Chapter ll

"But a sweet little headache

You'll turn out to be some day"

Bing Crosby, You're A Sweet Little Headache, 1939


47°41′11″N, 15°4′31″E

Austrian Alps

October 1943

Daniela wakes up sitting in her own filth, an overwhelming scent of stale vomit burns her eyes and makes her nose run. Thin rough fabric sticks to her skin and she coughs at the smell permeating the air from the garment. Daniela blinks becoming acutely aware of the darkness around her, she can feel her eyes moving but can see nothing in front of her. Her first thought is to call for help, she lets out one scream, and the sound of harsh German to shut up, freezes the rest in her throat. The soldiers must have taken her here, if she makes noise they might hurt her. Daniela isn't an idiot, she won't be the girl who screams for help and gets shot for it. Blindly Daniela puts a hand out and pushes forward hoping to hit something to give her a clue as to her surroundings. Instead she flings forward. Barely catching herself she shifts her weight to her palms, the floor is cold and grimy. Specks of what she hopes is dirt dig into her skin, Daniela scrapes the soft pads of her fingers along the rough stone beneath her. Her knees grind along the ground as she crawls around. Each shift in movement makes the smell of her vomit slap her in the face, with each breath she gets closer to throwing up again.

There's nothing in here, they've stuck me in an empty cell wallowing in darkness.

She gives up, realizing that she's locked in the dark, all alone. Daniela sits in a corner and touches the fabric bunched along her collar bone, "you can do this. You can live through this, just stay strong."

Her voice is hoarse and quiet, but the silence inside the cell is eating away at her. Daniela had to say something just for her own sanity. Her father is the one who let this happen, if he had just let her...Daniela shakes those thoughts away, bitterness will not help her escape. Daniela brushes her fingers along the back of her neck and tilts her fingernail behind the top button to unhook it. Each button is a struggle to unclip but it's worth the effort, by the time she has undone most of the buttons the wet sticky fabric has begun to peel itself off her. Daniela slips the dress off and sits in the simple cotton knit panties that hit her mid thigh (she sends a prayer of thanks for not fighting her mother on the purchase), and the shirt that did nothing to cover her shoulders and offer no warmth. The cell is silent and the quiet drives her mad, but she's too scared to speak above a whisper.

The sound of crunching leather boots with a heavy foot echo outside her door, Daniela shifts further into the corner she's sitting in and stares wide eyed at the sound of creaking metal. A rectangle appears outlined by a thin line of light against the all encompassing darkness. The door slides open. A stream of dull light pours in and Daniela has to cover her eyes and slowly look up at the intruder. "Get up, woman."

She stands tall but doesn't say a word back to the soldier. He roughly takes Daniela's arm and yanks her out into a dim hallway.

He pushes her ahead and the tip of his boots dig into her heels, there's still specks of vomit stuck to the tips of her shoes. A short plump man with round glasses and a dark vest stands in front of a large door. "Frau Waltz, how nice to finally meet you. I am Doctor Zola."

Zola. She's heard that name before, it is the name of the scientist who requested her father. The man who has forced her whole family apart. Daniela raises her brows and spits in his face.

Zola merely smiles to the soldier beside her and the soldier sends a harsh slap across her face. Daniela bends forward and reaches to her burning cheek but decides against it. Her defiance will not be beaten into submission. She stands tall and looks her captor in the eyes. Daniela swore to stay strong, she would not let this little man control her will. Zola wipes her spit away with a handkerchief and bows meekly to her, "you are a rebellious girl with strong will. Good, that is very good...do you know why?"

Daniela remains silent, but keeps her eyes trained on the man in front of her.

"I will tell you, my dear." Zola clasps his hands together in front of him and rocks on his heels, "it means you will fight to live. I've lost many soldiers within the first day because they had no will to live. But you show promise."

Daniela forces herself to restrain whatever emotions are bubbling through her. There were others before her, soldiers, men who have fought in a war. Men who should have been strong enough to live, will she be next? Zola steps out of the doorway and opens his arm to her. "Any questions before we begin?"

She stays silent for a moment, she isn't sure if she should ask anything but maybe she can find a way out with more information. Daniela cycles through the possible questions that seem innocent enough to give her some clue as to where she is or whether there is any help to be found here. If there were other soldiers before her, maybe there are some soldiers here now. Men who know how to fight, maybe they can teach her or help her escape. Zola raises his brows and moves to let Daniela in. "No questions, the-"

"Am I the only one?"

Zola laughs, "ah, she does speak. Are you the only one? The only test subject?"

Daniela nods, Zola wets his lips and clasps his hands together again. "No, for now you are the only one. However, I have heard of another soldier with your defiance. I'm merely waiting for things to...settle. But do not worry yourself, I think he too will survive my work." Zola motions inside the lab and follows her inside. "Please take a seat and lie back on the table."

Daniela stands firm, her eyes trailing the metal surgical table with leather straps bound to the side. Zola sighs and pushes his glasses closer to his face, "if you do not comply I will have to make one of the guards strap you in and I don't think it will be very pleasant."

Daniela switches her gaze between the table and Zola. She won't listen to this man she will remain defiant even if it means she will be grappled into those straps. If she began to mindlessly follow the orders of these men Daniela would be no better than her father. Zola smiles to himself and waves the guard over who roughly pushes her onto the table and straps her wrists, ankles, arms, chest, and hips down. Zola leans over her and pats her shoulder, "let's start easy, shall we?"

Daniela stares ahead blankly as Zola reaches for his first needle.


Daniela stumbles along the hallway and is roughly shoved into her cell, her head burns and her blood burns and her skin burns and God, everything just burns. She collapses against the cold stone floor and sighs at the relief it has on the fire claiming her body.

She feels like she's being burned alive.

From the inside out.

Zola had told Daniela that half the soldiers that received this treatment died. And it is only the first day. They would know if the treatment worked if she's dead by tomorrow morning.

Daniela stretches her body across the floor. She has asked questions throughout the procedure to find out what was happening to her.

She is a curious girl, and if Daniela was going to die from this she wants to know what killed her. Zola had said it would make her strong enough for the next experiments.

She takes slow shallow breaths and shuts her eyes, not quite caring if she actually opens them again.

She wakes up on the table again, Zola smiles, "I see you've survived the initial trial. That is good, we now begin our next test."

"What will this one do?"

Zola smiles, "no more answers, Waltz. This one should not kill you, it will be painful, yes. But you will be fine." Daniela frowns as she feels a sharp jab of metal in her veins.

She breathes out in relief as her eyes roll back.


Bucky lifts the machinery and looks to Dum Dum Dugan, "how long we been here?"

"Long enough. A couple of days maybe?"

Bucky nods and cracks his knuckles, "I think I got an plan."

Dum Dum shifts his gaze around the room and nears Bucky, "the kind of plan that will get us out of here."

"What else would it be?" Bucky lowers his voice, "look I'm going to need a few more guys. Ones who won't be afraid to take action."

"Consider it done." Dum Dum Dugan was a resourceful man and Bucky knows he's the right man to recruit some more soldiers.

"Prisoner!" The voice is deep and gruff. One Bucky knows means trouble, "Prisoner!"

Bucky frowns and turns to Colonel Lohmer, the man bent on beating Bucky into submission. Lohmer clenches his fists, "shouldn't you be working?"

Bucky remains silent, his last tool of defiance.

"Answer me!" Lohmer's spit flies and Bucky can see the man's anger flash in his eyes.

Bucky bites at his cheek and takes a slow breath, his nostrils flare, jaw tightens. If he ate regularly he could take this guy, but Bucky's barely being fed every other day and his strength is slipping. Lohmer punches Bucky in the jaw and then sends another to his face. Bucky stands tall and squares his shoulders, ready to at least throw a few good punches in. Lohmer grabs Bucky by the neck and slams his knee into Bucky's gut. "Answer me!"

Bucky grins as another blow to his face makes him spit blood into Lohmer's boot. Lohmer growls and kicks Bucky in the gut, forcing him to the ground. Bucky starts to peel himself off the floor when Lohmer's boot rips into him over and over again. A crash echoes behind Bucky and a HYDRA guard calls Lohmer over. Lohmer wipes his gloved hands on his HYDRA uniform. "I think that's enough for today."

Bucky shifts his weight to his elbows and starts to lift himself. Lohmer frowns, "next time, Barnes I'll make you learn not to get up." Lohmer sends one last kick to Bucky's gut and heads to the guard peering into the machinery.

Bucky tucks his knees under himself and starts to stand. Dum Dum pulls Bucky off the ground, "you're an idiot. Lohmer would've stopped if you just answered him and stayed down."

"Lohmer is just a bully, and you can't submit to those kinds of men. You always get back up." Bucky spits blood into the ground and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

Dum Dum shakes his head, "you're the only guy I know who would get back up when he's going to lose the fight."

Bucky just smiles, "I'm not the only one, Dugan." His thoughts flashing to Steve's resilience. The kid knew how to lose a fight with more dignity than anyone else Bucky has ever come across.

Dum Dum stares at Bucky with a frown, "you're something else, Barnes. I'll tell you that much...I'm getting Lohmer out the way. It's the only chance we have of getting out."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Bucky rolls his eyes and goes to keep working.


Bucky frowns at the body being lifted away, Dum Dum nudges Bucky with his shoulder, "you should be smiling, Barnes. Lohmer is dead."

"They will be watching us now more than ever. Even if you and your men made it look like an accident." Bucky shakes his head and coughs, "I need to rethink my plan. Everyone should lay low for a while." Bucky didn't think Dum Dum was serious about his threat to Lohmer last week. Or at least serious enough to strike so soon.

Greene stands beside Bucky and twists the end of his mustache with the tips of his fingers and hacks into his sleeve, "well that's one less HYDRA member we need to worry about."

Bucky coughs and pulls the thin shirt tighter to himself, he could go for some of his mothers homemade broth and soup right now. A guard marches past and Bucky shifts what little strength he has left to the machine in front of him, his boot slips and he looses his footing. Bucky barely catches himself and the sudden fall shakes mucus loose from his lungs. Bucky coughs again and collapses onto his elbows. He's been getting weaker and whatever sickness that's been running rampant through the prisoners has finally reached him.

Bucky starts to pull himself together when a guard roughly pulls him to his feet. "Why have you stopped working?"

Bucky opens his mouth to respond, but a harsh rough cough shoots from his mouth. "You are sick and injured." The guard drags Bucky to the door, "we have a place for you."

He prays it's a place with some peace and quiet, Bucky's had a raging headache to fit along with the fever strumming his body.

The guard drags him to a line of cells, "this one is sick too."

A short man who looks like the pudgy short German version of Greene frowns, "that is too bad. What is your name, soldier?" Nice of him to speak in English. It's a small detail but Bucky appreciates knowing what's being said about him.

"Barnes. James Barnes." Bucky coughs again and blinks away tears from his eyes. That cough kicked his lungs around quite a bit.

"Oh wonderful! I was hoping to meet you." The man smiles, Bucky raises his brows, this little man is not making any sense. Bucky frowns as the man clasps his hands together and nods his head slowly. "Guard, you are positive this the man who would not be beaten?"

The guards response is gruff and he pushes Bucky forward and his knees almost give out.

"The guard verifies that you are the one who would get back up. Lohmer did have an eye for beating a rebellious spirit into submission. Let us be glad, you have come to me at this time...I have heard much about you, Barnes. I am Doctor Zola, we will become well acquainted, I'm sure." Zola looks to the guard, "Erskine was right about the qualities being amplified in his work, I've seen it with my own eyes...This will work marvelously."

The guard responds in such rushed German Bucky can't even pick out the few words he knows. The pudgy man smiles, "you will not be treated as the rest. You are strong. I will cure this illness, consider it an act of goodwill. Guard, take him to my lab, when I am finished deposit him with the other candidate. We cannot risk the sickness coming to them. I feel like these two might surpass our expectations."

Bucky doesn't know exactly what is happening but nothing about it feels good. The guard shoves Bucky to a large metal table with leather straps bound on the sides. The guard roughly pushes him into the table and straps down his entire body. Bucky has heard of the experiments done by the Nazis or HYDRA, or whoever it is that is turning humans into monsters. His eyes rove over the metal trays placed along the room and the needles that take up every inch of the table near him. The pudgy man puts on a white coat and adjusts his glasses, "you, Herr Barnes, will be made new. You are sick, but that will soon be gone. I replace your illness with a different kind of pain, but in the end I think you will thank me. If you survive to tomorrow, and I am quite certain you shall, I have high hopes for you." Zola turns to the guard standing beside the table, "I will summon you when I am finished."

The guard walks away and slams the door shut, Zola grabs a large syringe and smiles down at Bucky who stares back with wide frantic eyes, "this will hurt, but Waltz handled it just fine. I believe you can do the same."

The second the metal pierces his skin, Bucky feels fire blaze through his veins. His screams seem to fall upon deaf ears.


It's warm, much warmer than normal. Daniela's eyelids are heavy and she struggles to blink away sleep. Her muscles feel like they've been pulled apart like noodles, then braided together and pulled apart again. Daniela shifts onto her side and the hair on the back of her neck stands up from a moan in the opposite side of the cell. She reaches out and stiffens at the solid form her hand brushes against.

This can't be real, she's always alone.

Daniela pulls away and tentatively reaches out again, pressing her palm more firmly against the mass taking up half her cell. Daniela sucks in a breath, whatever or whoever, is in here is not a figment of her fractured imagination. She can hear fabric roughly brush the ground. A deep growl from the other side of the cell makes her heart pound, she crawls into the corner and waits for the mass to wake up.

After a few more pained groans and bones cracking from use, a deep masculine voice cuts through the warm air. "God, this hurts."

She sucks in a breath, it's definitely a man. An American one to be sure. His words bunch together and die off at the ends, like he lost the strength to keep the last few letters on. Daniela hears his slow pained breaths and the rustle of fabric, she listens to him scream and her heart pounds in her throat. She tries to remember all that English her mother made her learn and she finally strings together the words that seems to have left her. "It is like you are on...fire, no?"

Immediately the pained breathing slows, she can't see him but she can feel his state nonetheless. "Hello?"

Daniela sits silently and struggles to find her voice, "hello."

She can't see what he's doing but she can hear him moving, the man groans and she can hear him trying to fight the pain. It hurts when they first inject it, she knows. "Who are you?" His voice is softer this time.

"Daniela." Daniela stays in her corner, controlling her breaths. She's not alone, she's not the only one. The thought keeps ringing in her mind, she's not alone.

"I'm Bucky." Daniela frowns, strange name, but who is she to question this American. "How..how did you know what I feel?"

Daniela digs her nails into her palms, "I am like you, Zola is using me for...his tests." She musters some courage and reaches out, her palm hits something firm and rough, she grasps onto it. A shoulder, she thinks, "you will survive."

"I don't feel like I will." She hears him struggle for breath and Daniela frowns, "where are you from?"

"Germany." Daniela drops her hand from his shoulder and intertwines her fingers.

Silence falls for a moment, "how do you know so much English?"

Daniela keeps the tears in the back of her throat from turning into a sob. "My mother taught me." That's all she can force out and it's all she wants to say. He doesn't need to know about her mother or why her mother learned English. Or how the American soldier who taught her broke her heart and how her father was the one who picked up the pieces.

The man groans, "is there a trick to helping the pain?"

Daniela reaches out again, she hopes she can see how strong he is. Daniela doesn't really want to have to sleep next to a corpse if this man is too weak. Her palm once again rests against his shoulder. She reaches her other hand out and the pads of her fingers skim along the ghost of a beard, the stubble feeling foreign to her skin. Her father was always clean shaved, she rests her weight on her knees and brushes her hand along his face to his hair and she can feel his breath against her forearm. "It will get better, but you must not focus on the pain. I had to count the loose threads of my clothes until I passed out. You seem strong, you will handle the next trial well."

The man coughs and she pulls away from him, wondering what came over her. What possesses Daniela to touch this face and reassure him with kind words. She was only supposed to see how strong he was, grip his shoulder and see if she can feel his bones through his skin. Her mothers voice is telling her not to get close, to be cold and distant.

On the other hand, Daniela isn't a fool, this American might be able to help her escape. And a part of her mind tells her it's because she has been over a week without a single soul who didn't wish her harm. She's been beaten, probed and prodded with needles, and threatened.

Bucky chuckles, an odd sound to hear in a pitch black cell, "so what's a dame like you doing in a place like this?"

Daniela laughs softly at the flirtatious statement, this man has an interesting sense of humor. Her mother's warning tone bounces into her head 'do not trust an American, Daniela, they will break your heart.' She decides to be wary of this American, be cautious of his intentions. To listen to her mother, just this once.

Daniela's lips curve up, although if I'm being honest with myself, I'm not one to listen to Mama for very long.


Hey guys, I was on vacation for the past three weeks and semi-off-grid for that time. I have the next like 10 chapters pre-written. Please review any thoughts, I will be updating my other stories in the next few days now that I have an actual internet connection.