Golden Eyes

“No! Please stop! Why are you doing this to me? I haven’t done anything to deserve this!” I was sobbing uncontrollably as the German scientist leaned over me with a syringe filled with glowing green liquid of some kind. I screamed again as they injected me with this poison again for the seventh time that week. I long ago gave up on the idea that anyone was coming to save me. I was in Switzerland one minute with my friend shopping and laughing as we walked the street to go shopping and the next Nazi soldiers were shooting everyone and piling out of giant military caravans. They shot my friend and when I tried to hide a soldier grabbed me by my hair yanking me to the ground and throwing me onto my back. I stared up at him with so much fear but also with hate. The man laughed and when to aim the gun at my forehead. I told myself I would face him and make him look into my green eyes as he was going to shoot me. I would force myself to haunt this man for the rest of his miserable life if I could. Before he could pull the trigger and order was yelled out in German and the man froze and withdrew his gun away from my face. I looked over to the man who was approaching us and realized this man held much authority over the rest of them. He said something else in German and suddenly I was being yanked up and thrown into one of the vehicles where I ultimately ended up on this experimenting table.

The scientist pulled out the needle and I just let the tears fall. The burning sensation rapidly running throughout my veins was too much and I blacked out from the pain just like I did every other time. I had no idea what they were putting in me but whatever it was I could feel it doing things to my body. Very unnatural things that is. I could sometimes smell little things on someone who was across the room like what they ate for breakfast or how my eyes were able to take in little details about someone like wrinkles or flecks of grey in their hair. My senses were becoming more aware and it was terrifying.

When I awoke again there was man giving out orders. “Throw her in with the others. This experiment is now complete.”

I almost started crying again in relief that they were no longer poking and prodding at me. Three men picked me up as I hung there limply and just let them carry me away. I had no energy to fight anymore and I just wished death would hurry up and claim me. A few moments later I was being tossed into a cage with a group of men who quickly scattered and let me fall. Well except for one who tried to catch me but ended up being pulled down with me as I fell. My head made a sickening cracking sound as it came in contact with the concrete flooring but I felt no pain. The man scrambled up and leaned over me checking over me to see if I was okay. I just blinked at him in amazement at how this man who looked half-starved seem to worry about me at a time like this. Maybe he was an angel in disguise to help rescue me.

“Can you hear me? What is your name, doll?” I heard his accent and almost smiled. He was a northern from the States like I was. Though his accent sounded more like it was from New Jersey or New York whereas I was from Virginia.

“Vanessa. My name is Vanessa Carson.” I whispered as he pulled me to him and laid my head on his lap. Any other time I would have been horrified at the audacity of such a move but I was too tired to care. I could feel the blood trickling down the back of my head from where I hit the floor and I’m sure I looked even worse.

“Well Vanessa my friends call me Bucky and I’m going to need you stay awake. You hit your head pretty bad so you need to stay awake in case there was any damage done.”

I could only nod as I felt my vision start to fade once more. “Thank you Bucky.”

I barely noticed the sound of gunfire and loud explosions. The prisoners started getting antsy and I felt myself start to become roused from all the noise. I blinked a few times and looked at Bucky who was looking back at me in wonder. He was about to ask me something when there was another loud explosion and the prisoners started cheering.

“Steve!” I heard Bucky proclaim in astonishment but he was smiling at the man before us. I looked at him not knowing who he was but found his oddly attractive. “I need help getting her up. She’s hurt pretty badly.”

“Bucky we have to hurry.”

The two men exchanged me between them and soon I was in the other mans arms who Bucky called Steve. I was hearing cheers of excitement and chants of something and Captain America. Then I realized I did know who was holding me and I felt a small amount of embarrassment at my disabled state.

The men began running with me and soon I just blacked out from exhaustion and when I awoke I was in a hospital room with nurses running around and assisting others. There was a slight throb to the back of my head but other than that I felt good. And I was alive.

I almost laughed at the fact that I was still alive. I didn’t know how or why but I was alive, whole, and it appeared in great condition. I sat up slowly expecting the room to spin but it held firm and I smiled as I put my face in my hands.

“Look who’s finally awake! Welcome back to the living Miss Vanessa.” I looked up at a face I had just only come to see and smiled again.
Bucky.

“It feels good to be alive.” I said with a small chuckle as he sat on the side of my bed. I pulled his hand out from behind him and held up a bouquet of wild flowers that anyone would find out in the countryside. I smiled and took them putting my face in them and taking a deep breath. They smelled beautiful.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps and we both looked up in surprise as Captain America turned the corner and headed towards us. He smiled at me and I felt myself blush a tad before I looked away. He must be so used to all the girls throwing themselves at him and they had to be so beautiful. Bucky watched his friend approach and stood up to greet him.

“Good to see that you’re awake Miss Carson.”

“Thank you Captain. It’s good to be awake.”

He laughed and I felt confused as to what was so funny. Was there something I wasn’t aware of going on? He seem to sense my embarrassment and he stopped laughing. “Please, call me Steve. Steve Rogers.”

He put his hand forward and it took me a second to realize he was offering me his hand to shake. I took it lightly and smiled shyly. “Pleasure to meet you.”

He smiled and turned to Bucky. “You ready to go?”

“Actually that was why I was here. I was hoping to entice Miss Carson out of bed for the evening.” Bucky said looking at me. “I felt like a week in bed was enough for anyone to go insane and after everything I figured it would be nice to get up and dance.”

“Dancing?” I laid the flowers down on the table next me. “I’ve been in bed a week?”
I felt the room spin and I had to grab at the bed to keep myself from swaying. They both stepped forward but I held up my hand to stop them. I looked at them and they were baffled. I could feel my ears ringing and I made my eyes focus on a crack in the ceiling 30 feet above me.

“Steve did you just-.”

“Yes I did Bucky.” I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked back at them. “Have your eyes always done that?”

“Done what?” I felt my eyebrows pull together in confusion.

“Turn-.” Steve was at a loss for words. “Turn from green to golden like that?”

I was lost before it hit me what they were talking about. All of those injections must have done something to my body like I thought before. I knew I wouldn’t be normal after all of that happened. “No, they don’t. I guess those experiments finally did something to me after all.”

I blinked back the tears and when Bucky went to grab my hand for support I pulled away afraid maybe I was contagious or something. I wiped my eyes and smiled at them. “So, what was this about dancing tonight? I could use a little bit fun after everything that happened. Only, I don’t have a thing to wear.”

“That I can help you with.” I looked up as a beautiful woman walked over with a gentle smile gracing her face as she looked at me. Steve smiled as she walked over and something in the way he stood as she approached and the way his eyes lit up told me he had feelings for her. “Agent Carter.”

“Pleasure Agent Carter.” She held out her hand and I took it slowly as she helped me up. It took a second for my legs to hold up on their own but I eventually got it. It’s been awhile since I was able to walk. “Now what was this about a dress?”

A few hours later everyone was celebrating being rescued and how a group of men including Bucky and Steve were going to do something involving a train. I sipped my whiskey at the table and just watched everyone dancing and laughing. I felt so on the outside that even in this crowded room I felt alone. I couldn’t stop thinking about how those bastards had done something to me that involved my eyes changing colors. Was I really that different now? Was it contagious? Was I going to die? I had all of these questions and I knew no one had the answers to them. Besides I was sure any answers would be met with more questions. I watched a group of drunken men flirt with a group of women who I guessed were either nurses or worked with any form of papers that came with working for the Army.

I had just finished the last of my glass when another was placed in front of me. I looked up at Peggy Carter and smiled in thanks. She looked lovely in her dress and I felt like I paled in comparison. She let me borrow a dress from her closest that was dark green that set off my tan skin and complimented my dark hair and green eyes. Well my green eyes for now unless they changed again.

“You know Bucky hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you since you arrived.” She said laughing and I felt myself blush. I looked over to the two best friends as they sat at the bar talking. Steve looked over to us and caught me looking at them. He smiled and looked away but when I looked at Bucky I saw him watching me. He raised his glass to me and I smiled and raised my as well. He winked and I smiled more. I guess that was all the encouragement he needed because he took a huge gulp of whatever he had and got up to walk over to me.

“See?” Carter said winking at me as well.

“I hope I don’t embarrass myself doing this. If anything happens I blame you Agent.” I said in a rushed breath because in a moment later Bucky was standing at our table with his hand held out for me to take.

“May I have this dance?”

“After the way you helped me? Yes you may.” I said smiling back at him deciding if I was going to die from the experiments at least I would die having fun and being happy. No sense in wasting time right?

Little did I know that what was injected into me would actually keep me alive. Alive and alone. I will age just like a normal person but at a much slower rate. At 24 I was injected with the serum and I would look 24 for the next 70 years. When Bucky died we all mourned, Steve the most but after he brought the plane down into the ice and disappeared Peggy really fell onto some hard times. I stayed with her for the longest time and help build S.H.I.E.L.D. to all its glory. Now under the orders of Director Nick Fury I was one of his most trusted Agents. We still didn’t know what I was injected with but we used it to our advantages. I was trained by the best on how to fight and when something needed to be done I was the one sent out with Natasha to do the job. When word came to me that Captain America had been found and was alive I leapt for joy but wasn’t able to go and visit due to a mission. Now was my chance. I was sent on a new mission. I had to recruit Captain America into the Avengers.

Easier said than done.