I don't own Captian America.
Chapter Nine: Hydra's Asset
(Bucky Point of View)
As Bucky stood at attention, Brock nodded in approval. Then Brock walked over and went to a drawer. Bucky could feel what Brock was feeling at that point. The man thought his gear was missing something.
Unlocking a drawer, Brock pulled out a familiar mask and goggles. He handed it to Bucky and because of the bond, Bucky was forced to take it.
Bucky stared at the mask and goggles in his hands, coming to terms with what Brock was telling him. It was time to embrace his role as the Winter Soldier, Hydra's Winter Soldier.
Bucky trembled.
A concerned expression rose on Rumlow's face as he felt the emotional turmoil inside Bucky. Bucky continued staring at his additional gear, grief and horror in his eyes. Tears streamed down his face, and he began shaking, sobbing. Mourning was in his gaze.
Brock stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on his slave's shoulder. Then he gently removed the gear from Bucky's hands. "If you're not ready," he mumured softly, sending comfort through the link. "Then I'm not going to force you to use it." Bucky looked up and stared at him, stunned.
Sighing, Rumlow replaced the gear in the drawer. Then he turned back to Bucky, a compassionate and kind expression on his face. "Hydra really terrifies you, doesn't it? More so than you let on."
Bucky nodded quickly, silently. Rumlow stared at him with a knowing expression, having experienced what he went through via his memories.
A calm acceptance was on Bucky at this point. Though he was still shaky and scared, he felt a bit more ease with Rumlow, especially since the guy was accomodating him more than any handler had ever done. That, and Rumlow was sensitive to him.
"Come," Brock motioned to him, summoning him with one hand. He stepped towards the door, and Bucky filed behind him. As Rumlow turned around, he wiped the tears off of his Asset's face gently with the back of his hand. "You need to be able to focus," he murmurred softly. "There is a lot of danger out there."
Bucky registered the words and the commands immediately. He nodded in obedience, and a blank expression covered his face. He didn't want to have to cope with his emotions right now.
Brock opened the door and they strode out of the room.
As the Asset and the subservient one in the bond, Bucky had no choice but to walk behind Brock unless his handler's life was in danger. Then he could do anything to protect him. If it meant disobeying an order, it meant punishment later, even if he was saving his handler's life. And indeed, he had gone through that scenario before. But for some strange reason, Bucky got the feeling that Rumlow wouldn't punish him if he had to disobey an order to save him.
Bucky's eyes wandered around the corridor, looking for threats, as they continued to walk on. His ears scanned the perimeter, noting noises of gunfire on the lower floors. It appeared that Rumlow's troops had taken the upper floor. Word must have gotten out that Rumlow was the rightful leader of Hydra.
Finally, at the perimeter that Rumlow had ordered to be set, they came across the guards. Grief and sadness was on Bucky's eyes as it only reminded him of his new enslavement, but Rumlow didn't seem to have it in him to tell him to conceal his emotions, and he hadn't ordered Bucky to keep a blank expression.
Seeing the control that Brock had over Bucky, they stared at Rumlow in awe, some even dropping their jaws. It amazed them that Bucky was so obedient to him.
Rumlow acknowledged them with a nod, and they filed behind him, silently supportive of their new leader.
It was about fifty feet out that the strength of their new bond was tested. And though a young and vigorous bond it was, yet it seemed there was strength in this bond that Bucky hadn't had with his previous handlers.
Bucky felt Rumlow's excitement and felt his handler's heart rate increase, just as surely as Rumlow could feel his. Rumlow's troops were guarding the hallway that reached to the maintenance room, and the enemies stood firing back.
Bucky could feel what Rumlow wanted, something that could only happen between the Asset and his handler. The commander couldn't project feelings onto the Asset, nor could he feel the Asset's feelings. Brock was wanting Bucky to use his skills to end the fight quickly and thus save the lives of those on his side. Rumlow wanted a quick end to the bloodshed.
Bucky could tell that Brock was weakening slightly, though he was strong, and Bucky could tell that the wounds were wearing on him. He could vaguely feel the wounds that his handler had gained when still his commander.
Bucky didn't have a choice as it was impossible for him to disobey. Leaping forward, he pulled his rifle out and began sniping them all off in quick, rapid succession. Rumlow motioned his troops forward to take the cross section of the hallway. Bucky's skills pushed the enemy back, and once they had taken the cross section of the hallway, Rumlow motioned for half his troops to move to the left and down the hallway.
Once Bucky finished off the majority of them, he felt his handler wanted him near him. Using his super speed, he caught up with his handler easily. He swiftly swung his rifle over his back again, this time pulling out a knife.
Another cross section of the hallway was seen, and this time it appeared that Rumlow's troops were loosing. As depressing though the bond was for Bucky, at the same time it was exhilarating as he and Rumlow simultaneously leaped into battle beside each other, covering each other and lashing out alongside each other to clear the path. Bucky and Steve moved fluidly and flawlessly in battle, a well oiled machine. They knew each other well and how the other would move before they even did so, and thus they could compensate for one another.
But this was something else. It was pure perfection, outdoing something that even he and Steve could do together. Bucky could literally feel how to move and where his handler wanted him. He could feel where he was needed most, and so could Rumlow. They could both feel what each other needed in order to suceed in battle. They were one.
Slash, cut. Slash, cut. Bucky's blade moved with precision dealing death at every stroke. Rumlow didn't want him to spare the enemy's lives. He and Rumlow were a fearsome sight in battle.
As they moved fluidly, something seemed off, and as he gazed to his left, Bucky saw someone taking an aim at Rumlow. Apparently Striker must have instructed them that if they were able, they were to take Rumlow out.
Bucky couldn't explain what he felt, but because of the bond, even though it was aimed at Rumlow, he felt as though his life was in danger. Sensing the danger from Bucky, Rumlow tried to step out of the way, but it wasn't enough, so Bucky tackled Rumlow to the floor, desperate to protect his own life, as Rumlow was his own life. It was as if they were the same person.
Rumlow in fury, the rage felt by Bucky, Rumlow shot the traitor, and together they leapt back into battle.
Together, he and Rumlow were able to push the troops back, and they all secured the hallway together.
Sighing, Rumlow motioned his top personnel to join him in a little room that Bucky realised as he stepped in was a medical wing. The doctor that had survived earlier was in a bed, knocked out as an IV moved through her. Another doctor, one that probobaly didn't have the skills to deal with the Asset, was taking care of her.
Bucky could feel Rumlow's concern as he firmly asked the man, "Brian, how is it coming?"
Brian shook his head in worry. He was young, probably around twenty three, and considering his age, he had probably had graduated school earlier if he were specialising in medicine at that age. No wonder why Hydra recruited him. "She's stable," he answered his leader. "But what we really need is medical supplies. And while this fight is going on, it's blocking off any access that we might even be able to get or any transportation to bring anything here."
Rumlow nodded, worried. It amazed Bucky the more he felt the bits and traces of what emotions leaked out of Rumlow how much Rumlow cared for the people he was over. "We need to find a way to end this soon, then," he muttered to himself, hand on his chin, thinking.
Just then, more people entered, more in the high ranks, Bucky was assuming. Bucky glanced at them, watching them and positioning himself in a protective neasure in front of Rumlow. Ultimately, Bucky was protecting himself.
Sensing his Soldier's agitation, Rumlow turned around and relaxed. Bucky did as well, knowing that the people involved weren't a threat.
The new outsiders also had some familiar faces, including Rumlow's loyal guard. They were scrutinising Bucky closely, noticing a difference in his behavior, noticing the similarities to how he behaved when he was bonded to Pierce. For his part, not being bidden to speak, and because of the bond, Bucky stayed silent, watching out for his handler.
One of the newbies, a man with medium length blond hair, continued watching Bucky warily as the others began ignoring him, instead turning to Rumlow. "Is it done?" the man asked.
Grief filled Bucky as he knew what the man was talking about. The man wanted to make sure the bond was done, that they really had a leader finally. He wanted to make sure that Bucky was properly enslaved.
Rumlow didn't respond. Instead he used his slave to perform a gesture that only a handler could do to answer the man's question. The gesture was symbolic of his ownership over Bucky. In fact it showed his ownership over Bucky. All in Hydra's upper leadership knew about the gesture and that only a handler could do it. It used to be only select few knew about Bucky. Those would know the gesture and what it meant. But now that everyone knew about Bucky, everyone in Hydra knew what the gesture was for and what it meant.
A heavy feeling of unease entered Bucky's gut as he felt what his handler wanted, but because of the bond, he was subservient and he had no choice. He couldn't even spill a tear over it even though he wanted to. Kneeling down for his part of the gesture, he finally lay tummy down on the floor, face facing away from Rumlow, hands and arms by his side. To complete the gesture, Rumlow stalked forward and put his boot lightly but firmly over Bucky's neck, symbolising his ownership of Bucky. They stayed like that for some time.
If it was anyone else, even a commander, that tried it or tried to make Bucky do it, the bond would have made Bucky kill them even if he were disobeying an order. Only a handler could do this to him, and the bond ensured that, and that he would submit to the gesture whenever his handler wanted. And because of the bond, the handler would never let anyone do this to Bucky, his personal slave, even at the cost of his own life.
The guards nodded in approval as everyone in Hydra knew that this was a gesture that only a handler could do to the Soldier as due to the bond the Soldier wouldn't let anyone else do it to him. Even the wary newcomer was nodding in approval. This was proof to them of Rumlow's new position.
Loyalty was in the main guard's eyes. "We have a new leader," he affirmed. Slapping his fist to his chest, he shoutd, "Hail Hydra!"
"Hail Hydra!" the others shouted back.
Once Rumlow had affirmed his new position and they had acknowledged it, Brock let Bucky up. The man sent comfort through the link to Bucky as he felt his Asset's emotional turmoil at having to prove his subservience and enslavement to Brock. Bucky clung to the comfort like a life line. They both knew he needed the comfort because his mind was at risk to shatter once more due to the grief the gesture caused.
"Amazing," one of the personnel whom Bucky didn't recognise but evidently recognised Bucky breathed. "I remember when Pierce bonded. He couldn't even stand on his feet. He barely walked out of the room. And yet, here you are on your feet. You must be strong indeed. A strong leader we have. Especially so since you're able to support and control the Asset so soon in the bond." The man was apprciative of Rumlow.
"Don't be too at ease," Rumlow warned them as they all looked on in appreciation. "It's not without effort. As it is, I'm going to have to rest soon for a very long while. And I'll need my wounds treated. But not right now. We have too much to do and there's no time."
"Of course," they nodded, respecting heir new leader's wishes.
Now Rumlow was onto other business. "Where are we at?" he demanded.
One of the newcomers that Bucky didn't recognise spoke up. He was a rather large redhead. "The message has been sent," he confirmed. "We just barely recieved word back from all bases. They all acknowledge you're claim to leadership in Hydra."
"And no doubt they're going to want proof," Rumlow growled. Bucky could feel how frustrated Brock was for all the trouble Striker had caused him and his new role.
"Naturally most will fall to you," a woman retorted with long, wavy hair. "Even they knew Striker's leadership claim made no sense. You're story is the only one that made sense."
"That said," another piped up. "They're going to want proof for certain, especially the regional heads of Hydra. There have been too many making a claim to leadership. They need undeniable proof."
"Perhaps the security footage," another head, a woman who was fiddling with a bracelet suggested. She glanced at Bucky. "You're gesture is enough to prove it. And regardless, even if you're weren't originally supposed to be heir, you own the Asset now, and thus you are rightful leader. Thus, if they try to argue that you siezed control illegally, you'll be able to prove that you're legally leader, even if they believe you originally seized the role illegally. They'll have no choice but to follow you."
"Though it's hard to believe that anyone will believe Striker's claim now," another man commented, with blone hair and bright brown eyes. "As said before, his claim never made sense, especially compared to yours. And knowing Pierce's interactions with you verses him, they know that you were highly favored of Pierce. It makes sense that he would name you his heir. Pierce didn't have much to do with Striker, except through strenuous conversations."
The main guard nodded. "Aye. The security footage should be footage enough. And death to anyone who disbelieves it."
Rumlow nodded. "Send the security footage to all branches of Hydra as proof then." A few nodded at him and exited to go back to battle and fulfill his order. Then the man sighed. Bucky could sense that though Rumlow could prove it, he might only grudgingly gain the loyalty of the regional heads of Hydra. They would be merely following protocal and Pierce's wishes.
Too much had happened in between the time that Pierce was leader and between Brock's leadership. Brock would have to do more to cement his leadership as absolute instead of having grudging acceptance. That he knew, and it was this that others didn't seem to realise. Brock needed to be politically cemented as well, and he needed their loyatly to be from desire to follow him, not merely because he was leader and thus had control. For some reason, Bucky sensed some political trips was in their future, or at least Brock's.
But there was also frustration and anger towards Striker that he had sabotaged his leadership. Yes, Striker was presumed heir earlier, but as Bucky was finally figuring out, because the man was heir (or so they thought) and not leader, he'd had to fight with the regional heads. In the absense of a leader it was the heir and the regional heads that ran Hydra together, though the heir presided. And somehow, though they didn't like Striker, Striker had managed to get some of his destructive policies through. But at least he'd had to fight them to get it through.
If Rumlow had been affirmed as leader immediately, none of this would have happened. He would have had absolute control over HYdra as he did now, only he would have had their willing loyalty and none of Striker's policies that had destroyed the Hydra Pierce and Rumlow wanted would have gotten through.
Silent as ever, Bucky watched the situation, accepting his position with sadness.
Rumlow decided to move on, ignoring Bucky's feelings for now. But he did send more comfort through the link, which Bucky desperately needed and clung to.
"What is the situation of the base?"
A slight smile was on everyone. "Despite the situation, and despite taking several key levels, most are loyal to you, my leader," the red haired woman responded. "We've retaken the key points of the base. It's only a matter of time before we retake the whole base. Other bases have already offered to come as soon as they've taken care of their traitors and Striker's forces in their own."
Rumlow nodded, his face serious. "And the death toll?" he dared to ask. "How many of our own have we lost?"
"Fortunately, not many," the main guard informed him. "We have the advantage of numbers, and there are many bases where Striker has no followers. They've offered to help us, to help their leader, to show their loyalty. He is at a disadvantage."
"Gordan is right," the red haired lady smirked. "Right now his forces are retreating."
Rumlow seemed to take courage at this. "I want Striker and Manning gone," he demanded. "If anyone sees either of them, they are to kill on sight." Everyone nodded. "I don't want the traitors to leave the base. Destroy them all. I will not tolerate treason."
"Unfortunately, that may not be possible," Brian informed him. "As it is, they have taken the exits in order to leave. But we still have one exit."
Rumlow nodded. "Hunt them down," he demanded. With that, Bucky felt that Rumlow wanted to move. He moved to obey, moving in a shielding and protective manner in front of Rumloe, his face carefully blank. "Meanwhile, I need to travel to one of our bases in Belgium. I have a feeling that consolidating there is the first move to make. With the chaos going on in the world, and with rumors of the threats out in space, we have a limited window of opportunity. Clean up the base here, and when you're done, send me word again. I should be resting in Belgium from the bond and getting my wounds treated. But I can last until then."
Murmurs of acknowledgment spread, and with that, Rumlow stalked out, Bucky behind him. This side of the base had already been cleared, so they began heading in the direction to the nearest garage. But as they did, Bucky felt that Rumlow wanted to make a quick detour. And with that, he led them to a little, secluded, secret hallway on the right that Rumlow opened up. To anyone else it was a wall.
Bucky guessed what was going on, based on Rumlow's feelings that had leaked to him. Pierce had left Brock one more gift for him, one more inheritance for him. And it was top secret. Only the heir was to know about it, as it was assumed that Bucky would be constantly wiped since it was natural that he would know. After all, in the little hallway, Bucky could feel something energetic in the wall.
Bucky hoped that Brock wouldn't wipe him ever. He cringed, and Brock sent comfort through the link.
Taking a deep breath, Brock pressed with his thumb on three different scattered bricks. Suddenly, one of the bricks popped out, and a box was revealed. Brock put the brick back.
Hesitantly, Brock opened the box, and Bucky's eyes widened. A blue glow shone out of the small, brown box, but Bucky couldn't see what was inside. Whatever was in there, Bucky felt an odd connection to it, and through Bucky Brock felt that connection as well. Standing behind Rumlow, Bucky couldn't see what it was, and Bucky had the feeling that Brock didn't want him to know, so he stayed back. It was at least as powerful as the Tesseract, though, but it wasn't the Tesseract. It was something different.
Rumlow shut it abruptly and hid it within his suit. He was done staring in awe at it, and now he was back to business. "Let's go," he commanded, and he led them out of the secluded secret hallway that only he and Bucky could see and that no one else knew was there. They started on their way to the garage again.
Rumlow felt Bucky's curious question. "Don't ask," the man called back. Bucky obeyed due to the bond, but he was disappointed. Brock sent him no comfort for that.
The personnel acknowledged Rumlow and saluted him as he walked past. Walking over to the lone jeep that was armed with weapons, Bucky felt that Brock wantd him to get in the passenger's side, and he obeyed.
Starting the car, Rumlow drove them out of the base. The last look Bucky had of the base before disappearing into the treeline was the soldiers tending the injured.
The battle was over.
(Steve point of view)
Distress was in Steve's face as he paced back and forth violently. The only thing on his mind was Bucky's terrified face the last time he saw him. He couldn't get the fear out of his mind that Bucky was being hurt and needed his help while Steve sat around and did nothing. The very thought of Bucky being hurt was fear inducing in his mind, and the fact that Bucky may be permanently scarred after this.
Gone were the good old days when they would laugh and joke. Gone were the good old days when Bucky was quite happy and confident with himself. But, truth be told, Steve had accepted Bucky as he was now. And now he was probably going to have to go through all of that again and accept a new Bucky after this.
Steve just wanted Bucky back safe and sound.
"Steve," the man heard someone softly and quietly call his name. "No amount of pacing is going to make a difference."
Clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, Steve growled, "Just leave me be!"
Sam, the one that had spoken, sighed. "You are doing everything!" the exasperated man reassured him, guessing what was on his mind. "And Bucky couldn't ask for more."
"Yes he can," Steve snorted. "He can ask to be saved!"
"Which you are doing," Sam replied. "Not all saving is action, Steve. Investigating is part of saving too."
Steve stopped pacing the quinjet they were in and went to sit beside Sam, head in his hands. They were alone together, and though Steve knew he was straining his best friend, he couldn't help it. Bucky was his best friend to, and Bucky needed Steve. Steve couldn't feel more helpless at the moment.
Putting a hand on Steve's shoulder, Sam squeesed him slightly. "Hey, we'll find him!"
Steve had just opened his mouth to respond to Sam when suddently there were urgent footsteps coming up the ramp.
It was Natasha. She poked her head insided, her expression acute. "They've found something!" she informed them. "Quicky!"
As they quickly raced after her, Steve couldn't help the little spike of fear that tore around inside of him, preparing him for what was to come. If it was something bad, Steve didn't know what he would do.
There was a lone trailer with expensive tech inside, and as Steve stepped inside the inconspicuous white van, he noticed several moniters with footage going. Clint was inside, a sober expression on his face, standing beside amother lady with bright blonde hair who had a headset on her face. Clint was leaning on the table where her keypad was, the lady busy typing something.
As the new arrivals entered, Clint turned around. "There you are," Clint announced and the blonde lady merely glanced at them. Steve frowned and Clint sighed, though he was used to this by now.
Ignoring Clint, Steve asked the blonde woman, "What have you got for us?"
The blonde lady glanced at them again. She pursed her red lipstick lips and nodded to the screen.
Steve watched the video play before them. The lady had clearly started it over again, and Steve watched as two people bundled in winter clothes to where their faces couldn't even be seen walked slowly across the screen. One was walking in front of the other, his hands in a muffler, and the other was walking behind, one of his hands in a glove, the other in his coat pocket.
They stopped briefly, and the figure that was behind looked around, and the figure in front turned slightly, and froze as he saw the missing and wanted posters before carefully turning away.
As the other figure stopped looking around, he suddenly seemed to notice the missing and wanted posters. The figure in the muffler froze as if in fear, and Steve watched as the figure behind angrily tore off the posters and trashed them. He then roughly grabbed the figure in front of him and began forcefully pushing and bullying him along, tearing and trashing several posters along the way into the next available trash can. Meanwhile the figure in front meekly submitted to the abuse, being dragged along quite roughly. None the less, he did not appear to complain. The last they were seen was behind a red bricked abandoned building.
Steve knew he was about to tear up watching this. "Bucky," he breathed, heartbroken.
Nat gave him a sympathetic look, knowing how hard this was for him to watch.
Just then, Melanie walked into the van, grim. "I assume you saw?" she asked them upon seeing their faces.
Steve nodded, some tears in his eyes that he was desperate not to spill. "What now?" his voice shook as he asked.
A sigh of compassion escaped Melanie. "Now that we know the building where they ended up, we did some investigation. It did reveal some new footprints in a place where no one was supposed to step in for months. The place is dangerous and dilapidated. So we searched for rumors about the place. As it turns out, people have reported others coming and going there off and on. We managed to capture one who matched the description of a person reported to have been frequently visiting the place, but he's not talking."
"Now what?" Sam asked. "What do we do since interrogation isn't getting us anywhere? Or is he even Hydra?"
Shrugging, Clint let out a brief smile. "No need for him." Clint's smile was predatory. "And he's most certainly Hydra, though he's denying it." At their confused expressions, Clint explained, "He has a distinct accent that is only found in the Dornogovi province of Mongolia. All the others were reported to having an accent."
"Which means they likely took Bucky there," Steve concluded. Clint nodded.
At this point Natasha stepped forwarded. "We cross referenced it and brought up a map of known Hydra bases. There's only one in the whole country of Mongolia, as it turns out. There must not be that many who support Hydra there."
A clanking on the keyboards was heard and as Steve turned back to the blonde haired gal, Steve saw a clear map of Mongolia. But there was no Hydra base. Steve was puzzled. "Are you sure there's a base there?"
"Positive," Clint confirmed. "We've known about it for some time, but we've never been able to figure out exactly where it is."
Worried, Steve put his head in his hands. He looked up when Natasha circled a small region in the middle of the province. "We know it's out in the wild somewhere, even if we don't know exactly where. And we also know they have to travel a long region by car to get there, as it's a forest. There's no place to fly in. We've checked for that already to see if we could. That means we'll have to fly there, land, and take a vehicle to get there."
"And where exactly is 'there'?" Sam demanded, arms crossed. Neither he nor Steve seemed to be in on the new information. "It's a big area. And are there even any roads?"
"There are some roads that go somewhat into the forest, but not fairly deep. It'll be off-road from there."
"So we could be wandering miles in the jungle, but never come across them."
Clint flinched. "Unfortunately."
Natasha seemed hopeful. "It's a step in the right direction, Steve! With luck, we'll find them!"
"I don't seem to have luck on my side lately," Steve snapped, turning away in frustration.
Melanie sighed. "Black Widow is right. It's information to go on. At least we got you close..."
It took a moment, but Steve finally sighed and nodded his head. "You're right," he admitted. He was back to pondering, watching the footage of Bucky being bullied on the monitors again, his eyes swelling with tears he wouldn't let fall. The others turned around to see what he was watching and were instantly worried when the saw the footage, worried for Steve and worried for Bucky.
"I don't understand," he finally voiced after a while. He was heartbroken, they could tell, at Bucky's treatment, and confused and puzzled at the same time. His voice broke as he spoke. "Why would Bucky allow himself to be led around like that? Why would he accept the treatment? He can run away! Snap Rumlow's neck and walk away from being hurt!" Steve mourned.
Sam put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "He's confused. He's brainwashed. He doesn't know that he can walk away. And he's probably being threatened. I don't think he can even walk away or harm Rumlow at this point."
"Stockholm Syndrome," Natasha confirmed, arms crossed as she watched the footage. "He even defended his captor and begged us not to shoot him. Rumlow took advantage of the weakness."
Melanie glanced at Natasha worriedly. "If they've managed to gain control over the Winter Soldier again, that's bad for everyone."
"We know," Clint firmly confirmed.
Finally, Steve couldn't watch anymore. He turned away, a lone tear spilling onto his face. "I'm heading to the quinjet," he announced, voice breaking, dejected in his walk.
Everyone watched him worriedly as he walked out.
(Bucky Point of View.)
Bucky did nothing but watch Rumlow at is point. "You can talk now," Rumlow announced, a force of habit as all he had to do was want it and Bucky would be able to talk again.
Bucky glanced at the scenery. There was nothing but forest around them. "Where are you taking me?" Bucky asked.
Rumlow ignored him.
Glancing over at his new master, he couldn't help the confusion he felt. Was Rumlow closing up to him again? And where did they stand now that Rumlow was his handler?
Feeling what he was going through, Rumlow cleared his throat then sighed. "If I say that I can't tell you, will that satisfy you?"
Truth be told, Bucky was never satisfied, but he supposed he could accept it. At least that meant Rumlow was still talking to him. Rumlow nodded as he felt what his Asset felt. "But what now?" Bucky then asked.
Rumlow seemed to consider as he kept both eyes on the road. "I don't know" he admitted. "There is a change our positions," he reminded Bucky gently, briefly glancing at him. "And in the end, I have my duty to Hydra that I must fulfill. I must be a good leader and a good handler. But other than that, I don't know."
In other words, there was a lot of room left. Hopefully, none of that meant cryofreeze. Or mind wiping. Bucky shuddered as he thought on that and Rumlow sent comfort through the link. "I think our definitions of good handler are different."
Rumlow huffed in amusement at this. Then he was serious again. "Maybe not. I don't want to harm you unless I gave to, and even then it's only for punishment."
"And... the mind wipes?" Bucky dared to ask.
A puzzled look entered Brock's face. "I don't know," he admitted. "There is a lot that I haven't decided on yet as Hydra's new leader."
"Perhaps you you could discontinue it?" Bucky begged, and a small smile graced Crossbones' features as he felt the desperation and begging that Bucky put into it.
"So desperate are you?" he murmured softly, but there was a fondness for him in his tone that Bucky had never heard before. Then the man straightened up. "Tell you what. We won't use the code words as long as you cooperate. And we won't wipe your mind as long as you are compliant. Like I said, I don't want you going through pain if it can be avoided. But this is only if you are good. If you aren't, I'll have no choice but to do so until you're compliant."
"And the cryofreeze?" Bucky was gaining a bit more confidence around Brock now. He wasn't being as mean as his other handlers had been. He was being more lenient and free with him.
Brock sighed. "Same. Besides, I can't imagine putting you in cryofreeze for a while. There's too much to do in Hydra. Too much to fix."
Bucky was hesitant at the word fix. That seemed to imply that Brock was going to use him to fix something, and he hated to think of what that meant. But at least it meant he'd be awake for a bit longer.
There were, however, still some other things that concerned Bucky.
"What are you going to do to me now?"
At this question, Brock seemed puzzled. "I don't really know," Brock admitted. "I haven't really decided. All I know is we needed to get out of that base."
"And... me? Am I going to be used to solve your politics?"
Rumlow eyed Bucky seriously. "You can't solve everything for me. Unless you have a bachelors in debate, there's not much you can do for me there, even as the Asset. With respect, kid, you're not good at public speaking."
Bucky was hesitant. "I can threaten," he replied, attempting to lighten the mood. Rumlow chuckled some, knowing that Bucky wasn't giving an offer and that he was merely making a joke, trying to make things easier. It made the atmosphere a little lighter now that he got Brock to laugh and not be so serious.
"That you can," Brock agreed. Then he was back to sincerity. "But not everything can be won by threats," was Rumlow's soft reply. "Even Pierce understood this. He taught that to me when I first came under his command. He saw my potential. In many ways he was rhe father I never had. He took me under wing, nurtured me even." Brock was wistful as he told all this to Bucky, but Bucky no longer remembered the bonding process and what had occured, let alone Brock's memories. That was normal for the bond, but Bucky knew things by instinct. This, Brock understood, being his handler.
"You miss him, don't you?" Bucky whispered.
Rumlow nodded and Bucky could tell he was trying not to cry, that he was putting on a tough face. "A lot," Rumlow admitted. Brock glanced at Bucky again, a soft smile on his face. "I was a bit of a hot head back down. Pierce told me to calm down. He taught me how to. And then he began teaching me the subtleties of politics. He taugh me how to be subtle." Rumlow sighed. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this."
"Because you trust me," Bucky realised. "Because we're bonded and you know that I can't break your confidentiality. And because you need someone to talk to about it because you can't talk to anyone else about it."
Rumlow knew the truth of his statement. He felt it. There was a brief silence after all that.
Bucky looked away and then glanced back at Rumlow. "Is my fate to serve Hydra forever?" he finally asked.
Rumlow rubbed his face. "I know this bothers you," he murmured softly. "But you have to understand that I must put Hydra first no matter what. But when all is left over, I want to make things easier for you."
"I can never serve Hydra willingly," Bucky warned.
"I know," Rumlow whispered.
Things were silent between the two of them.
(Steve Point of View)
The first few minutes of flying in the quinjet had been extremely silent. Steve sat by himself in a corner, looking dejected. There was a sad frown on his face as he seemingly pondered.
Natasha moved from where she was at to sit beside him. Putting a hand on his shoulder gently, he stirred and looked at her. His eyes were so sad, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Her face fell when she saw this.
"We've almost got him back," she reassured him.
Steve looked away. "It's a large territory. The chances that we come across them are slim. We could drive around for days and not even find the base."
Closing her eyes briefly for a minute she sighed. "At the least, we've reported it to the authorities. Rumlow can't go anywhere in public with Bucky without being recognised. They're on high alert."
"He may not need to," Steve whispered. "They can keep him in the base indefinitely."
"Not necessarily," Natasha's face twitched. "Even they have to restock their bunkers some time. As it is, the Mongolian government is scanning with their satellites to see if they can narrow the area down for us."
"They didn't even report a quinjet coming in," Steve folded his arms and then rested his head in one of his hands. "There's no guarantee that they can find it."
"The quinjet has cloaking capabilities, so that isn't surprising," Natasha murmured. "But a base is going to be huge. It's awfully hard to cloak something like that and of that size. Chances are it's hidden by other means. That means, now that we know the vicinity, perhaps there's something that they can do to try to find an anomaly."
"But didn't you say that they've been trying to find that base for over a year?"
"And we have a hostage now," Natasha acknowledged. "While it's true that they've been trying hard to find it, the stakes have been risen now that they have Bucky. Nobody wants Bucky in Hydra's custody. With his skill set, it's not in anyone's interests."
"She's right," Clint called out from flying the quinjet beside Sam. For once, Steve didn't frown or say or do anything because of Clint's hand in getting Bucky captured. He stayed still and listened seriously. "They'll be working double time on this with his life and sanity on the line. As it is, they have a doctor and a psychologist on stand by for when we find him. They also have a med unit standing by in case he's injured. And they're going to want to make sure he's calm. They want to help him psychologically any way that they can. It's a lot to go through."
"They're also in communication with the US government," Sam added. "They're going to cooperate with getting him home so that he can be safe and get the help he needs."
"And how are you guys getting all this information while I've gotten none of it?" Steve demanded.
Suddenly, everyone was fidgeting in discomfort. As both Clint snd Natasha looked to Sam to explain, as he was the closest to a psychologist, Sam sent them an annoyed look. Sighing, he replied, "All right! All right!" Glancing briefly behind him in order to gauge Steve, Sam admittd, "You've been so out of it and so distracted with the whole ordeal that Melanie finally communicated with us and us alone. She also made sure to recommend to Mongolia and the United States that all of the communication is to be directed to us. She understands, they all do. It's a lot to go through."
Truth be told, Steve was a bit annoyed upon hearing is. But he could see where Sam was coming from. He was compromised by his emotions and had been very snappy with people. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, if he were in their shoes, he would have done the same thing.
But that didn't mean that he was happy about it. "Fine!" he snapped. "But after we get Bucky back, I'm in charge again!"
Everyone nodded quickly, not wanting to anger an angry super soldier, especially one who was in a protective mode.
"Absolutely," Natasha agreed. "After all, it is your right as Bucky's guardian." And that part was also true, even legally. As Bucky's designated guardian, Steve had the right to make decisions for Bucky. And it might be needful after they got him as they had no idea what kind of state Bucky was going to be in.
"We're almost to Dornogovi," Clint announced. "I'm setting this bird down."
(A few minutes later)
To say that the jeep they'd chosen was uncomfortable was an understatement. But at least it was heavily armed.
The Mongolian government had provided them with a jeep with state of the art equipment. They were allowing them to go in first in order to scout the area.
It was a very hot day, and unfortunately the vehicle didn't have air conditioning. It made them all uncomfortable as they perspired.
Only Steve seemed to be the least uncomfortable. That was partially because of the serum, but it was also because he had grown up in a day where air conditioning didin't exist or wasn't as widely spread, therefore he wasn't as bothered by the lack of it.
As the others squirmed around, Steve pulled out an old fashioned map. Clint looked at him like he was crazy. "We don't need that! We've got GPS!"
Steve snorted. "The last time I used one of those, the only tine I used one of those, was when Bucky and I went camping. Tony was so insistent, and supplied us, so I agreed. Well, we got lost in a forest that it led us to, and Bucky wasn't too happy about it. Our car broke down and we had to hike many miles for several days just to get bakc to the nearest city. We vowed to never use another GPS again."
Clint was working hard to keep from laughing, and Sam turned to Steve in surprise. Natasha was also slightly smiling. Steve glared. "Yeah," Clint acknowledged. "I heard about that, Tony mentioned that and said he never wanted to get Bucky lost accidentally again. He said Bucky was frightening."
"And I did nothing to stop him," Steve admitted. "I wasn't too happy about it myself, and I knew Bucky wouldn't harm Tony too badly. He just wanted to scare him a little."
"Well, Tony was pretty scared," Natasha admitted. Leave it to a spy to find out the what the ordinary couldn't find out. "I hear Bucky wasn't too happy that he had to rely on survival skills just to get back to the city with you. As it is, when you guys showed up at the tower looking ragged, Tony immediately guessed what happened and nearly peed his pants."
Steve shook his head. "Technology is not the best for everything."
Everyone frowned at how old fashioned he was. "It's not always like that, you know. GPS can be very useful," Clint argued. He sighed, and then there was a sudden silence.
Steve watched as the scenery changed, and the forest flying by around him. And then finally, Clint pulled them off road. "The road was destroyed in some rains. It'll be a little bit before we have pavement again," Clint informed the crowd. "But don't worry. I know where we're headed."
"You'd better," Steve growled. "I don't want to get lost because of a GPS again. That's the last then I need when we're trying to find Bucky."
Rolling his eyes, Clint huffed, "Relax. We'll be fine."
"We'd better," Steve growled again.
It took them a few hours to find the road again. They travelled on it for about ten minutes. But right as they did, another vehicle was seen in the distance.
"What is that?!" Steve exclaimed.
Natasha frowned. "What is what?"
Evidently, Steve could see further than the group because of the serum. "There's a vehicle in the distance coming right at us."
Clint frowned. "Hang on, everyone."
(Bucky Point of View)
Silence had filled the cabin of the vehicle at both Rumlow's and Bucky's declarations. The more than two days worth of driving was taking a toll on them, and they'd only stopped for sleeping, taking turns guarding where they were at, eating, and bathroom breaks in the bushes. Bucky found himself glad that they had soap and water as part of their rations in the vehicle. And he could feel from Rumlow that they were almost out of the forest. Perhaps it would take another days worth of driving.
It was as if they were at an impasse, although it wasn't a true impasse, Bucky realised, since Rumlow could actually force Bucky to do whatever he wanted, even if Bucky didn't want to do it. But Bucky could also tell that Brock was frustrated that he didn't have Bucky's allegiance in the end. Bucky knew that Brock had hoped that Bucky would come around.
But Brock was also aware of the reason Bucky felt he couldn't join Hydra. He could feel his precious Asset's emotional turmoil.
It also didn't help that Bucky felt a strong longing to join Hydra, just as much as Rumlow felt a strong desore to flee from Hydra and to help to destroy Hydra. The bond made it as if they were one person. Bucky was starting to have trouble telling if some of the things he felt were his own feelings or Brock's feelings, and he could tell that Brock was having the same trouble. Where their own feelings ended and where the other person's feelings began was becoming harder and harder to tell the more the bond increased. He wondered how long it would be until they couldn't differentiate and their very personalities blended together.
How much of his own self Bucky had left, he didn't know. But he vaguely recalled that it was very similar with his previous handlers. He had been able to feel their feelings so strongly that he thought it was his own, and for the most part he didn't really have his own feelings, except on occasions. One of those instances was when he was confused after seeing Steve and he'd asked his handler who Steve was. His handler, Pierce had immediately felt his Asset's turmoil and had tried to dissuade him otherwise. Then he had used the mind wipe as a last resort when he had failed.
Due to the fact that he could feel his handler's emotions because Brock couldn't control them and they seeped out and he didn't usually have emotions of his own, it made him very easy to be led around by his handler. But for some strange reason, there was something different about this bond, and they both felt it.
"Barnes," Rumlow whispered gently. "Whatever happens, you should know that I'll do my best to protect you and comfort you. Yes, you're going to have to do difficult things. It's what you were designed for. But I could never send you into a situation where I knew you would die for certain. You know that. And I'll comfort you when you're required to do those difficult things."
"Can I even be comforted?" Bucky mourned. "I don't think there is any way you could actually alleviate me."
"Not necessarily." And Bucky could tell that Rumlow was hopeful. But Bucky felt that it was a vain hope, and Bucky knew that Rumlow knew he felt that way.
Silence filled the space of the vehicle for a few minutes again, and sudenly Bucky spotted something in the distance because of his superior eyesight. Though Rumlow couldn't see it, he was immediately alarmed. Bucky fidgeted uncomfortably.
Turning to Rumlow, he asked, "Is there supposed to be something out this way?"
Rumlow shook his head. "No. Whoever they are, they're not Hydra and they're not invited. Thank goodness we're several days away from the base."
"An enemy then?" Bucky murmured softly. 'Or rescue,' he secretly thought, but due to his feelings, Rumlow guessed what his thoughts were and he sent a brief glare at him.
"You're not being rescued, no matter what," Brock firmly reprimanded him, and they were back to business again. "Now I can't see them yet. I want a description of what we're up against."
Bucky frowned. "It's an armed vehicle, a jeep like ours. It's camouflaged and heavily armed." To his surprised, Rumlow didn't turn off the road and kept on riding. "We can't evade them on the road," Bucky pointed out.
"I know," Rumlow informed him grimly. "I don't intend to. Whoever this is, they're intending to head towards my base and I won't have it. I intend to confront them."
Bucky shrunk in his seat trying to make himself smaller, and he remained silent.
Rumlow had an expression that Bucky couldn't decipher, nor could Bucky decipher his emotions. "Disarm yourself," Rumlow finally ordered him, and Bucky obeyed, the vehicle still out there. "Throw your weapons and anything that can be used as a weapon far enough out of reach to where you can't get to it." Subservient as ever and having no choice, Bucky did as he was ordered.
"Remove your combat gear," Rumlow continued to instruct him. Bucky obeyed. Suddenly he felt a little chilly having only his shirt and cargo pants on. After he removed the weapons from his boots, he replaced his shoes. "Toss it to where you can't reach it."
Bucky despately wanted to ask Rumlow what he was doing, but because of the bond, he wasn't able to. He could only obey. But he knew as clear as day that Rumlow could feel his question. But the man chose not to respond, and through the bond Rumlow wasn't letting Bucky ask questions. Bucky couldn't decipher the man's emotions or expressions either in an attempt to try to figure out what he was up to.
"Be still and quiet," was Rumlow's final order. He stopped the vehicle and parked it.
The vehicle came closer and closer and finally the other vehicle stopped some distance away. As Bucky saw Steve staring out the other windshield at him, he gasped and was suddenly frightened.
Rumlow was angry, his lips in a hard line. "I hate Avengers!" he hissed, pure fury in his voice.
Opening his door, he grabbed Bucky roughly by the back of the nape of his shirt and pulled him clear over the gears, over his seat and out the door on his end. Bucky whimpered at the rough treatment and he was a little suprised at Crossbones' strength. As Bucky landed outside the vehicle he hit his knees hard and Rumlow roughly yanked him up. If there was anything that Bucky had noticed about Rumlow it was that the man was only ever rough and harsh with him when he was around any Avengers or it was about any Avengers. Something about them aggravated him.
Grabbing a gun swiftly, Rumlow yanked Bucky's arm and made him walk forward, his gun aimed at Bucky's head. It would be an instant kill if he decided to pull the trigger, but both Bucky and Rumlow knew that it would be impossible for Rumlow to do it with the bond, even though this bond felt different. He was pulling another bluff. But that didn't mean that Bucky wasn't terrified, because he was. Rumlow sent him no comfort.
They stopped walking, Rumlow having a firm grip on Bucky's arm, the gun pointed at his head in precision.
Steve's face was fixed in horror, and all the Avengers were out of the vehicle. Clint had his bow drawn, Natasha had her guns pointed, and so did Falcon. Even Steve was armed with a gun, but his was down in shock.
Rumlow sneered, his rage and fury barely contained. It was curious to Bucky that most of Brock's anger and rage was directed at Steve. "Well, isn't this a lucky surprise?!"
Despite Rumlow's nasty look and Bucky's apparent precarious position, Bucky could tell that Steve was trying to calm himself. "Don't do this," Steve begged, eyeing Bucky with care and fear. Rumlow pressed the gun to Bucky's head more and Bucky whimpered. He was unable to contain his expressions of fear and he could tell that this was affecting Steve and Steve's ability to think straight.
"Why not?" Rumlow taunted him. "After you dropped that building on me? Why should I let your Bucky go?" Roughly pushing the gun in more, Bucky whimpered, his expressions of terror increasing. "Or live?" Rumlow added as a taunt.
"That's what this is about?!" Steve huffed in pain and fear. "Rumlow, you made your decision siding with a terrorist organization. And as I should point out, you tried to kill me!"
Rumlow's grip on the gun tightened. "You were in the way," Rumlow huffed.
"You were part of a corrupt organization," Natasha pointed out.
Rumlow laughed in anger. "Corrupt?!" he mocked. "Really? Should you talk?" And then with a sneer he looked at Steve. "At least I know about loyalty. As for you, your very government betrayed you with the Accords trying to control you in the name of safety. They violated your rights and tried to take away what you call your human rights, issued an illegal kill order on the Asset, allowed enforcement of an illegal law and tried to enforce it when your Congress never approved nor passed that very law. And you talk about corruption? Your government doesn't need Hydra. It's riddled with corruption and illegal acts!"
"You're talking as if you're not an American," Steve whispered.
Laughing, Rumlow affirmed. "I'm Hydra. That's where my loyalty lies. And you want to talk about Hydra being corrupt? Maybe I should leak a lot of the dirt that your politicians, including Ross, carry around. Still want to walk around blind, Rogers? Wake up!"
An unusual expression clouded Steve's face. "Yeah, I know that our country isn't what it used to be. I know that there are corruptions beyond Hydra. I know that senators and politicians only do their own will and desire and not what the people want. I also know that human rights are violated every day, not just in our own country, but around the world. That I can agree on. I've seen it with my own eyes. But you can't fight corruption with corruption, Rumlow. It will only tear the country down and in the end, nothing will get accomplished."
"Sometimes starting with a clean slate is needful," Brock snarked. His hand was still steady on the gun.
Steve now had a pleading look on his face. "If it's revenge you want, take it out on me, not Bucky! I'll even let you kill me!"
'No!' Bucky felt, his distress increasing, but Rumlow was unyielding, unmerciful.
Steve continued in desperation, "But Bucky's never done anything to you. Let him go!"
"Steve!" Clint cautioned. The rest of the team looked concerned but Steve was unyielding.
Anger filled Brock's gaze. Bucky couldn't decipher his emotions, but he wondered if Brock was actually considering Steve's offer.
Bucky breathed heavily, not sure how this was going to go down. "Please," Steve pleaded again, pure love for his brother seen clearly in his eyes.
Something changed in Brock's demeanor, that Bucky could feel despite the fact that Brock was behind him. His very body language softened, his anger dissipating, a form of gentleness on his features.
"Still changes nothing," Brock whispered finally. "But I don't need your offer. I won't stoop to that level." And that's when Bucky knew that Rumlow couldn't kill Steve because of Bucky's brotherly love for Steve. It prevented him from being able to do it.
Sighing, Brock let the gun down and stepped away from Bucky. A shocked expression covered Bucky's face. Was Rumlow letting him go?
Brock eyed Steve heavily with a sigh. "I'll give you fifteen minutes to get out of here. After that I'll blast you and your friends to bits if you're still here."
Surprise was on everyone's face and Bucky was frozen in shock. He wasn't the only one either. Steve was standing there as if he couldn't believe that the very man who had kidnapped Bucky was suddenly willing to let him go. Natasha was supsicious as if this was some sort of trick. She and Clint seemed to wonder if this was a way to let their guards down.
But other feelings were stirring inside Bucky that he hadn't expected. He and Rumlow were bonded. Did that mean he had displeased his handler? Did Rumlow not want him anymore? Was he abandoning Bucky? Bucky knew they weren't rational thoughts, but he couldn't help it as the feelings of abandonment spread. He didn't seem to know how to cope without his handler present. He'd never had to cope like this before when he'd had a handler before.
Bucky looked back, uncertain. Brock nodded. "Go on," Brock encouraged him and stepped forward to gently nudge him in Steve's direction.
It felt as if half of his being was being torn away, and Bucky was sure the seperation was going to kill him. Looking back for reassurance once more to make sure that this was what his handler really wanted, Bucky began walking forward slowly.
Bucky stepped forward inch by inch, and when he was close enough, Steve opened his arms, and Bucky walked into them, trembling. He continued to tremble, facing away from Brock, and finally he heard Rumlow's vehicle start and the man drove away. Bucky was aware as the distance seperated them.
Bucky felt devastated.
He was numb as Steve gently guided him to the vehicle, still in shock. Steve buckled him in. Sam was sitting next to him. Then the engine started, and Clint turned them around. They were headed home. Bucky was finally headed home.
It was all too much for him to handle. He'd been through too much trauma.
Bucky couldn't help it. He began weeping openly, his cries loud, strained, and agonized as his feelings overwhelmed him. He let all of his emotions flow out of him in anguish.
Steve gently tugged Bucky closer to him, letting Bucky rest on his shoulder as he wept harder and harder with no sign of stopping.
"It'll be all right," Steve reassurred him. "It'll be all right, Bucky. We're headed home."
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