A/N: I want to thanks you all for the support I've received with this story! Particular thanks to Stephanie, DeRpYDoughnut and Princess Andromeda II for the wonderful reviews. I hope this one is just as good.
Rusted
It was a disease. A disease meant to grow and spread and rust away all that was James Buchanan Barnes. All that was Bucky.
Through the years of torture and manipulation HYDRA had put him through, this disease and grown stronger. It had thrived in Bucky's damaged brain. His mind had sharpened, yes, and his senses too, but everything else dulled and almost vanished under the thick coating of rust covering it.
It was the little things that went first. Like the sound of his sibling's laughter. Like the name of his first girlfriend. Like the fact that there were little flecks of green in the blue of Steve's eyes. Details were obscured first, then the bigger picture. Soon, he couldn't remember what his home had looked like, or why he cared so much for one skinny kid named Steve. One day he woke up not knowing his own name. That's how they knew he was ready.
The years had taken their toll. A coat - or straightjacket - of rust had formed over the life of Bucky Barnes, the soldier from Brooklyn. Anyone who tried to touch that part of his life came away with their fingers stained a brownish-red. Now he was simply the Winter Solider, the Asset without a home.
Still, every lock has a key, every speck of dirt can be cleaned. With time, the rust could be scraped away. You just have to use the right tools.
A/N: I hope that was okay. I don't like it as much as the last chapter but I think it will suffice. Please leave a review and I'll hopefully update soon. Bye!