She opened her eyes. A bright LED-light burned into her eyes. She rubbed her hands, covered with black leather gloves, over her face, before she sat up. In the background she heard doors opening and closing, people talking, screaming and begging. Rubbing her neck, she tried to remember how she got here, in this room of 10 by 10 feet. At the other side of the room she saw a small closet, a desk and a chair. Above the desk was a mirror, with a note. She stepped out of the bed and walked to the desk, removing the note and read:
"Your name is Julia Berger. You have the power to absorb life from people by your hands…."
She looked at her left hand and removed her glove. She investigated her hand some more. Then her door opened and a soldier, with a laser-shotgun, entered her room while he spoke in Russian. Julia became scared not knowing what he said and by her fear she froze. The soldier grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room. He placed her in line with other people. The line with people started to walk and she had no choice to walk with them.
During the walk she looked at her bare hand. She remembered what she'd read on the note: you have the power to absorb life. Suddenly the line stopped and Julia bumped into the man in front of her. He turned around and looked angrily in her eyes. She felt intimidated. "I…I'm sorry," she stuttered.
An announcement was made by somebody with a German accent, but nobody could see him. "Soldiers, welcome at this HYDRA facility. Here, you will be trained as the best soldiers of the universe." Julia looked around trying to find out where this voice comes from. "Please follow our instructions or else you will be punished." As Julia looked around, she saw a man of mid 60's, dressed in a grey suit with a black tie, walking down the stairs followed by a young-looking man, mid 40's. "This is your leader, Alexander Pierce."
"Good morning, everyone," Alexander Pierce continued. Everybody mumbled good morning. The men walked along the line with people looking at them, one by one. "As you all just heard, you will be trained to be the best soldiers. The trainings are hard." He stood in front of Julia. "We will show no mercy." She swallowed her fear down her throat. They continued walking, "Each of you will be placed in a group and each group has their own mission." He turned around and walked back along the line, while the other man stood still. "If you do not obey, a hard punishment will follow." Once again, he stood in front of Julia. "Do not fail and do not disappoint us." Julia nodded as she swallowed, once again, her fear away. "I wish you all the best of luck. Guards, you may form the groups." He looked into Julia's eyes. "Except for you. Follow me."
Alexander Pierce, Julia, the young man and two guards walked through a hallway. They stopped at a door with two guards. Pierce entered a code into the door and opened it. He, Julia and the man entered the room followed by the security guards. The two guards who were walking them stayed outside to guard the door.
Julia looked around the room as they entered. The room had giant windows, black leather furniture and was very light.
"As you can see, young lady," Alexander said as he walked to the big window behind his desk. "All of the men and women here are very trained. Except for you. Do you have any possible idea why?" he asked as he looked outside, into the darkness of the world.
"No sir," Julia replied with a trembled voice.
"Think again."
Julia became nervous as the young man stood next to her, leaning forward with his hands on his hips. She looked at her left hand. Then she looked at the bare-naked arms of the man. Absorb life from people, as she remembered. Carefully she moved her left hand to the bare-naked arm of the man. Suddenly she grabbed it. The man started to scream as she held his arm. She could feel the energy flowing from his body into her body. After 5 seconds she released him. She was in shock as she looked at her hand.
"You piece of shit," the man yelled as he slapped her in the face, causing her to fall. The two guards aimed their gun at Julia. She held up her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't know that was going to happen!"
The man growled as he tried to punch her. "Rumlow, calm down!" Pierce ordered. The man tried to remain calm. Alexander Pierce threw a leather glove towards Julia. "Perhaps you need this." She caught and looked at it. She then looked at Pierce. "Put it on and have a seat," he said as he took place in his chair. Julia was in doubt. Pierce gestured her to take a seat in the couch. Carefully she stood up and sat down in the couch while she put on the glove. Rumlow stood behind her, arms crossed over his chest.
"Any idea now?" Pierce said.
After a moment of thinking, Julia replied: "Maybe of what just happened?"
Pierce sat down, folded and placed his hands on his desk. "You see, you are very different than the other soldiers we are training here. The soldiers here are very strong and very willingly to co-operate. But you…." Julia became even more nervous and scared. "You are here now for a month and don't progress in your fighting skills. Have you ever had a fight in your life?" Julia thought for a moment, then shook her head. "But you do have mutant powers. Do you ever use them?" Once again, she shook her head. Alexander Pierce gave her a smile. "Well…maybe it will be the moment to use them. But first…" He then snapped his fingers. The guards started to move and grabbed Julia by the arms.
"Hey!" Julia cried out scared. "What's going to happen? What are you going to do with me?"
Alexander Pierce kept silenced. She started to beg as she was dragged out of the room. "Let me go! Please!"
The guards said nothing as they kept dragging her through the hallway, followed by Rumlow. They went down a basement where men in lab coats stood around a machine. The guards threw her into the seat of the machine. After that the lab coated men restrained her arms with leather belts. "Please, what is going to happen?" Julia begged.
Rumlow walked over to her, leaned into her and looked deeply in her eyes. "This is your punishment," he said followed by a mean laugh.
Tears welled up in Julia's eyes. "Please, forgive me," she begged in a whisper.
He continued laughing as he made space for the men in lab coats. A helmet with wires was placed on her head. "This will sting a little bit," Rumlow teased as he pushed a button. Julia's screams filled the room as electricity flowed through her mind and body.
He was screaming as he quickly sat up in his bed. Heavily breathing, sweat dripping over his face and body, he looked around to see where he was. It was dark. Next to the bed was a night stand with a lamp. He turned it on. Once again he looked around once the room was filled with light. Nothing to see. He stepped out of bed, opened the bedroom door quietly and walked to the bathroom. He opened the water tap and splashed some water on his face. He dried his face with a towel and headed for the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and took a can of Heineken beer. While he walked to the living room, he opened the can and started to drink. He looked out of the window. He saw how the city lights enlightened the streets. He took another sip of his beer. He released a sigh and took a seat on his couch. Next to his couch was a small table with a journal and a pen. He took the journal and started to write in it as he kept drinking his beer. A moment later, a knock on his apartment door. He looked up, "Who's there?"
"It's me, Steve."
He stood up and walked to the door. He looked through the peephole on the door. He saw his blond haired best friend, Steve Rogers. He opened the door and let him in.
"Are you okay, Bucky?" Steve asked.
Bucky Barnes released a sigh and shook his head as he closed the door. "It's that nightmare again," he admitted as he walked back to his couch. Steve followed him and saw the can of beer on the small table.
"So, you're drinking your problems away?" he asked concerned.
"Yup, what else can I do about it?"
"Well, you can talk about it."
Bucky shook his head, "Not every day, Steve. Someday you will be sick and tired of me." He took another sip from his beer. Then he gave the journal to Steve. Steve opened the journal and started to read. While he read, Bucky emptied his can of beer while he walked to the kitchen.
"Have you ever met her?" Steve asked.
"Never!" Bucky answered from the kitchen. He came back to the living room, eating a slice of salami pizza. "Never saw her in Siberia, as far as I know."
Steve kept reading as he asked: "Do you want to find out?"
Bucky shook his head with his mouth full of pizza.
Steve closed the journal and walked to his friend. "Listen, if you want to talk, come to me. I'm not getting tired of you." He placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder, "Or else I wouldn't have let you on my team." Bucky smiled and mumbled a thanks. Then they embraced each other. "Go back to sleep," Steve said in his best friends ear, "Who knows what kind of day it's going to be tomorrow." Steve released his friend and went back to his own apartment.
Bucky released a sigh and laid down on his couch.
Julia opened her eyes. She found herself laying on the ground in her room. The bright LED-light lightened her room. She turned around, lying on her stomach. A severe pain shot through her body. She tried to stand up, but her body was in too much pain to function. She turned around and laid back down her back. She stared at the ceiling and tried to remember what happened. Memory flashes went through her mind:
Note
Soldiers
Her mutant powers
Alexander Pierce
Rumlow
She laid her hands over her ears and closed her eyes to stop the flashes. After a while she looked up and noticed the note on her mirror again. She rolled over on her stomached and crawled to the desk. By grabbing the desk she tried to stand up. She felt the pain, but remained standing. She took the note and read.
Your name is Julia Berger. You have the power to absorb life from people by your hands, but if you hold them too long, life will leave their body and die while you live.
"But what's too long?" she wondered in a whisper. She continued reading.
You are here to be trained to be a Winter Soldier. Hold on….
"Oh my god," Julia whispered in shock. "Who wrote this?"
Then the door opened. Quickly she put the note in the pocket of her jeans. She turned around to see who it was, but before she knew it, two pair of hands grabbed her arms and dragged her through the hallway. "No, not again!" she begged.
Once again she was in the office of Alexander Pierce. He sat in his chair behind his desk, Rumlow behind him. "I hope you recovered from your punishment." Julia stayed silenced as she was being pushed into a chair by the guards. Pierce had a file in his hand. "This is your mission," he said as he handed over the file to Julia. She took it and glared at it. "In there you will find all the information you need." She opened the file and saw a picture of a young man in an uniform of a sergeant. The file included a plane ticket to New York and a set of keys. "Find this man and bring him here." Julia looked at him. "Do not ask questions and do not fail. Now go," Pierce demanded. Julia carefully stood up and walked unsteadily out of the office.
Meanwhile in New York, the Avengers were all in a meeting room in the Avengers facility. Natasha Romanoff and Steve Roger, better known as the Black Widow and Captain America, sat next to each other.
"Where's Bucky?" the Black Widow asked Captain America.
Steve wanted to answer her question but before he could give it, Bucky Barnes entered the meeting room. His skin was pale, dark circles underneath his eyes and slightly unstable at his feet. "What happened to him?" she asked.
"Nightmares," Steve answered.
Bucky took a seat as Nick Fury started to talk. "Avengers, HYDRA is forming a new group of soldiers. Perhaps stronger than the Winter Soldiers we all know."
Bucky released a sigh and whispered to himself, "Not again."
Nick Fury continued, "We have to stop them before the country or even the world will be taken over by HYDRA." He looked at Bucky. "As for you, sergeant Barnes, you won't fight this time. Because they also want you back." Bucky looked confused. "They want to re-program you for their next war." Bucky looked a bit shocked. "For your own safety we will send you back to Wakanda," Nick continued. "King T'Challa knows the situation and will welcome you in his village. Your plane leaves tonight."
Bucky nodded. Nick Fury walked off, out of the meeting room. Bucky and the team stood up. All of his teammates said goodbye to him by hugging him, one by one. Captain America was the last person to say goodbye. "You know what I have told you?"
"Don't worry, man. I'll be fine," Bucky said reassuringly. They smiled at each other and hugged.
After hours of travelling, Julia arrived in her temporary, furnished apartment. She dropped all her bags and dropped herself in the couch. For moments she just stared at an empty wall, thinking about what happened the past 36 hours. But her mind kept blank. Pain in her body started to well up. She stood up and walked to one of her bags, to take out some painkillers. Two pills rolled out of the small, plastic jar into her hand. She threw them into her mouth, followed by half a bottle of Coca Cola Zero.
In the meantime, Steve brought Bucky to the J.F. Kennedy airport. He parked the car at a kiss-and-ride parking lot. They stepped out of the car. Steve went to the trunk, opened it and took out two big bags. Bucky took it them from his friend.
"Let me know when you have arrived in Wakanda."
"I will," Bucky said and walked off to customs. Steve stepped back into his car and drove off.
As Bucky walked in the airport, he could see a lot of security. He found it very odd and unusual. He walked by one of the security guards as he wanted to go to the check-in-desk. As he was five steps removed from the guard, the guard mumbled in his walkie-talkie. Bucky glanced around his shoulder and saw him talking in the walkie talkie. He stood in line to check-in. While he was waiting, he looked around at all the people and the guards.
Julia was on her laptop, looking for information about her mission. Suddenly her cellphone started to vibrate. She almost jumped up from fear because she hadn't expected a message. She took the phone and read the message she'd just received. She sighed, slapped her hand on the desk, got up and left.
At the gate, he was waiting to board the plane to Africa. Then his ears caught on a language he preferred to ignore. He looked up to see where it was coming from. He saw a young woman with a little boy in her arms, probably two years old.
"Samolet," the woman said to her child as she pointed the airplane. The boy said nothing and just stared outside, sleeping with his eyes opened. The woman pointed out a car that drove by. "Avtomobil."
Bucky felt getting nervous and grabbed out his earphone and smartphone out of his jacket. He plugged the earphone into his ears. Suddenly his phone failed and turned off. He sighed, annoyed at the situation, and rushed to the bathrooms. In the bathroom he looked at himself in the mirrors. He placed his hands on the washing stand and looked deeply into his eyes. "Stay away, you beast! Just stay away!" he growled at his own image. Suddenly he heard people screaming
