his left thigh off as well. As soon as they were gone, his legs responded and he wiggled his feet. Monica hooked her hands under his arm. "Come on, Jon Snow. Get up."

He allowed her to help him stand. Despite the paralysis, there seemed to be nothing wrong with his legs. His muscles felt no different which relieved him. Bucky lashed out suddenly. Slamming his elbow into her gut. She grunted from the impact, and he grabbed the collar of her jacket. Monica yelped as he slammed his forehead against hers, and fell to the ground. Bucky headed for the door and kicked it open. He scanned his surroundings: a large, abandoned warehouse. He located an exit to the west wall, and bolted for it. However, something held him back. He turned, seeing Monica holding onto his metal arm. She grabbed him with both hands and threw him across the room. Bucky hit the side of large crates and fell to the floor in a heap. Monica grabbed onto his shoulders and lifted him up. She grabbed his right arm and twisted it around his back, shoving him against the crate. "Nice try," she huffed. "But I always keep my promises."

Bucky concentrated on his metal arm, trying anything. To move his wrist, wiggle his fingers, anything. But it remained unresponsive. The sound of glass breaking drew their attention. Above, several skylights broke and figures jumped down, landing about twenty feet away. Monica threw Bucky to ground, keeping his arm twisted, and hovered over him protectively. Standing in the piles of broken glass were three beautiful women. Inhumanly beautiful, like the girls at the grocery store. One woman took a step forward. Her hair was flowing despite there being no wind, and she smiled. "Monica. It's been too long."

"Serephone," Monica greeted. "Thought you were dead."

Serephone raised her chin and lowered her gaze to Bucky. "You have something that belongs to us. Thank you for procuring it. Our benefactor will be eternally grateful-"

"Oh, sorry. No, you got the wrong warehouse," Monica said. "Try the next one over."

Serephone simply smiled as her tanned skin turned pale white and her eyes turned bright red. "Humor won't save you this time, Dreamslayer. We are not afraid of you."

"We will have him," said the woman on the right. "You cannot stop us."

Monica leaned in close to Bucky, and whispered into his ear. "Don't move."

"There are three of us," said the woman on the left. "And only one of you."

"Your math skills are impressive," Monica teased. She moved her jacket and pulled a knife from her belt. It was a simple combat knife, but it changed as she moved into a defensive stance. The knife blade grew into a fierce, three-foot long blade that glimmered like it was made of diamonds. Serephone shook her head. "You cannot win this."

Monica raised a brow as she smirked. "Think so? Come at me, then."

Serephone screamed. A high-pitched sound that burned Bucky's ears. He watched as they charged at each other. Monica kicked Serephone in the stomach and swiped at her throat. The monster ducked and the other two swooped in. Monica easily blocked them then flicked her wrist, the blade slicing through the women's arms like butter. They screeched as their severed limbs fell to the ground and crumbled into dust. Serephone jabbed her claws into Monica's side, causing her to cry out. Monica punched her square in the jaw. Serephone flew back against the wall, knocking one of the women out in the process. Monica swiftly beheaded the other, and her body disintegrated. She whirled around to where Bucky struggled to push himself up. She stomped over and grabbed him by the arm, hoisting him up. Bucky leaned on her uncomfortably, she wasn't nearly tall enough to properly support him. His back ached in response to the odd angle he stooped. "We're getting out of here."

He glanced back at the remaining two. "They're getting back up."

"Then move it!" she snapped.

They reached the door and Monica kicked it open. Before they stepped out, Serephone grabbed Bucky by his hair. She tried to pull him off Monica. Monica jabbed her fist into Serephone's open mouth. Her fangs pierced Monica's wrist. Serephone dropped Bucky and Monica thrusted her sword into Serephone's back. The monster screamed as she exploded into dust. Bucky rolled out of the path of the dust. He sat up, his heart still pounding. The remaining woman wailed in shock. "No! Serephone!"

Monica dodged the last woman's tackle, and thrusted her sword into the monster's back. Her cries died as she crumbled into dust. Bucky felt an incredible urge to scream in the silence that settled. "What the fuck were they?"

"Empousae," Monica answered. "Nasty bitches, but easy to kill."

Her sword returned to it's combat knife appearance, and she stuck it back in the sheath on her belt. Bucky watched as she examined her wrist, picking at the wound. He glanced at the pile of dust as the wind from the open door blew it around. He thought back to the first time he met Monica. How she slipped through his fingers. "What are you?"

"Seriously?" she scoffed. "We were attacked by nasty vampire demons and you're more shocked by me?"

He was taken aback by her tone. His mind raced for something, anything to say. "Your sword turns into a knife."

"Seventy years you've been in and out of the world...surely you've seen some things."

"Fifty years," he corrected, glancing around at the piles of dust. "And I have seen things. But nothing like this."

Monica made a face. She huffed and grabbed his right arm, pulling him to his feet. Bucky groaned, not of pain but because his left arm was still useless. Monica gazed up at him, keeping him steady. With her this close, her eyes did seem to flicker like flames. "You fought off three Empousae all by yourself...? You're an exceptional human, James. I'll give you that."

It felt...odd, receiving a compliment. And he wasn't sure if he should thank her. Monica led him back to the door, keeping a firm grip on his arm. "Our extraction point is compromised. We need to move. And I swear to the gods, if you hit me again, I will rip your arm off."

Bucky said nothing as she brought him to a silver SUV. She shoved him into the passenger's seat. Bucky watched her walk around to climb inside. He continued to stare at her. "You never answered my question..."

Monica started the engine and sighed. She turned to meet his gaze. "I'm a demigod."

End of Chapter 1