Her POV.
Quinn was a “cry once and move on” kinda person. The little memories she had from her parents were multiple goodbyes and see you soons, until there weren’t. Her grandmother on the maternal side was the only thing they left her, well, apart from her college fund. With dead parents and only an abusive relative left there wasn’t much love around her, which didn’t make her heartless, but it built her character and made her follow her goals with more fervor. That’s how she became a successful surgeon, until she blipped for five damn years. After coming back to the place who terrorized her for eighteen years, it’d be easy to predict her downfall, yet instead it made her want her life back even more.
It wasn’t the expensive watch sitting on her wrist which made her proud, but the effort she put by working hard to earn it. No one treated her well while growing up, and she learned that the only one who could do that was herself, and those trivial material things, somehow were a constant reminder of her resilience. Maybe that’s why when she was a kid the story of Captain America and his buddy hit close to home, because the man himself grew to be orphan, yet instead of it signifying an obstacle, it made him persevere more. Still, she had no Bucky Barnes to fight her fights with back then, like Steve did. Somehow, now, the same kind of person she longed for was walking towards her at their local sushi business.
“You’re awfully punctual.” He breathed, while sitting in front of her.
“My work requires me to be so, most of the times being a matter of life or death.” She replied, before sipping from her soda. “So, I imagine you have news from the intruders of my apartment.”
“Yeah, well.” He scratched the back of his neck. “It’s more than that. It has to do with your family, and I don’t know if you’re willing to unveil things from your past.” Of course Quinn knew that whatever her parents were doing was out of the ordinary, but she didn’t think it would be something to worry for after their passing.
“My parents died when I was 8 on a plane accident, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t an accident indeed.” Bucky listened attentively. Although it was a matter of security and he was on working mode, the woman was still someone close to him some way. “They knew things.”
“They did.” He agreed, then stood up and offered his hand to help her stand up. “You need to come with me.”
On the outside she seemed calm and collected, but when it came to her past, it was difficult to keep her usual steady self. Even more when people trespassed her apartment and were dangerous enough to call the attention of the Winter Soldier himself. So yes, she appreciated the strong grip Bucky had on her hand because it was the perfect amount of soothing, she needed to proceed with whatever this was. He walked her to a car, which was his apparently, and opened the copilot door for her.
“We’re going to meet Joaquin, a man I met because of Sam and we trust him enough with this kind of business.” He explained while driving.
“Isn’t it compromising to treat with things outside their usual labor? Weren’t they working for the air force?”
“Things changed now that there’s a new Captain America.” A small silence came after that sentence. Quinn thought twice before asking a question.
“How do you feel about that?” Another silence. Bucky wasn’t faced with those kinds of questions, at least not from someone who wasn’t his therapist. But he found himself having no issues on being honest to her, even more now that they were on the verge to unveil her family’s secrets.
“Relieved after the whole Walker situation. Even more relieved to have Sam as his successor, not only because he’s the one for the job, but…”
“Because it frees you from being a candidate.” She completed his sentence, and he softly smiled.
“Yeah. I can’t control or change what I’ve caused in the past, but at least I do have it on the life I’m having right now.”
“And even like that you got linked to another sketchy situation with me.” She laughed, with sarcasm.
“It keeps me fresh though. Not this situation itself but the whole having an annoying neighbor business.” They made eye contact and she smirked.
“I tend to have that effect on people.” Quinn added with fake cockiness. “Adding a little spice to your life.”
“It took a while to get used to it, I’m still getting used to it.” He kept smiling while looking on the road, and was a bit hesitant to admit his next words. “But I like it.” Quinn smiled but with her eyes on the road too.
“You like what?” She teased him.
“Don’t make me say it.” He plead.
“Come on.” She insisted funnily. “I’ll pay you $100 if you put it on a sentence.”
“I’m not for sale.”
“$200.” He sighed and feigned to be convinced by the amount.
“I like having you in my life.” The man admitted, with false annoyance on his tone.
“Aww.” She beamed, playfully pinching his cheek. “So wholesome, Barnes. For what it’s worth, I do appreciate the presence of your physical form on my surroundings from time to time as well.”
“Tsk.” He snorted.
“I won’t take any complaints, not when I said that for free.”
“Parker.” He painfully warned.
*
“Your parents were Richard and Mary Parker, they passed on a plane crash a bit over than 20 years ago. Am I right?” Quinn nodded at Joaquin, who was corroborating information. They were at an office building inside a meeting room. The man was standing whilst Bucky and her sat side to side. “Do you know more about that?”
“My dad was a scientist and my mom his assistant, they were constantly travelling for business or conventions or talks, whatever it was.”
“What about other people from your family?”
“I only had my maternal grandmother. Never heard or knew of more people on my dad’s side.” He gave Bucky a questioning look, and he nodded.
“In simple terms, I’m afraid you know nothing. Right now, I’m going to inform you of things of heavy weight which might be hurtful or cause a major effect in you.” Quinn gulped, her eyes instinctively looking at Bucky who was her only form of support at that point. He squeezed her hand and nodded.
“I’ll be fine.” After those words, Joaquin pressed an artifact and a bunch of images of files and pictures spread in the air, which was new and mesmerizing to her. “So this is how being an Avenger feels like.” She commented, using sarcasm to try and calm herself.
“Your parents had on their name another apartment different from your first direction of Brooklyn. This one is in Queens, and it’s now owned by May Parker, whom we presume is your dad’s sister. She lives there with her teen son named Peter. Your aunt plays an important role because she was the one who inherited your parents’ ownings, which was that property. The only thing on your name was the apartment where you live now and your college trust fund.” Pictures of her long-lost family showed up and it made her chest hurt a bit. The kid though, had tremendous resemblance with her. Then her focus came back.
“What about documents? Their science works?”
“Disappeared magically after their accident, and that’s were I’m getting.” Documents with statements and videos of her parents experimenting with spiders were shown. “They worked on spiders to replicate their abilities in human people, or at least tried to do so. This investigation came to the ears of the wrong people, you may imagine, and we fear is the reason of their accident.”
“Their last will was to protect their investigation.” She concluded.
“No.” Joaquin replied, turning off the images display. “Their last will was to protect you. The day they died, they were coming back from reuniting with what once was Shield, which helped to erase any trace of your existence because they already knew danger was close. Your dad had previously helped the agency in science matters, so they had good relations with him. That’s why Shield oversaw protecting them, but the opposing force was stronger. As soon as Shield found out about their passing, they deleted your parents’ work as previously promised.”
“So, said force who killed my parents is the same one who found me and try to find information of the spider thing?”
“The spider thing has already been replicated, there’s no other reason why someone named Spiderman exists.” She nodded. “What they’re looking for is yet to be discovered.”
“Alright.” She sighed, numb with all she found out. “What’s the next step, then?”
“To find whatever there is to find before them.” Bucky added.
“And who exactly are them?” She asked. Joaquin and the man once again shared a look. Bucky lowered his gaze as let go of her grip to touch his hands as a sign of distress.
“Hydra was the cause of the plane crush. Since Hydra doesn’t exist anymore, I assume that former workers went independently to try and use the spider serum the way they used the super soldier one.” Quinn’s heart sank the minute she heard the name.
“Bucky.” Her eyes watered. “If Hydra was behind all of this…” Bucky gulped as he faced her saddened look.
“Yes, Quinn. I’m afraid there’s a possibility that I was involved in your parent’s death.”