Lost Souls Brought by Forgotten Memories - REHASHED

After they were done eating, they wandered over to Central Park. Angelina had stopped by a small grocery stand and bought a bag of grapes, to Dylan's amusement and curiosity. The first pond that they stopped by, Angelina squealed when she saw the ducks and started taking grapes off the branches and tossing it towards them as they came by, realizing that she had food.

"I like ducks." She told Dylan as she watched them fondly. "I like ducklings too. You can't feed them bread cuz it's bad for them. Rice and grapes on the other hand is good." She held out a branch filled with grapes at him. "You feed."

"Where did you learn that they eat grapes and stuff instead?" Dylan blinked at her curiously, taking the offered pieces and sent them flying into the water gently so not to startle the birds away, "Ducklings are adorable. In fact, all baby birds are so cute. Really fluffy from their down-feathers before their adult ones grow in."

"Internet." Angelina said as she tossed the grapes again, just as gentle. "I created my own computer when I was back there." She watched the ducks squawk fondly as she watched them eat. "I was good at creating things like that. Built an interface, an interactive base, a tower...I know a lot."

"That's really awesome. As good as I am with computers and consoles, that's just really for gaming. I couldn't build my own," Dylan shook his head, "As...awful as they are, they did teach you and Bucky some useful things, didn't they?"

Angelina nodded, watching the ducks for a bit. "Tată and Uncle Steve don't know what I can do. Tată just recently figured out I can hack into F.R.I.D.A.Y. It was my fault. Should've been more careful. The reward was nice, I like he's proud of me." She placed her elbow on her knee and let her head lean against her hand. "I don't like keeping secrets, Dyl-dal. They hurt. I think sometimes I should say something. But what's the use? Uncle Steve will be sad. Tată very well could say that he's no longer my tată and leave me. Wouldn't blame him. Wouldn't blame him at all. He's been through enough. Too much. I'm bringing the mood down. I'm sorry. We can go back to talking about games or ducks. Or anything else if you want."

Dylan was horrified at the thought, "Bucky would /never/ leave you! Not of his own free will, anyway!" He shook his head so hard his scruffy sandy-blond hair whipped around his forehead, "Everyone's just so shocked because that would take a genius just like Tony to do something like that. Which, you apparently are. I don't think anybody but /Vision/ could've done that. Wait until the shock factor wears off. For all you know, Steve /might/ be sad, but that? That's something we can use. You can turn the tables on those who hurt you both. Make them feel just what they lost by using the tricks they taught you against them."

"True." Angelina agreed wholeheartedly. "It'll make them wish they didn't hurt us. Make them wish they thought things through. We'll have to wait and see. It's all we can do. I didn't mean to upset you. Hydra is a sad topic. It makes me think sad things. Reminds me of what the walls would say sometimes."

"Tell me...what the walls would say? I'm okay with you telling me these things, Angie. It helps me understand you better," Dylan assured, "Dyl-dal, by the way? What is that?"

"Your nickname." Angelina replied patiently. "Dilly-dally just doesn't work. So. Dyl-dal. If you don't like it I won't use it." She took a bite of the left over grapes, allowing the juices to flow through her mouth and wet her throat. "They would echo. Remind me of what I am. Who I was to them. Why I was in there in the first place. I was the best thing that happened to tată. Everyone knew it. Everyone used it." She stood up and stretched out legs so that she could bend forward and realign her hamstrings. Poor legs were fucking exhausted sitting like that. "Uncle Steve and tată both have the same thoughts. Uncle Steve is louder though. He wants to know what it is he's done wrong. Tată isn't sure if he wants to know or not. There's times he looks and he wonders what they did to me. But then there's times where he looks and he firmly denies himself that curiosity. That it doesn't matter."

Dylan nodded and took a few grapes to chew on himself, give him time to think before he responded. This was serious business, this was. He wasn't put off by it. In fact, he wanted to be here with her more. He was sure she could read him like a book as his mind whirled around in circles and he was okay with that, too. Turning to her, he was about to open his mouth to tell her that it did matter, when he saw blood dripping from her nose. "Shit!" he cursed and reached into his pocket and pulled out some napkins from pizza earlier and folded it up, pressing it under her nose, "Are you okay? That just came out of nowhere."

Angelina whimpered as she held the napkins tight against her nose. She nodded her head and whimpered when she felt her head throb. Headache. She pushed herself. But it had been really, really quiet save for Dylan's thoughts. Was it because her thoughts were just as damaging? She could feel the nosebleed getting worse and she sighed loudly before leaning against Dylan. "Guide me home." She whimpered. "Biohazard."

"You'll be okay, I got you," Dylan soothed, rubbing her back. It was about five-ten minutes back the way they came and he pulled out his phone, finding the number Pepper gave him if he needed a ride so he didn't have to deal with taxis, "Take you home and we can watch more FMA, or Fruits Basket, how's that sound?" he cooed. At least until until she fell asleep. At her nod, he tightened his grip on her and they continued on their way.

~*~

It was much later in the evening, when the door for Angelina's bedroom opened up. The lights turned on, but they were dim just in case her headache hadn't receded. Floating in ahead of her, surrounded by the red magic Wanda possessed, a blond ball-jointed doll with purple eyes and a baby blue Lolita dress made it's way through the hotel room of sorts that was Angelina's temporary home until her actual bedroom was completed.

Wanda reached the bed and flourished her fingers, making the doll spin around and she cooed in Romanian, "<Are you awake, little angel?>"

Angelina blinked open her eyes. She hadn't been aware that she had dozed off and normally she was a little more alert. Dylan wasn't with her, so he must have clocked out to go home. She rubbed her eyes and focused on the doll that was spinning. She also enjoyed the way the red magic was swirling about, a deep red that was warm and not frightening. "Pretty." Angelina smiled, complimenting both the doll and the magic. "You have nice magic."

"<Thank you. I don't get to speak in my native tongue very often, not since...>" A pause and then a soft sound, "<With you and Buck being able to speak it, I thought it would be okay. It is a pleasure to meet you, little angel.>" The doll bowed to her, "<May I call you that?>"

"<It's comforting. Dad called me that a lot when I was younger. I like your language. It's nicer than the language we were forced to learn."> Angelina scooted so that Wanda could sit down if she wanted to. She grinned at the doll and bowed back, pleased as peaches. "<Does the doll have a name?>"

"<I didn't really think of one,>" Wanda admitted, taking her shoes off so she could get completely on the bed, crossing her legs and she made the blond doll continue to dance, "<Would you like to name her? Pepper gave me the pieces as a comfort thing so I could have something to keep my mind occupied off of what happened to my brother.>"

"<I can't read your mind, but I could feel like something was missing.>" Angelina looked at the doll curiously. "<Maria is a pretty name. Beloved. Rebellion. All depends on what a person thinks when they hear the name. It's versatile.>" She watched the doll dance for a bit longer before turning to Wanda. "<Can you read mine?>"

"<No. I can read Vision's from time to time if he's not keeping his barrier's up. We can also talk telepathically. You might have one on you by reflex>," Wanda tapped her chin, "Maria. That is pretty. I love it. Do you want to play with her?>" She asked as she made Maria do a backflip, then float closer and wave her arms up and down, "<My brother was my twin. He's...not /dead/, but he's in cryo-stasis. They know they have the technology to save him, but...they...need to figure out how to get it to work. He was pronounced dead on the ship, after all.>"

"<Sovokia.>" Angelina gently reached up and took the doll carefully from the air. She touched the magic wisps, enjoying how it sparked against her finger tips. "<I wonder if it's something I can look into. I'm good with computers. They like me. I know what cryo is like too. Ice-sleep. I never been in it. Dad has. Many times. Maybe don't tell him your brother's in that. He might get upset and not understand.>

"<Bucky's cryo was to keep him preserved for war. Pietro's is to save his life. I will do what you ask, however, and not speak of it to him.>" Wanda nodded, also making some wisps play with Angelina's hair, "<If you are good with computers then that might be a good idea. I can also see if Vision will be willing to help me teach you how to use your mental powers. If that is something you want to do. Being able to speak telepathically with you would be useful, and you could do the same with Bucky. I know he keeps his mind open for you, but you can't speak to him back.>"

Angelina nodded her head. Bucky did keep his mind open. He made sure never to block her out, no matter the memory or how horrible it was. She heard his doubts, mostly about him being a good father and a good role-model. But she knew that her father loved her, and wanted her to trust him. "<It's supposed to be a one-way street.>" Angelina said hesitantly. "<If Hydra finds out I can talk back...I'm gonna get into a lot of trouble.>"

"<Little angel, you are no longer in the hands of the snakes. The eagles can no longer get their talons on you, either. If you want to make it two-way, then you can do that. There won't be any punishment,>" Wanda told her firmly, taking her hand in hers, dropping her magic and making Angelina look at her, "<It will make it so much easier since you won't have to make hand signals. You will be able to plan more privately, and be more deadly that way as well. It is one reason why Vision and I work so well together, as did I with my brother, never mind we were twins.>"

Would her tată do it with her? Would he be willing to practice with her? To allow her to try to get into his mind as open as it was? Would her Uncle Steve try? Would he be willing to be the test subject? Angelina had a feeling that Uncle Steve would say yes faster than tată would and forget that he would be working with a mind reader.

She looked at Wanda, gripped her hands, and tried to gather courage.

She couldn't ask tată nor Steve. It was a sad realization, but the honest truth. He already had his mind messed with too much. He didn't need her fucking things up. Steve, as kindhearted as he was and gentle to boot, probably didn't want her to see everything. He had wounds that were deep and on display in a museum.

"<Okay.>" Angelina said after a moment. She would have to text them, but maybe Calla would be willing or even Dylan for that matter.

Dylan was probably the better shot. He liked her and was a nice man. He didn't have issues with mind stuff. Calla was underneath Steve's protection since he liked her. Hurting someone that Uncle Steve liked was practically a federal offense. Even if they didn't know it. "<Talking is a good thing. We can work on that. I like that. Sometimes I don't talk if the walls get chatty and strange. So it's a good idea to have a way to talk when I get like that. Deadly battles aside.>"

"<See? There you go!>" Wanda beamed at her and wrapped her up in a hug, "<You can have Maria, if you'd like. I don't play with her enough and I get the feeling she's lonely, too. You missed dinner, but if you're hungry I can have Bucky bring you some food. Then you can show her to him!>"