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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐓𝐰𝐨: 𝐃𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫

Bucharest, Romania

February 2015

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They say that love heals all.

That in a world of endemic sickness and poisonous cruelty, that love is the antidote. From one sip of this so-called remedy, people become kinder and more empathetic. That the world becomes a brighter place, forcing out the darkness that plague people's minds and actions. That the world doesn't seem so bleak anymore, that it comes alight with happiness and pure euphoria.

And Allie would have to agree with that sentiment.

Since she finally experienced that feeling, it seemed as if all her worries drifted into the wind. Even in her day to day life, she began to feel its effects. She smiled more, spoke more freely, helped people she passed in the streets, cared less about those who sought to hurt her. And although some things were never out of her mind, they just became less important.

She wished the world would have more love. Then maybe her life would be different from what it was today. Maybe there would be less fighting, less hate, fewer problems. Maybe HYDRA wouldn't even exist, that there would be no chaos and anarchy for them to feed off. If only the founder of HYDRA had bleed love and not hate, history could be different.

If only someone had been loved or knew how to love, the world could be an entirely different place.

But alas, that wasn't the case. So Allie just had to be grateful that she was granted that love she so desired. Granted the love that so many people didn't have or know.

Her life had drastically changed within the span of a few months. She had gone from being a prisoner, a runaway, a friend, and then finally a lover. She went from being enslaved to scared to happy and then in love. And she found it difficult to pinpoint when exactly everything had changed. When had her feelings began to develop into something so much greater.

But she didn't care, she finally had everything that she could ever ask for.

She was finally free, no longer a slave for HYDRA. No longer doing their bidding without any memory of her past. She had Steve back, finally having a friend that would help her fight the cruel world that wanted to see her fall. She had her memories too, albeit not all of them but enough to know who she was and her past.

And she had Bucky.

She had the man that she loved with the entire essence of her being. The man who loved her just as equally. The man who protected her from HYDRA and from herself. The man who has been so patient, kind, and dependable for her.

She could never ask for anything else because she had everything she ever needed. Nothing could make her happier than she already was.

And it had been that way for an entire month now. It was just Bucky and Allie living in Bucharest, spending most days walking around the city hand in hand or wrapped in each other's arms back at home. Reveling in their new relationship or whatever it was called. The two didn't label what they had but they knew they loved each other. And that was all they ever needed.

She got phone calls from Steve every couple of days, updating her on the situation with HYDRA. He sounded so content with his new life, leading the Avengers and being able to live out his life again. She didn't know what exactly it was that made him sound so happy but she was grateful regardless.

After everything they had all been through, they all deserved to be happy.

And that brought her to where she was right now, walking through a local market in Bucharest with Bucky. These trips into the city with Bucky were always her favorite. It was the only time that they allowed themselves to go outside, knowing that they would be somewhat protected by the huge crowds of people.

Every trip to the market left her feeling happy. She drank in all the bright, vibrant colors that flashed in front of her eyes. She smelled the rich aromas of fresh produce that wafted throughout the atmosphere. She even became acquaintances with the stallholders, all of whom were the epitome of friendliness and amiability. She even knew a few by name, especially the man who would keep a few of the riper plums at the back of the stall that he knew she would come to buy.

"Mulțumesc, Andrei. / Thank you, Andrei." Allie spoke as the man, Andrei, handed over her usual, a week's worth of plums all for Bucky.

"Plăcerea mea, Allie. / My pleasure, Allie." He grinned as she placed the small bag in her backpack, knowing that Bucky would be happy when he saw her purchase.

"Pe curând! / See you soon!" She smiled as she placed the money in his hand and walked off in the direction of Bucky.

She weaved through the crowds, edging through the dense flow of people who's chatter echoed in the air, giving her a slight headache. She nearly got worried when she didn't see Bucky immediately but she soon spotted him hanging around the coffee van. She kicked herself for forgetting to check his new favorite place before swiftly walking over to him.

"Buck!" She called as she neared the van, having to shout over all the loud commotion. 

Bucky's eyes shot in her direction, startled by the noise. But upon seeing her face, a smile instantly overtook his lips. As she neared him, Bucky held up her coffee, watching as she took it from him with a gleeful smile.

"Thanks!" She spoke happily, taking the drink from him and raising it to her lips.

"Where did you go, doll?" Bucky asked.

"Have a guess?" She said teasingly.

"Andrei's?"

"Yep." She said, popping the 'p' slightly. "Your plums are in the bag."

"Thanks, love." He drawled, wrapping her free hand in his own. "Where to now?"

"Well, I have everything we need for the week. So home, I guess." She shrugged. "Unless you need anything?"

"I have everything I need right here." Bucky smirked down at her, squeezing her hand softly.

"What, plums and a coffee?" She said jokingly.

"Exactly."

Allie rolled her eyes at his joke, fighting the smile on her lips. The sheer number of times that she had heard that joke should have not made it funny anymore, but Bucky still laughed as if it was the first time. And that alone nearly made her erupt into a fit of chuckles too.

"You know I love you, Allie." He teased as she feigned annoyance.

"But not as much as plums and coffee." She said facetiously causing Bucky to enter a fit of laughs again.

Once he got over his own joke, he threw his arm over Allie's shoulder and the two made the walk home. Aimlessly talking and joking the entire way. They had made this walk every time they left on a Sunday morning to get to the market since it was pretty much their only outing for the week. And as such, they knew the path home like the back of their hands.

But as they passed the usual newsstand that they see on the way home, something caught Allie's eyes. She immediately halted, causing Bucky to nearly trip before she dragged him over to the small stall.

TONY STARK: PRIVATIZING GLOBAL SECURITY

That is what the article said, printed in big, black bold letters. And underneath featured a photo of the man, wearing his now notorious goatee and a mischievous smirk. A smirk that she swore that she had seen before. He was donning his typical big brand suit, one that only a billionaire would be able to afford. And his dark chocolate eyes penetrated into Allie's, despite his only being a picture in the newspaper.

But what truly surprised Allie, was the wave of familiarity that flooded through her as she gazed down at the picture. And the ache that came from her head as she searched through her memories also proved her right. She knew him from somewhere. But from where, she couldn't recall. And the more she tried to figure where, the stronger the thumping in her head got.

"That's him?" She questioned, her eyes still trained on the picture. "That's Howard's son?"

"Yeah, Tony Stark. He inherited Stark Industries from Howard and became Iron Man." Bucky answered, also feeling a strange tug in his mind as he stared at Tony's face.

"Iron Man?" Allie repeated the foreign words.

"Yeah, the guy that flies around in the red and gold tin suit." Bucky answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"The one that saved New York?" She asked again, vaguely recalling something about the hero.

"That's him." He nodded.

"Wow, he really is Howard's son." Allie commented, noticing that Tony looked like a spitting image of his father. "I bet he would have been proud of him."

"I am sure he was." Bucky agreed.

But then something strange happened.

The world around her faded into darkness, confusion gripping Allie with its mighty claws and cutting deep into her. The pure darkness scared her for she thought she was dying. But eventually the empty abyss was replaced with a long, opulent hallway. Pristine white picture frames hung on the walls featuring a family of three. Trophies were enclosed in glass cabinets and certificates draped from the walls like wallpaper. All belonging to one family, the Stark's.

She was in Tony Stark's house.

Just like that, she felt like a child again. Shaking in fear and heaving breaths between her rosy lips. Her heart began racing as her mind became engulfed in great, blazing flames, unable to comprehend a single thought. Panic began to overwhelm her as she realized that this wasn't just her imagination playing tricks on her, this was a memory.

A memory belonging to Trickery.

She could feel the cool metal of her knife in her hand as her body curled into the wall, wishing that she could just fall straight through it. Wishing that she could just disappear.

But she was swiftly pulled from her trance when one of the doors in the hallway was thrown open. The wood made a loud thud as it collided with the white walls, revealing that none other than Anthony Stark was the person who stood behind it.

He entered the foyer with a look of confusion on his face. A face that was not the same as the one she saw in the newspaper. This was the face of a young man, of a teenager. This was the face of a child, a child that she was there to kill.

Horror encapsulated Allie as young Tony glanced down the hallway, furrowing his brows when he saw no one there.

But then a loud voice rang out behind her, abruptly startling her into alertness. The person yelled at Tony, pure fury in his voice which sent a shiver of fear through Allie. She immediately whipped around and saw the one person she never wished to see in one of her memories from HYDRA.

She saw Howard Stark. Except, he was now older. Much older.

Even though his face was plagued with age and his lips were pulled into a cold scowl, his eyes were the exact same as the Howard she remembered from the '40s. They were the same almond-shaped, chocolate brown eyes that glimmered with boundless wisdom and intellect. The same eyes that radiated mischievousness and humor.

But unlike the Howard that she remembered, this one had an unfamiliar coldness trapped in his eyes too. A coldness that chilled Allie to the bone just from the sight of it. The same coldness that he was currently showing his son who just rolled his eyes at his father's mood as if it were a daily occurrence.

The two initiated in a yelling match, using the infamous Stark sarcasm to try and outwit each other. The confrontation continued for a few minutes until the men retreated back into their rooms, both still seething with rage. Leaving Allie trembling in the hallway.

She was supposed to kill Howard and his family. Her former best friend and science buddy, the only other person in her very short list of friends that she truly cherished. Trickery was supposed to kill him. She was supposed to have killed him.

Her lungs heaved to pump oxygen around her body as her mind spiraled into a state of panic. She was still trembling when her body involuntarily begun running down the hallway. Running away from her mission to assassinate Howard Stark and his family. The world around her began to fade into black with each step she took. Fading until it disappeared altogether.

And with a single blink, she was then forced back into the real world.

"Allie!"

Bucky shouted into her ear, holding her shoulders tightly as he tried to shake her out of whatever reverie she was in. His typically cerulean blue eyes were now swirling with worry, scared out of his wits that something was wrong. Panicking that something had happened to Allie. But he finally let out a sigh of relief when he saw her own eyes blink, showing some sign of life despite remaining completely catatonic for almost an entire minute.

Bucky swiftly dragged Allie into the closest alleyway, holding her in such a way so that her feet which felt like lead wouldn't cause her to trip. And only once they were shrouded in the safe sanctuary of the shadows, he began talking again.

"Allie what's wrong?" He pleaded, panic evident in his voice. "Doll, I need you to answer me."

"I—I remember..." She stuttered before falling silent, still in shock from what she just witnessed.

"You remembered what?"

"I was sent to kill Howard and Tony." Allie finally managed to get out despite her throat threatening to close up and her voice's constant faltering. At her words, Bucky felt a sharp pain run through his head but ignored it, choosing to focus on his girl that was already in enough pain as it was.

"I—I was on a mission for HYDRA. They told me to kill Howard's family and get some serum that he was making." She whispered, guilt quickly rendering her numb.

"But Tony's alive?" Bucky questioned.

"I didn't do it." She murmured. "I ran and Mikael found me."

"Allie..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say to offer her the slightest bit of comfort. Because this wasn't just anyone that she had tried to kill, it was Howard. Her Howard.

After a brief moment of silence, Allie spoke up again. This time wiping the scared look from her face and replacing it with pure frenzy.

"I—I need to go see him." She told Bucky.

"What?"

"I need to go see Tony."

"What? Why?" Bucky asked, completely befuddled.

"I just need to see him. I need to know about Howard. I need to apologize." She said frantically, her mind overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt.

"Why do you need to apologize?" Bucky inquired.

"I nearly killed him at 21 Bucky! 21 years old!" She nearly shouted, insulted by his question.

"But you didn't." He stated, trying not to match her desperate state.

"It doesn't matter! I need to see him, I need to apologize." She rattled off, unable to tear her mind from her guilt. She had to make up for her actions. There was nobody else alive that she could apologize to, except Tony. He was her chance to make up for Trickery's past. To make up for her past.

"Allie, please just calm down. You are still freaking out because of the memory. Once you calm down then we will talk about you seeing Tony." Bucky pleaded.

"No! I need to see him." She screeched.

"Alright, doll. Just please calm down for me." He begged, taking Allie's hand within his own and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Upon feeling his skin against hers, she felt the panic in her begin to dissipate. She stared into his blue eyes and tried to control her breathing, trying to do as he asked. Fright still consumed every cell of her body but Bucky seemed to be her cure, fighting the terror with the warmth of his love.

"I need to see him Bucky." She murmured, resting her head against his chest as he began to softly ran his hand through her hair reassuringly.

"I know, love. I know."

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The two had spent the next week debating over whether or not Allie should go and see Tony.

Bucky was firmly against the idea. Tony was a member of the Avengers, apart of the very team that was supposed to be taking HYDRA down. And it was very unlikely that Tony would help Allie, especially considering he doesn't know her at all. All he would know is Trickery's file, which was definitely not the greatest thing to show someone if you were asking for help.

But Allie was stubborn and remained cemented in the belief that she had to see Tony. He was the last living relative of Howard Stark and she wanted to know what happened to her best friend. She also for her own selfish reasons, wanted someone's forgiveness. She finally had the opportunity to apologize to someone for the actions of Trickery. She had someone that she could explain to, someone that wouldn't understand like Bucky would. And she could finally see if they would forgive her, see if her actions were redeemable.

Eventually, Allie had won out, managing to persuade Bucky that this was what she needed to move on with her life. That this would lift someone of the burden off her shoulders if it went well. Bucky, still wary about what would happen if it didn't, conceded to Allie on one condition. He made her promise that if things did indeed go well, that she would enlist Tony's help to stop her nightmares. That she would see if he had anything to numb her brain into a thoughtless sleep for the first time in decades.

Allie agreed to his proposal and that was it, she was off to New York City again. She had packed her bag and bought a ticket within a few hours, ready to endure another long flight back into the United States. Bucky, as usual, remained back in Romania, waiting for any call from Allie or indication that she needed help. He also had his stuff packed, prepared for the possibility that Tony would turn her over to the FBI and she needed saving.

The only thought that somewhat eased Bucky's apprehension was that Steve was also in New York. Despite Bucky's own reluctance to see Steve, he knew that Steve would always protect Allie. Steve was like her older brother, fiercely protective and insanely loyal. And the only common trait they still shared after all this time was their will to do anything to protect her.

Their goodbye had been bittersweet.

Allie, who was somewhat excited about meeting Howard's only son, still felt a wave of sadness overwhelm her when it came to saying goodbye to Bucky. The kiss they had shared was drowning in wistful pleas to stay. And she had almost caved, wanting to wrap herself back up in Bucky's arm and just lay there until the end of time, but she knew she couldn't. And with a melancholic hug, she had parted ways with Bucky, getting into a taxi with a sorry smile plastered on her face as she waved goodbye.

Before she even knew it, she was seated on the plane, in the air and on her way to the big apple. What she would say to Tony dominated her mind for the entire 13 hour flight, not giving her a single moment of reprieve. Unlike the last time she sat in this plane on the way to New York to see Steve, she wasn't nervous. She wasn't scared, she was prepared. She was ready to finally try and move on.

When the plane finally landed in New York, Allie eagerly pushed herself up from her seat and into the bustling terminal of JFK Airport. She threw her backpack over her shoulder and swiftly made her way out of the terminal, thankfully remembering the way around from last time. She hailed the nearest taxi and was on her way to Manhattan, with her end destination being Avengers Tower.

According to her research, the tower should be relatively empty excluding Mr. Stark and his usual paid workers. Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff were supposedly on temporary leave with no listed location of their whereabouts. Thor was still currently off-world, Bruce was apparently presenting at some conference in Boston and Steve's presence didn't particularly matter as she knew he would be in support of her and Tony talking. However, there was another Avenger listed that aroused confusion in Allie. The file was heavily fortified which left Allie unable to break in, but she managed to catch sight of some Greek phrases and the word Melaina, which didn't ring any bells for her.

It felt like forever that she sat in the taxi listening to the incessant honking of motorized vehicles that sped dangerously down the dark roads. Just as last time, the streets were packed with cars, making the drive into the city unbelievably long. The only thing that made the time pass the slightest bit quicker was the ubiquitous skyscrapers that surrounded her. Buildings that rose so high she failed to see the top more often than not.

Eventually, the taxi came to a stop right out the front of Avengers tower. As per usual, she tricked the driver into thinking that she had paid and jumped out of the car before he had realized. Hiking her bag over her shoulder, she glanced up at the building for a moment, marveling at the sight that sat in front of her eyes.

Avengers Tower loomed over her, a great monolith of metal and glass. The clear paneling of the building glimmered in the afternoon sun, bathing the street in iridescent light. Standing at the foot of its entrance, she could faintly hear the 'hum' of the giant arc reactor that sat below the earth's surface, powering the entire building.

Avengers Tower was incredible, far beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

But here she was trying to break into it.

With the limited tech knowledge she had acquired from HYDRA, Allie had managed to find a basic blueprint of the building. The bottom floor was the only part that really presented an issue for Allie. As Avengers Tower was created by Tony Stark, the technology inside would well beyond anything Allie would be able to bypass. Which meant that as normal, she would have to use her tricks.

Focusing on the cadenced vibrations of the towers security guards, Allie began to craft her illusion. Instead of her usual, dark chocolatey hair, it became blonde, shining in the soft sunlight. Her pale, anemic skin browned slightly, seeming as if she didn't spend every second of every day enclosed by 4 walls with barely existent lighting. Her chestnut eyes also changed into bright pools of blue, making the sky jealous of the richness of its color.

Instead of her plain jeans and top, she was wearing the typical Stark Industries uniform. Unfortunately, it wasn't a business person or lab technician's uniform. It was the cleaners as today was cleaning day.

Letting out a small sigh, Allie put aside her dignity and walked into the building.

The automatic glass doors opened for her and she strode in confidently, trying not to think about what would happen if she got caught. The entire reception was one built on opulence. There were marble tables, walls that also doubled as fountains and glorious gold engravings. Everything exuded pure luxury and excess.

As she made her way over to the receptionist, the many eyes of random people ambling around the foyer passed over her without the bat of an eye. Not even giving her a second glance.

Approaching the receptionist, a young man who hadn't tore his gaze from the iPhone screen that he had hidden on his lap, Allie let out a slight cough.

"Hey, the elevator isn't working." She spoke, watching in satisfaction as the man jumped in his skin and nearly dropped the phone he was holding. She forcefully held in her chuckles as he gave her an embarrassed smile before he turned his eyes to the computer.

"There must be something wrong with your card." He frowned as he looked at the screen. "What are you here for?"

"I'm the cleaner." She answered swiftly.

At her response, the man knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Where did Paula go?" He questioned. "I never saw her leave?"

"One of the kids is sick so she had to go home. She left in quite a rush." Allie explained quickly.

"I didn't realize she had kids."

"It might not be her's. But I didn't stick around to find out about it." She shrugged, hoping the man would just shut up and let her into the elevator.

"Huh."

"So can you let me up?" Allie asked, trying to withhold her irritation from her voice.

She let in a sharp intake of air as the man turned his gaze to her, furrowing his brows as he observed her closely. He had that look in his eye as if he remembered her, which was impossible as she was using her tricks to fool him. But thankfully, it was just her imagination as he gave her a quick shrug and nodded. "Yeah sure."

With the slight press of a button, the elevator next to his desk let out a ding and the doors began to slowly slide open, signaling the completion of her mission. Scratch that, the first part of her mission as she still had to have her conversation with Tony.

"Thanks." Allie said to him with a meager smile before she walked off towards the elevator, hopping in and slamming the close button impatiently. Just to spite her, the doors seemed to close even slower than what they were originally as if they were annoyed by her incessant pressing of the button.

As soon as the doors shut, Allie let out a sigh of relief and immediately dropped her illusion, returning back to her usual appearance. She ran a hand through her hair nervously before she pressed on the penthouse floor, wondering why she had been stressing so much. The first part of the mission had been a breeze, much easier than what she had anticipated. And now all she had to do was convince Tony to give her a chance.

Well, that was until the alarm began to go off.

She hadn't even made it past the first floor when the unrelenting sound of the security alarm rang through the elevator, making Allie jump in fright. The lift jerked to a sudden stop, nearly sending her to the floor from the sudden action.

"Shit." She grumbled as she steadied herself again.

Obviously Stark was smarter than what she had given him credit for. Glancing up at the roof of the elevator, Allie caught sight of a small camera. A camera that had just alerted Tony to her presence. A camera that had potentially alerted the Avengers and FBI too.

So in other words, Allie was in big trouble.

Turning her gaze back to the roof of the lift, she noticed a small hatch. Slightly bending down, Allie quickly jumped up and dislodged the hatch from the roof, revealing the 58 stories of Avengers Tower. A string of curses fell from her lips as Allie realized that her best chance of getting out of here now relied on her climbing out of the elevator and meeting Tony somewhere. And that could only happen if he willingly followed her.

Mumbling obscenities to herself, Allie jumped up once again and wrapped her hands around the edge of the opening. She nearly let go because of how slippery the outside of the lift was with dust but she quickly tightened her grip, refusing to let go. But of course, she was only seconds away from pulling her body through the hatch when the elevator suddenly whisked back to life, scaring the absolute daylights out of her.

Almost immediately Allie went tumbling to the ground, colliding against the cool metal with a resounding thud. Pain instantly flared through her body, prompting a hoarse groan to fall from her rosy lips as the elevator began to ascend again.

"Fuck you, Stark." She mumbled as she slowly began to lift herself upright, wincing at the tenderness of her body.

The floors began to fly past as the elevator kept climbing, prompting a wave of anxiousness to brew within Allie. There was no saying what awaited her at the end of her ride, whether it be imprisonment, a conversation, even death perhaps. Although death wasn't particularly Tony's style, he seemed to thrive off the pure humiliation and incarceration of his enemies.

But who was to say she couldn't be different?

Allie could feel the knife in her back pocket grow warm as she neared Tony's penthouse, reminding her of her primal instinct to fight. Her stomach shifted uneasily with each second she spent in the lift and her hands began to clench so tightly her nails pierced the soft skin of her palm. Nervousness knawed at her brain, pushing for her to just run away. But unfortunately, there was nowhere she could go except up.

Well, that was until the elevator doors opened.

She didn't even have time to blink before the crimson red hand of the Iron Man suit was aimed at her face, glowing intensely with energy that was just waiting to fire. Waiting to burn her to a crisp.

"Now tell me why I shouldn't call the feds and have you arrested this second?"

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Hey loves!

Now on a side note, I just want to clarify that at this point in time, Bucky does not remember killing Howard. If he did, he would have been against Allie visiting Tony and this was vital for her character development that is going to come.

Onto the questions!

1. What did you think of this chapter?

2. What would you like to see Tony and Allie talk about?

3. How are you all today?

4. Now this isn't a question but if anyone has any thoughts on the above matter that aren't harmful or discriminatory, feel free to leave them here. It doesn't even have to be about America, it could be any issue anywhere else in the world that you don't believe is being talked about enough or people are aware of.

Wattpad should be used to inform and raise awareness, and that is what I aim to do.

Thank you all, please stay safe x

Until next time, my loves

- Grace xx